Chapter 24: The Sword God Form

  Runebelle’s hands trembled. She reached out to the frozen body of Roselle. Her fire magic crackled from her fingertips against the cold expanse of ice. It began to chip away at the ice, but every bit of ice she melted, more seemed to form in its place.

  ‘Is this enough?’ She thought. ‘I’m not strong enough. I’ll never be able to melt all this...’

  Runebelle’s fire weakened. But when her gaze fell on Roselle, she gasped. Roselle had always been there, since the first moment she awakened. The sister reached out to her with kindness, helping her find joy in a world that had once felt so cold. Roselle’s smiles and efforts to lift her spirits—Runebelle could never forget them. She had learned to harness her powers because Roselle had believed in her and taught her how to use her magic.

  Roselle had fought so hard for her. ‘Now, it’s my turn.’

  With a deep breath, Runebelle closed her eyes and focused. She poured all her feelings for Roselle into her fire. The flames burst from her hands in a torrential blaze, roaring with a newfound intensity.

  The ice began to crack. Runebelle’s face hardened with resolve. “I won’t let you down, Roselle,” she whispered while gritting her teeth.

  The ice surrounding Roselle began to break away under Runebelle's relentless flames. With a final burst of fire, the last of the ice shattered and freed Roselle. Runebelle gently placed one of her fiery hands on Roselle’s wound, her flame licking the air in a soft, steady heat.

  Roselle's eyes fluttered open and she gasped. The warmth from Runebelle's hand seemed to spread through her, soothing the ache of the ice that had once threatened to tear her apart.

  “That... feels nice,” Roselle whispered, but then she furrowed her brow in confusion. “Wait minute…that’s fire! How...?”

  Runebelle’s gaze softened. She hesitated for a moment before replying. “I don’t know exactly. But... I was thinking… If my green energy can heal, then maybe... maybe I can use fire for something other than destruction. I just… I wanted to help you. Like you always helped me.”

  Roselle slowly pushed herself up. She looked at Runebelle with a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

  “Runebelle... you’re amazing,” Roselle said with awe. “You’re evolving—just like I have! You’re growing stronger.”

  Runebelle's cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink, despite the sadness still clouding her face. She looked down and fiddled with her hands nervously.

  Aliana sneered. Her icy gaze sharpened and she raised her sword. "I hope you two enjoyed that little reunion, because it’ll be the last warm moment you get in my icy domain."

  Aliana lunged forward and then Vanished. Roselle's heightened senses strained to track Aliana's blinding speed. In the midst of this frantic search, Roselle's instincts suddenly screamed at her, and she shifted her focus downward. There, she spotted the faintest sliver of icy steel aimed at her feet.

  Roselle swung her massive cannon downward with all her might, unleashing a powerful blast that sent a shockwave of force toward the ground. Her magic surged and her output skyrocketed to 150%. Her yellow lightning now held streaks of red which surged her like a wild storm. The power radiated from her body in explosive waves.

  Aliana prepared to strike again, but Roselle moved the moment Aliana's blade began to descend. She became a streak of light cutting through the air and darted downward, aiming her cannon at Aliana, but the Cryomancer was quick enough to leap back. The blast shattered the ground beneath her.

  But Roselle was already shifting. She could feel the heat of her own magic racing through her limbs. She forced the energy into her legs. The surge propelled her forward like a fast bolt.

  Aliana’s eyes widened in disbelief as Roselle closed the gap between them faster than she could utter the words ‘Damn’ in her mind.

  Roselle’s cannon fired once more toward Aliana. But just as quickly, the air around the Cryomancer froze. Aliana thrust her sword into the air and ice spikes erupted from the ground which not only provided a wall of spikes but also curved themselves and rose up from the ground with their sharp tips aimed straight at Roselle.

  Roselle’s lightning arced to her legs and she surged forward, narrowly avoiding the barrage. “Not today,” she muttered under her breath.

  Aliana raised her blade to the sky and chanted, "Heaven's Icy Crystal." With those words, the air around her seemed to become even more chilling.

  Icy crystals began to form around Aliana. These crystals rapidly multiplied, encasing the battlefield in an icy prison. Roselle and her companions found themselves trapped within this frigid labyrinth, with the shimmering, razor-sharp crystals closing in from all sides.

