Chapter 18: The Battle of Storm
The next day, Kouga takes his buster sword and follows Reborn to the cliff where he teaches Tsuna with his training as Basil is there also. Kouga wears a white t-shirt under a dark blue jacket with black jeans.
"Now, let's start phase three of the training!" Reborn tells Tsuna. "Ready, Tsuna, Kouga?"
"Yeah." Tsuna replies.
"I'm ready." Kouga follows.
"Phase three is the training for the final form of controlled Dying Will." The baby tells them. "Dying Will Zero Point Breakthrough."
"Zero Point?" Tsuna asks.
"So we're moving up to that legendary technique that only the First could perform?" Basil asks excitedly.
"Only the First?" Kouga asks. "Reborn, can you tell me what you did for Tsuna's training?"
"I guess I can." The Arcobaleno tells him. "For phase one, he climbed up the cliff in two days. Phase two, he sparred with Basil to control his spirit."
"Hmm... It's better than what I had when Grandpa Dan trained me. During those times, I thought I was going to die ten times over."
"EH!?" Tsuna cries but changes to serious. "But... If I learn this technique, I could be stronger than Varia. Will I be able to defeat Xanxus?"
"Who knows." Reborn tells him. "He's pretty strong."
"Sawada-dono..." Basil looks at him worriedly.
"I'll do it." Tsuna tells his tutor, his eyes full of resolve. "I'll do anything if there is a chance!"
"Sokka." Reborn says. "First we'll do sparring so you can control yourself in Hyper Mode. Kouga, are you all right with this since you don't have it."
"Yeah." Kouga replies as he puts his hand on the buster sword on his back.
"Tsuna, go into Hyper Mode."
"Eh? Me against Kouga-san?" The brunette says in shock.
"You don't have to worry about me, Tsuna." Kouga tells his friend and closes his eyes as his hair turns to blond halfway with the piece that covers his right eye stands up before he opens his eyes again, revealing the sky blue and silver mismatched eyes. "Come on, Tsuna." He says calmly, taking out his sword.
"Kouga-san, are you okay staying in that form?" Tsuna asks.
"It's no problem with my body. Because of the training, Grandpa Dan put me through, my body is light. Let's not hold back, Tsuna."
"Kouga-san... I understand."
"Yosh." Reborn says as Leon turns into his trademark handgun and shoots his student with the Rebuke Bullet.
"Let's do this, Kouga." The now Hyper Mode Tsuna says calmly.
Kouga takes a stance, getting ready to fight his friend.
At the house dojo, Ruki is sitting in the room with her sword and tessen lying in front of her as she wears her training robes, meditating since her brother is out training with Tsuna; then she hears the doorbell ring causing the girl to snap out of her meditation and goes to the front door. Once she's at the door, Ruki opens it revealing Yuuri there wearing a green shirt under a white jacket with a blue skirt and carrying a green bag.
"Yuuri-san." Ruki says.
"Hello, Ruki-chan. Is Kouga-kun here?" Yuuri asks.
Ruki shakes her head. "No. Onii-sama is out right now."
"I see." Yuuri replies dejectedly.
The white-haired girl smiles at her. "You really like Onii-sama a lot."
This causes the teen girl to look at her as her face turns red. "I-It's not like that!" She stammers. "I just had a feeling Kouga-kun might be in trouble..."
"It's all right." Ruki assures Yuuri. "When it comes with self-defense, Onii-sama is better than me."
"By the way..." Yuuri looks at what Yuuri is wearing. "Why are you wearing that?"
"Oh, this?" Ruki looks down at her clothes. "I was middle of training when you came here."
"Sorry, did I interrupt?"
"No. I was thinking of taking a break just earlier."
"That's good. Ah, that right." Yuuri digs into her bag and takes out a paper bag. "I baked some cookies yesterday but I made a bit too much for my family, so here."
"Thank you very much." Ruki says as she receives the bag. "But it's for Onii-sama, right?"
"I said that's not it!" Yuuri exclaims with the blush back on her face.
"Onii-sama is dull when comes with romance," Ruki says getting Yuuri's attention, "but please help him when I can't."
"Ruki-chan..."
It is the middle of the night, as Kouga, Tsuna, Basil, and Reborn are walking to the Nami-Middle campus.
"I never thought you are such a strong fighter, Kouga-san." Tsuna tells his friend.
"Well, thanks to Grandpa Dan's training he gave." Kouga replies.
"It's finally time for Gokudera's match." Reborn says.
"Gokudera-kun should be okay, right?" The brunette asks.
"Gokudera's opponent, Belphegor, is called the 'Prince of Ripper'."
"Pudding?" Tsuna asks.
"Ripper." Kouga corrects him. "Basically, he's called the ripping prince."
"Eh?! The ripping prince?! Like a prince in fairy tales?"
"Yeah." Reborn replies. "It seems that he really has the blood of royalty. But with his unmanageable and inhuman fighting sense, he's an odd one who joined the Varia on his own. He's not an opponent to underestimate."
"I've heard about him from Oyakata-sama as well." Basil says. "Of the Varia, he is the most gifted in combat."
"Gokudera-kun is going up against an opponent that fearsome?" Tsuna questions.
"It will undoubtedly be a severe match." Reborn tells them.
They made it to the gate to find Yamamoto, Ryohei, and Ruki at the entrance.
"Yo!" Yamamoto greets them.
"You came!" Ryohei shouts.
"Eh? Where's Gokudera-kun?" Tsuna asks them.
"He hasn't arrived yet." The boxer replies.
"I thought he'd be coming with you." Yamamoto says.
"I wonder what happened." The brunette says.
"He may have been stopped by Shamal." Reborn says. "Knowing Shamal, he wouldn't send his student into a battle when there's no chance of winning."
"Then..."
"His new technique must not be ready yet." The hitman tutor says.
"Sonna?!" Tsuna cries.
They are then directed into the corridor inside the school where the Varia, except Xanxus and Aaron, and Cervello are waiting.
"We're indoors today?" Yamamoto asks.
"But Gokudera-dono is ..." Basil mumbles.
"What is that tako-head doing?" Ryohei questions.
