Chapter 29: Knights' Inheritance
"What took you, Sawada Tsunayoshi?" Hibari asks.
"Hibari-san!" Tsuna calls out and sees Kouga walking out of the trees.
"Who's idea made this without considering the recoil." Kouga mutters as he still feels the pain.
"Kouga-san!"
The black-haired teen looks up seeing the brunette there allow with a woman he has never met. "Tsuna!"
"You were sent here as well?"
"Sent?"
"You're… Kouga Mitsurugi Lanceford!" Lal exclaims.
"Eh? Who is she?" Kouga asks.
"This is Lal Mirch." Tsuna says. "She's part of the External Advisor like Basil-kun and Tou-san."
"External Advisor?" He repeats. "Anyways, is this the future since I was hit by the Ten-Year bazooka? But why are you still here? You and the others were gone for days!"
"I-It's rather complicated…"
"By the way, Gokudera and Yamamoto are in the forest over there." He states while pointing at the direction of the defeated duo.
"Eh?!" The brunette runs over to the forest and there Ruki stands behind another man kneels there next to the heavily wounded teens. "Gokudera-kun! Yamamoto! Ruki!"
"Tsuna-san!" Ruki calls out.
"It's fine. Their lives aren't in danger." The man says in a suit but has a regent hairstyle like the ones from the Discipline Committee."
"Y-You're…"
"You were the vice-chairman of the Disciplinary Committee!" Kouga finishes after catching up to his friend.
"Kusakabe Tetsuya. I'm Hibari's subordinate." He states. "Still, they need immediate medical attention. Let's carry them to the hideout." he tells them.
"The two of you…" Tsuna kneels at them.
"Hideout?" Kouga asks.
Hibari stares at them and notices Lal is staring at him. "I don't believe it. He defeated that Gamma without using his Vongola Ring." She thought and the skylark begins to walk away. "Hold on. We have wounded. I would be dangerous to Cary them while moving. The probability of being attacked is high and they may discover the hideout."
"There's nothing to worry about," Tetsuya replies, "if you use our entrance."
"'Our' entrance?"
Hibari puts on another ring and when they all rumbling sound near them.
"What's that sound?" Tsuna asks and Hibari vanishes when he goes through the shrine. "H-He disappeared!"
"A hidden door?" Kouga asks. "And is that some kind of hologram?"
"There is, but we have a problem before leaving here:" Tetsuya shows the Rain and Storm Rings, "the Rain and Storm Vongola Rings. I'm certain they are on the enemy's radar. We cannot have the signal disappear here."
"Got it. I'll handle this job." Lal states as she takes the rings and runs off.
Kouga looks down but then follows them down the hidden passage. He offers to take both wounded, but Tsuna said it was all right.
"What is this place? One of our research facilities in Japan." Tetsuya replies.
"Research?" Kouga asks.
"We do lots of other things as well, though. See that?" he says, showing an entrance into another area and the doors slide open as the hitman future by the door.
"Ciaossu!"
"Reborn!" Tsuna cries out.
"Why is Reborn-san here?" Ruki asks.
"Our facility and your hideout are connected, even though we've never opened this door in order to maintain secrecy." Tetsuya explains.
"It's a system that suits Hibari since he hates being in groups." Reborn states.
"But seeing you in one piece really peace my mind." Kouga says.
"By the way, someone new has been waiting in the kitchen."
"Eh? Someone new?" Tsuna asks.
After putting the injured in the infirmary, Tsuna and guide Kouga to the kitchen and there standing by the kitchen is Yuuri who is looking down at the table with a worried look.
"Yuuri!" Kouga calls out.
"Yuuri-san!" Ruki calls out
"Kouga-kun?" She turns around to face the teen, her eyes start to tear up as she runs up and tackles him in a hug. "Kouga-kun!"
"Y-Yuuri?"
"I was scared…" She sobs. "Everything looks so different and our lives are in danger…"
"It's okay now."
"Sorry to dampen the mood…" A voice says with the three turns around to see Viola who seems more of an adult and her hair is longer into plates and wears armored boots with a gauntlet on her left arm with black fingerless gloves and black thigh length pants under a black vest. "It's been a while Kou, Ru-ru, Yuuri."
"Viola!"
"Viola-neesama!"
"Viola-chan!"
"It seems so nonsensical, seeing you all young again." She chuckles.
"Why are you here?" Kouga asks.
"I'm one of the researchers for the box that Hibari Kyoya was researching all over the world. I came back with Bianchi and Fuuta to Japan from gathering information about the enemy Family."
