Chapter 28: Entering the Cloud and Knight
Just after the SOS that Hibari has sent, everyone gathers into the meeting room and soon after, Haru enters it in a hurry to tell them that Kyoko has gone missing and left a note that said that she has gone home and promised that she will bring a snack for Lambo and I-Pin. Having to decide to either find Hibird and bring Kyoko back to the hideout, Tsuna declares to do both at the same time. However, there is a problem, outside of the hideout are Millefiore's forces along with a captain who Lal guesses Gamma, the captain of the Third Squad. Having no weapons in hand Reborn passes Yamamoto the Shigure Kintoki that his future self had stored while using a practice sword and Ruki her original sword along with the tessen. Tsuna then announces the two parties who will go. The first party will be him and Lal to go after Kyoko and the second party will be Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ruki to look for Hibird. At first, Gokudera doesn't like the idea to be in the same party as Yamamoto but tries to endure to question this. Lal tells the three to head to the shrine where the signal had disappeared to through B-hatch and both her and Tsuna will head to Kyoko's home through D-hatch.
Just after they left, pink smoke suddenly surrounds Yuuri and replaced by the past one.
"Huh?" Yuuri says.
"Y-Yuuri-chan?" Haru calls as she and Giannini are surprised at this event as Reborn looks at her.
"Haru-chan." Yuuri calls and looks around the room. "Where is this place?"
"W-Well, that's..."
"We'll explain later, Yuuri." The girl looks at Reborn.
"Reborn-kun." She calls and looks up at the monitor that shows the two groups running two different directions.
"Isn't that Tsuna and the others? Weren't they disappeared a few days ago?"
"A lot has happened, but right now, we're in the middle of an operation."
"...Okay..." "Kouga-kun..."
At the shrine, Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Ruki are safely reached to the temple and they hide in the trees.
"So, this is where Hibird disappeared." Yamamoto says. "This reminds me of the summer festival. Maybe this shrine's got some kind of connection with Hibari."
"Who knows." Ruki replies but Gokudera ignores them and runs deeper into the trees as the two follow after him.
"Hey, what do we do if we get into that situation Lal Mirch was talking about, where we can't evade combat?" Yamamoto asks.
"When that happens, we should combine our power." Ruki suggests.
"Yeah, let's show our combination play off."
The bomber ignores them again and runs off as Yamamoto tries to have a conversation with Gokudera, but the bomber had enough and grabs his collar.
"Gokudera-san?!" Ruki calls out.
"Don't misunderstand." He tells the baseball ace. "I've been getting along with you for Juudaime's sake. I don't intend to work with you for any other reason."
"Gokudera-san!"
"You dislike me more than I imagined." Yamamoto says.
"Of course! You're the type of person, an optimistic Yakuu-baka without a care in the world, with whom, under normal circumstances, I would never speak to in my entire life. I don't like sharing the same space as you."
"Please stop this, Gokudera-san!" Yuuri pleads.
"Omae na..."
The three hears rustling causing them to put on their rings.
"Then, let's just do it the way we want." Yamamoto says as they take off the Mammon Chain before three Black Spell members hover over them when one of them sends a blast of Storm Flame at them. The Black Spell members grins but changes as the smoke disappears, finding there are no bodies around.
"What happened?"
He and the other two members float down to the blast site.
"Did you do it?"
"Did they disappeared?" Just then a swallow covered in Rain flame barely grazes the man who sent the blast and looks up. "What? A swallow?"
"I still don't get how to use that swallow, but…" Yamamoto trails off as he jumps up from a tree and his sword changes into a real blade, "I guess it works!" He slices the man causing him to fall.
"Hey."
"You got to be kidding."
The other two move back when they hear a click from behind causing the two to looks back, finding Gokudera there with his box weapon ready on his arm.
"That's right. Over here." The bomber says and the two facing towards him as Gokudera points his Flame Arrow at them before sending a blast towards the two but one manages to escape while the other gets knocked out.
"Damn it!"
