Never enough hana

By the time Sochi struck the first blow, the cultivation was almost done and for someone that felt she had enough hana a while ago, she realised it wasn't even nearly enough. Her strength score added just 5% and the magic level experienced a very slight increase, but even with those she knew it was a matter of time before she got killed in the battle. Just then, the system sent her a notification

NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: FIERY HANDS

Sochi was amazed. Fiery hands were what made Dima the top 6 six most powerful woman in their society and she just got it activated. Sochi decided to try one step she had seen Dima do several times over the years, the hot scalding slap. Facing the creatures, Sochi raised her hands and clapped the together with so much force that her hands stung. The resulting fire came with a force that pulled everything in the direction she had focused down, creatures, humans and objects alike sending a fire into their midst. She could see one and four rolling on the floor trying to stop the flames on their cloth. When she approached them, their faces were a mixture of admiration and anger. "How did you do that?" One asked, beating out that last patches of the flame from his gear. "I just tried it," Sochi said, smiling. One looked at her, then four said , "but you have no hands, how did you manage to do the fiery hands?" Sochi looked at her hands, maybe the hands were not visible to other people and that was why they gave her the least task of carrying their belongings. She was thinking of how best to answer four when one said, "let's go, the hana would not harness itself." 

The cave they entered was filled with hana and other precious metals. Sochi harnessed hana as much as she could and as fast as she could. "Fill up our belongings with as much as you can collect as the remaining which we cannot collect will be taken to the public treasury by tomorrow morning." There was a murmur of agreement and everyone seemed to intensify their efforts. When Sochi felt tired, she decided to stretch her legs a little, taking a walk sown into the cave. She didn't notice that one had followed her at first until he was standing closely behind her. When she felt someone behind her, she turned and thumped the person on the chest before realizing it was One. "I'm sorry," she said, holding his hand. "It's fine," he said with a wince. Sochi smiled nervously, she was doing too much she realised. "Why did you come when you had no hands I had wondered? But then, you proved that you didn't need hands to excel. I'm glad you can hold up your own," he said. Sochi smiled, "thank you." One nodded and turned to leave. "May I ask you a question?" Sochi asked. "Of course," "What is this place? And what were those creatures?" One looked away for a while, then heaved a sigh. "Remember all those natural disasters that were announced and people were warned to avoid certain areas?" Sochi nodded, "these are the causes of those disasters. They also produce hana and so the government has the war squad deal with them and harvest hana and other precious jewels which are then used to do things needed in the city." Sochi understood it now. It was a closed door situation, that was why no one knew what the war squad did or where the hana came from, all they knew was that since the incidence that brought the hana, the city had been prosperous and war had ceased with other cities and nations, but natural disasters had increased. "Is there no war to stop them?" Sochi asked. One looked at her, then laughed. That was the first time Sochi had seen him laughing and he looked really handsome, she realized. "Why are you laughing?" she asked when he stopped. One looked at her and shook his head. "There are ways to stop them but why would they? Like everyone can see, the city is more successful and the war squad can always deal with them so the government would not consider doing that. Pack up, let's go." He turned and left. 

By the time they got to their living quarters, Sochi was tired and fell asleep few minutes after lying on her bunk. When she woke up, it was late evening and everyone seemed to have left the resting quarters. Sochi stood, looking for the dining when the notification came:

COMPLETE YOUR DAILY TRAINING OR RISK A PENALTY

Penalty? After the fighting and everything she had gone through today? Whoever it was that was in charge of this training must be a sadist, she thought. She was about to ignore it when she noticed a timer was ticking. Quickly, she started her training from the push ups.

When the rest of the people got in, they found her panting, exhausted from her work out. She was taking a sip of her healing tonic when four asked what she was drinking. "Nothing," she replied, hastily gulping it down. "I wasn't going to ask you for it," he said chuckling. Sochi didn't respond, rather she walked away. When it was time for dinner, they all went together to get dinner. At the dining hall, there were other members of the war squad present, each seated with their team. Sochi could see that everyone seemed to be seated based on ranking. There were the top levels, the mids and the news. Her squad sat with the news. The top dogs were already seated eating but it seemed one seat was empty. Sochi was digging into her food when she heard the foot steps. Heavy boot stands walking into the dining area. The sound stopped at their table and there was an eerie silence all over the dining. "Hey newbies. I heard you had a strange one among you, the handless one," he said, chuckling, "what exactly can she do?" There was no response, rather one clanked on his plate in a loud manner for a while. "You," he said pointing at her, "let me see your hand," he said, walking towards her. 

It happened in a split second, Sochi raised her hands to answer and one stood up to challenge him, then his hand went round one's neck. Sochi didn't know when she clapped her hands together and the deafening sound of fire was heard. One ducked just in time and the top at their table was on fire. Everyone in the dining stood up with their mouths open while her team grabbed her and ran out of the dining hall. "What's wrong?" Sochi asked. "YOU JUST ATTACKED THE TOP BUTCHER IN THE COUNTRY!!!" three shouted on top of his lungs, "WE ARE DEAD MEAT JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU!!!!!" Sochi could feel the chill in her bones. She had never been a volatile person, but since she began the training stations, she had experienced too many situations that made her volatile. "I'm sorry," she said, looking at their faces, "how do I make it right?"

They held a vote, whether to give her to the topdogs to deal with or to report her. Giving her to the topdogs won the vote as everyone except one voted that reason being, the superiors will only try to do a mediation but the topdogs will still call open season on her. One decided to take her to the topdogs himself and plead on her behalf. When they got their, the butcher was nowhere to be found, and the other members of the team seemed to be sizing her up. When One started speaking, they seemed to be listening until he apologized on her behalf. Sachin, the terrible stood up at that point and took three steps towards her, closing up the distance between them. "Child," he said, holding Sochi's chin with his finger so she looks up to him, "I had a hunting expedition to go with the butcher, you are coming in his place." He turned, walked back and sat down. One was about to speak when Sochi tapped him, "lets go" she said. 

The knock came at 10 pm that night. Sochi took up the gear One had packed up for her and left. Her team looked sad when they bid her farewell making her a little bit afraid as she walked to the chopper. All through their trip, no one spoke a word. When they got to a point close to the sea, Sachin tapped her and handed her a parachute. When she had put it on, he said, "jump!" Sochi was shocked, and asked "now?" but the word was yet to be out of her mouth when he pushed her off the chopper.