The dragon let out a guttural growl as if summoning the last of its strength. It took a step forward menacingly. For a moment, the sisters tensed and prepared for round 2.

  Then, with a resounding thud, the Abyssal Shadow Dragon collapsed to the ground. Dust and debris flew into the air as the beast’s head struck the earth.

  Runebelle looked awed momentarily. “It’s... over?”

  Risebelle smirked. “Yeah. Good teamwork, you two. Not bad at all.”

  The mage who had summoned the Abyssal Shadow Dragon pounded the forest floor with his feet. "I-I can't believe it... H-How could this happen?" he muttered. He pounded the ground again. "Do you have any idea how many years it took me to learn that summon? How many sacrifices I made to master its dark power? It was supposed to be the ultimate weapon, the key to crushing all of my enemies, and it was defeated…defeated by... by three little girls!This is a disgrace! A shame upon my name!"

  The sisters approached the mage. Runebelle kept her small cannon trained on him with eyes flickering between her older sisters for reassurance. Roselle kept her massive weapon resting over her shoulder,.

  Risebelle, still holding her side where traces of the earlier injury lingered, smirked coldly at the defeated mage. "So, this is the mighty summoner who was going to crush us, huh? I have to admit, summoning magic really is something else." She gestured toward the collapsed dragon behind them. "That thing put up a fight."

  The mage's head shot up. His eyes narrowed in fury. "I’ll... I’ll make you pay for this. You won’t get away with it! I'll—"

  “Risebelle cut him off.” You said, ‘You’ll regret those words when my dragon tears you apart,’ didn’t you? Looks like you're the one eating those words now."

  The mage growled. “You think you’ve won? This isn’t over! The Elite mage’s will come for you… and they will—"

  Risebelle suddenly summoned her medium-sized cannon with a silencer to her hands. She leveled the barrel squarely at his head.

  "You think this isn’t over?" she said with a dangerous whisper. “Maybe the Elite Mages will come, and maybe the war rages on. But you?" She leaned in slightly. "You’re going straight to hell, you filthy human."

  The mage’s bravado melted into sheer terror. His face paled. "W-Wait! We can make a deal. I can offer—"

  The silenced shot echoed like a phantom in the forest. The mage’s body slumped lifelessly to the ground. Risebelle exhaled softly, lowering her weapon. She cast a fleeting glance at Roselle and Runebelle.

  A shadow of sadness flickered in Roselle’s blue eyes, but she said nothing. This was the reality they lived in—a harsh, unforgiving world where mercy often had no place.

  Behind them, the Abyssal Shadow Dragon stirred faintly. Glowing chains materialized around its limbs and neck. The sisters watched as a swirling black portal tore open nearby and swallowed the Dragon back into the Abyss.

  Roselle let out a sharp exhale. Her blue eyes widened with amazement. "We... we did it!" she exclaimed, turning to her sisters. "We beat a dragon. A dragon! Wow!" In her excitement, she bounced over to Risebelle. "Hey, Risebelle!" Roselle held up her hand with a wide grin. "Hi-five!"

  Risebelle stared at the raised hand with an arched brow of confusion. "What are you doing now?" she asked dryly.

  Undeterred, Roselle turned to Runebelle and raised her hand toward her younger sister instead. "Runebelle? You wanna—"

  Runebelle blinked and titlted her head in a melancholic way. "Um… do what?"

  Roselle looked between them. She was baffled that neither of her sisters understood. "It’s a hi-five! You know, to celebrate? I’ve seen it in some shows and movies before. When people win a big fight, they always do something cool to celebrate, so I thought…" She trailed off the moment she caught the pointed look Risebelle was giving her.

  Risebelle crossed her arms and lowered her eyes. "You thought," she said slowly. “That after fighting a dragon, and taking down a lunatic summoner, we’d... slap hands?"

  "Well, yeah," Roselle replied sheepishly. "It’s supposed to feel good. Like, team spirit or something."

  Runebelle, still slightly confused but curious raised her hand tentatively. "Like this?" she asked, mimicking Roselle’s stance.

  Roselle brightened instantly. "Yeah, like that!" She clapped her hand against Runebelle’s. "See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?"

  Runebelle stared at her palm. A small, hesitant smile broke through her usually somber demeanor. "It’s… kind of nice, I guess."

  Risebelle relented with a chuckle. "Fine, fine. If it gets you to focus again…" She lazily raised her hand, and Roselle eagerly slapped it, perhaps a little harder than necessary.

  "There! Now we’re officially the dragon-slaying dream team!" Roselle announced, practically beaming.