The last one hears rusting behind him and turns around, seeing Ruki is close enough as she gives him an overhead slash which the man screams out in pain.
"The way I was trained when we fought Varia was stupid. I won't lose when we've got rings." Gokudera states as both Yamamoto and Ruki walk towards him.
"That was a little bit of combination play." Yamamoto points out.
"Don't butt in. I could have handled it alone."
"Please don't say that-" Ruki stops when she and the two boys hear something sparkling.
"I heard that Vongola's Guardians wet themselves and scattered away in all directions." They look up to see a man with blond hair that's sleek to the back letting two strands handing in front of him and wears the black uniform with the zipper open showing his white shirt underneath. "Yet, here you are. How adorable."
"Lightning." Gokudera thought.
"You must be the Guardians of Rain, Snow, and Storm. But you look a lot younger than your photos. No, you look too young. Do the Vongola drink water of rejuvenation or something?" The man questions as he floats down before the green flames that were supporting him disappears, letting the man drop at a short distance to the ground. "Oh well. But if I fight with you, it'd be more like a spanking than a fight. It's not very adult of me to deal with you kids like that."
"I'll knock you down a peg." Gokudera tells the other two Guardians, causing them to look at him. "Don't you interfere."
Yamamoto looks at him for a moment and wryly smiles. "Okay, okay." He replies.
"Yamamoto-san?" Ruki asks and the bomber rushes towards the man.
"I got something saved up from the last guys." He says.
"Saved up?" Both of them repeat.
Around the man, lighted gun powder climbs up on a tree and ground as dynamites are hidden before they blow up, but the blond-haired man easily dodges the blast and Gokudera went around to get behind him, pointing his Flame Arrow at him.
"There's nowhere to run! Blow away!" The silverrette sends the blast of Storm flames at him and hits him.
Seeing the blast hits the man, Yamamoto and Ruki rush up to their friend as he smiles at this. "That worked."
Just then the sound of sparks flying is heard inside the smoke which it quickly disperses revealing the man is unharmed as he holds a cue stick in his hands as sparks fly around him.
"Not bad." He says.
"What?!" Gokudera shouts.
"Sonna!" Yuuri exclaims.
"It didn't hurt him!" Yamamoto exclaims.
"Right, I haven't introduced myself yet." He says. "The name's Gamma. Nice to meet you."
This shocks the three Guardians from Gamma's introduction.
"He's…"
"The strongest guy Lal Mirch was talking about."
"Gamma the Lightning." Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ruki thought.
"Gokudera, I think we should work together here." Yamamoto suggests.
"Shut up!" Gokudera points his weapon at the baseball nut causing him and Ruki to be in shock at this.
"Gokudera, you…"
"What are you doing, Gokudera-san?!" Ruki questions the silverrette.
"I told you. I'm not going to work with you. Stay out of this."
Yamamoto narrows his eyes at his words and actions. "So, that's how it is. Then, do as you like on your own."
"Yamamoto-san?!" Ruki cries out.
"I planned on to do that from the start. Stay out of this."
"Gokudera-san!"
"Oi, oi, are you guys fighting among yourselves?" Gamma questions.
"Rest assure that I won't run. I'll be your opponent." The silverrette replies.
"Let's go, Ruki." Yamamoto tells her.
Ruki looks at him and back at Gokudera before she reluctantly follows the baseball ace behind the bomber as Yamamoto leans on a tree.
"Well then… I'm not going to hold anything back." Gamma says as he takes out his hand from his pocket ever since the discussion between the three teens.
"The fight's already begun." Gokudera states.
"Oh, I know. But that move is a bit old now." The man states as the explosion occurs around him once more as he flies up with his green flames again. "Are you a one-trick pony?"
"We'll see about that." The bomber says and throws his dynamites at him.
Gamma smirks. "I can knock these away before they explode." He knocks a few dynamite away, swinging his cue stick.
