Author's Note:
Another long chapter I've made! As usual, hope you enjoy!
Namimori Mountain
Hide swung his leg around to kick the weapon out of his face and jumped to his feet in a heartbeat, ducking slightly so that the smooth arc of Raul's attack went over his head and hit the waiting fists, and in their resistance Hide flicked his wrist and turned his arm that holding a knife from Reborn that he hid in his sleeve to point it at Raul while also keeping his opponent's rifflepointed past him.
"Smart," Raul commented and suddenly kicked him back, the Vongola boss candidate who blocked a direct hit to his torso with his arm in the nick of time. He glared while in his crouch.
Hide dodge rolled Raul's bullets that were coming after him. When Raul's run out of bullets, Hide threw some rocks that covered by his Dying will flames. Raul dispatched the rocks away and just in time to stop Hide's kick with his arm and gun.
"You have improved I have to say. It's really impressive for able to be this strong in several weeks rather than being weak like we first met. But still, you're not strong enough to defeat me especially, when you fight with just a single small knife or without equipment."
Raul backed away when an arrow about to hit him, dodging it by a hair. Saki recharged her crossbow before pointing it again at the Rain Guardian. Raul had also recharged his riffle but not shooting yet. He, instead, circled and observed the blond-haired girl. Saki became cautious at this and halted to shooting but still pointing her weapon at Raul.
Raul shot but it missed Saki and instead hit the tree behind her, causing it to fall onto her. Hide managed to act fast and grabbed his sister away before she's struck down by the tree. Bullets sprayed the ground in front of them causing them to back up a further couple of steps.
"That was close." Saki commented as her crossbow sputtered to life once again, arrows pelting off the ground just in front of Raul before the siblings. The Rain Guardian snarled at them in defiance, not retreating back this time.
"Brother, you should stay out of this. I could handle him-"
"No." Hide placed a finger on Saki's lips before she could continue. "Saki, this is our fight. I appreciate your intention to protect me. I really do. But now, I already involve with this. I want to protect our friends too." Hide placed his hand on Saki's head. "That's why, let's fight together." Hide smiled.
Saki stared at Hide with mixed emotions; awe and fear. She's proud and happy to have a brother with strong resolve. But still, she didn't want Hide to end up with the same fate as Mitsusada. She's scared if she will lose her brother again.
Her thought was interrupted when Raul's rifle joined in the assault, showering the air around them with bullets. Saki burned down all the bullets with her crossbow that she swung that created a wave of Sky flames.
Saki ducking and somersaulting forward to narrowly missed Raul's bullet. The Rain Guardian landed behind her, spinning around instantly, but by then Saki was already on her feet and running once again to him. The Rain Guardian no longer hesitated and charged.
Saki leaped into the air, just as Raul swiped at her legs with a clawed limb. Flipping over the Rain Guardian, Saki flicked her crossbow and shot at Raul in the shoulder before it pounced at her. Raul's head snapped to the side by the sheer force of the point blank shot, an audible cracking sound heard. But by the time she landed on her feet, Raul turned his head back towards her as if nothing had happened in the first place.
"W-what's with him?" Hide shocked by Raul's behavior.
Hide leaped backwards to avoid the spray of bullets. Saki's arrow whizzed past Hide's shoulder, deflecting Raul just enough for the claw that attached on his rifle to slice through air rather than the male Vongola candidate's shoulder. Saki pivoted on her heel, spinning around 180 degrees, her previous momentum still carrying her towards Hide as she unloaded another round of bullets at the one chasing after her.
Hide wasted no time to get things started off, charging directly towards Raul who was more than ready to respond with appropriate force. Hide's arm and Raul's riffle met each other, and then they met each other again, and again, and again, Hide was striking each blow with all the force his muscles could put out, yet even Hide's strength seemed insufficient against the Guardian who had more fighting experience more than he did. In fact, Hide knew that he hadn't serious.
