Days ago
---
It's been nine days since my arrival. He was guided to the clan's basement where the alchemist works, as I said I would give them my holt salt. I was guided by a short old man, whom they call the "master" His name is a mystery on its own - When we arrived, my nostrils were attacked by the smell of chemicals "ughhhh it smells like rotten eggs and allspices in the world mixed with house cleaning products" I gagged
The master handed Iuo a mask as they walked in, he handed about 50 mg which on it own a lot this alone cost about 3 million in the market, yeah crazy for 50 mg of salt it cost that much - the mast start reverse the making process but it was easy but time consuming first he need to put the salt in a pot for only 50 mg he can only use one 5 liter's pot, after cooking you'll have about 175 grams of salt you can keep doing it until you have 5kg if salt if anymore and the salt lost it value and become a water down version and you'll need to do the 60 step of making halt salt scratch.
---
One day of the mission, I had learn enough from Mr. Hagaruma was able to ascend Naia again, and much more, I was with the rest of the clan members ready to drop, I was a different clothes I was wearing a clan uniform that was a 1:1 ratio to my normal clothes but with the clan logo on the back of the jacket and color scheme - black base with deep blue accents matching my style, but with the Habakiri crest embroidered in silver on the back of the jacket - We waited until Dōjigiri got here to teleport us
The entire Habakiri clan's elite force gathers in the main courtyard - twenty warriors, each with their Souls manifested. The atmosphere is electric with readiness.
Naia stands beside me in her Transcended form, her storm-cloud hair tied back in a practical braid, wearing armor that seems woven from mist and lightning. She's grown stronger through the training, her control refined.
Goro claps my shoulder, his own Soul - a massive bear-like creature - huffing beside him. "Ready to clean house, Iuo?"
I nodded "more than ready"
Yuki adjusts her twin blades, her cat-like Soul prowling at her feet. "Intel says the Spire's core is generating Awakened-rank monsters continuously. We'll need to push straight to the center."
Hagaruma stands with the veterans, his expression serious. "The holt salt you provided will neutralize the corruption. Your job is to get it to the heart of the Spire. The rest of us will handle the monsters."
A murmur goes through the crowd as Dōjigiri enters the courtyard. Beside him walks Kaito, and behind them, Himawari - all wearing formal clan attire.
Dōjigiri's voice carries across the courtyard. "Today, we strike back against whatever corrupts our Grove. The Habakiri clan stands!"
At one moment we were standing at the Court the next Sakura petals surrounded us and we found ourselves falling into the sky each one in a different area, no one panicked and focused on the mission, the communication devices in our ears sprang to life as the clan's communication center sent us coordination of each member, I was paired with Mr. Hagaruma and kaito as we drop to the dead zone
The dead zone is exactly as I remember. Skeletons of ancient trees reach toward the sky like pleading hands. The ground is a wasteland of grey dust and twisted roots. The air carries that familiar taste - dust, decay, and something else. Something wrong.
The dead zone was once a place of the living before the cataclysm of the soul Storm I'm familiar with this place after all I live for three 3 years here "Home sweet home" The moment we dropped I quickly coated the three of us in protective armor that looked like a second skin, for kaito I gave him the water type as it best for defence he's a strong kid but still he's a kid, Mr. Hagaruma had the wind for versatility the last was me with lighting, we quickly Rush towards the spire location and kept in eye of any incoming attack
Water-type armor shimmers around Kaito - a translucent barrier that ripples like liquid glass. Wind-type swirls around Hagaruma, creating a vortex of protection. Lightning-type crackles around you, forming a second skin of energy.
Kaito touches his water armor, eyes widening. "This is... incredible. I feel like I could take a direct hit from an Awakened-rank."
Hagaruma nods approvingly. "Good tactical thinking. Defensive priority on the novice."
I dash as the orb shows us the location of our target "only 2km from here let's go!"
Suddenly the ground started to shake
A pack of twisted creatures bursts from the dead trees. What were once deer are now nightmares - too many legs, corrupted essence dripping from fangs, eyes glowing with malevolent red light. All Awakened-rank.
Kaito's stance tightens, but he doesn't back down. "I can handle two."
Hagaruma's fists clench. "Leave the leader to me."
Naia's voice echoes through my mind, the new Transcended connection letting her communicate without words. 'There are more. Many more. The Spire is calling them.'
