Ashborn Primordial

Chapter 204: (One): Power Overwhelming

Cirayus was beginning to think hed made a huge mistake by restraining the boy.

The City of the Gods, he said blankly.

Yes, Vir replied, frowning at the ground.

An Imperium Goddess. The Goddess Ashani! Cirayus said. Who can create Ash Gates.

Yes, Vir repeated.

And you left her behind? The giant roared.

You were the one who stopped me from going back! Vir shouted, driving his fist into the wall of their abode.

With just his fist? Cirayus thought, eyeing the impression Vir had made into the hard rock. Hes stronger now. Incomparably stronger! By Adinat, just how much prana must course within his body to be so physically strong?

And the cyclone of prana that had whipped around Vir when hed come through the Ash Gate earlier

The terrifying image played through Cirayus mind in a loop, even now. To channel so much prana that it became visible Hed witnessed nothing like it in his four centuries of life. Just what secrets had Vir learned in that realm? What gifts had he been bestowed by the goddess? How strong was he now? Cirayus shivered in anticipation. Anticipation, and awe.

Vir paced around the home, fidgeting, his hand brushing against the handle of his katar as he summarized his time in the Mahdi Realm.

The more Cirayus heard the more his amazement grew.

For centuries, hed striven to glean what he could about the Age of Gods. Both to understand demonkinds ancestors and because such knowledge might very well lead to an improvement for demonkinds lives. Who knew what sorts of secrets lay buried in their past?

And now, in just under a day, Vir had learned more than Cirayus had in four hundred years.

Vir sat on a chair and clutched his hair.

Cirayus was no stranger to loss, of course. How many times had he watched those he cared about pass on? Both on and off the battlefield. The most recent of which still scarred him.

Hed lied when hed told Vir earlier that hed found ways of dealing with death. It never got easier. Not for those who were truly close to him.

Others dealt with it by closing off their hearts, often becoming cold and lonely in the process.

Cirayus never had. Rather, he refused to. He felt that putting the world at arms length would make him lose something precious. That the loss of his wives, sons, daughters, and grandchildren in the Chitrans coup struck so hard meant he still cared.

Unfortunately, it also nearly destroyed him. To this day, he wondered whether fleeing into the Ash with the young Vir was for the boys benefit or his own. Was he ready to return to that realm? Was he ready to confront all those hed lost?

The Chits would pay dearlyof this he had no doubt. But even if he single-handedly annihilated their clan, how was he supposed to look his progeny in the eye after hed failed them so thoroughly?

Cirayus couldnt say. The wounds were still too raw for him. Still fresh.

It was why he knew no words could console the boy. Only time would do that.

Time And a distraction.

The boy needed to release those pent-up emotions. And, to be honest, so did Cirayus.

When Vir had disappeared, Cirayus had nearly broken. Only by spending time in his Chakra mindscape, meditating, did he stop himself from collapsing entirely. It was too much. He'd thought for certain that all had been lost. And now...

You look like you want to kill something, lad, Cirayus said.

Youre Ash-damned right, I do. If it wasnt for that Wyrm

Well, they may not be Wyrms, but those Domain Lords out there are still waiting for you.

Why bother? Vir asked. I know I can take them.

Oho? Cirayus said playfully, betraying none of his internal turmoil. Quite the confidence. I wonder if you can back that up?

Vir looked unamused.

Alright, Cirayus said, stroking his beard. Fell the remaining Domain Lords, and we will leave this place. Tis what you want, is it not? To venture deeper into the Ash?

Vir paused, thinking it over, then nodded. Shouldnt take long.

Cirayus eyes twinkled with anticipation. He had a feeling he was about to see something quite special.

Vir walked toward the Domain Lords territory, his mind a dark storm of thoughts.

Why didnt she tell me? he thought. If she only said she couldnt go through her own Ash Gates

What would he have done? Lingered in the Mahdi Realm until hed devised a solution?

How absurd. Ashani was many times more knowledgeable than him. If she hadnt figured out a way, what hope did he have? She must have known hed behave this way. She mustve wanted to keep him from worrying.

Vir ground his teeth. The goddess was too nice for her own good. She was better than him. Superior. And yet, shed chosen not to worry him, even over her own chances of survival.

Arriving at the Valley of Lords, he took in the scene.

Despite having been gone a month in the Mahdi Realm, hed only been missing a day here. And already, a new Lord had moved into his territory, while the lesser lords no longer allowed him passage.

The firstan Ash Wolfdied to Virs Fist Projection. He Blinked up to it so fast, it had no time to react.

Virs bare fistcoated in a blade of Ash pranaskewered it through. The black beast died before it knew what had even hit it.

