"Man's enemies are not demons, but human beings like himself." – Lao Tzu

The sheer power that erupted from the demons made Tsuna involuntarily choke.

Mukuro shielded Tsuna with his taller body when Reborn dashed towards him with blinding speed. Tsuna could barely keep up with their movements as he desperately tried analyzing the fight.

I can't see anything, he thought, backing away.

He briefly glanced at his home's gates. He could run for it, but he doubted that either man was actually focusing on each other. They were waiting—waiting for him to make a move—and that pissed him off, immensely. He wasn't in the mood for whatever Mukuro was thinking.

Before Tsuna could even stand, a sudden loud bang made him freeze. Metal clashed with metal. His ears rang painfully at the unexpected noise. He gaped when he saw Reborn pointing a gun at him, a faint wisp of smoke trailing from the weapon. Mukuro's trident had deflected the bullet, which was dangerously close to piercing his forehead.

"Oya," Mukuro said, his lips curved in a slight smile, "you should watch your step, Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna just scowled. "Well, as you can see, Mukuro, this is a rather unfortunate situation for the both of us." He smirked. "Honestly, I'd thought you'd get rid of him faster."

The demon's brow twitched faintly. "You expect too much from me, Tsunayoshi."

"I expect better."

Tsuna gasped when Mukuro suddenly snaked an arm around his waist and leapt high in the air—too high.

"Mukuro!" he said, grasping the demon's shirt.

Mukuro chuckled. "Do you want me to drop you?"

Tsuna glared. "You wouldn't dare."

Mukuro just smiled at him, and for a brief second, Tsuna thought he would. A tree exploded below them, the loud boom reverberating in the distance. He immediately buried his face against Mukuro's chest as the wind whistled around them, shutting his eyes when they descended just as rapidly.

Mukuro chuckled. "You seem to attract the most unfavorable attention."

Before Tsuna could retort, he flinched when a black figure flew in from the distance. It was incoming too quickly and he could see the unholy gleam in Reborn's eyes within seconds.

"Mukuro!"

Mukuro had already sprinted to the side when Reborn descended rapidly in their previous spot. The ground exploded beneath him. A cloud of dust and dirt billowed in the air, making Tsuna cough and eyes water. Mukuro dropped him unceremoniously to the ground, causing him to squawk indignantly, and swiftly blocked Reborn's kick with his trident.

Mukuro smiled pleasantly. "I'd appreciate it if you'd just leave quietly, Renato."

Reborn smirked. "Who do you take me for, Mukuro?"

"Well, I asked nicely."

Mukuro twisted his trident to hook Reborn's leg in an arc before slamming the end of it against his chest. The other demon immediately used the momentum to twist and kick Mukuro's head. A large vine shot out from the ground, ensnaring Reborn's leg in a vice grip and flinging him to the side. Mukuro clicked his tongue when Reborn flipped gracefully to land on much lighter feet.

Tsuna clenched his jaw when he saw how far they were from his home. Standing on shaky legs, he braced himself against a tree, glaring at Mukuro's back. Stupid demon, he thought. He glanced at Reborn. Stupid, stupid demons.

"Tsunayoshi, I admit that I can't exactly get rid of him," Mukuro said lightly. "He's a rather stubborn one."

"Oh, of course," Tsuna said, rolling his eyes. "I can clearly see that." He scowled. "My order still stands."

Mukuro's pale lips curled into a small smile. "How cruel."

The demons dashed forward again, entering another savage yet graceful dance. Their traded blows shook the ground beneath Tsuna's feet. Bullets fired in rapid succession—how much did Reborn even have?—and metal continued clashing against each other. Mukuro skillfully deflected them all before charging forward to slash Reborn's open chest. Reborn just brought up his gun to block the blow. Mukuro's trident slightly quivered from Reborn's superior strength, but his sly smile never faltered. Neither did Reborn's.

"It's been a while," Mukuro said as if they were talking about the weather. "How are your brothers faring?"

Reborn gave him a smile that looked more like a snarl. "I'd prefer that you keep your mouth shut."

