'Thoughts'
"Talking"
Spells/Other's thoughts/Skills
[Captions]
{Korin's Voice}
Inner Voice
Chapter 13 The Rain Battle
At that declaration, the two rain guardians stare at each other with the tension going between the two. Korin stood there with his eyes just staring at the tension between the two, just as two new figures arrive, showing them to be the Cervello. "Tonight's combat field will be the south tower." They said, "Please move there please."
"Inside the school building again…" Tsuna muttered, "What kind of field is it this time?"
"Voooiii…! Where's that?" Squalo asked.
"This way."
Squalo chased after the two leading him to the battlefield, "I'll be waiting!"
"Sure." Yamamoto replied.
"Then we should be going too." Korin said.
"R-Right!" Tsuna nodded.
"Sorry for being late!" They turn around, finding Ryohei standing by the gate, "I have brought him with me." With what he had which looks like a huge bundle of bandages, the person inside seems to muffled out shouts while shaking relentlessly.
"A-A mummy?-!" She cried.
"Wait a minute…" Korin walks over to the bunch of bandages, pulls out one to find the familiar octopus-styled silver hair, "Oh, it's Gokudera Hayato."
"G-Gokudera-kun?-!" Tsuna cried.
"T-That old man Romario said something like, 'This is man's medical treatment' and just wrap a whole lot of bandages around me!" He shouted.
"Considering your wounds, this is the next best treatment." Korin stated, "Poorly done though. Let me deal with it." He starts with unwrapping the bandages around the bomber's head first.
"B-But… are your injuries alright?" Tsuna asked worriedly.
"He needs to rest, but since he wanted to come no matter what, I gave him a hand." Ryohei explained.
"You didn't give me anything! You just followed me!" Gokudera shouted turning to Yamamoto, "Besides, I just couldn't bear missing the match you got killed in!"
"You worry too much." Yamamoto laughed.
"You are too relaxed!" Gokudera cried, "Hime-sama, where is the next battle at?"
"R-Right! At the south tower."
"Alright then, let's go- Gwah!" He fell over the bandages under his feet that Korin has yet to unwrapped and face-planted himself onto the hard concrete floor. "You really like getting hurt, huh?" The teen sighed.
"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna cried.
"Are you alright, Gokudera-dono?" Basil asked worriedly.
"Just calm down, allow me to unwrap the rest first." Korin tells him as he finished removing the last of the bandages so he can move more freely, "Make sure to change the bandages afterwards. The wounds will get infected."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Gokudera groaned.
"You sure know a lot about dressing an injured person." Reborn said.
"I said it before; my dad was a doctor so they are still plenty of medical books around my house." Korin explained, "There have been times that I went to help him along with my sisters."
As they walked towards the new arena, Tsuna tries to strike a conversation with Korin, "You were from Hong Kong, right?" She asked.
"Yeah."
"Which part?"
"I don't wish to say."
"You said that you have sisters, right? What are they like?" She asked.
"Please stop asking."
"Eh?"
"I trust you enough to make contact with you like a comrade but that is it." He said, "Boss or not, you have no right to ask me about my personal life."
"B-But…"
"If you want to know, show me that I can trust you that much." Korin stated, "Until then, best if you don't touch on that subject."
"…" Tsuna was left behind as she thought on how Korin said it. He knows that he has killed before in the past, but that does not explain why he refuses to come to contact with other people.
"Hm?" Korin wonders as he looked at the said arena that was supposed to hold the Rain Battle tonight, "The Cervello sure is quick in re-decorating huh…?"
The rest arrived and was shocked at their school building. The entire south wing was completely sealed off on the outside, the windows blocked with glass panels and the only door was sealed off with metal planks and reinforced its edges with steel. "This seems to be the entrance." Reborn said pointing at the metal door near them.
Yamamoto took the honor of opening the metal door, before hearing something from inside that sounds like running water, "Hm? What's that sound?" He pulls the door opened, finding the interior completely wrecked, the floors were ridded with a large hole in the middle and water was flowing from the roof to the flooded ground floor.
"W-What is this?-!" Tsuna cried.
"The entire school is wrecked…" Gokudera said.
"This is the battlefield for the rain battle: Aquarion." The Cervello that arrives explained, "The field is a three-dimension structure with water endlessly pouring into his airtight arena. The water from the tank in the uppermost level and pools on the ground floor, and as the match continues, the water level keep rising."
"It's like a sunken ship…" Ryohei said.
"It'll gradually become harder to maintain your footing…" Basil said.
"Moreover, the water released during the match is regulated to have the same characteristics of ocean water. So when the water level reached a certain depth, fierce ocean creatures will be released into the arena."
"EH?-! F-Fierce ocean creatures?-!" Tsuna cried, as Korin took a taste of the sea water with his finger. "Salty! It's definitely sea water…"
"But do you really have to taste it to be sure…?" She asked him.
"Hey, it is to be sure if they are not lying."