"He'll definitely come." The baseball ace says.
"But the enemy is terribly strong." Tsuna thought as he looks at Belphegor. "It may be better not to fight."
"It seems that his opponent hasn't come." Mammon says.
"VOI! Did he chicken out?!" Squalo yells.
"What's the point of running?" The prince questions. "When he loses the Ring Conflict, they're all going to die anyway."
The two Cervello look at each side before announcing while gesturing to the clock outside, "When that clock strikes eleven, Gokudera Hayato will be disqualified, and Belphegor will win by default."
"Not good." Ryohei says as the second-hand ticks by, slowly making its way around as the tension of the room thickens. As each second ticks by, the tension along with the hallway gets more stress as there are no signs of the Storm anywhere. Soon it is almost eleven with five seconds remaining.
*Tick*
Five-
*Tick*
Four-
*Tick*
Three-
*Tick*
Two-
Suddenly the clock explodes before hitting the last second.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Juudaime."
They all turn around to find Gokudera at the back.
"Gokudera/-kun!" Kouga and Tsuna call out.
"You came." Yamamoto
"Shishishishi..." Bel laughs.
"Gokudera Hayato," The silverrette says, "Ready to go!"
"Tako-head!" The boxer calls out.
"We recognize that he will be fighting because he made it within the appointed time." Cervello says.
"Yosh!"
"Thank goodness. We avoided a forfeit." Basil sighs.
"You had us worried." Yamamoto tells them. "Did you sleep in?"
"Of course not!" Gokudera yells at him. "I'm sorry I'm late, Juudaime! It took some time to get ready."
"Oh, I see." Tsuna understands.
"But, I'm completely prepared!"
"Okay." The brunette nods but frowns as he looks back at the Varia. "But..."
"I thought you got scared and ran away." Squalo says.
"I think he should have ran, though." Mammon comments. "His opponent is Bel, after all."
"The opponent is the smartest one in Varia." Tsuna thought. "Will Gokudera be all right?"
"Before we explain the combat field, we have something to report." The Cervello tells them. "One of us Cervello had to be switched due to injuries."
"Nice to meet you."
"She looks like the one that was hurt." Ryohei states.
"Cervello seems to have a lot of spares." Reborn states.
"Tonight's field will be the entire third floor." The Cervello explains. "This includes the west tower which is connected to this one, and not only does it include all the hallways, but also all the classrooms on this floor."
"Good. This is my type of field, with a lot of obstacles." Gokudera thought.
"However..."
The door of one of the classrooms start to shake violently and then a huge gust of wind blows off its hinges and sends a huge bunch of tables and chairs out the window and crashes down to the ground below.
"What was that?!" Tsuna cries.
The Cervello then rolls out a fan-like machine from the room. "We have set up hurricane turbines like this one in various places throughout the field." They tell them.
"Hurricane turbines?" Gokudera repeats.
"They have four vents and are designed to randomly create a powerful gust." The Cervello explains.
"So it truly is a field of storms." Basil comments.
"If you're hit by that wind directly, you'll be thrown outside." Ryohei adds.
"This is crazy." Yamamoto adds on.
"Gokudera-kun..." Tsuna looks at his friend worriedly.
"This time, there will be a time limit in the match." They tell them.
"Eh?"
"Fifteen minutes after the match begins, unless one of you have taken possession of the Ring of Storm and complete it, time bombs set in the hurricane turbines will explode in turn and completely destroy the floor.
"S-Sonna!?" Tsuna cries.
"Then, if the battle isn't' settled, they'll both..." Kouga trails off.
"They'll most likely die." They confirm. "That would mean neither was worthy of being the Guardian."
"Sonna..."
"Meaning, in the worst case scenario, it would be all right to blow up the Storm Ring as well." Reborn says. "He must be the one who thinks the Guardian of Storm don't matter."
"Xanxus..." Tsuna mutters.
"It seems that he's become serious." The hitman says.
"What a thing to do..." The brunette says. "His own ally is going to be in danger too."
"A Death Match... huh?" Gokudera says. "Sounds like fun."
"My, you guys are making a ruckus." A voice says as Shamal walks up from behind the Cervello and places his arms around their shoulders and gropes their chest. "Is anyone hurt?"
"Ah!" Gokudera exclaims in fright.
The Cervello immediately elbows him in the face and knocks him over to the floor. "Itetete..."
"S-Shamal!" Tsuna cries out.
"Did he say 'Shamal'?" Squalo whispers to Mammon.
"Trident Shamal..." Mammon begins. "A man who was scouted for by Varia two generation ago and refused."
"What are you doing?!" Gokudera yells at the doctor.
"I heard a lot of sounds, so I came running to see if anyone is hurt." He replies. "And to make fun of your match."
"Tch."
"Here we go." Shamal says as he stands up and turns around facing the Varia. "So I'll be on this side." The doctor tells the Cervello.
"He~h. Shamal sided with them?" Mammon says.
"Dino, Colonello, and Shamal..." The swordsman says. "Why are such talented people banding together? What the hell's going on?! Is this all because of that Arcobaleno?!"
"But it seems like fun too." Bel says. "Today's opponent..."
"Yosh! Before the match," Ryohei yells, "we'll do the usual!"
"C-Chotto matte!" Gokudera shouts. "I don't need it! It's so embarrassing! I don't need a circle for my match!"
"Ano..." Tsuna speaks up. "Don't be like that. Let's do it, Gokudera-kun."
"Eh?"
"H-How to say it? I can't really put it into words, but..." The brunette scratches his head. "We're connected in this battle. I don't want any single person left out. It's probably better if we all have some solidarity."
Everyone smiles at his speech. "Juudaime... You're so concerned with the Family. I have no idea! Let's do it! Let us do it!"
"U-Un. Let's do it!"
"Hai!"
"Let him in too." Reborn says as he tosses him a small tail.
"What is this?" Tsuna asks.
"This is the tail that was torn off the stupid cow's clothing yesterday." He tells him.
"Lambo..." Tsuna thought back.
"When I see that, it reminds me of when the stupid cow was still healthy."
