“Chakra… Is that related to my disks?” Vir asked.

“Related in principal, yet entirely different in execution. But first, eat. A warrior cannot survive on an empty stomach, after all,” Cirayus rummaged through his rucksack and tossed over a blackened melon.

Vir was about to protest, but one look at Cirayus told him the giant wasn’t about to say another word until he’d eaten.

This has no right being edible! he thought, gingerly hefting the oversized fruit in his hands.

Everything grew larger in the Ashen Realm, with its abundance of prana, and the fruits were no exception. The melon was larger than his head, and it was still smaller than the one Cirayus was eating.

Cirayus wiped away the Ash that covered his own melon, revealing a lighter gray fruit that did all of absolutely nothing to whet Vir’s appetite. His mind simply couldn’t fathom how this passed as food.

“Dig in!”

Vir watched with horror as Cirayus chomped down, squirting purple juice. The way the demon relished the thing only made the spectacle even more surreal.

Vir dusted off his own fruit, leaving his fingers stained black with ash. Then, after intense mental preparation, he bit down.

He wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Bitterness, or something awful tasting. Certainly not delicious nectar.

Vir’s eyes opened wide as he registered the incredible sensation that filled his mouth. He took another bite. Sweet, complex flavors flooded his mouth. He couldn’t stop himself. He tore into the fruit, desperate for another mouthful of this incredible fruit.

Noticing Cirayus’ eyes on him, he finally managed to stop himself. The demon was grinning.

“Do you always eat that messily, lad? I’m afraid it’s no way for a prince to eat.”

Prince, huh? Vir thought, staring at the half-eaten fruit in his hands. Even now, the idea seemed absurd to him. Wrong. As if someone had blundered and mixed up his name with someone else’s. What did that mean for him? For his future? Was it a title in name only? Or would it someday become something more?

“Don’t dwell on it, lad. You’ll come into your position, just as one dons a fresh set of clothes. Just give it time. Though, er, perhaps clean yourself up?“

Vir looked down and noticed the purple liquid that stained his clothing. The same liquid that covered half his face.

Flushing in embarrassment, he turned away, furiously wiping away the juices.

“S-sorry. This is… this might just be the best fruit I’ve ever had.”

“Good!” Cirayus laughed. “We’ll be living on it. That, and the vegetables that grow here,” he said, chomping into something that looked like an oversized onion.

“You’re… not going to cook that?” Vir asked, dreading the answer.

“Cook? You see firewood nearby, lad?”

Sure enough, surrounding them was a sea of endless ash, broken by the occasional blackened shrub that poked through.

“Is it like this everywhere? Are there no trees in the Ash?”

“There are forests, yes, with trees the likes of which you’ve never seen. Rare, though. Be glad there’s any vegetation here, lad. Many places are true deserts, lacking even a bite to eat.”

Whatever enthusiasm Vir had before disappeared upon the realization that most of their meals would be consumed raw from now on.

Resigning himself to his fate, he bit into the onion… and winced. It wasn’t just big; the taste was also far stronger than any regular onion.

Dear Maiya, please help. Your poor friend’s been condemned to eat raw onions…

His prayers went unanswered. Thankfully, Cirayus didn’t allow him to linger on his woe for long. The moment he’d finished, the giant stood up, gesturing for Vir to do the same.

Vir’s heart pounded in his chest. What’s he going to show me now?

Nothing, it seemed.

“Throw a punch.”

“Just a regular punch?” Vir asked.

“Aye. Humor me. But use your best form and hold your stance once you’re finished.”

Oh, he did mention that. During their fight, Cirayus had called out his ‘sloppy’ form. Having practiced diligently, the giant’s comment came as a surprise to him.

Vir made a fist and fell into the stance, throwing the cleanest punch he knew, keeping his arm extended as instructed.

“Again,” Cirayus commanded, walking around him with the eyes of an Acira.

Once more, Vir threw his best straight punch, but Cirayus grasped his shoulders. “Rotate more. Step less. You’re overstepping to make up for your shorter reach. Rotating your shoulders will add power to your strike. Again.”

