Water Sanctuary

While unhappy that they were played with, Fujiomi and Katja also knew that this could be a signal to what they were warned about.

'If that creep pretended to be Mutsumi...where IS she?!' Fujiomi demanded angrily. 'And did you just say Friedrich Tanner?! The Amulet User who ravaged the European Union...'

'...indeed. He terrorized Britain for almost twenty years now. What a career.' said Juri dryly.

Long before she was born, Vongola had to deal with the mess he caused in Italy as well. And caused the deaths of Enrico Fermi Di Vongola and his guardians who were dining on a day off...who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time in a classy restaurant as in that restaurant, among the casualties was a prominent Italian Official way high in the military who was meeting with someone high in Parliament. Massimo and Federico's deaths were Mafia-Style done, but culprits still unknown but had signs of an inside job and both CEDEF and Varia were working on that to this day...and Xanxus' coup happened after.

He was THAT close to being Vongola Decimo years ago back when she was six years old, having gained the respect of the Alliance plus a complete set of Guardians. It was why her father complained that if he or the other sons weren't killed, she could have succeeded him as being CEDEF was far safer than being a Vongola Don if NOT for that incident! He was also just married and thankfully, has an heir.

The wife and child were hidden after Enrico was killed and the child was a boy, thus if anything happens to Juri or if she steps down regardless of whether she herself had sons or not, he would be Undicesimo.

'Ohya? I'm just giving a little helping hand. That's what we suppliers do.' Friedrich chuckled in derision with a smug look on his face. 'I'm a Merchant of Death who sells Death.'

'You also have a lot of fingers in pies to have well-paying customers.' Juri snorted. 'But as the existence of Magic is meant to be kept a secret, you double-cross your clients and those in-the-know after. Hence the stupidly-high bounty on you. You aimed to weaken the military of Europe except for Germany...because you aim to revive the Holy Romanian Empire.'

Friedrich smirked.

'That's right, young nun...the Holy Roman Empire will be mine, the empire's successor!' he declared as he spread his arms wide. 'The Holy Roman Empire! The Glory! The Prosperity! The Strength!' he proclaimed with pride. 'The European Union is merely a temporary pact signed on a flimsy piece of paper!' he scoffed mockingly. 'Europe will once again fall, united to the name of Germany!'

As he was boasting about, Sasha arrived with Big Ma'am.

'What a dream story.' he snarked. 'Up until now, you were distributing circuits. You've done so much for us already.' and Sasha was being sarcastic about it. They encountered Circuit Using humans in the past who happens to have beef with them at the time.

He should have known, attacks so close to the school!

'Now tremble!' Sasha bellowed, creating his trademark chained scythe. 'BOW DOWN TO YOUR FEAR!'

'No way.' Friedrich scoffed airily as a beam shot at Sasha whose chains were melted.

"Laser?!"

'Didn't I say we were prepared?' from up above, was the man's younger twin brother Georg, a hooded skirted woman and a little girl.

Exactly as the information was told to them!

But as the information was Cobalt, Oxygen plus a possible Hydrogen...that can only mean that hooded figure is Kuchiba Aoi. Sasha swore at this as Friedrich teleported to Georg.

Convenient powers to open the way to the holy icon...!

To think that the Double-Headed Crest-Maker was the Adepts' underling.

xxx

'Lee May, not yet. You yourself set the condition.' Leon had to remind his partner who was functioning at the moment, a hired assassin and paid for, and with permission from CJ as the Qwasers began fighting.

xxx

From afar Reborn watched while recording.

A battle between Qwasers is also a battle of science and logic. Mastery of one's element, both power and scientific-knowledge wise with combat skill and mystical elements to it as Qwasers can only fight if they consume Soma. Only a Qwaser can draw Soma, a substance that takes the form of milk regardless of whether you're a lactating woman or not, off a woman's breasts. Ordinary humans cannot do so. Without Soma, they're no different from an ordinary human. It's the same for Crest-Makers, they can't use their sorcery without Soma.

He tried and his student enjoyed it even if he can't get any from her.

While the Athos Qwasers are fighting hard, Juri and Big Ma'am aren't putting much effort as they have a trump card, an assassin with a connection to Tanner. A chinese-american woman named Lee May whose parents were high-up in the military who went to the middle east as ambassadors along with some others to celebrate the end of conflicts between their countries. She was 12 with a bright future as an opera singer...when a rain of bullets tore the people in a public place to mincemeat.

