Chapter 0.64: The third green moon
The first hint of dawn seeped into the crimson-dusted dome as Mother Naoko's silver hair gleamed with renewed authority. Jin, still drained from mastering the Red Moon's ferocity, watched with wary anticipation.
**Naoko's voice cut through the quiet:**
"Now comes the path of restoration—the **Green Moon**, the moon of healing, resilience, and regeneration. Tonight, we turn brutality into rebirth."
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[ Unveiling the Green Moon]
Naoko extended her hand upward. Around her, the red mana reversed its flow—the air softened, plants sprouted at her feet, roots entwining and unseen waters pulsing beneath.
She spoke, her tone calm:
> "The Green Moon draws on life itself. Its power mends flesh, soothes wounds, and cloaks the caster in resilience. But misuse it—and it can overgrow: stagnation, complacency, dependency."
Jin stared, recalling how he'd nearly collapsed under raw rage's strain. Now he'd learn to renew what destruction tore apart.
---
[The Significance of Green Mana]
Naoko knelt beside her son, planting a luminous seed that grew overnight into a slender sapling glowing faint emerald.
"It's not just healing wounds," she explained. "It's **renewing purpose**. The Green Moon strengthens your core—mental and physical."
Her lips curved:
> "Every warrior needs more than a blade of fury. You need endurance to rise again. You need recovery to fight. And above all, you need **gentleness** to forgive your own blood—your sister, your weakness."
---
Demonstrating the Green Flow
Naoko draped her arms around the sapling. Green energy hummed through the roots.
Abruptly, she slammed her fist on its trunk. The plant shattered—but immediately, fresh leaves burst out again.
"This is the essence," she said, face stern. "Damage, then *rebirth*. Let pain fuel growth."
Turning to Jin:
> "Your sister's murder left you broken—but the sapling grows because it refuses to die. You will learn to channel that. You will **heal, not break**."
---
[ Jin's Struggle & Awakening]
Naoko pressed a hand to Jin's chest. A pulse of green mana poured inside him. His lungs burned; bones tingled. He gasped.
Green light enveloped him, knitting invisible wounds: fatigue, soreness, emotional scar tissue.
He fell to his knees, tears prickling in his eyes. Pain and relief tore through him.
Naoko whispered:
> "Let it flow. Let it heal. Do not resist."
He surrendered to the healing warmth.
---
[ The Meridian Trial]
Naoko circled him, sweeping green mana lines across his body—mapping his meridians, his energy channels.
"You will heal yourself," she stated firmly. "Close wounds quickly, recover stamina—and learn to **delegate healing to allies**."
With a gesture, Jin emitted a wave of green energy outward. Naoko's staff shattered in slow motion—then regenerated cell by cell, restored to perfect form.
He shuddered.
Naoko nodded.
"That. That is the Green Moon at its purest."
---
[Benefits & Dangers]
She paused, locking eyes with him.
> "Benefits: Quick recovery, resistance to poisons, regenerative sustenance.
> Dangers: Overuse leads to dependency—**overhealing**, growths, weakened divine balance. Healing too much can suppress your will to fight."
She tapped his chest.
> "Locate your threshold. Keep your heart aligned."
---
[ A Demonstration of Coordination]
To test him, Naoko summoned phantom wounds—illusions of broken bones, lethal potion burns—on large training constructs.
Jin laid hands on them, green light radiating like sunlight. Bones reknit, cracks vanished.
But then, his eyes caught a servant knocked aside by a construct—no mana to spare.
Naoko whispered, "Share it."
Jin hesitated, then channeled mana outward—the construct crumbled, the servant healed. His face lit with quiet pride.
---
[Conditioning & Dietary Reinforcement]
Over days, his routine changed:
* **Breakfast**: Energetic fruits, chlorophyll drinks, bone broth.
* **Midday**: Deep forest walks, meditative breathing under old trees.
* **Evening**: Herbal compresses to maintain cell alignment.
Each ingredient selected for its **regenerative index**. Jin learned to refine unafflicted plant sap into salves.
---
[Emotional Renewal]
Naoko sat with him under the faux moonlight.
> "The Green Moon also heals **trauma**," she said gently. "You can't face every darkness alone."
Jin exhaled softly.
> "I…I still dream of Estelle."
She nodded.
> "We heal mind first—this forest meditation."
> Her green mana formed vines around his mind—pulling away pain, planting seeds of acceptance.
---
[Merging the Green within the Red]
Naoko led him into the courtyard. Red mana flared around him. Wounds from sparring glowed hot. Green mana poured into each one.
> "Two paths, one soul," she stated. "The **Red's power** grants strength, the **Green** its restitution. Use them in harmony: strike, then recover. Burn, then heal. This is your true mantle."
Jin closed his eyes—red and green energies pulsed, entwined along his veins.
_________
[ Epilogue: A Foundation Forged]
Naoko placed her hand on his shoulder—silver hair brushing his cheek.
> "This is just the beginning. The Blue, the Silver, the White—all remain. But today, you are reborn. Your body, mind, and heart now forged with flame and life."
Jin opened his eyes—black hair gleaming, crimson irises soft but determined.
He bowed his head:
"I am ready."
Though silent, his mind whispered:
*Estelle… I fight for you, and for the world you died saving.*