Roselle spoke first, "Who are you, and why are you here? Are you a friend of Aliana?"

  The young girl in the magic academy uniform nodded. "I'm Princess Aliana's messenger, and nothing more than that" she replied. "I've come to ensure her safety and offer assistance in this dire moment."

  Aliana looked at the young girl in the magic academy uniform with curiosity herself. “Why did you come here? You didn't have to..."

  The young girl met Aliana's gaze with a straight face. "It's my duty, Princess Aliana. I am your messenger, and ensuring your safety is part of my job. I…I will never forget what you’ve done for me."

  The young girl offered a warm smile. "Princess Aliana," she said with a hint of pride, "You're not just a Sword God; you're the coldest of the Magic Academy. You've achieved greatness that others can only dream of. Do you remember the day you arrived to this island?"

  Aliana tried to recall the day she had ended up on this island, but it was like grasping at the mist of a distant dream. "I don't... I don't remember..."

  The young girl nodded. "That's all right, Princess Aliana. It was many years ago. You washed up on the shore of this island. I didn’t expect to find that while trying to train my water magic… anyhow, I found you and brought you back to the Magic Academy."

  Aliana's eyes widened. She had no recollection of this event, but she couldn't deny the possibility. "You... you saved me?" she asked

  The young girl nodded once more. "Yes, Princess Aliana. You were on the brink of death back then. But you survived, and you promised to repay me by teaching me Sword Magic, even though…you know… I can’t really get a sword on this island…”

  The young girl maintained a glare, but her concern for Aliana was evident.

  "Princess Aliana," she said softly, "If... if you don't make it through this battle, who will teach me Sword Magic?"

  Aliana took a moment to absorb the girl's words, and then she smiled softly. "Thank you, Gaiza," she said with genuine gratitude. "You've reminded me of something important … the promise I made to you. I can’t break that promise."

  Gaiza blushed. "Y-You remembered my name," she whispered.

  Aliana nodded. "Yes, and you don't need to call me 'Princess Aliana' anymore. Just call me Aliana."

  Gaiza straightened her posture, her cheeks still tinged with a faint blush. "I appreciate your gratitude, Princess Aliana, but I will continue to address you as such. It’s only proper."

  Aliana exhaled heavily, running a hand through her pale blue hair. "Of course. It’s always like this with you, isn’t it?" She shot Gaiza a bemused look, but the younger girl simply ignored her.

  Gaiza stepped forward and extended her hands. She drew on her magic within herself and began to form a swirling current of water which coalesced into a massive blade of liquid. Simultaneously, a gust of wind encircled the weapon, solidifying its form and enhancing its lethality.

  Aliana watched with quiet interest. She crossed her arms and spoke in her usual tone though with slight weariness. "So, you've combined water and wind. This is as far as you've gotten with what I’ve taught you, isn’t it?"

  Gaiza gave a firm nod. "Yes. You told me once that mastering even a single element is a monumental challenge. But I wanted to go further—to be worthy of calling myself your student."

  Aliana studied the blade. It was well-crafted despite the volatile nature of the elements it was composed of.

  "It’s impressive," Aliana admitted. "Learning to control a single element is already a daunting task for most mages, as I saw back at the Magic Academy. It takes years to reach any meaningful level of mastery." She gestured to the blade Gaiza now wielded. "But to use two elements in harmony, especially in combat? That requires an entirely different level of skill. You have to account for the balance between them, maintainin their cohesion and ensure they don’t destabilize under pressure."

  Gaiza smiled. "It’s thanks to your guidance, Princess Aliana. You taught me the importance of focus and balance. Without your training, I wouldn’t have gotten this far."

  Aliana allowed herself a small, genuine smile. "Don’t sell yourself short, Gaiza. I may have shown you the path, but you walked it on your own. This blade is proof of your efforts."

  Gaiza's sapphire eyes shimmered with pride. She raised the blade with wind howling around it. "Then let me prove that your lessons weren’t wasted. Allow me to fight by your side. Together, we can win."

