The apprentice swallowed hard and went on, “And those four even forced the defeated physicians to sign a roll of losers! It’s outrageous!”“That’s beyond the pale!” Vincent Wallace snapped. “Where are they? I’ll see to this myself.”Just then, another apprentice burst in, breathless.“Old Wallace, four people from Hinoku are outside—calling themselves miracle doctors. They’re here to challenge you!”Vincent hadn’t expected them to arrive so quickly. Face stony, he strode out of the room.By now the front hall was packed—onlookers and a good number of the defeated elder physicians.At the sight of Vincent, it was as if they’d found their anchor; voices rose at once, each giving a clipped account of what had happened.Vincent’s gaze settled on four men and women in Hinoku kimonos standing off to one side. “You’ve come to challenge me?”All four smiled. The leader, a mustached middle-aged man, touched his chest. “I am Kudo Ono of the Color Hall. These are my juniors—Koji Kamiya, Kodo Hon

The young man took a moment to feel it out, surprise dawning across his face. “I feel… a lot looser. The fatigue is gone! I’m dead tired now—just want to go home and sleep.”A collective gasp swept the hall.Much as they hated to admit it, the Color Hall’s people were the real deal.Arrogance, it seemed, came backed by substance.Vincent Wallace gave William Lane a shove. “Why are you still standing there? When I lost, it was because I wasted time watching. Just one patient made the difference—get moving. If we lose again, our reputations are finished.”William Lane strode to an elderly patient—pulse, diagnosis, needles…He wasn’t fast, but every motion was steady and sure.Time slipped by in silence.Before Lane finished with his first patient, Kudo Ono had moved on to his third.“Old man, this is no time to dawdle!” Lorenzo Watson blurted, agitated. “I can’t take another humiliation.”Lane withdrew the needles and walked toward his second patient. “Healing can’t be rushed. Even in a

At the heart of the plaza, a massive platform had been thrown together overnight, complete with a full sound rig.Reporters from Skyline City and Hinoku had claimed the best vantage points, lenses trained on the four kimono-clad challengers onstage.Wanda Plaza was the city’s most trafficked square. Even at this early hour, the foot traffic was heavy.Kudo Ono watched the curious crowd swell and, speaking into the nearest boom mic, let his voice carry far and wide.“We’re physicians from Hinoku’s Color Hall. The four of us crossed the sea to exchange techniques with Skyline City’s practitioners of traditional medicine. To our disappointment, we found your city’s twenty-seven clinics wanting. Not one of them could defeat us.“That includes your three so-called divine physicians: Vincent Wallace, William Lane, and Lorenzo Watson. You’ve let us down—your traditional medicine, most of all, has let us down.”The words drew more onlookers by the minute—anger simmering, confusion rising, com

Seeing Ophelia freeze, Kudo Ono’s face darkened. “Ophelia, what are you standing there for? Keep going!”Ophelia hastened her hands, working faster.From there, the scene took on an odd rhythm.Each round, Adrian called nine people up. He looked unhurried, but his treatment moved with startling speed.The pressure fell hard on Ophelia.Her confidence at the start unraveled into panic. By the end of half an hour, she collapsed onto the floor, sweat beading across her brow.“Now, count the numbers.”Kudo Ono’s voice was cold as he glanced back at his apprentices.Both sides began tallying, though it was obvious from the crowds cured behind each of them who had won. Counting was just self-deception.“Mr. Ono, it’s done. Miss Ophelia cured fifteen patients.”Kudo Ono shot Adrian a stiff glance, forcing out, “And that boy?”The apprentice hesitated before saying, “Mr. Doyle cured thirty-six.”The crowd erupted.Ophelia couldn’t bear it any longer—she broke into sobs, utterly undone.She co

“I get it now. Mr. Doyle kept giving them head starts because his confidence is absolute. Against that, these four Hinoku doctors look like clowns.”“There’s no suspense left. Mr. Doyle’s won again.”Amid cheers, the fifteen minutes vanished in a blink.Both sides stopped and stepped apart.Counting the herbs took more than ten minutes.Kudo Ono’s face was like stormclouds. “Mr. Honda has to win this one. If not, we’ll have no face left.”“In our Color Medicine Hall, Mr. Honda is the unrivaled nose—few can match him. That kid cannot be his equal. Mr. Honda will win!”“The tally is complete. Mr. Honda identified eighty-three herbs, with two mistakes. Final count: eighty-one.”A score to be proud of—until Adrian’s number was read.“Mr. Adrian identified one hundred and eighty herbs. Not a single error.”They had expected him to win, but the result still sent a shock through the crowd.What kind of medical prodigy was this—exceptional on every front, in ways that defied reason? And he lo