Chapter 11: The End and From Now on…
"Mukuro…" Tsuna speaks. "If I don't defeat you, I can't die in peace!" He voices out as an orange flame ignites on his forehead and his eyes turn orange.
Chikusa(Mukuro) immediately jumps back. "That aura over your head…" He states. "I see. The special bullet did hit you, but the flame seems fiercer then when you fought Lancia."
"The Rebuke Bullet draws out Tsuna's calm fighting spirit," Reborn tells him. "It's completely different from the Dying Will Bullet. It is a bullet with a brand new power."
"It seems to me that he's simply lost his will to fight. Either way, he is no match for my skills." Chikusa(Mukuro) says and his red eye spins till reaches the kanji two, and which Ken just jumps at the brunette who simply grabs him front behind, immobilizing him before he knocks him back with an elbow thrust.
"That's not all." He states as he spins his yo-yos that fires needles at the brunette, who stands there as the needles just pass through him.
"That one is an illusion." Tsuna looks at the shadows. "Over there." He runs over and punches the hidden Chikusa, knocking him out immediately while causing the dagger to stuck in the wall with the spiked area sticking out.
"What?! Impossible!" Gokudera(Mukuro) says.
"He couldn't see through the Path of Hell's illusions earlier." Bianchi(Mukuro) states.
"This is an effect of the Rebuke Bullet." Reborn states. "'The Blood of Vongola' within Tsuna has awakened. Instead of removing external limiters and using pressure during a crisis, like the Dying Will Bullet, the Rebuke Bullet removes all limiters from within by awakening the person's hidden awareness. And at the same time, it unlocks the limiters for his senses on the inside. Meaning, this power only appears when one is succeeding the Vongola bloodline, Hyper Intuition."
"Hyper Intuition?" Gokudera(Mukuro) asks.
"According to Vongola's first boss and Knight who have it, it's the power to see through all." Reborn states. "Tsuna and Kouga had shown signs of it in fights up to this point."
"Signs?" Kouga thought then he recalls on how they had thought that Lancia is not that scary at all and how they realize Mukuro had possessed Bianchi.
"Although, he hasn't mastered how to use those gloves yet." Reborn states.
"Kufufufu, you are amusing to no end." The possessed bomber says. "But even though you can see through my attacks, you cannot defeat me." His red eye then spins till it reaches the kanji of four and the violet flame ignites on it. "I'm certain you haven't forgotten that these are your friends' bodies. Can you raise a hand against them?" He runs forward and lands an elbow thrust at the brunette. "Can you?!"
"Can you?" Bianchi(Mukuro) runs forward and kneed him. The brunette ends up their punching bag in the middle. "Kufufufu, you can't raise a finger against them."
"You made a wonderful sandbag." The possessed silverette. says.
"He's not taking their attacks…" Kouga realizes.
"That's right, Kouga," Reborn tells the black-haired boy. "Their attacks aren't hitting him." The brunette then grabs the possessed bomber's punch. "If he were to guard or evade, it would strain Bianchi's and Gokudera's bodies. So he's catching and absorbing all their attacks with his body to protect their bodies."
Tsuna gets behind the silverette and hits the back of his neck, knocking him out. "My body-" He cries out before he lands on the floor.
"He intuitively saw a way to stun their bodies' nervous system." The hitman says.
"Intuitively?" The possessed poison scorpion laughs. "Don't screw around!" Tsuna about to immobilize her when Kouga calls out.
"Leave this one to me!" He shouts as he jumps from where he is and knocks her out with a chop on her neck.
"Damn… it…" She collapses into his arms, with Bianchi on Kouga's arm and Gokudera in Tsuna's.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Tsuna apologizes as he and Kouga place them down gently. "Reborn, take care of them.
"Don't be so bossy." The infant comments as he walks up to them.
Tsuna turns around. "Come on out, Mukuro." He says. "You're alive, aren't you?"
They hear a chuckle as Mukuro steps out from the shadows. "I will acknowledge that your fighting skills have escalated greatly." He comments. "However, I can't have you becoming elated just because of that. Have you noticed that there is one of my skills that I have not used yet?"
"The Fifth Path, Path of Humans," Reborn says.
