'Thoughts'
"Talking"
Spells/Other's thoughts/Skills
[Captions]
{Korin's Voice}
Inner Voice
Chapter 6 The Fake and Real Mukuro
Korin slumped on Tsunahime who is bent on supporting him, saying that his own wounds are a lot worse than her own, which is kind of true as red burn marks is all over his face and limps and his hoodie jacket was almost all gone except for the right sleeve and the top right portion of it, as they walked through the dense forest to find the rest of their little infiltration team.
"You can let me go." Korin tells her, "I can manage on my own."
"I-It's fine!" Tsuna said determined.
"But you have trouble just supporting me up…" Korin states, as Tsunahime is literally tiptoeing just to keep him up.
"I-I said it's fine- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!-!" She somewhat step onto a steep slope and fell all the way down with Korin in tow. The two tumbles all the way down the grassy slope and crashed at the end of it, the brunette on top of the guy sitting on his stomach in a rather… lewd manner… Her hands on his chest and their face really close that if either one moves their lips will make contact, her hips is directly where his groin is.
"W-WAH!-!" Tsuna immediately got off in embarrassment, Korin was still having a bit of head trauma from hitting his head on the ground just then. She then notices Bianchi down there below them, "I-It's them! Hey- Eh!" She then notices the man she is fighting against right then, "T-That's… Rokudo Mukuro?-!"
"Where?-!" Korin heard her and looked down, noticing the man in the familiar Kokuyo uniform and in his hands large chains linking to a large metal ball, "That's him…?"
"HHIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEE!-!" She shrieked as she crawled back terrified, before noticing two unconscious people, they happened to be her close friends, "Gokudera-kun! Yamamoto!-!"
"Damn, were they done in?" Korin muttered, 'Not good, I'm in no condition to fight him right now… and with Reborn not allowed to fight…'
'That guy…' Tsuna thought angrily, "OI!-! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?-!-?-!"
…
…
…
Korin wasn't sure to be impressed by her sudden bravery or to be shocked of her sudden lack of common sense and just shouted at a mafia convict like he is some brat in her neighbourhood.
"Tsuna!" Bianchi cried in shock.
"You're the…" The man turned to face her, "Vongola…"
'HHHIEEEEEEEEEE!-! What am I doing?-!' Tsuna mentally cried, 'Why did I shout at him like I'm scolding Lambo?-!'
"Get down here, Vongola!-!"
"A-Ano…" She stuttered in fear.
"If you don't, I'll kill this woman instead." The man pulls up the metal ball in his hands, "Boujo Reppa!" He brought the metal ball down via gravity and hits with both his palms, sending the spiralling metal weapon towards the poison scorpion,
"Bianchi!" Tsuna cried.
"Looks like I have to do it after all." Reborn said as he took out his pistol and loading it with the last Dying Will Bullet, "This is last one, go wild." He fires it out, just as the ball is nearly reaching Bianchi with the wind vortex blowing away her poison cooking in her hands. At that moment, Tsunahime suddenly appears in front of it and grabs onto the metal wrecking weapon, her fingers digging into the balls and smoke came out from the friction and finally stopping it completely.
"Tsunahime!" Bianchi cried.
'She stopped the Boujo Reppa?-!' The man thought in shock.
"RE-BORN!-!-!-!-!" She cried out as the all familiar flame appears on her forehead as the clothes are shredded off her body, leaving her in her black sports bra and spandex, "Rokudo Mukuro! I'LL DEFEAT YOU WITH MY DYING WILL!-!-!-!-!-!"
"This is our last ace." Reborn says, "Go settle things with Mukuro once and for all."
"You can't defeat me with some half-assed power." The man said.
"Come at me!" Tsunahime shouted filled with determination, even more than normally when she was fired with the bullet. The reason was the fact that Korin is injured too badly and it is left to her to fight him.
'Go for it, Tsunahime.' Korin thought.
"Boujo Reppa!" The man fires the spinning ball of metal at her, with the spiralling gale behind it blowing everything off its roots. Tsuna ducked under the ball avoiding the ball and its violent gale behind it as she charges towards him and swung up one strong uppercut at the man's chin hard.
"The girl… has became stronger!" Bianchi cried.
"She has become exponentially stronger since coming here." Reborn said.
"Guh!" The man grunted as he pulls the metal ball to him, "Hija Reppa (Flying Snake Fierce Domination)!" He fires it in mid air towards the brunette once more, who grabs onto it with all her might, before giving a cry and fires the metal ball back at him. The man could only see in shock as his own weapon is used against him and smashes right into his body, sending him crashing into the ruins behind him.
"We can go home now." Reborn smirked.
Korin just slides down from the slope and looked at the place where Tsuna sends the man flying to, "No… Not yet…"
True to his words, the debris covering the area moved slightly before the man comes out of it, cracking his neck, "Playing with that ball was just for entertainment."
"He's alright… even being hit by that ball…" Bianchi said in shock.
"This guy's strong…" Korin muttered.
"I think I can use my full force against you." The man said, "Let's go!" He throws up the metal ball into the air, "What I truly specialized is…" He charges towards Tsuna who was distracted by the thrown ball and lands on elbow into the girl's gut, "Mortal Combat!-!" He punches and kicks her back and forth like a sandbag before kicking her to the ground, "I'm not done!" He grabs her head and smashes it to the ground, "It's finished." He closed his eyes as the ball that was thrown to the air obeyed gravity and lands hard onto the brunette.
"Tsunahime!" Korin cried out.
"Your hope has been extinguished." The man said coldly, "It's a pity. She was a real pretty girl too."
Korin was about to let his own rage get over his head again, the yellow-red flames about to burst out of him; it was that moment when the metal ball starts to move and it rolls to one side, revealing the brunette heavily bruised and wounded, but still breathing.
"What?-!" The man cried.
"You're… not a bad person…" Tsuna said suddenly, shocking him.
"You bitch! W-What are you saying?-!"
"With such a weak heart… you can't defeat my dying will!-!"
"What do you know about me?-!" The man shouted angrily, "My heart… Defeating my enemy and sending them to the pits of hell… that's my life!-!"
"That's a lie!" Tsuna cried.
"Shut up, brat!-!" He punches towards the brunette. "I'll defeat you with my dying will!-!" Tsuna countered and she lands one strong fist to his gut, strong enough to make him cough out blood as he felt on his knees in pain, "I… have lost…?"
