The battle enced with the angry employee letting out a high-pitched scream that echoed through the room. Her mace swung wildly, but her rage clouded her aim. Kintovar pced her hands in her pockets and calmly sidestepped each of the girl’s wild swings with ease.

  After several misses, the employee was visibly exhausted.

  Gasping for breath, the employee demanded, “Stop dodging, you coward!”

  Kintovar, wearing a faint smile, retorted, “I find it iing that you chose a on like this for your occupation. Does it have any special features? Ah…let me guess… ‘Sword Magic. .’ Am I wrong?”

  The girl gred at Kintovar with frustration. “Everyone calls it Sword Magic, but they don’t at for all the different on types. All of them stem from the base design of a sword. I hate that name, so I call my own magiething else.” She took a deep breath and held her mace high, as it began to glow with ahereal light.

  “Spin, Luminitas!” she decred.

  The mace’s light intensified, casting a radiant glow that made it look like a mp post. The transformation was plete with the mace gaining swirling light around it itself.

  Kinthed at the sight. “A mp post? Really? That’s quite the... unique appearance for your on.”

  The girl’s face flushed with anger. A glowing blue marker appeared around Kintovar in the eyes of the girl who held her mace up in the air. Kintovar swiftly drew her dual mini-guns. “I’ll put ao this quickly,” Kintovar decred. She began firing at the girl with precise, rapid shots.

  To Kintovar’s shock, the girl charged forward with surprising speed, disregarding the barrage of bullets. The girl raised her mace high a out a fierce scream while aiming to smash Kintovar.

  In a narrow escape, Kintovar barely mao dodge the ining strike. The mace collided with the ground, sending shockwaves through the floor and causing a mihquake. The tremor knocked some loose debris around, but Kintovar remained upright.

  However, Kintovar quickly realized she wasirely free. The light energy from the missed strike began to coalesce around her, f a swirling aura of glowing particles.

  “What is this?” Kintovar excimed.

  The girl smirked. “Whenever I miss a strike, the light energy I release be directed to gather around my targets. It creates a slowing effect. The more I miss, the more energy I gather. Isn’t that fasating?”

  She raised her mace defiantly. “So, how useless my on now, huh?

  Kintaze remained fixed on the girl. “Impressive,” she said genuinely. “Your power is quite remarkable. I must admit, you really have me beat here.”

  The girl’s face brighte the pliment. She puffed out her chest proudly. “Of course, I’m the best! No one match my skills with the mace.”

  Kintovar seized the opportunity. “I’d love to know more about how you got such a unique power. How did you e by it?”

  The girl, now feeling a surge of overfidence, began to eborate on her abilities. “It’s all about the special training we undergo. The mace magi’t just for show. It draws on our deepest emotions and—”

  While the girl tinued speaking, Kintovar discreetly pulled out a small, cealed device. With a careful aim, she fired a tiny, nearly invisible dart that struck the girl’s mace. The impact was barely seen, but the effect was immediate. The once radiant glow surrounding the mace began to flicker.

  The girl remained oblivious to the subtle ge. “And then there’s the unique way we el the light energy. It’s a bination of our aura and the on’s entment. I’ve perfected it over years of practice!”

  Kintovar nodded along. “Fasating. I never would have guessed.”

  Kintovar’s eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. “Before we tinue, what’s your name?”

  The girl, still basking in the glow of her earlier triumph, straightened up. “Zamina.”

  Kintovar’s smile widened. “Well, Zamina, it seems you’re about to be defeated by the world’s greatest stist, Dr. Kintovar.” She let out a hearty ugh, the sound ringing with pyful arrogance.

  Zamina’s face torted with frustration. “What’s with the ge in attitude? One moment you’re impressed, and the , you’re belittling me!”

  Kintovar shrugged nontly. “I did say your powers were impressive. I never said you were going to win here.”

  Zamina’s anger boiled over. “That does it!” With a furious cry, she spun around with her mace trailing a glowing arc “Whirlwind of light!”

  All of a sudden, Zamina’s energy seemed to vanish. Her movements slowed, and her mace, once vibrant with light, now wobbled weakly in her grasp. Zamina gasped in disbelief. “What happened?”

