'Thoughts'

"Talking"

Spells/Other's thoughts/Skills

[Captions]

{Korin's Voice}

Inner Voice

Chapter 12 Korin's Sins

"大湔(Great Purge)?" Tsuna asked, but barely getting the pronunciation right.

"If translated to your language, it would mean purge." Cosma stated, "Within a single month, more than half of the entire Hong Kong underground world was wiped clean off the country. That resulted in a huge downfall of underworld's economy in Asia. No one know about the cause, but I managed to get some information from survivors from the destroyed triads and they all pointed to one person."

She looked at Korin, "Motoyama Yan Korin. He's the cause of the entire incident."

"Wait, cause?-!" Gokudera cried, "But that incident was three years ago! Korin should still be a brat then!"

"Not a normal kid though." Cosma said, "There have been big incidents that happened before this but I will spare them for some other time. Even at the age eleven, he has displayed remarkable strength and martial prowess, mostly due to his daily encounters with small gang members trying to mob him or kidnap his sisters."

"Motoyama-san… killed off hundreds of people…?" Tsuna muttered in shock, "T-That's a lie, right? Right?-! Motoyama-san would never-!"

"It's true."

Korin confessed to her, "All of it, it is true. Those triads were killed by me."

"N-No way…" Tsuna stuttered as she falls on the ground shaking, "It… just can't be…"

"I can't blame you if you hate me, or fear me." Korin said, "Even now, I can still see the blood from them on my hands. No matter what I do, I can never wash away my sins. I tried to change, but it was impossible. You can't turn a monster into a human. You just can't…"

"…" Tsuna looked down on the ground, completely overwhelmed by the facts she faced. The transfer student, her first love, was a murderer.

"I completely don't get it to the EXTREME!-!" Ryohei shouted.

"Just shut up, Turf-top! Can't you see the tension here?-!" Gokudera cried.

"Tension? Oh! Motoyama didn't stretch enough so he got cramps!" Ryohei said.

"That's not it!-!" The bomber shouted.

"Of course it is!" Ryohei shouted, "Why do you explain why he is shaking like that?-!"

"Of guilt! That's why!"

"Maa maa, calm down." Yamamoto said.

"If that's the case, he must be removed from the family at once." Reborn said suddenly, shocking everyone there.

"R-Reborn…?" Dino asked, "Did you know what you just said…?"

"Someone as dangerous as him can't remain close to Tsuna." The infant stated.

"Might I remind you, if you do this, it is the same as forfeiting the match." Cosma stated, "The Knight Ring will goes to the Varia and they will automatically win the Ring Battles."

"Better than having someone like him in the family."

"Fine by me." Korin said, pulling the Knight Ring off the chain around his neck, handing it to Reborn, "If that's what you want, then I'll leave."

"Oi, Korin!" Dino cried.

"You sure?" Fon asked.

"I have done enough." Korin said, "Tsuna is more than capable to handle this on her own."

"But you will never-"

"I'll find another way." Korin assure his mentor, "Besides, it is for the best. A monster should always be alone. It was my mistake to try and mingle with them."

"Korin, think about this!" Dino cried.

"You can't go!"

That shout came from the last person they will expect, the brunette getting back on her feet, "You can't go… you just can't!"

"I'm a monster, Tsunahime." Korin said, "A monster who has committed countless sins of murder. Nothing good will happen to you if I stay."

"No, it won't happen that way!" Tsuna cried, "You keep calling yourself a monster, but you are not! You are a nice person! You helped me when I'm in trouble, you guided me to the proper path, you made me understand my own feelings! I can understand your feelings of loneliness, of people looking down on you! I can understand it, all of it!"

"No you don't!" Korin had enough of her childish ramblings, "You have it easy. You were just verbally bullied, maybe got a few scratches here and there but that's it. They burned me! They break my limbs just to see it repair by itself! They cut my gut just so they can find out how fast they heal! They shouted at me! Calling me a monster, a freak! A being that was never supposed to exist!"

That shut her up, her eyes widen in shock.

"You were just running away from your sad life before Reborn shows up!" Korin shouted on, "I have no where to run! No matter where I go, no matter what I did, I will always be treated the same! A monster! So do you think that you understand me now?"

"I… I don't…" Tsuna muttered, "I don't, and I might never will… But… they are wrong!" Korin was caught back by her reply, "I can't understand you now, but I will understand you! I want to know more about you! As your friend! I want to help you! Comfort you like how you comforted me! If you say you're a monster, than I'll keep calling you a human! How many times you said that, I will keep calling you human, my friend!"

"You are the only one I can rely on! My only Knight!"

