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

[Revised/Edited] Episode 35: Outrunning Time

I turned around and rushed back to the beach, but the water grasped me. Walking into his element had to have been the biggest oversight I'd made.

"Defensionem Ventus!" I chanted at the top of my lungs. The wave struck my barrier, only to be deflected back at Orion.

Orion gritted his teeth and took control of the water with his magic. He raised a hand out and began to shape it into what looked like a tiger.

"Not so fast!" I said, dashing behind him.

His eyes widened. "My spell wore off?"

I smirked and nodded before kicking him. "It sure did!"

Orion went flying even as he raised walls of water to slow his momentum down a little. He finally came to a stop but it was of no use as he landed out of bounds.

"The winner is the zappy boy himself, Lei Lan!" Ms. Key's voice roared over the intercom. Was she the MC for this match?

I scratched my cheeks and laughed weakly. "Z-zappy boy?"

*Ayawamat*

'That guy. If he was going to put up a weak performance, he should've just skipped the tournament and saved us the time.'

"Is he alright?" Adela asked, standing up.

"Lei went a little too hard on the poor guy," Yuzuki said, furrowing her brow.

I scoffed. "He shouldn't even be here." I glanced at Adela. "I don't understand why you and the other two helped someone so weak."

The red-eyed girl closed her eyes. "What exactly is your relationship to that boy? He seemed to know you already when we first met on the bridge."

I averted my gaze. "We used to go to the same school. That's all."

"Really?" Sarah asked. "It seemed to me like you two were once friends."

Her purple haired teammate nodded. "Orion spoke of you as if you were an old friend."

I scoffed. "I would never be friends with someone so weak that he'll lose to Lei with ease."

"Orion isn't all that strong, but like Lei he never gives up," the masked boy said. He looked back at the ring as Lei helped Orion up. "Of course, Lei is just more persistent."

I sighed. "You're not wrong about the persistent part." That's what made him so annoying. Yet, I couldn't but respect him a little for it.

*Lei*

"I won!" I yelled as I ran toward the group. 'Though it was against someone who I had already defeated once. However, that was a team battle, so I guess it's not that bad to have fought Orion again. This time he seemed stronger. Perhaps because he didn't spend all of his prana on his temporal-magic like last time.'

Aya scoffed. "Against a weakling like Orion. You can say that once you've defeated me."

Orion lowered his head as he joined us. "Right. I am weak. I... I have no right to be here." He turned his back to us. "I'm not feeling so well, I'm going to go back to my cabin."

"Alright," Koukyuu said, giving him a sad smile.

"You really are an ass," I said, glaring at the bully. "Must you tear down everyone who you deem as weaker than you? How would you like it if someone did that to you?"

He turned away and didn't say a word.

Orion stopped and turned around. "I know that you mean well, Lei, but I can protect myself. Also, you have no idea what Ayawamat has been through."

I smiled a little. 'Ori seems like a great guy, but why does he feel the need to defend someone who doesn't even claim him as a friend?'

Ayawamat stared at him for a while before looking at the now empty stadium. "I don't need defending either. Especially not from the likes of you."

"He's being a nice guy! You're lucky to have someone defend you at all!" I exclaimed.

He shook his head. "I don't need luck." He pointed a finger at me and raised his head as if he were a king talking to his servant. "You better make sure you win the next couple of matches if you wish to fight me."

I smirked. "The same goes for you."

"Seems that some people here have some drama going on," Eien said with a wide grin as he watched us from the bleacher above. "Ahh, this sure is proving to be fun."

Nyima glared at him. "That guy," she mumbled, crossing her arms.

"Eien," Koukyuu said, leering at her nephew. "Don't toy with the emotions of others."

He gave her a sly smile. "Aww, and why not?"

I furrowed my brow. Yeah. He definitely was somebody I had to avoid.

Koukyuu shook her head. "Just don't."

The Kyuu Seishinian prince sighed. "I like it better when you don't act so adult like."

His aunt narrowed her golden eyes. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

He laughed nervously. "Oh, nothing. We better begin the second match." He snapped his fingers, causing the indoor beach to transform into a cliffside.

"Up next is Xue, the silent silver-haired beauty, versus the boy with the mysterious magic, Ulissis!"

We all turned to look at Ulissis. What kind of magic could he even use? No one knew, not even his own teammates.

**Solar Note: I hope that you enjoyed this chapter (if so, please vote) despite it's small size.**