Vir Blinked, smashing the pommel of his blade into the captain’s steel armor.
Yet, instead of sailing through the air from the impact, it was Vir who was sent off-balance. The captain had wrenched his body away at the last moment in a feat of extreme dexterity, redirecting most of Vir’s force.
Vir stumbled, pouring prana into his muscles to stop himself.
He was too late.
The temperature cooled rapidly, freezing the sweat on Vir’s face.
A storm of icicles slammed into him, tearing through the gaps in his armor, and drawing blood. His wooden mask cracked.
For the briefest moment, pain consumed him. Then his instincts, honed from years of fighting Ash Beasts, activated. Toughen pulled blood from his wounds, and his pranites went to work healing him.
That was too close, he thought.
The captain’s Aspect of Midwinter’s Embrace had, luckily, not been laden with Chakra. According to Cirayus, only the most capable warriors could. If it had, Vir would be dead.
That’s it. Time to end this.
Vir Blinked rapidly around his enemy, leaving only afterimages in his wake, and slamming Empowered punch after punch into the captain’s body.
The Kothi’s metal armor protected him, but the rigid metal was weak against blunt force attacks. And Vir’s hit like an Ash’va.
The captain’s movements suddenly seized. His godly speed left him, and he stumbled. The captain looked around, as if confused.
Vir cocked his arm to deliver the final blow.
“W-wait!” the captain yelled, though it was more a plea for mercy than a command.
Vir’s fist stopped just a hair’s breadth from the demon, ready to demolish his apelike nose.
The captain sunk to his knees.
“Please, stop! Any more, and I’ll have to report this.”
Vir canceled Haste and lowered his arm.
“Well,” he said, using his haughtiest voice. “I suppose you’ve given me a good bit of exercise. This shall do for tonight.”
Vir swept his gaze across the two downed Kothis, who groaned in agony as they tried to regain their bearings. Seeing Vir, they panicked, desperately trying to scramble away.
The monkeys crawled on all fours—trying, and failing—to get up.
Vir laughed.
Whatever drug Warlord’s Domain and Warlord’s Battlecry was, it had some debilitating aftereffects.
“I presume I’ll have no trouble from the guards in the future?” Vir asked.
Also on all fours, the captain nodded vigorously. “We know better than to trifle with a Warrior of such high prestige.”
“Good. Now, let us discuss your remuneration.”
“Remuneration? I-I am to blame for my subordinate’s actions, honored warrior,” the captain said, bowing his head. “I can only beg for your forgiveness.”
“I am afraid I cannot let you off so easily,” Vir replied smoothly. “Tell me, what would your superiors think if they learned your guard acted so rashly? Attacking someone of my status? What would they think of you, when they learn you lost control of the situation?”
The captain gulped. “What would you ask of me?” the terrified captain whispered.
“Only that you tell your friends to leave the figure in the black mask alone. Nothing good comes of crossing my kin. You understand?”
“Your kin? Ah! Yes, of course, sir. Is… is that all?” the captain asked, evidently surprised to have been let off so easily.
“For now.”
The captain looked up at Vir. “Consider it done. The guards shall bother you on your escapades no longer. I know better than to trifle with a Warrior of such high prestige. Besides, no one would dare after witnessing your skills this night. If… if I might ask, who are you?”
“Would you like to know?” Vir asked, peering through his cracked mask.
“Please. I must know the name of the one who bested us! For our honor!”
“My name… is Vaak. Vaak—of Ash. See that you do not forget it.”
“Vaak, of the Ash!” the captain repeated in awe. “I will remember it!”
“Good.” Vir whirled, his robe fluttering behind him. “Now begone.”
The captain rounded up his injured guards—including the ones Shan managed to knock out—and left in a hurry, leaving Vir behind to take his pick of food.
With a sack full of vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes, he Leaped up to the wall and left.
Vir took his time returning to the orphanage. For one, he had to be sure he wasn’t being tailed. Chasing someone who could move as fast as he did, who was actively searching for pursuers, and who could detect prana signatures, wasn’t an easy feat.
After confirming that nobody had followed him, Vir stopped on a rooftop. Partly to allow his prana to recover. Partly to check in on Shan, who landed silently next to him a moment later.
“Nice work, Shan,” Vir said, moving to pet him, but the wolf pulled back and growled.
“Look, it’s not that I didn’t want your help. You saw how close that was! But you can’t be seen with me. Not while I’m Vaak. Please understand. I had to fight them alone. And I’ll have to do it again in the future.”
One of the main reasons he’d provoked the guards was to prove that he wasn’t to be trifled with. Such lessons generally only needed to be learned once. At least, he hoped. There were limits to how far he’d go.
He couldn’t maim or kill them—that’d spark an investigation—but showing the authorities Vaak was not to be trifled with would keep them off his back, at least for a while.
As for his identity, Vir didn’t think the captain could find anything, even if he did investigate. For now, at least, Vaak was safe.
Which meant Bolin would be too when he donned the mask.
Protecting Bolin was only one of his goals. Vir wanted Vaak’s name to spread. Between the bully, Svar, spreading the word and news of what happened here, he hoped certain others would take notice.
Shan gruffed, and after giving him one last look, disappeared.
Vir took off his mask and crossed his legs on the roof, exhausted. The fight had taught him several valuable lessons.
For one, he could wipe the floor with the guards and guard captains—if he was willing to kill them.
Prana Blade would’ve neutralized those three in moments, even without help from Dance of the Shadow Demon.
He’d nearly crippled himself for this fight. Aside from that one time he unleashed Prana Darts, he’d relied only on his prana-enhanced body, fighting skill, and basic movement arts.
It’d been tough, but only because he hadn’t known what to expect. Chitran’s Warlord’s Domain and Warlord’s Battlecry were certainly something to look out for, but nothing he couldn’t handle. Isolated soldiers weren’t anything to worry about. Against groups, the key was to take them out before they could activate their abilities.
Even doubly boosted, they hadn’t been a match for him. Rather, it was on the battlefield where the Chitran abilities would shine. If it ever came to an army battle, Vir genuinely feared their might. Especially with their Ultimate Bloodline Art—Demonic Overlord.
Aspect of Midwinter’s Embrace was more problematic. Not so much because of its potency, but rather because of its accessibility—nearly any demon could learn it. If every foe Vir fought could launch icicles and freeze land, Vir would have a hard time.
As he was learning, fighting demons was like fighting proficient Talent Wielders… Who were also mejai. And stronger physically than a human.