Project Mage

Kintovar swiftly defeated the pursuing drones; however, upon reaching Runebelle and Roselle, her face shifted to one of concern.

She gently lifted Runebelle and Roselle, her protective instincts kicking in. Kintovar muttered, “I’m way too late..."

Alden, who was in the process of healing his wounds looked at Kintovar and asked, "Are you the real Kintovar?"

For a moment, Kintovar just stared at him. Then, she made a decision. Alden persisted, pointing toward the swirling dark vortex that enveloped Risebelle and Dark Whirlwind.

"If you are Kintovar," Alden implored, "Risebelle is in there. We need your help!"

Kintovar's face hardened. Without uttering a word, she began to move toward the turbulent vortex.

Inside the chaotic vortex, Risebelle and Dark Whirlwind engaged in a deadly shootout. Their shots rang out in rapid succession. The blue energy bullets from Risebelle's weapon clashed with the dark projectiles fired from Dark Whirlwind's replica gun.

Risebelle and Dark Whirlwind came face to face once again after several rounds were fired. They were locked in a deadly standoff, but then, without warning, Dark Whirlwind seemed to appear right in front of her with the cannon aimed at Risebelle's chest. Risebelle's reflexes kicked in. She barely managed to evade the shot. This surreal event happened not just once but three times in quick succession.

In the moments between each close call, a flurry of thoughts raced through Risebelle's mind:

‘She's fast, but I won't let her catch me off guard.’

In the blink of an eye, Dark Whirlwind appeared right in front of her, gun aimed at Risebelle's chest. It was a fraction of a second, but Risebelle's instincts kicked in, and she barely managed to evade the shot, a sense of shock coursing through her.

‘How did she get there so fast? I can't let her hit me!’

But Dark Whirlwind's speed defied comprehension, and once more, she appeared before Risebelle, her gun inches away from its deadly mark. Risebelle twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the shot.

‘Stay focused, Risebelle. Don't let her outmaneuver you again.’

With growing unease, Risebelle prepared for another confrontation. Yet again, Dark Whirlwind defied the laws of speed, materializing in front of her. Risebelle's instincts screamed at her, and she made a desperate dive to the side, feeling the rush of wind as the shot narrowly missed her once more.

Risebelle's entire body was slick with sweat. She glanced at Dark Whirlwind, who stood with a smirk.

"You haven't figured it out yet, have you?" Dark Whirlwind taunted. "Right now, you must be thinking that I'm getting faster, that my movements are becoming too quick for you to handle. Is that why you’ve been looking so surprised, recently?"

Risebelle's eyes narrowed.

Dark Whirlwind shook her head slowly. “It’s simply not the case. My Shadow Tempest doesn't increase my speed, nor have I used any abilities to increase my speed. I have not gotten any faster."

Realization dawned on Risebelle like a cold splash of water. She hadn't noticed it, but her movements were becoming sluggish, her reactions slower. It wasn't Dark Whirlwind who had changed—she had. "I'm the one getting slower."

Dark Whirlwind's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Precisely. Your exhaustion is catching up to you. Every move you make, every attack you launch, drains you further. You're fighting a losing battle against your own limitations."

Risebelle fired at Dark Whirlwind, their weapons blazing as they traded rounds once more. She struggled to keep up, her movements growing more labored with each passing moment. Amidst the chaos, a thought struck her like lightning: Dark Whirlwind created a perfect replica of her weapon. How was that possible?

She cast her mind back to her creation, to the intricate design and unique features of her weapon. This was the first time she had used this form, and yet Dark Whirlwind seemed to have an identical gun. Risebelle's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

‘Wait a minute….there's no way she could replicate my weapon perfectly. She wouldn’t know how the shots function… that means…’

Risebelle stopped trying to fight and, instead, allowed a shot from Dark Whirlwind to hit her squarely in the chest. No damage occurred. She felt nothing—no impact, no pain.

"The weapon," Risebelle said, "it's an illusion. You've been using it to trick me, to sap my stamina."

Dark Whirlwind's smirk faltered, her eyes narrowing in frustration. "Clever girl, but how long did it take for you to figure that out?”

