As soon as Auren wakes up, he quickly washes up in the bathroom and gets himself ready.
After enjoying the luxurious breakfast delivered straight to their room by the hotel staff, he turns to Rakshala.
"So, how are we doing this?" he asks.
She smiles, then begins laying out the plan.
"I didn't bother you with the details earlier—and there have been a few last-minute changes—so let me explain everything now. We've rented a small building, isolated and not surrounded by any others. It's on the outskirts of Yorknew, near the Gordeau Desert up north."
The desert… I don't quite remember everything, but according to my notes, there will be a battle there. It's a deserted, lifeless stretch of land with no economic importance. It's essentially a dead landmass.
She pulls out a small chart, building blueprints.
"We've converted the building into several designated zones. Right here, in the centre, is the treatment room. It has two entrances. I've already scanned for cameras and any surveillance devices, and I'll scan again to be sure when we arrive. You'll enter only after the patient is already inside. Outside, there will be doctors on standby, should you need assistance. Don't push yourself too hard—it's okay to fail. But don't get overconfident. If she dies, I'll lose a great deal of credibility and so will you."
Despite her lack of eyes, she turns her face directly toward Auren and holds the silence for a few seconds, just to let the weight of her words sink in.
Auren stares at her visor, unable to say a thing.
"Since you've never treated a comatose patient, it'll likely take time. You'll have one week. After that, Battera and his doctors will reevaluate things. If the situation improves, they are even willing to pay a part of the reward. Daily checks will be performed in the meantime. No one—not even Battera or you—will be allowed to leave during that time. Everyone has a private room, and the entire complex is surrounded by Mafia members. This is a major operation."
Auren thinks for a moment. "So it's a locked-down facility. No contact, no distractions. And I've got a week to show some results."
Rakshala nods with a small smile. "Exactly. Do you think you can pull it off within a week?"
Auren shrugs. "That's what I need to figure out. I've never dealt with a brain injury before. The brain is the most complex part of the body. It could be something small, something I can fix in no time. Or it could be a tangled mess that takes far longer. I won't lie—there's a fair chance I'll fail outright. But I'm confident there's zero risk of my ability making things worse."
Rosa and Mola both nod silently before Mola speaks up. "Do your best, but remember—our leader's trust isn't given lightly. Don't misuse it."
"You've got this, kid!" Rosa says, looking completely unfazed.
"I don't need encouragement," Auren replies, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "But… thanks."
Rakshala rises to her feet.
"Let's go, then. I'll be meeting Battera in exactly one hour. You'll take a separate vehicle. Rosa will accompany you. During your stay, the two of you can alternate resting periods—or you can just let Rosa handle everything. She'll be stationed nearby during your sessions. You can rely on her. She's strong—personally trained by me for over ten years."
Her Aura is nothing special. Not compared to Zeno or Silva. She's also way below Buno and Bunu. However, Rakshala… she doesn't lie. I can't gauge her strength so maybe Rosa is stronger than she seems.
Auren keeps calm, holding back the temptation to test her strength.
"I'll be in your care, then," he says.
"Don't worry," Rosa replies. "If anything happens, our leader will know immediately."
She's fully relying on her… that's not good. En is powerful, but there are plenty of scenarios where it's not foolproof.
"I'm with my sister on this one," Mola interjects. "While you're all ignoring the obvious risks, this whole setup is completely overkill. It's way too elaborate."
"I agree," Auren adds. "But there's a lot of money at stake. Rakshala's playing it smart, and I appreciate that. Also, this is a very risky situation. Anyone who learns about my ability… won't leave that complex alive. Except you two, of course. Rakshala vouches for you."
"Don't act like a killer, kid. That's not funny," Rosa barks, unconvinced.
Act, huh? My hands are quite bloody already. I just came back from an assassination mission, and she tells me not to act like a killer. Between those two sisters, one got the body, the other the brain.
"Let's go," Rakshala says. "The cars are waiting. They're not parked directly at the hotel—they're on the street. Your ride is the brown truck parked beside two limousines. Also, wear your visor, Auren. And I've prepared some cloaks—wear those too." She gestures toward the wardrobe.
With the cloak in hand, Auren and Rosa head out of the hotel.
Once outside, Auren slips on the visor and cloak. They quickly spot the truck, parked exactly where Rakshala described.
They climb in, and without a word, the driver quietly begins the journey north toward the Gordeau Desert.
As the desert comes into view on the horizon, a lone, abandoned warehouse appears in the distance.
The driver doesn't head for the main entrance but instead takes a slow turn around the building, stopping near the loading zones on the back of the building.
Auren sees 18 different gates, as the abandoned warehouse is quite large.
Without a word, Auren and Rosa exit the vehicle and slip through the lone open gate.
In the distance, Auren spots two Mafia members stationed in front of a heavy-looking door, guarding the way further into the complex.
Following Rosa's lead, Auren walks past them and enters the room.