"You won't have a chance to! Take this, Flame Arrow!" Gokudera sends a blast of Storm flames at Gamma along with the explosion from the dynamite.
"Oh? Increasing its effectiveness by igniting the dynamite…" He mutters and just as the last dynamite explodes from the Storm flames, Gamma thrusts his ringed hand to his side, creating an electric barrier.
"An electromagnetic barrier? Is that the power of the ring itself?"
"This is nothing to be surprised about." Gamma states. "These are Mare Rings. They have the same strength as the Vongola. Rings you abandoned." On his finger has a green gem sitting on the ring with metallic wings behind it.
"They have the same strength as the Vongola Rings?" Gokudera questions in his mind.
"Mare Rings…" Yamamoto and Ruki thought.
Gamma lights his Mare Ring and puts his green flame into his box. "I'm going to have to punish you now." He says as billiard balls float around him with green flames around them."
"What are those? Billiard balls?"
Gamma takes a position at the cue ball before hitting it and ricochets it to the other balls, shooting to the ground around Gokudera.
"What?"
From the females of the balls, electricity hits him as the bomber cries out in pain.
"Gokudera-san!" Ruki shouts.
"Now does Shot Plasma feel?" Gamma asks as he uses the billiard chalk on the tip of his cue stick. "Can you see Heaven's door?" He snaps his fingers, signalizing for the balls to stop and Gokudera collapses to the ground as the billiard balls float back up to their master while Yamamoto closes his eyes.
"Gokudera…san…? Gokudera-san!"
The bomber slowly gets up and looks at Gamma with one eye closed.
"He sparked the electric charge in the ball on the ground." He summarizes.
"To be precise, those are Dying Will Flames which have properties very similar to electricity." Gamma corrects the teen. "Flames with the Thunder attribute get sharper as the purity increases." The blond-haired man takes the position again and hits the cue ball, making the same move as before.
"Damn it. I'm not going to keep falling for that one!" Gokudera thought and jumps away, but there are only three balls that are hit on the ground. "What? Only three?" He looks up, finding there are still billiard balls in the air. "He still has balls left!"
"You leap before you look." Gamma thought. "I knew exactly what you would do. This is the end."
"Crap. I can't dodge these!"
Then Yamamoto appears before the bomber which surprises him.
"Eh?" Ruki says and looks to the side that Yamamoto was supposed to be there, but an opened space.
"Last minute help?" The man questions in his mind.
"Why did you come?" Just as Gokudera questions the baseball nut, Yamamoto pushes his friend away with his sword, basically attacking the Storm Guardian. The silverrette lands on the ground behind Yamamoto and slowly sits up, glaring at him. "Teme, what's the meaning of this?"
"I've come to beat you some sense into you." Yamamoto states. "I can't keep holding my anger back."
"What was that?!"
"Yamamoto-san… Gokudera-san…" Ruki says as she tries to figure out how to stop those two from fighting.
"Hm? What's this?" Gamma says.
"I heard that you had your own world and never trusted anyone before coming to Japan and meeting Tsuna," The Rain Guardian says and turns his head to Gokudera, "so I can understand why you're so loyal to Tsuna since he was the first person you opened up to. But by opening your heart to only Tsuna, you're forcing yourself on him."
"W-What are you saying, teme?!" Gokudera shouts.
"And isn't his 'right-hand man' the leader of the Guardians, whom the boss trusts most of all? That's out of the question if the one who's supposed to be leading is always looking aside. You don't deserve to be his right-hand man right now."
The bomber grits his teeth at the Yamamoto's statement and digs his fingers into the ground.
"We're switching players. Sorry to keep you waiting." Yamamoto tells the Captain of Third Squad.
"No, no, it was pretty entertaining." He says as he puts chalk on the tip of his stick again. "Though when I was younger, I killed my opponents on the spot, as I've gotten older, I've started to think that it's not bad to listen to what the other guy has to say." Gamma takes his position as the cue ball is in front of the stick. "Unless I do, I tend to forget the people I've killed."
