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

[Revised/Edited] Episode 51: To the Moon

-"The three Moons' glow dim, heralding a drastic shift."

[An hour later- Kyūden Gardens]

*An*

I stretched my arms out as I came out of the palace. Despite the lights of the city, one could still make out some of the constellations in the sky. Yu, the biggest of the three moons, continued to lose its verdant glow as the days went on. The ponds dotting the finely trimmed garden made the night seem even more beautiful.

Under one of the plum trees was Xue, practicing her sword swinging.

"I see you're using a dao," I said, smiling.

Xue pointed her sword at me. Her eyes were cold and scary. "Did you come to spy on me? I would think that a psychic would have better methods, at least compared to whatever you're doing."

I raised my hands and gulped. "Calm down. I only came to see the stars." I summoned my sword. "Finally, that feels a lot better!" It felt weird not to have my sword on me.

She narrowed her eyes. "Your jian, where did you get it? Its material is unorthodox. Ivory is a soft material, yet your sword managed to deflect Sarah's water petals without even getting a dent. Then there's also the fact that jians aren't usually good at blocking."

The ivory sword reflected the silver-green light from Yu. "My father made this. I'm not entirely sure as to what animal the ivory belonged to. I think it might be from Hippopotamus."

"Hippos? That's the hardest kind of ivory to carve. Your Father must be a rather talented swordsmith."

I laughed. "He sure was. Mom, too."

Xue lowered her sword. "Are your parents dead?"

I sat down at the edge of the pond. "Yes, they died when I was quite young. My older sister raised me and continued my training." I sunk my head into my arms. "However, she..."

Xue patted my head, causing my face to redden. She pulled her hand away. Her own face was red. "Well, I'm going to bed now." She sheathed her sword, but not before glancing back at me. "Prepare for tomorrow. Ms. Key recorded my battle with Ulissis on Hal's tablet. Ask him to show you the film."

I grinned. "You're kind of nice."

Xue smiled. "I'm not a demon or anything." Her light pink eyes reflected the moonlight. "It's just..." She shook her head. "Forget it. See you in the ring tomorrow."

I nodded.

***

[Kitsune Castle- Highest Floor]

"Hey, Hal. Could you show me the videos you have of Xue's matches with Ulissis and Ayawamat?" I asked.

"Uh, sure," Hal said, flipping through his tablet. He walked over to me and sat down next to me. "Here you go."

"I want to see this too," Alto said, running over.

Ulissis sighed. "I'd rather forget about that event."

Hal showed me and Alto the video of Xue's first round fight. In a matter of seconds, she had managed to defeat Ulissis with a series of seven circular slashes or what appeared to be slashes. In reality, she hadn't hit him with the edge of her sword, just like she had said to Alto and Arima after the match. It was the same thing with the bee queen during her match with Ayawamat.

"Wow, I was shocked the first time, but seeing it again... that girl really is amazing. She'll be a difficult opponent to defeat for anybody," Alto whispered. Ulissis was already fast asleep as the three of us talked.