บท 243: Blatant Provocation*

Right as the last syllable fell from Kalliel's lips, time itself seemed to stall for a few seconds. 

Amidst the raging sky, a black hole the size of a fist materialized out of thin air, surrounded by brilliant purple arcs of electricity. The space around it warped and rippled, and the black hole slowly expanded as though a pair of invisible hands had torn the sky asunder, stretching wider and wider until it was large enough for an adult to pass through. 

From within the inky darkness stepped out a foot clad in flip-flop, then another, followed by a pair of impossibly long legs, powerful torso, lean arms, and broad shoulders. The newcomer was dressed in beach shorts and a silky flowery shirt as though he had just teleported from a vacation resort on the other end of the world.