238: The Reaper’s Wish (Part Four) (Patreon)

NOTE: I'll be without internet connectivity the next several days, so here are Monday's and Tuesday's chapters. Next chapter will be Wednesday.

- -

Vir left his cave the same way he’d arrived—through the shadows. Why Ekanai hadn’t pursued him, he couldn’t say.

All he knew was that he had to end the demon. Both to escape this place, and to do right by Ekanai’s memory. The real Ekanai, that was. Vir suspected the demon would be disgusted at the abomination that had manifested here.

Vir searched the caves until he found one that suited him. It was a long, narrow tunnel, dimly lit by green bioluminescent moss.

The location favored Vir, the smaller of the two combatants. While they both wielded chakrams and katars, Ekanai’s height and gangly limbs would only get in the way here.

Calling upon the Foundation Chakra, Vir calmed himself and prepared for the battle ahead, though he didn’t sink into his mindscape. He wasn’t sure just how much time passed while he was in there, and until he’d tested the details, he couldn’t risk being caught off-guard.

Vir’s strategy would leverage the fact that Ekanai’s physical manifestation was based upon Vir’s own memories of the demon. With luck, knowing what he knew now, the Ekanai he fought would be different. He might be more reasonable—and hopefully, weaker.

If he wasn’t, Vir was going to have his hands full just staying alive.

He shook off the thought. Maiya wouldn’t have mentioned conquering his fear if it wasn’t critical for this fight. His trust in her was absolute, and so his mind was calm.

Vir didn’t have to wait long. Ekanai appeared some paces away, Artifact chakram and orb in hand, snarling viciously.

“Hello, Ekanai,” Vir said calmly. “How are you feeling?”

The demon smirked. “Never better. Your friend here has made quite the spell. Gave me some trouble, but I managed it. Now I need only test it. And soon,” he said, holding up another, empty orb, “I will have another. Your body will be the perfect vessel for me, and your soul will be my weapon. With two soul weapons, not even Fate itself can stop us!”

Vir’s hope disappeared the moment the demon started talking. Ekanai was no less vicious than before. He hadn’t changed. And now he had a new, powerful weapon.

No… that’s not quite right, is it?

There was something different about him. The overwhelming, oppressive aura he’d emitted before was now gone, and it wasn’t only on account of Vir’s Foundation Chakra protecting him from the demon’s mental attacks.

It’s my fear! It was somehow strengthening him. And Maiya knew…

Logically, it made no sense. Then again, nothing about this place did. If, as Vir suspected, none of it was real, then this fabricated reality was likely bound by a different set of rules. Rules that were obviously impacted by Vir himself.

By vanquishing his fear, he’d somehow robbed Ekanai of a portion of his power. It wasn’t the outcome he’d been hoping for, but it’d have to suffice.

With Haste active, Vir Blinked forth, spearing Ekanai with his katar.

It was only a distraction. The Chakri Barrage he’d simultaneously launched was the real attack. Dozens of the tiny prana disks ripped through the air, filling the entire tunnel.

The demon moved slightly, barely dodging his katar. The Chakris, however, were another story.

Clarity was a powerful ability—overwhelmingly so—but it had one flaw. Namely, knowledge of the immediate future was only useful if one could act upon it.

Previously, the demon had been able to do exactly that. His strength, speed, and armor had all been impossibly formidable, allowing him to execute mind-bending feats. That was no longer true.

Ekanai moved a smidge slower now. A weakness amplified by the tunnel’s tight confines, turning it into a killing field. With his gangly limbs, Ekanai couldn’t possibly move his body quickly enough to avoid them all.

He didn’t have to. He sunk into the shadows.

It was exactly what Vir had done countless times to avoid danger. Yet, it too, had a crippling weakness.

Vir grasped Ekanai’s arm with a death grip. Either the demon had been too preoccupied with Vir’s Chakris, or he hadn’t used Clarity, because his eyes widened in shock and realization.

Vir’s earlier katar attack had been a double feint. Not only did it divert Ekanai’s attention away from his chakrams,  but it also put Vir within physical range.

“Now dodge this,” Vir rasped, as a dozen prana disks ripped into the Iksana ghael. Cirayus had said that ghaels are normally physically frail, relying on their stealth arts to be effective in combat.

Not so with Ekanai. His Primordial nature erased such weaknesses. His Prana Armor flared, absorbing the first several prana chakris, but Vir had expected this, too.

Because Ekanai being a Primordial cut both ways.