"Pity. I was hoping to chat over some tea later."

Mukuro's foot slightly moved; the sound of crunching dirt made Tsuna tense. Maybe he should've thought this more through. He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to wallow. He needed a plan. Reborn was obviously much more powerful than Mukuro was and that wasn't very reassuring. Tsuna could probably try some restraining spells but he didn't have any materials with him. He also couldn't summon holy fire like a few exorcists could.

Goddamn it.

"I apologize, but Tsunayoshi's mine," Mukuro said, flashing some teeth.

Reborn sneered. "Not anymore."

His free hand moved up with another gun. Tsuna's breath hitched. As soon as Reborn pulled the trigger, another vine snaked around Tsuna's waist and hauled him away from the line of fire. The bullet just grazed his shirt, but he could feel the burning heat against his side. A tree behind him exploded; some barks nicked his skin but a wall of thick vines blocked most of the impact.

The vine that held him suddenly tossed him to another one, making him gasp. More vines shot up from the ground when Reborn suddenly appeared in front of Tsuna, eyes dark and smoldering. His hand just barely brushed his arm before Tsuna was skillfully maneuvered away again. Stumbling, he tried regaining his balance, but the vines were being extremely difficult as they tugged him away from Reborn's grasp. He clicked his tongue when he was shoved to the right and back again. He felt like a puppet.

Mukuro managed to appear and hook both of Reborn's arms behind him. He placed his foot on the other demon's back and flashed some teeth. Tsuna swore both of his eyes glowed bright red for a second. Before Mukuro could pull, Reborn deliberately jerked forward. Tsuna cringed when he heard bones snapping.

Reborn's leg then shot up behind him, kicking Mukuro's chest and sending him flying into some trees. Tsuna widened his eyes.

"Mukuro!" he said, scrambling to his feet.

He barely took a step before Reborn appeared in front of him again. His arms were already healed, which was very strange. Demons didn't—couldn't—heal that fast. Tsuna glared at him with all the hate he could muster.

"I won't make a contract with you," he hissed. "So just leave."

Reborn raised a gun and pointed it at Tsuna's forehead, making him flinch. His lips twisted in a cruel smile. "I never take no for an answer."

Before he could pull the trigger, a rush of cars suddenly drove into the clearing, tires screeching. Timoteo was already out before his car even stopped, and he looked absolutely furious. Tsuna didn't want to admit that he was a bit relieved at the interruption.

"Reborn!" Timoteo said, marching towards them. "What are you doing? Put that away at once!"

Tsuna released a sigh of relief he didn't even know he was holding. He gave one more glare at Reborn, whose hold on his gun faltered just slightly, and ran towards Mukuro. The demon was already standing before he got there, dusting off his long jacket. A trickle of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"Mukuro," Tsuna said, maintaining a safe distance, "are you alright?"

Mukuro chuckled. "I'm alive, Tsunayoshi."

"I underestimated him."

That was the closest thing Mukuro would get as an apology, but it didn't draw the reaction Tsuna expected. Mukuro was suddenly close, too close, and grabbed Tsuna before he could step back. His grip was bruising on his arm, almost breaking bones, and Tsuna could feel his gloves' leather burn through his shirt.

He winced. "Muku—"

"Your soul is mine, Tsunayoshi," Mukuro said, his eyes flashing red. "That is something I am not willing to share."

Tsuna scowled. He wasn't in the mood for sentimentalities. "Yes, we established that years ago."

Then, just like that, the tension left Mukuro's body, which Tsuna didn't even realize. Mukuro's lips curved into a pleasant smile again. Tsuna found himself a little relieved at that. He didn't think he'd be able to handle a moody Mukuro.

"Here."

Mukuro took out his eyepatch from his pocket and tied it around Tsuna's contract eye. Tsuna reached up to gently wipe the blood away from Mukuro's mouth in return. His lips pursed in distaste but he could do that much.

Mukuro's smile just became a little sharper. "Oya, how kind."

Tsuna scoffed. "Don't push it."