Korin kept his mouth closed, and then he pull back his hand, "Reborn, I'll hold onto the Knight Ring until the Knight battle." He said, "Once it is over, I'll hand it to you."

"Sure." Reborn said, 'Tsunahime is finally putting some spirit into this.'

'Whether this is the right path for me to thread, I wish to know.' Korin thought, 'If I follow Tsunahime's path, will be able to find out?' The feeling of confusion left his mind, to be replaced by fatigue, his vision blurring in front of him as the others saw the Knight collapses down on the ground, "Motoyama-san!" Tsuna cried as she ran over to the unconscious teen.

"Well, he has never rested for three days straight." Fon stated, "Fighting against Hibari has really pushed him to his limits."

"Tsuna, bring him over to his home." Reborn tells her.

"E-Eh?-!" Tsuna cried.

"It is the boss' responsibility to look after her subordinates." The infant addressed.

"But I'm not a boss! And I never wanted to be one!" She cried.

"You said that you wanted Korin to be your Knight." Reborn stated, "That means that you decide to face the boss position seriously now."

"I-I just don't want to Motoyama-san to leave!" Tsuna cried.

"Also, I have to mention that you basically confessed to him when you said that."

"E-Eh?-!"

"There have been cases of intimidate relationship between the boss and his Knight." Dino stated, "So don't worry, you are not the first!"

"B-But…" Tsuna blushed really badly with the thought that she accidentally told him how she felt about him.

"I don't think he get it though." Yamamoto stated.

"That would be true." Fon nodded, "He is an idiot when he came to understanding romance."

"So even he has some stupid in him, huh?" Gokudera said.

"Ah, I completely got off point talking about him!" Dino cried, "Yamamoto, listen closely. Squalo has defeated countless of different sword styles all over the world. You can't win by simply relying on one style. You need to surpass styles in order to defeat him. Please keep that in consideration."

Xxx The next day xxx

Korin sighed as he continues to read on the scrolls he got from Fon in his apartment, 'Despite having countless of magic spells, if I can't use them in the battle, it would have no use at all…' He thought as he turned to another scroll, 'Oh, this is the one about the Shinmei-ryuu…'

After he collapsed, Tsuna brought him all the way back to his apartment where he slept all the way to the afternoon. After he woke up, he immediately went back to his books and scrolls without second thought. He need to find out more about the golden flames and how to invoke them. He wanted to ask Reborn or maybe even Fon but he didn't have any idea where either of them is right now.

'There are techniques that I didn't know about…' Korin thought in surprise, 'Maybe I'll try them out later.' He turned to another scroll and opened it, noticing the title was the first thing he saw, the words: 零点升天 (Zero Shouten)(Zero Point Ascend Heaven), 'Zero Point Ascend Heaven?' He read on and found the images of a person using the flames in a unique way, 'This is a flame skill… but why is it separated from the others?'

He extended the scroll even further and found a text by the side, "This skill is an incomplete skill on its own, seek completion by others. Founded by… the First Vongola Knight?-!" He read on, "The flames are an extension of one's will. One can't use this technique unless they fully believe in what they are doing. Flames are will, a sense of resolve."

'Resolve…?' He then thought back to when he first saw Tsuna in her dying will mode, and what she shouted, 'With my dying will… huh…?' He then realized, 'Could it that the flames react to ones will?-!'

He raised his hand up, and thought back, 'Will… The flames are an extension of my will… what is my resolve? Why am I fighting…? Because it is my duty? No, that's not it. Then… to find and defeat that man…? No. Then…'

Tsuna's face popped into his head, followed by the everlasting blue sky that he looked up to since he was a kid, 'To protect… to become her shield and her wings… the only one that has accepted me despite seeing me in that monstrous state… yes, that is it.'

His hand glowed a bit, as golden flames burst to life on his palm. They are faint, but visible. The warm heat coming off it was what Korin has looked at it in awe, 'I… summoned it out… It isn't as powerful as one Ray uses… but it is the same…' He raised his other hand up, 'Yet… it felt like the magic and Ki… if I channel it like how I always do…' He focuses everything on his other hand, the same golden flames burst to life surrounding his hand.

Now both hands ablaze, he raised them up in the air, 'If I remember correctly…' He close his palms together, "Cavaliere di Onore (Knight's Honor)." The golden flames surrounding his hands gathered in between his palm, as he opened up with a spinning golden fireball in between.

The flaming orb spun even faster and faster, till it thins out and became a sharp rotating disk of golden fire. He turns the disk horizontally, and swipes his hands outwards, a large crescent blade of fire slices through and out of the window, cutting down the glass pane in half and blowing up half of the corridor, exposing his toilet.