"After you attacked, you close your eyes, as if you didn't want to see your enemies die. You also used the metal ball instead of your fist to finish me off." Tsuna said, "Your eyes… they have some kind of guilt in them, like you never wanted to do any of this. Because of that, you hesitated."
She reverts back to her normal self as the dying will flame sizzles away, "I thought it was weird." She said, "I never really saw you as a scary person. You're like this kid we have back home, he's a bit obnoxious, but he means no harm." She gave him a kind smile, "You're a warm and kind person."
The man was shocked, to have everything seen through by an innocent young lady, okay, maybe not that innocent, 'She saw through me with one look…?-!' He then gave a small smile, 'I see… the Vongola Blood, huh…?'
"I've completely lost." The man said, "I can see now why Rokudo Mukuro is concerned with you."
"E-Eh?-! What are you saying?" Tsuna asked, completely confused, "Aren't you Rokudo Mukuro?"
"I was his double."
"EH?-!"
"A fake?-!" Bianchi cried.
"I knew it was too easy…" Korin muttered, "There is no way a leader would appear in the frontlines this quickly."
"B-But, you're the one in the prison photo!-!" Tsuna cried.
"The real Rokudo Mukuro would never get himself recorded like that." The man said, "And Rokudo Mukuro, he's the man that took everything from me!"
That left everyone speechless, until Korin decides to speak up, "Tell me, what did happened to you? What did Rokudo Mukuro did to you?"
He hesitated, but the gaze in his eyes convinced him that he is a good person and began to tell his tale.
Apparently, he was once a member of a mafia family in northern Italy, where he was raised like their own family when he has none, and was hoping to repay them by becoming the strongest in the area. Then one day, his boss took in another child of similar background as him and took him under his wings. Since that day, his own life has gone tumbling as he recalls the time where he returned back to the headquarters and all of his allies and friends all slaughtered with no survivor. It was until later that he found out that it was him to did it, all the while under the control of that boy, Rokudo Mukuro. Since then, he has been living his life as the monster that kills his own family and as the fake Rokudo Mukuro.
After hearing that story, Korin was already on the verge of exploding. He has dealt with many people growing up, due to his eyes and his magic background, and the times he went to the Yan Exorcizing Magic Council headquarters and got glares of hatred and anger aimed towards him. But this is the first time he met someone who would freely manipulate someone without any concern of that person's life.
Also, that story of his has made Korin remembers something from couple years back, an abandoned warehouse with countless of dead bodies of children the same, younger or older than him with a single man standing in the middle of it with a single gun.
"That's horrible… the real Rokudo Mukuro…" Tsuna muttered in shock.
"Let's take him out together, Hime-sama!"
They turned around to meet the owner of that voice, "Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna cried.
"Sorry to worry you." He smiled.
"A-Are you alright?" She asked worriedly.
"I'm fine! Don't worry about it!" Gokudera smiled.
'Thank goodness… looks like the side-effect from the Trident Mosquito has wear off…' Bianchi though in relief.
"Vongola…" The man stood up, "Looks like you might be able to defeat him." He said, "Listen closely… Rokudo Mukuro's real objectives are- ! Get down!" He sensed something and pushed the brunette away before using his forearm to block the incoming needles that implanted themselves into his flesh, causing him to scream in pain.
"It's the glasses bastard!" Gokudera cried.
"He's gone." Korin said, looking at where the needles came from.
"Looks like it was a hit-and-run." Reborn said.
The man collapsed onto the ground, shocking everyone, "A-Are you alright?-!" Tsuna cried as she ran towards him, "Hang in there!"
"They are trying to silence him." The infant stated.
"Not good…" Korin grunted, "Oi, uncle! Don't close your eyes!"
"What a… horrible life…" The man panted.
"Get a hold of yourself!" Tsuna cried, before realizing, "What's your real name? You're not Rokudo Mukuro, you must have a name!"
"My name's… Lancia…"
"Hang in there, Lancia-san!"
"I can remember… when I hear that name…" He pants, "My old self's family… now… I can finally join them…" His eyes slowly closed as his body went limp.
"No… Lancia-san!" Tsuna cried.
"They completely used up Lancia…" Gokudera commented, "And when he's finally no use… Damn it! Is this how they do things?-!"
"What do they think people are?-!" Bianchi cried angrily.
"That bastard…" Korin growled, the yellow-red flames slowly emerging from his fist, "I'm going to…"
"I knew it… that Rokudo Mukuro really makes me mad…" Tsuna muttered, "Let's go to Rokudo Mukuro!-!"
"Are you sure?" Reborn asked, "We don't have any dying will bullets left."
"I know, but…" She muttered, "We need to do something about Rokudo Mukuro!"
That phrase has calmed him down, with the knowledge that Tsunahime too is determined to stop Mukuro. He has promised that he would never go berserk again and he intends to keep that. The yellow-red flames slowly disperses into nothing, "I see." Reborn smirked, "By the way, he's not dead yet."
"Eh?"
"If we can get the antidote for the poison within an hour, we can still save him." The infant tells him.
"That yo-yo bastard must have it." Gokudera said, "Hime-sama! I'll defeat him for you!"
"Gokudera-kun…"
"By the way…" Gokudera coughed as he looked away blushing, "Can you please cover up yourself…?"
She blinked before looking down at herself, shrieking at her half-naked self and immediately covers herself, 'I-I forgot that my clothes shreds off every time I go into Dying Will Mode…!' She turned to Korin, who was looking away as well, 'KYAAAH!-! He saw it…! It's so embarrassing! To be seen by him like this so many times!-!'
"Don't worry, I got some spare clothes for you." Bianchi tells her as she took out a bag.
"T-Thank you, Bianchi-san!"
Korin turned to the last building in the entire area as Tsuna went behind the tree to change, "He's in there."
"How can you tell?" Reborn asked.
"My instincts." Korin explained, "It's crying out to me, and it's telling me that the last boss is there."
"Instincts…?" The infant wonders, 'If I remember correctly, all the Knights in the past have been able to identify their true enemy and allies based on instinct alone. So he has it too… He truly is the successor of the Knights…' Korin shifted the unconscious Yamamoto under a tree and out of normal sight, "This will have to do for now." He said, "His injuries aren't life-threatening, but he needs to be treated soon."
