A/N:

@michiko-chan27: It's as bad as trying to remember something and ended up remembering that something after some minutes later. I'm terribly weird most of the time. Need to hear the same song a lot of times until my head is so used to it to let it go. Fon is the epitome of control, most of the time in the fic and the canon. Glad you like this.

@MichiruLeIdiota: I thought of having the siblings an awkward interactions cause when you fought with someone, you get awkward first right? But with Colonnello as a rain? Nah. It won't work. Glad you like the interaction. And yeah! I'm also curious why they're shipping Fon and Viper. Nothing will happen when Tsuna gets a full set, except for the Sins' active participation and his aura not building up to dangerous level that will cause him to die. And in this chapter, you'll see Reborn. (No prob. Thank you for reading too. ;) )

@acertainpasserby: I don't know why they have to go for the hips. Haha. And hey! Fon should be happy, he didn't offer the contract. It was Tsuna who offered it. (Remember, Tsuna offered contracts to Reborn, Skull and Fon only.) Fon's contract is in this chapter, also Reborn too. Hahaha. Do they compliment each other like that? Tsuna and the Arcobaleno? With their promises? And good job at school. Hope you're fairing well in your academics.

@Hina-cchi: Wait no more. Haha.

So thanks for the review. Haha. I'll just drop this one here, and be on my way. Hope you enjoy it regardless of grammar and spelling mistakes. Oh. And do you want me to put on some warning if someone dies in a specific chapter or not? Just asking, some authors do and maybe I should too? (I'm shrugging my shoulders here cause I'm not really sure. Hahaha!)

Anyway, onwards with the chapter. Leggo!

Chapter Forty-Three

"Tell me something I don't know." Tsuna panted behind him.

"Well," Fon started as he pushed a demon to Lal who shot it in the head. "I can draw you a picture with the use of my aura."

The brunet exclaimed a 'woah'. "You saw the circle I used when Verde and I did our contract?"

"I saw it. What of it?" The Storm queried, glancing at his back to see the brunet faring nicely with the demons they're facing.

"Draw it around us."

"What?"

"Quick!"

The Chinese demon couldn't say no any further when the human elbowed a semi to its face and kicked it to a group of attacking demons. Nope. He ignored the fact that the brunet took out some papers. They're toast.

He searched his memory of the circle. If he remembered it right, it was a dodekagram with three overlapping squares. With a quick maneuver of his storm aura, he disintegrated the surface of the concrete they're on. He specifically and carefully added the symbols on the right places, then wrote the sentence on the inner circle.

Doing that, he was fairly impress of how decisive the brunet was. Even if they could hide somewhere and do the contract, they won't be at peace because Tsuna will have to draw it, and they know how long that will take. Also, they didn't have much time since after they agreed on it with the other Arcobalenos, the demons suddenly came and attacked them with vigor and enthusiasm. So there was no time to draw a good circle for the two of them. Saying Fon was ecstatic of destroying every single demons that were attacking them was an understatement.

Killjoys, really. He was getting his contract at last, and they just have to ruin it. Damn it!

"Fon!"

The Storm turned around and caught the glass shard that was thrown to him with a right hand. He only gripped it hard enough to cut his palm. He quickly unbuttoned his red garb, remove it with his white shirt and tossed it away to Viper. Tsuna did the same as he ran to him. He placed his right hand to the other's right hand, then twisted it so the back of his will be pressed on the brunet's chest and the latter's back of hand on his chest. He put his left hand on the other's bare back. The other mirrored what he did before both took deep breaths.

"Colors of elements, hand and hand, with both bloods, we seal our bond." Both said together, and the inner circle lighted up, as same circle appeared in the sky and made a cylindrical shield around them.

Tsuna mused how demons tried to attack them, only to be blew away by the force of the shield. He heard Bermuda say something between 'amazing' and 'that hurts'. Skull is a good influence to his Night.

"Knot the wreathe, knot the faith." A half of a square shined.

"Two placed desires be obtained." The another half brightened.

"Emotions." Tsuna breathed as he rested his head on Fon's shoulder. "I'll give you all the emotions you forgot to deal. I'll give you free access to look at my situation. And I'll give you a lot to worry if it makes you express those things you wanted to do and feel." A square glowed.

"You once told me a kind of insecurity after you performed a contract with Reborn." Fon felt the child in his arms stiffened. "That one time you hoped that you won't be like any summoners nor skies we encountered and be able to protect everyone with your power. Today, I promise you that I'll help you achieve that. I'll help you with my best of abilities to give you the strength you need and the control you want. I'll help you balance your yin and yang as a promise."

