XI
"It's the first time I see this place"
"I made this place right after I got here" he replied.
"Are they really here, Ricosto?"
"…"
"Ricosto?"
…
"Where are they?" she asked once again.
"They're at the amusement park, having fun, Athena"
Upon being called her real name, Yuki asked "How did you know?" as she was sweating, already feeling the danger but didn't draw her weapon yet. "Will this make you remember?"
Rico gradually changed his form and the first thing that showed up was his silver hair and slowly to toe. Rico turned his body to face Yuki and said "Remember now?"
She flinched as she saw that face, the face that once tormented her other self. She immediately drew her sword with narrow eyes. "Glad you remember, although that wasn't you back then" he smirked and showed his small pouch.
"This is the only souvenir I get from you, my only treasure" he kissed the pouch. She directly knew what was inside that pouch and she gave out a killing aura.
"What's your name, vampire?"
"I don't have to fake my name. Because I'm not in anyone's life except hers"
"Hers?"
He put back his pouch and drew a long katana, "Bring it"
With that, their battle had begun. It wasn't a typical of an easy fight. Rico was stronger than he looks. Within just few minutes, they already have scratches on their bodies. As their swords clashed each other, she asked "I thought 'Yuki' had finished with you as she did with Cole and his men"
"I managed to survive, you could say" he used his free hand to push her with his hand force by hitting her stomach, but she was quick enough to revert her sword as a protection and the impact caused her to be pushed backwards, although that saved her.
"Light your ring"
"What?"
"I want to see that power of yours"
She stared at the ring and said "I won't use it"
"You probably should" Rico swung his swords towards her, causing her to do a sudden defense mode by guarding it with her sword. She was completely off guard as Rico suddenly appeared on her back and stabbed her shoulder until it pierced through her. She immediately back away and held her shoulder.
"Why are you holding back?" he walked towards her and suddenly disappeared. He appeared in front of her and stabbed her stomach like what he did to her shoulder, causing her to cough blood. "I think I get it now" he whispered to her ears.
"You can't light the ring, can you? You haven't discovered your true resolve. If this is the case, I guess I have to hurry up and go to them" he pulled his weapon and was going to leave, but Yuki stopped him by saying "We're not done here". She stood up slowly.
"I'll… protect them"
"Pfft! Hahaha…." He burst laughing. "Seriously, what a joke. I think this is why you can't light your ring. You're too focus on protecting them while you doesn't remember your true nature"
"You're different than your other personality, Athena, no, Yuki. It's probably better to call you that since that's what you want, right? See? I'm not that evil. Anyway, let me tell you this as a bonus. You won't be able to light that ring forever if you forget about who you are"
"You know nothing about me or us" she glared. "Hmm… is that so? But what can you do at your current state? You can't even lift your own injured arm"
"As I said, you know nothing about me" she emitted a jet black aura as a sign of what she was going to do.
…
"I told you, you know nothing of me"
Yuki was panting as she held on to her stomach and stared at Rico who was lying on ground. All she could think of was why she was holding back. She approached him and held his forehead, beginning to read his mind.
.
"I think I'll name you Rico. You're my son now and I'll take care of you"
"M-Mother…?"
.
"Look, we can't take this child to our house! He'll contaminate our name!"
"But, dear. I…"
"Don't misunderstand. You will raise child but everyone mustn't know about this, especially Cole and Yuki"
.
She immediately snapped as she felt a needle on her hand. She backed away, but at the same time, she felt a hard painful thump inside her.
"How dare you look into my memories" he stood up. "My mother… adopted you?"
"Why are you looking so surprised? You knew her, so you must know what kind of person she is. She loved to pick up stray animals and nurtured them, such as myself. She's everything to me"
Rico's glare turned like an avenger glare and from that eyes she could tell that he really wanted to kill her from long ago. "I used to adore you, watching you silently. But you take her away from me"
"You took Iieve away from me!" he blew out and summoned another long katana and he held two. Yuki was going to ready herself, but her injuries and the poison paralyzed her.
…
Meanwhile, at the amusement park…
"Lambo sure is noisy" Tsuna commented at the sleeping kid who was sleeping on a bench.
