"Healing lies not in will, but in understanding. What I see is what I heal – without emotion, without mercy. Only through precision can decay be defeated." - Dr. Valtorin Septimus Hollow Mortis
"A... new skill?" The flood of memories passed after a few seconds, so no one noticed. Liang Wei was already walking towards Morvan. "Lifetime Legend… That's Azrael's skill! And what the hell does this 'Restrictionless' even mean?" The young man couldn't make sense of his strange new skill. Why Azrael's skill? And why right now? Many questions flooded Aiden's mind, but he decided to think about them later and instead enjoy the fact that he had a new skill at all. For now, he kept quiet about it and joined his team. "Hey, how are the others doing?" Liang Wei asked in confusion, examining the slime saddlebag. Morvan, with a look of respect, replied, "I'm sorry, but Luna and the Kämpferbrüder are the only survivors. I couldn't save anyone else. I overheard what Valenor was planning. I'm so sorry I couldn't do more against these dark times."
Liang Wei closed his eyes for a moment before reflecting on the mistake he made during the battle against Azrael—letting his emotions get the better of him. He replied, "We still have hope. Aiden knows the Demon Slayers and Shadow Walkers. We both know what incredibly useful fighters they are." Morvan's mouth opened slightly in awe before a small smile appeared. "Then we already know where we're headed. Go ahead, leader." Liang Wei also smiled and turned to Aiden. "We'll head to Valoria first to take Luna and the Kämpferbrüder to the hospital. Then, we'll head to Tokei Feng, the hill where the Shadow Walkers and Demon Slayers reside." With those words, Liang Wei renewed the surviving fighters' motivation and strength to endure these dark times. Without further delay, they set off for Valoria.
Episode 8 - Dissonance (Part 1)
Slow, heavy footsteps echoed through the city gate. On their way, they encountered a friendly farmer who offered them a cart to transport the wounded. With his [Body Enhancement], Aiden was the only one capable of pulling the cart without animals. Since Valoria was not far, the journey only took half an hour. Eventually, the young man was exhausted. He had never kept his skill active for that long. When they reached their destination, he let go of the cart and collapsed to the ground, deactivating his skill. "Phew... I can't go on anymore. Sorry, guys..."
Liang Wei and Morvan got off the cart. The slime fighter looked around. "What now? You can only carry one, and I can manage at most two. My body needs more time to produce new slime before I can help again." Just then, footsteps echoed behind them. Aiden turned around and recognized a familiar face. "Well, what do we have here? Need some help? And Aiden, good to see you've found comrades. I was worried after I saw the fire at the shrine."
It was Norya, Valoria's protector and a spearman with an extravagant special attack. Liang Wei breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, we could really use the help." Aiden, however, lowered his head. "We're doomed..."
Norya picked up Luna and threw her over his shoulder, while Liang Wei and Morvan took care of the Kämpferbrüder. Aiden had enough energy to walk on his own. Slowly, his strength and stamina returned, and the team made their way through Valoria's narrow, winding alleys. "I know a good doctor, follow me," Norya finally said, leading them through a narrow side street lined with bars and taverns. The tall buildings cast shadows that obscured the sky. After a few minutes, they reached a large building bearing the well-known symbol of medical facilities—a heart with a plus sign in the middle.
"Here we are. But be warned, the doctor is… peculiar." They entered the stairwell of a large apartment building and climbed to the fifth floor. Norya knocked three times before letting himself in. "Dr. Mortis, I'm back! I brought you someone!" A porcelain plate immediately shattered against the wall next to him.
"Norya, how many times do I have to tell you I hate new people? Especially when I have to talk to them." Before them stood a young man in his twenties with black, medium-length hair parted down the middle. A large, round pair of glasses sat on his nose, and a white coat hung loosely over his shoulders, as if he were wearing it more like a blanket. His voice was calm, almost monotonous, and his eyes remained fixed on a specific spot in the room as he spoke, avoiding any kind of eye contact. He instinctively shied away from physical contact.
"Allow me to introduce: Dr. Valtorin Septimus Hollow Mortis, the best doctor I know," Norya said with an embarrassed smile, which Mortis did not return.
Dr. Mortis' gaze briefly flickered to the newcomers before once again becoming fixed on a specific point on the floor. He didn't stand up. Instead, he continued in the same calm, emotionless tone: "I didn't expect new people. This is an inconvenient time."
Aiden, noticing this, lowered his head and spoke softly, "We're sorry for the intrusion..."
