Miss Riddler just wants to level up in peace.

"Sister... are we going to escape?"

"Yes, I'll be leaving soon, and I'll never come back."

Kiana gently patted the girl's head, and the tension in her heart finally eased.

Leaving the tunnel, we carefully navigated the treacherous terrain.

After confirming it was safe, Mei cleaved the tree in two with a single sword stroke.

The rocks fell from the hundred-foot cliff, and no one could cross this place anymore.

In this way, the plan can be considered successfully completed.

"Bronya...!?"

The girl's surprised exclamation interrupted Mei's thoughts.

Looking back, Kiana stood frozen in place like a wooden statue.

Following her gaze, her breath caught in her throat.

Bronya, covered in blood, lay on the ground, seemingly lifeless.

Immediately afterwards, several people wearing fox masks emerged from the shadows.

"I warned you, if you try to run away again next time, it won't be as simple as just severing your Achilles tendon."

The middle-aged man removed his mask, revealing a gloomy face.

"If you don't run away, I won't kill her."

"It's all your fault, Kiana."

The masked man grabbed the bell and forcibly separated the two.

Kiana stared blankly at Bronya's 'corpse,' muttering her words over and over.

It's all my fault...?

If she hadn't resisted, Rin wouldn't have had her Achilles tendons severed.

Bronya wouldn't have died if she hadn't run away.

If she weren't a fake, so many people wouldn't have gotten hurt...

Dreams and reality merge.

A vortex of contradictions, a seductive spiral... constantly entangled, inextricably linked.

The girl's right eye turned golden, and her heart was breaking.

Book 1: Chapter 86 The Night of Sacrifice

.........

The shrine has given a last-minute notice that the festival day will be moved to tonight.

"Nightingale, is there any way?"

Because of their good reputation in the town, the townspeople surrounded them in a circle and escorted them to the shrine.

Tonight is the day of the sacrifice, so the guards will no longer stand in their way.

Bronya has disappeared, Kiana has been kidnapped...

If Ziyao hadn't stopped her, Theresa would have already grabbed Judas and gone up to rescue people.

"Let's check the situation first."

The person wearing the fox mask built a simple wooden platform, which was covered with ema (votive plaques) to serve as the venue for the ritual.

Standing below the stage, the townspeople were not interested in the sacrificial ceremony and even urged it to start quickly.

The foot of the mountain was teeming with assassins, who, for some reason, dared not come up.

Without a doubt, the culprit is hiding on this mountain.

But they couldn't find their target for a long time, which led to the situation developing to this point.

A white-haired girl with lifeless eyes had her hands tied, and a woman carrying a lantern stood behind her.

Even from a distance, Theresa felt a chilling aura and shivered.

"Stay away for a bit, I'm going to bring them back."

Theresa clenched her small pink fists, the moonlight was desolate, but her gaze was very firm.

Doing something is always better than just watching.

"Eh?"

Suddenly, the girl beside her turned away, leaving Theresa puzzled.

"I'm going to see Mei. I'll leave things here to you."

The more helpers the better; there's still some time before the ritual begins, and she needs to make some preparations.

Ziyao waved and disappeared into the corridor.

The guards were keeping a close watch on the scene, but there weren't many people inside the shrine.

After going around in circles, Ziyao finally found the weak Meiyi.

The girl was tied up and left in a small room without any guards.

Moreover, she didn't need Ziyao's help; she cut the hemp rope herself with a wooden stick.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the lucky fortune slip I had drawn yesterday.

"A real man?"

"It's dangerous here, you need to leave immediately."

After saying thank you, Mei returned the wooden token symbolizing good luck in love to Ziyao.

Without even a moment to rest, the first thing they did after being untied was to find weapons, intending to rescue Kiana.

"Understood. I'll go back to the back dormitory and wait for your good news, but..."

To Mei's astonishment, Ziyao pulled a simple, unadorned katana from under her skirt.

It has no decorations, no name; it exists simply as a weapon.

In addition to obtaining Sakura Fragments from the ten-pull lottery, Ziyao also received a common katana of white quality. Its strength was mediocre, but it was usable.

"Thank you. My name is Mei. May I know your name?"

Offering help in times of need is most valuable.

Her weapon was broken and lying aside, and she was wondering what to do when the girl stepped in and solved her problem.

Although the mysterious shrine maiden in front of her was suspicious, Mei was still very grateful.

"I'll tell you after this is over."

Ziyao smiled and told a lie that wasn't too big or too small.

"Be careful, the real enemy may be right next to you, within reach."

Ziyao kindly reminded her, but Mei didn't listen.

Having acquired the weapon, the hero immediately set off, determined to rescue the princess.

The evening breeze was cool and blowing gently.

Ziyao slowly walked to the back quarters where the shrine maidens lived and climbed up the ladder to the roof.

The view from here is just right; you can see everything below.

"Tap tap tap..."

After bathing and changing, Kuji brought a blood-red demon sword to Kiana.

The dark clouds dispersed, and the blood moon hung high in the sky.

The man faced the sky and recited a blessing, and all the townspeople below fell silent.

Although they were very dissatisfied with the shrine's failure to help, the tradition of respecting the gods passed down through generations kept them from uttering a word; now was a serious time.

Years of severe drought have resulted in no harvests, making life increasingly difficult.

Only by offering sacrifices to the gods can all this be changed.

Such foolish and cruel acts are perfectly normal in their eyes.

Before this, dozens of young girls had already been sacrificed in exchange for the so-called good weather and abundant harvests.

"Kill her."

The blade fell to the ground with a dull thud.

The palace official said coldly, his tone brooking no argument.

Kiana's ropes were untied, but she remained motionless for a long time.

Ling knelt obediently on the ground, her eyes closed, accepting her fate with equanimity.

"Only by offering sacrifices to the gods can everyone live."

"Sister...don't worry about Ling."

Ling whispered, shaking her head repeatedly, urging Kiana to make a decision quickly and not keep Miyaji waiting too long.

“I can’t do this…”

The girl's eyes were lifeless as she blankly picked up the demon sword from the ground.

The delicate young girl was right in front of him; with just a gentle swing of her sword, she could easily cause the flowers to wither.

"Don't keep me waiting too long, hurry up!"

The man frowned and snorted coldly.

Kiana raised her demon sword and slowly aimed it at Rin's neck. Only then did the man's expression soften considerably.

"That's right, that's it, kill her."

The alluring moonlight reflected off the sword blade, mirroring the girl's dazed expression.