"Don't take like he's already dead!" The brunette yells at his tutor.
"But I think it's a good idea." Yamamoto tells him. "Lambo's one of us."
"That's right." Kouga agrees.
"Even though he's a stupid cow, he's better than nothing." The silverrette adds.
"Even if he's not here right now..." Ruki trails off.
"Our hearts are one." The boxer finishes.
"Minna. You're right." Tsuna says.
"Yosh!" Everyone huddles together in a group circle. "Gokudera, FIGHT!"
"OH!"
"Oi, oi, it must be embarrassing to be young." Shamal comments.
"Now, the two of you, please come to the center."
"Juudaime!" Gokudera calls back. "I will go and fight, and as your right-hand man, I won't shame you!"
"Y-Yeah... but don't push yourself." Tsuna tells him.
They are then sent to a room with screens showing the battlefield. "Because today's field is so wide, we will broadcast the battle to the spectators' area." The Cervello tell them and then lasters are spread throughout the entrance. "And there are infrared lasers between the spectators' area and the field to prevent any interference."
"So we can't move from here." The baseball idiot says.
"They're telling us not to do what we did to Lambo." Reborn says.
At the field with Gokudera, his ring is being examined along with his opponent's. "We've confirmed that they had their halves of the Half Vongola Rings." The Cervello declares.
"Ushishishishi..." Bel laughs. "You use bombs, right? I guess I can tell by looking." He gestures to the weapon the silverrette is holding causing Gokudera to group at him. "Your shoulders seem a little too tense." He places his hand on his shoulder as the bomber growls even more. "How scary..." The prince says as he walks back to his side.
"I can't lose." Gokudera mentally growls. "I don't care if he is a genius." He then looks up at the camera. "Juudaime..." He then remembers his boss talking to Lambo before the battle, how he interfered to save him, and the speech he had earlier. "I will win and prove that no one else is more worthy of becoming the boss of Vongola."
"Without further ado, the Ring of Storm, Belphegor vs. Gokudera Hayato, Battle Start!"
"Here I go!" The silverrette throws single dynamite at the prince.
"Smoke bombs, right?" Bel says as the bomb explodes in front of him.
Gokudera jumps back and gets ready. "First, to see how he acts..." He thought. "How, what will you do?" He then notices many objects shining in the smoke and then notices knives floating in circling around him. "Knives?!"
The circle of knives then fly down at him but he immediately dodges them by jumping up and avoiding them and lands behind.
"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna calls out seeing the bomber almost stabbed by the knives.
"I'd stop using little tricks." Bel tells him as he walks out through the smoke. "Do you realize who you're up against?"
"Not even a scratch after Hayato's quick strike..." Shamal says as he stand in the spectators' area with the others. "The Varia quality really lives up to its name. They can't go in acting overconfidently."
Gokudera walks up to him. "With the way things are going, I can't hold back." He thought as he takes out three times as many dynamite in his hand than his originally can. "Three Times Bomb!" He shouts, throwing all of them.
"Mm?" Bel looks at him uninterested.
"Is that Gokudera-dono's new technique?"
"Sugai!" Tsuna cheers. "Did he finally complete the Three Times Bomb?!"
Bel smirks as he just steps back, surprising the bomber as to why he won't dodge. His answer is given as a huge gust of wind blows out the dynamites out the window where they blew up, away from anyone.
"This wind... That machine...!" Gokudera realizes.
"I'm sensitive to the wind." Bel tells him. "I am the Guardian of Storm, after all."
"Damn it!" The silverrette grumbles and notices the doors that are next to him are shaking violently, causing him to duck down as another gust of wind blows out.
"Random gust!" Tsuna cries. "He can't use his bombs like this!"
"This is crazy!" Gokudera cries. "But with this wind, his knives won't fly well either." Bel just smirks as a few knives suddenly fly down on the floor at him, shocking the Storm bomber. "I can't believe it!" He thought and jumps back into the room and avoid the knives. "Damn it, what's going on? Was it a fluke?!"
"Flukes don't happen to princes." Bel says as he walks into the room. "It's very easy. I just follow the gusts and place the knife on the path that'll reach my target." He takes out a knife and places it on the wind as it glides and turns from the wind to wind until it passes the silverrette's cheek, scratching it.
"What?!" Ryohei cries out.
"He's reading the air current?" Tsuna says.
"Is that possible?" Kouga questions.
"He's taking advantage of this situation that seems impossible and perform inhuman techniques." Shamal says. "I hate to admit it, but he's a real genius."
"Three minutes have passed." The Cervello announces from the P/A system.
"Do you know what the duty of the Guardian of Storm is?" Bel asks. "Being a surging storm, perpetually at the core of any attack. I can do it, but you can't."
"Why are you standing there?" Shamal questions. "Don't stop, Hayato!"
A few glitters in the wind and Gokudera jumps away just when the knives impale the floor and he takes out his dynamite. "Don't screw around with me!" He shouts but is cut short as the knives keep on coming, causing him to run and dodges every one of them. "Damn it! I can't switch to attacking like this!"
"With his seamless knife throwing, he cuts off the enemy's opportunity to counterattack." Mammon states. "Bell is the only one who could pull this off in this kind of wind."
"Damn it, I can't fire back." Gokudera thought as he runs. "I'll just have to fall back for now. Someplace where his attacks won't reach me..." He runs through a door as he places dynamite on the side of the entrance that explodes, creating a smoke-screen that prevents the Varia from finding him.
"Do you think you've managed to hide using the explosion." The knife-user says. "I love hide-and-seek, shishishi..."
Meanwhile, in the science room of the same level, Gokudera is sitting against the wall, catching his breath. "It wouldn't be favorable for me to take on those knives head on. I'll have to set traps and attack him from his blind spots." He takes out some dynamites but then two knives fly pass him and slices off the fuse. "W-Where did that come from?!"
"That Bel person is still in the hallway!" Tsuna exclaims as he finds the ripper prince outside.
"Then how did he do that when he can't see them?!" Basil shouts.
"What's going on?!" Kouga questions.
"I told you that I love hide-and-seek." Bel states. "I'm a prince after all. I'm not the same as you copycats." He takes out more knives and they fly along with the wind and cuts Gokudera's left arm.
