Chapter 24: Dying Will Zero Point Breakthrough
Tsuna keeps the position as his flame pulses in different directions and Kouga with his Mako seeping out from his form. While the other downed Guardians are panting in pain from the poison.
"I don't want to." Lussuria pants. "I don't want to die here like this…! No! You there! Don't just lie there, do something!"
"I'd like to, but…" Ryohei says as he tries to get up. "I can't move."
"No!"
"Onii…sama…" Ruki pants.
"Damn… it…" Allena curses.
Back with the Sky Match, Xanxus and Aaron watch their opponent as Tsuna's flame flickers and Kouga's Mako rises from him.
"T-That's…" Basil speaks. "Sawada-dono! Kouga-dono!"
"What do they plan to do by emitting flames and rising that energy there?" Shamal questions.
"It's a fatal mistake to leak flames like that, kora!" Colonnello reprimands.
"Hahahaha! You've given up on winning and lost your mind." Xanxus laughs.
"No." Basil says. "Sawada-dono plans on doing it!"
"And Kouga is getting ready to do that." Dan says.
Aaron turns to Xanxus, seeing the flickering flames of Tsuna's. "Xanxus." He calls.
"That flickering abnormal flame… Could it be…" The Varia boss thoughts and realizes. "Could it be the Dying Will Zero Point Breakthrough?!"
"Dying Will Zero Point Breakthrough? Is that the technique he was training for, kora?" Colonnello asks.
"Why does he know about it?" Reborn questions.
"Huh? Xanxus' attitude has changed." Shamal points out.
To Xanxus, he remembers the flickering flames that Tsuna is doing before flying down to the brunette. "I won't let you!" He shouts causing the brunette to stop and immediately flies away. "I won't let you get away!" He goes after the boy and hits him by the chin with his gun but Tsuna stops himself before looking at Xanxus, but to find that he is behind him and shoots at the teen a few times as Tsuna dodges them until the brunette gets behind the Varia boss. "You're unsightly!" Xanxus shouts and keeps shooting at the brunette until the last shot grazes Tsuna's side.
"Ah!" Basil cries.
"His speed is different from before, kora!" Colonnello exclaims.
"Xanxus still has this much power left?"
"Tsuna!" Kouga calls out and about to help him but he feels a presence behind him.
"Don't look away." The black-haired teen turns around to find Aaron there with his gun pointing at him as it glows. Kouga immediately gets away from the firing line as The Varia Knight fires a few shots at him. The Mako-user deflects the shots with his sword and about to charge at him, but instead of in front of him, Aaron appears behind him before firing a powerful shot at the teen which Kouga tries to dodge, consequently, receiving a painful graze on his arm.
"Kouga-dono!"
"What are you doing, Kouga!" Souha shouts.
"No, it's that Aaron. He begins to speed up." Dan corrects his son-in-law.
"Not good. At this rate, they won't be able to concentrate." Reborn comments.
"But what is this Zero Point Breakthrough that he wants to prevent?" Shamal questions as Tsuna tries the stance again but Xanxus shoots at him causing the brunette to stop and barely dodges the shot.
"No, kora! He doesn't even have the energy left to fly!" Colonnello shouts.
"I don't care what it is! If it's a special attack, then hurry up and use it, byon!" Ken shouts.
"Ken, calm down." Chikusa tells him.
"I can't be calm! And why aren't they showing inside of the gym at all, byon?!"
"Are you worried about Chrome?"
"T-That's not it, byon! But without that girl, we can't contact Mukuro-san! T-That's all, byon…"
At the gym, Chrome pants out in pain.
"Mukuro-sama, answer me. Boss…" she pleads.
"If I could concentrate mentally… this would be nothing…" Mammon pants. "Did they know illusionists are weak against physical pain…?"
Back at the Sky Match, Tsuna manages to get up from the shot and tries the stance once more.
"That's wasted effort! Disappear!" Xanxus shouts.
While Kouga brings out his Mako again. "I don't know what you're planning, I won't let you use it." Aaron says.
"Scorppio di Ira!"
"Aura Pulse!"
Both the Varia tops shoot at the two teens who are still at their stance.
"That's going to-"
"Hit!" Shamal and Colonnello shout.
"Sawada-dono!" Basil cries out.
"Kouga!" Souha shouts.
Both attacks explode where the two stand as everyone feels the tremor of it.
"Juudaime…" Gokudera says as he runs through the hallway with Lambo in his arms.
"Tsuna… Kouga…" Yamamoto groans in pain.
Hibari looks at the smoke rising behind the school and continue to tend his injured arm.
"Mukuro…sama…" Chrome pants.
"What's… going on…?" Mammon questions and a small piece of rubble his him.
"Onii-sama…" Ruki calls out.
"What are boss and Aaron doing…?" Allena questions.
