Across the room, Rias stepped into the shadow of a display shelf and activated Shadow Step. Darkness gathered neatly around one boot, then fell away when she returned beneath the lamp.
"It doesn't strengthen the skill," she said. "I can feel the exact point where my mana enters the shadow and Shadow Step's pattern takes over."
Martin added a note about Elisebeth's original-spell training. If Elisebeth could sense where one mana pattern ended and another began, separating three compatible skills might become easier.
As the two-minute effect wore on, the extra clarity became uncomfortable. Every enchantment in the shop pressed more sharply against Martin's senses, and a steady ache formed behind his eyes. Rias had already noted the same strain and confirmed that the tooltip warned about it.
Once the fourth tasting registered, a notice from the central desk marked their circuit complete and confirmed that their included discussion-only consultation could begin at Lucid Current.
