The sudden sound of footsteps immediately drew the attention of both sides.
Just from the sound alone, it was obvious that whoever was approaching was an organized force.
Both the masked wizards and the ordinary witches and wizards assumed that reinforcements from the opposing side had arrived.
Some of the more perceptive masked wizards had already begun quietly retreating.
However, when they attempted to use [Apparition] to leave, they were shocked to discover that space travel had somehow been prohibited in this area.
Even Portkeys had been disabled.
"How is that possible?" one of the masked wizards blurted out.
"The [Anti-Apparition Formation] can't possibly prevent Portkeys!"
"That's because what's trapping you is a [Dimensional Anchor]!"
A loud, youthful female voice answered his question.
At the same time, the orderly marching and metallic scraping grew closer and closer, carrying an imposing sense of discipline.
The female voice rang out again.
"Emergency situation! Everyone at the scene, put down your wands immediately, place your hands behind your heads, and kneel on the ground! Anyone who resists will be treated as a violent offender!"
Everyone looked up.
Approaching them was a line of heavily armored figures wielding melee weapons.
They were practically armed to the teeth, resembling knights clad in full plate armor. Their bodies were completely covered from head to toe in gleaming silver armor, with not even their faces visible. Only faint blue light could be seen through the slits of their helmets.
From a distance, they looked extremely intimidating.
Behind the armored figures stood another line of young people holding wands and dressed in black uniforms.
At their head was a young woman with pink hair.
Her uniform was similar in style to those worn by the others, but its primary color was the exact opposite—a striking white. Standing among her subordinates, she was exceptionally conspicuous and looked rather flashy.
In her hand was a small, round screen resembling a radar scope.
Overall, it looked almost like a Dragon Radar.
However, the screen wasn't tracking Dragon Balls.
It was tracking special magical markers.
This was a small device Lewis had provided, and the markers it tracked were the special magical marks he had personally placed on the targets.
At this moment, a large number of red dots were flashing across the screen.
And they were steadily advancing toward those red dots.
One line of armored figures.
One line of uniformed Aurors.
One line carrying melee weapons.
One line wielding wands.
Their appearances were uniform, and their movements were perfectly synchronized.
They looked like a disciplined army that obeyed every command, completely different from the scattered and disorganized black-robed wizards.
Just their presence alone was intimidating.
They were none other than the Aurors equipped with the new-style uniforms and their accompanying Iron Golems.
The ordinary witches and wizards immediately followed the instructions and did as they were told.
But the wizards dressed in black cloaks and masks remained uncertain, wands clenched in their hands as they faced the "army" before them.
"You are..."
A masked wizard who appeared to be the leader had barely spoken when a spell struck him, knocking him to the ground.
The Iron Golems immediately advanced.
The Aurors followed closely behind, swiftly and decisively subduing everyone who refused to obey—or even dared to resist.
The division of labor within this magical army was extremely clear.
The golems stood at the front as shields, blocking the spells fired toward them.
Behind them, the Aurors cast spells from a distance, either harassing or restraining the enemy, forcing the violent offenders steadily backward.
The rioters had never expected that these armored figures, which looked so similar to the animated suits of armor in Hogwarts' corridors, would be so incredibly sturdy.
The Dark Magic they were so proud of was mostly ineffective against them.
With the golems protecting them, the Aurors could unleash their spells without restraint, completely letting loose in battle.
The rioters were therefore in for a miserable time.
They had to find a way to break through the golems' defenses, withstand the Aurors' attacks, and simultaneously defend themselves against the golems that charged forward wielding massive two-handed swords.
They had already seen some of their companions struck apart by a single sword blow that shattered their [Iron Armor Charm], cutting through them along with their armor.
A small number of Aurors activated the [Fade Spell] on their uniforms and concealed themselves around the battlefield, unexpectedly subduing those rioters who attempted to escape.
These young Aurors were organized and disciplined.
Their methods were decisive and efficient, and they showed no mercy when striking.
With the golems providing cover, wherever they went, their opponents had no ability to fight back.
"Penelope, take your people and help the civilians."
Tonks's cool voice rang out.
Five Aurors immediately stepped out from the formation, remaining behind to help the injured Muggles and wizards.
The others continued pursuing the nearby rioters under Tonks's command.
The Aurors who stayed behind removed their sinister masks, revealing young faces carrying warm smiles.
They no longer hid behind those frightening masks.
Instead, they revealed their youthful faces and bright, sunny smiles.
The Auror at the front was a girl with long brown hair.
She had an elegant and beautiful face, and the smile lifting the corners of her lips was incredibly approachable, as though it could soothe every wound.
Their sharpness and decisiveness in battle were completely different from their current demeanor.
At this moment, they were like gentle angels, treating the civilians with patience and compassion.
They softly comforted the injured, cast healing spells on them, and provided them with restorative potions.
Others used their communication badges to help lost witches and wizards find their families.
The reporters who had followed the Auror squad quickly captured these scenes on camera.
"Tonks, why didn't you let me stay behind? I'm very good at healing spells."
As they marched, a burly male Auror with a thick beard voiced his dissatisfaction to Tonks.
"Your appearance is too intimidating. You might put pressure on the injured."
Tonks glanced at him, her tone filled with teasing.
Hearing this, the Aurors couldn't help laughing.
Even the Auror who had asked the question couldn't help grinning.
The relaxed atmosphere was like a spring breeze passing over a frozen lake, instantly dispelling the tension and murderous atmosphere from before.
Compared with these young Aurors, who reacted quickly, worked together seamlessly, were rigorously trained, and fully equipped, the situation faced by the veteran Aurors was completely different.
This sudden upheaval was like a violent storm in the darkness of night, catching them completely off guard.
They had received no relevant intelligence, nor did they have standardized communication equipment.
Scattered across different locations, they were like isolated islands, with almost no understanding of the overall situation.
Based on past experience, some Aurors relied on instinct and rushed toward the known locations of Ministry officials.
Others immediately took on the responsibility of maintaining order.
It wasn't until the green skull rose into the sky that they finally came to their senses, drew their wands, and joined the life-and-death battle.
However, because of the long period of peace, they hadn't realized that this situation was different.
Because they adhered firmly to the principle of not using powerful lethal spells, they found themselves severely restricted in battle.
Their past battles had mostly consisted of individuals or small teams.
Unlike the Aurors under Tonks, they had never undergone training in coordinated group combat.
They also lacked high-quality combat machines like the Iron Golems to support them.
Therefore, in this chaotic battle that required coordinated group combat, they were clearly struggling.
Under these circumstances, many veteran Aurors were injured.
Some were even unable to locate their opponents and were used by the Death Eaters as bait to draw fire, while others were toyed with by the troublemaking Quidditch hooligans.
Kingsley was a highly experienced and powerful Auror.
Relying on his outstanding individual abilities, he successfully subdued his opponent.
However, his good fortune didn't last.
Two wizards wearing identical masks arrived as reinforcements.
They rescued the opponent Kingsley had just subdued, quickly restoring him to fighting condition.
After regaining his wand, the three of them joined forces and suppressed Kingsley.
Several new wounds appeared on his body.
Behind Kingsley, the wizards he had been protecting were also caught up in the chaos.
One elderly witch was struck in the arm.
The bone bent crookedly into a grotesque shape.
Her agonized cries echoed through the night sky, heartbreaking to hear.
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