I looked at the flame in front of my eyes.

“That’s so cool!” I said.

I was in my one-room inn in Doya with Drago.

“Yeah, it is. I love playing around with it,” Drago said, as he changed the shape and size and angle and intensity of the fireball on his right hand.

“Doesn’t it hurt you? I mean the heat,” I said.

“Yeah if I keep it too close, but I’ve learned how to distance it properly. Anyway, now you try it. Remember my instructions.”

“Okay.”

What was it now… Imagine ignition, like a spark. Then fuelling it. Then sustaining it. And now!

Nothing happened.

“Wow, you really suck at this,” Drago said.

“Maybe I’m just not compatible with fire?”

“Bullshit. Sure, there are differences in talent and specific mana expenditures, but in theory, as long as you have enough mana, you should be able to create any spell. And word on the street is that you have the most mana in Tyoto. So stop complaining.”

“Word on the street?”

“Yeah, why else do you think Amygdala is keeping you as a pet? I’ve heard that you’re annoying as hell and all the guys hate you and are envious. Because with your mana capacity, then, in theory, you have the potential to be the strongest mage. Which is why Amygdala is keeping you under his thumb.”

“Then why doesn’t he just off me?” I said.

“To be honest, I’m not sure. Anyway, let’s try another technique.“

Drago crossed arms with me and locked fingers with me. It felt intimate.

“Sorry, but I have a girlfriend,” I said.

“Yeah yeah, me too, fuck off,” Drago said.

He then made a fireball.

New sensation. Right when he started the spell, I felt that ‘ignition’ part he was talking about. The fuelling part just felt like the invisible goosebumps from channeling mana. Then the sustaining part felt like he was just channeling a very minimum amount of mana into the spell constantly.

“Did that work?” Drago asked.

“Yeah! Fuck yeah!”

“I figured. Only very few people can learn this way. We call it parallel stimulation. So magic is the interaction between mana and the nervous system. And I guess it works a little like magnetic fields because if another magician enters that feel, his own mana is affected and it stimulates his nervous system. Though, to be able to feel this effect, you have to have a decent amount of mana to begin with. In other words, you’re a lucky bastard,” Drago said.

“I sure am. Wait, lemme try.“

I put my hand in front of me and tried to recreate all the sequences of sensations I felt.

Nothing happened.

“What are you doing? Try to do it again,” Drago said as he crossed arms with me.

I tried again.

“Are you dumb or something? How can you create a spell without channeling mana? Actually, I didn’t even feel an ounce of movement.“

“Yeah, I can’t channel it myself. I have to use my mana battery to get it going, then I try to recreate the sensations I’ve copied.”

“Really? What sensations have you copied so far?”

“Mhmm… Lemme show you.”

I grabbed the mana battery and started channeling and creating spells.

“This one I stole from Amygdala when I touched him while he was levitating. It just makes my hand shake from outside forces though. This one I stole from his transparent shield, though I have no more control than this small bubble. And this one I stole from you!“ I said.

“Wait, don’t do anything before I’m away!“ Drago said and he stopped locking arms with me.

BOOOOM!

I tried creating a fireball, but instead, some small sparks happened and it blew up in my face.

“God! I knew this would happen!” Drago yelled.

“Damn it! Why can’t I get it right!”

“Because you’re a dumb ass, that’s why. Two problems. Firstly, you have no idea how to channel your mana. Secondly, your visualization sucks. Anyway, let me concentrate for a bit…” Drago said.

He then sat down in a lotus position with his eyes closed and his hand in front of him.

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A very thin, transparent, and irregular small square wall appeared in front of him and immediately disappeared.

“Whoa! That’s so cool!” Drago said.

“I didn’t know you could do the parallel stimulation as well.”

“Yeah, but barely. And now I’m out of mana.”

“Already?” I said.

“Yeah. This is how it is normally. It took a lot of mana to show you those fireballs. And especially that little spell I pulled off took so much mana because I’d never tried it before.”

“Huh…” I said. I laid down on the floor next to Drago and stretched my arm in front of me, closing and opening my hand.

“You’re pretty cool, Drago. I think you’re the first friend I’ve made since coming here and the only guy I like.”

“Yeah yeah, let’s slow down with the compliments before I get married. But yeah, you’re pretty chill too.”

“Why are you helping me? Aren’t you at risk doing this? What if Amygdala found out?”

“Pfft! I was born free, and I’ll live free. Fuck him.”

Yeah, this guy is cool.

“By the way, there’s something that’s been bugging me for a while. When we were on the train you said you were hit by an earthball and it made you start feeling your mana when charging? But that makes no sense. Yes, spells are made of mana. But when they are out in the physical world, they are more ‘phenomenon’ than magic. Usually, I don’t think an earthball far away from its creator should stimulate your mana… Maybe it just has something to do with your reserves I guess.”

“Nope. You’re probably right. I was lying. I started being able to feel my mana when charging after this short ugly guy tried to use some mind magic on me.”

“What! You were attacked by Psycho! And survived!“

“I sure did. What’s the deal with him anyway?”

“Hold up, tell me the whole story first,“ Drago said.

I told him how I met Psycho on the street and was envious of the two babes he had with him. And how he did something weird.

“You were lucky to survive. That ugly fuck owns all the Northern Gangs. No one really knows how his magic works, but he’s up there on the same level as Amygdala.”

The image of Amygdala decapitating Psycho just played through my mind.

“But everyone is sure it’s got something to do with mind magic and manipulation. I once had a run-in with one of his gang members, and the guy seemed like a damn fanatic.”

“You know, I was thinking… the only thing limiting me from being able to visualize properly is my tinnitus and insomnia caused by it. So, if this loser knows mind magic, and when he tried using his magic on me it made my tinnitus pulsate, then why don’t I try meeting him again and steal his spells?“

“Are you crazy! You idiot! Do you have a death wish? Yeah, you could probably copy his spells if you’re lucky. And technically mana can do anything blah blah, but if you tried to invent your own mind magic, who knows how many decades it would take. I do agree that copying spells would just be way faster for you because unique magic is pretty much down to talent and personality and body type. But don’t! If you face Psycho again, it won’t end well I can promise you that.”

Wait, yeah, since he used his spell on me I should be able to copy it, right? But I’m not really sure what he did, and its sensation. And this spell felt like the mana channeled in the brain and not on the periphery.

“Hey, can you only channel and use spells with your hands, or can you do it with the legs as well?”

“What? Eh… I’m not sure?”

“If Psycho uses mind magic, then he should be channeling mana through his brain? And since Amygdala can levitate while doing whatever with his hands, then he should be channeling mana out all at once from every part of his body, right?”

“Mhmm… yeah probably. But don’t ignore me! Don’t fuck with Psycho!“

And so, I decided to pay Psycho a visit.