Kyandi: Hello, Kyandiacs!
Roksana: To make up for the shorter chapter the last time, this chapter is longer.
Kyandi: It would have ended up longer if I hadn't been paying attention.
Roksana: You all are getting a little closer to finding out what part I play in the Trinisette.
Kyandi: And to watching all hell breaks loose.
Roksana: That too.
Kyandi: And we're getting closer to another appearance of Mukur-
Roksana: Finish that sentence and I'll hurt you.
Kyandi: O-kay...Everyone, enjoy and review.
Roksana: Kyandi-sama does not own Katekyo Hitman REBORN.
Chapter 42 Talons of Fate
Kikyou had no warning of Roksana's next move. The girl's movement was sudden, the girl moving faster than he had ever seen anyone outside of the Six Funeral Wreaths move. To think the Vongola had someone who could move that fast without the assistance of flames. His eyes opened wide when one moment, she was before him, talons flashing in the sunlight, and in the next moment, she was right within his guard, those very talons reaching for his throat.
The sudden, encroaching threat to his life had his instincts kicking as, for just a moment, fear flashed through him. He hit Roksana perhaps a little harder than he should have, sending the girl flying to the side and into the side of a building. Roksana, though, took the hit with grace, her feet being what crashed into the building side, her talons digging through the Lightning reinforced outside of the building face.
If those talons could rip through that, Kikyou didn't want to find out what they could do to his body. Especially when she had already admitted to wanting to ruin his face. When she suddenly shoved off the building, rocketing towards him, those talons flashing, Kikyou rocketed into the sky to avoid the attack and was glad he did. Roksana's talons ripped through the building like a hot knife through butter, shredding it with such ease.
With a burst of her own flames to the base of her feet, she shot after him, slashing those talons at him once more. She almost managed to land that attack, Kikyou changing his direction at the last second to avoid the talons. Roksana fell back to the ground, landing lightly on her feet. Standing and turning to face Kikyou, Roksana flexed her fingers. She still wasn't completely use to them yet, but, like with the chain and sickle she had picked up during the fight for the Vongola rings, she was figuring it out.
And judging from the look on his face, Kikyou didn't like being her guinea pig.
"Where's that smile of yours now? Don't tell me the big, bad Six Funeral Wreaths man is scared of a little girl." Roksana taunted.
"You like taunting people, don't you?" Kikyou retorted.
"Only smug, arrogant bastards like you." Roksana replied. "Men like you are always so quite to condescend when it comes to those they believe are weaker than them. Little bit of a warning for you, I may look innocent, but don't let looks deceive you. I'm only sweet and innocent in appearance."
"I'm sorry to inform you, but those eyes of your's aren't so innocent looking. You have quite the fierce gaze." Kikyou told her.
"Why thank you. Years of numerous assassination and kidnapping attempts against you can give anyone quite the intense stare." Roksana said.
"Assassination and kidnapping attempts?" Kikyou replied, raising an eyebrow.
That hadn't been in any of the information they had been able to dig up on the girl. The knowledge that they didn't know about that, had a sly grin curling Roksana's lip, added an even more wicked look to her expression.
"The cons to being a politician's daughter. Everyone wants a piece of you. Over eight hundred combined assassination and kidnapping attempts and not a single one succeeded, no matter the level of professional they were. Is it starting to click in your head just how difficult getting me is going to be?" Roksana asked.
Regardless of what past experiences she had, Kikyou was convinced that she had never gone up against someone like him and his fellow Funeral Wreaths. Some run of the mill assassin had nothing on them.
If only he knew.
"A politician's daughter playing mafia?" Kikyou asked, raising an eyebrow at her in mocking.
"Quite the paradox, is it not?" Roksana replied. "If you knew my family, though, it wouldn't seem so absurd. Now, if you want me, come and get me...if you can."
Roksana raised one hand, using two finger to beckon to him. At the same time, she flashed the talons on the other hand, a warning of the pain she planned to introduce him to.
The next clash between the two was so fast, those watching had a hard time keeping up with it. As soon as they clashed though, they were rocketing apart, Roksana flipping herself up and over the Vongola base to land on the other side of it. Kikyou was on her quickly, the girl jumping away from him. Kikyou watched as every time he attacked her, Roksana pinballed off buildings, bouncing all around the Vongola base unit. It didn't take him long to realize that she was avoiding him and not attacking. When she flipped herself over the base unit once more, vanishing on the other side, Kikyou grinned.
"Who's the one running scared now?" he called to her, moving around the side of the base unit.
"Not me."
Kikyou turned, expecting to see her talons flashing towards him from behind. Instead, he turned to come face to face with the capped ends of the end pieces of her three part staff. She end each end in her hands, pointing them at him. Kikyou could not see or sense any flames from the weapon, so he raised an eyebrow at her.
