Ember

(Katekyo Hitman Reborn x High School DxD)


Samsara (n)
The cycle of death and rebirth to which life in material world is bound


Sawada Tsunayoshi, the Decimo of Vongola Famiglia, was old. And oh so fucking tired.

He had led the Vongola for thirty three years. Spending most of his era to revamp back Vongola to its original root as Vigilante Group. It was too bad Vongola had deeply rooted into Mafia world as one of strongets Famiglia, but that doesn't means Tsuna, what he affectionately called by his friends and family, given up. Instead he steered Vongola into good kind of Famiglia.

Drugs deal? Uh-huh. Weapon Trading? Someone have to supply Varia and the R&D Department. Prostitution? He run tight ship to ensure all prostitutes do it by their own volition and regularly sends patrol team to checked them.

But Human Experimentation, Human Trafficking, Animal Abuse, Illegal Dog Fighting Ring, and Slavery Ring? He damn charred down whoever instigated those with X-Burner with hot vengeance if he could get away with it.

Reborn was proud.

His age was Vongola's Golden Age. Vongola come stronger than it ever be, surpassing Ottavo's reign. While he cast out several Famiglia due strife and distrust, as well by his Hyper Intuition's Demands, Vongola gained powerful and irreplaceable allies. Gesso Famiglia, Giglio Nero Famiglia, and Shimon Famiglia who also begun to make name of themselves in Underworld.

Vongola. Mare. (Former/Last Generation) Arcobaleno. Three Pillars of Underworld united together.

It was more than enough to made up for loss allies, who after some Mafia Wars, turned out to be traitors and secretly bleeds Vongola dry and weak by suggested to make the wrong moves.

Reborn was so damn fucking proud.

"Nee, Papa, will you be okay?" A soft voice asked.

Tsuna smiled. He raise a skinny and wrinkly hand to caress his daughter's cheek. "...yeah... papa will be okay..." He spoke softly.

At age 20, Tsuna married Kyoko. It was clearly the last arranged things for Tsuna by the Ninth Generation and Iemitsu before he take over and revamped. Tsuna has long grow out of his crush by that time. He realized that he bats for the same team and his "love" Kyoko solely because she was so damn similar to his mother and Tsuna subconsciously sought Maternal Love he knew he would never get from Nana. The fact Kyoko secretly dating someone behind everyone (but Tsuna) back did not hurt.

They only slept together once, and that was when Tsuna's Hyper Intuition 1000% sure it would conceive a child.

It did. And Tsuna never regret divorce Kyoko so she can marry the man she loves, while he raise his daughter as single father. His principessa was total hellion as kid and undoubtely a Valkyrie descends down to Earth when she matured.

"You flatters me, Papa."

"How can I not? It was like yesterday you manage to corner Uncle Kyoya to point he calls you a Carnivore." Tsuna laughed. "Ahh... I miss them... Have Lambo arrived?"

"...not yet."

"Aaahhh..."

Out of all his Guardians, only Lambo who was still alive. But even then he was aging and in his last legs.

Hayato come first. Heart Failure. The poison accumulated in his youth due Bianchi's cooking and his own smoking habit got better of him. Barely had enough time to say goodbye to his two year old son. Chrome next. Her illusion organs collapse during the twins' birth. Takeshi was the third. Bite more than he could chew when Vongola waging war with Triad Clan who took offense with the fact Fon prefers here. He die in KIA, taking down whole squadron with him. Ryohei follow soon after. Pursuing the Boss who had kidnapped Kyoko in front of him. He died protecting his sister. A protective brother till the end.

Kyoya only lived to his fifties. He protecting Namimori from multiple Famiglia who tried to seize Vongola's Sacred Land. It was not those Mafioso who killed him. It was his cancer eat him alive. Incurable due the fact finding compatible donor is difficult.

Mukuro dead two months prior. He said in his last breath, "I have children to raise, dear Tsunayoshi. I will protect Vongola. It's time for me to reunite with my dear Chrome." It feels like hours ago Tsuna just attends his Funeral. That stubborn bastard.

"Tsuna-nii. We're arrived."

"...'llo Tsuna-nii."

"Uncle Tsuna, please excuse us."

"Afternoon, Uncle."

"Apologizes. Did we made you wait, Uncle Decimo?"

The door swing open and his Guardian comes in, followed by I-Pin, and the children of his Guardians. Tsuna smiled.

"...you're late, Lambo." Tsuna can't help but playfully chastised his now fourty years old Guardian as if he was still bratty five-years old brat ages ago. Lambo laughed and rubbed his hair.

"Well... how to say it? Gotta drag Belphegor-nii before Fran-nii made him sleep on separate wing again."

Even though that Knives-Maniac was old, he still psycho as ever and stubbornly hold onto Varia Storm Guardian. Poor ol' Fran was the one drove up the walls reigning down his husband's antics.

