After Tao Yao disappeared into the horizon, the battlefield fell into dead silence.
Zhu Jin stood dazed in place, her gaze still fixed in the direction of Tao Yao's disappearance, her face filled with disbelief and a hint of grievance.
She murmured, "Lord Tao Yao, you just left like that? What am I supposed to do?"
Zhu Jin's voice trembled slightly, as if she were an abandoned child.
She looked around and her eyes landed on Hiyakura, Violet, and Jasmine, who were all lying on the ground.
The three of them were exhausted from the fierce battle just now and appeared completely powerless to fight back.
A cunning light suddenly flashed in Zhu Jin's eyes.
Since Lord Tao Yao had already left, wouldn't these people become her prey?
Thinking this way, a wicked thought began to sprout in her heart.
She slowly approached the three who were on the ground, a dangerous smile appearing on her face.
Just as she was about to reach out to touch Hiyakura, ready to study the legendary fairy vessel and see how it differed from a normal human, a stern voice suddenly rang out:
"Stop!"
Zhu Jin was startled and quickly withdrew her hand.
She turned to see Laurel walking briskly towards her, with a hint of anger on her face.
Laurel quickly scanned the scene and then walked to Hiyakura and the others.
She crouched down and softly said to the three, "I'm sorry, I'm late."
Seeing this, Zhu Jin tightened her grip on her bow, watching Laurel warily.
At that moment, a voice came from the earpiece Zhu Jin had been wearing: "Zhu Jin, the mission is complete. You can come back now."
Zhu Jin smiled slightly, glancing at Laurel and the three who were on the ground.
"Although I would love to stay, my master is urging me." She said softly, "If there's another chance, let's play together next time!"
After saying that, she turned and ran.
Laurel noticed Zhu Jin's movement and immediately got up to chase.
However, Zhu Jin's agility was extraordinary; within a few swift movements, she disappeared among the nearby buildings.
Laurel chased for a distance but eventually had to stop helplessly.
When Laurel returned to the battlefield, Hiyakura, Violet, and Jasmine had barely managed to sit up.
Jasmine looked at Laurel, her voice hoarse as she said:
"Senior, we failed... The rift is still open."
A heavy atmosphere pervaded the air, as if the entire world was mourning this defeat.
Hiyakura lowered her head, her clenched fists trembling slightly from the effort.
Clearly, Tao Yao had affected her deeply.
Violet, on the other hand, looked bewildered, as if she hadn't yet recovered from the recent battle.
Laurel took a deep breath and walked to the rift device.
She focused all her strength and slammed her palm onto the device.
With a loud bang, the rift device was instantly shattered.
"Now is not the time to be discouraged," Laurel turned to the three and said, "The priority is to evacuate the citizens of the Twin Cities. As for the rift..."
As she spoke, her gaze became resolute.
"Leave it to me, I will find a way to destroy it."
Hearing this, a hint of hesitation flashed in Jasmine's eyes.
She bit her lip and finally spoke, "But Senior, this rift is much larger than the last one. Now that it's open, how can it possibly be closed so easily?"
Laurel pondered for a moment and then explained, "The rift device of the Apostle Church is like a lock-picking tool. They have opened the rift gate and destroyed the lock, so it cannot be locked from the outside. Therefore, we must find a way from the inside."
She paused and continued, "I will enter the rift and search for a way to close it. It's like locking a door from the inside; only by getting into the room can one find the locking mechanism."
Upon hearing this plan, the reactions of the three girls were varied.
Hiyakura suddenly raised her head, worry and unease flickering in her eyes.
Violet frowned, seemingly weighing the feasibility of the plan.
Meanwhile, Jasmine stood up directly and shouted excitedly, "No! Senior, that's too dangerous! Even if you successfully close the rift, how will you get out?"
Laurel revealed a bitter smile, not directly answering Jasmine's question.
She turned to Violet and said solemnly, "Violet, I leave them in your care. If this crisis ends and I still haven't returned, please make sure to bring them back to the academy."
"Senior…"
Jasmine wanted to say something else.
Just then, there was a commotion coming from the rift.
Several massive disaster beasts had poked their heads out, as if they would charge out at any moment.
Seeing this, Laurel acted immediately.
She rushed towards those disaster beasts, darting a few times and pushing them back into the rift.
Then, in front of everyone's astonished eyes, Laurel boldly stepped into the rift.
Her figure was quickly swallowed by the darkness within the rift, leaving only a sentence echoing in the air:
"Don't worry, I will be fine."
With Laurel's disappearance, the scene fell into a brief silence. However, this silence did not last long.
Within half an hour, the guard army of the Twin Cities had arrived at the scene.
Large numbers of soldiers swiftly set up defenses, surrounding the entire rift area.
The commander of the guard assessed the situation quickly and immediately issued a series of orders.
More reinforcements were dispatched, and makeshift defensive structures began to be constructed.
It was clear that this place would become a relentless battlefield for a long time to come.
Despite the irreconcilable conflicts between the Twin Cities, in the face of this unprecedented disaster, both cities had no choice but to temporarily set aside their feuds and join hands to confront this common threat.
A vast array of resources was mobilized, and the civil defense system was put into full operation, plunging the entire Twin Cities into a state of tension and busyness.
In the makeshift tents, Hiyakura, Violet, and Jasmine were settled.
Medical personnel treated their wounds and replenished their strength.
However, even though their physical exhaustion was relieved, the emotional scars were hard to heal.
Hiyakura stayed alone in a small tent, curled up in a corner.
Her gaze was hollow, as if she had lost focus.
She murmured to herself, her voice barely audible, "Will Laurel die? I heard that those who enter the rift rarely come out alive…"
Her voice gradually grew more agitated, filled with a hint of choking, "Damn it! If I were stronger, if I could do more, wouldn't all this have not happened?"
Hiyakura's fists were tightly clenched, her nails digging deep into her palm, but she was oblivious to the pain.
"Why? Why can I never do anything? I always need others to take care of me…"
Her murmured voice was filled with self-blame and regret:
"If I could be a little stronger and do more, could I have stopped the rift from opening? Would all this then not have happened?"
All along.
Ever since stepping onto the journey, Hiyakura found it hard to do many things.
But she had encountered many, many partners.
It was precisely they who taught Hiyakura a lot and helped her resolve many troubles.
Though she hadn't known her senior for long.
The other party had always taken care of her.
Intense self-blame made Hiyakura experience extreme emotional turmoil.
And just at that moment.
A ethereal voice suddenly rang in her ear.
"That's right! My dear little fairy, you could have done more, and you should be able to do more!"