Clear to cloudy

Target 33: "Let the conflict… BEGIN!"

The following day everyone concluded their training. Kotsu is quite exhausted as he enters his room where his roommates are quite curious as to what on earth he's been doing these last few days. He's always out until super late and he comes home exhausted and dirty. Yet… oddly happy.

"Hey Kotsu… what ARE you doing out there?" One of them decides to ask and Kotsu gives a bit of a weak smile.

"Just… training," He says and everyone chuckles a little, with a teasing tone.

"Finally trying to catch up to your big brother eh?"

"Something like that I guess…" he says going to take a shower and he puts his fork and ring down looking at them. He smiles a bit thinking that it's pretty incredible that he got these things… the only things that let him fight… are two handsized objects?

He exits the shower and approaches his own room again when he sees Reborn and Tsugemora coming home from their training. "NII-SAAAAAAN!" Tsugemora yells jumping at him without warning and the two slide along the ground. "Nii-san! I've gotten a lot of training from the amazing Reborn-san! I will SURELY be useful during the ring conflict!" He yells jumping up and Kotsu slowly gets up rubbing his head.

"Good to see some things never change I guess…" He says and Tsugemora realizes he just hurt Kotsu and he heads to a wall and starts slamming his head against it.

"I failed! I failed! I failed!" He yells until Reborn stops him before he wakes up the entire resort. However he definitely didn't do it because he cared. It's because of someone having appeared on the premise. The Cervello. Two of them. One man and one woman. The woman is holding a box with six smaller boxes in the middle while the man is holding a tray with two slots in it.

"So… we begin…" Reborn says and Kotsu gulps.

"Indeed. I will now explain the rules of the conflict to you all. Listen carefully," The man says stepping forward. "My colleague holds a box with six boxes inside, each representing one of your six guardians. Unlike the first ring conflict there're this time THREE candidates. The one chosen by Primo himself, Kotsukiba Niruo, the one chosen by the external advisor, Zaccaria and the one chosen by the council, Ywan. The matches will be one-on-one. In a moment I'll ask you to pick out two boxes. One will be for tomorrow's match against Zaccaria's guardian and the other will be against Ywan's guardian. They will do the same. We will then set up the matches in according to what you picked. Now Kotsukiba. Please pick out your two first fighters," He says and the woman steps forward presenting the boxes. All of them are metallic grey and closed so he can't see who he's choosing. He grabs one and puts it on the one for Zaccaria and it pops open revealing a yellow sun flame.

Tsugemora grits his teeth. "So that bastard Ren is up first?" he says and Kotsu picks out the next box already having given up on that fight, as it's clear Ren will refuse to fight. The second one has the red storm flame inside of it.

"Your two participants are your sun and storm guardian. Please make sure at least these two people are there tomorrow. The matches will be held in the grand mall next to Tokyo grand station," They tell before walking off.

Kotsu looks towards Ren's room, where the door is closed. "I really need you Ren…" Reborn smacks him in the back of the head.

"Quit it with that pathetic tone Klutsu," He says before also walking off to his room leaving just Tsugemora and Kotsu alone together.

Tsugemora tsks annoyed. "Looks like I'll have to pick that idiot's slack in my match…" He says looking disgusted at Ren's door.

"I just hope we can at least just concede the match so he doesn't have to get hurt…" He says wondering if he should go talk to him, but figures he's a bit too angry with Kotsu at this point to be able to have a sensible conversation with that will not revolve around Ren trying to get Kotsu to quit.

Sure enough Ren is still awake, laying on his bed looking at the burning ring on his finger. It doesn't set fire to anything… and it's actually nice to sleep with a comfy fire next to him so he hasn't taken it off since he got it, since it ALSO doesn't seem to go out or get rusty from showering. It's been burning since he put it on. He thought it was kind of cool at the start… you know… special. But right now it's just a reminder of this game Kotsu is playing. He takes it off for the first time and the fire goes out. He then goes to the window clenching it firmly. 'I'm sorry lil' bro. I know this thing was probably important… but I don't want any part of it…' He says before hurling the ring as hard as he can out the window into the woods. He then goes to bed kind of upset, but he's still the kind of person who doesn't let things bother him too much.

Reishiro comes home after a bit, having a bit of a pained expression on his face. He looks at Ren sleeping. He then sees something shining in the forest outside the window even though it's dark and there's nothing to reflect light off of he still spots it. Being the curious person he is he walks out again to go and pick it up. It's Ren's ring naturally. It seems it was giving off a few sun flames still. "Ah! This is Ren's… Looks like he dropped it…" He says heading back inside putting it on Ren's nightstand with a little note from Reishiro that crudely reads: 'This is yours. Be careful not to lose things you like. :-) Reishiro'. He then goes to bed himself.

-NII-

Ren slowly opens his eyes in the morning seeing Reishiro's long tuft of hair poke out from under his blanket which he is under completely like some kind of cave-monster. He sees the note on his nightstand and looks at the ring. "I… I already said I don't want it… but thanks Reishiro," He says when Reishiro pulls his blanket off his head.