Even as he met and deflected all of Hide's attacks, he was aware of Saki's actions and Volvo's. With another blow, he knocked Hide several feet away, enough for the breathing room necessary to deal with Saki, who came at him at an angle. The blows from Saki's crossbow were easy enough to deflect, the massive weight of his weapon easily overpowered Saki's supposed to be long-range weapon, yet it complicated issues when Hide re-continued his offense. To Raul's favor, his riffle was flexible and not to mention with the claw that he attached, in fact, it could be more than a riffle, the blade he choose and been crafted specifically for the purpose of dealing with variable situations, and was thus itself a variable weapon to him.
Volvo had his attention focused entirely on Fuuhaku, the Storm Guardian called down blasts of Storm Flames from the cage that he created upon the Foundation leader, who swiftly tuck rolled away from such attempts on his life, and responded with a rapid swung of his blades. The two clashes their weapons once again with their strongest force.
Several meters from the battles, Lottie is watching them with amused look of delight. She whistled as she played her nails. "That Raul, he should have killed them by now rather than playing around…but that Hidetada boy is quite handsome so I guess okay to let him playing around a bit longer so I could watch him longer too. Volvo has become serious with Fuuhaku Hibari who is also a good-looking man. Between handsome boy and a cool man…I don't know which one to choose!" Lottie said in excitement cheerfully.
"Stop with that already, Lottie. You should go to Raul's side now." Azarel stood beside her.
"What will you do?" Lottie asked.
"I will assist Volvo. He won't stand a chance against Fuuhaku Hibari without my help. I'm looking forward to fighting him again anyway." Azarel smirked at Fuuhaku who's fighting Volvo.
Lottie stood up and brought out her chains. "Ready…set… GO!" And the two of them, with alarming speed, went to the battlefield with Azarel to Volvo and Fuuhaku while Lottie to Hide, Saki, and Raul.
"Long time no see." Azarel struck Fuuhaku straight in the face with a clenched fist, sending him several feet back from the action, five secondly leaving him unable to partake in the battle.
"What are you doing here, Azarel? I'm still fighting him!" Volvo protested and annoyed by the interruption.
"If I hadn't interfered, you're as good as being captured by him, useless kid." Azarel said sarcastically.
"Don't call me kid!" Volvo retorted.
Fuuhaku back into action, the battlefield tensed up once he and Azarel glared at each other.
"We meet again." Azarel smiled at the blondish-tan haired man. "Now then, shall we?" Azarel brought out his fans while Fuuhaku ready again with his blades. Volvo also ready again with sai but he felt neglected by the deadly aura that came from the two.
Azarel had a smirk across his face. He had yet to hit Fuuhaku, but as he fired sharp Mist wave after wave, as he let loose blast after blast, as he energized Flame after Flame, Fuuhaku had only managed to run, beyond the occasional burst from his box weapon, all of which were futile with Volvo shield up, he could do nothing to stand up to them. It was inevitable that he would eventually fail to dodge an attack from them, and they could begin taking their revenge.
"This is bad…what's taking everyone so long?" Kouhei though in panic as he could only watched Fuuhaku being slowly overpowered by the enemies.
Lottie threw her chains to Saki. With her attention too focused on Raul, Saki's intuition was too late to realize the incoming chains that soon binding her. Lottie in flash, already in front of her and kicked her, sending the younger girl to the ground. Before Saki could even move, Lottie pulled her with ease while her left arm still bind by the chains and sent her onto the edge and nearly fall from it.
"Saki!" Hide shouted with horrified expression.
Blood trickled from a gash on her forehead and her right arm that still bind by Lottie's chains. And for one heart-stopping moment Hide thought she was dead. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he saw Saki's chest rise in the shallowest of breaths.