Dr. Mortis didn't seem to acknowledge the comment, instead saying, "I... will do it anyway. Put the girl down there."
As Aiden complied, he made sure not to get too close to Dr. Mortis, sensing that the doctor avoided direct interactions. Mortis donned his gloves without looking at anyone, his movements precise, routine, as if efficiency and order were deeply ingrained in him. The room around him was meticulously organized—each medication box sorted by size, pictures arranged by color shades, and bandages neatly stacked by length.
"Are you interested in this?" Mortis asked, catching Liang Wei examining the strange instruments designed for treating skill-related injuries. Mortis asked the question directly, without making eye contact. "Most people don't understand why you need special machines for this. It's... well, complicated." He spoke quickly, as if reciting a well-rehearsed piece of information, not out of desire but because it felt right to share exactly those details. "Magical injuries often leave traces in cell tissue. There are... studies. Particularly on bone healing under magical influence. Very... interesting."
Before Liang Wei could respond, Norya interrupted, placing a gentle hand on Mortis' shoulder. "Could we hurry? The fighters need help."
Dr. Mortis blinked, his movements briefly pausing before he refocused on the task at hand. Without replying, he placed Luna on the examination chair and folded his hands in a nearly mechanical gesture, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they glowed a bright blue. His voice now came quicker, as though overwhelmed by a flood of information. "You're playing the assistant, Norya? [Spontaneous Diagnosis]." His tone was now robotic and devoid of emotion. Norya quickly rushed into another room and returned with a pen and paper. Mortis placed his hand over Luna's heart, closing his eyes once more. He sensed the waves of 'magic' in Luna's body, analyzing every inch of her. He felt everything—diseases, viruses, injuries, bleeding, and fractures.
As he scanned her from head to toe, he began speaking like a robot: "Deep laceration, left flank, 12 centimeters, 4 centimeters deep, significant bleeding, possible organ damage, arm fracture, right humerus, mid-range, noticeable misalignment, severe swelling, urgent fixation required, multiple bruising, suspected rib fractures, chest area, increased pain with breathing, recommend X-ray, deep cut, right thigh, 8 cm, leg mobility severely restricted, possible tissue inflammation, condition exhausted, high blood loss, circulatory instability imminent, immediate fluid intake necessary, overall assessment: critical but treatable condition. Treatment urgently required." He then lifted his hand and opened his eyes. "Completely curable. You look like you've got other things to do. Drop the guys off in the waiting room and get on with whatever you're up to. Now leave me in peace." With those words, Dr. Mortis ushered the fighters out of his office. Quicker than they would have liked, Morvan, Liang Wei, and Aiden were back out on the rainy street.
The small group wandered back through Valoria's winding alleys to their cart. The journey ahead would be long and arduous, but it would be worth it in the end. When they finally reached the cart, Aiden climbed right in and sat in the driver's seat. "Nope, I'm not pulling anymore. You've used me as a horse long enough. You can forget about it now." Liang Wei nodded understandingly and also got on the cart. "Morvan's body has already produced enough slime to help us again." So the slime fighter created two large horses out of slime and tied them to the cart. The horses began to trot, pulling the cart forward. Their destination was now a large hill on the horizon.
The team had been traveling for about half an hour. The hill was now clearly visible. Aiden sat cross-legged, arms folded. "You could create living horses the whole time, and you still made me pull the damn thing?" Morvan, who was sitting at the front and steering the horses, briefly turned around and replied, "First of all, my body always produces a certain amount of slime that I can use for my skill. Because of the thing with Azrael, I used up a lot of slime, so I didn't have enough for something like this. Second, these aren't living horses, they're just slime shaped like horses. I've basically programmed them to repeat the same steps over and over. The slime mimics the behavior of horses. Any more complaints?" Aiden fell silent but still looked somewhat annoyed.
Shortly after, the entire cart shook. It was as if the horses had hit something. When Liang Wei and Morvan peeked ahead, they noticed the cart had already reached the hill. The horses kept running, despite the cart being on the verge of crashing into a tree. Morvan immediately extended his hand, causing the horses to revert to their original slime form and flow back into his body. However, this caused the cart to roll back down the hill. Aiden, Liang Wei, and Morvan jumped off just before it crashed at the bottom. "That was close," Liang Wei remarked as he made sure everyone was okay. "Looks like we'll have to go the rest of the way on foot."
