The middle-aged man who had ambushed and killed Thestral in the center of the battlefield and rescued Rolf was Alan, though his appearance had been transformed by a disguise mask. He had no intention of exposing his true identity.
In fact, the moment Tina appeared, he had begun to move. Alan approached Thestral at an agonizingly slow pace to avoid detection. Even while invisible, physical displacement existed; if he moved too quickly, the resulting change in airflow or the crunch of snow might alert the masked wizards. Fortunately, the Silver Spears were entirely focused on Newt and Tina, never suspecting an intruder in their midst.
Even after closing the distance, Alan hadn't found the perfect opening immediately. The situation was too tense, and the enemy's wand was constantly humming with magic. A single mistake could have resulted in the boy's death. Fortunately, Alan's intuition was correct: Newt had perceived his presence. Once Alan was in position, the old man tacitly cooperated with the stranger, allowing the rescue to succeed in one fell swoop.
However, the air remained thick with danger. The remaining three masked wizards were formidable, quickly neutralizing the initial counterattacks from Newt and Tina. The Swooping Evil released by Newt was frozen mid-air by a precise Freezing Charm. The three Silver Spears exchanged looks, and with seasoned efficiency, divided their labor. One stepped forward to hold off Newt and Tina, while the other two launched a pincer attack on Alan.
They weren't ready to abandon the mission. If they could tie up the legendary couple and quickly deal with the newcomer, they could kidnap Rolf again and regain their leverage.
"Fiendfyre!"
The wizard facing the Scamanders roared, instantly condensing a blazing fireball at his chest and hurling it toward the house. The cursed flame transformed into a giant red eagle in the air, trailing a fierce wake of fire as it rushed toward the two older wizards.
As for those attacking Alan, one flicked his wand with a sharp crack. Five aggressive curses formed instantly—a display of high-level multi-casting. Two of these spells dove into the thick snow, traveling as Ground-hugging Spells, while the other three raced through the air. The five-pronged attack closed in on Alan from above and below simultaneously.
"Dispersing Mist!"
The second wizard on the flank cast a fog charm, intending to blind Alan. Visibility was already poor in the winter darkness, and the sudden, thick fog made tracking movement nearly impossible. Once the mist was set, the wizard tapped his own chest with his wand and vanished, his body blending into the haze.
All of them were masters.
Alan frowned. From the decisiveness of these two, he judged that they possessed not only raw strength but also exceptional tactical training. One handled the heavy assault while the other provided interference and stealth. The pressure on Alan's side instantly reached its peak. He couldn't spare a thought for Newt and Tina, but he trusted the legendary wizards to handle a single thief.
Though his vision was obscured by the fog, Alan's Echo Charm provided a mental map. However, carrying Rolf made a direct confrontation difficult. He shook his shoulders, and his dark cloak slid off. Like a living bird, the cloak flew onto Rolf, the collar automatically fastening around the boy's neck. With a soft whoosh, the flying cloak carried Rolf high into the sky, completing his invisibility as he rose.
With his hands free, Alan faced the five incoming spells. The ground-hugging curses were nearly at his feet. He raised his wand, snapping three layers of Protego into existence while leaping backward to clear the ground.
Suddenly, two tentacles of white snow surged from the ground like silk from a spider, wrapping tightly around Alan's ankles to anchor him in place. Alan knew this was the invisible wizard's doing; his Echo Charm detected the man ten meters away, lips moving in a silent chant.
A normal wizard might have panicked or struggled against the restraints, but Alan remained calm. He knew that if he let the anomaly at his feet distract him, the ground-hugging curses would hit home. He made a decisive choice, sweeping his wand downward. A dazzling arc of silver-blue electric plasma shot from the tip, cutting through the snow and intercepting the curses head-on.
Two loud explosions rocked the valley, sending snow spraying into the air as the curses were neutralized. Alan then surged his magic through his legs; streaks of current flashed across his skin, instantly shattering the snow-tentacles.
The masked wizards, who seemed able to see through their own fog, watched the response with sinking hearts. This middle-aged wizard was not only composed but clearly held considerable power. Taking him down wouldn't be a quick affair. They exchanged another glance, a fierce glint appearing in their eyes. To end this quickly, they would have to escalate their tactics.
Alan reached the same conclusion. These two had sharp instincts and flawless cooperation. He couldn't afford to leave them alive; he had to be ruthless. To end the battle, he needed to isolate one of them, but any spell requiring a long charge would be useless against their reactions. He would have to work for this kill.
The calculation took only an instant. Alan waved his left hand, and several silver lights flew from his sleeve toward the invisible wizard. Immediately after, he thrust his wand toward the other opponent, a bolt of intense lightning trailing from the tip.
The wizard facing the lightning remained calm. He raised a reinforced Protego with his right hand, then flipped his left. Five talismans appeared in his palm, and he hurled them toward Alan.