Laurel's words struck like a thunderbolt, instantly shattering the faint hopes in the hearts of the three.
Jasmine clenched her phone tightly, her knuckles turning white, disbelief flashing in her eyes.
Violet subconsciously grabbed the hilt of her katana, her body tensing slightly, as if ready to face a fierce battle at any moment.
Hiyakura took a deep breath, trying to quell the turmoil within, her eyes revealing a firm resolve.
"We must act immediately and buy time!" Jasmine said decisively, her voice trembling slightly. "This rift space is clearly much larger than the last one. Every second now could decide the fate of Twin Cities."
Violet nodded in agreement: "Exactly, we can't let the Apostle Cult succeed. We must stop them from opening more rifts."
Hiyakura was silent for a moment, then spoke: "Then let's hurry. No matter what awaits us ahead, we must stop this disaster."
The three quickly ran towards the area between the Twin Cities.
However, they soon discovered that the path forward was more difficult than they had imagined.
The streets were filled with panicked crowds, some fleeing for their lives, others looting and vandalizing amidst the chaos.
Smoke filled the air, and explosions could be heard from afar from time to time, the entire city seemingly plunged into apocalyptic chaos.
Even worse, the Apostle Cult seemed to have control over most areas.
Street corners, rooftops, scattered members of the cult in long black robes could be seen everywhere.
They were either inciting the masses, obstructing rescue efforts, or even directly participating in destructive activities.
Hiyakura frowned: "There are more and more people... it seems the Apostle Cult came prepared..."
Jasmine nodded in agreement: "That's right, we need to find a way to avoid these people and head directly to the location of the rift device."
Violet looked around and suggested: "Perhaps we can use alleys and rooftops to advance, this way we can avoid most of the cult members."
The three adopted the suggestion and began to weave through the intricate network of alleys.
They sometimes climbed over walls, sometimes climbed onto rooftops, painstakingly approaching their target.
In the process, they had to engage with the cult's mooks several times, but fortunately, these ordinary members were no match for them.
Just as they were about to approach the beam of light shooting into the sky, an accident occurred.
An arrow suddenly descended from the sky, accurately piercing the path the three were taking.
Hiyakura immediately raised her greatsword, scanning her surroundings vigilantly.
Jasmine and Violet also quickly assumed combat readiness positions.
"Look up!" Violet whispered.
The three looked up and saw a figure standing on a rooftop not far away.
It was a tall woman with long hair blowing in the wind.
In her hand, she held a uniquely shaped longbow, covered in mysterious runes.
Her gaze was cold, but a playful smile played on her lips.
"Sorry, everyone, the way ahead is controlled by the Apostle Cult. Non-cult members are not allowed to pass," the woman's voice was clear and commanding.
Jasmine's eyes widened in a gasp: "You're the infamous follower of the Apostle Cult, Black Rose's dog - Zhu Jin!"
The woman called Zhu Jin's smile deepened at the words. "I didn't expect to be so renowned? Although it's not a good reputation..."
She gracefully leaped from the rooftop, landing lightly in front of the three.
Then, Zhu Jin said indifferently, "Since you recognize me, prepare to accept my challenge. The container mentioned by Madam Black Rose, please accept my challenge."
As she spoke.
She specifically looked at Hiyakura.
It seemed as if the words were directed at Hiyakura.
As soon as the words fell.
Zhu Jin had already drawn her longbow.
An arrow shimmering with blue light appeared out of thin air and instantly shot towards the three.
Hiyakura reacted swiftly, blocking the attack with her sword.
However, the arrow exploded upon contact with the greatsword, and the shockwave repelled all three a few steps back.
"Be careful! Her arrows are not ordinary weapons!"
Hiyakura warned.
Jasmine immediately drew her dual pistols and fired continuously at Zhu Jin.
However, Zhu Jin's movements flickered like a phantom, easily evading all the bullets.
Violet also joined the fight.
Her katana traced elegant arcs in the air, attempting to close in on Zhu Jin.
But the opponent's archery was too exquisite.