"Oops…" Korin muttered worriedly, 'Hopefully, no one saw that…' He took out a green charm and placed it by the large hole in the wall, "Spirits of Earth and Steel, lend me your aid to create." The charm glowed as the broken wall and door starts to build back piece by piece, until the entire wall and window is fully repaired like it is before.

"Those earth charms really worth the money." Korin muttered.

*Knock* *Knock* "Motoyama-san, are you in?"

A certain brunette's voice was heard by the door, 'Tsunahime?' Korin wonders as he walked over to the door, opening to find the shy brunette in her casual clothes standing in front of him, "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"W-Well, I was worried about you…" Tsuna stuttered.

"If it is about yesterday, don't worry about it." Korin tells her, "I heal fast, and I already have good enough rest."

"Tsuna said she wants to cook for you." Reborn stated.

"R-Reborn!-!" Tsuna cried.

"Ciaossu, Korin."

"Hey… wait, cook?" Korin then noticed the bag of ingredients in her hands, "Oh… sorry, but I'm not really that hungry."

*Growl~*

The sound of Korin's stomach growling held up a really awkward silence between them, "It's just the wind."

'He's trying to play it off?-!' Tsuna mentally cried, "It's no good! You have to eat!"

"It's fine, I'll just buy some thing from the convenience stall later."

"That's no good enough!" She cried as she forced herself in, "If you don't eat, you won't have energy to do anything!"

"Why are you telling me that like I'm in kindergarten…?" Korin asked.

"I'll prepare something for you, so please just sit down." The girl gestured him to his sofa.

'Sure…' The teen sat down on his sofa, wondering why she suddenly just came here to cook for him. Then a certain thought reach his mind, 'How did she know my address?'

"Cosma told her." Reborn answer his unasked question, reading his thoughts.

"Okay, how do you people keep reading others thoughts?" Korin asked out loud.

"A secret~" Reborn said a cute kid voice.

'Some reason, that pissed me off…' Korin thought angrily, "But still, why did she come here all of the sudden?"

"Well, she was worried about you when you passed out yesterday that she can't concentrate on her own training." Reborn tells him, "So I just suggested that she come visit you to make sure you are okay. Then when Basil mentioned his hunger, she just suddenly went shopping for ingredients and here we are."

"I guess she is still a girl after all…" Korin muttered, "But does she even cook well? She has terrible luck with almost everything in her life so far, so…"

"You just have to see."

"Huh?"

"It's ready!"

Korin turned around to the dining table, finding a luxurious feast in the table for almost four people, the aroma of the cooked dishes filled the air in the small apartment, "Isn't this much…?" He asked.

"I kind of bought too much ingredients from the market and it was a waste not to use them so…" She asked, "I also got carried away in cooking…"

"She got the culinary skills from her mother." Reborn stated, "That dinner at her house was half prepared by her as well."

"So despite her terrible luck and athletic abilities, she is an amazing cook capable to cooking an entire feast on her own." Korin mentioned, "I guess I have to re-look at how you are, Tsunahime." He took the pair of chopsticks on the table and place the first piece of dish in his mouth.

He was instantly greeted with a variety of flavours in his mouth, getting a small smile on his face, "This is delicious!" He suddenly cried.

"R-Really?"

"It's the best I have since arriving here!" He said devour the feast in haste, "It's like a high class restaurant feast here!"

"I'm glad you like it." She smiled, her heart fluttering at his comment on her cooking, 'I guess what Kaa-san said was true. A way to a man's heart is through his stomach.'

"So you wanted to score points with him through this, huh?" Reborn stated her thoughts out loud.

"E-Eh?-! N-No! It's not like that!-!" Tsuna cried blushing.

"You woman are all the same." The infant said, "But then again, men are just about the same as well."

'Like what a baby know about it…' Tsuna mentally grumbled.

"Kind of think of it, Korin has always been eating bread during lunch time." Reborn stated, "Why don't you make him lunch after the Ring Battles? He would be really happy."

"Y-You think…?" She asked.

"Thanks for the meal."

They turned to the find the entire table filled with now empty plates with traces of the food that was on it a few minutes before.

"Fast!" She cried.

Korin then realized what he did and avoid looking at them in the eye, a line of pink under his eyes from embarrassment, "Sorry about that… I haven't eaten for three days straight so…"

'Oh right, he was training with Hibari all that time…' Tsuna remembered. She then noticed a piece of talisman on the floor, "Oh, Motoyama-san, I didn't know you are into these kinds of things." She picked it up, unknown to her; Korin saw the markings on the yellow charm glowed for a moment, signifying that the one holding it has potential for magic.

