A low, rasping sound broke through the tension.

  At first, it was barely audible, but then—

  "Heh… heh… ha… Hahaha!"

  The Headmaster laughed.

  Despite her bruised, bloodied and broken state—she laughed with the same twisted malice.Her molten-silver eyes flickered with cruel amusement as she lifted her head, taking in their frozen expressions.

  "You all…" Her voice dripped with venom. “You all… look like frightened deer in the headlights.”

  Kintovar’s teeth clenched. Risebelle’s grip tightened around her toxic blade. Mystimona remained eerily still.

  But Elena…

  She stood tall with eyes full of mad devotion.

  The Headmaster turned her gaze toward her, and—for the first time since her downfall—her lips curved into a most genuine smile.

  "Elena… my faithful, devoted Elena…" she spoke softly. “You’ve done so much for me."

  Elena shuddered, but not from fear. Her eyes were ready to spill over from the praise.

  The Headmaster’s gaze flicked back to Kintovar. And then, she spat out, "This is the power of magic. No circuits. No cold, lifeless machines. No pitiful attempts to mimic the impossible."

  A smirk tugged at her split lip while staring Kintovar down.

  "And you call yourself a scientist?"

  A psychic wave of pure, crushing pressure blasted outward from the headmaster--

  —but it didn’t do a damn thing.

  No one flinched.

  No one staggered.

  Kintovar stared at her blankly.

  Elena’s hands curled into fists. "She still has power..."

  The Headmaster’s silver eyes swayed. “Elena.”

  Elena’s breath hitched.

  The Headmaster spoke in a haste. “I’m transferring all my psychic energy to you.”

  A faint, silver glow began pulsing around the Headmaster’s broken body and floated toward Elena like liquid moonlight.

  “You’ll keep that oaf under control.”

  Mystimona’s fingers twitched.

  The Headmaster smirked.

  "I have every faith in you."

  Elena’s body shook. Her breathing turned uneven, and this time—her tears spilled over. "Headmaster, I… I…"

  But before she could even finish, the Headmaster continued.

  “You’ve done more for me than even my own Elite Mages.”

  Her silver eyes burned with conviction. “They failed me. You never have.”

  Elena’s breath hitched. Her loyalty. Her devotion. Her very soul. Everything was for the headmaster.

  The headmaster continued, “If you can pull this off, you will have the recognition you deserve."

  Elena trembled.

  Recognition. From her? From the only person that had ever mattered?

  Her gaze lifted with unshakable resolve. "Yes, Headmaster."

  She wiped her eyes, “I will not fail you."

  Mystimona rolled his shoulders. "Hate to burst your little bubble," he rumbled. "But I think I’ve figured out how your magic works."

  Elena’s eyes narrowed.

  Mystimona’s gaze drifted downward—toward the small wound on his side.

  A thin, faded mark from where that weak energy shot had grazed him earlier.

  "You mark your targets first, don’t you?"

  Elena’s breath hitched.

  Mystimona smirked.

  Elena thrust her hand forward. A thin yellow energy blast formed at her fingertips. She fired.

  At that same moment—

  "Stay still."

  The voice rang out in Mystimona’s head—

  His own voice.

  His own command.

  But this time, it failed.

  Purple energy erupted from Mystimona’s body like a bursting dam and obliterated the thin energy.

  Elena’s eyes widened.

  Mystimona flexed his fingers. "Yeah. That’s not happening again."His glowing eyes locked onto hers.

  "Fifteen seconds for a powerful command… thirty for a weaker one…"

  He took slow steps forward.

  "And in one minute, the command starts slipping."

  Elena clenched her teeth.

  Mystimona chuckled. "Though that’s just for me. For weaker people? The effect must last longer, which is why you waited until now to strike."

  Elena flinched.

  "And why the Headmaster thinks empowering you will make a difference against me."

  Mystimona’s smirk didn’t waver. “A battle between mages can hold strategies of all kinds. Feints, counters, misdirection… a good mage knows when to strike and when to retreat."