"No! What? What was that explosion? No, no! I… I don't want to die!" Lussuria shouts.
"Shut up… When I hear you whine… I can't muster my strength…!" Ryohei exclaims albeit silently.
Bel whistles at his boss' fight. "The boss is going at it. I should…" He begins to think about who should he save and decides to go into the gym where the Mist Field is.
At the spectators' area, the monitor only shows a fuzzy image.
"What happened?!" Shamal questions.
"Sawada-dono! Kouga-dono!" Basil calls out.
Once the screen clears out, it shows Tsuna and Kouga lying on the ground as the flame on the glove disappears and turns back into mittens as Kouga's hair turns back to black.
"Ah!"
"The Dying Will Flame and Mako…" Colonnello says as the two Kokuyo students grit their teeth and Reborn's eyes are covered by the rim of his hat.
"Damn it!" Shamal curses.
"Hmph." Xanxus breaths out and lands away from where the impact was. "So you died. Stupid trash. You only hurried to your death. What a foolish thing to do." He laughs. "Now that I think of it, a piece of trash wouldn't be able to perform the Dying Will Zero Point Breakthrough."
"In the end," Aaron speaks to the downed Kouga. "You can't defeat us if you throw everything you have."
"Now I'll turn trash…" The Varia boss lifts his hand and glows, "into ash."
Just then, a tiny flame appears on Tsuna's forehead and a small part of Kouga's hair turns yellow.
"That's…!" Basil exclaims.
"Could it be?!" Colonnello shouts and Reborn smirks.
Both Tsuna and Kouga snap their eyes open—as the brunette still has the orange hue and both of Kouga's eyes are now dyed in the color of Mako—when Tsuna's flame grows large and Kouga's hair quickly turns yellow; and then Tsuna's mittens turn into metallic gloves before the flames on both hands burst and lifts him up. While Kouga has the Mako bursts from his body and he rises.
"What?!" Xanxus and Aaron shout.
"Oh!" Shamal shouts.
"They did it, kora!" Colonnello cheers.
"They stood up!" Ken shouts.
"They were all right." Chikusa says.
"Geez, making us worried like that…" Souha mutters as he sighs in relief.
Reborn-san!" Basil calls out.
"Yeah. It was a success." Reborn says as the flames on his gloves and forehead are bigger than they were started. "The Dying Will Zero Point Breakthrough!"
"And Kouga finally got into that zone." Dan says seeing that both Kouga's eyes are now blue. "The Limit Break Zone."
Both Xanxus and Aaron block away from the smoke that both teens are emitting.
"You bastards!" Xanxus shouts.
"What's going on? Tsuna took a direct hit, kora!" Colonnello questions Reborn.
"He neutralized Xanxus' Flames of Rage by becoming the opposite of Dying Will." The hitman explains.
"The opposite of Dying Will, kora?"
"Yeah, it's also called the 'Minus' state. When it comes to the Dying Will Zero Point Breakthrough, the normal, neutral state is the Zero Point. If he's in his Dying Will state and the flames are being emitted, that's a Plus. If it goes in the other direction, and it goes into the Minus state."
"Minus? Does that mean he has even less Dying Will than normal when he's not doing anything?" Shamal asks.
"That's right. And when he's empty, he can absorb the enemy's flame and avoid taking damage."
"But why is it a flickering flame, kora?"
"That's when Tsuna is going back and forth between the Plus and Zero point, waiting for a moment to go into Minus."
"What about Kouga? Dan said something about a zone." Shamal says.
"The Limit Break Zone," Dan explains. "Just as the name implies: when Kouga attacks and being attacked, the Mako energy rises within him until it hits the limit and the energy burst from his body as if it broke the limit."
"That's why he and Kouga were all right after being hit by Xanxus' Scoppio di Ira and Aaron's Aura Pulse." Reborn finishes.
"Hmph. That's the Zero Point Breakthrough used by the First?" Xanxus asks.
"That's right." Tsuna answers.
Hearing this causes the Varia boss to chuckles and turns into loud laughter. "That's great! I don't know who told you, but that's not the Zero Point Breakthrough!" He declares which surprises the two teens and the spectators. "That's not even close to the real thing. It is a Vongola special technique. Is it such a pathetic technique that the user would take so much damage?"
"Don't talk like you know!" Basil shouts.
"That's right! You're just being a sore loser!" Ken also shouts.
"No, he's right." Dan says.
"Dan-san." Basil calls.
"The boy's body couldn't absorb all the Flames of Rage and used up a lot of energy. Even by using this, he won't be able to win."
"Sonna…"
"And the risk is too large." Reborn continues. "The opposite state of Dying Will forces his life force to drain and is dangerous. If he misjudges the timing of the enemy attacks, he'll take a direct hit."
"No! Weren't we training so he could attain that technique?! The training was for that technique."