Hide couldn't hear anything around him and all he could see was his sister, her blond hair falling across her pale face. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Fuuhaku still struggling against Volvo and Azarel with pant up breath, meaning that it will be only a matter of time for him to succumb to them. Volvo was easy to deal with and Fuuhaku confident that he will win until Azarel arrived and join the battle. His previous fight with the illusionist made him realize that Azarel is far stronger than Volvo or Raul. His illusions and fighting style are troublesome plus Volvo's rapid attacks.
Raul was saying something, but Hide attention was entirely on the flutter of Saki's eye lashes. Her eyes were slowly opening, revealing the extreme pain the Vongola candidate was in. After a moment of searching around the area, those eyes fell on Hide's same orange ones.
Immediately, Saki's eyebrows shot up and disbelief shined all over her face. The blond-haired girl struggled to right herself, but Lottie quickly forced her down again with her foot none too gently.
Hide's eyes widened with the scene in front of him. Anger built up within him. He clenched his fists until blood fell from it.
"Don't just stand there! Hide!" Reborn shouted that snapped Hide but he was already lying on the ground with Raul's foot on his shoulder.
Hide looked terribly weak but what he did next disproved that entirely. He grabbed the Rain Guardian's leg and pulled down as hard as he could. He didn't even have time to throw his arms out to cushion his fall; his head hit the hard floor with a sickening crack, making him groan in pain.
The boy launched himself onto his feet. Raul, however, also quickly launched himself onto his feet and rushed at him to restrain him but he dodged his punch by grabbing his outstretched arm, pulling him forward, and kneeing him in the face. Hide turned to attack the Sun Guardian holding his younger sister but froze instantly.
Saki wondered what had caused him to stop when, all of a sudden, Lottie restraining her pressed a knife to her jugular.
"Don't move, Vongola boy." Lottie threatened cheerfully.
Reborn flinched once he realized this. He could not do anything since the law has told him to. Hide brought down his arms, stop resisting or fighting. Lottie motioned Raul to quickly finish his job.
"You're smart yet foolish, Vongola boy. What you do is only postponed your sister's execution for several minutes." Raul pointed his riffle on the back of Hide's head from behind. Hide gritted his teeth and closed his eyes tightly and helplessly.
"Am I…not strong enough…? Not strong enough to protect my family and my friends… Now I could only stand here while waiting for my death… But…if by doing that will at least let Saki live longer…then-"
"It was too soon to give up you know."
"Eh…?" Hide's eyes flashed opened once he heard the voice. It was low but Hide could hear it clearly. That voice was too familiar for him.
When he turned around since Raul hadn't shot him dead, Raul already sent flying by a ball of spike. He turned again to Lottie who had freed Saki from her chains to dodge another ball of spike that similar with the one that hit Raul.
"If you don't have any will to fight then stay out of this little runt."
Hide turned to the source of the voice. The voice was belonged to none other than the well-known Demon Prince of Discipline, Shinogu Hibari.
"Hibari-senpai?" Hide surprised by his arrival.
"You finally came, Shinogu." Reborn noted.
"The Rokudo twins told me to. It was indeed the right choice to come here as they had said. I could see an interesting show." Shinogu looked at his nearly cornered brother and he didn't bother or even worried to save him.
"You're not going to help Fuuhaku-san?" Hide asked.
"No." Shinogu answered simply. "Rather than that, you should go to her now." Shinogu pointed at Saki.
"Saki!" Hide ran to Saki and holding her in his arms. "Saki, are you all right?"
"…I'm fine. I'm glad that you're okay." Saki smiled at her brother. "…I thought…I will lose you…like Mitsu-niisan… But thank goodness…you didn't leave me behind…" A single tear fell from her right eye while the other eye holding it back.
Hide's eyes widened. He had forgotten the feeling when he lost his sibling. The feeling when he lost Mitsusada. He knew too well how it feels to lose the sibling that you loved very much. If he were to die, Saki would definitely saddened the most, especially if she were to witness him being killed just like when she witness Mitsusada's death. He's not supposed to just give in. He should have struggled to save Saki instead of die for her.