  Kintovar’s tone was cool and collected. “It’s simple. While you were busy expining, I took the liberty of weakening your on. That light energy you’ve been relying on? It’s been systematically depleted.”

  Zamina’s eyes widened “You… you sabotaged my mace?”

  “Precisely,” Kintovar said with a smirk. “Your skill is impressive, but it was the on, not just your prowess. That was the key to your advantage, and with that faltering, your stamina is following suit.”

  Kintan walking away. “This fight is over,” she decred.

  Zamina shouted after her, “No, it’s not! Get back here!”

  Kintovar didn’t even gnce back. “I don’t have time to py with little girls.”

  Zamina’s face flushed with indignation. “Who are you calling little?!” Zamina tried to muster the strength to pursue Kintovar, but she was too drained.

  Meanwhile, within the fines of the jail cell, Haras, the girl with bubblegum-colored hair and boundless energy, was in high spirits. Her cheerful demeanor had mao annoy one of the guards assigo watch over her cell for the entire day. When the main barrier surrounding the cells suddenly went down, the guard saportunity to escape the pany of the lively prisoner.

  With an audible sigh of relief, the guard muttered to himself, “Finally, there’s some shit for me to do! Anything to get away from her annoying ass.”

  The sudden absence of the barrier sent a ripple of excitement through the imprisoned individuals, Haras included. Haras shouted, “Hey, I wonder what’s happening? Oh, this is so exg! Maybe they’re finally letting us out to py!”

  With the guard making a hasty exit, Haras seized the opportunity and casually let herself out of the unlocked cell. Her resourcefulness iing a key for the lock allowed her to effortlessly regain her freedom.

  Haras sidered her options. “I wonder if I should free the rest of them too…” While pting, a particurly sinister-looking individual caught her attention. He was a bck suit and spoke with a voice ger, making it sound unnaturally deep.

  In a low, ominous tone, he urged, “You should free them all. It will lead to a grand adventure, my dear. You know what they say, ‘The greatest stories are born from chaos.’ Imagihe tales we could weave.”

  Haras’s eyes lit up.”What kind of adventure are you proposing, and what stories do you speak of?”

  The figure smirked beh his mask. “An adventure filled with danger, secrets, and power beyond imagination. It’s a story that will thrill you, my dear Haras. If you free us all, you’ll bee a part of something... legendary.”

  The mysterious figure’s lips curled into a sinister smile beh his mask, and he quoted

  “In the heart of darkness, new blooms shall rise, their tales woven in blood and lies.”

  Haras reized that quote from one of her favorite stories. She cpped her hands together with stars in her eyes, “Ohhhhhh! That’s from Dark Lotus. You know ‘Dark Lotus’ too? Oh, this sounds promising! I’m Haras by the way!”

  The enigmatidividual nodded. “Indeed, Haras, it’s a tale that has inspired me in more ways than one. If you’re ready for a journey beyond imagination, then free us all, and you shall bee a legend in your ht.”

  Haras nodded eagerly. “I’m going to do it! But first, I o find my friend Mystimona. I know he’s ioo, and I won’t leave without him.”

  The mysterious figure chuckled softly and replied, “Very well, my dear. Find your friend, and when you’re ready, release us all. Our adventure awaits.”

  Haras ventured deeper into the cells. She searched for Mystimona, her dear friend who she believed was held within this pce.

  Wheurned a er, she spotted a cell tucked away in the shadows. The figure within was bathed in a soft, purple aura that flickered faintly. Haras approached with caution.

  Peering inside, she saw Mystimona, lying on a simple cot. He had long, flowing purple hair and eyes that glowed with the same hue. Haras felt relief and joy seeing his chest rise and fall.

  Mystimona stirred in the cell. He reached out a hand and exami, then whispered to himself, “I’m still alive.”

  Haras whispered, “Mystimona, it’s me, Haras! We’re going to get out of here.”

  Mystimona’s purple eyes gnced around the cell. He scratched his head. “This pce looks familiar, but I ’t remember... What happened?”

  Haras expined, “You’ve been in jail, Mystimona. I’m Haras, your friend.”

  Mystimona furrowed his brow. “Haras? I’m sorry, but I ’t remember...anything.”

