Three cycles of rest had passed since Korvus's return from Lysander's realm. The celestial essence that he'd brought back—far more potent than any soul he'd consumed before—had been carefully studied by both him and Roy, trying to understand its properties before using it.
"It's not just quantitatively different," Roy observed, examining the glowing orb as it hovered above his palm. "It's qualitatively different. The energetic structure is more complex, more refined."
They sat in the private chamber that Vexior had provided them within his mountain fortress, now treated as honored guests rather than potential threats. Though comfortable, both demons knew their welcome would not last indefinitely. Vexior's tolerance extended only as far as their usefulness.
"Lysander called it 'celestial essence,'" Korvus explained, watching as the orb pulsed with inner light. "From what I gathered, it's not harvested from living beings but somehow condensed from the ambient energy of their realm."
"Which means no moral considerations about consuming it," Roy said with a pragmatic nod. "Unlike souls."
Korvus had been contemplating this distinction as well. Though demons naturally consumed souls for power, his human consciousness still harbored reservations about the practice. Celestial essence offered a potential alternative—power without predation.
"I think we should divide it," Korvus suggested. "Half for each of us. The power boost should help us with what comes next."
Roy raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly comes next, partner?"
Korvus leaned forward, lowering his voice though they were alone in the chamber. "We need to find another altar. One not controlled by Vexior or any other powerful demon lord."
"Because...?"
"Because I want us both to travel to another realm together," Korvus explained. "This agreement with Vexior allows only one of us to answer a summons at a time. We're stronger together, and what I saw in Lysander's realm suggests there are far more worlds to explore than just the Abyss and wherever that was."
Roy nodded thoughtfully. "The Cognition Crystal showed you something about this?"
"Not directly," Korvus admitted. "But Lysander's model of the multiverse revealed countless connections between realms. There must be altars throughout the Abyss that connect to different worlds."
"Finding an uncontrolled altar won't be easy," Roy pointed out. "If they're as valuable as Vexior suggests, any that exist are likely claimed by other powerful demons."
"Not necessarily," Korvus countered. "Remember those extinct volcanoes we spotted on our journey here? According to the memories I absorbed from the patrol leader's soul, most demon lords consider them worthless—dead power nodes where nothing of value remains."
"But you think differently?"
Korvus nodded. "The Moon Altar is in an extinct volcano for a reason. What if other extinct volcanoes also house altars, just dormant ones? Ones that could be awakened with the right application of power?"
Roy's eyes gleamed with interest. "Like a high-potency celestial essence, perhaps?"
"Exactly," Korvus confirmed. "And if we find a dormant altar and reactivate it ourselves..."
"Then we own it," Roy finished. "No need to negotiate with demon lords or follow their restrictions."
"But first, we need to find one," Korvus said. "And to do that, we'll need to leave Vexior's territory without arousing suspicion."
They spent another day planning their departure, crafting a story about wanting to explore the far reaches of the Abyss to harvest more powerful souls. When they finally approached Vexior to request leave to depart, the mountain lord seemed unsurprised.
"Wanderlust," he rumbled from his obsidian throne. "It afflicts many young demons, particularly those of... unusual origin." His burning eyes studied them carefully. "You will, of course, return to report your findings. And should you encounter any altars in your travels, you remember who granted you your first access."
The implied threat wasn't subtle, but Korvus and Roy both nodded respectfully. "Of course, Lord Vexior," Korvus replied. "Your... hospitality will not be forgotten."
Malakar, standing at Vexior's right hand, fixed them with his white, pupilless eyes. "The wastelands beyond the Crimson Peaks are dangerous," he stated. "Many who venture there never return."
"We appreciate the warning," Roy said with a slight incline of his head. "But we've survived challenges before."
"Indeed you have," Malakar acknowledged. "Perhaps that is why I find myself hoping you will return... eventually. Few provide as interesting a challenge as you two."
Coming from Vexior's champion, this was high praise. Korvus couldn't help but wonder if, under different circumstances, Malakar might have made a valuable ally rather than a potential adversary. But that was a consideration for another time.
With Vexior's permission granted, they departed the mountain fortress the following day, taking only what they had brought with them—which was, essentially, nothing but their own abilities and the celestial essence carefully stored in a pouch Roy had created.
Once they were well beyond the borders of Vexior's territory, crossing through a desolate plain of black glass that crunched beneath their feet, Roy finally spoke what had been on his mind.
"You're planning something else," he stated matter-of-factly. "Something beyond just finding another altar."
Korvus grinned. Roy knew him too well already. "Yes. I want to train—to push my abilities further before we venture to another realm."
"The breathing techniques?"