"He's so confident." Yamamoto thought.
"I hope I don't forget about you two." He says and sends a barrage of balls towards him.
"Yamamoto-san!" Ruki calls out while Yamamoto closes his eyes and opens them as his sword changes.
"So you're weapon's a sword. But the characteristics of my Dying Will Flame are similar to electricity." Gamma thought. "As soon as your sword hits them, you're going to be electrocuted and sent straight to Heaven."
However, Gokudera does the same thing as Yamamoto did to him, except he forcefully kicks the baseball nut out of the way, pulling both of them out of danger.
Yamamoto coughs at the kick and turns to the silverrette. "Gokudera! Omae-"
"You want to get electrocuted and die?! If you died, Juudaime would be saddened!" Gokudera yells at him causes Yamamoto to widen his eyes at this.
"Yamamoto-san!" Ruki calls out as she rushes towards him.
"Oi, oi. There's only going to be one half-time." The three looks up to see that Gamma is looking down at them. "Now, give up. You three are going to die here."
"Yeah, if we'd been alone, each of us would've died." Gokudera agrees as he stands up. "That's why Kuudaime made us work together, though I was just sent to babysit Yamamoto and Ruki."
"Gokudera…"
"Gokudera-san."
"How long are you going just lie there, Yamamoto, Ruki? We're going to cooperate and take him down."
"Yeah. I've been waiting for ya." Yamamoto replies.
"Although in a roundabout way." Ruki points out as she and Yamamoto stand back up.
"So, what do we do?" The baseball nut asks.
"I'll lob a shot and pin him down. When he falls, cut him down." Gokudera instructs.
"Okay."
"Leave it to us." Ruki replies.
"That was quite a turnabout for you." Yamamoto points out.
"For now." Gokudera specifies.
Both Yamamoto and Ruki smile at this and the baseball ace steps forward.
"Got it. Then I'd better make it easy for you to shoot." He says, getting out one of his boxes.
"Hey, even I can't wait any longer. Take your next break in the afterlife." Gamma tells them.
"Yeah. Sorry to keep you waiting." He lights his ring in Rain Flame before inserting into the box. "Here we come." Then his Rain Swallow flies up towards Gamma as the three teens split up into different directions.
"That won't work." Gamma states as he sends a cue ball at the bird, hitting it.
While Gokudera throws his dynamites and sets his weapon. "Over here!" He shouts and shoots a blast of red flames which Gamma spreads his Thunder Flame to block it.
"Oi, how many times do I have to tell you? That trick won't work." He tells the silverrette.
"Heh. You think so? Now, rise!" The dynamites that Gokudera threw was his turning dynamites as they fly up to the captain. "Rocket Bomb!"
"Homing? No, they're turning." Gamma thought as they explode, causing him to drop to the ground and sees both Yamamoto and Ruki running towards him on either side with their swords ready.
"Gotcha!" Yamamoto exclaims.
"I see. That's a good idea. What a pity. You were close." He inserts his Thunder Flame into his other box and two yellow fox coated in Thunder flame appears from him. "Elèttrico Volpe!"
"Volpe? Foxes?!" Gokudera exclaims.
"If you get close you'll be electrocuted." Gamma warns as the Thunder Foxes bare their fangs and sending out their flames as both Yamamoto and Ruki grits their teeth.
"Charge in, Yamamoto, Ruki!" The silverrette shouts.
"Yeah!"
"Hai!" The two reply as they continue with their charge.
"That's not called 'trust'. It's called 'recklessness'." Gamma states and shifts his head back as Gokudera gets behind him. "Storm Guardian, your attacks won't work."
"You just keep talking…" Gokudera trails off as he inserts his dynamite into his box weapon.
"I told you it won't work!" The man says as he sets his barrier up.
The bomber points his weapon at him. "Don't underestimate the Vongola!" He sends a blast of flames at him but this time the Thunder Flames around him and the two foxes blows out.
"He blew my flame out?"
"Go, Yamamoto, Ruki!"
