Shalltear already held a deep hatred for the bastards who had kept her in a cage and transported her like cargo. Now, seeing that she might die at their hands, her temper flared.
"You idiotic grandson of a turtle, how dare you mock the Prince? Didn't you see how badly my Lord beat you before? You'd better wipe the blood off your face, lest your mother see it later and think you're a beggar. And besides barking wildly, what else can you do? It seems dogs really only bark and do nothing else..."
Shalltear raised her small bat head and turned around, unleashing a torrent of abuse. The more she cursed, the more excited and satisfied she became. The result was Alan running for his life while Shalltear relentlessly berated Thunderbird.
Thunderbird, chasing closely behind, was momentarily stunned by the onslaught of insults. Shalltear's speaking speed was extremely fast, and it took a few seconds for Thunderbird to react to the words. When he finally did, his face turned an ugly, flushed crimson. It was clear Shalltear's insults had broken his composure. He couldn't help but increase his magic output despite his injuries, causing the Fiendfyre wall to advance a little faster.
Shalltear was startled by this. She hadn't expected the man to be so sensitive, getting agitated after just a few words. She instinctively shrank her head back in fear.
"Shalltear, keep cursing," Alan said, turning his head while focusing on his flight.
He hadn't expected Shalltear's ability to be so effective at breaking Thunderbird's focus. This was good news, as he had just discovered that while the fire wall behind him had sped up, the flanking fire lines had slowed down. Currently, he wasn't worried about the Fiendfyre directly behind him, as there was still some distance. Instead, the vertical fire walls on both sides were the real trouble if they were to close in and trap him.
"Ah? Oh!" Shalltear didn't know Alan's plan, but she was now utterly obedient to the young man who had saved her. She hadn't expected the Lord to encourage her to vent her anger.
"What's wrong, you idiot? Are you agitated? Is it because you can't do anything to us that you're so angry? Do you really want to tear us limb from limb? I advise you to save your strength; after all, you don't have much of a brain to begin with. What if you overthink and turn yourself into an idiot..."
Shalltear turned her head and continued to curse, her words becoming increasingly vile and sarcastic.
This enraged Thunderbird, but he was currently chasing by relying on a flying broom. He simply couldn't match Alan's speed. He had already chased for several kilometers but still couldn't touch a single hair on his target. The blue Fiendfire he was casting was incredibly taxing, and with the added boost from his anger, its power and range were much greater, but he couldn't sustain it for much longer.
However, Thunderbird was truly unwilling to give up. His mind heated up, and he hardened his heart, becoming ruthless. Today, even if it meant exhausting his magic and suffering severe injuries, he would devour Alan alive. His magic output increased again, and the fierce Fiendfyre boiled even more violently, its speed increasing by another notch. The distance between the two slowly closed.
"Lord, that fire wall is getting faster, and it's getting closer, what should we do..." Shalltear, perched on his shoulder, noticed the anomaly and immediately panicked.
"Don't panic, hold on tight!" Alan also sensed the situation was dire. Thunderbird was fighting for his life. Now, it was a test of who could last longer.
Alan became ruthless as well, increasing his own magic output while using the high-affinity Control Rune's ability to pierce through the air in front of him, reducing wind resistance. As expected, with this two-pronged approach, Alan's speed increased, once again widening the distance. Even during this sprint, because Alan used the original Control Rune for both driving his flying cloak and breaking the air, he gained a deeper understanding of the entire system's abilities.
Thunderbird felt increasingly desperate. He was operating at a dangerous overload, yet he still couldn't take down the young man. This was unacceptable to him. However, at this point, it was no longer a question of whether he could accept it, but rather whether Thunderbird himself could escape.
The Ministry of Magic's reinforcements had finally arrived.
Several wisps of smoke suddenly appeared out of thin air in the sky, constantly traversing. Alan knew this was a form of untargeted Apparition, a skill used by powerful wizards with deep mastery of the magic. Seeing this, Alan's heart finally settled.
These wisps of smoke, upon discovering the situation, immediately approached and materialized in front of the blue Fiendfire. When the smoke dispersed, Alan saw the wizards who had appeared: Amelia, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Bianca, Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures; and the Scamander couple.
"Finite Incantatem!"
The four figures almost simultaneously cast spells at the Fiendfyre. The powerful magic condensed into strong fluctuations, firmly resisting the blue flames. The blue Fiendfire gradually diminished after a few seconds of stalemate, slowly revealing Thunderbird hidden behind the wall.
Thunderbird had put his mask back on, but his current state was miserable. His clothes were tattered from the wind, and he was sweating profusely. At this point, he couldn't even stand straight, hunching over in a disheveled manner. Only by supporting himself with his hands on his knees could he barely remain upright, indicating that sustaining such large-scale magic had been an immense burden.
Upon seeing that friendly forces had arrived, Alan immediately flew toward the four. Upon landing, he pulled out a potion and drank it greedily. The combination of fighting and running had exhausted him. He felt soreness in every muscle, and the magic remaining within him was nearly spent.