Risebelle

  Critical Danger Zone:

  Magic Reserves: -85%

  Life Force: 60%

  Roselle:

  Magic Reserves: 40%

  Life Force: 15%

  Runebelle:

  Magic Reserves: 110%

  Life Force: 99.83%

  Dr. Kintovar took in the condition of her creations through her sunglasses’ readings.

  "Aaahaa... Risebelle, you really did something quite unusual this time," Kintovar mused with a dark amusement. "You pushed your magic levels into the negatives and then initiated a transformation of some sort. I’ve never seen you access techniques like that before."

  Risebelle winced but she managed a weak smirk. "Of course you had your eyes on us, Kintovar, but you don’t sound that surprised about it.”

  Kintovar’s face remained unchanged. "I knew one day one of you would do something like this, but you really should be more careful. Pushing beyond your limits like that... It’s dangerous, Risebelle. If you had gone any further, you might have destroyed yourself."

  Risebelle flinched with a faint twinge of guilt in her chest. "I knew my limits. That’s why I didn’t go all the way."

  Kintovar sighed. Without warning, she bent down and scooped Risebelle up into her arms.

  Risebelle immediately struggled weakly against her grip. "Stop it, Kintovar! I’m not a baby," she snapped with her face flushed in embarrassment.

  Kintovar chuckled softly at her resistance. She adjusted Risebelle in her arms. "Oh, Risebelle, what a fuss you make," she teased in a more affectionate tone. "You can barely stand, and yet here you are still trying to act tough."

  Risebelle growled under her breath, but Kintovar spoke to her more softly. "Relax, Risebelle. I don’t plan on hurting you, obviously."

  Reluctantly, Risebelle eased up on her struggle. "That’s not..." she started, but the words trailed off. The exhaustion that had been creeping finally caught up with her and her eyes fluttered shut.

  Roselle observed the scene with a faint frown. Her eyes followed Kintovar and Risebelle, torn between confusion and something else—perhaps concern. But there was no time to dwell on it now.

  Runebelle wore her usual sad look, though there was a flicker of curiosity in her eyes while taking in the interactions between Kintovar and Risebelle.

  The group moved in silence until they reached an open clearing. The air was cool and fresh, and the grass stretched out beneath them like a green sea. The trees surrounded them in a perfect circle. Roselle paused for a moment to look at their surroundings with a quiet but contemplative gaze.

  Kintovar stopped as well and let out a small sigh. “We’re here.”

  Roselle took a few steps forward and then turned to face Kintovar. "Where are the tanks, Dr. Kintovar?"

  Kintovar reached into her coat and produced three small storage devices. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the devices into the air. The small containers clicked open, and revealed the tanks hidden within—large, cylindrical containers filled with the familiar green healing liquid that had become a lifeline for them all.

  Kintovar gazed down at Risebelle, still cradled in her arms. She let out a soft breath with admiration in her gaze. "Your leadership has been invaluable to the sisters, Risebelle," she spoke lowly with an uncharacteristic tenderness. "I know I place a lot on your shoulders, but you've handled it better than I could've expected."

  Risebelle merely muttered something incoherent under her breath. Kintovar gently placed her into one of the tanks. The healing liquid swirled around Risebelle’s body, already beginning to seep into her body to rejuvenate her.

  Kintovar observed the way the liquid enveloped her creation, though she did not do so for long. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Roselle leaning slightly against her side. The younger girl’s small body sagged.

  Before Roselle could fully catch her bearings, Kintovar’s arms moved swiftly to scoop her up without warning. The sudden movement caught Roselle completely off guard and she let out a small gasp of surprise.

  "It’s your turn now, Roselle," Kintovar said firmly, though there was an undeniable warmth beneath the words.

  Roselle blinked, but she didn’t resist. Her head rested against Kintovar’s chest for a moment.

  "You know," Kintovar continued while making her way toward the tanks, "You’ve done well today. You’ve proven you’re capable of handling much more than I expected."

  Roselle tried to respond. "You’re wr—“

  Kintovar cut her off with a small smile tugging at her lips. "No, you’re wrong. You defeated Aliana, even with her Sword God form active. That was no small feat. The only reason Aliana managed to recover at all was because of Gaiza’s intervention. Otherwise, that battle would've been over."