"Thank goodness…" Tsuna sighed in relief; she finally changed into the clothes Bianchi gave her, a black t-shirt and beige skirt.
"Now then…" Korin looked over to the building, "Time to take on Rokudo Mukuro."
They finally entered the building prepared for the worst, Korin took was given a change of clothes with the spare grey shirt Bianchi have. They took a look around and notice the destroyed staircases in front of them, "The stairs are destroyed." She said.
"Rokudo Mukuro must be at the top floor." Reborn predicted, "There must be an intact staircase somewhere."
"Why is that?" Tsuna asked her tutor.
"It is easier to them to defend against us when there are limited routes for us to take." The infant explained, "But by doing so, they too cut off their own escape routes. They must be really confident in doing so."
'HIIIEEEEE!-! Now I'm really nervous!-!' She mentally cried.
"Hm? What's this?" Korin wonders as he picked up a black cell phone at his feet, "A cell phone?"
"Ah, that's Hibari-san's!" Tsuna said.
"That prefect's?" Korin confirmed.
"Yeah, there's no doubt." She states, "Also, his ring tone seems to be out school song as well."
'How much does that guy loves his school?-!' Korin thought in shock.
"We've got more important things to do." Bianchi reprimanded them, "Go and find an intact staircase."
"R-Right." Tsuna agrees.
They searched the place to find a way to the next floor, but all of them are destroyed or unusable due to debris. They then finally found one, the emergency ladder. To their surprise, someone was waiting for them already, the yo-yo user from the shopping district fight. "It's the yo-yo guy!" Tsunahime cried.
Gokudera wasted to time throwing his dynamites at him, the beanie dude got ready but then he notices that they don't have fuses as smoke starts coming out of each stick, creating a smoky cover for him, "Smoke screen?" Korin wonders.
"Hime-sama." Gokudera tells his boss, "Leave that guy to me."
"Gokudera-kun!" She cried.
"Hayato!" Bianchi warned him, "The side effects from Shamal's trident mosquito are still there! It was thanks to that that you are able to stand here!"
"Eh?-! Him of all people?-!" Gokudera cried, "But no matter, I'll still fight, because that's why I'm here."
"…" Korin couldn't even start to describe how stupid Gokudera is right then, but he honoured his will, "Let's go, Tsunahime."
"M-Motoyama-san?-!" Tsuna cried.
"Please go, Hime-sama." Gokudera smiled, "Let's hang out after all of this is over!"
Tsuna then recalled why she is doing all of this in the first place, "Y-Yeah! Of course! We'll be going!" She then followed Korin up the ladder, "Please remain alive."
He heard her soft whisper and a smile crept up his face, "I will." He whispers back.
Tsuna climbs up the ladder, and the silver-haired bomber turns back to the glasses boy, "You sure let them go easily." He said.
"Such was…" The yo-yo user draws back his toy, "Mukuro-sama's orders."
They ran up along the second floor to find where Mukuro is, but there is no sign of any people there so they ran up to the third floor, and into the theatre, where a lone Kokuyo student sat on the stage, "I'm glad we could meet again." He smiled.
"Ah! You're that student from before!" Tsuna cried.
"You know him?" Korin asked.
"He's the Kokuyo student I met earlier." She said, "He must be being held here."
"Kufufufu… please take your time." He chuckles, "We're about to start a long relationship together, Vongola Decima."
"Eh? H-How do you know about me being the Vongola…?" She asked.
"No… that's not it…" Bianchi muttered.
"Tsunahime! Get away from him!" Korin cried, "He's the real Rokudo Mukuro!"
"E-Eh?"
"That's right." He smirked, "I'm the real Rokudo Mukuro."
At that moment, the door slammed closed. Behind them, stood the dirty blonde boy that they are planning to rescue, Fuuta.
"Fuuta!" Tsuna cried, "Don't startle me like that!"
"He seems alright…" Bianchi sighed in relief.
'So he's the hostage, huh…?' Korin thought, before he notices the look in his eyes as Bianchi walks towards him to ask him to move away from here, 'That look… it's…!' "Bianchi, get away from him!"
His warning was too late as the young boy stabs the ex-hitwoman in the stomach with a tip of what seems to be a trident, "Bianchi!" Tsuna cried, the older woman collapses on the ground as the brunette ran towards her with her own blood forming a puddle under her, "F-Fuuta, what are you doing?-!"
She was then brought back by shock as the boy tries to stab her as well, only to have Korin pull her out of the way in time, "He's under mind control." He states out.
"Korin is right." Reborn said.
"I-It can't be…" The girl stuttered in shock, "Fuuta! Snap out of it!" He seems to ignore her cries as he carries on trying to stab or slash her with the dagger. Korin too was a target for him as he swerves all around trying to dodge him, 'He's after me too?' He looked over at Mukuro, 'Right, if he's the controller…' Korin took out his gun and aimed at the pineapple haired man before Fuuta stabs the dagger into his arm, causing him to cry out in pain and dropping the gun.
"Motoyama-san!" Tsuna cried.
"I'm fine!" Korin cried as he took this opportunity and grabs Fuuta by his chest and locks him tight close to him, "Got him!" He tights his arm and caused the dagger to fall out of the boy's hand. The kid tries to pick it back up but Korin was faster and kicks the dagger away, "God damn it, hold still!"
Tsuna started to get worried as Fuuta seems to get more injuries as Korin carries on restraining him in the arm-lock, until she notices the look in his eyes, 'Those eyes… are the same as Lancia's…'
Fuuta manages to get out of the arm-lock by a stun to the teen's stomach, where the claw wounds are still not fully healed and it opened up again with blood soaking into the shirt; the kid picked up the dagger and aims to stab Tsuna in front of him, "Fuuta…" The brunette swallows her saliva, "You didn't do anything wrong."
Fuuta stopped his advance at that sentence, "You didn't do anything wrong at all." She continues, "We're all your friends, Fuuta, so don't worry and come back home."
Korin was shocked as Fuuta seems to resist the mind-control placed on him, "Tsuna-nee…" The kid muttered as he collapsed on the wooden floor unconscious.
"F-Fuuta!-!" Tsuna cried as she ran towards him, then noticing the blood trickling out of his nose and ears, "A-Ah! He's bleeding from his ears!"
"Exhaustion…" Korin explained as he looked on, "He must have never gotten any sleep for at least a week."