"Thank you Fon."

"Always." And the last square illuminated.

"I give the contract," The Sky whispered, and the words written on the triangles haloed.

"I trust the end." The Storm promised, the words underneath them kindled.

Tsuna's smiled when he saw three scaly tails and felt some spiky spine running down from the nape to the end of those three tails. He had to slowly pull his hand away from the sharp spine to not get himself hurt in the process. He can feel a rough yet smooth scales pressed on his chest, cheeks and shoulder. But he was certain that the Storm is red. In a way, he knew Fon is a Chinese dragon in demon or animal form.

He slowly put his hand back on the skin when the visual went away and continued with the incantation like that didn't happen.

"Breach the oath in due time length." The outer circle blazed after the guaranty.

"May both lives prosper as what yearned are granted." And they lit up.

Tsuna watched as his hand filter the scripts that danced around them until it became a tattoo on Fon's back. He was about to smile in satisfaction when he felt the sudden pressure. He wasn't fazed. But he had to keep the Arcobaleno from falling.

The brunet wanted to winced in sympathy because he knew how hard it was for Reborn not to put his knees to the ground after they did the contract five months ago. The power of his aura was... Really unmanageable. He had a second hand experience (Reborn did the first hand). So when Fon hugged him so tight, he stayed still. He was an anchor to keep him upright. Somehow though, the pressure from the Storm doesn't affect him anymore after all the pressure he experienced from the other Arcobaleno. (He had to admit though, Fon is second in terms of power after Reborn.)

He mentally thanked the others when they started to surround them as the shield of the contract circle slowly simmered to disappearance. He felt his new contractor jolt in surprise as they slowly parted. Probably because he didn't expect Tsuna to talk in his mind. The brunet only chortled a little before accepting his shirt from a grumbling Mist. He wore the clothe before helping the Storm with his garbs.

"That was the most intense force I ever felt." Fon swore as he stood up, trying to strengthen himself from losing his composure.

"And it keeps getting stronger and stronger." Bermuda commented in as he transported a demon to crash on his comrade. "Can't this end already? It's getting boring."

Tsuna gaped at the Night before looking at Skull who's eyes were wide as saucers.

"Don't look at me! I didn't teach him that!" The Cloud denied.

"Then who did?" The human questioned.

The Arcobaleno snickered at their banter. At some point, Fon was able to catch up with their inside jokes and started to smile a lot. Like in the past hour they've been cleaning up Namimori, they were getting enough rest up as the number starts to decrease again. The only ones not sitting on the pavement were Tsuna, Skull, Colonnello and Fon.

The three demons were on their competitive sides. They kept on comparing who had the strongest hits, power and such. Tsuna minded his own business and counting every demon he was able to put through the portal or exorcise with the help of his barrier. Viper helped him with the counting whenever his barrier take on a lot of demons. At some time, it reminded him of when Reborn and him were playing around as Byakuran's army attacked them. They were enjoying themselves and the human won by one point (he suspected that the hitman let him win).

Eh... Good times.

"And that's three hundred fifty-two." He said as he kicked the demon to the portal.

"What? You were doing head counts?" Colonnello blurted, betrayal written all over his face. "No fair!"

"It was an automatic counting." Tsuna defended, backing away when the Rain pouted. He twisted the hand that gripped his shoulder, stomped on the foot before giving a head blow using his elbow. "Three-fifty-three."

"Which reminds me, was your kick that evening really dangerous?" Lal questioned, looking haggard. "Colonnello felt like you were going to remove his head."

The brunet blinked at the question before giving them a demonstration after bringing a demon on his knees. The kick did remove a head.

"You're lucky Lal opened the door, Colonnello." Fon patted the Rain's shoulder in pity.

Bermuda whistled. "That wasn't sky aura boosted, right?"

"Nope." The human answered as he punched a fire breathing demon in the gut then ushered it to the Night's portal. "That's how I normally kick. Just don't add any momentum cause it's technically harmless."

"Harmless as a fly or-"

"Harmless as I am?"

They didn't got enough time to question who said that when they roughly fell on their faces. The Arcobaleno's eyes were wide as they felt the millennia old feeling of something crawling. Bermuda whimpered a little when cold ran through his spine and something creeping was approaching him. But when he felt a trembling hand on his, he stilled himself a little.