"Am I suppose to be fearful? There's no flames." Kikyou remarked.
"You know, you talk really pretty, but...you're really stupid. All looks and no brains." Roksana told him.
"Excuse me?" Kikyou asked, his pleasant smile no longer so pleasant.
"There's no excuse for you." Roksana replied before grinning at him. "Who said anything about flames?"
Kikyou only saw the barest of movement from her index fingers before the capped ends of her staff popped open. In the next second, there was an explosion that even rattled Irie and Spanner inside the base unit. While Kikyou was sent flying back from the explosion, Roksana was launched into the air over the base unit, surprisingly escaping without a scratch. She ignited her flames in her feet, allowing her to hover in the air, Kikyou looking up at her as he wiped blood from a cut across his cheek.
"So primitive. Was that suppose to kill me?" Kikyou asked.
"Just how stupid do you think I am? I knew it wouldn't." Roksana replied, hands on her hips. "You know, I might be a platinum blonde, but I'm not a dumb blonde."
"Then the point of it?" Kikyou asked.
"Take a good long look at my gloves. Notice anything missing?" Roksana asked, holding up her hands.
Kikyou took a look as Roksana turned her hands for him to see both sides. It took him a moment before he realized what was different. The man whipped around, looking around him, noticing the tiny glint here and there all around him as he realized...the talons were missing off her gloves. He turned in a circle, his eyes landing on all the spots where she had bounced off the walls, literally. In ten different locations all around him and the base unit, he could see the glint of her talons embedded in the walls.
Not knowing what to expect but knowing that it couldn't possibly be good for him, Kikyou bent his knees to launch himself into the air, but Roksana was faster. Flexing her fingers before curling them, she yanked her hands apart hard. All at once, Kikyou felt wires snap tight around him, locking his arms to his side and holding him in place. Now that she had activated them, Kikyou could see the light trace of Moon flames coating the wires. His eyes traced the wires as they zig-zagged back and forth around them, all of them leading back to Roksana's fingers.
How he hadn't noticed them as she laid them, he didn't know. One thing was clear though. She was right...she was no dumb blonde. That being said, even though it was a box weapon, it was just wires. Nothing he couldn't break with enough force. Grinning, he laid on the power, forcing his arms out while using his flames as a shield between his skin and the wires so they couldn't cut him. His grin grew when one of the wires snapped.
Only for the smile to vanish as the wire quickly corrected itself.
"You really don't understand the characteristics of the Moon flame, do you?" Roksana asked, extinguishing the flames at her feet. She landed lightly on the cross section of a few wires, easily walking across the wires like some aerial trapeze act. "The characteristic is "rebirth", as in renewal, everything made new. As soon as you manage to snap those wires, they will return to as good as new once more. The only person that can permanently sever them, is me."
Back in the observation box, Roksana's friends cheered, Reborn chuckling from where he sat on Dino's shoulder.
"And that is why they are called the Talons of Fate. It's a play on the strings of the three Fates from Greek mythology. Only those three Fates could decide when to cut the lifeline of a person." Reborn remarked. "Likewise, only Volkov could sever those wires and they stay that way."
Roksana was still learning her way around the wires, but she was proud with the progress that she had made since she had first discovered Tsukuyomi's Cambio Forma form. Out on the battlefield, she stared down at Kikyou as she neared him, seemingly unaware that he still had access to a weapon to use against her.
Just as long as she got a little closer.
"Irie, Spanner," Roksana said then, talking into her headset.
"Y-yes!" came Irie's voice.
"Get out of here. I left an opening for the two of you to escape. Get as far from here as you can. Takeshi should take that barrier down soon, so leave this one to me." Roksana told them.
"Right! Be careful, Roksana-chan!" Irie told her.
"Only if you drop the honorifics." Roksana replied.
As Irie and Spanner got the base moving, the two getting out of there, Roksana took a step off the wire she was standing on, dropping easily to a wire below, putting her almost on level with Kikyou.
"Now, as for you..." Roksana remarked, getting closer.
Kikyou grinned as she got closer, his fingers curling around his box weapon. Just a little closer and he would have her. As he met her eyes, though, he saw there the proof he couldn't deny.
She knew what he was up to and she wasn't concerned.
Just when it was looking tight for Kikyou, like he might have met his equal in this fight, Fate shined a light on him in the form of a very stupid comrade of Roksana's.
"Roksana! Look out!"
Roksana's head flew up, the girl's eyes locking in on the incoming bombs before she threw herself back away from Kikyou, forced to pull her wires back to protect herself from the explosion. Kikyou, the moment he felt the release of the wire, shot away like a rocket. Roksana, with the use of her talons and wires, caught herself before she did a face plant on the concrete below, her pigtails just skimming the ground. Twisting around, she watched as Kikyou shot after Irie and Spanner.
