Maen sprints out of the fighter’s room doors, dashing through the lobby with its milling servants and cultivators towards the hallways leading out- and slams face first into Raika, so giddy she doesn’t even notice and bounces back into a hug immediately.

“Did you see? Did you see that? That was incredible! I’ve never felt like that before, I could see everything and he was so slow and I was so fast and it was like lightning in my brain and then my wrist started hurting cause I was thinking I needed something to cut through his shield with and then it grew and now I have this-”

Raika ducks back in time to avoid the sudden spear of bone that spirals out of Maen’s wrist, its edge just missing the side of her face. Maen, of course, gasps, and immediately pulls her hands back- and the long claw almost as long as she is waves around, whistling as it cuts through the air.

“Ah, so sorry, sorry, it’s new, I didn’t-”

Raika steps in closer, grabs Maen’s wrist, and holds it to one side as she bends down and kisses her.

It’s a chaste kiss, only lips involved, and there’s a sort of restrained mania that Maen lets go of at the touch. Raika smiles against her lips, and taps her forehead against the shorter woman.

“I saw the whole thing, kitten. You kicked his ass.”

“I kicked his ass!” Maen says, eyes immediately aglow again as she gives a little hop in place and wiggles, prompting Raika to pick her up by the small of her back and lift her into a hug.

“That was amazing! I knew that the idea would do something, but I didn’t-”

“Which idea in particular?” Yun Ka asks.

Raika whirls around hard enough that she feels Maen tense up to avoid whiplash, the breath leaving the shorter woman for a moment before she recovers and twists around out of the hug to stand at her side. In the sheer noise and overwhelming sense of the crowd, Raika’s gone back to her old meditations and self-medicating with the gifted cigarettes to ensure she doesn’t go mad in the arena, so she’s primarily shifted to scent to try and tell when someone is near or needs her attention. Despite the constant click-clacking of the dozens of devices and slim brass limbs that surround Yun Ka, she couldn’t pick out her approach.

Just as before, Yun Ka smells like electricity and dust, like clean-cut stone and empty halls filled with light. The exact same way that just about every part of the arena does. The same way nearly every Imperial runic formation Raika has come across does. Cleanly ordered structure and crackling power, and nothing else to note.

Yun Ka, for her part, looks at the two of them like she didn’t notice or doesn’t care about their surprise, her original hands holding a stylus and pen, two of the mechanical limbs she wears clicking through various lenses as she looks at them.

“Apologies. I assume I interrupted, but it really is very important to note down which particular idea you are referring to that spurred this development. I tend to prefer giving space when I can, but you’re not as studied as Raika has been, and this really is a surprising and drastic alteration.”

Maen takes a small breath, centering herself and immediately switching to her more professional demeanor, giving Yun Ka a slight curtsy.

“I understand. It was just a whim of mine, nothing major. Perhaps I was simply blessed by fate to have a breakthrough of this sort after spending so much time amidst the perspectives of our Division.”

Yun Ka tilts her head, a note of confusion appearing on her face. “Unlikely. Your Qi levels remain elevated past norm, even now. The logical conclusion is that it was your proximity to Raika, not the Division as a whole, which has altered you so quickly. Given her newfound ability to externalize Qi reserves and alter them as True Flame and the older data relating to biological modification…”

She pauses. Thinks. Raika holds the mask firm, raising an eyebrow.

“Is there a point to this? Maen just won a victory that deserves celebrating, and these tunnels aren’t as private as I’d like.”

In fact, Raika can already sense interest moving their way. There’s limits to propriety when one is actively kissing after a pitched battle, either event requiring the social nicety to not overly annoy one’s potential target, but Maen winning is noteworthy, even if Raika’s antics don’t quite make it an upset. Plenty of cultivators are shooting looks, some of them in sect uniforms, some of them with rather fancy robes, and there are more than a few servants and “mortals” around who look like they might want an autograph or to hear some juicy gossip.

Raika goes to step past Yun Ka, taking Maen with her. Even the hallways of the arena still reek of the opulence of the noble district and palace, but it’s older, more sedate here. Two carved statues stand guard with spears in hand at the exit and entrance to every hallway, and Raika goes to brush past them too on the way into the stone hallways.

