Project Mage

Runebelle watched the healing shot soar through the air. Her heart pounded in her chest as she desperately tries to will the shot to reach Risebelle in time.

"Please, please let it reach her in time," Runebelle pleaded silently, her heart pounding with anxiety. "I can't lose her. I can't let Aliana end her like this...”

The shot sped through the air, closing the gap between them, but Aliana's blade descended with alarming speed. Time seemed to slow as Runebelle watched in agonizing suspense, her eyes locked on the impending clash between the healing shot and Aliana's attack. It looked like her shot was not going to make it in time. Risebelle was going to be destroyed.

"Please, please, please," Runebelle whispered.

“PLEAAASE!!!!!!!”

In the critical moment when all seemed lost, a powerful bolt of lightning arced through the air, colliding with Aliana's descending blade. The impact sent sparks flying in every direction, and the force of the collision caused Aliana to stagger back, her attack disrupted.

Runebelle's heart soared with hope as she realized that someone had intervened to save her sister. She turned her gaze toward the source of the lightning, and there, standing before them, was Roselle.

Roselle stood tall, her golden hair flowing like a radiant halo, and a smile gracing her lips. "I am here," she nods, but her gaze shifted upwards as she felt the top of her head “But I think I’ve lost my hat along the way. I hope Dr. Kintovar won't be too upset about that...”

Runebelle's healing shot reached Risebelle, a surge of revitalizing energy coursed through her body. The sensation was like a lifeline, pulling her back from the brink of destruction. Risebelle gasped, her eyes widening in astonishment as her systems surged back to 28%.

"I'm... alive," Risebelle managed to utter. The sensation of renewed life surged through her.

Runebelle, her normally sad look broke into one of relief and joy. She couldn't help but smile, even if it was only a faint one.

"You're alive!" Runebelle exclaimed. "I thought I had lost you, but your vitals showed you still had atleast 3% left. I had to take the chance."

Risebelle's astonishment filled her eyes as she gazed at Runebelle. "You... took the chance," she repeated, “You saved me, Runebelle. I thought it was over...”

Runebelle nodded "I couldn't let you go like that. We're sisters now, aren’t we? That means we have to take care of each other."

Risebelle's rare smile lit up her features as she looked at Runebelle. "You and Roselle truly are different," she admitted with newfound warmth. "I can't believe how much you're both changing me..."

Meanwhile, Aliana approached, her icy demeanor on full display as she couldn't hide her frustration.

"Who is this?" she questioned with disdain.

Roselle, standing resolute, introduced herself, "I am Roselle, and I've come to put an end to you. What you've done here is unforgivable."

Aliana's icy gaze bore into Roselle as she retorted, "Unforgivable, you say? Coming from creations like you, those words hold no weight. You know nothing of the world, of power, of ambition. You exist solely because of the whims of a mad scientist."

Aliana's icy gaze remained fixed on Roselle as she begins a relentless assault. She unleashes a barrage of sword swings from her blade.

“You think you can stand against me?" Aliana taunted, "You, a creation born of a mad scientist's whims, dare to challenge my power?"

Roselle raised her massive cannon to block Aliana's swings. She didn't falter in the face of her.

Aliana's smile grew wider, her tone increasingly unhinged. "You're nothing but experiments, playthings of a deranged mind! You think you can defeat me? You're even more foolish than that idiotic doctor!"

Roselle's grip on her cannon remained firm, and she responded , "We may have been created, but we are more than just experiments. Maybe that’s something you people at the magic academy just can’t understand."

Roselle clashes with Aliana,her Massive Cannon against Aliana’s blade and it sent sparks flying in every direction, the sheer force of their collision echoed through the battlefield. Despite Aliana's relentless assault, Roselle remained steadfast.

With a powerful heave, Roselle managed to break the lock between their weapons, and she immediately followed it with a close-range cannon-shot aimed directly at Aliana. The Cryomancer, her agility and reflexes tested, barely managed to evade the devastating blast. The ground shook as the blast struck the earth, leaving a smoking crater in its wake.

Aliana's face contorted with anger and frustration "You're more of a threat than I expected," she hissed, "But it won't be enough to save you!"

Aliana leaped backward and began to form a deadly arc of ice spikes with her sword. The air around her bursts with the raw power of her magic as the spikes multiplied, surrounding her in a deadly formation.

With focus, Aliana launched the barrage of ice spikes at Roselle. Roselle, in turn, tried to maneuver her massive cannon to intercept the incoming projectiles. However, the close contact with Aliana's sword, Tengoku, was taking its toll. The freezing aura emanating from the blade was beginning to encase Roselle's cannon in ice, rendering it less effective by the moment. Roselle gritted her teeth as she struggled to maintain control over her weapon. The ice spikes were closing in fast, and her cannon's movements were growing sluggish.

As the ice spikes closed in on her, Roselle made a split-second decision. She dropped her massive cannon, which was now encased in ice, and focused all her energy on creating a sphere of lightning energy around her body. The crackling lightning arced and danced around her, forming a protective barrier.

'I've never attempted anything like this before,' she thought, 'But...'

Roselle extended her lightning sphere into four distinct parts, each one aimed at controlling some of the ice spikes.The lightning extensions shot out toward the incoming ice spikes, colliding with them in a brilliant display of elemental power. Roselle gritted her teeth as she focused on redirecting the spikes away from her, using her control over lightning to counter the freezing magic of Aliana.