Now pissed, Roksana pulled herself up, correcting herself before she turned to glare at Gokudera as he approached on his motorbike.
"Hayato! What did you do that for!? I had him!" Roksana snapped.
"He had a box weapon in hand!" Gokudera snapped back.
"Do you think I'm stupid!? I already knew that!" Roksana retorted.
"You did!?"
"Yes! Of course a man like that has an ace up the sleeve! Holy hell, Hayato! For someone who is so smart on paper, you can be really moronic." Roksana told him before she rocketed away, rushing after Kikyou.
Gokudera tried to help her by attacking with his bombs, but they had no effect with Kikyou and the man attacked Gokudera, exploding the boy's bike.
"Hayato?!" Roksana called, looking back.
"I'm fine, keep going!" came Gokudera's voice through the headset.
With Gokudera out of the way and Roksana closing the distance with every second, Kikyou turned his attention to the mobile base unit. If he could take out Irie before Roksana caught up to him, then the game was over. It took only one attack to crash the base. Kikyou came to a hover over the ruined base unit.
"Now then, in this situation, would Byakuran-sama prefer to tease the target first, or simply wipe him out in a single instant?" Kikyou asked himself before he noticed Irie pulling himself from the wreckage of the base to make a run for it. "Given the persistence of the girl, I think simply eliminating him is best. He deserves that much pity."
An explosion from somewhere else in the city, the tremor shaking the entire city, announced that Tsuna had blown his way out of Torikabuto's illusion by sheer force. Kikyou was forced to acknowledge that danger was coming a little too close.
"So the Vongola Decimo is changing his strategy and heading back this way. A pity he is already too late." Kikyou said, looking down at Irie. "Erasing that target marker will be simpler than taking candy from a baby. I hope you do not mind, Byakuran-sama. I am about to take the life of your old friend."
Kikyou prepared his attack, unaware that his moment of distraction caused by Tsuna, had given Roksana the time she needed to catch up. He only saw a blur of silver before Roksana swooped in on her wires, scooping Irie up and throwing the both of them into the air. Kikyou stared in shock as Roksana, Irie clutched under one, landing on her wires, carefully cradled between their sharp edges.
"And this is why I hate marshmallow fluff loving, arrogant pridurki like you." Roksana snapped before merely turning and rocketing away, taking Irie with her.
Kikyou wasn't completely sure, for he really didn't speak Russian, but he was pretty sure she had just called him an asshole. That could be left for later. He didn't have the luxury of letting Roksana get away. If that meant he had to rough her up a bit...well, he was sure Byakuran would forgive him in the end. Taking off after her, Kikyou found out quick that, even with an added passenger, Roksana was very agile, moving through the high-rises as if she'd had years to train with her box weapon and not just weeks.
"Roksana-chan...!" Irie yelped when Roksana suddenly dropped only to swing them between two buildings with only a few feet to spare between them and the ground.
"I got us, Irie. Just try to remain relaxed. It's not easy to move if you're all tensed." Roksana told him.
"It's a little difficult to relax when we're this high up off the ground with no net!" Irie replied.
"You're a comrade now, Irie. That means you're apart of my family. I won't let you fall." she promised him, yanking on the wires suddenly to rocket them into the air when Kikyou attacked from behind. "Tsuna, if you can hear me, getting here anytime now would be awesome."
"I'm hurrying as fast as I can, but you're moving fast, too!" Tsuna replied.
"I kind of have to. This pastel lady-boy is crowding me far too much for my liking!" Roksana retorted, kicking off a building side to avoid another attack. "And he's not trying to play nice with me anymore."
"If you'd put me down, he'd go after me, not you!" Irie told her.
"Ha! Yeah, that's not happening. Even if I wasn't at stake here, too, I don't abandon friends. Hate to break it to you, Irie, but your stuck with me for life. Get over it." Roksana told him.
Irie glanced up at Roksana's serious expression as her eyes scanned their surroundings, trying to map their best escape route. She was serious about not letting him down and, at the moment, she was doing her best to stall for as much time as she could. Irie turned his eyes forward, trying to think of someway to help her, when Kikyou appeared right in their way.
"R-Roksana-chan! In front...!" Irie exclaimed, making Roksana turn her eyes forward.
She didn't even hesitate for a moment, though, just kept rocketing forward.
"Irie...I need you to trust me, okay?" she said.
"Why is it that when you say that, I get a really bad feeling?!" Irie asked.
"Maybe because you're about to be on a crash course with the ground?" Roksana replied.
"I'm what?!" Irie exclaimed.
"Just trust me. If you can't managed to do that than you're never going to make it in this family, Irie." Roksana told him.
