Chapter 8: The Last Dying Will Bullet
Kouga finally catches up to Tsuna as he lost Fuuta in the forest and they decided to look around for the boy.
"Hey! Fuuta! Answer me!" Tsuna shouts.
"Fuuta!" Kouga calls out.
The two continues walk around the forest for him but no sight.
"Kouga-san, maybe we should have turned right back there?" Tsuna asks.
"Who knows." Kouga replies.
When both of them reach the forest opening, they hear rustling behind them causing the two to turn back.
"Fuuta?" Tsuna calls but instead of the Ranking Prince, they see a student wearing a Kokuyo uniform. "HIE! A Kokuyo student!" He shrieks and lands backward on the ground as Kouga has his hand on the handle of his buster sword, getting ready to fight again.
However, instead of fighting them, the student steps out of the trees towards the two. The student has blue pineapple-shaped hair covering his right eye and left blue eye. Underneath the jacket is a shirt with a misty design.
"You two must have come to save us." He asks.
"Eh?" Tsuna says and Kouga moves his hand away from the handle but keeps his stern expression.
"Thank you very much." The student says. "I thought I would never be able to get away from this place."
"Were you a hostage too?" Kouga asks.
"Coming all this way to save us…"
"Well…"
"You must have very strong friends." The student says.
"Well, there's a girl, a woman, and a baby too." Tsuna replies.
"A baby? In a dangerous place like this?"
"Well, he's kind of special."
"Is he really strong when he fights?"
"Of course not. A baby isn't going to fight." Kouga replies while Tsuna looks away with a paled expression.
"Well, who knows how easy this would be if he actually fought." He mutters.
Unknown to them the student smirks slightly. "So he must do something indirectly."
"Ah… Well… I can't go into the details." Tsuna replies.
"Why not?"
Noticing the question, Tsuna looks away from the student. "Oh, yeah! There's a Nami Middle student named Hibari-san here-"
"I'm the one asking the questions."
"Huh?"
"What does that baby indirectly do?" The student questions as the wind blow through his hair revealing a red eye with a character 6.
Tsuna takes aback seeing this as Kouga hardens his expression.
"His eye!" Tsuna exclaims in his head.
"Hey Tsuna, shouldn't go back?" Kouga asks.
"That's right! We got split up! We need to get back to them!" Tsuna exclaims. "We'll come back with our friends! See you later!"
With that, Tsuna and Kouga quickly run back to where their friends are, leaving the student in the forest.
With the group, a man wearing the Kokuyo uniform with a large chain ball standing before them blocking the path where Tsuna and Kouga went.
"We need to get through him to get to Juudaime." Gokudera says to the rest of the group.
"That's pointless." The man tells them as he takes off his hat, revealing his face to be the one in the photo that Reborn showed them of Rokudo Mukuro and his lackeys. "You cannot defeat me."
"Ah! You're-!" Yamamoto exclaims in realization.
"Rokudo Mukuro!" Gokudera finishes his sentence.
"So you've finally shown yourself."
"What did you do to Fuuta!" Bianchi questions him.
"Fuuta? I don't know him." He replies as he lifts his heavy weapon and spins it around his head like it is nothing.
"What strength." The baseball ace comments.
"If that were to hit…" The silverrette adds, but unable to finish his sentence when he suddenly feels pain, causing him to crouch down.
"Gokudera!/Hayato!" Yamamoto and Bianchi call out in surprise.
Bianchi goes over to him and feels his forehead, realizing that it's hot. "He's got a terrible fever." She thought. "Is this the side-effect of the Trident Mosquito Shamal uses?"
"Who's first?" The man named Mukuro asks.
Yamamoto stands in front of him. "I'll take you on."
"Hm." Mukuro swings the chain in an unusual manner in such that the huge metal ball is swung in front of him. "Senja Reppa (Thousand Snakes Fierce Domination)!" He cries as he strikes his palm onto the ball, striking it forward with incredible force.
"It's slow!" The baseball fanatic thought as he moves to the side, avoiding the moving weapon, but he suddenly pulled in and the ball strikes him hard, pushing back onto the ground.
"Yamamoto!" Gokudera calls out.
"Why?" Bianchi asks in shock. "He completely evaded it!"
