Meanwhile, a few brave reporters risked raising their cameras, snapping pictures of the two combatants soaring above the courtroom.
This was huge news for them, truly big news!
The political chaos they'd heard about before couldn't compare to the intense showdown happening right in front of them.
No matter what anyone was thinking at that moment, one thing was clear: Pete and Alex's fighting skills were on a whole different level.
Especially Alex. They seemed to see this master alchemist in a new light.
Young, wealthy, successful in his career, and shockingly skilled in combat, this wasn't something ordinary people could pull off.
Suddenly, a cheer erupted from the side.
Under Andre's command, the boulder blocking the side door had finally been cleared away, and Andre had even widened the doorway to ensure a smooth escape route.
The Aurors had worked quickly, too. It only took a few minutes to open the passage.
But the battle between Alex and Pete was so intense that time felt like it was dragging on endlessly for everyone watching.
As soon as the escape route was opened, no wizard dared to linger. They all rushed toward the gate and hurried out.
However, Andre, being experienced, knew that stampedes often happen in such chaotic moments.
He quickly called the Aurors to maintain order, prioritize the care of the wounded, and guide everyone out in an organized way.
Of course, he didn't forget to assign guards to watch over the so-called 'separatist' wizards.
They all wore 'forbidden handcuffs' on their wrists, looking isolated and forlorn, but at least they were alive.
That was something, at least.
Once everyone had escaped the courtroom, Andre continued to coordinate the Aurors efficiently.
"Teams 3 and 4, escort everyone out of the courtroom. Team 5, take care of the injured. Team 6, handle the suspects. And remember, don't let any of them leave the Ministry of Magic. Bring them to the Law Enforcement Division first."
Then, turning to Edmond beside him, Andre said, "Mr. Schmidt, please help communicate with everyone to keep their emotions in check. Also, it's crucial that the scandal about the Minister of Magic being a member of the Silver Wand doesn't leak out."
"I understand," Edmond replied seriously. "I'll warn those wizard families to keep quiet. But what about the rest?"
"The Wizengamot members know how to behave, they don't want chaos either. The main concern is the reporters. You should have them sign confidentiality agreements depending on the situation," Andre explained.
For the Ministry's reputation, he had to take some strict measures.
Even though revealing Pete's identity was necessary to bring him down, Andre didn't want the whole wizarding world to know just yet.
"Got it. Leave it to me," Edmond said immediately. "What about you? Are you going to support Alex?"
"Yes, I can't let Alex face Pete alone, he's already in a tough fight," Andre answered.
Alex turned away."Teams 1 and 2, come with me back to Jury Room. We have to make sure this bastard Pete doesn't get away!"
As the group of wizards escaped the courtroom, Pete on the other side also noticed the unfolding situation.
Although Pete was extremely anxious, Alex had him completely restrained, making any attempt to free his hands impossible.
Parrying Alex's attacks drained a lot of his energy.
Realizing there was no way to turn the tide, Pete reluctantly began to retreat.
Without control over the insiders, his entire plan within the Ministry of Magic was falling apart.
Despite his unwillingness to give up, his biggest priority now was to escape before the Auror reinforcements arrived.
Even if he wasn't afraid of facing multiple attackers, being overwhelmed by them would eventually wear him down.
With this in mind, Pete's attention shifted toward a side door.
Apparition and Portkeys were forbidden inside the Ministry, so he couldn't use those methods to escape.
The only way out was through a side passage, but Andre had opened that door, and it was already crowded with people. Heading there meant certain blockage.
After quickly calculating his chances, Pete summoned the swirling ruins around him and slowly crouched down.
However, Alex, fully focused on his siege, didn't notice the move.
Spotting Pete's attempt to escape, Alex intensified his assault.
"Thunder Sword, Desolate Thunder Meteors!" he shouted.
As Pete dodged and parried, he noticed Alex's attack had changed.
Previously, it had released several dagger-like meteors, but now dozens of finger-sized lightning meteors shot out, scattering like a sudden burst of flower petals.
These fine magical meteors swarmed around Pete from every angle, resembling excited schoolchildren on their first day of vacation.
Despite accelerating the speed of the swirling "nebula" around him, Pete couldn't block all the lightning.
Some of the magical sword energy slipped through gaps, stabbing at him relentlessly.
He had to focus intensely just to parry the relentless assault.
Though the lightning meteors looked small and harmless, Pete knew all too well their destructive power.
Around him, the lightning strikes melted and scorched parts of the ruins constantly circling him, an ongoing reminder of the danger he faced.
At that moment, Andre and others returned to the courtroom with reinforcements.
Seeing Pete being so thoroughly dominated by Alex, they were quietly shocked.
Had the situation changed so drastically in their absence?
"Don't stand there stunned! Hurry and help!" someone urged.
Andre took the lead, rushing forward.
"The storm is surging!" he shouted.
Right after casting the spell, a violent whirlwind appeared out of nowhere, like a hurricane-powered locomotive, striking Pete from below with overwhelming force.
At that moment, Pete was too busy defending against the incoming lightning meteors, so Andre's sudden attack caught him off guard, making him break into a sweat.
'Should I try to block Andre's attack with repulsion? If I do, I'll likely miss the lightning bolts and get hit anyway.'
But it was already too late.
"Rebuke!" Pete shouted urgently, and a powerful repulsive force erupted wildly around him, pushing back even the "nebula" hovering nearby.
It was like a 360-degree shotgun blast.
This sudden burst sent Andre's storm hammer flying off course and caused stones and wooden debris to scatter wildly, creating chaos around them.
Thankfully, these fragments had already been shattered by Alex's lightning stars, so to the Aurors, it was more like dodging a slow hailstorm.
Their Protego barely held up against the onslaught.
What really troubled them was the intense repulsive force.
Even though Pete was standing some distance away, the curse, charged up and unleashed with deadly power, hit hard.
Many Aurors stiffened under the sudden pressure, and some even fell to the ground.
Alex, who had been moving in swift circles, was also pushed back by the force but managed to stay on his feet thanks to his speed, which helped balance out the blow.
Despite relying on the large-scale repulsion to fend off most attacks and enemy advances, Pete's situation was far from good.