The flashes of light from the darkened cloud instantly descended in a rush, lunging at Alphonse rapidly.
>KRAAAAACCCKKKKK!!!<
The lightning strike finally connected, crashing into the ground as it made deafening sounds of thunder, resulting in a massive explosion.
>BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!<
Right before my eyes, the destruction spread as I stood at a safe distance. The blinding ray of light, coupled with the cackles of electricity and the sizzling sound of heat melting the earth made me smile happily.
"Looks like it's a success."
However, I didn't account for one fatal error… the explosion kept spreading!
"Jared, get out of there now!" I suddenly heard my mother yell at me.
I looked at her with a stunned expression, initially not understanding what she meant.
The servants all around, a considerably safe distance from where I was all looked in horror, and I could see the frightened expression my mother made.
Realizing something had gone terribly wrong, I turned my face back to the center of the explosion and saw the approaching danger.
'Shit!' My mind rang.
The burst of lightning didn't cease, as the charges kept ramming the earth, sending shockwaves and bursts of destructive light across the field. The devastating rushes began to approach me at a rapid rate.
Seeing the explosion spread, I quickly created three layers of protective spells to protect myself from the assault.
"[Earth Wall], [Earth Wall], [Earth Wall]"
Using Earth magic was the most efficient way I could ground the lightning bursts directed at me. It was also the most useful defensive measure in this situation.
'Hopefully, the [Earth Wall] has enough capacity to absorb the electrical current!'
Apparently, they didn't!
>BOOOOOOMMMMM<
My defensive rock shields broke apart in the presence of an overwhelming might that was the lightning surge, and in only a few moments, I would be done for.
As I watched the brilliantly destructive lightning currents near me, I instinctively knew it was the end.
My remaining mana wasn't enough to escape, and I didn't have enough time to use Spellcraft. I could have pulled it off, probably… but, at that moment my mind drew a blank.
In essence, I was too terrified to do anything.
"Jared!!!" I heard my mother call out to me again!
Her screams of concern, fear, and desperation rang in my ears. From her distance, there was no way she could reach me in time, though.
'S-Shit! Looks like… this is the end…'
>FWOOOOSHH!!!<
Suddenly I heard a whooshing sound, coupled with a blinding light. In a flash, I felt myself being pulled by a force, and taken away from the destruction that ensued.
The lightning explosion chased us, myself and whoever was carrying me. Everything was too bright and fast for me to catch with my eyes.
>SHIIIINNNNGGGGG<
A brighter light shone beyond whoever carried me, and suddenly, I saw something magnificent.
A barrier, shaped like a massive field of light covered the lightning explosion, containing it.
'T-this is…' My mind rang.
I had only ever seen it in books, and once in my past life. It was considered to be one of the best defensive spells a mage could use.
"[Safe Haven]"
>SHUUUUUUUUUUU<
Finally trapped in the barrier, with no oxidizing element or air particles, the lightning sizzled, and finally ceased, leaving behind an entire field of devastation, charred grounds that emanated smoke, and burning layers of everything within a couple of acres.
"Jared, are you okay?" I heard a voice rouse me from my deep thoughts.
It was the same person who had saved me, and I was still locked in his arms. Looking up at him, I saw a distressed expression in his eyes.
"Y-yes, Alphonse…" I mumbled, frankly still shaken by the whole thing.
This was the first time… the first time I had messed up in magic.
"That's good then." He heaved in relief, putting me on the ground.
I planted my heels on the earth, making sure my wobbly legs remained firm in order not to appear weak.
I looked at Alphonse. He was shrouded in a brilliant light that seemed to enhance his whole body. That must have been how he was fast enough to save me. As for the barrier…
"Jared!!!" I heard another voice call out to me.
It was my mother!
Raising my head to the place my mother sat at a high estate, I saw her looking drained. Her face paled, and she seemed to be having difficulty breathing. Our servants quickly tried attending to her, but she stubbornly insisted on calling out to me and in order to verify my safety.
She rushed toward me, even in her weakened state, nearly collapsing.
'W-whats going on…?' I was a little startled.
"Jared, what the hell was that just now?" Alphonse asked suddenly, drawing my attention back to him.
"E-Erm… I…"
I didn't know how I would explain it to him. I suppose this type of magic was overkill, one a twelve-year-old wouldn't be able to perform.
'Still, I must have impressed him with this. I won!'
"D-does that matter? You've lost the bet, so-" I smiled, trying to wave off the suspicion that seemed to be building up concerning my abilities.