  His glowing eyes flickered with amusement. "But there’s one crucial factor above all else—resistance."

  Elena’s breath hitched, but Mystimona continued. "A mage’s resistance to another’s magic isn’t just about willpower." His deep voice rumbled. "It’s about strength. Pure, undeniable strength. The stronger a mage is compared to their opponent, the less effective their magic becomes. Simple."

  Elena’s hands clenched into tight fists.

  Mystimona tilted his head slightly. "And let’s be real here—if you had full control over me, you wouldn’t be wasting time with just ‘stay still.’"

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  Elena’s eyes darkened.

  "You would’ve told me to kill Kintovar and the others."

  Elena’s magic shuddered. Then—her jaw tightened. "That’s….That’s too powerful of a command."

  Mystimona’s smirk widened.

  "And there it is."

  Mystimona didn’t move any further. He didn’t need to.

  He exhaled slowly. "You lose, Headmaster."

  The words landed heavy. Final.

  Kintovar smirked and retrieved her weapons. "Heh. Couldn’t have picked a more fitting way to end this."

  The Headmaster’s molten-silver eyes snapped to her—

  —Just in time to see it.

  The small guns. Those damn small guns.

  Her lips parted—her breath hitched—

  A single, strangled word formed in her throat.

  "N—"

  BANG!

  The sound split the air. The impact cut her voice short.

  The Headmaster’s body jerked violently. Her eyes—those proud, molten-silver eyes—widened.

  Disbelief.

  Horror.

  And then—nothing.

  Her body crumpled.

  Silence.

  A sharp gasp cut through the air.

  "No—No!"

  Elena’s shaking voice followed. Her hands reached out, but there was nothing she could do.

  The Headmaster’s body hit the ground.

  Lifeless.

  Elena stared at the fallen form of the woman she had dedicated everything to. Her hands trembled at her sides.

  And then—

  "HEADMASTER—NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"

  While Elena’s wails echoed across the battlefield, the Dark Island trembled under the weight of shifting magic.

  Gaiza dashed forward on the shadowed ground. She slid past a dark pillar with eyes locked on Arlysa.

  A shadow tendril lashed out that sliced clean through a pillar with a sharp whip-crack.

  Gaiza’s heart pounded. Too close.

  Her water blade glowed with an aqua outline while she lunged forward.

  Arlysa’s dark tendrils snapped outward to block. Gaiza sidestepped just in time as Arlysa commanded tendrils to whip infront of her. It came mere inches from ripping her feet off.

  Arlysa scowled

  But then, from the other side, a flurry of ice spikes ripped through the air.

  Aliana.

  Her silver-blue eyes held icy focus while launching the barrage straight at Arlysa.

  Arlysa’s dark tendrils out and doubled their efforts to swat away the spikes.

  Aliana was twisting, sidestepping and slipping through the other tendrils that came at her.

  On the small battlefield of the dark island, two figures met again:

  Gaiza and Aliana.

  They stood side by side.

  Aliana gave a brief nod.

  Gaiza’s green eyes flickered in understanding.

  Arlysa’s teeth grinded together.

  Gaiza’s water blade elongated outwards towards Arlysa like a whip.

  Arlysa’s sharp eyes caught the shift, but instead of sending a tendril, she thrust her staff forward.

  A roaring dark blast erupted from the tip.

  BOOOOM!

  The energy surged forth straight at Gaiza.

  But at that very moment—

  CRACK.

  The ice pillars around them froze solid.

  The temperature plummeted.

  "Sword God Form—"

  Aliana raised her blade high.

  Her words carried the weight of an incantation that shook the world.

  "Tengoku, the Ice Heaven!"

  A brilliant light enveloped her.

  Arlysa’s dark energy surged forward, but the battlefield no longer felt the same.

  Aliana’s body was bathed in icy radiance.

