Have a great New Year everyone!
When the bullet hits hits head, Tsuna finds himself paralysed, struggling through black fog and looking for light. It's not like the dying will bullets of before, there's something...heavier, about this one.
Finally, image and sound start to register, and he finds himself staring at Gokudera and Reborn.
"This wasn't exactly what was planned, but are you ready to serve Tsunayoshi to the best of your ability?"
From the hospital bed, Gokudera's eyes are practically glowing.
"Of course I am! The Tenth didn't just save my life, he did it at great risk to himself. Not just anyone would do that."
Reborn smiles.
"Oh, don't you think he had some higher plan in mind?"
"Of course not," Gokudera says with a scowl. "I might not have been Vongola, but I know enough about the Dying Will bullet to know that higher thinking isn't an option when it's used. When he reacted, it was his gut reaction, nothing less. He's the kind of person that values everyone."
The scene shifts, and Tsuna sees Hibari in his office, Kusakabe in front of him.
"Sir, Sawada Tsunayoshi and his friends are still having lunch on the roof during the week. Are you sure you wouldn't have us escort them out"
"No need," Hibari say, not looking up from his work. "Their distraction is minimal."
Kusakabe hesitates, and the silence is enough to draw Hibari's eyes up.
"Speak, Kusakabe."
"Hibari, can I ask, why do you allow that student such leniency? He doesn't seem the type to attract your attention."
Hibari huffs, a small smile slipping onto his face.
"The small animal has potential. He's frail, and cowardly, but give him a reason to fight, back him into a corner, and he'll bare his teeth. If I can encourage it to come out, he will become exhilarating. I can give up a little space for that."
Another screen change, and suddenly he's in a library, where Kyoko, Hana and Ryohei are all at a table, ignoring the books in front of them.
"Is Sawada joining us to the Extreme?" Ryohei asks, and Hana shakes her head.
"Swapped with the Demon today. Still amazed he can pull Hibari off though. Didn't think he had the stones."
Kyoko nods. "I was surprised too, since Tsuna is so sweet. You know, if he'd been born a girl, I bet he wouldn't have half the problems he used to have. Even before we swapped, we were very alike. It's not a crime to not be a manly guy like my brother."
"Even if he's not, you don't need to be an Extreme fighter to be an Extreme man!" Ryohei insists. "Sawada is an excellent person. He will always be my friend, to the Extreme!"
Kyoko turns to Hana and grins.
"I know brother. We all adore Tsuna, right Hana?"
Hana hides a smile, and closes the book in front of her.
"Hey, the guy has a body that self-sabotages success, but he's never used it as an excuse," she says. "For that alone, I'll always lend him a hand."
Another jump, and he's inside Takesushi. Yamamoto has just finished saying something Tsuna didn't catch, and Tsuyoshi leans over.
"You really like this Tsuna, huh?"
Yamamoto smiles.
"Yeah. He's amazing," he replies. "I get the feeling that if he considers you a friend, he'll move the world for you if he can. If I can be half as awesome as him, I'll be a pretty great guy one day."
The scene goes black, the images and sounds fading. But that's okay – Tsuna's mind is processing at a hundred miles an hour, a thought starting to take root, and rapidly spreading.
Dying will is an interesting thing. As a closely guarded secret of Vongola, the experimentation and research done on it is limited at best. The idea of 'if it works, don't fix it' runs prevalent. The inherited trait of hyper intuition has also helped make significant headway in its use.
But neither of those things had ever been used in conjunction of a curse.
How can you truly have a dying will if you have no will or desire of your own? Why would it work if Tsuna was only a nobody, acting out the roles of others?
The answer was obvious, hitting him with the same amount of impact as the bullet. You can't.
A man who has never experienced joy cannot give a true smile. No matter how good an actor one might be, you can't fake what doesn't exist. What you've never experienced.
When he channels Hibari, it's not the prefects compulsive need for order and desire to fight that he exudes. It's his own understanding that rules should be followed, and taking pride in being able to stand up for what he wants.
It's not Takeshi's love for baseball and happy go lucky charm when he wears his classmate, but his own humour and desire to succeed he'd forgotten he used to have.
Kyoko is his best friend, the person he aspires to be. But it's his own kindness, his own social charm when he has her face.