"…what am I doing…? I want to protect her…and everyone…that's why I have to keep living no matter what…if I throw away my life just like that, I won't be able to protect everyone…"
"Sawada-kun, watch out!"
A clicking sound reached Hide's ear. The boy quickly turned to his right side to see Raul had reloaded his riffle. His Rain flame was being absorbed into his riffle, meaning it will unleash a powerful blast once Raul pulled the trigger. This time, Raul's serious on killing them.
"Cannon de Pioggia" Raul pulled the trigger.
Hide grabbed Saki and managed to barely dodge the powerful blast of Rain flame from the Rain Guardian. However, before Hide could release a sigh of relieve, Raul changed position and pointed his riffle once again at Hide with the same technique to use.
"I won't let you." Three cards stab Raul's arm that pointing the riffle.
Raul groaned in pain as he clutched his wounded arm, dropping his weapon. Raul jumped back to Lottie's side as they saw mist surrounded their prey. From the mist, Ryou and Arisa appeared as they cleared up the mist and ready to defend the Vongola Candidates.
"More people to kill." Raul commented as he pulled out the cards from his arm.
Shinogu waste no time to attack at the two Disscordo Guardians. Lottie stepped in, thus, making herself as Shinogu's target to be executed. Temporarily lost in that moment of reflection, Lottie almost failed to catch wind of Shinogu's charge, swinging his weapons across the air instinctually at the last second, Lottie's left chain arm slightly disoriented Shinogu when their weapons clashed, but not enough to disengage Shinogu from his attack. The dual expendable baton came at her slightly unevenly due to having to get past Lottie's chains beforehand, but it still managed to strike, the batons coming against the chains across Lottie's stomach, but it didn't quite do what Shinogu would have wanted.
"Wow, another handsome boy appeared! You really look like your brother!" Lottie commented cheerfully with sweet smile.
Shinogu didn't take this as a compliment. Instead, he felt disgusted to being compared with his elder brother whom he despises to the very end of the earth. Enraged, Shinogu kicked her stomach but this gave Lottie a chance to bind his left arm with her chains. As she was sent near the edge by his kick, Lottie pulled him with her with the chains that connected with the one trapping his arm.
"Tch." Shinogu summoned Road to destroy the chains, separating him from Lottie's. "This is not over yet." Shinogu stated.
"Bring it on~" Lottie stuck her tongue out.
"Arisa, you help Fuuhaku Hibari. I will take care of him." Ryou said to his younger twin.
Arisa nodded and complied. "Be careful, Ryou, Sawada-kun, Sawada-chan." Arisa said in concern before she left to assist Fuuhaku.
Ryou uppercut Hide with 1% gentleness, making Hide almost faint. Hide cried out by his sudden action that he hadn't prepared for. "What was that for, Ryou? Since when did you have a habit like Reborn?"
"Look at yourself." Ryou answered with cool voice. "That's a face of someone who lost the will to fight. If you don't want to fight then get out of here. But if you want to fight then fight." Ryou readied his deck of cards in his hands. "But before you decide to fight, think first for what reason you're fighting right now." And after that, Ryou attacked Raul, leaving Hide and Saki whose injuries was tended by Reborn.
"I…the reason why I fight…" Hide closed his eyes. "I…what am I doing…? Again, I was protected and being scolded like this…what I want to do right now…why I'm here right now…" Hide looked at Ryou and Raul's battle.
"You understand now, Hide?" Reborn walked to his side. "If you vent to your true feelings and that will be the answer of true power of Vongola."
"Vent to…my true feelings…?"
"Yeah. Your true resolve, your true desire, it should be simple but strong. When you first ignited your flame, what reason that came into your mind?" Reborn questioned.
"The first time…I ignited my flame…?" Hide's mind rewound to the event several days ago when he tried to stop Shinogu from continuing the fight.
XoXoXoXoX
"Hibari-san! Please stop this!" Hide stood in front of Ryou, protecting him.
"What are you doing?" Ryou asked. He clearly surprised by the sudden action that Hide took.