"He's just child" Giotto added.
"I sure don't want to have a brother like him" Gokudera retorted. "Or a child" Enma added.
"A child, huh?" Giotto muttered. "But it's lively and wonderful to have a child like him, all energetic and has the motivation to help his parents. I want to have a child like him someday" he smilingly said.
"Wait, are you serious, Giotto-san?"
"Why would I be lying? I was reborn to this world, but that doesn't mean I can't raise a family"
"I can guess what you're thinking, Giotto" Reborn said with smirk. "Ahaha… busted, aren't I?" he scratched his head.
"Found you"
"Eh?" everyone looked back at the same time and spotted a tainted man with two long katana. "You're… Ricosto, aren't you?" Giotto questioned.
"As expected from someone who has super intuition. You got me"
"Wait, Ricosto-kun? You're a… vampire? What's going on here?" Tsuna's face paled.
"I'm here to end the chain once and for all, the chain that was firstly made by Vongola secondo"
"Secondo? Do you know anything about this, Giotto?" Reborn asked. "No, I don't know anything about this"
"I-Pin, take Lambo away from here" Giotto ordered, not wanting to involve kids and so, I-Pin went home while carrying Lambo.
They have readied themselves and were going to make a move, but suddenly, one by one, few people were killed brutally. That killing frightened the people and they started to run away from the park.
"What did you just do?" Tsuna widened his eyes. "Ask my men" as she said that, numbers of vampires appeared and was going to chase the citizen, but the only one who could hurt a vampire there was only Giotto. They couldn't do anything about it.
"Ah, I know that face. You're really caught between me and them, huh. But there's nothing you can do, actually. All of you can't harm us, except for Giotto"
"Your blood will be mixed up with her blood" he grinned. "Her?" Giotto questioned.
"I've killed your Yuki, Giotto" he said proudly.
Hearing this, Giotto's eyes went on rampage and started to attack him. Both were equally strong and Rico was weakened due to his fight with Yuki. Giotto managed to give him a fatal and several bruises, but Rico didn't back down yet. As Rico made Giotto kneeled on ground, that's when he was about to attack Tsuna, but suddenly, something on his feet stopped him. It was Giotto's Zero point breakthrough.
"You're still able to perform that technique with your injuries. I'm impressed" he chipped. "Likewise. You're amazing as well, to be able to move that much from those wounds"
"I admit, you really are strong, but that won't be enough" he relentlessly slashed the ice and succeeded to escape from it. But Giotto punched him with full speed as he freed from his ice and that surprised Rico a lot.
Rico moved away from Giotto and said "You're so persistent, but no matter. Soon, the entire citizen will become a prey for us"
Unexpectedly, one of his men came by. "Sir, we have a situation"
"What is it? Are you having trouble gathering them?" he joked.
"No, it's… all of the troops have been annihilated"
"WHAT? By who?" he snapped, but then, the man collapsed and didn't answer his question. Suddenly, someone from above fell to him and swung its sword as Rico blocked it with his one sword.
"Tch! You're still alive" Rico tried to push her back, but Yuki also pushed him back and then, Yuki kicked him and after she did, she jumped and flipped backwards.
"Don't you dare touch them with your dirty hands" she glared with a pale face. But again, the poison attacked her again as if she was stabbed from inside. She couldn't do much about it and knowing that, Rico was going to assault her, but Giotto blocked his way by hugging her and let him took the attack, making an 'X' lines on his back.
"Step aside" Rico gazed at the person who turned his back on him as he hugged Yuki and didn't let go. "Go away. It's my fault he's like this. I don't want you to get hurt" she said.
"So do I" Giotto replied.
"I won't let her go, even if it kills me" he added.
"Then, this'll make my job easier"
Rico kicked Giotto, which made him fell on top of her. Yuki couldn't move because her own reason, but Giotto, despite the fact he could still move, he wouldn't do it.
"Trying to be her knight, aren't you, Giotto? Then, you don't mind if I kill you first" Rico slashed his back several times, which made Giotto screamed in pain, but Giotto was still on top of her and held her.
"Let me go! Don't do this!" she shouted, then felt the poison again.