"G-Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna cries out.
"Damn it! How?!" Gokudera questions.
"Ushishishishi... Did I hit jackpot already?" The prince says. "It doesn't say much after your boss if his Guardian of Storm is like this."
Gokudera's eyes widen in shock. "Because of me, Juudaime is..." He clenches his fist. "I can't lose! But unless I can overcome his attacks, that'll be impossible. Think. How can his attacks come from my blind spot?"
"Good, that's good." Shamal metally says as he sees his student deep in thought. "Even if he is a genius, his technique will have a trick and setup."
"Don't panic. Calm down." The silverrette thought. "Was there anything strange about the match?" He then realizes that Bel had tapped his shoulder just before the match. "My shoulder?!" He looks at his shoulder. "H-He couldn't have!" He stands up and gets ready for his counterattack.
"For the final of this surging attack, I'll make you into a cactus, full of needles." Bel grins as he takes out most of his knives. "Bye-bye." He throws all of them and they all fly along with the winds and hit their target, shocking everyone. "Cactus: complete." The figure then falls through the door, shocking him as the figure is something else, not him.
"Ah!" Tsuna shouts in shock.
"That's a..." Basil trails off as he sees the knives implanted in a human model, "human model?"
It then starts to move. "Ah! It moved?!" The brunette freaks out.
"Baka, take a closer look." Reborn says. "There's something around its neck.
The model is then dragged into Gokudera's hand, standing in front of the prince. "This is the secret of your attack." He says as wires are visible around the model's head.
"W-Wire?!" Kouga points out.
"Before the match, you patted my shoulder and at the same time placed a wire on it. Hmph, you even numbed it so I wouldn't feel the weight." He states. "Then you threw your knives along that wire, so the knives fly directly at me as if they were on a trail."
"So that's why knives flew directly at Gokudera-kun." Tsuna says.
"Just like a monorail." Shamal adds.
"You did your best, but that's only worth fifty points. You can think you have the upper hand just because you figure it out," Just then a huge gust of wind bursts out from the room with the silverrette dodging it, "but you can't do anything in this wind. So, what will you do?"
Gokudera says nothing but readies new bombs. "B-Bombs?!" Tsuna cries. "B-But..."
"Those wouldn't hit."
"I missed out flirting so he'd learn how to make bombs that wouldn't hit." Shamal states. "I, who was once called a genius myself..."
"Huh?" Tsuna and Kouga look back at them.
The dynamites ignite. "Explode!" The silverrette cries as he throws his bombs.
"No, it'll be hit by the wall of wind again!" Basil exclaims.
"Sonna..." Tsuna says.
"An Idiot with big mouths..." Bel states.
"Go!" Gokudera mentally calls out, as the bottom part of the dynamites ignites and fires them over the wall and at his opponent, shocking him. "I can't miss and shame Juudaime." Gokudera says as the bombs hit the prince with a huge bang.
"Gokudera's amazing!" Yamamoto says.
"Was that..." Basil trails off.
"Was that another new technique?!" Tsuna shouts.
"Rocket Bombs: this is the new technique Hayato learned during training." Shamal states.
"A bomb that changes direction in flight, huh?" Reborn says.
"Yeah. With the propulsion powder packed inside the dynamites, it'll change direction twice. One thing Hayato lack is speed. Because of the bombs' design, they can't fully capture the enemy. That's why we increased the mobility of the weapon itself. He saw my Trident Mosquito and figured it out. It requires some technique, but if it'll change direction twice in mid-flight, it would widen his range of attack. More importantly, he learned it to survive. Techniques like that hit squarely."
"That's amazing, Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna cries out.
"Did he do it?!" Ryohei asks.
"It was a direct hit." Basil says. "He should have taken a great deal of damage!"
"Bel probably isn't unharmed." Levi says.
"Exactly." Mammon says. "'It' is about to begin."
"How horrifying..." Squalo says.
The wall outside the room suddenly gets cut as the smoke clears, showing Bel heavily injured with blood dripping off his wound. "Ushishishishi... It spilled my royal blood..." He says as he grins like a madman, shocking the Storm bomber.
"What's with him?" Gokudera thought.
"It's about to begin, the Prince of Ripper's true nature." Mammon says.
"Gokudera-kun..." Tsuna says.
"A–H! My heart won't stop beating!" Bel shouts, scaring the bomber.
"What's going on?!" The silverrette questions.
"H-He's laughing!" Tsuna says.
"Seems like he snapped." Shamal states.
"Onii-sama..." Ruki calls as she gets closer to Kouga.
"I just don't understand his temperament." Squalo comments.
"The ripping prince, Prince the Ripper..." Mammon adds. "He's been a hitman since his birth. Innocent and bare cruelty... there's no one more suited to be in the Varia assassination squad than Bel."
"What's with that guy?" Kouga questions. "This is really bad."
"I don't really get it, but..." Gokudera takes out more of his dynamites and ignites them. "I saw wires. Long-range knife attacks won't break through the winds. I'll have to go full-force now." "Rocket Bombs!" He fires the bombs at him as they propel themselves to the wounded prince.
However, Bel only stands there.
"He's not going to dodge?!" Basil says aloud.
"What is he planning?" Yamamoto asks as Shamal looks at the screen intensively.
The silverrette smirks. "The battle's over." The ripping prince chuckles as he runs forward and cuts the fuses in some of the dynamites, dodging the explosion from the bombs and continues sprinting forward, shocking the bomber.
"He evaded them!" Tsuna shouts.
"He didn't simply dodge them." Reborn states.
"Eh?"
"He didn't make any wasteful movements." The baseball ace states.
"That's quite a show of dexterity." The doctor comments.
"He's finally acting like himself." Levi states.
Mammon nods. "Once he snaps, Bel's true genius comes to the surface."
The prince takes out his knives and slashes at the bomber, who dodges and then he throws them but is blown off course by the wind and miss their target. "His aim is wild because of the wind." Gokudera thought. "There's nothing to be afraid of." His thought is cut off when another cut is shown on his other cheek and his dynamites are cut once more.