"EH?!"
"Don't be surprised about that, Kou. You're the one who made me joined you guys."
"M-Me?!" Kouga points to himself.
"What I mean about you, I meant your future self." Viola tells him and faces Yuuri. "And Yuuri, Haru needs help catching Lambo and I-Pin. It seems that those two are running around all over the place."
"Okay." Yuuri replies and she runs out of the room.
The TYL Viola sighs as her face takes a 180. "Kouga, Ruki," She calls their names instead of their nicknames, "I heard that Ruki came here just yesterday, but for Kouga you got hit as well, right?"
"Yeah." Kouga nods. "What's going on here?"
"Let me explain. In this era, there is this new enemy called Millefiore, the new family that has the strength and manpower to overtake the Vongola and completely destroyed the Vongola Headquarters."
"There's a Mafia Family that powerful?!" Kouga cries.
"All of the people that are directly or indirectly connected to the Vongola are hunted down, even Yamamoto's father wasn't spared." She says grimly.
"Then Papa and Mama… Are Papa and Mama all right?" Ruki asks.
"Don't worry, Uncle and Auntie are safe, but I can't say anything about Grandpa."
"Grandpa Dan…? Why?!" Kouga asks.
"He disappeared along with the Ninth during the Millefiore invasion at the Headquarters along with some of the members of the External Advisor."
"Sonna…" Ruki trails off as Kouga close his hands tightly.
"Right now, we have found one of their bases." She states. "But with the way you two are right now, you wouldn't stand a chance against any of them. That's why I'm going to train you two."
"You're going to train us?" Kouga asks.
"That's right."
Ruki guides the two to the same training room that Lal taught her and others about the use of Dying Will Flames and the boxes.
"Before we begin, Ruki can you demonstrate opening a box?" Viola asks.
"Eh? Why?" The girl asks. "Onii-sama opened his box earlier."
"I know. But for him to fully understand that, you need to show him the procedure."
"I understand." Ruki walks up to her and stands in front of Kouga.
"Now, Kouga, there are things for you to understand. First, you notice the different Dying Will Flames there are, right?"
"Yeah." Kouga nods as he remembers the flames that Hibari and Gamma displayed.
"In this era, using the flame and boxes are used for fighting than you see from your world. But there are differences between each and every flame and box that people have." Viola explains. "Just like the Vongola Rings, there are eight types: Sky, Storm, Sun, Cloud, Mist, Thunder, Rain, and Snow. The boxes are also categorized into these eight types. If the ring does not match the box's attribute, it will not open."
"But my ring is the Knight Ring." Kouga points out.
"We figured that the Knight Ring is categorized as the Sky ring-type since you have the sky wave in you."
"Sky... wave?"
"What I mean about waves is that every individual person as their own wave at birth and they are the energy which is necessary for the rings to emit a flame. The waves are also categorized into eight types, like the rings and boxes." Viola turns to her other cousin. "Ruki can you show him your flame?"
"Hai." Ruki replies and brings her ringed hand up before her Snow Flame appears.
"As you can see, Ruki has a different wave than you and when she used the same type of box it will open. However, only the Sky flame only can open any type of boxes."
"Ano..." Viola turns to the girl who is looking at her. "Can I open one of my boxes that my future self left?"
"Yeah. Go ahead."
"Then..." She takes out one of the boxes and inserts the flame into it and out comes a large white wolf with a snowflake mark on its forehead and Snow Flame dances on its tail.
"Lupo di Neve. Snow Wolf. Your future self took really good care of it."
Ruki stares at the wolf for a moment and notices the mark on its forehead. "That mark... Ru...mi...?"
"Rumi?!" Kouga exclaims as he also looks at the wolf.
"Isn't that the name for that baby wolf you two had as a pet?" Viola asks.
"Yeah. It was during the winter when we were still little, we found a baby wolf all alone in the woods and thought it was abandoned since the parent wasn't there. Ruki named it Rumi after we took the cub in and she took really good care of it until it died."
"You told me that Rumi died from an illness, right?"
"Yeah. Ruki was really sad when it did, so as a keepsake, she took a few strands of fur from Rumi to remember by."
The said girl continues to stare at the box animal when the Snow Wolf approaches her and nuzzles her leg after smelling the girl. From this action, tears well up in her eyes and hugs it.
"Rumi… Rumi…!" She sobs and the wolf whines to calm her.
Both Kouga and Viola look at the scene for the moment until the older woman turns to the black-haired teen.