Turning, Tsuna marched back to Timoteo, who scolded Reborn in intense Italian. The demon wasn't even paying attention to what he was saying—his eyes were still on Tsuna. Mukuro followed him from behind, gaining Reborn's sharp attention. Whatever pissing contest they were having didn't matter to Tsuna. He just wanted some damn answers.

"I apologize, Tsunayoshi-kun," the elderly man said, reverting back to Japanese when he noticed him.

The sincerity in his voice did nothing to sway Tsuna. "I don't understand, Nono-san," he said with suppressed fury, which wasn't that far off from what he was actually feeling. "Why did he follow me home? Did you send him after me? Was this a test for my capabilities? Because let me remind you, I only made a contract today. Or were you just trying to kill me?"

Paling, Timoteo raised his hands to placate the fuming brunet. Tsuna didn't know whether to be disgusted or insulted at that. Probably insulted because what a load of bullshit.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, I swear on my life that I never sent Reborn after you. I was unaware that he followed you until I sensed him briefly, which led me here."

"Then I suggest you keep him on a tighter leash," Tsuna hissed. "I don't want to see him ever again."

He barely blinked when Mukuro shoved him behind and intercepted Reborn's gun with his trident. It took every nerve in Tsuna's body not to flinch or run.

Timoteo's jaw clenched, his eyes trained on Reborn intensely. "Reborn, we're leaving."

Reborn kept his eyes trained on Tsuna, the unholy glint in those dark pools never fading. If anything, it seemed to take a life of its own, burning and glowing brighter. Tsuna then noticed flecks of yellow in Reborn's eyes—the demon had the Solis affinity.

"I hope we never meet again, Reborn," Tsuna said. "Good afternoon, Nono-san."

"I apologize for this inappropriate plea, Tsunayoshi-kun, but I hope that this doesn't dissuade you from your decision."

"We'll see."

With that, Tsuna turned and walked away. It was probably dangerous for him to show his back to Reborn and Timoteo—especially Reborn—but he could care less. He soon heard the cars leaving behind him, the soft rumbling of engines slowly vanishing from the clearing.

"Do you have some tea left from your little tea party?" Tsuna said tightly.

Mukuro smiled. "Well, I wouldn't mind making more."

"Let's hope that you can at least achieve that much today."

Mukuro didn't even sound offended. "You wound me, Tsunayoshi."

"I'm glad," was Tsuna's dry response.

As soon as he entered his home, Tsuna checked the anti-demon seals that his mother had created years ago. He himself had studied her detailed notes on the art to maintain them. It was also quite fun seeing Mukuro unable to get close without burning the first time around (until the demon simply walked through the barriers without much problem and woke him up quite unceremoniously by offering some chocolate waffles, which Tsuna threw away immediately).

Finding nothing wrong, Tsuna paused when he read the inscriptions of those acceptable to pass through: Lal Mirch, Basil, Turmeric, Oregano, Mukuro. He found himself missing the first four and annoyed at the last one. He still didn't know how Mukuro entered the barriers and the demon never said anything about it. Sighing, Tsuna jumped when a cup of tea appeared under his nose.

Mukuro chuckled. "Something wrong, Tsunayoshi? I thought you liked chrysanthemum tea."

"I hope it's real," Tsuna said, studying the warm yellow liquid, "and not poisoned."

Mukuro gave him a small mock-gasp. "Oh, why didn't I think of that?"

"Which one?"

The demon tapped his chin in lieu of looking contemplative. "Which is the best to answer, I wonder?"

Tsuna rolled his eyes. "You're being more ridiculous than usual. Bitter?" He pursed his lips. "Anyways, sit. We need to talk."

Mukuro chuckled but sat down nonetheless. He slung a long arm around the next chair and crossed his legs, the perfect picture of relaxed grace. Tsuna didn't stray his gaze from the other demon, his one eye narrowing ever so slightly.

"Who was he?" he said. "How do you know him?"

"Throwing around pronouns like that is meaningless, Tsunayoshi. To whom are you referring to?"

