RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – WE'RE NOT GOING BACK
The Varia Warship
The Varia have all lost their former focus on the incredible energy that Tsuna and Honda are putting out. Right now their attention is divided between two things, the Yakuza ground soldiers that could be coming any minute and the battle that Xanxus is going through.
"Mafia DIE, DIE, DIE" Varon rabidly yells.
The Varia members look into the water. There is no sign of Xanxus. The water is choppy, a result of the distant battles, it would be hard to swim if the Varia leader had lost his dying will flame.
"Mafia… dead?" Varon shouts as he cranes his neck forward.
A whirlpool appears in the water with Xanxus at the centre. A huge cloud of steam rises from the epicentre of the whirlpool, an effect of the incredible heat Xanxus flames are putting out.
"Voi, what did I tell you, the boss is alive" Squalo shouts as he turns back towards his comrades.
"Don't get so overexcited Squalo, I was never going to lose from a hit like that". Xanxus locks eyes with Varon, wondering what he will see behind those eyes. The answer is just what he expects, there is nothing behind those eyes, the man is lost.
Xanxus raises his gun and fires a bullet towards Varon. As the bullet is launched rage flames latch onto it as if they have been drawn from the air with a magnet. Varon counters by throwing his ball directly at the bullet, the two collide in the air.
Varon easily overpowers Xanxus and the ball hurtles towards the mafioso. A hit from something like that would kill an ordinary man and the son of the 9th is not such a fool as to take it. He appears behind his opponent using his superior speed and manoeuvrability.
"Raw strength is nothing without skill" Xanxus lectures his opponent purposelessly.
The scarred mafioso fires two shots into the ankles of Varon in an attempt to weaken his footing. The follow up is a kick to Varon's chest reinforced by a smattering of rage flames.
Despite all the physical abuse Varon only stumbles backwards, hardly moving from his starting position. As the Varia leader refuses to let up and closes the distance the crazed Yakuza conjures up his retaliation. Gathering one of his heavy balls in each hand, Varon brings his arms towards each other in an exaggerated clapping motion.
Squalo takes note that Xanxus head is the target, "He's going to be hit".
Xanxus points his pistols downwards and fires into the sea, propelling himself upwards. He avoids the potentially lethal attack by the narrowest of margins.
The Varia leader falls down until he is on a level footing with Varon, as if the two are walking on an invisible floor. The latter takes no time in resuming his so far ineffective offensive. Making the most basic of attacks he simply pushes his two heavy balls towards the one he identifies as mafia.
Before the deadly weapons can reach him Xanxus hastens to fire a pair of shots at them. The collision of their powers forces both men to stagger back slightly. Even with superior technique and skill, it seems Xanxus is only on a level with Varon.
Lussuria looks to his most experienced comrade. "Mammon, what do you think is going to happen".
"The boss has superior skill and technique but the other guys destructive power is amazing" the Arcobaleno replies honestly. "I think the boss can win though".
"Of course he can win, he will win" Squalo insists, "His anger will burn more fiercely than ever before because he is being confronted by the people who killed his father".
Near to the Shimon Family Warship
This is the location of the noisiest battle between the Mafia and Yakuza. Currently the 'warship' is engaging in battle with the Yakuza battleship. The 'warships' have received modifications from the Chiavarone family, mostly in an effort to bolster their weapons with the dying will flames, prior to that they were just battleships like any other.
The battling ships are not the cause of the noise though; the cause of the noise is the battle between the Hitman Tutor Reborn and the talented musician Sakura. As Sakura creates wave after wave of harmful sound, Reborn carefully uses his whip to deflect the waves in a direction where they will harm the least amount of people.
Sakura stomps her feet, if such a thing is possible in mid-air, following her lack of success. She doesn't believe there is a child in the world stronger than her. Sakura resolves herself and plays the loudest note she can, this creates a huge all-encompassing wave that Reborn cannot dodge.
Reborn places the whip out before him and rotates his wrist as quickly as he can. The last yard of the whip spins around the epicentre that has formed in line with the Arcobaleno's arm. This creates a circle, that circle cuts through the middle of Sakura's wave creating a hole with a small diameter, Reborn jumps through this to avoid harm.
After avoiding Sakura's strongest attack Reborn takes the offensive, leaping towards Sakura until he is right before the young girl. As Reborn throws a punch towards the Yakuza's face she narrowly dodges to the side.
"Missed me" taunts the youngster as she sticks her tongue out.
"No" Reborn smiles back to her and gestures to his other hand using his head.
Sakura looks at Reborn's other hand. "AHHH" she screams.
Reborn is holding a gun in his other hand, a gun he quickly fires. The bullet does not hit Sakura; such a thing is too barbaric for Reborn, the bullet knocks the trumpet away from the Yakuza.
"Sakura's trumpet" she childishly yells.
"Listen here little girl" Reborn begins, "I don't care about it being evil to use slaves or what people you are trying to impress. The Yakuza ruined my students wedding day and for that you must pay dearly".
The hitman brandishes his whip and pulls back his arm.
Sakura closes her eyes and clenches all of her muscles causing Reborn to hesitate.
'She's scared' he concludes.
Reborn decides against killing his opponent. He hits her in the back of the neck, disabling her temporarily. With the weaker Yakuza members walking on the water as they fight below it is certain in his mind one of them will pick her up.
