"The Realm of the Dragons will be the first to fall"

Previously on the Aspiration to the Heavens Saga- The test to officially advance to the rank of Novum Maga Secundus has begun! Nyima, Iah, Adela, Ayawamat, and I are traveling with Koukyuu to the Dimension of Dragons, Wynaga, for the first part of the exam!-Lei

*Lei*

The blue light from the orb in Koukyuu's hand enveloped us entirely. When we opened our eyes, we found ourselves in a black marble lobby, much like that of Wanikiya's home. However, I knew that I wasn't back home. Flying in the sky above us were dragons, as in actual dragons, not those elemental imitations we mages made.

"This place, it's overflowing with ki," Iah said, looking around the place. He touched the window and glanced up at the dragons flying toward us. "This really is the dragon realm."

"Let's go outside," Koukyuu said, waving at us. "The children should be waiting for us there."

"Where exactly in Wynaga are we?" Adela asked, taking in the sight. Below the building we were in was a vast forest that seemed to run forever.

"This is Ryoski. A country in the center of the Ryomaru Region." Lady Zettai came to a stop in front of a pair of silver doors.

A green-haired girl holding a stuffed bear ran into the building. Following not too far behind was a red-haired girl in a green dress and two blue-haired boys. One of the boys had long hair tied in a ponytail and was dressed in a black coat and pants. He had a royal look to him. In contrast, the other boy wore a plain blue shirt and green shorts. All of them except for the plainly dressed boy had a dragon. They were all around Serein's age, five.

"You're finally here!" the green-haired girl said, jumping up and down. "Look, you guys, I'm not the only mage here anymore!"

Nyima raised an eyebrow. "These are our 'partners'? Also, this girl can use magic?"

Was she part mage? She could clearly control a dragon without the use of magic, so she had to be from this realm.

The little girl nodded. "Yeah, I can use magic a little." She extended her hands out. "Arbl Draconis." A wooden dragon emerged from her hands and attacked Nyima.

Nyima dodged the dragon with ease but was shocked when the dragon broke through the marble floor. Nyima grinned as roots emerged around her. She held out her right hand and formed a light blade. With a single spin, she slashed all of the wooden appendages. "Pretty good."

The girl mimicked Nyima's smile. "I'm not done yet. Rami!" Her real dragon, a small pink snake-like thing with a green face, leaped toward Nyima.

"Lux Draconis!" Nyima chanted. A light dragon emerged from her hands and flew upward.

The little girl held her hands toward the light dragon, keeping it at bay. "Light?" The dragon deteriorated into yellow sparkles before vanishing completely. "Light is my domain!"

"No way, she stopped Nyima's spell," Iah said, eyes wide.

I whistled. Just who was this girl?

"Ryomi," said the nicely dressed boy. He looked up nervously at us. "Should we tell them why we had them come here?"

"What do you mean?" I said, causing the boy to flinch. "Aren't we here as part of our exam?"

He opened his eyes. "That's right. However, Ryomi volunteered that we partner up with mages so that we could battle them."

Iah scoffed. "Battle with you? You're five-year-olds."

Nyima sighed. "I hate to admit it, but at least this green-haired shorty is strong."

Ryomi bowed as if she had just received a round of applause. "Thank you very much, kind strangers. I'm Ryomi Sumeragi. These are-"

"Wait," Iah interrupted her. "Sumeragi? That's the family name of the nobility of this realm, practically this world's version of the no Mikoto."

Ryomi chuckled as she hugged her bear tightly. "Correct. I'm also a no Mikoto."

"No Mikoto? Are you related to Magus Maximus Daisuke?" I asked, blinking. Wonder if she was related to Hika and Yuzu too.

The little girl nodded. "Yup! He's my granduncle!"

Iah smiled. "More family."

"She must be the granddaughter of my late mother's good friend, Saya no Mikoto," Adela said. She eyed the children with a worried look on her face.

What was bothering her?

