'Thoughts'
"Talking"
Spells/Other's thoughts/Skills
[Captions]
{Korin's Voice}
Inner Voice
Chapter 20 Sky Battle Part II
With that declaration for the start, Tsuna assumed her stance. "Just as I thought, it looks like nothing has changed." Xanxus chuckled.
Tsuna's gloves ignites in her orange flames as she flashes in front of him in, swiping her flaming gloves at him, only to have to man duck to dodge her attack before he black elbows her. The brunette caught his attack, Xanxus pulled back before sending his foot into her gut hard, sending her flying into the building hard.
"Is that it?" Xanxus said as he walked over towards her.
The brunette flew out of the rubble and strikes a fist towards him, the man easily grabbed onto her wrist hard to her surprise, "I said, is that it?" He raised his hand up, an ominous reddish orange glow ignites in his palm. Sensing the immediate danger, she release flames on her spare hand and rose out of the way, just as the blast from Xanxus' hand tore past her.
The blast continues to the concrete building, tearing and wearing through it like a blowtorch on ice.
"I-It disintegrated!-!" Basil cried. "Oi oi… that's reinforced concrete on the building…" Shamal said.
"It's the Flames of Rage." Reborn said ominously.
Tsuna broke out of Xanxus' grip, bursting up on the side of the school building away from him.
"Flames of Rage?" Basil asked.
"The Dying Will Flame is like a voice or a fingerprint. It is unique from people to people, differing in both form and nature." Reborn explained, "And Xanxus' shining-ball flame is exceeding rare. Among the past Vongola boxes, the only one who fought bare-handed without a weapon was the Second, because of this flame."
"The special characteristic of this flame is its destructive prowess, capable of reducing anything to ash. Since this flame was seen only when the Second was enraged, instead of calling it a Dying Will Flame, it was named the Flames of Rage."
"Do you know why the Founder, who uses the same gloves as you, ran away to Japan?" Xanxus said, his hand glowing with the ominous flame, "He feared a battle with the Second. If the Flames of Rage overpowered the Dying Will Flame, it would disgrace the title strongest. He was AFRAID of this flame."
"…Would you like to test that out?"
"Hm?-!"
"Your flame or mine, shall we see which is stronger?" She stated, her flame extinguished and her body falling down, before raising her hand behind her and rocketing towards the scarred man.
"A frontal attack?-!" Colonello cried.
"Buahahahaha! Scum till the end!" Xanxus laughed as he raised his hand up, "You really want to die that badly? Then DIE!-!"
Xanxus fire away his burst of flames towards her, Tsuna hitting towards him with a fist and the two attacks intercepts at that point of impact. That causes a huge explosion, the winds picked up with the huge gusts blowing all over the school, even reaching to the audience area.
What happened afterwards was much more surprising, as Tsuna managed to blast pass the burst of flames and lands one sucker punch to Xanxus' face, sending the man crashing into the building before landing on the floor gracefully.
"Oh!-! The kid did it!" Shamal said in surprise.
"Sawada-dono's flames overpowered Xanxus's flames!" Basil cried.
"That's the result of her training." Reborn smirked, "In terms of power, Xanxus' flames are probably stronger. However, Tsuna was able to break through it by concentrating her flames into a single point."
"But Xanxus isn't one to be defeated like that." Fon stated out.
Tsuna ran forward and flew forward, getting ready to rush another attack in. Within the rumble, the Flames of Rage glowed in preparation to burst back and the brunette raised up her hand with the burst of flames acting as her shield, but…
*CLICK*
Tsuna realized too late as a single concentrated blast of flames shot right towards her, would have gotten her head if she didn't tilt in time. A figure blasts out of the rubble, Xanxus landing right behind her, "For me to pull out my weapon against trash like you…" He muttered annoyingly, turning around to find two black semi-automatic pistols in his hands, custom made with a red X on it.
"So Xanxus uses a weapon too…" Reborn said, "And it is the same as the Seventh… the Second's flames with the Seventh's guns… that is a terribly vicious combination."
At the Knight Field, Korin grunted in pain as he felt the poison going through his veins. 'Damn… my body won't budge…!' He thought as he frantically tries to move at least his fingers. And he did, them twitching ever slightly, 'Huh…?' He tries to move his arm, and it follows his orders and moved slightly.
'I still feel the poison inside of me… but I can still manage to move…' Korin thought in surprise, 'Is this one of the effects of the flames of life Hiryuu mentioned about…?'
'No time to think about it!' He struggles to his feet, the burning sensation still there in his nerves. His body was viciously crying out for him to stop moving but he did not listen. After all, compared to the pain that he had taken from those mobs back home, this was nothing. He grabbed onto a sword next to him, dragging it with him towards the tripod in the middle of the field. 'Now…' He concentrates his magic into his sword, enhancing it as much as he can.
Gathering as much strength he can pull out, he swings his sword hard, "RAHHH!-!" and cutting through the tripod's supports like butter. The pole collapses and falls down onto the field with a loud crash, "Yes!"
