Responding In Kind

"Hmph! The ramblings of an ignorant worm, unworthy of even acknowledging!" one of the EmberForge mages sneered, his mana flaring to life in a blazing corona of power as the runic inscriptions etched into his ornate staff began to glow with an ominous, fiery radiance.

An oppressive weight of mystical might swirled forth from the pair of mages, the scorching tide of their combined auras engulfing Gladius and Arianna in a suffocating deluge of power that should have brought even the most stubborn of lesser beings crashing down to their knees in abject submission.

The tips of their staves streamed forth gouts of roaring flames, the searing conflagrations lancing straight toward Gladius and Arianna's chests with lethal intent. 

Many of the gathered mages looked on with expressions of cruel amusement, eager to bear witness to the humiliation and subjugation of these supposed upstarts – a spectacle akin to watching a belligerent animal being put down for the sheer sport of it.

The laws governing the treatment of common mortals within mage-controlled territories were indeed quite lenient, bordering on outright oppressive. These unawakened masses were often treated as little better than mere beasts, their lives and wellbeing considered inconsequential in the grand scheme of the mystics' pursuits and agendas. If they acted out of line or displayed even the slightest hint of defiance, few would bat an eye if a mage deemed it their right to bestow harsh 'lessons' in obedience and humility.

And as for the mage who couldn't control her common mortal servant? 

Well, the authorities would simply turn a blind eye, for it was considered that mage's own failure and shortcoming, one they would have to rectify through their own means if they wished to reassert their dominance.

But the very moment those streaking gouts of elemental fury roared forth from the EmberForge mages' staves, Gladius's eyes glinted with a cruel light, while Arianna let out a slight huff of exasperation, as if this blatant attempt at intimidation was little more than a minor inconvenience to be swatted aside.

'Chi!'

A spark of silvery light and a flash of icy blue radiance momentarily blinded everyone's vision, the world itself seeming to slow to a crawl as Gladius and Arianna moved with a speed and grace that defied mortal comprehension.

To the gathered mages – many of whom had never expected any sort of retaliatory action from a common mortal and an 'average' mage like Arianna – the events that unfolded next were simply too swift, too incomprehensible for their minds to fully process.

In a blur of movement too fast for the untrained eye to perceive, Gladius had already drawn his spirit sword from its concealing sheath, the blade singing through the air with such incredible velocity that the mages could barely even register the blur of silver arcing through their field of vision.

Arianna, for her part, blasted forth a surging stream of frigid ice and howling winds, the manifestation of her mystical might moving at a speed that – while slower than Gladius's sword-drawing technique – was still terrifyingly swift, straining the limits of the mages' perceptual abilities.

Gladius's casual swing, the simple act of unsheathing his blade in a single fluid motion, was enough to effortlessly sever the roaring torrent of flames hurtling toward him. 

The potent flow of mana woven into the fiery assault proved to be little more than fragile glass crumbling before the implacable edge of his sword's keening embrace.

Arianna's frozen maelstrom, a tempest of biting winds and crystalline shards, shattered apart the blazing conflagration surging toward her without so much as a hint of resistance. The potent fire mana fueling the attack meant absolutely nothing in the face of her superior mastery over the frigid forces of ice and cold.

When the mages finally blinked their eyes open, dispelling the lingering afterimages seared into their vision by that blinding clash of mystical energies, a stunned silence engulfed the entire lobby.

Eyes widened, jaws dropped, as the gathered mystics found themselves utterly unable to process or comprehend the sight laid out before them.

Gladius stood with his spirit sword leveled mere inches from the brow of the stronger EmberForge mage, the keen edge of his blade hovering in silent threat as if daring the arrogant fool to make another ill-advised move.

The weaker of the two mages found himself frozen in place, a spike of crystalline ice protruding from the floor a mere hairsbreadth away from his exposed neck, the icy construct sharp enough to slice through flesh and bone with the slightest provocation.

It was... unbelievable. Utterly, inconceivably unthinkable.