"Shigure Souen Ryu, eighth offensive form…"
"Mitsurugi Ryu…"
Yamamoto and Ruki slice him horizontally which sends him flying.
"Shinotsuku Ame/Kousetsu!"
When Gamma hits the ground, the two stand back up and lets out a breath.
"We did it." Ruki says.
"I was a little worried." Yamamoto admits.
"Baka. There's nothing to fear when you're here with me, the right-hand man." Gokudera says.
"Pft- Hahahahaha!"
"What's so funny?!"
"Nothing! I bet Tsuna and the others will be shocked when we tell them that we took an enemy boss down."
"You're right." The Snow Guardian says.
"Don't get elated by this. Though I do have a duty to report to Juudaime…" The silverrette smiles.
Ruki and Yamamoto also smile when the baseball ace hears sparks and pushes the girl away. "Ruki-chan, move!"
Billiard balls fly past them as they hit either the trees and the ground when Yamamoto is hit by an electric attack.
"Yamamoto/-san!" Gokudera and Ruki shout as Yamamoto screams out in pain and collapses once the electricity stops surging.
"Yamamoto-san!" Ruki rushes over to him and shakes his body. "Yamamoto-san! Yamamoto-san!"
"Y-Yamamoto…"
"I may have been hurt by that if their swords had been enveloped in their Dying Will Flame." Gamma says, altering both Guardians as he moves a piece of hair back.
"He's unharmed! N-No way! Why?" Gokudera thought and sees the two foxes on his chest. "The foxes… he defended himself with those? Sonna… I blew away his Dying Will Flame."
"Now, I have a few things I'm curious about. When did the Vongola Tenth come back to life? I really need to know the details about that."
Gokudera glares at him as he begins to stagger.
"Gokudera-san!" Ruki calls out.
"Now, tell me. When did the Vongola Tenth come back to life?" The man asks but the two of them doesn't answers. "So, you two got no intention of talking. In that case, I'll tell you about myself first, and why your blow didn't work on me." Gamma shows them another box he has on him. "This is called a battery box. It's a box that can store reserve Flames. I opened this before you hit me, you see, so my Elèttrico Volpe didn't disappear, and they protected me. Although, I probably wouldn't have brought this type of box if Nosaru hadn't told me about your ability."
"He knew my weapon's ability and prepared for it!" Gokudera thought.
"What should we do know?" Ruki thought.
"Now then, playtime is over." The man states.
"Not good…"
"Your youthfulness was certainly surprising. But you and that girl over there are members of the Vongola Family. A certain degree of information manipulation is to be expected. However…" Gamma stands back up. "If the Vongola Tenth is alive, then this is no small matter. Many of my comrades watched him get shot to death."
Both Gokudera and Ruki widen their eyes in disbelief.
"M-Masaka…" Ruki speaks.
While Gokudera anger slowly rises. "Shot to death? They shot Juudaime?!"
"You bastards…" He speaks.
"Hm?"
"How dare you!?" The bomber shouts in anger and points his weapon at Gamma. "I won't forgive you!" He fires a blast at him, but his Thunder Foxes fly towards the silverrette while circling down the blast and hit him with their electric flame.
"Gokudera-san!" Ruki shouts when the electricity stops surging and he collapses. The girl goes over to him and shakes his body. "Gokudera-san! Please open your eyes, Gokudera-san!"
"Now tell me," Ruki hitches her breath as the cue stick is in front of her, "why is the Tenth alive and where is he now?"
"Who will tell you anything…" Gokudera breathes out.
"There's one more thing I'm curious about." Gamma roughly grabs Ruki's hand that has her Snow Ring.
"I recall the Rings you two are wearing. What kind of joke is this?" He squeezes her hand causing the girl to cringe in pain. "Answer me." The blond-haired captain notices something about to hit him and blocks it, finding that it was Yamamoto who was about to hit him with his Shigure Kintoki as the baseball ace pants and cringes in pain.