"That sounds like fun." They then heard a voice above them, their opponents all standing on the platform above them with a few obviously missing.
"The Varia!" Tsuna cried.
"Ushishishi…" The blonde assassin prince, Belphegor chuckled as he hold up his bandaged hand revealing the prize he had won the night before, "The ring is in my hands when I woke up. The prince is definitely amazing~"
"Damn that bastard…" Gokudera growled.
"Ah!" Tsuna then notice the leader of the group, the rugged and delinquent looking man with the same uniform as the rest except it was over his shoulders rather than wearing it, the other boss candidate, "Xanxus!"
"So that's Xanxus…" Korin muttered looking at the man, 'He's the leader of the Varia, huh…? The one that is the Ninth's own son…'
"The losers will be erased." He said, "That will be either you guys," He looked over to Squalo, "or this trash."
"W-Wha, VOOIIII!-!" The swordsman shouted angrily as Xanxus walked away, the rest following him.
"Xanxus is being serious…" Reborn said.
Tsuna swallowed a bit of her own salvia in worry. "A leader that doesn't care whether their subordinates die, huh…?" Korin muttered, "How mafia-esque… at least those people back in Hong Kong look after their henchmen."
"Don't frighten her so much before the match, Reborn." They heard the familiar voice as the blonde Cavallone boss arrived.
"Dino-nii!" Tsuna cried.
"Yamamoto, I'll watch your match." Dino said.
"All right."
"Kyouya that guy finally got some interest to the Ring Battles so he's probably watching close-by."
"He didn't know until yesterday?-!" Tsuna cried.
"He and I were sparring nonstop before yesterday." Korin reminded her.
"As it's already 1 win and 3 losses, there is no going back, so it's an important match more than one way." Reborn explained.
"All right! So it's settled!" Ryohei shouted, "We'll bring Hibari into the circle too! Where is he?-!"
"Circle?" Korin asked.
"Don't ask, it's rather embarrassing…" Tsuna muttered.
"Oh, you mean those things that sport teams do to raise their spirits up?"
"Yeah, Motoyama you join as well!" The boxer shouted.
"I'll pass." Korin said, "Leave me out of that kind of things thank you very much. And I doubt Hibari Kyouya will join along."
"That's true…" The brunette said, "If we ask, we'll be bitten to death."
"I won't allow any exceptions!"
"I'll rather die than do something that embarrassing."
"M-Motoyama-san, m-maybe you could join in just for now…?" Tsuna asked.
"Didn't I stated clear that-" Korin turned to meet head on with the brunette best kicked puppy face, sparkles literally is appearing around her showing her cute face to the max. The brilliance of it was rather too much for him, his own sisters used the same method to make him do whatever they ask.
"Fine, but just this once, got it?"
"Thank you!"
"She definitely knows how to persuade a guy." Reborn said, Dino laughing in the background, "Like how a wife coaxes her husband to get what she wants."
"W-Wife?-!" Tsuna cried blushing, before getting that idea off her mind, "A-Also, although it's no replacement, can't you ask Basil-kun to do it…?"
"H-Huh…? Me…? Is it okay?" Basil asked.
"If Hime-sama said so, I'm fine with it." Gokudera said.
"It's the cooperative body of fate." Yamamoto said.
"Of course, Lambo-chan will be in it too…" The brunette said, showing the broken tail of the cow kid's outfit.
"All right…" They all formed a circle arms on each other's shoulders, "Yamamoto, FIGHT!"
"OHHHH!-!"
"Oh…"
"You need to be more spirited, Motoyama!" Ryohei shouted.
"I rather not, Sasagawa-senpai…" Korin groaned with him blushing in embarrassment.
"Rain Guardians, please approach the middle of the field." Cervello announced, "Also, this time, they'll be in danger of being submerged, watchers' seats will be outside the building. The match will be displayed on the big screen on the wall. Everyone but the two guardians, please exit the room quickly."
"Do your best, Yamamoto!" Ryohei cheered.
"Don't lose." Gokudera muttered.
"Okay." Yamamoto laughed.
"S-So…" Tsuna stuttered, not sure what to say to him, "D-Do your best…"
"I got it." Yamamoto smiled.
"Yamamoto Takeshi." Korin stated, "Whether the Cavallone boss is right, or your father is right, I'm not sure. Just go and do what you see fit."
"Of course." He laughed, "I'll see you guys soon."
He walks off further into the water cage arena, the bamboo sword in his hand humming a cheerful tune, 'Yamamoto… please be careful…' Tsuna thought worriedly.
"There is no time limit." The Cervello announced when the two reached the center of it.
"VOOOIIIIIII!-!" Squalo shouted, "It looks like you didn't learn anything from our last meeting. I'll make you regret the fact you didn't run a week ago!"
"Hahaha! We won't know till we try." Yamamoto laughed.
"Then without further ado, the Guardians of the Rain, Superbi Squalo VS Yamamoto Takeshi, Battle Start!"