"He was a real troublesome boy from the start." Mukuro said as he stood up from his seat on the stage, "We came here to Japan for the sole purpose of finding the Vongola Tenth, but we didn't have a clue where to start."
"So you have Fuuta come to you." Reborn stated.
"Yes, but he activate the Omerta and kept silent." Mukuro added on, "Even under my mind control, he wouldn't say a word about the Vongola."
"So you have no choice but to use the Namimori Middle Prowess ranking that was made to draw Tsuna's family out." Reborn stated.
"And it worked out perfectly." The pineapple teen chuckled, "The Vongola Tenth is right here in front of me. And she is quite a beauty too. She could be a nice pet when she is done."
"Is that how you view people…?" Korin muttered as he stood up, "Rokudo Mukuro, what are people to you?-!"
"Toys, I guess."
That ticked him off as the yellow-red flames erupts from his body once more, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!-!-!-!-!-!-!" He roared out as he charges at Mukuro with the flaming inferno blazing around him. "My, I never thought I have to fight personally." Mukuro smirked as he picked up a black pole, his red eye spins as the kanji changes to four, and he leaped down towards and passing Korin. The next second, the flames all disperses and countless cuts appears all over his body.
"So… fast…" Korin grunted as he drops to his knees.
"Motoyama-san!" Tsuna cried.
"Looks like it was lucky that Orcus fought you first." Mukuro chuckled as he picked up the dagger and connecting it to his rod and forming a trident, "If you were at your full strength, I wouldn't have stand a chance, Motoyama Korin."
"W-What happened…?" The brunette stuttered.
"He struck when he passed him." Reborn stated.
"As expected of the Arcobaleno, you saw through it." He chuckled. Tsuna then notices the flame around his eye, "Ah! There's a Dying Will Flame on his eye!"
"Oh? So you can see it, this aura?" Mukuro said, "This aura is the Fourth Path, a combat skill I learnt from the Path of Asura."
"Path of… Asura…?" Korin muttered, "You mean, one of the six reincarnations in Buddhist teachings, the Transmigration through the Six Worlds?"
"What is that?" Tsuna asked.
"When someone dies," Reborn explained, "They are either reborn as a demon, a hungry ghost, a beast, an Asura, a human or a deva."
"I have memories of going through all the six realms, and all their combat skills are engraved in me." Mukuro chuckled.
"If that's true, you're quite a monster." Reborn said.
"I don't want to hear that from you, the cursed infant, an Arcobaleno."
'Arcobaleno…?' Tsuna wonders, 'Is he talking about Reborn?"
"Now let me show you," Mukuro spins his trident and lands its base on the floor with a thud, "My next skill." He chuckled as his right eye spins yet again to a kanji of one and the ground under them starts to shake and crumble under her feet, causing the brunette to shriek out in fear.
"Tsunahime! Calm down!" Korin cried as he shook her shoulders, snapping her out of it.
"Eh?" She blinked a few seconds and noticing the room is still the same as it was couple of seconds ago, "W-What happened? Weren't the floors…?"
"It was an illusion." Reborn said, "I was planning on kicking you awake but seems Korin beat me to it."
"Kufufufu, that's correct." Mukuro said, "Seems like the Knight's blood flowing in you is real indeed. This is the skill of the First Path, the Path of Hell, a skill that breaks the spirit in an endless nightmare."
'S-Scary…!' Tsuna cried.
"Now I can see the relationship between the three of you." Mukuro chuckled, "The Arcobaleno is here to monitor the Vongola, and the Knight is here as her protector."
"That's not true." Reborn said, "I'm her home tutor."
"Kufufufu, that's rather unique." The pineapple chuckled, "But is the teacher not going to attack? I don't mind taking the both of you at once."
'He left out Motoyama-san…?' Tsuna wonders, before noticing Korin bleeding from his arm and his abdomen, 'His wounds! I see… Motoyama-san has no chance in fighting him like this…'
"Because it is law."
"So it's law, huh?" Mukuro stated, "How very, mafia-esque."
"I don't need to do anything anyway." Reborn said, "My student will be the one to defeat you."
"R-Reborn!-!" Tsuna cried, she herself knows that she is no match against someone like him, especially with Korin out of the game.
"Oh, what beautiful, trusting relationship you have." Mukuro chuckled, "How amusing. Very well then." His red eye spins yet again and the kanji this time changes to three, snakes then suddenly appear and dropped around Tsuna and Korin.
"S-Snakes!-!" Tsuna shrieked in shock, "Are these illusions as well?"
"No, they're real." Korin said grimly, "Not just that, they are really poisonous." 'He's able to summon animals? A magic ability…? Now that I think about it, he has been giving off this weird aura since I saw him… its similar to my family's spiritual magic but it doesn't contain any magic energy…'
"The Third Path, the Path of Beasts." Mukuro explained, "The ability to summon animals to kill my enemies. Your student is now in trouble." He turned to Reborn, "Are you going to do anything?"
"Don't be so certain with yourself, Mukuro." Reborn said as the snake attacks the brunette, "I'm the best home tutor." The brunette shrieked as Korin shields her with his body hoping to stop any snake bite from touching her. At that moment, a flying tonfa flew towards Mukuro who parries it with ease, startled by it. "Hime-sama, get down!" A familiar voice shouted as dynamites flew over and exploded at the snakes.
As the smoke clears, they saw the two figures that saved their lives, the sliver haired bomber and the disciplinary prefect/chairman.
"Hibari-san! Gokudera-kun!" Tsunahime cried.
"Sorry we're late." Gokudera apologized.
'I see…' Korin looked over to Reborn, 'He didn't just focus on Tsuna alone… he took consideration of the rest of the gang's strength and weaknesses, and have them grow according to that…'
"I've paid you back now." Hibari said as he flung the silver haired teen away from him.
'He just flung him away!' Tsuna cried.
"My my, there are a lot of spectators today…" Mukuro chuckled, his tone wavering, "What is Chikusa doing?"
"That glasses freak and the animal bastard are downstairs taking a nap." Gokudera chuckled.
"W-Way to go, Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna cheered.
"I-It wasn't me who beat them though…" The bomber muttered in embarrassment.
"Have you prepared yourself?" Hibari asked as he picked up the tonfa he tossed.
