Author's Note: Alright, this is nearly over. I'll probably post again tomorrow since I'm nearly done writing the next chapter, so look forward to it. Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! I really appreciate it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn
As the others gather into the room, I feel control over myself slowly coming back to me. Mukuro did very well against Daemon Spade, but something feels off. The way Daemon Spade fought was strange. Very, very strange. I don't know what it is yet, but rest assured, I will find out. Every fiber in my being is screaming out that something is going on. It's not over yet. There's something I should be worried about. The need to find out what feels off is so strong that it even overrides the joy that I normally feel when seeing Mukuro again. "W-Wait," I start quietly as Mukuro and Hibari start to speak.
"Sato-san! Are you alright?!" Sawada asks. His concern is as genuine as ever, but that isn't the point right now. Everyone directs their attention towards me to see if the real me has returned of if I'm Daemon Spade. Sawada's eyes are still wide with a bit of panic and surprise as he realizes that I'm actually here right now. He must have failed to realize until now that I was supposed to be back at home.
"Yeah, but don't mind me right now," I reply quickly, "Now isn't the time for celebrating. Daemon Spade, he…" I shake my head. "He's got something else planned. Something feels off." I calm my racing heart down and slow my thoughts. Panic only makes people jump to conclusions quickly. I need the right conclusion. Not just any conclusion. Alright. Calmly… I take in a deep breath and focus. Facts first. Dokuro and I were used as bait to lure Mukuro here. Daemon Spade fought Mukuro using Julie Katou as a vessel. Julie Katou has passed out, so Daemon Spade can't use him anymore. The connection is... ? Vessels? Both Mukuro and Daemon Spade fought using another person… No. Close. I can't see what Daemon Spade would want from that. He spoke of good vessels. Those would be… people with special abilities…? But…Special abilities. That would be… No. Shoot! "We missed something!" I exclaim. "Mukuro-sama, your body- the one in Vindice! Go back to it now! Quickly!"
"Kasumi, what is th-" he starts.
"Mukuro-sama, please!" I plead. "Daemon Spade…" His eyes widen and he finally seems to understand. He disappears quickly, and in his place is Dokuro, who Sawada somehow manages to catch before she hits the ground. Katsu comes over to me and nuzzles my leg. He's trembling though. He feels my fear. I kneel down and pet him. Maybe I was wrong. Any second now, Mukuro will speak to me though our connection and say that he returned to his body safely. If that's the case, then I'll gladly apologize for my mistake and sending him away hastily, but this is just wishful thinking, really."Sorry, Katsu," I say quietly. I dismiss Katsu and watch him disappear. Even predicting what's going to happen next doesn't make me feel anymore at ease. If anything, I feel worse. I do my best to stop myself from trembling visibly. I won't let the others see my fear.
"Geez… ow," someone groans. My attention darts to Julie Katou, who was supposed to be passed out on the ground.
"Julie Katou!" the Storm Guardian exclaims.
"Oh?" Katou asks.
The Storm Guardian continues, "Bastard, you're still alive!" As usual, he's ticked off too easily. I feel assurance in the fact that he does manage to mature a bit in the future, but as for now, it remains a problem. He's creating more tension than necessary.
Sawada's eyes widen even more and he exclaims. "Does that mean that Daemon Spade is still alive?!" The Storm Guardian looks ready to kill Katou.
I stand in front of Katou. As much as I hope that it really is Daemon Spade possessing Katou, it doesn't change reality. "Wait! It's not him," I say with a shake of my head. "The person you see right now is the real Katou."
"Yes, Kasumi is right…" Dokuro agrees.
"Ohh, and who is-" Katou starts in a tone that sounds very perverted.
I turn around and smile tightly. "Kindly shut up on your own before I make you," I snap coldly. "My patience has been worn thin." Kozato's eyes are wide as he looks at me, but I return a passive expression and he starts to talk to Katou. I drum my fingers against my leg anxiously. This is the first I've felt the need to take out my anxiety through unnecessary movement. Mukurowl comes by and I let him land on my arm. It's Mukuro right now. I lower my head. "So I did predict correctly," I say. "He'll be coming back then. We do have the future of his precious Vongola in our hands after all."