A few hundred meters away another major battle is taking place between the two heavy hitters. Kozato Enma and Kosuke Yaru.
Enma repeats an attack he has used many times in this fight. He creates a black hole and uses his hammer to propel the black hole into his opponent. This however, has no effect on Yaru, who reacts by kicking the hammer and sending the block hole up into the sky.
"Don't you get it yet" Yaru asks, "I can deflect your strongest attack, the only way you could have survived was to run".
Yaru smiles as if he has his prey in his sights. With everything going on around him perhaps all has needed is a good fight to relieve the stress he is feeling.
Suddenly as he regains his senses Yaru turns his head towards a nearby battle to see his friend falling towards the sea.
"SAKURA".
Yaru wastes no time, immediately abandoning his fight to aid his comrade.
The third battle in this area involves Yaru's sister Lucy and the CEDEF leader Basil.
Lucy summons a huge collection of glass that appears behind her with the sharp ends pointing at her potential victim. As the shards launch towards their target most men would be killed. Basil is not most men.
A trick he has seen the 9th do many times; Basil spins his staff at full speed, deflecting every shard of glass that is sent his direction. This kind of fight is perfect for him.
"Damn you…" Lucy curses.
Basil calmly stares his opponent down.
"I can't lose to some kid who was so weak the time we last met".
"I'm not the same as I was back then" Basil declares without blinking, "I'm afraid you will have to cope with the defeat".
As Basil says that Lucy is distracted by the beeping of her radio. This radio was handed out to all of the strongest Yakuza before this war began, a means of communicating.
"Master, we need help" the voice on the radio says.
'It's my brother' Lucy realises as she locks her eyes on the aforementioned sibling. Currently he is a few hundred yards away, holding an injured Sakura on the surface of the water.
"Oh, you want to speak to me in the middle of a fight, what do you want" the master impatiently replies.
"It's Sakura, she's been defeated and she is injured, I need to get her somewhere with medical attention now".
"She needs help?" Honda questioned rhetorically.
"Yes" Yaru replies.
"Lucy, I know you can hear me" Honda begins, not caring that his voice is still audible to Yaru, "Your brothers clearly gone soft in the head, make sure he lets the child drown".
"I CAN'T DO THAT" Yaru yells into the radio, "I won't let her drown, no matter what".
"I have no need for weak soldiers" Honda explains, "If anyone is defeated yet survives, they will get the cane".
Yaru clenches himself as he looks towards his sister.
Basil and Reborn are eavesdropping on the conversation through the radios of Lucy and Yaru respectively. Both fail to understand why the remark has caused this moment of silence.
Bringing an end to the silence Lucy screams, a scream so loud that it can be heard even on the deck of the warship. It's like something in her mind has snapped.
Basil starts, still not understanding what is happening.
'The way she has reacted to the mention of this cane, can it be that the Yakuza tortured her with it before' Reborn questions to himself.
The Hitman's thoughts are interrupted by an explosion of aura as Lucy begins to scream and shout.
"EVERYONE WILL DIE".
Reborn doesn't have time to ponder the important questions, he immediately warns Basil.
"WATCH OUT BASIL, SHE HAS JUST GOTTEN A LOT MORE DANGEROUS".
Unsure as to whether his words have reached Basil or not, Reborn moves in the direction of his battle as quickly as possible. The Hitman Tutor is followed by Enma who shares his concern for what is about to happen. Finally, Yaru picks Sakura up in his arms and follows them, hoping beyond hope that he can save his sisters mind.
Before any help can arrive Basil is attacked. Lucy summons a huge amount of glass; the greatest amount she has ever created which Reborn estimates must weigh several tonnes. Lucy continually regenerates the glass as she fires it at Basil without letting up. Basil attempts to block it but eventually a muscle spasm causes him to let the glass through his defensive wall. As blood seeps from Basil's body a chilling fact becomes obvious to Reborn.
Basil is dead.
"BASIL" Enma yells.
"Sis, you have to calm down" Yaru implores his elder sibling.
"NEVER, NEVER, NEVER" Lucy yells on repeat as she changes her target from Basil to Enma.
Enma's weapon is a hammer, he cannot defend himself against such an attack in the same way Basil did. His weapon is too heavy. As the glass bares down on the red-haired boss he closes his eyes.
Enma feels no glass and is not in any pain so he opens his eyes. His hope is that the horror has gone but it has not, for him it has greatly worsened.
Reborn got in the way.
Reborn took the hit for him.
"Reborn" Enma sobs as he spots his teacher falling towards the sea having lost control of his own body.
Enma chases after Reborn, determined not to let him fall into the sea in his condition.
"Sis, that's enough" Yaru yells to his sister.
No words are getting through to Lucy. "Everyone must die" she screams as she takes aim at the diving Enma.
Yaru positions himself between his beaten opponents and his dark haired sibling.
"THAT'S ENOUGH".
Lucy maintains the glass' position in the air as she looks at her brother. Something in her eyes seems to change for a moment before she lets out another primal scream. Lucy flies away while maintaining her screams and curses.
"Big brother Yaru, what do we do now" Sakura asks as she looks at Yaru with inquisitive eyes.
Yaru smiles and does his best to hold back his tears, "Don't worry Sakura, I'm going to take you somewhere really safe, then we can get your injuries looked at".
"Are we not going back" Sakura asks.
"No" Yaru replies as he begins to fly towards the coast of Italy, "No, we're not going back".