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'Boom!'
A blazing flame erupted, sweeping through the entire room like a tidal wave. The once-dark space suddenly became blindingly bright, filled with a heat so intense it was almost unbearable.
"This is…"
Mukuro recoiled, dodging the sparks flying in every direction. His pupils quivered as he stared in shock at Growlithe, whose body was gradually growing larger within the flames.
In just a matter of seconds, the small puppy—barely a few dozen centimeters tall—transformed into a ferocious beast, towering nearly ten meters in height.
As Growlithe Gigantamaxed, its enormous form tore through the dilapidated structure.
The entire staircase collapsed beneath its weight.
The crumbling ceiling was no match for Growlithe's hardened body, shattering before falling in flames.
'Rumble…'
Kokuyo Junior High School, already in dire straits due to poor management, now faced complete ruin.
With Ace, a troublemaker, showing up at the secret base Mukuro had been using, it was clear...
From this moment on, Kokuyo Junior High School would become nothing more than a relic of the past.
"Ahhhhh! Help… Help!!!"
In the collapsing building, a terrified old man—once a professional assassin—clung desperately to a steel beam protruding from the wreckage, his face a mask of shock and fear.
What had started as a routine job had now spiraled into a nightmare beyond his wildest imagination.
Having dedicated himself to training the infamous Bloody Twins, the old man had no combat ability of his own. And with his frail, aging body...
If he fell from such a height, the outcome was grim.
The collapsing stairwell kicked up a thick cloud of dust, rising over ten meters and obscuring all visibility, pushing the assassin further into despair.
But Ace hadn't come here to kill. His goal was far more practical—trade.
Through the swirling dust, a crimson figure zipped across the sky, moving with lightning speed.
In moments, the teaching building completely crumbled.
And then, out of the dust, a massive creature resembling a Western dragon descended, wings beating slowly as it touched down.
"Great job, Charizard," Ace said with a grin.
He had always hesitated to summon Charizard before, worried that its appearance might cause too much of a stir in this unfamiliar world.
But now, with Kokuyo Junior High School completely deserted—save for a few shady underground figures—Ace was finally able to let loose.
"Charrr~"
Upon landing, Charizard let out a deep growl, expelling thick black smoke in Ace's direction, expressing its frustration.
It had been cooped up for over half a month—no battles, no training. How was a dragon supposed to endure that!?
Still, Charizard, knowing Ace's circumstances, wasn't unreasonable.
After venting a bit, it obediently began unloading the unfortunate souls it had saved from the collapsing building, one by one.
Among them were the Bloody Twins, the frail old man, a confused little girl, and a muscular man marked with black lines on his face.
These were all professional assassins brought by Mukuro from Italy.
And in addition to them...
'Cough... cough...'
A seriously injured Kyoya Hibari was gently laid down by Charizard. He coughed twice, then quickly looked up in awe at both Charizard and the gigantic Growlithe nearby.
"…A dragon!? And… a huge dog!?"
Kyoya, still a relatively young leader of the Disciplinary Committee at Nami Middle School, had not yet been introduced to the world of underground conflict.
Earlier that day, he had followed a trail of clues all the way to the Kokuyo Junior High School.
But he had not expected to encounter such overwhelming power from the inhuman Mukuro.
Although his tenacity had allowed him to give Mukuro some trouble, he had ultimately been captured and imprisoned within the school.
"You alright?" Ace asked as he approached Kyoya, a smile on his face.
Though this was their first meeting, Ace had heard about him from Reborn.
This guy could be an important ally for Tsuna in the future.
"…"
Kyoya, still in pain, instinctively became defensive.
"Who are you!?"
Despite his injuries, Kyoya struggled to his feet. His weapons had been lost in the building's collapse, but he still raised his arms, assuming a fighting stance.
As the leader of the Disciplinary Committee, Kyoya had developed a sense of pride, holding himself above all others.
And because of his aloof nature, he regarded anyone outside the Committee as an opponent.
That same pride made him instinctively suspicious of Ace.
However…
Upon seeing Kyoya's defensive stance, Charizard, who had just saved him, let out an irritated roar.
"ROAR!!!"
A surge of fiery energy radiated from the dragon, directed squarely at Kyoya.