"Now you know." The spiked haired man tells them as he drags his weapon back. "There's no way for you to survive. Throw away your hope."
"This isn't looking good." Reborn comments. "This one's strong."
Meanwhile, Tsuna and Kouga are running through the forest to where the rest of the group are.
"We need to meet up with everyone." Tsuna says.
"It wouldn't be funny to get attacked here." Kouga comments.
"Don't say that, Kouga-san!"
Tsuna then remembers the blue-haired student. "He was an odd person. Creepy… Does everyone captured by Rokudo Mukuro change like that?" He then remembers the words Fuuta told him and the group.
'I'm sticking with Rokudo Mukuro-san.'
"It's all right, Tsuna." Kouga tells him who is running next to him.
"Eh?"
"Whatever happens to Fuuta, we will definitely bring him back, right?"
"Kouga-san… Yes!"
Back to the others, they are still caught up with Mukuro in front of them. He has his weapon ready. "Who's next?" He asks.
"Damn." Gokudera gets up, ignoring the pain his body is in.
"Matte." Everyone turns their attention to the baseball idiot as he tries to get up. "I haven't lost yet."
"Yamamoto!"
"It would've been close if I hadn't used this as a shield." He smiles as he holds onto his baseball bag.
"Yamamoto, you idiot." Gokudera says. "You had me worried."
"It doesn't change the fact that his attack is dangerous." Reborn pops up beside Gokudera which spook him. "We need to solve the mystery of that attack."
"Yeah. It's just like the kid says." Yamamoto says.
"Resistance is foolish." Their opponent tells them. "Pointless struggling only brings about a more tragic end." He swings his ball in front of him once more. "Senja Reppa!" he fires his attack once more.
Yamamoto digs and drags his bat on the ground. "I'll reveal his secret…" And swings it up as the dirt flings into the air, "with this!"
"Good work, Yamamoto." Reborn praises him. The dirt in the air starts to spin around the ball as it flies through it, revealing the spinning air currents around the metal ball.
"That's…" Gokudera realizes, but Bianchi finishes his sentence.
"Air currents!"
"Yabe!" The baseball fanatic manages to dodge the ball just in time. "That was a close one."
Mukuro looks at them, unfazed.
"I've heard of it before." Yamamoto explains. "A baseball creates turbulence behind it as it travels. But… this isn't anything like baseball."
"The secret to that turbulence is the snake-like patterns carved into that steel ball." Reborn adds.
"What do you mean?" Bianchi asks.
"The snake-like grooves twist the air currents around the ball." He explains further. "The currents that travel through the grooves merge in a complex fashion and create a violent gale with much greater power."
"Just because you understand, doesn't mean it will help." Mukuro tells them, as he flings his weapon into the air.
"Just follow the basics." Yamamoto thought. "Dodge it, and strike after he throws."
"Bouja Reppa (Violent Snake Fierce Domination)!" He brings both palms in front of him and strikes with them as the ball reaches in front of him, sending the ball flying again.
"Now!" The baseball fanatic runs away from the incoming metal ball.
"It's pointless." The man mumbles.
"Yamamoto looks back to be in shock. "It's spinning?!" He shouts as the ball spin, creating a huge gale that sucks him in front of the weapon and it hits him once more, with a far greater force. Yamamoto is thrown backward by the force on to the tree, knocked unconscious.
"Yamamoto!" Gokudera shouts.
"I told you to throw away your hope." He tells them. "I'll give you a tragic ending, as promised."
"Son of a…" The bomber growls as he takes out his dynamites. "Sto-!" His body starts to cry out in pain as he drops his weapons. The man slowly walks towards them, his weapon ready and looks at his two preys and decided to take the one that's unconscious. Bianchi and Ruki immediately stand in front of them, their weapons ready.
"We won't let you." Bianchi tells him.
"Don't take another step forward!" Ruki adds.
"I haven't used thirty percent of my strength." He informs them. "You don't have a chance in a million."
Ruki's expression doesn't break but her hands tremble at the fact that Mukuro hasn't used his full strength at them.
"Looks like one of you realized that you don't have a chance against me." He looks at the white-haired girl. He then swings his ball in front of him again and fires another Senja Reppa at her, knocking her back beside Yamamoto.
"Ruki! Damn you…"
"Just give up."