"That's exactly right." He says as she swings his pole down. "Our world is the Path of Humans. In reality, it is the most hideous and cruel underworld."
"Because this is the place where darkness is being created." Kouga comments. "Am I right?"
"That's right, and I'm not being ironic here." He replies. "That is why I hate this world and hate this skill." The pineapple raises his hand up to his red eye. "If possible, I'd never use it. Because The Path of Humans is the most hideous…" He squeezes his eye till blood comes out of it and covered his hand, and he removes his hand to show the kanji of five in it. "…and most dangerous skill!" He states as a black aura surrounds him.
"An ugly black aura." Reborn comments.
"It's truly the devil's skill." Kouga adds.
"Can you see it?" He asks. "For warriors who emit aura and fight, the size of their aura…" He runs towards the brunette and swings his pole down at him, "their strength!" The brunette grabs the pole, but then Mukuro strikes an uppercut at his stomach that sends him flying up.
"Tsuna!" Kouga calls out but cut short when Mukuro sidekicks him.
"Between you and I," The pineapple spins his pole above him, "there is too much difference in strength!" He swings the pole at Tsuna and sends him flying all the way across the room. "Hahahaha, how weak." he laughs. "I only intended on warming up."
"It's gotta be…"
"Huh?!"
The orange flame grows more brightly than usual within the smoke.
"What?! His aura!" Mukuro startles as Reborn and Kouga smirk as the smoke clears and Tsuna has both of his hands in the flame of his forehead, igniting the gloves.
"If that was all your power." The brunette calmly says. "I would've been disappointed."
"You're beginning to get it." Reborn praises his student. "The X-Gloves are made from the same material as the Dying Will Bullets. They were born from Leon, after all. That's why it can light the Dying Will Flames."
"Hm. Like a cat who puffs up its fur to look bigger." Mukuro comments. "Simply changing your aura is meaningless."
"The Dying Will Flame isn't an aura." Tsuna tells him.
"Oh? That's interesting." He walks up to him. "Then show me!" He runs up and swings his poke at the brunette who grabs it with his burning glove and melt the area before snapping it into two, shocking the pineapple before Tsuna swings the flaming glove by his cheek.
"It's hot!" Mukuro thought as he steps back. "The aura is emitting heat!"
"The difference in energy density between an aura and the Dying Will Flame is much too great." Reborn tells him. "Unlike an aura, which can only be seen by a selected few, the Dying Will Flame has gained its own destructive properties. It's super-condensed energy."
"Then those gloves burn as well?" Mukuro asks.
"That's not all." Tsuna tells him as he runs towards the pineapple and Mukuro swings his weapon in defense but he didn't hit anything as he vanishes.
"He disappeared!" Mukuro exclaims. Tsuna then appears behind him. "I-Impossible! When did you-" He cuts short when Tsuna punches him, Mukuro blocks it but is push back and falls onto the floor. "What… was that? What did he do?"
"Aren't you done warming up?" Tsuna asks.
Kufufufu, Kuhahahaha!" Mukuro laughs. "What a happy miscalculation in my part. With your body, rather than scheming, I can attack the families directly, and cause war within the mafia."
"So, that's your goal." Reborn says.
"You planning on eliminating the mafia?" Kouga questions.
"Kufufufu, of course not, I am not so small minded." The pineapple adds. "I plan on possessing the body every important person in the world. By controlling them, I will paint this world in pure and beautiful darkness, a world war." He looks at the brunette. "Or is that too cliché? But I will start with the mafia… Eradicating the mafia."
"Why are you so obsessed with the mafia?" Reborn asks.
"Do you hold a grudge against them?" Tsuna follows suit.
"What have the mafia done to you?" Kouga adds.
"I don't have any intention of indulging you further, because through my ultimate form, you will become mine. Behold!" He stares sternly at them as a phantom of him suddenly race out and attacks him.
"An illusion." Tsuna says. "This isn't going to-" The phantom goes right through him but a rock inside it hits him.
"You let your guard down, baka-Tsuna." Reborn scolds his student. "Mukuro hid a rock within the illusion."
"Got you!" Mukuro cries as he jumps up and attacks from above.
"Tsuna!"
