Project Mage

There was a glow of golden aura which surrounded Cassandra the moment she drew her blade. The blade itself seemed to undergo a transformation, shifting from what initially appeared long to a more medium-sized weapon.

"What makes you think you're even ready to take on students, Aliana," Cassandra asked.

Aliana responded calmly, "Who can say, Cassandra? I've always been very ‘confident’."

Cassandra's eyes remained fixed on Alliana. She wore a stern face. “Confidence alone doesn't make a teacher," she retorted. "Being a Sword God is about more than just mastery of the blade. It's about responsibility, discipline, and understanding of one’s own actions."

Time seemed to slow as Cassandra's blade, enveloped in a radiant golden aura, moved with lightning speed towards Aliana's neck. It was a moment of intense focus and instinct. Aliana barely had time to react, but her reflexes kicked in just in the nick of time. She managed to bring her own sword, Tengoku, up to block Cassandra's strike.

The clash of their blades sent a shockwave of energy rippling through the enchanting garden.

Cassandra kept a stern gaze. “Do you truly understand your own actions, Aliana? You may have returned, but the past cannot be erased."

Aliana's gaze met Cassandra's with confidence. "I understand myself now more than ever," she replied, "I've learned many lessons during my absence, and I’m going to make amends."

The clash of blades continued. Cassandra moved gracefully with her golden-aura-infused sword. Cassandra's attacks were relentless, pushing Aliana on the defensive.

"I can feel the pain of your sword, Aliana," she remarked. Aliana's focus wavered for a split second. In that moment of distraction, Cassandra seized the opportunity. With a swift and calculated strike, she managed to slash Aliana across the chest.

Blood welled up from the wound, staining Aliana's attire. She staggered back. “If that's all it takes to break your defense..."

Aliana clutched her bleeding chest, looking across at Cassandra. Aliana readied herself for Cassandra's next charge.

Cassandra’s movements were swift and precise. Her blade moved with a practiced grace that seemed to anticipate Aliana’s every move. Aliana found herself struggling to keep up. Her strikes were being deflected with ease. Each clash of their swords sent vibrations through Aliana’s arms.

Cassandra began to incorporate feints and deceptive maneuvers into her attacks. Aliana was forced to adapt quickly, but Cassandra’s relentless pace was overwhelming. Every time Aliana attempted to gain ground, Cassandra seemed to effortlessly counter and redirect her efforts. Aliana growled.

Cassandra’s aura flared with an even brighter golden light. She unleashed a powerful series of strikes. The energy from her sword crackled through the air, leaving trails of golden sparks. Aliana tried to defend herself, but the sheer force behind Cassandra’s attacks was overpowering.

A sudden crack echoed through the garden as Cassandra’s blade struck Aliana’s sword with a devastating blow, causing a visible fissure in Tengoku. The impact sent Aliana stumbling backward.

With her sword now bearing a crack, Aliana’s defenses weakened. Cassandra seized the opportunity. Aliana was driven back, struggling to maintain her footing. Cassandra’s blade moved like a storm. Aliana’s attempts to counter were met with swift and decisive parries. The force of Cassandra’s strikes was starting to wear on Aliana.

“You’re still holding back, aren’t you?” Cassandra shouted. “Show me your true strength!”

Gaiza watched in growing concern. Aliana suddenly announced, "Sword Magic Level 3, Kori Tengoku!"

Aliana's mastery over her Sword Magic Style was on full display. She swung Kori Tengoku in a sweeping arc, then brought it down with incredible force. The blade emitted a bone-chilling aura, and with a powerful wave of ice, she unleashed the full force of her Level 3 Sword Magic.

Cassandra's eyes widened in surprise. "Sword Magic Level 3 right off the bat," she muttered.

Aliana's chilling wave of ice surged toward Cassandra. With a swift and precise movement of her own blade, she clashed against Aliana's attack, creating a fierce collision of powers in the enchanted garden.

Aliana jumped back, distancing herself from the clash. She swiftly raised her sword, forming an arc of icy spikes around her. In a fluid motion, Aliana launched all the ice spikes simultaneously, sending them hurtling towards Cassandra. At the same time, Aliana moved forward, closing the gap between them and Cassandra.

Cassandra parried Aliana's ice spikes with skillful swordplay. Their blades clashed once more, and Cassandra's unwavering resolve shone through as she addressed Aliana's intentions.

"Do you seek forgiveness, Aliana? Is that why you're here, to seek redemption from the Sword Gods?"

Their duel continued, and Cassandra's strength proved to be unmatched. With a powerful strike, she sent Aliana flying through the air, crashing into a nearby tree. Leaves scattered around her as she lay there, momentarily stunned by the force of the impact.

Cassandra stood her ground with a golden aura radiating with power. "You're not forgiven, Aliana," she declared firmly.

In a hushed tone, Aliana muttered, "Just like back then..."

Her vision blurred. She was momentarily transported back in time, to a moment when she had first reached Sword Magic Level 3. A man in her past had congratulated her on her achievement. However, the younger Cassandra, wearing a hat and a critical gaze, had harshly dismissed her accomplishment, labeling her a “fool”.

In that vivid memory, the younger Cassandra had defeated her and said, "Those who do wrong don't deserve to win if their heart is not fully into it," she had declared.

Suddenly, Aliana snapped back to the present. Her eyes refocused on Cassandra, who said, "Those who do wrong are not forgiven, period.”

Aliana, struggling to rise from the ground, wiped the blood from her face and met Cassandra’s unwavering gaze.