Korin picked up the rings that fell off the pole towards him, and inserting the Knight Ring into his wristband. The antidote filled his arteries and the burning sensation disappeared.
Filling his body now back to its full function, Korin head towards Hibari and inserts the Cloud Ring into his wristband. "There… don't try and move yet. It will take a while for the antidote to take effect."
The skylark growled, "I never asked for your assistance."
"Now is not the time for your pride, Hibari Kyouya." Korin stated, 'Although, even if I didn't do anything, he would definitely get the ring by himself. He is the Cloud, after all.'
At that moment, he felt the Knight Ring in his hand pulsating. He opened up, the ring flashing in golden light with a slight ringing sound with every flash, "What the…?"
"The ring has chosen you, I see."
Korin flinched, before turning around towards Dracul, the vampire standing up straight with no signs of the poison affecting him at all, "Dracul…!" He cried as he pulled out his gun, "How are you standing?-! The poison…!"
"I am immortal, remember." He stated, "A mere poison, even if it is the legendary Death Hitter, is unable to put me down. That poison has no effect on me, nor will it kill me."
'Damn it, immortals and their invincibility…'
"But I myself am surprised." He added, "I have never thought that the Knight Ring will choose a weakling as you to be its wielder."
"Choose…?" Korin muttered.
"I guess you never heard." Dracul said, "No matter how strong you are, or whether you possessed the Knight Flames or if you are part of the lineage, if that ring never accepts you as its wielder, you are not worthy of the Knight. And it has made it clear, that you are chosen."
"Wait, how do you know so much?-!" Korin shouted, "I mean that information should only be left to the higher-ups!"
"Because I have wielded it before."
"Wielded it…?" Korin muttered, before realizing, "Wait… you're… a Vongola Knight?-!"
"That's right." Dracul said, "I was the Second Knight, the successor of the First."
"Then, why did you come back?-! You intend to become the Tenth as well?-!" Korin cried.
"I have no such desire." He said, "My choice of becoming the Second Knight was a bad one. I have to guard one of the worst human beings of Vongola history, a tyrant that was nothing like this predecessor… And then, when I heard the Tenth was someone like me, I have to be sure he will not turn out like me."
"Like you…?"
"I have no relations to the First, now do I possess the Knight Flames." He explained, "What I do have is my immortal body, and my Flames of Knight Wrath." He raised his hand as the ominous yellow glow emits out from his hand, "Along with the skills I have accumulated from all those vampire hunts. You were the same, aren't you? You have the blood of the First, but you also have the blood of another clan."
"The Cursed Fire Clan, Motoyama."
Back with the fight of Tsuna and Xanxus, the man now standing there with his guns now out. "G-Guns?-!" Basil cried, "Xanxus uses guns as well?-!"
"The Vongola bosses have all sorts of fighting styles, but the only one who used a gun as his main weapon was the Seventh. It is said that the Seventh was not only a skilled marksman, but the characteristic of his Flame was what led him to his choice of using a gun." Reborn explained.
"What kind of characteristic was his Flame?" Fon asked.
"Throughout the Vongola bosses, the Seventh's Flame was the weakest." Reborn stated, "That's why he uses those weapons to compensate for it. Inside those guns, they also contain these kinds of bullets." He showed them the sample of the Dying Will Bullet he always uses.
"The Dying Will Bullet, kora?" Colonello asked.
"An improvised bullet by the Seventh; look at Xanxus' hand."
The gun, in the scarred man's hands, is starting to glow brightly with the sensation that something was absorbed into the weapon, "The Flame is being absorbed?" Shamal asked.
"That's right. The Dying Will Bullet has a property that can temporary compress Dying Will Flame. The Seventh focused on that as well. Even if a Dying Will Flame is weak, if accumulated and released in one shot, the resulting power is immeasurable. Truth be told, the destructive power of the Seventh was tremendous; so much that whenever the destructive powers of the Vongola bosses were gauged, the Seventh's name was always brought up."
Basil then realized, "Wait a minute! Unlike the Seventh's weak Flame, Xanxus' Flame is the destructive Flames of Rage! If that is accumulated and released at once…!"
"Yes, it will contain an unbelievable destructive and penetrative power." Reborn nodded, "If Tsuna were to get by even one of those shots, it would be dangerous even for the current her."
"Aah? Didn't you say you were going to put me out right away?" Xanxus chuckled, "Or has your Hyper Intuition foreseen your own death?"
Tsuna said nothing, and raised her hands back and rockets towards him in a burst of orange flames. "Trash, you think you're the only one with high mobility?" He points his guns down and fired, the blast and the recoil sending him up into the air much to the brunette's surprise, Tsuna rocketing up after him.
The moment she got close to him, he switches directions and the two keep on trying to out maneuver each other in the air. At one point which Tsuna tries to land a strike at him, Xanxus dodges it before reappearing behind her with his gun charged and aimed at her, "Scatter to dust." He taunted.