  Her once-blue hair became silver, catching the frozen light like strands of moonlit frost. Her eyes, once a cool blue now held an unearthly ice-blue intensity.

  Her current clothes faded into a pristine, crystalline white armor. Intricate frost patterns danced across its surface.

  And then— Her sword, Tengoku, transformed. No longer just a blade. No longer just a weapon. It was the embodiment of the frozen heavens. It dripped with ice at a lowered temperature.

  Arlysa's eyes widened. “She still has that much magic left?!"

  Aliana’s ice-blue gaze was unyielding. "Underestimating a Sword God was your first mistake," she said coolly. She then vanished in a burst of frozen air and re-appeared right in front of Arlysa.

  SLASH!

  Arlysa barely had time to react.

  Her dark tendrils lashed out, dozens at once like a sea of shadows that all converged on Aliana.

  But the blade of Tengoku cut through them as if they were nothing. Arlysa’s tendrils whipped around wildly, but every strike was met with an effortless parry.

  Slice. Slash. Cut.

  With every movement, another tendril fell.

  Then—

  SLICK!

  Tengoku’s blade bit deep into Arlysa’s flesh.

  Her body twisted—nearly cleaved in two, but then—

  FWOOOOSH!

  Her wound froze over instantly.

  A searing, unbearable cold spread through her entire being.

  Arlysa screamed and clutched the frozen gash."D-Damn you!" she spat. Her breath came out in pained gasps. "You… and Alan! You two traitors!"

  Aliana’s gaze hardened. "The only traitors here are you and the Headmaster."

  Arlysa’s eyes shook.

  "You used everyone," Aliana continued. "You thought you could use me, just because someone from the Academy rescued me. Because I made a vow to help them."

  Her grip on Tengoku tightened.

  "And for a time, I believed in the Academy but now…? I regret ever helping you or the headmaster."

  Her eyes darkened.

  "You killed so many people… and I turned a blind eye. I justified it in my own mind, and for that, I will never forgive myself."

  A chilling laugh escaped Arlysa’s lips—weak, bitter, and twisted with malice.

  “Heh… heh… hahahaha…!”

  Aliana and Gaiza both tensed.

  "You think you've won?" Arlysa rasped. Blood dripped from her mouth, but her smirk remained. "By killing me, you're killing her too."

  Gaiza's breath caught. "What—who do you mean?"

  Arlysa let out a weak, bitter laugh. "Elena’s linking magic. If I die… Sylra’s magic collapses with me!"

  Gaiza’s eyes widened in horror. "Oh no!"

  Aliana simply… stared. No anger. No shock. No hesitation.

  "Sometimes," Aliana murmured, "fate is cruel."

  Arlysa’s smirk faltered.

  Then, Aliana’s silver hair faded back to blue. Her crystalline armor dissolved into the clothes had worn.

  She took a single step—then nearly collapsed.

  Gaiza rushed forward in alarm. "Princess Aliana!" she called out with worry. "Let me help you!"

  She reached out, but Aliana didn’t respond. She just kept walking.

  The Dark Island trembled. Black spires crumbled, collapsing into the waves with heavy splashes. The once-solid battlefield dissolved into nothingness.

  And with it—Arlysa vanished beneath the tides.

  Meanwhile, Kintovar raised her gun. Elena, still on her knees stared at the barrel with widened eyes.

  “You should’ve run when you had the chance. Oh wait, there ‘is’ nowhere to run,” Kintovar said flatly.

  Her finger tightened around the trigger—

  CRACK!

  A frozen bridge of ice suddenly shot across the ocean, forming a pathway toward the last remaining patch of sand where everyone stood.

  Kintovar’s eyes narrowed.

  From the mist of frozen vapor, Gaiza and Aliana arrived. Gaiza rushed forward urgently. Aliana on the other hand moved slowly.

  "That's enough," Aliana said calmly.

  Kintovar lowered her gun. “Tch. You people just keep interrupting me today, don’t you?”