  Roselle's gaze shifted to Runebelle and she could see the worry creeping in on their face.Aliana echoed through the cold. "There is no escape from this. This is one of my most powerful techniques."

  When she spoke, the temperature dropped even further and the air grew heavier with the weight of impending doom. The ground beneath their feet became slick with frost, making each step treacherous.

  Aliana smirked. “Welcome to my Heaven. These crystals are my judgment, and there is no place for you here.”

  It was a maze of ice, each corner was sharp and lethal. No escape. No mercy.

  Risebelle surveyed the scene with a cold yet calculating look. She made no move to intervene, but her eyes narrowed.

  Roselle clenched her fists. "We have to break out of this somehow. We can’t stay trapped here."

  Aliana’s icy laugh rang out. "Break out? You think you can escape this? Not even the strongest fire mage can melt my ice. It’s perfect. It’s eternal. Good luck trying to survive, creations of the fool."

  Roselle’s face hardened. "Then we’ll just have to find a way to make your ‘eternal’ ice melt!"

  Roselle turned to Runebelle and said, "Runebelle, try summoning your pillars, but focus on just the element of fire this time. Let's see if we can create a concentrated burst of heat."

  Runebelle nodded at Roselle's suggestion and summoned her three pillars, concentrating solely on the element of fire. The fiery pillars manifested with intense heat; however, some of the ice crystals began to move and pierced through the fiery pillars, extinguishing their flames one by one.

  Before either of them could make another move, several jagged shards shot out from the crystallized labyrinth. Roselle managed to twist her body just enough to avoid a fatal strike. A shard embedded itself into her arm. Another grazed her side. The pain was sharp, cold and brutal, but she bit her lip to stifle a cry.

  Runebelle fared no better. A shard tore through her leg, and another grazed her arm. Her body was slammed back, but she quickly regained her footing.

  Roselle’s gaze darted across the battlefield, locking onto Aliana. The Cryomancer stood at the center. The sword in her hand glowed with its icy aura intensifying with each moment.

  Roselle's breath hitched upon following Aliana’s sword, raising higher. Above the entire frozen battlefield, a colossal shard of ice began to take shape, growing larger and more menacing by the second.

  Roselle’s heart pounded in her chest. If that shard landed, it would obliterate them all. Her eyes narrowed. "We can't let that hit," she muttered. "We have to stop that shard before it lands. Runebelle, do what you can—just don’t let it reach us!"

  Runebelle’s gaze shifted from Roselle to the massive shard of ice growing above them. Her heart sank upon seeing its terrifying ascent.

  Roselle raised her massive cannon and fired lightning shots at Aliana. The crackling bursts of electricity arced through the air but the icy shards from the labyrinth began to rise like shields, blocking Roselle’s shots mid-air.

  “No…!” Roselle growled but kept firing again and again. Each lightning strike lit up the battlefield, but Aliana’s ice barriers were impenetrable.

  Runebelle’s chest tightened, and a hollow feeling spread through her. She turned her eyes toward the growing shard of ice. It loomed higher and higher with each passing second. Her throat tightened. “Oh no... We’re going to be destroyed here...”

  Runebelle’s gaze returned to watching Roselle. Her strength, her resolve—it was all so impressive to her. Roselle’s cannon was also powerful, yes, but it wasn’t enough. No matter how much lightning Roselle fired, it wouldn’t break through Aliana’s frozen fortress.

  Runebelle thought about her own fire pillars, but the ice was too cold. No matter how much she concentrated, her fire wouldn’t be enough to counter Aliana’s overwhelming cold.

  Runebelle squeezed her eyes shut. ‘What can I do? ‘The question echoed through her. In that moment, a flicker of an idea sparked within her. ‘What if I didn’t need to fight the ice head-on? What if… I could help Roselle?’

  The realization hit her like a spark catching dry tinder. The fire… and Roselle’s cannon…

  Runebelle’s breathing slowed. Her fire alone wasn’t enough to fight the ice directly. But Roselle’s cannon? It could shatter Aliana’s fortress. She just needed the right support. 'It's worth a try. I may not have a strong fire affinity, but if I can channel it into Roselle's cannon….'

  Runebelle focused on amplifying her faint fire energy, making it burn brighter and hotter. The fire roared, then shifted into a steady force that pulsed with the electricity Roselle was sending through the air. She directed that fire from the lightning to Roselle’s cannon.