"You could say that. But you could also say that's not it."
"What do you mean?"
"The Dying Will Zero Point Breakthrough is known to be the First's technique," Dan says, "but it's actually the polar opposite of Dying Will: a state that leads to a technique."
"A state?"
"Even if Tsuna reaches that state, there's a chance that the technique he comes up with will be different from the First's." Reborn states.
"S-Sonna…! Was this a failure, then?! Why did Sawada-dono go through that tough training? To what end…? To what end…"
"But there will be a chance that the boy can use the First's Zero Point Breakthrough." Dan says.
"What do you mean?"
"Because I've seen it first hand with the Timoteo."
"The Ninth?!"
"I can't stand it anymore!" Ken shouts and about to get out when Chikusa stops him.
"What do you plan on doing?" He asks.
"We can't leave it up to them! If they can't win, then… We're going to take Dokuro home!"
"As soon as you step over the sensor, they become disqualified, and it's all over."
"Then what do we do? What do we…"
"Ken…"
"Have faith." Reborn speaks up. "In our training. The power of the technique created by the First. And in Tsuna." He looks up at the monitor. "Have faith in Tsuna's power." "But the Dying Will Zero Point Breakthrough is the First's technique, and no one's ever seen it, except for Dan. So why does Xanxus talk like he knows the real Zero Point Breakthrough?"
"It's over, trash!" Xanxus shouts, pointing his guns at Tsuna. "I'll shoot you 'til you become ash!"
"Aim carefully." Tsuna says.
"What?"
"I'll do it right next time." He tells him as the flame on his head starts t of picked and puts his hand together.
"Oi, oi, is he seriously doing that again?" Aaron questions.
"He will." Kouga says as he picks up his sword. "No matter how beaten he is, Tsuna will use it. As his friend, I believe in him!" The Mako travels down his arm and into the blade of his sword.
"Ah!"
"Sawada-dono. Kouga-dono." Basil calls out.
Reborn smirks. "Blood of Vongola. Tsuna and Kouga's hyper intuition found something."
Hn. It'll be the same no matter how many times we do it." Xanxus says.
Tsuna ignores him as his hands start to move, his thumb on his index finger and vice versa, forming a square in his fingers. "Zero Point Breakthrough Revised."
"Zero Point Breakthrough Revised?" Shamal repeats.
"His stance changed." Basil points out.
"What is he plan on doing, kora?" Colonnello questions but Reborn smirks.
"You still can call that a Zero Point Breakthrough?" Xanxus questions. "You piece of trash! How many times do you have to bluff to be satisfied? The real Zero Point Breakthrough doesn't have a stance like that!"
"What?" Shamal says.
"There he goes again." The CEDEF officer says."Only the First could only use the Zero Point Breakthrough. He has no idea!"
"He couldn't have…" Reborn trails off.
"You notices, Reborn?" Dan asks.
What's the matter, kora?" Colonnello asks but the two doesn't reply.
"Sawada-dono! He is the one who is bluffing! He shouldn't know what's real or fake!" Basil shouts.
"No matter what you say, I… I'm going to use my Zero Point Breakthrough to the end." Tsuna declares.
Xanxus smirks at this. "You're a smartass piece of trash. I'll make you disappear so that you can never speak the name of that technique again." He points his gun to the side before firing for him to fly around the brunette. "Know that our powers…" Tsuna notices this but it is too late, "are worlds apart!" The Varia boss kicks him flying backward.
"No!" Shamal cries.
"He can't defend like that!"
"Tsuna!" Kouga calls out but senses a blast coming towards him before blocking it with his sword.
"Do you think you have time to look away?" Aaron questions and continues with his shots.
Kouga keeps defending himself before he swings it to swat the shots away and find his opponent not there and feels a kick in the stomach, which Aaron also sends him backward.
"Don't get distracted, Kouga!" Dan shouts.
Both teens manage to open one eye and see their opponents in front of them.
"Disappear!" Xanxus and Aaron shout and fire a shot at the two.
"Ah! Sawada-dono! Kouga-dono!" Basil shouts.
"They're in trouble, kora!" Colonnello exclaims.
Two long craters are created from Tsuna and Kouga's crash with the said two unconscious once more.
Both the Varia boss and knight land in front of the crater, smirking as the Dying Will Flame disappears on Tsuna's forehead.
"T-The Dying Will Flame is…" Basil trails off.
A few seconds later, the orange flame ignites on the brunette's forehead as he and Kouga regain their conscious.
"All right!" Shamal exclaims.
"Stand up, kora!" Colonnello shouts.
The two gets up, but panting a lot.
"I'd like to commend you on surviving, but you weren't about to absorb all the damage." Xanxus says. "What did you call it? 'Revised? Not even worth talking about."
"In the end, you can't defeat us let alone to stand up right now." Aaron states and the two flies up and points their respective opponents.