  Aliana reached Kintovar and did something unexpected: Dropped to her knees and bowed her head. “The Headmaster is dead. I can feel it. There’s no reason to kill anyone else…other than me.”

  Gaiza gasped sharply. "Princess Aliana, no! Don't say that!" She rushed to her side and spoke franticly. "You don’t deserve to die!"

  Aliana lifted her gaze slightly, but her eyes held dullness. “You were right before Kintovar. I was under the Headmaster’s spell… I must look like a damn idiot to you.”

  Kintovar didn’t deny it.

  Aliana exhaled shakily. “But even so…” she looked down at her trembling hands, then back up.

  “…This is my chance to make things right.”

  Kintovar eyed Aliana with the same cold calculation she had given the Headmaster. Then, she walked forward.

  No words.

  No hesitation.

  The gun’s barrel pressed against Aliana’s forehead.

  Gaiza’s heart lurched. “Wait—no! Don’t do it!”

  BANG.

  The sound ripped through the frozen air.

  A sharp splash followed. The bullet struck the ocean and dissapeared beneath the waves.

  Aliana didn’t flinch.

  Kintovar lowered her gun.

  She spoke steady. “As of this moment, the old Aliana is dead to me.”

  Silence.

  Gaiza stared in shock. "W-what...?"

  Kintovar tucked her guns away. “It’s just as it sounds.”

  She looked down at Aliana with one hand on her hip. “You may not have been the one giving the orders, but you still helped make them happen. You still did the scientists wrong.”

  Aliana lowered her head. She already knew this.

  Kintovar took a step back. “But…” she sighed and her hands slipped into the pockets of her red shirt. “I’ll forgive you. On one condition.”

  Aliana lifted her gaze.

  “You and your little helper here will come with me to the city.” Kintovar spoke firm. “You’ll fight for the science team. You’ll accept technology for what it is and work alongside it. No more of this ‘magic supremacy’ crap. If you can do that—then we don’t have a problem.”

  Gaiza swallowed hard.

  Kintovar tilted her head slightly. “Hell, I’ll even forgive Elena. If she agrees right now.”

  Aliana didn’t hesitate. “I agree.”

  Gaiza turned and locked eyes with Elena. “Me and Elena will agree too.”

  Elena’s breath was shaky. She hesitantly nodded.

  Aliana slowly pushed herself up. She was exhausted. Blood trickled down her leg where her injuries hadn’t fully healed. She met Kintovar’s gaze. “How do you plan to get to the city now?”

  Kintovar’s smirk flickered back to life. “The first step?” She turned her eyes to the horizon.

  Beyond the wreckage, far past the ruined battlefield a shadow stretched across the distance:

  The Mystical Forest. The distance was far.

  Kintovar’s lips curled. “First, we get to my lab.”

  Location: Kintovar’s Lab

  The hum of machinery filled the second floor of Kintovar’s lab. Soft, rhythmic beeps echoed through the space, merging with the quiet rush of liquid inside the massive tanks.

  Kintovar stood before three large cylindrical containment units.

  Roselle and Runebelle, both offline drifted in suspension within their separate tanks.

  Risebelle, who had reverted to her original form walked toward her own tank without a word. She didn’t need to be told. She simply stepped in and allowed the mechanism to seal around her.

  A hiss of air. A final click.

  Then—silence.

  Kintovar watched them for a long moment.

  Her creations. Her legacy.

  She then stepped away from the tanks and made her way downstairs.

  The first floor of the lab was covered in new orange-tinted lights. Haras stood in the center of the room and looked around with wide eyes.

  “I haven’t been here in ages…” she murmured. Her fingers trailed along the edge of a worktable.

  “And as always,” Kintovar said smoothly, “there’s work to do.”

  Haras turned to face her. Kintovar stepped forward with a wide grin. “Now, let’s get ready…to carve our way to the city.”

  Haras smirked.

  The two of them—standing in the heart of their laboratory shared a look, then both said in unison,

  “To the city.

  Project Mage