  Roselle froze for a moment. She hadn’t expected praise, not from her, and it a warmth spread across her chest, which was an odd but pleasant sensation that made her cheeks flush. It was a feeling she didn’t even realize she’d wanted—validation, recognition.

  Kintovar’s voice brought her back to the present. She spoke while lowering Roselle into the tank with ease. “Unfortunately, those pesky mages didn’t give us much time to develop before they made their move, but I can say this: I’m proud of your progress so far."

  The words were simple, but they meant more to Roselle than she could put into words. She felt an odd flutter in her chest. It was foreign, yet it felt right.

  A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of Roselle’s lips. At the same time, her eyes slowly closed with the healing liquid surrounding her body.

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  Runebelle remained quietly observant. Her gaze lingered on Roselle for a moment. The corner of her mouth curled slightly at the sight of her older sister finally getting some well-deserved rest. Soon enough, her attention was back on Kintovar, who was now watching her with a sharp look.

  Runebelle knew what was coming. She lifted her arms slowly. Kintovar’s eyes softened slightly.

  "Well, well," Kintovar said with a hint of amusement. "You’re the least damaged of the bunch and managed to keep your magic above 100%. Impressive management, Runebelle." She leaned down, scooping Runebelle up with ease.

  "You’ve been quite helpful. Your pillars, your healing magic... and now your new ability to infuse your magic. It’s interesting, to say the least. There are many possibilities for your powers to develop further."

  Runebelle’s eyes focused on a spot in the distance and did not say a word. Kintovar noticed her silence and gave a soft sigh. "I know what you're thinking," she said gently. "Don’t worry. You’re the youngest of the sisters, and your abilities will grow exponentially over time."

  Runebelle's mouth pressed into a thin line. She wasn’t sure if it was something she wanted to hear, but the way Kintovar put it… there was no doubting that to her.

  A pause lingered in the air before Kintovar continued with her tone shifting into one of suggestion. "Since you can create pillars of ice, fire, and earth, why not try combining them?" The idea seemed to catch Runebelle off guard. She blinked.

  Kintovar smiled slightly. "It’s just a thought. One that may help you develop your abilities further."

  Runebelle’s gaze softened. The idea was something that seemed so simple, yet she got the feeling that it could open a door to countless possibilities.

  Kintovar gently placed Runebelle in the last tank. The green healing liquid began to swirl around her and Kintovar stepped back, watching her creation settle in.

  Meanwhile, the mages who had been attempting to remove one of the mana extractors from the area took a break. They gathered in a small circle, their faces holding exhaustion and uncertainty. They had experienced firsthand the devastating power of Aliana's magic, and it had left them shaken and questioning their choices.

  The tall mage with short brown hair had his face still flushed with the anger of their previous encounter. He sat with his back against a tree with arms crossed tightly. “How the hell did we even survive that?" he muttered under his breath.

  Beside him, the petite female mage looked up at him. The frost that had surrounded them during Aliana’s attack seemed to have melted away for now, but the chill still hung in the air. She wiped her forehead, looking exhausted. "I... I don’t know. We were dead, weren’t we? There was no way we could've outrun that freezing wave."

  The older mage had been sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. He opened one eye lazily. He let out a deep, bitter laugh. "Saved by the woods, it seems," he said dryly. "We wouldn’t have made it otherwise. The frost... it just stopped."

  "Yeah," the main mage agreed though with a hint of frustration. “Aliana’s attack was powerful. Too powerful. That damn woman has no regard for anyone else’s safety. Like…What the hell was that even about!?"

  The female mage stood up cautiously. “Maybe... she didn’t know we were still alive." She glanced over at the mana extractor which was luckily still secured and untouched. "But we can’t keep second-guessing everything. We need to focus on getting this extractor to safety."

  The older mage grunted. "Right, focus. We don’t know when they’ll come for the extractor, but the sooner we get it out of here, the better."

  "Right," the main mage said with his frustration momentarily turning into resolve. "Let’s move.”

