Sakura Fubuki stared at the screen with full concentration.
She didn't dare take her eyes off for a moment.
Whenever the game showed this kind of situation, it often meant that important plot points were about to be triggered.
She instinctively straightened her posture.
Preparing for the exciting content that would come next.
As the screen began to darken, a heavy sound of footsteps came through the speakers.
Sakura Fubuki unconsciously held her breath, fearing she would miss any detail.
The screen slowly unfolded, and Hiyakura's lonely figure appeared among the shattered ruins.
Sakura Fubuki felt a wave of solitude wash over her.
Hiyakura wandered alone in the ruins, surrounded by nothing but crumbling walls.
The feeling of loneliness was so strong that it seemed to penetrate the screen and strike at the observer's heart.
Everywhere Hiyakura passed was scorched earth.
Once prosperous ruins now lay in ash and debris.
Sakura Fubuki noticed that Hiyakura's footsteps seemed to grow heavier, each step as if in battle with her inner struggle, making her heart ache in front of the screen.
Suddenly, various whispering voices echoed in Hiyakura's ears.
Those voices were eerily similar to Hiyakura's own, as if they were doubts and temptations rising from the depths of her heart:
"Why accept a power you cannot control?"
"Do you really have the right to be a savior?"
"Look at the destruction you've caused; do you even deserve to be called a hero?"
"Give up; you can't change anything."
"Your existence will only bring pain to others! Harm more people!"
These piercing doubts continuously struck at Hiyakura's heart.
Just then, the screen shifted.
Hiyakura came upon a beautiful sea of flowers.
"Such a place exists?"
Hiyakura seemed somewhat surprised.
The murmurs continued.
"Well... as long as at this place, with blood soaking everything, buried in the sea of flowers..."
"If that's the case, I shouldn't harm anyone, right?"
Sakura Fubuki tightened her heart at this monologue.
She realized that according to the plot's development, by this stage, Hiyakura might have already been consumed by the darkness within her, preparing to make some extreme choices.
In the screen, the uncontrollable power within Hiyakura began to slowly devour the surrounding sea of flowers.
The beautiful blossoms turned to ashes in the flames.
Accompanied by strange and oppressive music.
This scene was heartbreaking.
The animation continued to play.
At this moment, a tear rolled down Hiyakura's cheek, only to be instantly evaporated by the searing flames.
Just then, a sweet voice suddenly rang out:
"The weeping of a girl is really annoying!"
The screen then shifted to the source of the voice.
A pink figure appeared on the screen.
Tao Yao's appearance left Sakura Fubuki gaping in surprise.
At this moment, Tao Yao seemed like a completely different person; where was the Tao Yao that players remembered?
Tao Yao's hair was intricately styled, adorned with vibrant flowers.
She wore exquisite earrings that shimmered.
Her bare feet were painted with pink nail polish, and around her ankle was a red string that matched the color of Hiyakura's hair.
Her outfit looked quite simple but not overly extravagant.
She radiated a stunning beauty.
Seeing Tao Yao's appearance, Sakura Fubuki couldn't help but scoff:
"Hah? Is this Tao Yao? Just showing up like this, even specially changing her outfit, doing her hair, and painting her nails, looking so good—who is she doing this for?!"
Just focus on the plot.
But Sakura Fubuki's remarks caused the slowly calming and quieting bullet screen to explode:
"Funny, Snow Dog, you're too afraid to show your face; you don't think you can look as good as Tao Yao, do you?"
"You ugly streamer! I'll throw water on you; I'll drown you! Pfft!"
"The beauty of Tao Yao! You know nothing, streamer!"
"I can't take it anymore! Viewers watching the stream, don't just sit there; if you don't attack the streamer, I'm going to start attacking you!"
Sakura Fubuki merely glanced at the bullet screen before refocusing her attention on the game.
With Tao Yao's appearance, the animation ended, and the game entered a dialogue choice phase.
Without hesitation, Sakura Fubuki chose "Liar" from the two options, "Liar" and "Tao Yao."
"Liar!"
Hiyakura's angry voice came from the speakers.
Tao Yao let out a soft sigh and replied:
"Although I am indeed a liar, hearing those two words from your mouth makes me quite sad."
"But if possible, could you allow this liar in your eyes to perform this final dance for the birth of the Flame Fairy?"
Sakura Fubuki stared at the screen, waiting for Hiyakura's response.
In the game, Hiyakura's expression grew complicated upon hearing Tao Yao's request.
A hint of hesitation flickered in her eyes.
But it was quickly replaced by anger.