"Yamamoto-san…"
"I only need one of you for an answer. I've no need for you." Gamma states as his Thunder Foxes appear at both sides of Yamamoto and they begin the electric charge.
"Stop…" Gokudera breathes out before a pillar of Thunder Flames rises from the trees which blind the girl from the sudden brightness.
For a while, the flame dies down as she slowly opens her eyes before widens seeing Yamamoto is lying on the ground with burnt spots all over his body and then Gamma grabs the bomber's head raising him high.
"You better spill it soon, or there won't be any turning back." The captain states as he looks at the downed Yamamoto.
"I… won't…" Gokudera mutters.
"Hm? Did you say something?" He asks but the silverrette spits him instead of answering. "I see. That's the way it is." Gamma squeezes his head harder before throwing and hits his cue stick on the teen. "Then, this is goodbye. I don't have any intention of handing you over to the White Spell, so…" His Thunder Foxes appear once again and charge their Thunder Flames. "Guardians of Rain and Snow, I'll put you at ease too. See ya."
Ruki closes her eyes for the oncoming pain as a thought comes through her, "Onii-sama…!"
Just as he was about to finish them off, Gamma hears rushing rusting coming towards him before a figure jumps high above in the air with a large sword in his hand and slams it down as the captain quickly move back. Ruki looks at the figure in slow motion, looking at the familiar blond and black, spiked hair.
"Now!" He shouts as a purple object with purple flames flies towards Gamma but the Thunder Foxes protects their master as he turns around. The dust flies off from the force for a while and dies off as Gamma looks at the source where the object came from.
"This much power… who is it?" He thought.
"Let me give you a hint about what you want to know." A male's voice says as he walks through the smoke. "They came from the past. I'm no fool, though, so I won't be switched."
"Oi, oi, are you saying I'm a fool?" The man standing in front of Ruki questions.
"Those voices…" Ruki mumbles.
"You two seem to know some of the details, but if you want to join this brawl, it's only polite to give your name." Gamma states.
"There's no need." The man says as purple flames enter an opened box while the same yellow bird perched on his shoulder. "I'm in a bad mood right now." The bird flies off as the captain narrows his eyes. "I'm going to bite you to death right now."
Ruki continues to stare at the man in front of her as a silhouette overlaps him. "Onii…sama…?" She calls and the man turns around in response, showing his mismatched blue and silver eyes which confirms her guess but with a more adult look. He wears a suit with a white dress shirt and a black tie as his sword is shaped as his usual buster sword but it's bandaged up, preventing anyone seeing the blade.
Kouga smiles and pats her head. "It's been a while since I saw you, but I never expected for you to come into this era, Ruki."
Tears begin to build up on the girl's eyes. "Onii-sama…" She lunges and hugs him as she cries on the TYL Kouga. "Onii-sama! Onii-sama!"
Kouga holds her by the arms as he looks at the downed Gokudera and Yamamoto. "It looks like you've been through a lot since you've come here. I'm sorry for not being with you when you needed it." He pats his sister's head as she continues to cry.
"Hm? I remember now." Kouga shifts his head back, looking at Gamma. "You're the Vongola Guardian of Cloud, Hibari Kyoya. And," He turns around facing Kouga, "you're Vongola Knight, Kouga Mitsurugi Lanceford."
"What of it?" Hibari says.
"'our intelligence was having trouble with you. Based on your actions, they couldn't determine if you were an enemy or an ally of Vongola. But according to the most prominent rumors, you're infatuated with the Seven Wonders of the World." Gamma takes out one of his boxes. "It seems you've been sniffing around concerning the boxes."
"Who's to say."
"I do agree that I don't like entrusting my life to something I don't really understand. So, did you find out who made this? For what reason? And how they did it?"
"I don't intend to answer that either. I told you that I'm in a bad mood."
Hearing this stops Ruki from crying and she sweat-drops at Hibari's response. "We did kind of did fight here in Namimori…"
"So, Hibari Kyoya is on the Vongola side. When your rallies are hurt, you can't stand and watch. Right?"