Risebelle retorted, "It doesn't matter how long it took me to figure it out. What matters is that I won't fall for your tricks again!"

Dark whirlwind immediately followed up with another attempt to ensnare Risebelle using her Shadow Bind technique; however, Risebelle was quicker this time. She skillfully evaded the shadowy restraints. Dark whirlwind grinned, "You're improving, Risebelle, but… you don’t realize that the damage has been done."

Dark Whirlwind, her eyes gleaming with malevolence, declared her next technique,

"Suffocating Gloom!" She raised her arms, and the Shadow Tempest around her intensified, releasing oppressive waves of suffocating darkness.

"The longer I stay in my Shadow Tempest," Dark Whirlwind explained, "the more energy I drain from my opponents. It's a slow and agonizing descent into powerlessness. Suffocating Gloom amplifies that effect."

Risebelle started to respond confidently, "That won't work on me becau—"

Dark Whirlwind finished Risebelle's sentence with a sinister grin, "Because you're a creation with no magic? You might want to check your systems properly."

[System Warning]

Magic Drain Detected - External Source

To her surprise, Risebelle's systems detected an external source siphoning her magical energy within the Shadow Tempest. It was a concerning development, and her magical reserves were rapidly diminishing as a result.

"You might have said that against any other mage, Risebelle, but I am not just any mage. I have the knowledge and the power need to destroy you."

What was once a formidable 390% of Magical energy had now dwindled to a mere 200%. Panic gripped Risebelle who felt her magical energy slipping away at a rapid pace.

Risebelle dropped her gun, recognizing that using it would only accelerate the drain of her magical energy in this transformed state. Risebelle charged at Dark Whirlwind with reckless abandon, her sword swinging wildly. Dark Whirlwind, seemingly unfazed by the physical assault, opted to attack with words.

"Your aim was better a minute ago," Dark Whirlwind jeered while effortlessly avoiding the strikes.

Risebelle gritted her teeth and retorted, "Shut your mouth!" Her swings grew more furious . With each swing of her sword, Risebelle's anger mounted.

Risebelle swung her blade with ferocity, aiming for Dark Whirlwind's side; however, Dark Whirlwind sidestepped the attack easily. "Oh, come on, Risebelle, you can do better than that!"

Undeterred, Risebelle swiftly followed up with another strike, this time aiming for Dark Whirlwind's legs. But once again, Dark Whirlwind danced out of harm's way. "Is that the best you've got? You're supposed to protect your sisters, aren't you?"

“SHUT UP!”

Risebelle unleashed a powerful overhead strike, yet Dark Whirlwind effortlessly evaded it. "Pathetic! You're nothing but a child's plaything, Risebelle!"

Dark Whirlwind moved in front of Risebelle. She aimed her at delivering a devastating blow, but Risebelle raised her blade and delivered a powerful strike across Dark Whirlwind's chest.

Dark Whirlwind was sent reeling backward. The attack had not only halted her assault but had inflicted significant damage. She clutched her chest where the blade had struck, her sinister smile replaced with a look of shock and discomfort.

Risebelle, panting heavily and barely holding on, stood her ground and smirked. "That blade... it's not just sharp. It's coated with a potent toxin. No one, not even you, can escape its effects. You may be powerful, but you're not immune to poison."

Dark Whirlwind’s face contorted with pain. She clutched at the wound, feeling the effects of the toxic substance coursing through her.

Dark Whirlwind growled through clenched teeth, "You... you dare to poison me?"

Risebelle, though she was running on fumes and barely standing, held her blade steady. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my sisters.”

Dark Whirlwind's scream echoed through the tempest. It was a sound of pure rage and agony. Her eyes blazed with fury. She summoned a set of shadowy blades, each one flickering with dark energy. With a guttural roar, she charged at Risebelle with lethal intent.

Risebelle braced herself. The first blade came down, she parried it with a swift, upward strike, the shadowy weapon dissolving into nothing upon contact. But Dark Whirlwind was continued. She formed another in her hand almost instantly, and she swung it with deadly precision. Risebelle dodged to the side. The blade whistled past her ear. She countered with a quick slash aimed at Dark Whirlwind’s arm. The attack connected, and another dark blade dissolved into mist.