"You're really scary." Mukuro chuckled, "But please don't get between me and the Vongola now. Besides, you can hardly stand right now. I have broken most of your bones, after all."
'Hibari-san has been through a lot…' Tsuna thought.
"Was that your last words?" Hibari taunted.
"You say such amusing things." The pineapple chuckled, "It seems that I have to deal you first." His eye spins to the kanji of four and he ran towards the skylark and starts swinging his rod at Hibari's tonfas, the two clashing their weapons like crazy and in speeds that Tsuna couldn't catch with her eyes alone, 'They're going so fast!' She thought in shock.
The two parry in one point, "How long does your moment last?" Hibari asked as Mukuro pushed him back shocked, before he puts up his rod to block an incoming bullet with the impact sending his rod up an angle and giving Hibari a chance to hit him in the chest with his weapon.
"I don't need your help." Hibari said angrily to Korin, his gun smoking from the round fired.
"I wasn't." Korin said, "I was aiming to kill him."
"Don't underestimate them, Mukuro." Reborn said, "They are still growing."
They clashed once more, "It would seem so…" Mukuro chuckled, "We may never know how this battle may go, if he wasn't hurt." At that moment, Hibari grunted as his arms sags down heavily with blood dripping down them to the wooden floor below.
"Looks like he reached his most limit." Korin said, "It goes without saying, his body is in no condition to fight any longer as it already has."
"Hibari-san…" Tsuna stuttered.
"This is taking too long." Mukuro said, "Let's finish this quickly." His eye spins again to the kanji of one and pink cheery blossoms appear around the room.
"Sakura…?" Tsuna wonders, "Ah! I forgot, Hibari-san still have the Sakura-Kura disease!"
'What kind of lame disease is that?' Korin thought, as a certain doctor sneezes in the medical room.
"Let's have you kneel in front of me again." Mukuro chuckled, the skylark stumbles around a little, but then he lashed forward towards him with a strong blow to him.
"O-Oya…?" Mukuro muttered, confused and shocked, just as he heard Gokudera's laughter. "You weren't expecting this, weren't you?" He laughed as he took out a paper bag, "I have given him the antidote I got from Shamal."
"T-Then…!" Hibari wasted no time and lands one final strike at Mukuro, sending back and crashing into the ground hard.
"H-He did it…!" Tsuna muttered in shock.
"Tch, he got all the good parts." Gokudera cursed.
Tsuna looked over at the fallen Mukuro, still can't believe it is all over, "It's over." Reborn said.
"Y-Yeah…" Tsuna stuttered, "We can finally go home now…"
"You didn't absolutely nothing against him, though." Reborn added harshly.
"You don't have to say it like that!" Tsuna cried, but she was really affected by it. She couldn't really do anything at all against Mukuro, even Korin was able to help Hibari end his fight with it, 'I want to be more useful to them…'
They then heard a thud as they saw Hibari unconscious on the floor, "Hibari-san!" Tsuna cried as she ran towards the prefect.
"He was fighting unconsciously near the end." Reborn said, "He must have been really upset that he lost once."
"He really is a scary one…" Korin said.
"Ah! Right! We need to get everyone some medical attention!-!" Tsuna cried.
"It's alright." Reborn tells his student, "The Vongola Medical team is on their way here as we speak."
"That team will be useless." They heard the pineapple chuckled as he points a gun at them, "For there will be no survivors left."
"You…!" Gokudera growled as he stood in front of his dear princess.
"Let us meet again." Mukuro chuckled as he placed the gun to his head, "Arrivederci (See you soon in Italian)." He pulls the trigger and fires the bullet straight into his brain, instantly killing him. "He killed himself…?" Tsuna wonders.
"Choosing death over being captured, huh…?" Korin said.
For some reason, the brunette starts getting goose bumps with a chill going down her spine, 'Something's not right…' She thought.
"You finally defeated Mukuro…"
Korin heard the voice of the unconscious Bianchi getting back up, "Aneki!" Gokudera cried.
"Bianchi!" Tsuna cried.
'This isn't right…' Korin thought, 'With that stab in the stomach, she shouldn't be able to move, and she was unconscious the whole time… How is she still able to move…?'
"Don't push yourself, Bianchi." Reborn warns her.
"Hayato, mind lending me a hand?" She asked.
"Um… fine, but just this once, alright?-!" Gokudera said as he walks towards Bianchi.
"Gokudera-kun, don't go near her!-!" Tsuna suddenly shouted.
This stopped him and everyone else all looked at her confused, "Eh? W-Why did I…?"
"It's okay, hime-sama." Gokudera said as he reached out his hand for her, "Here."
"Thank you." Bianchi then suddenly stabs forward with the same dagger as Mukuro's and cuts past the bomber's right cheek, shocking him as he stumbles back away from her, "W-What are you trying to do?-!"
"A-Ah? My hand…?"
'I knew it, something wasn't right…' Tsuna thought.
"Bianchi, get a hold of yourself." Reborn said as he gave a small tap to her temple, "You nearly skewered your little brother."
"Oh my… that's such a terrible thing I did!" She then suddenly stabs down at the infant, who leaped out of harms' way.
"Reborn-san!" Gokudera cried.
"Something isn't right." Reborn said.
"Is it mind-control?" Gokudera asked.
"No." Korin replied him, "If it is mind-control, there will be some movements that seems rather abnormal. Bianchi isn't showing any of that. It's more like she's possessed."
"Is it a curse?-!"
"What's with you and curses?-!" Korin shouted, his patience with him gone, "First of all, there aren't curses that does something like this!"
"And how do you know?-!" Gokudera cried.
'Something's wrong… that's not Bianchi…' Tsuna thought, 'And this sensation…' She then realized, "Rokudo… Mukuro…?"
"Kufufufu…" Bianchi chuckled, "We meet again." She looked at them, revealing the red eye on her right one.
"He came back!-!" She shrieked.
"It's a curse!-!" Gokudera cried.
"No, it's not!" Korin cried, "Isn't it obvious, he's possessing her!-!"
"Possession…?" Reborn muttered, "That would mean… impossible, where did he get it…?"
"But, he's dead!" Tsuna cried as he looked at the dead body.
"I still have something to do, so I've returned, from the other end of the cycle." Mukuro chuckled, "Now, who shall I take care of first?"
"Hime-sama! Please leave this to me!" Gokudera said as he stood in front of her.
