In the main hall above the interrogation room, the press conference was still ongoing.
Through the power of transmission magic, both the imagery and audio of the man's speech were being broadcast in real time to the main halls of Ministries of Magic all around the world.
A live broadcast of this magnitude was typically only activated during the election of the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards.
"The threat Grindelwald poses to us is the shadow of war looming over every single one of our heads."
As the man spoke, the lights around the podium slowly dimmed, leaving only a single spotlight shining directly down upon him. "The global wizarding war ignited by Grindelwald inflicted deep, lasting trauma upon the magical world."
"Back then, it was Albus Dumbledore—the greatest White Wizard in the world—who defeated him." The man paused briefly before continuing. "But today, Dumbledore is an old man."
"We cannot count on Dumbledore to shoulder such a monumental burden once again. Not to mention... there is a blood connection between Albus Dumbledore and Kyle Grindelwald."
At this bombshell revelation, an uproar erupted among the audience below.
Their knowledge of Kyle had previously been limited to his identity as the son of Grindelwald. Who could have imagined that Kyle actually shared a blood relation with Albus Dumbledore as well?
Wait a minute... Gellert Grindelwald was Kyle's father, which meant he and Albus Dumbledore were...
Old lovers?
Were the two of them really just "old lovers" and nothing more?
Ignoring the utter bewilderment of the audience below, the blonde man's speech continued.
"When that time comes, we will be completely powerless."
"Grindelwald and his followers will once again lay waste to the magical world, while those who oppose him will be left shivering in terror at the approaching footsteps of doomsday."
"Our loved ones and our friends will all be dragged into this ruthless, brutal wizarding war. They will perish in the conflict."
At this point, under the glow of the spotlight, tears glistened faintly in the man's eyes.
"I do not wish to see that moment arrive. I hate war more than anyone else."
"Yet Grindelwald and the ideology he stands for are an unstable, dangerous element in the magical world."
"The Ministry of Magic possesses ample evidence proving that Grindelwald has secretly recalled his old subordinates. At this very moment, he may well be plotting some perilous operation."
"The Alliance of Wizards led by Grindelwald carries the risk of igniting war once more, exposing the magical world to Muggles."
"Once war breaks out again, every single wizard will find themselves in grave peril."
Down in the interrogation room, Grindelwald leaned forward slightly, looking down at Rita from a commanding, oppressive stance.
"I am not in the least bit curious as to how you found out about my son's true parentage. What I am curious about is what gave you the courage to expose it."
Hearing Grindelwald's question, Rita Skeeter trembled uncontrollably, stuttering out her answer: "It... it was for... the money."
Grindelwald was not surprised by this answer at all.
If not for money, who would take such an immense risk to court death on such a scale?
Dismissively subjecting her to a brief Cruciatus Curse, Grindelwald turned his gaze away, feeling a bit bored. He shifted his attention to the voices carrying in from outside the door.
Amplified by the magical microphone, the speaker's voice from the venue upstairs echoed clearly into this interrogation room despite being separated by several floors.
"Though we hail from different nations and belong to different ethnicities, in the face of a formidable enemy, we must stand united."
"Please, take action! If you do not wish to die, lend us your strength!"
The middle-aged man's voice turned extraordinarily impassioned. "Let us survive to greet the future together!"
"So long as we work together, we can overcome any obstacle. Let us join hands and fight against Grindelwald and his followers!"
Hearing this, Grindelwald rose from his chair and slowly stood up. It seemed the International Confederation of Wizards was truly set on opposing him to the end.
"I will keep moving forward," Grindelwald murmured under his breath, a cold ruthlessness flashing in his eyes, "until every obstacle on Kyle's path to growth is wiped away!"
A surge of eerie, blue Fiendfyre erupted around Grindelwald, expanding outward.
Pairs of rib bones manifested around him, followed by blood vessels, muscle, and skin rapidly enveloping the skeletal frame.
The spell Grindelwald was casting was none other than the Susanoo developed by his son.
Given Grindelwald's mastery of magic, even though he had never heard Kyle explain the principles behind Susanoo, merely observing it a few times was enough for him to replicate the spell.
Furthermore, his vast reserves of magical energy were more than sufficient to manifest a Susanoo nearly a hundred meters tall.
At that exact moment, the man's voice was still reverberating outside the interrogation room: "I, Willie Picquery, as a special envoy of the International Confederation of Wizards, hereby declare! We officially declare war on Grindelwald and his affiliated forces!"
Just as Willie Picquery's words fell, the floor behind him suddenly exploded open.
A giant clad in armor of Fiendfyre erupted from beneath the ground like a god of destruction. Under Willie's utterly terrified gaze, it reached out and grabbed him violently within its massive palm.
Incinerated by the intense Fiendfyre, Willie Picquery was reduced to ashes almost instantaneously.
The Susanoo threw back its head and let out a deafening roar that shook the heavens.
The live broadcast screens displayed across the main halls of Ministries of Magic worldwide froze at this exact moment.
Three days had passed since Grindelwald's attack on the headquarters of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA).
No one could have anticipated that the old Dark Lord would be daring enough to launch an assault on the International Confederation of Wizards during such a public event.
The sudden appearance of Susanoo in the venue acted as the signal for the operation to begin. Upon receiving the cue, nearly a thousand Saints immediately surrounded the Woolworth Building so tightly that not even water could leak through.
At the same time, dozens of Saints who had long since infiltrated MACUSA using Polyjuice Potion and Human Transfiguration revealed themselves.
Struck by a combined assault from both inside and outside alongside the element of surprise, MACUSA failed to organize any meaningful defense and was completely wiped out by Grindelwald, despite having reinforced their security following the total annihilation of the French Ministry of Magic.
Moreover, the moment Grindelwald initiated the attack, the Saints put up an Anti-Disapparition Ward as planned while simultaneously shutting down the Floo Network.
As a result, out of the thousands of people inside MACUSA, hardly anyone managed to escape; all were taken hostage by Grindelwald.
Pavel Graves, the leader of the Anti-Grindelwald Alliance, was killed on the spot.
As for Cornelius Fudge and Christ Bernhard, those two brothers in misfortune—had they not sprinted toward the fireplace for their lives the moment they sensed something was wrong, they would have lost their lives right then and there as well
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