"I must stop him now... This fight is no longer necessary!" Hide thought as wore his ring. "Resolve…my resolve… The flame is produce by our resolve, how big the flame that we emit is how strong our resolve is. My strongest resolve…the reason why I am doing here… I…"
Hide's ring slowly but surely emit Dying Will Flame. "I want to protect Ryou and everyone!"
A bright Sky Dying Will Flame that possess by every Vongola Boss. Hide stunned by the Flame that he has emitted himself. He felt somewhat different inside him. "This is…my Flame…?"
XoXoXoXoX
Hide slowly stood up. "I want to…protect my family, my friends, everyone." Hide's darkened face revealed once he shot up his face. "That's why I want to defeat them who had hurt people who are important to me!" Hide said determinedly. "I won't let them hurt my friends again. I won't let them hurt my family…!"
Smile formed in Reborn's face with Leon suddenly changed. "Nice answer. You're really like your father and brother." Leon's tail suddenly fell off and he begun to shapeshifting into different forms.
"Eh? What happen to Leon?" Hide asked.
"Leon responds to your will. He begins the process of metamorphosis, similar like when Dino, Tsuna, and Mitsusada first gain their respective weapons in life-or-death situation just like you right now." Reborn explained.
"Metamorphosis?" Hide raised his brow in confusion. As far as he remembered, chameleon doesn't have any ability to metamorphosis. Leon then spun himself into a cocoon. This caught everyone's attentions. They all turned to Leon who was in process of creating an item.
"Ryoji Rokudo, what's that?" Shinogu asked Ryou.
Lottie's ears perked up at the name. "Rokudo?" She soon turned to Ryou and then to Arisa. "Those kids are one of Rokudo children?"
"I wish I know." Ryou answered lazily.
Noticing Ryou's attention was distracted, taking this chance, Raul summoned his box weapon, a giant Rain whale. Despite its size, the whale flew straight to Hide. No one in Vongola have any time to react with the sudden movements. Hide only froze at the incoming whale. Shouts to run away from his friends didn't help his body to move an inch at all. He was too shock because the whale already above him with his big mouth ready to seemingly ready to swallow him.
"Crap…!" The whale had swallowed Hide and Leon into its stomach.
Almost everyone in Vongola stared wide eyed for exception of Shinogu who only look indifferently. Saki who was finished being tend look with horrified expression. She's too shock to shout out her brother's name and only opened her mouth without any voice.
Someone finally shout out Hide's name. Someone, who was none other than Haji who just arrived just in time along with Kareha and Takashi to saw their friend being swallowed by a whale that come out from nowhere in their eyes.
"HIDE!"
Inside Rain Whale
Nauseous in its penetrated his skull, and pounded into his brain as hard as it could. Pain was seething into each and every muscle, bleeding through his body, gripping and crawling over his skin. Hide flinched when he tire to move his limbs.
"Dark…so dark…and cold…" The brunet whimpered in mind and inhaled a quivering breath.
Unfocused orange eyes cracked open and blinked once he saw a light, the owner's fuzzy brain still unable to process too much. Hide pressed his palms on his forehead with a frown as he attempted to focus. Instead, his world tilted to his left, and his body followed closely behind.
He felt his body numb with the icy water chilling him on all sides. Hide felt his fear threatened to overwhelm his senses and desperately tried to hold his breath, determinedly kicking against the dark water that was enigmatically swirling around him. However, it was then he realized that he could breathe within it. But his muscles slowly lost its strength.
"Am I inside that whale's stomach? What will happen to me? My body…it hurts… No…what should I do?" Hide thought in panic.
He then noticed Leon had been swallowed along with him but yet, his condition didn't change and he's still in so-called metamorphosis state with his body glowing. He flinched when his whole body aching again in pain.
"It really…hurts… Everyone…how're they doing right now…? I…I have to help them… After all those words I spouting…I already swore to myself that I will protect them…! I must get out from here…!" Hide struggled to move his body but to no avail.