"Gonna let it fly!" Squalo laughed as he swings out his sword at Yamamoto, the baseball ace ducking under the swing and avoiding it. The long haired swordsman laughed as he swings his blade again, this time with the same explosive beads from before shooting out of the edge and towards Yamamoto.
"Ah! That's right, that weapon!" Tsuna cried.
"The explosives!" Gokudera said.
Splashes were heard as Yamamoto dodged the beads just before it explodes, creating a huge smoke and water splashes up into a clear mist, "Oh…? You dodged it."
"That was close…" Yamamoto sighed, "Thanks to the image training I did every day after losing to you."
"Image training…?" Squalo laughed, "Were you able to imagine this?" He ran forward before flashing away from his sight.
"He… disappeared…?" Yamamoto muttered.
"Yamamoto Takeshi, behind you!" Korin shouted, just as the long haired man reappeared from the pillar behind him, the baseball ace managed to block it with his shinai in the nick of time.
"If you think that's the extent of my power, you are greatly mistaken!" The shark fires out the explosive beads off the edge of the sword at close distance, exploding right at his face. Squalo leaped back, admiring his work with a bloodlust-full grin. But then he noticed something isn't right.
The place where Yamamoto once stood became a misty cloud that seems too unnatural, "W-What's that? The shape of the smoke…?" Tsuna asked.
"That Yamamoto has drawn it out." Reborn stated, getting a confused look from her, "That's the Shigure Souen Ryu, Seventh Defensive Stance: Shibuki Ame (Spraying Rain)."
Yamamoto reappeared within the misty smoke, the now drawn sword held in a reverse grip in his hand. He stood straight up, swinging his sword to get rid of some of the water on it.
"A-Amazing…!" Tsuna cried, "He managed to dodge the long hair's blast!"
"That's Yamamoto's Shigure Souen Ryu, huh…?" Dino said, "There are still some faults in it, but for him to get this far in such a short period of time…"
"Indeed." Reborn said, "To tell you the truth, all this week whenever the ring guardians aren't fighting, Yamamoto has been practicing non-stop with almost no sleep. However, regardless of how good his stamina and reflexes are, remembering a stance and using it in a real life-and-death battle are two different things. For such an honest man fight such a situation with no fear, he must be a real fool, or natural born hitman."
"W-W-Wha- Yamamoto is a hitman, you say?-!" Tsuna cried.
"Honestly, I think it was the former." Korin stated.
"Well, either way, I'm awesome for spotting his talent, right?"
"He's bragging about himself in the end…" Tsuna said.
"But… it's dangerous to rely on the Shigure Souen Ryu alone." Dino said.
"Eh? Dino-nii, are you still hung on that?" Tsuna asked, "I mean, his technique worked didn't it?"
"VOOOIIIIII!-!-!" Squalo shouted as he lunged forward towards him with sword ready to strike, "Don't push it too far, you brat!" He swings out the explosive beads out of his blade; explosions erupted around the baseball ace.
'Crap! I'm cornered!'
"I'll cut you up!"
"W-Well, for times like these…!" Yamamoto panicked a little before dipping his blade into the water below, regaining his calm composure, "I have this." He swings the katana up, an arc of water following his blade. He repeated the method on the opposite end and another arc of water overlaps the first, hiding him from view.
"W-What is that…?" Gokudera cried.
"Shigure Souen Ryu, Second Defensive Stance:" Reborn explained, Squalo slicing through the water barrier, not getting the baseball ace to his annoyance with Yamamoto squatting well below his range, "Sakamaku Ame (Rolling Rain)"
"I see, hiding himself in that torrent of water and then lowering his body…" Korin said, "It would be impossible to hit him accurately like that."
'With that… he'll be fine…' Tsuna thought, 'He'll be fine!' "See, Dino-nii! He's really amazing! Yamamoto and Shigure Souen Ryu!"
"Hopefully, that would be the case…"
"Eh?"
"Squalo… looks really happy…" Dino stated.
"VOOOOIIIIII!-!" Squalo shouted in glee, "Why didn't you attack after that defense?-!"
"Eh?"
"You're a stupid fool! You lost your only chance to land a blow on me!"
"Huh?" Tsuna blinked.
"Last chance?" Basil wonders.
"Ushishishi…" Bel chuckled. "It seems that Squalo figured it out." Mammon said.
"What a sore loser!" Ryohei cried, "He's bluffing!"
"Hahaha…!" Yamamoto suddenly laughed, "The last, you say. That's rather harsh! But I can tell you this," His cheerful aura disappeared as the tension appears in the air, "the Shigure Souen Ryu, isn't just this."
"That's right." Reborn stated, "The Shigure Souen Ryu has a total of eight different stances, four defensive and four offensive stances, in order to respond to any circumstances."
Yamamoto took a stance, and start lunging forward towards Squalo for the first time in the entire fight with his sword ready to strike. Grapping his sword tightly, at the moment he is close enough he swings the katana at the Varia swordsman in a fast pace. Squalo brought down his sword to block but only to find his opponent's hand swipe past him, the sword missing in his hand.
