Talent Reborn
Episode 37: A Battlefield Without Borders
Arrival in Chaos
The moment Haruto and Ayaka stepped off the transport plane, they were hit by a wall of scorching heat and the deafening sound of helicopter blades.
The warzone was unlike anything Haruto had ever seen. Smoke curled in the distance, the air thick with dust and the faint scent of burning metal. Military personnel moved with urgency, escorting injured civilians and soldiers alike toward a hastily set-up field hospital.
"Welcome to hell," muttered Dr. Elias Carter, the head surgeon of the relief mission. A grizzled man in his late forties, his piercing blue eyes swept over Haruto and Ayaka. "You must be the Japanese doctors."
"Yes," Ayaka said, steady despite the overwhelming scene. "Dr. Aizawa and Dr. Tachibana."
Elias scoffed. "You both look fresh. This isn't a city hospital. We don't have the luxury of time or resources. If you can't keep up, you'll be a liability."
Haruto met the man's gaze. "Then let's get to work."
Thrown Into the Fire
There was no time for introductions. The moment they entered the medical tent, chaos swallowed them whole.
A soldier was screaming on a stretcher—his leg was a mangled mess, shrapnel embedded deep in his flesh. Another patient convulsed from severe blood loss, while a child, no older than seven, clung to her unconscious mother.
Haruto barely had a moment to breathe before Elias barked, "Aizawa! The soldier's leg won't last another hour. You either amputate or he dies."
Haruto's hands moved on instinct, grabbing surgical tools. The operating table was a blood-soaked mess, the conditions unsanitary by any hospital's standards.
But there was no time to hesitate.
He activated his ability, recalling every amputation technique he had witnessed before. His hands moved precisely, his mind shutting out everything but the task at hand.
The soldier bit down on a rag, his screams muffled as Haruto worked swiftly. Sweat dripped from his forehead, but his hands remained steady.
Minutes felt like hours, but finally—
"The bleeding is controlled. Closing now," Haruto said, his voice sharp with focus.
Elias, who had been observing with a critical eye, gave a small nod. "Not bad. But don't slow down—there's another incoming."
A Doctor's Limits
For hours, Haruto and Ayaka worked relentlessly.
Bullet wounds, crushed limbs, internal bleeding—every case was critical. Unlike in Japan, there were no second chances here.
Haruto didn't even realize how much time had passed until he finally stepped back, his hands trembling from exhaustion.
Ayaka slumped against a supply crate, her scrubs stained with blood. "This is insane," she whispered. "There's no end to it."
Elias approached them, tossing Haruto a water bottle.
"You held up," the older doctor admitted. "But let me make one thing clear—" He leaned in, his voice lowering.
"This place doesn't care about talent. It doesn't matter how skilled you are, or what fancy tricks you've got." His gaze darkened. "Sooner or later, this warzone will break you."
Haruto tightened his grip on the water bottle.
Was Elias right?
Was there a limit to what he could do… even with his ability?
As more stretchers were carried into the tent, the answer would have to wait.
Because the battle had only just begun.
End of Episode 37.