It's him. It's always been him. Finding the pieces of his friends he admires, and bringing to the surface his own traits and skills to match, rather than hiding and suppressing them to keep people from finding similarities. Why had he never seen that before? Why had it taken Reborn and a bullet to figure that out?
He feels his flames bursting to the forefront yet again, but Tsuna pulls them back, twisting them into something else. The orange is him stripped bare, but it's not all he is. In the back of his soul, angry embers start to burn, all flaring and hooking to the orange flame, ready to be brought forth.
Tsuna lets them meld and harmonise, all combining into one, terrifying amalgamation, and opens his eyes towards Mukuro.
As he stands, every single one of Mukuro's stolen bodies backs off, taking in the new threat.
"How strange...that's not a normal flame," Mukuro-Chikusa mutters.
Mukuro-Gokudera glances to the side and smirks. "No matter. Even the Arcobaleno is caught off guard. Which means he'd never used this before. I won't be bested by an amateur."
His eye shifts to six, and he readies dynamite, as Mukuro-Ken lunges in, ready to punch that calm look of the teen's face-
-Only for Tsuna's hands, now dressed in Vongola gloves, to pin him where he stood. He hadn't even moved his head, just shifted his hands and caught the man cold.
Mukuro-Chikusa just smiles as the blond is thrown back, crashing to the ground with a thud.
"That's not all," he warns, yo yos flying. Tsuna however, doesn't even move. Instead, he looks up at his enemy, and the white flame starts to bleed blue, as the needles pass through – the fake illusions that they are. Then, in a blink, Tsuna vanishes, and Mukuro-Gokudera gasps.
"Wait, what-"
He's caught off guard when pain registers in the back of his head, and snaps to the corner of the room, where the real Mukuro-Chikusa had been hiding, preparing to try and stab Tsuna with the trident when he ran from the needles. He thuds to the ground, knocked out cold, as the trident slams into the wall.
"That's impossible," Mukuro-Gokudera gasps.
"He couldn't see through the Path's of Hell's Illusions earlier," Mukuro-Bianchi mutters. "And since when does he have Mist flames?"
Tsuna doesn't answer them. Instead, he turns to lock eyes with the trident. To their astonishment, he walks towards it, and his gloves start to glow. Their jaws drop when the blue vanishes from the flame to be replaced with red, and can only gape when the gloves suddenly burn the same vivid colour – grabbing the trident from it's position, and disintegrating it in a matter of seconds.
The threat gone, the flames on his hands vanish, and the flame on his head returns to the orange and white mix. Mukuro doesn't can't even process what he saw.
"That should be impossible..."
"It should," Reborn agrees, and Mukuro flinches when he realises the hitman has circled round and blocked the exit. "Except Tsuna's body is used to channelling different flames. The unique nature of the sky flame has allowed him to pull forth those remnants, and his understanding of the owners mindsets allows him to use them as his own."
Reborn grins.
"In fact, due to his unique upbringing, Sawada Tsunayoshi is the only person in the world who could pull this off."
This is in fact, so much more than Reborn had expected. Hyper intuition is clearly playing a part here, but this isn't just the body removing limiters – this is Tsuna taking his skill set and cranking it up to eleven. He's not a sky. He's close to a full on set all by his lonesome.
Someone who can do that, would be damn near unstoppable once seated in a throne of power…
'Go, Sawada Tsunayoshi,' he thinks to himself. 'Show me the God hiding behind the man's restrictions...'
Mukuro however, doesn't seem as worried. He's recovering from the shock, and Mukuro-Gokudera has started to chuckle.
"Well, as amusing as this whole thing is, he still can't beat me," he says. "Don't forget, Sawada Tsunayoshi, even if you can see through my attacks, these two bodies belong to your friends. There's no way to attack without destroying them in the process."
He rather wishes he was as confident as he felt. The lack of the trident means his entire plan is a failure – without it, possessing is impossible. His best option is to either knock the teen out and drag him to their next base, allowing Mukuro time to replace it, or kiss him – and use his body that way. The first one is preferable, but the second is definitely easier.
If nothing else, he needs Tsunayoshi beaten and down. He won't risk the dynamite any more. Not if Tsunayoshi really can use storm and mist flames, so both Bianchi and Gokudera's bodies run forward, both grinning as Tsunayoshi stands there and takes it.
