Project Mage

In Risebelle's memory of the past, a sharp, piercing pain erupted through Haras's back as a shard of earth energy struck through her body. The blood gushed out of her wildly.

Risebelle looked on in shock.

“Haras…”

In that critical moment, Risebelle's emotions ignited like a raging storm. Her blue hair seemed to glow and her normally calm demeanor was replaced by an overwhelming surge of anger.

"Humans....Fillthy....Humans...."

Risebelle's icy-blue eyes bore into the cloaked figure with an intensity that could freeze the very area around her. Her usual cold and composed face shattered like glass. It was replaced by nothing but pure rage that radiated from her like a storm.

She spared no glance for Haras, who lay injured and bleeding on the forest floor. Her focus was solely on the intruder who had dared to harm her creator.

"I don't care who you are," Risebelle hissed. "But you've just made the biggest mistake of your career as a mage. I'll show you no mercy when I blast you full of holes."

Once she spoke, a surge of water magic enveloped her. Her affinity for the element manifested in a powerful and dangerous form. In her hands, she held a cannon-like weapon, and the water within it churned and swirled. It was ready to be unleashed at her command.

The cloaked figure couldn't hide her surprise at Risebelle's display of magical power. "A creation of technology, showing magical prowess? How utterly intriguing."

The figure's words only fueled Risebelle's anger further. She raised her weapon and aimed it at the cloaked woman. The forest around them seemed to respond to her fury. Water droplets in the air began to gather and swirl which formed a dense mist that obscured their surroundings.

Risebelle fired her cannon at the cloaked figure with a surge of water magic propelling the attack forward. It created a high-speed projectile that streaked through the air; however, the cloaked figure was prepared for an attack. With a staff adorned with colorful runes, she channeled her magical power into the very earth beneath their feet.

The ground rumbled and shifted in response to the cloaked woman's commands. The earth rose and twisted. They formed jagged stone formations that reached out hungrily to ensnare Risebelle.

Despite the efforts of the Woman, Risebelle was not so easily captured. With agility and grace, she dodged and weaved through the shifting earth. Her water-infused cannon attacks provided bursts of propulsion to aid her movements. The two forces clashed in a battle of magic and technology and the forest echoed with the sounds of their confrontation.

Amidst the chaos, the cloaked figure noticed something peculiar. She could feel the power emanating from Risebelle, the fusion of magic and technology that was unprecedented. With a sense of urgency, she spoke aloud.

"I must report this back to the Headmaster. This is no ordinary creation. It's a potential game-changer and they need to know before that quack doctor can get a chance to overtake us."

While the battle between Risebelle and the cloaked figure intensified, a moment of unexpected transformation occurred. The water that had been under Risebelle's control suddenly surged out from her cannon. It defied her will and rushed out toward her hands.

Risebelle cried out in surprise and dropped her cannon when the water enveloped her. It swirled and churned forming a vortex of liquid power around her. For the first time ever, Risebelle unleashed an ability, one she had never used before. She shouted:

"Aqua Whirlwind!"

With those words, the swirling vortex of water and magic expanded, creating a powerful whirlwind that surrounded her foe. Within the whirlwind, razor-sharp water blades sliced through the air, making it a formidable and chaotic attack.

The cloaked woman's eyes widened with shock and disbelief being caught in the relentless maelstrom of water and magic. She struggled to maintain her composure while her body was ravaged by the dangerous water. The Aqua Whirlwind hindered her movement and inflicted moderate but steadily mounting damage.

"What?! This level of magic?!" she exclaimed with astonishment and perhaps a hint of fear.

When the Aqua Whirlwind subsided, it left the battlefield drenched. Risebelle scanned the area with her anger still simmering; however, the cloaked woman who had been her adversary had vanished without a trace.

After the intense battle and the astonishing display of her newfound power, Risebelle rushed over to Haras who was bleeding out from her injuries. Her anger was still present but her concern for her creator was evident. Haras had a severe wound which was growing by the minute. Time was running out for her.

Haras weakly spoke with a strain. "You tapped into your magic... within just three days. It's... faster than we... than I expected."

Risebelle's frustration and confusion were still apparent. "Why do I have magic? The same magic as those humans? No…I don't want their pathetic magic."

Haras looked up to her and begain to explain. “You don't have... the same magic as humans. It's... different. You have the power... to control water... and manipulate it with technology. It's... a fusion of magic and technology, unique to you."

Before Haras could finish her explanation, her injuries became too much to bear. She fell silent. Risebelle knew they couldn't stay out in the open. That would make them vulnerable to potential attacks by mages who she now despised even more after this encounter.

“I’m only doing this because you are my creator.”

Risebelle carefully lifted Haras and carried her to a more secluded and secure location.

Risebelle found a secluded spot by the mountain, a place that mages seemed to actively avoid. It provided them with some degree of safety and privacy. While they settled into this hidden refuge, Haras checked her pockets then showed some frustration and regret on her face.

"Oh, I can't believe it," Haras exclaimed. "I forgot to bring the healing sprays with me. I'm such a scatterbrain, aren’t I? Dr.Kintovar would laugh at me."

