Project Mage

Alan swiftly made his move. He charged toward the Headmaster with a blaze surging within him. He closed the distance between himself and the Woman. Alan raised his hands high and gathered flames of intense heat and power. The flames swirled around him, forming a blazing inferno that threatened to consume everything in its path.

With a shout that echoed through the battlefield, Alan unleashed his fire power.

"Extreme Magic: Blazing Inferno!"

A torrent of scorching flames erupted from Alan's outstretched hands, swirling and spiraling toward the Headmaster. The intense heat radiated from the inferno as it expanded, threatening to engulf them both. Alan poured every ounce of his magical energy into the spell to trap the Headmaster within the blazing maelstrom.

However, the Headmaster, her powers unrivaled, dispelled the Blazing Inferno with a mere wave of her hand. The flames vanished as if they had never existed, leaving Alan drained and vulnerable.

The Headmaster’s face did not change from her stern look. "Impressive, Alan. You've certainly come a long way with your magic," she acknowledged. "But using your extreme magic three times in a day... you're pushing your limits."

Alan, panting heavily and visibly drained from the exertion, met the Headmaster's gaze with a defiant glare. " Yeeeaaaahhh…It was worth a shot," he admitted trying to shrug and look cool despite straining his speech.

Alan gathered the remaining flames and unleashed a fiery stream toward the Headmaster, she reacted swiftly. With a deft movement of her staff, she intercepted the stream of flames and redirected it back toward Alan, demonstrating her mastery over magic.

Alan, undeterred, absorbed the returning flames back into himself, preventing any harm from coming to him.

Alan summoned four swirling flame circles beneath the Headmaster. He unleashed a powerful incantation,

"Flame Pillars!"

The flames erupted like towering pillars, reaching for the sky with intense heat and ferocity; however, the Headmaster remained unmoved, her body revealing an invisible barrier of psychic energy that surrounded her. The flames crashed against this unseen defense, creating a vibrant display of magic meeting magic. The sheer force of the attack caused the surrounding ground to tremble, but the Headmaster's protective barrier held strong.

The Headmaster aimed her staff at Alan. He felt a powerful force lifting him into the air. He struggled against the invisible grip, trying to break free, but the Headmaster's control was unwavering. With a swift motion of her staff, she sent him hurtling downward.

Alan, quick to react, surrounded himself with a fiery armor, using the last of his fire power to cushion the impact. The flames absorbed much of the force, but it was clear that he was reaching the limits of his magical endurance.

"You are quite resourceful, but you don't have enough fire power left to even scratch me," The headmaster declared while still radiating with immense energy. "You wasted all of your power earlier. If you had been at full strength, maybe you would have lasted longer and been able to leave a mark, but the result would have been the same in the end."

Risebelle's gaze met Roselle's, and there was a profound understanding between the two sisters. They both knew that the situation was dire, and sacrifices might have to be made to stand any chance against the formidable Headmaster.

With fire in her eyes, Risebelle made her choice. She leaned in close to Roselle and whispered, "I have to do something. I can’t let him die like this. If I don't make it, remember the secret phrase Kintovar gave us."

Roselle nodded, her blue eyes filled with worry.

Risebelle took a deep breath and turned to face the Headmaster, her resolve unwavering.

The Headmaster's sinister aura enveloped Alan as she held him up, his body suspended in the air. She gazed at him with cold, unyielding eyes, her intent clear.

"I'm going to drop you, Alan," she declared while grinning with satisfaction. She slowly raised him higher “But not just from this distance. I'm going to drop you from a height so high that nothing will be left of you. Before I do, though, I'll grant you the opportunity to say your last words. Make them quick."

Alan, suspended in the air by the Headmaster's unforgiving grasp stared defiantly into her cold, unyielding eyes. He couldn't help but remember the seemingly trivial question he had posed earlier.

With a touch of defiance, he spoke with a smile on his face, "You know, Headmaster, I never got the chance to answer that question, but I'll tell you now. In a fight between a fire mage and a water mage... the one who wins is the one with the strongest will."

Before the Headmaster could respond, Alan continued with flames swirling around him. "My will is unbreakable. No matter what you do, you won't extinguish the flames burning within me!"

The Headmaster raised Alan even higher remaining cold in her gaze.

"That's enough of your empty words, Alan," she retorted with a dismissive tone. “I will say this, you tried to make things interesting with that little riddle of yours but it was only an act of your panicking wasn’t it? I’m afraid Desperation won't change your fate. Farewell, Alan."

Just as she prepared to release him to his doom, a sudden burst of energy disrupted her plans. Risebelle's cannon fired and for a brief moment, the Headmaster's invisible barrier flickered into existence, diverting her attention.

With a quirk of her brow, the Headmaster turned her gaze toward Risebelle, curiosity mingling with annoyance. “And what, pray tell, did you hope to accomplish with that pitiful attack, child?"

Risebelle, despite her weakened state, stood firm and resolute. She locked eyes with the Headmaster. "I hoped to get your attention, and it seemed to work. Now I want you to see something..."

With a nod to Roselle, Risebelle instructed her sister, "Fire."

Roselle, positioned with Runebelle on the ground beside her, unleashed the tremendous power of her cannon towards the Mana Extractor. The cannon's blast was massive, and it headed straight for the device that had been the source of so much turmoil.

However, as the energy from Roselle's attack neared the Mana Extractor, an invisible barrier shimmered into existence, deflecting the destructive force.