"That's not it. What I'm angry about is-" Hibari lifts his ringed hand and a purple flame lights it, "the disruption of the discipline in Namimori."
Gamma lights his flame on his ring. "Discipline? Fair enough. I'm just ecstatic that I can increase my reactors of enemy Guardians defeated. I'm a man too, after all."
"Ruki." Kouga calls and passes a few boxes that one is colored in orange and the other two is white. "I want you to hold this."
"Boxes?" Ruki asks as she receives them. "Why?"
"As you can see, one is mine and the two is yours. Your future self gave me hers just before she returned to Japan. I know the current you still didn't get used to the fighting in this era but I want you to do your best to be strong."
"Onii-sama, what do you-"
Just then pink smoke envelopes him causing the other two men to look at it and hears someone coughing. The smoke dies down to show the past Kouga—having his buster sword on his back—who is waving his hand to move the smoke before he looks around.
"Eh? Where am I?" He asks and spots Hibari there away from them. "Hibari? Why do you look older?"
"Oh? This is unique…" Gamma says.
"I've been waiting for you, omnivore." The Cloud Guardian says.
"Onii-sama." Ruki calls causing Kouga to turn at her and widens his eyes.
"Ruki?!" He shouts and grabs her shoulders. "Where have you been?! You made Baa-chan and Jii-chan worried when you disappeared!"
"G-Gomenasai, but this isn't the time to talk about that!" She tells him.
"Omnivore," Hibari calls. "Hurry up and take your weapon."
"Weapon?" He looks at him and then at Gamma who the perfect is facing before bringing out his buster sword out. "I don't know what's going on, but if Hibari is going against you, then you must be an enemy."
"This kid resembles a lot like the Vongola Knight earlier and his sword is similar, but I doubt that this guy can help you, Hibari Kyoya." He inserts his flame into his box, letting out his Thunder Foxes when Hibari inserts his and the spiked objects collide with the foxes and when looked closely, it was a hedgehog. "A hedgehog? How adorable. What power…"
"Sugoi…" Ruki says.
"What the heck is this?!" Kouga questions. "Isn't that the Dying Will Flame?!"
"I'm impressed that you can make such a powerful box-movement with that low-grade ring." Gamma says.
"My abilities as a living organism are different from yours." Hibari replies and the ring shatters.
"The ring couldn't withstand the waves and shattered." Gamma thought
"Now, let's begin." Hibari puts on another ring and lights it up before inserting the flame into another box and grabs two tonfas from it.
"Who uses disposable rings? I've never met a man like this." The captain charges towards him as Hibari did the same before they clash with each other with Hibari on the offense and Gamma defense. "I can't underestimate him." He then spots Kouga there standing in front of Ruki and points at them with the cue ball. "At least I'll take care of this guy." Gamma says as he fires the cue ball, ricocheting the other balls at Kouga as the black-haired teen was about to slash them when Ruki begins to pull him.
"Don't! Onii-sama!" She shouts, forcing him away from the balls as they hit the ground when electricity surges where he was standing.
"What was that?" Kouga questions.
"Oh? This boy doesn't know how to use a box yet." Gamma says and ricochets the cue ball again into the other balls, shooting towards them who they dodge all of them as Kouga is completely confused by what is going on.
The Mako user had it and leaps at the man and slashes down on him, who blocks it rather easily with his Thunder Flames spread out. "Tch." He clicks his teeth.
"Omnivore, you better stay back." Hibari tells him.
"First you tell me to fight and now you want me to stay back?! Make up your mind!" Kouga shouts, then notices Gokudera and Yamamoto lying on the ground, heavily bruised. "Gokudera! Yamamoto!"
The fight between the two continues with Hibari attacks vigorously at the man who blocks most of it, until the Cloud Guardian sees an opening which the man uses his lightning shield, but Hibari breaks right through and lands a heavy blow to the man.
