(Please add it to your Library! Please send Power Stones! For more chapters, visit my [patreon.com/LazySeeker] Thank you!)
-----
"Huh?"
Levi's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sudden appearance of a small figure in a cow suit.
Looking down instinctively, he saw the child, Lambo, poking him with some kind of stick.
Startled!
Levi, already on edge, immediately assumed Lambo was launching a sneak attack. He staggered backward, pulling a sharp sword from behind him and pointing it directly at the little boy.
"What are you trying to do!?" Levi shouted, loud enough to draw the attention of everyone nearby.
At the same time, Lambo looked up at him. Despite having endured countless explosions and even being struck by lightning for forty days, Lambo didn't flinch at the sight of Levi's blade. He just stared back, his face blank with confusion.
Levi, feeling the need to assert himself and impress his boss, was about to say something intimidating to the boy when—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted from the arena at the center of the open space, followed by a shockwave that tore through the air like a hurricane. The powerful wind struck Levi's face, causing a sharp sting.
As for poor Lambo, the little boy was swept up by the gust and blown into a nearby tree, clinging to its branches.
"Ah!!!"
A high-pitched scream echoed from the center of the ring again.
Recognizing the voice, Levi's expression shifted. He quickly looked toward the battlefield, eyes narrowing in disbelief.
In the center of the arena, barely a minute had passed since the match began, but Lussuria, Varia's Guardian of the Sun, was already down. He lay on the ground, clutching his left leg, a grotesque smile plastered on his face despite the pain.
His leg was bent unnaturally, and from the exposed bone protruding through his skin, it was clear... if he didn't receive medical attention soon, Lussuria might spend the rest of his life relying on a prosthetic, like Squalo.
"W-What happened!?" Levi stammered, still not fully grasping what had occurred. He turned to the others for answers, but no one seemed to know much more than he did.
All anyone saw was Ryohei delivering his boxing moves while Lussuria responded with Muay Thai. Then, in the blink of an eye...
Lussuria was down, just like that.
...
...
Meanwhile, back in the arena, Ryohei was still in his defensive stance, fists raised. His expression froze as he noticed the grim condition of his opponent.
Lussuria's leg had been shattered. The white bone, now visible through torn flesh, was slick with blood that trickled steadily from the wound.
"...Is he... going to be okay?"
Ryohei's eyes, previously filled with determination, were now clouded with concern. The sheer brutality of what had happened unsettled him.
After all, he hadn't even used his full power—he had only unleashed half of it, using the move Colonello taught him: Extreme Sun.
But who would have guessed...
Lussuria, a fellow Guardian, someone supposed to be an elite combatant, would be so vulnerable to just one strike?
One blow, and he was sent flying!
Ryohei recalled Takeshi's warnings during their journey about how Varia members were elite assassins of the criminal underworld, known as the White Hand. They had been instructed to be cautious, to avoid falling into any traps.
Although Ryohei didn't fully understand what the White Hand or elite killers meant, he remembered Takeshi's advice to go all out.
But now...
Ryohei felt a tremor of fear in his heart.
If this was what happened when he held back, what would have occurred if he had used his full strength?
Had he unleashed the full power of Extreme Sun, Lussuria might not be lying in the ring. Instead, he could have ended up... five feet below ground!
Ryohei, who never intended to kill, suddenly snapped out of his thoughts. He quickly stepped forward, crouched down, and placed his hands gently under Lussuria's broken leg.
At that moment—
"Wait! Ryohei, Guardian of the Sun!" a voice called out.
The referee, Cervello, rushed over, fearing that Ryohei was about to continue attacking the defeated Lussuria. She raised her hand to stop him. "The victory is already decided! The battle is over!"
But before anyone could react—
Something miraculous happened.
A golden light erupted from Ryohei's hands, enveloping Lussuria's shattered leg.
Then, in an instant, Ryohei, like a seasoned orthopedic surgeon, twisted Lussuria's broken bone back into place. Under the healing glow, the torn skin and muscle began to regenerate, knitting themselves back together.
The pained expression on Lussuria's face began to soften.
Within minutes...
Lussuria, whose leg had been destroyed just moments ago, stood up—with Ryohei's help! His once broken leg looked completely restored, with no trace of injury remaining.
"Hah~" Ryohei exhaled deeply in relief, before turning to Lussuria with a smile as bright as the sun. "How do you feel? It doesn't hurts, right?!"
Lussuria, still in shock, glanced up at Ryohei's radiant grin and replied hesitantly, "Y-Yeah... it doesn't... thank you... thank you!"
"You're welcome!" Ryohei flashed his wide smile again, revealing two rows of large, white teeth. Then, turning to Cervello, he asked, "So, I won, right?"
"Uh..."
Cervello stood there, stunned for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. She nodded and declared:
"The first battle for the ring, the Guardian of the Sun versus Varia's Guardian..."
"The winner—Sawada Tsunayoshi's Guardian of the Sun, Ryohei Sasagawa!"
"Great!!!"
"Well done!!!
"But what was that?!"
As Cervello made the announcement, Takeshi and Hayato, standing nearby, cheered wildly for their comrade. But as the cheers faded, confusion set in—they were stunned by the remarkable healing power Ryohei had displayed.
None of them had imagined that Ryohei had been secretly practicing a healing technique that seemed almost supernatural.
But in truth…
Even Ryohei didn't fully understand the technique himself.
It wasn't until recently he accidentally discovered how to channel the energy his body's cells lacked that he realized he had this hidden power within him.
At first, he used that power to rejuvenate his own tired body.
But just now, when he saw how badly he had injured Lussuria, something inside him instinctively wanted to heal him.
He never expected… that he would actually be able to save him.