Though he was still nervous about what she had said, he swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. Something in the look in her eyes, told him that he could trust her, even when he hadn't known her for that long.
"Alright. Brace yourself then." Roksana said, landing on her wires.
Concentrating her flames into her feet, Roksana did the last thing Kikyou expected her to do. Instead of turning, changing course or dropping, Roksana rocketed straight for him. That was fine. He would just grab Irie from her then. Right before she reached Kikyou, though, she did something that had everyone watching, dropping their jaws.
She dropped Irie.
Kikyou, unable to believe that she had just subjected Irie to a sixty story drop, looked down.
Big mistake.
Roksana, he realized too late, was still on a crash course for him, and, now...she had her talons completely free. A fact she took full vantage of. If Kikyou hadn't yanked back when he had, he would have lost his eyes to those talons. As it was, she opened four long gashes from his chest, up his neck and to his left cheek. Past the spray of blood, he didn't miss the smug grin that curled her lips before she dropped towards the ground too.
Her wires caught in time to swing her down in an arc, allowing her to scoop Irie up before he could hit the ground. As she rocketed back towards the crashed base unit, and back towards the approaching Tsuna, Kikyou could hear her let out a loud cheer.
"Finally! I marred that smug, arrogant ass face of his!"
Okay, so maybe this girl wasn't as amusing as Kikyou had first thought her to be. Now feeling a little bit annoyed, Kikyou rocked after them. Byakuran would forgive him if he damaged Roksana just a little bit.
And he knew just how to land the hit.
Kikyou caught up with the two quickly, aiming for another hit. This one, though, was aimed for Irie. With the close quarters and her wires already stretched, Roksana did the only thing she could think up. The girl curled into a ball around Irie, surprising both Irie and Kikyou, who had already known she would do whatever it took to protect Irie, when the girl actually put actions to her words.
The shot pierced right through Roksana's right shoulder and sent both of them crashing towards the ground. Roksana only barely managed to slow their momentum enough to only make the landing a little jarring. Roksana gasped as she hit the ground first, gritting her teeth against the pain. Unable to maintain her flames in the state of pain, her gloves returned to Tsukuyomi's original form, the phoenix vanishing back into his box.
"Irie, run. Tsuna should be getting close." Roksana told Irie.
"But you-"
"Just go, damn it! I don't need to be coddled!" Roksana snapped at him. "Go! If you're caught, we lose!"
Seeing her point, Irie turned and made a run for it, Roksana focusing her flames on the wound in her shoulder, granting new life to the dead tissue of her wounded flesh and promoting fast recovery. Anything to keep her from losing too much blood before she could get Ryohei to use his flames to heal her. With Roksana done, though, Irie didn't make it far before Kikyou shot him down, the shot spearing him right through the left side.
Tsuna arrived then, finding both Roksana and Irie down on the ground, bleeding.
"Shouichi! Roksana!" Tsuna exclaimed.
"Hahah. It's already over." Kikyou mocked from behind Tsuna.
"Why, you!"
Tsuna whipped around, attacking Kikyou. The man merely raised an arm to block the elbow Tsuna aimed for his face.
"I said, this game is over. I have no reason to fight with you now." Kikyou told him.
Tsuna clicked his tongue, turning to hurry to his friends' sides. The Cervello stopped him, though, insisting that they needed to check on Irie's target marker. Yamamoto spoke then, telling Tsuna that he had managed to defeat Daisy at the same time Irie was struck down. Relieved as far as that was concerned, Tsuna landed and hurried to Roksana's side.
"Roksana?!" he asked, dropping to his knees at her side.
"I'll be fine, Tsuna. I'm sorry, but when I saw that last attack coming...I did what I had to in order to protect him. I failed." Roksana told Tsuna.
"No. You did the best you could. Just focus on your wound." Tsuna told her.
Gokudera showed up then, gripping his left arm. Tsuna and Roksana both were glad to see that he was alright.
"Help me up." Roksana demanded.
"You need to res-"
"Screw that. Help me up." Roksana demanded now that her bleeding had slowed to a stop.
Careful of the hole still in her shoulder, Tsuna and Gokudera helped her to her feet.
"You okay?" Gokudera asked.
"Splendid. I got to mar that smug bastard's face, so I'm delirious with joy." Roksana replied, gripping her shoulder. "Irie? How's Irie?"
With the Cervello now having confirmed that both target markers had been taken out at the same time, they were allowed near Irie, Tsuna kneeling at Irie's side while Roksana and Gokudera remained on their feet. Roksana was sure that if she got back down, she would be too tempted to lay down and not get up for a while.
Just when it was looking like they had ended up in a draw, the marker on Daisy's chest reignited.
