Auren concentrates his Aura on his hands, drawing on his transmutation training—the way he shaped and molded his Aura into different shapes before. He begins to sweat, desperately trying to mimic the feeling and motion of water.
Nothing happens.
I'm not giving up!! I expected it to fail. I will do this until I succeed!
Starting that night he shifts his focus entirely to Transmutation, setting aside Enhancement and Emission for now, changing his routine to revolve solely around the creation of his Hatsu.
Three months pass. Night after night, Auren trains alone. Then, finally—it happens. His Aura changes. The neutral glow that once surrounded his body begins to flow—on his hands, where he's concentrating—it ripples like liquid, resembling the graceful movement of water.
This is it! I've succeeded in transmuting my Aura into something that behaves like water! This is only the beginning… but this will be the foundation of my entire Nen path. I will train this for years if I have to. At the same time… my Aura has matured a little. I can't turn back now.
Over the following months, Auren continues his training with Buno and Bunu, while also keeping up with his sword exercises under Elder Lidor's guidance. Their sword training now involves real sparring—with actual katanas. Blunt ones, but still dangerous if misused.
The matches are intense and easily turn chaotic. Injuries are commonplace as everyone wants to show off in front of their Master.
Despite his average size, Auren holds his own. His movements, his precise use of Aura, and the sheer volume and quality of it allow him to dominate the monthly contests Elder Lidor demands they participate in. Students like No. 4 and No. 6 may be physically stronger, but Auren's superior Aura, his control over his blade, and overall speed keep him one step ahead.
His only slight weak spot remains the academic classes taught by Mrs. Wu. Though he manages to obtain acceptable grades, several students have clearly abandoned the competition in combat and are now focusing entirely on academics—leaving students like Auren, No. 4, No. 6, and No. 24 as the only ones still in the running for succession.
Finally, two years and nine months after arriving at the school, Auren stands in the yard at night—Bunu watching him closely.
Auren walks in a circle, his steps slow and rhythmic.
Within seconds, his body begins to blur. Soon, half a dozen afterimages appear—faint, imperfect, but unmistakably visible.
Six copies… not as many as Bunu, and nothing impressive… but enough to count as a success.
"Not bad, No. 23. Six images in nine months, at your age? You're not even nine. I'd say you've got the makings of a true assassin. And this is just a side discipline. I know your main focus is still the sword, but you've managed to follow both my path and my brother's. You're slowly turning into something monstrous, No. 23."
He hasn't seen anything yet. Once I complete my Hatsu, I'll gain access to the kind of power only true geniuses wield. My Hatsu will change everything!
Three more months pass. Auren sits quietly in his room. His entire Aura now flows like serene water, gently rippling and swirling around his body—no longer just in appearance, but in sensation and behavior as well.
He focuses his Aura on his hands. They are bloodied, bruised—bones fractured, muscles torn.
As the cool Aura wraps around them, Auren's eyes widen. A deep relief washes over him. He can feel his body healing. His Aura is consumed rapidly, but in return, the pain fades. The water-shaped Aura suddenly glows bright Azure.
As the glow fades, he looks down. His hands are still injured—but far less than before.
These injuries would've taken a week to heal using Zetsu alone. Now they'll be gone in just a few days—even without further treatment. I've succeeded! The Azure hue… it confirms it! This hatsu allows me to restore my body to perfect condition, given enough treatment.
This is my first Hatsu! A blend of Transmutation and Enhancement. And if needed, I can also emit it to affect others, even at a distance. Looking at the color—Azure Restoration feels like the perfect name. It combines my three strongest affinities, and with it, I can train without fear. This ability will turn me into a true genius.
But Auren doesn't stop there. In the days that follow, he learns to activate and deactivate the azure state at will. For now, he puts the healing aspect aside and focuses on another variation: strengthening the water itself.
Enhancing the body to heal and enhancing the water to strengthen it—both are different paths built from the same foundations. Transmutation and Enhancement. The same Nen types, but radically different goals.
Azure Restoration is purely for healing. It transforms my Aura into a mystical water that drastically speeds up recovery. Its only limit is my Aura reserves, my skill, and my training. One day, I'll be able to bring someone back from the brink of death—as long as they're still breathing.