"T-The sword?-!" Basil cried.
At that same moment, Yamamoto grabbed the sword falling at mid drop and swings it at Squalo, "The Shigure Souen Ryu, Fifth Stance: Samidare (Early Summer Rain)." Reborn explained, just as Squalo was hit and falls back onto the water.
"T-That thing just now…!" Basil cried.
"I see no wonder that sword style looks familiar…" Korin muttered.
"Eh? You saw that sword style before, Motoyama-san?" Tsuna asked.
"Pretty much…" He stated, "I saw my mom did those techniques once before…"
"Your mom?"
"If I remember correctly, that was the Samidare. A phantasmagoric attack where you change your momentum by changing the hand that is holding the sword for a surprise strike…" Korin stated, "The timing for which to drop the sword in mid strike to grapping the sword at the right moment before your enemy notices is much difficult to get right."
"W-Well, well, it works quite well for him…" Gokudera felt his eyebrow twitch.
"Amazing… Yamamoto…" Tsuna muttered.
"It's not over yet." Korin stated, "That man isn't going to get beaten that easily."
"It seems among them, there is a sensible person." Bel chuckled.
"Yes, they don't know what it meant to be someone who was nominated to be Varia's boss." Mammon said.
"VOOIIIIII!-!" Squalo shouted as he leaped out of the water uninjured, "It didn't work at all!"
"Ara?" Yamamoto blinked.
"Squalo is unhurt…!-!" Dino muttered.
"W-Why is that?-!" Tsuna cried, "He hit him for sure!"
"Not really." Korin stated, "At that short moment, Squalo backed out matching the orbit of the strike."
"I-Is that possible?-!" Tsuna cried.
"It is the only possible thing that he could have done." He added, "I doubt Yamamoto Takeshi would have missed a few inches by accident and Squalo isn't the type who would trip at that moment."
"B-But as much as my eye can see, there was no unnatural movement involved in Yamamoto-dono replacing the hand he holds his sword." Basil stated.
"So… So why…?" Tsuna asked.
"VOOOIIIIIII!-!" Squalo shouted, "That is the unrivaled style you use?"
'This is bad… it's really what I was afraid of…' Dino thought.
"There was one just now that really didn't make any sense." Squalo said, "Why in that one stroke just now, why did you use the back of the blade?"
"He struck with the back of his sword…?" Tsuna wonders.
"Yeah." Korin stated, "At mid strike, he turned the sword so the back of it is facing forward."
"So you managed to notice it, Korin." Reborn stated.
"My tutors are monsters that can dodge and catch bullets with ease, after all."
"Well…" Yamamoto said, "That's because I'm doing this to win against you, not to kill you."
"Eh?-! That baseball idiot saying just a naïve thing!-!" Gokudera said angrily.
'Yamamoto…' Tsuna thought.
"Nonsense." Bel said. "He's got to be kidding us."
"VVOOOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!-!-!-!-!-!-!" Squalo shouted as rushed forward, "You're looking down on me is it, brat?-! It seems you don't get the situation you're in yet!-! I'll make it so you won't be able to talke with that arrogant mouth of yours again!"
Yamamoto swings up an arc of water in defense, preparing to use Sakamaku Ame once more. Squalo grins, Korin immediately noticing what he is planning, "Yamamoto Takeshi, wait! That technique is-"
He was unable to shout out his warnings as Squalo swings up the same arc of water as Yamamoto did, the two water arcs clashing into each other and blinding both swordsmen from each other. "With this, both their line of sight is cut!" Dino said.
"The one who finds the other first wins." Reborn stated.
"Shit!" Korin suddenly cried, "Yamamoto Takeshi, move!"
From within the water arc, Squalo appears in front of him and slash up his sword at him, a deep gash scarred from the center of his chest upwards till pass his left shoulder as the red hot blood spurts out of his wound, "How was that? Did it hurt?" Squalo smirked, "Let me tell you some bad news. I've seen through all your techniques. Because that Shigure Souen Ryu, is a style I've encountered and defeated in the past!"
That came as a shock to everyone that was watching it except for the Varia, the others were all terror-stricken at that revelation. "Did he just say that he's beaten the Shigure Souen Ryu in the past…?" Tsuna muttered.
"In order to beat the man called the Sword Emperor and test the sword style I have mastered, I went to look for strong opponents." Squalo explained, "By chance I heard there was a perfect and flawless assassination style being passed down through generations in the far east, named the Shigure Souen Ryu. I found the successor and his three disciples. They used the same stances as you do."
"But after all in the end, it was just a bad imitation of old fashioned fencing!" Squalo shouted, "I fought against all the stances, saw through all of them and cut them all down!"
"No… No way!" Tsuna cried.
"He's probably telling the truth. Squalo's ability to see through techniques is on a level far above just reflexes." Reborn said.
