Chapter 235: The Reaper’s Wish (One)

Chapter 235: The Reaper’s Wish (One)

It was not hot fury that flowed through Virs veins, but rather the icy calmness that only true rage can summon. It was the promise of death.

Virs leg may have been broken, but in that moment, nothing could stop him from chasing Ekanai into the Shadow Realm.

He hadnt paused to consider that following Ekanai mightve been impossible. Or dangerous. He simply acted.

Without understanding how, he felt Ekanais presence in that Realm, and gave chase.

Ekanai, bearing the full Dance of the Shadow Demon tattoo, wasnt restricted by the same limitations as Vir. In the time it took Vir to traverse twenty paces, Ekanai had gone a hundred.

Vir remained undaunted. He jumped right back into the shadows, intending to catch up. Then he stopped.

Ekanai was baiting him. The demon wanted to kill Vir. To absorb his soul. Any damage Vir took in this place resulted in strengthening his predecessor. Vir didn't need to chase the demon. Ekanai would come to him.

Changing tactics, Vir reviewed what he knew. Navigating the Shadow Realm in this way was foreign to Vir, yet not completely so. The Yaksha Guardian had given him some practice, and so he had some idea of what to expect.

Ekanai both moved and didn't move whilst within the shadows. He... shifted. In Mahadi, Vir had been at a loss to understand the Yaksha's powers. He'd had a lot of time to reflect on that fight, however, and now he had some idea. When Ekanai shifted locations within the Realm, he was actually popping out of one shadow and re-entering through another. How Dance wielders were able to move through a time-locked realm, Vir still didn't understand. He only knew it was possible.

Which meant Vir could play the same game. And with Prana Vision functioning just fine, it wasn't impossible to predict Ekanai's movements.

Vir left the shadows and placed himself in the middle of an open valley. Here, atop the grassy floating islands, the shadows were soft weak, and few. It'd force Ekanai to emerge from just a handful of shadows, thus allowing Vir to prepare. He didn't know if that was enough of an advantage, but it was one of the few Vir had.

Vir emerged from the shadow, and sure enough, Ekanai was there, awaiting him.

So was Vir. Without even aiming, he let fly Prana Darts in every directionlike a Phantomblade firing its spikes.

Ekanaiu's grunt of pain confirmed his location, and before he could sink back into the shadows, Vir let fly a Katar Launch. Ekanai met him with the same technique, Ash prana clashing with Ash prana in midair. Ekanai's Launch, however, was stronger.

Vir shoved himself back into the Shadow Realm, just as the deadly prana passed over his head.

Can I absorb that? He wondered. He'd never fought beings who could hurl Ash prana abilities before. While possible, if Vir messed up, he'd lose a limb.

Still, the encounter helped quell his anxiety a bit. Maiya's words surfaced in his headthat he had to overcome his fear. She didn't specify what, but there was only one being he feared here. Ekanai wasn't as fearsome as Vir had thought.

Emboldened, Vir prepared to use the same tactic, this time surfacing from another shadow at the edge of his range.

He didnt even notice it, at first. He felt no painthe Shadow Realm prevented such things. There was only a strange sensation from the pit of his stomach.

Huh? Vir stared blankly at the blade that had pierced his body in a realm where nothing was supposed to move.

Nothing did move, and yet, Ekanais katar had penetrated through Virs torso. Within the Shadow Realm.

Ekanai himself wasnt there. Only the weapon.

For now, it didnt feel like anything was wrong. Yet, Vir knew exactly what would happen the moment he left the Realm.

His courage evaporated, replaced instead by terror. Cirayus warning echoed in his head.

Exercise extreme caution when fighting in the Shadow Realm.I would not dare trade blows with an enemy in that nonsensical space.

Only five counts remained until the shadows ejected him. Panic threatened to overtake his thoughts.

But Vir hadn't fought for two years in the Ash for nothing.

He wrestled his panic under controlalbeit barelyand decided on a plan.

Bracing himself, he chose the farthest exit he could locate. Farthest away from Ekanai.

He knew it was pointlessthe demon could find him anywherebut he had to do something. If only to retain what little control he had over this situation.

Vir felt the cold steel first. Only after a few seconds did pain bloom in his body. Ekanais katar remained firmly lodged within his abdomen, stopping the bleeding, but it was also perilously close to his spine. Just barely an inch away.

The pranites did what they could, but Vir had to remove the weapon to truly heal.