Tsuna then took notice what was behind her, much to Xanxus' surprise before he pulled his trigger. Instead of dodging the blast, she took the shot head on, before re-directing it in a different angle. The blast then roughly skimmed past the Gym's roof behind her, luckily destroying only the roof and leaving both Chrome and Mammon unharmed.
Tsuna landed on the side of the building, "Fuu, I see…" Xanxus landed on the same building wall, "You were babbling about not letting any of your Guardians die."
"What are you going to gain from that?"
That startled Tsuna, one who never want to let any of her comrades and friends die and he asked what she is going to gain from that?
"I don't care if my subordinates die. Look."
She looked over to the screen, it starts to show the Varia members practically begging for Xanxus to save them, supplying just about anything they can think of just to have their boss save them, even to the extent of basically being his loyal dog or slave or something of that nature.
"FUAHAHAHAHA!-! That's what the sky is about!-!" Xanxus flew up into the sky, his guns pointed outwards at two different directions, "Have some charity!" He fires, the two blast of flames hitting onto both the Lightning and Storm poles, the two rings dropping towards the Varia guardians.
"Ushishishi, I'm saved…" Bel snickered as he placed his ring in.
"Thank you very much." Levi said placing his ring in.
That shocked Tsuna was in turn starts to panic, "What about it, fake? You didn't think of this method, did you? If you want to do the same, go ahead and throw your gloves over there!"
"Damn that guy… that's foul play!" Basil cried.
"This is bad though; the enemy's guardians are now cured and running loose…" Shamal said.
"I'll leave the bomber boy to write in agony and die from the poison." Bel chuckled, "Now then…"
"First, I'll kill that cow-brat…" Levi growled as he looked over at the roof for Lambo.
Tsuna flew up onto the roof, preparing to leave to help her friends, only to have Xanxus points his gun at her, "Aah? Where do you think you're going?"
"Tsuna, why are you so impatient…?" Reborn said.
"Reborn-san…! At this rate, the other Guardians will…!" Basil cried.
"Xanxus definitely someone who breaks the mold, but your own Guardians aren't exactly ordinary guys either."
"Eh?"
Bel leaped down onto the ground floor, "Now… the Rain Guardian should be here somewhere…" His instincts took over as he sense an attack, he moved just barely but his ring was knocked out of his hand back to the top floor. When he got back his bearings, he realized who it is, "Y-You're…!"
"Hnnn, you dodge that pretty well." A certain prefect greeted, "You are, that so-called genius, right?"
"T-That guy!" Shamal cried. "Hibari-dono?-!" Basil cried.
"Why…?-! What on earth…?-!" The Cervello immediately switched the screen to the Knight Field, the pole collapsed as it was, "What happened to the Knight Pole?-!"
"Korin did it." Fon stated, "Those are sword marks, it is definitely him."
"Impossible, the Death Hitter poison is so lethal that even stop a wild elephant in its tracks."
"Korin has taken much deadlier poison than that." Fon stated, "Most of all, he is one who would do anything that will hinder the girl's fight. After all, he is [The sword that cut down all enemies of the families, one who would strike down a path for the boss]. Just like how Hibari is [The aloof, drifting cloud who protects the Family from an independent standpoint, and whom nothing can ever bind]."
"Also, the TRUE Guardians are not just about their missions." Reborn stated, "Their relationship also resembles the weather they're named after. When it is cloudy, there will be a chance of the remaining conditions, like a storm."
Back at the roof top, Levi was walking around, trying to find the cow-brat. He then indeed find him, coughing uncontrollably due to his oxygen mask being away from his mouth. With his target at sight, he rush towards him preparing to shock him out with his umbrella sword.
"Hold it right there!"
A dynamite was thrown towards Levi, causing him to jump back to avoid the explosion, "W-What was that?-!" He cried. Out from the smoke, a certain sliver haired bomber is there with his dynamites out and ready.
"Hayato…!" Shamal cried.
"Didn't I tell you? Cloud and Storm go hand-in-hand." Reborn stated.
"Ah! That's right! Hibari-dono flipped the Storm Ring up to Gokudera-dono's location!" Basil realized.
"Shall we begin, little genius?" Hibari said.
"I will not allow you to cause all this extra noise during the Sky Battle." Gokudera stated.
"Kuh, what annoying trash, overestimating yourselves." Xanxus growled.
"Hey." Tsuna draws back his attention, her gloves now flaming and her eyes focused more than ever, "Concentrate your battle with me."
To be continued…
Damn… Two chapters in two days! I have been
busy with this! Well, I have quite a lot of time
on my hands… I have no life…
Anyway, I got a brain blast on how to continue on
with this battle. So, instead of the focusing completely
on Korin like I did in my original fic, I will switch between
the two so to get more of a consistent fight between Tsuna
and Koirn.
Now, I have yet to see enough reviews to see if Korin will
go on the Light path, or the Dark path. There are is still time
until the future arc so I'll see then.
With that, I thank you for reading this!