"Szzzt!"
Deep beneath the Earl's Estate in Bernia, violent torrents of energy crashed and shrieked through the alloy-reinforced, enclosed Training Ground like trapped thunder beasts.
Visible blue-white arcs leaped and linked freely between the walls, ceiling, and floor, forming a constantly dying and regenerating web of static electricity, beautiful in its destructiveness.
Aaron Ball floated at the center of this energy storm. His upper body was bare, every muscle of his powerful frame taut, with fine patterns of electrical arcs faintly coursing beneath his skin like living things.
His eyes were tightly shut, his azure irises trembling rapidly beneath his lids as he devoted himself entirely to exploring and controlling the deeper aspects of his ability following its Awakening.
"Buru-buru-buru~ Buru-buru-buru~"
In a corner of the Training Ground, a Den Den Mushi modified with a matte-black plastic casing began ringing persistently.
Its ringing pierced the explosive crackle of electricity.
Boer's brows drew together almost imperceptibly. "Whew..."
He drew a deep breath, as though every pore in his body were exchanging energy.
The next instant, every wildly leaping arc in the Training Ground seemed seized by an invisible giant hand, collapsing furiously inward toward him!
The sizzling blue-white electricity poured into his body like rivers returning to the sea, rushing up his spine and leaving only a few lingering sparks crackling at his fingertips and the ends of his hair.
He opened his eyes. The lingering color of lightning swiftly faded from them, restoring their deep-sea blue.
His body slowly descended until his feet touched the cold, specially made floor. He casually rolled his neck and shoulders, his joints giving faint cracks like a precision machine cooling after running at high speed.
He took one step and appeared before the Communications Console at the other end of the Training Ground, leaving