'Thoughts'
"Talking"
Spells/Other's thoughts/Skills
[Captions]
{Korin's Voice}
Inner Voice
Chapter 15 The Illusion of deception
They were all shocked as they all saw the baby float up into the air with the indigo pacifier around his neck now visible and glowing. "H-He's floating…!" Korin said.
"Reborn, he's also an Arcobaleno?-!" Tsuna cried.
"Yeah, he is one of the Arcobaleno, the ultimate babies." Colonello stated.
"The one with the indigo pacifier: Viper." Reborn stated, "He's said to be the best spell caster with psychic ability amongst the Arcobaleno."
"Psychic, you mean like esp?-!" Gokudera cried, "What is it, occult?-!"
"He said to have disappeared during battle but…" Fon said, "He's still alive. But why didn't our pacifiers glow until now?"
"I don't know, but it looks like he sealed the pacifier's ability with those chains." Reborn stated.
"You dumb shorties wouldn't know." Mammon said, "It's a by-product of the research I have conducted. Unlike you guys, I didn't neglect. The effort to break this curse."
'Curse…?' Tsuna thought in confusion, 'What is he talking about?'
'So some of the Arcobaleno has been finding the curse breaker…' Korin thought.
"This is bad." Fon grimaced, "If it is against Viper, average spell casters can't win."
"Take it easy, Fon." Reborn tells the martial artist, "Dokuro isn't an average spell caster."
"Hm?"
"Whoever it may be against, I won't lose." Chrome said, as she dashes towards Mammon. Once close enough, she swings her trident at the floating infant, who simply floats back and dodge the telegraphed attack, "What a brave attack." He was then suddenly wrapped in a bunch of snakes, "Hm? These snakes… aren't illusions?"
"W-Wow! Looks like it is working!" Basil cried.
"That girl, she's pretty good!" Ryohei said.
"Summoning beasts… that skill is…" Gokudera muttered.
"Mukuro's Path of Beast!" Tsuna cried.
"Hime-sama! That girl is possessed by Mukuro, there's no mistake!" Gokudera cried.
"B-But…" The brunette was not too sure anymore, 'It's true that there are times when I feel like it's Mukuro… but there's one thing I don't get… since the first time I met her, I've always felt a will of her own…' she then thought of the kiss that she gave Korin, and a small aura of hostility surrounds the girl.
"H-Hime-sama…?" Gokudera asked worriedly.
"Hm? What is it, Gokudera-kun?" She faked smiled, a small twitch still available on her eyebrows.
"N-Nothing…" He muttered in fear, knowing that same expression when his sister just had an argument and killed off her ex-boyfriend, 'Women are really scary after all!'
Mammon blows away the snakes with a sheer power coming from the pacifier, "I'll release my power now." He said, "I'll take my time to reveal your true identity later."
Chrome didn't stop and spins her trident before slamming it onto the ground again, this time pillars of lava and flames erupted from all around. Those that been caught into the illusion moved aside in shock when a flaming pillar sprouts out near them while the those who resisted the illusion stood there unfazed, that including Xanxus, Reborn, Fon, Colonello and of course Korin.
"Indeed your illusions are first class." Mammon said as he flew out of the flaming pillar, "If I think that the pillar of flames is real even for a single second, I'll get seriously burned. Consequently, its weak point is also ILLUSION!" With a bright flash, the pillars of lava are frozen solid as the temperature in the gym plummets to near freezing levels.
'Cold!' Korin thought in shock as he rubbed his arms, 'To think that I would get caught in an illusion. Oyaji is going to taunt me for the rest of my life if he ever heard of this. So this is the power of an Arcobaleno…'
"As pathetic as it may seem, I am caught in the illusion, kora." Colonello said.
"Me too. That's Viper for you." Reborn said.
"As expected of the strongest spell caster of the Arcobaleno." Fon said.
"An illusion is basically just controlling the part of the brain that administers the five senses." Mammon explained as Chrome looked shocked of her own illusions completely lost, "As the ability of the spell casters increases, the stronger their control over the victim will be. The chances of falling to the spell rises and it will become more realistic as well. And for spell casters to have their illusions returned with illusions, means they've lost control of their own senses."