They grin as he's flung between them.
"I knew it, you can't attack!" Mukuro-Bianchi crows.
"What an excellent sandbag you are," Mukuro-Gokudera adds, only for his grin to falter when Tsuna looks at him – the flame on his head a perfect mix of purple and yellow.
"You've got the wrong idea, Mukuro," Reborn calls from his position. "Tsuna won't risk harming Hayato or Bianchi, so he's absorbing the attacks with his body. Dying Will makes this possible, but with his added flames..."
The Arcobaleno smirks. "You might as well not be hitting him at all, for all the effect they're having."
He's right. Between the sun's natural healing and the propagation enhancing both it and his body's impact, Tsunayoshi doesn't even appear to be feeling them. The only thing that would be more effective would be lightning, thankfully the one flame he doesn't appear to have access to yet.
While he's trying to process that, Mukuro-Gokudera slips up, leaving his side open, and the calm teen suddenly makes his play, flying behind him and hitting the back of Gokudera's neck with the knife edge of his hand.
Mukuro-Bianchi curses as the connection to Gokudera is cut off – the young Vongola having hit the perfect spot on the neck to paralyse the body – and raises a fist as the body hits the ground.
"Dammit. That was a lucky break," he growls. "You wont make it twice."
"Luck had nothing to do with it," Reborn warns. "It's Hyper intuition, the sign of a true Vongola heir."
To Mukuro's dismay, the hitman is completely right. Before Bianchi's fist can come close to contact, Tsunayoshi is moving again, hitting her in the exact same spot, and leaving him with precisely no bodies to use. He immediately releases the bullet's effect, throwing himself back into his own body.
Thankfully, Tsunayoshi seems more preoccupied with making sure his two allies aren't left where they fell, carefully taking them to the side, before glancing over at the dark corner where Mukuro's true body lies.
"Come on out," he orders, the first words since that cursed bullet. "I know you're still alive."
Mukuro staggers to his feet, mentally cursing and wondering exactly how he'd managed to miscalculate this badly. It doesn't help that Tsunayoshi is standing in front of him, a yellow flame surrounding the orange, allowing the multiple injuries to fade. They're nowhere near recovered, but most of the damage looks like it was done days ago, rather than minutes. A rather nasty trick to pull, if Mukuro does say so himself.
He doesn't let it show on his face though, picking up the staff of the trident and chuckling as he meets him in the centre of the room.
"I will acknowledge that you've become a greater threat than anticipated," he concedes. "But you're still just a novice. You shouldn't get cocky just because you've managed to survive this long."
He lets his smile widen.
"Haven't you noticed that there's one of my six path's I still haven't used yet?"
"The Path of Humans," Reborn says, having moved from the door to stand guard over the two prone siblings.
The Path of Humans. Something Mukuro had dearly hoped he could avoid. There's something genuinely painful about using it, even for him. But he knows the fate that awaits him if he doesn't manage to walk out of this building, there's no other option.
He explains as much to his target. How cruel and disgusting this world truly is, before bringing his hand to his face, and pulling on his flames. It takes more effort with this one, as they're already in this world rather than pulling from elsewhere, but he knows exactly how much to push.
As the blackness overtakes his skin, and the dark blue of his flames gives way to the ugly black aura, he is delighted to see Tsunayoshi flinch. This technique is beyond dangerous – even the Vindice had told him not to use it for fear of unintended consequences. It had shaken him, that warning, for they'd truly sounded scared for him, rather than themselves. But this is truly his last resort.
And this time, when he punches Sawada Tsunayoshi, it doesn't just hit. It hurts. The sound of his cries are music to his ears, and he pushes onwards, not giving the boy enough time to shift his flame from it's current white. He flies through the air, blood dripping down his face, and smashes straight into a wall above a small stage. It's so quick, he can't do anything but let it happen, and vanishes in a cloud of dusty smoke.
Mukuro laughs, hiding the relief that it had been so effective.
"This is the difference between us, young Vongola," he warns. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
'-our full power."
Mukuro falters, as the sound of cracking wood fills the air, and Tsuna staggers from the smoke cloud. The flame on his head explodes in intensity, the entire thing a vivid orange, and Mukuro's smile falls as he realises both the teen's head and hands are causing the reaction.
