As the woman walked toward us, her figure slowly emerged from the crimson haze.
Her face… it was familiar.
Too familiar.
"Mother?" I whispered, disbelief lacing my voice.
The Marksman beside me tensed, eyes widening.
"She's your mother?" he asked, stunned.
I couldn't answer. I was stunned too.
Mother never told me she was an Adventurer.
She had always been gentle, quiet—far from the chaos. Yet here she was, standing and fighting monsters, along with her glowing wand in her hand.
Even I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Before I could process it further, a deafening howl tore through the battlefield.
One of the Giants groaned—its massive hand had been severed clean off, spraying black blood across the ground.
The creature groaned in agony, its howls echoing through the night sky, but the assault didn't stop.
The two Swordsmen teamed up. The Axe swordsman kept spinning his weapon with savage force, carving deadly arcs through the air as he struck down the leg of the giant, forcing it to its knees.
At his side, the Excalibur swordsman's blade shimmered with golden fire, each swing igniting the battlefield with divine light. Together, they overwhelmed the slow-moving Giants with precision and unrelenting fury.
They unleashed their skills in perfect synchronization, causing the area around them to flash and shake.
Despite their immense size and brute strength, the Giants were slow creatures—easy to predict, easy to flank. Their roars shook the ground, but their strength meant little against speed and teamwork.
Still, our focus had shifted.
Something had changed.
We were no longer watching the Giants.
Our eyes were drawn upward—to the two witches.
They hovered above like shadows in the sky, their black robes flowing behind them like smoke. Their eyes—once cold and calculating—now burned with wrath. Their attention was no longer on the battlefield. It was on Mother.
They were furious because of what Mother had done.
A swift motion of their twisted wooden sticks cut through the air as the witches shifted their formation. The sudden change in their movement made my heart pound harder. With sharp, inhuman laughter that echoed across the sky, they twisted in mid-flight, turning their full attention toward her—toward Mother.
Their wands, gnarled and crooked, began to glow with a dark, sickly light. The air around them shimmered with rising magic, heavy and filled with danger.
It was clear—they weren't just angry.
They were ready to kill.
The witch with Thorn Magic raised her wand high, its tip pulsing with dark greenish light. With a guttural chant, she unleashed her spell. Thorn-covered vines and gnarled roots burst forth into the air, spiraling wildly. It flew, weaving through the sky like serpents, thorny and fast, all of them clawing toward Mother with deadly intent.
But Mother didn't flinch.
She stood still—calm and composed—as if this moment was something she'd faced before.
"Let water be my blade, my aim a spiral—flow with the tide, and lash out."
"Water Magic: Serpent Coil"
Spell Description: Ranged / Offensive / Whip-Type / Agile Strike
(Water Coil is a water spell that unleashes a swift, a serpentine projectile of water that strikes with surprising agility. The coil whips through the air. While effective against multiple targets, the spell's effectiveness can be lessened by strong winds or dense obstacles that disrupt the coil's path.)
SPLASH!
All the thorny vines and twisting roots were swept away by Mother's spell. The serpent-like stream of water lashed through the air, striking the magic vines and tearing them apart.
But the witches wouldn't give up that easily.
With furious screams, they raised their wands again.
From above, dark, cursed skulls appeared—burning with black flames. Their eyes glowed with hatred as they flew toward Mother, leaving trails of smoke and fire across the crimson sky. They weren't just ordinary attacks. These skulls were enchanted with dark magic.
Mother didn't flinch.
She raised her wand quickly, controlling the stream and wave of water at her side, and fired another stream of water into the air. The spell shot forward, twisting like a fast-moving snake.
But something was wrong.
The flaming skulls moved around it—dodging the attack as if they were alive. They flew in strange, curving paths, changing direction like birds.
They weren't just flying randomly. Someone was controlling them. I looked up and saw one of the witches with her eyes glowing—guiding the skulls with her wand moving.
Mother's water spell missed its mark.
The cursed skulls hissed through the air, closing in fast.
They saw an opening.
They aimed straight for her.
But Mother wasn't done yet.
She planted her feet firmly on the ground and lifted her wand.
She began to control the water again.
I stood here, amazed—by how gracefully she moved the stream of water. It swirled and twisted in the air like a small river flowing above the ground, obeying her will completely.
The water didn't fall or splash like normal. It floated, alive and powerful, curling around her like a protective spirit.
Her eyes were focused, calm.
Her lips moved as she whispered a soft incantation, words I couldn't fully hear—but I could feel the power behind them.
"Wall of water, rise and block—shield me with your shell! Water, form and harden."
Her wand began to glow.