With his arm still firmly on Ekanai, Vir pulled. Ash prana surged into him, instantly depleting the layer of armor Ekanai had built.

Perhaps sensing the future with Clarity, Ekanai desperately tried to pull away. He failed.

Ekanai hurled Vir’s own Artifact Chakram back at him, but without hesitation, Vir snatched it out of the air.

“That’s my weapon. Did you honestly think it would hurt me?”

The demon snarled.

The next prana chakri sliced cleanly through the arm Vir held, freeing the demon to twist away in pain. The subsequent two missed, but the fifth drove into his body, gouging deep, and the last nicked his leg at the ankle.

For without prana armor, without his medley of magic, Ekanai was just a ghael, like any other. There was nothing to fear here.

Ekanai bled, though none of the wispy essence drifted out of him as it had with Vir and Maiya.

That proves it. He’s just a fabrication. But then what of Maiya?

Vir’s eyes turned to the orb at Ekanai’s waist, and to his surprise, found a wispy white essence drifting out from it.

Is that… Maiya?

Or was it what had become of her? Ekanai said orbs were originally powered off of the power of souls. Was this really her? Or was it some twisted version of her? What had the demon done to her?

The wisps went straight for Ekanai’s wound, entering it. The demon dropped his weapon and screamed in agony.

One, in particular, had snaked around, avoiding Vir’s vision. By the time he noticed, it was too late. Vir watched in horror as the wisp dove into his arm.

He braced himself for the pain of a chakra attack.

‘Hey, Vir! Sorry for earlier.’

“Maiya?” Vir gasped. Is that really you?

‘Kinda. Hard to explain. Anyway, keep it up. A few more like that and I ought to be able to take over.’

Take over!? Vir didn’t have a clue how such a feat could be possible, now how Maiya understood how to accomplish it.

‘Explain later. Or maybe not. Ekanai didn’t really know what he was doing. I didn’t either, but it seems like I have a knack for this? I don’t get it, really. Anyway, just trust me. Love you.’

Despite himself, Vir felt a profound warmth bloom in his chest. Maiya’s okay! She’s alright! Everything’s going to be alright.

Vir still couldn’t be sure it was really her, but the elation filled him, nonetheless.

With Ekanai as injured and crippled as he was, attacking him further was hardly a challenge. The moment the demon had lost his arm, Vir grabbed his leg instead. Ekanai’s only way out was to escape into the shadows, but with Vir draining his prana, Ekanai couldn’t escape. He couldn’t even activate Dance of the Shadow Demon anymore.

With his other hand, Vir activated Prana Blade and stabbed the demon, waiting for Maiya’s essence to fill the wound before striking again.

“S-Stop!” Ekanai shrieked, but he was in far too much pain to say much more.

If he’s feeling pain, it must mean Maiya is doing that to him, Vir thought, a bit shocked at how much she seemed to be hurting him.

A flicker of pity crossed Vir’s thoughts, but he cast it aside. This corrupted manifestation of Ekanai had done far worse to Maiya. She was more than entitled to some karmic retribution.

“How dare you?” the demon screamed. “I can’t die here. Not again. I can’t fail again. My purpose—argh!”

How fitting for Maiya to take over his body when he robbed her of hers.

Vir wondered if she’d chosen this method precisely because it allowed her to get back at Ekanai in the most direct way possible. It was a typical Maiya move.

But that made him question whether Maiya felt the pain he was inflicting upon the demon’s body. If she was ‘taking over’ like she said…

“Okay, that’s enough Vir!” Ekanai said, grimacing.

Vir froze in his tracks.

“Uh, Mai?” Is that you?”

“Y-yeah. Heh. It actually worked! Would you believe it?”

Vir stared at Ekanai-Maiya blankly.

“What?” Ekanai asked, tilting his head.

“This… is really weird,” Vir said. “I’m beginning to question my sanity.”

“What, it took you this long? Besides, imagine how I feel! You didn’t just have your soul become inexplicably detached from your body—something I didn’t even think was possible—before being sucked right into an orb!”

Vir’s words caught in his mouth. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Ekanai frowned. “You beat him. You overcame your fear.”

“I couldn’t help you. When he said he was going to turn you into a spell, I… I feared the worst. I thought I’d lost you.” Vir laughed. “Look at you. You not only saved yourself, you even took over Ekanai. How is that even possible?”

Vir slumped to the ground. It was all too much. He felt like the world was playing with him, trying to test his limits to see how much he could take before he snapped.