  Aliana’s smile faded slightly, replaced by a contemplative look. She glanced at Roselle, Runebelle, and Risebelle who watched the exchange with varying degrees of curiosity and unease. Then, her gaze returned to Gaiza.

  Aliana spoke with a faint smirk. "Very well. Are you ready?"

  Gaiza nodded. "With you leading the way, Princess Aliana, I’m ready for anything."

  "Fine. Let’s see how far your training has taken you."

  Risebelle exhaled sharply. Her sharp eyes scanned the area: Aliana and her little “messenger” seemed confident now, and the sisters were visibly exhausted.

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  "This isn’t good," Risebelle muttered under her breath, loud enough for the others to hear.

  Roselle shot her a glare with her face covered in sweat. "Yeah, no kidding," she grumbled while getting down to one knee. "I barely have anything left. My magic reserves are—"

  "Don’t finish that sentence," Risebelle interrupted. She shifted her attention to Runebelle, who had been trying to make herself as small as possible behind Roselle. "It’s up to you, Runebelle."

  Runebelle’s eyes widened. "M-me?!" She took a step back, shaking her head vehemently. "No, no, no, you can’t mean that! I can’t do this! I’m not like you two!"

  Risebelle frowned. “Pull it together, Runebelle. We don’t have time for this.”

  "I can’t!" Runebelle’s waved her arms in front of her. “I’m not strong like you or Roselle. I—I’ll mess everything up and get us destroyed!”

  Roselle winced slightly but forced herself to look her younger sister in the eye while standing. "That’s nonsense, and you know it, Runebelle. Don’t let your nerves get the better of you." She managed a weak but encouraging smile. "Remember training? You almost beat me once."

  Runebelle’s face became more gloomy than usual. "Yeah, but you were teaching me! Obviously, you were holding back. This is—this is different… If I mess up here, it’s game over for all of us!"

  Risebelle clicked her tongue in irritation, but there was a glint of understanding in her eyes. She pressed something on her battle and a small bag for a small bag released itself, becoming strapped to her side. “Stop doubting yourself,” she said firmly. “I know this is overwhelming but it comes to it…” She trailed off.

  Roselle noticed the subtle change and narrowed her eyes. “What’s in the bag, Risebelle?”

  "Plan B," Risebelle replied cryptically. She cast a wary glance at Aliana and Gaiza. “It’s something Kintovar gave me, but it’s better used when their attention is elsewhere. Retreat is an option, but not until we’re sure we can pull it off without them tailing us.”

  Risebelle’s eyes narrowed. “Hold out for at least three minutes. Don’t let them get too comfortable.”

  Roselle pushed herself to her feet with a pained groan. She turned to Runebelle, whose eyes were wide with uncertainty.

  “Hey,” Roselle said softly while patting Runebelle’s head despite her own exhaustion. “You don’t have to do this alone. I’ll be fighting right alongside you, okay?”

  Runebelle stared at Roselle for a long moment. She knew, deep down, that her sisters were right. With a reluctant nod, Runebelle took a deep breath to wipe away the fear that clouded her mind.

  Roselle placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder. "Stay sharp, okay? We've got this."

  Roselle summoned her massive cannon to her hands. She balanced it with ease, despite the weight and the strain it placed on her already worn body. "Get ready. It's going to be one hell of a fight."

  Runebelle raised her hand to summon her own cannon, which was smaller and more compact. "I’m ready," Runebelle whispered.

  Aliana and Gaiza watched the preparations. Aliana, her stance casual yet poised flicked her wrist and sent a sharp gust of ice toward Gaiza. " Gaiza. Let’s end this quickly."

  “Understood, Princess,” Gaiza replied. She tightened her grip on her water blade, and the surface of the weapon rippled. The blade began gathering the ice around it. The ice spiraled around the blade, winding itself like a storm of frost.

