They lost.
And losing means the destruction of this world. The last world where they could defeat Byakuran using the Vongola Rings with the help of the 10th Generation Vongola guardians.
Shoichi couldn't believe it, he felt miserable as he lay on the ground in his own puddle of blood, his body burning in pain at the heavy injury he gained during the Choice battle. But nothing's compared to the bitterness of failing to stop Byakuran from conquering the world… as Shoichi does his best not to think too much about his own situation focusing instead on his own breathing and calming down.
'I failed. I failed. This is it. This is the end…. For all of us. I was supposed to stop Byakuran here. We were supposed to win this match! And yet!...' Shoichi couldn't help himself but to go down in a spiral of despair and anguish, just wishing himself to die already.
"Shoichi-kun! Don't die!" a young familiar voice shouted frantically as he heard running footsteps coming towards him as he felt two people knelt beside him on opposite sides.
"I'm sorry, Tsuna… I failed…. If only I defended myself…. Better!" Shoichi apologized as he opened his eyes, to see Tsuna and Hayato's worried faces were staring at him, and that's when realization hit him. He not only failed himself, but he also failed both Tsuna of the present and the past, along with everyone else that was counting on in this battle, making the lost 10x heavier than it already is. Now Shoichi wished nothing more than to die in that instant.
'I bet it was orders from Byakuran' Shoichi concluded, understanding that if it was the green-haired man, he would've no hesitation in killing the traitor with that attack. But due to Byakuran's orders he didn't, after all if there's one thing he knows of Byakuran's subordinates, is that they'll do anything to please their god.
"Don't talk. You need to rest, here's your glasses" Gokudera advised, as he put his glasses back on for him.
'Why? Why was I born in this world? If only I wasn't born then none of this would've happened…Why didn't I die?!I would rather die than let Byakuran win, at least that's one less trophy for that monster. Damn it!' Shoichi felt dread as he felt himself vomiting, remembering the last time he and Byakuran talked in-person.
'I can't! No way! I can't let it end like this!I need to correct this or else Future Tsuna's trust and everyone's future will be the end!' Shoichi repeated in his head like a mantra, resolving himself to move to stand up one more time, in order to defeat Byakuran even if it meant death to himself.
"It's not over! We can still fight!" Shoichi shouted in desperation as he tried to stand up, reaching his hand up at Byakuran's direction.
"No Shoichi-kun! If you move the blood will-!" Tsuna tried to reason with a desperate voice as Shoichi forced himself to stand up.
"Are you trying to kill yourself?!" Hayato added worriedly, as they both looked at Shoichi's desperate shouts agitatedly.
"I don't care if I die! I would gladly die if it meant defeating Byakuran-san! Gah!" Shoichi proclaimed as blood spluttered on his mouth and nose, as he fell back on the floor hard, blood oozed out faster than before.
"Shoichi-kun, what are you saying?... I don't get it…." Tsuna whispered barely as his body started shaking, as Hayato looked at Tsuna with confusion and sadness.
"Why do you feel so strongly about defeating Byakuran that you would sell yourself and even push yourself this far! I just don't understand it at all! Tell me Shoichi-kun, Why do you fight so hard to defeat Byakuran, why is Byakuran so obsessed with you?! What on Earth happened between the two of you?!" Tsuna begged due to his confusion of the situation, as Shoichi's eyes widened and then closed his eyes as he prepared himself.
"I'm sorry, if I explained it to you much earlier even before the match started…. No, I should've told you everything right from the start when I joined your family. As part of the Vongola Family now I should've never kept any secret from you from the start. I just selfishly believed that you would simply understand without having me to say or do anything at all…." Shoichi admitted in regret and resignation, taking a deep breath and he looked up at the clear blue sky above, blanking his mind and emotions, and started reminiscing about the day his whole life changed.
"It all began eleven years ago, I was also living in Namimori Town just like all of you, when suddenly one day I ended up helping Lambo-san -"
"The stupid cow is a part of this?!" Hayato shouted, stupefied.
"Huh?! Lambo's involved in this?!" Tsuna shouted in perplexity.
"Haha… yeah, he was. Anyway, after helping him out-" As Shoichi recounted to them what happened in the past and how it's connected in this time.
"While cleaning my room…. I changed places with myself from 10 years later…" Shoichi remembered like it was yesterday when it happened, because of the bizarreness and out-of-ordinary experience of it.
"Terrified, I fled into the University grounds. And it was there that I bumped into a certain man…."
"Byakuran-san…." One second he was cleaning his room, and then the next boom smoke filled his vision and he was in an unknown library, that he would later find out in a university from another country. And who would've thought that the person he first bumped into, would be the man that will change the world forever.