Dark Whirlwind pressed on, her attacks becoming more frantic and aggressive with each passing moment. She conjured blade after blade, but each one met Risebelle’s skillful parries and counters.

With a powerful swing, Risebelle disarmed Dark Whirlwind, sending her blade spinning away into the darkness. Seizing the opportunity, she lunged forward with her blade aimed at Dark Whirlwind's heart. Dark Whirlwind twisted at the last second, evading the strike and retaliating with a conjured blade aimed at Risebelle's side.

Risebelle pivoted on her heel, narrowly avoiding the attack, and brought her blade down in a sweeping arc. The strike caught Dark Whirlwind across the leg, causing her to stagger back.

Panting heavily, Risebelle fired a series of shots from her gun. Dark Whirlwind deflected the bullets with her remaining blade, but the effort left her visibly strained. Risebelle saw her chance and charged forward. She analyzed Dark Whirlwind's movements. ‘She's panicking,’Risebelle thought. ‘How will she move? Swing to the left? No, she'll try a fake-out.’

Dark Whirlwind prepared for her next move. Dark Whirlwind lunged, feinting left, but Risebelle was ready. She dropped her cannon, sidestepping the strike, and grabbed Dark Whirlwind's arm with a firm grip.

Dark Whirlwind's eyes widened in surprise. Risebelle pulled her close, leveraging her momentum. With a powerful twist, Risebelle brought her blade down in a decisive strike across Dark Whirlwind's chest. The blade cut deep, and Dark Whirlwind let out a cry of pain, staggering backward.

The wound was grievous. The toxin from Risebelle's blade was already coursing through Dark Whirlwind's veins, and now it worsened, weakening her further. She clutched her chest, trying to steady herself, but her legs wobbled. Her breathing was labored. She glared at Risebelle with hatred and pain etched across her features. "This... isn't over," she hissed.

Risebelle leveled her gun at Dark Whirlwind. "It's over," she said with a look of disdain and with steady speech despite her fatigue. "You won't harm my sisters. Not while I stand."

Dark Whirlwind's eyes blazed with fury. She tapped into the dark energy surrounding her. Her body began to grow and expand. "I will crush you, Risebelle!" she roared through the Shadow Tempest. With a swift motion, she gathered a swirling darkness into her hand, forming a massive ball of energy crackling with malevolent power.

In a flash of inspiration, Risebelle thought. ‘What if I can use my Acid Rain in here? It might disrupt the Tempest and stop Dark Whirlwind from attacking… It's worth a try. The poison's going to take its toll on her as well, but I can't let my guard down.’

With her insight into the chaotic nature of the Swirling Vortex within the Shadow Tempest, Risebelle decided to take a bold step.

"Aqua-Acidic Tempest!"

She raised her arms, the dark clouds above the battlefield thickened. From them, the glowing aqua-blue droplets descended. Each one carried the potential for destruction. Risebelle's focus was intense. The corrosive rain formed right into the heart of the Swirling Vortex.

The moment the torrents of Aqua-Acidic Tempest made contact with the vortex, chaos erupted. The corrosive nature of the rain clashed with the shadowy energies, creating violent reactions. Dark Whirlwind, thanks to already being weakened by the poison, struggled to maintain control over the tempest. Her Dark ball faded away from her hands and she was met with immense pain from Risebelle’s technique.

Dark Whirlwind's screams pierced the battlefield. The Aqua-Acidic Tempest raged within the Swirling Vortex. The corrosive rain had not only disrupted her control but had intensified the poison's effects on her. Her body convulsed in agony with the acidic downpour searing her skin.

"You may have all the knowledge in the world, but you can't defeat the power of my bond," Risebelle said with authority,

Risebelle continued to channel her Aqua-Acidic Tempest and witness the effects on Dark Whirlwind, but she was suddenly met with a jarring realization. Her magic reserves were completely depleted, registering at 0% in her system.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she checked her system, but her shock turned to concern as a new warning message appeared:

[System Warning]

Magical Rupture Imminent - Cease Magical Activities Immediately

‘I….I can't stop now! Not when I'm so close to destroying Dark Whirlwind! It can’t…end like this!’