  Without warning, Roselle's eyes fluttered right after her ‘hi- five’s’ with her sisters. She collapsed to the forest floor.

  “Roselle!” Risebelle barked, rushing to her side. Runebelle hovered uncertainly nearby in a panic.

  Risebelle quickly activated her internal system link. Her fingers gently pressed against Roselle’s temple. A faint hum resonated as the data began streaming into her vision.

  [[System Message]]

  System Status: Offline

  LifeForce: 75%

  Magic: 156%

  Cannon Charge: 15%

  Timer: Deactivated

  Location: Enchanted Forest

  Threat Assessment: None

  Kintovar's Lab: Safe

  Risebelle scanned the readout quickly. Her brows knitted together. "Offline? Her lifeforce is stable, magic levels are high, but..." Her eyes narrowed. "Why the hell is she shut down?"

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Runebelle edged closer with her hands clutched tightly to her chest. “Is… is she going to be okay?” she asked while trembling. "She’s not... broken, is she?"

  Risebelle exhaled through her nose. “No. Her lifeforce is fine, so she’s not in any danger of dying. This is... something else. It could be a system malfunction—or maybe…" Her words faltered as a thought struck her. "But everything seems fine and normal…”

  Runebelle’s face crumpled with worry. “ I… I don’t understand. What can we do to wake her up?"

  Risebelle’s lips pressed into a firm line. “We’ll have to get her back to Kintovar’s lab, but not yet.”

  Runebelle blinked. “Not yet? Why not? Isn’t that the safest place for her?”

  Risebelle crouched down, carefully lifting Roselle’s small, limp body and slinging her over her back. She adjusted her weight and turned to face Runebelle. “Those mages—there were twenty of them in total.”

  Runebelle’s eyes widened in realization. “You mean—?”

  “Yes,” Risebelle interrupted. “The other nineteen are still out there. I overheard their conversation with that mage. They’re trying to summon an Elite Mage. If they show up, and we’re forced to retreat back to the lab…” She trailed off, then spoke again. “We can’t risk leading them to Kintovar’s base.”

  Runebelle’s trembling intensified. “But Roselle…she needs to recover! She needs—”

  “I know!” Risebelle snapped sharply. She immediately softened, sighing. “I know, Runebelle. But if we don’t stop them now, Roselle won’t have a lab to recover in. None of us will.”

  Runebelle looked torn. Her hands gripped the hem of her dress. “Then… what do we do? We can’t fight them while she’s like this.”

  “We rest her somewhere nearby,” Risebelle said. “Somewhere hidden, where she’ll be safe while we deal with the rest of those mages.”

  Runebelle hesitated. “You mean… leave her behind?”

  Risebelle nodded solemnly. “Just for now. It’s the only way. The Elite Mage they’re summoning will be far worse than that dragon. We have to finish this while we still have a chance.” She glanced down at Roselle. “She’d understand.”

  Runebelle clenched her fists. “Okay. Let’s find somewhere safe for her. Then… we deal with the rest.”

  Risebelle and Runebelle moved swiftly through the dense foliage. After several minutes, they found a secluded area, surrounded by tall, towering trees that seemed to form a natural barrier. The spot was tucked away from the more open areas of the forest.

  Risebelle gently lowered Roselle onto the ground. She paused for a moment, scanning the surroundings. "This’ll do," she muttered to herself.

  .

  Risebelle’s hands flicked out, and a slippery, gel-like energy began to form around the perimeter of the small area. The energy swirled, creating a translucent, slick surface.

  “What are you doing?” Runebelle asked, tilting her head in confusion.

  Risebelle glanced up briefly. “Setting up traps. We can’t just leave Roselle exposed out here, even if it is a hidden spot.

  Runebelle raised one finger to her chin and tilted her head slightly. “But… what if Roselle wakes up and slips on that?” She pointed at the thick layer of slick energy encircling their hidden spot.

  Risebelle shrugged. “Then Roselle slips. The idea isn’t for her to be walking around anytime soon anyway.” She gave Runebelle a pointed look. “The trap’s for anyone else who tries to stumble on this place before she wakes up.”

  Runebelle’s eyes widened with realization. “You mean… if anyone comes for her, they’ll slip and fall?”

  Risebelle’s lips curled into a slight smirk. “Exactly. And while they’re figuring out what just happened, we’ll fall back and intercept them.”

  After finishing up, she took one last glance around the area to ensure they weren’t being followed. Risebelle turned to Runebelle. “We move now. We can’t waste any more time. Let’s take the fight to those mages.”

