Kaoru felt as if he had stepped into a new world upon entering Gosha Village. Though it resembled a small town with a modern atmosphere, the air was thick with the presence of the Taimanin. Around him, he saw shinobi dressed in tight suits darting across the streets, leaping between buildings with agility. The sound of their rapid footsteps mixed with the cheerful laughter of children in the park captivated him. "This is a whole new experience," he thought, reflecting on how different this place was compared to his previous life.
Soon after, they arrived at the research and technology center. Upon entering, Kaoru immediately recognized Asagi, who was in conversation with a blue-haired woman. The woman, dressed in a white lab coat over casual clothing, had a tense expression, clearly out of the ordinary. The dark circles under Asagi's eyes indicated the seriousness of the situation they were facing.
"Murasaki, what did you say?" Asagi's voice trembled, conveying deep pain. Kaoru could feel the tension in the air.
The blue-haired woman sighed, her face showing deep regret. "I'm sorry, Asagi... I didn't realize what they had done to Kousuke until it was too late. We haven't found a way to bring him back yet. I think it's some kind of magic or something similar. Edwin Black is definitely involved in his body's modifications."
Asuka, who had been listening to Murasaki's words, immediately tensed, her expression changing in an instant. Before Kaoru could stop her, she swiftly stepped forward.
"Hey!" Kaoru called out, but Asuka had already grabbed Murasaki's shoulder forcefully. "What do you mean he can't be saved!?" Her voice was half-angry, demanding an explanation with raw emotion.
Murasaki looked at Asuka with concern. "It's true, we haven't been able to save him. His condition is far too severe."
Those words left Asuka frozen, her face reflecting utter devastation. "No... You must be lying?" She shook Murasaki's shoulder, as if her hope had just crumbled before her eyes.
Kaoru stepped forward, trying to calm Asuka. "Asuka, please, calm down." He gently took Asuka's hand, hoping to provide some comfort in the tense situation.
Murasaki sighed, looking at Asuka sympathetically. "I don't want to hurt your feelings, but this is the reality we're facing. If we don't find a way to reverse what's happened to Kousuke, he might be stuck like this forever."
Tears started to well up in Asuka's eyes. "But we have to do something! We can't just stand by and do nothing!"
What followed was a small outburst of uncontrollable emotion from Asuka. Kaoru knew very well that Asuka viewed Kousuke as a brother, as they had grown up together under the care of Asagi as their stepmother. Now, with Kousuke in such a horrible state, the weight of everything seemed to be crashing down on them.
Asagi was the most affected. After losing her fiancé, Kyousuke, she now had to face the bitter reality that her beloved brother Kousuke had been turned into some kind of twisted abomination. Kaoru glanced around, noting Asagi's shocked expression, Shiranui's look of pity, while Yukikaze could only hold Shiranui's shoulder and watch the turmoil unfold.
The tension in the room continued to rise, and Kaoru knew he had to act. Reluctantly, he decided to use a slightly drastic measure to calm things down. In one swift movement, he employed a simple technique to render Asuka unconscious.
After the situation calmed down, Kaoru turned to Murasaki with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about my girlfriend's outburst. She's very emotional right now."
Murasaki nodded, understanding how difficult the situation was. "I know..." Her voice was calm, though her face showed a hint of concern.
Kaoru then carried Asuka to a room and laid her down on a sofa, which happened to be Murasaki's office. After making sure Asuka was comfortable, he turned to Murasaki and introduced himself. "I'm Kaoru Rasputin."
Murasaki responded, "Murasaki Yatsu, a researcher and health instructor in Gosha Village."
"Oh, so you're the one Yukikaze mentioned?" Kaoru asked, his curiosity piqued.
"What?" Murasaki looked at Yukikaze, who appeared a bit nervous. "What did that little rascal say?"
Kaoru smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, nothing important. She just mentioned that you're extraordinary in modern medical practices, and I was intrigued by your thesis on Taimanin particles as a medium for modern medical healing."
