Chapter Seventy-Five
Midnight braced herself at the incoming attack of the villains. There were a lot of them. With her condition, she's good as dead. Good thing she was able to deliver a final instruction to Yaoyorozu. The child is a bright leader, given how she thought through her team's plan during the Class A and B battle. That includes being the top of their class and have this levelheaded approach in everything.
Too bad she won't be seeing that talent and skill foster.
"Any last words, Midnight?" The villain smirked, his peers behind him.
Midnight glared as she bared her teeth in a mocking manner. "Go to hell."
She hardly blinked when the villain raised his arms that was cover with this liquid. In that split second, she heard the familiar sound of cocks being pulled and snapping to place. She frowned since she usually hear that from Reborn who playfully chases Mic around with a rubber bullet.
"She means it, assholes." A woman's voice exlaimed.
Nemuri's instinct asked her to duck, and duck she did. She flattened herself to the ground and winced at the gunshots she's hearing. She watched as those villains tried to run away, only to get hit in somewhere and fall down. She breathed in relief before looking behind to see a woman coming out of the woods, an armalite gun with a round barrel attached at the bottom in hands.
The woman looked around twenties with her dark blue hair. She's wearing this plain white shirt with shorts and bandages covering her arms and legs. She has this military boots and a goggle over her head. Nemuri wondered where the woman got her burned scars though. Training? She felt like a military soldier or something.
"Get up." The woman said and tossed a yellow with a mix of orange ball Nemuri caught.
Nemuri slowly did as she felt this sudden energy.
"That's temporary, hurry." It was an order.
Nemuri got up and limped towards the other. "Who are you?"
"Lal Mirch, an acquaintance of Tsunayoshi Sawada." The woman said as they started to speed walk. Nemuri's eyes widened at Tsuna's name. "He contacted us months ago about this fiasco after consulting from a future seer or something. He asked me directly to keep an eye on you." Dark blue eyes glanced at her. "He said you're family, and we treasure any members of the family."
Her heart warmed up at the indication. The brunet, Aizawa's child, will always be a loving one. "Thank you."
The woman nodded as they came into view of a truck. "Get inside. You need to rest. Trust your fellow heroes to the job."
When Nemuri got inside, she fell sideways out of fatigue and pain. The last thing she heard was Lal talking.
"Mission cleared, Reborn. Hero Midnight is safe."
Fumikage felt helpless as he stared at his mentor Hawks. The man is burned almost from head to toe, and bearely conscious. All medics are going here 'n there to attend Hawks. And Fumikage is just... There.
God. How come everything went wrong? Where did they go wrong?
"Tsuku..."
He perked up and looked down to Hawks who is staring at him in daze. "H-Hawks!"
"P-Pouch..."
Fumikage's brows furrowed. "Pouch?"
A small nod.
Fumikage immediately patted Hawks pants with a small apology. He went for pockets and brightened up a little when he got the small pouch. He took it out and put it on Hawks open hand. The moment Hawks curled his fingers on it, the pouch glowed. Fumikage watched as Hawks relaxed as bright orange flames travelled from the hand towards the hero's main body, and quickly followed by blue and yellow flames.
He stared in awe as the burns slowly heal up until small amount of it were present. Fumikage stumbled back as the medics started to come back and attend Hawks. He blinked when he registered something. He knows those colorful flames. They were Tsuna's. If he remembers right, Tsuna's flames have different characteristics and that includes healing. But how? How did that happen? How come he was able to help Hawks? What was inside that pouch?
He shook his head and watched the medics do their work. He can ask Tsuna later, once he wakes up. Right now, his mentor is his first priority.
Colonnello watched from his sniper's telescope as everything plays out. For once he felt conflicted. There are a lot of heroes there, but they couldn't apprehend a single villain. Given, the young man is powerful. He looks like someone who got experimented by Verde. But to think that he's after a teenager. If he recalls right, he's after that greenet who leaped for Aizawa's life when that villain tried to attack the latter. Too bad all of them are Tsuna's elements.
Reborn briefed him that he may or may not have many people to look after. Tsuna carefully analyzed his quirk and the 'future' before giving him a specific task. Look after Aizawa, and see what he can help with the others. And with what he saw awhile ago, he really has to look out Aizawa. Not only is the hero immobile with his half sprained leg, he has to be vigilant in case the villain attacks him again. Aizawa's quirk is quite troublesome for most villains, and his death will be a good accomplishment.
His eyes glinted as he saw something twinkle from the dragon that swooped down to stop Shigaraki. It looked like a tube of some sort. The greenet is trying to stop him and the hotheaded blond with the fire hero on the way. Colonnello shifted his stance, turned the gun semi-auto, and trained his eyes somewhere near Aizawa, but lower since he can see the trajectory of the twinkle. He grinned at the thought that the villain feels so smug that he accomplished gunning down Tsuna's Dad. Bullshit. That's what he's here for. To intercept.
