Taming the Skylark (A Katekyo Hitman Reborn fanfiction)

Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Amano Akira-sensei does; though, of course, the OC is mine.


"You know who the founder is?" Squalo gave him a doubtful look and frowned.

Belphegor let out a mortified sigh. "Dude, you gotta read more and fight less."

The silver-haired man was about to whack his head with the flat of his sword when Mammon joined in their conversation. "You're talking about history? That's unusual for you two."

"Do you know who the founder is, Mammon?" asked Squalo impatiently.

"No," they replied almost immediately, but added, "though I can search it up for you for 10 dollars."

Squalo scoffed and faced away. "Forget it. I'm not even that interested in the first place."

"How naive, Mammon." Belphegor grinned and wagged a finger at the floating infant. "That person is not someone you can just find in Google."

The previous Indigo Arcobaleno silently gazed at Bel as they focused their entire mental energy on him. Their eyes flickered behind the hood.

"Arianne Vescotti."

The grin on Belphegor's face was instanly erased at the mention of the name of the founder.

"She was in the same generation as the Vongola Primo and led Vi Aria, an elite team that provided assistance to the familigia. She died after marrying the first Cloud guardian, but her descendants thrived in Japan."

"Wow," Mammon added after their explanation. "Where did you learn all of these, Bel?"

A nerve popped out of the prince's forehead and a knife appeared from his right sleeve. "Hey, you little cheat. Did you read my mind?"

Already used to his threats, Mammon simply ignored him and extended a hand towards Squalo. "Give me my 10 dollars."

"Voi!" he hissed. "I told you to forget it!"

The original topic was soon forgotten as the three engaged in a brawl. Squalo refused to give Mammon their talent fee which angered the latter, while Bel was furious because Mammon used their powers on him without his permission.

Before bad could escalate to worse, Lussuria and Levi pulled the three apart from each other. Xanxus soon arrived and the Banquet started.


Nanami had already prepared herself for a bloodbath the moment she entered another hall, so it came as a total surprise when they were greeted with a welcome dinner. Together with Lilian and a few other unnamed participants, she was brought to a table that was filled with, according to hearsay, Michelin-star dishes.

A butler served them soup, and Nanami could not help but drool at the smell of warm cream and butter that came from the bread bowl.

"Wow. It looks so good," she muttered dreamily. Upon noticing that the other participants had started to eat, she decided to lunge in as well.

Needless to say, the food was delicious—and that was clearly an understatement. Nanami was sure that the dish was the best thing she tasted in her seventeen years of existence. Unable to hold back, she was quick to finish the soup.

Another plate was placed before her. It was the appetizer: shrimp drenched in garlic and olive oil.

"Is this heaven?" the brunette mumbled, forgetting that she was amidst a group of people who had killed at least a person or two.

Nanami emptied her plate with inhuman speed. Releasing a delighted sigh, she exclaimed, "This is so good!"

Lilian, who was already having the main course, chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"For something that contains poison, it surely is!" she said before taking another bite of her steak.

WHAT?

Nanami dropped her utensils. Was that a joke? She turned to the ravenette wearing a nervous smile. "Lilian, you're so funn—"

As if to end her happy daydreams, people suddenly started dropping on the floor with arms encircled around their abdomens and bubbles coming out of their mouths.

Nanami left her seat in alarm. She immediately grabbed the arm of her friend to prevent her from taking another bite. "Stop, the food is poisoned!"

Lilian blinked at her repeatedly. "Yes, I remember saying that."

"If you knew, why didn't you stop?" scolded Nanami as she snatched her utensils away. Lilian was noticeably shocked at her outburst, which only further confused the brunette. How could she be so unbothered with the sudden turn of events?

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" asked Nanami, her tone was impatient. "We could have died. This is a life-threatening situation!"

Lilian still looked lost. "Sorry, I thought you knew about the poison. I'm not sure if the others noticed it, but this is a test. The competition has already started."

Nanami was surprised when Lilian asked for another set of utensils from a passing-by waiter.

"Anyway, you should eat more. We rarely get the chance to eat three Michelin stars dishes," she said before taking another bite of her steak. "The poison is just light. Look, you even finished two plates without feeling unwell, right?"

Nanami took a quick glance at her fallen competitors. "You call that light?"

The brunette remained adamant on not eating despite the low probability that it would affect her. In the past, she had to endure a variety of concoctions as part of her shinobi training which resulted to her increased resilience to poison.

She turned to Lilian with worried eyes.

"I'm alright, Miss Nanami. I can tolerate this poison because I'm a specialist in traditional medicine," explained Lilian upon feeling her intense stare. "I'm pretty confident that amongst everyone in this room, I have the strongest immune system. Not to brag, of course." She added the last one with a bashful smile.

Nanami was amazed. Even the seemingly pampered young lady of the Hong family had something to offer.

It was at that moment she realized the gravity of her current situation. She, a complete beginner, was thrown in the unfamiliar world of mafia. If she did not want to return to Japan in a coffin, she had to get a grip and step up her game. Nanami decided to bear her fangs!

First Trial: Welcome Die-nner

Test of Resilience

Nanami: Passed

Lilian: Passed

?: ?

Soon, those who lost consciousness were taken away by men in suits. Nanami easily guessed they were lackeys of Varia.

A man with a neon-colored mohawk, dressed in a flamboyant feathery coat then walked up the stage and drew their attention.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" greeted Lussuria. "Thank you for attending this wonderful party. Are you all having a great time?"

Nanami looked at the empty seats around her. "Not everyone, that's for sure."

"To the half remaining participants, I would first like to congratulate you for passing the first test. You were so great! Watching you eat those poisonous entrees as if they were nothing sent shivers down my spine. How sexy!" He emphasized the last sentence with a flirtatious falsetto that sent shivers down their spines.

"Wow. Varia really is full of interesting people," commented Lilian as she watched Lussuria with a child-like expression. Nanami only sighed tiredly.

He cleared his throat. "Okay, let me explain the flow of the competition. It consists of five trials, and the first one is this welcome dinner. The third and fourth trials will be held tomorrow while the last one will be on the day after that."

"Wait. What about the second one?" asked someone from another table.

There was a short pause before Lussuria's lips curled into a grin.

"Oh. That starts now."

A sudden crash made Nanami jolt in surprise. She immediately turned to the direction of the sound and found Lilian unconscious, her face flat on her emptied plate.

"Lilian!" she tried to shake the ravenette awake, but it was futile. She reached for her neck and was instantly relieved to feel her carotid pulse.

Her competitors collapsed one after another. Soon, it was her turn to feel dizzy. Her eyesight blurred and she slowly felt her consciousness slip away.

Nanami softly leaned her head on the table, and the last thing she saw was a man with a head of a bird who was dressed in a black tuxedo.

Was that... her escort to the afterlife? Never did she expect the God of Death to have such a dumb-looking appearance. Life was indeed full of surprises.

Belphegor silently watched Nanami from the table he shared with the other Varia members. He was glad that, at least, his representative was one of the last competitors who passed out.

He grinned. "You better win, Nanami-chan."

Second Trial: Sleep to Your Death

Test of Alertness

START


Author's Note:

Hi, I hope you're enjoying this arc! I'm trying to update as frequently as possible because I'm already excited with the next one: TYL.

Also, Arianne Vescotti will play an important role in the future arcs so please don't forget about her! (•̀ᴗ•́)