"Kouga," She calls, "since you know about the rings and boxes, we're going to start your training."
"Okay." Kouga nods. "What kind of training?"
"That's…" Viola quickly swings her gauntlet arm and a long blade comes out before charging towards him, "a mock battle!"
Kouga has barely had any time to react but manages to block the blade with his buster sword. Feeling the heavyweight against his blade causes Kouga's foot to slides back a bit before he pushes Viola away from him as she lands a bit away from him.
"That's a good reaction. But this time, activate your Mako or else it won't be good training for you."
"…All right." Kouga closes his eyes as his body begins to emit Mako while his hair turns yellow and spikes up before opening his eyes, revealing the blue and silver eyes.
Both of them stare at each other for a moment until they charge each other and clashes their blades.
It has been twelve days since Kouga and Ruki started their training with Viola. During most of their meals, they would fall asleep right after from exhaustion that their cousin gave them. After eating a good meal with Tsuna and others except for Viola, Kouga and Ruki go into the elevator to the training room.
"Onii-sama." Ruki calls.
"What's up?" He replies.
"Didn't Viola-oneesama told us that we'll be starting a new training program today?"
"Ah… I think she did say that." Kouga says. "It sounds like we're done building up my Mako's strength."
The elevator stops at a floor and the door slides open for both siblings to see Viola standing there and they enter the room.
"Good to see that you two came." Viola says. "As I told you, we're going to start a new training program today. Especially for you, Kouga."
"Eh? Me?" Kouga points to himself.
"I'm sorry to say, but you haven't reached the level I was hoping for and won't reach it for a short amount of time."
"So what should I do?"
"Brace yourself." Viola warns causing Kouga to be even more confused as she lights a purple flame on one of the rings she wears and opens a box, sending a similar hedgehog at him. Kouga immediately activates his Mako and stops the spinning ball of spikes with his sword.
"Onii-sama!"
"Nice instincts, but…" The ball then starts to expand and encircles him, trapping in the huge spiked ball, "that alone is not enough."
Inside the ball, Kouga panics as he projects his Mako trying to break through the sphere but stops seeing that it won't break and pants. "Damn it…"
"This is the same hedgehog as the one Hibari Kyoya uses." Viola states. "I modified it so that you won't be able to breathe through just using your Mako. Also, that sphere is air-tight so the oxygen inside is limited. If you don't break out in time, you'll die."
Kouga widens his eyes at this as Ruki shouts, "What are you doing, Viola-oneesama?!"
"It's necessary for Kouga to go through this." Viola quickly response causing the girl to step back. "Kouga need to go through this trial for him to obtain the level he needs."
"Trial…?" The girl repeats and looks at the sphere.
Inside the sphere, Kouga tries everything he can to get out but it doesn't leave any mark as he begins to pant heavily, completely exhausted and the oxygen inside is running out.
"The oxygen is getting too low…" Kouga thought. "I have to do this." He concentrates his Mako into his sword at one point and stabs into it as he presses in one shot. The energy disappears and the sphere is still standing sturdy as Kouga pants as he is running out of both air and energy. "Damn it… It hasn't budged… But… there is a small grove in the wall where a ring can fit… maybe… its weakness is a higher grade of Flame… But how do I summon it?" Kouga falls out from the activation of Mako and collapses to the floor, barely conscious and looks at his ring. "I-I can't die here… but what more can I do? What's missing?" Then the ring glows and the emblem is projecting onto his forehead.
Kill him!
"Eh?"
"Please have mercy! If I die, my wife and child will-!" *BANG* "GUAH!"
"What is this? Images are flowing into my head…"
Revenge
*Sounds of fire burning*
Ambush
A car explodes, followed by a huge variety of gunshots.
Eradicate
People are screaming and guns firing with blood spewing everywhere.
"W-What is this?"
"The Vongola past sins." A voice booms in his head, revealing nine people surrounding him, with orange flames surrounding their eyes. "Murder. Revenge. Betrayal. This is the blood-stained history of the Vongola Mafia."
"You, the holder of the Knight Ring, do you have the resolve to inherit their past sins?"
"Please help us!"
"Give back my son!"
"Don't kill me, please!"
"Stop… Stop it! STOP IT!" Kouga cries out as the voice reaches out to the people outside.
"Onii-sama!" Ruki calls out.
"The oxygen inside is almost out." Viola states. "Both his physical and mental conditions are at critical levels right now."
"Then hurry and cancel this training! At this rate, he will die, Viola-oneesama!"