"Bocciolo di Fiamma!"
"Ira dell'Aura!"
Xanxus fires many times at Tsuna as he circles above him and Aaron also fires many times with aura covering the shots.
"What's the matter? Don't you even have the strength to fly?" Xanxus questions.
"I bet you can't even lift a finger after this!" Aaron shouts.
"S-Sawada-dono and Kouga-dono are…" Basil stutters.
"They're planning on torturing Tsuna and Kouga to death." Shamal adds.
"Bocciolo di Fiamma, the Bud of Flame… That attack isn't as gentle as it sounds, kora." Colonnello says.
"And Ira dell'Aura, Wrath of Aura." Souha says. "What a horrible name."
Hahahaha! Enjoy despair, you pompous imitation!" Xanxus laughs.
"If there is something you regret is that you were our opponents!" Aaron adds.
But then they notice the eyes that Tsuna and Kouga are giving them. Those eyes are not the one of fear but one of understanding. It is as if they are trying to understand the two.
That face, those eyes in this hopeless situation…" They thought and remembers the same expression that the Ninth and Dan gave them. "It's the same. The same as that old man." The two grit their teeth in anger. "Mocking me… Trash."
"How dare you! All of you pieces of trash!" Xanxus yells and his guns begin to glow. "Don't you dare defy me! The Blow of Farewell! Colpo da Addio!"
"Not good!" Colonnello shouts.
"He intends to finish this!" Shamal says.
"Run away, Sawada-dono, Kouga-dono!" Basil warns.
The two teens, however, don't do anything as the blast hits them.
"S-Sonna…"
"That's too much." Ken comments.
Xanxus lands on the ground looking at where Tsuna and Kouga were. "Be forever gone, big piece of trash."
"S-Sawada-dono… Kouga-dono…" Basil stutters.
"Tsuna. Kouga." Shamal mutters.
Tsuna's Guardians also sees this through either the window or the wristband.
"S-Sonna…" Gokudera says as he goes down to his legs. "That's impossible. Juudaime and Mitsutugi are…"
"Sawada… Kouga…" Ryohei pants.
"W-What was that sound?" Yamamoto asks and realizes. "Could Tsuna and Kouga have been…"
"Juudaime… That's impossible." The bomber says and stands back up. "There's no way Juudaime would be defeated."
"Tsuna and Kouga wouldn't lose." Yamamoto smiles.
"Just stand up at the count of nine, Sawada, Kouga." Ryohei says.
"Victory is in our hands." Xanxus declares.
"This is the obvious conclusion." Aaron states.
The two turns and walk away but then a flash of light catches their attention causing them to turn back as their eyes widen in shock to find Tsuna and Kouga are all right with Tsuna's flames still ignite on his gloves and Kouga brimming with Mako.
"It's our turn next, Xanxus, Aaron." Tsuna says.
"What?" They question and a split second, the two teens immediately get in front of them causing the two men to split, Xanxus flying up and Aaron goes to the right. "Don't you know how to die?!" The Varia boss shouts as he looks down and is shocked at how close Tsuna is before the brunette gives him an ax kick on the chin.
"He caught up to…"
"Xanxus' speed!" Shamal and Basil exclaim.
"Hurry up and die already!" Aaron shouts as he turns his head to find Kouga is already close enough and slugs him to the ground.
"You did it, Kouga!" Souha cheers.
The two Varia manage to land before charging towards their opponents.
"You bastard/You'll pay!" Xanxus and Aaron shout.
Tsuna swings his arm as the flame arch towards the Varia boss which he blocks it, but finds the brunette behind him and hits him with the back of his hand, sending Xanxus crashing into the ground. As for Kouga, he grabs his buster sword when Aaron gets closer for the black-haired teen to push him back before charging forward to stab the cloth of his opponent, then leaps into the air with an upward-carrying slash and slams him into the ground.
"What happened?" Colonnello questions. "Their moments have changed!"
"Dying Will Zero Point Breakthrough Revised!" Reborn states.
The two Varia stand back up from their crater and they point their guns at Tsuna, who is floating upside down, and Kouga.
"Damn you!" They shout as the two charge their guns.
Then Tsuna moves his hands together, as the flame on his forehead starts to flicker as Kouga has his blade covered in Mako.
"Take this!"
"The Hammer of Flame! Martello di Fiamma!" Xanxus shouts as he fires many flame shots at Tsuna.
"Aura Impact! Impatto dell'Aura!" Aaron shouts and fires a large beam at Kouga.
The two blasts hit them hard as the smoke covers their forms.
"That's brutal. But…" Ken trails off as the smoke clears, the flames are seen getting absorbed into the brunette and the flame of his forehead burns stronger than before. When the smoke clears away at Kouga's side, he is seen holding his sword in a post-swing action along with a thin scar on the earth. This surprises the two Varia.