"I know!" Tsuna replies his tutor as his gloves burst into flames, and he vanishes from his position and reappears behind Mukuro in the air.
"He got behind me again!" The pineapple says in shock as he tries to block, but the brunette's punch goes past his weapon and hits his face, sending him crashing down onto the floor as he lands softly.
Mukuro lies motionless for a moment before he fidgets and slowly turns his head to look at Tsuna. "So, this is… the Vongola Tenth." He weakly says. "The man who… defeated me. Now, finish me off." Tsuna eyes widen in shock. "I chose death… over being captured… by the mafia…"
"I…" Tsuna turns around, "can't do that."
Mukuro then smirks as he gets up and runs before grabbing both of brunette's wrists. "That softness is what's going to kill you!" He tells the brunette.
"Mukuro! You-" Tsuna cries but hisses as his wrists are squeezed harder by the pineapple.
"Oh?" Mukuro holds his wrists firmly. "I know your odd abilities are from the flames on your hands. If I can take hold of your hands," He head-buts the brunette, "then your nothing to fear!" Tsuna grunts in pain. "Why do you think I send so many assassins after you? To take control of your body after you're drawn out all of your power. Job well done. Now you can rest!" He twists the wrist a little before he kicks him across the room. "Now see where you're being thrown onto!" The rest of the members in the room turn and notice that the brunette is on the course to the dagger that was stuck in the crack of the wall. "You cannot maneuver in mid-air. You will lose because of your pathetic kindness."
"Go, Tsuna!" Reborn tells his student. "Show him the power of the X-Gloves!"
Uwo!" Tsuna cries as he places his hands behind him. The gloves glow and then a huge burst of flames appear behind him from the gloves, stopping him from getting impaled by the dagger.
"He used the flames as thrust?!" Mukuro exclaims.
Tsuna flies over with the flames from the gloves.
"High-speed maneuvering, using the Dying Will Flames as propulsion." Reborn explains as the brunette grabs the pineapple's face. As Mukuro cries out in pain the aura on his face slowly dissipates. "The Dying Will Flame cleansed that ugly black aura." Tsuna pushes him over and crashes him down on the other end of the room. Behind them, the dagger's blade cracks and crumbles as Mukuro is defeated.
"It's over." Reborn adds.
"Yeah…" Tsuna says as he reverts to normal. "Ah! Everyone's hurt!"
"Nothing to worry about." The tutor assures his student as he holds up a green phone that Leon transformed. "The Vongola Medical team has arrived. It looks like they are able to provide an antidote to Lancia's poison."
"Yokatta…" Tsuna sighs.
"Isn't that great? Tsu…na…" Kouga trails off as he blacks out and collapses on the floor as his hair turns back to black.
"Kouga-san!"
"Don't worry." Reborn says. "He just lost consciousness from too much blood loss."
"S-Sokka…" He turns and looks at Mukuro. "Mukuro… he's not dead, is he? Is he alright?"
"As naïve as ever." Reborn sighs.
"Stay away from him, byon!" The two turns around to find Ken and Chikusa crawling towards them. "Don't you mafia touch him!" Ken shouts.
"W-Why?" Tsuna asks. "Why do you go so far for Mukuro? You were possessed and used by him!"
"Don't talk to us like you understand." Chikusa says weakly.
"This… is nothing, byon." The blonde student says as he tries to get up. "Compare to… the suffering we endure… back then…"
"Back then?"
"What happened?" Reborn asks. "Why do you hate the mafia so much?"
"We were…" Ken says. "used by guinea pigs for human experiment by our own Family."
"Eh?!"
"Just as I suspected." Reborn realizes. "You're members from the Estraneo Family that created the forbidden Possession Bullet."
"You guys made it forbidden out of your own convenience." He retorts. "Because of that, our family was being completely destroyed. The cornered head of the Family began developing special weapons to survive. Children within the Family were gathered together for those experiments. Day after day of cruel experiments… We had no way to escape. But he… He destroyed our current existence all by himself! He was the quiet one that never drew your attention. I think that is the first time I heard his voice. That moment, for the first time for our lives… We had a place to be. I won't let you destroy that!"
