Roselle and Runebelle guided the group deeper into the mysterious underground domains, they entered a diverse array of beings that Kintovar identified as “Hybrids.”

  “Some of these Hybrids were once human, transformed through dark and potent magito their current forms,” Kintovar eborated. “Others were born this way, a unique blend of human and magical creature heritage. These individuals seem like a diverse bunch, each with their own distinctive traits, but they share a on, unfortunate reality: they are seen as abominations by the outside world.”

  The group was suddenly fronted by a menag group of individuals. These men, tattered clothing and adorned with twisted tattoos stepped up and blocked the path forward. Their faces torted into wicked grins.

  The leader of this menag group stepped forward. He s the newers. “Well, well, what do we have here?” he taunted. “Looks like we’ve got some fresh meat in our territory.”

  The leader’s cruel grin faltered wheook a closer look at Roselle and Runebelle. Reition dawned in his eyes, and his face shifted from menag to sheer terror. He took a step back with his mouth agape.

  “No… No way! It ’t be!” he stammered. “You two—!”

  Before he could finish, Roselle and Runebelle stepped forward with their hands casually tucked behind their backs.

  “Hi there!” Roselle chirped, waving her hand in a cheerful manner. “Remember us?”

  Runebelle, mirr Roselle’s gesture, added with a small, friendly wave, “o see you all again…I think…”

  The leader’s face turned a ghostly pale. He recalled the ret devastatiowo’s party of the past had caused. It was a brutal csh that had left his group battered and bruised. He staggered backward.

  “Have mercy! Please, have mercy!” he screamed.

  The other members of the menag group immediately bowed in a frantic show of submission. They muttered apologies and begged for fiveness.

  Kintovar smirked. Haras stifled a giggle. Mystimona, still adjusting to the strange dynamics of this world, shook his head in disbelief.

  “Looks like you’ve made quite an impression,” Kintovar remarked. “Maybe you two should sider a career in diplomacy.”

  Roselle and Runebelle shared a look of satisfa. “I think we just have a knaaking friends,” Roselle said with a wink.

  While walking along the winding underground path, Roselle remembered something. She turo her sister and said, “You were going to tell me something important before we left Runebelle. What was it again?”

  Runebelle replied, “It wait for aime, Roselle. We have more important things to focus ht now.”

  Haras, who had been the exge, raised an eyebrow at Runebelle. Runebelle met her gaze with gloom. Haras reached out aly patted Runebelle on the head with a smile ing to her face.

  The group found themselves at a crossroads in the eerie underground. The path ahead was dark, sistent with the eerie atmosphere that permeated the entire subterranean world. However, to their left, an intense red glow pierced the darkness, drawing their attention like a bea.

  Roselle chimed in with some valuable information. “To the left is Jay’s Domain,” she expined, gesturing toward the red glow. “Up ahead is Silver’s Domain, and holy, I have…no idea what’s on the right.”

  Roselle’s eyes sparkled with excitement while looking towards the path leading to Silver’s Domain. She turo the group and asked, “ we visit Silver’s Domain? It’s such a fun-looking pce, and I’ve always wao go a again. I wish we could’ve gohere to py with the bunnies sometime.”

  Kintovar pced her hands on her sides. “As much as I uand your curiosity, Roselle, we don’t have a reason to visit Silver’s Domain right now. Our primary objective is to retrieve the Star Jewel from Jay, and we shouldn’t risk any unnecessary distras.”

  Roselle frowned in disappoi.

  The group veo the left path. The intense red glow guided their way through the underground byrinth. The grand chamber that unfolded before them left them ihe walls were adorned with intricate carvings and symbols. At the far end of the room, an enormous magical door radiated the intense red glow that had drawn them in.

  Excitement coursed through their veins. They marveled at the craftsmanship and wondered what y beyond the magical door; however, when they approached, the room suddenly came alive with a surge of magical energy.

  Emerging from the shadows, a man in imposing holy armor with medium-length yellow hair casg just below his shoulders stepped forward.

  “I am Roy, the Guardian of this Gate and the Guardian of Jay,” Roy decred with authority. “You would do well to remember your p the presence of a protector of the realm.”

  The group stood in awe of Roy. “You have ventured far into the heart of Jay’s Domain,” Roy said while gring towards all of them. “I will not allow this intrusion to tiake one more step, and your lives will meet a swift and final end. I and you to leave this pd never return.”

  Mystimona took a step forward. “You seem pretty fident, Roy. But have you not realized the extent of my power? Yical energy is incredibly low pared to mine. Do you truly believe you stand against me?”

  Roy remained speaking in a calm manner. “You may possess siderable power, but there are forces beyond even your abilities. I am a guardian, and I stand as a protector of this realm. My duty transds mere magical strength.”

  Mystimona, fident, decred, “I’ll save my strength for Jay. Roselle, Runebelle, you two handle him.”

  Roy responded with disbelief. “You send children to fight me, the guardian, and pn to defeat Jay? This is preposterous.”

  Mystimona remaieadfast, his trust in Roselle and Runebelle unshaken. “They won’t lose to you. I have faith in their abilities.”

  Kintovar, ever the stist, curred with Mystimona’s decision. “Very well, Mystimona. Let’s see what my creations are capable of.”

  Roy extended his serying to detey traagical energy from the two sisters. His face shifted from authoritative fideo bewilderment.

  “Artificial creations?” Roy excimed with disbelief. “Surely, you jest! Artifical beings ever stand up to the real thing. Do you truly expect me to believe that these mere structs could challenge me?”

  His words carried an edge of pt, and it didn’t sit well with Roselle. Her normally demeanor hardened, and a fsh of irritation crossed her face.