This second hatsu… I'll call it Limitless Waters. Because its applications truly are without limit. I'll keep it strictly within Transmutation, Enhancement, and Emission. I won't include Manipulation. It'd be convenient to control emitted Aura however I want, but that would weaken the overall strength of the Hatsu. I can't afford that. My main Hatsu techniques should stay focused, efficient, and only rely on my strongest affinities. I can still come up with other support abilities later to build upon my foundation.
For now, I need to make the water as powerful as possible—and avoid weakening it by getting greedy with too many categories being involved. I need perfect control over it, allowing me to use the water Aura as a shield, or as a means of attack by emitting highly pressurized Aura-water bullets. This involves using emission by separating the Aura itself and using it to propel the water forward. I can even try to combine this Hatsu with Shu to enhance my blade. The power of water is limitless. Pressurized water can cut through anything—even steel… or diamonds!
During training, Auren throws himself against his perceived limits. He ruthlessly slams his claw-like hands into stone, tearing chunks from it—staining the rock with blood as his bones crack again and again.
"No. 23! What do you think you're doing?!" Buno shouts, rushing toward him. "That's impressive, sure—but you're tearing your hands apart for nothing! You're not there yet. It takes time to strengthen your hands! You can't train like this—not unless you're using your Aura to protect yourself!"
"I'll be careful, Instructor. I think this was still within my limits. These injuries should heal quickly," Auren replies.
"I'm not your mother," Buno says, shaking his head. "Take my warning, or ignore it. It's your pain either way, and you'll be the one paying the price."
You'd be jealous if you knew. You yourself said this technique depends on the body of its user, as it sooner or later won't be able to take the damage. The solution is simple, then—with unlimited healing, I and this technique have no limits! I'll take it further than anyone else ever has… even farther than those supposedly genius Zoldycks!
Auren's reckless approach shows even in Bunu's training. He performs movements that push his body beyond its natural limits—positions that strain joints, stretch muscles unnaturally, and apply pressure the human frame simply isn't designed to handle. But after healing his wounds using Azure Restoration, the impossible movements slowly become more natural. Every night he returns with bruises and sprains—every morning, he's healed and more flexible. The changes are minor, but day after day, Auren takes a tiny step forward.
During sword training, his reckless streak continues. He barely avoids some of his opponent's strikes, and he often gets hit or even stabbed. The blades aren't sharp, but they still hurt—leaving bruises, swelling, and sometimes even internal injuries, as Aura is involved. Auren still wins most matches decisively, though he often pays the price with serious injuries sustained while testing new movements or tactics.
"No. 23, I appreciate what you're doing, but you're being too reckless!" Elder Lidor remarks after watching one of Auren's matches. "I know this is training, but my sword style is fundamentally balanced. There's no need for these all-or-nothing gambles. Focus on stability and defense—these are strengths that suit you well."
Wrong. I need to train hard. I can get injured… and I'll just heal it. Now during spars, it's the time to try out these approaches, while the risks are still negligible. If I don't push my limits now, I might never get the chance to.
Every night, Auren activates Azure Restoration and restores his battered body to peak condition. Of course, he still acts injured during the day—limping, wincing, all in order to avoid suspicion.
When Elder Lidor leaves the mansion for errands or business, Auren takes the opportunity to train Limitless Waters to its fullest. By now, he can manipulate his water-shaped Aura into a wide variety of forms. He can form a claw from it, combining it with Buno's assassination techniques, specifically his claw technique. He can wrap the Aura around his sword, extending the blade's reach to catch enemies off guard—or emit it in a sudden strike to deliver a devastating ranged surprise strike. More than that, he can use it to create a defensive cloak of spinning water or expand it into a larger rotating barrier around his entire body.
He hasn't found a way to properly test the durability of the barrier, but it feels very powerful to him.
His emission-based attacks, mostly consisting of water bullets he can either spit out of his mouth, fire from his hands, or a ranged water cut he can unleash with his blade, dealing terrifying damage capable of even damaging the huge rocks in the yard. Only if the target is too far away do his attacks significantly decline in intensity.
Auren also experiments with large-scale water constructs, but they consume far too much Aura to be viable in combat.