"Those, and my Observation Haki," Korvus confirmed. "During the battle with Malakar, I realized how much more potential these abilities have. The Essence of the Blank means there are no theoretical limits to what I can learn, and The Essence of Training lets me progress at an accelerated rate. But I've been developing these techniques based on fictional systems from my human life—following their rules and limitations."
Roy considered this. "But those limitations might not apply here, in this reality."
"Exactly!" Korvus's excitement was palpable. "In the anime where Breathing Techniques come from, practitioners were limited by human biology. But I'm a demon now, with a completely different physiological structure. And Observation Haki was limited by the practitioners' natural potential. But the Essence of the Blank removes that ceiling entirely."
"So you want to see how far you can push these abilities without those artificial constraints," Roy summarized. "Interesting approach. But it will take time, which means delaying our search for the altar."
"Not necessarily," Korvus replied. "We can train while we travel. And the stronger we become, the better our chances of successfully activating a dormant altar—not to mention surviving whatever we find on the other side."
Roy nodded, flexing his wings thoughtfully. "Fair enough. And I've been wanting to develop my darkness manipulation further as well."
They traveled for several days, moving away from the Crimson Peaks and deeper into the wilderness of the Abyss. The landscape grew increasingly hostile—rivers of acid replacing the magma flows, twisted crystal formations jutting from the ground like the teeth of buried beasts, and strange atmospheric phenomena that manifested as storms of whispering shadow.
Throughout it all, Korvus trained relentlessly. During periods of rest, he would sit in meditation, exploring the boundaries of his Observation Haki—pushing his sensory awareness outward in ever-expanding circles. While they walked, he practiced modifying his breathing patterns, experimenting with different rhythms and visualizations to enhance his elemental affinities.
Roy, for his part, focused on refining his control over darkness, learning to shape it into increasingly complex forms and imbue it with different properties. Occasionally, they would spar—careful, controlled engagements designed to test new techniques without seriously injuring each other.
On the tenth day of their journey, they entered a region that seemed promising—a cluster of dormant volcanic cones rising from a plain of obsidian. The formations were smaller than the mountains of Vexior's domain, more like hills than proper peaks, but Korvus sensed potential there.
"This area feels... resonant," he observed, extending his developing Observation Haki. "Like there's something beneath the surface, pulsing with dormant energy."
"I sense it too," Roy agreed. "But it's faint, diffuse—spread across the entire region rather than concentrated in one location."
They established a temporary base in a cave at the foot of one of the larger cones, planning to explore the area thoroughly over the coming days. That night, as they sat at the entrance to their shelter watching strange, luminous insects dance above the obsidian plain, Korvus decided it was time to attempt something he'd been contemplating since their departure from Vexior's domain.
"I think I'm ready to try consuming part of the celestial essence," he said. "Not all of it—just enough to catalyze the next phase of training."
Roy looked intrigued. "What exactly are you planning?"
"I want to transcend the conventional limits of the breathing techniques," Korvus explained. "In the anime, there were hidden forms—Secret Stances that only the most exceptional practitioners could access. But even those were ultimately constrained by human limitations."
"And you think the celestial essence will help you bypass those constraints?"
"It's not just about raw power," Korvus clarified. "It's about expanding perception. The essence comes from a realm with different fundamental laws—experiencing that energy directly might provide insights that wouldn't be accessible otherwise."
Roy considered this, then nodded. "It's worth attempting. But start with a small portion. We don't know how your system will handle this type of energy."
Korvus agreed, carefully extracting a fragment of the celestial essence—perhaps a tenth of the total—from the storage pouch. The small orb of light hovered above his palm, pulsing gently like a miniature star.
"Here goes nothing," he murmured, and then brought the fragment to his mouth and consumed it.
The effect was immediate and overwhelming. Unlike the souls he had absorbed before, which provided a rush of power and fragmentary memories, the celestial essence expanded his consciousness in all directions simultaneously. It was as if the boundaries between himself and the surrounding reality had suddenly become permeable, allowing him to perceive aspects of existence that had previously been invisible.
He gasped, falling to his knees as waves of sensation washed through him. Distantly, he heard Roy calling his name, felt hands gripping his shoulders, but these physical impressions were secondary to the transformation occurring within his mind.
Korvus saw the breathing techniques not as discrete forms or stances but as expressions of underlying principles that transcended physical movement. Fire, lightning, darkness, moonlight—these weren't separate elements but different facets of the same fundamental energy, distinguished only by their frequency and amplitude.
Similarly, Observation Haki wasn't merely an extended sense but a way of directly perceiving the connections between all things—the threads of energy, intention, and potential that bound reality together.
The vision lasted only minutes but felt like lifetimes. When Korvus finally regained normal awareness, he found himself lying on his back at the cave entrance, Roy watching him with concerned eyes.
