Everyone started firing into the crowd of enemies which chased the group out of the church. It was a beautiful scene to see blood splatter everywhere. Tsuna and his guardians were cowering with fear while the Varia was just sitting out. The poor teens haven't been in this situation before. Even Gokudera, the only one brought up in the mafia, was petrified. Timoteo and Coyote were in a corner to make sure they wouldn't get involved. Chen walked to me from the crowd with blood covering her clothes.

"You want to join?"

"Not really. Go have fun, Chen."

"See you soon. Nikita want to talk with me and you." She went back into the crowd. Mammon and Fon walked in my direction. Fon jumped into my arms while Mammon landed on my shoulder.

"No funeral should have any bloodshed." Fon commented.

"Dad wouldn't have minded."

"Are these the ones that tortured you?" Mammon asked out of curiosity. I nodded.

"It's the only reason why the fighting hasn't ended yet. They're taking years of frustration and anger out on them." Bel, Lussuria, and Levi walked to me.

"They're the ones that hurt you?" Bel asked.

"They're part of the group that did." The three looked at each other and started heading towards the fight.

"VOI! Where the hell are you two going?!"

"We're going to fight." Bel responded.

"Why?"

"You didn't hear? They're the ones that hurt Shiori." Xanxus and Squalo immediately stood up. It was as if two monsters were awoken inside of them.

"Let's go, trash."

"Don't take Kaoru's kills. He's going after specific people." They nodded. "Be safe and don't get hurt." They walked into the crowd. Everyone could hear Squalo's distinctive yells.

Mammon stayed behind with me. "Someone has to keep an eye out for you. There could still be snipers around."

"Thank you, Mammon." Tsuna and his guardians ran over to me.

"Shiori!"

"What?"

"What the hell is happening?" Gokudera questioned.

"Enemies came and attacked."

"They'll do that at a funeral?" Yamamoto asked.

"It usually happens when you're with Nikita. Though, I'm more surprised they didn't show for Yuko's funeral. They might have been celebrating a win in their history books."

"Yuko?" Reborn said in a strained voice.

"You might know her for her nickname Two-Hands." Reborn's eyes widened.

"She died?" I nodded.

"If she was here, she would have killed all of them by now."

"Do you want us to help out?" Tsuna asked me with sincere eyes.

"No. Everyone fighting has a single grudge that has lasted years. Imagine hating a group of people and you can't do a single thing about it because they're hiding."

"Plain bread!" I looked and saw the three yakuza I used to tutor. I let out a tired sigh. Just their faces drained my energy.

"What?"

"Look!" They held up three dead men.

"Good job. I'm proud."

"Did you hear that?!"

"We were complimented!" "Let's get back out there." My eye twitched.

"Stop, Shiori. You can't get loyal idiots like them just anywhere." I mumbled to myself.

A shadow was moving near the entrance of the church. Fon squeezed my arm to alarm me, but it wasn't necessary. I readied myself in case they did try to shoot me. However, Sister Eva ran in and shot the shadow. "Don't you even think about touching her!"

"Nice shot." I gave her a compliment.

"The fighting is almost over." She lit a cigarette and walked over to me.

"It's only the first round. You should know that by now, Eva." I replied.

"You wanna join? You hate them more than everyone."

"I'm letting everyone blow off some steam first." She took a puff.

"I see. Yuko wouldn't have waited like you."

"She never used her head much, but it's what kept her alive for many years." Eva nodded in agreement.

"Guns won't work on them if you're going by yourself."

"That's a shame, though I'm sure you have something here I could use." She gave a smile before disappearing into a room in the back. By now, dad's casket was gone, moved to a safer location. Eva came back with a large black case and set it down.

"You see, this bad boy was forged by Chen's family. I believe Chen trained you with something similar years back." More people were coming in the church to rest. Some were injured, but most were exhausted. I walked over to the case. Eva opened it up. The weapon itself was a mix between a spear and a scythe. The scythe was angular in shape, but still sharp enough to easily cut off limbs. "You like?" She asked me.

"This isn't my main weapon of choice or the one I'd instantly pick."

"I know. Yuko trained you to be a mini version of her." I picked it up. It was three feet taller than me. Surprisingly, it was lighter than I thought. "I see you have no problems picking it up. A lot of people tried and couldn't."

"Shiori!" I looked and saw Kaoru.

"What's wrong?" He ran over with his mother on his back.

"Mom collapsed after a gunshot wound and most of the medics are too injured to even take care of their own wounds."

"It's that bad?" He nodded.