It's a bare space—just a few beds, a small makeshift bathroom, and a large stockpile of supplies: water, snacks, fruit, and packaged food, enough to last for at least a few weeks.
"Well… make yourself comfortable," Auren mutters, removing his visor, grabbing a few snacks, and plopping down on one of the beds. He starts eating without hesitation.
"Haha, might as well! You're right, kid," Rosa replies, grabbing double the snacks Auren took and settling in beside him.
After eating, Auren begins meditating, using Zetsu to recover some of the Aura he spent using En on the way here. Meanwhile, Rosa, seemingly bored, starts doing pushups at a steady pace.
Rosa's pretty well-built. Probably an Enhancer. At least I'm not a full Enhancer myself. Every single one of them is mentally deficient in some way…
Exactly two hours later, Auren's phone rings. It's Rakshala.
"You can go inside now. It's the other door inside your room—just head straight. You'll reach the treatment room we prepared. You can't miss it. If anything goes wrong, call me."
"Alright. I'll call you later," Auren says, ending the call.
"Good luck!" Rosa calls out.
Auren follows the instructions, walking down a narrow corridor. At the end, he steps into a large, sterile-looking room. A single medical bed sits in the middle, surrounded by machines tracking vital signs.
Hmmmm…
Auren's eyes settle on the woman lying on the bed. She appears young—maybe late twenties—with soft features and a peaceful look. If not for the monitors, she could be mistaken for someone just taking a nap.
He wastes no time, walking over and placing his hands gently on her head and activating Azure Restoration.
His azure, water-like Aura flows from his hands, swirling with a strange elegance—like it's possessed by a spirit.
With painstaking care, Auren begins releasing his Aura into her head, just tiny amounts at first.
I need to restore her brain to its original, undamaged state. Slow and steady… This Hatsu doesn't rely on logic or medical knowledge. Just intention. Restore her brain and consciousness… as defined by the perfect state encoded in her DNA!
But something feels off. Despite the minimal output, his Aura drains at an alarming pace. The constant strain is undeniable—he's burning through his reserves in record time.
Just five minutes in, he's already used 20% of his total Aura.
After all my training these past months… I've grown stronger. My Aura has expanded too… why is this so damn exhausting! Not only my Aura is rapidly draining, my head hurts! Still, I have to keep going!
As Auren begins to sweat, his body already a little fatigued, he perks up as suddenly, the entire pressure disappears. A strange calm washes over him. His Aura stops draining, and Azure Restoration just dances around her, recovering her entire body, not just her head.
What?
He stares at the woman in confusion—only to see her eyes slowly flutter open.
"So... ooo bright… is this heaven? Is it finally over?" she mumbles, squinting at the ceiling lights.
I can't let her see me!
Without a second thought, Auren turns and dashes out of the room, immediately dialing Rakshala.
"She's awake. Luckily, she didn't see me. She thinks she's in heaven or something, so feel free to send in the client and his doctors."
"…I'm impressed. Stay behind for a while, I need to talk to you," Rakshala replies, her tone unreadable.
"Understood," Auren says, ending the call.
He returns to the room where Rosa is still lounging.
"What's going on?" she asks, clearly surprised. "Did something happen? Is the patient okay?"
"Sure. Easy job, easy money. We're just staying a bit longer because mommy wants to ask me a few things," Auren says, settling back onto the bed and grabbing more snacks.
He closes his eyes and resumes Zetsu, allowing his body to recover.
"…You're a little scary, kid. No wonder our leader likes you—however, don't get arrogant now. Rakshala is someone you can't even begin to compare to, despite your talent," Rosa mutters, looking impressed.
Auren ignores her, focusing on his recovery. Slowly but surely, he feels his strength returning.
I've improved. All the daily physical training, the constant healing—it's paying off. Azure Restoration is becoming strong enough that I'm reaching the point where I can heal almost anything. The only limitation is the immense Aura consumption, but thanks to my efforts, even injuries like that one are becoming relatively easy to cure… no restore.
This Hatsu relies entirely on me. A weak Nen user might barely be able to recover light injuries before their Aura runs dry. But with enough training… I can create miracles. I can't waste this gift. My oath wasn't for nothing. I've given up every other Hatsu, sacrificed my entire Nen future at a young age—everything dedicated to the element of water. And I can feel the weight behind that oath. Like a puddle slowly becoming a lake… and if I keep pushing, I'll turn it into an ocean. Once I reach that point… I'll be invincible.
My fight against that snake, the one resembling Hellbell, gave me a huge clue. Azure Restoration doesn't just heal the body—it heals the mind. Maybe healing is the wrong choice of words. It restores the body! In theory, there's nothing it can't restore. Could it even purge Nen? I need more experience… once I'm strong enough, I'll seek help from the Association.
Auren's phone rings. He answers.
Silence.
Then Rakshala's voice comes through, calm and deliberate—however, Auren hears a little bit of emotion, for the very first time.
"Can you come back into the treatment room? There's something I want to discuss with you."
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