The smoke gradually cleared. The figure of Daimendo emerged from the aftermath of the intense clash. His once pristine appearance was marred by injuries—bruises, bloodstains, and exhaustion. He struggled to catch his breath with his two pistols lying on the ground. The two pistols transformed back into one weapon.

Daimendo muttered to himself, "That attack...how they manage something so strong? Have they been holding back all this time?"

Daimendo made a valiant effort to rise from his knees, but his battered body betrayed him. He collapsed back down. He used all of his strength to reach for one the single gun on the ground now.

Runebelle turned her attention to Roselle, who was on her back with her eyes closed. With deep concern, Runebelle said, "Roselle, stay awake! We did it, but you can't close your eyes now."

Roselle's breaths were shallow. She fought to stay conscious.

Runebelle decided that their best course of action was to retreat. With Roselle on her back, she darted towards the stairs, not looking back. Daimendo got up as far as one knee and fired a single shot in haste, but it missed them entirely. “Damn!”

Runebelle descended the stairs in haste. “I’ll find a safe place to heal you, Roselle! Hang in there!"

Runebelle, still carrying the unconscious Roselle on her back, arrived back on the first floor. While going further, she heard talking and quickly tried to conceal herself. Peeking out, she observed a group of officers engaged in a discussion. Runebelle strained to listen:

"You heard about that power surge, right? It shook the whole prison. Mystimona’s causing a ruckus."

"Mystimona? The amnesiac with the purple aura? What's he got to do with this?"

"He's the one causing it, or at least, that's what they say. The one who's been shaking things up around here. We need to put him back in his cell. The Problem is, he’s more powerful than we imagined. We didn’t know that when we made the arrest."

"No one's even sure how he got out in the first place. Someone must’ve REALLY screwed up."

The officers, seemingly preoccupied with their discussion walked right past Runebelle without noticing her. Runebelle let out a quiet sigh of relief. She knew that she needed to find a safe spot to heal Roselle before making any further decisions.

Runebelle carefully placed Roselle inside of an elevator, ensuring there were no guards inside. She then focused her magic, using her healing shots to mend Roselle's injuries. With remarkable effort, she managed to restore Roselle's condition to 50%, leaving Runebelle with only 22% of her magic power.

Runebelle looked down at her sister with a sense of relief. Roselle's breathing had stabilized, and her complexion had improved.

Runebelle, now carrying the partially healed Roselle, suddenly bumped into Mystimona and Haras who were rushing toward her on the first floor of the facility. Their paths converged, and they met unexpectedly in the midst of their respective escape plans.

"Runebelle! Roselle!" Haras squealed. She rushed forward, arms outstretched, and enveloped both sisters in a tight, almost suffocating hug. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I've missed you both so much!"

Runebelle awkwardly patted Haras on the back. "Haras, we missed you too, but we need to be careful. This place isn’t safe."

Haras nodded vigorously, pulling back just enough to look at both sisters. "I know, I know! But seeing you two here, I couldn’t help myself!" She quickly wiped her tears with the sleeve of her pink lab coat. "We've got to stick together and get out of here!"

Mystimona looked at Runebelle and Roselle with concern. He asked, “What happened?"

Runebelle responded, "We had a rough encounter with an opponent named Daimendo. He was extremely powerful. Roselle was injured, and we had to flee.

Mystimona, still concerned, asked, "Where's the danger now?”

Runebelle nodded and replied, "We… took care of it. We need to find a place to regroup and figure out our next move. We'll explain everything once Roselle is fully recovered."

Mystimona surveyed the battered sisters. "You two held your own against someone that was giving off that much power? That's impressive," he said with a smile coming to his face, “but it looks like it cost you a lot."

Runebelle nodded. She shifted her gaze briefly to Roselle, who was now breathing more steadily. "It did, but we had no other choice."

Mystimona’s face hardened. "From now on, you can depend on me. I'll get us all out of here."

