Aurelius was about to complain about the vague and stupid statement that Pultris had made.

  Feel the air? What kind of nonsense was that?

  However, just as he was about to make his reservations known, Aurelius felt it. He intuitively understood the instructions from Pultris.

  Aurelius could feel strands of air extending out from him, and he breathed the air currents swirling all around him. He felt hyper-aware of everything that was in the space around him, almost as if his sense of self had enlarged to encompass his surroundings.

  As he immersed himself in this sensation, Mr. Tona calmly and casually took a cigarette out of his cigarette case in the meantime, and started to deposit an annoying amount of smoke in his surroundings.

  And seeing this made Aurelius… mad.

  He needed to punch that face. No. He needed to tear that ridiculous old man limb to limb!

  The irrational thoughts of violence clouded his mind, as he relived of all the times that Mr. Tona had been insufferable.

  He was not only unbelievably annoying, but also had decided to sell humanity out to the Fae Queen for the chance to save his damn wife!

  “Stay there old man.” Aurelius spat venomously under his breath, feeling the wind around him and his body, extending himself into the surroundings.

  Bending his knees once more, Aurelius felt the melody coursing through his veins.

  And Aurelius charged at the old man once more.

  One step, two steps, three steps, he closed the gap between the two of them. Aurelius was leaping in the air with his reinforced muscles, and feeling the heat of his boiling blood burn through his calories as he sent out his tendrils to understand the shifting air currents all around him.

  And he sent his spear slicing through the air where Mr. Tona was, feeling the shifting chorus of music reach a crescendo as he brought the blade down against the grains of air.

  Then, he saw it.

  He sensed himself slicing through thin layer of water vapour, nearly invisible carving out a circle around Mr. Tona. And it was precisely this region that Aurelius had struck at the exact moment that Mr. Tona disappeared.

  No. With his heightened awareness, he could finally understand what was happening. Aurelius follow the movements of Mr. Tona through the shifts in the air currents that he left behind.

  Mr. Tona didn’t disappear. He was simply… accelerating at inhuman speeds!

  “Left!” Pultris yelled out, tugging on Aurelius’s arm through a surge of violent vibrations in the spear.

  Aurelius reacted sluggishly, not quite able to react in time to such a quick event.

  “Ah, finally.” Mr. Tona congratulated, leaning against Aurelius’s shoulder as he nudged the spear down towards the ground with his bare hands.

  “Althought you weren’t able to land a single hit on me, I suppose it is good that you were at least able to react.” Mr. Tona mused, snapping away his finished stick of cigarette off.

  “This insolent little-” Pultris spat angrily, the music around them picking up speed and escalating in intensity.

  “Hoho, first of all, that’s not going to work on me. I’ve got protection.” Mr. Tona said in amusement, pulling out his cigarette case and dangling it over Aurelius’s face.

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  “...Is that a charm?” Aurelius asked blankly, finally noticing the thin lines of red that streaked across its surface geometrically.

  “Better. It’s a cigarette case and a charm.” Mr. Tona replied enthusiastically, pocketing it back into his coat.

  Aurelius felt even more enraged at this comment, and seeing red in his eyes, he swung his spear at the man with all of his might.

  “Haha, kid, do you really underestimate me that much?” Mr. Tona laughed in amusement, appearing mere inches from his face now, the stench of cigarettes poking at Aurelius’s nose.

  Aurelius’s spear was stopped in its tracks by a single finger from Mr. Tona.

  “You are a cowardly man, Wally Tona.” Pultris started angrily.

  “You run from my attacks, and you use cheap trinkets to shield you from harm. Where is your honour as a mage? I am an angel, and I demand your respect. Face me you foolish old man!” Pultris roared, making Aurelius’s brain feel a little… woozy in the process.

  Mr. Tona paused for a second, and took out another cigarette leisurely from the box before replying.

  “First of all, Pultris, you disgusting creature, it is Aurelius here that is fighting against me. You are a mere supporter in this fight, and you have no right to demand my respect in battle.” He said pointedly.

  “Second of all, this is centuries past your era of magic. Magic is a tool to win, not to measure our cocks with. My arsenal of tools are all a part of the mage I am, and an essential aspect of my magic.”

  “Last of all, I do not respect anyone whose hedonistic morality runs deeper than mine. So do not lecture me, you archaic misogynist.” Mr. Tona concluded with a puff of smoke, smiling all the way through his insults.

  “You little!” Pultris roared once more, prompting Aurelius to swing his spear once more.

  “Ok, ok. Fine! I’ll let you have a fair fight.” Mr. Tona said lazily, dragging on his cigarette with rolling eyes.

  “I won’t move a single inch from this spot, and I’ll get rid of the charm.” Mr. Tona declared, tossing his cigarette case into the air and snapping his fingers to vanish it into a line of geometric shapes.

  “...I am satisfied with the terms.” Pultris replied haughtily.

  Aurelius’s eyes shone venomously once more, as he eyed Mr. Tona and his features with renewed concentration.

  Aurelius could feel the world around him shift by in the currents of air accurately enough to understand the way that the beating of his heart sent ripples through its atmosphere.

  “I will give you everything I can give you.” Pultris declared, sending a new wave of music through the gym.

  The music was fast, metallic and rough. It was the sound of war, and the strength of warriors.

  Aurelius felt the air fall to his command, as the melodies became amplified through him and his movements.

  Every step that he would take was now a new beat in the heart of the melody. And every swing of his spear would become the gentle and violent swaying of the conductor’s baton.

  “AHHHH” Aurelius yelled out, pushing his will onto the spear, and swinging at Mr. Tona with all that he could muster.

  But all he felt was… viscosity.

  Aurelius’s swing lost its velocity and vigour, as it slowed to a crawl against Mr. Tona’s skin… and stopped entirely against Mr. Tona’s wand.

  “Hmm… Seems that you know how to extend yourself into your weapons. That is quite unexpected.” Mr. Tona commented, sending Aurelius’s spear flying with a flick of his wand.

  “Swing again you fool. I will make an opening!” Pultris yelled in Aurelius’s mind.

  Aurelius saw red in his eyes again, and he swung once more, and the vibrations of his spear picked up to an unbelievable level.

  He heard it send out a horrible scream from its vibrations as he brought it down against Mr. Tona.

  “Too slow.” Mr. Tona yawned, blocking it effortlessly with a flick of his wrists.

  Aurelius leapt back, and swung once more, down against the old man’s head.

  “Eh.” Mr. Tona grunted, using his left hand to swat the blade away without hesitation.

  Aurelius felt anger rushing through his mind now. He could visualise the path of this crappy old man’s blood through the air. He could feel this old man’s heart in his hands. Aurelius would fucking kill him even if that was the end of him.

  “DIE!” Aurelius yelled out, stabbing at Mr. Tona’s heart.

  “Haa… This is thoroughly disappointing.” Mr. Tona commented, snapping his fingers.

  The spear in Aurelius’s hand immediately dissolved into bubbles of water droplets, spraying out onto the ground as a puddle of water.

  “Thank you Mentris” Mr. Tona thanked, clapping his hands twice in quick succession.

  And… Aurelius felt the anger drain from him.

  He couldn’t find the frustration or the boiling blood that had just run through his veins and mind, and it was instead replaced with confusion and bewilderment.

  …What just happened?! He was trying to kill Mr. Tona?!

  Aurelius’s eyes opened wide in understanding.

  This crappy old man!

  “...I changed my mind.” Pultris declared.

  “I do not like you, Wally Tona.”