Arlysa observed Runebelle taking out her small cannon. She taunted, "Oh, how adorable. You think that tiny toy gun can stand up to the power of darkness?"

  Runebelle remained silent.

  Arlysa slammed her staff forcefully into the ground. Dark energy coiled from the cracks she made and Arlysa began a low chant. Her words blended with the sound of the trembling ground, and from the fissures emerged writhing tendrils of inky darkness that snaked outward to form chains of pure malice.

  Runebelle opened fire with rapid blasts from her cannon. The barrage illuminated the area with brief flashes of light and eliminated Arlysa’s spell while also threatening to hit her.

  Arlysa chuckled darkly. She rose her staff and summoned up Dark tendrils from the ground. “You can try to resist, little one, but eventually, you'll succumb to darkness.”

  With a flourish of her staff, she shouted,

  “Cage of the Abyss!”

  In response, three orb-like masses of dense, dark energy materialized around Runebelle. They spun into place and converged to form cage of shadow.

  Runebelle dropped her cannon momentarily and drew on the elements at her command. She called forth a towering pillar that melded ice, fire, and earth into a single, massive column.

  The clash between darkness and the pillar began and it held the battlefield in a standstill. Then, the pillar’s light blazed brighter. The dark orbs began to fracture and wane before dissipating completely.

  Arlysa let out a low hiss. She pointed her staff towards Runebelle, which launched out a powerful dark energy blast which tore through Runebelle's elemental pillar and struck the young creation directly. The force of the attack sent Runebelle stumbling backward, but she remained on her feet.

  Arlysa stepped forward. "You're tougher than you look, but darkness has a way of eroding even the strongest of defenses."

  Arlysa slammed her staff into the ground, and a surge of dark power coursed through her. Dark skulls emerged from her body, swirling around her like vengeful spirits. She grinned wickedly and raised her staff high. The dark skulls that surrounded her swirled faster.

  A massive sphere of pure darkness formed above her staff. She directed the sphere of darkness toward her gloomy opponent.

  "Eclipse Annihilation!"

  Runebelle rose her hands and released her pillars to counter; however, this spell of Arlysa’s overwhelmed the pillars and shattered them before they could fully come together. Runebelle’s eyes widened.

  The dark energy engulfed Runebelle. The ominous sphere seemed to drain the very vitality from the young creation.

  Arlysa let out a low chuckle while twirling her staff between her fingers.“This is one of my most powerful advanced magic spells,” she declared with a cruel edge. “The longer you stay within it, the more it will take from you. Your strength, your energy—your very existence will be devoured.”

  But when she peered into the shroud of darkness, Runebelle’s body remained visible within it, barely moving. She stood with the same downcast look she had when this battle started.

  Arlysa tilted her head. “What is with that face?” she asked with irritation creeping into her tone. “Shouldn’t you be terrified? Angry? Something?”

  Runebelle’s gaze lifted slightly, meeting Arlysa’s piercing eyes through the oppressive gloom. “It’s always been this way for me,” she murmured. “The world is always sad.”

  Arlysa blinked. Runebelle continued. "I've known nothing but sadness in my life. Every time something good came, something else took it away. I've had nothing, and everyone stayed away from me... it's always been this way."

  Arlysa scoffed. She narrowed her eyes at Runebelle. “What the hell is this damn robot talking about?” she muttered under her breath.

  Runebelle’s words, that unbearable melancholy—it gnawed at something deep in Arlysa’s mind but then, she pushed it aside.

  ‘This thing was created by Kintovar. A construct. A machine dressed in flesh. It had never left this island, had never experienced loss, and yet it spoke as if it had endured true suffering.’

  Arlysa clenched her teeth with irritation morphing into rage.

  “Tch. I see what this is now.” She spoke with disdain. “You’re trying to make a mockery of mage emotions, aren’t you?”

  She took a step forward. “It’s not the first time one of Kintovar’s creations tried pretending it had real feelings.” Her eyes burned with a cold fury. “You don’t know pain. You don’t know what it means to lose anything. You’re just an imitation. And I’ll prove it.”

  Meanwhile, amidst the chaotic battle against the mages, Risebelle felt an inexplicable unease. She fought off the mages and had joined Roselle’s side in the battle against Sylra.

  Sylra lunged forward, throwing a sharp jab at Risebelle.

  Risebelle took a step back and held out one hand. A swirling sphere of water formed in her palm. With a flick of her wrist, the sphere split into dozens of miniature spears that shot forward like bullets, pelting Sylra from multiple angles.

  Sylra grunted, raising her stone-covered arm to deflect some of the attacks but the sheer number forced her to shift her footing.

  “Woah, that’s new!” Roselle exclaimed with excitement.

  “Focus, Roselle!” Risebelle snapped.

  Sylra growled in frustration. She slammed her foot into the ground, summoning a massive boulder and with a sharp thrust of her palm, she sent it hurtling toward Risebelle.

  Sylra dashed forward, veering past Risebelle while she dealt with the attack entirely and making a beeline straight for Roselle.

  Roselle narrowed her eyes. Her yellow lightning crackled around her body and she vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing behind Sylra in an instant. She braced her massive cannon, aiming squarely at Sylra’s exposed side.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The shot slammed into Sylra with crushing force, sending her skidding across the battlefield.

  Roselle smirked. Risebelle stepped up beside her and folded her arms.

  Sylra glared at the two sisters. “Damn it…”

  Risebelle’s gaze flickered toward where Runebelle was locked in battle with Arlysa. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

  She exhaled sharply, then turned to Roselle. “Keep her busy. I’ll be right back.”

  Before Roselle could respond, Risebelle dashed off. She barely had a moment to process her absence before several more mages rushed in from the edges of the battlefield. Roselle prepared herself.

  “Hold your fire,” a calm yet commanding voice rang out.

  The sudden order made the attacking mages hesitate. Roselle’s eyes narrowed at the figure who stepped forward from the group.

  His cloak was a pristine white, tinged with gold and almost untouched by the grime of battle. His black hair was neatly cut, styled in a way that made him look studious. His piercing gaze locked onto her with an intensity that made Roselle tense.

  She recognized him.

  “Oh, you…” she muttered while racking her brain for his name. “Uh… Victor? Vance? Vasco? Something with a V, right?”

  The man exhaled sharply through his nose.

  “Vincent,” he corrected with a cold finality. “Head Mage of the Society of Light.” His eyes darkened and he spoke with malice. “You sisters are responsible for Abner’s death.”

  Roselle raised an eyebrow. “Abner…?”

  Vincent’s face hardened. “The Chosen One of Light. Slain by you and your wretched kin.” He lifted a hand with golden energy flaring to life around his palm. “I am here to ensure you meet the same fate.”

  Roselle’s casual stance faltered as something in Vincent’s words triggered a flicker of memory.

  A flash—golden light splitting the battlefield, a towering gate of radiance tearing through the air.The world had lifted beneath her feet with gravity abandoning her as Abner’s spell dragged them high into the sky. She remembered the pulse of raw power surging through her veins, the overwhelming force of Project Mage Transformation overtaking her body. The sharp heat of her magic crackling at her fingertips.

  Her mind snapped back to the battlefield, to Vincent standing before her. Roselle’s fingers twitched.

  “…Oh. That guy.”

  At the same time, Risebelle reached the area where Runebelle had been engulfed by the Eclipse Annihilation. The darkness was oppressively keeping her trapped in.

  Risebelle skidded to a stop. She could barely make out Runebelle within.

  Her jaw clenched. She had to get through—

  A sudden blast of fire shot toward her from the side. Risebelle twisted her body to avoid searing heat. More mages stepped into her path and prepared to cast their next spells.

  She let out a growl of frustration.

  "Get out of my damn way!" she roared while slamming her hands together.

  Water surged around her in a violent torrent.

  “Aqua Whirlwind!”

  A massive vortex of water erupted from the ground, swirling with deadly precision. Blades of compressed water spun within, cutting through the air like razors. The mages barely had time to react before they were swept up in the chaotic spiral

  "Hold on, Runebelle!" Risebelle shouted with her gaze on the swirling abyss ahead.

  As Risebelle moved to rescue Runebelle, Arlysa stepped forward with a smirk. "Ah, the bonds of sisterhood. It's fascinating, really. The way you all react when one of you is in danger... desperation, determination, rage. It’s almost touching."

  Her crimson gaze flickered toward Runebelle, still trapped within the swirling darkness. "But that’s all it is, isn’t it? A performance. An imitation of human emotions. Because no matter how much you mimic it," Arlysa's smirk widened, "mimicry can never be the real thing."

  Risebelle felt something in her snap. Her aura became a darkish blue as rage surged through her veins like a tidal wave. Her teeth bared in a vicious snarl.

  "You filthy human!" she spat with fury. "You act like you understand anything about us—but you’re just another arrogant bastard who thinks they know everything, aren’t you?!"

  Her body tensed. "Try me," Risebelle growled. "I’ll show you just how real I am!"

  Meanwhile, the battle between Roselle and Vincent Began.

  Vincent raised his staff skyward. The air around him was surrounded with light energy, and several golden, key-shaped constructs materialized in a brilliant arc. They floated ominously before circling Roselle like silent sentinels.

  "Advanced magic: Holy Sanctuary!"

  The keys locked into place, emitting a radiant glow that sealed her in. Roselle tensed, eyeing them warily. She clenched her fists and touched one of them, but the instant her finger touched the key—

  ZAP!

  A searing jolt of holy energy coursed through her, forcing her hand back. She hissed through clenched teeth.

  Vincent remained composed. His staff was now brimming with radiance. He pointed it toward Roselle, and the light around him intensified. "You should have been destroyed by Abner’s Extreme magic spell," he said coolly. "This world does not need the abomination that killed Abner!"

  A sphere of condensed light formed at the tip of his staff, rapidly growing in intensity.

  Roselle narrowed her eyes. She saw it now. He was keeping her restrained until his attack was ready.

  Her lips curled into a smirk. "Nice trick."

  Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Then, a sphere of yellow lightning erupted from her body, surging outward in every direction.

  “Thunderclap, Suuurgge!”

  The crackling surge of electricity crashed into the key-shaped constructs, frying them one by one. The divine prison shattered with a sharp, metallic clang, and Roselle lunged forward just as Vincent unleashed his Holy Beam.

  Golden light and yellow lightning collided. The battlefield lit up as their magic clashed in a blinding explosion of power.

  Roselle gritted her teeth. "You’re not the only ones who gets stronger, Vincent!" she shouted over the crackling storm.

  The sheer force of Roselle’s Thunderclap Surge overpowered Vincent’s Holy Beam. His eyes widened. “Wha—?!”

  The golden energy of his spell shattered like fragile glass before the crackling yellow lightning surged through, slamming into him with devastating force.

  Vincent let out a sharp gasp as his body was violently hurled backward across the battlefield before crashing into a heap.

  Thesurrounding mages stared in disbelief. Their Head Mage of the Society of Light—blown away like he was nothing.

  Roselle exhaled with sweat dripping from her brow. Her arms trembled slightly from the recoil of the attack. "Hah… That takes care of—"

  THOOM!

  The ground ruptured beneath her as Sylra exploded into action.

  "DON’T GET COCKY!"

  Sylra rushed at Roselle like a charging beast. Roselle barely had a to leap back as Sylra swung her stone-coated fist. It narrowly missed her face.

  The sheer force of the missed punch split the ground apart where Roselle had just been standing.

  Sylra was giving her zero breathing room!

  Without slowing, Sylra slammed her foot into the earth. A massive slab of rock jutted up from below, sending Roselle upwards.

  Sylra smirked as Roselle was launched into the air. "Rock sandwich."

  Above, a massive boulder formed. It descended fast—set to crush Roselle between it and the rising slab beneath her.

  Roselle’s eyes flicked upward.

  “That’s not happening.”

  Electricity crackled violently around her. She summoned her massive cannon. With a sharp motion, she directed her yellow lightning into it.

  Then, she hurled the cannon downward.

  Sylra’s eyes widened slightly but she leaped back. However, she didn’t notice—

  A rope of lightning extended from the cannon, latching onto Roselle’s arm. With a sharp pull, she yanked herself downward—just before the two massive rocks slammed together with a deafening BOOM!

  Dust and debris exploded in the air, but Roselle had already landed—right behind Sylra.

  Sylra realized too late.

  "Too slow."

  With a smirk, Roselle shouted,

  “Thunderclap, SUURGE!”

  Lightning surged outward in a spinning fan of crackling electricity, tendrils of yellow lightning homing in on Sylra, who was left completely exposed. Sylra was enveloped by the electrifying assault.

  The sand gathered around Sylra, obscuring her from view. Roselle had expected her Thunderclap Surge to have a significant impact on her opponent. However, when the sand cleared, Roselle's eyes widened in astonishment. Sylra stood before her, unharmed.

  Sylra declared, "Your entire affinity won't work on me, little girl. My Earth affinity allows me to create a sinkhole within my body for charges, absorbing any amount of electricity you throw at me. My body is also filled with the earth's essence."

  "You can't be serious," Roselle said incredulously.

  “How am I supposed to fight her now?”

  Project Mage