"I anticipated you children might try to destroy the Mana Extractor," The Headmaster declared while now shifting to a smirk. "So, I took the liberty of linking it to my own magical power. Did you really think you could outsmart a mind like mines? You won't be destroying it anytime soon."

Risebelle's shock was evident in her wide, innocent blue eyes. The Headmaster pulled her into her arms by simply holding out one hand towards her. The Headmaster's grip was firm and her intentions were far from gentle.

Risebelle's struggle intensified as the Headmaster's grip tightened around her throat. The dark yellow energy that surrounded the Headmaster's hands seethed with dark power, and Risebelle felt the pressure on her neck intensify.

The Headmaster's fury was relentless as she spoke, "I've been waiting for this moment for so long," she hissed, her words dripping with venom. "To crush one of Kintovar's creations, to prove once and for all that her experiments were nothing compared to the true power of the magical academy."

Risebelle's eyes darted around desperately, searching for any way to break free from the Headmaster's hold. Her consciousness began to fade as oxygen became scarce, but she refused to give in.

The Headmaster's insults cut deep as she berated Risebelle and her sisters. "Fake mages, artificial mages," she spat, her anger boiling over. "Kintovar's abominations, born without true magic…You're all nothing more than a mockery of what a mage should be!"

Risebelle's vision blurred, and her strength was leaving her, but in the depths of her strength, she continued to search for a way to escape the Headmaster's deadly grasp.

With a cruel smirk, the Headmaster released her grip on Risebelle allowing the young girl to fall to the ground gasping for breath. Risebelle's body, weakened from the confrontation, hit the ground with a thud.

The Headmaster loomed over her, her yellowish aura still pulsating with dark energy. "I'm not going to finish you now. Your torment has only just begun."

The Headmaster’s psychic pressure intensified. Risebelle found herself on the ground, unable to move. She was left gasping for breath, her body bruised and battered, but her spirit unbroken.

“Mwaahahhaha! That’s it! Squirm! I’m going to break you into pieces!”

Just then, Risebelle begins to laugh through her battered and immobilized state. The Headmaster was baffled by the sudden outburst, looked at her curiously, "What's so amusing, child?"

Risebelle, her smile unwavering, managed to speak through her laughter. "You," she said between chuckles, "with all your power, your grand plans, and your arrogance... you're going to die right here, you filthy human."

The Headmaster's initial surprise gave way to a burst of laughter of her own. "Oh, you are a funny child," she remarked, her amusement tinged with a hint of condescension. "But I've heard enough of your delusions."

Risebelle fixed her gaze on the Headmaster and repeated, "It's no delusion. Your death will involve 'Lip-glaze'."

The Headmaster’s face from amusement to confusion. She leaned in slightly as if trying to make sense of the term. "I beg your pardon?"

Risebelle repeated the secret word, "Lip-glaze."

The Headmaster's confusion deepened as she continued to stare at Risebelle, unable to grasp the significance of the word or its connection to her impending demise.

The Headmaster, leaning closer to Risebelle, asked with amusement and curiosity, "Do you even know what 'lip-glaze' is, child? Are you sure you're not confusing it with something else?"

Risebelle, despite her dire circumstances, maintained a calm demeanor. She responded, "I know exactly what 'lip-glaze' is, and I'm not confused."

The Headmaster, deep in thought, pondered the word "lip-glaze." She furrowed her brow, her mind racing to decipher its significance. It seemed like a puzzle, a hidden message. What in the hell could something like that could mean?

With a faint hint of frustration, she muttered to herself, "If Kintovar's creation is saying it, then it must mean something, but it sounds so ridiculous!"

Risebelle, with a mischievous look in her eye, decided to entertain herself by impersonating Kintovar's way of speech. She began speaking while raising one finger and mimicking Kintovar’s way of speech, "Well, you see, lip-glaze is a magical concoction that's used to make your lips all shiny and you—"

The Headmaster's patience had its limits, and Risebelle's playful impersonation of Kintovar's way of speaking had pushed her to her breaking point. With a stern and commanding tone, she silenced Risebelle before she could finish her sentence.

"Shut your mouth, you piece of trash," she commanded with no mercy. "Since you've chosen to annoy me, your torture will commence immediately!"

The Headmaster was moments away from enacting her cruel intentions when an unexpected interruption shattered the silence of the battlefield

"I don't think so. You’ve really gotten full of yourself these days, old hag."

A brilliant beam of energy burst forth from an unseen source, slicing through the Headmaster's invisible barrier with ease. The beam narrowly missed the Headmaster's body, but it was clear that its purpose was to demonstrate its incredible power rather than harm her.

When the dust settled, Dr. Kintovar appeared on the battlefield, joined by Becky and Sybil.

Roselle's face lit up with excitement, and she couldn't contain her joy as she exclaimed, "It's Dr. Kintovar!"

Risebelle on the other hand lowered her eyes and muttered with a hint of disappointment but still wore a smirk on her face. "She’s late."

Dr.Kintovar glanced around at the gathered individuals on the battlefield and said, “Sorry to keep you all waiting, but are you ready for a show?"

The Headmaster, though visibly angered by Dr. Kintovar's arrival had to remain as confident as she always was. She pointed a finger at Kintovar and declared, "So, you've finally come out to confront me face to face. Welcome… to your final resting place!"