"Eh? You don't want it? But losing it'll make mini-Ren sad…" He says and Ren blinks a few times.

"It'll make Lil' bro sad?"

Reishiro sits up still fully clothed. Seems he didn't bother changing. That's very like him. "Who's lil' bro?"

"Mini-Ren…"

"Ah! Sokaaa… yeah… Mini-Ren's already really sad… you always say it's your job to keep him happy…" he argues and Ren once more is taken quite a bit aback. How does Reishiro always know so much yet understand so little…? "Ah! Sokaaa… that's right… Oi Ren… you need to go to the mall next to um… the grand Tokyo station… tonight. It's important…" He says getting out of bed, not commenting further as he leaves the room to start the day and Ren realizes that he 'overslept' and by that he means that he slept until normal people start getting up. He jumps out of bed and quickly gets into his jumpsuit.

-NII-

Outside his group is waiting for him and Fumie smiles at him. "Morning Ren-senpai!" She says with a smile.

Ren gives her a smile as well. "Morning everyone," He says looking at Kotsu with a disappointed look before he's suddenly pulled to the side by Reborn.

"Stop that Ren. Listen up. Yesterday the judges for the tournament showed up. So his opponents are following the rules like they're supposed to okay? So stop being mad at him. Everything's by the book now. Got it!?" He says sounding genuinely mad at him.

"B-but he still wanted to play even WITH them playing AGAINST the rules! That's dangerous!"

"He knew they'd be there by the time it started. Doesn't mean the fight's going to be any less tough for him. And he ESPECIALLY doesn't need an older brother who doesn't believe in him,"

Ren once more blinks a few times. "I-If he knew then why wouldn't he tell me!?"

"Beats me… he's a bit weird you know," He says walking back and Ren lets out a sigh of relief. He was always going to be alright. He then lets on the happiest smile he has in a while before heading back to the group.

"Alright guys! What're we in for today!?" He says happily and Kotsu smiles at him for the first time also.

"No clue… but I'm sure we can handle it…" He says and everyone cheers yes, some more shyly than others and one more confused than others.

-NII-

The day has now come and gone. Kotsu has never been so nervous before. Even when he was up against Geraldino he didn't really think about how strong his opponent was but now he's fought Zaccaria and he knows that his opponent is incredibly powerful. And not only that… but he has NO clue who Ren is fighting OR who his storm guardian is! Come to think of it… he doesn't know who MOST of his guardians are. He only knows Ren and Tsugemora… His cloud, mist, storm and rain guardian are still a total mystery to him. But now's not the time to think of that. He steps off the train at the grand station, looking at the mall where all the matches will be held. It's incredibly expansive and tall… so space isn't an issue. With him are Murphy, Hibari, Reborn and Geraldino of all people. As well as Ren of course.

"H-hey Reborn… where's my storm guardian… don't tell me it's one of you guys…?" He says looking quite frightened at the group of tall intimidating people… and Murphy. How is it that he knows so many scary guys…?

"It's not one of us. But I can assure you he'll arrive soon. At least in time for his match."

"R-right…" They enter the mall and inside they quickly meet the Cervello people who guide them to the main square where it seems the matches will be held.

"Welcome Kotsukiba Niruo. It seems all three of you are here," One of them states and Kotsu looks around seeing both of his opponents standing as far from each other as possible along with their entire guardian roster. They both glare at Kotsu and Kotsu realizes that Ywan was the man who comforted him and vice versa.

"YOU?!" They both say in surprise, but no one has time to dwell on it too much. Especially Kotsu who's quite scared at the moment. This is the first time all three of them have been in the same place at once. If you don't count the park where Zaccaria was hiding and the other two didn't know who the other was.

"Welcome all of you! To the second-ever ring conflict!" The Cervello say and all three boss-candidates look towards the center where she's standing. "You all know the rules. Here is where the matches will take place! One after another! We will now decide the order of these matches!" She declares and a large wheel with three symbols on it appears. A Cervello boy spins the wheel and it lands on the one Kotsu feared the most. It seems it Kotsu vs Zaccaria first. Meaning Ren will fight…

"Will the two chosen guardians please step forward?"

Ren does so raising his hand. "Um… excuse me… but I think there must be a mistake. I know everyone's playing by the rules now, but I… still don't really want to play this game…" He says and it seems his opponent is Faust, Zaccaria's thunder guardian.

"You were chosen therefore you have no choice," the Cervello says as suddenly a large bubble appears around the entire main plaza, set up by people around the mall.

"Wait a minute! That's not fair! Then I wish to concede!" Ren yells however once more they don't listen.

Faust shakes his arms a little like a warm-up. "I don't really mind if you stand still… makes the win easier."

"Now then… let the first match of the ring conflict… BEGIN!" They yell raising their hand and a bell rings signaling the beginning of the fight.