Vir did as he was told, rotating his shoulders a tad further and reducing his forward motion.

The difference was slight but immediately noticeable. He could feel the extra power in the attack, and his subsequent punches all felt stronger as well.

“T-thanks,” Vir said, ashamed he hadn’t discovered it himself. It was such a simple thing.

“Habit. Once you learn a form and ingrain it into your muscles, change becomes difficult. We fall into our routine, thinking we’ve perfected our technique, though the reality is that our form is always shifting, like the Ash. If unchecked, once-perfected movements will deviate over time, slowly drifting away from the ideal. Revisit your foundations periodically, and correct any mistakes as they develop. Bad habits are difficult to unlearn.”

“I will,” Vir replied. He meant it, though he couldn’t understand why Cirayus chose this moment to coach him on the minutiae of his technique.

“Your chakra is only as strong as your foundation, young Ekavir. Sloppy form pollutes the spirit. Watch.”

Cirayus adopted a striking stance and threw a punch, nearly identical to Vir’s own. The giant’s stature and four-armed physiology meant his punches would never be quite the same, but it was as close to Vir’s own technique as the giant could manage. Just refined. Perfected to the absolute limit.

The punch was faster and slightly more polished but was otherwise much the same.

Then he threw another, and Vir’s soul shuddered.

The punch had been identical to the previous one. Was it a fluke of some sort? Vir couldn’t understand.

Cirayus threw another, and Vir fell to his knees, despite not even having been the target. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest, and he heaved for air.

“What…was that?”

“What did you feel?” the giant asked.

“It was… like you’d activated Balancer of Scales. Those punches had a weight to them. They felt heavy. It felt like a punch to my gut. Is that another bloodline tattoo of yours?”

“Not a tattoo. A Chakra. Three, to be specific. The Warrior Chakra, harmonized with the Foundation and the Crown.”

“What does that mean?” Vir had analyzed Cirayus’ movements with both his regular sight and Prana Vision, but found nothing different from the mundane punch he’d thrown. To all his senses, they were identical.

“Centers of metaphysical energy. From the base of your spine to the top of your head sit the seven major chakras. One hundred forty-four chakra points in sum, running throughout your body.”

Vir frowned. “I’ve lost count of how many hours I’ve spent meditating, looking within myself. Prana Vision has never shown me anything like that.”

“And why would it? Your prana sight shows you only the physical, not the spiritual. Chakras have no presence or bearing in our reality. They exist purely as part of our spirit. Our being. All life possesses chakra, though, for most of us, these points remain firmly shut. Dormant. By opening the various chakras and harmonizing them, one begins to grasp the true workings of the world, gaining access to powers mere magic couldn’t hope to mimic. The power of the spirit.”

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“I’ve… never heard of anything like this, Cirayus. Not once.”

“Aye, it seems humans are blissfully unaware of its existence. For demons, our chakra training begins as early as we can talk. Most of us spend our entire lives mastering our chakras.”

“How many have you opened?” Vir asked, half-guessing the answer.

“All, of course. Only took me a century and a half, too.”

“Only?”

“Lad, there are those my age who’ve failed to open even five. The Crown chakra is especially troublesome.”

“And how exactly do you unlock these chakras? Actually, what are the different chakras? I’ve never known about them, and it’s not like I ever felt anything off.”

Even as Vir asked these questions, his mind raced to find answers. Theories blossomed in his head—for so long, prana had felt so mysterious. He could never explain why it worked the way it did. Was this the missing link? The fabric that underpinned those mysteries?

“Nor would you. A demon can live a perfectly healthy life without opening a single one. The purpose of opening chakras is not to improve one’s capacity in the ordinary domains of life, but to go beyond our mortal shell, seeking that which lies beyond. The metaphysical. The spiritual. The immortal.”

“If they don’t affect the world, what can they do?”

Whatever Cirayus did earlier felt impressive, but what did it actually do?

