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

[Revised/Edited] Episode 48: Battle of the Warriors

-"Close your eyes and feel the world around you. Clear your mind and tell me what you see and feel"

*Xue*

I watched the spot where the olive circle had once been. I took a single step back and reached for my sword. "Winter Storm!" The field of grass froze as the ground was torn open.

Ayawamat jumped and grinned. "Where are you aiming at? I thought that you would be better than that." He ran at me and sent webbing in all directions.

I snickered and stood my ground, drawing my sword at the speed of light. A thousand shards of webbing glistened as light from outside poured in from the nine fox ranma circling the room.

My opponent took a step back and summoned a light green wand. A flare of pastel-green prana ignited his hands and the wand itself.

I drew my sword and slashed the air, sending a freezing gale at Ayawamat. The bug mage ducked and watched as the wall of the barrier behind him was encased in ice.

"This fighting style," Koukyuu said, observing us from one of the corners of the barrier.

"It's similar to Ayumi's sword fighting, isn't it?" Sonata asked.

Koukyuu nodded. "Yeah. The same style that Ayu inherited from her father."

"Ayumi?" Boukyaku said, tilting his head at his aunt and her acquaintance. "You mean the daughter of Kane Hoshi and the wife of Prince Zyuuni??"

"Yeah. She's really strong. Her magic and sword fighting styles are polar opposites. Her father has the same style, but I would say that Ayumi's shifts are more unpredictable."

"This girl must've studied the Toran Royal family's sword fighting style to be this good," Yuzuki said, grinning. "Being such a skillful fighter at her age, impressive. The Uan still prove how they ended up becoming such a threat to the unification of the second Universal Empire."

Iah nodded.

"Considering that's one of the few things remaining from that conflict is enough to show how major it was back in the day," said Hikaru, who sat behind her. His blue eyes darted toward Ayawamat. "Though I still think that guy has a chance."

Ayawamat grunted as he continued to dodge my freezing razor winds. "What kind of magic is this?" he asked.

"This is northwestern Tozan Hoshi magic," Iah said proudly.

Adela nodded. "You should have seen some from Lei, being his rival."

He gasped as he dropped to the floor. "Lei? Right, the slashes are similar to his swordsmanship. Swords are seriously overrated, though!" He jumped to his feet and thrust his wand forward, transforming the wand into a wooden atlatl. The spear of the atlatl flew straight at me. I leaped back and cast a wall of ice and rock.

"That was close," I said, gripping my sword as the spear remained stuck in the icy barrier.

Ayawamat smiled and clapped his hands together several times. "Come before me, my strongest!" A light green sphere formed from hexagons manifested. Emerging within the barrier was a ten-foot-tall bee with giant wings. Buzzing around her were several normal-sized bees.

"That's a..." Hal said, flipping through his tablet. "Tenia Bee Queen. How did he manage to find one of those and grow it to this size?"

"Tenia Bee?" Lei asked as he stared at his rival.

"We found one when we were kids," Orion said, grinning from behind Hal's seat. "Back when he used to live in Stella."

I grunted as I watched the bee absorb Ayawamat's prana. "Here you go, girl," Ayawamat said, lowering his hands. "Now, if you desire more, defeat that girl!"