'She has the potential of a mage…!' Korin thought in shock, 'Then again, I have heard rumours of the First being part of the magic association and that the Ninth probably knew about the mages with my old man being a loud mouth he is…'

"Tsuna, weren't you going to visit Yamamoto after this?" Reborn asked.

"Ah, right!" She cried as the tenant of the apartment clean up the dishes by the sink.

"Oh right, Yamamoto Takeshi up next." Korin stated, "He's going up against that Superbi Squalo fellow, right?"

"That's right." Reborn stated.

"Is he going to be alright?" Korin asked with a sponge scrubbing the plate in his hand, "I know he is pretty good with a blade for a beginner… no, he learnt how to use a katana, didn't he?"

"Huh?"

"A sword style, I mean." He stated, "No matter how much he is good with a sword at first, in a battle between two swordsmen, knowing a style or not really makes a big difference. But then again, there a lot of other factors in a fight, with a sword or not."

"You sound like you have plenty experience, Korin." Reborn said.

"You heard it from that woman, didn't you?" Korin said, "I'm the cause of the大湔, after all. I have pretty much fought with people with guns and knives for the past month so I have plenty of experience on the battle field. I have nearly died so many times I have lost count."

"…Can I still trust you, Korin?" Reborn asked.

"That depends on you." Korin said, "If you don't trust me, that's that."

"I-I trust you, Motoyama-san!" Tsuna said, "No matter what they say, I don't think you are a terrible person!"

The teen placed the last clean dish to the side to dry and turns off the tap, "You are heading over to Yamamoto Takeshi's place, right?" He asked, "Since I'm part of this, mind if I come along?"

"S-Sure!" The brunette nodded.

After waiting for Korin to change into something more appropriate, they set off towards Yamamoto's house, or rather the dojo that the younger Yamamoto is currently training at. The baseball ace lying down in the wooden floor lost in his thoughts, all going back to what Dino has told him, 'Even if he tells me to surpass style…'

The door leading to the outside slides open, he turned to find his friends and the baby at the entrance, "Um… sorry to interrupt…" Tsuna said softly.

"Ciaossu, Yamamoto." Reborn greeted.

"You doing well, Yamamoto Takeshi?" Korin greeted.

"Yo!" Yamamoto greeted.

"I finished my training early and since your house is along the way, I decided to pay you a visit." Tsuna explained.

"So, how is it? Managed to surpass styles yet?" Reborn asked.

'Got right to the point!' Tsuna mentally cried.

"Haha, you mean that thing." Yamamoto laughed, "Who knows? I don't know until I try."

"You sure is happy-go-lucky for someone preparing for a fight to the death." Korin said as he took a look around, "But nice dojo you got here."

"Thanks, it was my old man's."

"So it was a family place, huh?" He picked up the wooden sword that was lying on the floor.

"Yo, if it isn't Tsuna-chan." A older voice greets her, she turning around to meet the father of Yamamoto Takeshi, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, "K-Konnichwa, Tsuyoshi-san."

"Konnichwa." He greeted back, noticing Korin with the wooden sword in his hand, "Is he your friend as well, Takeshi?"

"Yeah." Yamamoto nodded, "His name is Motoyama Korin."

"Motoyama…?-!" Tsuyoshi muttered in shock for a moment, "Huh, so they still have survivors…"

That caught Korin's attention, the teen looking at him with calculative stares.

"Old man?"

"Nothing, it was just an old thought." He chuckled, "But I'm straying away topic. Tonight's the night, right? The sword fight you talked about."

"Eh?-!" Tsuna cried.

"H-How do you know?" Yamamoto asked.

"I don't know much." Tsuyoshi said, "Well… I heard it from Tsuna-chan's father."

"From tou-san?-!" She cried, 'What did he say to Yamamoto's dad?-!'

"It seems your opponent is a really strong swordsman." He stated.

"…Yeah, he is strong." Yamamoto said.

"I thought as much." Tsuyoshi said as he show to them the blue sword bag in his hands, "Take this, Takeshi."

"Hm? What is it?"

The sushi master took out the object inside, revealing a bamboo shinai that he handed to Yamamoto, "A shinai?" Tsuna asked. The baseball ace got a feel of the practice weapon, "This is rather heavy."

"Of course, it is made of steel."

"Eh?"