  Dr. Kintovar, at the same time took out a small device with a holographic display that showed a map of the area. Her keen eyes scanned the information, and she noted that one of the mana extractors was located to the north of her current position.

  Kintovar decided to press forward while keeping a watchful eye on the three creations in their healing tanks using a monitoring device. She eventually spotted the mages that were getting ready to move n the distance.

  Dr. Kintovar took aim at the group of mages with her BG-356 now assembled once again. ‘They underestimated my creations, ‘ she thought to herself. ‘They thought I was mad. They questioned my visions, my ideas, my purpose. They wanted to execute me... for daring to dream beyond their primitive understanding. They wanted me silenced.’

  She clenched her jaw as memories of those who had tried to end her replayed in her mind. The council of mages, those narrow-minded fools who couldn't comprehend what she was building.

  "They never thought I’d live this long," Kintovar whispered to herself with a dark satisfaction. "And now, they’ll pay for underestimating me."

  With a swift motion, her finger pressed the trigger of the BG-356. The blast tore through the air with incredible speed. The shot slammed into the mana extractor with a deafening explosion that obliterated the extractor in an instant. The blast was so powerful that the mages were left with no chance to react.

  Their screams were swallowed by the roar of destruction. Kintovar watched from her vantage point. She didn’t feel satisfaction or sorrow—only a cold, detached sense of resolution. Her job was done.

  Roselle, Runebelle, and Risebelle woke from their rest. They felt an unusual surge of energy. Their systems were fully restored, their life force renewed, and their magic reserves were restored to 200%.

  Roselle stretched and yawned. "I feel incredible," she exclaimed. "I've never recovered this quickly before!"

  Runebelle looked around in surprise. "This is amazing," she murmured with wonder. "I've never felt so refreshed..."

  Risebelle got out and blinked in astonishment. "I can't believe it... this felt abnormally quick...” she said with gratitude. “But thank you, Kintovar. I feel like I could take on the world."

  Dr. Kintovar by this time was walking back to her creations with a pleased smile on her face."I'm glad to see you all in such high spirits, but we mustn't waste time. There are still four Mana extractors to disable."

  Roselle, Runebelle, and Risebelle exchanged puzzled glances. Something didn't add up.

  Risebelle spoke up with uncertainty. “Kintovar, I thought there were five Mana extractors left in total. Did something happen to one of them?"

  Dr. Kintovar raised up one finger. "You are correct. There were originally five Mana extractors, but while you were resting, I took care of one of them."

  Risebelle blinked in surprise. "You took care of one while we were asleep?"

  Dr. Kintovar chuckled softly. “Do you doubt my capabilities, Risebelle?”

  Risebelle blinked and shook her head. “No, of course not. It's just... it feels like you handled it without breaking a sweat. You’re not even a little roughed up.”

  Kintovar’s smiled widenely and stepped closer to the group. “Efficiency, Risebelle. That’s all it is. A little time management, precision, and voilà—one less extractor.” She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.

  The Woman projected a holographic map of the area that displayed the locations of the remaining Mana extractors. "There are four Mana extractors left. As you know, these extractors are likely to be heavily guarded."

  She pointed to the locations of the extractors on the map. "Three of these extractors will be guarded by the Magic Academy's elite mages," she continued. "These are individuals may be as powerful as Aliana, so we must proceed with caution."

  Risebelle, Runebelle, and Roselle exchanged serious glances.

  Dr. Kintovar continued with the plan. "Our goal is to disable these extractors while minimizing conflict with the elite mages. We don't want unnecessary conflict. If we encounter them, we will engage in combat only as a last resort."

  Roselle raised a hand "What about the fourth extractor?" she asked with curiosity.

  Dr. Kintovar pointed to the last remaining red dot on the map. "The fourth extractor is located in a less populated area that’s far away from the Magic Academy" she explained. "I will take care of that one personally while you three handle the ones guarded by the elite mages. We will regroup once the extractors are disabled."

  Roselle nodded with a determined smile. "Understood, Dr. Kintovar. We'll do our best to disable the extractors without causing ‘unnecessary conflict’!"

  Dr. Kintovar smiled at her creations. "I have faith in all of you. Let’s get to work and put an end to the Academies mana draining once and for all."