Chapter 136 - Maji Handshake

Deeper into the barely lit office, was the languorous form of Malgorius Undrax. The man was currently lounging in a big red chair, a small table with a teapot, two tea cups and a strange box sitting next to him.

"Well? Tea's getting cold, Miss Rosewood", Mr. Undrax said while still lounging. Steam was rising from the two cups, and the distinct floral scent of tea greeted my nostrils. Not wanting to make a scene, I walked over but conversed with Voxea mentally.

[I'm not going crazy, he did say "you two" right]?

[That he did...], Voxea confirmed.

As I got closer to Malgorius, a smaller yet still comfortable looking chair came into view on the opposite of the small table. Either this was how he usually spent his day or he was expecting me to visit now...both possibilities were somehow unsettling to me in very different ways.

In a lazy manner, Malgorious gestured for me to sit in the chair across from him. Not to be rude, I took him up on the offer. Might as well oblige the possible powerful maji with a crazy monster sword.

"Care for some oolong tea"?

[Think it's poisoned]?

[Probably not, he did save your butt].

"Sure".

With a lazy twirl of his hand, I could hear the aether around me beginning to hum. A breeze began to blow through the room, as the tea pot on the table began to float ever so slightly. By waving his hand limply, the tea pot began to pour steaming hot tea into our cups.

[Welp, he clearly has magical power beyond binder stuff], I confirmed with Voxea.

[And one who has practiced for a rather long time...that level of control...], Voxea muttered.

"Impressive", I commented as the teapot slowly landed back on to the table.

"Thank you, Miss Rosewood, but I'm sure you've seen more impressive displays of aether control, no?", Mr.Undrax asked in an lazy yet amused manner. Two things immediately came to mind when I'm starting to get the impression that all powerful maji either get haughty or lazy as they grow stronger at this point.

"Perhaps...though I don't know how they would match up against the one who taught you?", I said carefully.

[I'm clearly stronger], Voxea commented.

"Care to find out?", Malgorious asked as he straightened himself up in his chair. After doing so, he reached over to the strange looking box in the little table and tapped on it. At which point, the temperature in the room dropped and I could feel the aether starting to stir again, but in a very different manner.

The box slowly opened and purple smoke began to pour out of it, the aether churning further.

{Ahhh, It's been a while since I had some fresh air!}, a strange voice suddenly filled the room as the smoke rose up and began to take a more humanoid shape.

[This aura, that voice...Silvia, I need you to summon me right now]!

[Got it], I replied as I reached for my necklace and channeled my aether into it. As the smoke began to clear and the humanoid figure became more defined, Voxea's summoning circle formed immediately in front of it.

"Oh-ho? So that's where she went?", I heard Malgorius ask aloud.

Voxea came flying out of the summoning circle, her hand flowing with the power of ice, and flew straight towards the now fully formed shadowy woman.

{Ooooh, someone wants to play?!}, the woman said as dark colored aether began to surround her own hand. As Voxea sent an ice aether empowered fist directly at the woman, the woman had launched a palm infused with an unknown aether to directly intercept the punch.

BAM!

A loud booming noise filled the room as Voxea's ice aether directly conflicted with the unknown woman's aether. The force was so intense that I could barely brace myself from the aftershock. Annoyingly, Malgorious was leisurely sipping tea as this whole thing was happening.

The clash lasted only for a moment as Voxea and the woman separated,Voxea hovering above me and the woman hovering above Malgorius, both standing midair as if nothing happened.

{Haha! Been awhile since I had a good maji handshake! And with the Snow Titan's Entropic Fist no less! It's been a long time, snow rat!}, the woman cackled estatically.

"Obliterating Nine Poisons Palm...so you were still alive, devil girl!", Voxea replied with a smile on her face.

[Voxea! What was that? Who is she]?

"Silvia, this is...was the sect leader of the Nine Toxin Underworld Hall, Belladonna Necrolia Undrax", Voxea explained.

{At your service}, Belladonna followed up while bowing, { but you forgot to mention "best friend" too}.