“The first of the chakras is the Root, or Foundation chakra—responsible for grounding you and resisting metaphysical attacks that target your mind. Those who have yet to master the Foundation chakra will find their minds torn apart by enemies well-versed in the Life chakra. Most demons will have mastered opening this chakra by the time they reach their early teens.”

Which means I’m behind, Vir thought anxiously.

He wondered if every demon he fought would boast such presence. If so, even the children of that realm might be terrifying opponents—a thought that scared him nearly as much as the beasts that roamed the Ash.

“Once the Foundation Chakra has been opened, one may progress to the Life chakra, which can be thought of as Foundation's counterpart. It allows attunement to the emotional state of life forms around you, as well as the ability to manipulate them. It can be wielded as both a weapon and a tool for healing.”

Vir blanched. Forget losing to a child in the demon realm… What if they control me instead?

It’d be beyond humiliating.

“Fear not. Only the most talented demons open the second chakra before their twenties.”

Vir rolled his eyes. “So I’ll only become a puppet of adult demons, and not their kids. That’s such a relief.”

“You say that, but I sense the excitement within you. You are eager to learn. To master these arts.”

Vir’s eyes narrowed. “Is the Life chakra telling you that, too?”

Cirayus chuckled. “I hardly need a chakra for that. But yes, the Life Chakra has such capabilities, once mastered.”

“And all demons can unlock these chakras? Regardless of bloodline?”

“They most certainly can, and I suspect humans can as well. They simply do not understand how. Either that or those who do have sought to keep it a secret.”

That might actually be possible. Vir thought about all the rumors surrounding the Prime Mejai, head of the Order of Mejai Sorcar.

Then again, meditation wasn’t common in the Human Realm, so it wouldn’t surprise him if they simply never picked it up. “Foundation, Life… What’s the third chakra?”

“Shield,” Cirayus said. “The first half of another pair. While Foundation defends you against chakra attacks to the mind, the Shield defends against chakra-based attacks to the body.”

“And so the fourth is all about attacking with chakra, I'm guessing?”

Cirayus didn’t reply; he just swiped at the air with his poleax, and the air ruptured. Vir didn’t know how else to describe it. It was as if reality was rent apart, leaving an aftershock that shook something core to the world.

“The Warrior chakra. As its name suggests, it imbues your attacks with a metaphysical weight that bypasses physical armor to attack the very soul. It does little against inanimate objects, but against any life form, it can inflict a fate even worse than death.”

Vir’s expression hardened. “Could use that against the beasts we’ll be facing.”

“It would certainly put you on a more even footing.”

“An even footing?” Vir thought, confused. Confusion that swiftly devolved into panic. Wait. No. Nonono. Don’t tell me. “Are you saying… that Ash Beasts have unlocked chakras?”

Cirayus regarded him with a bemused expression. “Most certainly!”

“Ha ha ha,” Vir choked out. “Of course.”

“Not all, mind you. Only the strongest ones, deep within the Ash.”

Vir shook off the despair, seeing the opportunity buried within. To best such beasts, he’d have to unlock his chakras.

“The fifth chakra is especially important,” Cirayus continued. “The Heart Chakra augments one’s vitality and their ability to heal from metaphysical attacks. As I mentioned, spiritual attacks bypass normal defenses to attack the very soul, crippling you on a level that is difficult to describe.”

“Has… has that happened to you?”

“Never allowed it, thank the gods. Though I know those who have. Living with a fractured soul has been described as a fate worse than death. You live your days alive, yet fundamentally broken. The Heart Chakra can undo such damage, to a degree, but it’s best to avoid the situation if you can. Protect your soul as closely as your own heart, is what I say.”

Vir made a note to do exactly that. “You already mentioned the fifth one, so what are the last two?”

“The sixth chakra is one few ever unlock, though there isn’t a demon alive who doesn’t covet it. ‘Tis the chakra of the Third Eye.”

“Third Eye… so it lets you see more?”

“In a sense. Attack me however you please,” Cirayus said, producing a cloth and blindfolding himself. He went a step further, plugging his ears as well.

