Chapter 693: 693: Musashi, The MVP!

The international wizarding community changed every day.

Not long ago, Puddlemere United had won its league semifinal and successfully advanced to the final.

John had not intended to pay much attention to it, but Malfoy had posted a message nearly seven inches long through the badge, going on about how weak the opposing team had been and claiming that the pressure of professional competition was not even as great as playing against Potter.

It was only after Fleur exposed the fact that he had nearly lost at the last moment that he finally quieted down.

Fleur was now the Flower of France, and her schedule was packed with social events.

Fleur: "There have been far too many events lately. All kinds of receptions, even Ancient Alliance gatherings."

Ancient Alliance gatherings?

John did not even need to think about it to know Lucius had arranged them.

The Ancient Alliance was bound together by shared interests. They needed not only business dealings, but also regular interaction during various holidays and occasions.

As the eldest daughter of the Delacour family, Fleur naturally could not be absent from such social events.

Malfoy: "When did this happen? Why didn't I know?"

The only response from the badge was silence.

Why you weren't invited, don't you have any idea?

Within the Constellation Society, aside from Kim Ledislay, all of them were descendants of Ancient Alliance families.

Speaking of Kim, he had already been back in America for some time.

John had heard that the situation there had changed somewhat.

As the strongest country in the world at present, America was able to obtain more useful information regarding what had happened in Poland.

Fortunately, American wizards generally maintained a strict policy of avoiding contact with Muggles.

The Magical Congress of the United States had nearly been exposed multiple times due to crises involving the Statute of Secrecy, so it had developed a mature set of emergency procedures for dealing with Muggles.

Even so, America was still worrying.

According to Kim's reports, quite a large number of weapons had gone missing there. Because the country had legal weapons manufacturers, the number of missing weapons was several times greater than in other nations.

Some of them were even weapons of mass destruction.

"Where did Grindelwald hide so many weapons?"

John wanted to work backward from the Muggle side and trace Grindelwald's movements.

The quantity they already knew about was enough to alarm Muggle governments.

While he was wondering where Grindelwald intended to use those weapons, John received another piece of bad news.

It was not about Grindelwald.

It concerned another irritating man.

The Japanese Ministry of Magic.

As a member of the International Confederation of Wizards, the Japanese Ministry of Magic refused to recognise John's position.

They still resented the wizard who had destroyed their school.

The Minister for Magic, whose position had also been affected by the incident, had now openly announced that if the International Confederation of Wizards did not force that demon to step down, he would lead the wizards out of the Confederation.

It was an undisguised threat.

"What a clown."

John looked at the newspaper, where the Japanese Minister for Magic was listing his supposed crimes, and found it amusing.

"Does he really think he can shake my position?"

John had never taken that man seriously in the first place.

Since he had chosen to jump out now, John did not mind dealing with him.

There was one week left until Christmas.

John sat in the conference hall, leisurely reading the latest newspaper in his hand.

The representatives from various countries were somewhat puzzled, but the meeting continued as usual.

Most of the discussion concerned how brutally Barty Crouch Jr.'s team had killed certain people, or reports of Acolytes appearing somewhere and then escaping.

Once they had nearly finished, John finally set the newspaper down.

Only then did everyone see what was written on it.

An Asian man with an unimpressive appearance was speaking animatedly in the moving photograph.

"I just remembered something," John said with a smile. "What does everyone think about the Japanese Ministry of Magic threatening to withdraw from the International Confederation of Wizards?"

The moment those words were spoken, Charles Roland combined them with the information in the newspaper and immediately understood.

John was preparing to make a move.

"The Japanese Ministry of Magic has failed to act in several matters," Minister Roland said carefully. "After the scandal involving Mahoutokoro came to light, the Japanese Ministry repeatedly refused to acknowledge what had happened and denied the authenticity of the list provided by Lord Wick."

As he spoke of the matter, Minister Roland's expression darkened.

"When it came to resettling the young wizards and Muggles affected by the disaster, the Japanese Ministry never stepped forward. Instead, they kept avoiding responsibility."

"I believe... the International Confederation of Wizards should condemn them."

Charles Roland had made his position clear.

Regarding the actions of the Japanese Ministry of Magic, he stood on John's side.

Gresham likewise believed that the Japanese Ministry's refusal to take responsibility deserved condemnation.

Perhaps it was because what the Japanese Ministry had done back then was truly disgraceful, or perhaps everyone had already fully aligned themselves with John.

Almost no one objected.

They all agreed that an international condemnation was necessary.

John smiled faintly when he heard this, then shook his head.

"Although the Japanese Ministry of Magic has made many mistakes, their crimes are not serious enough to warrant that."

Minister Roland's expression stiffened.

Had he misunderstood?

No.

The Second King was not going to hold the Japanese Ministry accountable?