Risebelle, who had been listening intently, felt a sudden surge of concern for her creator. "Idiot. You need that healing spray. You're hurt, and we can't just wait here without any means to treat your injuries. I’ll carry you back to the lab when the area clears up."

Haras; however, patted Risebelle's arm gently and smiled, though there was pain in her eyes. "I'll be fine here, Risebelle. You're strong, and you can make it to the lab and back without me. I don't want to worry Kintovar about this. She has enough on her plate already."

Risebelle couldn't quite grasp this. Haras wanted to stay behind? She wanted to be left injured and open to attacks? Risebelle’s frustration and anger were still evident as she scowled. "Idiot! Why do you want to stay here when you’re hurt?! Don’t you see how reckless this is? How can you expect me to leave you behind like this?"

Haras sighed softly and spoke with calmness. "Risebelle, please, go to the lab and retrieve the healing spray. I…I can’t afford to let Dr.Kintovar see me like this."

Risebelle responded, “Don’t you see how reckless this is? How can you expect me to--”

Haras interrupted gently, "Risebelle, please trust me on this. I know what I'm doing. Once you have the healing spray, you can return and tend to my wounds. But right now, we can't afford to draw any more attention."

"I can't just leave you here like this….What if something happens while I'm gone? What if the mages find this place? I can't take that risk."

Haras, however, reached out and placed a hand on Risebelle's shoulder.

"Risebelle, please listen to me. You need to report back to Dr. Kintovar. Tell her I'm okay and that I'll be back soon. We can't afford to draw any attention here. I'll be safe. It's the best course of action for both of us. Just follow her orders and you'll see me back in the lab before you know it. Tell her I’ll be gone for three days."

"Fine, do whatever you want," Risebelle replied with her face regaining her coldness.

Risebelle on the inside was another story. She was torn between her frustration and growing concern for Haras. She stormed off back to the lab. While she traveled through the mystic forest, she couldn't shake the sense that something within her was changing. She felt… actual worry? For a Human? It was impossible to her.

Risebelle entered the lab. She found Kintovar and explained the situation with a serious look on her face.

"Kintovar," she began, "Haras found a spot in the mountains, and she'll be gone for three days. She said she'll be fine, but I need to bring her sprays and other items she forgot. I'm sure she'll be back as she promised."

Kintovar regarded Risebelle with understanding in her eyes, but her concern was evident in her tone as she responded.

"I trust Haras," Kintovar said. "If she said she'll be back, she will be. Even so, I need eyes on that part of the forest that I don't have. Keep a watchful eye on her return, Risebelle. I trust you will be able to handle this along with your other missions, won't you?"

Risebelle nodded, relieved that Kintovar understood the situation.

During the next three days, Risebelle tirelessly tended to Haras's injuries with the limited supplies they had. The secluded spot by the mountain remained their sanctuary, and no mages ventured into that area during this time.

Haras's recovery was slow, and she bore the pain of her injuries with remarkable resilience. She was grateful for Risebelle's care and support, and she knew that her creation was doing everything in her power to help her heal.

On the 3rd day, Risebelle went out on her mission to eliminate the mages. She had carried out her duty with her usual cold and ruthless efficiency and left no room for mercy when it came to her enemies. Now, she was eager to check on Haras and ensure her well-being.

When Risebelle returned from her mission to eliminate the mages, her heart raced. She had carried out her duty as ordered but her mind was consumed with her thoughts on Haras and her meeting and understanding of the woman who was one of her creators.

However, as she approached the secluded spot by the mountain where she had left Haras, her excitement turned to shock and dread. The sight that greeted her was horrifying – a massive blood splatter stained the ground. It was the evidence of a violent and gruesome event.

Risebelle's eyes widened with alarm as she scanned the area. She searched for any sign of Haras. Her heart pounded in her chest. There was no trace of her creator, no body or any indication of what had transpired.

Fear and anger surged within Risebelle as she tried to piece together what had happened. The thought of Haras being harmed or worse filled her with a deep sense of dread. She couldn't comprehend the possibility that something terrible happening to the one person who had shown her any form of kindness and care.

Desperation gripped Risebelle as she shouted out, her voice echoing through the secluded spot by the mountain.

"Haras! Haras, where are you? Answer me!"

But there was no response, only the eerie silence of the mystic forest, and the disturbing blood splatter that seemed to mock her with its gruesome presence.

Risebelle's emotions were a turbulent storm within her. She left the mountains behind. Her Anger coursed through her veins like a relentless fire, driving her forward with a burning desire to confront the mages who came anywhere within this secluded spot. This was not a mission assigned to her, but she didn't care.

Her senses heightened, and her instincts sharpened. She moved with a deadly grace, stealthily tracking the mages who were in the area. Her cold and ruthless persona was on full display, and she shot with no mercy as she engaged in combat with those who posed a threat.

But amidst the battle of magic and technology, something unexpected happened. Tears welled up in Risebelle's eyes, blurring her vision as she fought. It was a sensation she had never experienced before, and it caught her off guard.

"Why...? I am…crying..?" she whispered to herself with confusion. "Why…am I still able to cry?"

The anger that had fueled her actions had masked a deeper, more profound emotion – sadness.