Chapter 97: Taking Advantage of the Chaos
Gomez still appeared composed.
A silent Shield Charm formed a solid barrier around the four of them, sealing them safely inside. The blasting curse left not so much as a scratch on it.
Only the hem of his robes was slightly dirtied—nothing more than a brush with dust and wind.
"Not bad," Yuri remarked, casting them a surprised glance. His expression, however, remained one of absolute confidence.
"So there is someone capable here."
Unfortunately, just one.
It wouldn't change the overall situation.
Seeing Gomez's strength, the people inside the theater lit up with hope. One after another, they began moving toward him, clearly intending to rally around him and resist Yuri together.
Gomez looked at the dozens of Soviet Aurors surrounding them and frowned, his expression turning grim.
If he were alone, he might have chosen to fight it out.
But with his family at his side, the thought of resistance vanished immediately.
"Sir," Yuri said, clearly reading Gomez's hesitation and pressing his advantage,
"if you put your wand away now, my earlier offer still stands."
He had no desire to clash with Gomez here and now. The refined wizarding robes and the calm, practiced spellwork made it obvious that Gomez was no ordinary wizard. Until he fully understood who he was dealing with, caution was the wiser choice.
After all, if Yuri truly wished, a single coordinated volley from the Aurors behind him would be enough to bring Gomez down—no matter how strong he was.
His true target today was the five Soviet wizards.
"You and your family may keep your wands and remain together," Yuri continued,
"as long as you stay under our supervision. How does that sound?"
"Y–Yes, yes, I agree!"
Before Gomez could respond, a soot-covered wizard blurted out nervously.
"I'm French! I really am! I only came here to buy a few souvenirs to take home!"
Yuri gave him a brief glance and nodded lightly.
To be honest, he felt a sense of relief. If he truly slaughtered all these foreign wizards, his own fate would not be pleasant. He would likely be offered up as a scapegoat to appease international outrage.
Seeing this, Gomez decisively lowered his wand. In a quiet voice, he instructed Russell, Wednesday, and the others to do the same.
As a precaution, however, he did not dismiss the Shield Charm.
Once someone took the lead, the foreign wizards followed suit, one after another lowering their wands in uneasy surrender.
The chaos inside the theater gradually settled—
but only on the surface.
Only the five Soviet wizards who had been sentenced to death wore expressions of utter despair.
Before witnessing Yuri's blasting curse, they still believed they could carve a bloody path to freedom. Now, that courage had completely evaporated.
Worse still, their former would-be allies had all abandoned resistance, snuffing out the last ember of hope in their hearts.
They understood all too well—no matter what they did, there was no chance of escaping Yuri alive.
"Please remain where you are and do your best to ensure your own safety," Yuri said with a faint curl of his lips.
"To put it simply…"
"Don't die."
The moment his words fell, the doomed Soviet wizards exchanged glances. Then, with the resolve of men already condemned, they charged at Yuri.
If death was inevitable, then dying on the battlefield was far more merciful than being dragged into prison and tortured to death.
Besides, daring to openly sell state resources at bargain prices so soon after the dissolution of the Soviet Magical Committee wasn't just blind luck—it also reflected their status.
The Soviet magical hierarchy was nothing like Britain's.
In the Magical Committee, authority was closely tied to raw strength. Disagreements often ended with wands drawn, and the weaker party frequently walked away injured—or didn't walk away at all.
Those who reached high office invariably had real power to back it up. The graves of the weak were already overgrown with tall grass.
Put Britain's current Minister for Magic in the position of Chairman of the Soviet Magical Committee, and he likely wouldn't live to see the next sunrise.
Among the five Soviet wizards, a red-haired brute surged forward first.
In an instant, his face twisted violently.
His nose bridge bulged outward, lips stretching into a thick muzzle as his teeth lengthened into massive fangs. Beneath his skin, bones rolled and expanded like a tidal wave. Muscles swelled explosively, coarse fur bursting through his flesh.
He let out a thunderous roar, the sound erupting from deep within his throat. His cloak and robes tore apart as his shoulders and arms expanded, fabric shredding and scattering through the air.
His fingers thickened into massive bear paws, claws snapping into place like blades, his forearms rapidly covered in dense brown fur.
Within seconds, he had fully transformed into a colossal brown bear.
The massive creature dropped to all fours and charged at Yuri with unstoppable momentum. Each step shook the ground, its advance as overwhelming as a landslide.
"An illegal Animagus," Yuri's eyes flickered with surprise—but not panic. Instead, he sneered.
"So this is your trump card, Petrov. It seems I underestimated you."
"Impedimenta!"
He swept his wand sideways. Blue-green sparks burst from its tip, streaking toward Petrov.
The Impediment Jinx was highly effective in dueling, capable of drastically slowing its target—but it had a fatal flaw: it could be blocked by defensive spells like the Shield Charm.
"You won't succeed—Protego!"
Sokolova, the only woman among the five, shouted sharply. A transparent barrier flared into existence around Petrov, deflecting the jinx away.
The other Soviet wizards sprang into action as well, but their spells were intercepted one after another by the Aurors' defenses.
Curiously, the Aurors remained purely defensive, launching no counterattacks.
The reason was simple.
On one hand, Yuri had ordered it. To claim all the credit for himself, he had forbidden them from acting unless absolutely necessary.
Petrov had already reached Yuri.
A cruel grin spread across the bear's grotesque face, as if he could already see Yuri's skull crushed beneath his paw.
Confident in his Shield Charm, Yuri initially made no move to dodge.
Then—
Crack.
The sharp sound of shattering glass rang out.
Yuri's face changed instantly. Forgetting all else, he dove sideways and hid behind one of the Aurors.
The bear's paw swept along his trajectory, smashing the Auror's upper body into pulp before he could even react. Blood and mangled flesh exploded outward in a gruesome spray.
"Damn it," Yuri's expression darkened.
Because of his arrogance, he had lost a subordinate before achieving anything of note—a humiliation he could not ignore.
Moreover, the Aurors themselves harbored deep resentment toward Yuri's constant micromanagement. Why would they risk their lives for him?
"Confringo!"
Yuri roared, swinging his wand with all his remaining strength.
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