Like Ace, Charizard's strength had been suppressed since entering this world. Even so, it could still wield enough power to overwhelm Kyoya.
Moreover, with techniques like bond evolution and MEGA evolution, Charizard's power could easily skyrocket to monstrous levels—more than enough to handle Kyoya at this stage.
Without a word, Charizard, irked from its long period of inactivity, swiped its massive claw toward Kyoya, who had barely recovered from his ordeal.
Whether friend or foe, it didn't matter to Charizard. First, you fight—then you talk.
'BAM!!!'
The powerful blow slammed into Kyoya like a mountain collapsing, leaving him only enough time to utter one word in shock.
"What!?"
In the next instant, his body shot out like a cannonball, crashing into the ruined wall. He was knocked unconscious immediately upon impact.
"Roar~"
After venting its anger with a powerful slap, Charizard's rage began to subside.
It turned, its gaze falling upon the other professional killers who had been rescued.
"!!"
Having just witnessed Charizard's terrifying power, the group of killers, led by the little old man, fell silent. They straightened up instantly, sitting like obedient children.
"Cha," Charizard nodded in satisfaction, turning its attention away from the rest.
Ace, watching from nearby, glanced at Charizard with a helpless smile.
"You really don't hold back, do you?"
Charizard had struck down the only ally they had at the scene without a shred of mercy. But considering he had kept it locked up for half a month, he could hardly blame him. With a slight, awkward smile, Ace shifted his focus to Growlithe and let Charizard be.
---
Meanwhile...
After Growlithe's Gigantamax form had demolished the building, Mukuro quickly grabbed the unconscious Chikusa and Ken. Leaping over the rubble, he found a safe vantage point, quietly waiting for the chaos to subside.
As he watched the gigantic Growlithe, a flicker of resentment appeared in his eyes.
"Could the Vongola family be conducting biological experiments as well?"
Despite his vast knowledge, Mukuro wasn't particularly shocked by Growlithe's transformation. His past experiences had made him wary of anything related to biological manipulation.
But before he could dwell on it further, Ace's voice echoed above him.
"This isn't some kind of biological experiment."
"In the Pokémon world, we call this Dynamax!"
"Dynamax? Pokémon World!?"
Mukuro looked up, his eyes narrowing in confusion. Above the massive Growlithe stood Ace. His expression mirrored the disbelief of anyone encountering dimensional trading for the first time.
But Ace didn't give him time to process what was happening. He suddenly commanded:
"Growlithe, use Ember!"
"Woof~"
With a sharp bark, flames burst from Growlithe's mouth, forming a gigantic fireball that began to gather in intensity.
And then...
With a 'whoosh', the fireball rocketed toward Mukuro.
'Boom!!!'
"What... is this a joke?!"
Even the usually calm and collected Mukuro was momentarily shaken, his expression betraying shock. The massive fireball hurtled toward him like a missile, leaving him no time to hesitate.
He quickly raised the trident in his hand. Once a mere dagger-sized weapon, the trident transformed into a full-sized spear as he gripped it.
The number in his right eye began to change rapidly, shifting from [Six] to [One].
"Six Paths of Reincarnation – Hell!!!"
'Tack!!!'
The trident struck the ground, and in the next moment, a colossal ice wall materialized, enveloping him entirely.
The Hell Path, a powerful illusion technique, allowed Mukuro to create terrifying illusions that could rival reality itself.
In the original timeline, when he was captured, Mukuro used this very power to create artificial organs for Chrome, sustaining her life through sheer illusion.
Now, the illusionary ice wall stood against Growlithe's fireball. As the scorching flames collided with the wall, cracks began to form rapidly.
Luckily for Mukuro, Growlithe's basic strength wasn't particularly high. Even in its Gigantamax form, it only had the power of a level 20 creature.
With the additional protection of his illusion technique, the fireball's energy slowly dissipated, unable to break through.
"Hah…"
As the temperature around him returned to normal, Mukuro dispelled the illusion.
However, despite fending off the attack, his breath had become labored, and sweat glistened on his brow. The effort to maintain the ice wall had drained a significant amount of his energy.
Just as he began to recover, Ace's voice rang out from above once more.