"I'm sorry. We're pulling out for now. We can't afford to lose any more people. Nikita's men are doing better than us, but we're all struggling out there." I put the blade down and went into the back where Nikita was resting, smoking a cigar.

"You're going to fight?"

"I'm not going to fight. I'm going to kill." I corrected Nikita.

"Good. Your uniform is in the closet." Nikita had a uniform made for me in case I decided to change my mind last minute. I took my dress and Xanxus' jacket off and replaced it with another dress. The long-sleeved dress was black while the skirt portion was white and had a slit on each side. There was a hole that showed my entire back off. I put on black thigh-highs and heels to complete everything. I took off the clip I was given. "Be safe. It'd be a shame for you to die."

I walked back out and saw everyone staring at me with awe. "Woah." I got the blade and started walking.

"Don't you want to cover your back?" Eva asked.

"There's no need." I walked past Tsuna and his guardians. They all gasped as they saw my back.

"Don't tire yourself out fighting." One of Nikita's men said with a smile.

"I'm not fighting." He chuckled.

"Shiori…" Tsuna's voice was full of worry.

"Nikita regards her group as soldiers who missed their chance of death. It's one of the requirements you need to even be considered. This is my fight. I'm taking all of their heads."

"We can still help!" I shook my head.

"You may be the Vongola's next boss, but you lack experience. This is not the place or time to act like a hero."

"Still…"

"Look at what they did to me!" They all inhaled sharply. "Don't worry. I'm good friends with death. I've visited it a few times. I can't die." There are people who need me alive.

"Go, Shiori." Timoteo spoke softly from his corner. "If I could, I'd join you, but I know you're perfectly fine by yourself. The Varia will be there to help."

"I don't need any help." Eva ran up to me and handed me a gun.

"Take this just in case."

"Thank you, Eva. Fon."

"Yes?"

"There's no need to watch. It's better if I lose control. With the amount of people here, I'll be fine."

"You'll die if you lose control." I shook my head.

"I have something to live for now. I never did in the past."

"Take your time then."

I took a step outside and looked at how much blood was being spilt, the bodies on the ground. It looked like a battlefield. Kaoru's family saw me and started to retreat. They knew I'd be the one to take care of everything. I drew a line in the dirt. "I won't allow anyone to cross this line." Chen approached me.

"I see you have grandpa's blade."

"I'll be using it. I hope you don't mind."

"No problem here." I was getting that bubbly feeling again. I let out a shaky breath. Chen smiled, knowing very well what I was going through, what I was feeling.

"Ah. The cries of the battlefield. It's intoxicating." I started running towards the battle. I ran past Lussuria and Levi and killed about four men in one smooth motion. I spun the blade in my hands before killing more.

"Retreat!" Kaoru yelled from the church. No one questioned anything and started running back. Xanxus and Squalo saw me.

"Shiori!"

"Go! This is my battle!" Chen killed the two behind me.

"I help too." She said with excitement. It's been a while since the two of us fought like this. Xanxus just stared at me.

"You can lecture me later."

"Don't die on me. That's an order."

"Got it, boss." They all ran back until it was just me and Chen. Eva came outside with a duffle bag full of guns.

"I'll provide backup here." I nodded and turned my attention back to the enemy. They all stared with hatred.

"It's the monster."

"I thought she'd be weak today." I chuckled.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming on this special day. I'll finally be free from your group after today."

The teens stared with horror at Shiori as she killed men easily. If she didn't have that weapon and there were no men, she'd look like she was performing a graceful dance. It should have bothered them a lot more than it did. "Is that really Shiori?" Gokudera questioned.

"I don't know." Tsuna answered. Everyone ran back inside, covered in injuries. They saw the Varia uninjured, but exhausted.

"I'm surprised you let her stay out there." Bel said towards Xanxus.

"She still gets a lecture." Nikita walked out from the room in pants and a bra. Her gunshot wound was all taken care of. She walked to the entrance with a lit cigar in her mouth.

"Go, child. Let your years of pain and anger take control. Kill all that stands in the way of your freedom." Tsuna looked at Nikita. She looked back and scoffed. "Don't worry for her."

"Is that really Shiori?" He asked.

"This is the real Shiori. She gets a high from killing unlike any of my men. It's what makes her special."

"Did you instill that in her?" Reborn asked.