The survivors were taken as POWs and forced to train to fight for their new masters. But for female POWs...they have two jobs. Kill enemies...and make more soldiers. She was raped day in and out every night by a line of men until she gets pregnant and never sees her children after birth, and she has one every two years, until Meteora destroyed the army that held her and fellow girls as slaves for having ties to Tanner, and rescued the girls willing to join Meteora while those who couldn't due to psychological scarring were off to the mental ward. She joined Meteora the first chance she got once she was sixteen. Its a miracle she hasn't gotten an STD in those years.

And being a member of Meteora, you must give up one of your human sense to God as a sign of faith. Prior to Meteora, she was already mute because of the massacre she survived from as a pre-teen, so she fits right in.

Friedrich Tanner's bounty, is in the seven digits, money Juri amassed to pay off Lee May. In EUROS. That's enough to pay for a Boss Ring to be made off Talbot's Forge!

Perhaps with all this effort, Juri sees Lee May as a potential candidate? This possibly implied Meteora will be destroyed in the future...

xxx

Friedrich Tanner watched as the Qwasers fought while dodging Georg's attacks.

They only have one copy of the Sword off of Oribe Mafuyu but the other half, Tomo, he just can't find. Considering she was weak and undefended, she must have been kept in the deepest pits of Athos or something yet still submits schoolwork. The excuse was she's in hospital for an organ donor surgery so they searched all hospitals in Japan for naught but when not found, she may have been taken to Athos. So the plan was to send divers to find the place just to pinpoint it to expose the sanctuary of the Icon, as Aoi and Milk acted in parting the lake waters with their powers and its easy with both being an Atomis-class.

Naturally, the divers couldn't get close, not without the Sword of Maria. Only option was dismantling the security with circuits which is his job after the girls pave the way for him and Georg watches his back.

It's there!

'The water...just as they say, it's here!' Sasha swore in frustration but before it was about to be split while it spins, it froze!

'Huh?!'

'Milk, did you...' Aoi croaked out.

'Nope, not me!' said Milk, shaking her head nervously as the Tanners gave her a look of rage.

'Hehe...by order of the Archbishop...rather than it fall onto enemy hands, we just ruin it.' Big Ma'am smirked, much to everybody's shock. 'Can you imagine, what ice can do to a vulnerable shell like a painting that guards a holy power within?'

'You've gone crazy!' Georg sputtered out in disbelief. 'Have you any idea...'

BRRRRRRRRRRATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATAT...

A rain of bullets came without warning...and Friedrich Tanner was chunks of meat without mercy and Georg lost an arm. This prompted Aoi and Milk to flee since putting all that effort caused them to run out of Soma and Georg ran after them.

'Oi, shouldn't you guys deal with Oxygen and Hydrogen now that the main threats are gone?' Big Ma'am scolded as the three other qwasers stiffened at her chastising. 'Fox and Assassin did most of the work! Get to it!'

xxx

Die.

Die.

Die!

Die like how you turned my parents into mincemeat!

Were in Lee May's mind of rage as she rained her fury on Tanner, as if making sure he's just a pool of blood as she wasted all she had on him. Leon knew that enough was enough, but his partner is beyond reach.

Her anger.

Her grief long overdue for her parents and the hell she suffered afterward thus evolving to the hate that kept her going.

She only stopped when there's no ammo left and she actually gasped.

"No ammo?!"

'Er, he's now a pool of bloody sludge and bits of bone after you spent all you have on him.' Leon pointed out weakly as Lee May looked at her guns and around her, were all spent guns and empty magazines and bullet shells...and she looked at the mess she left behind.

'...'

'Well, our job's done, we should go.' shakily, Lee May stood up...and bawled, but no sound came out, though voiceless sobs and sniffles can be heard. 'Let it all out for now. Its been years. A long wait for your chance.' it was all Leon could say to comfort her along with a comforting head pat as he can tell she was crying through echolocation and techniques enabling him 'to see'. 'Meteora will rejoice with your justice, and the death of a Sinner who sinned unto you.'

xxx

'Where did that come from?!' Katja demanded, after being snapped out of her stupor after they rescued the captive Mutsumi and Hana. Fujiomi was freaking out about Mutsumi's stab wound but Sasha performed first aid after Juri dismantled the circuits on the captive marias.