"Eh?!" Tsuna cries.
"What's happened?!" Yamamoto exclaims.
"What's going on?!" The bomber shouts in shock. "The knives didn't hit me!" "Cutting without touching... Kamaitachi?"
Hahahahaha...!" He looks up to find the prince with a knife in his hands. "Boom! Got you!"
"I-I'm done for..." The bomber thought but then, "not!" He takes out one of his mini dynamites and flicks it in front of him and braces himself as it explodes in front of him. Bel is knocked backward and Gokudera just coughs from the soot.
"G-Gokudera-kun..." Tsuna says.
"Gokudera!" Yamamoto cries.
"No. That's a good move." Kouga notes.
"Let them cut flesh, yet protect the bone." Squalo says. "Good decision, Bomb kid.
"I was hurt again." The prince laughs madly. "It's so thrilling."
"T-This isn't good!" Tsuna exclaims. "That person is completely..."
"Hayato, don't lose your focus." Shamal tells him.
"That's right." Reborn adds. "Remember your training. What you can see isn't everything."
The bomber stands up and walks away. "This distance between us is unfavorable to me." He mumbles.
"Wait up." The prince says as he throws the knife at him and misses him, but cuts his legs.
"Damn it!" He curses. "Again... the knife didn't touch me. What should I do?"
"The hurricane turbines will explode in six minutes." The Cervello announces.
"I'm running out of time as well?!" Gokudera cries. "Damn it! In that case..." He runs over behind the corner with Bel running after him but he disappears from the corridors.
"Shishishishi... Hide-and-seek again?"
Gokudera is hiding in the library, getting ready to ambush the prince. "Now come on in." He mumbles as he has his back on one of the bookshelves. "I'll throw you everything I've got at you."
The camera takes the video of the entire area. "The library..." Yamamoto says.
"That's the only entrance of the library!" Tsuna points out.
"Gokudera's trying to settle it." Reborn says.
"Fighting against Bel in a dead end is like shortening your life." Mammon says.
On cue, Bel jumps right in with knives flying in all directions and he looks around to find his prey, who jumps out in front of him.
"Now! Take this!" He shouts as he throws his dynamites at the prince. The prince grins more widely as he throws his knives that fly past and the sticks of dynamite are cut in half.
"Ah! They didn't touch them this time either!" Tsuna cries.
"Is that even possible?" Basil questions.
"It's just like a kamaitachi!" Ryohei shouts as Shamal can only sweat at the events.
"What is this?" The silverrette thought. "That was odd, where the cut was and the directing of the cut..." His eyes narrow. "Something is unnatural."
"Counterattack: start!" Bel shouts as he throws his knives at him. The bomber dodges it but his arm is cut. He overlooks the pain and dodges another set of knives.
"Now this is truly suited for the Guardian of Storm." Mammon says. "A surging attack..."
"Gokudera!" Yamamoto cries.
"But don't you think that it's odd?" Reborn states.
"Yeah." Shamal agrees. "His opponent almost seems like he's missing on purpose."
Gokudera stumbles on the ground and freezes for a second as the prince advances towards him. "I-I'm not done yet!" He shouts.
"Yes, you are." Bel retorts as he throws a couple of knives at him and the bomber dodges it, but then suddenly freezes in the air.
"What's the matter, tako-head?!" Ryohei shouts.
"Gokudera-dono, thou canst not stop!" Basil adds.
"You need to run!" Tsuna cries out.
"It's not he's not moving, he can't run." Mammon states.
"Eh?"
"You can barely see it on the monitor, but wires have been set all around him." The hooded baby tells them as Gokudera stands in the air as he drops his lighter with many wires surrounding and wrapping around him.
"When? How?!" Tsuna cries.
"It was the knives, after all..." Shamal says.
"Yeah."
"Knives?"
"A wire was tied to each of the knives' hilts." The hitman explains. "That explains the kamaitachi."
"Yeah, and two ways to cut your opponent are born." The doctor says. "The first method is throwing and cutting. Even if they think they've evaded the knife, if the knife turns towards the target, the wires between him and the knife will cut in. The second method is throwing the knives into the wall and creating an invisible cutting mechanism. He first threw the knives into the library first. These are which cut Hayato's bombs. Meaning he was never a knife-thrower; he's been using knives and wires."
"You fell right into his trap." Mammon says. "Because Bel is a genius, he's good at martial combat as well as scheming."
"Shishishi... The end." Bel says.
The bomber stands there between the wires and then looks up at him. "For you." He says, shocking everyone.
"Gokudera...kun...?" Tsuna says but then he notices the lighted split gun powder along the floor. "Ah!"
"The split powder is acting like a fuse!" Basil exclaims and Shamal smirks as the bottom of the shelves blow up, causing the wires to slag down.
"Sagging wires won't cut me." The bomber says.
"He knew!" Tsuna cries. "Gokudera-kun!"
"He did it!" Yamamoto cheers.
Reborn smirks. "The things you see aren't everything. This means that the training wasn't useless."
"And these bombs will be guided to their destination by your wires!" The silverrette shouts as he throws the bombs which then propel themselves along the wires with the hooks he placed on its side. "This is the surging assault of the Guardian of Storm!" The bombs explode at the prince. "And just to be sure..." Gokudera takes out more bombs. "Rocket Bombs!" He throws his self-propelling bombs at him again, exploding once more.
"It hit!" Basil and Ruki shout.
"K.O.!" Ryohei shouts.
"All right!" Yamamoto cries as Reborn just smirks.
"F-Fearsome." Tsuna says.
"He did it!" Kouga cheers.
"With that much hitting him, even Bel is..." Mammon trails off.
"Done for." Squalo finishes.
"He pulled it off." Shamal says. "I think it'd be all right for him to be the Guardian of Storm."
The brunette looks back at him and then smiles and looks at the screen. "Gokudera-kun..."
Gokudera walks up to the unconscious prince. "It's over."
"No, it's not." He stiffens from the voice and turns around to find Cervello standing there. "We cannot accept this as a victory until you complete the Ring of Storm."