"I won't… let you go… until I die"
"A forbidden love between Vongola and Chronos, how wonderful… and a pain to my eyes" a sky flame suddenly appeared on his weapon. "A sky flame? How did he…" Tsuna shocked.
Sky flame emerged with his katana, just like what Yamamoto did. He was preparing for a fatal blow, but Tsuna, Enma, and Gokudera charged towards him, although they couldn't harm him.
"Tch, pests. I'll deal with you later" he swung his sword to them, blowing them away with just a minor bruise.
"Stay… away… Giotto" she tried to push him, but the poison was violently attacked her body. Giotto stared at Yuki with a pale and painful smile. "I'll… protect you"
"Bye-bye" Rico spoke with maniac face and fully swung it. The attack was fused with his flame and because of that, Giotto got slashed and collapsed.
His agonizing scream made Yuki's eyes were shaking and widening as she saw he fell in front of her eyes, moreover, on top of her. She could feel the painful thump on her heart and not because of the poison as it thumped and thumped continuously, as if there was something that waited to come out.
Rico swung the sword as the end, but suddenly, Yuki gripped it tightly and scattered it to dust as her ring began to light. She moved away Giotto gently and stood up as her aura began to feel different.
"How… can you still move?" Rico sweated.
"You scooped this body's eye, you tricked Tsuna and everyone, and you tried to hurt the innocent" slowly, her hair and eyes began to change color and gloves started to appear on her hands. Black universe flames showed on her forehead with an 'X' shape. Her weapon changed to a gun as she held two and the guns was coated by the flame.
"White hair and red eyes. So this is what happens if you light your ring" Rico grinned for some reason.
They started their fight once again, but Rico immediately got disadvantaged. Yuki's relentless attack was fast and strong but somehow fueled by anger.
Rico lost to her instantly. Yuki approached him and grabbed his collar. She touched his eye and said "Your biggest mistake is when your sword touched him and I now pass the judgment on you"
…
The day was almost ended as the orange dyed the sky as well as Giotto who opened his eyes.
Although his back was injured badly, he could still stand up. But what was waiting for him to see were the girl he loved and Rico. An eyeball, several fingers and ears were near her as Giotto gazed with cold feet. Tsuna and the rest could stop her, but they were surrounded by barrier that strained them and they could just stare with regret of couldn't stand the sight they saw.
Giotto ran towards her and locked her both arms. "Stop it!" he yelled. Yuki's eyes widened of hearing the voice and her form changed to normal. Yuki hugged him and said with a smile "I'm glad… you're okay"
But after she said that, she collapsed and at the same time, the barrier had gone.
"Are you okay, Giotto-san?" Tsuna and everyone ran to them. Giotto carried her princess-style and said "I'm fine, but I don't know about her"
All of the sudden, they heard a siren.
"Let us handle her" the paramedic spoke. "You come with us too" he added.
"We'll visit you" Tsuna said and he nodded.
And so, Giotto and Yuki were taken to the nearby hospital. One of the paramedic wanted to look at his injuries, but persisted, saying that he'd be fine. Along the way, he didn't avert his face away from Yuki.
…
"Have you not heard any news from Ricosto?" the golden-haired man spoke.
"No, I'm afraid we're—"
"Cross-sama!" one of his men showed up. "This mansion is being attacked! Please evacuate through—" a shot in his heart killed him before he could continue. The person appeared while carrying a person and shot his last man who was going to draw his gun.
"Found you" the girl said in delight and dropped the corpse.
"Y-Yuki-sama? What on earth did you do to Ricosto?"
Yuki, along with her white hair and red eyes emitted her usual black aura and raised her glove. "Sending him to end my reign as Chronos and to kill Vongola. Your sins are too much to be unforgivable" black flame coated her gloves as she said with smirking face.
"Y-You'll be considered as a traitor if you do this!" the man spoke tremblingly.
"What's wrong, Cross-san? Having cold feet?" she stared sinisterly with the same smirk.
"The elders will end you as Chronos' head!"
"So be it"
Then, he drew his gun and shot at her, but the bullet penetrated her.
"Are you an idiot? Of course my body is not here" she walked to him as her flame got bigger.
