The rain didn't let up; instead, it intensified, making the sky darker and the downpour heavier. It was as if the heavens had opened up.
Inside the car, Aisui had dozed off while waiting for her father to return. Suddenly, her phone vibrated, jolting her awake.
Aisui: Mmm.. What?! I thought I had turned it off. Well, maybe I accidentally turned it on.
As the phone completed its booting sequence, she noticed something peculiar.
Aisui: The battery is full? That's weird... I've been using it to listen to music since we left the last town.
Outside the window, she noticed a building that caught her attention.
Aisui: Isn't that the school father was talking about? He said it should have shut down a long time ago. Then how does it still have running electricity?
Episode 4 – Electrokinesis! The Power That Puts an End to the Battle
Opening: 『Sky's The Limit』by V6
Eding was bewildered.
Eding: Electro? What's happening? Is my body somehow resisting the electric current? No, that can't be right. I can feel it clearly. This kind of power... it's different from normal energy. It's like the refreshing sensation of drinking cold water on a hot day. It's coursing through my entire body.
Desmon: Wh-why...? Why is he still alive? I managed to pull back at the last moment, but I still got a bit caught in the electric field. He should have turned to ash instantly. How is this possible? Aaarghhh!
Desmon's muscles grew even larger.
Desmon: Huh? I've become even stronger?
Eding: Shut up... If I give you what you wanted earlier, will you finally be quiet?
Desmon's muscles expanded to five times their normal size. He had never reached such a state before.
Eding: ELECTRO PUNCH!
Eding swiftly dashed past Desmon and delivered an electrically charged punch to his core. Desmon cried out loudly from the contact.
Desmon: AAAARGHH! My muscles continue to swell. You... I understand now... You're trying to overwhelm me with energy. Please stop. I didn't want to kill your friend... or you. I just lose control when I don't have...
Eding: ELECTRO KICK! I already told you to be quiet and accept what you asked for.
Eding closed up on Desmon and kept hitting him in all sorts of ways. With each electrocution, Desmon's muscles pumped up even more.
Desmon: IT HURTS! Damn it! I can't even move my body now. It's as if I've lost all mobility. Please! I beg you to stop! My muscles have reached their limit. I won't be able to handle any more...
Eding responded with a sense of satisfaction:
Eding: Oh my! This feels incredible. It's as if I have an immense amount of energy stored up. My body is urging me to release it all at once.
Eding took a deep breath.
Desmon: I plead you! NOOO!
Eding: ELECTRO BRUTE-FORCE!!!
A sphere of electricity formed around Eding, extending up to ten meters, engulfing Desmon along the way. Desmon's muscles exploded, causing blood to spray out from his veins onto his burnt body.
Eding: Now I feel much better...
Depleted of all energy, Eding collapsed unconscious onto the ground.
* * *
ELECTROKINESIS is the ability to manipulate the field and flow of electricity.
KNOWN USER(S): Eding
* * *
Eding Allen
Specialty: Electrokinesis
Class: 1st Grader
Age: 18
Birthday: 16.08.2102
Height: 1.72m
Favorite Color: Light Blue
Favorite Subject: Physics
* * *
Eding: Where am I? I can't remember anything about how I ended up here.
Eding found himself floating in what appeared to be the vast expanse of space. He attempted to move, but his efforts proved futile in the endless void.
Eding: Is this the afterlife? Perhaps this is where people go when they die.
As he continued to drift aimlessly through space, Eding eventually surrendered and lost track of time. He became a mere hollow shell. However, all of a sudden, he began to hear a faint voice calling out to him.
Eding: Huh? Who's there? Is anyone there? I'm here! Over here!
Eding waved his hands in a desperate attempt to draw attention, but he couldn't discern the origin of the voice or who or what was producing it.
Eding: I suppose it was just false hope. Am I destined to float through space for eternity?
Then, an unknown voice interjected:
Unknown voice: Hey!
Eding questioned himself.