'Don't worry we can handle them' I replied back summoning my bat
Typically, you think the two clan members will have swords or Spears, but no, like me, I'm using an item that's not typically a weapon in the normal sense, which is my bat, as the kaito pulled out different items of his taste "Incoming!"
I swing my bat making a huge explosion of lightning hitting the corrupted essences
The creatures shriek as lightning tears through their corrupted forms, their twisted bodies convulsing before collapsing into ash. The ground where they stood is scorched, blackened earth steaming.
Beside me, Hagaruma produces a pair of tonfa - not the wooden kind, but metal ones etched with clan symbols. He spins them with practiced ease, creating a whirlwind of wind energy that slices through two more monsters. "Nice form, Iuo!"
Kaito, for his part, pulls out... a yo-yo. But this is no child's toy - it's a heavy metal sphere on a reinforced cord, glowing with water essence. He whips it in a wide arc, the sphere smashing into a corrupted creature's skull with a sickening crack. "What? It's a traditional Habakiri weapon!"
"Not in the traditional way!" Hagaruma yelled as he made a small vortex using the window his control of essence is beyond even the masters
More creatures pour from the dead forest - twisted boars, ravens with too many wings, things that defy classification. They move with unnatural coordination, clearly controlled by the Spire's corruption.
Naia manifests beside me her hands raised. The air around her shimmers. "They're trying to flank! Kaito, left!"
Kaito's yo-yo snaps out, catching a leaping wolf-thing mid-air. The water armor on him glows, deflecting claws that would have torn his throat out.
Hagaruma shouts over the din. "We need to push forward! The Spire's core is drawing ,them in. If we stop, we'll be overwhelmed!"
Suddenly a loud voice came from the sky and slammed down make a huge shockwave our armor protects us as we look to see Goro laughing "Behold the great skull snapper
I snorted and laughed "What happened to Crasher!"
He looks back with a smile "Someone already took it!"
As we push the radio ears spring to life as we are getting new info
The communication device in your ear crackles with urgency. "Iuo, Hagaruma, Kaito, Goro - this is a command. We're tracking multiple Awakened-rank signatures converging on your position. The Spire is actively recruiting."
The voice is strained. "Other teams are facing the same. The corruption is spreading faster than expected. Dōjigiri's team has encountered Fallen-rank entities."
A pause, then the voice drops lower. "There's something else. We're detecting... human Soul signatures within the Spire. Mixed with the corruption."
Hagaruma's face hardens as he listens to his own earpiece. "Possessed Masters. The Spire isn't just creating monsters - it's taking people."
I grit my teeth as dark memories run through my mind "THAT'S SON OF A!" Naia held my shoulder trying to calm me
Goro huffed "We need to find the young lady!"
Kaito's grip on his yo-yo tightens. "Sister's team is near the eastern ridge. She'd never abandon a mission, but..."
Naia's eyes glow with storm energy as she senses the truth. "The Spire has a will. It's not just generating monsters - it's gathering them. Building an army."
The ground ahead begins to shift. Dead trees pull themselves up by the roots, forming a crude barrier. Behind it, silhouettes appear - dozens of them.
Hagaruma takes a combat stance. "We need to break through. Now."
---
Himawari side
---
Men were falling left and right they were ambushed by hordes of essence that came from the ground around a hundred maybe, yuki block off a spike that almost pierced Himawari's skull, her cat soul transformed into a giant white tiger, and it ran into the horde and got some of them but was quickly overwhelm yuki quickly ca alled back her soul before the core get destroyed
Himawariswungg her sanjiegun before turning it back intoa staff backing off, there back press on a wall she looks at the other members in pain some bleeding seconds from dying out of energy and with big wounds there's nothing left "damn it...DAMN IT ALL!"
Suddenly a loud boom came from across
Iuo had swung Hagarumaa with his bat using it him a projectile, hagaruma spin around using iuo power to plus his fire like a heart-shaped soul shape like a heart suddenly he turn into a angry fire Storm the moment he got close the hordes burn or blowin off by the firey wind. "Young lady Himawari get behind me!"
That when the rest of the came iuo quickly use his water power to heal everybody as rain pour down when it hit the corrupted essences they scream in pain as it was poison meanwhile the rest were being healed, it simple before the mission begin why was iuo given this uniform is because the emblem actually had a spell that when someone use similar abilities as him only the people with matching emblem can be healed while the rest get the Poison's rain.