"B-But, Gokudera-kun, what are you going to…?"
"Rin! Hyo! To! Sha!" That answers her question as Gokudera starts drawing signs in the air with those kinds of exorcising words you can find on the internet.
'Exorcism?-!' She cried.
'I will not kill him, I will not kill him…' Korin mutters in his mind as he tries not to murder the sliver haired bomber.
"Kai! Jin! Retsu!" He continues to chant and Bianchi is actually seems to be getting hurt.
"It's actually working?-!" Tsuna cried.
Bianchi then falls down on the ground unconscious. "Bianchi!" She cried as she ran towards her, "What happened?"
"I don't know." Reborn said.
Tsuna then felt something and look over at Gokudera, "Did I do it?" He asked politely.
"Goku…dera…-kun… Mukuro!" She cried as she got out of the way in time as the dagger stabs where she once was, "R-Reborn, what's going on?-!"
"Oh… so it wasn't luck…" Gokudera (Mukuro) chuckled, "You are the first that notices that I possess someone in one glance. You're amusing to no end."
"W-What's going on…?-!" Tsuna stuttered in shock.
"From what I can tell, he is able to jump to another vessel." Korin explained, 'There aren't any magic that is capable of that… or is there?'
"There's no mistake." Reborn stated suddenly, "You made it look like a suicide shot but you actually use that bullet, didn't you?" The possessed bomber looked at them chuckling, which is rather creepy in Gokudera's face, "The use of the Possession Bullet is forbidden, where did you get it?"
"Kufufufu… so you noticed?" Gokudera (Mukuro) chuckled, "That this is a possession made by a special bullet?"
"A special bullet?" Tsuna blinked, "Like the Dying Will bullet?"
"That's right." Reborn said, "Like its name mentioned, the Possession Bullet allows its wielder to take control of another person."
"W-What?-!" She cried, "Then, Gokudera-kun and Bianchi are…"
"It was a special bullet created by the Estraneo Family." The infant continued, "Not only do you need a strong spirit, you must be suited for the bullet as well."
"Kufufufu, it suits me just perfectly though…" Mukuro chuckled.
"The use of the bullet to seen to be inhuman, so it was branded forbidden and its blueprints are destroyed a long time ago." Reborn added, "How did you manage to get hold onto one?"
"Kufufufu… who knows?" He chuckled, "For you know, this possession is nothing like mind-control, as this body…" He slid the bomber's throat, "…is mine."
"S-Stop that!" Tsuna cried.
"So that's how he's able to control over someone like Lancia." Korin stated, "A perfect weapon for one of a twisted mind like yours. Even so, how did you get a hold of a forbidden weapon like that? It's not like you picked it up off the streets."
"Let's just say, they're mine now." Gokudera (Mukuro) chuckled, "Now, I'll possess you know, Vongola Juudaime."
"E-Eh? M-Me?-!" Tsuna cried.
"I knew it, your goal is…" Reborn said.
"It's not my goal, it's my mean. My revenge can truly begin after I possess the next generation Vongola boss."
"W-What are you saying?-!" Tsuna cried as he walked towards her, "P-Possessing me would be useless…" She then thought of something really erotic, "Y-You're not going to do weird things to my body, are you…?"
'That's the first thing she thinks about…?' Korin sweat-dropped.
"Be careful of his weapon." Reborn tells her, "If you're wounded by that blade, he'll possess you."
"I'm impressed that you know." Mukuro chuckled as he tosses the weapon over her head and into the hands of the poison scorpion's body that he took control and moved near the unconscious prefect as the bomber's body collapses, "Exactly." She smirked, "But I call this ritual a 'contract'." She marked Hibari's cheek with the blade, and she fell unconscious.
"H-He couldn't have gotten inside Hibari too?" Tsuna muttered worriedly.
Hibari got up on his feet and he dashed forward and swung his weapon at her. Luckily, Len managed to parry it and pushed him away onto the ground, "O-Oya… this body isn't much of a use…" Mukuro said, "Fighting in a body like this… what a fearsome fellow he is, that Hibari Kyouya…" He then collapses onto the ground.
"M-Mukuro's presence is gone…" Tsuna muttered.
"Be careful." The tutor warns the brunette, "He could possess either Gokudera or Bianchi."
"I-It can't be…" Tsuna muttered worriedly. Gokudera then starts to get up, followed by Bianchi as well, "E-Eh?-! T-The two of them at once?-!"
"He can possess more than one person a time…?-!" Korin cried.
"That's not all." Reborn said, as the doors slammed open, revealing the remaining two students from before, "There're them as well."
"Uwa! F-Four Mukuros?-!" Tsuna cried.
"Possessing four people at one time…" Reborn said, "Such things are unheard of."
"That's not all." Mukuro chuckled as the red eye on Gokudera spun to the kanji of two, and he tossed the dynamites at her. The brunette screamed in horror as she ran away from the explosions, "D-Dynamites?-!" She cried.
"He can use the abilities of the people he possesses?-!" Korin said in shock as he dodged the attack from the animal hybrid.
"It would seem so." Reborn said as he dodges a poison cake from Bianchi.
"You should worry about your own life, Arcobaleno!" Mukuro said as the beanie student tossed his yo-yo at him, firing the needles at the infant, who blocks it with his coat. At the same moment, dynamite are thrown at Korin who got out of the way in time but his own movements are getting slow with his current injuries.
"The second path, the Path of Hungry Ghosts." Mukuro explained, "The skill to steal the enemies' abilities."
"This is bad, he can possess them, and use their skills as well." Reborn said.
"Well then, maybe I'll add him as well…" Mukuro chuckled as he looked at Korin. At that moment, Korin felt something enter his own body and fell unconscious and collapses onto the floor. Meanwhile, the illusionary suddenly stood in a black void, "What is this…?"
"Foolish human…" A gravely deep voice boomed in the void, at the same time a reptilian eye opened up in front of him as a dark silhouette of a dragon appears, "You dare try to possess my vessel? Be gone!" It roars as a large shockwave blasts at him, forcing him out of the soul plane, and back into reality.
"W-What was that…?" Mukuro muttered shocked, "What on earth are you…? Motoyama Korin…?" He then gains back his usual cocky nature and chuckled a little, "Well, no matter. Even if I can't get you, I can still get the boss." His red eye spins to the kanji of one, and lava pillars shot out from the wooden floors around the brunette and her guard, she screaming in fright and ducking down in fear.
