Risebelle pushed her system to its limits, channeling an unprecedented amount of water magic into her attack. The energy within her surged like a mighty river which she directed toward Aliana using 200% of her magical power.

  Risebelle strained her system to the absolute limit. Her magical energy plummeted to 0% from full, and her system began issuing dire warnings:

  "Magic reservoir depleted. Insufficient mana for this level of magic usage."

  Risebelle ignored the warnings. She felt the static building up around her. Blood seeped from her nose, but she continued to push herself.

  The system messages grew more urgent:

  "Warning: Magic reserves at -50%. Continued strain may lead to system malfunction and irreversible damage to the user."

  Risebelle's vision blurred. She could feel her body trembling uncontrollably, but she refused to stop.

  The system's final warning echoed in her mind:

  "Critical error: Magic reserves at -100%. Immediate cessation of magical activity is required to prevent catastrophic system failure and user self-destruction."

  Risebelle's body convulsed and she lost her sight completely.

  The immense surge of water tore through the air with a roar like a crashing wave. Aliana’s ice magic flared instinctively. She raised her sword Kori Tengoku high, summoning a solid wall of ice in an attempt to block the incoming onslaught.

  The wall of ice held for mere moments. Then, with a sound like a thunderclap, the ice shattered into thousands of jagged shards, the force of the water overwhelmed Aliana.

  Aliana’s eyes widened as in disbelief. She was swept away in a torrent of water that kept coming; however, she attempted to push against it.

  ‘What… is this?’ she thought. ‘What is she doing over there to generate this much power?’

  Risebelle’s body faltered. For a brief moment, the violent rush of water slowed. In the stillness, a cloud of steam rose from Risebelle’s body.

  Aliana’s eyes darted back to Risebelle. And then—something changed.

  A strange blue glow began to emanate from Risebelle’s body. At first, it was a faint shimmer around her hair, but then it grew brighter. Her eyes lit up with a brilliant blue light, piercing through the haze of exhaustion. The hair that had once hung loosely around her face now became infused with the energy she had poured into the attack. The blue aura surrounding her pulsed like the heartbeat of the ocean itself. It swirled violently and growed until it was towering as high as the trees of the mystic forest themselves.

  Aliana stepped back in shock. “This… what is she? What is this power?”

  Risebelle’s vision was restored. Her aura glowed brighter with every passing second. She raised up one hand to the sky.

  "Deluging Sea!"

  Upon saying the words, a cataclysmic torrent of water fused with acid erupted from her body and engulfed the battlefield in a raging river that swept everything in its path. The sheer power of the attack made even the forest itself shudder in its wake.

  Risebelle's controlled the water with precision and directed its fury toward her foe. Aliana found themselves drowning in despair. She gasped for words as the torrential onslaught came down on her.

  Aliana found herself submerged in the raging river. Her eyes were widened. “This... no, this is impossible!"

  Amidst the deluge, Aliana's screams of pain were drowned out by the rushing waters. Her body contorted from the acidic magic of Risebelle's attack which seared her skin, causing her agony beyond imagination.

  Despite the underwater chaos, Risebelle swiftly retrieved her cannon and began to fire precise shots into the turbulent waters. The shots were guided by her control over the Deluging Sea, homing in on Aliana's location within the submerged battlefield.

  Runebelle, who had retreated to a safe distance felt the force of the storm surge which reached the height of the trees. She immediately scaled the nearest one, using her a cannon’s rapid fire towards the ground to propel herself ypwards. She nestled herself high enough away from the violent waters below. Her eyes were wide with both awe and concern.

  Despite her sister’s insistence on her safety, Runebelle couldn’t pull herself away. She stayed hidden in the branches.

  The static in the air was undeniable. Even from her vantage point, Runebelle could feel the tremors of power emanating from Risebelle. her concern deepened as she saw the static spark around her sister’s figure. There was something wrong about this level of magic.