Tsuna looks at him, shocked by their story. "But…" He says. "I can't sit and watch my friends get hurt. Because," he looks up to them, "that's my place to be." The two Kyokuyo students are surprised by this. Then they notice figures at the entrance. "Ah! The medical team!"
But then, chains are hooked up onto the three Kyokuyo students.
"That was fast." Reborn says grimly.
"Who are they?" Tsuna asks.
"Vindice." The hitman answers. "The protectors of mafia law. They punish those who cannot be punished by the law." The bandaged man in black coats starts dragging the three towards them.
"W-What are you doing?!" Tsuna shouts.
"Quit it, Tsuna." The brunette looks at his tutor in confusion. "Defying them will be trouble."
"But-"
"This is the law."
"What will happen to the three of them?" Tsuna asks. "Ah! What about Lancia-san?!"
"They will be judged and punished." Reborn replies.
"Punished?"
"Who knows, but it won't be light. Our world isn't soft."
As soon as the Vindice left, the medical team comes in. "Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"Is there anyone that's hurt?" They all quickly take care of the injured people, Fuuta, Gokudera, Bianchi, Hibari, and Kouga and takes them out on the stretchers.
"Minna…" Tsuna says, but then a bunch of pain is felt throughout his body. "Ite-te-te-te-te-te!" He kneels down and hugs himself in hopes for the pain to stop. "Itai! What is this!" He shouts. "My entire body hurts!"
"Combat using the Rebuke Bullet is very hard on the body," Reborn tells him. "The stress on your body has come back as pain."
"You got to be kidding me! IT HURTS!" he cries and then blacks out from the intense pain.
"So, you passed out from the pain." Reborn sighs. "I still need to train you. But, you've overcome the Ninth's trial. Well done, Tsuna." He walks up to him and leans on him. "As a home tutor, I'm…" He too falls asleep as well.
A month later, everyone has recovered their injuries from the battle and now they are at the baseball game that Yamamoto is in, who just happens to score a homerun.
"Way to go, Yamamoto!" Tsuna cheers.
"That's amazing, Yamamoto-kun!" Kyoko follows suits.
"Honto!" Haru agrees. "It's a great-big, gorgeous homerun, desu!"
"Keep it up, Yamamoto-san!" Ruki shouts.
"Gyahahahaha! It is all thanks to Lambo-san!" Lambo boasts.
"Geez, why is the opposing team struggling with against Yamamoto?" Gokudera sighs before he stands up and shouts with dynamites in his hands. "Teme! You better get your act together, or I'm going to start a riot!"
"Gokudera-kun, why did you come, anyway?" Tsuna deadpans.
"Maa, calm down." Ryohei tells the bomber. "There's something we have to do if we're here to see the sport.
"Huh?"
The hyperactive boxer stands up and shouts, "Quit baseball and join the boxing club!"
"That's wrong too!" The brunette dead-pans again.
"Onii-chan…" The younger Sawagawa sighs.
"Hahi… Dangerous as always." Haru sighs.
"Ah, look out, Tsuna-nii." Fuuta warns his older brother figure. They look down to find a foul ball flying towards the brunette and he ducks down for Bianchi to catch the ball.
Ah, Bianchi!" Tsuna calls.
"A-Aneki…" Gokudera trails off as his stomach grumbles in pain.
"I brought the bentos." She tells him as the silverette falls over in pain once more.
"Ah! Gokudera-kun!"
"As always, this group is rowdy." Kouga comments.
"But isn't it fine, Onii-sama?" Ruki tells him.
"You're not wrong."
Then they hear Fuuta laughing which getting Tsuna's and Kouga's attention.
"What's the matter, Fuuta?" Tsuna asks.
"Nothing." The boy shakes his head. "I'm just happy we can spend time together like this."
"Fuuta…" Kouga says and both teens smile at him before they feel a chill down their spine.
They slowly turn and look around to see the person, but they didn't see.
"Huh?" Tsuna says. "What that my imagination?"
"No. I felt it too, but…" Kouga trails off when they hear Lambo crying to see that he tripped over Gokudera and spilling the content of what Haru made for Tsuna.
The brunette picks up the cow kid to calm him down and then the others follow suit as they laugh around.