Vir got to work filling the bag with the Phantomblade’s scales. True to her word, the sharp spikes didn’t so much as faze the bag, and with its comfortable adjustable straps, he barely felt the weight.
They made good time back to Janak’s lab, where Ashani unfurled the ribbon, laying it out on a worktable. She then took the Phantomblade spikes, placing them on top of the ribbon.
“Your weapons, please,” Ashani said, extending her hand.
Vir handed her his two remaining chakrams, and she put them beside the spikes, and also on top of the ribbon.
A translucent amber panel sprung up in midair above the ribbon. Ashani’s fingers blurred, manipulating it. The image changed until it matched the weapon he’d customized with her earlier.
“Are you certain you wish to proceed?” she asked. “The creation of this weapon will consume the ribbon. The process cannot be undone.”
Vir nodded. “Do it.”
Ashani made one final gesture, and the amber screen flashed three times, then shifted, showing a vertical bar that slowly filled.
A small black cloud sprung from the ribbon, enveloping the materials, hiding them from sight. At first, Vir thought they’d unleashed a Prana Swarm, but the truth was closer to that of a Pranite Swarm, working to craft Vir’s weapon.
Ashani’s revelation that Prana Swarms were masses of out-of-control pranites lingered on his mind. He quickly turned away from that terrifying train of thought.
“The process will take a day or two,” she said.
“That long?” Vir asked, interrupting his thoughts. He’d expected it to take only a few minutes, based on how fast Ashani managed to conjure food and water.
“These ribbons were designed to work in conjunction with other Imperium technology. I’m afraid that without those aids, progress will be slow.”
“That’s alright,” Vir said, cracking his neck. “I have something else I want to test out, and I was hoping you could help.”
“It’d be my pleasure.”
Vir stood in a simulated world, though unlike last time, Ashani didn’t project Mahādi. In fact, the projection wasn’t anything at all—Vir stood in the middle of an infinite expanse of white. As if he was in the middle of a great cloud.
“What would you like?” Ashani asked, flashing before him.
“This white is disorienting,” Vir said. “How about a nice field of grass? Maybe like a large meadow in a forest?”
The world transformed, with earth forming under his boots. Grass sprouted before his eyes, budding from seeds to cover the landscape. In the distance, trees grew within seconds, turning from saplings to great, tall woods.
“This place is truly amazing,” Vir whispered in awe. “You’re certain it’ll simulate all my powers accurately?”
“Indeed, it will. So long as it doesn’t pertain to the metaphysical arts—this is a new phenomenon, and not modeled in my simulation program.”
“Well, I can’t use chakra, anyway. Only prana.”
“Then you will find this simulation indistinguishable from reality,” she said.
“Well, alright then. Let’s begin.”
Prana Current activated, flowing prana across Vir’s blood.
Initially, the concept of cycling prana in a loop within his body didn’t seem like it’d have many applications, but the more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
Vir initiated an attraction Current loop that ran along the entire perimeter of his body—being careful to keep the cycling rate low, lest he burst his blood.
Feeling the prana press on him, he formed a separate loop running the opposite way, which drove ambient prana away.
Then he multiplied the flow.
A vortex of prana swirled around him. Calm at first, then fiercer. The torrent of prana became visible, like a tornado, with Vir at the center.
It was identical to Parai’s technique that allowed him to survive in the Mahādi Realm initially, only better. Prana Armor formed quicker and was far denser than before.
What was more—he could now create armor on specific parts of his body, almost on demand. While allowing the armor to build up over time strengthened it, even just a second or two of armor gave him meaningful protection. Perhaps not against Ash Beasts, but others would have a hard time cutting through.
As a bonus, the same black prana flames that burned off the Ashfire Wolves’ hides cloaked him when he activated the armor—such was their density. Though it served no practical purpose, it cut quite the imposing image.
“Impressive,” Ashani said, walking around him. “You have mastered the art of decoupling prana from blood.”
Vir’s eyes narrowed. “Ashani… When you administered those pranites, did you ever suspect something like this might happen?”
Ashani’s eyes bulged, her expression one of utter shock. “Why, how could I have known?” she said, placing a finger against a dimple on her cheek.
“Has anyone told you you’re a terrible liar?”
Ashani flushed, and Vir laughed.
“Thank you,” he said. “You may just have given me the greatest boon I could ever have hoped for.”
The goddess smiled. “’Twas the least I could do after you saved my life. Not only once, but twice. Besides, I had little choice. It was either that, or allow you to die.”
“Alright, how about we start with a Shredder?” Vir said.
“Strength?”
“The same as what I’d find in the Mahādi Realm, slightly closer to the core of the city,” Vir replied. Shredders were said to range from Balar 180 to 300, but that was in the Ash. Here in the Mahādi Realm, he figured they’d be closer to 400.
A single bipedal lizard materialized twenty paces away from Vir.
“Alright, come on! Show me what you’ve got!” Vir shouted.
The Shredder shrieked, Leaping to him in an instant. Its vicious claws struck him… And stopped dead in their tracks.
Prana Armor held. Dented, but functional.
The Shredder paused, surprised at the inefficacy of its attack.
“Nice try. My turn.”
While Prana Blade didn’t initially seem like it would benefit from a current, the ability relied on Vir spiraling prana within his arm before letting it shoot out.
So, what would happen if he spun the energy twice as fast as before? What about ten times as fast?
It wasn’t Prana Blade that activated—it was Blade Projection. The blade of prana was so deadly, so massive, it made Vir shudder. Manifesting as a visible flame of pure black, it radiated bottomless power. What’s more—the weightless weapon was nearly as tall as Vir, yet remained as nimble as his regular katar.
The Shredder tried to retreat. It failed.
Vir Empowered his deadly Blade Projection, and his arm nearly launched out of its socket.
He didn’t feel the moment of impact.
I missed?
The Shredder froze in its tracks, simply standing there. Then its upper half slowly slid right off of its legs.
Vir hadn’t missed.
Its two pieces collapsed to the ground, bisected.
No way!
“Uh, Ashani?” Vir said in a faltering voice. “C-Can you make another? Actually, make three.”
The lizards rushed him, but Vir didn’t move.
Stowing his katar, he spiraled prana even faster, allowing it to shoot out of the gaps between his knuckles.
Prana surged, forming blades of black that extended from his clenched fist.
Vir slashed, slicing into the Shredder’s arm. He drove his prana claws into its torso, activating Blink to drive his attack through, ending the beast.
Another Shredder attacked, but Vir spun out of the way, willing his prana to fly. Darts of Ash prana shot from his hands—a barrage of tiny arrows.