“That’s what you think, Cassandra,” she said. “But it’s not that simple. You see, I’ve been through hell and back since we last met.”

Cassandra remained stern, but there was a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

Aliana continued, “After I was defeated by that person cloaked in darkness, I somehow ended up on an island outside of the city. There, I was controlled by a headmaster. I was stripped of my freedom and forced to comply with her will unknowingly. I was haunted by my own defeat at the hands of three children on that island and my former adversary Kintovar. It’s what woke me up. I’ve faced hardship, regret, and countless moments of self-doubt.”

She paused for a breath, her gaze unwavering. “I’ve also faced a point where I wanted it all to end. Iv'e...faced my mistakes. I’ve spent time understanding my flaws..."

Aliana took a step closer to Cassandra “I remember you once said that there’s always a way to gain forgiveness. Is it not true? Or have your beliefs changed?”

Aliana she raised her blade high and uttered the incantation, "Sword God Form: Tengoku, the Ice Heaven!"

In that moment, a dramatic transformation unfolded. A blue light enveloped her, and her figure was bathed in an icy radiance. Her once-blue hair turned a brilliant shade of silver, and her eyes were now a glowing icy-blue.

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

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.

Amidst the awe-inspiring transformation, Bee's eyes widened in amazement. Their conviction was solidified while watching Aliana's ascension to the Sword God Form.

Bee declared, “That’s her. That's the one who's going to be my master!"

Elena smiled, recognizing the newfound purpose and excitement in Bee's eyes. Gaiza, though held onto her chest. She was moved by the incredible display of power and swordplay she was seeing from both of them.

With Aliana's transformation complete, the garden seemed to freeze over in response to her power.

"Heaven's Icy Crystal."

The atmosphere itself responded to Aliana’s command, succumbing to the frigid aura she emanated.

Aliana chanted the incantation, the air around her became covered with an intense cold. Icy crystals materialized in a breathtaking display of power and control. These crystalline shards, sharp as the bitterest winter, multiplied rapidly, forming an imposing barrier that radiated both beauty.

Cassandra was surprised by the overwhelming display of Sword Magic. She found herself encased in the fortress of ice. Her once-confident demeanor wavered. She struggled to break free from the imprisonment.

Cassandra though, managed to find a way to break free from the icy barrier that had momentarily trapped her. She emerged from it with a golden glow surrounding her body.

Aliana, seizing the moment, launched a barrage of ice spikes towards Cassandra. The spikes hurtled through the air with chilling speed and precision.

Cassandra closed her eyes for a brief moment, then opened them to reveal one eye covered with a golden light. She moved with the grace of a dancer, she avoided the ice spikes at the last second.

Aliana unleashed lightning-fast slashes in Cassandra's direction, but she twirled gracefully and avoided the attacks.

Then, in a surprising turn of events, Cassandra closed the gap between them with a touch on Aliana's back, catching her off guard. With incredible speed, she executed a precise slash from behind; however, Aliana called upon her power. With a single hand raised, she invoked, "Heaven's Ice Prison!" The air around Cassandra immediately chilled, and a colossal pillar of ice surged forth, enveloping her in its freezing embrace.

Cassandra's eyes widened in astonishment as the ice encased her once again, leaving her frozen in a state of temporary suspension.

Aliana caught her breath and contemplated the battle she had just endured.

To herself, Aliana murmured with a hint of disbelief, “Even though I’m sure Cassandra is using Sword Magic, I know she hasn’t raised the level of her Sword Magic beyond basic Level 1. Yet, she’s been keeping up with my Sword God Form. She’s just as strong as I imagined she would be.”

However, her thoughts were interrupted when Aliana noticed something peculiar. She looked at her own sword, Tengoku appeared to be shedding icy tears. Confused, she questioned her sword, "Tengoku?"

With a sense of urgency, Aliana closed her eyes and delved into the mind of her sword. She sought to understand the source of its distress. When she entered the realm of her sword’s, she found herself standing on the edge of a vast, serene ocean.

Her sword, Tengoku, appeared in its physical form within this realm, looking identical to her but as an aura of light and ice, weeping silently beneath the water’s surface. The sight was troubling. Aliana extended her hand, trying to reach out to the grieving blade.

"Tengoku!" she called out, but the sword remained submerged, seemingly unable to hear her.

Aliana felt a pang of frustration and confusion. She tried again. "Tengoku!"

It seemed to have no effect. For some reason, Tengoku had not heard her. She questioned herself, "Why isn’t Tengoku responding? What’s causing this disconnect all of a sudden?"

Before she could make sense of this mysterious phenomenon, Cassandra, with her golden aura still active, burst free from the icy prison. She unleashed a flurry of powerful slashes. Her movements were so swift that it seemed as if she were leaving afterimages behind her, creating a dazzling display of speed.

Cassandra's rapid assault landed multiple slashes all over Aliana's body, even with the mitigated damage from her Sword God Form. The overwhelming barrage forced Aliana to her knees, her body battered and bruised.

Cassandra, standing tall with her sword at the ready, observed Aliana. Her golden aura gradually subsided while she spoke with a look of disdain.

"Aliana," Cassandra began, "your Sword God Form was stronger in the past. You're missing something, something vital." She pointed her sword at Aliana, emphasizing her point. "You're holding your sword, but at the same time, you're not truly 'holding' it."

Aliana, panting heavily and struggling to maintain her composure, looked at Cassandra with a confusion.

“What the devil does this mad woman mean..?”