One down. Four to go.

Vir walked across the Lords domain and confronted the next in linean Ash Biter.

The bipedal humanoid beast, seeing Vir slaughter the other Lord, moved quickly in anticipation of the upcoming attack. Just, not quickly enough.

Haste activated, and the world slowed to a crawl.

Raising his palm, Vir fired a volley of Prana Darts. He darted behind the enemy and fired another, and finally a third volley.

Like the Ash Wolf before it, the Biter collapsed without ever having understood how it died.

Vir cracked his neck, moving steadily on.

The Third Lord was the one who had moved into his domain, and it, too, was familiar. The remnants of the Tusker colony hed driven out had returned, claiming this new territory as their own.

The Tuskers bounded out of their burrows, forming a line before Vir. While they hadnt yet had time to restore their original numbers, they still numbered over fifty.

Swarms of enemies had always been Virs banehed lacked an ability like Balancer of Scales to suppress a group of enemies.

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He still lacked area-effect magic, but he now had some weapons that came close. Well, weapon. Just one. But it was worth a thousand, all by itself.

Virs Artifact chakram blazed to life, buzzing its deadly song. Vir hurled it at the swarm of Tuskers and followed up with a Katar Launch.

Prana ripped the soil, cleaving through a dozen of the rodent-like beasts.

The Chakram took care of the rest. It carved through Tusker after Tusker, barely even slowing after detaching their legs from their torsos.

Seeing the devastation, the Tuskers panicked and fled for their holes, but a barrage of Prana Darts ensured they failed. The darts werent as powerful as a Chakram Barrage, but consumed far less pranaand that meant he could fire many more. Though, of course, his prana channeling capacity had increased so monstrously, he could easily keep Barrage up for ten minutes before burning out.

Against the Tuskers minimal Prana Armor, the darts were more than sufficient.

The stragglers scampered away, disappearing into the nearby forest.

Two Lords left.

The fourth Lord was one he hadnt so much as fought before, but assassinated when hed first arrived at the Mahdi Realm. This would be his first time fighting one head-on.

The Garuda stood ten paces tall on its hind legs. Its humanoid arms were attached to bat-like wings, and despite having the torso of a man, its head was attached to a great beak.

Vir couldnt say how much weaker this one was compared to the one in the Ash, but hed seen this thing casually kill Ashfire wolves. Itd even managed to grievously wound Ashani.

Hed hold nothing back.

Prana Current activated. Until now, hed kept it off; he hadnt needed it, even with the lower ambient prana density sapping his strength.

The energy of life flooded into his body, reinforcing his Prana Armor.

The Chakram flew, and with Haste active, Vir Blinked around the beast, firing a barrage of Chakri Launchesdisks of black energy that cut through the air, while Vir held onto the actual metal rings.

Chakrisbeing smaller than their larger counterpartsrequired less prana to turn into a launch.

That wasnt to say they were weak, however. Not even close. Chakri Launch offered a level of devastation in between Prana Dart and Chakram Launch, and with his extended prana channeling capacity, Vir could maintain the barrage for over a minute.

The Artifact chakram dug into the Garudas Prana Armor, but unlike the Tuskers, it didnt immediately cut through.

Even so, Virs barrage was relentless. When the Garuda focused on him, the chakram would swoop in, eating its armor away.

But when it focused on the chakram, Vir hit it with Chakri Barrage.

The Garuda grew frustrated and Blinked at Vir, swiping at him with its deadly claws. Claws that had cut an Ashfire wolf in two.

Vir observed the attack in slow motion and met them with his own. Three deadly claws flared from each of his fists. Instead of blocking, Vir lashed at the enemys own claws.

The two strikes met, but one was of pranathe other mere metal.

Virs claws sliced apart the Garudas and plunged into its Prana Armor, aiming for the spot his Chakram had been whittling away.

The claws penetrated, and then it was over. The layer of prana protecting it failed, and the chakram cut through in a dozen different places.

Vir recalled the deadly disk to his hand, looking away from the gory devastation his chakram had wrought.

Last one.

Lad, that Naga is different from the rest, Cirayus called as Vir began descending down the hole that led into the Mahakurmas shell. It was a narrow space, barely wide enough to fit Cirayus, and stretched down for some twenty paces.

What do you mean? Vir asked as he made his way down the chute.

It used to be one of usits demonkin. It may be able to use Chakras. Do not allow its strikes to hit you.

Vir paused. Thus far, hed been invincible, and if he was honest? It had felt good. Hed needed a releasesomething to take out his pent up anger on, and the Domain Lords hed once struggled against had served that role well.