"W-What a guy…" Basil muttered, "Even Yamamoto-dono's Shigure Souen Ryu is…"
'Squalo… he didn't beat the Sword Emperor with just luck…' Dino thought grimly.
"T-Then… does that mean Yamamoto's techniques are already ineffective…?" Tsuna muttered.
"No." Korin stated, "I'm sure that Squalo is pretty much amazing that he can see through the flaws of any technique, but not immediately."
"What do mean?" Reborn asked.
"The Sakamaku Ame." Korin explained, "If he knew about the technique from the start, he would have already guess where Yamamoto might have hide in that water, but he missed anyway. Even if he had defeated the style once before, he still make that same mistake. But…"
"But?" Dino asked.
"Normally for guys like him, the only sure-win methods are either to keep switching styles randomly so he can't keep up, or you defeat him as fast as you can before he could see through your techniques." Korin stated, "Yamamoto Takeshi failed at those two methods completely, now he basically hanging by a thread here."
"I've… never heard of… such a story…"
"Hm?" Korin looked back as Yamamoto stood back up with his hand pressing on his bleeding wound, "The Shigure Souen Ryu I have heard about is perfect and flawless, the strongest and invincible."
"Until the end, Yamamoto is…!" Basil cried.
"He can't!" Dino cried.
"VOOOOOOIIIIII!-! Are you a moron?-!" Squalo shouted.
"I told you. I won't know until I've tried."
"Hehe… I won't hold back anymore…"
"Squalo is baring his fangs." Mammon said.
'This is where the real battle starts.' Korin thought.
The two lunged towards each other, splashes in every step they took. Squalo swings his blade and fires some of the explosive beads Yamamoto who dodges them. But the long haired man wasn't done as he raised his blade up and smashes into a nearby pillar, sending small pieces of rubble shooting at his opponent, one of the small pebbles hits straight into Yamamoto's eye, blood spurts out of his right eye socket.
Crying out in pain, Yamamoto fell down into the water with Squalo seizing that chance to start charging at him. "VOOOIIIIIII!-! When I start moving, I'm not going to stop!" He shouted.
Yamamoto retaliated with a swing with his sword at Squalo who dodged, only to dodge nothing as the sword is not in his swinging hand.
"T-That technique!" Tsuna cried.
Yamamoto picked up the falling sword in mid-drop with his other hand and redid the Samidare, the sword now aimed at Squalo. This, however, did not shake the long haired man as he hits the sword hard. At that moment, the baseball ace felt his entire body numb up and froze, just as Squalo brought his sword up ready to cut his head off.
"Y-Yamamoto?-!" Tsuna cried.
"Why isn't he moving?-!" Basil cried.
'That attack just now…?' Korin thought.
Yamamoto would not wait for his death and hits his left forearm, with the feeling of his body coming back to him and allowing him to dodge a fatal strike to his gut but the blade still grazed his stomach a little with the force of the strike throwing him back and splashing into the water flooded floor. He got back up, his sword now a shinai again before he moved back to dodge an incoming sword strike from Squalo.
"W-What happened just now…?" Tsuna asked.
"It's like Yamamoto-dono just stopped at that moment…" Basil said.
'A paralysis-type attack…?' Korin thought.
"Attacco Di Squalo (Attack of the Shark)." Mammon said, "A sword attack that changes the effect of the effect of a full sword swing into a shockwave and paralyzes the opponent's nerves. That sword guy did quite well to solve the stiffening by striking his own arm. But the effect of the Attacco Di Squalo is more powerful than being hit by a baseball bat. He won't be able to use that hand for a while."
"What's wrong?-! You look pale!" Squalo shouted as he dashes towards him. Yamamoto notices a pile rubble that he make use of as he ran towards, stepping on it like a makeshift staircase to get to the floor above, "Like I let you!"
The baseball player got to the second floor, blowing on his numb left hand hoping to get at least some feeling back into it. His short break was then stopped as he felt the ground just crumbling under his feet, and the tip of Squalo's sword stabbing through the cracks of the concrete and getting multiple cuts all over his body, leaving him falling down to the flooded floor below.
"Y-Yamamoto…!" Gokudera muttered in shock.
"Yamamoto!-!" Tsuna cried.
"W-What a sword attack…! It strikes… like it is chewing out the space!" Basil cried.
"He's truly is a frightening man, Superbi Squalo…" Korin muttered.
"Zanna Di Squalo (Fang of the Shark)… Boss, our win is assured now." Levi looked towards his boss.
"Heh! No matter many years have passed, that bastard will never change." Xanxus said.
"That's how Squalo is." Mammon said, "Even in the end, he embodies the mission of the Guardian of the Rain:"
"Settling the match and washing away the blood that was split, a requiem rain."
"This isn't good…" Korin muttered, "He is completely out of Yamamoto's league…"
"No way…" Tsuna muttered in worry.
"Well, brat! I'm going to chop up your heart!" Squalo shouted.
