Project Mage

[System Warning]

Magic: 0%

Magic Level Critical - Entering Negative Range

‘I can't let her win, not now! I have to keep going, even if it means going beyond my limits!’

[System Warning]

Magic Level Critical - At -25%

“Project ZAB, we're in dangerous territory here! Going into negative magic levels can lead to catastrophic Magical Rupture! We must stop!” the system warned.

‘I can't just stop now! I'm so close! Just a bit more...’

[System Warning]

Magic Level Critical - At -50%

‘Project ZAB, we've reached the point of no return! This is too dangerous! We risk a complete Magical Rupture!’

‘I don't care! I won't let her win, NO MATTER WHAT!’

[System Warning]

Magic Level Critical - At -75%

Risebelle's magic plummeted into the depths of the negative. Her body began to respond in alarming ways. Vibrations coursed through her, and mini-explosions sparked across her body. Despite this, her lifeforce remained intact at 95%. The Acid Rain attack of Risebelle ceased, and the poison's effects on Dark Whirlwind dissipated.

[System Message]

Warning: Magical Rupture Imminent

Dark Whirlwind's sinister laughter echoed through the battlefield. “I told you that you had limits. Technology can only take you so far. You will never compare to the power a mage can possess."

Risebelle reverted back to her normal form. Her body, which had been vibrating and convulsing, gradually stilled. The blue energy that had surrounded her dissipated into the air. She took a shaky breath and tried to steady herself.

Dark whirlwind shouted, "Shadow Tempest! BEGONE! I don't need you anymore!"

With her command, the swirling vortex of the Shadow Tempest began to disperse. The dark and suffocating atmosphere it had created lifted, revealing the destroyed city. Dark Whirlwind stood there, now having one eye covered up with a blackened aura.

Kintovar was on the scene the moment the Shadow Tempest dissipated. She stepped forward. Her gaze was locked onto Dark Whirlwind with a cold intensity.

"Ah, Kintovar, you're just in time to witness the destruction of your precious technology. It seems your creation has reached her limits,” Dark whirlwind said with a smirk.

Kintovar, with a swift and practiced motion, activated her sunglasses, which were equipped with advanced technology for reading and analyzing data. She directed her attention towards Risebelle, scanning the system information to assess her current status.

[System Analysis - Risebelle]

Lifeforce: 95%

Magic Level: -75%

Warning: Magical Rupture Imminent

Despite the readings Kintovar saw, Risebelle was moving forward with very weak steps.

"That is enough, Risebelle. Stand down,” Kintovar said while approaching her.

Risebelle turned to see Kintovar. Her breaths were heavy.

"You're pushing your magic too far. If you go any further, you'll be destroyed!"

Risebelle’s body trembled. Her eyes showed the toll her body was taking. She managed to utter, "Must... protect... sisters..."

Kintovar moved swiftly to intercept Risebelle with concern. "Risebelle, you need to stop! If you push any further, the damage will be irreversible!"

But Risebelle, driven by sheer willpower, continued to stagger forward. Each step seemed like an eternity to her. Kintovar, realizing that Risebelle wouldn't stop on her own, activated her a cube-like device that made a translucent field materialize between them. It was pulsating with energy. "I'm sorry, Risebelle, but I can't let you destroy yourself like this."

The barrier enveloped Risebelle, halting her progress. She pressed against it with trembling hands, but the barrier held firm. Risebelle’s eyes widened with desperation. "No... Must... protect..."

Kintovar placed her head downwards. "I understand, Risebelle, but you’ve done enough. You've fought bravely. Let me take things from here."

Risebelle’s body slumped against the barrier. She slid down to her knees. She was breathing shallow. "Sisters... safe..."

Kintovar took out her Bg-356 and aimed it at Dark Whirlwind with a growl. Dark whirlwind confidently responded, "Your Bg-356 won't have any effect on me, even if you power it up. You should already realize that."

Kintovar's eyes narrowed. "How do you know the exact name of my weapon?" she demanded. “The only way you would know that is if you met someone who knew me."

Dark Whirlwind chuckled. "Oh, Kintovar… You, unlike your grandmother, think too linearly. There are other ways to gather information." She stepped forward with malevolence. "Or perhaps, I know about your family and the history of the names of your weapons."

Kintovar's heart skipped a beat. "What are you talking about?"

Dark Whirlwind's smile widened. "I've been watching you and your precious scientists for a long time. You see, as the most powerful mage, it's my duty to keep tabs on those who foolishly believe that technology can ever rival the might of magic. Your family, your history, your weapons—I've made it my business to know everything."

