"We can't let those magicians run rampant, more importantly, we can't allow them to scrutinize Gotham unabashedly. No matter if the Curse of Evil is true or not, it doesn't align with the rules of the mystic world; we can't make ourselves at home here..."
"Rules?" Constantine snorted coldly, the golden hue of the alcohol reflecting in his eyes, he said, "Back when you all betrayed me, you never thought about any rules."
Zatanna's fingertips slightly moved as she said, "I also think they were wrong for what they did back then. Constantine, you might be a scoundrel, but you're not a bad person; you've sacrificed a lot to do good. But after all, not everyone in the world is a good person..."
Zatanna looked at the weather-beaten, desolate profile of Constantine, recalling in her mind the image of him in his youth, vibrant and sturdy. She was very young when she first met Constantine, led by her father who introduced Constantine as a once in a century genius in the mystic world.
"Genius..." she murmured quietly, "In this circle, the greater the genius, the greater the sorrow."
The atmosphere between them fell silent. Constantine spoke again, "If your relatives knew you came looking for me, they'd go mad."
"Forget about that, if they found out I slept with you, they'd probably drop dead." Zatanna shrugged and said, "But I don't care. Ever since I discovered their hypocrisy, I've stopped caring about what they say."
"So, how do you plan to stop those magicians from entering Gotham?" Constantine asked.
"Naturally by using magic. I'm best at Antilanguage Magic, but I'm also adept at other forms. Remember the blind eye technique in magic shows? I plan to conjure a fog, completely sealing off the Spirit Realm of Gotham, to prevent those magicians who are skilled at taking shortcuts from entering. They'll also be hindered when they perform magic..."
"So, what do you need me to do?" Constantine asked again.
"Let's go find a place to cast your best magic array. We need to cover Gotham in fog within a week to remind those from the mystic world who wish to invade that they are not allowed."
Soon, the two of them arrived at a basement. Constantine pointed at the ground and said, "This is the center of Gotham, also the location of the spiritual world fissure as per your understanding. Normally, I summon demons here. It saves me some effort."
"Great. Let's set up the magic array here then. I've brought the materials." Zatanna snapped her fingers and implemented her strongest Antilanguage Magic, "Reveal materials!"
Looking at the pile of materials she conjured, Constantine frowned and remarked, "My god, you can't possibly be thinking of sealing off the entire Spirit Realm of Gotham, can you? You... fine, I get that you're a rich lady with lots of precious magical items, but isn't this a bit of an overkill?"
"If you can't handle it, you can say so. I can find other magicians to help. It doesn't have to be you." Zatanna had already started sorting through the materials. Constantine sighed helplessly, but eventually gave in.
He also felt a sense of unease in his heart. Having resided in Gotham for such a long time, he could sense the anomalies in the city. This was a place abandoned by demons.
Even the greediest devils from Hell are unwilling to come here. Otherwise, how would Constantine, the once-in-a-century genius, need to find a spiritual world fissure to summon a demon?
Many demons shake their heads at the mention of going to Gotham. For Constantine, it's as if he's incurring heavy debts while living in a city with extremely high living costs.
Without offering more money, no demon would be willing to come. When it comes to Gotham and Constantine, all the demons demand a higher price. They leave as if they've just been fed feces.
Those creatures living in Hell have an incredibly keen sense of smell. Their unwillingness to come here isn't because the city's human society is in disarray. With their unique vision and olfaction, they can certainly detect something peculiar here that scares them.
This is a bad omen in the mystic world. If it weren't for the fact that this place is good for laying low and hiding from debt collectors, Constantine wouldn't be willing to stay here either.
If it's as Zatanna said, that a terrifying Curse of Evil is affecting this city, then whoever gets their hands on this curse will bring about a disaster. Constantine can't stand by and let it happen. Just like what Zatanna said, he might be a scoundrel, but he's not a bad person.
The rain was getting heavier, and the green waves continued to surge on the ground.
Standing on the rooftop, looking at the fog that filled Gotham, Zatanna sighed, "It seems like our plan has utterly failed. The arrival of All Things Green will forcibly open a passage in the Spirit Realm. Those people can completely bypass our defenses and enter Gotham."
Constantine's eyebrows almost knitted together, he said, "I've said it before, this defensive strategy is useless. We better strike first. Let's go and find that Curse of Evil you spoke of."
Zatanna bit her lip and said, "Alright, I admit, I didn't trust you. I feared that you would misuse it for evil deeds just like those wicked magicians. But rather than letting them, or my annoying relatives get their hands on it, I'd prefer you to have it."