"D-Damn…" Yamamoto muttered, him lying on the rubble below with countless of sword wounds all over his body, "This match is so one-sided… if my dad finds out that I lost like this, he'll get mad…"
"VOOOOIIIII!-! You still want to go on with the Shigure Souen Ryu of yours?" Squalo asked, "What's up? The successor let me see all the eight stances. Though, when he released the Eighth Stance: Akisame (Autumn Rain), he fell tragically!"
Yamamoto blinked at the name of the last stance, 'Akisame…? I have never heard of it… what is that…?' He then realized, "So that's how it is… dad…"
"VVVVOOOOOIIIIII, BRATS!-!-!-!" Squalo shouted, "Make sure you have your eyes wide open, because you're about to witness the end of this sword wielding brat!"
"Y-Yamamoto!" Tsuna cried.
"Don't worry." Korin assures her, "Yamamoto Takeshi is not someone who will give up this easily, see?" He gestured to the screen, showing Yamamoto getting back up.
"VOIIII!-! Keep sleeping!" Squalo shouted, "I'll cut you up as is!"
"It won't work that way." Yamamoto said, "Because the Shigure Souen Ryu is perfect and flawless, the strongest and invincible."
Korin caught on in his words, the confident tone hidden within has him thinking if he figured something out.
"He's stubborn." Bel said. "Even if he bluffs, he won't be able to do anything with that body anyway." Mammon said.
'His body has taken quite a lot of damage from all those strikes, yet he continues to stand up.' A rare smile crept up his face, 'He's strong, I give him that with that undying determination once he found an opening… he might become the strongest among the others next to Hibari in terms of skills alone…'
"Scum!-! I'll cut you up, starting with that impudent mouth!-!" Squalo swings his sword and fires wave after wave of explosive beads at Yamamoto, who starts to run up towards Squalo, the beads barely missing him. The teen continues to pursue in hope to get the long haired man into his range, as a certain memory enter his mind.
Xx Flashback, few days ago xx
"You're working hard, Takeshi." The sushi chef of a father praised his son.
"Hey, dad." Yamamoto greeted.
"Here, some food for you." He raised the bundle of lunchboxes in his hand to show, "How is it, the Shigure Souen Ryu? Do you think you can master the eight stances?"
"Well, I'm doing my best." Yamamoto said, "Though, I feel the Eighth Stance: Shinotsuku Ame (Pouring Rain) is the most suitable for me for now. I don't know why, but it's the easiest to perform. I'm kind of attached to it."
"Oh? Hahaha, we're similar after all. I see, I see."
"What's up? You look strangely happy."
"The Shinotsuku Ame was the last to be created among the eight stances." Tsuyoshi explained, "I heard it was created when one of the young successors was trying to rescue his friend."
"Oh? The stances have an order they are created?" Yamamoto asked.
"Of course. Everything out there is created in a certain order." He stated, "When the Shinotsuku Ame was created, it was in a middle of a typhoon. They say the rain was fierce, that it felt as if you are being stabbed by countless of blades."
"Oh…?"
Xx Flashback over xx
Yamamoto got up to the top of the rubble at the same level as Squalo, his hand grips onto the bamboo sword tightly, "Here I come…" his stance changed to a ready drawing stance.
"VOOIIIII!-!" Squalo shouted, "I guess you lack some brain cells."
Yamamoto dashes forward with the drawing posture ready, "I know that stance! Do it then!" Squalo answered his call by dashing forward at him as well, "Release the Akisame!"
"Yamamoto!-!" Tsuna cried.
'Shigure Souen Ryu, the Eight Stance…' Yamamoto pulls the shinai, the practice changing into its sword form as he strikes, four seen slashes surrounds his body in that draw, 'Shinotsuku Ame!" This has caught Squalo off guard as the strikes actually made contact as he was tossed back into the flooded floor.
"I-It hit him…!" Basil muttered.
"W-What's going on?-!" Levi asked.
'Squalo did not see that coming…?' Korin thought, 'But Squalo has been able to counter Yamamoto's attacks so far… what different about this stance…? Wait, what did Squalo said was the eight stances again… the eighth should be…' He then realized, "I see! I'm so stupid!"
"Motoyama-san?" Tsuna asked.
"Hahaha, I thought so…" Yamamoto laughed.
"Y-You!" Squalo got up with a slight blood trickling down the corner of his lips, "You know how to use other styles beside the Shigure Souen Ryu?-!"
"Hm? Nope." Yamamoto said, "It was the Shigure Souen Ryu too."
"The Eighth Stance: Shinotsuku Ame, created by my father."
"Eh?-!" Tsuna blinked in surprise.
"I see. That's why there are eight generations with eight stances." Reborn said, catching everyone attention, "For Shigure Souen Ryu, succession means change."
"Change?" Tsuna wonders.
"Yamamoto's father and the successor that Squalo defeated learn the first seven stances from the same teacher, and then created a different eighth stance separately afterwards."
