Chapter -64.
As Carlson plunged into the inferno without a moment's hesitation, silence fell over the room—except for the Azkaban inmates in the know, all the pureblood officials and Aurors stood in shock. Who would dare leap straight into flames unless they were completely confident in their own abilities?
It's important to recognize that the Ministry of Magic, roaring with flames, could provide Lester with an unending source of heat, along with the fierce fire creatures wreaking havoc below. No matter how powerful Carlson was, facing so many adversaries at once would be a challenge.
Indeed, as soon as Carlson jumped into the flames, the fire beasts below unleashed a series of ferocious roars, and in an instant, the entire Ministry was awash in fire.
Lester, who had just been "thrown" into the flames by Carlson's disarming spell, casually waved his right hand as he watched Carlson tumble downward.
With his gesture, a colossal hand made of fire emerged from the sea of flames, catching Carlson safely as he fell.
To ensure that the pureblood officials above noticed nothing amiss, Lester waved again, and the Ministry of Magic transformed into a blindingly bright mass of flames and thick smoke, obscuring everyone's view.
Once the dust settled, Lester finally faced Carlson in the heart of the fire, who still showed signs of excitement from his daring leap.
Thanks to Lester's advanced fire magic, he could manipulate the flames to differentiate between friend and foe, so Carlson was unharmed despite being surrounded by fire.
"Leader Lester, that was exhilarating!"
Seeing Lester, Carlson couldn't contain his excitement, eager to recount his recent experience.
"You wouldn't believe how the purebloods stared at me as if I was about to pop! And the expressions on the faces of my pureblood colleagues? Priceless!" he exclaimed, laughter bubbling within him.
Carlson's display had indeed been impressive; a massive protective spell rendered the flames ineffective against him, and with a simple Expelliarmus, he'd sent Lester's fierce fire dragon flying, even managing to unseat Lester.
What remarkable skill it required! Just moments earlier, even Bernard had struggled against Lester despite his best efforts, yet Carlson had effortlessly cast 'Arlis' into the sea of fire, creating a stark contrast that took everyone by surprise.
"Alright, I know you're quite thrilled, but now is not the time for chatter."
Lester hadn't anticipated that Carlson, who appeared calm, would turn out to be such a talker. The pureblood officials above were eagerly awaiting the battle's outcome, yet this impetuous Carlson was still bubbling over with excitement from earlier.
"Yes, yes, Leader Lester." With Lester's prompt, Carlson quickly focused and stood tall.
He fully recognized that his triumph over Lester in front of so many witnesses was purely due to Lester's leniency. So, he promptly began to put on a grand performance.
"Arlis, meet your end!!!"
Thanks to the smoke deliberately conjured by Lester above, the purebloods couldn't see what was unfolding and only heard Carlson's calm yet threatening voice coming from below.
"Ah!!!"
Every time Carlson shouted, Lester would dramatically respond with a scream, occasionally launching fierce fire dragons upward, feigning an intense battle below.
The prisoners, who understood the real situation, could hardly contain their laughter as they watched the fire dragons puffing smoke and heard Lester's exaggerated cries.
Fortunately, with Arlis and the lustful old man as witnesses, and aware of the seriousness of the circumstances, they managed to stifle their laughter.
The high-ranking officials of the Ministry were too engrossed in the battle below to notice the prisoners, intensely focused on the unfolding struggle.
With each of Lester's anguished screams, the purebloods above felt their spirits lift and fall like a rollercoaster.
"destruite caelum et terram, die for me!"
Suddenly, Carlson's voice, laced with menace, resonated once more, leaving all the wizards stunned.
"Destruite caelum et terram? What spell is that?"
Even seasoned purebloods like Lucius were at a loss, unable to decipher the nature of the spell at that instant. However, even without understanding its magic, the incantation clearly indicated that it was a formidable dark magic.
.....
Lester stared in disbelief at Carlson, who had just proclaimed destruction or something of the sort.
"Big brother, come on, enlighten me—what magic is this 'destruite caelum et terram'?" Lester asked coolly, his dissatisfaction evident as he glared at Carlson, who still seemed to be relishing the moment. "Have you lost your senses?"
Carlson: "."
Noticing Lester's unfriendly demeanor, which suggested he'd like to deliver a beating, Carlson felt a little uneasy.
"Leader, didn't you tell me to shout something impressive?" Carlson protested, somewhat aggrieved. It was clearly Lester who had encouraged him to shout, yet now he was being scolded.
Lester: "."
It was true; he had urged Carlson to shout something remarkable and intended to coordinate with this to showcase Carlson's prowess.
But what was this 'destruite caelum et terram' nonsense? Lester could barely set the Ministry ablaze; how could he hope to destroy the world?
Nevertheless, looking at Carlson's truly aggrieved expression, Lester opted to let it slide.
After all, the kid's intellect was a bit lacking; otherwise, he wouldn't have been a hero who battled Voldemort but ended up marginalized in Azkaban.
"Sigh!"
With a resigned sigh, Lester waved his hands towards the sea of flames nearby, causing various terrifying fire beasts to morph into hammers under his control, crashing violently against the walls of the Ministry of Magic.
Simultaneously, he played the role of being in agony, letting out anguished wails.
This little act certainly left the pureblood officials upstairs in a state of astonishment.
"Carlson? Who's that?"
At that moment, Minister of Magic Smith learned Carlson's name from others and discovered that he was an Auror at the Ministry.
Though he had braced himself for it, Smith felt a surge of joy upon receiving that confirmation.
An Auror—someone from our ranks at the Ministry!
Moreover, judging by Carlson's demeanor, that previously arrogant 'Arlis' appeared to be completely outmatched!
Indeed, just as Minister Smith was feeling elated that Carlson was an Auror, the battle below was nearing its conclusion.
Carlson's calm yet slightly authoritative voice echoed from beneath.
"Arlis, surrender or perish!!!"
The pureblood officials above felt their pulses quicken upon hearing this, their pupils narrowing.
This calm and commanding tone was strikingly reminiscent of Dumbledore!
***
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