Daimendo lowered his weapon, a confident smirk on his face. "They've been destroyed. There’s no way they survived that."

[System Message]

Lifeforce: 25%

Roselle lay encased in ice, her body stiff and cold. The wounds she had suffered from Daimendo's relentless attacks had left her in a perilous state. She was barely conscious.

Runebelle, unharmed but visibly shaken, stood over her sister. “Why did you do that, Roselle?"

A flashback flickered in Runebelle's mind, replaying the events that led to this moment.

Roselle had stood in front of Runebelle. She didn't answer her sister. Instead, she took a deep breath and pushed her magical power to its limit, surging past her normal capacity. Her red lightning crackled and danced around her, creating a fearsome aura of electric energy.

"Thunderclap, Surge!" she shouted. In that instant, a powerful burst of lightning arced outward from Roselle, forming a rapidly spinning fan of crackling electricity. The fan honed in on Daimendo’s attack. She manage disperse some of the impace and reduce the damage, but the strain of using 200% of her magical power took a devastating toll on Roselle. Her body trembled under the immense pressure and she was engulfed by what remained of Daimendo’s attack.

The flashback ended, and Runebelle’s heart ached. She knelt beside Roselle, gently placing a hand on her sister's icy shoulder. "You didn't have to protect me like that," she murmured.

Roselle's eyes fluttered open, her voice a faint whisper. "I... I know. I just—" Her sentence trailed off as her strength ebbed away.

Runebelle’s heart clenched with sorrow. “I’ll heal you, Roselle. Just hold on,” she said urgently.

But before Runebelle could act, Daimendo’s voice cut through the tension. “Will you get the chance to heal her?” he taunted, his tone dripping with malice.

Daimendo’s weapon began to hum with energy once more, preparing to unleash another devastating assault. The ground trembled with the icy vacuum reappearing with renewed intensity. The force was so great that it made it nearly impossible for Runebelle to balance her healing shots accurately. Each attempt to target Roselle was met with the threat of Daimendo's relentless onslaught.

Frustration and desperation surged within Runebelle. In a frantic bid to create a defense, she summoned her elemental powers. Ice, fire, and earth pillars erupted around her, forming a chaotic wall of elemental defenses.

The pillars twisted and shifted, creating a strong pillar between Daimendo and Roselle. The wall of elements groaned under the pressure of Daimendo's icy vacuum, but it held for the moment. Runebelle channeled her healing magic through the turbulent barriers, aiming to patch up Roselle’s injuries despite the obstacles. ‘Roselle, I can't let you down now.... I have to get your wounds healed no matter what,’ she thought.

Daimendo's weapon fired another powerful shot, Runebelle swiftly reacted, surrounding herself and Roselle with the protective combination of her magic pillars. The pillars provided a shield against the incoming attack. With skill and finesse, she used the ice energy to form skates along the icy floor, mirroring Daimendo's movements.

The blast from Daimendo’s weapon collided with Runebelle’s protective pillars, creating a cataclysmic. When the smoke and debris settled, Runebelle and Roselle were still standing, protected by the resilient barrier.

Daimendo’s eyes widened. “You’re more resilient than I gave you credit for.”

But his face quickly hardened into one of coldness. “I’ve been playing around, but no more games. Prepare yourselves for the real onslaught.”

Daimendo invoked his next ability with the command. “Gun Magic level 2: Frigid Duo." His enormous weapon split into two pistols, and he began firing shots at an incredible pace. Each shot carried the same freezing properties that had proven so dangerous.

Runebelle, using her speed advantage, attempted to counter Daimendo's shots with rapid shots from her cannon. She managed to deflect some of the incoming projectiles, but focus wavered, causing her to be hit by a few shots.

Roselle thought to herself, ‘There's no other way. Roselle needs to be healed quickly, and I can't do that with Daimendo's constant attacks. The Project Rune Transformation is our best shot at turning this around. I have to be strong for both of us, and this is the only way to do it…’

Roselle, weak and covered in ice, managed to grip her hand. She sensed what Runebelle was contemplating, and despite her dire condition, she shook her head weakly.

With a trembling voice, Roselle said, "Runebelle, remember what happened the last time you activated that transformation? You were shut down for 24 hours when the timer ran out. We can't afford that now! We need you to stay active and help me through this. There must be another way..."

While Roselle and Runebelle faced the formidable Daimendo, Kintovar was encased in ice. However, when the ice barrier shattered, it revealed what appeared to be Kintovar, it turned out to be nothing more than a remarkably lifelike blow-up doll in her likeness. The real Kintovar had managed to outsmart her captors.

Kintovar, the mastermind behind this operation, moved stealthily around the entire structure, using silenced weapons to take out guards and maintain her cover as the fake encased ice figure. Her steps were calculated and soundless as she strategically eliminated any threats that crossed her path. With each silent shot, she brought herself closer to her ultimate goal, all while maintaining the illusion of her supposed imprisonment.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

She weaved her way through the labyrinthine corridors of the facility, inching ever closer to her final destination.

Kintovar muttered to herself, "While that idiot Daimendo is busy battling my creations, I need to deal with this problem. A barrier of this caliber, nearly indestructible, has to have some type of off switch, obviously. It doesn't matter who created it. There's always a way to manipulate it or disable it. I just need to find the source of its power or the control mechanism. That's my ticket to freeing Haras and Mystimona and getting out of here."

She continued to sneak through the facility. Kintovar carefully examined the pathways and the various hidden doors she had discovered, leading to secret stairways within the facility. While moving through the passages, she noted the advanced technology and the intricate layout.

"This place is advanced, but its size isn't entirely huge," Kintovar mused to herself. "They might have put all their secrets in cleverly concealed locations. With close examination, I can figure out their little secrets and hopefully find a way to access the barrier's controls."