It was made more certain as ice starts to creep up and casts around the girl's legs, "How is it, this terrifying power of an Arcobaleno? Well, let's reveal your true form." That startled Chrome, "It's useless to do anything anymore. You've already been drawn into my world of illusions."
With a flick of his little hand, the ice around Chrome's legs lifted and crashes her screaming onto the ground hard.
"This is bad, kora." Colonello said.
"That girl is not going to last…" Fon said.
Chrome struggled to get on her feet, before rushing to grab the trident that has fallen off her hands a few moments ago, "Hm… looks like that weapon is really important to you."
"N-No…"
Mammon flicked his finger.
"NOOOOO!-!" The trident break into countless of little shards to her horror, shocking the Kokuyo group even more just as she suddenly starts coughing out blood uncontrollably. Chrome ended up collapsing onto the floor gasping for air, before her own stomach starts to sink in to her body.
"I-It's caving in!" Gokudera cried.
"Is this an illusion too…?-!" Tsuna cried.
"No, this is real!" Korin cried, "But this means…"
"Mukuro…-sama…" Chrome gasped.
"It's difficult to believe, but it seems her life was extended with organs created with illusions." Mammon stated.
"W-Wha?-!" Gokudera cried.
"Organs created by an illusion?-!" Tsuna cried.
"Wait, you mean she has been fighting with only make-shift internal organs all this time?-!" Korin cried, "That is insane! She should be in a hospital to be treated!"
"Mukuro…-sama… I wanted to be your strength…" Chrome managed to muttered out, too softly for anyone to hear but Korin caught it.
'Mukuro…?-!' Korin thought in shock, 'So he is involved with her somehow after all!'
"Oh, and once we open the lid of truth, we see that it is Mammon's victory." Bel stated, "And we were able to only see a little bit of the Arcobaleno's power."
"So this is the end of it all." Levi said smugly.
"Well done, my cute Chrome. You can rest a little."
A telepathic voice was heard in Korin's mind, as he saw what he didn't expect. Mist starts to surrounds Chrome, Mammon just push it aside as an illusion to hide her own ugly body that were common with female spell casters. But Korin know better, as he saw the astral figure of a familiar pineapple enters the girl's body, her form starts to change as the once broken trident start to reform itself in her hand.
Tsuna did not have Korin's spiritual sight, but she has a strong sixth sense that allow her to felt the chills of the illusionist that once tried to capture her body, causing her to shiver uncontrollably in fear, "What's wrong, Tsuna?" Reborn asked the brunette.
"…coming… it's him…"
"Tsuna?" Yamamoto starts to worry as he saw the brunette breaking out into cold sweat.
"He's coming!"
"He?"
"Rokudo Mukuro! H-He's coming!"
A strong chill was felt in the entire gym, and that was not Mammon's illusion. "Kufufufu…" A familiar chuckle as heard in the mist as a trident hits the ground, sending a shockwave breaking through the floor and hitting Mammon hard, sending the Arcobaleno of the Mist back crashing onto his back.
"It seems like you've been putting on a brave face a lot." The mist cleared, revealing the return of the pineapple illusionist, standing where Chrome has once been, "You insignificant Mafioso."
"Who…?" Basil asked.
"Who is that?" Ryohei asked.
"Hm?" Even Bel and Levi are confused.
"Rokudo Mukuro…!" Gokudera said, "No mistake about it."
"Mukuro… he was all right…" Tsuna muttered.
"Long time no see." Mukuro greeted, "I've returned, from the ends of Samsara."
"Is that the true form of the Guardian of the Mist, kora?" Colonello asked.
"Hm…?" Mammon flinched, "Rokudo Mukuro… I thought I had heard that name somewhere before, but now I remember." He floats out of the rubble, "About a month ago, there was someone who attempted to escape the cells of the Vindice. His name was Rokudo Mukuro."
"What?-!"
"The cells of Vindice that are said to be the iron walls…" Levi said.
"HIEEE! He escaped again?-!" Tsuna cried.
"But I heard you failed to escape." Mammon added, "And was thrown into an even higher security cell located at the lowest level without sound nor light."
"So he failed…" Korin said, 'So why would he occupy someone like Chrome…?'