  Aliana, who was still trapped, desperately shouted:

  “Sword Magic style. Kori Tengoku,level 2, Frostbite.”

  With her power being unleashed, she willed her sword, Kori Tengoku to gain a bluish color coating around the blade itself. The sword's icy aura returned. Aliana focused her magic on the surrounding acidic water. The temperature plummeted rapidly as Risebelle’s water began to freeze.

  Risebelle, watching the Cryomancer's efforts knew that she couldn't let up. She continued to fire shots from her cannon which made it difficult for Aliana to continue her attempts to freeze her sea.

  Aliana's face contorted in pain and frustration momentarily before being replaced by anger. She thrusted her blade out and shouted through the chaotic waters,

  "Sword Magic Style, Level 3: Absolute Frost Blade!"

  The smile that had adorned Aliana’s face throughout the battle vanished. .It was replaced with an intense focus. Her icy aura surged and the blade of Kori Tengoku began to emit an even colder aura.

  Aliana thrust her sword into the raging sea. A crackling sound echoed through the chaotic battlefield. The ground trembled as the blade of Kori Tengoku made contact with the earth beneath the water.

  A pulse of raw ice magic surged from the sword with a coldness so intense that it seemed to freeze the very air. The spreading ice began to cover the deluging waters, encasing it in a thick, frozen crust.

  Risebelle continued to fire shots from her cannon, but the rapid freezing of the sea was rendering her efforts useless. Each shot that Risebelle fired had less and less impact due to the ice shielding Aliana from harm.

  Risebelle’s brow furrowed in disbelief. Aliana’s cold aura expanded and hardened. Then, the very ocean around her solidified into a layer of ice, trapping Risebelle within its frozen grip.

  Risebelle gasped. The intense cold numbed her senses and then, she became an ice sculpture.

  The ice extended beyond Risebelle’s immediate area, surging outwards with merciless speed. It spread through the surrounding forest. Trees and vegetation were encased in a thick layer of ice, and the mages who had been retreating with the mana extractor found themselves in fear as the freezing wave surged dangerously close to them.

  The main mage, a tall man with short brown hair clenched his fists in frustration and shouted, "Why the hell did Aliana go all the way to level 3 with her Sword magic?! We’re not out of her range yet! Does she wanna win that bad?!”

  Beside him, the female mage who was a petite woman with short brown hair trembled visibly. Her face her face paled upon seeing the frost around them. "Oh no... We’re going to freeze to death if this keeps up! I... I didn’t bring any spells for this kind of extreme cold. We weren’t prepared for something like this!" She frantically checked her pouch for anything that could help, but there was nothing. Nothing to shield them from the deathly chill.

  The third mage, an older man with graying hair and a permanent scowl let out a bitter chuckle. "Death by friendly fire," he muttered darkly. "Sad way to go. I always thought I'd go out in a flashy battle, rather than frozen like some damn statue."

  The main mage’s frustration turned into anger. "We need to get out of here!" he barked. "Aliana's lost it. She’s going to freeze the entire area and we’ll be trapped along with the enemy. This is madness!"

  But no matter how they tried to retreat, the freezing wave closed in around them which made it impossible to escape.

  After Aliana's devastating Sword Magic, the battlefield lay in disarray. The area where Risebelle had unleashed her Deluging Sea turned into a frozen wasteland, with trees and vegetation encased in thick ice.

  Aliana, her breaths came out in visible puffs. She looked around at the frozen landscape she had created with her Level 3 Sword Magic.

  "It's a shame," she muttered between gasps for breath, "I didn't think I'd have to use my 3rd level of Sword Magic. You've pushed me further than I anticipated."

  Despite her weariness, Aliana's eyes remained fixed on the crystalline prison containing Risebelle.

  With a final roar of defiance, Risebelle surged her remaining acidic water magic outward with brutal force, cracking the ice that had encased her body. The ice splintered and shattered like glass across the frozen battlefield. Risebelle stumbled upon being freed.

