Project Mage

The System's holographic projection nodded in agreement with Risebelle's decision. "Very well, Risebelle. Let us proceed. But remember, focus on your anger, channel it as your strength, rather than letting it consume you. This is how you will activate Project Zab Transformation. Your anger can be your greatest weapon, but if you allow it to consume you, you will lose control."

Risebelle nodded. She closed her eyes and began to focus on the intense anger that had been burning within her. This time, she would use it as a source of power, not as a destructive force.

Her eyes burned with anger. She channeled all the pent-up emotions within her. The intense bitterness surged through her veins like a torrent of power that demanded release.

"PROJECT ZAB!" Risebelle shouted loudly.

In an instant, her body was enveloped in a bluish aura, crackling with the intensity of her emotions. Her petite frame began to grow, maturing into that of a teenager. Her hair turned a deep shade of blue. Her eyes matched the same piercing hue. She wore a small blue jacket that partially covered her chest, but was semi-open. A matching blue skirt flowed around her waist, radiating a poisonous energy. Crystal earrings in the shape of poison-blue crystals adorned her ears.

In her hand, Risebelle wielded a medium-sized gun, its barrel was lit up with blue poison energy. By her side, a blue acidic sword glowed with a malevolent light.

[System Message]

Lifeforce: 250%

Magic Level: 390%

Warning: High Magic Energy - Risk of Magical Rupture Detected

Risebelle, now in her Project ZAB form, stood transformed with newfound power. She looked towards the battlefield with confidence. “I won't let anyone hurt my sisters any longer!"

Dark Whirlwind observed Risebelle's transformation with an analytical eye.

"You've tapped into the power of the ‘System’, haven't you?" Dark Whirlwind remarked, but she then tilted her head, studying Risebelle with a critical eye. "Why didn't you tap into this power earlier? There must be a reason….perhaps your System didn’t want you to use this power..."

Risebelle clenched her fists, still feeling the surge of power coursing through her. "You don't understand anything about my systems, Dark Whirlwind," she retorted, her voice edged with frustration.

Dark Whirlwind chuckled. "You may be right. But I do know something about artificial human lifeforms like myself. Pushing your systems too far can have consequences."

She paused, her gaze thoughtful. "Earlier, I noticed steam coming from your body. You were on the brink of overloading. There must be a balance, a risk involved in accessing this level of power."

Risebelle's jaw tightened.

Dark Whirlwind's delved into her own mind. Her consciousness navigated through the vast databanks of information stored within herself

"Aha," she murmured softly. "Magical rupture. It's a phenomenon that occurs when magical energy surpasses the body's capacity to contain it. For artificial humans like yourself, it can lead to catastrophic failures in our systems. Overloading spells disaster."

She pointed towards Risebelle. "Your transformation likely amplifies your power, but since I can't sense you, I would be just guessing. Though, it’s a double-edged sword—granting immense power but also posing a grave risk. Your 'System' likely restricts access to this power to prevent such ruptures and protect you. Am I wrong?"

"How do you know all of this?" Risebelle trembled slightly with unease.

Dark Whirlwind's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Knowledge is a power I possess, Risebelle. While you might wield the fury of transformation, I command the understanding of how to deal with you. There is little about your kind that can escape my notice."

Risebelle's anger flared at Dark Whirlwind's words. Without hesitation, she launched herself towards Dark Whirlwind, her blue energy crackling with intensity.

Dark Whirlwind's blades swirled around her in a deadly dance of darkness and light. Risebelle, now in her Project ZAB form, wasted no time and went on the offensive. Displaying her newfound agility and power, swiftly moved her blade and dashed at Dark Whirlwind's side. Dark Whirlwind reacted in time, using one of her blades to block Risebelle's attack.

Risebelle quickly changed her tactics. She moved behind Dark Whirlwind, catching her off guard. Dark Whirlwind swiftly turned around with her blade slashing through the air.

Risebelle raised her hands and began to spin gracefully, creating a cyclone of sharp, water-imbued blades around her.

“Aqua blade Cyclone!”

Risebelle unleashed the Aqua-Blade Cyclone and it expanded outward. The attack swirled fiercely and tore through the battlefield. Dark Whirlwind, caught off guard, found herself engulfed in the storm of water blades and corrosive mist. The attack inflicted substantial damage on her, leaving her momentarily stunned.

Dark Whirlwind summoned her Abyssal Cleave. With a sweeping motion, she conjured a colossal blade formed from the fusion of dark and light energies. The blade cleaved through the battlefield, tearing through obstacles and opponents alike, leaving destruction in its wake. It created a devastating path of destruction, slicing through the Aqua-Blade Cyclone with ease. Dark Whirlwind used the momentum to escape, riding the wave of power generated by her attack.

Dark Whirlwind landed some distance away. She casted a challenging gaze towards Risebelle.

“Blade Torrent!”

Dark whirlwind unleashed a spiraling torrent of dark and light blades. These blades swirled around her in a relentless onslaught, homing in on her foes with uncanny precision. Dark and light blades streaked through the air. They closed in on Risebelle with incredible speed.

Risebelle moved with incredible grace, dodging and weaving through the storm of blades.

Dark Whirlwind raised her arms high, gathering her energy into a single, colossal blade of pure, swirling energy. With a fierce, triumphant shout, she declared:

“I have you now…Sword of Reckoning!"

The massive blade crackled with dark and light energy. It was hurled towards Risebelle with a mighty swing. Upon impact, a cataclysmic explosion of dark and light energy erupted, unleashing devastation that left no doubt about the destructive force she possessed.

