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

Episode 72: Self-Conscious

*Ayawamat*

The swords clashed over me, covering my surroundings with dust. However, once the dust was gone the others gasped. Around me was a beehive shaped barrier.

"H-he withstood her attack," Nyima said, mouth wide.

"N-no way," Lei said, turning to look at Adela. "Did you hold back?"

"Yeah, but didn't think that he would survive that," she said with a smug smile.

"Tsk. How sad, it's one thing for an opponent to underestimate someone, but another for one's own teammates to do so."

Lei turned away and started to whistle. The annoying brat. Once this was over I would have to give him a good beat down. Not that that would stop him. He always kept standing right back up, like a cockroach. I bet that even if he lost his head his body would still be able to move on its own just like one.

"Hey, pay attention over here!" Adela shouted as she plunged a silver sword through my barrier.

I lunged back just in time as the sword slashed through my baggy blue shirt. Adela though pulled her sword back and spun around with all the grace of a dancer. I let out a scream as it cut my right forearm.

She lowered her sword and knee kicked me in the stomach, sending me flying into the branches of one of the giant oaks. Snapping sounds echoed all around me, the branches weren't slowing down my momentum. Nor could I slow it down by flinging webs all around me.

Suddenly, Adela appeared behind me and stuck my back with both her palms, causing me to let out a bone chilling scream.

I raised my arms over my face and covered myself in webbing but I didn't get to finish before Adela reappeared in front of me and struck me with another knee kick to the stomach, sending me flying back in the direction I had come from. This time with no branches, which was both a good and bad thing. Good for obvious reasons but bad as it meant that there was nothing to slow me down.

I turned back and saw that I was about to fall into a river. I closed my eyes and covered my body in even more webbing in preparation for impact. I splashed into the water but to my surprise I hadn't hit the river proper. Instead the waters had hit me.

I gasped as Adela flew toward me.

"Enough!" a voice called out as the waters shielded me. Walking toward us was Nyima.

"So we'll finally have our rematch, huh?" Adela said, grinning.

Nyima smiled back as she unleashed the full force of the river's waters on her.

Though there was one thing I didn't understand, why had she defended me? She could've attack Adela while she was focused on me. Maybe Lei's dumbness was starting to rub off on her.

"Though for now it'll have to wait," Nyima said as she flash stepped over to me. She grabbed a hold of the bubble around me and snapped her fingers, unleashing a blinding amount of light.

"Argh, warn me next time!" I yelled, rubbing my eyes.

"Tsk. What a crybaby. I'm surprised that you aren't the one who was bullied."

I chuckled lightly. "Who said that I wasn't..."

"If you were bullied at one point then why do you pick on others? Does it make you feel better about yourself?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it does."

"Seriously? You know what, I shouldn't have saved you. In fact, I'll drop you off right now and have you face Adela's wrath."