[TL/N: Merry Christmas Everyone!]
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"Then..."
"The final Ring of Thunder is for you, Lambo."
Late at night, inside Tsuna's house.
Tsuna tiptoed and carefully tucked the last ring into Lambo's wild, explosive hair, which seemed like a fourth-dimensional space.
Although he didn't want the young Lambo to accompany them on such a dangerous journey, both Reborn and his father had insisted that all the guardians from both competing sides must be present for the Ring Battle to officially begin.
Not wanting to disappoint Reborn or his father, Tsuna reluctantly placed Lambo in this risky role.
However...
Considering that Lambo had survived a literal thunder prison before, Tsuna believed this war wouldn't bring any real harm to him.
With that, Tsuna had finally visited all his guardians, except for Takeshi and Hayato, over the course of the day. He had arranged the time and place for everyone to depart for Italy.
As for Takeshi and Hayato, there was no need for Tsuna to worry. Both had already pledged their support to him the day that Basil had appeared.
No matter the enemies or challenges ahead, they had vowed to stand by Tsuna's side.
Even though Tsuna was indifferent to the role of Vongola's leader, he had to admit... it was this very opportunity that had allowed him to find such loyal and dependable allies.
——
The following morning...
Escorted by Reborn and Charizard, Tsuna and his team arrived at a hidden port.
Waiting for them were warships led by Colonello, which had been stationed there for some time.
As Tsuna spotted a real warship docked so conspicuously among a sea of small fishing boats, he couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed.
"The mafia really can do anything," he muttered to himself before stepping forward to bow to Colonello.
"Thank you so much, Colonello!"
Though Reborn had assured him that Colonello would help because of Tsuna's status as Vongola's Tenth Generation candidate, Tsuna's keen intuition told him otherwise...
He knew Colonello was aiding them not for his sake, but out of respect for Reborn, a fellow Arcobaleno.
Even so, Tsuna was grateful for the assistance.
In a flash, Tsuna turned to face his companions. His expression became serious as he clenched his fists and declared:
"Everyone..."
"Let's go!!!"
"Oh!!!"
Takeshi and Ryohei, ever the enthusiastic ones, immediately shouted excitedly in response.
Hayato, a moment behind due to carrying a still-sleeping Lambo, echoed their call with just as much fervor.
For Hayato, following Tsuna to the battlefield was the highest honor of his life!
Meanwhile, Chrome, who wasn't as familiar with the group, stood timidly at the back. However, feeling the energy around her, she nervously raised her trident and whispered a weak cheer.
Hibari, true to his aloof nature as the Cloud Guardian, stayed at a distance from the group, standing apart as if he were an outsider.
But his sharp gaze never left Tsuna.
It was as if, in Hibari's mind, his true opponent wasn't Varia—it was Tsuna.
Even so, recalling their battle, Hibari silently gritted his teeth and begrudgingly boarded the warship bound for Italy.
Despite his pride, Hibari knew he had to accept defeat.
Even though his strength was now comparable to that of a level 30 Pokémon...
In front of Tsuna, who had mastered Hyper Intuition and Dying Will Flames, he had been powerless.
Tsuna's Dying Will Flame, along with his ability to absorb energy, and the mysterious freezing power from his gauntlets, were moves that left Hibari, who relied solely on physical combat, utterly defenseless.
Moreover...
In his Hyper Dying Will state, Tsuna's overall strength far exceeded level 30.
In terms of raw physical strength and energy reserves alone, Tsuna could be considered at level 35.
But when you factored in his refined techniques...
His true combat power was incalculable.
In the world of Hitman Reborn, beyond physical techniques and scientific weapons, the power of dying will was everything in battle.
And Tsuna had mastered the ability to absorb and freeze this energy—moves that were nearly invincible.
This ability was what allowed the first Vongola boss to dominate the mafia world, and now, Tsuna had perfected it.
——
Sailing across the sea was dull.
Due to the numerous secrets and dangerous cargo aboard, Tsuna and the others were restricted to moving in designated areas on the ship.
Colonello informed them that they would arrive at a port near Varia's base in Italy in about three days.
Once there, they would use Charizard's flight ability to reach Varia's headquarters.
If everything went as planned, they would arrive at Varia's base at the same time as Squalo.
The goal was to catch Varia off guard before they could fully prepare.
Meanwhile, Tsuna's father, Iemitsu, had already begun sending signals to the external advisors within the Vongola family, urging them to make preparations.
Normally, the external advisors had no right to interfere in family matters.
But in times of major upheaval, they held authority equal to or even greater than the current leader of the Vongola, overseeing all family affairs.
Now was the time for these long-dormant advisors to finally take action!
Within the Vongola family, unseen hands were already monitoring and controlling everything behind the scenes, instantly nullifying most of the orders from the fake Vongola Nono.
...
...
A few days later…
In a dense forest on the outskirts of an Italian city, a dark purple castle lay concealed under the cover of trees, nearly impossible to spot.
This was Varia's headquarters, home to the Vongola family's most elite assassination squad.
At this moment, all of Varia's top members were gathered in the castle's conference room, seated in their respective places, their expressions solemn.
Kneeling on one knee before the head of the table was Squalo, his long white hair falling to the ground as he paid deep respect to the person sitting in the main seat.
However...
In Varia, the respect of a loser is the most worthless thing of all!
"Hehehe…"
Belphegor, Varia's Wind Guardian, let out a low, sinister laugh.
Despite his princely appearance, Belphegor reveled in killing, joining Varia of his own accord and earning the moniker "Prince the Ripper" for his brutal methods.
Now, as Squalo kneeled in failure, Belphegor was the first to mock him.