Yun Ka, predictably and frustratingly, keeps pace right behind them well into their escape.

“Is it due to ingestion of blood or flesh?”

Maen tenses up, freezing at the question and dashing any hopes Raika had, however minimal, of keeping it quiet.

“People develop breakthroughs,” she says, her mask smiling pleasantly. “It can’t always be predicted by minds of paper and steel.”

Yun Ka nods, agreeing easily. “This is true, but it would stand to confirm a number of my theories relating to you as well, Raika. We haven’t taken many samples or performed proper testing, due in large part to the delay to return to Central and Taurus’ ongoing trial, but now that issues are at least partially resolved perhaps you could-”

Raika’s hand twitches out and grabs the thin brass limb approaching, syringe-tipped and whirring slightly.

“No.”

Stolen novel; please report.

“Ah. I understand. Taurus theorized your Truth may require more delicate handling. I apologize if I haven’t been tactful. Would it be alright if I got some verbal confirmations, checked some boxes and looked through a theory with you? I think it might be enlightening for all three of us, perhaps.”

Raika goes to say something, instinct and fear battling for who gets to deny her first- but the mask twitches, holding in place, reminding the rest of her that there are benefits to be gained here. More than that, Maen gives a slight squeeze to her hand, a little show of support and hesitation on her part as well.

Raika takes a breath. Sighs. Then nods. “Alright. But not here. Let’s find a damn room first, ok?”

“Entirely reasonable,” Yun Ka says.

It doesn’t take them long. Raika striding into a room tends to commandeer it a bit, and Yun Ka made it even clearer to the few servants who were milling about the pantry they find themselves in that it’s all very official business, thank you.

She then proceeds to click a few tiles on one of her tablets, at which point her limbs whirr to life, etching and painting small sigils around the room and planting small, thin metal rods. In instants, Raika feels the scent of a formation hum to life and feels the world outside the room go from a constant pressure to a dull, distant roar.

“I hope this is sufficient?” Yun Ka asks.

Maen looks to Raika for permission at first, but then nods. “Yeah. I think this is good, right? Not like it was supposed to be a big secret.”

Raika sighs. “Still wanted to keep it quiet for a while longer.”

Yun Ka smiles at that, beaming out a moment of what seems like genuine joy to be able to answer. “Excellent news on that front! All of my reports are safely encoded for review at a later point by my direct superior, which, as you know, is Taurus. And I don’t really like to gossip, it’s not really my thing. I just want to know about how this change came about in you, Maen, and workshop some ideas, perhaps.”

Maen goes to speak, but Raika shifts her weight, leaning a bit forward to cut her off.

“Why don’t you tell us your theory first, then?” she asks.

Yun Ka tilts her head, then shrugs. “If it’ll make you more at ease, I don’t see why not. Very well.”

Some of her limbs extend out into a sort of halo, thin lines of runes and metal lighting up slowly and creating a sort of visual representation of a person, floating in the air.

The muscles fill out, and Raika realizes it’s a representation of her.

“As we’ve established, your body no longer possesses functional spirit or “soul” organs. While some remnants may remain, we won’t know without proper examination. Your particular method of altered cultivation, despite having nearly killed you, has instead allowed you to create patterns of movement in your blood and body. Where others may have done this with kata, you used vibration, eventually using your heartbeat and bodily functions. By establishing these patterns of movement, you began to circulate Qi in your physical body, rather than in your spirit organs. Thus, your Qi does not interact with a “soul” directly, and has no Qi signature: instead, it reads as neutral, with a minor affinity for life energies, due to being inside your body.”

The skin of the illuminated hologram lights up, tracing squiggly patterns and sharp, runic circles on it. “You then proceeded to curse yourself with an effective but rudimentary technique, further containing the Qi in your body to keep it from leaking out, while not allowing foreign contaminated Qi to enter, further keeping it relatively “raw” and pure. Using this, you’ve forced your body to reach a high saturation of Qi.

And that’s where things get interesting.”

The hologram begins to glow a new color, following blood flow and highlighting tiny motes of light settling in the body as they move.

