The light of dawn swept across the ancient walls of the Kingdom of Bhutan.
After a night of fighting, the smoke of battle had faded without a sound.
It seemed that no one knew what had happened the previous night.
Theodore leaned against a wall. The skin scraped from his face had already formed into scabs.
He silently watched the supporters reappearing in the streets.
They laughed and chatted cheerfully, unaware of how brutal the previous night had been.
There was a charred mark the size of a human head on the back of Oxer's clothes. He had not had an easy night either and had nearly died.
Between the two of them, a tall body lay motionless.
The wand shaped like a rolling pin was still tightly gripped in his hand, but the hook he often used had broken.
Executioner was dead.
The tall man who had seemed to carry so many stories had ultimately died without ever telling them.
His hook had been shattered by an Exploding Curse, and the fatal green light had silenced him forever.
That was the cruelty of battle.
"No one gets through this without someone dying," Oxer said, looking at Theodore. "What we do means living with death at our throats."
"His death isn't surprising."
Theodore spoke hoarsely. "I just feel terrible."
"Terrible?" Oxer sneered silently. "Only the weak feel that way."
"He's dead, but he won't lose what he was owed," Oxer said. "After endless killing, death was nothing more than release for him."
Silverhand would never allow a Star Disciple to die for nothing. In exchange for death, their families would be given an opportunity.
They did not know much about one another, nor did they need to.
Because they all knew that sooner or later, every one of them would die.
All that remained was to wait and see what value their deaths could bring.
Executioner had died while helping Barty Crouch Sr., and his family would receive a great deal in return.
Oxer glanced at Theodore, who had lowered his head. "Pull yourself together. We still have a mission to finish."
Oxer was different from the others. He pursued strength, and his life had already been set aside for John Wick.
"Yeah. They'll get more."
Theodore forced himself to recover.
He had to stay alive. He could not die yet.
Because he was the last Nott.
Only by surviving now could his death have value in the future.
The election would begin when the sun reached its highest point in the sky.
Along the staircase that seemed to lead into the stars, supporters shouted their slogans.
But Barty Crouch Sr. had more supporters.
Seeing this, Barty Crouch Sr. looked at Lippi and nodded.
Lippi would bring the corpse up.
The Aurors had suffered attacks the previous night, and their numbers had been greatly reduced.
Those who remained would carry the body up.
And in front of everyone, Barty Crouch Sr. would expose Inge.
When that happened, he would become the new hero.
The election for President of the International Confederation of Wizards would then be decided beyond doubt.
He could prevent Grindelwald from interfering with the Statute of Secrecy again while also ensuring his own victory.
Barty Crouch Sr.'s plan was a good one.
But he still had some concerns.
The other side had launched an attack last night just as he had.
That meant Inge had also realised what he intended to do.
Yet there had been no attempt to strike back publicly.
What exactly was he planning?
Barty Crouch Sr. frowned in thought.
The candidates had already begun making their way toward the castle in the sky, so he set off as well.
Fearing an assassination attempt in public, the Aurors and Star Disciples split into two groups.
Pierce looked tense. His combat ability was respectable, but this was Grindelwald, a man who had once killed Aurors as easily as cutting through vegetables.
"They won't try to assassinate me in public," Barty Crouch Sr. said calmly, noticing Pierce's tension. "If they did, every wizard present would turn on them."
"What I'm curious about now is what kind of trump card he has that makes him confident enough to compete with me."
Pierce said worriedly, "Minister, perhaps we could seek help from Lord Wick."
"He's already helped us too much." Barty Crouch Sr. shook his head. "Friendship isn't only about taking."
"I need to contribute as well. I need to become someone who can help him too."
Barty Crouch Sr. wanted to be John's friend, not merely someone being supported by him.
That kind of friendship would make him uncomfortable.
"We've already informed the International Confederation of Wizards," Barty Crouch Sr. said steadily. "No matter how powerful Grindelwald is, he can't fight every wizard here."