Colonnello cursed as he tried to push the feeling of that crawling thing out of his gut. He knew what it was. Reborn told them what kind of thing it is. It was fear. Pride uses his mist to install and show your fear, that's why he can make all living things bow to him like he's a God. As explained by his friend, the way the Sin uses his mist was reading other people's mind and conjuring their darkest fears. When he can't, he predicts.

And fuck. They all fell for it like the last time they faced the Sin. They inched away from the crawlings. They shivered. They feared. They whimpered in tears. But at the same time, it's different. Right there, they can feel warmth of their keens and the hum of sky aura in their veins. Assuring them. Giving a little hope, safety and a sense of protectiveness. Urging them to feel the presence of their friends that are with them, and suffering with them.

In the past, it was only Reborn who could withstand such force. The hitman doesn't know how either. Or why the Sun can disregard those crawlings that seem to approach him at every direction. He admitted that he could feel them, but they can't touch him. However, now, there's the little human sky, standing in front of the fallen Arcobaleno, puzzled but protective, thinking yet determined.

And a determined foe is the most troublesome enemy that can be faced.

"Another one." Pride sighed, irate and denial. His whole body language and face show anger as if he can't accept such circumstances. "Wrath was enough. The Sun was a bonus. Now a low life human can withstand me too? Unacceptable!"

"I'd like to take offense on what you just described me." The brunet spat, eyes hard with a glare. "If you think that I'm a low life, then the society also thinks of you as a low life."

Tsuna eyed the Sin in front of him. It was as the book described: a low tied ponytail with a King's crown on his blond head. Eyes are coal black. He's wearing a white long sleeved polo and black slacks. Short nails and horns were three: on both sides and one on the middle of his forehead.

The brunet squinted his eyes. The demon looked familiar. Eerily familiar. Like he saw him somewhere or looked like someone he knew.

"What?!" The Sin bristled.

The insulted human let the sides of his mouth quirk a little. "Haven't encountered the saying what you see in others is what they see in you?"

Viper weakly chuckled as he pushed himself a little from the rough ground. He got a little energized with what Tsuna said. "Here he comes."

"Tsk." Pride tutted before descending from the sky and stood tall on the ground. "I should warn you, child. Anger me more and I will make one of your dogs suffer."

"How so? By using your mist?" The Sin's eyes went sharper at the talk of his aura. "One sense, I could tell that it's mist. The crawling feeling, the pressure you install and the fear you invoke, it's all in the mist you possess."

"What are you." The demon demanded.

The smirk widened a little. "A low life human who see you as a low life demon, remember?" Then the smile was wiped out in a milli-second that even Pride felt like he imagined its existence. "You've done enough damage to Namimori, Pride. I'll kindly ask you to leave."

An eyebrow was quirked, anger simmering to low. He became a little amused that the human in front know who is in front of him. "I'd like you to beg me for it."

Tsuna eyed Pride after that demand. 'He's making fun of me.'

'Don't do it.' Lal hissed. 'He's an asshole. He once made Colonnello eat a snake.'

'I wasn't going to.' The brunet shifted his stance a little to make the Sin think that he was contemplating about the demand. 'Are you alright though?'

'Hanging. How come you're okay? You should be shaking like a leaf by now.' Viper asked.

The young man hesitated. 'My intuition dispels mist aura. Ever since you removed that incubus, my mind strengthened its security a little. Of course, the spell you put on me was a catalyst to it. But I'm not sure if I can keep it up.'

"Well?" The Sin queried with a crooked smile, like he already won. It put a tick mark on the child's temple.

'Who wants to remove that smile on his face?' The summoner asked the others, rather annoyed with how smug their enemy was.

'Probably destroy his face? I'm in.' Skull growled.

Pride was about to open his mouth when Tsuna flicked his hand to pull the hidden knife from his sleeve and threw it at the Sin's direction. It caught Pride off-guard, and gave enough time for the group to move. Using their guns, Lal and Colonnello started to shoot at the powerful demon. Too bad Pride anticipated it and dodged them.

Tsuna gritted his teeth as he browsed his head for any powerful binding spell or anything that can help them to incapacitate the Sin. With his eyes concentrated on the other's movement, he merely listened to everyone's direction to their colleagues of how to attack as he thinks.

Skull even went for hulk appearance with all the big muscles and body, and started to pounce on Pride whenever the latter parts from Fon who aims to disintegrate his face. Bermuda attacks with his chains, trying to tie up the slippery bastard that won't stand still for a moment. Lal and Colonnello kept on firing and Viper is trying to predict the movement.