"Daisy has a little issue known as the "Undead Body"." Kikyou told them as Torikabuto joined him. "He's a strange case...his biggest trouble in life is his inability to die. Perhaps you understand a little better now? This is the real power of the real Six Funeral Wreaths."
With this new development, the Millefiore were declared the winners.
Roksana looked up, her eyes landing on Kikyou as he watched her with a grin of on his now blemished face. Keeping her hand ignited with flames, to continue to help her wound as well as to be ready for an attack, Roksana turned her attention back to her friends as Irie finally came to, Gokudera putting his broken glasses on him.
"What happened...in the Choice battle?" Irie asked.
"I'm sorry...we lost." Tsuna told him.
Irie, despite his injury, sat up, wincing at the pain, but too worried to pay it any attention.
"What?! That's just not permissible! We have to win...! We must! It's not over! We can still fight!" Irie insisted.
"Oi, Irie! Don't try to move about!" Gokudera told him.
"As the Choice battle has come to an end, all communication lines will now be opened." the Cervello told them.
"Byakuran-san! I can still fight!" Irie insisted.
"No, lay back down." Roksana told Irie, leaning over to push him back down. "If you keep moving like this, you'll bleed to death and I can't spare flames for two right now."
"I don't care if I do die! I would gladly die, if it meant defeating Byakuran-san!" Irie replied, coughing up blood. "Gladly..."
"I don't get it...I just don't get it. Why do you feel so strongly about defeating Byakuran that you would even push yourself this far?! I don't understand it!" Tsuna exclaimed.
"What?" Irie asked, finally letting Roksana push him back down.
"I mean, I know he's a bad guy...and I understand in theory that if the Trinisette are stolen, there will be terrible consequences. But I can't really appreciate it. No matter how much people tell me that this is for the sake of humanity...it's just so disconnected from me personally. There are times when I feel like I just can't follow it all." Tsuna told Irie.
"The Tenth has a point. Fighting to get back to our own time is one thing, but all this stuff about coming to this time and fighting to deal with the issues this world is facing or whatever...I'm still not really feeling it." Gokudera agreed.
"I only fight because my friends, my family, are in danger." Roksana added.
"I see. Yes...of course. I've been so busy these past ten days that I never got a chance to explain. No...perhaps I was just selfishly believing that you would simply understand without my having to do so." Irie said.
"Tell me, Shouichi-kun...why do you fight so hard to defeat Byakuran? What on earth happened between the two of you?" Tsuna asked.
"I'll tell you everything. In fact, I want you to hear this. It all began eleven years ago. I was living in Namimori, just like all of you, when suddenly one day I ended up helping Lambo-san out and I received a wooden box from the Bovino Family as thanks." Irie told them.
"Huh?! Lambo...he's involved in this?!" Tsuna gasped.
Apparently, the box sent to Irie had contained shells for Lambo's 10-Year Bazooka. While trying to clean his room, Irie had dropped one of the shells on his leg, sending himself into the future. He had found himself at a university in America and with no idea what to do, he panicked. It was only upon finding his future self's ID that he was able to start piecing together what had happened. It was when the shock of finding himself in the future caused him to run off, that he found himself running into Byakuran.
Irie told them that he ran away and, shortly after, returned to the past. Returning to the past, Irie pretty much forgot about Byakuran, the fact that he had time traveled being what stuck in his head. In fact, he had been more disappointed that he hadn't been a musician like he wanted to be. It made him determined to change the future.
And that brought Irie to the point of the story.
Parallel worlds.
Everyone else arrived then, cutting Irie off. Thankfully, Spanner was alright and was being looked after by Bianchi.
"Roksana! Are you alright?" Dino demanded.
"I'm fine. Where's Ryoka and Marc?" Roksana asked.
"With Poisonous Scorpion." Dion told her.
"Good." Roksana replied.
"Those are some nasty wounds, on both of you." Reborn remarked looking from Irie to Roksana before demanding Ryohei use his flames.
"I'm sorry, Reborn-san...but more importantly...please, explain about the parallel worlds." Irie requested.
"Come to think of it, adult Lambo was saying something about that a while back!" Tsuna remarked.
"What exactly is a "parasol world"?" Ryohei asked, making Roksana heave a sigh.
"How have you made it to middle school?" Roksana asked.
"It's "parallel", you idiot!" Gokudera snapped.
"The theory of "parallel worlds" refers to the idea that the world branches off in all kinds of directions, resulting in a number of different futures existing side by side." Reborn explained, going on to explain how certain events determine how the future would play out from there.
"Basically...you're saying that all kinds of different "possible" worlds actually exist at the same time?" Tsuna asked.
"That's right. As many as there are possibilities." Reborn replied.
"But there are an awful lot of possibilities in the world!" Ryohei exclaimed.
"That's right. As such, I was certain that there would be a parallel world out there somewhere in which I had become a musician, and with that in mind, decided to go into the future again." Irie told them.