The trio stood at the base of the hill, the clear air around them calm and warm. The sun hung high in the sky, casting long shadows on the path ahead of them and bathing the surrounding trees in golden light. There was no sign of the rain that had shrouded Valoria—here, there was a pleasant stillness, broken only by the occasional birdsong and the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind.
"Finally dry," Aiden muttered, stretching his tired limbs. "I thought we'd never get out of that damn rain."
Liang Wei was already a few steps ahead, his eyes focused on the narrow path that wound its way up the hill in tight bends. "No reason to dawdle," he said calmly. "We need to get to the Demon Slayer village as soon as possible." Morvan, walking behind them, eyed the steep climb before them. "This won't be a walk in the park," he commented dryly. "That path is steeper than it looks." He ran a hand over his forehead as if he could feel the challenges of the journey ahead. "Stop complaining, Morvan," Liang Wei replied without looking back. "You've already brought us this far with your slime horses. Now we have to do the rest on foot." Morvan just shrugged as they began the ascent. The path was uneven and rocky, overgrown in places with low shrubbery that slowed their progress. The sun beat down on their backs, and although the weather was pleasant, the steep climb took its toll on all of them.
"Couldn't you have made a few more of those slime horses?" Aiden asked, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I already told you, I can't produce infinite slime," Morvan replied flatly. "The thing with Azrael drained me. Besides—those aren't real horses, Aiden. Just malleable slime that moves like horses. You should understand that by now." Aiden shot him an annoyed look but remained silent as they continued climbing. The path grew increasingly difficult the higher they went. They had to support themselves on rocks, jump over small gaps, and be careful not to slip on loose gravel. "Up there," Liang Wei finally said, pointing to the top of the hill, where the first wooden houses of the Demon Slayer village came into view. "We're almost there."
The three continued their climb, and as they rounded the final bend, the village finally lay before them. Nestled between the tall trees of the hill, the Demon Slayer village was a collection of simple wooden buildings that seemed almost woven into the surroundings. The village appeared peaceful, almost tranquil, but they knew that some of the country's most dangerous fighters lived here. "Well," Morvan murmured as they approached the village gate. "Now things get serious." Liang Wei nodded, his gaze sweeping over the village. "This is just the beginning."
The team moved through the unassuming streets until they arrived at what appeared to be a main square. The village, named Tenryumura, was an unremarkable, hidden place located halfway up the flat summit of the hill. It had barely a hundred inhabitants, but that didn't make it any less famous. Liang Wei and Morvan were about to sit on a bench to rest when they noticed a young girl with black hair tied into a ponytail, about six years old, hastily running across the square, heading straight for the village exit. The girl was being pursued by three men in kimonos. Suddenly, the girl tripped and fell to the ground. The men drew their katanas and raised them. Liang Wei briefly closed his eyes. "That's what the Demon Slayers are known for—they're in an eternal war with the Shadow Walkers. That girl there is a Shadow Walker. She doesn't stand a chance." But when he opened his eyes again, Aiden was gone.
The sound of breaking metal echoed across the square. Aiden stood protectively in front of the girl. He caught one of the men's katanas and shattered it with his bare hand and skill. "Attacking an innocent little girl… have you lost your minds?" Aiden was furious. So were the fighters. While Aiden held them off, the girl managed to escape into the depths of the forest. "You little...!" One of the fighters swung his sword while the other two went to get reinforcements. But before they could act, a voice rang out. "Enough!" Immediately, the fighters' blades and steps stopped. All three dropped to their knees and shouted, "Yes, Yuichiro-sama!" The name stirred memories in Aiden. "Yuichiro… That can't be...!"
Then a young man in his twenties appeared, his hair soft as silk and his clothing graceful as a swan. Aiden recognized the long turquoise hair he had always admired in the man. His expression was stern and strong, yet full of love and justice. He was truly a master among masters, perfection among perfection.
When the samurai saw Aiden, his eyes widened. "…Aiden?" The young man ran to him. "Is it really you? Long time no see, Yuichiro!" This encounter was shocking not only for Aiden and Yuichiro but also for Liang Wei. The army commander's eyes grew wide. "What the… Who is Aiden, really? That man he's talking to like an old friend is Yuichiro Fujimoto, the young prince and heir to the Demon Slayer leadership!"
Aiden has finally reunited with another one of his friends! But the Demon Slayers and Shadow Walkers are at war—two factions that Aiden's friends belong to. How will Aiden be able to recruit both sides, despite their war? Find out in Episode 9 – Dissonance (Part 2)!
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