He punched the "wall" to get out. And as he had thought, it won't even budge. "…will everything will end like this…? I cannot keep my own promise… Just a while ago I just spouting my true feelings but now it sound like a bluff… I…what kind of person I am…"
Hide clutched his head when headache and dizziness attacked his brain. The attack tried to force him to "Ugh…no…I cannot…hold it anymore…" Hide slowly closed his eyes. "Everyone…sorry…"
Hide closed his eyes, his conscious finally began to flicker and the darkness took him…he had given up…
"I thought already told you that it's too soon to give up."
A memory came into his mind.
He remembered his 6-year old self playing with his elder brother in the living room of their house with Saki sleeping peacefully like a newborn baby despite his noisiness. Hide tried to reach his airplane toy that Mitsusada raised beyond Hide's reach. When Hide whimpered to Mitsusada to give it back, Mitsusada finally lowered his hand so Hide could reach it.
Hide slightly embarrassed to see his younger self behave like that. He cannot help it. He's still a child after all that time. He smiled and giggled a little to reminiscing one his times with his brother.
"Hide, no matter what happened… I wish you have a power to overcome any obstacles."
Hide's eyes widened at the wish.
"Hide…you have to become a strong person when you grow up."
His vision became blurry by the tears that filling his eyes.
"Then, someday…you could become even stronger until you can protect those who are precious to you…"
Tears fell from his eyes but he didn't cry out or sobbing.
"Also, I already told you that the Vongola Family currently in dangerous situation. They will kill every person who is related to the Vongola, including you and your family so you will know about us anyway. Your father also trusts you, right? Do you intend to disappoint him by running away?" Reborn pointed out, bitter and coldly.
His memory rewound to a day after his first encounter with Reborn. "Disappointing dad… I don't want that… Dad…"
"You're the one who said that you want to protect your friends and family, right? That's why I'm telling you this: You better give up your so-called peaceful life. No matter how many times you refuse, they will always coming after you. If you don't want to become the next boss then Saki will. However, once she gained the position, there's no turning back and she must carry out the responsibility of every members of the Vongola along with the bloody history of the Vongola, the sins that the Family had committed." Ryou grabbed Hide's collar and looked at him with unreadable eyes.
"Responsible…if Saki were to become the boss…she will carry out the burden by herself…she will never let anyone even me to help her when it comes to burden…and if that happen…she will…broke herself…"
"She's younger than you, younger than any of us. Can't you imagine what she will end up if she is to carry out the entire burden and a very big responsibility on that small back alone? She seemingly looked strong but I doubt that her inner self does. No matter how you look at her, she's still a child. I know that you aware of this but you just afraid to accept it. Stop looking away and look at reality. If you really want to help your friends, then do not disappoint them." Ryou let go of Hide who stunned by his words.
"Ryou…you're right…I'm too afraid to accept the reality… I'm only running away from the truth… What kind of brother am I? Saki should be the older sibling one rather than me…" Hide laughed humorlessly.
"You understand now, Hide?" The scene changed to several moments ago before he was swallowed. "If you vent to your true feelings and that will be the answer of true power of Vongola."
"True power of Vongola…" Hide looked at palms of his hands.
He clenched it and closed his eyes. "I'm ashamed… I'm being selfish for this whole time…and now I'm still too much absorbed by my own thought that I frozen at this spot…" Hide's ring begun to emitted flames. "I won't run away anymore or complaining… This moment will be the last time I'm being so infantile."
Leon gleamed even brighter and spat out pair of bracers and a seemingly round orange candy. Hide reached out the bracers and the round candy. He put on the bracers and then stared at the round candy on his palm.
"How can I keep moving forward if I'm still afraid to get hurt? Even if I get lost, even if I get dragged into darkness further…"
"I will found the light. I will fulfill my promise now and then."
Hide swallowed the orange pill.