"Eh?"
"Even though they claimed to be of the same style?" Basil asked.
"That would explain why my mom has a different eighth stance as well." Korin said, "In other words, they not only learn the stances left by their predecessors, but they too make their own stance and style before teaching them to the next generation. Wait, won't that make new branches of the style each time there is a new generation and there are countless of different styles with the same name?"
"Quite the opposite. It's rather amazing that it hasn't died out by now." Reborn explained, "The method of succession is severe. They only show it once. The changes include both evolution and degeneration. They challenge strongest among themselves for the title of the strongest, as if it is boxing itself in on purpose. That's why the wielders of the style have accepted the fact that it's fated to disappear from this world once there is no more successor with sufficient spirit and talent; also known as the Sword of Destruction."
"VOOIIII!-! Brat!" Squalo wiped the blood away with his sleeve, "I truly didn't imagine you'd come this far. But I really can't understand why you struck with the back of your sword. You're not taking this real sword battle seriously. Or what? Do you know any more of the style that I don't know?"
"Hm? Hahaha, unfortunately, all the other seven stance I know are the same ones as you do." Yamamoto laughed.
"Ah! That overly-honest idiot!" Dino cried.
"Then only death awaits you!" Squalo shouted, "I've now mastered the Shinotsuku Ame after seeing it once!"
"I thought so." Yamamoto raised his shinai up, "Then, let's try this." He now adopts a baseball pitcher stance, "The Shigure Souen Ryu, Ninth Stance."
"Hm?"
"N-Ninth?" Tsuna muttered.
"That means…"
"Yamamoto… he's going to try out his own stance…" Reborn stated.
"I see. The style that always tries to surpass other styles…" Dino said, "If that's possible… The Shigure Souen Ryu is indeed perfect and flawless, strongest and invincible!" 'But can you do it, Yamamoto?'
"What is that posture? Are you joking with me?" Squalo laughed, "Are you going to play baseball or something?"
"Sorry, but baseball is all I can do."
"This one strike will determine the match." Reborn said.
"B-But, that shinai; if it is not the Shigure Souen Ryu, he won't be able to use it, right?-!" Tsuna cried.
"That's the reason why Yamamoto's father gave it to him." Reborn stated, "If Yamamoto cannot transform the shinai, that means he doesn't have the right to inherit the strongest sword techniques."
"Eh?-!" Tsuna cried, "That's a dangerous gamble!-!"
"It just shows how much his father trusts him to be the next true heir." Korin said.
"Ah! Squalo makes his move!-!" Basil cried.
"Don't get too carried away, brat!-!" Squalo shouted as he swipes his sword around wildly in front of him while rushing towards him, "Feel the real power of my sword!-!" The sword swipes are so strong that the water in front of him was split from the force of his attack.
"Scontro Di Squalo (Charge of the Shark)." Mammon said, "I never expect to see the secret attack that Squalo used to defeat the Sword Emperor."
"DIE!-!"
"Here I come!" Yamamoto swings his sword up, creating a water pillar and arcs in front of him, he seemly dodging it with it as Squalo missed his target.
"He dodged it!" Basil cried.
"Not yet!" Korin shouted.
"And? How is this?-!" Squalo turns his attack and once again rushing towards Yamamoto, the baseball player quickly block as much of the attack from hitting any important while getting grazes from the strikes to his face, before retreating and running behind a pillar, "This is the end!"
As Squalo charges towards him, Yamamoto appears behind him with his sword ready to strike him down, 'Behind me?' He smirked, 'Keeping up all the way to this point… but my sword has no blind spot!' His hand extends out to show the artificial hand and flipped with the sword now facing behind him and stabbing the baseball ace in the gut.
Or at least what he thought was him as it reveals to be the water arc from before, 'Don't tell me that the one I cut was…!'
"A reflection from the water arc?-!" Korin cried.
The real one appears in front of him with his sword swinging down, 'Shigure Souen Ryu, Ninth Stance: Utsushi Ame (Reflection Rain).' He strikes at the back of Squalo's neck, the long haired man now rendered immobile, 'This is… defeat…?'
Yamamoto pulls his sword up with the ring around Squalo's neck was pulled out with it and lands into his hand.
"I see…" Korin said, "That water arc before was used to create a reflection of himself to lure him into attacking it before actually attacking him.
"Wow… Such an impressive skill in that instant…?" Tsuna asked.
"I've said it before." Reborn stated, "He is a natural-born hitman."
"D-Don't say such dangerous things!"
"Whether he is or not, it doesn't change the result of this match." Korin stated, the screen now showing Yamamoto putting the two halves of the Rain Vongola Ring together, the finished ring glimmer in the light proudly, "I won." He laughed.
"He…" Gokudera twitched in irritation and annoyance, with the one that he constantly mocks now done something he has failed at.
"Yamamoto…" Tsuna muttered.
"He did it!" Basil cheered.