Haras, still teary-eyed, sniffled and said, "I have something for you two, but I understand we need to get out of here first. We have to find Kintovar too don’t we? I'm not sure where she is."

Suddenly, the echoing sounds of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor, capturing everyone's attention. It was Kintovar, on the run. The relentless mace-wielding girl who she fought was very far behind.

The girl with the mace kept protesting, "This isn't fair, you little—URGH! Stop running already!"

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Kintovar clapped her hands playfully as she glanced back at the girl far down the hall. "Congratulations! You're really pushing past your limits. This is fascinating. You shouldn't have any stamina left by now," she taunted with a mischievous grin.

The girl with the mace, Zamina, glared at Kintovar, frustration and anger evident on her face. "Stop making fun of me!" she shouted, raising her mace in fury.

Kintovar's grin widened as she held out her arms, moving with a jolly air. "Oh, dear Zamina, this is where we must part ways," she said, her voice dripping with mock sincerity.

With a flourish, Kintovar pulled out a circular device from her coat. Zamina's eyes widened in shock. "What is that?" she demanded, taking a step back.

Kintovar didn't answer. She threw the device with a swift motion, and it hit Zamina squarely. Instantly, the device erupted in a thick cloud of smoke and dust, engulfing Zamina.

When the smoke finally cleared, Zamina stood alone, coughing and covered in dust. She looked down at her soiled clothes and gasped. A look of utter annoyance crossed her face. "Ugh, my clothes,” she shouted while trying to brush off the dust in vain.

Kintovar, now safely with Runebelle, Roselle, Mystimona, and Haras, smirked at her handiwork.

"This operation went smoother than anticipated. Now, it's time to go!" They all hurriedly made their way toward the exit. Once they moved out of the building, they ran past the bewildered guards who began to give chase.

Mystimona quickly halted with his purple aura flaring upwards. "Don't even think about moving," he warned the guards. They froze in their tracks and began shivering.

Kintovar's words came out in a rush. "Let's keep moving. We're not out of the woods yet!"

Kintovar led the group to her waiting hovercraft, and they all hopped in. With Kintovar at the controls, they sped away without any pursuit, leaving the facility and its guards behind. They had successfully escaped the clutches of the CPU.

Kintovar and Haras shared a war hug in the hovercraft. Haras was unable to let go of Kintovar after hugging onto them. “I made one little mistake and look at where it landed me!”

Kintovar smiled at her and said, "It's good to have you back, Haras. We'll make sure to keep you out of trouble from now on. Do you have all of the equipment I told you to bring with you?"

Haras nodded. "Of course, Kintovar. I wouldn't dare leave any technology behind. We have everything we need to continue our work."

Kintovar parked the hovercraft near Alden's Cabin. The group then stepped out. Kintovar led the way, approaching the cabin and knocking on the door.

Alden, a Mage who had offered her shelter in this peaceful place, opened the door. He welcomed Kintovar and her companions inside. After they settled in, Kintovar began to explain the situation to Mystimona and Haras.

"Thank you, Alden, for allowing us to stay here," Kintovar began. " Haras, this is a safe haven for us. You need not worry about any harm here. Not all Mages hold animosity toward scientists. Alden is a kind and understanding exception. He knows that Haras is a scientist and not a Mage, and he's graciously offered his assistance and protection."

Alden, once they were all inside, spoke kindly to Mystimona. "Your magic potential is remarkable. It's not every day we encounter someone with your level of power. It's almost enough to challenge someone like Dark Whirlwind."

Kintovar chimed in, elaborating on Mystimona's origin. "Mystimona hails from the Mystical Island, a place of immense magical energy, and he has taken in all the magical energy from that place. That's only one of the reasons why he's so unique.”

Mystimona scratched his head, trying to make sense of it all. "I wish I could remember more, but being here feels right. I'm glad to be with you all."