"Obtain the two halves of the RIng and complete the Ring of Storm, please." The other adds. "Farewell." They walk out of the library.
"Three minutes remaining."
"Tch, what a pain..." He curses as he walks up to the fallen Bel. "I guess there's no helping it." He suddenly stumbles a little.
"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna cries but Gokudera gets back his footing.
"Don't lose your footing because of that little scratch." Shamal tells him. "Let's wrap this up and celebrate. Yeah! Bring Bianchi-chan too!"
"What are you saying at the time like this, you perverted old man...?" The silverrette deadpans. "Geez." He sighs as he looks at the fallen Varia. "You look so stupid. What genius? Don't make me laugh. I want you to take back the insult you made to Juudaime." He picks up the ring in his hand. "But... I was kind of useful."
All of a sudden, Bel reaches out and grabs the bomber's ring around his neck.
"Ah!"
"Baka! Don't let your guard down!" The doctor shouts.
"I'm going to win!" The prince shouts as he wrestles with the silverrette for the ring.
"Teme...!" He shouts as he punches the prince in the face, but is not enough to knock him off as he continues to wrestle with the bomber for the Ring.
"RIng... My Ring..." The prince says.
"Can Bel still fight?" Levi asks.
"No." Mammon states. "His drive towards victory is what's pushing him now. His princely instincts won't let him lose."
"He's abnormal 'til the end." Squalo says.
"But his opponent does not have the strength to fight." Basil says.
"Ring..." The prince chants. "Ring..."
"Teme! Give up already!" Gokudera shouts. "Damn it... I don't have any strength left! Just die!"
"It is almost the promised time." The Cervello announces as a siren is heard from a bomb from a room explodes, engulfing the entire area in smokes.
"This isn't good!" The silverrette thought.
"As we explained before we start, the detonators of the hurricane turbines have begun." The Cervello explains. "The explosion will start clockwise and will reach the library in one minute. The explosions will not reach the Spectators' Area."
"S-Sonna!" Tsuna cries. "At this rate, Gokudera-kun will-"
"Die along with the enemy." Reborn finishes.
"What are you doing, tako-head?! Hurry!" Ryohei shouts.
"Shut up! I'm doing it!" The silverrette shouts as he and the prince roll over to the bookshelves and causing it to topple over them.
"Not good..." Shamal says. "His strength has decreased because of his wounds. This is not looking good for Hayato."
"My eyes... They're getting hazy." Gokudera thought and another explosion triggers along the floor.
"Fifteen seconds has passed; forty-five seconds remain."
"A chicken race!" Squalo shouts. "Now it's getting interesting!"
"Tsuna, what will you do?" The hitman tutor asks his student.
"Eh?" Tsuna looks at his tutor. "What will I do?"
"It can't be helped." Shamal sighs as everyone looks at him. "Give the Ring to the enemy and pull out, Hayato!"
Both Tsuna and Gokudera are startled.
"Don't screw around with me!" The silverrette shouts as he fights back against Bel.
"Dying for something like this is idiotic. Come back!" The doctor shouts.
"What are you saying?! If I lose, with one win and three losses, we're finished! We'll lose from lack of manpower!"
"Your opponent is broken!" Shamal yells. "It's not a real fight anymore! Come back!"
"I can't come back empty-handed!" The silverrette cries. "The name of Juudaime's right-hand man would be shamed!"
"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna shouts in shock. "You're worried about that?!"
Another explosion hits another room. "Juudaime, if I win the tide will change!" He shouts. "Please leave it to me! I can do this much!"
"Gokudera!" Yamamoto shouts.
"Gokudera-san!" Ruki shouts.
"Tako-head, come back!" Ryohei shouts.
"Stop screwing around!" Kouga shouts. "Get back here, Gokudera! Even if you lose, there are still other matches! Leave it to them!"
"Shut up, Mitsurugi!" The bomber yells. "Even if I die, I will not shame Juudaime!"
"Twenty seconds until it reaches the library."
"Hayato!" Shamal shouts. "Did you forget what I taught you before your training started?!"
Gokudera eyes widen. "How can I forget..." He thought. "I can't forget. That's why I'm going to use it when it's the most important." "Even if I can't back down now!"
"Knock it off!" His eyes widen when he hears his boss shouts at him. "Why do you think we're fighting?!" Tsuna yells. "We're all going to have a snow fight and watch fireworks together! That's why we're fighting! That's why we're growing stronger! I want to laugh with everyone, but if you die, it's all meaningless!"
Reborn smirks at Tsuna's words.
"Juudaime..." The bomber mutters but then a long high beep sounds from the turbines in the library, which in turn blow up the entire room. The screen turns static and it resulting in everyone in a panic.
"Gokudera-kin?" Tsuna stutters.
"Gokudera!" Kouga and Yamamoto shout.
"That idiot..." Shalam curses.
Basil clenches his teeth while Ryohei yells out in anger.
"N-No way..." The brunette collapses to his knees. "I can't believe it... Why, Gokudera-kun...?" Tears start to fill his eyes.
Reborn's eyes are overshadowed by his fedora but then notices something. "Look over there!" He calls out as everyone looks at the smoke-covered corridors. A figure is seen within the smoke revealing Gokudera.
"The infrared sensor has been turned off." The doctor tells them as he hovers his hand around the border between the two areas to show that there is no laser grid anymore.
Everyone rushes forward to the stumbling teen as he falls onto the floor with a thud. "Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna cries as he runs over to him.
"Gokudera!" The baseball ace shouts.
"Tako-head!" Ryohei shouts.
"I'm sorry, Juudaime..." The bomber apologizes. "While the Ring was taken from me, I came back because I want to see those fireworks."
"Thank goodness..." Tsuna sighs. "Gokudera-kun, I'm really glad."
"But I lost!" He shouts in shock.
"Baka." Kouga says to him. "You coming back is good enough. You're part of the team, after all."
"That's right, arigatou, Gokudera-kun." The brunette thanks him.
"Please don't." Gokudera says embarrassment as wipes his tears. "Those words are wasted on me!"
"Gokudera, that guy chose to live." Reborn says.
