Hiyakura quickly removed Tao Yao's mask, and a delicate face was instantly revealed before her eyes.
It was a face that could be deemed perfect, with features so refined they seemed to have been meticulously sculpted by an artist.
However, this beauty was marred by a shocking scar.
Beside Tao Yao's eye, there was a gruesome knife scar that extended from the corner of her eye to her temple.
This scar did not seem like an ordinary blade wound; the edges were tinged with some signs of burning, making the entire scar appear even more terrifying.
These scars contrasted sharply with Tao Yao's exquisite features,
Like a jarring ink blot on a beautiful painting.
Hiyakura's eyes widened, staring in disbelief at this familiar yet unfamiliar face.
Her brain struggled to process this information, as if it had fallen into a state of chaos.
"This... this is impossible..."
Hiyakura muttered, her voice filled with shock and confusion.
Her hands trembled slightly, as if she couldn't believe her eyes.
"How could it not be Tao Yao?!"
Hiyakura's heart roared.
The girl before her was very much like Tao Yao, yet there was a sense of strangeness...
After all, putting the current face aside, it was not Tao Yao's face.
And when had Tao Yao ever sustained such a wound?
Hiyakura's thoughts swirled like leaves in a storm, tumbling in chaos.
She recalled the bits and pieces of her past interactions with Tao Yao, trying to find any clues in her memory.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't connect this scarred face with the gentle and beautiful Tao Yao in her memories.
Just as Hiyakura fell into chaos, Tao Yao's reaction was unexpectedly fierce.
"Rude!"
Tao Yao shouted sharply, her voice dripping with obvious anger.
A flicker of rage flashed in her eyes, and her entire demeanor instantly became sharp.
Before Hiyakura could react, Tao Yao swiftly snatched the mask back from her hands.
Her movements were decisive and brisk, without a hint of hesitation.
Amidst the astonished gazes of those around, Tao Yao placed the mask back on her face, as if re-establishing a barrier.
Hiyakura finally woke up from her daze, realizing how offensive her actions had been.
A look of regret appeared on her face, and she hurriedly apologized:
"I'm sorry, I didn't know..."
However, her apology seemed to have failed to quell Tao Yao's anger.
Tao Yao's voice remained cold:
"Miss Hiyakura, I don't know what happened to you. But as I said, I am not the person you think I am!"
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Hiyakura, instantly waking her up.
At the same time, a deep sense of loss surged within her.
"I..."
Hiyakura opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Her eyes were filled with disappointment and confusion, as if she had suddenly lost all hope.
At that moment, Laurel and Jasmine noticed the situation and quickly walked over.
Jasmine gently placed a hand on Hiyakura's shoulder,
Then turned to Tao Yao, speaking sincerely:
"I'm really sorry, Miss Tao."
"Hiyakura...she went through some things before and mistakenly thought you were that Tao Yao."
"If her actions have caused you any trouble, I apologize. I'm truly sorry. Please don't hold it against her."
Tao Yao's attitude seemed to soften a little.
She took a deep breath and looked at Hiyakura, her tone much less angry:
"It's fine, now you see, right? I am not the person from your memories. Even if you miss her, please stay calm and don't make the same mistake again."
Hiyakura nodded slightly, but the disappointment in her eyes was still hard to conceal.
She lowered her head, as if wanting to escape this cruel reality.
At that moment, Pearl's voice broke the awkward atmosphere.
Her tone was filled with anger:
"Those damned Apostle fairies are too bold! How dare they plant bombs at the Pearl Bay Hotel? No wonder sister dislikes them so much!"
Pearl turned to the guards beside her and ordered:
"Immediately secure Coral Port, we can't let them escape!"
The guards immediately sprang into action, quickly dispersing to carry out the lockdown order.
Their movements were efficient and orderly, clearly having undergone rigorous training.
After confirming the orders were given, Pearl turned around and surveyed everyone present.
When she confirmed that everyone was uninjured, she visibly sighed in relief:
"It's good that everyone is fine."
Only then did the others have a chance to carefully observe their surroundings.
The hotel lobby had been blown open in several places, rubble and dust scattered everywhere.
Fortunately, the bomb hadn't damaged the load-bearing walls, and the entire structure remained relatively stable.
But even so, the losses were quite severe.
Pearl's voice rang out again, this time filled with deep anger and a hint of confusion:
"This is obviously a premeditated attack. I don't believe they came over to plant bombs just out of boredom."
Laurel was observing the situation carefully, "Yes, this definitely cannot be explained by coincidence. The Apostle Council acts with caution; their actions this time must have a clear purpose."
At this moment, Tao Yao spoke up, calmly analyzing:
"Based on my understanding of the Apostle Council, they never act without reason. They must have received some information, or are plotting something."
Pearl frowned, her tone slightly sarcastic:
"This broken place, besides having fluctuations in demonic power, what else could it have?"
At this point, she suddenly paused, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes,
"Could it be... that they are coming for that?"
Just then, a series of urgent beeping sounds suddenly rang out.
Everyone turned to look, only to see Jasmine raising her hand, eyes fixed intently on the device strapped to her wrist.
It was a beautifully designed wristwatch-like device, the screen flashing complex data and charts.
Jasmine's expression suddenly turned serious, her voice tinged with unmistakable shock:
"This... the demonic power index in this area is rising."
These words detonated the atmosphere in the room like a bomb.
Everyone's attention focused on Jasmine, with a tense air filling the space.
Laurel was the first to react. She quickly walked over to Jasmine's side, examining the data on the device closely.
"What's the magnitude of the rise?"
She asked anxiously.
Jasmine's fingers quickly slid across the screen, pulling up more data.
"It's larger than the last detected figures."
She replied, her voice laced with unease, "And the speed of the rise is accelerating."
No sooner had Jasmine finished speaking than the ground suddenly shook violently.
Everyone found it hard to maintain their balance, staggering a few steps.