'Phew...that did the trick~' Big Ma'am sighed wistfully. 'This paid off!'

'You guys hired an Assassin against Tanner?' Sasha blurted incredulously.

'If we were to fight him head-on, we will surely win, but there's the girls and the Theotokos to worry about as hostages.' said Big Ma'am with a frown. 'And Tanner plays dirty, so why shouldn't we?' she said airily. 'It's all my student's idea though.'

'What about the bastard's bounty? How'd you guys afford that?!' Fujiomi croaked out as last he checked, the bounty is in hundred millions of yen.

'Stock Trading and swindling other Traders.' came Big Ma'am's blatant admission much to their comical shock. 'It took Fox quite a while even with her skills, but we amassed the money needed for this job. I'll just get the gas so we can burn that mess.' and she left, leaving the kids behind.

'Aaaand what about the lake? It's all frozen stiff?' Fujiomi pointed out to Juri.

'It's only three inches to pull off a ruse and shock factor, and I actually froze the ruin down below into an ice prison that'll take days to melt and by then icon is damaged beyond usable.' said Juri. 'Not even I can freeze a whole lake even if I am an Atomis myself. How much Soma would I need for that, is best left to imagination.' she snorted as it would take constant effort and draining about a thousand girls just to freeze the lake behind school solid. It'll melt in a few hours, worry not. It's still summer.'

'...what are you then?' Katja frowned in her question.

'Directly under the command of the Two Ma'ams, I am Nitrogen. Nice to meet you, Copper. Iron. Neodymium.' Juri greeted with a playful coy pose. 'You won't see me around much as I have lots of stuff to do. Oh, and Tomo is my Maria. Though she's never seen me. I designed a personal circuit for long-distance taking but it only applies if I'm in Japan. If I have to go abroad, I'm paired up with my original partner.'

'So all those Circuits...were from you?' Sasha asked as Juri created some on a whim in seconds to their disbelief as last they checked, its not easy to make even a low-level crest and here she is popping them out! Even giving out for free!

'Yup. Have to secure Tomo since she has no fighting ability and the easy one to kidnap.' said Juri flatly as Big Ma'am was back with a gallon of gas and a torch, pouring gas all over Friedrich's remains, and set it on fire. 'She is a high-class High Maria and you can clearly see why. In the past few years, Adepts have been looking for Atomis Qwasers like myself and girls with potential to be High Marias worldwide, the latter being since toddlerhood so they won't remember their families as well as maintain their so-called purity by being naive and ignorant, thus Child Grooming comes into play, google that and its a form of abuse by the way.'

"There's something like that?" the qwasers thought and noted to use a computer at home.

'Tomo's lucky so far unlike those girls, but she's a type they'd go for.' she remarked. 'But luck isn't eternal. There's no 'forever'.'

'All done kids, let's go back to the school for your recovery.' Big Ma'am told the kids. 'Fox, continue with your mission.' Juri then vanished.

But its not a mission she'll go to. It's to their hidden car where Reborn awaits and he's the driver.

Juri got into the car and took off her mask.

'Ready to go?'

'Yeah, let's go home.' Reborn revved up the car and they left.

'...I've seen a Qwaser fight for the first time. It's pretty intense.' he said impressed.

'It is, isn't it?' Juri chuckled. 'We control a part of nature itself. I haven't done much, and my power is still a secret from Adepts, but Meteora now knows...sigh. Oh well, the Ma'ams will handle politics. I just do their orders until the day we kill that guy.'

'Right...anyway, do something about that dress. I really have to re-define 'naughty nun' in my dictionary.' Reborn grumbled. Her outfit would fit in in a shady fetish salon! Exposing her legs clad in booty shorts, knee-high boots and an easy-access top incase someone needs to feed off her. In fact, Maria Combat Dresses are more revealing than those in actual salons and even better? Based on their preference, perfectly legal because Qwaser Teams with great relationships thrive in intimacy!

xxx

Namimori, next day...

After subsiding on reheated konbini bento from 7/11, they gladly went to sleep the day off after several hours sitting in a car.

They woke up at around late afternoon. Thus Juri took responsibility for Gokudera while Reborn trained in private elsewhere due to his pride, but he'll begin tutoring her when school begins again.