  Haras sighed. “It might be a side effect of using all the power of your Zenith form, bined with how much magical energy it took for us to get to the city.”

  Haras and Mystimona prepared to make their escape, but asudden interruption halted their pns. A band of officers had surrouhem with their ons drawn. The leader of the officers, a stern-looking woman in a blue uniform, stepped forward and said, “Hold it right there! What do you think you’re doing?”

  Mystimona stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Haras. He addressed the group of officers with his arms folded across his chest. “There seems to be a grave misuanding here,” he began. “I do not belong in this por will I allow myself to be anyone’s sve any longer.”

  The officers were suprised by his fidend demeanor. The leader narrowed her eyes but didn’t respond immediately.

  Mystimona took a step forward, but the stern woman in blue raised her hand. She anded, “Hold it right there! I said don’t move.”

  Mystimona tio advail he was infront of the woman. With an air of authority, he responded, “I do not follow your orders. I will not be imprisoned any longer!”

  Mystimona unleashed his immense power, causing the entire prison quaked. The ground shuddered, and the lights flickered as if uo tain the sheer force radiating from him. Officers on the upper floors stumbled, desperately clutg at railings and walls for support.

  “Wh-What the hell is this..?”

  In the midst of their struggle against Daimendo, Roselle and Runebelle suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of energy jolting their own. It was as if a tidal wave of power crashed into their very souls, and they were both affected. Roselle, with a sense nition, whispered,

  “Mystimona...”

  Runebelle looked to Roselle fuidance.

  Daimendo, despite his own power was not immuo the overwhelming force. He struggled to move uhe sheer might of Mystimona’s power. A look of disbelief crossed his face.

  “Wh-what’s going on…? What is this power?”

  Mystimona’s purple aura enveloped him. “This is my power, a force that will destroy the foundations of this ptil I am free. Now, stand aside!”

  The officers, though still stunned by the dispy of power, began to sider their options in the face of this incredible force. Mystimona’s aura tio intensify by the minute.

  In the prison, the very walls seemed to tremble in aowledgment of Mystimona’s might.

  The stern woman, though hesitant, knew she had to take a. She anded her men. “Fire now!”

  The officers obediently opened fire releasing a barrage of energy towards Mystimona. However, their efforts were in vain. The shots had no effe him, and he remained resolute.

  One of the officers excimed, “Our ons are useless against him! What’s going on?”

  Mystimona face grew increasingly irritated. “Your ons won’t hold me back. I’m breaking free, no matter the cost.”

  Realizing the futility of their situation, the stern woman quickly made a decisive call. She barked orders to her men, “Fall back! We ’t hahis power. Retreat!”

  Her officers immediately obeyed her and. They began a hasty and disorderly retreat, scrambling to get out of harm’s way.

  Mystimona watched them go. He let out a deep breath and lowered his power. Haras approached him with in her eyes. “Are you okay, Mystimona? That was incredible, but it looked like it took a lot out of you.”

  Mystimona nodded. “I’ll be fine. We o find Roselle and Runebelle. They’re in trouble.”

  Haras gave him a curious look and pced her hands on her hips. “Mystimona, how do you know about Roselle and Runebelle if you lost your memories? Do you have a e with them or this pce?”

  Mystimona raised one hand up to his . “It’s strange, Haras. I ’t remember who Roselle is, but her name... it’s like an echo in my mind that never fades. I somehow sehem in danger, and there’s a e I ’t expin…”

  He paused. “It’s like... humans rely on their five senses, but I sense beyond that, in a way I ’t fully prehend. There’s something unique about Roselle, a distinct st or presence, and I knew she was in trouble. I feel a strong e to her, even though I ’t remember why.”

  He tinued, “Right now, I sehat they’re in danger. I feel it in the air. They are fighting above us. I remember battling Roselle and Risebelle separately, and Roselle has a distinctive presence or st. While I ’t sehem directly, which makes me think she’s with Runebelle. Now. We don’t have time to sit around and chat too long about this, do we?”

  Haras nodded in agreement. “You’re right, Mystimona. We’ll have time to figure this out ter. For now, let’s focus oing to Roselle and Runebelle.”