"Who cares about that…?" Alphonse's voice suddenly got deeper and more menacing.
The look in his eyes startled me. The usual playful and cheerful demeanor was gone. He had a deep glare, coupled with veins sticking out of his face as he clenched his fist. I could hear him gritting his teeth, making me feel an odd sense of unease around him.
'B-but, I showed an impressive result. Alphonse should be dazzled and amazed right now. Yet… why does he look-"
"… Do you have any idea what you've done?" He asked in rage.
I was right, after all. My tutor, Alphonse, was angry!
Has Jared crossed a line?
Have you ever wondered how lightning is formed?
Well, I have!
It's a natural phenomenon that's caused by normal reactions in the surrounding, yet it appears so much like magic that I took an interest in it. Of course, lightning magic exists, but lightning itself is an amazing occurrence that piqued my interest during my past life.
As ice crystals within a thunderstorm cloud flow up and down in the turbulent air, they crash into each other and small negatively charged particles are knocked off some of the ice and added to another ice as they crash past each other.
These negatively charged electric particles are drawn toward the positively charged ones on the ground, and as the opposites attract, a stepping ladder is formed which results in lightning!
I had calculated these and recreated the phenomena with magic, generating a cloud, while making countless ice particles clash with each other, as well as charging the dormant circuit in the earth.
By snapping my fingers, I created the spark needed to spread the chain reaction, using Alphonse as the point of contact for the lightning strike.
I thought I calculated everything. In theory, it would have worked perfectly, without spreading across the whole field or causing more mayhem as it did. However… who would have expected this?
"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Alphonse asked me with a deep glare in his eyes.
'I know I made an error. Perhaps if I have more time, I can figure out what exactly the problem is.'
"I messed up. Things went a little out of control, but at least I won, didn't I-"
Alphonse didn't even let me finish my statement of defense before raising his hands and giving me a hot slap across the cheek.
>SWAT!<
The stinging sensation that I felt on my skin sent a confusing jolt down my body. I was enveloped in confusion.
"E-eh…?!"
What just happened? Alphonse hit me on my face… a reaction I had not expected. Looking at him, he had a very enraged look.
The old man's glare deepened, something I didn't know was possible.
'This is the first time I've been hit… since I was reborn…' My mind trailed.
"W-why…?" I muttered in confusion, giving my tutor an angry look.
"Alphonse, it's okay, you don't need to blame Jared. He-" Anabelle, my mother protested in my defense, struggling to get close to us.
'That's right… I don't deserve any blame for this. It was an accident, an unforeseen error. Besides, it wasn't like anyone got hurt.'
"Anabelle, I won't let this slide. He needs to learn the repercussions of his actions. What he did is unacceptable!" Alphonse spoke back to my mother.
It was the first time I had seen him respond so daringly to her. No, it was the first time I saw him so serious at all.
'What's his deal? Even after I worked my butt off to reach this level and won our bet, even after displaying such amazing magic… why was he treating me like this?'
My look intensified as I glared at him. He was my tutor and all, but that didn't give him the right to say such harsh words to me and my mother.
"It was only a little accident, and-"
"Will you shut it, boy! That 'little accident' has sent your mother into a state of mana shock!" Alphonse glared at me, clenching his fists as though restraining himself from hitting me again.
"M-mana shock?!" I repeated, confused about what he said.
Mana shock is a condition within a person caused by the sudden use of a vast amount of mana from one's core.
To prevent shock, spells are needed In order to ensure smooth a transitioning of the Mana flow. However, if a person tries to bypass the spell's process or overtask themselves in a short period, they experience mana shock.
My eyes darted to my mother. She did appear pale and weak, but I had only assumed that it was due to her worry for me. All through my years, she was always a worrywart, so I had chalked this down to the same issue.
"Don't you know the consequence of that? Depending on the level of the shock, a Mana Shock could lead to Weakness and a state of unconsciousness… in worse cases, death!"
Of course, I knew of this. However… to think my mom was going through that currently, yet she was still standing here, worrying about me. Inconceivable!
"N-no, you're wrong! Why would she even be under Mana Shock in the first place?" I said with a quivering tone.
"Are you retarded? That spell just now, I don't know what you did, but if she hadn't acted quickly and used [Safe Haven] to contain it, you would have been caught up in it!" Alphonse said, drawing closer to me with an intimidating aura.
'Okay, I messed up more than expected.'
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