So, how should I play this? Vir thought, facing down the three Chitran guards. The captain was notably not taking part, choosing instead to oversee this duel. No doubt he expected this to be a beat-down.

Each fighter wore the same armor—a small, tight gambeson cuirass under chainmail that covered their biceps and thighs, leaving their forearms and legs open.

Two wielded talwars and round dhol shields, while one wielded a poleaxe. Overall, a solid setup.

Vir wasn’t about to let slip even the faintest hint that he was the Akh Nara. Which meant Dance of the Shadow Demon was off the table. Only abilities that were reasonably similar to tattoos were safe. Luckily, tattoos embodied abstract powers, and while some demons preferred to show off the tattoos on their bare bodies—Vir thought of Cirayus—exhibiting body art didn’t seem to be a core part of demonic culture.

Which meant Vir could get away with a lot, so long as he conserved his prana and fought efficiently.

Let’s see how they fight first, Vir thought.

Though Vir had learned many lessons in the Ashen Realm, one reigned above them all. One’s ability to safely and reliably defeat enemies hinged less on one’s power and more on their understanding of the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.

Yes, Vir had gained Prana Current and other boons, but his knowledge of Phantomblade weak spots gained from fighting dozens of battles—each time honing his tactics and timing—that was what let him annihilate those beasts.

The guards fanned out, with the shield-bearers attempting to flank him. It wasn’t a bad strategy—while they heckled him, the poleaxe wielder could sneak in strikes.

Vir, of course, didn’t let them. He backed away and circled every time they tried, forcing them in front of him.

A shield-bearer made the first move, thrusting with his talwar. A probing attack to see how Vir would react.

He barely moved, twisting his arm just enough to allow the weapon to whizz by.

The monkey demon frowned, and Vir barely suppressed a smirk.

While Vir had avoided the attack, he couldn’t blame his foe for mistaking it as a coincidence.

His partner attacked, and again, Vir barely avoided the blow. This time, it was accompanied by a sneaky attack from the poleaxe wielder.

Vir allowed himself to fall, avoiding it. Turning his momentum into a reverse somersault, Vir sprang back up to his feet a few paces away.

“Are you trying to hit me?” Vir goaded. “Or was all that just for show?”

“You dare! I’ll show you just—”

“Stop,” the poleaxe wielder said, regarding Vir with a curious expression. “So you’re the real deal, then?”

“You finally believe me?”

“Warriors of the Ash are rare. You’ll have to forgive us for doubting someone as young as yourself. Especially lacking a badge as you are.”

“Well, now that I’ve proven myself…” Vir said, hoping he might end the duel early. As much as testing his mettle tempted him, if he could bow out without causing any more of a scene, he intended to do exactly that.

“Go all out,” the captain ordered, dashing Vir’s hopes.

Clearly, he had no intention of allowing this fight to end so soon.

Well, I tried.

Vir might not have known what spells the guards were about to cast, but the rapid accumulation of Fire and Shadow prana in their tattoos told him they were about to cast something, and that information was invaluable on its own.

Prana Current sped up, condensing the layer of Prana Armor against Vir’s skin, though it wasn’t quite dense enough to be visible.

While he didn’t think their spells would break his barrier, to be safe, Vir Blinked just as the spells activated, dodging…

Nothing?

Both guards' tattoos flared, then vanished, expelling their prana, which dissipated into the air.

Huh?

Vir’s surroundings erupted in fire, scorching him with searing heat.

He cursed. Prana Armor blocked prana and, to a lesser degree, helped defend against physical attacks. It did nothing to stop the heat. Or the smoke that immediately followed.

Vir went blind as the poisonous smoke stung his eyes and choked his breaths. Talwars and poleaxes sliced at him from every direction.

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A normal demon would’ve been in a precarious position. Blinded, and with their body reacting violently to the smoke, they’d be incredibly vulnerable.

Luckily for Vir, he didn’t need eyes to see. And if they thought pain would cripple him, they were sorely mistaken. This level of discomfort was incomparable to getting gored by a Phantomblade or mauled by a Shredder.

Vir Blinked away, putting him just outside the range of the smoke. The Chits all had cloth tied around their monkey snouts, helping reduce the effects of the smoke, but it was obvious from their watering eyes that they, too, were dealing with its adverse effects.

Time to end this, Vir thought. The smoke worked both ways. It hid his opponents from him, but it also allowed him to strike with near impunity.

Or so he thought.

Vir popped up behind his nearest foe, but before he could slam the butt of his katar down on the back of the guard’s neck, the Chitran whirled. Whether it was the monkey’s superior hearing or some other ability, Vir couldn’t know.

Before Vir could follow up, his foe unleashed an attack. Not anything physical, or even prana-based. A Chakra attack. One that targeted the mind.

A sense of crippling doom stopped his blade in its tracks. This Chitran’s too strong! He’ll annihilate me! I need to run!

A split-second later, Vir’s Foundation Chakra opened, and the voices silenced. There was nothing to fear here. He was a Godhollow, and this monkey was a mere ant. A being incapable of anything more than climbing its branches.

