Risebelle began gathering an overwhelming amount of water and acid energy, f a colossal sphere above her.

  “CASCADE OF DESTRU!” Her cry echoed through the arena.

  The colossal sphere of energy she had formed above her surged forward, hurtling toward Roselle with immense force. The air crackled with anticipation as the sphere collided with the ground near Roselle, erupting into a devastating torrent of water and acid.

  Roselle was caught in the midst of the deluge, was forced to front the raging torrent of acid and water. She summoned her power to shield herself, creating a barrier of violet lightning. It absorbed the initial impact of the Cascade of Destru, but the releorrent tio pummel her defenses.

  Roselle struggled to maintain her footing.

  “Nothing you do could have prepared you for this moment!” Risebelle shouted loudly. “I’ve been pnning this from the start of the fight!”

  Roselle’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How that be possible?” she thought, straining against the overwhelming force of the attack.

  Risebelle tinued, “I always inteo end this fight by using not o two Cascades of Destru!”

  Roselle excimed, “What?!”

  With Roselle entangled ihroes of the first sphere, Risebelle summoned another enormous sphere of water and acid.

  The sed Cascade of Destru hung in the air like a foreboding storm, ready to desd. The sheer size of the sphere cast a shadow over the arena.

  Roselle, despite the overwhelming pressure, drew upon the full extent of her powers. ‘I have to risk it all to win it all,’ she thought ‘That’s the only way. Either this works, or I lose the fight.’

  Roselle pushed her magical energy back up from 400% to 600%, just as she had done before. Her body began to overload with energy, and a mini explosioed around her.

  “Noooo!” she shouted as more detonations occurred. The iy of the power withihreatening to e her. Yet, she refused to care. She mao reach 600%, her lightning shifting to an eerie green hue.

  Roselle’s magic began to drain gradually. With the full force of her being, she called at the top of her lungs, “Thundercp, SUUUURGE!!!”

  A powerful burst of green lightnied from her, f a rapidly spinning fan of crag electricity. The Thundercp Surge homed in on its target with lethal precision.

  The tendrils of lightning, sharp as daggers, cut through the air with a sizzling hiss. They struck the first Cascade of Destru with pinpoint accuracy, delivering jarring jolts of electricity upon impact. The power of the Thundercp Surge was such that it cleaved through the oning attack, tearing the Cascade of Destru apart.

  Risebelle’s eyes widened in shock. The green lightning tore through the water and acid sphere with blistering iy. The moment the Thundercp Surge made tact, a blinding explosion engulfed the entire arena. The bined force of the two massive energies created a violeion of light and sound, sending shockwaves through the arena.

  The explosion was so powerful that the protective barrier created by Str, high above the arena, trembled. A visible crack appeared in the barrier from the ferocity of the csh.

  Str, overseeing the spectacle from his elevated vantage point, narrowed his eyes with a flicker of .

  The announcer’s boomed through the arena. “Well, I gotta say, folks that was some power! We’ve seen some fierce battles in our time, but that right there ectacle of raw, unbridled energy! The Thundercp Surge and Cascade of Destru—what a csh!”

  [System Message]

  Magic: 0%

  The smoke and debris brought from the explosion began to settle. Roselle stood at the ter. Her usual child-like form had returned, looking pale and exhausted. The yellow lihat noeared on her face were the only remnants of the immense power she had unleashed.

  Roselle dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. Her eyes were barely open, but remained locked on the area where Risebelle should be.

  As the smoke and debris finally cleared, the devastation of the battlefield came into full view. Risebelle, battered and bloodied emerged. Her clothes were torn, her body marked with burns and cuts, and a thin trail of blood dripped from her mouth. Despite the brutal damage she had sustained, she staggered forward with a fierce gaze.

  The announcer’s rang out, “Well, I’ll be darned! I hardly believe it, folks! Risebelle is still standing tall! What a dispy of sheer grit and resiliehis is the kind of toughhat makes the Wild West legendary!”

  Roselle looked up with wide eyes filled with disbelief. Risebelle’s eyes locked onto Roselle. She spoke strained and said, “You’ve really pushed me to my limits, Roselle….”