"That's…!" Basil exclaims.
"Naruhodo." Reborn says. "That's why it's 'Revised'."
"What's going on, kora?" Colonnello asks.
"Not only did Tsuna absorb Xanxus' flames, he made them his own." The hitman explains and smirks. "You've mastered it, Tsuna."
"Then what about Kouga-dono? And what is that line in front of him?" Basil asks.
"That's the same Hakogeki that he used throughout this match." Dan explains. "But this time, Kouga made it finer and more powerful to cut through Aaron's attack in a split second and that line is that after effect."
"This is… This is impossible!" Xanxus yells about to shoot Tsuna, but the brunette ignites the flames on his gloves and instantly knocks the man's arms up before slugging him into the building.
"Xanxus!" Aaron calls out and about to help him but Kouga gets in front of him before slashing him in a pattern that traces out the kanji bane (凶) which sends the Varia Knight to the ground away from the teen.
"He did it!" Basil cheers.
"All right!" The army infant exclaims.
"Hya-h! That was surprising!" Ken comments.
Meanwhile, the Rain Field
Yamamoto is still lying on the ground when a hand takes his hand and inserts the Rain Ring into the wristband for the antidote to release. The baseball ace pants slow down and smiles as the antidote does it work.
"That almost had me." He says and sits up. "Thank you na. You're a lifesaver."
The person who saved him was Hibari as he turns his back at him. "If you died on school grounds, it'd disrupt the peace." He says. "If you're going to die, do it outside."
"Haha, what's with that?" Yamamoto laughs and watches the perfect walks away until he suddenly leans against the pillar. "Oi! Are you all right?"
Hibari then fixes himself and acts like he didn't collapse. "What are you talking about?" He asks causing the baseball nut to sweat-drop. "We're not done cleaning the school grounds yet."
"I know." Yamamoto grips on the strap that holds his Shigure Kintoki. "We'll trade. I'll take care of it from here."
At the Sun Field
Once Gokudera reaches to the field, he gets the Sun Ring and inserts it into Ryohei's wristband and the antidote is released. Soon after the boxer calms down, he sits up slowly.
"T-Thanks, Tako-head." Ryohei thanks the bomber.
"You'll be dizzy for a while." He warns.
"Yeah."
"I'm going ahead to help the others." The silverrette passes the unconscious Lambo to him. "Take care of the stupid cow."
"Leave him to me. Then, take our Rings too. You'll probably meet up with Sawada before I do."
"All right!" Gokudera replies and takes the two Rings.
"And…" Ryohei turns his head to the bed-strapped Lussuria who is still suffering from the poison.
"Hey. Don't abandon me." He pants. "My vision's growing faint."
"I want to help Lussuria as well."
"What?!" The bomber shouts.
"It hurts… Save me. I'll die." The Muay Thai expert pleads.
"I guess there's no helping it." Gokudera sighs. "Juudaime would do the same."
"T-Thank you, Tako-head!"
Hearing his insult name causes the silverrette to get angry."I won't save you now!"
"AH! Save me! Help me!"
Back at the Sky Match
Both Tsuna and Kouga look at where Xanxus and Aaron crash upon on and soon Xanxas slowly sits up and wipes his mouth off.
"Damn you…" He curses as he pants. "I-I can't lose to an imitation Zero Point Breakthrough. To that piece of trash!" Smoke begins to rise from his body. "Shit, piece of shit…" The markings around his face begin to grow along with his arms. "You trash!" This causes the two teens to widen their eyes at this.
"He's still…" Shamal trails off.
"Anger and hate; those two energies that support Xanxus." Reborn notes.
"That's…" Basil asks.
"Yeah. That makes him the exact opposite of Tsuna."
Running in the hallways, Yamamoto holds his side as he about to exit the building.
"This isn't good. My wound opened up." He says and once he comes out, a figure appears before him.
"Who are you?!" He questions causing the baseball ace to be on guard but realizes that is was a familiar silverrette.
"Gokudera!" He calls out.
"Y-Yamamoto!" The two runs up to each other. "You're all right!"
"Yeah. Hibari helped me after saying he didn't want deaths on school grounds."
Gokudera makes a face. "You too? What's he planning by making us owe him? It's creepy."
"But he was pretty hurt as well, and it didn't seem like he could move much."
"Hibari was?" The bomber asks as Yamamoto digs into his pocket and shows his and Hibari's Rings.
"I got our Rings. Who else do we need to save?"
Gokudera also shows his, Lambo, and Ryohei's Rings. "The stupid cow and turf-head are safe."
"That means the two left are…"
"Mist and Snow."
"That girl and Ruki-chan."
"Yeah." Both the Storm and Rain Guardian look at the building near them. "The gym."
Back with Tsuna and Kouga, they are now staring at the angered Varia boss.
