"Oppugno! (10,000 bullets fired)"
Ivan anticipated this, and with another flick of his wand, he sent all the debris hurtling toward the Dark Wizards at the end of the tunnel.
Behind Ivan, Flan and the others were not idle. They pulled out their wands and retaliated, venting their anger.
In the face of such a large-scale magical attack, the Dark Wizards, who had not sacrificed anything in their efforts, did as they were told and retreated from the attack, leaving the passageway to avoid it.
Ivan was so fast that he covered the distance of ten meters in just two seconds.
The walls of the tables and chairs in front of them were pockmarked by the large number of broken bricks, and half of the six Dark Wizards had already run away in those two seconds.
A Dark Wizard who didn't manage to get away in time turned around and saw Ivan barging in. Without a word, he waved his wand.
"Diffindo! "
The scarlet beam hit Ivan, then returned the way it came, sending him flying.
Ivan, on the other hand, calmly cast a Stunning Spell on the Dark Wizard.
At the same time, Flan and the others, who had been following Ivan the whole time, rushed in. Several spells were cast, and the remaining two Dark Wizards fell to the ground, dead.
Ivan turned to look at them. He wanted to tell them to try and capture them alive, but on second thought, he kept his mouth shut. It would be irresponsible to ask them to hold back in such a fierce battle!
Ivan checked the map and confirmed that the meeting room was on the right. "We'll split up as we planned," he said. "Fran, you're in charge of the search on the left!"
"Yes, Sir Harls…" Flan had transformed into her werewolf form. Her large, hideous head paused for a moment, then she and her four subordinates ran for the left tunnel.
Ivan, on the other hand, did not act immediately. He reached out with his right hand and tapped his wand on a cabinet in the hall. Under the influence of magic, the wooden cabinet quickly softened and elongated into a huge python.
All of the tunnels leading down into the Chamber of Secrets were very narrow, and it would be nearly impossible to avoid the enemy's magic once they were blocked, so he needed a large human shield to take the hits for him.
Even though Ivan could transform into a Basilisk and go on a killing spree, he might be in danger. What if he accidentally triggered the Avada Kedavra?
He did not want to personally experience whether the Basilisk's anti-magic skin could resist the Killing Curse!
Ivan watched as the serpent slithered into the tunnel, summoned his Patronus as insurance, and finally gave the order.
…
A few minutes ago, in an underground conference room,
Six wizards were sitting around a round mahogany table, having a heated discussion.
"We've lost too many people in the past few months, and the wizarding market is getting colder by the day. We can't go on like this!"
"So what do we do? Surrender? Do you think they'll let us go now that we've come this far?"
"That's right! Never admit defeat. If you bow your head to those half-bloods and Muggles, you'll lose face. We can always recruit more men, or ask for help from the Ministry…"
…
Everyone was talking at once, and the atmosphere was tense.
From the looks of it, everyone knew that they were at an absolute disadvantage. The other party was closing in on them, and defeat was only a matter of time.
According to their usual style, negotiations should have begun by now, to see if concessions could be made to get the other side out of the Wizarding Market. After all, they would only suffer more losses if they continued fighting.
However, the problem was that, unlike in the past, their enemy was not a pure-blood wizarding family, but the owner of a wizarding shop in Knockturn Alley, and they could not bring themselves to compromise with such a lowly half-blood with no reputation…
As the debate reached a stalemate, one of the black-robed wizards turned to Noether, who had not spoken, and suggested.
"Wasn't the head of the Ministry a close friend of yours, Nort? It would have been easier if the Ministry had interfered."
"It's not that easy. The Ministry doesn't have time for us right now…" Nott shook his head and sighed.
Given his status, he naturally knew more than most wizards, and Azkaban seemed to have recently lost a very important fugitive.
Coupled with the recent Dementors riot, the executive director was worried sick. The last time he saw her, she seemed to have suddenly aged a few years, so he was in no mood to deal with the mess in Knockturn Alley.
Moreover, the old Nort was well aware that, in the opinion of many high-ranking Ministry of Magic officials, every wizard in Knockturn Alley was a piece of work, and they would applaud if any of them died fighting over territory.
This often means that there will be much less malign activity in the wizarding community for a while to come…
There was a brief silence as Noether's words sank in. Without the Ministry of Magic to intervene, it would be impossible to calm the opposition.
The stout witch on the corner hesitated, then gritted her teeth and suggested.
"I have a feeling that Alicia is up for more than just the wizarding market. She's been doing more than attacking us for months. She's up to something bigger! If you can convince the Director-General of that, the Ministry will not let you get away with it!"
"You want those people to believe that the owner of a magical shop in Knockturn Alley is a threat to their rule? Ha… difficult!" Rosier Senior sneered and shook his head, throwing cold water on everyone.
"No, we can collect or fabricate evidence… as long as it shows the Ministry that they've gathered a lot of Dark Wizards with ill intentions!" the stout witch said fiercely.
"We'll do it your way, then. Let's vote on it. If more than half agree, we'll start implementing it!" Nott tapped his index finger on the table, and after a moment's hesitation, he made his decision.
"Seconded!"
The other wizards agreed readily, as this was the best they could do. If it didn't work, they would have to consider surrender or compromise.
Rosier Senior looked around the room and nodded slowly in agreement, pretending to be worried. However, he sighed to himself. It was too late to discuss seeking help from the Ministry of Magic.
I'm afraid none of them will make it out of here today…
However, at the same time, he was also glad that he was on the winner's side.
As for the psychological stress of betraying an ally?
It doesn't exist!
Rosier knew very well that if there were enough benefits, no one in front of him would hesitate to betray him. The so-called alliance was just a joke.
Kaboom …
Just as the old Rozier was thinking this, there was a loud noise from above them, a faint explosion that caused the tables and chairs in the meeting room to shake violently.
"What is it? What's going on?" the stout witch asked, clutching the table in panic to stop herself from falling.
"From the looks of it, someone may have broken in from the outside!" Nott's face was grim as he scanned the room with narrowed eyes.
"What?! How can it be such a coincidence?" Rosier Senior frowned, looking stunned.
The others also looked at each other with a strange light in their eyes. Only they knew about the secret meeting here today…