Mystimona's gaze fell upon the makeshift lab, where the tanks held Risebelle. Concern filled his eyes as he asked Kintovar, "What happened to her? Why is she in this condition?"

Kintovar sighed, her tone somber. "Dark Whirlwind happened," she explained. "She's the one who attacked and left Risebelle in this state."

Roselle, who had been listening despite her weakened state, managed to open one eye and whispered, "Dark Whirlwind... she revealed to me that her face is an exact copy of mine.. but…. I am me. I can’t question my own identity."

Kintovar went on to provide a summary of the recent events. "They fought against Dark Whirlwind with everything we had, but we lost. When they woke up, they saw what had happened to Risebelle. It was her intense hatred that led to this situation. Dark Whirlwind was more powerful than we could have imagined, and she revealed some shocking truths during the battle. Risebelle pushed herself beyond her magical limits, leading to a rupture that caused severe damage, then Dark whirlwind caused this hole now that we can't repair."

Haras approached Risebelle's tank, her hand gently resting on the glass. Memories flooded her mind, each one a precious moment she had shared with Risebelle. Despite the pain of the current situation, these memories brought a bittersweet smile to her face.

"I missed you so much, Risebelle," Haras whispered softly."We've been through a lot together, and I won't let this be the end. We'll find a way to bring you back."

Alden looked at Kintovar with a glare. “You’ve taken quite a risk bringing them here. Should I be worried about the CPU tracking us down?"

Kintovar raised both of her hands with a smile coming to her face. “I’ve been careful, Alden. I made sure to cover our tracks and ensure they won't find us here. You don't need to worry about unwanted guests showing up at your door."

Alden took a huge sigh of relif.

Haras gave them a salute and said, "I'm going to get to work right away! Don’t you worry!"

Kintovar inquired, "On what, Haras?"

Haras smiled confidently and replied, "I'm going to fix Risebelle, no matter what. You must have known, Kintovar, that I'm the one who can actually do it. You've thought of everything in advance, including me. That's how you are, always three steps ahead." She playfully sent a loving wink to Kintovar.

Kintovar smiled warmly and replied, "I missed you too, Haras. I'm glad you’re back where you belong. Let's work on fixing Risebelle together."

As Runebelle placed Roselle in her tank, Sally, Alden's 7-year-old daughter, came down the stairs. Excitedly, she saw and noticed the new people, but then frowned when she looked at Roselle. “Roselle, are you going to be Okay?”

Roselle, still recovering, offered a smile to the young girl and said, “Yes. I…I promise we'll play together later, Sally."

Runebelle gently interjected, "But for now, Roselle needs to rest and recover."

Sally nodded in understanding, but her worry came to her eyes. Runebelle, not knowing how to comfort the young girl, gently placed one hand on Sally's head.

Sally looked up at Runebelle with wide, curious eyes. Runebelle knew she needed to offer some comfort, even if it was just a small gesture.

She took a deep breath, summoning all her strength to push through her exhaustion, her worry, and the deep sadness she always feels. It felt almost foreign to her in this dire situation, but she knew it was important. Slowly, she let her lips curl into a faint smile, hoping to reassure the young girl.

"It'll be alright, Sally," Runebelle said softly. "Roselle is strong, and she's going to get better. We'll make sure of it."

Sally's eyes lit up slightly at Runebelle's words. She reached out and squeezed Runebelle's hand with her small fingers.

Kintovar suggested, "Runebelle, you should rest in your tank as well. Your energy is running low."

Haras, however, chimed in, "Wait, I have something to give you all."

Kintovar insisted, "It'll have to wait. Runebelle needs to rest."

Runebelle nodded and agreed, "Kintovar is right. My magic is down to 22%. I should rest."

Kintovar turned to Haras and Alden. "Let's get to work. The sooner we start, the sooner we can bring everyone back to full strength."

Haras rolled up her sleeves with a confident grin. "I'm ready, partner! Let’s get to work!”