Tsuna wished looks could kill, then he'd be able to reduce the idiotic population by millions, including demons. His fingers twitched on the table, and he considered throwing his cup at Mukuro's face, but he settled on a withering sigh.

"You know who I'm talking about. I'm not in the mood for your games. Tell me before I order you to."

Mukuro conjured a little ring in his hand and twirled it aimlessly with his long, gloved fingers. "Well, I can if you'd elaborate on who this 'he' is."

Tsuna's brow twitched. He really didn't want to say the other demon's name. It was like burning his own tongue. Before he could open his mouth, the command just dancing on the edge of his lips, Mukuro placed the ring on the table and slid it next to Tsuna's cup. He blinked.

"What is this?" he said, unable to keep the skepticism from his tone.

Mukuro chuckled. "It's a ring. Surely you know that much."

Tsuna pursed his lips. "Yes, but what is i—why are you giving it to me?"

"The demon that followed you was Renato," Mukuro said. "Well, I suppose he took up the name 'Reborn' now. How tacky. Don't you think Renato is a lovely name already, Tsunayoshi?"

Tsuna filed away whatever Mukuro said in his mind, but always with a grain of salt. Sometimes the demon made no sense and he had spent days thinking about whether or not they were true before coming up with nothing. He guessed he could just order Mukuro to tell him the truth, but a small part of him liked the little mind games the demon employed in their conversations. No matter how much it annoyed Tsuna, it kept his mind occupied he supposed, and how sad was that?

"What is your relationship?"

Mukuro smiled and Tsuna didn't know what to make of the gleam in his eyes. "Oya, jealous?"

"No. I don't care what relationship you have with him. Just answer the question."

Mukuro chuckled. "Well, I can assure you that it's nothing that you were thinking of. Renato might be easy on the eyes, but he's quite dreadful when you get to know him."

"You seem like you talk from experience."

Mukuro's smile became a tad sharper. "Oh, but of course. I suppose you could say we go a long way back, millenniums in fact."

Tsuna perked up. This was the first time Mukuro ever gave a hint to how old he really was. Tsuna frowned a bit though. Then again, it could also be a fluke.

"How much do you know about him?"

Mukuro didn't even blink. Tsuna could tell there was some history between the two demons since Reborn referred to Mukuro as "filth". Although, maybe Reborn referred to all demons as filth, but how would Tsuna know? He could barely decipher the other demon's motives other than wanting his soul, and Tsuna only met him today. Not much was really given to him to work with and he didn't like it.

"Well, what would you like to know?"

"If I ask you how you know him, will you give me a proper answer?"

Mukuro twirled a strand of his hair loosely. "That depends on what you'd like to know."

"I expected as much." Tsuna's right eye burned as the order danced on the tip of his tongue. "But I'm not in the mood for your games right now, so I'm going to have to order you to tell me what you can about Reborn."

Mukuro's smile didn't waver at the slightest. "Reborn, but not Renato?"

Tsuna just gave him a blank look, making the demon raise his hands in mock-surrender and lean back against his chair. "Alright. Do you remember anything about the history of demons from your classes, Tsunayoshi?"

Tsuna's brow quirked up. "The history? As in the creation of Hell?"

Mukuro chuckled. "Well, I suppose." He hummed to himself. "Perhaps I worded it incorrectly."

"Why can't you just tell me?"

It was times like these when Tsuna wondered if their soul contract even worked at all. It was the strongest contract a human could make with a demon, and it commanded absolute obedience from the latter until the deal was completed. The soul was just the end prize and what made it so potent. Tsuna didn't think too much about its worth, not when his revenge was in the works; however, it irritated him to no end at how slippery Mukuro could be when it came to the commands. He supposed it was better than having a tactless demon, but it still drove Tsuna crazy every time Mukuro found a loophole, if that was even possible.

"Oh, but it's all related to what you just asked me, Tsunayoshi. Then tell me, do you know about the Seven Princes of Hell? You'll know them more commonly as the Seven Deadly Sins."