Irie went on to tell them how he had burned all his textbooks and wrote on all of his career guidance forms that he wanted to be a musician or die. After that, the future he arrived in was one in which his future self had been in a run down bar in some other country. In that one, he had been a musician but he was stuck in a financial trouble and was in trouble with a gang. Running from the gang, Irie, once again, found himself running into Byakuran.
Irie had thought he could run away and that be that. After all, that Byakuran had never met him before. But, this time, there was something odd. Byakuran had recognized him and had had started to have a severe headache. It was after that that Byakuran was even able to remember his name. Irie said he ran away after that and ended back up in the past.
"Wh-what does this mean?!" Tsuna asked.
"At the time, I didn't know what to think about what had happened, either. It was only through my future time-traveling experiences that I would learn of the ability Byakuran-san had obtained." Irie told them, telling them of the next time he went into the future, finding it in nothing but ruins, reduced to ashes by it's dictator, Byakuran.
"I thought it must be some kind of mistake...some kind of bad dream. So after making it back, I worked to cause as many changes as I could, and time traveled to the future many more times. But every time...though my changes did have some effect-the worlds were not identical-every future that I visited was under the control of Byakuran-san." Irie informed them.
"That Byakuran...what did he do?" Reborn asked.
"He had used the ability that I had awakened in him...for his own greedy purposes. In every parallel world, he possessed more knowledge than anyone else, and he used it to secure advanced technologies for himself, and create a powerful army." Irie told them.
"B-but that's terrible. What is this ability of his?!" Tsuna asked.
"A parallel world is a complete separate reality, existing independently of the world that we live in. Nobody has any way of knowing about all their other selves who might exist in the worlds parallel to their own; there is no way for them ever to come into contact. But Byakuran-san has the power to share all of his knowledge and thoughts amongst all of his selves from the same point in time across the multitude of parallel worlds." Irie finally told them.
Finally, what Byakuran had said to her before the start of the Choice battle, made sense to Roksana. She had blown it off, at first, when Byakuran had told her that in every future she died, but now...now it really hit home what he had meant.
"Don't get it! I seriously don't get this!" Ryohei shouted. "So what if he knows a lot about the parallel worlds? What is so powerful about Byakuran?"
"Like we said, we can think that because "possibilities" breaks off into branches of parallel worlds with different kinds of futures. Future of military prosperity, future that successfully dug out ancient civilizations, future with prosperity of medical science. Originally, humans can only experience and live in one of the worlds but Byakuran could experience and understand all of the futures." Irie explained.
"Which means he could take each of the future pros. In other words, experience all of the "possibilities". Using the experiences and knowledge to test it out on other parallel worlds. There's no weapon better than information in this world. He could live better than anyone else. He could even start something impossible." Reborn said.
"Exactly. Byakuran-san used knowledge obtained from each parallel world . Could take care of that world's undiscovered epidemic. Discovered royalty that disappeared from this world. Used over a thousand "possibilities" and discoveries to start technical support over the incomplete box weapons and completing it in an extremely fast speed...find the one world in which Roksana-chan can still exist."
All eyes turned to Roksana as Irie said this. Roksana's eyes grew wide in surprise as she stared down at him.
"You know the whole time?" she asked.
"Yes...Byakuran-san told you, didn't he?" Irie asked.
"He did. I didn't understand, at first, what he meant when he told me that in every other future I was dead. Now, I do. Apparently, this is the only world that exist, in which I exist ten years in the future in some way or another." Roksana said.
All of her friends stared at her in wide eyed horror. Was there really no chance for Roksana to survive, or was there still a way to save her? Reborn didn't let any of them dwell on that for the moment.
"But Byakuran's awakening has only been recent. It's impossible to accomplish so much within this short period of time." Reborn said.
"That is...because of the repeating time travels, I've made a Byakuran of the past awaken." Irie admitted.
"What's exactly going on?" Tsuna asked.
"I was set up. I was ordered to send a message function by Byakuran-san's subordinate when I returned to the past and I sent a message to the past Byakuran-san." Irie answered.
"Which means he had this ability even in our time." Roksana remarked.
"Yeah." Irie confirmed.
"Irie! What have you been doing all this time? You didn't do anything despite knowing Byakuran's evil deeds?" Ryohei demanded.
"I lost my memories." Irie admitted. "During the eighth time I traveled to the future. At the world of ten years later, I was set up in a system. They destroyed my memories of time traveling and Byakuran for five years."
"Five...five years? Why would the future Shouichi-kun do this?" Tsuna asked.