Vir’s katar sped up again, but the moment of pause had been enough. The monkey had slipped away.

It hardly mattered. Vir Blinked… right into the fleeing guard. The force of his body’s impact slammed the monkey man to the ground… He didn’t get back up.

The second guard fell before he knew what hit him. Vir had learned his lesson—he had to attack faster. Thankfully, with Haste, speed wasn’t a problem. The ability rapidly depleted his internal prana reserves, but he’d gotten proficient enough to turn it on and off at will. Similarly to how Cirayus manipulated the weight of his weapon with Balancer of Scales, Vir applied Haste right before his attack, super-accelerating his movement… to extreme effect.

The monkey man went tumbling. Were he a human, Vir would’ve worried about breaking his neck. But these were demons. This level of damage was nothing for them.

The final poleaxe wielder had an incredible disadvantage here. His weapon allowed him impressive range, but the moment Vir closed to within the length of the poleaxe, that very range became his undoing. Vir threw an Empowered uppercut with so much force that the demon lifted right off his feet.

He never felt his body hit the ground—the demon was already unconscious by then.

When the cloud of smoke cleared and the gallery finally spotted Vir again, he was standing with three Chitran spread out on the surrounding ground.

“What… happened?” someone asked.

Vir didn’t need to read expressions to know the guard captain was none too pleased. Darsh, on the other hand, had stars in his eyes.

“They’re alive,” Vir said, hoping to avoid escalating the situation any further.

“You’re going to have to come with us,” the captain replied, his voice barely containing his anger.

He’d clearly intended the guards to be the ones giving the beat-down, not the other way around.

Even so, it seemed like an overreaction. Vir had proven himself, hadn't he?

Oh, no.

It was only then that Vir understood the magnitude of his error. He hadn’t just proven his skills. He’d humiliated the guards in front of the entire city. A city that was still primarily composed of Gargans, who harbored no end of ill will toward the Chits.

Well, maybe this will drive more people toward the rebellion, Vir thought, somewhat regretful of his actions. Perhaps this little demonstration would gain him some points with that organization. Maybe some of them were watching?

“Look, you asked me to prove that I was of the Ash. I have, so I’ll just be on my way now,” Vir said as he grabbed the rucksack he’d left with Darsh.

“I don’t think you understand,” the guard captain spat. “I wasn’t asking. You’re under arrest for assault against Clan Chitran!”

Darsh’s eyes flew wide while Vir barely suppressed a sigh. This was not how he envisioned his first day going. But what was he to do? Allow Darsh and Hetal to get beat up at the hands of these despots?

Then again, he wasn’t ready to take on the entire clan. Not nearly. Not yet.

“I just beat down three of your guards. What makes you think you can force me to comply?” Vir said, stalling for time. “Stop now before you embarrass yourself any further.”

Using Dance to slip away wasn’t an option, but he should be able to lose them if he activated Haste and Leaped away. He still had plenty of prana left in his body after that fight. Enough where he was confident in his ability to outlast any pursuers. Especially since they didn’t have the benefit of an internal prana reserve.

“If you fight us, or if you escape, well… we may just have to vent our misgivings on those two kids—!?”

Vir had heard enough. He picked up Darsh and Hetal, one under each arm, and crouched, ready to Leap.

He figured they’d threaten the kids, using them as blackmail. Against most demons, that might’ve been an effective tactic. Against Vir? It was woefully insufficient; he just had to take them with him.

Prana surged into Vir leg’s, but just before he activated the ability, a voice shouted out.

“What in the name of Adinat are you doing in my city!”

There was an aura to that voice that made Vir stop in his tracks.

He turned. A white-haired elderly woman stormed into the square, her hands on her hips. And she looked angry.

Though her body was withered and frail, her presence nearly matched Cirayus’. She wore a red silk skirt that fell to her sandals and a matching red top with gold embroidery.

Her clothing screamed priest to Vir.

“Nothing, ma’am,” the guard captain said immediately, snapping to attention. “Just taking care of a troublemaker—”

“You lit the plaza on fire, you oaf!”

“He… is of the Ash! We had to test him!”

“By threatening these children? Oh, believe me, I’ve seen enough. If you hurt one hair on their heads, I’ll have yours on a platter. Understood?”

“Y-yes, ma’am. Of course. We just—”

“Shut up. And get out of my sight.”

The captain stared at her blankly.

“Today!” she roared, spittle flying onto the captain’s face.

Shocked into action, the guards picked up their fallen comrades and hightailed it out of the plaza in a feat of extreme competency. Vir wondered how hard his fight might’ve been if only they’d as well as they ran.

“Thanks, ma’am—” Vir started, but was cut off.

“You!” she said, pointing at Vir. “You come with me.”

Though there was no prana or chakra in her words, Vir felt like disobeying her would be the worst decision he could ever make.

Nonetheless, he wasn’t about to follow some unknown woman.

“Who are you?” he asked, standing defiantly.

The woman cracked a smile, though there was no mirth in her eyes, making her look almost sadistic. “They call me Greesha.”

Vir paled.

“And you, young lad, are in a lot of trouble.”

Oh, grak.