"H-Help me!-!"
"I rather not hurt you too badly." Mukuro smirked, "I suggest you just surrender.
"I can't take this anymore!" She cried, tears on the edge of falling out.
"You're really are a hopeless one." Reborn said as he leaped towards the possessed silver-haired teen, "This is an illusion!"
"Oh my. You better worry about yourself." Mukuro chuckled as the bomber threw some sticks of dynamites at him, and they all exploded right at the Arcobaleno's face.
"Reborn!" Tsuna cried.
"That shouldn't have killed you, Arcobaleno!" Mukuro said, as a hat is seen visible in the smoke, "There you are!" The blonde student stabs the hat thinking it was Reborn, only to find the hat itself. Reborn then reappeared and grabs his hat back from him.
"It's been a while since I felt the air of combat." Reborn said.
"Reborn…" Tsuna muttered.
"I can't help." Reborn added, "Tsuna, do something, quickly."
"D-Don't be so unreasonable!" She cried as she ran away from the explosions from the dynamites thrown at her, "This is beyond what I can do!"
Reborn dodges incoming needles from the yoyo, "If you're my student, you can overcome this."
"Don't use unreasonable logic like that!" She cried, "What good can one completely useless girl do?-!"
"Kufufufu, your teacher's panicking…" Mukuro chuckled as Bianchi ran up to the tutor with poison cake in hand, "He's falling in chaos over his student's crisis." Reborn leaped out of the way of the poison dessert, "I'm not lying." He tells him, "Your older student, Dino overcame it too."
"D-Dino-nii…?" Tsuna muttered".
"When Dino was my student, he encountered a life and death situation himself." Reborn explained, "Despite that, he overcame it and transformed himself from Green Horn Dino to Bucking Bronco Dino."
"T-Transformed…?" She muttered, "I-I don't get it! In the first place, Dino-nii and I are…"
"Above you." Reborn warns her and dynamites rain down on her and exploded, sending the brunette tumbling over the floor, "That's enough talk. Let's finish this." The beanie student ran towards her with dagger at hand and the purple aura in his eye. She shrieked in fright but then he collapses and the dagger rolled all the way into the animalistic student's hands, "Oh boy. It happens sometime. Even if I take over someone's body, when that body breaks, there's nothing I can do."
"Wait… you mean you're forcing them to move even if their wounds are not allowing them to?" Tsuna said.
"That's why he didn't possess Hibari." Reborn said.
"Ah, Chikusa can go a little further…" Mukuro states as the beanie student got on his feet.
"Stop it!" Tsuna cried, "If you keep moving, their wounds will-!"
"I'm fine, I don't feel pain."
"W-What do you mean?-!" Tsuna cried, "Aren't they your friends' bodies?-!"
"That's incorrect." Mukuro states, "Once I possess them, it's my right whether they break or dies."
"Wha… that's wrong…!" Tsuna said.
"Do you have time to worry for others when you're about to get killed?" Mukuro asked as Bianchi and Gokudera walks up to them, "You're such an amusing girl. You're unsuited for the mafia."
The brunette then notices their wounds, 'Ah! Blood are flowing out of their wounds…!' She cried. "Please stop this! If this keeps up, they'll die!"
"Kufufufu… I remember now." Mukuro chuckled, "When you're fighting Birds, you were about to stab yourself to save those girls. Let's do it this way. Listen well, if you don't want any further damage to be done to your friends, make a contract with me without running away."
"N-No way…" Tsuna muttered.
"So you do hesitate." Mukuro chuckled, "In the end, a person like you can't survive in this world. You're not suited to be the Vongola Tenth." The blondie shows the dagger to her, "Now, give me your body."
"W-What should I do…?" Tsuna asked worriedly, "Reborn, what should I do?-!"
"I can't do anything for you." Reborn tells her, "Pull it off on your own."
"No way… have you always helped me out?-! Don't abandon me now, Reborn!" Tsuna cried, tears falling out already. The hitman had it and kicks her square in the chin.
"Don't sound so pathetic." Reborn tells her.
"B-But… what can I do…?" She muttered sadly. Reborn walks up to her and tug her up by her collar, "Listen well, Sawada Tsunahime. You're the Vongola Tenth and no one else." He tells her, "If you shout out your feelings; that would be the answer the Vongola will give!"
"My… feelings…?"
"So tell me, is that your true feelings?"
She remembered Korin's words from before, the feeling of desire, the desire to become more useful towards her friends and to him, awaken in her.
"Kufufufu, so the tutor has given up into despair." Mukuro chuckled, "I know what she wants. She wants to run away from here as fast as she can. Or perhaps, you won't run because of your friends?"
"I want to win."
"Hm?"
"I want to beat Mukuro." Tsuna said, as Leon starts to shake.
"Oh, that was unexpected." Mukuro chuckled, "I can hear the rest after I possess you, after you killed off your friends."
"I don't want lose to such a terrible person." Tsuna said, "I don't want to be a burden to Motoyama-san. I want to beat him!"
"This is the end!" Mukuro declared as the animal hybrid stabs towards her, then all of the sudden, bright strings shot out from somewhere else and sticking all over the room, "What is this?-! What did you do, Vongola?-!"
"I didn't do anything!" Tsuna said, before looking up and noticing the green cocoon that was once the chameleon Leon with the strings sticking out of it, "Ah! Leon!"
"He has finally emerged." Reborn said.
"Emerged?" Tsuna asked her tutor.
"Like that time; when Dino became the Bucking Bronco."
"So it's your doing, Arcobaleno." Mukuro said.
"You're wrong. That is the shape-shifting chameleon Leon, my partner." Reborn explained, "For some reason, he becomes a cocoon when my students are about to receive a trial. When my student grows, he emerges."
"R-Really?"
"Kufufufu, how interesting…" Mukuro chuckled as his possessed bodies pull out the strings on them, "Here I was wondering what you would do but just your pet's emergence? You're really amusing, the both of you."
"H-He's laughing at us!" Tsuna cried, "What is this, Reborn?-! How is this related to Dino-nii becoming Bucking Bronco?"
"Just watch."
The brunette looked back at the cocoon, and has noticed that Leon has something in its mouth and is getting bigger like a balloon, "T-There's something in his mouth…?"