Every time Violet was about to get close, an arrow would force her to retreat.
The three quickly realized they were facing a true formidable enemy.
Zhu Jin was not only skilled in archery but also quite capable in close combat.
Even with their combined efforts, they could only barely hold their ground, finding it difficult to gain an advantage.
The battle lasted more than ten minutes. The three were already panting, while Zhu Jin remained as composed as ever.
At this moment, a fierce aura suddenly erupted from Hiyakura.
Her eyes turned red, and her body seemed to be enveloped in a layer of flames.
Hiyakura let out a roar and charged at Zhu Jin with her greatsword.
The speed and power of this attack far surpassed anything before, and even Zhu Jin dared not meet it head-on, only managing to dodge in a flustered manner.
"Boom!"
Hiyakura's greatsword struck the ground heavily, creating a huge crater.
The shockwave spread outwards, shaking the surrounding buildings to their foundations.
Zhu Jin was startled by the sudden outburst and retreated a few steps, surprise flashing in her eyes.
But soon, her expression turned fanatical.
"As expected of the fairy's container."
Zhu Jin said excitedly, "Just as Madam Black Rose said, under pressure and despair, you are bound to unleash unimaginable potential, displaying the power of the Flame Fairy! Gradually becoming a true fairy!"
With that, Zhu Jin turned and left as if she had completed a task.
Leaving the three looking at each other, bewildered and at a loss.
"Flame Fairy..."
Jasmine murmured, then turned to Hiyakura. "Was she talking about you, Hiyakura?"
Hiyakura looked confused, clearly having no idea about what had just happened.
After a long while, Jasmine seemed to have figured something out and exclaimed: "I knew it! I suspected it for a long time, and now it seems the Apostle Cult's goal is likely to have the legendary Flame Fairy, who commands the power of fire, descend through your body, Hiyakura."
"And your identity all along has likely been the Flame Fairy herself."
"If that's the case, then it makes sense, everything makes sense!"
Jasmine's conviction grew as she spoke, continuing to murmur: "No wonder the Seed of the Fairy has been in your body for so long and has had almost no effect on you..."
"Logically, a normal person shouldn't be able to perfectly withstand the power of a fairy."
"But if you were a fairy yourself, then all this makes sense! The abnormal power you've always displayed, your affinity for fire, even your completely untraceable origin, can all be explained."
Hiyakura listened to Jasmine's words, her confusion deepening.
She looked down at her hands, as if seeing them for the first time.
At this moment, Violet suddenly spoke, her tone laced with anger: "What nonsense are you spouting? She's Hiyakura, our partner, a classmate who will return to the academy with us, our family, not some Flame Fairy."
Hearing this, Jasmine's expression became even more serious.
She looked directly into Violet's eyes and said earnestly, "Violet, I know! Hiyakura hasn't completely become a fairy yet, but what about later?"
"We can't be sure if the Seed of the Fairy will corrode her mind."
"You also said she's our friend. If so, shouldn't we do more to prevent this from happening?"
Just as the two began to argue.
On the horizon, the sky suddenly underwent a massive change.
A colossal rift appeared out of nowhere, as if it were tearing the entire sky apart.
Eerie light emanated from the rift, illuminating the entire city.
Surrounding buildings began to shake, and the ground rumbled.
"Oh no! A giant rift is about to open."
Seeing this, Violet immediately said, "Jasmine, now is not the time to talk about this. We must rush to seal that opening, or Twin Cities will be in danger!"
Jasmine nodded.
But when her gaze fell on Hiyakura again, a hint of wariness appeared in her eyes.
Although she didn't say anything, Hiyakura still caught this subtle change.
Feeling Jasmine's gaze, Hiyakura felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
She didn't know who or what she was.
But she knew that the most important thing now was to stop the disaster from happening.
"Let's go," Hiyakura said softly. "No matter who I am, after this is resolved, I will cooperate with you."
Hearing this, and facing Hiyakura's attitude.
Jasmine lowered her head slightly, a trace of apology flashing in her eyes.