He cringed when Pride materialized knives and targeted Viper. He quickly moved and deflected those knives with the use of a binding spell. He seriously needs to do something before everyone gets hurt.

What to do. What to do.

It's not like Pride isn't nimble himself. Although he just woke up or out of Hell, it felt like he has been awake for so long that he didn't need to train to keep himself on the move. Shooting won't suffice. Nor direct contacts. Even mid-range attack won't work. It's not like he can coincidentally put him into a situation that can restrict-

'Trap him.' He said, causing all of them to stop for a sec before they continued their assault.

'Why?' Colonnello asked, a little busy with the aiming problem. They heard him curse Pride out loud in frustration.

'Once you trap him, he'll get confused and that will cause a lot of mistakes on his side. There's no telling if it will work. But when you encounter something unexpected-'

'You get flustered.' Bermuda continued before a sound of smirk was heard.

He watched as a portal opened and swallowed Pride. Tsuna's mouth was agape when portal after portal swallowed Pride. At every gap, it's either Lal or Colonnello shoot to oblivion or Fon and Skull attacks. Even Viper went into the fray and started his revenge by throwing knives.

It's like Tsuna's prediction came true. Pride couldn't do anything at what Bermuda did. He got shot multiple times even though he tried to defend himself. Heck, Viper's knives even scratched him and made him bleed when one of them attached itself deeply on the other's thigh. All because he couldn't predict when will the portal swallow him or how far will the Night keep him from appearing.

He was about to cheer when his intuition rang. His eyes followed Pride and observed, his head tweaking him to do something. But what can he do when he doesn't know what kind of threat it is? Then suddenly, he felt it. He couldn't gulp when he felt something slithering and creeping on his skin. He shuddered, wanting to throw that 'thing' away, but where can he find it when it's not even real?

"Mists are very tricky." His grandfather said once. "They're different from incubus and succumbus. Those two can keep you awake for months, and deliberately kill you slowly. But with mist? No. You have to keep a tight grip on your mind so they couldn't enter. If they do, you're dead."

"That's that it?" He questioned, peeved.

"Well, you can still fight it off."

"How?"

"Place yourself in the reality. Focus on what's going on in your environment."

"In other words, breath?"

"Yes."

He does that. He tried to breath, but he couldn't just yet. What are the things that can make you breathe? Suffocation, the desperate need of air yet that won't work if you can't breath and keep yourself in reality. What about pain? His Jii-jii did say to him that in order to not agitate wounds, you have to keep yourself relaxed and breath normally. So he decided, pain.

With a flick of his hand, a small knife appeared on his hand and he put it on his thigh. With a sharp intake of oxygen, he was able to make a sense of his situation. He can hear his summons calling out to him, but he focused on Pride who was now wearing a smirk.

"Get away from him!" He shouted as his intuition tingled in warning again.

The Arcobaleno were late to react. One moment, they were surrounding Pride as they tried to kill him, the next thing they knew, they're flying off to every direction. They crashed and landed on rubles and houses.

Tsuna removed the knife from his thigh as he kept his eyes on Pride who didn't go back to ground. The Sin just stood in the air, breathing heavily with all the injuries he acquired. The Arcobaleno did have a number on him.

"I commend you, human. You were able to disorient me enough." The Sin praised with unmasked disgust. "Do you want to know why I was sent here?"

Tsuna stayed on his spot, quietly checking on his contractors.

"My Lord has detected a human sky gaining elements he must acquire." That made the brunet pause. Pride continued. "He wants me to eliminate such threat since humans with powerful, untamed aura such as you, will put the Sins into sleep again. And we don't want that. We abhorred those creatures that put us to sleep. Especially that specific human sorcerer who fell in love to one of my kin. Disgusting."

The young man felt anger rose. "If you didn't go to sleep, the world you built will be as it is! The moment you slept, the age of the world turned! It brought prosperity and understanding!"

"Yet humans turned on us and now stomping on us like insects that must have died!" The Sin rebuked with the same intensity.

"Shame on you, Pride!" The aforementioned demon raged at Tsuna's outburst. "Don't classify all humans as one! Don't classify us as you when you were a living flesh! Don't classify us as heartless beings because in the first place! You were the one who tormented your kin to your pleasure and still doing it for your sick obssession!" The human shouted, orange eyes blazing with emotions. "You, who did not know how to live in hell, never shunned away by the society, and didn't experience injustice don't have the rights to say we had taken the happiness of making you feel low! Because if your pride wasn't in the way, you will know how hard it was for those humans in your millennia to live a good life without being threatened by your kinds!"

