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

[Revised/Edited] Episode 43: Golden Flames

- "Everlasting Flames will engulf the world."

*Nyima*

"Step forward, Nyima; the shimmering sun on the surface of the sea, and Zelde; the mistress of flames!" Sonata yelled.

My cheeks reddened. I knew she was referencing our magic, but it still sounded embarrassing.

Zelde and I stood up and walked over to the center of the arena. The once mountainous field had been turned into a beach by Koukyuu and Eien's illusions.

I cupped my hands together as if I were getting water out of a drinking hole.

"Gather waves of the deep—Aqua Draconis!" I chanted. A sphere of water rose several feet above me. An outpouring of water flew out of my hands. The geyser turned around and congregated around the orb. The blue water took on the shape of a long-bodied dragon without hind legs.

"Raging flames, gather— Flame Draconis!" Zelde chanted. A crimson fireball manifested in one of Zelde's hands as flames formed around her. The floating fires gathered around the sphere and were shaped into a six-foot-tall four-legged fire dragon with bat-like wings spanning twelve feet. "Burn!"

The fire dragon flapped its wings, unleashing a fury of flames in all directions. I molded the water under my feet into a shield. The flames evaporated my dragon and barrier as soon as they touched them.

I jumped back, avoiding the flames' heat. 'That wasn't what I had expected at all. Her flames were almost as hot as my mother's.'

I gathered all of the water vapor in the air to form another barrier. With my hand held high, I recalled the water blob that I had originally formed. "Manifest," I chanted.

The water barrier reformed itself into a dragon shape with me at the center of its head this time. Everything around me looked as if it had been submerged under an aquarium, even though it was me who was underwater.

"Water Prism!" I yelled. Water bullets pierced the wings and fiery scales of Zelde's dragon like I planned.

Zelde leaped into the air and touched the forehead of the water dragon spell. "Imperial Flames!" Golden flames roared out of Zelde's palms and turned the water into vapor.

I quickly covered myself in a film of cool water to avoid being boiled by the heat as I fell down. My arms hugged the water bubble as I rolled across the fine, white sand.

"What are you doing?" Zelde asked, giving me a puzzled look as she continued to float high in the air. How she kept afloat without using her flames, I wasn't sure. I knew the Xian could fly without using elemental magic. But Zelde was from Wahkan, not Xian. Although, Lei also seemed to know Xianian magic. Like that spinning sphere spell he used against Orion.

'I have to protect this at all costs. It's the key to my victory after all.'

I pushed myself up and spun around. "Reform!" A torrent of water vapor condensed around Zelde, sending her crashing into the beach.

Zelde glanced up to see a partially evaporated water dragon. Her prana veil had kicked in on time, shielding her from the full strength of my magic.

My opponent smiled as she stood up. "So, you protected the spell's core."

"Finish her off!" the audience yelled.

I smiled and gathered water around my palms.

Zelde touched her left shoulder and winced as several crimson flame-shaped markings spread throughout her body. "I got to get to that spell's core." She stopped moving even though she was a few feet away from me. Suddenly her eyes bulged and her hand grasped her chest as if the air were being sucked out of her. "Damn it, not now. I won't allow you to control me!"