Roselle brought the crackling lightning sphere closer to Aliana. The Cryomancer's eyes widened with surprise. She knew that she had to react quickly, and with a swift motion, she conjured a barrier of ice around herself. The lightning sphere collided with the icy shield, creating a dazzling display of sparks and frozen energy.

Aliana could feel immense pressure from the lightning sphere pushing against her defenses. She gritted her teeth, struggling to maintain the barrier as the energy crackled and surged, threatening to breach her defenses.

Roselle, determined to break through Aliana's defenses, poured more energy into the lightning sphere, intensifying the assault. The crackling lightning and the freezing ice clashed in a bright display of power.

The overwhelming force of Roselle's lightning sphere proved too much for Aliana's defenses. With a deafening crack, the sphere pierced through the Cryomancer's icy barrier, and a surge of electric energy engulfed her. Aliana's scream of agony echoed through the battlefield as she was sent hurtling backward, her body wracked with pain.

She crashed into the ground some distance away, the impact sending a spray of dirt and debris into the air. Aliana lay on the ground, panting heavily, her body twitching from the residual effects of the lightning strike.

Roselle, her golden hair shimmering like a radiant crown, gazed down at Aliana with an intense glare. Her usual demeanor had been replaced by ferosity and her eyes blazed with anger.

Roselle glared at Aliana and declared "It's over." while placing her weapon her back and thrusting her hands downwards.

Aliana, her body battered and bruised from the lightning strike, slowly pushed herself up from the ground. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, and her icy aura flickered erratically. She gazed at Roselle with a defiant glare.

"It's not over," Aliana hissed . "You think that was the extent of my power? Up until now, you've only seen up to Sword Magic Level 3. I didn't think you foolish creations would give me so much trouble...”

Roselle's serious look suddenly shifted into one of genuine confusion. She blinked at Aliana, then titled her head slighty, and asked,

"Sword Magic? What's that? Is it like a fancy trick with a sword?"

Aliana's jaw dropped at their lack of knowledge , but it quickly gave way to a sly smile. She nodded in agreement. "Sure, you can call it a fancy trick with a sword if you want."

With a flick of her hand, Aliana's blade, Kori Tengoku, began to emit an even more intense icy aura. Her smile widened, and her eyes gleamed with a hint of madness as she declared, "But let me show you the true power of Sword Magic. This is the final form: Sword God Form."

Aliana's presence seemed to shift, becoming even more imposing and overwhelming. She raised her sword high, and an aura of unparalleled power enveloped her. The very air around her seemed to freeze, and her blade crackled with icy energy.

Aliana prepared to unleash the Sword God Form. She raised her blade high and uttered the incantation, "Sword God Form: Tengoku, the Ice Heaven!"

In that moment, a dramatic transformation unfolded. An otherworldly light enveloped her, and her figure was bathed in an ethereal, icy radiance. Her once-blue hair turned a brilliant shade of shimmering silver, and her eyes gleamed with an otherworldly intensity, now a striking ice-blue.

Her armor, which had previously been a deep shade of azure, underwent a breathtaking metamorphosis. It became a pristine, crystalline white, adorned with frost patterns that seemed to dance across its surface. Her sword, Tengoku, was no longer just a blade; it became the embodiment of the frozen heavens, now dripping with ice at a lowered temperature.

Aliana's very presence was transformed, radiating an aura of unparalleled power and majesty. She stood as if she were the embodiment of a celestial force, a living manifestation of ice and frost.

Risebelle’s held a note of concern as she observed Aliana's Sword God Form. "It looks like a transformation," she said with worry. "Roselle, be careful. This is the highest level of Sword Magic, and it seems like a formidable power. Don’t blink, at all."

Roselle focused on the warning from Risebelle, she knew that facing Aliana in her Sword God Form would be a daunting challenge. She remained vigilant, but the speed of Aliana's transformation took her by surprise. In an instant, the Cryomancer appeared behind Roselle, and her blade cut across Roselle's shoulders with lightning speed.

Pain surged through Roselle's body as she dropped to her knees. She gritted her teeth, refusing to cry out as her shoulders began to freeze from the impact.

Her shoulders began to freeze rapidly, the icy aura of Aliana's attack taking hold. Roselle's golden hair dimmed, and her breaths came out in ragged gasps as she struggled to cope with the debilitating cold.

Risebelle clenched her fists, her concern for her sister evident in her eyes. She called out to Roselle, "Hold on, Roselle! You can't give in to the cold!"

Risebelle's concern for her sister weighed heavily on her, but she knew that her current condition prevented her from directly intervening in the battle. Her negative magic reserves left her feeling helpless, and she was well aware of the dangers of pushing herself further.

Runebelle, sensing her sister's distress, stepped in to help. Her healing shots, although unable to restore Risebelle's magic, boosted her life force to 60%.

Risebelle turned to Runebelle.

"Runebelle, I know you're trying to protect me, but I can't just stand by and watch Roselle get destroyed. Can you help her somehow?”

Runebelle hesitated for a moment, but she ultimately nodded. "I... I'll do my best, but I can't leave you completely unprotected in your condition, Risebelle. Your Magic reserves are still in the negatives."

Risebelle shakes her head “Don’t worry about me. I'll be fine. Just help Roselle. I’ll work on figuring out how to beat her.”

With a silent nod, Runebelle turned her attention back to the battle, her primary focus now on aiding Roselle.