"To defeat Byakuran-san of course. The future me decided to use me to fight back acting as Byakuran-san's comrades. Therefore to avoid being suspected by Byakuran-san for the unnecessary hostility, he erased my memories and I got closer to Byakuran-san." Irie told them, explaining how his future self left him instruction. "Then I followed the instructions, coming to an university overseas, making friends with Byakuran-san. What's ironic is that those were the happiest moments in my life. But after five years, my memories fully recovered. Remembering those terrific time travels and the countless events of world destruction in the future, especially with the person responsible being Byakuran-san and I'm in a mission to stop him, threw me into confusion. After that, I got the resolution to be a spy. Sorting out my memories, what could happen to this world, and getting a hold of the world's situation, left me surprised again. Because out of all possibilities of parallel worlds, only this one is not destroyed by Byakuran-san. Only this one, does Roksana-chan live."
"Eh!? What did you say?!" Tsuna asked. "Which is to say isn't there a lot of parallel worlds?!"
"Which means besides this world, the rest of the parallel worlds have been conquered by Byakuran and Roksana has died?!" Ryohei asked.
"That's right. According to the stage five years ago, the chances of stopping Byakuran from conquering the world is one-eighth. Which means there is still a chance of having a parallel world that can stop him from conquering the world. And also the world that meets the expectations of his miracle, that world with one-eighth chance is this world. Which is to say, out of uncountable parallel worlds, this is the only one that stands a chance to defeat Byakuran-san." Irie told them.
"How can this be?" Tsuna asked.
"This must be because the future you informed the past and formed it." Reborn said.
"Not only like that. This is the only future which I have coincidentally met Tsunayoshi-kun." Irie told them.
"With...with me?" Tsuna asked.
"Third year, middle school, your bicycle was fixed by me. Because of that, this world turned into a miracle. The future of Vongola boxes was born. On top of that, this was the only world in which I met a Roksana-chan who was more insistent on living for her friends, than dying for them. Every other world, she had died protecting one person or another. In one, she died to saved Lambo-san, ensuring he was the only one that survived. In another, she was killed taking fire meant for Gokudera-kun. In a third, she was burned alive saving Sasagawa-kun and Yamamoto-kun. More often than not, she was killed protecting three people." Irie said.
"Three people?" Roksana asked.
"Your brother, Marc-kun, Tsunayoshi-kun, and...Hibari-kun." Irie told her.
Roksana looked up, glancing over towards Hibari, who was standing back away from the group. Even with all the information she had been given, Roksana couldn't help but think one thing.
Of course he gets me killed. Go fucking figure.
"That aside," Roksana said. "This means that we can only defeat Byakuran in this ear?" Roksana asked.
"Yeah. Even at other parallel worlds...Trinisette would be taken, Vongola would be exterminated." Irie confirmed.
"Speaking of it. Lambo of twenty years appeared during the battle with Varia." Gokudera pointed out.
"Yeah...that's right. That is because in the parallel world of twenty years later, we're dead. Speaking of it...me of this world was also killed." Tsuna said.
"No, Tsunayoshi-kun. The bullet used by the Millefiore was a "special bullet". I used a bullet similar to that of the Dying Will bullets and led you into a death state." Irie told him.
"Then, that coffin is..."
"A Mist created to hide from the enemies." Irie said, finishing Tsuna's sentence.
"Tenth...is still alive?" Gokudera asked.
"Even though its in a death state, within the coffin, he expected Tsunayoshi-kun to go to the future. He said that the day before he was attacked, "The me of that time who holds the biggest possibilities shall come soon. Indeed, his knowledge, strength and experience is no where near the current me, but myself of that time has comrades bonds, days of large and surprising growth. Myself of the biggest possibility of possibly defeating Byakuran-san."." Irie said, quoting the future Tsuna.
"I agreed on this. Because you guys' growth, usually created numerous miracles." Reborn said.
"That means my future self really did send us here from ten years ago." Tsuna said.
"That's right. The ones awaiting you guys is not just Byakuran-san who wants the rings. Why not say the ones who expected you guys' arrival and defeating the Byakuran the most is Tsunayoshi-kun and me!" Irie told them.
"Tsuna's group that was chosen...and this era that were chosen?" Reborn asked.
"Even though it's hard to understand at parts...but it's clear now. But...we lost. I didn't know of such heavy meaning and trust." Tsuna said.
"That's right, you guys lost." All of them looked up as Byakuran approached them with his guardians behind him. "Even though you understand me so much. What a pity. In the end, you lost no matter which world it is. You guys must keep your promises. I'm taking all of your Vongola rings and little Roksana-chan...what should I do with you guys...hmmm."
"If it's agreement, there's one between us. Still remember...during university, the last Choice was won by me. But you who didn't have any credits left, said this..."The next time we play Choice, as a payback, I would agree to any agreement you favor.". I request a Choice rematch!" Irie said.