Tsuna blinked, his mind reeling as it hauled up his teachers' lectures and what he had read. His knowledge was not as extensive as Mukuro's, but he did take some interest in the demon hierarchy and classification systems. Though he wasn't much of a fighter, that didn't mean he'd rush blindly into battle.

"Yes, they're the strongest demons in Hell, top of the food chain." Tsuna's brows furrowed. "And…Reborn is one of them."

Mukuro smiled. "How smart you are." The compliment would've sounded better if it wasn't so mocking, as if Tsuna was a dog. "Yes, Renato is one of the seven, the most powerful of them in fact. He is more well-known as Superbia."

"Pride," Tsuna muttered. "I'm not surprised. He also has the Solis affinity, I presume?"

"And what gave that away?"

It was a blasé question but Tsuna didn't waste time in answering. It was more for his sake than Mukuro's, to reassure himself he had some cards in a game he never knew he was even playing. "His eyes. I saw some yellow in them. He also healed much faster than the average demon—actually, even more than most Solis affinities."

Mukuro's lips curved into a thin smile. "Yes."

"But why is he here?" Tsuna said. "From what I remember, the Sins rarely get themselves involved in human affairs." His eyes narrowed. "The fact that he's with Nono is also concerning. How could Vongola gain such a powerful demon by their side and what for?"

Mukuro chuckled. "The more important question should be why he went after you."

"You know what he wanted, and it wasn't the most persuasive offer either. It was pathetic actually." Tsuna looked up to gauge Mukuro's reaction, which remained composed. "I don't know whether to be terrified or insulted."

Mukuro flashed some teeth then. "You seem to always prove me wrong, Tsunayoshi. Any person in their right mind would be terrified and happy to create any kind of contract with a Sin, especially when it's being directly offered. It is almost impossible to summon one. They're quite the picky bunch."

"Insulted it is then," Tsuna deadpanned. "What do you take me for, Mukuro? I'm not interested in creating another contract and not a soul contract. I would've done that long ago." He leaned his chin onto his fist, his gaze never leaving Mukuro's face. "Is that even possible? Would my soul be divided? Can a soul be divided? Anyways, you're already enough. I'm not interested in getting rid of you any time soon."

"You're awfully sentimental today, Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna pursed his lips. "Either way, what still bothers me is that Reborn's with Vongola now. I'm not too surprised that they managed to get a Sin on their hands, but it's still something we should look into. The timing's awfully suspicious. What more do you know about him? He seems to be proficient with guns, but that's not enough for me to assess his abilities properly."

Mukuro conjured a gun in his own hand and aimed it at Tsuna's head, making him tense.

"What are you doing, Mukuro?" Tsuna said, slowly edging away from the table.

"I am simply providing a demonstration," the demon said with a small smile. "Aren't most humans' visual learners, after all?"

"That isn't necessary. Put it away before I order you to shoot yourself instead."

Mukuro shrugged, the gun vanishing from his hands in a wisp of smoke. "Alright then." Tsuna glared at him, which did nothing to deter his speech. "You saw for yourself how he fought, Tsunayoshi. Why not share some of your thoughts?"

"Yes, for ten minutes while you were running away. The only thing I could gather is that he's much more powerful than you."

Mukuro's smile became thinner. "How keen. But he seems that way because of his affinity. Renato is as cunning as he is powerful. He is able to wield his element much more proficiently than most demons. Even without it, he'd still be powerful." Laying a hand on the table, Mukuro created a small shower of light that burst like fireworks. "I'm surprised he followed you all the way here—Well, I suppose he's more direct when it comes to something he wants. I'm sure you know some contract with Timoteo won't hold him back from hunting you again. Once Renato wants something, he won't stop—he is chaos personified after all."

Tsuna frowned. He had hoped that Timoteo could keep a better eye on Reborn going forward, but that was wishful thinking on his part. He wasn't even sure why he thought that in the first place when he saw first-hand how unrelenting Reborn was. Plus, the standard contract with a demon did not demand absolute obedience; it was more like a truce, and it was up to the two parties how they would go about it.