"I thought I might have to slap you," Roy commented dryly, though relief was evident in his voice. "You've been non-responsive for nearly an hour."
"An hour?" Korvus sat up, surprised. "It felt like... more and less than that, simultaneously."
"Very enlightening," Roy said sarcastically. "Care to elaborate on what actually happened?"
Korvus tried to articulate the experience, knowing his words were inadequate to convey the totality of what he'd perceived. But the essence of it was clear: the artificial boundaries he'd imposed on his abilities—boundaries carried over from fictional systems in his human memories—were just that: artificial.
"I need to completely rethink my approach," he concluded. "The breathing techniques aren't about mimicking specific forms—they're about harmonizing with the underlying energies of this realm. And Observation Haki isn't a technique to be performed but a state of awareness to be achieved."
"And you believe you can implement these insights?" Roy asked.
Instead of answering verbally, Korvus closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing to a pattern unlike any he'd used before—neither the deep, powerful rhythm of Flame Breathing nor the sharp, staccato pace of Thunder Breathing. This was something new, a breathing pattern that seemed to resonate with the very fabric of reality around them.
As he exhaled, patterns appeared across his skin—not the orange-red of fire or the electric blue of lightning, but a prismatic display that shifted through multiple colors simultaneously. The air around him began to vibrate, and Roy took an instinctive step back as energy gathered around Korvus's form.
When Korvus opened his eyes, they glowed with inner light. "First Form," he said, though the words seemed insufficient, "Harmonic Convergence."
He moved, a single fluid motion that encompassed elements of all his previous breathing styles yet transcended them entirely. From his extended hand erupted not a single elemental force but a synthesis of energies—fire spiraling around arcs of lightning, darkness and moonlight interweaving in complex patterns, all moving with perfect coordination.
The display lasted only seconds before Korvus released the technique, allowing the energies to dissipate harmlessly. He staggered slightly, clearly drained by the effort, but his expression was one of wonder and satisfaction.
"That," he said breathlessly, "is just the beginning."
Over the next fourteen days, Korvus pushed himself to the absolute limits of his endurance, implementing the insights gained from the celestial essence. Each morning began with hours of meditation to refine his Observation Haki, extending his perceptive range while simultaneously deepening his understanding of what he sensed.
By the end of the first week, he could perceive the emotional states and intentions of beings several kilometers away with perfect clarity. By the end of the second, he could detect the flow of energy through the environment itself—seeing how power moved through the ground, the air, even the strange not-quite-water that filled the acid rivers.
His development of the breathing techniques progressed similarly. Rather than treating each style as a separate discipline, he began to approach them as variations on a single unified practice. Fire, lightning, darkness, and moonlight became expressions of elemental resonance—ways of harmonizing his own energy with different aspects of the environment.
The result was a new breathing style that incorporated and transcended all the others. He called it "Harmonic Breathing," for lack of a better term, though the name seemed inadequate to encompass what it represented.
Unlike his previous techniques, which manifested specific elemental effects, Harmonic Breathing allowed him to adjust his resonance on the fly, shifting between elements or combining them in novel ways as circumstances required. It was less about fixed forms and more about dynamic adaptation—a perfect expression of the limitless potential granted by the Essence of the Blank.
Roy watched this transformation with fascination, occasionally offering insights or serving as a sparring partner to test new applications. But he also maintained their focus on the larger goal, systematically exploring the volcanic region for signs of a dormant altar.
On the fifteenth day of training, as Korvus was deep in meditation at the peak of one of the smaller volcanic cones, his enhanced Observation Haki detected something unusual. Deep beneath the surface, at what would have been the magma chamber when the volcano was active, a faint but distinct pattern of energy pulsed in a rhythm that seemed almost deliberate.
"Roy," he called, opening his eyes. "I think I've found something."
His partner, who had been experimenting with darkness manipulation nearby, approached quickly. "An altar?"
"Possibly," Korvus replied. "There's a structured energy formation about three hundred meters below us. It's dormant but intact—and it bears similarities to the Moon Altar's energy signature."
Roy's expression turned serious. "Can you pinpoint a way to access it? I'd rather not dig through three hundred meters of solid rock if we can avoid it."
Korvus closed his eyes again, extending his perception more specifically. "There's a natural shaft... about fifty meters east of here. It's collapsed in places, but it seems to lead down toward the formation. With some effort, we might be able to clear a path."
They located the shaft without difficulty—a jagged crevice in the obsidian plain that descended at a steep angle into darkness. Roy created several floating orbs of darkness that paradoxically emitted light, sending them down the shaft to illuminate their path as they began their descent.