Battlefield, Namimori Mountain
Ten minutes had passed ever since Hide was swallowed. Saki, Haji, Kareha, and Takashi were all desperately tried to break the whale or making it spat Hide out. But the whale didn't respond and didn't feel anything at all by their attack.
"It was too late. Anyone who already within its stomach, their life energy will be sucked by it completely. He's as good as dead by now." Raul said with triumphant smile. "One candidate down one candidate to go."
Ryou blocked Raul's attack and way to Saki. He won't let him pass that easily. "Defeat me first."
"You still have that fighting spirit even after your friend's death? That's good. More interesting like that!" Raul countered Ryou's cards back.
"Don't underestimate Hide." Reborn suddenly said. "Hide is stronger than you think. He won't lose by such a thing."
"Are you insane Arcobaleno? Hidetada Sawada already swallowed and his life force already out by now." Lottie said mockingly at the sun Arcobaleno.
"…I wonder about that…" Reborn smirked.
CRACK
A loud crack from the whale was too loud to be overheard. The crack at the box weapon's stomach slowly scattered to its entire body. Flames came out from the cracks, burning the rain box weapon into ashes.
"What the-?" Raul and his fellow Guardians were shocked. "What's happening?"
"Uncle Reborn, this is…" Saki and her friends were stunned and amazed by the bright flames that came out from the whale's stomach. Leon jumped out to Reborn with tired condition.
"Leon, this time the items you made were almost similar with the ones for Tsuna at that time." Reborn said to his chameleon as he pet him.
The bright Sky Flame surrounded Hide like some sort of barrier. But the flame soon faded away once Hide landed on ground. Hide revealed the Sky Flames on his forehead and from both of his bracers. The brightness of the flames somehow mirrored Sky flame's characteristic, harmony. Those calm orange eyes that seems could see through anything, those bright flames that emitted with desire for the sake to protect others were a similar with the previous bosses he shared blood directly with.
"Hi…de…?" Haji uttered as he saw his childhood friend.
Volvo launched at Hide with his sai that ready to slash him. "Why all of you keep standing there with that dumb looks? He's only standing there so use this chance to attack and kill him!" Volvo shouted at his fellow Guardians that snapped them back except for Azarel who's not affected by Hide's sudden change.
"Just how stupid you could be, Volvo?" Azarel questioned particularly to no one.
Before Volvo's sai able to cut the Vongola candidate, Hide was already behind him within a second. Hide hit Volvo's pressure point at the back of the neck, making the Storm Guardian's mobility paralyzed for a while. Volvo lay on the ground, struggling to move and beat the crap out of Hide.
"You idiot! Can't you see that he has entered Hyper Dying Will Mode?" Lottie shouted at the helpless Volvo.
"That flame…is really similar with Vongola Primo and Vongola Decimo's flame. They truly are related by blood." Ryou commented in his mind with mild amusement plastered on his face.
"Everyone." Hide finally spoke. "Are you all right?" He asked as he faced at them with a small but warm smile.
Kareha was the first to answer. "Y-yeah! We're all right!"
"Buddy, you really worried us to death you know!"
"Hidetada good job!"
"That was awesome, Hide!"
"Thank goodness you're okay, Sawada-kun."
"So you finally reveal your fangs, Hidetada Sawada."
Hide smiled and replied at every comment from his friends. He dodged a kick on the face from Reborn who praised him. "Not bad. It took you long enough to get out from that whale's stomach. But you still need to train more."
"…Yeah, I know." Hide sighed contently.
He then faced his younger sister who hadn't said anything to him and only stood while looking at him. Before a moment passed and before any of them could say anything, Raul interjected and launched his Cannon de Pioggia at Hide.
"You have become stronger while in that mode, a worthy prey to be hunt!" Raul launched another blast.
Hide focused his flames on his fist. His fist met the blasts and much everyone's astonishments, the blasts were both overpowered easily. Now, it's Hide's turn to make his attack. Hide ran to Raul with speed that had incredibly increased and punched him on the stomach that followed by double kick on his jaw.