"How dare you, you piece of trash." He states and lifts himself, revealing the markings on his face. "I won't forgive you!"
"X-Xanxus' face…" Basil points out.
"Old scars…" Shamal summarizes.
Both of his guns quickly charges. "I'll crush you!" Then black flame rises from his feet.
"What a fearsome guy." Reborn comments. "Even now, his flames are still growing."
"Are his powers bottomless?" Colonnello questions.
"That is anger." A familiar voice says causing the people who know the voice to be shocked.
"T-That voice…" Basil turns to see Dino standing next to a long-silver haired Varia officer who is bandaged everywhere, tied to a wheelchair and surrounds by Dino's subordinates as they have guns pointed at the shark's head. "Squalo!"
"Look like I made it in time." Dino says.
Everyone is shocked to the supposed to be dead Squalo alive.
"Xanxus… I've never seen him so angry." Squalo states as Tsuna and Kouga just look at him.
At the gym
Gokudera and Yamamoto rush to the gym entrance doors as the bomber quickly unlocks them. "We need to hurry, or the poison's time limit of thirty minutes will be up!"
"Gokudera, are you all right?" Yamamoto asks.
"Yeah."
"You don't look so good."
This causes the silverrette to stop and looks at the baseball nut. "Like you're one to talk. You've been holding your wound this whole time, and you look weakened.
"Hahahaha, so we're both torn up."
"Geez."
As Gokudera works his way on the lock, they hear a satisfying click and quickly opens the door to find a toppled pole on the floor.
"The pole! What happened?" The two rushes in to get a closer look. "Where's Dokuro?!"
"Over here." A voice says while a few tappings cause the two to turn and see Bel and a cured Mammon and Allena along with tied up Chrome and Ruki.
"We've been waiting." The illusionist infant says.
"You took your time." The Varia Snow says as she and Bel point the two girls with Chrome's trident and Allena's sword.
"Ushishishi. Hand over your Rings." Bel tells them. "If you don't…"
Spectator's area
"You're late, Dino." Reborn tells his former student.
"Sorry. But I made it in time." The Cavallone boss says.
"What's the meaning of this, kora?" Colonnello questions.
"I cannot believe that he is alive!" Basil says. "But, how?"
"The day of the Rain Match, I had snuck in a subordinate just in case. The one who fell into the water tank wasn't Yamamoto, but…"
Right after the Rain Match ended, several of Dino subordinates swims through and catches the shark as they rescue Squalo from death and brought to a hospital and goes into surgery. After that, he is brought in to a room and Dino stay with him as he slowly regains his conscious.
"Have you come to, Squalo?" Dino asks.
"Bucking Bronco…" Squalo speaks.
"When he fought you, I imagined that Yamamoto would be in trouble, so I was ready to save him, but… I didn't think it'd end like this."
"Why did you save me? It would have been better to leave me be."
Dino smiles. "It'd be troublesome if you die on us right now."
Squalo looks at him for a moment and turns his eyes away. "You were always soft, Bucking Bronco."
"Probably." The blond boss agrees. "But my little bro would have done the same without thinking. He wouldn't abandon even his enemies. I believe Tsuna is worthy of becoming the Vongola Tenth. What about Xanxus drew you in? Why does he have that makes you follow him when all you care about is improving your swordsmanship? Squalo."
But instead of answering, Squalo closes his eyes.
"And he's been quiet ever since." Dino finishes.
"Then why bring him here?" Basil asks.
"I want to show him the Sky Match. Plus I thought he might feel like talking here."
"You are-!" The Cervello appears before them and is shocked to see Squalo alive as well. "Squalo!"
"That's right. All living Guardians had a summons to this Sky Match." Basil remembers.
"Hey, Nee-chan, I think it's a bit late to put this guy onto the field." Shamal asks.
"It's your mistake for not finding him alive." Reborn says.
"We knew." The Cervello states. "The Sky Match will continue. However, everyone must enter the observation area."
"All right, understood." Dino replies.
"That's good." Squalo says as he looks at the monitor. "That rage is the power which will make your ambitions become reality. I yearned for that rage and followed you."
"Squalo, what do you mean by that?" Dan questions.
"Yo, It's been a while, Ninth Vongola Knight." The long-haired swordsman greets.
"I'm retired. But I can't share the same feeling."
At the Gym
Gokudera and Yamamoto look at Bel, Mammon, and Allena who have Chrome and Ruki hostage.
"You bastards." Gokudera growls.
"Hand over your Rings." Bel demands.
"Or something ugly will happen to these girls." Mammon says.
"Don't mess with us! Do you really think we'd fall for a trick like that?" The bomber questions.
"Who do you think we are?" Allena says. "We're the assassination team Varia."
"We wouldn't lie about something like this." The Storm prince says as he pats the blade on Chrome's cheeks and Allena brings her blade closer to Ruki's neck, causing the two girls to moan out in pain.