"Kufufufu… the special information network of the special assassination squad Varia that the Vongola takes so much pride in seems to be limited after all." Mukuro chuckled, "As you can see, I exists here and now."
"What an annoying guy." Mammon said, "Fine, let's make it clear. You're just an illusion cast around the girl, aren't you?" His hood releases a freezing blizzard towards him, starting to freeze him from the feet up, "I'm not nice enough to lose against a spell caster who is made of illusions." The ice ended up engulfing Mukuro, "Well, let's reveal your true self."
A hammer head appears from his hood, "Although, what perishes will be that girl's body." He dashes towards Mukuro with every intention to break him apart with that metal cylinder head. Mukuro didn't flinched once, as his right eye spun into action, changing from six to one and a flame pillar erupts from under Mammon.
As the flame dispels, there left Mammon tangled in what appears to be green plant stems, before the flower bulbs bloomed and reveal the lotuses around him, "Kufufufu, who is an illusion?" Mukuro chuckled; the ice encasing him melts off into mist instantly.
"W-What… strength…" Mammon choked out, "I'm suffering…"
"Wow… who is this guy…?" Bel muttered.
"He's overpowering that Viper…" Fon said.
"Who is this man, kora?" Colonello asked.
"That's Tsuna's Guardian of the Mist, Rokudo Mukuro." Reborn stated.
"So, he is real…" Tsuna said.
"Then… if that is true, what's with that girl from before?" Gokudera asked.
"Don't think of Chrome and Mukuro as separate beings." The infant hitman said, "Because Chrome is there, Mukuro exists. And because Mukuro is there, Chrome is able to live."
"Eh?" Tsuna blinked, not getting it at all.
"Two souls in one vessel…" Korin muttered, "Is that what you mean, Reborn? Both of them are living in one vessel that is that girl's."
"What do you mean, Motoyama-san?" Tsuna asked.
"Chrome is only alive because Mukuro is currently supplying her with strong illusionary organs, and he is able to appear here in reality by using her own body." Korin stated, "The first might be plausible but the second is a bit tricky, as humans have a natural ability to reject possessing from spirits or things of the same wavelength."
"Why do you know so much about things like these?" Gokudera asked.
"That is on the only-I-need-to-know basis." Korin stated, "Based on that theory, it must mean that she is either too weak to resist the possession, Mukuro's own spiritual strength is stronger than her resistance or she is allowing him to enter and possess her. But to then form his own self in reality… I guess I have underestimate Mukuro's spiritual ability."
"So… what will you do, Arcobaleno?" Mukuro taunts him, "If you slack off, it'll be a… stab."
"Don't be so full of yourself!" Mammon shouted as he breaks free of the lotus trap, before creating countless of copies.
"How effeminate." Mukuro leaps forward with his eye now four with the flaming aura on his red eye as he swings his trident around rapidly, slicing up all the fakes in an instant.
"The combat skill, Path of Asura!" Tsuna cried.
"It's improper for spell casters to use combat skills!" Mammon shouted angrily (Korin: 'I use combat skills… oh wait, I'm not technically a spell caster, aren't I?'), "Samsara? I won't accept a reason like that!"
"Oh?"
"Humans repeat the same lifestyle infinitely. That's why I collect money!" Mammon released his entire potential into altering the gym's reality, morphing it into some distorted dimension.
"Kuhahaha! A greedy Arcobaleno?" Mukuro laughed, "Amusing! Though, I won't lose in terms of avarice." He knocks his staff on the twisted walls, fire pillars erupted from all forms of floor in that dimensional space.
Korin starts to feel a bit giddy, the rest too showing some symptoms of headaches and throwing up, 'The illusion poisoning is starting to affect us…' He thought, 'If they don't end this soon, we are going to have hallucinations for the next week to come…' But he notices that Tsuna's getting the worst out of it, which is much more unnatural.
"Illusionary skills this high…!" Mammon mutters in shock, "Where do you obtain them?-!"
"In hell."
"Quit joking around!" Mammon once again freezes all the flame pillars into ice solid pillars. 'Man this is going to carry on…?' Korin thought worriedly as he notices how the brunette is in a lot of pain, 'If this carries on…' He reached into his pocket, preparing to take out the dispel charm, 'I'll put a stop to this.'