No matter how experienced the demon was, robbed of his sight and sound, there would be little he could do to defend against Vir. Then again, this was Cirayus, and with an ability called Third Eye, Vir would show no mercy.

Vir sunk into his shadow, leaving one arm out to pass a few seconds to throw the giant off balance. Then he jumped from the demon’s shadow, sending an Empowered fist at his back.

He never got the chance. Cirayus fluidly twisted his torso, causing Vir’s strike to miss.

He tried again, and again he was foiled. Eventually, Vir resorted to a flurry of fists and kicks, but Cirayus nimbly avoided each one.

It’s almost like…

Vir walked a full forty paces away, then extended fingers behind his back. “How many am I holding up?”

“Three—now two. And now four.”

“H-how?” Vir asked, his voice hoarse. Cirayus lacked Prana Vision—he’d said so himself. At the distance Vir stood, not even that ability could tell him how many fingers someone was holding up.

“The Third Eye boosts intuition,” Cirayus explained, undoing his blindfold, “allowing one to grasp the true flow of reality. When mastered, one detaches themselves from their physical body, witnessing the world from the perspective of a bird, soaring high above. It eliminates blind spots, drastically boosting one’s combat potential. As such, it can be exceedingly difficult to kill anyone who has opened the Third Eye.”

That did sound powerful. Incredibly powerful. Like Prana Vision, except one that allowed him to witness all threats, from any angle. If coupled with Dance of the Shadow Demon, he’d be untouchable, slinking away from threats before they ever hit him.

“And now we come to the seventh and final chakra. The hardest to open, and thus precious few demons wield it. It is also the most abstract of them all, and many question if it might even be the weakest.”

“Is it?”

“You tell me.”

The giant did nothing. He merely stood with one pair of arms crossed, the other pair on his hips. His height hadn’t changed. Nor had he even moved.

Then his aura flared.

Vir collapsed, driving his head to the ground. He didn’t deserve to exist in front of such a godlike presence. He ought to prostrate. To beg forgiveness from this mythological being who stood before him. The avatar of a giant stood behind Cirayus. A being who’d grown so tall, its body nearly touched the skies. A giant among giants. One that could not be seen, but only felt.

The sensation was all-consuming. Against it, Vir was but a reed, destined to sway in the giant’s wind.

Then it was over—the avatar gone without a trace.

“The Chakra of the Crown. The apex, and the destination of all those who embark upon this path. It is the manifestation of a spiritual avatar, representing the core essence of who you truly are. Similar to the Warrior Chakra, except instead of imbuing merely an attack with metaphysical weight, it gives your entire existence weight. It projects an aura whose heaviness is limited only by the strength and purity of your soul.”

“The strength of your soul… is that something that grows over time?” Vir asked, standing on his shaky legs.

“Through time, experience, and hardship. Luckily, we have an abundance of the latter. As for the first two, well, there’s no better time to begin that than the present, wouldn’t you say?”

Cirayus sat crosslegged on the ash, motioning Vir to do the same.

“Now, meditate on the concept of solidity. Think of the great mountains, unmoving.”

Vir closed his eyes and did so, imagining the tall, jagged peaks of the Ash. How long had they stood, resisting the efforts of the world to bring them down?

“You are that mountain,” Cirayus continued, placing his hand on Vir’s chest. “Do not resist. The sensation will feel strange, but open yourself to me.”

Vir suddenly felt an alien presence in his body. In his soul. But it was not a dangerous one. He did as he was told, allowing it into him.

Suddenly, the weight of an entire mountain crashed into him, and he felt like he was being crushed. He couldn’t breathe. Every second was agony.

Then it was gone.

“Apologies,” Cirayus said. “It is too soon. You are not yet ready.”

Vir gasped for breath. “Maybe… I should start a little slower?”

“Aye. You will get there. Of this, I have no doubt. Now, let us discuss another matter,” Cirayus grinned. “I think it’s about time for your first field test.”