Kintovar’s mouth remained wide open for a second before she said, “You’ve been spying on us, and gathering information to use against us?"

"Precisely," Dark Whirlwind replied with satisfaction in her tone. "I couldn't allow you to get too comfortable, to think for even a moment that your machines could stand against true power. Technology is a crutch, a poor substitute for real magic."

Kintovar's face hardened." Technology and magic shouldn’t be only mutually exclusive. They can coexist, and together, they can achieve greatness."

Dark Whirlwind sneered. "Empty words, Kintovar. Your creation lies defeated, on the brink of destruction. What will you do now? How will you save her? Can your precious ‘technology’ do that?!"

Kintovar stood frozen. Dark Whirlwind's words caused some seeds of doubt to form. "Think, Kintovar, think," she muttered to herself. Her eyes darted between Dark Whirlwind and her fallen creation. If Dark Whirlwind knew so much about her, it meant she had to be cunning—more cunning than ever before. But how?

Dark Whirlwind’s patience had run thin. "No answer, Kintovar? Well in that case…Die." With a wave of her hand, she formed a blade from pure, dark energy and charged forward with lethal intent.

Kintovar's mind raced. "I have one chance to turn this around," she thought. She reached into her coat and pulled out a cube, labeled 'Pulse Reversion Generator.' Without hesitation, she hurled it inside the barrier where Risebelle lay.The cube hit the ground and transformed into a small machine with glowing symbols appearing across its surface. "Desperate times, desperate measures," Kintovar murmured to herself.

The machine emitted a pulsating light, enveloping Risebelle in a soothing glow. Her magic levels slowly climbing out of the negative. The vibrations and mini-explosions that were coming across her body subsided.

But Dark Whirlwind was closing in, her blade aimed directly at Kintovar. The blade was now mere inches from Kintovar, who stood resolute, refusing to move. "Come on, come on," she whispered.

The Pulse Reversion Generator whirred louder, its light intensifying. Risebelle's magic level was at -30%, climbing, but not fast enough. Dark Whirlwind swung her blade, and Kintovar closed her eyes, bracing for the impact. But just as the blade was about to be jammed into her, a burst of energy erupted from the Pulse Reversion Generator.

Risebelle pushed herself beyond the limits of her weakened state. She broke through the barrier that confined her. Her body, coated in a protective layer of water, strained to mitigate the impending damage.

Dark Whirlwind’s blade pierced through Risebelle’s watery defense, driving deep into her chest. Her magic levels plummeted to -45%, and her life force began to dwindle.

"No, Risebelle!" Kintovar shouted with anguish. "The device hasn’t restored your energy yet!"

Risebelle replied, able to speak somewhat steady but still weak. "I …I couldn't let you die, Kintov….Mother…."

Kintovar's eyes widened as Risebelle's words echoed in her ears. It was the first time Risebelle or any of her creations ever referred to her as "mother." She had always addressed Kintovar with disdain and indifference. It was a relationship strained by the clash of technology, magic and the depths of a ‘soul’.

"Risebelle...," Kintovar whispered.

Dark Whirlwind took full advantage of the momentary distraction. She lunged forward and with a swift and brutal motion, she grabbed Risebelle by the throat, lifting her off the ground. The protective layer of water that had coated Risebelle's body splashed and evaporated under the sheer force of Dark Whirlwind's power.

"I must admit, Kintovar, you do have a knack for surprises. Your family has always been full of unexpected tricks. But unfortunately for you, you weren't fast enough to save her."

"Let her go, Dark Whirlwind," Kintovar demanded.

"You came here with three incomplete robots, expecting to achieve something? You had no idea what you were in for, but while you're here, I'll teach your creations some respect for someone with higher power and knowledge."

Dark Whirlwind then locked eyes onto Kintovar, “But I believe the ‘respect’ should start from the creator. So I want to hear you say this, Kintovar. 'Technology will never rival magical power.' Because, in the end, due to the limitations of technology, this will always be the truth. The only ones with unlimited potential power are the humans."

"No way," Kintovar whispered to herself. "I can't... I won't... Saying those words would go against everything I believe in!"

Kintovar growled but once she looked into Risebelle's eyes, she saw an unspoken plea for salvation.

"Come now, Kintovar. Admit it. Technology is just a fleeting dream in the face of true magical power. Say the words, and maybe I'll spare her," Dark Whirlwind said.