"He broke through my hardened Thunder Flame with his Cloud Flame?" Gamma thought and crashes on the ground.
"Stand up." Hibari states. "You managed to avoid the damage well."
"Amazing. The rumors that you are the strongest Guardian were true. Even though you aren't as strong as the one known as the Vongola Knight, the 'Merciless Griffon'."
"When was I called the 'Merciless Griffon'?" Kouga thought.
"I can't stand it." He sighs. "It's starting to get fun." He fires more billiard balls at the skylark, who dodges them at first, but they all bounce around him. "I'm afraid there's not enough room in this shot for a human to survive."
"Hibari is in trouble! What should I do?" Kouga mentally cries and then remembers what Hibari did earlier and looks at his Knight Ring. He closes his eyes to bring out the Dying Will Flame and imagines his flames, recalling his resolve: to protect those who are dear to him. The Vongola Knight Ring on his finger glows and an orange flame comes out. "Yosh!"
"Onii-sama!" Ruki cheers as she sees the orange flame dancing on the ring.
"A Sky Flame? Now that's quite rare." Gamma states as he points the ball at him.
"Ruki!" Kouga turns to his sister. "Give me one of those boxes!"
"Hai!" Ruki passes an orange box to him.
"Is it like this?" He quickly inserts his flame into the box and out comes a hand cannon (Sunshot from Destiny 2). "A hand cannon?"
"That weapon!" The blond captain realizes and figures out. "Then that man from earlier and the kid right now… They're the same person!"
"If my finger is looped here…" Kouga inspects as he sees that his finger is on the trigger.
"I won't let you attack!" He shouts and fires a ball at Mitsurugi siblings' direction.
"Move, Omnivore!" Hibari shouts.
Kouga presses the trigger and a powerful blast of Sky Flames come out from the barrel. The blast blows away the Thunder Flame from the billiard balls as Gamma narrowly dodges it. Kouga is blown back by the huge force and slams him into a tree.
"Onii-sama!" Ruki cries out as she goes over to him.
"Itetete…" The teen groans.
"For him to send a powerful blast like that. What a guy." Gamma thought as he looks at Kouga who is rubbing the back of his head.
"I won't let you get away." Hibari tells him as he continues his charge.
"But this is a different matter altogether!" The captain shouts and flies up with the Thunder Flame on his soles as Hibari misses a swing. "How unfortunate." Just as he flies upwards, he feels a sharp pain stabbing into him as Kouga and Ruki look up before widening their eyes at what they are seeing. "What is this?" Gamma mutters and looks back.
Behind him is a large purple spike sphere with a ripped open and the two foxes are stab and now fading away.
"I told you. I wouldn't let you get away." Hibari repeats.
"T-That hedgehog…" Gamma mutters.
"That's right. He created this many spikes because of your foxes like a cloud is born by gathering particles in the air and expanding."
"That's right… The Cloud attribute's special ability is multiplication… But our Cloud didn't tell us that this much organic matter could be expanded… That box is nonsense…"
"It's a wonderful power." Hibari looks at his box. "Thus, it's very interesting." The skylark looks up and raises his tonfa. "Now, let's end this."
They then hear rustling in the bushes as Tsuna and Lal come out.
"Once we get through here…" Tsuna says and looks up to see the enormous purple spiked sphere. "That's…"
"Tsuna?!" Kouga calls out.
"Eh? Kouga-san from the past?!"
"You're far too late." Hibari tells the two who arrived before running towards the sphere as Gamma notices him.
"That kid… it couldn't be…" He says.
The perfect then leaps onto the platforms to reach the stabbed Gamma before sending a blow to the man along with breaking a few spikes and crashes on the ground. Hibari lands on the ground safely as the hedgehog goes back into the box and walks towards the downed Gamma as he looks at the ring he is wearing.
"I don't need a Thunder-attribute ring." He states as Tsuna and Lal runs up and stops as the perfect looks at Tsuna. "What took you, Sawada Tsunayoshi."