"He's about to spit out a new item." Reborn explained, "An item made especially for you, my student."
"Eh? New item?" She wonders.
"In Dino's case, he spat out Bucking Bronco whip and Enzo."
"Eh?-! Enzo is Leon's child?-!" She cried, finding the perfectly impossible biological relationship completely ridiculous, 'But if something like Enzo comes out, it would helpful.'
"I cannot put up with your games any longer." Mukuro said as the blonde student walks towards them, "Let's put an end to this break and finish this!" He dashes forward as Reborn kicked his student away, "As for this eye-sore…" He slashes through the green cocoon in half with the dagger, "I'll take care of it!"
"L-Leon!-!" Tsuna cried.
"Don't worry." Reborn tells her as the two green blobs landed on the floor, and starts to formed back together into a slime like creature, "Leon is a shape-shifting chameleon. More importantly, something was shot up." She looked up to notice two glowing items falling down towards her, "It looks like they're safe, the new items."
"T-That's…" Tsuna muttered as the two items landed on her face softly, "So… soft?" She took it off her head, "H-Huh? T-This are…" In her hands, are two woollen mittens with the number 27 on its back, "M-Mittens?-! H-How do I fight with these?-! Wasn't Leon supposed to spit out some kind of weapon?-! How is giving my hands good circulation going to help at all?-! At least get me a gun like Motoyama-san's!"
"How knows?" Reborn said, "Just put them on."
"W-What?-!"
"Besides, having the same weapon as him doesn't make you closer to him."
"*Blush* T-That's not what I meant!"
"You're so amusing to the end!" Mukuro chuckled with the blonde hybrid walks up to her and stabs at her. Tsuna shrieked out in shock and raised her mitten worn hand up to stop it, only to have it blocked it and she was pushed back a little, "She deflected it?"
"I-I'm saved…" She sighed in relief, then felt something in the wool mittens, "Hm? There's something inside." She pull out one of mittens and a small silver bullet landed on her palm, "A-A bullet!"
'A special bullet?-!' Mukuro thought in shock.
"I see…" Reborn smirked, "Pass that over, Tsuna."
"E-Eh?"
"I'm not going to let you!" Mukuro shouted as the blonde student slashes at him, the infant dodging it and into the hands of the possessed poison scorpion grabbing onto his arm. But then, the arm was ripped off of his body which turns out to be the chameleon before the Arcobaleno lunged forward and took the bullet from Tsuna's hands, "I've never seen this bullet before." He said, "I guess we just have to shoot it and see what happens."
"Eh?-! J-Just shoot it?-!" Tsuna cried.
"I'm not letting that happen!" Mukuro shouted as the bomber flings all sorts of dynamites at her, "I've given up on taking your body unharmed." Reborn loads the bullet into his trusty gun, "You're not going to make it." An explosion was created when the several sticks of dynamites went off around the brunette, "She took the direct hit from them. That is going to be a several wound." He chuckled as the smoke cleared, revealing Tsuna unconscious with countless bruises and covered in soot, "It seems to have no effect. So the special bullet was useless too. You're out of options now, what an anti-climactic ending."
The beanie student lift up his dagger, "Now then, let me take over that body while it still draws breath."
'It hurts…!' Tsuna thought, 'My entire body hurts… Am I… going to die at this rate…? It's enough, isn't it…? I did all I could… Sorry, everyone… but this is all I can do… I had enough of getting hurt…enough of getting scared…'
"Ah! This clothes!"
'Huh…?'
"She is usually so clean, yet this time she left all her clothes lying around." Her mother said angrily, "I'm going to give her a good scolding when she gets back!"
'Kaa-san…? Is this a dream…?'
"What is this?-!" The brown haired girl in their class who is Sasagawa Kyoko's close friend, Kurokawa Hana cried, "Tsuna left her tests in the duty book! And she only score 2 points?-!'
'My language test…'
"Man, that girl really got to pick up her game…" Hana sighed, "How does she intent on catching Motoyama's attention like this?"
'Why am I hearing Kurokawa bad mouthing me…?'
"It seems to be an effect of the special bullet."
'Reborn…?'
"What you're hearing now are real-time rebukes to you from others." The infant explains to her.
'Rebukes…?' She wonders, 'Why am getting rebukes at a time like this? Am I going to be reminded I'm Dame-Tsuna till the end?'
"Hahi! What is she doing?-! Barging into enemy headquarters isn't a rational thing to do!"
'Haru-chan!'
"Gyahahaha! Haru's crying!" The snot-nose brat with the afro and in a cow print body suit, Lambo laughed at her.
"I-I'm not crying!" Haru cried, "Haru is going to be a mafia boss' left hand woman! I'm not going to cry over this! Tsuna-chan, do your best!"
'H-Haru-chan…'
"Calm down, Kyoko."
"B-But, Shamal-sensei said that Tsu-chan is…!"
"Don't worry." Sasagawa Ryohei assures his younger sister, "She may not look like it, but she is one of the strongest woman I know. Plus, she has Korin with her."
"Y-You're right…" Kyoko muttered, "Tsu-chan, come back safely."
'Kyoko-chan…'
"Don't make the same mistake I did." Lancia's voice said, "Protect your friends. Protect your family with your own hands."
"Tsunahime," Korin's voice added, "You're really strong, really is. You just need to trust in your own being, and not what others say about you. Release it, your true feelings."
"I guess I don't need to tell you about my rebuke." Reborn said.
With those hopes from her friends at hand, she felt her will and determination lit on fire and growing, till she can't bottle it up. The once unconscious brunette opened her eyes once more, a brand new determination burning in them. "Oh? You're looking at me like that?" Mukuro chuckled, "But let's put down the curtain now, I can't have you dying just yet!" The beanie boy stabs at her straight, only to have the girl raised her hand and grabs onto one the spike.
With a glow from the mittens it changes into a different item; a black metallic gloves with white fingers and the white insignia of an X on the back of it. Tsunahime pulls and broke the spike out from the spearhead, shocking Mukuro as he steps back in shock.
"Mukuro… if I don't defeat you…" All-familiar orange flames roared out on her forehead and her eyes turns orange, "I won't be able to die in peace!"
To be continued…
Finally! To the near end of the Mukuro arc! Sorry it took so
long, I have many other things I need to do with the stupid
National Service thing…
With that, I thank you for reading this!