"Yeah." Shamal agrees. "He showed the most growth right at the end. And I'm not so conceited that I think it was because of me. The Vongola kid and that Knight one-upped me."
Gokudera stands up and grabs the baseball ace's shirt. "Yamamoto..." He says. "The rest is up to you."
"Hm?"
"I don't want to be asking you!" He says angrily. "You, of all people... Even Mitsurugi is better but..."
Yamamoto smiles. "I know!"
The bomber suddenly collapses onto Ryohei behind him. "Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna cries out.
"Oi, don't push yourself."
"The Ring of Storm is in Belphegor's hand." They turn around to find the Cervello and Varia standing by the ruined floor. "Belphegor is declared the victor of this match."
"Voi! What a laughable ending!" Squalo yells. "Your lives are hanging by a hair!"
"And your Mist and Cloud have not yet to appear." Mammon says. "I hope it doesn't end in a default win for us.
"He's right." Tsuna thought. "When will Hibari-san and the Mist person come?"
"We will now announce the next match." The Cervello announces.
"What will we do, Reborn?!" Tsuna cries. "What if it's the Mist or Cloud match?!"
"Don't worry about it." Reborn assures him. "Everything is falling into place."
"Just because you said that..."
"Tomorrow's night's match will be Rain, the match between the Guardians of Rain."
"That's right!" The brunette realizes. "Yamamoto's opponent is that strong long-hair!"
"I've been waiting for this!" Squalo shouts. "I can finally cut you open! You better not run when you remember how badly I beat you the last time, kid!"
"He's so confident..."
"Hahaha!" The brunette turns to his laughing friend. "Nothing to worry about there." He says. "I'm so excited that I can't sleep." His eye sharpens like before.
"Yamamoto's eyes... He really has those of a swordsman now..." "Oh yeah, who is the Cloud?" Kouga asks.
"Oh, its-"
"It's HIbari." Reborn interrupts Tsuna.
"Hibari? Wait... If he finds the state of the school right now..." Kouga pales.
"Ah...!" Tsuna pales.
"Captain Levi!" One of Levi's henchmen kneels down behind him. "Someone has snuck onto the school grounds! The Lightning Force is being defeated one member after the other!"
"W-What?!" Levi shouts in shock.
"That's why I told you that." Reborn smirks as he tells his student. "All the Guardians are falling right into place."
"The infiltrator has broken through our lines one after another." The man continues. "The casualties are numerous."
"Damn it, who is it?" The Varia lightning demands. "Don't let him escape alive! If we let him go, I'll lose face in front of the boss!"
"Yes, sir!" The man runs back to the corner.
"I can't wait to see what kind of fly snuck in." Mammon says with Squalo all the while chuckling.
"Whom could it be?" Basil asks.
"This is probably..." Tsuna stutters.
"Yeah, he came back from his training." Reborn confirms.
"Definitely him..." Kouga stutters.
A grunt is heard as the man from before is hit across the corridor and in front of him, a figure walks up to the corridor with tonfas flash out from his hand, revealing to be a certain discipline committee chairman, "Hibari-san!" Tsuna cries out. "Hibari-san really came! He actually going to join the Ring Conflict! The ultimate Hibari-san!"
"This is not good..." Kouga sighs.
"Huh? Why?" Tsuna asks.
"Trespassing on school grounds," Hibari states, "as well as the destruction of school property..." He looks at both sides. "You are all jointly guilty, and I'm going bite you to death."
"This guy's just mad because the school was damaged!" Tsuna thought.
"I was afraid of this!" Kouga mentally cries.
"Are you a Ring holder for Sawada's side?" The Cervello asks the perfect who turns and faces her. "I that case, we can't have you-"
"How dare you attack my subordinates!" Levi shouts as the perfect just stares at him blankly.
"We can't have the Guardians fighting each other!" The Cervello warns but pushes away by Levi
"Shut up, Cervello!" He shouts as he draws out his parasols. "He's just an outsider!" He strikes at the perfect but Hibari just side-steps him and trips him in the process, knocking him to the floor.
"Shall I bite you first?" He asks.
"Sugoi!" Tsuna exclaims. "He easily evaded a Varia attack!"
"He's good." Basil comments. "Who is he?"
"The Guardian of Cloud Ring and the Nami-Middle Discipline Committee chairman," Reborn introduces, "Hibari Kyoya!"
"If he's the Could, that means he is Gola Mosca's opponent." Mammon says.
"What do you think of him, Mammon?" Squalo asks.
"It's true that Levi was recently broken and he's the clumsiest among us." The hooded baby states. "Still, it was quite a display of dexterity."
"Heh, you're impressed by just that?" The swordsman laughs. "That's why you're more suited for judging mysticism. To a swordsman like me, it looked like they are standing still." He swings his sword out. "VOI! How many pieces do you want to be cut into?!"
"Hm? So you're next?" Hibari says.
"Please stop this." The Cervello tells them. "If the Guardians fight outside of the matches, they will be disqualified."
"What?!" Ryohei shouts.
"Not good! We need to do something!" Tsuna cries then Yamamoto walks up to the perfect. "Yamamoto?"
"Maa maa, calm down, Hibari." He tells the perfect. "I can understand why you're upset."
"You're in the way." He says. "Don't stand in front of me." He swings his tonfa at the baseball ace, then Yamamoto takes many different steps in high-speed and then holds onto the tonfa behind him, shocking Hibari.
"That long-haired is my opponent." Yamamoto tells him. "So, would you mind?"
Everyone is stunned by his movements, except Reborn who smirks.
"That katana-kozo's movements just now..." Squalo thought.
"That movement that Yamamoto did..." Kouga thought.
"I'll bite anyone who gets in my way..." Yamamoto steps back in shock, "to death!"
"Yabe, I've made him mad!" Yamamoto says in fear.
"Hibari-san!" Tsuna cries. "Please stop!"
Hibari glares at Yamamoto for the moment until Reborn goes up to him. "Ciaossu, Hibari."
"Infant?" The perfect calls. "Sorry, but I'm a little busy right now."
"You can go wild here if you want, but the fun you'll have later will be gone."
"Fun?" This sparks Hibari's attention.