Bracing himself, Vir pulled as much blood from the wound as he dared, then activated Toughen, which sent another wave of pain exploding from the wound, nearly blacking him out.

Overcome your fear, shed said, indicating it was the key to defeating Ekanai.

That didnt make any sense, though. How would that save Maiya?

No. I cant save Maiya on my own. I have to accept that.

Vir didnt have an inkling as to the true nature of what was going on. He didnt even know if this entire cavern with its floating islands was real, or some elaborate fake. Though, as time went on, he found it harder to believe it was a deception. No matter how advanced the Gods were, how could they create such a perfect facsimile of Maiya?

Hed seen Ashani craft a perfect illusion, but he doubted even she could pull people from Virs own mind.

But admitting he couldnt save her was easier said than done. Every instinct and emotion he had urged him to try. That perhaps, like with Ashanis orbs, he could find a way.

Theres a better way, though. Ekanai. The gangly ghael had the answers. He clearly knew what he was doing when he captured Maiya, though Vir found it odd that a warrior such as him had such advanced Thaumaturge knowledge. It was as if Ekanai and Saunak had somehow melded together.

Nevertheless, the path forward was simple. Vir simply had to defeat Ekanai, and then force him to restore Maiya. Vir had seen her prana himselfshe wasnt dead. The process could be reversed.

He would believe that until his dying breath. He had to.

Maiya had not only saved his life, shed given him the key. Or at least, she believed so, anyway.

Fear. It was true, Vir felt many things toward Ekanai. Spite, confusion, but above all else, fear.

Hadnt it always been that way? Of all his predecessors, only Ekanai had commandeered Virs body to assert his own will.

Vir thought back to when Ekanai had first taken over in the Godshollow. He had nearly died fighting the Knight Scouts bandies until Ekanai had intervened. The demon saved Vir, killing the bandies And then, hed sworn to kill Maiya, labeling her as dead weight.

The memory made Virs blood boiled. Despite the erosion of two years of time, he recalled the details as clearly as if itd happened only yesterday.

The experience had scared Vir, though hed been more confused than anything. Hed managed to stop Ekanai back then. Hed thought he could control the demons in his head.

Then, at Riyans place, Ekanai had taken over again. Vir realized it was then that his fear of the demon had solidified. Being forced to watch as Ekanai commandeered his body and marched to their bedchamberintent on slitting Maiyas throat as she sleptwas too much for Vir to bear.

It was why, when Riyan had sent Vir on his mission to Daha alone, hed almost been thankful. That way, he wouldnt have posed a threat to Maiya. Because he knew at that moment. He knew that he wasnt in control.

Thats it, isnt it? Vir thought. I cant grow past the person I was until I confront him. Until I vanquish him.

Vir had entered the Ashen Realm as a moderately capable warrior, but as someone who remained unsure of his identity. Unsure of his calling.

Hed since grown past that. Both in strength and as a person. But Ekanai loomed over him like a dark shadow. How could he help the Gargawho was he to save otherswhen he couldnt even vanquish the demons in his own head?

Until he defeated Ekanai, there would be no progress.

Not like Ekanai will be taking over again, Vir thought in an attempt to lessen the dread that grew within his chest. Not after what Shardul said at Mahdi. Its why hes going to such lengths, isnt it?

Ekanais presence was the single most glaring piece of evidence Vir had that none of this was real. Maiyas presence, unfortunately, served as a perfect counterpoint.

Vir found his mind drifting once more, and so he tugged on the Foundation Chakra to refocus. Likely because he hadnt fully mastered the Chakra, it was only limitedly helpful for that purpose.

How exactly does one get over a fear, though? Vir wondered.

There was, after all, a very good reason behind that fear.

Like all other fears, I suppose. By confronting it, a voice chimed in his head. It was Maiyas voice.

Except that was impossible. Maiya saw that battle. As a capable warrior and mejai, she knew how impossible it was. No tactic or strategy in the world could overcome that vast chasm of power.

Had she been mistaken?

Vir rejected that idea immediately. She would never have been so sure of herself if there was even a chance of that. No, her words mustve contained some other, hidden meaning.

If I only knew what.

A wave of fatigue hit Vir. The endless days of fighting already had him running dry, and now, after all this, he wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and sleep for a century.

His mind drifted off, thinking of Ekanai, and, almost unconsciously, he reached out to the Foundation Chakra.

A surge of energy erupted from the base of his spine. Right before Vir blacked out.