'How are things while we're gone?' Juri asked Gokudera. 'Teacher has to report personally back home from our last mission because its not something that can be spoken of online...its that classified and while Neutral, she's high-ranking.' she explained. 'She also spoke highly of your attitude and its rare to get a praise from that old lady...as rare as seeing a Supermoon in your lifetime.'

'Ehhh?!' Gokudera squawked out. Sure he worked hard even if it meant getting bootprints carved into his skin.

'I recall that you're still under physical training as ninjutsu requires a strong, but light body. However, due to your heaving breath a lot and she smelled something...you smoke?'

'Well I used to, but on your orders I stopped.' said Gokudera. 'Its a strong brand since mild brands just don't help with my stress levels prior to coming here.' he admitted. 'Since its strong enough to affect me, I could calm down. But the smell is also so strong no senior or kid wants me around.' he sighed. 'At school, everyone thinks there's a weird problem in the AC but uh...it's really just me.' he said gloomily.

'...you need that type of cigarette to de-stress?'

'Yes, it's called Blue Mountain brand...Mafia Issue of course. I buy Grade C since I'm underage and it costs 20 euro(2660 yen) a pack...' Juri did a double-take.

"Talk about expensive, typical cigarettes are only 4.60!" she thought with a squawk before frowning. "It must be flame-treated with a price like that."

Reborn taught her about flames, considering she can use Qwaser powers and ranked high in Athos, thus can be trusted early on unlike most heirs her age. Rain Flames cause tranquility and neutralizing traits. And considering Gokudera is constantly stressed...

She took his hand and checked his pulse using a chinese technique...she found something, but something else amazed her.

'...you're reliant on it for de-stressing yet no withdrawal symptoms? That's no cheap tobacco alright...' yeah, if there's rain flames mixed in! But Gokudera's a neophyte so they must have a way to market these to those like him without spilling info that's beyond their status.

'Yeah, that's the best part.' Gokudera grinned. 'No addiction!'

'Mm. But your blood vessels are vasoconstricted so you must have had some cheap stuff before this.'

Gokudera flinched before looking sheepish.

'I uhhh admit that...'

'Well, I'll do some acupuncturing to cause Vasodilation. It helps that you get sun exposure in training but that's not enough.'

Yes, she did just that, but she synthesized Nitric Oxide in his body to cause vasodilation in levels teenagers their age should have.

Effect of such quick vasodilation? Gokudera felt a bit...disoriented. 'Uweee...'

Well, he's constricted for quite a while that suddenly loosing up must have had an effect on his BP. But upon scanning him, he'll be OK in an hour or two.

'Yosh, rest for now till you feel better. Resting is training too anyway.' Juri advised kindly. 'How's Lambo?'

'I dunno what you did, but he's incredibly manageable...I've heard of him...he's an uncontrollable, incorrigible kid...and also incredibly stupid when 5 year olds have some smarts and know how to behave already.' said Gokudera. 'Its so bad he can even jump countries, what the hell? Whatever happened to parental guidance?'

'That's something we'll have to ask Lambo later...it seems you brought him here with books?' Juri mused as Lambo who was under a puppet circuit was quietly studying books.

'Hai, I got him started on Japanese For Dummies.' said Gokudera. 'He'll be fluent soon enough.' he said with a cheerful grin.

'Heee...I got him eating healthy for days before dropping him on you...he's so skinny and hasn't a bath in days, so I did nothing but feed him plenty, but light and just about shoved supplements down his throat.' Juri mused thoughtfully. 'Had he kept up the way he is, he'll grow up stunted with some issues. He arrived here shortly after daddy and I got here and tossed a grenade into our dining room, loudly proclaiming he found Reborn. Daddy's not impressed.'

'Why's he looking for Reborn?'

Juri's friendly expression went stony that made Gokudera gulp.

'An Assassination against Reborn by his family and he can't come back till he does it.'

Gokudera froze into a rock.

'Are they...nuts?' he squeaked, ashen faced. Reborn, the Sun Arcobaleno is this generation's strongest Arcobaleno. A real toddler can't do shit against him!

'...again, we ask the kid.' Juri frowned. 'According to daddy, Vongola secured him as my future subordinate when he grows up so until then Nono will hold the fort for us until we're ready...just what the hell's going on...?'