Kintovar took a deep breath, steeling herself against the betrayal she felt she was about to commit. "Technology..." she started, "will never... rival magical power."

Dark whirlwind began to smile malevolently. "Congratulations, Kintovar. You've made the right choice. You've just spared your own life and the lives of everyone in this city."

"But what about Risebelle?"

Dark Whirlwind's response was chilling. "Oh… Well, I was just kidding about saving her. Risebelle is beyond saving. If you truly want her….”

Dark whirlwind Paused for a moment. Then, she threw Risebelle up into the air. “You'll have to create her again!"

Kintovar's eyes widened in panic. She pressed a button on her belt, gaining a gadget, then she launched her grappling hook toward Risebelle, desperate to save her creation. Dark Whirlwind, however, had other plans. She summoned a colossal dark energy beam, aimed directly at Risebelle.

Kintovar's grappling hook hurtled through the air desperately while Dark Whirlwind's energy beam streaked toward its target. Sweat poured down Kintovar's face. ‘She can’t… She won’t be destroyed… I won’t allow this..!’

Alden stepped forward, brandishing his Cross of Judgment With a swift motion, he swung the cross directly at Dark Whirlwind, but to his astonishment, it passed through her as if she were a mere illusion.

"What? How...? What did she...”

Dark Whirlwind turned her gaze towards Alden. Her blackened eye gleamed with a sinister aura. Her power was beyond what he had anticipated, and with a burst of dark energy, he was sent flying back.

Dark Whirlwind “Foolish priest. Your holy magic can’t reach me."

Alden attempted to get up from the ground, but fell back down to his knees out of breath. He growled in frustration. “The Goddess… she will…stop this…”

"Really? Then where is your precious ‘goddess’ now, hmm? Has she forsaken you and your pitiful world," Dark whirlwind questioned with a disdainful look. She turned her gaze towards Risebelle, who was suspended helplessly in the air, caught between Kintovar's desperate attempt to save her and the impending doom of Dark Whirlwind's dark energy beam. Alden watched in horror while Dark whirlwind continued. "This is the reality of your so-called goddess's absence."

Risebelle, caught in the crossfire of magic and technology, flashed back to her own awakening in Kintovar's lab. She remembered the chaos, the uncontrollable surge of power that had wrecked everything in its path. Dr. Haras and her energetic self-tried to contain her, alongside Kintovar.

But amidst the chaos, amidst the clashes and misunderstandings they had, there had been moments of connection. Dr. Haras's persistent kindness, Kintovar's constant belief in her abilities. Slowly, they had begun to chip away at Risebelle's defenses.

Risebelle recalled the day she ventured out to scout and ensure Haras' safety. Instead of finding her, all she discovered was blood and a torn piece of Haras' uniform. Anger surged within Risebelle, but alongside it, a strange, unfamiliar feeling began to stir.

Later that same day, she delved into the depths of the forest in search of the perpetrator. It didn't take long before she stumbled upon a scene that puzzled her deeply—a young girl with yellow hair, bearing a striking resemblance to herself, yet slightly shorter. Risebelle's analytical mind quickly concluded that Kintovar had completed another project.

The young girl was in a desperate struggle against Thalindra, the guardian of the forest at that time. Seeing her drop to her knees in exhaustion, something clicked within Risebelle. Without hesitation, she summoned her acid rain, unleashing it to aid the girl against Thalindra's relentless assault.

After the brief intervention, Risebelle swiftly reported back to Kintovar, leaving before the outcome of the fight became clear.

Risebelle eventually learned the young girl's name: Roselle. Risebelle's demeanor towards Roselle was harsh, bordering on disdain; however, when they faced off, Risebelle began to notice Roselle’s natural fighting instincts and her ability to adapt and learn quickly. Despite ultimately being defeated in that match, Roselle's sudden activation of her abilities left a lasting impression on Risebelle.

Approaching Roselle after the intense duel, Risebelle's usual stern face softened ever so slightly. "You have potential, Roselle. Don't waste it by getting yourself killed by any Human...”

Risebelle was jolted back to the present moment. A faint smile touched her lips even as the dark whirlwind's beam surged towards her. "Roselle has grown," Risebelle murmured quietly to herself.” Her confidence is blossoming, her strength is not something I can look down on... I find myself proud to call her not just a student, but a sister."

[System Analysis - Roselle]

Lifeforce: 1%

Roselle’s eyes slowly opened up. She then looked up into the air. "R... Risebelle?"

To be continued...