  “Hey!” Roselle snapped while stepping forward. “We may be creations, but that doesn’t mean we’re weak. Just because you don’t sense ic doesn’t mean we’re powerless. And for the record, we don’t appreciate being mocked!”

  Runebelle, standing beside Roselle, nodded in agreement. “You don’t know what we do.”

  Roy studied Roselle and Runebelle with a critical eye, as if searg for some hidden fw.“I have never seen this… These creations... they actually seem to have real emotion behind their words. Yet, I refuse to believe that they are anything more than mere structs, just like every other creation.”

  With a dismissive wave of his hand, Roy summoned his sword and shield. The ons materialized within a fsh. “Very well,” Roy decred, “If you wish to prove your worth, then e forward and face me. “With their ons at the ready, Roselle and Runebelle prepared to prove him wrong.

  The battle erupted with a flurry of motion as Roy lunged forward. His sword was aimed at Roselle. She swiftly raised her massive on to deflect his first strike. Runebelle took the opportunity to fire her own small on, sending a multiple bursts of energy towards Roy.

  The guardian’s shield absorbed the impact, but the secutive amount of shots pushed him back slightly. Roselle, seizing the moment, unched a terattack. Her on discharged a powerful shot of energy that surged towards Roy, f him to shift his stand raise his shield in defehe impact created a burst of sparks, and the room was filled with the sounds of g magical energy.

  Roselle summohe power of yellow lightning, infusing her massive on with an even more potent energy. She unleashed massive on shots at Roy with increased speed, hoping to catch him off guard. Runebelle joihe offensive, sending rapid shots from her small on, creating a barrage of magical projectiles aimed at Roy.

  Roy, however, swiftly sidestepped Roselle’s massive on shots. Runebelle’s rapid shots were equally iive as Roy dodged with uny precision.

  “You’ll have to do better than that, children,” Roy scoffed. “Your movements are so ckluster; it’s almost embarrassing. Is this the best Artifical creations offer?”

  Roselle anger fred. She growled in frustration and lowered her massive on In order to focus her energy. She infused her body with the crag power of her yellow lightning. With newfound speed and agility, she closed the gap between herself and Roy. Their csh began with the guardian’s bde strike bei by Roselle’s electrified fists.

  The sheer strength of Roy’s attacks overwhelmed Roselle’s defense. Cuts marred her skin, showing the marked differen their power. Roselle attempted to maneuver around Roy, hoping to find an opening while moving around; however, Roy’s experiend finesse allowed him to read her movements effortlessly.

  “Too slow.”

  With a swift strike, he nded a hit on her chest, but to his surprise, it failed to pierce her. The impact sent Roselle hurtling into a nearby pilr, and while she took damage, it wasn’t as severe as it could have been.

  Roselle groaned, struggling to her feet Her clothes were torn from where Roy’s bde had sshed her, a, her skin remained unharmed.

  Inwardly, Roselle mused, ‘Is this the result of my previous fight? Have I beore durable? ’

  Externally, she muttered to herself, “Well, that’s a surprise... I guess I’m tougher than I thought. Time to make the most of it!”

  With a fident smirk, Roselle pced her hands on her sides and said, “You’ll have to do better than that, Roy!”

  Roy grunted while Roselle. “You’ve got a tougher body than I thought,” he said,“but don’t get too fident. I’ll just have to use my celestial power to pierce through it. Prepare yourself!”

  Roy’s sword, charged with celestial energy, sliced through the air with blinding speed, aimed at Roselle. Roselle’s eyes widened. Roy’s celestial-irike sliced through the air like a et. Roselle at the st minute, used her yellow lightning to shield herself. The storm of crag energy formed a protective barrier around her, crag with iy. The csh created an explosion of light and energy.

  As Roselle cshed with Roy, her focus was sharp, and her senses were attuo every detail of their battle. Amidst the crag energy and their interuggle, she began to hear strange sounds, like the whisper of the wind. It was a soft hum, and it puzzled her.

  ‘What’s that sound? It’s like a distant whisper... but where is it ing from?’

  Her attention was then drawn to her massive on, which stood at a dista was enveloped in an unnatural red lightning, and it seemed as if she were using 200% of her magical power.

  Roselle ran a check of her systems.

  [[System Message]]

  Lifeforce: 99.5%

  Magic: 200%

  on Charge: 200%

  Warning: Unexpined surge in magical power detected. Normal parameters indicate on Charge should be 0% when not in use. Magic levels are stable and ued by current usage. Source of additional power unknown.

  Roselle’s eyes widened in fusion. “200% charge?” Roselle muttered with disbelief. “Where is this power ing from?”

  Roselle disengaged from her intense csh with Roy, but Roy pressed on. Risebelle used her yellow lightning to boost her speed in order to avoid his strikes infused with Celestial power. Her focus shifted towards her massive on, which was now shrouded irange red lightning.

  ‘Could it be...? Is it not just me that’s evolving, but my on as well? Maybe, just maybe, it’s gaining experience, growing, and evolving to a point where I unleash the power of 200% with only 100% of my magical energy.’

  Roselle swiftly made her way to her massive on. She observed Runebelle firing a barrage of shots which kept Roy at bay.

  Roselle grabbed her on, took aim and watched for the perfeent, waiting for the opportunity she had been hoping for. She eled her power into the on, and an overwhelming surge of red lightning enveloped her shot, far beyond the regur shots she was aced to. Surprisingly, it didn’t drain her magic at all.

  With a deep breath, she fired the shot directly at Roy. The explosive impact sent shockwaves through the chamber. Roselle watched with anticipation to see how her newfound power would affect the formidable guardian.