"I said, I know that wasn't your full power," he says, eyes locked on him. "You'll need to come at me with everything, if you want to win."
The orange starts to bleed again, the flame on his forehead becomes a mix of yellow and orange – flickering purple every now and then. But the biggest change is the gloves – Mukuro chokes back a gasp as one hand turns blue, and the other red.
He'd seen them change with the trident, but he hadn't truly registered how much control the teen had.
'This suddenly became a lot more dangerous...'
However, he can't back down now. He lunges forward, ready to take whatever Tsunayoshi can dish out. His staff swings sharply, forcing Tsuna to move or take the hit – but he does neither, instead grabbing it with his red glove. It turns to dust in Mukuro's hands, and before he can truly register that, he's jumping back to avoid the blue flame rising to punch him. He stumbles back, eyes widening as he realises the cool blue flame was actually hot.
"These flames emanate heat?" he asks in horror. His own mist flames have never been hot to the touch.
"It's the effect of dying will," Reborn explains, because apparently the Arcobaleno loves the sound of his own damn voice. "Unlike an aura that can only be seen by a handful of people, a dying will flame, like the one's on his gloves, have their own destructive properties."
He continues to chatter on about flame density and different types and honestly neither Mukuro or his student are listening so could he please just shut up and let Mukuro worry about this disaster in front of him?
The Arcobaleno has barely finished his speech when Tsunayoshi moves again, and Mukuro flinches when the boy disappears, not an ounce of navy blue flame on his person. Before he can register it though, there's a presence behind him, and turns just in time for the young Vongola to clock him in the jaw, sending him flying across the floor again.
Dammit, those flames allow him propulsion too? That's the only way he could have moved that fast.
God...he wants Sawada Tsunayoshi's body so badly. It's not just a great political piece, it's a terrifying weapon of war. He bursts into laughter, and tells the teen just that. How Mukuro will be able to rule the world and steer it into Armageddon with Tsuna's powers at his disposal.
Tsuna's reaction, is to shift his flames to a pure orange before propelling himself forward. Mukuro quickly grabs the last shreds of the staff not wrecked by the red flame, and fights him off. Tsunayoshi is fast, but running on instinct, not training, and Mukuro does still have him beat there. It only takes one small opening to slip behind the teen, pinning his hands at the wrists so the flames can't hit him. If he can get him to the floor, he can knock him out, or quickly steal a kiss and knock himself out. Reborn can't interfere if he's wearing his students body, right?
However, Tsuna isn't going to give him the chance. The flames on his hands immediately turn blue, and flare like someone just poured gasoline on his limbs. There's flickers of purple interspersed, possibly the cause, and suddenly, the Vongola heir is breaking free, propelling himself upwards too fast for Mukuro to follow.
He turns, and throws a lazy kick Mukuro's way. It's something Mukuro should be able to dodge in his sleep – but something is affecting his body, and his eyes widen just before impact.
'The blue flames...crap, blue is tranquillity you fool!'
He can't bite back the choked scream as he slams into the opposite wall, and collapses to the floor. It takes a biblically long time to get to his feet, and when he looks up, it's to Sawada Tsunayoshi leisurely making his way across the room, apparently aware that Mukuro can no longer react fast enough to be a true threat.
This is official more than he can handle. He has no weapon, no trident, and no allies. He needs to fall back and regroup – this is no longer a salvageable situation. If he can shift to a different path, he can vanish regardless of the speed.
Except those damn flames on his hands are now turning a mix of orange and purple and are quite literally flooding the room. They flicker out of existence almost immediately, but Mukuro can feel their aura radiating all around them. The purple has allowed him to multiply a limited amount of orange flames, which in turn has allowed Sawada Tsunayoshi to sense everything his so called 'hyper intuition' wasn't already picking up. If Mukuro so much as blinks too slowly he'll probably know about it.
He can only stare at the teen in frustration, rage building inside.
"How..." he growls. "You're supposed to be the weak, unimportant, last resort! I have spilled so much blood I could fill an ocean! How can you be winning!"
Sawada Tsunayoshi just stares at him impassively, and the flames shift again, all other colour fading until it's the purest orange Mukuro can ever remember seeing.
