Aspiration to the Heavens: Becoming the Supreme Mage Vol. 1- Novus Magus

[Revised/Edited] Episode 42: Poison and Crystal

-"The battles rage, but only one shall reign victorious!"

*Vermeil*

"Now, let's begin the second match," Koukyuu said. "Eien, if you would please do us the honors."

Prince Eien of Kyuu Seishin stood up with a tablet in hand and took his aunt's mic. "The next match is Hal versus Vermeil!"

Ms. Key sighed. "You need to work on your announcements, kid."

Eien leaned back on his seat, pensively.

"Wish me luck," I said, grinning as I rose from my seat.

"Good luck," Hal said, chuckling as he got up.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Not you!" Hmph, he clearly knew who I was directing my comment at.

"Hope that both of you enjoy your match," An said cheerfully.

My face warmed. "I'm sure that I will." I turned away and ran to join Hal in the center of the arena. The guy had gone ahead of me.

Eien had transformed the ring into a mountainous area reminiscent of the mountain range between Sera and Xian— forest included.

"I'm here," I said, taking a couple of breaths.

Hal summoned his needles and grinned impishly. "Again, good luck."

I formed crystals in my hands. "I don't need your 'good luck' to win. Crystal Shield!" A cube of bright orange-gold crystal encased me. Needles from above rained down on the barrier at breakneck speeds.

My eyes shifted upward. Hal hung from the ceiling of the arena's barrier.

'He's faster than before,' I thought.

My Hoinian friend chuckled as he jumped down from the ceiling like a ninja. "I was right to reassess this match!"

I snapped my fingers. My barrier exploded, sending chunks of orange-gold crystal flinging in all directions. The stones sliced through the rock and crushed others into powder for those misfortunate to be struck head on.

Hal grimaced, touching his leg as a piece of crystal flew past. Fresh blood covered his hands. He swallowed back the desire to scream, instead releasing his needles.

He landed on the ground and tore the sleeve of his gray shirt, using it to wrap up the wound as quickly as he could.

I dodged the needles as he tended to his wound, and threw a crystal at him. Somehow I ended up missing. He hadn't even tried to dodge.

'Did he figure that I would miss? After all, he had always been good with predictions. Still, it isn't like my aim is the worst in the world. He had to be hiding something.'

"Electri," I said, raising my hands in front of me. The shards and dust from my shattered barrier grew in size. The tallest one being the one on the ceiling of the ring's barrier.

Hal stared at the crystals as they flew down at him. He laughed. All of them had missed. A couple had even gotten sliced by an invisible force, with a few even remaining suspended in the air.

"Hmph, your aim is still as bad as the mook armies in sci-fi dramas!" His eyes widened as the crystals came crashing around him in a circle. "W-what?"

I narrowed my eyes at the web of thin strings that increasingly became visible as the sliced shards of crystal covered them in resin. "I was right."

Hal snickered. "So it seems you discovered my trap." He sighed. "Stupid resin."

Resin continued to bubble out of the cut-down crystals. Tendrils of liquid amber jolted toward him. Hal stood his ground and raised his needles in front of him as if he were in a boxing ring. He flicked his needles into the air once the resin came a foot from touching him. "Venanum in eo est." The resin tendrils stopped. And the crystals they originated from stopped bubbling. The entire crystal structure dissolved into an amber-colored liquid.