"Who wants to watch you dance!" Hiyakura shouted harshly, her voice filled with fury and pain. "You narcissistic, self-righteous person! I don't want to watch you dance!"
"..."
With Hiyakura's intense reaction.
A series of resistant remarks emerged.
At the same time.
The bullet screen in Sakura Fubuki's live room exploded again.
Numerous comments flooded in, almost drowning out the stream screen:
"Woohoo! Not allowed!"
"Don't let her dance!!"
"Damn it! Quickly refuse! Absolutely don't let her dance!"
"Hiyakura, you idiot!"
Sakura Fubuki looked at these strange bullet screens, speechless.
She thought inwardly, "What's going on? Has my live stream room been taken over by Tao Yao fans? Why has it suddenly become so abstract?"
She shook her head, decided to ignore these nonsensical comments, and continued to focus on the development of the game plot.
As the dialogue in the plot continued to unfold.
Hiyakura's emotions became increasingly agitated.
Because of this, the voice that resembled her inner demon re-emerged to stir up trouble.
And that voice was sharper and more piercing than before:
"Kill her!"
"The culprit is right before you!"
"What are you waiting for?"
Hiyakura's breathing quickened, her gaze began to become blurred.
At this point.
The entire game screen began to shake violently.
Accompanied by strange music.
It was apparent.
Hiyakura was gradually losing control over her powers.
"Don't... don't say anymore..."
Hiyakura murmured, clutching her head, curling into a ball in pain.
Seeing this, Tao Yao slowly approached Hiyakura.
Every step she took was cautious, afraid of disturbing Hiyakura, who was already on the verge of collapse.
"Don't... don't come over! Stay away from me!"
Hiyakura suddenly looked up and shouted hysterically.
Fear flickered in her eyes,
"I might hurt you... please, go!"
Tao Yao did not stop her steps, still firmly moving forward.
As Hiyakura looked at Tao Yao drawing nearer, her inner fear and anger intertwined.
Suddenly, her expression turned cold, and her voice became low and threatening:
"Don't come near me! Stupid human!"
With this roar, the air around Hiyakura instantly became scorching.
Flames erupted from her body, forming a fiery barrier.
The sea of flowers withered rapidly under this violent force, turning to ashes.
Yet, faced with this terrifying scene, Tao Yao appeared extraordinarily calm.
She gently raised her hand, and countless flower petals appeared out of thin air, elegantly swirling around her.
These petals radiated a soft glow, seemingly able to withstand Hiyakura's raging flames.
At that moment, Sakura Fubuki was surprised to find she could control the character again.
Meanwhile, a health bar appeared above Tao Yao.
It boldly displayed:
["Flower Dance" Tao Yao]
"Alright, finally the health bar is lit again!"
Sakura Fubuki shouted excitedly, her eyes shining with enthusiasm, "Look at this, not only is Tao Yao's health bar lit, but it seems in this instance, I can also experience Hiyakura in her fairy form! This is amazing!"
She rubbed her hands together, a confident smile on her face:
"Everyone, please watch my operation!"
The battle began.
Sakura Fubuki controlled Hiyakura to continuously attack Tao Yao.
Flames turned into sharp swords, striking toward Tao Yao.
However, surprisingly, Tao Yao merely kept evading and defending.
No matter what skills Sakura Fubuki used, Tao Yao never launched any attacks.
What amazed Sakura Fubuki even more was that no matter how intensely she attacked, Hiyakura's health always remained full, without a trace of damage.
At first, Sakura Fubuki felt quite pleased, thinking she had made a breakthrough in her gaming skills and reached an unprecedented peak.
However, as the battle continued, she gradually sensed something was off.
"Wait, what?"
Sakura Fubuki frowned and muttered, "Is it a bug? Why isn't this boss moving?"
She tried all kinds of maneuvers, even deliberately letting Hiyakura stand still, waiting for Tao Yao's attacks.
Yet, Tao Yao remained standing calmly, neither attacking nor retreating.
"This... what am I even hitting?" Sakura Fubuki was utterly speechless. "Can this bug be fixed? Just stuck here without moving, it's not challenging at all."
The bullet screen surged again:
"Yes, yes, yes! This is a bug, you dumb streamer!"
"Streamer, do you think it's possible? Tao Yao isn't resisting at all, just standing there taking your hits?"
"You idiot! This is obviously needed for the plot!"
Sakura Fubuki looked at these bullet screens but stubbornly shook her head:
"No way, this definitely is a bug."
"After all, I've played so many games; how could I not tell this is a bug? In a normal game, how could a boss just stand there and let you hit them?"
To prove her judgment, Sakura Fubuki even exited the game and logged back in.