"I told you before, Mukuro," he says, hands moving behind him once more. "Because I am whatever I want to be. And right now, I want to be the one that stops you."
The flames flare, and suddenly, Tsunayoshi is right in front of him, both hand's jerked forward and slamming onto his face, smacking his skull back into the wall. It feels like they're burning the skin of his bones, and Mukuro screams in both pain and anguish.
The black aura burns away, unable to fight against the purity of Tsunayoshi's orange flames, and Mukuro almost feels his anger and bitterness getting dragged along for the ride too.
His last thoughts are of two teens lying in the room, and of the pair of burning orange eyes still boring into his soul, as he feel unconscious.
'Sawada Tsunayoshi...you are truly a terrifying human being...'
In the back of his mind, Tsuna is completely aware that he's the one that just lived through the past ten minutes. However, when the flames vanish from his gloves and snuff out from his head, he's having a really hard time processing it. Especially when he sees a pair of mitten covered hands still smothering Mukuro's face.
"Hiiieee!" he shrieks. "Did I suffocate him? Is he still alive?"
Reborn huffs. "And he's back. Congratulations Dame-Tsuna, you succeeded in your goal."
Tsuna's eyes widen, and he glances back at the broken teen he'd woken up above.
"I still can't believe I did...what exactly happened?" he says. "It feels like someone else was in the drivers seat."
His tutor smirks. "Well, considering you don't let your true self out very often, I imagine it would. Don't worry though, we can work on that. For now, we should get the criminals prepared for transit, and wait for the Vongola medical team to come help the others."
"Oh, right," Tsuna squeaks, head frantically turning every which way. "I don't...um, maybe we should move, ah...who do I help first."
He prepares to move – then stops, looking over Mukuro's frame yet again. He doesn't know why, but it feels like he shouldn't leave his former enemy where he is. It takes some effort, and his hands shake as he pulls them from the mittens, but he eventually reaches for Mukuro's shoulders, hoping to move the unconscious illusionist into a less awkward position.
"Don't you touch him!" someone screams, and Tsuna wails, jumping back as if it was Mukuro himself.
It's not, but it's equally a shock to see both Ken and Chikusa conscious and glaring at him as if he'd personally insulted them. They're practically dragging themselves across the floor, clearly unable to stand.
"You don't ever touch him," Chikusa warns. "You Mafia don't deserve to be near him."
They're still halfway across the room, but it's clear they're going to get to Mukuro or die trying. Tsuna stumbles to his own feet, watching them in shock.
"But...why?" he asks. "Why go so far for someone who used and possessed you?"
"Shut...up...byon," Ken gasps. "You have no idea what it was like. This is nothing compared to what we had to go through. What hell we lived through with the Estrano."
"Wait...you were all Estrano?" Tsuna asks. "But...I thought, weren't they all wiped out?"
"By Mukuro," Chikusa admits, and Tsuna's eyes widen.
"He killed them? His whole family?"
Ken roars a wordless snarl.
"We weren't family-byon, just tools," he hisses.
"The Estrano, they were...they were monsters," Chikusa chokes out. "So afraid of what the Mafia would do to them, that they tortured us. Used us as guinea pigs for their experiments."
"I still remember the pain from their tests," Ken mutters. "What they did to us. What they made us. Mukuro saved us."
"He killed them all, and asked us to follow," Chikusa finishes. "How can we do anything less?"
It's all either boy can offer. Once they've dragged themselves enough to be between Tsuna and Mukuro, their injuries knock them unconscious, leaving Tsuna with only Reborn, and more questions than answers.
"Reborn, what do we do now?" he asks. "We stopped them, but this...it doesn't feel quite right."
The hitman is quiet, and Tsuna glances over.
"Reborn?" he asks again.
"I think that might be your intuition reacting," Reborn explains, eyes locked on the door. Tsuna follows his gaze – and gasps at the tall, black suited figures, wrapped in bandages.
"Wait, who-"
They don't wait for him to finish, chains appearing from nowhere and wrapping around the three criminal's necks, before dragging them back towards them. Tsuna staggers to his feet, hand outstretched.
"Stop, where are you taking-"
Reborn doesn't let him finish, jumping up and knocking him back to the ground.
"Quiet, Dame-Tsuna," he warns. "I told you of Vendicare before. Those are the Vindice, come for their lost prisoners."