"At that time, Byakuran-san was just any other person at that point" Shoichi supplemented, letting the information sink into them, adding just more questions rather than answers to the now more confused Tsuna and Hayato.
"Sadly, I was disappointed in my future that I hadn't become a musician…. That's my dream, you see… That's why I resolved myself to change the future and become a musician" Shoichi informed determinedly.
'If only I wasn't so utterly disappointed in my future and just let it happen…. None of this would've ever happened at all! Stupid Shoichi! Stupid Shoichi and his darn stubborness!' Shoichi thought in regret and guilt as he felt himself crying for his past mistakes, wanting to take a time machine to return back to the past and correct all of it.
"Change the future? But to change the future, you also need to change the past" Hayato blurted out, as he tried to piece the puzzles and try to see the bigger picture.
"Correct. And since there is more than one future…. This is what we call the Parallel Worlds" Shoichi answered, just as everyone came running towards him to listen to his stories. Shoichi continued his time travel story. He waited one year before time travelling again.
"However, he'd got into a little financial problem and was being chased by some kind of gang. I fled from the shop as fast as I could, and it wasn't long before I run straight into that very same man, again…. Byakuran-san" shocking Tsuna and Reborn at the mere coincidence of running into the same man again.
'Accident…. Or destiny? Byakuran had always believed that our meeting was always inevitable' Shoichi thought bitterly, remembering one of their conversations during their University years.
"And that's when it happened. I was simply going to run away again, minding my own business, when he grabbed my shoulder stopping me from moving, I was going to tell him to let go when he suddenly collapsed on his knees…. The words he uttered were the words that would give me nightmares, a memory that I want to forget, buried deep within my mind that I don't want to resurface ever again…." making Tsuna nervous at his truthful statement.
"I have met you before. Somewhere else…. Somewhere completely different from here…. In another world! It happened in a University, your name was I…r…i…e…" shocking Reborn and Hayato.
"W-what does it mean?" Tsuna questioned bewilderment.
"I didn't understand it either, it was only through my repeated time-travelling will I learn the ability of Byakuran's power….On my third time-travel, the world was in ruins. Reduced to ash and rubbles by war…. "And through the mobile terminals of that time, I saw a speech being given by the dictator who had caused the war and conquered the world as a result…. A man named Byakuran" alarming everyone in the vicinity at the horrible future he just told them.
"No way!" Tsuna shouted in disbelief as Shoichi whizzed and coughed up blood. As he continued retelling his story. That he had tried to cause as many changes as he could and time travelled back in the future multiple times
"But every time, though my changes did have some effect - the worlds were not identical. Every future that I visited was under the control of Byakuran-san! Gah! Gah!" Shoichi revealed as he was coughing up some blood while Reborn and Ryohei tended to him.
"The truth is, he had used the ability that I had awakened in him for his own selfish and greedy purposes…. And that is the ability to share all of his knowledge and thoughts amongst all of his selves from the same point in time across a multitude of parallel worlds! Gah! Gah!" Shoichi revealed the truth that he'd been wanting to spill for a very long time and as he finally let it out, he felt like a heavy boulder was finally lifted off his shoulder, and breathing became easier even though he was bruised and injured heavily.
"And through my 8th time travel. I lost my memories" as everyone looked at him in bewilderment. As Shoichi further explains what exactly happened, gaining a set of instruction, going to a foreign university to befriend Byakuran, getting close to him without his prior knowledge of what he's up to.
"What's ironic is that after completing the game of Choice is that the time I spent with Byakuran were the happiest moments in my life. Especially when we started dating, it was a shock to me when he confessed to me…. It was like a fairy tale, with the typical rich and popular idol dating a pathetic nerdy me" Shoichi chuckled at the cruel irony of their tragic love story.
And as he continued to explain that through his research and findings he found out that out of all the parallel universes out there this was the only world where they had a chance of defeating Byakuran, shocking Tsuna and the others at the revelation of the harsh reality in front of them.
"Speaking of it, the me of this world is also dead…. Agh! Not that I'm blaming you or anything Shoichi! 'Cause I'm not! Remember, you, my future self, and future Hibari planned it, so I'm not mad or anything! Not! Not! Not at all!" Tsuna denied frantically waving his hands around comically.
"Ha ha…. You're wrong Tsunayoshi-kun. The bullet I used on you, was a "special type" of bullet. I used a bullet similar to that of the "Dying Will Bullet" and led you into a death state…. Hah… hah…." Shoichi chuckled at Tsunayoshi's reaction, even after everything that's been happening around them, Tsuna is still Tsuna and that will never change anytime soon.