However, when she re-entered the game.
After going through the same plot again and beating Tao Yao again, the outcome remained unchanged.
Tao Yao still just stood there, allowing Hiyakura to attack without resistance.
Seeing this scene, the bullet screen erupted once more:
"Sure enough, you're a bad streamer!"
"Woohoo! I almost finished earlier, now doing it again."
"You nasty streamer! Full of vile thoughts! I just want to burn you down, boom boom boom!!"
Facing these angry bullet screens, Sakura Fubuki fell into deep confusion.
She muttered, "What? Is this really not a bug?"
She stared at the screen, her brows tightly furrowed.
In the game, Tao Yao still stood quietly in the fiery sea, with no resistance.
Sakura Fubuki stared at the screen, her brows furrowed.
In the game, Tao Yao still stood quietly in the fiery sea, with no resistance.
This abnormal situation raised a seed of doubt in her heart.
"Viewers, let's try again."
Sakura Fubuki spoke to the camera, "I need to confirm whether this is a bug."
After saying that, she logged back into the game, re-entering that familiar scene.
However, this action immediately sparked a strong reaction from the viewers in the live room.
The bullet screen surged like an avalanche:
"God! Again?!"
"Streamer, are you a devil?"
"Tao Yao: I'm having a hard time…"
"Please spare Tao Yao!"
"Is this streamer out of her mind?"
Ignoring the audience's protests, Sakura Fubuki controlled Hiyakura again and launched a new round of attacks on Tao Yao.
Flames danced in the air, and Tao Yao's health began to drop again.
Yet, no matter how fiercely Sakura Fubuki attacked, Tao Yao remained in her previous state—neither retaliating nor escaping, simply standing there, allowing Hiyakura's flames to consume her.
Seeing this scene, Sakura Fubuki finally confirmed this was not a bug.
"What... what does this mean?!"
Sakura Fubuki couldn't help but raise her voice, filled with confusion and a hint of frustration.
Despite not understanding why Tao Yao, this boss, would not resist, Sakura Fubuki didn't dwell on it too much.
After all, she was still live-streaming and couldn't keep her audience waiting too long.
"Never mind, let's ignore it."
Sakura Fubuki spoke to herself, "Anyway, I can hit now; I'll take care of the boss first. As for why this is happening, I'll study it slowly after the fight."
With that thought, Sakura Fubuki moved her wrists, ready to showcase her skills in this rare instance.
After all, opportunities to experience Hiyakura in her fairy form were not common.
"Dear viewers, please enjoy my wonderful operation next!"
Sakura Fubuki said excitedly, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.
Usually, Sakura Fubuki's performance in games had been unsatisfactory, often ridiculed by viewers as a "novice."
But at this moment, facing a boss that wouldn't resist, she finally had the chance to show off her skills.
"Ah! A boss that won't resist, I haven't played so comfortably in a long time!" Sakura Fubuki quietly thought to herself, a satisfied smile on her face.
Her fingers danced across the keyboard, unleashing a series of dazzling skill combinations.
Flames took on various shapes, blooming like splendid fireworks on the screen.
Although these beautiful moves seemed excessive against an opponent that wouldn't fight back.
Sakura Fubuki was enjoying it, relishing the rare feeling of being "invincible."
However, the viewers in the live room did not appreciate it.
The bullet screen was filled with sarcasm and helplessness:
"Wow, hitting a boss that won't resist, so impressive~"
"The streamer finally found an opponent they can beat, congrats!"
"Streamer, you really should die!"
Sakura Fubuki selectively ignored these bullet screens, continuing to immerse herself in her "brilliant performance."
As time passed, Tao Yao's health gradually dwindled.
When only a sliver of health remained, Sakura Fubuki was about to launch the final blow when she suddenly found herself losing control of the game character.
"Huh? What's happening?"
Sakura Fubuki exclaimed in surprise, her fingers futilely tapping on the keyboard.
Just then, an achievement suddenly popped up:
[You have achieved the achievement: A Hand Reaching from the Fire]
The sudden achievement flashed by.
Sakura Fubuki hadn't even had time to look closely when the game screen suddenly fell into darkness again.
…
Tao Yao's voice slowly echoed in the darkness, carrying a hint of sorrow and sentimentality:
"When I was young, I always naively believed that every story should have a beautiful ending, and everyone in the story should have a reunion."
"But later, after seeing many stories, I realized I was wrong..."
As Tao Yao's voice fell, the screen suddenly burst forth.
It revealed Tao Yao alone, traversing in the endless sea of fire created by Hiyakura.
The air around was distorted from the heat, and the flames greedily licked everything around.