The passage was treacherous, partly blocked in several places by fallen rock or crystalline formations that had grown across the opening. But between Korvus's strength and Roy's precision darkness manipulation, they were able to clear obstacles as they encountered them.
As they descended deeper, Korvus sensed the energy pattern growing stronger, more defined. "We're getting close," he murmured, his voice echoing slightly in the confined space. "The structure is becoming clearer."
After nearly two hours of careful climbing, the shaft opened into a larger chamber—clearly artificial, with smooth walls carved from the volcanic stone. At the center stood a circular platform remarkably similar to the Moon Altar, though smaller and lacking the elaborate decorations of its counterpart in Vexior's domain.
"A dormant altar," Roy confirmed, examining the platform with evident excitement. "But how do we activate it?"
Korvus approached the center of the platform, where a depression in the stone formed a perfect circle about half a meter in diameter. "I think this is a receptacle of some kind," he said, kneeling to examine it more closely. "Similar to where the portal formed on the Moon Altar when a summons came through."
"But without a summons from another realm, it remains inactive," Roy observed. "Unless..."
"Unless we provide the activating energy ourselves," Korvus finished. "That's where the celestial essence comes in."
They retrieved the remaining celestial essence from Roy's storage pouch—still significantly more than what Korvus had consumed earlier. The glowing orb hovered between them, pulsing gently as if aware of its imminent purpose.
"How exactly do we use it?" Roy asked. "Simply place it in the receptacle?"
Korvus shook his head. "I think there needs to be a directed intent, a shaping of the energy. The orb itself is just raw power—it needs to be configured to establish a specific connection."
"Like creating a custom summoning?" Roy suggested. "If normal altars respond to summons from other realms, perhaps this one can be made to initiate a connection instead of merely responding to one."
"Exactly," Korvus agreed. "But it will require precise control. We need to channel the essence through both of us simultaneously, combining our intents to establish a clear destination."
They positioned themselves on opposite sides of the receptacle, the celestial essence hovering above it. Korvus began his Harmonic Breathing technique, the prismatic patterns appearing across his skin as he established resonance with the ambient energies. Across from him, Roy gathered darkness around his hands, infusing it with his own will and intent.
"Focus on a realm different from both the Abyss and Lysander's world," Korvus instructed. "Something... interesting. Somewhere with potential for growth and discovery."
As they concentrated, the celestial essence began to respond—pulsing more rapidly, its light intensifying. Tendrils of energy extended from it, connecting to both Korvus and Roy, then to the altar itself. The entire chamber began to hum with power, dust and small fragments of stone rising from the floor as gravity itself seemed to fluctuate.
"It's working," Roy said through gritted teeth, clearly straining to maintain his control. "But I can't hold this indefinitely."
"Almost there," Korvus replied, his own voice tight with effort. His Harmonic Breathing was operating at its highest capacity, all four elemental affinities fully engaged and perfectly synchronized. "Just a little more..."
With a sudden flash of blinding light, the celestial essence expanded, engulfing the receptacle entirely. A column of energy shot upward, striking the ceiling of the chamber and continuing beyond, presumably all the way to the surface. The humming intensified to a deafening roar, and then—abruptly—fell silent.
Where the essence had been, a swirling portal now hovered, similar to what had formed on the Moon Altar but with subtle differences. This portal wasn't dark but shimmered with a kaleidoscope of colors that shifted and flowed like oil on water.
"We did it," Roy breathed, staring at the portal in wonder. "But where does it lead?"
Korvus extended his Observation Haki, trying to sense what lay beyond the portal, but found his perception couldn't penetrate the boundary. "Unknown," he admitted. "But that's rather the point, isn't it? Discovery. Exploration."
"Fair enough," Roy agreed with a grin. "Shall we, partner?"
Korvus nodded, excitement and anticipation building within him. "Together," he said, stepping forward.
As they approached the portal, Korvus felt a familiar sensation—the Ouroboros Mark activating, preparing to protect his soul during transit between realms. But unlike his experience with the Moon Altar, there was no sense of being pulled or summoned. This was a journey of choice, of will, of active exploration rather than passive response.
Side by side, they stepped into the swirling vortex, allowing its energy to envelop them completely. Korvus's last thought before his consciousness stretched across the void between realms was one of satisfaction and anticipation.
The hunt had evolved yet again—from survival to mastery to exploration, and now to active shaping of their own destiny. Whatever lay beyond this portal, they would face it together, two reincarnated souls defying the conventional limitations of the demonic realm through the unique combination of their abilities and experiences.
As reality dissolved around them, Korvus wondered what strange new world awaited on the other side—and what opportunities it might offer for further growth and discovery.
The journey continued.