"This is his trial that he needs to pass, Ruki. Whether he can become the Merciless Griffon is up to him regardless of the situation. If he doesn't do this, he will never become the true Vongola Knight."
"True… Vongola Knight?"
Back in the sphere, Kouga is still being bombarded with the gruesome images into his mind and being in tears. "STOP IT! I BEG OF YOU!" He cries. "STOP IT NOW!"
"Do not avert your eyes." The people state. "This is the destiny of the Knight of the Vongola. This is the purpose you were given."
"I REFUSE!" He shouts. "I CAN'T DO SUCH THINGS!"
This is the price we must pay for the power we wish for. If it is great power you want, you must have the resolve to succeed this great history."
"If… If this is what it takes… then I don't need it!"
"What?"
"I thought using that power or any kind of power I would obtain, I could use it to protect everyone. But… this… I would rather die than be given this power!"
"What was that?"
"If this is the true power of the Vongola, these sins you want me to inherit these mistakes, then… I'll destroy the Vongola!"
Outside, Viola smirks as Ruki widens her eyes in awe at her brother's speech.
"What did I say…?" Kouga thought. "Gomen, Ruki, everyone. Gomen…" He collapses but then lands on something soft and sturdy. The teen looks up to find Dan looking down on him. "G-Grandpa Dan!"
The man smiles as he walks back to reveal Kouga's greatest shock in his life. In front of him, stands eight people side by side in a line with one sitting in a chair. Then all of them light their flames win captions by their sides.
The one who looks like Aaron raises his hand and the Flame of Rage appears on his hand, Knight Secondo.
One with his hair shaped like a rooster's crown raises an army knife and it ignites in orange flames, Knight Terzo.
One that looks like an old man with white full beard raises a small kitchen knife and it ignites in orange flames, Knight Quarto.
One that looks like an English priest with a purple tattoo on his forehead raises a book and it ignites in orange flames, Knight Quinto.
One that has large glasses and looks like Einstein raises a poker card and it ignites in orange flames, Knight Sesto.
One that looks like a cowboy raises a revolver as it ignites in orange flames, Knight Settimo.
The only woman in the group with long blond hair that is tied in a small bun on her back raises a Minaj and it ignites in orange flames, Knight Ottavo.
Dan raises a sword that has a double-side blade and it ignites in orange flames, Knight Nono.
The one in the chair stands up and shows his large sword similar to Kouga's but it has the insignia of I at the back, his features are too much like Kouga's with the exceptions that all his hair is blond and spiky, Knight Primo. "Your resolution, it has been accepted." He says.
"What is this? A dream? Illusion?" Kouga thought.
"Our moment has been engraved in the Ring."
"Moment? Time?"
"To flourish or ruin, do as you wish, Knight Decimo."
"Knight… Decimo? Tenth?"
"We've been waiting for you…" He raises his hand and the flames become more intense, the rest of the Knights' flame follow suit. The Vongola emblem appears underneath him as the others turn into floating sky flames. "It's time for you to inherit… the proof of the Vongola Knight." A bright light engulfs him.
"Outside, cracks start to appear along the sphere, shocking the two.
"What is going on?" Ruki asks.
"The needle sphere is breaking." Viola states, unfazed at all as the sphere can't take it anymore and it explodes. Within the smoke reveals something shocking, a white transparent griffon floats above Kouga who is back activating the Mako and screeches out.
The entire underground hideout shakes from the immense pressure, even Lal and Reborn are shocked by the huge burst of power. Everyone dashes downstairs to the training room, including Yamamoto and Gokudera as well as Tsuna.
"What was that?!" Lal shouts.
"It seems to be coming from the training room below." Reborn says.
"Hn, looks like the Omnivore is back." Hibari smirks as everyone looks at him confused
When they reach there and opens the door, an immense power overwhelms them.
"Oi, oi, this is some crazy pressure…" Yamamoto smiles sheepishly.
"How is emitting such power?" Gokudera grunts.
"Oi! Look over there!" Lal shouts and they all look at where she is pointing to find Kouga standing there with gusts of wind circling him and a growling griffon above him.
"W-What is that?!" Tsuna cries out in shock.
"This is a first time." Reborn states.
The griffon slowly descends and covers Kouga in its body before dissipating as five more swords are seen around him. Kouga opens his eyes and raises his sword that is resembles an exaggerated two-handed sword. It consists of a long hilt wrapped in red material, a large handguard and a wide blade made of two parts, the second one thinner. The blade is pulled in two lengthwise; the edges are locked apart and the sword's complex inner portion is revealed. "Buster sword ver. X-Knight."