Tsuna freezes, and stares in horror as both the bandaged figures and the three teens vanish through the door, an unsettling feeling in his throat.
'There was something very wrong about those men,' he thinks. 'I don't know what, but it felt bad on every possible level.'
"Reborn..." he starts. "what exactly are the Vindice?"
To his credit, the hitman mulls over the question before he answers. "Nobody truly knows. It's a secret guarded even from the oldest of families. It's not one I'd recommend looking into."
Tsuna swallows heavily. That answer does nothing for the fear he's feeling. Or the weight of his injuries now that the adrenaline and flames are wearing off.
"Right...okay..."
Thankfully, the darkness is coming back, and he falls the floor.
'Secrets and plots. That's all the mafia is.'
'I don't want that for myself,' he thinks to himself, with the last embers of will. 'I want to break free of that. I want to figure out who I am, before they decide for me...'
He blacks out, unable to think any longer.
The next few days more or less pass in a blur. Ryohei and the others are released from hospital, Tsuyoshi lets them hold a party at Takesushi, and Lanchia comes by to say goodbye.
It's almost enough to make him feel like the last few days were a dream. Almost. There's this weird buzzing in his head now. Like he's forgotten something important.
He brings it up to Kyoko morning, just after they've swapped places for the day. He'd rather hoped the switch would knock it loose, but no luck.
Kyoko looks a little surprised.
"You don't remember how you beat Mukuro?"
"Well, no," he admits. "I sort of remember that. I mean, I know I managed to shift my flames to different types, but I can't remember exactly how I did it. It's like I won a bike race but forgot how to ride one immediately after."
"That's not surprising."
At this point, neither of them are surprised to find Reborn jumping out of nowhere and landing on Tsuna's head. "It was the first time using that bullet, and a very unique ability. But don't worry, with thorough training, I'll have it perfected for the next Vongola Boss."
Tsuna sighs. "I told you, I'm not going to be the boss. You can't make me."
Reborn just hums, and glances over at Kyoko.
"Your new trick aside, I'm more interested in you, Miss Sasagawa. That was quite the stunt you pulled, especially considering your injuries."
Kyoko blushes and looks away. "Thank you, but I'm still not sure how it worked. It was all done with my gut."
"Some of the best deeds in history start the very same way," Reborn assures her.
"But...what exactly did I do?" Kyoko asks. "I remember fighting Mukuro, and getting away, but after that, it's all dark."
Reborn smiles.
"I do believe our young Kyoko managed to activate her flames. It was a unique situation that could only have been successful due to your relationship."
"Really?" they parrot, and Reborn nods.
"Due to you switching with Tsuna, Kyoko has been hit by two dying will bullets, which would have brought her flames closer to the surface that they ever would have become naturally. In addition, she was put under the effects of a very powerful Mist. But thanks to the nature of the effects, essentially the control of a body that is not yours, Kyoko already had a natural defence."
"Wait, all the body switching?" Tsuna gasps. "That's what happened?"
"Yes. Or at least, that's my hypothesis," Reborn explains. "If you're interested in pursuing it, I'll have to see about arranging an illusionist for training."
Kyoko's face lights up. "Really? You'll do that?"
Reborn nods, but he looks conflicted. "It's not good to leave a weapon unsharpened. But it might take some time to arrange. I know who I'd like to call, but they've been missing for some time. Unfortunately, illusionists of a teaching calibre are not easily found."
His face then grows smug.
"However, if you're still interested, there is something we can do..."
When the offer is made, Kyoko insists that Hana be allowed to join. A concession Reborn seems happy to allow, and that evening, they find themselves at the Sawada home, rapping on Bianchi's bedroom door.
"Kyoko, Hana?" Bianchi greets after three knocks. "Can I help you?"
"Hi Bianchi," Kyoko greets. "Can we come in? There's something I need to ask you."
The older girl smiles.
"Ah, Reborn said you'd be coming."
She invites them in.
"Just to be clear, is this something you actively want, or just a reaction to what happened at Kokuyo land?" she asks, once she's closed the door again. "Trust me, nobody is really as good as they're pretending. Being put under the effects of an illusionist of that calibre is unsettling for anyone, no matter their status."
"That's not it," Kyoko says. "I mean, it was, but..."