Hearing that, Pierce finally relaxed a little.
...
At Inge's residence.
His subordinates had fought Barty Crouch Sr.'s people the previous night.
Their losses were even greater.
Inge fastened a green tie around his neck and looked at himself in the mirror.
"Starr, do you regret it?"
Their defeat already seemed inevitable.
Starr Rozier sat on the sofa, staring at the empty sheath of the Bloody Blade.
"From that day onward, we made our agreement."
Starr said calmly, "Everything is for making magic great again."
"Make magic great again."
Inge smiled faintly as he finished tying his tie.
He looked outside. The clear blue sky was enough to calm the heart.
"Let's go. It's time to guide those who have lost their way back onto the right path."
Inge walked up to Starr and held out his hand.
"Make magic great again."
"Make magic great again!" Starr said fervently.
He set the sheath aside, took Inge's hand, and stood up.
The two of them walked outside.
Inside the room, twenty corpses lay scattered about.
Some had died to the Killing Curse, while others had been killed by Exploding Curses.
The only person left following Inge was Starr.
The two of them looked lonely and desolate.
Step by step, they climbed the staircase toward the pinnacle of power in the wizarding world.
On this day, they intended to change the wizarding world.
...
Theodore stood up and took two steps before nearly falling.
Oxer frowned when he saw him. "In your current state, you're nothing but dead weight."
"I can still do it," Theodore said through the pain of his wounds.
"Stop being a burden," Oxer said disdainfully. "I'm not about to help you climb the stairs too. Stay here."
Theodore still wanted to insist, but Oxer simply hit him with a Sleeping Charm and knocked him unconscious.
"Didn't expect you to have a soft side," one of the twins said as they appeared and looked at Theodore lying on the ground.
"Hmph. He's just dead weight," Oxer said coldly. "Don't let Barty Crouch die on the way up."
"Of course." The elder of the twins smiled faintly.
They left to protect Barty Crouch Sr.
At the same time, Lippi and the remaining Aurors made their move.
They placed the corpse inside a case enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
They needed to stay alert as they carried the case upward.
...
The staircase leading to the election finally came to an end.
Before them appeared the ancient, weathered birthplace of magic.
Barty Crouch Sr. stepped forward.
Standing in front of him was someone familiar.
Rubin Spences of the Researchers' Association.
The old man smiled warmly at the arriving candidates.
The election should have been presided over by the previous Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, but unfortunately, the last president had not left office under particularly honourable circumstances and had therefore not been invited.
The Researchers' Association was based in the Himalayas, so Spences, as its most senior member, became the representative.
All four candidates had arrived and stood together.
Their supporters stood below holding banners.
Prominent figures from Europe and other Ministries of Magic watched the election.
On rooftops throughout the area beneath the castle, Aurors remained on alert, carefully surveying their surroundings.
This was a major event being watched by wizarding societies around the world.
Spences used the Amplifying Charm so that his voice could reach everyone's ears.
At the same time, several Ministry recorders raised their wands, allowing the scene to be projected to Ministries of Magic in various countries.
Everything was ready.
Spences began to speak.
"Our magic has always continued to develop. It is like pearls hidden inside shells, waiting for us to discover them."
"Over the past period, we have experienced many things."
"The departure of the previous Supreme Mugwump has left the International Confederation of Wizards without a leader."
"At present, the only solution is to elect a new Supreme Mugwump, someone truly capable, who can continue to lead us forward."
Spences paused before continuing, "The new Supreme Mugwump must possess exceptional wisdom, and we need a fair method of choosing one."
"Fortunately, we have found one."
"It came from a mysterious forest. Its unexpected appearance has brought hope and fairness to wizarding society."
Under everyone's gaze, a young creature slowly emerged.
It resembled a deer, but its body was covered in scales.
As though frightened by the crowd, it stepped forward cautiously.
Everyone who saw it was stunned.
A Qilin.
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