Aspiration to the Heavens: Becoming the Supreme Mage Vol 2- Descent of Darkness

Episode 62: Finish Line!

 *Ulissis*

I shifted my gaze toward my left as I felt another pair of eyes on me. Aida had turned her attention from Eien to me. She slammed me with her whip. Apparently magic items could still hurt me as I was sent flying.

I grunted and pushed myself up and continued running even though I felt as if I had just been hit by a barrage of needles. I had to make it to the finish line, I had promised my friends that I would. I was always relying on them to help me, it was time that I did something for them. I didn't want to fail them now.

Eien charged at Aida. She moved aside causing him to slam into me. Eien yelled as soon as he made contact with me. "What in the world? Get out of my way, wimp!" His form shifted between that of a kitsune and a human. He moved away from me and his form stabilized.

Aida's eyes were wide. But it wasn't Eien she was looking at, but me. "What was that? I've never...you're not a normal mage after all?"

I smiled. "Sorry Eien, but I'll take it from here."

Eien coughed out blood. He glanced up at Ashynna who was still here. "Please take over for me," the prince said.

"I would love to," she said. She stepped into the track and watched as the others ran past us. "This is first most a race." She ran past us at the same speed she began the race with.

Aida and I ran after her. I took one final glance at Eien who was being attended to by the same medic who had helped Alban attend Alto. Two hurt in this event...this had long stopped being a simple race. As many had gotten badly hurt during this race as had fighters in Kyuu Seishin and Wahkan's match in the last event.

Aida ran faster than before and caught up to Ashynna. She whipped her but Ashynna caught the whip in her hands. "Foolish behavior from one of the ones I've searching for." She glanced back at me. "Watching you two fight is irritating."

"Who in the world are you to say that to me?" Aida said. She pulled back her whip, cutting Ashynna's hands. She snapped her whip again but Ashynna dodged this time.

"We're behind now. Yuzuki is well ahead," Ashynna said. She was right, Yuzuki was about to hand her baton to the final member of Celas, a brown haired girl who greatly resembled the boy who had handed Yuzuki her baton.

Aida stopped running and slammed her hands into the ground. Tree roots rose from the ground and grabbed several participants. Orion and Ashynna dodged the attack. The blue-green haired woman from Mina and Elliot also avoided it, as if they knew where it would come from. The attack surprisingly didn't hit me.

"Ventus Draco," said a member of Rio's team. A wooden dragon destroyed the root. "I heard that H.E.H. had several strong members...is this what they meant by strong?"

Aida snickered. Fine roots appeared out of the larger roots and grabbed the Rios member. "Stupid Rios are so full of themselves." She walked over to the boy and pulled up his head. She touched his neck. "Any last wishes?" The boy's wind dragon slammed into her. Sending her flying.

The boy ripped the roots. "My team may be losing, but we aren't weaklings either!"

I ran on ahead while Aida was left with the Rios boy. Orion while slow compared his teammates, was still leading the group. Luckily, Eien's ice and Aida's roots had given me a chance to overtake the others. Overtaking Orion wasn't going to be too hard.

I gasped for air and fell to my knees. The stinging sensation on my back intensified further. No, why now... I'm so close. I need to... make it.

Aida had soon caught up and handed over her baton over to the same guy who had hurt Alto. I looked back and saw the Rios boy drenched in a pool of blood. He had been stabbed near the heart.