Eding: Huh? Am I going crazy?
The voice grew progressively louder and closer, yet Eding remained unaware of its source. It became increasingly audible.
Eding: WHAT?!
Eding shouted. Aisui suddenly appeared before him in the blink of an eye, and Eding found himself lying in a bed. The blue-haired girl seemed to be watching over him.
Aisui: Finally, you woke up. Do you know how many times I thought you would never open your eyes again?
Eding, still in shock from what had just happened, couldn't find any words to say.
Eding: Where am I? Who are you?
Aisui: Well, I deserve an answer first. If it weren't for me, you would've been long gone.
Eding: Eding... Allen.
Aisui: Correct! Looks like you're not in as bad a condition as I initially thought.
Eding: What do you mean, "correct"?
Aisui: I already knew who you were from the School ID in your pocket.
Eding instinctively tried to reach for his pocket, only to realize that he was naked.
Eding: WHAAAAAAAAT?! WHY WOULD YOU?!
Aisui: Hahaha! Don't worry, I didn't see anything.
She smirked mischievously.
Eding: WHAT DO YOU MEAN "NOTHING"? DON'T YOU DARE MAKE FUN ME! I’m average…
Aisui: SHUT UP! I DON'T CARE! I'VE SEEN DOZENS OF NAKED PEOPLE WITH… DIFFERENT SIZES, SHAPES, AND COLORS! I DON'T CARE ABOUT IT!
Eding: Ohh... THAT MEANS YOU'RE A FILTHY WOM-
Aisui: ...doctor! I'm a doctor. Or at least trying to become one. I saw from your School ID that you're in class E-1, just like me.
Eding: School? Oh right, I almost forgot. I joined the college and was placed in Elite-1 along with...
In that moment everything that Eding had experienced with Satori in that rainy day flew through his mind.
Eding: SATORI! WHERE IS SATORI? HOW IS HE?
Aisui: Satori? Hmm, I think I've heard that name before... What about him?
Eding: He's my friend! He was with me at the abandoned school when we fought against Desmon!
Aisui: Your friend? Desmon? What are you talking about?
Eding proceeded to tell Aisui the entire story of what had transpired with Desmon at the deserted school building.
Aisui: He killed Satori?! Are you certain?
Eding: I don't want to believe it... But Satori mentioned that he had completely run out of energy during our battle.
Aisui: I'm really sorry to hear that.
Eding: By the way, how did you find me?
Aisui: My father and I had just arrived in the city when we made a stop because he needed to meet a friend. I fell asleep in the car, and suddenly my phone turned on and showed a full battery. That's when I noticed the lights were on at the abandoned school building. My father mentioned that it had been closed for twenty years, which seemed odd.
Eding: Yes, but why did you come and rescue me?
Aisui: I... had a strange feeling. Something inside me told me I needed to be there. When I arrived at the building, the lights were already off. I saw signs of destruction, and it was clear that a fight had taken place. Upstairs, I found you lying on the ground, barely alive. No one else was there, otherwise, I would have sensed their presence. That's when I decided to bring you here, to my father's laboratory. However, keeping you alive was no easy task. When I examined you, I discovered that nearly a third of your neural nerves throughout your body were critically damaged. I also faced difficulties on my side. Several machines that were meant to keep your heart beating kept malfunctioning. It felt like fate was working against you. For three days and three nights, I had to constantly monitor your condition, except when I had to attend school. Otherwise, you could have passed away at any moment.
Eding: Thank you. By the way, I'm sorry for not asking earlier, but what's your name?
Aisui: Anzai Aisui. No need to apologize. I told you I had a good feeling about this. Anyway, how did you manage to survive against Desmon? You're a commoner, right? It seems like you wouldn't stand a chance.