Just then, a bullet was fired. Colonnello stared and with his quirk activated, he saw the bullet in all angles and in a slow motion. Just as it was inches apart to hit Aizawa's leg, he pulled the trigger of his gun. He grinned when the bullet exploded. Then he concentrated again as there was a loud explosion from the villain control. His grin turned to a smirk as the villain approached Aizawa in an almost impossible speed.
"Heh." He whispered as he pulled the trigger three times. "Too slow."
Just before the hand got to Aizawa's face, it got knocked back by a bullet. Then the arm got pierced and inched away from the impact before the forearm went next. Before the young man can even try to look at his way, the greenet was able to pry him away from Aizawa who suddenly slumped. Then Colonnello felt the sudden influx of sky flames in his system. He craned his neck and reach out for his communicator.
*zzzt*
"Aizawa went unconscious, over." He reported.
"Did something happen? Over." Reborn queried from the other side.
"Broken leg. Almost got hit by the bullet, shot it down. That villain almost got him too, shot him thrice. Over."
"Good. Tsuna's waking up. Probably the fatigue that made him flame drunk. The kids?"
He watched the kids. They're shimmering orange alright. "Bloody and running with adrenaline. Looks like they'll be succumbing to Tsuna's bond drunk later. You okay there, though?"
"Who do you think you're talking to, Colonnello?" A smirking remark.
The blond rolled his eyes and watched the hotheaded blond get stabbed by there shoot belt things after saving greenet. "How's Viper?"
"Not yet reporting. I'll leave her cause I know she's working hard with Skull, Fon and Gamma. They better not get killed cause I'll kill them myself."
"Fon here, only few civilians were stranded. All were kept safe three towns away. The giant was hard to deal with. Good thing the heroes listened to us."
"Noted."
"It's becoming nasty in here." He voiced. "Can I shoot down some Noumu?"
"Go on. The brain is vulnerable, by the way."
He grinned. "Got it."
Kawahira remembers what he felt when the greatest sky arrived in their world. How everything changed in an instant without the entity doing anything to alter the situation.
He remembers walking around the commercial center of the town, watching people come and go and eyeing some with bright flames. It was an old habit he couldn't let go. Especially when he is the administrator of the Tri-ni-sette that balances this world. He's pretty much assured that time that the three sets are okay, especially the skies. The three skies are what keep the elements in place. If one of them goes, it will tip the balance and everything will feel wrong. The last time it happened, the world was bathed in chaos.
Being the administrator, Kawahira knows who and where are the elements that keeps the world uplift. He knows what kind of life they are living, and who cares what. The bearer of the mare is a white head boy of Gesso. The sky pacifier was with Aria Giglio Nero. And the Vongola is being carried by a barely four year old child regardless of not wearing the ring due to the fact that the holder during that time was not competent enough to give full sky flames to the tri-ni-sette.
However, he did feel it. The moment the villain came crushing in the establishment, he felt the world tipping out of balance. He felt his will being crushed by the burden of imbalance. He couldn't help gasping from the sheer weight and pain. He was ready to give the tri-ni-sette his own flames as an anchor when everything stilled.
As if an angel descending from above, Kawahira sensed the coming of a great flame, a sky flame. It was full of purity, conviction and warmth, slowly basking the world with its presence. He felt the tri-ni-sette being lifted from his shoulders and his flames crooning in wonderful delight. He was horrified yet fascinated with the notion that such sky flames can pull him to the lull of its warmth. It was unlike Sepira's kind of flames that gives encouragement. The entity that was descending to them was the definition of 'home'.
So he watched. He watched as Tsunayoshi Sawada stood up from a corner and greet his mother with a sincere apology above a calculating and surprised expression. He watched the child with infinite hold of flames touch the back of his head and look at it before covering it up. He was certain that Tsunayoshi Sawada of his world died, and was replaced by someone else.
This new entity saved many lives. One, his arrival satisfied the system with influx of sky flames that it stopped taking sacrifices. Two, he broke the curse on the Arcobaleno and prompted them to grow up in an almost irregular way. Three, he saved the future of the Giglio Neros and soothed the sanity of the mare for one of his parallel counterparts started to help him (it was Tsunayoshi's Byakuran in his old world). And four, he made the Vongola rings unusable for their holders. For years, Kawahira bathed himself to the flames that lingered in the air that soothed his lonely flame. As an ancient being, it has been long since he felt the need to feel emotion nor find a place to stay. But the great flame has no problem coaxing him to come and go as he pleases, so he stayed.
