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

Episode 66: Thieving Shadows

*Alto*

The puppet leapt off its owner's back. It was a skinny humanoid puppet with shark like teeth. It moved slowly towards us, its joints cracking with each step.

"Attack them!" the girl said.

The puppet attacked the closest person to it which happened to be Alban. He block its attack and delivered a nice fist to the stomach, sending it flying into the forest behind its owner.

"Duer!" she yelled, running over to retrieve it.

"Where is that other person?" Arima said, looking around. "I can't sense their presence."

"What about Hal?" Ulissis said.

"That's right, Hal has his team's stone," I said. "Let's go after him."

"Go with them, Adah," Zelia said, staring down the puppeteer girl. "I can handle her on my own."

Adah stopped and chanted something under her breath. A horde of wasps emerged from the corroded trees. "Protect the freshman and Onyx," the insect mage ordered.

Zelia smiled at her sister. "So we're doing this together? She must be quite strong then."

The puppeteer chuckled as she picked up her puppet. "Duer, stand! Destroy those wasps!" The puppet charged at us on all fours. The thing grabbed the wasps with its hands. As soon as it touched the wasps, they vanished.

"Fly away!" Adah yelled. The wasps departed from her and flew deeper into the forest. "Follow them, they'll lead you to Hal!"

The puppet started to creak and came to a halt. An energy barrier covered it like a cocoon.

"What's going on?" I asked, leering at it. No matter, I just needed to stop whatever it was doing."Fulgur Draco!" A lightning dragon emerged from my hands and leapt towards the puppet. My spell vanished as soon as it touched the barrier. I stepped aside. "What in the world?"

"Is this the same kind of barrier as H.E.H. used?" Ulissis asked, stepping aside.

My arms ached. "No, this is different. The other one repealed, this one absorbs." Sparks flew across my arms and hands.

"Alto," Arima said. She was about to touch me but I pulled away.

"Don't get close! I'll shock you."

Ulissis grabbed my arm and the electricity vanished. He stared back at the barrier and charged after it.

"Stop!" I said. "It'll kill you!"

He didn't listen and continued to get closer to the barrier even as it started to discharge pillars of electric energy out.

"It's almost time," the girl said. She formed a barrier around her other barrier. "Sorry, but I can't allow you to interfere."

Zelia placed her hands on the ground. "Come forth." The ground glowed bright blue. The dragon she had used to ride here emerged once more. Was that what she was up to all this time?

Ulissis touched the first barrier and went inside. He reached in to the first. His eyes became pale. His whole body shook, like I had expected, it was too strong for him.

"Pull back!" Onyx yelled.

"Listen to us," Arima yelled. "It's too dangerous."

Alban ran after Ulissis. "Come back, Uli!"

The barrier buzzed around with energy. A beam shot out and hit Ulissis in the stomach. It sent him flying past us. Adah's wasps turned around and grabbed him.