Once word got out, the German wizarding world would become a complete joke.
Ordinary wizards who didn't know the full story might even collapse from the shock.
In that moment, the crowd wanted nothing more than to tear Pete and the others apart.
Many drew their wands, pointing them angrily.
Then, Pete, already under fire from everyone, burst out laughing like a madman.
"I've been such a fool," he sneered. "I never thought that years of living comfortably would make me so indecisive. If I'd listened to Thunderbird's advice, I would've just wiped you idiots out and avoided all this trouble!"
With the truth now out in the open, Pete stopped pretending to be on anyone's side.
His words only fueled the crowd's anger even more.
"Attention all Aurors, keep Pete and the others under control!"
When Andre saw Pete show up at this moment, he immediately guessed that Pete might still be stubborn.
Without hesitation, he shouted to everyone nearby, then quickly jumped off the rostrum, drew his wand, and cast a quick imprisonment spell aimed at Pete.
As soon as Andre finished speaking, several teams of Aurors burst out from the side doors and rushed straight toward Pete's position, clearly having been prepared for this confrontation.
Pete wasn't intimidated by being surrounded.
"You think I'll go down without a fight? Think again!" he yelled, pulling out his aspen wand and hurling it forward.
A fierce wave of magical energy erupted around him.
Suddenly, the dozens of spells flying at him froze mid-air before being violently pushed back.
Some Aurors who didn't react in time were knocked backward by their own spells.
Even those nearby were thrown off balance by the force of Pete's magic, tables and chairs shattered, and wizards scattered in all directions.
For a moment, it seemed like Pete had disappeared into thin air.
The sudden explosion of magic left some wizards injured and sprawled on the ground, while others quickly realized they were no match for him and fled.
The scene turned chaotic in an instant.
Despite the turmoil, Andre stayed calm and took charge.
"Non-combatants, get out through the side doors immediately! Don't leave the wounded behind. The rest of you, surround Pete. He must not get away!"
Pete's eyes turned red, almost ghostly.
"Escape? Who said I'm trying to run?" he growled.
Then, turning to the wizards who stood with him, he added grimly, "Everyone here must be silenced today. If you let them all go, no one will ever know the truth.
I'll still be the Minister of Magic, and you'll all still be officers of the Ministry."
After saying these words, Pete quickly practiced a spell on himself.
He shook his wand firmly and clenched his left hand tightly.
Almost immediately, a powerful force slammed against the three exits of the courtroom, causing the boulder above the door frame to crash down and block all the portals at once.
Trapped by his magic, the other 'separatist' wizards found themselves caught and exposed.
With their identities revealed, some still hoped to fight their way out, believing that a battle might be their only chance at survival.
Among them, several wizards loyal to Pete wasted no time and launched attacks on everyone present.
Seeing someone take the lead, many others hesitated but soon steeled themselves, drawing their wands and joining the fight.
In an instant, the trial hall, spanning over a thousand square meters, turned into a chaotic battlefield.
Spells flew everywhere, striking wizards and reporters alike, though fortunately, no one dared to deliver a deadly blow, and no one died.
Confident that he had successfully disrupted their plans, Pete fixed his gaze on Claremont.
Today, because of the traitor's betrayal, Claremont would be the first to suffer the consequences.
It was time to act.
"Heavy hammer!" Pete shouted as he swung his wand fiercely toward Claremont.
Instantly, a massive battering ram made entirely of magical energy surged forward.
This kind of attack was overwhelming, anyone caught in its path, even the few Aurors nearby, would be in serious trouble.
But just then, a stream of silvery-blue light shot out from the slanted spine with tail-like flames, intercepting the battering ram.
The collision was fierce, sending up clouds of smoke and dust, and the crackling noise cut through the surrounding battle, drawing everyone's attention.
As the smoke cleared, it became clear that Claremont was unharmed.
In front of him stood a metal longsword crackling with electric sparks.
Next to the sword, a figure appeared, casually picking it up and holding it lightly in his right hand.
With a soft laugh, he said, "Minister Pete, I didn't expect we'd meet like this again. Sorry, but I"
"I can't just stand by and watch you do as you please."
Pete narrowed his eyes at the young man.
"Alex, are you really planning to fight me?"
Alex shrugged with a helpless smile.
"You can't blame me. You said it yourself, if I don't stop you, you'll silence everyone here. I'm just protecting myself."
Then, turning his gaze toward Andre, he added, "Director Andre, I'll hold Pete off. You need to organize your team and get the innocent people to safety."
"Understood!" Andre didn't hesitate, knowing Alex's power well.
He winked at several Aurors and Edmund before retreating.
Meanwhile, the Aurors assigned to protect Claremont quickly sprang into action, escorting him to the side door.
Pete sneered.
"You want to stop me, just by yourself?"
Alex grinned back.
"Whether it works or not, you have to try, right?"
Then, in a low voice, he whispered, "Overload!"
A booming explosion echoed through the air.
From Alex's perspective, a surge of magical energy erupted instantly, just as powerful as the one Pete had unleashed earlier.
I watched as Alex, who had seemed like a composed young gentleman, suddenly radiated thick plasma from his body, his pupils glowing with a silver light.
He realized that Pete was the Golden Snidget, with power on par with a Phoenix or Thunderbird, so he pushed himself to his limits from the start.
His stance was so intense that it caught everyone's attention, not just the wizards nearby, but even Pete found it striking.
Could this young man really be under twenty? Was something off about him?
Or was Pete just out of touch with the younger generation?
But Alex wasn't one to waste time with idle chatter, especially since he knew his [Overload] state couldn't last long.
I saw him raise his sword, Annier, slam it into the ground, then swing it down with heavy force toward Pete.
"Thunder Sword, Go Ground!"
The blade rose from below, carrying an awe-inspiring power, sending a crescent-shaped wave of sword energy racing along the ground toward Pete.
The attack was coming from underground!
In a flash, Pete spotted the trick.