"Don't try to interfere, Motoyama Korin."
Korin heard the voice of the pineapple illusionist in his mind, 'Telepathy…?'
"Don't sound so surprise. It doesn't suit you at all, sir mage."
'H-How did you?-!'
"Your name gave it away. The Yan family has been a family of the supernatural famous even in the criminal underworld. Also, I happen to saw your battle with Orcus."
'Then… you know what…'
"Leave the Arcobaleno to me, Motoyama Korin. In return, I will give you the information you desire; about a certain white haired man."
Korin's eyes widen in shock, knowing that he has come closer to finding the person he so desire to find, 'Very well… but end this quick. The others aren't going to hold on at this rate.'
"Got you!" Mammon managed to get past the twirling trident that was blocking the attack of his own copies at the pineapple, "Die!" He swallows the illusionist into his hood, his pet salamander spun around it before spikes appear in the inner circle and it shrunk and stabs in hard, shocking everyone in horror.
"Mukuro-san!" Ken cried.
"…I-Impossible…!" Mammon cried as he was ripped open from within, Mukuro standing in the middle with the lotus plants he used as a weapon.
"Fall, and wander." He smirked as he shows the two halves of the Vongola Mist Ring in his hand, "I just have to re-join these rings, correct?"
"Y-Yes…"
"Not so fast!"
Mammon reappears from the remains of his robes, panting really badly in exhaustion, "I…I was just playing with you… don't get so cocky…! …I have yet to show you the full extent of my powers-"
"You know this very well, don't you?" Mukuro asked, as the dimension starts to distort to his command, "What it means when your illusionary powers are countered by another's. It means that you have completely lost control over your own senses." That was made apparent when the lizard above the infant's head starts to slitter down and choke him by the neck hard, "Come. Let me show you what this thing we call power really is? Shall we?" His red eye spun into one, the floor below Mammon crumbles under his feet.
"Kuhahaha!-! How does it feel like, Arcobaleno?-! This is my world!"
Mukuro's own figure starts to warp before his entire being slitters into the infant through his little mouth and down his throat. This causes Mammon's body to swell almost instantly, "S-Stop!-!" He begged, "I'm going to die! I'm going to die!-!"
"The reason you have lost, was because you had me as an opponent."
With a loud boom, the infant explodes, supposedly killing him. That ended the match as the gym starts to re-align back into its proper state, Mukuro landed gracefully on the floor, "Is this acceptable?" He asked with the completed ring on his palm.
The Cervello looked at each other, before confirming with them, "The Mist Ring now belongs to Chrome Dokuro." They granted, "With that, the winner of this battle is Chrome Dokuro."
"That Viper was…" Colonello said.
"Ushishishi… ripped to pieces…" Bel chuckled.
"Eh?-! W-Wait! How could you?-!" Tsuna cried, "You didn't have to go so far!"
"Even now, you show such sympathy towards the enemy…" Mukuro said, "You are as naïve as they get, Sawada Tsunahime. There's no need to worry, I should say."
"Eh?"
"That baby managed to escape." He explained, "From the start, he had every intention of reserving enough energy to escape. He is a shrewd one, that Arcobaleno."
"Gola Mosca." Xanxus commanded, "After the Ring Battles are over, eliminate Mammon."
The large robotic human releases steam in response.
"My, my, you really are the dark side of the Mafia, aren't you, Xanxus?" Mukuro chuckled, "Even I could feel awed at this terrifying scheme you've thought up."
'Scheme…?' Korin thought, 'What have Mukuro dug up…?'
"But, I have no intention of poking my nose into your business; because I am not such a nice human being." He stated, "Although, I would be interested in that man you have chosen as your Knight. To think that you would have contact with the 'other' world as well…" He raised his hand up, a small black ball with reddish glow formed in his palm, "Is it that right, Count Von Dracul?" He fires the black ball of energy right at the Varia boss, much to everyone's shock.
Xanxus stood there unfazed as the black ball of pure darkness speeds ever closer to him, and just as a few inches away, a black cloak blocked it away with the energy orb sizzled to nothing by the touch of the black fabric.