"I know that Hyper Dying Will Mode will release all limiters inside the body and awakened the hidden senses of the person who entered that state but I never thought it would be to this extent." Haji commented.
Raul spat out the blood from his mouth and wiped it. His excitement built up. Finally someone other than Hajime kid able to excites him like this. He had enough with those weaklings before. "It's about time, I get to serious." Raul's flame became thicker with his killing intent.
Hide prepared for whatever will come from the Disscordo Rain Guardian. That was until a lance landed between them.
"That's enough for now."
A green haired young man wearing a long, olive coat over khaki trousers, a white button-down shirt, and black buckled engineer boots appeared and in flash already beside Volvo before retrieving his lance, hovering the Storm Guardian.
"Yakumo! Why are you here?" Volvo questioned with annoyed tone by the green-haired man's arrival.
"This is an order from the boss all of you have to come back into HQ immediately. Let them alive for now." Yakumo picked Volvo by the collar and ignored the younger man's protest to let him go. He motioned the others to comply and do not ask anything. They did not need to ask because they already knew that Yakumo won't waste his breath and his voice for something so 'trivial'.
"Who is he? Another Guardian?" Arisa looked at Yakumo.
"It seems so." Fuuhaku answered.
"Shouldn't we stop them?" Takashi readied his sword.
"No. Let them retreat. All of you are still far on defeating them. They are not serious yet (except Volvo)." Reborn halted Takashi.
The Disscordo Guardians were gathering side by side and with Azarel's mist illusions, they were enveloped by mist and disappeared from the view once the mist was cleared. The Vongolas let out sigh of relieve as some of them, particularly Fuuhaku, Kouhei, Saki, and Hide dropped to their knees out of exhaustion.
"That-that was close…" Hide returned to his normal self.
Saki patted Hide's head while the other hand wiped off the dust on his cloth. "You're back…I'm glad. You gave me another attack of mind of losing you." Saki said between her smiles.
Hide pushed her away gently before lending her a hand to stand up, which she accepted. It didn't last long though. He was soon found himself lying on the ground again by tackled of hug from Haji and Kareha who then pinching his cheeks.
Knowing the crowding that soon will occur, Shinogu almost immediately decided to leave the place before he was dragged with them. He reluctantly stopped when Fuuhaku calling him but it didn't make him facing his older brother and only gave him a cold shoulder.
"Leaving already?" Fuuhaku asked.
"I hate crowds and not to mention that you're here with them." Shinogu answered coldly and left.
"That's ultimately harsh!" Kouhei commented on Shinogu's attitude.
"He really hates me after all." Fuuhaku chuckled. "Let's go back everyone."
Haji and Kareha let go of Hide, helping him stand up. Hide, however, didn't move from his spot yet. Everyone wondered and asked why he still silence there and Hide only answered their question with a determined face. He bowed to Saki, confusing the blond haired girl.
"I'm sorry, Saki. I have…changed my mind." Hide told her.
"Why are you sorry? Change your mind about what?" Saki tilted her head.
Hide looked at Reborn behind him. "When is the next training?" Hide asked.
"Tomorrow, in this place like yesterday. That's very surprising of you, you never ask about the next training I had arranged."
Hide faced Saki and his friends again. "I…I won't run away anymore. All this time I've been running away from facing the truth and reality. I kept refusing to accept what in front of me. But someone taught me that it's about time I make up my mind." Hide indirectly referred to Ryou. "I have decided and will not change this decision. That's why I'm sorry Saki. I…won't let you to succeed dad." Hide revealed.
"What? Why?" They gasped at Hide's statement. "In order to firmly succeed dad and brother's wills, I have decided…" Hide raised his right hand and clenched his fist. Saki's Hyper Intuition kicked in and warned that she wouldn't like Hide was going to say next.
"I will become the Eleventh Vongola Boss."
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