  Risebelle and Runebelle stealthily re-approached the area with the group of mages. Risebelle readied her weapon on silencer mode. With a series of precise and silent shots, she aimed to catch the mages off guard and disrupt their ritual.

  However, when the first shot rang out, a s barrier materialized around the mages, deflecting the incoming shots.

  One of the mages within the protected circle spoke up with a hint of disdain. "Did you really think we would be so unprepared, amateurs?"

  "Damn it!" Risebelle cursed under her breath.

  The same mage who held a cruel smile on his face declared, "It's too late anyways. The ritual has been completed."

  Risebelle's eyes widened in horror. She felt the chilling presence of powerful magic which now began to permeate the area. She whispered, "Oh no..."

  The next thing that caught their attention was an elaborate ice chair. Its frosty blue and silver surface casted a ghostly glow over the clearing. The chair sat solemnly amidst the ritual’s aftermath.

  Runebelle frowned. "Is… is that the Elite mage? A chair?" She glanced at Risebelle for clarification.

  Risebelle facepalmed. "Of course it’s not the mage, Runebelle." She shot a glance at the chair. Her gaze lingered for only a moment before snapping back to their surroundings.

  From behind the chair, a figure emerged. Her pale blue hair cascaded in smooth waves around her shoulders, and her frosty blue and silver robes seemed to have the same cold light as the ice chair.

  Risebelle’s hand instinctively tightened around her weapon. The woman’s crimson eyes gleamed with intensity, and her lips curved into an enigmatic smile.

  “Well, what have we here?” The Woman spoke calmly, but there was an underlying sharpness to her words. “Intruders on our domain?” She unsheathed a blade that seemed to radiate an icy aura around it.

  Without warning, she swung the sword forward in one swift motion. A wave of icy energy erupted from the blade, slicing through the air with a piercing screech.

  The blast collided with the trees that had been offering Risebelle and Runebelle their cover. The surrounding foliage cracked and splintered, encased in a thick layer of ice, and with a deafening shudder, the trees fell away, sending both sisters tumbling into the open.

  Risebelle’s eyes snapped open in shock. She scrambled to regain her footing and shouted, "Damn it!"

  Runebelle, slightly disoriented stumbled to her feet. Her eyes widened with fear. "We’re exposed!" she cried out.

  The woman, now standing tall, gave them a chilling smile. "It’s a shame you couldn’t stay hidden. I am Aliana, the Cryomancer, Elite Mage and I also hold the title of Sword God."

  Aliana continued with her words dripping with a subtle disdain. "Ah, you must be the creations of Dr. Kintovar, the foolishly foolish fool.”

  Risebelle spoke in a calm and measured tone, despite her recent outburst. She lowered her eyes slightly "Well, Aliana, they say that 'foolish' is just 'wise' with a few extra letters.”

  "And as for your dear Dr. Kintovar, I must say, her choice in creating child-sized dolls is truly a testament to her, shall we say, unique sense of aesthetics," Aliana remarked with her smile widening ever so slightly “But that’s what we can expect from Dr. Kintovar, the ‘brilliant’ mind behind you child-sized warriors. It’s almost as if she couldn't be bothered to create adults."

  Risebelle’s lips twisted into a scornful sneer. Her tone dropped to a low, mocking drawl as she shot back, “Spoken like a filthy human who doesn’t understand shit about technology.”

  Aliana’s crimson eyes sparkled with amusement at the remark. Her smile remained ever so slightly condescending, yet there was an edge to it. “Ah, witty, too. How charming.”

  She took a slow step forward and spoke smooth yet cold. “You are certainly some special brand of Dr. Kintovar’s creations, aren’t you?” She raised an eyebrow. “I can’t feel the power emanating from you both and yet, you’ve both used magic, haven’t you?”

  Risebelle’s eyes narrowed, but her gaze stayed locked on Aliana. “So, you've been watching, huh?”

  Aliana chuckled. She then tilted her head slightly. Afterwards, she raised her hand and pointed towards someone. “Mage,” she called sharply. One of the other mages stepped forward at her command.

  “Take the Mana Extractor,” Aliana ordered. “Move it away from here. It’s no longer safe.”

  The Mage nodded. The energy barrier flickered as the Mana Extractor, which was designed to siphon magic from the forest was moved by the mages magic.

  Risebelle's teeth clenched. She muttered under her breath, barely audible, “I forgot I had to find a way to destroy that thing, but now….looks like I’ll have to deal with this Elite mage first” She shot a glance at Runebelle, then back at Aliana.

  Aliana’s smirk never wavered. “Are you ready to be frozen in defeat, then?”