“Hey, why do I need to be the one getting saved all the time?” Ekanai-Maiya said, one hand on his—her?—hip. “Now you know how it feels to be on the receiving end,” Maiya said softly.

The tenderness in her words were entirely erased by Ekanai’s scratchy ghael voice. The feeling conveyed, regardless.

I never really considered that. Vir had always assumed it was his duty to protect her. As the Primordial. As her friend.

“I guess being saved once in a while isn’t so bad after all,” Vir said, though his heart wasn’t in it. Even now, he was absolutely gutted over how he had no way to help her. Even if he had defeated Ekanai, then what? Was Maiya doomed to be trapped in that orb until he found a way to restore her?

Vir shuddered at the possibility.

“Did it hurt?” he asked. “Being, er… y’know. The orb stuff.”

Ekanai scratched his head. “A little. It was just… really weird. Not having a body, but being able to see everything happening. It was uncomfortable, more  than anything. You won’t believe how awkward it is not having hands and feet. But er, let’s just say I’m glad I stopped Ekanai when I did. Every time he activated the orb, I felt like a piece of me disappeared.”

Vir’s stomach lurched. “Are you—”

Maiya waved away his concern. “I’m fine. Whatever I lost, I retook from him. Don’t ask me how I’m doing any of this. I’m way outside my depth here. Still…” she lowered her voice, “Made me wonder about all the orbs we take for granted. Did they really all come from souls? Did the Gods do what Ekanai did?”

Vir had so many questions, he didn’t even know where to begin. Ashani had never once hinted that the Imperium employed such despicable practices. Then again, she never claimed that the Imperium created the original orbs, either.

Had they uncovered the magic at some point, and simply built upon it? Or was there a darker side that Ashani wasn’t revealing—or perhaps didn’t even know about?

Questions for another time. Right now, Vir was filled with mixed emotions about this whole situation. Should he be elated at Maiya’s success? Thankful that she defeated Ekanai? Or heartbroken that she had to endure such pain?

“So, uh, what now?” Maiya asked, though Vir had the exact same question.

“I honestly don’t—Maiya!” Vir shouted, pointing.

Maiya looked down at her arm, which was steadily dissolving away.

“Maiya! No!” Vir shrieked, rushing up to her. “Nonono!”

Prana bled from Ekanai’s body at an alarming rate as it crumbled away to dust. Vir desperately surged Ash prana into Ekanai’s body, but to no avail.

“Gotta admit. Didn’t see this coming,” Maiya said nervously.

“No. Stop. Stop!” Vir didn’t even know who he was yelling at. “This can’t be happening. Maiya!” Vir roared. “Maiya!”

Ekanai’s body continued to vanish before Vir’s very eyes, and there was absolutely nothing he could do. Nothing, but watch as Maiya’s eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t cry.

And if she didn’t, how could he?

Maiya said nothing. She simply held him gently… right until she was gone.

Vir, who’d been holding back his tears, fell to his knees.

But the tears didn’t come. His eyes widened.

For instead of an empty cavern, a brilliantly white form stood before him. Maiya’s wispy form, exactly as she’d been when he first found her fighting Ekanai.

No, not the same. Maiya shone brighter than ever. Prana surged through her veins—both her Ice and Wind prana, but also Ekanai’s Ash prana as well. There had been none of that before. What’s more, her hair shone so brightly it almost looked as if it were on fire.

“Maiya!?” Vir blurted. “Are you…”

“I feel great!” Maiya said, whirling. “What in the Realms…”

Vir stared at her dumbfounded. Maiya wasn’t gone. She wasn’t even the same. She was better!

He was about to embrace her when she began to disappear.

Not just her. The entire cave crumbled away, leaving nothing but inky darkness.

No. A terrible thought formed in Vir’s head. What if none of this is real. What if Maiya isn’t…

Just an hour ago, he’d wished it wasn’t real. That it was all just his imagination, and that Maiya hadn’t actually endured any of the pain she’d gone through.

Now? Now, he was terrified it might all be fake.

“It’s alright, Vir,” Maiya said as her form dimmed. “I’m just… returning. It’s okay.”

“How do you know!” Vir wailed. “How can you possibly know?”

“Call me sometime, yeah?” Maiya said, as her essence disappeared entirely. “I’ve missed you. A lot.”

Vir tried to reply, but felt a sudden lurch. A brilliant white light flashed, and suddenly, he was on a bumpy rough surface in the middle of a circular room.

Green roots covered every inch of the room, and at its center, a tree rose from the roots to form a great trunk.

A trunk that pulsed with prana and chakra.

What in all the realms?