The sparks of light danced precariously on Mukuro's fingertips, as if they were taking a life of their own. "And you'll prove to be quite the prey, Tsunayoshi. Renato will take your blatant refusal personally." He chuckled. "I suppose you could say that it took a hit to his pride."

The joke was lost to Tsuna, but he didn't care. "I'm not going to stay at home forever. He's just another obstacle, but I think we can pull through. Do you know how Timoteo managed to get him in the first place and why?"

Mukuro closed his hand into a fist, extinguishing the lights. "That will require some digging. It's a rather new development that even I am curious about."

Tsuna suppressed a sigh. "I want you to look into it." He narrowed his eye. "You don't happen to know anything about Enrico's death also, do you?"

"I do now."

"If you're behind any of this, I won't hesitate in terminating our contract."

Mukuro suddenly towered over him before Tsuna could blink. His back pressed against his chair when Mukuro leaned down closer to his face, the glint in his eyes making them much darker than they seemed.

"Oya, are you doubting me, Tsunayoshi, after all I've done for you?"

Tsuna didn't know how he managed to speak. "Yes, because something always seems to happen whenever you come back with intel. Can you blame me for being suspicious?"

Mukuro's lips curved into a slight smile, teetering on the borderline between pleasantry and danger. Tsuna recoiled but Mukuro gripped his shirt and pulled him up closer. He didn't understand why the other was so uptight all of a sudden, but he could faintly feel the demon's rumbling power seep through the man's body.

"And did anything happen once to obstruct your little plan, Tsunayoshi? From the ways thing are now, I think you should be more appreciative. Granted, I may be slyer than most and much cleverer than you are, but I never lied to you nor did I intentionally deceive you into thinking that I was never obedient." Tsuna couldn't speak. He could only stare at Mukuro with a wide eye. "I do not care about what you may think of me—human minds are oh-so fragile after all—but I will ask to keep it to yourself. I have already relinquished my freedom to be chained to your side like a good little pet. What more is there that you want from me?"

Tsuna's heart pounded against his chest and he was sure Mukuro could hear it without trying. Still, his stupid mouth spoke without him thinking. "Your loyalty…"

Mukuro pulled him even closer, their lips almost touching. A small shiver crawled up Tsuna's spine, and he could feel his throat constricting from the suffocating air. "That is certainly up for question. What a pity, Tsunayoshi. And here I was thinking you were actually being keen for once, but really, you're only proving to be a foolish little boy."

Gritting his teeth, Tsuna reached up to grab Mukuro's hand; the demon's glove was cool against his clammy skin. His eye burned when he uttered his command. "Unhand me."

To Tsuna's small relief, Mukuro released him, dropping him to the ground. Tsuna glared, but tensed when the demon conjured a gun in his hand and pointed it at his forehead.

"Wh—"

Mukuro smiled thinly. "A word of advice, Tsunayoshi. Never"—he turned the safety off, the small click making Tsuna flinch—"get in line of Renato's fire."

Tsuna's breath hitched when Mukuro pulled the trigger. He closed his eye, bracing himself for the hit, but only heard an ear-shattering crack. Tense, Tsuna couldn't find the words to speak when Mukuro picked up his ring from the table and eyed it under the light. The gun didn't disappear from his hand.

"Another thing, Tsunayoshi," he said, yanking Tsuna up on his feet. He grabbed his hand before Tsuna could pull away. "I never and do not intend to share what belongs to me."

Mukuro slipped the violet band into Tsuna's left ring finger, ignoring his protests. The cool metal burned his skin. When Mukuro let him go, Tsuna tried yanking the ring off but it didn't budge. There were some inscriptions written on the metal that he couldn't read. He gaped at the demon. "What is this?" he said, tugging the ring again. "What did you do?"

A sudden glow on the wall caught his eye. The hexagonal rune signaled that there were people approaching the gates—and they had demons with them. Tsuna clicked his tongue before standing up and roughly adjusting his school uniform. He could feel his heart racing against his chest and blood pounding in his ears.