With Tsuna and Kouga, they are still walking around the woods, trying to find their way back to their group.
"I've could have sword they were around here…" Tsuna leading Kouga says.
"Maybe I should lead." Kouga asks.
"No, it's oka-" Tsuna suddenly falls and slides down the slope.
"Tsuna!" Kouga runs towards only to slip and falls down after him. Both fall on top of each other, grumbling in pain.
"Ite-te-te-te-te…" Tsuna mumbles." As he gets on his feet. "That was close…"
"Why were you on top of me when you fell down first?" Kouga mumbles.
"Hm?"
"What is it, Tsuna?" Kouga asks as he looks down, seeing their group just a few steps down. "There they are!"
"Oi- HIEE!" The brunette calls out but stops when he sees the man they are fighting against. "That's the Rokudo Mukuro from the photo!" He thought in shock.
"Uwa! Back up! Back up !" He cries as he crawls back in fright. But then he notices the three unconscious people. "Gokudera-kun! Yamamoto! Ruki-chan!"
Kouga also looks to where their friends are and sees the unconscious Ruki on the ground. "Ruki!" Feeling anger rushing up, he puts his right hand on his head trying to resist in him. "Not now!"
Tsuna then looks at the poison scorpion who is defending them. "Bianchi is trying to protect them! That guy…"
Then Kouga looks at the brunette. "Tsuna?"
"Oi! What do you think you're doing?!" He suddenly shouts at them. Everyone turns to face the brunette and his friend.
"T-Tsuna…?" Kouga questions his friend's common sense with a sweat drop.
"Tsuna!" Bianchi calls out as Reborn smirks at his student sudden bravery.
"You're…" The man starts by his sudden appearance. "Vongola…"
"What am I doing?!" Tsuna cries. "Why am I yelling at Rokudo Mukuro as if he was Lambo!"
"Get down here, Vongola!" The man calls out to him.
"HIEEE! Ano… Err…"
"I'll defeat this woman and wait."
"Eh?"
"Bouja Reppa!" He shouts as he fires his weapon at the last member in the group. Bianchi can only stand still, awaiting her demise.
"Bianchi!" Both teens call out in shock.
"This is the time to give your all, your Dying Will." Reborn mutters. "Leon." His cocoon chameleon transforms into his trademark green pistol. "Go wild. The last one." He fires the last dying will bullet. The metal ball slowly comes spinning towards Bianchi but Tsuna immediately runs in front of her, grabbing the spinning ball, and slowing it down completely.
"Tsuna!" Bianchi shouts in surprise.
"He stopped the Bouja Reppa?!" The man says in shock.
"RE-BORN!" The brunette shouts as a flame is set ablaze on his forehead and his clothes are rips off. "ROKUDO MUKURO! I'LL DEFEAT YOU WITH MY DYING WILL!"
"It's your last ace." Reborn states. "Go settle things with Mukuro."
"You can't defeat me with some half-assed power." Mukuro tells the brunette.
"COME AT ME!"
"Minna! What's going on?" Kouga asks as he runs towards the group from where he was.
"Kouga!" Bianchi calls out.
"That's Vongola Sky Knight…" The man claims. "But you wouldn't defeat me. Bouja Reppa!" he fires his weapon at the running teen.
"Kouga! Watch out!" She calls out.
The ball spin closer to him, bring a deadly gale in its wake. Kouga stops in his tracks to find the metal ball coming closer to him.
"Farewell." The man mumbles.
In a heartbeat, Kouga draws out his buster sword in front of him using the side, and the ball stops completely when it touches the blade as the windblown passes him. Everyone who is conscious, except Reborn gawks at the sight.
"What?!"
"He stopped it!" Bianchi comments.
"That was close!" The black-haired teen shouts as he shakes his hand out from the numbness. "That attack was the same level that Gramps gave me back then during training." The ball drops to the ground and quickly runs to their side. "Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah." Bianchi replies.
"Kouga. What do you think about the outcome?" Reborn asks.
"Who knows, but Tsuna seems stronger than before…" Kouga replies looking at the two opponents who are looking at each other, with the man swinging his weapon in the air.
