Hi again trasc! Glad to hear back from you.
I'm going to have to disappoint you here: Ranged weapons can only hit creatures right next to you, not 2 tiles away. Their advantage is you can attack things without having to "struggle" over to them (eg. Hit something on top of a hill you haven't climbed up), and you can hit flying creatures from the ground. I've had other people who desperately want to shoot things at a distance too, but unfortunately the game balance and UI aren't quite there yet. We'll keep working on it!
Asura is the time limit enforcer, like in the ghost that chases you in Spelunky. You can usually find ways around him, even use him to your advantage (other creatures fear him), but you have to finish the game or he'll get you in the end. This means he can't be killed or tamed, but you can freeze and stun him temporarily. I'd like to work on more amusing interactions, but I believe right now a shuriken will have no impact, and he'll do his standard fire attack the next turn.
We really welcome your feedback. If you have time to leave a review in the Play Store for us, we would be very appreciative. Join the Discord if you want to chat more freely. Most of all, please have fun!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.overworld.app&hl=en_CA&gl=US