"N-No, stay away!"
"See you in afterlife"
…
The surgery was finished and Giotto accompanied her as she slept peacefully with her oxygen mask on, again. Thankfully, it was a peaceful night and the stars radiated brightly for anyone to see. The stars were like her for him, sometimes it hid at day and appeared at night, hiding its form at night and rarely shown its true nature. And also, the stars indicated whether she was fine or not and when he saw the shine of the stars, he knew that she was fine, so he wouldn't use his energy to worry about her.
Then, Tsuna, Gokudera, Reborn, and Enma came by asking for their condition. Of course, Giotto said that they'd be fine and he didn't have to lie through it.
"You didn't tell anyone about this?" Giotto asked.
"No, especially the girls. This is not the first time she's hospitalized, so I don't want to make them worry again. It's just between us"
"She looks… I'd prefer her like this. I mean, she looks so peaceful than before" Enma chirped. "You mean when she fought Ricosto with her flame?" Giotto asked and he nodded.
"Tsunayoshi-kun, everyone" Ninth with his guardian came by. "There's something you have to know" he continued.
"I'm sorry I hide this from everyone"
"Why? What is it, ninth?" Gokudera asked.
"Yuki had been informing me in discovering the truth. She was going to give you this important message, but knowing her condition, she couldn't, so I'm going to pass it down to you. Please listen to what about you're going to hear, especially you, Giotto-kun". The curiosity was on their eyes with a little bit of nervousness.
.
Long ago, there were many vampires lived in Italy and merged with humans to live peace with them. Used their powers only to kill bad people. But Ricardo, the second boss, he wanted to rule over the strongest beings in universe by doing a genocide against vampires.
.
"Why? But aren't there still vampires here?" Reborn asked.
"It's not polite to cut in, Reborn" Giotto lectured.
"I just want to find out"
.
He wasn't able to hurt the aristocrat vampires, only the commoner vampires he could kill, since they weren't pureblood. His action led the remaining vampires, including the survive ones to unite with the pureblood to have a grudge against Vongola and they stopped living in peace and focused their lives on one objective.
.
"Let me guess, Yuki's family is involve in this scheme" Reborn assumed.
Ninth nodded and said "According to my informant, Yuki's grandfather is one of the elders, they're on the top and the people who planned on eradicating Vongola. Sadly to say he's the one who involved her to this plan"
"Her own grandfather?" Giotto said in disbelief.
"…What else?" Giotto voiced again.
"I… just heard that some of the aristocrats, including Chronos's men were planning to come to Japan, to Namimori and that's not good news at all"
"What are you saying?" Tsuna asked.
"They're accepting a declaration of war and will kill all Vongola tenth generation, including Yuki"
"They're planning on killing Yuki? Why? Isn't she's one of them? I know they're not humans, but are they really that heartless? And besides, no one declared a war and I thought no one dares to declare a war against vampires!" Tsuna gripped ninth's shoulder and shaken him.
"Calm down, Tsuna. Panicking will get you nowhere" Reborn voiced.
"Actually, there is one person who dare, Tsunayoshi-kun" ninth turned his eyes on the sleeping girl, which made their face more disbelief-like.
"Yuki just burnt down the entire mansion of one of the elders along with him and Ricosto's body. That led the elders to get furious and considered her as a traitor, as well as her grandfather who agreed to assassinate her"
Tsuna clenched his fists tightly and tremblingly. "…How could her own grandfather do that?" his eyes were quivering in a bit of almost anger.
"Then it settles. Go home and get some sleep. You have a training tomorrow morning, Tsuna" Reborn said. "Wait, Reborn-san. I thought humans can't harm them" Gokudera disputed.
"What are you planning, Reborn?" ninth questioned. "You'll know" Reborn mysteriously smirked and so, they left the room to be prepared for their own training method. "I'll leave Yuki to you, Giotto-kun" ninth also left.
After the room got silence once again, Giotto held her hand with soft and passionate eyes interlocked to her eyes. He always thought that she never had any peace in her life, always being haunted by her identity and Chronos.
"…I wish you would just stay this peaceful, Yuki"