"No. I saw her at her worst and built her back up. I had all of my trusted comrades and allies train her. Yuko made Shiori well versed in every gun. Chen trained Shiori to wield any blade. I had one of the best hand to hand combat specialist train Shiori. I taught everything I knew to Shiori. If she wasn't my daughter, I'd want her dead immediately." Tsuna's eyes widened. Xanxus and Squalo walked over to watch. "Are you injured?" Nikita asked them.

"We're fine."

"Good. I'd hate it if she got attached to anyone weak." The two men couldn't keep their eyes off Shiori. Her way of killing was swift and bloody. She didn't care about anything. She just kept going.

"Did she lose control yet?" Squalo asked Xanxus.

"Not yet."

"She won't lose control." Fon said, jumping onto Nikita's shoulder.

"How are you sure?"

"She has something to come back to. She never did before." Xanxus frowned but was content to know she wouldn't die. "It doesn't mean she is in the clear. Her flame is still unstable."

"That idiot."

"What's going on with her flame?" Reborn asked Fon.

"It backfires on her body which causes internal wounds." They continued to watch. The men were running away. Shiori threw the blade into the group. A huge explosion occurred where she threw the blade.

"What was that?" Tsuna questioned.

"It's the one thing that distinguishes her from everyone else. It's what makes her so dangerous." Nikita said with a smile. Xanxus and Squalo felt proud that they had Shiori and no one else. Her power and skills were theirs. "Don't look too smug. She won't follow your every command, Xanxus."

"I'm aware, but it doesn't matter. She's still mine."

"If I didn't trust you with her, I'd have you killed. At least you're useful enough to calm her down if she does lose control."

"She won't lose control."

"Retreat!" An enemy man belted. Men were running away from me. I didn't like that. My fun was coming to a premature end.

"I hope you don't mind if I destroy the blade your family made, Chen."

"Go for it. Grandpa didn't like it anyway." I embedded a large amount of my flame into the blade before throwing it right into the crowd. It made a wonderful explosion. Bodies and body parts scattered everywhere. Blood splattered everywhere. I couldn't see anyone left. If there were survivors, I had some more fun in the future. I looked up towards the sky before wiping the blood of me enemies on my face. It felt right at the time. Chen and I collapsed onto our knees.

"I haven't fought that hard in a long time." I let out in between pants.

"You still fight like I taught."

"Let's go back." I tried to get up, but my legs gave in. "Damn." I looked back at the church and saw everyone watching. I eyed Xanxus and waved him over. He shook his head and walked over. "Are you alright to walk, Chen?" I asked.

"I fine." Xanxus finally made his way over.

"Are you hurt?"

"I have a few scratches, but I'm fine. I haven't fought like that in a long time. My legs gave out." He sighed before picking me up bridal style. "Do I still get the lecture?"

"No."

"You're being awfully kind today."

"You did well." I smiled and leaned against his chest.

"I'm tired."

"Your back is showing."

"I'm fine with it for now, but I want to cover it up later. My mind will be focused on their stares."

"Got it. Are you okay?"

"Didn't you just ask me that?"

"I meant if you were alright with fighting on your dad's funeral."

"It doesn't matter what day it is. They hurt my family. I can't forgive that. Don't get me wrong. I'm still sad about today, but I can't stand by and let people die." He made a noise. I closed my eyes and focused on Xanxus' heartbeat. It was calm and steady. "Xanxus."

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

"I'll get you something to eat after."

"Can I take a nap after I eat?"

"You can sleep as long as you want."

"That sounds really nice."

"Is she alright?" I heard Nikita ask.

"She just resting." Chen answered.

"Good. I'm glad you two made it out alive." Someone walked closer to me. "Shiori, do you want to see your dad one more time before I bury him?" Nikita asked in a whisper.

"No. I already saw him."

"Very well. I want everyone affiliated with the Vongola to come with me. Those of you who I talked to are to come as well. Shiori, wash up. You take after your sister a little too much." I softly hummed. I wonder what Nikita had up her sleeves. I felt cloth wipe my face, neck, and hands down. I opened my eyes and saw we were in the back room. Xanxus sat down on the sofa with me on his lap. Squalo sat down next to us followed by the rest of the Varia. Tsuna and his guardians sat on the other sofa directly in front of us. Nikita and a few others, Chen included, were scattered around the room. Nikita sat in a chair between the two sofas. Timoteo and Coyote sat across from Nikita.

"Pay attention, Shiori. This will officially be your last day as one of my men." I perked up and got off Xanxus to sit on the floor in front of Nikita. "I wanted to give you a parting gift. You already have money, so buying you anything wouldn't do you any good. So, we all talked about it, and I'm allowing you to take one of my men as your own." My eyes widened.