Kaito lands beside his sister, his yo-yo whipping out to catch a creature lunging for Himawari's back. "Sister!"
Himawari's eyes widen, then narrow with fury. "You shouldn't be here!"
Naia her hands raised as storm clouds begin to form overhead despite the dead zone. "There's no time! The Spire is getting stronger!" She say as lighting descended on the essence
Hagaruma's whirlwind clears a circle, but more corrupted entities pour in from all sides. These are different - larger, their forms more stable, their eyes showing flickers of awareness.
Himawari's voice carries a note of horror. "Those... those are the missing patrol members!"
"Naia!" Iuo called out opening his flask Naia quickly consumed the salt, the rain now had mixer of the salt abilities so when it pour the corrupted members were freed but they fell unconscious
---
They say down to catch there breathes goro stand guard on top of a broken building wall iuo was pushing himself to the point blood start pouring out his eyes as he gave his stamina potion to Himawari she try to refuse but she was to tried and didn't want to be a burden to carry around
"What now" kaito ask
Hagaruma patted his head reassuring him "don't worry well find way
Iuo panted and almost collapse after healing the last member they quickly catch him as Naia scolded him "stop it master! Your gonna fray your brain at this point I beg of you"
"Fine fine I'll relax jeez you sounds like girl asking her dad to buy her a purses or something" iuo chuckled holding his head while laying down on the broken couch
The radio crackers to life "to all members Dōjigiri had escape the fallen for now I repeat he had escape for couple of minutes he's location is right at the center of the core"
Yuki stand up and gave here essence to iuo make him able to run "let go save Dōjigiri-sama"
---
As we got closer we saw Dōjigiri fighting which was basically the boss of this whole mission, he lost his blade and couldn't get it close and that soul wouldn't let him recover it
Dōjigiri is on his knees, his legendary blade shattered and scattered across the dead earth. Before him stands a monstrosity - a Soul the size of a house, its body made of twisted bone and corrupted essence. A massive scythe limb raises high, ready to end the clan head.
I don't think. I threw.
Your bat spins through the air, crackling with residual lightning, and slams into the scythe joint with perfect accuracy. The impact jars the limb, throwing off its strike by a crucial inch. The scythe slams into the ground beside Dōjigiri, missing him by centimeters.
He doesn't hesitate. He snatches the bat from the air as it rebounds, his hands finding the grip with practiced familiarity. The moment he holds it, his entire presence shifts.
The secret art activates.
Iuo got to witness one of the clan secret art: 100 × 100 strick each strick from someone is met with another on the opposite so if Dōjigiri jab from front then a equal jab happened on the back like some invisible man is fighting with Dōjigiri even though it not a sword he was able to utilize the technique to it fullest using my bat
Dōjigiri moves. But it's not just him - it's like two identical fighters moving in perfect synchronization. When he thrusts forward, an equal strike appears from behind. When he swings left, an identical blow lands from the right. The technique creates a phantom fighter that mirrors every move, doubling his offensive power instantly.
My simple bat becomes a blur of motion. Each strike lands with impossible force, the phantom blows hitting the Soul's weak points from all angles simultaneously. The corrupted entity screams as it's torn apart by attacks it can't defend against.
The fight ends in seconds. The Soul collapses into dust.
Dōjigiri tosses iuo his bat back, breathing hard. "Good throw."
The Spire's core pulses ahead - a pulsating sphere of pure corruption, surrounded by layers of protective bone. You can feel it calling to the monsters, pulling them back together.
Iuo pull the holt salt flask. Remove the stopper. Pour.
The salt hits the core. The reaction is immediate and absolute. The corruption evaporates like water on hot iron. The Spire structure groans, then collapses into harmless dust.
Every corrupted creature still standing freezes, then falls, freed from the influence.
Ten hours. ten hours of hell blood and pain all gone finally. As the sky cleared everyone could hear helicopters approaching it was the clan rescue team, and they tried to find any injured members they found that they were fatigued or with simple injuries because Iuo kept healing them the whole time as they were fighting
Helicopters appear on the horizon, their rotors cutting through the silence. These aren't ordinary aircraft - they're Soul-powered transports, marked with the Habakiri crest. They descend slowly, landing in cleared areas.