“Just as a steel sword left within a formation, or the bones of a Divergent Paths cultivator, your body is so saturated with Qi that it is enhanced. Just as an alloy left to soak in pure or metal-flavored Qi becomes more supple, stronger, and more versatile, so too has your body gained esoteric properties, which, as of yet, I have been unable to examine, besides altered survivability, durability, and regeneration. Either way, now, your body is effectively a series of incredibly potent Qi ingredients, controlled by your Truths. This is all confirmed. Do you agree?”

Raika says nothing, and the mask prompts nothing, so eventually she just nods.

“Excellent. Now, the theory part is fascinating. See, Maen, I believe, is pursuing a rare example of dual cultivation, using two cultivation methods at the same time. Not altogether uncommon, but to do it without a manual or mentor is truly admirable. Beastial cultivation, as your genetics support, revolves around eating resources rather than meditating and changing one’s body and elemental properties with what is consumed, while conventional cultivation focuses on improving one’s “soul” and changing one’s Qi to suit it. My theory states that your bestial cultivation allowed you to consume some of Raika’s flesh or blood, getting more Qi out of such an act than a conventional cultivator could and pushing your body to have energy to transform, and due to your dual cultivation, boosting and refining the Qi in your spirit organs in the process. Is this accurate?”

Maen hesitates, but Raika gives no sign either way. At this point, Yun Ka is effectively just monologuing things that another could discover fairly easily, and as frustrating as it is, it’s no excuse to keep Maen from speaking.

“Yeah, I think so,” Maen admits. “I just… it smelled like really, really good incense or like pills, cultivation aids, every time she bled. I figured, maybe, since I got advice to keep my energies balanced, I should follow my instincts and see what would happen. I wasn’t expecting a giant claw, though.”

“Excellent instincts indeed!” Yun Ka says. “I truly wish I could have seen this first digestion in sterile conditions, but to witness its effects is already delightful. A mixture of biomodification and a direct expression of altered Qi from your meridians! There’s so much to be studied about potential applications of your tissues as a resource, Raika. I am just so ready to head back to Central! All this without even referencing the fact you’ve created, in your body, a combination of structures for creating True Flame, seemingly by heaven-sent luck or happenstance. So much to explore, and all the time to do it. Are you sure I can’t convince you to offer a tissue sample?”

Raika nods. “Very sure. For now, at least, hmm?”

“Ah. Very well then. Still, I appreciate the confirmation. Always good to have more data for the notes.”

Without waiting for a response or giving any goodbye courtesies, Yun Ka’s limbs etch out any runes and quickly clean up any paints, taking maybe two seconds to do so, before Yun Ka walks promptly out of the room, tablet in hand and writing furiously with her stylus.

Raika exhales, soft, slow, letting her walls come back up as the sound of the audience and all the movement seeps back in. She takes another one. Then a third.

Maen touches her arm, softly, her heartbeat etched with concern. Raika opens her eyes, nods to reassure her partner.

And freezes, the mask slipping in place like a reactive, startled animal, as she sees a white-robed figure idly toying with Maen’s hair.

“Such a pity,” Zhoulong says. “Looks like you’ll have to kill her. Or let her cut you open. Not a lot of wiggle room, Raika dear.”

He looks sickly, tired, like he hasn’t eaten or slept since she last saw him, even with his advanced cultivation state. Still, his smile remains just as bright and just as hatefully false to look at.

“Raika?” Maen asks, concerned at the silence. “Are you alright?”

Raika nods, her muscles stiff but her face neutral, lidded as only the mask can be. “I’m fine, kitten. Just… better for us if some things work out properly. Soon.”

Maen nods, huffing as she does. “Couldn’t agree more. I could use some more of how fun it was kicking that guy’s ass.”

The mask laughs, and Maen smiles, a bit mollified, even if her heartbeat still tells another story.

Behind the mask, Raika stares at Zhoulong, teeth bared as he raises his hands in mock surrender and laughs.

“Don’t blame me,” he says. “You thought of it first. Me, I’m just a friendly specter. There are more leaves on a dead branch than there are ways I can hurt you. I’ve changed my mind is all. I’ve peeked at some of what you have in your head, and I have to say, I’m just pickled to see some of your ideas. I’m here to help.