"You're just trash."
"You lost to a kid. Seems like all those years of sword training were wasted on a dog."
"What did you say!?"
Squalo's head shot up as he glared fiercely at Belphegor. Known for his pride and strength, Squalo wasn't about to let the Wind Guardian ridicule him.
As someone who had nearly become Varia's leader, Squalo was perhaps the only one within the group who dared speak like this after failing a mission. Not only was he close to XANXUS, but he also had unwavering confidence in his own ability.
Still, despite his anger, he shifted his murderous glare away from Belphegor and refocused on XANXUS, delivering his report with deadly seriousness:
"Boss! I swear on my life, that brat's swordsmanship is no ordinary skill."
"In all of Varia, there are very few who could stand against him."
"Becoming the Tenth Generation of Vongola won't be as simple as we thought."
"Hey! What's wrong with you? Have you gone soft?"
"How can you say something like that?!"
"The only person worthy of becoming the Tenth Vongola is XANXUS-sama!"
Levi, the Thunder Guardian and XANXUS' most fervent follower, roared with fury upon hearing Squalo's words. In his eyes, XANXUS was the only person fit to stand at the top.
Following Levi's outburst, a wave of mocking laughter rippled through the room.
Among these famed mafia assassins, respect was earned through life-or-death struggles, and none of them would bow to another so easily.
Yet, Squalo ignored their jeers, keeping his attention solely on XANXUS.
What mattered most to him was how XANXUS would respond.
And then...
"Trash!"
A cold, biting voice pierced the air.
Squalo's expression stiffened. He raised his head, only to meet XANXUS' icy, emotionless gaze.
XANXUS said nothing more, but the contempt in his eyes spoke volumes. He surveyed the room with a stern, commanding glare, and silence fell as everyone's expressions turned serious.
This was the respect XANXUS commanded within Varia.
After a long pause, XANXUS finally spoke again:
"I originally planned to finish this quickly and take my rightful place as the leader of Vongola…"
"But it seems the outside advisors have started meddling in our affairs."
XANXUS knew Squalo's strength well enough to realize that defeating him wouldn't be easy, which meant the enemy was indeed formidable.
Yet, XANXUS' pride wouldn't allow him to admit it openly. His scornful attitude toward Tsuna and his allies in Japan remained unchanged.
But with the Vongola family so close to falling into his grasp, XANXUS wasn't about to back down. He was determined to end this swiftly.
After contemplating for a moment, he raised his head and, dismissing Squalo's failure, gave his command:
"Send out the order!"
"Except for those assigned to control the Vongola headquarters, all Varia members are to set off for Japan immediately!"
"This time…"
"I'll take back the remaining rings with my own hands."
"I want to see if those brats in Japan are really as dangerous as you claim."
As his words fell, XANXUS' eyes fixed on Squalo, suspicion lingering in his gaze.
While he trusted Squalo's loyalty, he still doubted the strength of the boy Squalo had described.
After all, any mafia figure with even moderate fame was already recorded in Varia's intelligence network.
How could a boy who had appeared out of nowhere—happening to be the opposing Guardian—possess such power?
But before XANXUS could ponder further, a calm, youthful voice suddenly echoed from the window behind them.
"No need."
"We're already here."
In the next instant, a brilliant flash of light burst through the window.
In an instant, a mighty pillar of flame shattered the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, cutting through the entire room where XANXUS and the others stood!
High-temperature flames blasted against the castle wall, instantly melting the solid stone.
XANXUS and the others immediately turned to the window.
There, they saw a young man suspended in mid-air, a red flame blazing atop his head. He extended a sleek, armored gauntlet, pointing it directly at their room.
Wisps of black smoke curled from the gauntlet.
The attacker's identity was unmistakable.
"Who are you!?" XANXUS growled, standing up and glaring fiercely at the figure hovering above him.
In his hands, two red-and-black pistols materialized, flames of fury surging along their barrels.
"Me?" The young man floating outside, using his flames to hover, slowly advanced toward the window.
Passing through the shattered glass, he landed in the already chaotic conference room.
With deliberate calm, he raised half of the Vongola ring that hung around his neck and said softly, "I'm the one you've been looking for."
He added with a smirk, "Now, we're here."
"Wait for me, Jūdaime!"
Just as Tsuna finished speaking, a voice rang out urgently from the window.
It was none other than Hayato, the first to arrive at the base of Varia, shouting from below. Unlike Tsuna, who could fly, Hayato had his own method of taking to the skies.
With a swift motion, he pulled out two specialized bombs, attaching them to strange devices at his waist.
At the flick of his finger, the bombs ignited, as if touched by magic.
In an instant, the devices exploded, creating a massive shockwave!
However...
The blast didn't harm Hayato at all. Instead, it acted as propulsion, launching him into the air.
Using a makeshift sky walk, he soared nearly ten meters, landing directly in the conference room beside Tsuna.
With a bomb in hand, Hayato smirked darkly at the members of Varia.
"Jūdaime, leave these bastards to me!"
"You rest for a bit. I'll give you the most beautiful fireworks display—using their lives."
With Takeshi absent for once, Hayato's competitive spirit flared, his fighting intent palpable. It was clear he was waiting for Tsuna to give the signal—to blow everything away.
But before he could act...
A blue figure dropped down from the sky.
"Thanks, Swellow."
Still mid-air, Takeshi called back his Swellow into its Pokéball. He landed smoothly on the opposite side of Tsuna.
Brushing the dust off his clothes, Takeshi glanced at Hayato, amused. Pointing to the device on Hayato's waist, he asked with a grin, "Wow, Hayato, what is that thing? It's amazing—you can fly with it!"