"Knock it off! That's a dirty trick! Even if we gave you the Rings, you probably don't intend to let them go!" The silverrette shouts.
"It's up to you whether you want to believe it or not."
"But if you waste your time, the Death Heater poison will get to them before we do, and they'll die." Allena states.
"Damn it…" Gokudera curses.
"What's going on? We can't see inside the gym!" Ken shouts.
"The camera could be broken." Chikusa says.
"Oi, woman! You there, do something!"
"We will turn on the back-up camera immediately. Please wait a moment." The Cervello says as they do their work on the cameras.
"Oi." The two Kokuyo students turn to the Trident Mosquito user. "You worried about that cutie?"
"Shut up! I'm not worried about her! It's just that she…"
"Because of Mukuro?" Reborn asks. "Is it for Mukuro's sake?"
The two doesn't answer as Ken looks agitated and then they turn back to the monitor.
"Chrome." Chikusa says.
"Ushishishi. What are you going to do?" Bel asks as both Chrome and Ruki pants heavily from the poison.
"Seems like handing over the Rings is all we can do." Yamamoto says.
"W-What are you saying?!" Gokudera questions but he ignores him as he shows two Rings in his hands.
"The Rings I have are Rain and Cloud. Gokudera has Storm, Sun, and Thunder. Meaning, if you add in the Ring of Mist and Snow that you have, they'll all together."
"Lucky~!" Bel cheers.
"That saves us the trouble of collecting them." Allena points out.
"Hey! You Yakuu-Baka! Why did you tell them?! What are you think-"
"But," Yamamoto cuts his friend off as he puts his arm at him, "we won't give them all to you at once. First, we'll trade the Rain and Cloud Rings for the antidote for that girl and Ruki-chan."
"Na-?!"
"If you do that, we'll trust you and give you the other Rings in exchange for those two."
"Hey, hey. Do you realize who's in charge here?" Bel questions. "You want to save them, right?"
"It's all right, Bel." Allena tells him.
"She's right." Mammon agrees. "Since we'll gain them all because of this."
"Ushishishi. That's true too because they can't do a thing right now. We could just kill them after getting the Rings. However, I'm not getting in the range of your sword. Roll the Rings over from where you are."
"At the same time," Yamamoto shouts, "give them the antidote."
"Uwa, how impudent. You don't understand your position at all. Oh well." Bel and Allena take out the Mist and Snow Rings and brings them up to the respective Guardians wristband as Yamamoto gets ready to roll the two Rings. Just as the two inserts and the antidote are released, Yamamoto accidentally slips on a piece of rubble when he throws the rings.
"What are you doing?" The prince asks.
However, Yamamoto's eyes changes. "Let's go." The bag slowly slips off from his arm. "Shigure Souen Ryu, the third offensive form…" Once the bag is fully off, the baseball ace kicks the butt of the handle, ripping the fabric at the same time the Shigure Kintoki turns into a bladed katana. "Yarasu no Ame (Last Minute Rain)."
Seeing the sword coming towards them, Allena jumps away as Bel tries to get away but it cuts his arm.
"What?" Mammon questions.
"His sword, with his foot?" Gokudera questions.
Then Mammon freezes when Yamamoto points his blade at the infant's neck. "Don't move." Yamamoto orders.
"Ite!" Bel groans.
"We've got the upper hand now."
"Way to go, Yamamoto!" The silverrette exclaims as he runs up to the baseball nut.
"You guys aren't normal after all. I'm glad we prepared." Mammon says as he, Bel, Allena, Ruki, and Chrome vanish.
"They disappeared!" The baseball ace exclaims as he and Gokudera look around the gym.
"Where did they go?" The bomber questions when multiples of Mammon appears around the two as other four are now at the other side of the building.
"Since the moment you stepped into the gym, you've been in my world." The illusionist infant says.
"Now, give us the rest of your Rings." Bel demands.
"And this time no more tricks." Allena adds.
"That was an illusion." Gokudera says.
"Shishishi. We've got the upper hand again." The blond Varia says and every Mammon laughs at this.
Meanwhile, Xanxus flies straight towards Tsuna.
"Die!" He shouts and Tsuna does the same as the brunette punches him again but the Varia boss resists and then Tsuna punches once again into the chest. However, Xanxus digs his foot into the ground to stop and glares at him. "What of it?!"
Sensing something is coming, Kouga warns him, "Tsuna!"
"Don't forget about me." The black-haired teen turns around to find Aaron charging towards him which he jumps back to dodge the attack.
After hearing his name called, Tsuna flies backward and Xanxus points his guns at him.
"Die!" He shouts as his gun is already fully charged while Tsuna gets into the Zero Point Breakthrough Revised position just as the Varia boss fires enormous blasts causing the brunette to dodge.