"How did this happen?!" Sawada exclaims.
"He lured me out by taking Kasumi and Chrome, making my body in Vindice an empty shell. Then, he intentionally lost our battle to take over my empty body before I could," Mukuro explains.
Sawada exclaims, "He lost the battle on purpose?!"
"Having an illusionist taking over the body of another illusionist who is possessing someone else's body…" Reborn starts. "This is the first I've heard of such a thing. I'm surprised that you came to that conclusion so quickly, Kasumi."
"You've forgotten that this is the world that I was born into," I reply. "That option, while it has never happened before, has always been an option in my mind. Though I never expected this to happen..."
"I dare say that it's a very difficult technique that would need several requirements. Furthermore, he just acquired it recently," Mukuro says.
"Daemon Spade said, 'the chance has come,'" Dokuro says, "With his abilities strengthened by the awakening of the Simon Rings, he can now fight Mukuro-sama with ease…"
"The awakening of the Simon Rings… That's it," Mukuro says.
"No way!" Katou exclaims.
The Storm Guardian says, "Damn! That means everything went according to Daemon Spade's calculations!"
"Played like pawns," I say with a wry laugh. "Disgusting."
"However, by taking over Mukuro's body he's now locked up inside Vindice Prison, right? He can't even do anything, so what is he intending to do?" the Rain Guardian says.
I nod. "You've got a valid point, but that's most definitely not the outcome. We've been part of two of Daemon Spade's plans by now, and he's formed them very intricately. He wouldn't make such a major miscalculation like that. Especially because that would lead him to lock himself up in a prison." I laugh scornfully. "Can you imagine that? How lame would it be if he went through all this extremely meticulous planning just to destroy it all because me locked himself up?" I shake my head. "I don't know what he intends on doing next, but I'd suggest that you all prepare yourself because he will be coming here as soon as he gets out." I feel someone coming, and I take my scythe out of the box.
"A brave move, but we are not here for you, Sato, Kasumi," one of the Vindice says.
Seeing them still strikes a bit of fear in my heart, but that was my fear from childhood. I scoff. "I take it that you'd like our help."
"That's right. The possessed body of Mukuro is going on a rampage, destroying our prison," the Vindice continues.
"Does that mean that the man that took over Mukuro's body is Daemon Spade?!" Sawada exclaims.
"That's right. Daemon Spade has exceeded humans' ability by taking over Mukuro's body. It's just a matter of time before he escapes from the prison."
"Escape?! There's no way he could do that! Even Mukuro couldn't escape from that prison!" the Storm Guardian exclaims. Even the future Ken, Chikusa, Dokuro, and I couldn't break Mukuro out of that prison.
"I'm thinking that the first place that he would go to would be here. To get rid of the Vongola successors. We can deal with him with our own power, but that is something we would like to avoid," the Vindice says. That last part sounds like B.S. to me. "Dispose of Daemon Spade with your own power."
"Dispose of him…?" the Rain Guardian asks.
"What?!" the Storm Guardian exclaims, "You're intending to leave this to us?!"
Sawada stays quiet. "Even now, Daemon Spade is a member of the Vongola Family. It's the Vongola Family's responsibility that Daemon Spade became this way," the Vindice continues.
"Entrusting and escaped prisoner to someone other than yourselves, that's not like you at all," Reborn comments. So he thought it was B.S. too.
"You'd better be quiet, Arcobaleno," he replies.
"It's okay, Reborn. I've been planning to do the same thing from the beginning anyway," Sawada replies. I turn to him. That's surprisingly bold of him. "However, if that's the case…the battle between Vongola and Simon is now nullified! Please release Kyoko-chan's brother and the Simon Family from prison!"
"What do you think about this, Kozato, Enma?" the Vindice asks.
"I agree with Tsuna!" Kozato replies. So the pair of losers finally step up and act like bosses… It's about time.
Then, the Vindice does something strange. He shows his eye. "Fine. If you defeat Daemon Spade, I will release all of the imprisoned Family members.
"But, Tenth! We can't just trust these guys!" the Storm Guardian exclaims. He's got a good point. Personally, I'm skeptical as well.
"We will keep our promise."