"Hey, Uncle. Don't fall asleep."

Ah? It seems Tsuna was more tired than he think. It was hard to keep his eyes open, but he was stubborn bastard like his guardians. He saw that Leonora, who was basically female Mukuro with long hair in different hairstyle, showed him what happens in her last assignment using creative Mist construct.

"...that was amazing. Your parents must be proud. I can tell." Tsuna told her, before yawning. "Huh. So sleepy..."

"Otou-sama."

Ah. It seems his principessa realized it too. She never called him that unless something absolutely serious happens. "Nee, everyone, please come close?" He plead. "I... have one thing to tell you all."

He took deep breath and smiled. "I'm proud of you all."

"It was still surreal for me. It feels like it was last week Reborn come to my life, dragging me kicking and screaming. It feels like days ago I meet everyone. It feels like yesterday I was crowned as Decimo of biggest Famiglia. It feels like hours ago I cradle you, Principesa." He gently caress his daughter's face. A face that was basically female clone of his. "It feels like dream when you tell me you want to be Undicesimo, and you all harmonized with each other. Honest. Never in my wildest dream I think it was possible."

He had choked on his drink when that happens. Nearly spit-spraying at Byakuran who sat across him. But his daughter's determined orange eyes did not wavered. He had lose the battle before it was begun. All he could do was make sure she prepared for anything and everything.

He even stays to act as Advisor and someone she could talk with. God knows how much she need that and how much Tsuna wished he had someone he could spill his heart content with without being told this and that... or do more paperworks due the fact his Guardians want to cheer him up. He love those idiots, but sometimes they are too overbearing.

"...I had run many times, lying many times, I spilled many blood... but I did not regret anything. Because it gives me the chance to meet and know you all. There's nothing left for me to regrets."

I'm tired, so tired, but I have to go on. But, if it you all... I can rest in peace. You do me proud. Always and forever.

"I only had one message for you all. Whatever you good at, whatever kind of life you wish to have, as long as it did not go against Vongola's True Purpose, pursue it to your heart content. The Sky can never chained down, neither do its elements. They stood together but they are not chained to anything. Life a life you want and..."

"...and please. Never lose sight of who you truly are, okay?"

With that, Sawada Tsunayoshi, Vongola Decimo and Neo Vongola Primo, the Trancesdent Sky of Tri-Ni-Sette, closed his eyes with peaceful smile in his face. He had been satisfied with his life...

...and ponder what kind of great adventure awaits him.


I knew it! I should never think about things like that!


Hyoudou Issei was a normal boy. He born into normal family, in normal neighborhood, and having normal life. Cheerful and innocently naive, with fixation to tokusatsu show and playing Hero with his friend, Shido Irina. He's your ordinary run-of-the-mill boy next door.

Or at least he was.

"Issei! Run!"

The seven year old boy was scooped in his mother's arms and carried away. Issei sneak a peek behind his mother's shoulder and barely see something about bleached blonde hair and nasty smell.

Three point five seconds later, he was send crashing down the floor with his mother above him. Suffocating the air out of him until Issei pushed her up a bit and crawled out from beneath her. What he saw was his mother got shot in the legs. He can see blood from where he sat was.

"Mom?"

"Run, Issei!"

'But—"

"RUN!"

Seeing the bad man with bleached hair coming closer, Issei's survival instinct kicked in. He quickly made a dash to a nearby cupboard and hide there. It located next to front door like house in europe, but it was painted so similar with the wall that if not for weird wall decoration which was the doorknob, anyone would miss it.

"Where's your money, Bitch! You have to pay the due!"

There was noise, sound of gun coming off, and screams. Both screams of anger from the bad man, and terrified scream from his mother. And dear lord those words! Issei have to cover his ears just to muffled out the screams while he bites his lower lip in anxiety and not screaming or whimpering. It would be a giveaway about his location.

It was only after the noise quieted down, Issei get out from his fetal position and carefully turned the doorknob. He tip-toed to the living room.

His brown eyes widened when he saw his mother laying there. Her clothes was ruined and nothing more than rag. There was weird white liquid coming out of her and her eyes rolled to back of her head.

"M-mom?" He called out.

"There you are brat!"

"GAAAHH!"

Issei was startled when a big, calloused, and rough hand picked him by cuff of his neck like a kitten, and slam him to a nearby wall. The hand retreated to let him slid down to the bloof, before grasping his neck in bone-crushing grasp. Issei was choking for air and weakly hitting the hand.

He barely saw the sneer.

"Well, you know what brat?! Your whore of a mother didn't satisfy me and your worthless daddy was GONE as well! You have to pay the debt." The sneer turned into wicked and pure evil grin. "I hear the price for Heart is quite high. Especially child's heart."