"You are late five seconds." Xanxus scoffed.
"Maybe it's your own sense of timing that was late." The man named Dracul stated, his body stood there with the aura of royalty emitting from his very being. The man's face was pale ash white with the green hair that stood out from his black mantle with his eyes red and silted pupils. Under the mantle, he wore a white dress shirt under a black formal vest with a red ribbon around his collar along with black dress pants and leather boots.
All and all, he looked like someone from the medieval era, and a certain historical figure as well.
"W-Who is that man…?" Gokudera asked, "He doesn't looked human at all…"
"I have heard that Xanxus found a Knight that is said to surpass even his own." Reborn stated, "Considering what he just did, it is possible that it is him."
'S-Scary…!' Tsuna thought worriedly.
He looked over to the illusionist, his eyes is looking all over his body as if studying him, "So, you're the one that fired the Yomitama (Hell Pearl)…" He stated, "You must be that Rokudo Mukuro, the one that have visited all the six realms of reincarnations." His eye glowed in curiosity, "Tell me, does is it feel? The Jigoku Majutsu (Hell Mage Arts)?"
"Jigoku…Majutsu…?" Tsuna wonders.
"Some kind of illusionary technique?" Gokudera asked.
"Kufufufu, so you are the one he called from the 'other' world." Mukuro chuckled, "Since you know what skill I used, that means that you are indeed one of those 'special' individuals…"
"So you know of the other side of the underworld." Dracul said, "In that case, I can't let you live." From his mantle, a dark beast of a wolf come out and charges at Mukuro with its teeth baring at him.
"Mukuro-san!" Ken cried as Chikusa prepared to bring out his yoyos out.
At that moment, a golden flaming arc flew out and clashed with the black beast, the wolf now burning in golden flames as it collapsed onto the ground with the fire slowly consumes it.
Back at the spectator area, Korin now with both his hand smoking and his eyes narrowed and sharp. "Ho…" Mukuro looked over at the teen with much interest.
"W-What was that?-!" Ryohei cried.
"That was…" Reborn muttered in shock.
"Cavarliere di Onore." Fon explained, "A technique that was originally the speciality of the Sixth Knight."
"A technique of one of the previous Knights…?" Colonello asked, "How did he manage to learn that?"
"The Ninth Knight entrusted to me with a set of martial arts manuals including the book that was used to record all the Knight's own techniques." Fon stated, "Not just that technique, he seems to have learned at least one technique from each past generation."
"One of each generation?-!" Colonello cried, "That's insane, kora!"
"That is just one of Korin special skills." Fon stated, "He is capable of absorbing any technique he deemed useful for him and mastering it almost instantly. He is what I would consider a battle genius. Or maybe it is due to his experience with the countless life and death fights he has taken over the years."
"Heh… so he is more than he looks kora." Colonello stated.
"You have those eyes now…" Mukuro chuckled, "You have grown since our last encounter. This girl… I will leave her to your care…" At that sentence, Mukuro collapsed just as he changed into Chrome.
"He turned into a girl again!" Ryohei cried. "What's going on?-!"
'It seems that he has over-exerted himself to bring himself into reality.' Reborn thought.
"What was going on?-!" Gokudera cried, "Was Mukuro an illusion, or this girl is an illusion?-!"
"Ah! That's right! What about this girl's internal organs?-!" Tsuna cried.
"Don't worry." Reborn assures her, "Chrome's internal organs are functioning properly thanks to Mukuro's powerful illusions." That was more certain as she is currently asleep.
"Motoyama Yan Korin…" Dracul muttered, "So we met yet again."
"I know that sensation anywhere…" Korin stated, "You're that man that day, aren't you?"
"It seems that you have managed to summon out the flames at will, the 'True' flames and not that fake one that roared out." Dracul said smirking, "But, is it enough for me?" His black mantle released a large quantity of black beasts from the black cape with it charging towards Tsunahime this time.
"Hime-sama/Tsuna!" Gokudera and Yamamoto cried.
The girl was frozen on the spot, unable to move from the black beasts coming close to her, "Scudo Impeccabile (Flawless Shield)!" Korin moved in front of her and released his golden flames in a circular pattern till it forms a flat spiral flaming barrier in front of him, the wolves couldn't get past the barrier and was incinerated on the spot.