"I'm sorry... I might have been overthinking things, but after this is over, you'll be returning to the academy with us, and we'll probably need to examine your body thoroughly."
"It's fine."
Hiyakura nodded, not minding.
Then, the three continued to rush towards the giant rift.
The rift in the sky was still expanding.
Clearly.
This rectangular rift entrance was not so easily opened.
Before then, they still had time!
...
Without further debate about the Flame Fairy, the three continued to rush towards the giant rift in the sky, their hearts filled with tension and anxiety.
As they approached, the scale of the rift became clearer, its terrifying magnitude far exceeding their imaginations.
The rift was like a massive blade, violently tearing through the sky.
The light leaking from the rift was an unnatural purplish-red, seemingly the pheromones from the world where the disaster beasts resided.
Because of these pheromones, the surrounding air began to distort, making even breathing difficult.
Hiyakura, Jasmine, and Violet had to slow down, advancing cautiously.
"We have to speed up!"
Jasmine exclaimed, gasping for breath, "Once the rift opens, millions of people in Twin Cities will die as a result!"
Hiyakura remained silent, only accelerating her pace.
Her mind was still in turmoil from the previous events, but she knew this was not the time to dwell on them.
Finally, after passing through several deserted streets, the three left Moonlit City and entered an open area.
Not far ahead was the core location where the Apostle Cult had placed the rift device.
However, unexpectedly, there were no members of the Apostle Cult here.
The entire area was eerily quiet.
Only the distant sounds of explosions and screams reminded them of the chaos in the outside world.
"This is too strange."
Jasmine scanned her surroundings cautiously. "Logically, this place should be heavily guarded."
Violet gripped her katana tightly and whispered, "It might be a trap, we have to be careful."
Just then, Hiyakura stopped abruptly, looking ahead.
The other two followed Hiyakura's gaze.
There, before the core of the rift device, a figure stood quietly.
It was a figure in pink, with its back to them.
Pink hair cascaded down her shoulders, gently swaying in the breeze.
The figure exuded an indescribable aura, both elegant and dangerous, like a blooming peach blossom, beautiful yet with a fatal charm.
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed.
Zhu Jin, who had left earlier, was now perched on a tree. Seeing the group arrive, she spoke up, "Lord Tao Yao, they've arrived."
As Zhu Jin's voice fell.
The pink-haired figure slowly turned around, revealing a beautiful face.
Her eyes were like a deep star-filled sky, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile played on her lips.
"Tao Yao?!"
Hiyakura exclaimed, disbelief etched on her face.
Faced with the sudden situation, the three reacted differently.
Hiyakru stood frozen, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment, seemingly unable to comprehend the scene before her.
Jasmine quickly raised her dual pistols, her eyes filled with vigilance and wariness.
Violet, on the other hand, slightly bent her body, assuming a ready-to-draw-sword stance.
Apostle Tao Yao, an apostle as renowned as Black Rose.
Without a doubt, this was an absolutely formidable enemy.
Her appearance undoubtedly greatly hindered their possibility of stopping the disaster.
Tao Yao's gaze fell on Hiyakura, and the smile on her lips deepened slightly.
She spoke, her voice like the clear chime of wind bells:
"I had envisioned this scene, imagined it many times. I knew this day would eventually come, and even if I didn't want to face it, I had to appear here."
She sighed softly and continued:
"I'm sorry, Little Hiyakura, I deceived you."
"The cult has its mission, and I have what I need to do. Even if Black Rose is somewhat extreme, I cannot entirely deny her efforts."
"You want to destroy this device and seal the rift's entrance, right?"
"If that's the case, then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you."
"Because I am here, you cannot take a single step forward before the rift opens."
Hearing Tao Yao's words, Hiyakura's expression became dazed.
At this moment, she felt as if the world was collapsing around her.
Moments she had spent with Tao Yao flashed in her mind – the laughter, the sincere conversations, the warm embraces...
Was all of this a lie?
Tao Yao...
Had she truly deceived her?