I had learned a lot about my powers since I had entered this world. Partly from my arcane knowledge, partly from others and partly from my own experimentation.

"Normal spells are powered by spell slots. Imagine them as bowls inside your soul filled with mana. The mana replenishes as you rest. They get a lot bigger as you go up the tiers. A normal spell can only be filled by one of those spell slots. You can only combine them through rituals." I started my lecture.

"Does this mean a lot of mages with level 1 slots could power a massive ritual?" Lucy asked.

"Sort of. A tier 9 spell has a lot more mana than 9 tier 1 spells. And it gets complicated if too many people connect to the ritual. People usually use sacrifices if they don't have enough spell slots. But the mana in a higher tier spell slot is also more… refined. Essentially, some rituals simply need higher spell slots." I explained.

Lucy nodded and I continued: "Your aura works differently. It is the power, the weight, of your soul. Once you become powerful enough, your soul itself can influence the world around you. It can change things. It can manipulate the mana in the world around you."

Kira looked at me, then at her hands. "You are saying, my aura is my soul? Does that mean someone can attack my aura?"

"A good question and no, your aura can't be used to hurt your soul. It can be suppressed by a larger aura though. There are three stages of aura control. The first is mostly about strengthening yourself. Right now, your aura can be used to enhance yourself."

Kira frowned. "But I can cause fear in others."

I nodded. "Indeed. People can feel your aura when unleashed and it will have some consequences. The weaker their soul the more they are affected. Once you get more control you can focus that effect on specific people and exclude others. People you consider friendly will have an easier time resisting as well. But in the first stage you can use your aura to enhance yourself. Lucy used it to empower her attacks and cover herself in lightning."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Yes. I did not even know it was my aura at first. But it's pretty cool." Lucy added.

"The second stage allows for true external control of your aura. Like summoning a storm. You can create large scale effects. It can be pretty powerful. The third stage is establishing your domain. You gain a lot of control over your element. It is hard to describe but…" I pondered that for a moment. "The lightning, the wind, the rain,... they become a part of me."

"For kitsune, we grow more tails with different stages." Lucy added. "1-3 is the first stage, 4-6 the second and 7-9 the third. Do dragons also change?"

Kira pondered that. "I am not sure. I think the scales of the ancients look different. What about archfey?"

I scratched my head. "I don't think so. Fey can be pretty diverse anyway." I was a special case and I had never seen the rise of another archfey. But there was a lot more variety in fey than in dragons.

"So, how do I control my aura? How do I train it?" Kira asked.

"It reacts to your emotions, since it is a part of you. See what happens when you are angry, happy, or sad. You will have to get a feel for how your aura changes and start to separate that from the emotion. Meditation can help. I may be able to guide you with my own aura." I suggested.

"Do you think I can develop an aura as well? Before I met you it felt like I had reached my limits. But I have grown quite a bit since then…" Lily asked. She had been listening attentively.

"There is a block for most creatures. Once they reach the power of 9th tier spell slots they can progress no further. Very few beings can develop an aura. But some things can help you break through. Considering your developments so far, like your cool wings, I am confident we will get you there eventually. You are the grandmaster of the maid knights, after all." I said with a smile.

Lucy nodded. "Amaya just has to find something compatible and turn it into a snack for you."

Kira looked confused. "Snack? How is a snack going to make her stronger?"

"Lady Amaya defeated a demon lord. She devoured his body, ripped the power from his soul and turned it into a snack for Lilith. It helped Lilith break through into the third aura stage. She is now one of the really big players in hell." Lily explained.

Kira's eyes widened. "You… what… How is that possible…"

"Lily makes it sound way too exciting. That demon lord had an artifact to consume others and I sort of blew it up and used the magic inside. It's not really something I could repeat. Hm, maybe with a ritual…"

Kira looked pale.

Lucy padded her on the back. "Don't worry. It's just Amaya things. You are part of the team, maybe she can get you a snack too at some point."

"Oh, speaking of snacks. You should start concentrating on your aura. It's currently leaking even more. No way are we getting attacked by monsters like this. So let's start with some exercises to work on your control." I said.

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