"Not right now, but if you wait a bit later, you may be able to fight Rokudo Mukiro again in the near future, putting Kouga into the mix too."
"Oi!" Kouga yells.
"Eh?" Tsuna looks at his tutor, confused.
"Really?" Hibari says with a blood-thirsty smile as Reborn smirks. "WIll you repair the damage done to the school?" He asks the Cervello.
"Hai, we, the Cervello, will take full responsibility." She replies to him.
"I see." He then walks away. "I've changed my mind."
"Eh?"
"Don't lose to him before it's my turn to fight." He tells Yamamoto.
"Hibari-san?" Tsuna calls.
"See you." He walks off.
"Hibari-san stopped fighting."
"That's how big the insult he received from Mukuro was." Reborn says.
"Hibari-san... But Mukuro?!" Tsuna cries. "Are you sure it was all right to make a promise like that?!"
"Who knows."
"Who knows?! Oi!"
"VOI! Katana-kozo! Where did you learn to move like that?! I like it!" Squalo yells. "Your chance of victory moved from zero percent... to zero percent!" Everyone glares at him. "If I were to choose," He points his sword at Kouga. "I'll rather fight him!"
Kouga glares at him as his eyes glow sky blue for a second.
"If Squalo wins tomorrow, the Conflict will be over." Mammom says.
"And it will be your end." Levi adds as the Varia walks away and jumps out of the window.
"Prepare yourselves!" Squalo yells. "See ya!" He jumps out of the window as his laughter echoes throughout the night.
"They finally left..." Tsuna sighs.
"Geez... I wasn't sure what would happen when Hibari stated his rampage..." Gokudera says and Ryohei nods.
"But if Hibari joins us, we'll be stronger." Reborn states. "He powered-up through his training as well."
"T-That's right!" Tsuna agrees.
"Yeah, he powered up. I can't wait!" Yamamoto says cheerfully.
"But," The silverrette speaks up, "do you really think a gut who doesn't like crowds will join us?"
"That's true..." Tsuna sighs.
"More or less, impossible for him being part of our group..." Kouga states.
The bomber then tries to stand up but is struggling with the wounds he has. "Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna cries out.
"This is just a scratch!" He laughs.
"No, you need first aid." Kouga tells him.
"Dr. Shamal," Basil calls out, "please tend to Gokudera-dono."
"I don't tend to guys." Shamal tells them before walking away. "Bye-bee."
"He always been like that." Gokudra says.
"But still," Tsuna says, "we need to get you some first aid."
"I guess we have no choice, Romario, take a look at him." A voice says.
"Okay, boss."
Everyone turns around to find Dino standing behind with couple plasters on his left cheek.
"Dino-san!"
"Dore, dore." Romario says as he walks over to Gokudera and examines the injured silverrette. "You were beaten pretty badly."
"We must have just missed Varia." Dino says. "Kyoya hasn't come yet, right?"
"You just missed him; he was here a few minutes ago." Kouga tells him.
"When did me managed that?!" The Cavallone boss cries.
"Don't worry." Reborn tells his ex-student. "He didn't do much and went home."
"S-Sokka..." Dino sighs. "I didn't think he'd come back so soon."
"Dino-san, where have you been?" Tsuna asks.
"How to put it..." He thinks for a moment. "'On-the-road training,' I suppose."
"'On-the-road training'?"
"Where exactly did you train him?" Ruki asks.
"He doesn't listen to anyone at all, and he wouldn't admit a loss if I were to squash him." Dino sighs as he scratches his head.
"As expected, even Dino-san has trouble with Hibari-san!" Tsuna pales.
"So I panicked when I heard I was told the Ring Conflict would take place at Namimori Middle School." Dino adds. "I thought Kyoya would snap if he sees his school damaged; hahaha... So, to train him for fighting in different situations, I moved the training away from Nami-Middle. Thanks to that, we went from the mountains to the sea, forest, and river. I was able to train him in all sorts of environment."
"T-That seems epic." Kouga says.
"So, how much stronger has Hibari gotten?" Reborn asks.
"Mm, who knows?"
"What kind of answer is that?!" Tsuna and Kouga shout.
"He did, in fact, become stronger." Dino assures them. "I can't judge how much. Hibari Kyoya... His growth is limitless."
Everyone is shocked at first but then seems to have expected it. "That's the way it should be." Yamamoto says.
"Oh yea, Yamamoto." He calls out to the baseball ace. "I came here to tell you about Squalo. It may help you overcome him."
"Dino-san, you know about him?" Yamamoto says aloud.
"Yeah, I know. Squalo... he was meant to be Varia's boss."
"Eh?! Is that why he is so strong?!" Tsuna cries.
"I thought he was a really powerful swordsman, but I've never thought that he could be a boss!" Kouga cries even more.
"I was with him at a school for mafioso kids." Dino explains. "His strength was well known, even then. We knew there was an amazingly strong, young swordsman there. His strength and skills with the sword were unbelievable. During that time, Squalo didn't choose a single sword style. Instead, he traveled to the east and attacked any swordsman he met, absorbing their styles. He was like a ravenous shark, driven only by the scent of blood without thinking ahead for a moment. Varia heard about him and tried to scout him. However, as a requirement for joining, he demanded to fight Tyr, the leader of Varia at that time, known as the Emperor of Swords."
"Varia's boss..." Tsuna says.
"Emperor of Swords..." Kouga adds.
"Yeah, at that time; no one doubted that Sword Emperor Tyr would win." Dino says. "However, after a two-day duel, Squalo defeated Tyr. At the same time, he completed his current style. He was consistently at the top, even after joining Varia. Everyone believed that he would be the Varia's new boss."
"But Xanxus became boss." The brunette says. "W-Why?"
"I don't know." Dino says regretfully.
"Eh?"
"Xanxus has several secrets." He tells the brunette. "I can imagine a few, but the truth is hidden in darkness. If you win, you may learn something. Also, there was another swordsman even Squalo could not defeat."
"Who?" Yamamoto asks.
"The Ninth Vongola Knight."
"The Ninth..."
"Vongola Knight..." Tsuna and Kouga say.