And now, Kawahira is experiencing it again. This time, the tri-ni-sette didn't tip to imbalance since it has been soaking with the sky flames for years. All it did was hold the half soul of the great sky. As Tsunayoshi Sawada come from the other world, the sky flame he brings are slowly coating their world. He could feel his flames singing in delight. It's like the doom they are currently experiencing is about to stop. The solace, warmth and safety are there.
As the great sky comes, Kawahira can feel his own mist flames, that he left as temporary bonds for Tsunayoshi's flame harmony, coil back to him. He can feel them latching off slowly as each pre-determined bonds started to snap back as the sky flames slowly comes. And he can't help chuckling at such irony of who the young man had gotten in him.
First, the sleeping sun Reborn.
Second, the lazy sun Shouta Aizawa.
Third, the vicious storm Touya 'Dabi' Todoroki.
Fourth, the innocent mist Shoto Todoroki.
Fifth, the protective lightning Izuku Midoriya.
Sixth, the volatile storm Tenko 'Shigaraki' Shimura.
Seventh, the calm cloud Hitoshi Shinsou
And eighth, the temperamental rain Katsuki Bakugou.
Kawahira can already see the brunet's reaction. He chuckled. Surely, those people who got a lot of injuries will have a piece of his mind. Tsunayoshi, as Byakuran has foretold, has a knack of being protective and possessive, and to have elements on both sides, it won't be long before everyone surrender under his influence.
All for One has no say to the greatest sky.
A Japanese villain has no fight against the world's vigilante leader.
"Oh right." He hummed, feeling the sky flames settling in before every tendrils were withdrawn and only lingering flames are present. "Tsunayoshi did threatened him." Then he laughed.
Clearly, everything is a mess.
It was a good thing Tsuna is so prepared for everything. He made full use of every capacity the Arcobaleno have to offer. The fact that Viper just reported that she was able to transport every civilians away, except for those who got stranded was a good achievement already. Tsuna did compress a lot of his flames, sky and sun, in a hand size balls for Viper's disposal. It also helped that Ragdoll and Skull's tag team was able to alert the people. Verde's robots helped the Hero Department students in adding more sedative on the giant.
All they are waiting now is Tsuna's awakening.
Reborn stood up and moved to sit on the bed as the sky flames influx in the room suddenly snuff out. He watched as Tsuna's chest stuttered a little in breathing before those eyes moved under their lids. And slowly and miraculously, they lifted and revealed those warm caramel eyes that they have longed to see again.
Tsuna blinked a lot of times before they looked around. A SOP that they always do, until they landed to him. He smiled softly as the brunet smiled and caramel eyes teared up with so much happiness.
"I saw Aetu." The brunet rasped, voice hoarse from misuse. "He's so grown up. My baby is so grown up."
Reborn nodded, agreeing whole heartily. "I know."
"His eyes are so grey. And he looks so much like you. He even has a badass name in the underworld. Immortal."
"Best from his Papa, right?" He joked.
Tsuna sobbed, fat tears rolling down the sides of his eyes. "He's calling me Dad now."
He smiled. "That's good."
Tsuna took a deep breath to compose himself before smiling at him warmly. "I'm home, Reborn."
"Welcome home, Tsuna." He greeted back.
He served Tsuna some water and cake for the thirst and hunger in the brunet as he filled him up on what's currently happening. He also gave the brunet a heads up on who are his elements while passing the brunet some simple shirt and pants then his white coat. Tsuna kept quiet, nodding at the right places to indicate that he understands, but never comments. He suspects that he's still processing and stocking priorities. Reborn marvelled his student though. Even after being in coma for a month and a half, he looks unyielding. Of course, he knows the brunet's capacity. Tsuna can get out of the hospital wing after a day from a near bullet to heart injury, back in the old days. He's as stubborn as Reborn. But that can't be helped, can it? There are always priorities to see.
He followed Tsuna out of the room. Tsuna is on his phone already, talking to Recovery Girl for a permission. He chuckled when the brunet had to pull the phone away from his left ear when the old lady from the other side started to yell at him for being careless. Tsuna assured the lady that he's alright and he has the hitman. Reborn didn't mind. He has to heal too, anyway.
When they got to the lobby, the doctors who has been with Tsuna since he helped Allmight assembled. Tsuna didn't dallied and started to rely, then they moved to help in the ER. Reborn sighed and deposited his coat to the reception area. His student smiled at him when he stood beside him while folding his sleeves.
"Ready, Doctor Borren?" Tsuna jabbed playfully.
He smirked. "Ready, Doctor Yoshi."
"Okay then."
Tsuna opened the door.