"Not bad!" Ace called out, his tone light and playful. "You managed to block Growlithe's attack. Seems like finding you was the right call."
He flashed a grin before turning to his Gigantamax companion. "Alright, Growlithe. Let's step it up! We can't let them underestimate us in this world!"
With that, Ace pointed toward Mukuro, giving a decisive command.
"Growlithe, use Crunch!"
"Woof~"
The bark echoed through the deserted school grounds. Thankfully, Kokuyo Junior High was in a remote location, far from the city. Otherwise, Growlithe's roar might have made half of Japan drop to their knees in awe.
Under the power of its Gigantamax form, Growlithe's Crunch skill transformed into something far more devastating—a Max Move known as Black Hole Eclipse.
A surge of dark energy rippled from the ground beneath Mukuro's feet, spreading out in a wave that consumed everything in its path.
"What is this?!"
Mukuro's heart raced as he looked at the strange darkness spreading beneath his feet. A chill gripped him, and for once, he couldn't ignore the gnawing fear. The numbers in his Six Paths Eye shifted instantly.
He had entered the fifth path—the Human Path—the one he loathed the most and found the hardest to control.
In this form, Mukuro could harness the wicked thoughts of humans, turning them into a formidable deathly power that he could wield. However, the evil lurking in human thoughts was too overwhelming. Every time he used the Human Path's power, it felt as though the darkness would consume him.
But now...
Rather than let the unknown darkness beneath him take control, he would wield the power he knew, even if it meant diving into a familiar abyss to shatter the enemy's attack.
Just as he expected, something sinister began to manifest in the shadowy mass at his feet.
Countless blackened fists emerged from the darkness, like a vast net, rushing toward him with terrifying speed.
Seeing the impending assault, Mukuro's heart clenched, and without hesitation, the power of the Human Path erupted from within him, enveloping his entire body.
In an instant, his body evolved—his strength, speed, and perception skyrocketed to terrifying new heights.
Shrouded in black death energy, Mukuro moved like lightning, weaving through the sea of shadow with ease.
Not only had Growlithe's attack failed to harm him, but it had allowed him to adapt to his enhanced state with astonishing speed.
Ace, watching the sudden transformation, felt a spark of excitement ignite in his eyes.
"This power... it's really possible!"
A grin stretched across Ace's face, filled with genuine surprise.
He wasn't thrilled for Mukuro's sake, but rather because this could change everything.
Ace had long learned that the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce rated worlds based primarily on two factors: the highest level of power present, or the average combat strength of its inhabitants.
Whether through cultivation or technology, if one of these two metrics hit a certain threshold, the world's rating would be elevated.
Ace knew it was impossible for this world, the Hitman Reborn, to meet the average combat power standard.
So his plan? Nurture the top fighters.
If he could train or discover ten individuals in this world whose power exceeded level 50, the rating might just improve.
Level 50—almost on par with the strength of the Shichibukai in the Pirate World!
Though Mukuro's current strength, drawn from the Human Path, was only in the mid-teens, Ace saw the potential in him—the glimmer of something greater.
And that glimmer was enough. If there was even the slightest chance, Ace would pursue it, no matter how miraculous the outcome needed to be.
"Finally, some good news!" Ace beamed, his spirits lifting.
With renewed enthusiasm, he commanded Growlithe to unleash its full fury, plunging Mukuro into a living hell within the battlefield.
Ember?
Crunch?
They were mere A-tier moves. Gigantamaxed Growlithe could launch these attacks as often as it liked. The energy cost was insignificant—Growlithe's strength would only grow with every fight.
And so it began.
On this day, Mukuro, who had always seen himself as a god manipulating the battlefield from the shadows, was dragged into his first real trial by fire.
He had spent his life watching others die, orchestrating battles with the detached control of a deity. But now, like a mosquito caught in a web, he found himself dodging and deflecting blows, every second a struggle for survival.
The relentless barrage of terrifying attacks rained down upon him. While the attacks seemed endless, Mukuro had only one life—one slip-up would be his undoing.
Finally, when the dark energy of the Human Path ran dry, Mukuro faltered. He was struck down by Growlithe's massive paw and buried beneath the rubble of Kokuyo Junior High School.
The entire school fell silent.