"Correct. You hear that, bear? These people know of us." She embraced her stuffed animal. "Ryomi is going to show them that she's not a simple kid!"

"Who's my opponent or partner? Whatever these kids are to us," Ayawamat finally spoke up.

"That'll be me," a child's voice boomed. A boy with icy blue hair walked in.

"Seron!" Ryomi yelled. "You came just in time."

"Come on, let's begin!" said the dragon-less boy.

"I will try my best," said the red-haired girl. The girl had a dragon with a solar symbol on top of its head. The dragon screamed 'fire-type' with its flame-like markings above the sun.

Adela gulped.

I patted her shoulder. "If you want, I'll take her on."

"Sorry, but your partners have already been decided," Koukyuu said. "Mr. Obi made the decision. Now, try to give these children the battle they asked for."

I sighed. At least one of the five was a noble, so we couldn't say no to them.

"Who's my partner?" I asked.

"That'll be me," said the dragon-less boy. He gave me a slight smile. For some reason, he reminded me of me when I was his age.

The soft-spoken boy went with Iah, while the red-haired girl went with Adela.

I glanced over at Ayawamat, who was facing the icy-eyed boy. The mere thought of him possibly losing to a five-year-old made me laugh.

"So, where are we fighting?" I asked.

"Follow me!" Ryomi said, grinning. She ran on ahead of us, vanishing into the distance.

"That girl sure has a lot of energy," Adela said, chuckling.

Iah nodded. "Yeah. Maybe more so than Lei."

I wished I could move like her. She didn't even have to use magic to move that quickly.

"Are you jealous?" Ayawamat asked, smirking.

I leered at him. "What do you mean?"

"You're wishing that you could be as talented as that little girl, aren't you? If you had her potential at her age, you might've been able to defeat me by now."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I'll defeat you, even with this weak body I was born with."

He chuckled and walked on ahead. "You always talk big, but you've yet to do it. What makes you think that things will go differently this time? Hmm?"

I strode toward him. "Because I've grown stronger!"

His smile turned into a scowl. "What, do you think that I haven't done the same?"

"I know that you have, but there's a good chance that I've overtaken you."

He laughed dryly. "A good chance, huh? Do you consider something like 0.01 percent a good chance?"

"I'm sure it's not that low."

He shrugged. "You're too positive, Wimp. But keep on hoping, it's all you got going for you."

I curled my hands into fists. Sparks flew out of my left hand while wind gathered around my right hand. "You'll see!"

"Calm down, Lei," Adela said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "He's trying to provoke you into making a mistake. Don't let him."

I huffed. She was right, but my blood continued to boil. One day, I would wipe that smug smile from his face.

"Let's go," Nyima said, glancing back at us.

"Our guide ran on ahead," Iah said, snickering.

"It's fine. I'll show you the way," his partner said. "It's pretty close by."

I took a deep breath. "Good. I could let out some steam."

"You're fighting a kid," Nyima said, giving me a blank look.

Right. Scratch that.

"I can take it!" the boy said, giving me a determined look. "I'm strong too!"

I smiled. "I look forward to seeing what you got, kid."

The well-dressed boy waved at us to follow. "Hurry, else Ryomi will get mad."

"Is he scared of her?" Iah asked.

The red-haired girl nodded. "But I don't blame him. Ryomi's scary when she's mad."

I laughed. "Sounds like Nyima." I winced. A karate chop had hit my back.

"What was that?" Nyima asked, glaring at me.

I chuckled. "See?"

My partner and Adela's nodded.

Nyima's face reddened. "J-just get going!" she snapped.

"Okay."

We followed the nicely dressed boy into a room resembling an old-fashioned wheel. Glass walls and a void separated it from a circular arena. However, there were several bridges which connected it in each of the cardinal directions.

"About time you're here!" Ryomi said, huffing.

"S-sorry," Iah's partner said, lowering his head.

Ryomi smiled. "Well, better late than never. So, who will be going first?"

The soft-spoken boy walking toward a bench at the edge of the room. "I'll go last."