  Gaiza charged forward with her controlled elements. Her eyes were narrowed, focusing entirely on her target—Roselle. But just when she closed in on Roselle, Runebelle stepped forward. She fired off her small cannon. The shots came out like a barrage from a gatling gun. Each shot slammed into Gaiza’s advancing body.

  Gaiza’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What?” she muttered. The rapid fire of shots pelted her, forcing her to raise her blade in defense. Each shot pushed her back. Her feet skidded across the ground.

  Gaiza reeling managed to regain her balance after nearly falling from one shot. “You’ll have to do better than that!” she growled, ready to push forward again.

  Roselle brought her massive cannon to line up her shot with precision. She fired the blast of raw power toward Aliana.

  Aliana’s eyes locked onto the incoming attack and charged forward. The cannon’s shot grazed her with a gust of wind, but it was clear that her reaction was flawless.

  Roselle watched closely, noticing something in Aliana’s gaze. It was something more than just confidence.

  Aliana screamed outward. “I will not lose!” She clashed with Roselle’s cannon with her blade. The two struggled against each other with the intensity of their powers pushing back and forth like opposing storms.

  But both were exhausted. Roselle could feel her body aching from the exertion. Aliana, too, was straining. Her breaths came in ragged gasps.

  With a forceful movement, Roselle broke free from the clash and used her cannon to fire again once she f disengaged, sending a pulse of energy surging into the ground. The force sent Aliana stumbling backward, but she regained her balance quickly.

  They circled each other now, both weary but unyielding.

  Gaiza's eyes narrowed. She slashed at Runebelle in a swift arc. Runebelle, she narrowly avoided the blade’s lethal arc. But just when she thought she was out of harm’s way, Gaiza’s water blade elongated with the water stretching outward, following her in a pursuit of deadly precision.

  Runebelle’s breath caught in her throat. She quickly raised her hand and focused on her green energy to form a tall pillar of solid earth which rose up between her and Gaiza’s attack. The pillar cracked slightly with the water blade strike, sending small shards of stone flying into the air, but the pillar held firm.

  Gaiza’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?” she muttered under her breath. Runebelle then directed the pillar to slam into Gaiza but she flipped back. She landed gracefully on her feet at the Aliana’s side. The older woman glanced at her with a small smile.

  “Nice move, Gaiza,” Aliana said coolly. She turned her gaze toward Runebelle, who was ready to move the earth pillar once more

  Gaiza nodded, though her face was still serious. “This one’s full of surprises.”

  Aliana took a deep breath. It was clear that the battle was taking a toll on her. She glanced at Roselle, who had her weapon trained on them and then at Runebelle. She closed her eyes for a moment. Then, when she opened them again, her face held resolve.

  "Alright," Aliana said quietly. "I’ve thought about it. There’s one last ace I have in the hole." She glanced at Gaiza, giving her a nod. “We end this now.”

  Gaiza raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  Aliana’s lips curled into a faint smirk. “I’ll have to use my Sword God form again. I can only maintain it for a minute at most before the last of my magic is gone. But... it should be enough."

  Gaiza’s face became filled with concern. “But Princess... is it worth the risk?”

  Aliana’s eyes never wavered. "I don’t have a choice. If I don't do this, we won’t make it out of here alive."

  Gaiza nodded solemnly, stepping back slightly to give her space.

  Aliana closed her eyes and focused on gathering the last of her magic. Her icy aura crackled and her hair flashed from blue to silver. Risebelle growled. “Sword God form again… if she’s able to use that, we’re gonna be cooked.”

  Suddenly, out of nowhere, a red beam sliced through the forest with a deafening screeching sound. It pierced straight through Aliana’s chest from behind. Blood sprayed from her mouth and chest which stained her blue robes with a deep crimson hue. Her sword slipped from her grasp. Her eyes widened in shock and the aura around her dissipated.

  Roselle, Risebelle, Runebelle, and even Gaiza were frozen in place, staring at the sight of Aliana—trembling blood oozed from her chest wound.

  Aliana’s looked down at the gaping hole in her chest. Her vision blurred.

  Who had done this? Who had struck her down?