At this moment, Hiyakura had completely lost her mind, unable to control her powers.
Her eyes were bloodshot, and madness sparkled in her pupils.
Her hair looked like flames in the wind, wildly dancing in the air.
Hiyakura's body trembled constantly, as if bearing immense pain, yet unable to stop releasing her power.
Her hands waved uncontrollably, sending the scorching waves rushing towards Tao Yao.
The flames, as if alive, took various shapes under Hiyakura's control.
Sometimes they were sharp fire blades, sometimes massive fireballs, and at times they transformed into fire dragons that consumed everything.
These flames continuously attacked Tao Yao.
As if wanting to completely annihilate her.
Faced with this furious assault, Tao Yao appeared extraordinarily calm.
She elegantly danced through the sea of fire, her figure like a light petal, gracefully swaying in the heat waves.
Whenever the flames were about to touch her body, she always managed to skillfully evade at the last moment.
Tao Yao's eyes were filled with determination and sadness.
Every movement she made was full of grace and resolution.
Even in such a dangerous situation, she maintained a composed demeanor.
Just then, Tao Yao's monologue echoed again, filled with complex emotions:
"I am a selfish person."
"I selfishly approached you while wanting you to do the most selfless thing."
Tao Yao's voice carried deep self-reproach and regret:
"I'm sorry for letting you meet the most selfish version of me."
"From the moment I met you, I wanted to seize you."
"Because, from you, I saw the possibility of the ending I desired."
"I firmly believe that you can change this world, grasping the beauty I long for."
"And all I need to do is hold onto you to grasp my desired ending."
In the screen, Tao Yao continued to navigate through the sea of fire, her movements growing slower, as if waiting for something.
Her gaze no longer evaded but stared straight at the crazed Hiyakura.
Tao Yao finally grasped Hiyakura's hand.
At that moment, the world seemed to quiet down.
The raging flames suddenly halted, and time appeared to freeze.
Hiyakura's eyes gradually regained clarity.
She looked blankly at Tao Yao in front of her, as if just waking from a nightmare.
Tao Yao smiled gently, softly saying, "Gotcha."
At that moment, the flames began to spread towards Tao Yao.
Tao Yao's smile remained unchanged, and she calmly said:
"As I thought, if this is done, everything will be fine, right?"
Only then did Hiyakura realize what was happening.
She looked at Tao Yao in terror, wanting to break free.
But Tao Yao held on tightly.
In the raging fire, the two girls conversed with each other.
Hiyakura looked puzzled, while Tao Yao gave her final farewell.
"Go, be with your friends, and return to your other friends' side."
"Go complete the road you have yet to finish!"
Accompanied by the roar of the Abyss Dragon.
Tao Yao used all her strength to push Hiyakura towards the Abyss Dragon.
With the parting of the two girls.
In the animated short.
A familiar piece of music began to play.
This was the background music players heard when they first saw Tao Yao dance in Conch Park, and also the music that played when Tao Yao danced alone under the stars.
Tao Yao's figure flickered in the sea of fire.
She began to dance.
As the dance progressed, her figure gradually became blurred, ultimately disappearing within the searing flames.
…
By this point.
The animated short had concluded.
And Sakura Fubuki sat there staring at the screen, unable to regain her senses for a long while.
Her eyes were filled with disbelief, her lips quivering slightly.
It seemed she wanted to say something, but didn't know where to start.
The bullet screen in the live room instantly exploded.
Many people, like Sakura Fubuki, hadn't had the chance to watch the plot.
Because of this.
Many viewers who hadn't watched the plot were shocked by this sudden turn of events:
"What's going on? Did I miss something?"
"Tao Yao... did she really just disappear like that?"
"My god, this plot twist is too sudden!"
Some viewers began to think deeply, attempting to understand Tao Yao's actions:
"Wait, I think I understand why Tao Yao did that..."
"If the wrong one isn't Tao Yao, then who is wrong? Is it the streamer?"
"Is it possible that this is all a misunderstanding? Did Tao Yao actually work hard to save the world?"
Some viewers began to reflect on the previous plot, trying to find clues:
"Looking back, some of Tao Yao's previous actions were indeed a bit strange, but now they seem to make sense."
"Could it be that we have been misunderstanding her true intentions all along?"
Sakura Fubuki stared blankly at the screen, her heart swirling with complex emotions.
Her mind raced, recalling every detail about Tao Yao in the game.
Those points she had once chosen to ignore or misunderstand.
At this moment, all the memories began to combine in her mind like pieces of a puzzle.
Sakura Fubuki took a deep breath and murmured:
"Did I... have I made a mistake?"