Eding: Actually, I'm not so sure anymore. When I faced Desmon alone, my plan was to lure him close to some electrical cables and take him out while sacrificing myself. But somehow, he survived and escaped. As for me... I absorbed the full force of the electrical charge. It was like I became one with the electricity during the rest of the fight. I could even sense its flow throughout my body. In the end, I had this overwhelming urge to release all that energy, and that's how I believe I defeated Desmon. And then... I woke up here.
Aisui: You're such an idiot, aren't you?
Eding: Huh?!
Aisui: How could there be electrical current running through those cables when the school has been abandoned for decades?
Eding: Then how... Don't tell me...
Aisui: You unconsciously generated that current. That would explain why my machines kept malfunctioning. Eding, you have the ability to control electricity. This is the stuff of fairy tales. You're an Electrokinesis user.
Eding: No way...
Eding couldn't hold back his tears. This was the moment he had dreamed of for years.
Eding: Satori... I wish you were here with me... in this moment. I don't know what to feel...
Aisui: Be thankful! Since neither Satori nor Desmon were there, it means someone must have rescued them and taken them away. There's a good chance they're still alive.
Eding: You're right. Then we need to find them as soon as possible!
Eding attempted to sit up from his bed, but Aisui intervened.
Aisui: You're not going anywhere. Just because you've woken up doesn't mean you've fully recovered yet.
Eding: BUT HOW CAN I STAY STILL?!
Aisui: Don't worry. I want to help you find your friend. It seems our goals may align.
Eding: I don't care about your goals. I need to rescue Satori. Let me go, or else I'll electrocute you!
Aisui promptly conjured a stream of water from her hand and directed it towards Eding's heart.
Aisui: Just try it.
Eding: You... you're a telekinetic power user.
Aisui: That's right. I have the power of Hydrokinesis.
Eding: Whatever. But as soon as I'm fully recovered, I'm heading out. I also need to catch up with school. I can't wait to see the look on their faces when I reveal my...
Aisui: Don't even think about it! Promise me right now that you will never, ever, ever tell anyone about your abilities.
Eding: Wait, what? Why?
Aisui: Do you have any idea how many people out there are waiting for someone like you to show up with electrokinetic abilities, only to exploit them for a lifetime?
Eding: Exploit them for a lifetime?
Aisui: Do you want to become a living battery? Or end up in some underground research facility, having your body experimented on? There has never been an Electrokinesis user in recorded history. Only in myths.
Eding: But isn't it illegal to conceal your abilities?
Aisui: Who cares about the legalities? Listen to me. In this world, there are two main ways to acquire an ability. First, and more commonly, you inherit your parents' exact or similar ability. And second, you awaken your ability during your lifetime when certain criteria are met. Remember, our telekinetic abilities are an extension of our subconscious, which means they are linked to our subconscious state. For instance, your Electrokinesis awakened during a moment of great crisis when your entire being wanted to defeat your opponent. We call it the "Fight-or-Flight" state. Your subconscious took control, and you chose to fight, which triggered the awakening of your Electrokinesis.
Eding: But what if I had chosen to "Flight"?
Aisui: Then nothing extraordinary would have happened. Your body would have simply provided you with a surge of adrenaline to facilitate your escape.
Eding: Why are you telling me all this?
Aisui: I mentioned there are two main ways to acquire an ability. However, some scientists, including my father, believe it's possible to artificially awaken them.
Eding: ARTIFICIALLY AWAKEN AN ABILITY?
Aisui: Yes. Since there's no anatomical difference between a commoner and a telekinetic user, they believe that anyone's body can be compatible with an ability.
Eding: I suppose that's plausible. If I hadn't experienced that "Fight-or-Flight" moment, I would never have awakened my Electrokinesis.
Aisui: Exactly, but how would they know which ability lies dormant within someone?
Eding: That's another question.
Aisui: In any case, you understand the point now. Don't divulge this information to anyone. Not even your parents.
Eding: Right...
Aisui: By the way, Eding... you should let them know you're okay. They must be extremely worried.
Eding: Actually, my parents passed away a long time ago.
Ending: 『 Y.M.C.A.』by GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE
