Project Mage

‘This can't be happening... Roselle's in danger and I can't do anything to save her! My…. my abilities are just not strong enough….Why is this idiot Alan so powerful? How did we end up in this situation? I can't lose Roselle... There has to be something I can do. I have to find a way to help her no matter what it takes, but what can I do? Think, Risebelle, think!’

Runebelle desperately tried to summon her ice magic to help Roselle, she felt her heart sinking.’ Roselle is suffering and I can't do anything to ease her pain. I have this power within me….. ‘

But no matter how hard she tried, her magic failed her and her ice melted into nothingness.

‘No good. My ice magic is useless against these flames. I thought I could control it, but it's slipping through my fingers like water. How can I help Roselle when I can't even protect myself? Urggh! This is so frustrating….’

Abner held a ball of flame in his hands, its fiery core pulsating with destructive energy.

"You thought the Magical Academy was a joke, didn’t you" Alan began. "You managed to survive Aliana, the sword god and Abner somehow, but me? Oh no. I'm a different story. I'm not like the other Elite Mages. I don't hold back when I fight and the mercy you received is all used up now. This is what I wanted to show you. Even at full strength, Kintovars creations aren’t as hot as I am! Ahahaha!"

The forest around them seemed to cower in the face of Alan's overwhelming magic, the flames creating an infernal barrier that imprisoned Roselle, Risebelle and Runebelle. Their situation had gone from dire to nearly hopeless.

The three sisters, trapped within the fiery prison Alan had conjured, could feel the relentless heat closing in on them. Roselle's cries of pain echoed through the burning air, while Risebelle and Runebelle shared a desperate look.

The intense heat and searing flames enveloped Roselle, Risebelle and Runebelle as Alan unleashed his devastating attack. The world around them faded to black and their senses were overwhelmed by the threat of the flaming balls of fire which surrounded them.

When their eyes opened again they found themselves lying on the molten hot ground surrounded by an inferno of fire. The flames danced wildly casting eerie shadows and bathing them in a hellish glow. The air itself seemed to burn which made it difficult to breathe.

In a blinding burst of flames and an ear-splitting roar, Alan shouted,

"Flame Burst!"

The fiery inferno surrounding his body exploded outward in a devastating wave of heat and destruction. The force of the blast engulfed Roselle, Risebelle and Runebelle consuming everything in its path.

Their vision went black as the intense heat and flames surrounded them and they felt themselves being launched through the scorching air. When their eyes finally opened, they found themselves lying on the searing ground of flames, the residual heat radiating from the scorched earth beneath them.

The sisters were battered, bruised and had burned marks on their bodies that were aching from the onslaught of fire. The forest around them had been reduced to smoldering ashes and the sky now held the scent of burnt wood and vegetation.

[System Notification]

Roselle's Lifeforce: 17%

Risebelle's Lifeforce: 24%

Runebelle's Lifeforce: 31%

The system notification displayed their lifeforce percentages and Risebelle quickly checked the information. The numbers were grim, indicating the toll the battle had taken on them. They were all severely weakened and their chances of survival grew slimmer with each passing moment.

Risebelle's gaze shifted from the system notification to her sisters' eyes, which held pain and exhaustion.

Roselle's eyes glistened with unshed tears, reflecting the agony she had endured. Risebelle could see the pain within them. Runebelle remained sad and her eyes carried a heavy burden of sorrow.

Risebelle and Runebelle struggled to their feet, their bodies protesting every movement. The scorching ground beneath them radiated relentless heat, intensifying their discomfort. They exchanged a worried glance, realizing that Roselle remained motionless, her body still seared from the earlier flames.

Risebelle urgently turned to Runebelle, "Runebelle, use your healing shots on our sister, quickly! We can't afford to lose her like this!"

Runebelle nodded with her filled with both concern for her sister and the will to help. She raised her weapon, focusing her energy on the healing shots. With careful aim, she fired the magical projectiles toward Roselle, who lay motionless on the scorched ground.

The healing shots enveloped Roselle in a gentle glow and the magical energy began to mend her burns and injuries. Slowly but surely, Roselle's lifeforce percentage started to rise, a sign that the healing was taking effect. Risebelle watched with hope, her plan relying on Roselle's recovery.

[System Notification]

Roselle's Lifeforce: 41%

Slowly but steadily, Roselle's lifeforce percentage increased on the system notification and her condition visibly improved. She managed to get up, albeit with some difficulty and her eyes though still reflecting pain now held strength in them.

Risebelle and Runebelle watched with relief as their sister regained her strength.

Roselle trembled "These flames... they're not very nice," she remarked with her innocent blue eyes reflecting her discomfort and sadness.

She lowered her eyes and replied to Roselle.

"These are 'flames,' Roselle," Risebelle explained gently, "They're not known for being friendly or considerate."

Roselle giggled weakly "Well, they should learn some manners, you know? When we get out of this, i'm going to need to teach them a lesson in etiquette." Roselle gave barely a smile to her comment while going on. "I know they could make great things, like cake rather than destruction."

Runebelle couldn't suppress a small, sad smile at Roselle. 'You're always so optimistic, Roselle' she thought to herself. 'Even when things are at their worst.'

Risebelle shouted. "Listen carefully, both of you. We are’t going to survive long if we move around wildly. We don't have many options left. I have one plan and it's risky but it's our best shot at surviving this."

Alan's mind raced as he tried to comprehend what had just transpired. He had witnessed Runebelle shooting Roselle, which seemed counterproductive, yet Roselle had shown signs of improvement afterward. Confusion and suspicion gnawed at the edges of his thoughts as he thought over the situation.

"What just happened?" Alan questioned silently, his eyes narrowing and arms folding as he analyzed the events. "Why did that one shoot her? And why did it seem to help?"

The three sisters unleashed a volley of cannon fire at the ground beneath them creating a powerful propulsion that sent them up into the air. They soared above the blazing wall of fire narrowly avoiding the searing flames that threatened to cause damage to them.

They turned their cannons towards Alan. The combined firepower of their cannons converged into a single, devastating energy beam aimed directly at their formidable opponent. The beam blazed with might as it streaked towards Alan, who was momentarily caught off guard by their unexpected maneuver.

Alan desperately summoned a wall of flames to intercept the oncoming energy beam, but to his astonishment, the sisters' combined power overwhelmed his defenses. The energy beam tore through his fiery barrier like a hot knife through butter, closing the gap between them with relentless force.

As the beam neared him, Alan's eyes widened in disbelief. He shouted out in frustration, "That’s Impossible!"

With a thunderous roar, the energy beam struck its target, engulfing Alan in an explosion of light and flames. His defiant shout was drowned out by the sheer magnitude of the blast and the forest trembled from the impact.

The ground beneath them had ceased to burn with the intensity of the fire and the forest appeared less ominous with the fiery walls and barriers dissipating. The aftermath of their powerful attack had created a temporary respite from the inferno that had surrounded them.

Risebelle, catching her breath, turned to her sisters with. She spoke with newfound understanding, "I see it now. Our combined power disrupted his control over the flames! The Extreme Magic is still in effect, but we've weakened it enough to regain control of our own abilities."

Alan emerged from the dissipating smoke, applauding Risebelle's insight with a wry smile. "Impressive deduction, for a child" he acknowledged. However, his tone soon turned challenging as he retorted, "But don't think for a moment that you’ve got any headway towards victory. I can easily set this ground ablaze once more."

Risebelle’s competitive spirit flared up she met his challenge head-on. "Let's see if your speed can match my own," she declared, her eyes narrowing with resolve.

Once Alan attempted to set the ground ablaze once more, Risebelle's responded with a grit of her teeth. She shouted, "Acid Rain!" summoning her formidable spell.

The acid rain descended with a vengeance, first corroding the barrier of fire and then eating away at the fiery wall. Alan, realizing that Risebelle had outmaneuvered him in speed, attempted to strike her down immediately.

Roselle stepped forward to protect her sister, Risebelle.

“Thunderclap, Surge!”

The Thunderclap Surge surged forth in a blinding display of lightning, rapidly forming a spinning fan of crackling electricity that homed in on its target. The tendrils of lightning discharged with pinpoint accuracy, striking Alan with jolts of electricity upon impact.

Alan cried out in pain as the electricity coursed through him, disrupting his fiery attack and leaving him momentarily incapacitated.

The fire walls and barriers were extinguished by the combined efforts of Roselle's Thunderclap Surge and Risebelle's Acid Rain.

Just then, a cry from Alan signaled a sudden resurgence of flames. His entire body was enveloped in an aura of fire and the scorched ground ignited once more, erasing the effects of the Acid Rain due to the intense heat.

Alan, filled with fire, gave this enhanced form a name. "Behold the Inferno Incarnate!"

Risebelle drops to one knee, taking damage from the heat. Her lifeforce dropped rapidly. Runebelle swiftly aimed her healing shot at Risebelle. The healing magic worked its restorative magic, revitalizing Risebelle and allowing her to stand once more, but she realized...

"We can't use our affinity again... not against that. It's too strong..."

Risebelle lowered her eyes, a look of frustration and concern on her face.” Damn it! Just when you think you have this bastard he goes and pulls out a trump card like this? This guy…. He’s really making this difficult, isn’t he? What a pain in the ass..."

Roselle and Runebelle exchanged worried glances but remained by Risebelle's side, placing comforting hands on her back.

As the flames continued to scorch the ground beneath them, Risebelle kept her head down. The relentless assault of the Inferno Incarnate made their situation increasingly desperate.

Alan folded his arms briefly with the aura of fire blazing up around his body. "It looks like this will be the end."

He readied himself to deliver the finishing blow, his eyes blazing and his fiery aura pulsating with power. The sisters braced themselves for what seemed like an inevitable outcome.

"Runebelle," Risebelle began, "do you think you can do that with your other element affinities? Transfer them to us, just like you did with fire?"

Runebelle looked at her sisters, her face still carrying sadness. She nodded slowly.

Roselle on the other hand looked confused. “How is that going to help? We can barely use our affinities in here as it is.”

"I remember when Runebelle transferred her fire magic affinity to Roselle's Cannon against Aliana, the Sword God. What if she can do the same with her other element affinities? It's a longshot, but it might be our only chance. Runebelle, can you try with your other elements?"

Runebelle, her sad expression deepening, explained, "My ice affinity is nearly unusable in this situation and my earth affinity might not be helpful here either."

Risebelle nodded. "Any bit of ice affinity may be helpful to me. Runebelle, please try."

Runebelle took a deep breath “I don’t know what you can do with it but okay...I’ll try.”

Focusing her energy on her ice affinity. She reached out to Roselle and Risebelle attempting to transfer her elemental affinity to them.

“Please let this work...”