The air fell into a dead silence, then froze.
Laira's smile completely froze on her face, and the guests looked up at the screen in horror. The few seconds seemed to stretch, becoming thicker than honey.
The word that Rita Skeeter had spoken — human trafficking — echoed repeatedly in everyone's ears, a chilling term.
Within breaths, Laira's complexion suddenly changed, her expression absurd yet sorrowful, like a warrior unjustly accused and unable to defend themselves.
Her gaze swept rapidly across the audience below, over her staunchest supporters, her community of interest, and for a moment, her eyes like quenched blades, silently said —
[This is war, stand with me!]
"Today, right here!"
Rita Skeeter screamed hoarsely:
"I shall expose to everyone the darkest corruption in the Magic World, the most despicable betrayal!"
"I ask all American Wizards — can you really tolerate such a despicable and evil Congress President coming to power? Are you really willing to be led by her?"
Rita Skeeter's enlarged face, almost occupying the entire frame of the Flow Mirror, suddenly backed up, the distance revealing a large pile of evidence beside her.
Today's Rita was not dressed like an extravagant parrot but like a colorful Amazon warrior about to head to battle:
The red and black robe had sharp lines, the monocle reflected cold light, her hair was pulled high up, each strand tightly tied, forming a taut bun at the back of her head.
She leaned forward, both hands on the table, her face bearing the excitement of her journalism profession, yet deep down hiding genuine anger.
Behind her was a pure white room, empty, not even a window, to prevent anyone from determining her location via the scenery in the lens, thus physically interrupting the broadcast!
"Poor Chairman Hosone hasn't done anything wrong, nor has he committed those terrible crimes! His greatest crime might be occupying the Congress President's seat, blocking Laira Piqueley's path to power!"
Rita Skeeter's voice rose, filled with dramatic trembles, firmly capturing everyone's attention:
"My dear, misled American friends, you think this is just political maneuvering? No, look at this —"
"From the most secret vaults of the Stonefield Clan! It records the flow of funds, intelligence exchanges between them and certain officials, and even... cold-blooded agreements on how to 'deal with' those wizard compatriots who unfortunately died in experiments!"
"I must say, these insidiously cunning Muggles, always like to keep both friends' gifts and enemies' handles! And thanks to this habit of theirs, we can reveal the true faces of certain people today!"
"Next, I will show you this evidence —"
Headmaster Fontana suddenly stood up, roaring: "This is poison!"
The robe of this Headmaster of Iphamoni stirred up a gust of wind as he wrenched a magic wand from an old friend's hand beside him, tracing a complex trajectory in midair under the other's astonished gaze.
A strange humming sound immediately drowned out Rita Skeeter's voice.
Fontana pointed his magic wand at his own throat, and his sonorous voice instantly echoed throughout the atrium:
"Don't listen! Don't watch!"
"Every word she says is corrupting the foundation of the Confidentiality Law!"
"Chairman Picquery is precisely fighting against such madmen who intend to drag us into the abyss!"
"And this — this despicable performance — precisely proves how correct and necessary her path is!"
"Right now, what we need is unity, determination! Unwavering support for the Chairman! Do not be deceived by the enemy's tricks!"
The supporters who came to their senses immediately erupted in shouts:
"This is shameless slander!"
"Find that woman! Hang her!"
"We will always support Chairman Picquery!"
Most of the high-ranking officials of the Magic Congress were supporters of Laira, and at this time they began to make authoritative voices, immediately causing those who were wavering due to the broadcast to be doubtful.
The sound of spells abruptly came from all directions, with some waving magic wands releasing colored smoke to obscure vision, some directly attempting to shatter the Flow Mirror being broadcasted, and some impulsive fellows directly releasing offensive spells at the protectors below the Flow Mirror.
"Crack!"
A Flow Mirror suddenly shattered.
The Flow Mirror had layers of Protective Spells too, but under countless spell attacks, it ultimately couldn't hold, and shattered.
Almost in a blink of an eye, conflict suddenly broke out.
Kingsley Shacklebolt always stood in front of Sinclaire, his figure silent as a mountain, the halo of the Iron Armor Spell always timely blocking all spells shot at him and the Flow Mirror not far behind him.
Moody roared: "You bastards, don't even think about it!"
His limp leg didn't affect the casting speed at all, the glow of spells was like a machine gun, in the blink of an eye he knocked out four or five people with the Stunning Spell.
Many American Aurors, led by their chiefs, muddle-headedly rushed towards these "enemies who attempt to disrupt the stability of the American Magic World," but there was also internal division among them.
Because a spell suddenly shot from the crowd and knocked Fontana flying, and the moment the Headmaster landed, he was bound by snake-like ropes, and his sound-muffling magic was instantly dispelled.
The next second, Rita Skeeter's excited voice rushed into everyone's ears:
"...because of this, at Laira Piqueley's instruction, the brave warrior Selena Goldstein was publicly killed!"
"Here is a speech written by Ms. Godstein herself before her death, listing clearly the crimes committed by Laira Piqueley and her group!"
"It was precisely to expose these secrets that she was cruelly murdered by them!"
The magnified parchment floated before the camera, each page was frozen for several seconds, Skeeter loudly reading out the most shocking parts.
And on the paper, Auror Selena Goldstein had personally written her name, her anger, and determination, her resoluteness to give her life for this.
Line after line of earnest yet unyielding handwriting reflected the final glory the Auror wrote with her life.
Many people's eyes moistened instantly, not a few Aurors put down their magic wands, some even reversing the direction of their wand tips, beginning to protect the Flow Mirror.
Anderson and Lopez stood back to back, their wands pointed at former colleagues, their expressions furious and resolute.
"I knew it!" Anderson shouted loudly, tears streaming down his face: "It must be you who killed Selena! Piqueley! She told us, she said we must never let the American Magic World fall into the hands of demons!"
His wand trembled unceasingly due to his agitation, but the Aurors opposite seemed to suddenly become a lot dumber, and none of the spells they cast hit the two of them.
Samuel Goldstein even directly knocked down two officials attacking the Flow Mirror, standing himself in front of a Flow Mirror, shouting sternly:
"Let that reporter finish speaking! If she is innocent, why fear the truth?! Laira Piqueley, if it was really you who killed my sister, I will never forgive you!"