As Ryohei returned to Tsuna's side, Hayato and Takeshi immediately surrounded him, bombarding him with questions.
After all, possessing a power capable of healing injuries was truly extraordinary.
Just as Takeshi and the others grew increasingly curious…
A youthful voice suddenly rang out, reaching everyone's ears:
"That must be the power of the Sun Attribute—Activity!"
Swish!
A figure dressed in stark white descended from the sky, landing unexpectedly in the midst of Takeshi and the others.
"Reborn?!"
Tsuna's face lit up with joy the moment he saw who had arrived.
He quickly asked, "Has the situation at Vongola Headquarters been handled?"
"Yes," replied Reborn, tipping his hat.
Due to concerns about Vongola Headquarters, Iemitsu, Basil, Reborn, and Ace split from Tsuna's group as soon as they arrived in Italy.
While Tsuna and the others launched an attack on Varia's base and declared war on XANXUS, Reborn and Iemitsu took Ace, a visitor from another world, to quell the unrest at Vongola Headquarters.
Thanks to Ace's overwhelming strength and Charizard, which had regained its level-50 power, the takeover of Vongola Headquarters was swift. The Fake Ninth, who had been in control, offered no resistance and was eliminated without much trouble.
Afterward, Ace and Reborn hurried back, riding Charizard.
Tsuna quickly realized what was going on, and looked around in anticipation.
It wasn't long before he spotted Ace nearby, holding one of Lambo's legs and dangling him upside down in confusion as he made his way over.
Meanwhile, Iemitsu, acting as the Headquarters adviser, was handling the remaining issues at Vongola Headquarters.
When Ace reached Tsuna and the others, he casually tossed Lambo into Tsuna's arms and greeted him, saying, "Hey! You're taking your sweet time. We've already handled one of our opponents~"
The distance between the port and both Vongola Headquarters and Varia's hideout was roughly the same.
However, Tsuna and the others didn't have Charizard's speed, so they moved a bit slower than Ace's group.
Although Ace's team had taken time to deal with the enemies at Vongola Headquarters, it only emphasized how fast they were on their feet.
But this wasn't exactly the main concern for everyone.
Before Tsuna could even crack a smile, Takeshi and Hayato immediately turned to Reborn.
"Mr. Reborn, could you explain this 'Sun Attribute' you mentioned earlier?" Hayato asked.
With a slight smirk, Reborn glanced over at Ryohei and began explaining.
"Each Guardian possesses unique attribute powers. It's one of the most fascinating aspects of the Vongola Rings!"
At this, Takeshi and the others immediately perked up. Even Hibari, usually aloof, glanced over with a glimmer of curiosity.
Reborn continued, unfazed:
"With the power of the Vongola Ring, each Guardian's body manifests a unique attribute that reflects their inner nature."
"These attributes correspond directly with those of the Vongola Rings," he explained. "For instance, Ryohei's attribute is 'Activity.'"
"With the power of the Activity attribute, one can keep their cells alive and even heal from injuries instantly. While it may not regenerate a lost limb, it can certainly heal a wound like Lussuria's leg injury."
"In fact, Lussuria himself possesses a trace of this power, which Ryohei unknowingly activated to aid in his recovery."
"That's why you all witnessed such miraculous healing."
"Attribute powers… 'Activity,' huh?"
Reborn's words opened a new door for Takeshi and the others.
Takeshi and Hayato listened intently. As they had been the first to undergo training, they were already somewhat attuned to the power within them.
However, until now, they had only used that power for physical strength.
Hearing Reborn's explanation filled them with excitement as they realized that, like Ryohei, they, too, could wield abilities that bordered on superhuman!
However…
At that moment, an unexpected announcement rang out from the center of the ring:
"The seventh round of the Ring Battle…"
"A showdown of the Guardians of Thunder!!!"
"Will both candidates send forth their Guardian of Thunder to the center of the ring!"
"The Guardian of Thunder?!"
Tsuna and his friends, still absorbed in the discovery of their attribute powers, were startled by the call from Cervello.
A duel between the Guardians of Thunder…
Could it mean…
Everyone's gaze shifted instinctively to Lambo, nestled in Tsuna's arms.
Feeling the intense looks around him, Lambo looked around quickly, then awkwardly laughed, "Whoa, why is everyone staring at me? You all feel my aura already?"
"Aura?"
At this, Tsuna reflexively adjusted his hold on Lambo.
And then—
*Pfffft!!!*
A loud fart broke through the tense silence, and everyone's expressions immediately twisted in surprise.
Tsuna, long used to Lambo's antics, could only manage a wry smile.
Just then, Cervello's voice urged them to hurry once more.
At this point, Levi was already waiting in the ring.
Seeing this, Tsuna put Lambo down, pointing at Levi. "Lambo, that big guy's a bad guy. Go beat him, and I'll buy you some cotton candy after!"
"Really?!"
Lambo's eyes lit up at the promise of a treat. Without hesitation, he turned his gaze to Levi in the ring.
Though he's still a child, Lambo was no stranger to dealing with enemies.
After all, the excuse they used to get him to Japan was to assassinate Reborn.
In truth, fighting wasn't that foreign to Lambo.
Besides, he wasn't just any five-year-old kid…
What other five-year-old could pull out an arsenal of guns and explosives at a whim?
Even if he didn't know how to use them all, at least he had them!
Motivated by the thought of snacks, Lambo charged toward the ring. Upon seeing Levi, he instantly pulled out two grenades from his seemingly endless stash of weapons.
Laughing boisterously, he shouted, "Hahaha! So, you're the one up against Lambo, huh?!"
"Get ready—you're about to regret messing with Lambo-sama!"