Hiyakura's words struck a nerve with Jasmine, whose expression stiffened momentarily before she regained her usual smile and explained with feigned seriousness:
"What do you mean, cheating? I won fair and square—I just got lucky, that's all. Besides, when playing games with kids, winning or losing isn't the point. What matters is that everyone has fun together, right?"
"Then why were you so worked up about it?" Hiyakura couldn't help but retort.
"Who was worked up? I was just worried they'd take the loss badly and ruin their mood!" Despite her words, Jasmine's face betrayed her lingering frustration.
After a moment, Jasmine spoke again.
"By the way, did Miss Lily tell you anything about us? That's right—Violet and I come from the great and renowned Manju Academy…"
And so, amidst Jasmine's endless self-praise, the two of them managed to have a pleasant conversation.
Seeing Hiyakura listening attentively, Jasmine rambled on even more, only stopping when her throat grew dry.
"Ah, I got carried away and forgot the real matter at hand." Jasmine suddenly smacked her forehead. "Hiyakura, now that you're awake, there's something important I need to discuss with you."
"What is it?"
"Here's the thing—we detected traces of a Fairy Seed inside you. That thing is no good. It affects your emotions, making you violent and irritable. It might even cause memory loss. For example… do you remember who you are right now?"
Hiyakura shook her head.
Not only did the players controlling her in the game not know, but she herself had no idea who she truly was.
"Exactly! That's why you lost control earlier and nearly destroyed Radiant City. You have to take the Fairy Seed issue seriously."
Jasmine spoke with grave concern.
Hiyakura's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly asked, "What should I do now?"
"Don't worry. Manju Academy is at the forefront of Fairy Seed research. I'm sure we'll find a way to remove it," Jasmine reassured her. "But until then, I'd like you to join us and come to Manju Academy. As you've seen, the people of Radiant City still lack awareness and vigilance against fairy-related threats. If you were to lose control again, the consequences would be unthinkable."
After a moment of contemplation, Hiyakura nodded. "Alright, I agree."
"Wonderful! Welcome aboard!" Jasmine excitedly took H's hand. "Don't worry—with us here, we'll do everything we can to free you from the Fairy Seed's influence."
"Oh, and though the Disaster Beasts have been eliminated, Radiant City still needs more hands for reconstruction. Violet and I plan to stay a while longer to deal with some lingering dangers. Would you be willing to help us?"
Hiyakura met Jasmine's hopeful gaze and was about to decline when Jasmine added, "Don't worry, we won't make you work for free! You'll be handsomely rewarded."
**[Obtained 10 Fairy Hearts]**
At that very moment. Sitting in front of the screen. Sakura Fubuki raised an eyebrow at the notification that popped up.
So, in this game, Fairy Hearts were essentially the currency for gacha pulls. A total of 160 Fairy Hearts could be exchanged for one Mystic Bloom, allowing a single wish—a chance to obtain rare characters or equipment.
Thus, 10 Fairy Hearts was already a considerable sum.
Though she felt a bit exasperated, Sakura Fubuki had Hiyakura agree anyway, not wanting to miss the opportunity.
"Oh, Hiyakura, do you have any other questions?" Jasmine blinked at her.
Several options appeared on the screen:
**[Who am I?]**
**[Who is that pink-haired woman?]**
**[What exactly are the Fairy Apostles?]**
These options could be selected repeatedly.
After some thought, Sakura Fubuki had Hiyakura ask all of them.
"Who am I?" Hiyakura started with her most pressing question.
"We don't know who you are either. When we found you, you were already in a state of losing control."
"Based on our assessment, the Fairy Seed is entirely to blame. It amplifies your negative emotions, making you prone to anger, jealousy, even madness," Jasmine explained. "But don't worry too much. As long as you keep your emotions in check and manage them properly, you can suppress the Fairy Seed's influence."
Hiyakura nodded thoughtfully before asking, "Who is that pink-haired woman?"
At this, Jasmine's expression darkened. She hesitated before reluctantly answering, "Her name is Tao Yao. She's a member of the [Fairy Apostles]—a very dangerous individual. The reason you lost control was because she fully unleashed the Fairy Seed's power…"
Without dwelling on it, Hiyakura pressed on, "What exactly are the Fairy Apostles?"
Jasmine's face grew solemn. She took a deep breath and slowly explained, "The Fairy Apostles are a group of cultists who pursue the power of fairies and worship them. No one knows who founded this organization. The only thing certain is that they call themselves Apostles, carrying out various activities to awaken an evil fairy."
"Their goal is to plunge the world into chaos and destruction. And their methods are often extremely cruel and insane."
A hint of fear and disgust tinged Jasmine's voice. "From what I know, they've slaughtered countless innocent lives and orchestrated one calamity after another."
"Fairies…" Hiyakura murmured to herself.
Noticing Hiyakura's deep contemplation, Jasmine continued, "Fairies are the most dangerous among all Disaster Beasts. They possess immense power but are also inherently dangerous and difficult to control."
"You're currently on the verge of losing control. At any moment, you could become a fairy."
Hearing this, Hiyakura lowered her head slightly, seemingly lost in confusion.
Meanwhile.
In the real world, Sakura Fubuki—who was livestreaming the game—also fell into thought.
On the screen, a new option appeared:
**[So she's a villain…]**
It seemed to reflect Hiyakura's current thoughts.
Sakura Fubuki froze, then instinctively asked the few dozen viewers in her stream:
"Wait, huh? Did they change the story? I don't remember it being like this during the beta…"
She couldn't quite recall. It felt like everyone had simply labeled Tao Yao as the antagonist back then—there hadn't been this option that seemed to question or express disbelief.
Soon, responses flooded the chat.
{"Beta and official release are totally different. Of course they'd tweak some plot details."}
{"Yeah, the beta was full of bugs. They had to make adjustments."}
{"Don't overthink it. Just keep playing and you'll find out."}
Reading the comments, Sakura Fubuki shrugged and continued the game.
After all, no matter what. Tao Yao was destined to become a weekly boss. Even if some details were altered. The overall direction wouldn't change.