Hed avoided taking a single hit, but he hadnt been worried even if he had. With Prana Current active, his Prana Armor was far stronger than anything hed been able to muster in the past. He had faith in its protection.

Until now.

Hed never encountered a foe that could use chakras. Vir would have no defense against themnot as he was. All the Prana Armor in the world wouldnt protect him from an attack that struck directly at his soul.

Ill be careful, he said, dropping the final few paces into the cavern below. Instead of coming to a rest on the floor, he sank into his shadow. The dim lighting from the shaftthe only source of illuminationmade for strong, vast shadows. Virs ideal environment.

From the Shadow Realm, Vir learned the cavern was low and wide, about forty paces in diameter.

As for the final Domain Lord, it was a type hed never seen before. While its torso, arms, and head were that of a man, below its waist was a snakes body. The Naga peered back at him with eyes tainted by madness.

What are you doing there? Vir asked, popping his head back up within the chute, where Cirayus waited, wedging his body against the walls with the aid of Balancer of Scales to stay up.

The caverns the Lords Domain. Itll attack the moment I enter. Ill remain here unless you need my help.

Vir chuckled. Doubtful. Ill take your advice, though. Anything you can tell me about it?

Tis difficult to say what powers this Naga might have gained after being driven mad by the Ash, Cirayus said, but I do recognize that tattoo. Aspect of the Eternal Storm.

Is that what it sounds like?

Aye. Rainshowers, gale-force winds, and some can even summon lightning. Though most demons are only capable of using it to conjure drinking water.

This is an Ash Beast, Vir said. I should probably expect the worst.

Indeed. Nagas are master spearmen. Watch out for its weapon. They arent especially quick, though they move unpredictably. Take care not to get caught within their tail. They can easily crush you.

Noted, Vir said. If it can use chakras, does that mean its regular magic can attack my soul as well?

Tis possible to imbue magic attacks with chakra, though doing so requires a high level of mastery. Avoid its magic, lad.

Vir wasnt about to take any chances. Only a fool would attempt to fight such an opponent conventionally. As badly as he wanted to see more Chakra attacks in action, he wasnt about to put his life in jeopardy to satisfy such urges. Besides, he had Cirayus anytime he wanted a demonstration.

No, Virs skills were optimally suited for killing mejai, and the way he saw it, this beast was like a mejai and a Talent wielder mixed into one.

One strike. I need to end this in one blow.

Oh, and lad? Cirayus said as Vir began to retract his head from the rock. Do you have any idea how strange you look with just your head popping out of the rock like that?

Vir grinned. No, but your expression says everything. I really ought to scare people with this more, he said, immediately thinking of how he could mess with Maiya. He couldnt believe he hadnt had the idea earlier.

He made a mental note to devise a trap for when they reunited.

Vir sunk back into the shadow, then with Haste and Prana Current active, he exited and Blinked.

He didnt aim for his enemy. He aimed deep into the Nagas territory, some twenty paces away from the Lord.

Vir pivoted, Blinking again, Empowering his legs to their absolute maximum to arrive at the Nagas unprotected back.

The beast tried to turn, but its body was large. It couldnt turn quickly enough. Vir had banked on that.

He hurled his chakram at point-blank range, activating Chakram Launch to add to the terrifying Artifacts already-deadly potential.

But he didnt stop there. Vir fired Katar Launch as well.

Dual Launches ripped into the Nagas neck at nearly the same time.

Its prana armor heldbut only barely.

Virs heel smashed into the Nagas torso at the same time his chakram hit its neck.

Blink activated, and Vir sucked the prana out of the Lords own body, decimating what little armor it had left.

The wailing disk struck, finding exposed, vulnerable flesh. There was no resistance. It cut right through And the Nagas head went flying.

Vir recalled the chakram, wiping a bead of sweat off his brow.

He turned to Cirayus, who stood some twenty paces away.

Cirayus thundered in laughter. Well! he shouted between laughs. Thats more like it!

Brick by brick. Stone after stone, Vir replied, turning to his guardian. Do you believe me now? Am I powerful now, Cirayus?

The giant regarded him with a look of awe and something else, too. Hunger.

That will depend.

On what?

The demon grinned evilly.

On the results of our duel.

Unbeknownst to the two warriors, a pair of piercing blue eyes watched on as the dark-robed figure attacked the Ash Beasts. It sat on its haunches, silent, keenly observing. But it didnt look at the enemiesit stared instead at the boy, refusing to look away, even for an instant.

It watched as he effortlessly reaved into one beast after another.

But then the figure lit up like a beacon, blazing with the energy of life.

The pair of eyes widened, and it perked up.

It knew what it had to do.