  But then a system message flashed in her mind. The message blinked in stark red:

  "Critical Danger Zone:

  Magic Reserves: -101%

  Life Force: 3%

  Warning: Further exertion may result in permanent damage or destruction."

  Her body dimmed with an unnatural static coursing through her limbs. Aliana’s words seemed to reach her, but they were distorted. Risebelle’s vision blurred. She could barely make out the shape of Aliana in the haze.

  "I can't hear..." she whispered to herself. The ground beneath her felt like it was swaying. She blinked, hoping her sight would return but everything around her spun. "I can't see..."

  Her body shook violently. "No..." she gritted her teeth. "It's too soon. I can... push further... I have to."

  With what little strength remained, Risebelle focused every ounce of willpower she had left to restore her senses. Her vision flickered, then solidified, though still faint and dim. The sound of the battlefield grew clearer, but it was accompanied by a terrible ringing in her ears.

  She finally heard Aliana’s voice over the storm in her mind. "Oh... so it seems I didn't break you, Risebelle. Not yet..."

  Risebelle’s heart thundered in her chest.

  A smile spread across Aliana's face. "Well, well, seems you're still alive, though barely. I must commend you for pushing me to use my 3rd level of Sword Magic, even if you are nothing more than a creation of that foolish doctor. I doubt you'll survive another round of that though."

  Aliana's gaze bore into Risebelle's weary eyes. "So, Risebelle, do you have any last words? Any final words you wish to share before your inevitable demise?"

  Risebelle’s eyes faced the ground and she fell to her knees.

  Runebelle, who had silently observed the fierce battle between her sister Risebelle and Aliana suddenly felt a strange sensation on her cheek. She reached up with trembling hands to touch her face. To her astonishment, her fingers came away wet.

  Tears

  ‘What…what is this… tears? I can …still cry like this? Even though I’m not a human anymore?’ She murmured.

  A shaky breath escaped her, and the realization hit her like a wave. She cared. She cared about Risebelle.

  The weight of the thought anchored her to the tree. ‘Sorry, Risebelle. But I can’t stay away... I care about you…You are…my older sister now… I don’t want to lose you.’

  Runebelle jumped from her position ontop of the tree and landed with a heavy thud. The sound echoed across the frozen battlefield, but she didn’t care. Her mind was fixed on one thing: reaching Risebelle.

  “I won’t... let you go, Risebelle,” she murmured to herself. “Please... make it in time.” Runebelle began running toward her sister’s side.

  Meanwhile, Aliana was disappointed that Risebelle had no last words. She pointed her blade at her and shook her head

  "Such a shame," Aliana muttered. "I expected to get more words from you, Risebelle other than ‘ungh.’, Perhaps my last attack managed to freeze your vocal cords. Oh well. “She shrugged “Perish in the icy embrace of Tengoku, creation of that Foolish Dr. Kintovar.

  Risebelle summoned the last remnants of her strength. Her eyes, though dimming back could still see figures and shapes. She coughed and soon a weak but defiant smile formed on her lips. “You know, Aliana…” she began sounding raspy, “You sure do like to call her foolish… Did Kintovar... reject you that badly?”

  Aliana’s face twisted with rage. “You insolent–” she began, but Risebelle cut her off.

  “You’ve spent all this time calling us failures, abominations, creations of a fool. But here’s the thing you’ve missed. Dr. Kintovar... she's a scientist first. She doesn’t waste time on weakness. She made us... powerful."

  Aliana’s brows furrowed. “What are you--”

  Risebelle cut her off again and said, “One last thing, Aliana....When you get to hell, tell them Risebelle sent you. Oh, and don’t forget to mention how I kicked your ass...”

  Aliana's fury reached a boiling point. “Silence!” she screamed, raising her blade to strike the final blow. "So now you want to speak, you fool? No. Become my ice sculpture instead!"

  Runebelle arrived on the scene and fired off her healing shot towards Risebelle at the same time. Will her healing shot reach in time? The fate of the sister’s hangs in the balance.