"You will do no such thing, Ryuusei!" a voice boomed. A tall man with dark blue hair entered the room accompanied by who I assumed to be his wife, oldest son, and daughter. He directed his piercing blue eyes at Iah. "You're Iah, correct? You'll fight my son right now."

"But, father," the boy shrieked out. "I don..." The man's cold stare quieted him down.

Iah stepped in between the boy and his angry father. "Fine, we'll battle first," he said, giving the man an equally cold stare.

The boy's father grinned in a manner reminiscent of Ayawamat. "Good. Now, get going."

*Iah*

I continued to glare at the man. Seeing Ryuusei and his father reminded me of some of my family members. I couldn't speak out against Uncle Huang, but I certainly could speak out against this man.

"We'll go and fight, but don't give your child that hateful look," I continued.

The man scoffed. "Interesting. No one has ever talked back to me like that in ages." With a vice-like grip around my neck, he slammed me against the adjacent wall.

"Iah!" I yelled.

Nyima and the others stood there in shock. Only Lady Koukyuu and the man's wife weren't baffled.

"Let that child go this instant," the wife ordered. "He's our son's opponent, not yours."

"Tsk." The guy threw me into one of the bridges and turned his back to me.

I stood up slowly, taking my breath. I would not allow myself to be embarrassed like this. I formed rocks and sent them flying toward the man.

He swung his hand, snapping the rocks with ease. He scoffed again. "Your vengeful spirit is weak." He directed his eyes toward his youngest son. "Don't lose to this weakling."

I turned my hands into fists. Weak? He was calling me weak? There was no way I would take this lying down. I formed a fist and rushed at him, but a hand stopped me. A hand grabbed my arm from behind. I turned around and saw the man's wife. She shook her head as if telling me to let it go.

I took in a deep breath and released my fists.

Ryuusei's mother let go of me and sat down next to her other children. She grabbed her husband's hand. "Sit down, Korgermu. Please don't be so harsh on little Ryuusei and his partner."

"Hmph. That's why he's the way he is. Takara, you've spoiled our youngest son."

She sighed. "Be quiet."

Korgermu gulped and sat up straight.

Ryuusei smiled warmly at his mother as she waved at him.

I couldn't help but smile as I was reminded of my cousin Azure and his mom. Bai would always look out for her kids.

"Let's begin, shall we?" I asked, stepping into the ring.

The timid child nodded as he walked over to me. "I-I won't lose!" His black dragon floated behind him like a specter.

"Go, Ryuusei!" Ryomi yelled. "Show the big kid what you've got."

He smiled weakly at his friend. "Okay... Here goes." He vanished into the shadows and reappeared behind me.

I covered myself in earth, shielding against the child's attacks. The stone grew outward and grabbed hold of his arms.

"What?" he said, eyes wide. He dug his heels into the floor in an attempt to yank his arms out of my stony grasp.

The stones in my feet expanded outward and grabbed his legs, binding him to the floor.

"Master!" his dragon yelled.

I appeared behind the dragon and quickly hit its pressure points.

"Nagaeus!" Ryuusei yelled as his dragon collapsed to the floor.

I undid my stone binds on him, causing the child to crumple to the ground like a doll.

"Sorry," I muttered, catching him. I walked over to the fallen dragon and pressed the points I had hit, allowing it to move again.

Ryuusei looked up at me. His eyes were tearing up.

"Are you alright? I didn't hurt you too much, or did I?" I asked, letting go of him.

He walked around me and picked up his dragon. "T-thanks for fighting with me," he whispered. "S-sorry that I was too weak." He ran off before I could say anything back to him.

"Wait!" Takara said, chasing after her son.

I looked down at the floor. 'Kid, you might be weak now, but you can change that. We all can.'

☉Solar Art Time!☉

So I am not the best artist in the world but I can(?) draw dragons! Here's Ryomi's dragon (I drew it when I was thirteen so don't judge too harshly xD.).