"Gouja Reppa (Reinforced Snake Fierce Dominance)!" He shouts as he fires his ball. The ball goes flying towards Tsuna with the gale following. The brunette ducks down and avoid the ball and its gale, before he dashes forward and swings an uppercut at him, knocking him into the air.
"That boy…" Bianchi is startled at the brunette's performance. "He's gotten…"
"Like Kouga has said, he's gotten exponentially stronger after coming here." Reborn says.
"Guh!" The man swings his weapon up to him in the air. "Hija Reppa (Flying Snake Fierce Dominance)!" He fires his weapon in mid-air, sending the spinning weapon at the brunette. Tsuna stands his ground as the ball crashes into him, his hands grabbing onto it and sends it back at him. The ball sends backward towards its wielder and hits him straight on, sending him back to the ground with a crash, burying him in the pile of debris. Tsuna pants as he continues to stand, still in Dying Will Mode.
Reborn smirks. "Looks like we can head home to Namimori now.
Kouga looks at the fallen Mukuro as his head is bugging him. He has this feeling that the man isn't that strong and that he is not who he seems to be.
Suddenly, the supposedly defeated Mukuro stands up from the debris, cracking his neck. "Playing with that ball was just for entertainment."
"Urg…" Tsuna grunts.
"He's fine, even after that attack." Bianchi says. "I can't believe it.
"But." Kouga mumbles as he looks at him with a calculated look. "Why does he look so guilty?"
"Huh?"
"I think I can use my full force against you." The man says. "Let's go!" He throws his weapon into the air, "What I truly specialize in is…" The man runs towards the brunette when he is distracted by the thrown weapon and sends an elbow strike at his gut, "martial combat!" Before running behind him and kicking up to the ground. "I'm not done yet!" He grabs Tsuna's head and sends it crashing to the ground. "You're finished." The man closes his eyes as Tsuna looks up to find the metal ball that Mukuro had thrown into the air comes crashing down on him. Everyone there is shocked by the man's power and the fact that Tsuna is crushed by this beast.
"You're hope has been extinguished." The man tells them. "Who's next?" He is cut shout when he hears the movement of his weapon, to find Tsuna still breathing, panting and heavily wounded, but alive and still able to fight. "What?!"
"Not yet…"
"Impossible!"
"You're not a bad person…" Tsuna says, startling the man. "I can tell."
"You bastard, what are you saying?!" The man shouts.
"With just a weak heart…" He adds. "You can't defeat my dying will!"
"My heart…!" Mukuro shouts. "Don't talk like you know me! Defeating the enemy and sending them to the pits of Hell… That's my life!"
"That's a lie!"
"Shut up, brat!" The man shouts as he throws another punch at the brunette.
"I'll defeat you with my dying will!" The brunette shouts as he dodges the man's punch and hit him in the gut, defeating him. The man grunts from the pain as he falls onto his knees.
"I've… lost?"
"After you attacked, you close your eyes." Tsuna tells him. "As if you didn't want to see your enemy dying. You used the steel ball instead of your own hands to finish me."
"You have some kind of guild inside of you, right?" Kouga adds as he walks up to them.
"Wha?!"
"And because of that, you hesitate." The brunette continues as he reverts to his usual self. "I thought it was odd. We didn't think you were scary at all. There is a kid named Lambo at my house. You're just like him."
"He is unreasonable at some time, but he means no actual threat." The black-haired boy says as he stands next to Tsuna.
"You're a warm and kind guy." Tsuna tells him, shocking the man.
"These guys…" He thought. "Did they saw through be with a single glance?" He smiles as he comes to a realization. "I see… This is the Vongola blood…"
"I completely lost." He tells them. "I can see why Rokudo Mukuro is concern with you."
"Huh?" Kouga starts at this statement.
"What are you saying?!" Tsuna panics. "Aren't you Rokudo Mukuro?!"
"I'm a double."
"Eh?!" Both teens are shocked.
"A fake?!" Bianchi shouts.
"B-But you were the one in that prison photo!" Tsuna states.
"The real Mukuro would never allow himself to be recorded like that." The man tells them. "And Rokudo Mukuro… He's the man that took everything from me!"
Everyone is shock of the man's reaction and such they are speechless till Reborn walks to him and says, "Tell me what happened."