"AH" Ruki cries out.
"T-That's…!" Lal exclaims.
"He passed it." Viola says. "This is what I have been waiting for… The Kouga of this era utilized both his Dying Will Flame and Mako true potential… I didn't think it was after the trial."
"Oi, could it be that…?" Lal asks Reborn.
"Yeah." The hitman replies. "Looks like Kouga was asked to undertake the same trial."
Kouga looks at his blade before igniting it and a crystal clear orange and blue flame come out.
"Ah!"
"Wao." Hibari comments as the combination of orange and blue flame ignite in between the blade.
"Looks like he got the higher purity flames, with crystal clear flame." Viola states. "Higher the purity with the flame, the stronger it becomes more of its true power will awaken. According to records, there has been one that has flames of that purity, which is the first Vongola Knight."
"It's an odd flame. It doesn't look too reliable, but it's flowing out from deep within me." Kouga thought.
"This is more like you, omnivore." Hibari states, causing Kouga to look at the perfect. "It is good to see the same person that I was trying to overcome." He looks at Viola. "Woman, I'll take over here."
"Do as you wish." She replies. "My job was to get Kouga to that level."
"Then…" Hibari opens a box which comes out his iconic tonfas. "Let's begin." Violet flames ignite on the tonfas and immense pressure is emitting from him.
What a killing intent…" Viola thought as she and the others cover themselves from the pressure. "He was holding back ever since the Tsuna and Reborn from this era die and Kouga switched to his ten-year younger."
Kouga says nothing excepts positioning his sword behind and the flames ignite but he disappears.
"He disappeared!" Ruki cries.
Hibari runs forward and propels from Kouga with his hand and the teen turns around as he lands on the wall, causing it to crumble from the pressure. Kouga grits his teeth as he did it again, propelling himself at the skylark in great speed.
"What a Flame!" Viola comments.
However, Hibari waits and swings his tonfa up and hits Kouga by the gut, who grunts and flies up from the force, but stops himself in time just as Hibari jumps after him.
"Your body's afloat." He states.
"This is bad!" Kouga thought as he tries to emit more flames, but sends him back to the ground in great speed. "W-Wha?!"
"Ah!"
"I-It self-destructed?" Viola thought.
"What was that?" Hibari questions. "Are you even trying to fight at all?"
Kouga slowly gets up, albeit in pain as he uses his sword as leverage.
"Looks like Kouga's sword is like Tsuna's gloves." Reborn states. "They both have peaky characteristics."
"Peaky?" Ruki asks.
"Yeah. It means that Kouga's new sword is more difficult to master." The hitman tutor states. "Unlike his original Buster Sword which only emits Mako raise its output gradually according to Kouga's will, Version X-Knight shoots up at a certain point."
"I see." Viola says. "So he couldn't handle the sudden boost of power and was sent backwards."
Reborn smirks. "The new weapon that Kouga's predecessors gave him is quite the wild horse."
"This sword is more draining than I imagined." Kouga thought. "Plus, I can't beat him unless I can control my Flame. In that case…" Kouga slightly moves his eyes to the right.
"What is he planning to do?" Lal questions.
Kouga flies towards the skylark but stomps his foot on the ground to change direction into where the five swords are.
"Oh?" Hibari watches him as the teen grabs one of the swords that is a thick sheet of metal folded in a V-shape when looked from above, the sword's edge being the bottom point of the 'V', with the lower third of its length wrapping around a red double-hilt.
"A sword?!" Lal exclaims.
Kouga then flies back to Hibari and attacks him with both blades causing the perfect to block but is pushed back from the force.
"Ah! Kouga-san pushed Hibari-san back!" Tsuna cries out.
"This is it, Kouga Mitsurugi Lanceford. You are interesting indeed." Hibari thought.
However, instead of continuing the fight, Kouga reverts to his usual self and collapses from exhaustion.
"Onii-sama!" Ruki cries out and rushes over to him and lifts him up. "Are you all right, Onii-sama?" She sees a snot bubble on his nose, signalizing that he is sleeping.
"It couldn't be helped." Viola says as she walks towards them. "After what happened earlier and the trial he had it's to be expected. Let's Kouga rest for the day and continue tomorrow."
"Hai." Ruki nods.
"And also..." The woman looks at the remaining swords that are stabbed into the floor. "Might as well bring those with us. Since they all belong to Kou."