Abandoning all reason, he marched to the front door and reached for the doorknob until a hand tugged him away. He instantly pulled against the iron hold but couldn't budge.

"I advise caution, Tsunayoshi," Mukuro said in that insufferably calm tone of his.

"Let me go," Tsuna hissed.

The doorbell suddenly rang, the muted tune making him tense. How…?

"Humans are still allowed on the premises."

Mukuro's nonchalant comment didn't quell Tsuna's nerves. Surprisingly, the demon finally released him before Tsuna reached for the door, only hesitating when his hand touched the handle. It shook underneath his grip until he realized that it was his own trembling hand.

The doorbell rang again.

"Do you require assistance?" Mukuro said lightly.

Somehow straightening himself, Tsuna looked back at the demon with a cold eye. "No."

Opening the door, Tsuna lightly sighed when the rush of the afternoon air brushed his cheeks. He blinked when he saw two suited men standing on his doorsteps. Their car was parked right outside the gates. One of the men gave him a friendly smile, but Tsuna just stared at him, his mouth suddenly feeling dry.

"Hey there," the man said. "This is the Sawada Residence, right?"

Tsuna internally winced at how weak his voice sounded. "Yes." He glanced at the other man whose cold, gray-blue eyes weren't trained on him, but on Mukuro standing behind him. "And…?"

"Oh, sorry! I'm Yamamoto Takeshi and this is Hibari Kyoya, but I'm sure you already know that." Yamamoto laughed. "Everyone knows Hibari anyways."

Tsuna pursed his lips. He knew who they were. They were officers from the Namimori Police Department, more specifically the Demonic Summons and Crimes Unit, a division dedicated to crimes committed by and against demons and summoners. It was broad but no one complained when it came to the unit's ruthless efficiency, thanks to Hibari Kyoya who was ironically known as the Demon Prefect of Namimori.

Tsuna had some sense as to why they were here, but that didn't mean they were welcomed. "Yes, but may I ask why you are here?"

Yamamoto's grin didn't waver. "We just wanted to ask about the power spike earlier. We tracked it down to somewhere nearby and were wondering if you happen to know about it. Those felt like pretty strong demons so we just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Tsuna resisted the urge to scoff. "Pretty strong demons" was a vast understatement. "Thank you for your concern," he said politely, "but I'm fine."

"That's great! Do you happen to know about it though?"

Quirking a brow, Tsuna wondered if this man was just really dense or really persistent. "I—"

"Don't lie to us, herbivore," Hibari said, finally directing his sharp gaze at him.

Tsuna took on a slightly offended tone. "I wasn't going to lie, Hibari-san."

Smiling kindly, he opened the door a little more, the gears in his mind turning rapidly. The men were none the wiser. "I was just about to invite you inside. Would you like some tea?"

A/N Ahahaha, this took a while to get through. So sorry for the late update!

Thank you so much for the reviews and favorites, peeps! I was actually iffy about this one but you all seemed to take interest in it so I was pretty happy. :^D

Oh, some information but more questions, which will all be revealed eventually. What was that ring? What is Tsuna planning now? Why is Reborn here? And goddamn it, Mukuro, tell it straight for once (I do hope that I did okay with the interaction between him and Tsuna though…).

And yes, I made the 10th generation older than Tsuna in this story…just because, ahaha. Interesting reversal compared to my other stories, eh? (So, yeah—the Mukuro here is basically the TYL version, haha) Also, that crime unit is a terrible name, I know. Please forgive me, ahaha. If you have better ones, let me know…

So, the flames from canon will be affinities among the demons but in Latin names since I found it quite fitting. And the Seven Deadly Sins will also be in Latin. Anyone want to give a guess to which sin corresponds to which Arcobaleno (including Bermuda)? :^)

Thank you so much for reading! Leave a thought or two if you can and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can if you have any questions!

I hope to see you again in the next chapter!

Have a lovely day~

Little Miss Bunny

Revised: 5/11/2018