"He dodged?!" Colonnello exclaims.
"If Tsuna took on Xanxus' flame, he wouldn't be able to absorb it all, and he would blow up." Reborn explains.
"S-Sonna…! He can overpower Sawada-dono!" Basil exclaims.
"I'll make you disappear!" Xanxus shouts and fly towards Tsuna as he closes his eyes.
"Tsuna! What are you planning?" Dino questions.
When the Varia boss gets close enough to Tsuna, he and the brunette grabs each other's hands as Tsuna's flame flickers once more.
"Tsuna plans to take on that flame?" The army infant questions.
"But in that grapple, he can't use the Zero Point Breakthrough!" The CEDEF officer says.
"It's over." Squalo mutters.
Tsuna and Xanxus continue the grapple as their hands begin to shine and turn into a bright blue light, which causes Kouga and Aaron to stop and look at it.
"Tsuna!" Dino cries out.
"Sawada-dono!" Basil cries.
The light dies down showing white smoke covering the exercise grounds.
"We can't see a think through that smoke." Shamal points out.
"No, someone's there, kora!"
Standing in the smoke is Xanxus who is looking up, but shocks everyone of this.
"Xanxus!"
"S-Sonna!" Basil exclaims.
"This is the obvious result." Squalo says.
"Don't panic." Reborn says. "Look at his hands."
"His hands?" Shamal repeats and they look back at the monitor.
"Ah! They're…!"
On the screen, shows Xnaxus' hands are frozen with ice spiking out.
"Xanxas' hands are…"
"Frozen?" Basil and Colonnello question.
"This phenomenon." Squalo says with fear. "This phenomenon. I-It couldn't be… It's the same as that time!"
"No… way…" Aaron trails off as he sees the ice covering his boss' hands and Kouga looks at Tsuna who is looking at his own hands.
"Tsuna, how in the world…" Kouga says.
"This is…" He says.
"Tsuna!" The army infant calls out.
"Sokka. This is probably the Zero Point Breakthrough created by the Vongola First." Reborn explains. "The opposite state of the Dying Will is also the opposite of the Dying Will Flame."
"I see. The opposite of flame: frost." Shamal realizes.
"It's not just any kind of frost." Dino adds. "It froze Xnaxus' flames. This technique is like…"
"A technique that exists to seal away the Dying Will Flame." Reborn states.
"That's… impossible… This isn't possible!" Xanxus shouts in disbelief.
In the gym, Gokudera and Yamamoto are surrounded by many Mammons and both Bel and Allena cuts the ropes that tie Chrome and Ruki before bringing closer to them.
"Back to the beginning." Bel laughs. "Well, we have the Rain and Cloud Rings, so we're ahead."
"Damn it." Gokudera curses.
"Now give us three remaining Rings." Allena demands.
"Or else these girls will be…" The Mammons around them brings out tentacles as they wrap the two tightly. "They'll suffer even more!"
"What are they doing?! Take care of those guys!" Ken shouts.
"She can't move because of the poison." Chikusa says. "Escaping would be impossible."
"Stop it!" Yamamoto shouts as he slashes a few Mammons but they duplicate themselves at the cuts.
"Explode!" Gokudera throws his dynamites in the air at the rest of the duplicates, but they only reappear back in the air. "Which one is real?"
"You still don't get it. Because you see these illusions, you have no rights to do anything else." Mammon says and sends the tentacles at him and wraps tightly around his limbs, neck, and head. One of the tentacles squeezes on his right arm which he is holding the three remaining Rings and forcing him to drop them.
"D-Damn it." He says as Yamamoto is also wrapped tightly, forcing him to drop his sword.
"You're going to end here as well, at the hands of your imaginations."
Then the tentacles grip grow stronger, strangling the two in pain.
"Hayato and Yamamoto!" Shamal exclaims.
"We can't do anything from here." Dino says.
"It's here. A hopeless situation." Colonnello thought as a figure goes up to the gym. "You're the only man who can save them!" The figure takes off the sling of his right hand. "Breaking down adversity that goes against the Family with his body…" The figure lets out a breath a few times, "and become the bright sun!"
"Maximum Cannon!" Ryohei shouts as he punches into the wall, breaking it as well as the building itself.
"What's that?!" Gokudera questions.
"From the outside?" Bel questions as he, Allena and many Mammons are being blown away by this which comes to a result of a demolished gym.
From the rubble, Gokudera pushes it off as he looks at Yamamoto. "A-Are you all right?"
"*cough**cough* Yeah." He coughs as he holds both Chrome and Ruki. "Dokuro and Ruki-chan are safe too. But what was that? The entire gym was blown away."
"That blow… Could it be?" He and Yamamoto then notice a lone figure standing at the edge of the demolished gym.
"Sorry. I hate being dull." Ryohei states.