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 in 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, 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 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, and 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, while 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 by the strength 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, nor how Maiya understood how to accomplish it.
‘Explain later. Or maybe not. Ekanai didn’t 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 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 appeared 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-Maiya 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-Maiya 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-Maiya 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?”