  A system message suddenly flashed in Runebelle's mind:

  "New Ability Unlocked:

  Fire Infusion – You have harnessed your fire affinity to infuse objects with intense heat. This ability allows you to enhance attacks with fiery energy, potentially breaking through ice and other defenses. Use it wisely."

  Runebelle successfully infused Roselle's massive cannon with the element of fire. Roselle looked surprised but wasted no time. She immediately fired off powerful fire shots from her enhanced weapon, The explosive impact of the fire shots caused the ice crystals to shatter and explode, creating a fiery display of destruction.

  The massive ice shard that had been formed in the sky above them dropped upon the area of the explosion. A flash of yellow and red lightning streaked across the battlefield. Risebelle barely had time to register the impending danger before Roselle's arms wrapped around her and pulled her out of harm’s way.

  The two tumbled violently, rolling across the frozen ground as shards of shattered ice rained down like deadly spears. Roselle gritted her teeth, holding Risebelle tightly to shield her from the barrage.

  Their chaotic descent ended as they slammed into the base of a tree. Roselle landed awkwardly with her back colliding with the trunk. When the dust and debris finally settled, she found herself sitting in Risebelle’s lap, panting heavily.

  Risebelle blinked. Her arms instinctively wrapped around Roselle. “What the hell was that, you reckless I—”

  “No time,” Roselle cut her sister off. Her eyes darted around the battlefield in search of Aliana. “We’re still alive, aren’t we?”

  Nearby, Runebelle tumbled to the ground. She was covered in dirt and frost but otherwise unscathed. She turned toward her sisters with relief lashing across her face.

  The battlefield fell into a brief silence. Aliana, still standing amidst the chaos, glared at the three of them with wide eyes. Her icy robes were tattered and her aura flickered unsteadily.

  The Cryomancer’s face twisted a rage. “No fire mage at the Academy ever posed a threat to Heaven’s Ice Crystal,” she hissed. Her blade pointed toward them. “What are you? What are these foolish creations of Kintovar?!”

  Roselle forced herself to stand. She pulled Risebelle up with her. She glanced at Runebelle, giving her a brief nod.

  “Foolish creations, huh?” Roselle muttered. “You’ve got it wrong. We’re not just creations,” Roselle said while raising her cannon. A smirk played on her lips despite the blood trickling down her arm. “We’re a lot more dangerous than that.”

  Roselle was tapped on the shoulders by her Older sister. The faintest smirk tugged at the corner of Risebelle’s lips before she gave the smallest nod.

  Roselle exhaled deeply. She straightened her back and let her cannon rest on her shoulder ‘Risebelle’s got something planned, ‘she thought with a wide smile forming. ‘Guess it’s time to play my part.’

  “Why are you smiling?” Aliana’s eyes narrowed. The flicker of unease in her gaze didn’t go unnoticed by Roselle.

  “No reason,” Roselle replied with mockery. “Just thinking about how this is gonna end with you being boomed by us.”

  Aliana scowled. “Arrogant child! Your foolish confidence will cost you everything!” She raised her sword to the heavens.

  Above them, a tempest of razor-sharp ice shards began to form, spinning violently into a deadly spiral. These shards weren’t like the smaller spikes from before. Each one was massive and radiated with a bluish glow. They hovered for a moment, looming ominously over the battlefield before hurtling downward with terrifying force.

  Roselle ‘s yellow and red lightning crackled fiercely. She dashed forward. The shards exploded into the ground behind her, kicking up icy debris but she maneuvered through the onslaught with precision and speed.

  “Impossible!” Aliana hissed with disbelief as Roselle closed the distance between them. The Cryomancer swung her blade to block, but Roselle’s cannon intercepted with a deafening clash. Sparks flew as lightning and frost collided with both forces locked in a struggle for dominance.

  Aliana’s jaw tightened. She pushed against Roselle’s strength, but for the first time, her speed wasn’t enough to overwhelm her opponent. “You can’t do this to me!” she snarled with frustration boiling over. “My Ice Heaven is supposed to be invincible!”

  “No, you’re wrong!” Roselle shouted back. Her grip on the cannon tightened as her lightning surged in intensity. “It doesn’t matter how strong you think you are—just like anyone else, you’ve got limits. And I’ll prove it by beating you with my next move!”

  Roselle’s smile widened even further. “Get ready to see just what I’ve been cookin’!”