"If there's one thing that we could appreciate Byakuran doing, is that he personally ordered me to kill the Tsunayoshi of this time…. Hah…. hah…." Shoichi huffed as he started to take deep breaths as it became harder for him to breath and talk non-stop while his body was in a critical state even though both sun users Ryohei and Reborn are working on his injuries.
"Then that coffin is?!"
"A mist created to hide from the enemies" Shoichi confirmed to Tsuna and everyone. And through that revelation, a feeling of lightness spread at everyones, as they found out that their beloved friend, boss, and family is still alive.
"I could still remember it, his final last words…."
….
"Is that so? Goodbye, Vongola Decimo. Your death by the hands of the strongest Mafia famiglia will confirm our victory to control the whole world" Shoichi said goodbye-d coldly as he took his gun out and aimed straight at Vongola's chest from behind.
"You may have attained victory for now, but the me of that time…. who holds the biggest possibilities…. shall come soon…." Vongola Decimo stated with utmost confidence as he passed the baton to his younger version of himself and his guardians.
"BANG!" Then a thud as a body fell on the floor lifelessly.
…..
As Shoichi passed the message of the future Tsuna to his younger self and guardians, a well of warm pride and comfort took over in their hearts knowing that the adult Tsuna never faltered his trust and belief on them whether they're adults or kids. And as Tsuna exhaled, he finally fully accepted the cold hard truth that he's been denying himself a long time ago ever since he found out the truth from Shoichi.
"That's right, the ones awaiting your arrival isn't just Byakuran who want the rings, but the ones who yearned and wanted you guys to be here the most to defeat Byakuran are Tsunayoshi-kun and me!" Shoichi disclosed it sincerely.
"Now now Sho-chan, when you say things like that. It makes me really jealous" Byakuran suddenly voiced out, announcing his arrival proudly along with his Funeral Wreaths behind him, his smile radiating victory and mockery at the state Tsuna and the others are. Relinquishing in happiness, as realization hit Tsuna and the others about how dire the situation really was.
'No! Not yet Byakuran-san, we can still turn things around!' Shoichi thought vehemently, as he remembers something very crucial during their college days.
"Byakuran-san, remember during University, the last Choice we had, was won by me. And you who didn't have any credits left said this…. The next time we play Choice, as a payback, I would agree to any agreement you favour. Then I'll use it now, I request a Choice rematch!" Shoichi shouted with conviction as his emerald eyes shining with burning defiance, as everyone was shocked at the reveal.
"Sorry, I don't remember such a thing…." Byakuran nonchalantly denied, shattering Shoichi's heart as their last hope crumbled in front of him.
"You bastard! Don't lie! Damn it!" Shoichi roared as he forced himself to stand up, blood spilling, his injuries reopening as Tsuna and Hayato grabbed his shoulder as they shouted at him to stop forcing himself and to just lie down.
'You bastard! You monster! I trusted you! I trusted you!' Shoichi thought in regret, believing that no matter how much of a monster Byakuran was, he would never betray him when it comes to the Choice game. A game that they both created. A game that they both loved and cherished up until their last years in University. After graduating from University, everything changed, when the clogged from a clock that has stopped temporarily has started moving, that was the time Byakuran and Shoichi both started to move up their plans for the battle of the future.
"Sigh~ Sho-chan, enough with the tantrum I've already spoiled you enough by playing with the Vongolas for too long already, it's time for you to come back to your real master, now" Byakuran chided as he started walking towards their group.
"Wait a minute Byakuran, I get the fact that you want the Vongola Rings and Arcobaleno Pacifiers for the Trinisette, and I understand that Shoichi indirectly gave you that ability, but that was an accident! Can't you just leave Shoichi alone!? He's not a thing that should be won and used as a toy!" Tsuna shouted in rebuttal, anger can be seen in his eyes as he stood up and stood in front of the lying Shoichi spreading his arms wide as Byakuran walked closer to them, displeasing Byakuran to the point that his trademark smile disappeared.
"My my you have a lot of nerves defying me this much Tsunayoshi-kun. First of all, you have no right or power to defy me. I could kill you and all of your allies in just a snap of my finger, I'm losing my patience so I suggest you stop this right now. Because the only thing that's stopping me from killing all of you is my precious Sho-chan. After all, if I'm going to kill you, I would not want my lover to watch me at my most horrifying times, you see" Byakuran's heavy cold tone of threat sent a shiver down everyone's spine as the hair in their body stood up. The tension in the air felt suffocating as if the air around them were being sucked, the most affected by this were the girls who never felt such dangers in their life before, as they suddenly felt scared and nauseous.
"Objection!" A young female voice spoke up out of nowhere as everyone turned their heads around the newcomer.