  Roselle, though weakened, managed a faint smile. “You really are something else, Rise…”

  Risebelle’s gaze hardened, despite her battered dition. “I still have the sed Cascade of Destru ready,” she said. “You might have stopped one, but what will you do about the sed one?”

  Roselle’s eyes widened. “You... ’t be serious,” she gasped, trying to muster whatever strength she had left. “I’ve got no magic left to deal with it...”

  Risebelle’s hands trembled while trying to maintain trol over the massive sphere of energy. With gritted teeth, she began to direct the sed Cascade of Destru down toward Roselle, preparing t it crashing down like a meteor.

  Roselle, despite her exhaustion and the void of magical energy summoned every ounce of her remaining strength. She charged toward Risebelle. “I’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way!” she screamed.

  Roselle threw herself at Risebelle. Her fist ected with Risebelle’s fa a desperate bid to prevent the sphere from reag its target. The impact was forceful, but the sphere of energy was still desding.

  The resulting explosion was cataclysmic. The sed Cascade of Destru erupted with tremendous force, engulfing both batants in a blinding fsh of light and energy. The arena was ed by a maelstrom of water, acid, and lightning. The sheer power of the explosioed a deafening roar.

  As the dust and smoke began to settle, the oetlefield y in silence. Amidst the wreckage, Risebelle’s body began to shift, reverting to her normal child-like appearance. Her battle dress torn and tattered around her. She colpsed to the ground. Risebelle y unscious. Her breathing was shallow but steady.

  A red tdower flickered to life above the arena, tig down from 60 seds.

  The announcer sliced through the tense silence, brimming with awe. ”Ladies alemen, what a shoe’ve just witnessed! An unbelievable dispy of prit, and pure will from both fighters. The tdown’s tig away, and here’s the scoop—both Risebelle and Roselle are down for the t!”

  She let the weight of the moment hang in the air before her tone became more dramatiow, will either of them muster the strength to cw their way back after such a devastating blow?!”

  The tdown tinued. At the 30-seark, her Risebelle nor Roselle showed any signs of movement. Runebelle, in the crowd, had her hands csped together with a somber look. Her eyes were closed as if silently praying.

  By the 45-seark, a stirring sight began to unfold. Roselle’s eyes flickered opee her exhaustion and the severe toll her body had taken, she mao push herself up onto her khe crowd, sensing the spark of hope, erupted in cheers, shouting:

  “Roselle! Roselle! Roselle!”

  Even though Roselle’s strength was almost depleted, the deafening cheers reached her. Summoning the st of her willpower, she forced herself upward. Her body shook and trembled with the effort, but she gradually mao stand.

  The tdown was at 59 seds when Roselle made it to her feet. The areed with a astonished gasps and r cheers.

  The tdown hit zero, and the arena was filled with a loud, resounding cheer for Roselle. The announcer shouted, “Unbelievable, folks! With just a sed to spare, Roselle emerges victorious! What araordinary dispy of resiliend ce! This is the spirit of petition at its fi. This was an absolute barnburner of a finish!”

  Roselle’s smile was one of triumph. “I did it…!”

  The reality of her victory began to set in, and a shocked look crossed her. “Wait, I …beat Risebelle...?”

  Roselle began to fall from exhaustion. She was suddenly caught by an ued savior. It was Muiler G, ae Guard of the Western Kingdom.

  With a smirk on her face, Muiler held Roselle gently and said, “You put on quite a show out there, Roselle. Looks like you gave it your all. Let’s get you patched up and ready for the round.” She then carried Roselle to safety.

  Kintovar was quick to react, hopping into the arena to front Muiler. “What are you doing with my creation, Muiler? She’s not here for you to toy with.”

  “She’s in good hands,” Muiler replied with a slight smile. “I’ve taken a liking to this girl, and I was simply going to get her healed up. Rex, Dr.Kintovar.”

  After a tearedowween Kintovar and Mui, Kintovar finally nodded and said, “Very well.” She decided to trust Mui’s iions, though she still watched the situation with a cautious eye.