That did not sound like the Second King's kind of generosity.

Minister Roland grew uneasy.

Surely he had not completely misread the situation?

The next second, John said,

"Since the Japanese Ministry of Magic is so determined to withdraw from the International Confederation of Wizards, then let them."

"Huh?"

Minister Roland froze.

He was not the only one.

Everyone else was stunned as well.

Withdraw from the International Confederation of Wizards?

No one had ever done such a thing before.

A Ministry of Magic outside the jurisdiction of the International Confederation of Wizards?

But some of the sharper minds immediately understood John's intention.

Once Minister Roland realised it, he sucked in a breath.

"If they withdraw from the International Confederation of Wizards, then Japan will no longer be part of our alliance."

John waved a hand magnanimously and smiled.

"In that case, we no longer have any obligation to protect them."

No protection?

At a time when Acolytes could destroy a Ministry of Magic at any moment?

Minister Roland's gaze toward John changed.

He had thought the Second King had suddenly discovered mercy.

Now he realised this was the exact opposite.

John intended to finish them completely.

John announced,

"From this day forward, no Japanese wizard will be entitled to any policy or protection provided by the Confederation."

You want to leave?

Fine.

I'll approve it.

The moment John's decision became public, the entire international wizarding community erupted.

A Ministry of Magic that was not part of the International Confederation of Wizards?

No one had ever seen such a thing before.

But more and more people quickly began thinking it through.

If the International Confederation of Wizards no longer had jurisdiction there, did that not mean Japan would lose the deterrence that came with its protection?

Dark wizards understood the implications very quickly.

They seemed to see a paradise waiting for them.

The news spread rapidly across the world.

Unlike the surprise felt by other countries, Japan was completely dumbfounded.

They had never truly intended to leave the International Confederation of Wizards.

It had only been a threat.

But once John approved their withdrawal, it meant they would now have to face the threat of dark wizards from around the world, as well as those mad Acolytes who might treat Japan as a new place to spread their ideology.

The Japanese Minister for Magic could no longer sit still.

Because of this incident, his approval rating once again plunged to rock bottom.

Japanese wizarding society had already fractured into multiple factions after the Mahoutokoro incident.

Now, with one move, the Minister for Magic had caused Japan to lose its protection entirely.

Those factions finally united.

Before more dark wizards and Acolytes could tear the country apart, they launched a coup first.

The Ministry of Magic was breached.

The Minister for Magic was dragged out.

This time, no matter how deeply he bowed, it was useless.

The Minister's head fell from his neck and rolled down the steps of the Ministry.

The executioner removed his Rakshasa mask, revealing a young face.

Within the crowd, a woman gazed at him with deep affection.

"Musashi Akino!"

Deafening cheers erupted.

As one of those who had helped destroy that den of evil, Musashi had once again stepped forward.

He launched a coup and overthrew the useless Ministry of Magic that had done nothing but cling to power.

"I succeeded, my Lord."

Musashi's gaze settled on the woman he loved.

Ever since Mahoutokoro had been destroyed, he had struggled on the front lines against this Ministry of Magic.

But behind the Minister stood not only those stubborn pure-bloods, but even forces connected to war criminals who had once invaded other countries.

Today, he had finally succeeded.

In the name of Musashi, he had slain that foolish, bloated serpent.

It took only a single day.

The coup forces pursued their targets from the Ministry of Magic all the way to the homes of those whose names appeared on the list.

One after another, people who had once been arrogant beyond measure were dragged out like dead dogs.

Musashi could no longer remember how many times he had raised his weapon.

He only knew that from this day onward, this place would change.

"I think I can go back and report now, Mr. Musashi."

A Western reporter wearing a newsboy cap stepped forward.

Musashi looked at him and nodded.

"Thank you for your trouble."

The reporter smiled and said it was only his duty.

And the newspaper he represented was now one of the giants of the press.

Alongside the reports of the coup was the declaration made by the young man before every camera.

"We are ashamed of the mistakes of the past. The new Ministry of Magic hereby petitions to join the International Confederation of Wizards."

The accompanying photograph showed the arrested officials kneeling on the ground.

Every one of them would die in prison.

No one had expected this.

They had withdrawn from the Confederation, only for the Ministry to change hands and immediately apply to join again?

When John received the news, he said casually, "Then let us welcome the new Japanese Ministry of Magic into the International Confederation of Wizards."

One withdrawal.

One admission.

They suddenly realised there was nothing they could object to.

The previous Japanese Ministry had withdrawn from the Confederation and therefore no longer fell under its jurisdiction, just as the Second King had announced.

And they had been the ones who demanded to leave.

Even if a coup took place afterward, it was no longer within the Confederation's authority to handle.

Now the new government was applying to join under the banner of a new Ministry of Magic.

The coincidence between the two events was almost as if everything had been planned in advance.

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