"But Reborn has made it clear this will happen again, so this is our only option now," Hana interrupts. "To make sure it doesn't happen again."
Bianchi frowns. "Oh?"
The two girls nod, and Kyoko steps forward.
"I don't want to be useless next time," Kyoko admits. "Can you show me how to fight?"
"Both of us," Hana asks. "This is going to get worse, and neither of us want to be sitting ducks."
Bianchi crosses her arms, analysing the two of them.
"My style of fighting won't work for you," she warns. "It's unique to me. And this life isn't for everyone. You two of you still have the option to back off."
"No, we don't," Kyoko corrects, eyes fierce, and Bianchi suppresses the flinch when she sees them glint dark blue. "That option cannot be considered, at all. So will you help us?"
The older woman sighs, but when she looks up and catches sight of their determined faces, smiles.
"Very well," she says, and the two girls grin. "If you're determined to stand by the ones you love, I can hardly be the one to turn you away. Meet me here tomorrow morning, and we'll begin."
Meanwhile, in a foreign country, in a building surrounded by snow, several prisoners find themselves being flung into cells. They're smaller than the ones they're used to, and clearly of a higher security rank.
As the door slams shut, Ken slides down the wall and looks up at the tiny window. The only light they'll get at this level.
"Ugh, home sweet home-byon," he mutters. "It was nice while it lasted."
"Don't give up so quickly," Chikusa snaps from next door. "Mukuro got out once, he can get out again. Right, Mukuro?"
From the opposite side of the room, lying on his own bed, Mukuro chuckles.
"Of course I can. While the Vindice will be watching us, I will see them slip up eventually. I still have ways to access outside, and how can I just sit and twiddle my thumbs when a prize like Sawada Tsunayoshi runs loose?"
Ken grins, leaning over to grab the bars.
"He's definitely the one you need right? With an awesome power like that, you'd be unstoppable-byon."
"Mukuro is already unstoppable," Chikusa snaps. "Body swapping would make his allies more powerful."
The Mist chuckles. "Right. If I could swap your minds with the minds of those I took over, I wouldn't need to stay in constant control. Rather than just six, I could control dozens at a time. Sawada Tsunayoshi won this battle, but I will win the war."
Though he hates to admit it, but there's something about that idea that just seems unappealing now. He still desires a strong change in the world, but where the thought of slaughtering society almost indiscriminately once brought him joy, it now leaves him with a strange sensation. One he thinks might almost be described as guilt.
It's absolutely horrifying, and must have been caused by Sawada Tsunayoshi and those viciously pure flames. Apparently, one of the more dangerous risks of using the human path, is that your aura is created from what makes you human. The dark, ugly traits, that are powerful and the reason society is so depraved. And Sawada Tsunayoshi just went and burned his strongest emotions right out of him. He's desperately hoping it's temporary.
There's a dark chuckle, and Mukuro pauses. Both of his allies look confused, and Ken suddenly starts hissing.
"Oi, this is a private conversation-byon!"
"Oh, I do hope I didn't interrupt," a voice from the cell further down the hall says. "I just found the topic quite interesting. You found someone who can swap bodies?"
"None of your business," Chikusa warns, and Mukuro discards the man's comments as an eager criminal looking for information.
"Of course, of course," the man soothes. "But, I don't suppose this Tsunayoshi swapped bodies with a kiss, did he?"
Mukuro bolts upright into a sitting position. He doesn't need to see the look of shock on Ken and Chikusa's face to know they're equally caught of guard. Instead, he walks to the edge of his cell, trying to see if he can peer down for a better view.
"You sound as if you've come across it before," Mukuro questions, and the voice laughs again.
"Oh, that family and I have quite the history," the voice explains. "And I have a feeling we can help each other out. I've been working on a break out plan of my own. If you are willing to share a few titbits about the outside...I'd be happy to let you in. What do you say?"
Mukuro glances over at Ken and Chikusa, before returning his gaze to the man still hidden by his cell.
"I think we could do well to have a conversation," he offers. "Why don't you start, friend?"
I never want to watch the Mukuro arc EVER AGAIN.
Wasn't sure if I wanted to add that last bit or not, but decided to be positive and run on the hope that I'll stay focused on this fic long enough for it to bear fruit...