Murasaki raised an eyebrow, looking slightly surprised and interested. "Oh? Yukikaze said that? I'm glad to hear it. The research on Taimanin particles is fascinating and has great potential for healing various injuries."
Kaoru felt warmth in the conversation. "That's amazing work..." he complimented, offering a sincere, warm smile.
Yatsu Murasaki, a 26-year-old virgin with no romantic experience, had spent her life immersed in her studies and expanding her knowledge in the medical field. Lately, she had grown annoyed by those close to her constantly asking about her love life. Because of this, she felt both pleased and a little flustered by Kaoru's warm smile, especially since he was quite handsome.
'Where did Asuka find a man like this?' she thought, feeling an unexpected attraction. This was a stark contrast to her personality last year. Murasaki had once been difficult for others to approach due to her cold, almost villainous appearance. She was known as a hard worker, confident, very serious, and strict. Her sharp tongue tolerated no nonsense.
However, in front of Kaoru, she felt something different. His warm smile made her feel more at ease, and for the first time in a long while, Murasaki felt that someone genuinely appreciated her.
"Maybe we could discuss your research more later," Kaoru suggested, trying to keep the conversation pleasant. "Has Yukikaze already told you about what I'm going to do?"
Yukikaze had already spoken to Murasaki about Kaoru's proposed mind transfer to restore Shiranui's memories.
"Wait, you're the one!?" Murasaki looked surprised and excited. "I honestly thought that method wasn't realistic, but Yukikaze showed me rough details of the plan."
Kaoru smiled, feeling Murasaki's enthusiasm. "Yes, I believe it's possible. However, we'll need to conduct thorough research and make sure everything is prepared."
Murasaki nodded, her eyes shining with hope. "This could be a major breakthrough for us."
As they continued their conversation, Yukikaze and Shiranui also joined in, making the atmosphere more lively. However, the chat lasted only five minutes before Asuka regained consciousness and called out to Kaoru.
"Hey, take it easy," Kaoru said, seeing the pained expression on Asuka's face, which tugged at his heart.
"K-Kaoru… Can we help Kousuke?" Asuka's voice trembled with hope.
Kaoru felt conflicted. He hadn't wanted to reveal his abilities in reconstruction, an advanced form of healing magic. This magic could restore someone's physical body to health but wasn't effective on conditions like memory loss. That was more of a disease, not a mere physical injury.
"Asuka… Fine, I'll help restore Kousuke's body to its original state," Kaoru finally said, though doubt lingered in his heart. He had no choice but to reveal his powers.
Human magic was rare in this world. Unlike Taimanin who controlled Taimanin particles or demons who didn't use mana as their energy source, human magic was more complex and harder to grasp. In almost every corner of this world, human mages were few and far between.
"Mr. Rasputin? It's not that I doubt your abilities, but we've already conducted thorough examinations before, and there was nothing we could do to restore Kousuke's body!" Murasaki quickly responded, her voice full of skepticism.
But Kaoru didn't listen. He simply looked into Asuka's blue eyes as she lay on the sofa, remembering how important Kousuke was to them. "Is that so?" he asked, as if trying to convince himself.
"It is. So, can I take a look at his condition first?" Kaoru replied, his resolve hardening.
Murasaki, Yukikaze, and Shiranui exchanged glances, confusion and concern mixing in their expressions.
"Kaoru, are you sure? This isn't something to be taken lightly," Yukikaze finally spoke, her soft voice filled with doubt.
"I have to see it for myself. There might be something everyone's missed," Kaoru answered firmly, even though his heart was in turmoil over what he might find.
Murasaki sighed, clearly unhappy with Kaoru's decision, but she knew she couldn't stop him. "Alright. Come with me. We'll head to the treatment room."
They made their way to the treatment room, with Kaoru helping Asuka as she was still in shock, her head spinning.