Issei's eyes widen.

Heart... as in, organ that beat inside his chest and pump blood across his body through veins and arteries? (Where did he know those?) Does that means... this man will take it out? (He will kill me?)

No.

No...

NO!

Issei began struggling even more punching, clawing, kicking, even tried to biting the hand, but to no avail. To his distress, he realized his breath getting shallow and shorter.

Am I going to die like this?

Where is Dad? Why he is gone? Did he leave us?

What happens to mom? Is she alive? Dead? What this bastard will to to her?

He will hurt her more

Hot tears gathered in Issei's eyes.

He is weak... worthless... useless... can't do anything. A wimpy and a coward. He could only watched and resigned as others used him as they likes. Unable to fight back. He...

"Don't give up."

Issei's body become stiff as his eyes become vacant. The man realized he was almost close to killing the boy, so why not? He pulled a gun out of its holster and press it against Issei's forehead.

"You want to save your family, right? Then do it with your Dying Will."

A loud gunshot echoes.


Dying Will Flame is a special Power linked to your Life Force. Basically, the stronger your resolve is, the stronger your Flame will be.

You are unusually bestowed with such Pure Flame. That's why, you are strong.

So, if you want to achieve something, to protect someone

Do it with your Dying Will


"Gaah! What the—"

Whatever curse the man about to let loose, it was cut short when a feet kicked him in the stomatch. Hard. The force was enough to made him staggered back both because pain and surprise a mere kid who he had shot a moment before did not die and instead kicking at him with twisted vengeance.

"Issei" stood, his legs were shaking but only for brief moment. He take a deep breath and open his eyes. Staring at the man—the Yakuza Member—with deep and burning orange eyes. He press a hand to the fatal wound on his head and calmly plucked the bullet out. His hand was on fire for a moment, melting the bullet.

"What the hell! What the fuck are you?!" The man shouted. In fright, he pulled the trigger again.

But "Issei" already moved.

With speed and agility that should've been limited to pro circus performers, he dodge the bullet before it could even grazed him. He ran and jumping like a rabbit, dodging the shots. Jumped to the table and kicked it hard to give momentum he need to jump to the ceiling. Twisted his body mid air and send a flying kick straight to he man's back. A bit closer to the neck.

The attack caused the man to thrown away. Coughing and cursing to the kingdom come. The gun fall from his hand.

The "boy" picked up the gun.

"Who sends you here?" He ask.

"You damn brat!"

The attempt to punch "Issei" was easily evades. The brunette slipped past the hand and with movement of a pro martial arts, he lifted the man and judo flip him. Kicking his back and twisting his hand, hard. The man can't help but scream.

How the fuck this brat can be so strong?! And what the h*ll with those eyes?!

"I ask you once again." "Issei" spoke softly, but the pressure and killing intent he emitted made the yakuza feel like he was being crushed... and the shinigami himself watching entire things with bored eyes while waiting to claim his soul. "Who sends you here? And why? Depends on your answer I might spare your life."

Normally the man would laugh at the threat. Especially one that comes from a civilian brat. But this brat did not feel like civvies to his poorly-trained sense. Oh no. The brat felt like seasoned Yakuza or even hitman who had kill and will kill again at the slightest aggravation. Especially with those cold eyes. He damn near pissed himself at sight of those eyes directed at him with half-glare half-bored stare.

He was a mere bug in the brat's eyes and he damn know it!

"My patience is wearing thin, you know?"

Yelping in fear for his won life, the man start talking. He was a mere mook in the Yakuza Gang he was in. That the brat's father's boss had "borrow" some money from them and give his underlings as payments. The bill was way too high and he blew up those money in casino. The brat's father was killed first but it was not enough so the Boss tell him to go robbing the family for whatever worth of money.

"...good." "Issei" mentally cataloging the names and location for later date. "Now, die."

"You said you will spare me!"

"Yup. But see, you hurt my mother. No one hurt my family and go away with it, you know?"

"W-wai—!"

BANG!

One finger moved, and the man fell dead. Blood gushing from the wounds. "Issei" made sure he shot the man in the brain, and unlike him, the man did not have [Defense Mechanism] of some sort. His Will is pathetic to begin with.

Sighing, "Issei" stood over and walked away. Melting the Gun with his burning hands to made it unrecognizable. He climb up the stairs and returned few moments later with blanket in his arms. Gently, he covered his mother's body with the blanket, and sat by her side.

Just in time before the front door forcefully kicked open.

"Issei-kun?! Miki-chan?!"

"Issei" turned and see "his" neighbor coming in Eyes wide and face pale and green. Almost throwing up at the sight of dead body and the way Issei's mother was covered by blanket.

He tilted his head and sad with faux-innocent blank voice, "Help?"

Police and Ambulance quickly called in.

TBC