A soft blue light pulsed from its tip, matching the rhythm of her chant. The glow spread gently through the water she controlled. It shimmered along the twisting stream in the air, as if the water itself was listening—responding to her voice.
Slowly, it began to change shape. The swirling stream stopped lashing wildly and started to bend and curve with purpose, forming into something solid—something protective.
"Water Magic: Tortoise Shell!"
Spell Description: Defensive / Shield-Type / Impact Resistance / Durable
(Tortoise Shell is a defensive water spell that conjures a solid, curved shield of water shaped like a turtle shell. The barrier forms directly in front of the caster—like a soldier's shield raised for protection. Its rounded shape is designed to deflect incoming attacks. The shell is reinforced by magic, making it strong enough to block physical blows and magical projectiles.)
The incoming skulls were blocked by the Tortoise Shell—and then absorbed into its glowing surface before vanishing completely.
The witches shrieked in rage, their faces twisted in frustration.
But then, something changed.
Suddenly, my mother began to rise into the air—slowly, calmly—until she hovered at the same height as the two witches.
When did she learn to float mid-air? I asked myself.
Then came the water.
A powerful surge of water began to rise all around her. It was as if she were calling to every drop nearby. The puddles on the ground, the damp soil of the farm field—all of it responded to her. Tiny streams of water lifted from the earth and raced toward her like they had heard her plea.
She controlled it all with her wand.
A massive wave formed in mid-air, swirling and growing larger with every passing second. The water didn't fall—it floated beside her, circling her like a guardian spirit made of liquid light.
All of us stared in awe.
Even the two Swordsmen—who had been locked in battle with monsters—paused to look at her. No one said a word.
There was so much water surrounding her now, it looked like a river had risen into the sky.
The witches stared in disbelief. Their eyes widened as they watched the swirling water gather around my mother like a great river waiting to strike.
Panicking, they raised their wands and shouted spells. Thorny vines shot through the air, and dark flames burned across the sky, racing toward her.
But it was no use.
The massive surge of water didn't stop. It simply swallowed their attacks. The thorns were swept away, and the flames fizzled out, steam rising as the magic vanished into the tide.
It was like the water itself refused to be harmed.
Then Mother raised her wand higher. Her voice rang out strong and clear.
"Get away from my village!"
The words echoed across the field like thunder.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment, then opened them with a calm, determined glow. Slowly, she began to chant. The air around her shimmered with magic. Her voice was steady and full of power. It looked like she was casting a powerful and devastating spell.
"O mighty tail of the ocean beast,
hear my gentle plea.
From the depths of the deep sea, rise and strike.
I summon the whale's wrath!"
The water began to take shape—forming high above her into the massive, curving tail of a sea beast. It stretched wide and tall, glowing faintly blue, ready to come crashing down with the fury of the ocean itself.
"Water Magic: Whale's Tail!"
Spell Description: Wide-Range / AoE (Area of Effect) / Offensive / Knockback / Impact / Charging
(Whale's Tail is a devastating water spell that channels the raw power of the ocean to create a colossal wave, shaped precisely like a whale's tail.The wave rises from the depths with a deafening roar, a towering wall of water that crashes down upon the target with breathtaking force. The impact is devastating, a torrent of water that washes over the target, inflicting immense damage and leaving them battered and disoriented.)
A massive whale's tail made entirely of water rose high into the air above my mother. It had formed from all the water she had gathered around her, swirling and glowing with magical light. The tail was enormous—wide, curved, and powerful—like a creature of the sea answering her call.
Then, without a word, Mother lowered her wand in a sharp motion.
It was a command.
The great tail of water obeyed.
It curled upward even higher, then came crashing down like a tidal wave aimed straight at the witches. It was so big—twice as wide as our road. If it landed on the fields, it could easily soak everything, even ruin our crops.
The Thorn Magic Witch's eyes went wide in fear.
"Morgana, let's go!" she shouted to her companion.
She turned and flew away as fast as she could.
But the other witch—Morgana—wasn't quick enough.
SPLASH!
The massive whale tail slammed down with a deafening crash, smashing into her and sending a huge splash of water through the sky. It hit her full-force and swept her away like a twig in a flood.
Even the monsters nearby saw what was coming and turned to flee in panic, howling as they ran into the edge of the Forbidden Woods.
The impact was so powerful, water burst in every direction—rushing through the field, soaking the earth, and sadly… flooding some of our crops.
We watched in silence as water rushed over the land we had worked so hard to grow.
The battle might have been won, but there would still be damage to face.
Still, my mother floated calmly above the field, her wand lowered, the storm of water now settling around her like mist.
She went back to the ground.