The walls of Blue Fiendfyre behind him surged with renewed intensity, the flames pushing forward even faster as his rage burned out of control.
Shalltear, however, had not anticipated that level of reaction. She flinched at the sudden acceleration of the flames, realizing a second too late that perhaps, just perhaps, she had gone too far. "…Oops," she muttered, shrinking slightly.
Then, Alex's voice cut through the wind. "Shalltear, keep cursing."
She blinked. "…What?"
"Keep going," Alex said, his eyes sharp as he maintained his course. "It's working."
Shalltear had no idea how insulting this lunatic was helping, but the "Prince" had spoken. And who was she to refuse the command of the one who had saved her life? And so, she obeyed. "What's wrong, you pathetic excuse for a duelist? Running out of tricks already? Is that why you're throwing a tantrum like a child? Merlin, I'd pity you if you weren't so insufferably ugly, I mean, really, have you seen yourself lately? You look like someone beat you with a cauldron, and lost!"
She was getting into it now. "Oh, and what's with all this screaming? You sound like a howler gone wrong. Are you going to do something useful with your life or just keep barking at the sky? Because right now, the only thing you're burning is your own dignity, what little you had left, anyway!"
Thunderbird's grip on his wand tightened so hard his knuckles went white. His breath came out ragged. The edges of his vision blurred. He had never been disrespected like this in his life.
Behind them, the Blue Fiendfyre swelled. Thunderbird was so livid that he poured even more magic into the flames, sending them rushing forward in a violent surge. But in his blind rage, he failed to notice that while the rear flames accelerated… the side flames, the ones closing in on Alex, were slowing down.
Exactly as Alex had hoped. It had been a gamble, but it was working.
The more Shalltear provoked Thunderbird, the more he lost focus, redirecting his fury into raw power instead of strategy.
As a result, the fire cage was losing its structural integrity. The side walls were weakening. And Alex needed them to weaken if he had any hope of escaping.
Thunderbird, now completely blinded by rage, roared as he pushed his magic output to its absolute limit. He didn't care about consequences anymore, he just wanted to incinerate Alex and that damn bat clinging to him.
The flames surged again, the heat behind them becoming unbearable.
Shalltear finally realized the full weight of the situation. "Uh, my prince?" she stammered, her voice suddenly a lot less cocky. "That wall of fire is getting faster. And it's getting closer. What do we do?"
"Don't panic. Hold on," Alex said through gritted teeth. The situation had escalated to its peak, Thunderbird was all-in, and Alex had no choice but to match him. His body tensed.
Then, he pushed.
He poured every ounce of magic into speed, accelerating so fast that the wind resistance alone would've thrown Shalltear off if she weren't clinging for dear life.
His Flying Cloak burned through its stored energy at a rapid rate, while at the same time, Alex drew upon the Control Rune, not just for flight, but to manipulate the very air itself.
He broke the wind in front of him, cutting resistance. His body streamlined into the fastest form possible. And then, He shot forward.
The distance between him and the flames grew. Shalltear let out an involuntary yelp as the force of acceleration nearly ripped her away.
Thunderbird, still chasing, felt a crushing sense of despair. He had pushed himself past his limit. He had thrown everything he had into this pursuit. And yet, Alex was still getting away.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he was running on fumes now. His magic reserves were nearly depleted, his body screaming in protest from the overexertion. He clenched his teeth so hard they might've cracked. He refused to let it end like this.
Just as Alex was pushing himself to the limits of his speed, several plumes of dark smoke materialized in the sky, weaving rapidly through the air before solidifying into recognizable forms. 'Apparition, non-targeted, high-speed movement through the air.'
Alex immediately recognized the technique. This wasn't ordinary teleportation. It was an advanced method, one that required immense mastery of magical spatial manipulation. Only highly skilled wizards could Apparate like this without the risk of splinching themselves mid-flight.
A wave of relief washed over him. Reinforcements had arrived. The newly arrived wizards wasted no time. They immediately assessed the situation and closed in, landing between Alex and the roaring Blue Fiendfyre.
As the smoke dissipated, Alex could make out their identities: Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Barnabas Everleigh, Director of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures; and the Scamanders, Newt and Tina.
The moment their feet touched the ground, all four raised their wands.
"Finite Incantatem!"
The sheer force of their combined spell radiated through the air, generating a pulse of powerful magical energy that collided head-on with the surging flames.
The Blue Fiendfyre resisted at first, its cursed flames raging defiantly against the suppression spell. But within seconds, the overwhelming magical force from the four wizards began to smother it, causing the raging inferno to wane.
Gradually, the flames receded, revealing the figure behind them. Thunderbird. He had replaced his mask, but it did little to hide how utterly ruined he looked.
His robes were shredded by the sheer force of the wind from the chase. His once-imposing figure was hunched, shoulders sagging as he braced himself against his knees, struggling to even remain standing. Sweat dripped from his brow, his body trembling from the extreme magical output he had exerted. It was clear that sustaining Blue Fiendfyre had drained him.
Alex exhaled sharply. 'Finally.' He veered toward the ground, landing unsteadily beside the four wizards. His legs nearly gave out as he touched down, and without hesitation, he reached into his space ring, pulled out a potion, and downed it in one gulp. The moment it hit his system, a fraction of his strength returned, though the deep ache in his limbs remained. His magic reserves were nearly depleted, he had been running on fumes for the last few minutes.
At that moment, Shalltear, still perched on his shoulder, finally took in their surroundings.
Realizing they were now safe, her panic immediately transformed into pure smugness.
She turned her head toward Thunderbird, a wicked grin spreading across her tiny bat face. "HAH! What's wrong now, you arrogant bastard? Didn't you just swear you'd burn us to ashes? What happened? Cat got your tongue? You look like a half-plucked rooster, no, wait, even a Flobberworm has more dignity than you right now!"