Taking back the bamboo sword, Tsuyoshi starts explaining, "The successors of the Shigure Souen Ryu have been passing this down for eight generations. It's called the Shigure Kintoki (Autumn Rain Golden Time). When used normally, it is no different from a normal shinai." He demonstrated by hitting it on the cucumber in his hand, breaking it by the top, "It can't cut a simple cucumber."

"But if used with the Shigure Souen Ryu…" He tossed the vegetable in the air and swings the bamboo sword down, the green cucumber was sliced into many thin slices that landed in Tsunahime's head to her surprise and shock, "The sword flattens, and the true blade is revealed."

In his hands now an actual katana sword with a black hilt and blue handle, an insignia of a swallow on the blade, "This sword is a special Shigure Souen Ryu sword, use it with any other styles and it turn back to normal."

With a flick of the wrist, the sword changed back to a shinai.

"Amazing!" Tsuna cried.

"It's like a shinai version of the Yamamoto's Bat." Reborn stated.

"But then, he shouldn't use it today." Korin said.

"Hm? Why is that?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"My opponent is a strong man who has beaten countless of styles." Yamamoto said, "I have to use moves that surpass styles to beat him."

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?-! DON'T TALK NONSENSE!-!" He shouted suddenly angered at how what he has said, "Don't you get it? The eight stances of the Shigure Souen Ryu have been polished and built up in real battle by their successors! They are perfect moves that hold meaning in every single movement! It is absurd to surpass that!"

'His and Dino-nii's opinions clash!' Tsuna mentally cried.

"Calm down, old man." Yamamoto tries to calm his father down, "I know that you are proud of the Shigure Souen Ryu but…"

"I'm talking about it just because of that! Listen!" Tsuyoshi shouted, "The Shigure Souen Ryu is perfect and flawless, the strongest and invincible!"

Korin really don't want to get involved in this but after hearing the style's name, it somehow rings something in his mind, like he heard of it before. "Well, we are not going to solve anything if this keeps up." He sighed, "Why don't let Yamamoto Takeshi use the shinai in the meantime."

"Eh?" Tsuna turned to Korin, "But Dino-nii stated…"

"Even if that sword doesn't cut if used with other styles, it is still much tougher than a normal shinai, right?" Korin stated, "If Shigure Souen Ryu fails, then you just swings the blade as hard as you can and hope you get lucky."

"Are you saying that the Shigure Souen Ryu will lose?-!" Tsuyoshi shouted.

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that." He said, "It is just to be safe. Despite that, if the style is as invincible as what you said, then Yamamoto should stick to it."

…

Night arrives, the Rain Guardian along with Tsuna, Korin, Basil and Reborn all arrived at the school, Yamamoto holding and balancing the shinai on his shoulder, "Yamamoto… what is he planning on doing…?" She wonders, "His father told him not to surpass styles, but Dino-nii told him to… who is right?-!"

"Who knows?" Reborn said.

"But today's opponent is the long haired fellow, right?" Korin stated.

"VVOOOOOIIIIIIIII!-!"

He heard the shout of the said person, Squalo leaping out and landing on the roof of the school's main door, "I'm glad you didn't run away, Sword Brat!" He shouted, "I'll turn you into sliced fish!"

"Superbi Squalo!" Basil cried.

"H-He came! He's as scary as ever!" Tsuna cried.

"That won't be so, Squalo." Yamamoto said as he swings the bamboo sword, revealing its katana form, "With this sword, this Shigure Kintoki, I'll beat you."

"Oh? A transforming sword, huh?" Squalo muttered.

"So you don't plan to surpass styles?" Korin asked.

"Since dad said it is invincible, it's invincible, right?"

"Invincible…?" Squalo laughed, "I have destroyed countless styles that have proclaimed themselves as invincible!"

"HIIIEEEEE?-! No way!-!" Tsuna cried.

"That's just him saying you know." Korin stated, "There is no telling whether he is telling the truth or not, right?"

"Yeah, it's really dangerous alright…" Yamamoto said, "Just like standing in the batter box with two strikes and two outs."

"Yamamoto…?"

"Yamamoto-dono… talking about baseball at a time like this…?" Basil wonders.

"…I see… that's how it is… I've forgotten…" Tsuna muttered, the dirty blonde turning to him in confusion, "That's how Yamamoto is. I wasn't worried at all despite what I've heard about Squalo yesterday… because if it's Yamamoto, I feel that he can somehow do it."

To be continued…

I'll stop it there for now. I have been reading
and re-reading some manga and managed
get some more ideas on how the character
development for Korin and the rest of this
relationship with the guardians could grow
from.

Also, just to let you know, the Knight won't be
the last battle. But there will be some unique
features about the Varia Knight later on.

With that, I thank you for reading this!