"Surprising…" Bel said. "Who would've expected this…?"
"Boss." Levi said to his boss, Xanxus looking over on his comfortable leather car.
Xx Flashback, few years ago xx
In the middle of a dense Italian forest, a lone mansion stood, "VOOIII!-! Xanxus! I promise you!" Squalo said.
"Hm?" Xanxus blinked.
"Until our goal is reached, I won't cut my hair."
"Huh?"
"That's a promise to myself. You promise too and don't cut your hair."
"Hah, that's dumb." Xanxus huffed, "Can you even help out with that left hand of yours, left useless by the Sword Emperor?"
"VOOOIIII! Don't misunderstand!" Squalo shouted, "To understand the skills of the Sword Emperor who doesn't have a left hand, I deliberately cut it off! This is my way of preparing to work with you."
"Just watch, son of the boss. There will be a day when you will appreciate having me at your side."
Xx Flashback over xx
"Squalo…" Xanxus then smirked, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!-! You suck! You lost, you trash! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!-!" He raised his hand up, "He's finished."
"Boss, there is no need to get your hands dirty." Levi said.
"Want me to do it? At a price, of course." Mammon said.
"Please wait." The Cervello warns them, "It's too dangerous to enter the Aquarion right now. Since the predetermined water depth has been reached, a vicious sea creature has been released."
"Hey, wait! What are we going to do about Squalo?" Yamamoto asked.
"Squalo was the one who lost. So we cannot guarantee his life."
"W-What?-!" Ryohei cried.
"I thought so." Yamamoto said, "I figured something like this would happen." He reached down and pulls Squalo's arm over his shoulder lifting him up barely.
"Y-Yamamoto?-!" Tsuna cried.
"What's he doing?" Bel wonders. "Don't tell me he's trying to save him." Mammon said.
"Y-You… are you stupid?-!" Gokudera shouted.
"Don't we usually save others?" Yamamoto asked.
"I ain't saying that!-!" He shouted, "With your current physical condition, you can't carry Squalo!"
Yamamoto then felt a slight rumble of the ground, before noticing the large fin of the shark that was released as announced by the Cervello; which was seemly getting attracted by the blood spilled by both of them, "Haha, that's dangerous. But it can't reach us yet." He laughed. That was shout-lived as the ground crumbled down under him, the rubble of the floor dropping with them on it onto the flood below, now wide open for the shark to take a snack. "Oh crap…"
"Let me go."
"Huh?"
"Don't taint my pride, as a swordsman." Squalo said.
"But… still…"
"I said fuck off!" He kicks him away to the safety above, just as the shark came closer and closer to them, "Kid… your sword skills aren't half bad. You just need to throw away that unnecessary kindness."
Korin knew what is going to happen and covers Tsuna's eyes, "You don't need to see this." He tells her, just as the shark bares its teeth and devours the long haired man. "Squalo!-!" Yamamoto cried.
The water became blood red, evidence of the previous swordsman that was here just briefly, shocking everyone, "BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!-!" Xanxus laughed, "His last moment was to become shark feed! That piece of trash!" He stopped and smirked, "I have washed away another part of my past."
Yamamoto gritted his teeth, his grip on the shinai tighten with guilt, "Damn it…"
"W-What the hell…?" Gokudera grumbled.
"What… what happened…?" Tsuna asked.
"Squalo is dead." Korin said.
"W-What…"
"The Rain Battle's winner is Yamamoto Takeshi." The Cervello announced, "Now, I shall announce the next Ring Battle."
"E-Ending like this…" Tsuna muttered.
"People tend to die in the end, no matter from what cause." Korin stated, "It just a part of nature. To be killed or die off peacefully, they are pretty much the same. If you wish to carry on, deaths will be necessary."
"How dare you talk like this!" Gokudera shouted as he pulled on Korin's collar, "Talking about death like it was nothing! Have you no heart?-!"
"No heart?" Korin said, "Trust me, my heart is here. It is just that I have grown accustomed to the fact of death. After all, the damn thing follows me everywhere."
"What?-!"
"C-Calm down, Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna cried.
"Tomorrow's battle will be…" The Cervello announced, "The Mist Ring Battle."
"A-Ah?-! M-Mist?-!" Tsuna cried, "It's here, Reborn! What's we going to do?-! We don't even know who the Mist Guardian is!-!"
Reborn smirked, "Looks like it's time for them to appear."
Elsewhere, three figures are oblivious to them with the mist completely hiding their identities. However, another figure is seen in the opposite building overlooking Tsuna and the rest, the same man that Korin met days before the Varia first came. His red eyes glowed as he looked upon the black haired teen.
His mouth twitched up, two fangs made visible in the glimmering of the moonlight, 'Looks like our fight is getting close, Knight…'
To be continued…
Yes! Finally finished! After getting side tracked from
a lot of stuff, I have finally finished the Rain Battle!
God, I have became rusty…
Oh well!
With that, I thank you for reading this!