Michigo’s shouted with all her might, “Roselle, don’t give up! You ’t let this be the end!”

  Tears streamed down Michigo’s face while she tinued. “You’ve got to use not just your strength, but all of ours. Take us with you, Roselle!”

  Roselle, on the brink of unsciousness, heard Michigo’s words, and a surge of energy coursed through her. She felt the collective strength of her friends and allies rallying around her. With every ounce of willpower she could muster, she made one final effort to break free from Rosebelle’s grasp.

  A out a long sigh. “Look, Roselle, I’m not your friend or anything, and I’m not one f, mushy speeches. But you still owe me favors. You don’t get to die and weasel your way out of it. You hear me? You’re not allowed to kick the bucket just yet.”

  Roselle, ging to the st shreds of sciousness, could feel the support of her friends and A was as if their collective willpower was breathing life bato her.

  Sarah trembled while speaking. “Roselle, we’ve been through so much together. You’re my best friend, but this doppelgauff... I’ve seen some terrible things, and maybe I’ve dohings I’m not proud of, but right here. I want to make things right, so fight, Roselle, fight!”

  With fidence, Sarah raised her pom-poms high, “I’m cheering you on, Roselle, with everything I’ve got. You’ve got to give this fight your all, 200%, for both of us!”

  Saddie’s gloomy face returned, but she spoke with a hopeful tone. “Roselle, I’ve known more about you than you may realize. Shadowcroft has its secrets, and I’ve uncovered many of them. I’ve seen the Roselle who faces the unknown and tackles challenges head-on, the Roselle who dives into the shadows to solve mysteries.”

  Saddie’s dark eyes met Roselle’s. “This is the moment, Roselle. The moment of terattack we talked about. In Epic Quest: Realm of Shadows, many pyers believed the battle was over when their HP was low, when they were taking massive damage. They didn’t try anythihey didn’t realize there was more they could do. But you, Roselle, there’s something you do. You have the power to find the answers, to uhe truth.”

  Saddie raised up one fist. “Don’t give up now. You have allies here who believe in you. You have the strength to rise, to turide, and to face the shadows head-on. This is your moment, Roselle.”

  Roselle spoke with a whisper. “Michigo, Angie, Saddie, Sarah... Your strengths, your abilities, and your belief in me...”

  Roselle’s yellow aura fred back to life, now interwoven with a brilliant hue of blue that danced within her eyes.

  Rosebelle’s eyes widened in terror. Roselle swatted Rosebelle’s hands away, freeing herself from the choking grasp. She drew in a deep breath and in aswift, powerful motion, thrusted her fist into Rosebelle’s midse. The impact was enough to send Rosebelle flying backward. Her body skid across the ground with a resounding thud. The croed in unison.

  Rosebelle looked up in shock, her breath ing in ragged gasps. Her once-fident demeanor had been repced by a look of disbelief and fear. She struggled to push herself up, her previous taunts and bravado giving way to a realization of the true power Roselle possessed.

  Roselle stood tall, her aura bzing brightly. she spoke out with unwavering fidehis is where it ges, Rosebelle. You wao be me, but it’s not about being someone you’re not. It’s about being true to yourself. And right now, that means I’m putting ao this fight, for all our sakes.”

  Bystanders in the crowd exged astonished ents. “Is this some kind of special effects Club Crimson put on for the fight?” one onlooker wondered aloud.

  Another person chimed in, “I’ve seen some wild things at this club, but this is level!”

  Rosebelle stared in astonishment at the radiant Roselle. She mumbled in disbelief. “Wait, like, what is this? They never said... they said repg someone like Roselle would be, like, totes easy. But, like, what in the hell is she doing right now?”

  Rosebelle, despite her initial shock, quickly regained her posure. She shouted, “I won’t let you just win, Roselle! Like, you’re totes not stealing my spotlight!”

  Rosebelle let out a battle cry that resohrough the arena. “I won’t lose to some goody-two-shoes like you, Roselle!”

  With her enhanced fht, Roselle’s perception of time seemed to slow down. She could see the exaent when Rosebelle would unch her attack, allowio evade each strike with remarkable precision.