"Why would you do that?"

"I have enough men, but you need someone who was there when that incident happened. I don't want you defenseless when you have your moments. I want you to take someone who will be your right hand, who will be by your side every time you walk outdoors."

"Nikita…"

"I know the Varia is capable, but it's the only thing I can think of that'll keep me sane."

"I'm guessing I have to choose from the ones here." She nodded. I looked around and saw familiar faces. They were all in my past and taught me something. Each person was important to me in some way.

"If Yuko was alive, I'd happily give her to you." Yuko was Nikita's right hand. Yuko stated multiple times she would turn her back onto the world for me and she meant that. She even disobeyed Nikita because of me.

"Chen."

"You want me?"

"Yes."

"Why her?" Nikita asked me.

"Chen already saved me at the auction when someone approached me. She knows what I think and can read me like a book when it comes to my fear and anger. She's the only one other than you and Yuko that can do that."

"Very well. Chen, you will break ties with me until further notice."

"Got it."

All of Nikita's men left the room. Chen stayed since she was considered mine. "Now, I want to tell the new Vongola a little secret about Shiori. It deals with why I'm even allowing her to go to the Vongola and conditions in having her." Everyone else straightened up. "It all started when Shiori was kidnapped and sold at the very same auction she's part of. She was bought by a group that tortured her for weeks. After she was saved, we had to keep her locked up because of her power. We didn't know how to help her and thus, waited days for her to lose consciousness. That power is her flame." They all stared at me. "I'll let Timoteo handle the rest since I'm not well versed with flames." They all looked at Timoteo. I stayed where I was, looking down at my lap.

"You see, Shiori's flame is one of the reasons we needed to take her in. She has a unique cloud flame that is destructive like the flame of wrath. It's basically the flame of wrath cloud edition."

"A cloud flame that's destructive?" Reborn questioned.

"You saw that explosion earlier? That was Shiori's flame. She's a natural at using her flame and can embed it onto anything and make it a bomb of sort. It doesn't matter if it's a wound or a single touch, you will die. There is nothing her victims can do to save themselves."

"Why did you appoint her as the Varia's cloud guardian without Xanxus' knowledge?" Reborn questioned.

"You see, Shiori can't control her flame well. It's too powerful for her to properly handle which is why Nikita hired Fon to train her. The only thing that works one hundred percent of the time when Shiori loses control is Xanxus' flame. His flame can completely calm hers down. She can do the same to his fame. She was a natural fit with the Varia, making them a more harmonious group." Xanxus didn't respond to anything that was said.

"How did you and the Varia meet anyway, Shiori?" Reborn questioned me. I smiled and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Levi misread the kanji and ended up in Kyoto instead of Tokyo. I helped them out."

"It wasn't exactly like that." Lussuria cut in the conversation. Knowing him, he'll openly tell everyone the little things we do. I'd rather not let them find out. "Squalo yelled at Shiori while Levi glared at her. We were all surprised when she didn't even look scared. She got us free food and we eventually brought her to Tokyo with us for safety. She brought us all over. That's when we learned why she wasn't afraid of us. She grew up around the yakuza and people just as scary as us. Poor thing didn't have friends, so, I proclaimed we were her friends and even gave her boss' feather as a good luck charm." They all stared at me and then Xanxus.

"You don't need to go that into detail, Lussuria." I said with a sigh.

"I can't help it. You're important to all of us."

"I always knew you were special, Shiori."

"Huh?" I turned myself towards Timoteo and tilted my head in confusion.

"They wouldn't stop talking about you when they got back. I wanted them to invite you to Italy with the notion you'd stay with me. However, none of them liked that, so, you would have stayed with the Varia."

"I can't say I'm that surprised. They were all protective of me since the moment we met. It's only gotten worse."

"Just don't run from safety when you have people after you and you won't get a lecture." Nikita said with annoyance.

"You'll never let me live that down, will you?"

"You made a huge mess! I taught you better."

"I'm sorry for running when I had people after my head. I didn't have time."

"I swear you're the only person in the world to piss me off that I'd never kill." I glared at Nikita with a pout.

"I'm almost hurt."

"It's payback for years of worrying me. Do you know how many headaches I got from you?"

"I was only the cause of a few. Yuko caused the rest because she wouldn't shut up about me." Nikita held her head with irritation.

"That girl always used her skills for the wrong things."

"Instead of killing people and completing missions like you wanted, she stalked me. Trust me. I found her in my closet once. Though, I'm rather used to having stalkers."

"Kanade was one too?"