Risebelle found herself caught in the midst of the devastating attack. At the very last second, she tried to summon a protective barrier of water energy, forming a shimmering, semi-transparent dome around herself.

Risebelle clenched her teeth, feeling the immense pressure and heat pressing against her makeshift shield. The magical barrier strained under the overwhelming force but held firm, reducing the damage she would have otherwise endured.

Inside the protective cocoon of water energy, Risebelle cried out in pain.

[System Message]

Lifeforce: 100%

Risebelle's lifeforce had significantly depleted as a result of withstanding Dark Whirlwind's devastating attack

Dark Whirlwind's laughed. Her swords disappeared into thin air. Risebelle watched with curiosity.

“I am wearing you down, but no, this won’t be enough. At this rate, you will prove to be more trouble than your actual work.”

"Why would you disarm yourself?" Risebelle questioned.

Dark Whirlwind grinned wickedly, "Sometimes, Risebelle, the absence of weapons can be more dangerous than their presence…. Tell me, Risebelle, what do you know about Extreme Magic?"

Risebelle glared at Dark whirlwind. "Extreme Magic? It's... one of the most powerful forms a mage can use. The sheer energy it requires can decimate entire armies. But wait a minute," she paused with her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "That's impossible. You wield swords. Aren't you a Sword God or something?"

A sinister smile spread across Dark Whirlwind's face. "Quite the opposite. You underestimate the development of Magic. The blades I wield are magic blades, a fusion of darkness and light, honed through the depths of arcane knowledge. And for this mistake, you're about to witness my Extreme Magic firsthand."

Dark Whirlwind raised her arms, and the air around her began to ripple with an eerie energy.

"There are three ways to deal with opponents in battle. You've already witnessed my Sword Mode, which is a relentless offense. This, however, is my second method."

A swirling vortex of darkness enveloped the battlefield. Dark Whirlwind continued with malice, " Extreme Magic: Shadow Tempest is all about control, about manipulation. Within this tempest, I can sow confusion and disorientation, rendering my foes helpless.”

“Shadow Bind”

The shadows within the tempest responded to Dark Whirlwind's command, they converged upon Risebelle. Their inky tendrils wrapped around her like serpents. Risebelle found herself ensnared. Her movements were restricted as the shadowy bindings which coiled around her.

Risebelle was struggling to break free from the binding shadows that coiled around her, but it was no use. The darkness tightened its grip on her, restricting her movements and sapping away at her energy reserves. Her skin glistened with sweat while struggling against the magical restraints that held her captive.

Dark Whirlwind's eyes gleamed with sadistic delight. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned her blades back into existence, and they began to whirl around Risebelle, forming a deadly cyclone of light and darkness.

Risebelle struggled against her shadowy restraints, but the overwhelming power of Dark Whirlwind's combined attack left her vulnerable, unable to evade the impending onslaught. The cyclone of blades closed in, threatening to rend her apart.

Risebelle's quick thinking allowed her to conjure a barrier of swirling water energy just in the nick of time. The blades from Dark Whirlwind's cyclone struck the barrier with a series of thunderous impacts, causing sparks to fly. They clashed against the protective wall.

Unlike in Dark Whirlwind’s sword mode, the blades struck only once before dissipating. They were unable to break through Risebelle's watery defense. She took a moment to catch her breath within the sanctuary of her protective barrier.

But Risebelle wasn't content to stay on the defensive. A fiery blue aura burned in her eyes. She gathered her power, and a blue aura of energy erupted around her. The shadows that had ensnared her were blasted away from the sudden surge of power, allowing Risebelle to break free from Dark Whirlwind's hold.

Risebelle's gun was trained squarely on Dark Whirlwind immediately. Her finger lightly rested on the trigger; however, she was met with suprise when Dark Whirlwind responded by holding up an exact replica of Risebelle's own weapon.

The eerie sight left Risebelle momentarily stunned. Her eyes were fixed on the identical firearm in Dark Whirlwind's hands.

Breaking the silence, Dark Whirlwind posed a perplexing question, "Risebelle, what do you believe is the most important thing in this world?"

Risebelle She hesitated for a moment before offering her guesses, "Is it love? Or maybe... freedom? No, that wouldn’t be your game, would it? I’ll say ‘Power.’"

Dark Whirlwind chuckled softly at the attempts. "Interesting guesses," she remarked, her gaze unwavering. "But no, it's not love or freedom."

Before Risebelle could make another guess, Dark Whirlwind continued, "The most important thing in this world is knowledge. Knowledge grants you power, and power grants you control over your destiny."

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the battlefield, Kintovar was locked in her own struggle. She fought against a swarm of flying drones. She used her small guns to fire with automatic precision thanks to a new device she made called the ‘auto-trigger’. The battle she was in had taken a toll on her and she was breathing heavily.

With each shot she fired, Kintovar cleared a path toward the scene where Risebelle and Dark Whirlwind engaged in their battle.

Kintovar's eyes darted toward the black dome dominating the battlefield. Her back-up tracking device beeped urgently, confirming what she already suspected—Risebelle was inside, engaged in a fierce struggle. She growled under her breath.

“Ugh! I'm too late," Kintovar muttered while taking down the last of the flying drones. “That is quite annoying.”

Dark Whirlwind continued her explanation, "Knowledge is the foundation upon which all power is built, Risebelle. It's the key to understanding the world, to mastering one's abilities, and to shaping one's destiny."

Dark Whirlwind's confidence radiated as she continued, "Knowledge is why I am the most powerful being in the world, Risebelle. Nobody can rival me, not even—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Risebelle interjected with a fiery retort, "That's a load of crap!"

In a synchronized motion, both Risebelle and Dark Whirlwind simultaneously pulled their triggers.