The woman's face turned pale in an instant, a flicker of panic flashing in her eyes.
Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't get the words out.
Her hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning white from the force.
"Forget-Me-Not, do you... do you really not recognize mom anymore?"
Her voice quivered, revealing deep pain in her eyes. "Is it because mom hasn't seen you in so long that you've forgotten what she looks like?"
Little Forget-Me-Not hid behind Tao Yao's long legs, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of Tao Yao's clothes.
She timidly poked her head out, her eyes filled with wariness and disappointment.
"You're not mom…"
Little Forget-Me-Not's voice was soft but exceptionally firm:
"Mom never directly answered my questions…"
"And it's so dangerous here. If it were really mom, she would be thinking of getting me out of here at the first moment and would never let me stay…"
Hearing Little Forget-Me-Not's words, the woman was stunned.
Her expression froze for a few seconds, then suddenly erupted in a fit of wild laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
She laughed so hard that she bent over, nearly laughing tears out:
"It seems I truly don't look like a competent mother! You humans are really interesting; some can easily be deceived, while this little girl of yours is unexpectedly shrewd."
As she laughed, her body began to undergo a transformation.
The originally clear outline became blurred, and the whole person seemed to turn into a figure made of mist.
The mist constantly twisted and deformed, at times coalescing into a human shape, at other times dispersing into a floating fog.
Within the fog, a pair of glowing eyes could vaguely be seen, exuding an eerie and dangerous aura.
Little Forget-Me-Not saw this scene, her expression shifting from fear to anger.
She clenched her small fists and shouted at the mist:
"Fairy! What have you done to my mom?"
The mist let out a chilling laugh in response to Little Forget-Me-Not's question.
"Your mom? Am I not your mom?"
A distorted voice came from the mist, strange and eerie.
"At least this skin I wear is your mom's skin, little sister! I peeled your mom's skin off, so if you want to find mom, you should come find me!"
Saying this, the mist quickly coalesced, reshaping into the likeness of Little Forget-Me-Not's mother.
She wore a strange smile on her face and spoke in a voice almost identical to Little Forget-Me-Not's mother: "Good daughter! Come to mom. Mom misses you dearly!"
Upon hearing this, Little Forget-Me-Not's expression turned exceptionally pained.
Her eyes filled with tears, her voice trembling: "Mom…"
"So annoying!"
Seeing this, Hiyakura could no longer hold back.
Without saying a word, she raised her great sword and swung it at the fake "mother."
Tao Yao, witnessing this, immediately activated her ability.
A swirl of pink petals spun in the air, surrounding Hiyakura, forming a beautiful and solid shield.
The Shadow Fairy seemed not to expect Hiyakura's sudden move, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.
Her body quickly transformed into a mass of black mist, easily evading Hiyakura's first strike.
"Oh? Interesting…"
The Shadow Fairy's voice echoed from all directions, "I can smell the scent of kin on you; you've borrowed the power of a fairy? See, as a human, no matter how much you despise fairies, aren't you still borrowing their power!"
Hiyakura ignored the Shadow Fairy's provocation, continuing to wield her great sword.
Each of her strikes carried immense force.
But the Shadow Fairy's body was like fog.
She could always disperse at the last possible moment, avoiding deadly blows.
The Shadow Fairy drifted unpredictably, sometimes coalescing into human form, at times dispersing back into a mass of black mist.
Her laughter reverberated throughout the space, filled with mockery and disdain.
"You think you can hurt me like this? Too naive!" the Shadow Fairy laughed, "I am the embodiment of shadows; that weapon you wield looks as ridiculous as a toy, completely useless."
Hiyakura gritted her teeth, continuing to swing the great sword.
Although her attacks seemed fierce, they never truly managed to hurt the Shadow Fairy.
Tao Yao's petal shield was constantly shifting positions, protecting Hiyakura from the Shadow Fairy's counterattacks.
Just then, Hiyakura's great sword suddenly ignited in blazing flames.
The fire instantly illuminated the entire space, dispelling the surrounding gloom.
The Shadow Fairy let out a shriek, seemingly uncomfortable with the sudden light.
Her body began to twist uncontrollably, her originally fluid movements becoming chaotic.
Seizing this opportunity, Hiyakura swung her blazing sword at the Shadow Fairy.
This time, the Shadow Fairy couldn't completely evade.
The flames touched her body, instantly igniting.
"No! This is impossible!"
The Shadow Fairy screamed, her body twisting and struggling in the flames.
"How could you possibly…"
With a piercing scream, the Shadow Fairy's body was completely consumed by the fire.
In the end, only a wisp of black smoke slowly dissipated in the air.
Hiyakura panted, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"Is it dead?"
"No, it's not that easy."
Tao Yao pulled Little Forget-Me-Not closer from a short distance.
She explained, "When a fairy truly falls, we see the wilting of the Fairy Flower. Moreover, the Shadow Fairy, besides mimicking, is also good at shadow duplication. This was merely one of her avatars."
"Then how can we completely eliminate her?" Hiyakura asked with a frown.
"To thoroughly defeat the Shadow Fairy, we must find her true body," Tao Yao said. "Her true body must be hiding in some dark corner, controlling these avatars. We need to continue searching for her true form."
Little Forget-Me-Not tightly gripped Tao Yao's hand, her eyes still glistening with tears.
"Tao Yao sister, where's my mom? She wouldn't…"
She asked timidly.
Tao Yao crouched down, gently stroking the little girl's hair.
"Don't worry; the Shadow Fairy loves to play word games; you can't trust what she says."
"Your mom may not have encountered any trouble. We will definitely find your mom next."
Hiyakura sheathed her great sword, scanning the surroundings warily. "Which direction should we go?"
Tao Yao stood up, gazing deep into the fortress.
After pondering for a moment, she then turned her gaze to Little Forget-Me-Not.
Next, Tao Yao asked Forget-Me-Not.
"Little Forget-Me-Not, you are the most familiar with this place; where do you think your mom would hide?"