Chapter 1303 Purgatory on Earth
"Merry Christmas!"
Cheers swept through the brightly lit Piccadilly Square like a tsunami.
Colorful ribbons fluttered, balloons soared into the sky, and strangers embraced, kissed, and raised their glasses to each other.
Under the giant Christmas tree in the center of the square, a cute little girl wearing a reindeer antler headband was lifted high by her father, her laughter ringing out like silver bells.
Not far away, a group of tourists from the University of Tokyo were excitedly taking photos of each other against a backdrop of flashing neon lights and falling artificial snowflakes. They were shouting "Merry Christmas" in Chinese.
Before the last syllable of "joy" had completely faded, the father who was holding his daughter up suddenly froze with a smile, his expression twisting into one of extreme pain.
He let out a short "ho" sound from his throat, as if someone were forcefully choking him.
The girl stared in horror at her father's suddenly widened eyes, which quickly became bloodshot in her mind's eye.
He endured the excruciating pain, put his daughter down, and slowly collapsed to the ground.
"father!"
An invisible curse is spreading from him to the surrounding area.
In an instant, dozens of people around, regardless of gender or nationality, experienced the same pain at the same time.
Their bones felt as if they were being squeezed, their internal organs as if they were being pierced by ice needles, and their skin as if it were being scorched by hot lava, causing them to groan in pain.
"what!!!"
"God! No—"
"it hurts!"
One after another, piercing screams so shrill they seemed inhuman instantly replaced the joyful clamor.
The people in the square were struck as if by a heavy hammer, collapsing to the ground in droves.
The giant Christmas tree in the center seemed to be tainted with pain, its lights flickering irregularly at high frequencies, reflecting the distorted faces.
Among the Dongda tour group, the few on the outer edges were the first to be hit, collapsing to the ground and convulsing in pain.
The young female leader tried to pull her companion up, but suddenly clutched her chest, knelt on the ground with a pale face, and large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.
Her companions panicked, wanting to help but not knowing how.
Pain is spreading, along with fear.
At almost the same time, the festive street performances on Oxford Street came to an abrupt end.
The actor in the middle of the performance suddenly clutched his head and fell heavily off the makeshift stage.
The smiles of the onlookers were shattered the next second.
Beneath the exquisite Christmas decorations lies a scene of hell on earth.
Someone collapsed in pain, knocking over a mulled wine stall, scalding liquid and shards of glass scattering everywhere, but no one paid any attention.
Trafalgar Square, on the steps in front of the National Gallery.
A couple who were kissing collapsed to the ground, and a family taking a family photo was smiling at the camera one second, but the next second they were staggering and falling over, and the young child was frightened and cried.
Artificial snow continued to spray, falling silently onto the writhing, agonizing bodies, creating an eerie scene.
Ryan Hotel.
"Merry Christmas!"
Vincent smiled as he looked at his friends on the projection screen, preparing to offer his blessings, when a sharp, urgent alarm suddenly sounded.
He turned to look at the metal tactical table that projected a real-time view of the London streets, which showed large swaths of red.
“Vincent?” Hermione was the first to notice his unusual behavior.
Vincent forced a smile. "No...it's nothing. I just suddenly had to come to work. You guys carry on, don't worry about me. Merry Christmas, everyone have fun."
The video cut off, and the cheerful atmosphere of the Room of Requirement froze instantly. Everyone knew something was wrong.
Hermione, who knew Vincent best, was seeing him so panicked for the first time.
the other side,
Vincent was already standing in front of the metal tactical table, pulling up the live monitoring screen of the A-ball.
Piccadilly, Covent Garden, Trafalgar, South Bank, Oxford Street... at least seven locations where crowds gathered were simultaneously struck by a curse that spread outwards like a plague.
He stared intently at the people who had collapsed in agony, and hissed a name in a low voice from his throat: "Aidan Selwyn..."
Without a doubt, it was the work of this antisocial pleasure criminal.
Although it is completely different from previous criminal profiles, this disaster...
"Beep beep beep," Vincent answered the call.
"Mr. Wayne! Reports have appeared in multiple locations in London—"
“I know this is a large-scale magical curse attack. Director Carlton, have your men set up an isolation zone immediately, allowing no one to enter but only exiting. Non-professional protective personnel are strictly prohibited from contacting the victims. My men are already on their way.”
While communicating with MI6, Vincent sent a text message to Hunter, instructing him to lead the fully armed Maxma Unit to the scene to carry out rescue operations.
After that, he also contacted the elderly men of the Daixu Association and asked them to join the rescue efforts.
The special combat suit made of "physical-magical composite armor" can defend against magical attacks to a certain extent, but as long as the source of the curse is not resolved, this disaster will continue.
Now is not the time to consider the consequences; what they need to do is race against time to save more innocent victims from the clutches of death.
Vincent put on the MI6 encrypted communication headset, slipped on the flight boots placed on the equipment rack, grabbed the white cloak and Pandora from the Prelude Society, and walked through the huge floor-to-ceiling window to the outside.
The cold night wind howled past as he sped across countless rooftops and spires.
Below, the festive clamor has been replaced by piercing sirens and cries of anguish.
As he approached the nearest Piccadilly Square, the Prime Minister's urgent voice came through his earpiece.
“Mr. Wayne, Director Carlton has reported the situation, and the Cabinet is about to hold an emergency meeting. Before that, I would like to know if you can control the situation?”
Vincent's gaze swept across Piccadilly Square below. "Mr. Prime Minister, I will do my best."
This means I will have to openly use magic for the rescue, a serious violation of the International Wizarding Federation's Secrecy Law. I cannot guarantee what the consequences will be.
The Prime Minister fell silent, with only heavy breathing remaining.
This disaster is far beyond the capabilities of the Muggle government, and the Ministry of Magic will certainly not continue to stand idly by, but their rescue efforts are based on the premise of minimizing the exposure of magic.
"Mr. Wayne, how will the Ministry of Magic view your public actions? Will they attack you directly, or even obstruct your rescue efforts as a greater threat?"
Vincent gazed at the hellish scene below, his voice low and firm, "Prime Minister, I can assure you that I will do my utmost to avoid direct conflict with the Ministry of Magic, unless they launch an attack that jeopardizes the rescue operation or the safety of the victims."
The Prime Minister understood his determination. "Mr. Wayne, on behalf of the British Government, I agree that you should take all necessary measures immediately, including but not limited to the public use of magic. We will mobilize all resources to support your actions and make every effort to convey the urgency of the situation to the Ministry of Magic."
Despite the enormous risks and political costs, the Muggle government was equally determined.
"Thank you." Vincent landed in Piccadilly Square.
The scene before him was horrifying: hundreds of people were rolling, convulsing, and screaming in the square and surrounding streets. Those who were not affected scattered in terror, jostling with police and paramedics who had rushed to the scene, creating utter chaos.
Vincent gripped his twin serpent staffs tightly, and powerful magic instantly enveloped the entire plaza.
His deep blue eyes seemed to see the physical form of this invisible curse. "Prime Minister, please convey to Her Majesty the Queen that I will do everything in my power to stop this disaster."
The communication ended, and soft white light rippled out from the caduceus.
……
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