The man hesitates but tells his whole story. As it turns out, he was once a member of a mafia family within the northern Italy five years ago; who took him in and treated him like in a real family when he has none. He has rose up to one of the strongest in order to repay them for their kindness. It was until his boss took in another boy of similar background as him, and he was placed under his wing that his life will change. A few days after the boy enter the family, he found the entire people within the headquarters to be dead, killed with no survivors. He has found out that it was him, when he was being controlled by the boy, by Rokudo Mukuro.
"Soon my body and soul were taken, and I became the fake Rokudo Mukuro." The man tells them.
"So you despaired and became a monster who lives to fight…" Bianchi adds.
"How could he…?" Tsuna says, his eyes widen in shock. "Rokudo Mukuro…"
"Messing people's lives like that…" Kouga mutters, his body shaking in anger. "How can someone like him exist!"
"Let's take him out, Juudaime, Kouga." Everyone turns to the owner of that voice who turns out to be Gokudera.
"Gokudera/-kun!"
"Sorry for worrying you."
"Daijoubu?" Tsuna asks worriedly.
"I'm glad." Bianchi thought in relief. "The side-effect of the Trident Mosquito must be over…"
"Vongola." The man stands up. "You may be able to do it." he walks up to the brunette. "Defeating him… Listen closely, Vongola. Mukuro's real objectives are-!" He shoves the brunette out of the way. "Looks out!" A bunch of needles fly out and onto the man's forearm, causing him to scream in pain.
"It's the bastard with the glasses!" Gokudera shouts. "Where is he hiding?!"
"He's already gone." Reborn tells the silverette. "One hit and he disappears.
The man collapses onto the ground. "Daijoubu deska?!" Tsuna yells as he and the rest run towards him. "Hand in there!"
"They're trying to keep his mouth shut." Reborn says.
"S-Sonna…" Tsuna stutters. "Open your eyes!"
"Oi! Don't die on us yet!" Kouga yells him.
"What a… terrible life…" The man says.
"Get a hold of yourself!" Tsuna calls out before realizing something. "What's your real name?!"
"You're not Rokudo Mukuro… What's your real name?!" Kouga asks.
"I'm…" The man starts. "Lancia…"
"Hang in there, Lancia-san!" Both teens call out.
"I can remember…" Lancia says weakly. "When I hear that name… my old self's family… I can finally go to them right now…" He finally closes his eyes.
"Sonna…"
"How can this…" Kouga stutters, tears filling his eyes.
"Lancia-san!" Tsuna calls out to the body.
"He completely used up Lancia, and when he became useless…" Gokudera comments. "Damn it. Is this how they do things?"
"What does Rokudo Mukuro think people are?!" Bianchi shouts in anger.
"He really pisses me off." Tsuna speaks as he stands up. "Let's go to Rokudo Mukuro."
"As you can see, Leon is in this condition." Reborn tells his student as he holds the cocoon-Leon. "You can't use the Dying Will Bullet."
"I know…" The brunette answers his tutor. "But… But, we need to do something about Rokudo Mukuro!"
"I'll come too." Kouga says. "There's no way I'll let someone like Mukuro get away with this."
The hitman smirks. "I see. By the way, Lancia isn't dead."
"Eh?"
"The problem is the needles' poison." Reborn explains. "He might be saved if we can get an antidote within the hour."
"Honto?!" Tsuna asks.
"That yo-yo user must have an antidote." Bianchi comments.
"Juudaime! I'll beat the guy in glasses!" The bomber assures the brunette.
"Gokudera-kun… Arigatou!"
They shift every injured personnel to a shady covered stop nearby.
"I'm sorry, Yamamoto." Tsuna mumbles. "Please wait; we'll be back soon."
"Ruki." Kouga kneels next to his sister and brushes her hair away from her face. "Take a good rest."
"It'll be fine. This place should be safe." Bianchi assures the two teens.
"Geez, just when we're about to get started…" Gokudera mutters.
"Let's go." Reborn announces as everyone looks into the last building. 'He's in there."
A yellow bird that flies in the air close to the building chirps, "Birds has been defeated! The twins have been defeated! Everyone has been defeated! Mukuro! Mukuro!"
"I see." Bianchi says.
"He's in there." Gokudera states.
"Rokudo…" Kouga begins.
"Mukuro!" Tsuna finishes.
"This is it." The baby informs them.