While it was certainly plausible for an 'average' mage like Arianna to erupt with a surprising wellspring of power if they had dedicated themselves fully to the study of their innate spirit and the cultivation of their magical arts, the notion of a common mortal so deftly countering – no, outright overpowering – a concentrated mana attack was simply unheard of in all their experiences.

Many of the onlookers found themselves furtively scanning Gladius over and over again, their mystical senses straining to detect even the faintest whisper of mana flowing through his body and coming up utterly empty-handed. 

And because of the concealing sword sheath Arianna had granted him, none could even begin to assume or theorize that he possessed some manner of mystical artifact or empowered weapon granting him such inexplicable abilities.

"This... this?! Is it really possible for a mere blade to slice through magic itself?" one awestruck mage exclaimed, his voice hushed with barely contained disbelief and apprehension.

"No... maybe he's simply enhanced his body to peak physical condition through training or alchemical means?" another posited, grasping at straws in an effort to rationalize what they had just witnessed. "Even common mortals can achieve barbaric levels of strength and fortitude through the consumption of this world's magically-infused foods and elixirs."

It was a plausible theory, given that every aspect of this wondrous realm seemed to be infused with at least a trace of magical energy, from the very air they breathed to the sustenance that nourished their bodies.

But other mages swiftly shook their heads, dismissing the notion almost as soon as it was voiced.

"Physical force and mundane might mean absolutely nothing in the face of pure mana," one grizzled veteran sneered, his tone laced with disdain at the very idea. "It has to be some manner of enchantment or mystical artifice imbued into that blade he wields. Perhaps that woman has somehow empowered his weapon to resist and counter mana-based attacks?"

"Yes, but to wield such a blade?" another mused, his brow furrowing in consternation. "It should be impossible for a mere common mortal, unawakened and devoid of even the slightest mana reserves, to properly attune themselves to a mana-infused weapon. The strain alone would tear their minds asunder within moments."

Whispers and murmurs of speculation swirled through the gathered crowd like a raging tempest, spiraling into a maelstrom of chaos and confusion as the mages struggled to make sense of the unfathomable scene playing out before their very eyes.

The two EmberForge mages, for their part, could only gape in stunned silence, their expressions rapidly morphing from outraged indignation to pure, unbridled fury as the implications of this humiliating turn of events sank in.

"You two..." the stronger of the pair snarled, his words dripping with palpable malice as he prepared to unleash the full brunt of his wrath upon the defiant 'peasants' who had so brazenly disrespected and undermined their authority.

But before the enraged mage could even finish vocalizing his venom-laced threats, Gladius calmly pulled his blade away from the man's brow, while Arianna dispersed the icy constructs she had manifested with a mere flick of her wrist.

Turning her attention toward the EmberForge mages, Arianna fixed them with a calm, almost pitying smile as she retrieved the mission scroll they had initially come to procure, speaking to them in a tone of polite neutrality that somehow made the insult seem all the more cutting.

"I wouldn't bother trying to pull the authorities into this embarrassing display if I were you," she chided, her words carrying a subtle undercurrent of steel that brooked no argument. "He is under my protection as a personal assistant. And as I'm sure you're both well aware, if a mage is attacked by another mage and no true bloodshed occurs, then there's really nothing that can be done about it from a legal standpoint."

Her smile took on a slightly sharper edge as she continued, "And even though I may be considered 'infamous' in certain circles, I am still a part of the esteemed Arcane Nexus Collective. Which means their rules and regulations still very much apply where I'm concerned."

Arianna turned on her heel, gesturing for Gladius to follow as she made her way toward the exit, tossing one final remark over her shoulder as they departed.

"Now then, if you'll excuse us, we have a mission to attend to. I trust you two can find a way to occupy your time beyond pestering those who have no interest in indulging your delusions of grandeur?"

With those parting words, she and Gladius swiftly took their leave, their strides calm and confident in the wake of the utter chaos and pandemonium they had left swirling in their wake.