  Rosebelle charged forward with a powerful swing aimed at Roselle’s midse. But Roselle was already aware. She sidestepped gracefully, feeling the rush of air from the missed attack. Before Rosebelle could recover, Roselle delivered a quick jab followed by a spinning kick that sent Rosebelle staggering backward.

  Uerred, Rosebelle recovered and tried agai Roselle dodged each assault effortlessly.

  Rosebelle, growing more desperate, roared, “You think you’ve got me figured out? Well, guess what? I’m like, so not do!”

  Roselle replied, “There’s something you don’t know about me, Rosebelle, and I’m learning about it right now. I may be good, I may be merciful, and I may not want to kill you, Rosebelle. But this is what happens when you make me angry.”

  Rosebelle’s fury got the better of her, she struck rapidly, shouting “hold still, you little..grr!!!”

  Roselle used little effort to evade her attacks and said, “I haven’t improved on my skills. You’re still the better fighter, Rosebelle. In fact, one-on-one, you could likely beat me…”

  Rosebelle’s eyes narrowed, her frustration. “Oh yeah? Then what’s your deal, huh? What’s keeping you in this fight if you think I’m llke, so much better?”

  Roselle, maintaining her posure, answered, “It’s thanks to my friends. Their belief iheir support—it’s allowed me to push my abilities to their maximum potential.”

  At the mention of “abilities,” Rosebelle’s face ged. Her eyes gzed over as memories from her past began to resurface. The se shifted to a dark room where a young Rosebelle k beside a dying female doctor. The doctor, bloodied and weak, looked at Rosebelle with sadness and urgency.

  The doctor’s was faint but clear. “Rosebelle... if you ever run into Roselle, be careful. She possesses a terrifying ability known as...”

  The memory tly interrupted. Rosebelle staggered back. Her face became pale and eyes widened with shock. “W-wait... what... what did she say? What kind of... ability...?”

  Despite her frustration, Rosebelle quickly resolved to act. ‘If that’s the case, then I o outdo whatever it is she’s doing,’ Rosebelle thought.

  Rosebelle took a track pose. Her body tensed while preparing to unleash her speed. The grouh her seemed to crackle with energy. In seds, she propelled herself forward. To the onlookers, it appeared as though lightning trails erupted from her form, each motion a blur of electrifying speed.

  Roselle’s eyes widened in amazement and . Rosebelle’s fshes of movement darted around Roselle. Her speed so great that she appeared in multiple pces at once.

  Rosebelle echoed around the arena while fshing past Roselle. “’t catch me, you? How’s your fancy ability holding up now?”

  Roselle closed her eyes, brag herself. Rosebelle, sensing victory, surged forward. Her fist was aimed directly at Roselle’s . But Roselle, though not fast enough to fully evade the attack, had anticipated this move. At the st possible moment, she cpped her hands together in front of her, creating a shield-like barrier that absorbed the impact of Rosebelle’s uppercut. The force of the blow still went through Roselle’s arms, and she grimaced in pain.

  With gritted teeth, Roselle used the momentum of the hit to forcefully sm Rosebelle into the ground. The impact sent shockwaves through the arena and echoed loudly. Rosebelle y sprawled on the ground, unscious and unmoving.

  Roselle staggered and leaned against the wall for support. She took a few deep breathes. Her yellow aura faded from around her body.

  Rosebelle’s eyes fluttered open, revealing a fieress despite her current state. With a sudden burst of energy, she flipped back up to her feet, pointing at Roselle with a look of defiance.

  “Oh hell no, this is so not over!” she decred. She was visibly struggling to maintain her footing, each breath came in ragged gasps.

  The effort to stand and make that decration took its toll. Rosebelle’s legs wobbled, and her earlier burst of speed left her severely drained. With a groan, she dropped to one kh heavy breathes.

  Alex, who had been sitting in as one of Rosebelle’s cheerleaders, abruptly threw off the girly cheerleader outfit, put on his white tuxedo and began to make his way out of the arena.

  Rosebelle, still on one knee had her jaw drop to the ground. She stammered. “No, no, like, you ’t just leave me here like this! ALEX!! WHAT THE HELL?!”