"The Third Knight's defensive skill!" Colonello cried.
"My turn." Korin raised his hand up; the flame from his hand went downwards and covered his arm in the golden flames, "Gunato D'oro!"
"And the Eighth all powerful armament skill…" Dracul smirked; as he raised his hand up, an ominous bright yellow glow appears on his palm.
"Stop this at once!" The Cervello said firmly, "Continue this farce and both rings will be forfeited!"
"W-What?-!" Gokudera cried.
"Is that even possible?-!" Yamamoto cried.
"M-Motoyama-san! Please stop!" Tsuna cried, "If you carry on, we will lose!"
"That's going to impossible." Korin said firmly, "If we leave him be, he'll definitely kill us off by the time the Cervello turn their heads. I'm not taking that chance!"
"Thoughtful much?" Gokudera said, sweat-dropping on how serious he can become when it comes to protecting Tsuna.
"If it is okay with both sides, we will like to put the Knight Battle next."
The Cervello sudden announcement caught both their attention, "With the end of this battle, both sides will have three wins each with only two remaining battles, the Knight and the Cloud. Normally, under the proper means, the Knight is supposed to be the last battle to be held, but given the two of you, we will allow the Knight Battle to be placed next."
The two looked at them, before lowering their respective weapons down, the flames and glow dissipating on the go. "So be it." Dracul said.
"That's good." Korin stated.
"Normally, once the Knight is chosen, whoever that Knight is associated with will be the next boss automatically." Reborn stated, "So tomorrow might be the very battle to decide the next boss itself. If Korin win tomorrow's match, Tsuna's side will automatically win. When that time comes, you will abdicate all rights to be the successor."
Xanxus smirked, "Of course. I have always respected the Vongola's laws." He stated, "I will honour the promise of the battle. If Dracul really loses the battle, I will let you people have everything."
That shocked them all, believing that tomorrow might be the last battle to end it all and it is definite with Korin as the combatant, even Gokudera admitted it with an additional, "He is Hime-sama's Knight, after all." in the mix.
"You guys are so naïve, kora!" Colonello said.
"Eh?"
"That Xanxus said something like that means that he has every confidence that Dracul will win the last battle." Reborn stated.
"You mean… Motoyama-san will…" Tsuna muttered.
"I'll be more worried about telling Hibari, though." Reborn stated.
"Ah! That's right! If Motoyama's the last battle, that means…" Gokudera realised.
"Hibari-san won't be competing at all!" She cried, "What should we do?-! He will bite all of us to death!"
"Tell him that I'll give him a rematch after my battle is over." Korin stated, "That should shut him up."
"O-Oh, g-got it…" Tsuna blinked. The teen walked over to the collapsed girl that the two Kokuyo students have left behind and carries her up in the same princess carry he used on Tsuna, "I'll bring her to the hospital for a check-up." He stated as he walked away, "And don't worry. I'll win."
"Even if I have to die to do so."
That phrase has Tsuna frozen on the spot as he walked out of the gym, Korin not batting an eye to her at all. She looked back finally when he reached the exit and make his way to the gates, 'I thought of it before but… even now, he feel so far away…' His back constantly shown in her mind, 'He is in a place that I can't reach yet…' She tightens her fists in determination, 'I have to catch up to him… And maybe then I'll be able to understand him better…'
To be continued…
Yeah… it was kind of awkward… faster
than I thought it would take me, but glad
that I managed to finish the Mist Battle!
And yes, I decide to skip the Cloud battle
all together. After all, what's more drifting
and lonesome than a lone knight?
Sorry if some of you are disappointed in the
placement.
For those who have read and followed
on my previous works, this redux version of
Korin seems rather dark, right? Well, that's
the main reason I'm redoing the entire
story in the first place, since the previous
Korin seems a bit too overpowered and his
place seems to over take Tsuna's and that
his personality is all over the place, so I've
decided to keep his personality to a darker
tone.
Face it, a lone knight that is struggling to
find his place in the world is much more
interesting that a leader of seven knights
that gain power-ups similar to one of
DBZ and that is over rated.
With that, I thank you for reading this!