Finally, nearly four years after his arrival, Auren feels incredibly satisfied with his progress. He's developed a unique Nen style—two Hatsu with almost limitless growth potential, focused on his strongest Nen types. Right now, he can only use them for brief periods, but their potential is overwhelming. He's also mastered all the advanced Nen techniques. In—still at a basic level—lets him launch invisible water bullets, a deadly and nearly undetectable attack, he continues to train daily.
The only thing I lack… is experience. I can't use these techniques openly in sparring. I have to hold back now. Without Limitless Waters, I feel restricted, as I have to use my normal Aura. This is something I hate doing, but I have no other choice. These matches feel pointless. And even with me being this restricted, I still win them easily.
I've finally surpassed No. 4 and No. 6, even physically. My body can endure more. I train more. I recover faster. Tomorrow, another student will be dismissed. I'm finally ready to take a risk.
Exactly four years after his arrival at the Mansion, the now ten-year-old Auren sits at the breakfast table, just like every morning. Around him, the remaining students quietly eye one another—each wondering who will be forced to say their goodbyes tonight. Only Auren, No. 4, No. 6, and No. 24 carry themselves with genuine confidence. A few others, like No. 22, put on a show of strength and self-assurance—but Auren can only shake his head in disgust.
I've spent the last month observing every remaining student—especially the weaker ones. I need to understand Master's selection criteria.
Four potential targets stand out—likely candidates for elimination. If I'm wrong and he doesn't choose one of these four, then I'll admit it's all random and give up on trying to predict his whims.
The only student I consider unquestionably safe—aside from No. 4, No. 6, No. 24, and myself—is that redheaded boy, No. 3. He's a little younger than me, which meant he started off very weak… but in terms of raw talent, he's at least equal to No. 4 and No. 6—maybe even slightly ahead. He's already caught up in nearly every area. Give him four more years, and he'll surpass them both. From a talent standpoint, he's undeniably promising. That narrows it down to four others.
No. 1… she's as stupid as a rock. She still can't handle tasks or keep up with lessons we were given years ago. But physically, she's solid. Despite her lack of intelligence, she's not that far behind the top group in terms of Aura and physical strength. Her swordsmanship is clumsy and lacking any real finesse—but she compensates with brute force and raw effort.
No. 22… by far the weakest in physical strength, and also quite dim-witted, though not to the level of No. 1. That said, after I fed him a fake hint, he somehow managed to show surprising aptitude in Nen. This idiot is still thankful to me, completely unaware I made it up.
No. 2… probably the oldest student. She's no slouch—she's even defeated No. 4 and No. 6 during some of Master's spars, and I've had trouble against her myself. She's among the best in swordsmanship and physical prowess, and I remember her outperforming me in academics, too. Her flaw? Her Aura is pitifully weak. I believe she has the lowest Aura pool of all of us. She was one of the last to open her Aura nodes, and whatever strength she has now is purely the result of relentless hard work.
Then there's No. 7—the smart brute. He's competent in almost every area… except swordsmanship. It's like he's wielding a club. No talent, no refinement—just raw, aimless swings.
Master will definitely choose one of them. Each has a clear flaw. Once he makes his decision, I'll know exactly what criteria decides who gets dismissed.
Elder Lidor enters the hall. With a rare trace of regret, he stops behind No. 2—the eldest and perhaps the most hard-working student of them all.
"No. 2… It pains me to say it, but you'll be leaving tonight. I recognize your strengths—you are smart, strong, and an undeniably talented swordswoman. You will be assigned to help train new students in one of my other halls. Regretfully, you lack what is necessary to inherit my school. I'm sorry."
No. 2 remains composed as he speaks, her expression stoic. But the moment Elder Lidor leaves the room, she breaks down into sobs, hiding her face behind her hand as she flees the hall.
It's… Aura. That's the deciding factor. Master only cares about Aura. Everything else is meaningless to him—sword-talent, strength, even intelligence. That's why he spared No. 13 after his escape attempt. His Aura was strong enough to be useful.
I need to act tonight. I have to leave this mansion. My preparations should be sufficient.
------------------------------------------------
A/N: Always thankful for Power Stones, Comments and Reviews. Thank you for reading!
If you are interested, then please support me at patreon.com/FRWriter
10+ Early chapters available
Bored? Complains? Demands? Check out the Discord: https://discord.gg/puVqWsf3y9
Thank you for supporting the story with Power Stones!