Medical teams pour out, but they stop in surprise. Other teams are arriving with injured - broken bones, deep gashes, corruption burns. Iuo team? They are exhausted, yes, but they're walking. Their armor is cracked, their clothes torn, but they're whole.
The clan healers move among the groups, checking vitals. One kneels beside a warrior with a gash on his arm, ready to begin treatment, then pauses. "This is... already healing. Fresh stitches."
He moves to another - a young woman with a twisted ankle, her boot cut away to reveal swelling. "This was set and splinted already. Perfectly."
The healer looks at iuo, then at the water essence still faintly glowing around his fingers. "You've been using your own stamina to heal the entire battlefield."
Iuo simply gave him a thumbs up
Himawari sits heavily on a rock, her silver crane Soul perched beside her. "He never stopped. While we fought, he was treating the fallen. While we advanced, he was stabilizing the wounded."
Goro, who had, llimpedover, his arm in a makeshift sling. "I saw him running between squads. He'd heal someone, throw them a stamina potion, then move to the next."
Dōjigiri approaches, having recovered his breath. He looks at the healed patrol members - those he freed from corruption - then at the medical reports being compiled. "You turned a rescue operation into a recovery operation."
"At least I can do sir" he smiled
---
Medical tent
---
The medical tent is a flurry of activity. Clan members who were barely standing collapse onto cots the moment adrenaline stops pumping. Healers move efficiently, but their attention keeps drifting to me.
As the rest of the clan arrived I used my healing one last time, Kaito and Himawari weren't happy I was pushing myself after all this but I assured them I'm ok even with cut limbs as long as that part was still there just stick it and the tissue would heal and the cut part would be back working like it was never cut and leave a cool circle scard
I sit on a supply crate, a young clan warrior with a severed forearm supported on my knee. The wound is clean - cauterized by some previous attack. His hand lies a few inches away, already turning pale.
Himawari rushes over, her face pale. "Iuo, stop! You've been healing for hours. You can barely stand!"
Kaito grabs my shoulder, trying to pull me away. "Let the medics handle this! You're going to kill yourself!"
But I was too stubborn to move I pplacedthe severed hand against the stump. Water essence flows, knitting flesh, reconnecting nerves, restoring blood flow. The process is slow, painful, but complete. The warrior flexes his fingers - they move.
The medical healer stares. "That's... that's impossible. Reattachment takes surgical precision and days of recovery. You just..."
A veteran medic hit him on the back "it magic you dummy god people think just because using magic logic needs to be everywhere"
The young warrior looks at his restored hand, then at me. "The circle scar. You left the mark." He touches his forearm where a faint silver circle encircles the wrist. "That's so cool now all the ladies would love to see this!!
Himawari's anger dissolves into exhausted frustration. "You're impossible."
Kaito just shakes his head, a reluctant smile forming. "Father was right. You're not normal."
Dōjigiri appears at the tent entrance, his expression unreadable. "The council wants to see you. They're calling it a formal commendation. But first..." He tosses me a small pouch. "Rest. That's an order."
I smiled and gave him a thumbs up before ffallingon my back
Naia catches me as my legs give out, despite her own exhaustion. She eases me down, my head coming to rest on her lap. The medical tent fades around mmeas consciousness slips away.
My breathing evens out almost immediately - the deep, rhythmic snoring of someone who has pushed past every limit and finally allowed themselves to collapse.
Naia smooths my hair back from my forehead, her touch gentle. She looks up at the others with a protective expression. "He needs this. Let him sleep."
Himawari sinks down on a nearby cot, her own injuries finally being tended to. "He saved everyone. Not just our team - all of them."
Kaito sits on the ground, leaning against a tent pole. "I've never seen anything like it. Ten hours of combat, plus healing the entire battlefield. And he acts like it's just... Tuesday."
Dōjigiri pulls a blanket over me, his movements surprisingly gentle for such a large man. "Rest, Iuo-dono. The clan owes you more than we can ever repay."
As i sleep, the holt salt in your pack pulses faintly. Naia places her hand over it, her eyes widening slightly as she feels something. "It's... responding to him. Even in sleep."
The medical healer, checking my vitals, frowns. "His stamina is recovering faster than it should. The holt salt is accelerating his natural regeneration."
Naia smiles, watching my face. "That's Iuo. He turns everything into an advantage."
Outside, the rescue operation continues. But inside this tent, there's only the sound of my steady breathing and Naia's quiet watchfulness.