  Mui, with a hint of amusement, said, “Don’t worry, Dr. Kintovar. I have no iions of causing harm to them. In fact, my is lie in quite the opposite dire.”

  In a small ward, Roselle and Risebelle found themselves with Princess Anitina, who had prepared a meal for them. Anitina, dressed in her stist clothes, shyly presehe food that ecially designed for beings like them. She smiled and said, “I know you might not be hungry or have no need for food, but if you eat this, it will help restore your energy, much like how humao eat.”

  Roselle nodded appreciatively and expined, “Thank you, Anitina. We do o eat, but unlike humans, we only o do it once a day.” She looked over at Risebelle, who agreed with a slight nod.

  After Princess Anitihe room, she blushed slightly when she caught Roselle’s gaze before departing. Roselle watched her go with a touch of fusion but didn’t dwell on it too long.

  Risebelle begaing the food provided. She turned her attention back to her sister and asked with a serious tone, “What’s the deal with you and Anitina, Roselle?”

  Roselle hesitated for a moment before responding, “It’s nothing, Risebelle. Just…a friendship. I’ve told you before, there’s nothing more to it. We only talked and became friends…”

  Risebelle lowered her gaze. “Roselle, you’re not gonna tell me the real story, are you?” Risebelle took another bite of her food and simply replied, “Well, whatever. By the way, Runebelle’s up . She’s fag that Muiler G, ‘Mui’ woman. I’ve got a bad feeling about her.”

  “Why do you think Mui might be bad,” Roselle questioned.

  Risebelle left a silence for a minute, and then she simply said, “Intuition.”

  “Ladies alemen, are you ready for the heart-pounding showdown iour?” The announcer echoed through the arena with anding energy, stirring the crowd into a frenzy of cheers. “Buckle up and prepare yourselves, ’cause we’re about to dive into arifying csh between our wo tenders! Let’s get this rodeo rolling!”

  As Runebelle ehe arena, the crowd observed a petite, childlike figure with a bination of blue and pink hair, mirr the features of Roselle and Risebelle. The sadhat g to her face couldn’t be ignored.

  “Now, folks, get ready for this electrifying face-off!” the announcer rang out with a dramatic fir. “On one side of the arena, we’ve got the mencholiebelle, a creation of the brilliant Dr. Kintovar! She’s got an aura of sorrow that’ll tug at your heartstrings.”

  She pivoted to the other side with excitement. “And on the flip side, meet the stunning and Muiler G, or as we call her, Mui! She’s one of the renowe Guards of the Western Kingdom—a powerhouse of both battle prowess and undeniable charm. This is gonna be one for the books, folks!”

  Mui approached Runebelle and spoke with a ge inquisitive tone. “Hey there, little one,” she began, looking at Runebelle with . “You seem so sad. you tell me what’s been weighing on your heart? How much sadness have you had to bear in your life?”

  Runebelle looked up at Mui. “More than you imagine.”

  Mui nodded with her eyes closed momentarily. “Noone should be tent with sadness. Finding your source of happiness is a signifit step in healing your heart.”

  Runebelle’s responded. “I do have a source of happiness… My sisters, Roselle and Risebelle, are my joy. But even with them, I uand that sadness is a part of life. As long as sadness exists in this world, it’s something I have to bear.”

  Mui looked at Runebelle with a warm smile. “You know, people often view darkness as something to fear or despise, associating it with evil, but… isn’t it fasating how beauty emerge from it?”

  She took a step closer. “The world often tells us that darkness is the source of all evil. Yet, who decided that was the absolute truth? Sometimes, it’s within that darkhat we discover our truest selves, and perhaps, even find a new form of beauty.”

  Mui’s smile grew slightly. “Just as the night sky be breathtakingly beautiful, so the darkness within us.”

  Runebelle nodded slowly, abs Mui’s words. With a deep sigh, she summoned her small on and prepared to face off with Mui.

  Mui uhed her bde with a fluid motion. She met Runebelle’s gaze sharply. “Show me… Show me the beauty of the sadness within you.”