  Alex turned back. “I thought you were my girlfriend,” he said coldly. “Look at all the things I did for you. I even wore that ridiculous girly outfit and cheered for you. And now, you’re losing to a piece of trash like this?”

  His words cut deep. “It’s over. You’re not strong enough for me. I need someone who keep up, who stand beside me and not embarrass me like this.”

  Rosebelle’s face held pure terror. “Alex, get back here! You ’t do this to me!”

  The crowd, the cheerleaders, and the entire arena watched in stunned silence as Rosebelle’s world seemed to crumble around her.

  Rosebelle hung her head low. She muttered to herself, “What am I to Alex? We were supposed to be a team, w together to achieve oal of repg Roselle. But this is the third time he’s left me... always by myself.”

  Michigo’s eyes narrowed with disgust. “That guy is a scumbag,” she spat with disdain. “Just ditg Rosebelle like that in the middle of everything. What a lowlife.”

  Angie crossed her arms with bitter amusement. “Well, that’s just what you’d expect from the #1 top gamer, right? He only cares about being the best and having the best stuff. Doesn’t matter who he tramples on in the process.” She shot a gre toward where Alex had exited.

  Sarah looked on with sadness. “I ’t believe he just walked out on her like that.”

  Rosebelle’s heart shattered, her mind raced through the memories of her time with Alex. She recalled the moments when he had reached out to her, assistand panionship even though she was just supposed to be a Doppelganger. She remembered the day he joined Shadowcroft, pledging to take care of her from that point on.

  Roselle made her way slowly over to Rosebelle. She approached with .“Rosebelle, are you okay?”

  Rosebelle remained unrespoh her gaze aimed downwards. Roselle frowned while kneeling beside her doppelganger. “Alex was never a good guy. He may have preteo care, but his true colors are showing now. He’s more ied in his owation and status than in genuinely supp anyone. What just happened—his abando—is a refle of that. He left you when you needed him the most.”

  Rosebelle’s eyes flicked up to meet Roselle’s. “But... but he was supposed to be different. He said he would always be in my er, as long as I showed my strength... I tried... really hard to impress him... I was strong.... I eve Risebelle... so why...does he think i’m weak?!”

  Rosebelle’s despair turned into a primal roar. A dark aura began to envelop her, crag with raw, unchecked energy. Her once vibrant appearance was now overshadowed by the overwhelming force that seemed te from withihe dark energy twisted and coiled around her, creating an uling trast against her earlier, vibrant aura.

  Roselle’s eyes widened in arm. “Rosebelle, wait—”

  But before she could finish her sentence, Rosebelle’s dark aura surged with a forceful iy. The grouh her trembled. Rosebelle’s power, once strained, was now unleashed. Iands, Sadie shouted. “Oh no! Rosebelle’s abilities are awakening. This isn’t good at all!”

  Rosebelle’s dark aura intensified. She charged forward with a newfound ferocity. The grouh her buckled, atacks came in a relentless barrage of energy and force. Roselle, despite her heightened fht, found herself struggling to evade the onsught. Each attack, despite her best efforts, nded with devastating precision.

  Roselle’s mind raced in fusion. ‘How? I’m sure I’m dodging the attacks. How is she hitting me?’

  Rosebelle screamed, “I hate it! I hate not being like you, Roselle! I hate that Alex dumped me for the third time! I hate being part of Shadowcroft, a pce that never really cared for me! I hate being a doppelganger, a shadow of someone else! And most of all, “I HATE YOU, ROSELLE!!!!!” Rosebelle delivered a crushing blow, a culmination of all her anger and frustration. A powerful surge of energy smmed into Roselle with immense force.

  The impact was devastating. Roselle was thrown back. She crashed into the ground with a resounding thud. The spectators, including those who had been cheering for Rosebelle, were left in awe of the raw power and ferocity dispyed in that moment.

  Roselle y unscious in a pool of her own blood. Her body was now battered and broken from the brutal assault.

  But then, as if breaking a spell, the crowd erupted in cheers. They had e for a spectacle, for brutality, and they had wit. Angie, Saddie, Sarah, and Michigo, however, were left speechless.

  Sarah finally found her words in the midst of the chaotic se. She began slowly. “Roselle is... she’s not moving guys. This is... this is really, really bad.”