Kintovar stumbled upon a control room that seemed to be the key to her mission. She approached the door, and with a twist of the handle, she entered the room.

But what she found inside left her both astonished and amused. The control panel she had been searching for was right before her, and there, hanging on the door handle of the control room, was a sign that read, "Out to Lunch."

A wry smile crossed Kintovar's face."Just my luck. It seems like they've taken an unexpected lunch break. Well, I suppose I'll make the most of this fortunate turn of events and take control of that barrier."

She stepped into the room, ready to work her technological magic and gain control over the nearly indestructible barrier that had posed such a formidable challenge.

Kintovar's fingers danced across the controls in the room. She scanned the array of buttons, switches, and screens. She had been searching for this elusive control panel, and now, in a moment of triumph, she had found it. With a swift twirl of her fingers, she activated the panel.

Kintovar let out a triumphant "Aha!" under her breath. She whispered. "Finally, the heart of this impenetrable barrier is at my fingertips. Let's see what kind of secrets you hold, my little control panel."

Kintovar turned on the screen and a Tetris screen suddenly appeared on the control panel, accompanied by the iconic music. Her jaw dropped to the ground at the display.

She couldn't believe her eyes. After all the secrecy and security surrounding this barrier, a game of Tetris was the last thing she had expected to encounter."Are they serious? A firewall that's actually a game of Tetris? This is beyond bizarre..."

Nevertheless, Kintovar knew that she had to figure out the rules of this peculiar "firewall" if she wanted to make any progress.

Kintovar, despite her initial surprise, took hold of the controls and began to play the Tetris game that stood in her way. She skillfully maneuvered them into place, clearing lines and making progress through this unconventional "firewall."

With each successful move, Kintovar felt a sense of accomplishment, even though the situation was highly unusual. Despite Kintovar making an impressive victory in the Tetris game, the firewall declared her efforts a failure, displaying a daunting "1/3".

Kintovar’s initial shock at the Tetris game was quickly replaced by understanding. “Aha,” she said to herself with a wry smile forming on her lips. “So, the game of Tetris isn’t just a game. It’s a clever trick to disguise the true nature of this firewall.”

Her fingers hovered over the controls. “These bastards have made this more complicated than I thought.”

Kintovar took a deep breath and started to analyze the situation. “The firewall is set up in a way that requires more than just clearing lines. There must be specific patterns or sequences that need to be completed.”

She began to calculate the probabilities and patterns she had observed. “If I’m right, the game’s layers are tied to the security mechanisms. Each line I clear or piece I place might be adjusting the firewall’s settings or unlocking different sections.”

Kintovar adjusted her strategy, carefully maneuvering the Tetris pieces into specific configurations, aiming to uncover the hidden mechanisms behind the firewall.

“Let’s see if I can find the right combination,” she murmured. Kintovar's mind was in overdrive. She took a look at the shapes and muttered to herself, "The order of these shapes... it's like a key. What if I need to spell out a word or code using the shapes as letters?"

With this insight, Kintovar decided to focus on arranging the falling shapes in a way that spelled out a significant word or combination. Kintovar successfully spelled out the word 'K.E.Y' with the Tetris shapes, and the firewall abruptly disappeared, not even attempting to continue the game. She was now confronted with a screen displaying information about an old woman named Juliana Kintovar, with striking similarities to her own appearance.

Kintovar muttered to herself, "Who is Juliana Kintovar? Why is her name associated with mine?" She noticed that this woman had been transferred to the Western Jancito Prison, and her execution date was set for 12 days from now.

Rather than delving deeper into the details, Kintovar decided to take swift action. She plugged in her flash drive, determined to steal the information she needed while simultaneously working on disabling the barrier.

While hacking away at the control panel, Kintovar’s thoughts raced. “Who else could design a top-notch system like this for the police?” she mused. “It had to be scientists. But considering the complexity of this system, and the ability to counteract even my creations... it seems illogical unless another ‘Kintovar’ was involved.”

She recalled the advanced technology and the sophisticated barrier. The intricacy of the firewall, coupled with the seemingly personal connection to the name “Kintovar,” suggested that someone with a deep understanding of her methods—and possibly even her own mind—had orchestrated this setup. “If another Kintovar was involved, it would explain how this system was designed to handle and even thwart my creations. But who could it be?”

Kintovar had successfully shut down the barrier surrounding the area where the prisoners were held.

She was poised to rescue Mystimona and Haras, but just as she was about to make her move, the door slammed open, revealing an irate employee with medium-length pink hair, dressed in the CPU uniform and a hat. Her sleeves were too long for her small frame, and a pair of canine teeth peeked from beneath her upper lip. Her eyes narrowed in irritation while pointing accusing finger at Kintovar.

"You! What in the world do you think you're doing? You're not supposed to be here!"

Kintovar quickly assessed the situation. She needed a plausible cover to avoid confrontation. “I’m the janitor,” she said smoothly, putting on her most convincing tone of nonchalance.

The girl tilted her head in confusion, her eyes narrowing further. “The janitor? How could a janitor bypass the firewall?”

Uh oh. She saw all of that. Kintovar’s deception became even more crucial. She had to think on her feet here.

“Easy,” Kintovar said with a shrug. “I’m a janitor with a knack for fixing things. Sometimes, I deal with more than just spilled drinks and broken equipment. What I’m saying is, I’m also a part-time mechanic.”

The furious employee couldn't accept Kintovar's explanation. She shook her head relentlessly with angry shouts, "You're lying! You're lying! You're lying! You're lying! You're lying!"

She reached for a mace hanging from her belt. With a dangerous glint in her eyes, she threatened Kintovar, "You've crossed the line, and I won't let you get away with breaking through my firewall. You'll pay for this, intruder!"