"And what?! You want to kill all demons because of this?! Because of your philosophy?! You're delusional!"

"It's not a philosophy." Pride stared at Tsuna when the latter said his words with firm voice. So defiant. "If I have the power, I will make the world a good place where demons can live with humans, and humans will accept."

The Sin snarled. "You're not only delusional. You're also foolish! You trust demons to live with you, low lives?! What will you do if I crush such hope?! Such deam?!"

Tsuna didn't really register what the Sin meant. He only did when Pride raised his hand and a familiar figure appeared in his hold. It was Ietsuna, looking disoriented at first, but steeled his gaze when he saw who was holding him.

"Impressive. Like grandfather, like grandson." The Sin applauded with a menacing smile.

"N-No-"

"You wanted to see a world were humans and demons live alike?"

Tsuna rose from his position.

"You wanted to make a better world?"

Ietsuna looked at him with amazement and adoration.

"You wanted humans to accept?"

Tsuna ran.

"How can you make them do that when you, yourself, can't forgive?"

Ietsuna smiled pleasantly.

And Tsuna watched as Pride put his hand on his grandfather's abdomen. He watched as blood got spluttered and sprayed on the Sin's body. He watched as Ietsuna took a knife from his stealth and stabbed Pride on the side of his neck in retaliation. He watched as the demon flung his family as if he was disposing a trash after the sudden attack. And Tsuna ran with his wounded leg to catch his grandfather. And he did. He succeeded.

"Jii-jii!" He called, removing his shirt.

"Y-You really want t-that?" The old man asked, wincing and pained. "T-That world?"

Tsuna put a pressure on the bleeding wound with his clothe as he bobbed his head hurriedly. "Yes. Yes."

"Since when, Tsuna?" Ietsuna queried softly.

Tears started to pour from orange eyes, unable to keep his panic. "S-Since you told me how hard y-your life was when you w-were a kid. H-How Baa-baa wanted h-humans to leave the past and see how good demons are. S-Since the d-day they bullied me for being w-weird. Since t-the day I s-saw how t-they treat demons j-just because they f-feel like it."

"Ah. Such a n-nice child you are." His grandfather gave a small smile, blood dripping on the side of his lip.

"N-No! D-Don't go!"

"Tsuna!" Colonnello shouted as he sat on the other side of the wounded. He put a hovering hand on the wound and let rain aura pour on it. "Call Reborn."

"H-Ha?"

'Breathe, Tsuna.' Fon encouraged as he tried to disintegrate Pride. 'Breathe and listen to Colonnello.'

Tsuna took a deep breath before asking again. "You want me to call Reborn?"

"Yes. Sun aura is for activation. He can heal Ietsuna." The Rain replied with urgency.

Tsuna didn't think thoroughly about it nor had second thoughts. Even if they weren't in speaking terms, nor had seen each other for months out of misunderstanding, he did what was asked. He wanted to talk to him. He wanted to see him and at least introduce his grandfather before anything happens.

The brunet concentrated as he breaks the barrier he put on their link. He didn't really had to stay long because he felt a force helping him shatter it. Then, like a flash flood, he felt a familiar warmth on his being. The warmth of a sun that held so much hope and radiance.

"Reborn." He whispered in plea.

"Borrow our auras. I know you can do it." A baritone voice whispered in his ear. Tsuna opened his eyes and placed his hands on top of the wound, not minding the presence of his Sun behind him. "I want you to remember your human anatomy in Science. You memorized that, didn't you?"

"I did." Tsuna mumbled.

"Use mist to navigate the injury."

The brunet borrowed some mist aura and searched the system of his grandfather like how Viper assessed him that one time. "Three punctured organs, bleeding excessively."

"With sun, activate the cells and keep them going. Heal the tissues of the organs first before the skin. Don't put too much, it will cause cancer. Trust Colonnello to keep it calm, alright?"

"Yes."

"I'll face off, Pride, make him bleed for you. Will you let me borrow your aura?"

He nodded, focusing on the calm voice of the hitman and the task at hand. "Borrow as much as you need. It's yours in the first place."

"Okay."

Tsuna looked up and stared at the back of the demon in black suit and fedora. "Thank you, Reborn."

The hitman glanced at him from his shoulder and gave his famous smirk. "You're welcome, Tsuna."