Roksana could already tell, just from the look in Byakuran's eyes, that he wasn't going to admit to remembering such a thing.
"Sorry. I don't remember such a thing." Byakuran remarked.
"Lies! How could you forget? Win or lose! You're too selfish. But an agreement is still an agreement. You should be honest at Choice." Irie said.
"I said there's no such thing. I don't admit what I never said. I reject this as the Millefiore boss." Byakuran said.
"Objection!"
As a new voice joined the conversation, everyone turned as Reborn's pacifier started to glow. A young girl approached them then.
"Byakuran. I, as Boss of Millefiore Black Spell, should have rights of half the decision." she said.
"Yuni, you..."
Seeing the look on Byakuran's face, Roksana couldn't help but think he looked a little panicked at the sight of Yuni.
"So it was you. You've gotten bigger, Yuni." Reborn remarked.
"Yeah...Grandfather Reborn." Yuni replied.
Of course, this caused a little bit of an uproar with Tsuna, the boy making the point that a baby couldn't be a grandfather.
"She's my friend's granddaughter." Reborn explained.
"Huh...she has a pacifier hanging from her neck even though she's not a baby?" Tsuna pointed out.
Laughter had all of them turning to Byakuran who had put his smile back on his face.
"Looks like they've got one on us. Man, I'm a bit surprised. You're looking a lot better. Looks like you've got your energy back, Yuni-chan~!" Byakuran said.
"Was she sick or something?" Ryohei asked.
"No...by Byakuran-san's power, her heart was broken. In order to gain authority over Black Spell, he made her unable to speak up." Irie told them.
"Don't say such negative things about me, Shou-chan. Yuni-chan is easily frightened, so I've given her a sedative." Byakuran countered.
"No, you forcefully gave her a powerful drug during your meeting with the leader of Black Spell, the head of the Giglio Nero family, turning her into just a figurehead for you to manipulate. Isn't that right, Yuni-chan?" Irie replied.
"And just when I thought he couldn't get any lower." Roksana remarked.
"But during that time, my heart took shelter far away, so it's safe." Yuni told them. "Byakuran, the way you can travel to different worlds, it seems like I can do that too. In any case, as the Millefiore leader of Black Spell, I vote for a rematch with the Vongola family. That promise is...the promise of a rematch between Byakuran and Irie is valid."
"How do you know that?!" Bluebell demanded.
"Yuni-chan, I'm glad you're feeling much better, but you have no right to interfere with my decision. When I need advice I'd love to hear it, but you are only second in command. I have the final say in all matters. Case closed." Byakuran told Yuni.
"Right...I understand. Then I, hereby withdraw the Millefiore Family from the alliance." Yuni said, to the surprise of those listening. "Sawada Tsunayoshi...I have a favor to ask."
"Eh?! Fav-favor?!" Tsuna asked.
"Please protect me." Yuni requested.
"What!? Pro...to protect...aren't you the leader of Millefiore!?" Tsuna asked.
"Not just me. Also...the pacifiers of my comrades." Yuni said, opening her hands to show the pacifiers cradled in her hands.
"You can't go stealing other people's things, Yuni-chan. Those are part of my Trinisette collection." Byakuran said.
"They were never your's to begin with." Roksana said tartly, stepping up beside Yuni, laying a hand on her shoulder idly.
"She is right. I've taken custody of these. And what you have cannot be called the Trinisette." Yuni said. Roksana was nearly blinded as the pacifiers in Yuni's hands began to glow brightly. Feeling like her flames were being dragged from her, Roksana was surprised to find that her flames were being dragged from her and into Yuni, as if she was feeding Yuni's own flames "The pacifiers bear no meaning if their owners lose heart."
"I see...that's why! That's great, Yuni-chan! I knew you could do it! I really do need you and Roksana-chan. Now, let's make up and be friends." Byakuran said, approaching them. "All three of us."
"Stop!" Yuni called, bring him to a stop as the shine faded away. "I can't let you possess our hearts anymore. Or possess her unique flame."
"What the hell are you saying? I will follow you to the ends of the earth until I have those and Roksana-chan." Byakuran said, starting towards them again. Roksana stiffened, ready for a fight. "Well then, let's go home. Come over here. Come on."
It was then that all hell broke loose.
Roksana just wished that, for once, she could make it one day without this kind of thing happening.
END
Kyandi: Personally, I would have added my two cents worth a long time before.
Roksana: Which is why you get yourself into a lot of trouble.
Kyandi: Eh...I'm not going to deny it.
Roksana: Didn't think you would.
Kyandi: Anyway, I'm sleepy and it's bed time for me.
Roksana: Which is her way of saying it's time to go.
Kyandi: Uh-huh. Everyone, enjoy and review!
Roksana: We'll be back tomorrow.
Kyandi: Bye-bye!