"What is this...?" Squalo muttered softly, stunned to the point where he couldn't form an expression as he stared at the scene before him.
"Dear heavens!!!!!" Lussuria's face turned pale, his mouth agape as he saw the same thing Squalo did. A shadow loomed over the two of them while Gokudera stood nearby, eyebrow twitching next to Jannini, and Shamal looked just as exasperated as Gokudera.
"This is bad!!!!"
Flashback to yesterday morning: seeing that Jinnai was already watching over things, Hibari didn't come in again until later in the day. His body was wrapped in bandages, with a small plaster on his face. It was almost unbelievable that, after such an intense battle, he sustained only minor injuries.
As for Jinnai, his wounds were nearly healed, thanks to the Aria Flame within him.
"I'm a mix between the Cloud and Aria elements," Jinnai explained, drying his hair with a towel after washing it in the sink. Judging by his clothes, it seemed he hadn't bathed yet. "The Cloud element dominates, though."
"In terms of proportion, it's probably sixty to forty. But because I can't fully utilize either ability, the best I can do is multiply objects or deepen an enemy's wounds. As for using Aria Flames, I can only heal myself, and even then, it's not comprehensive. For instance, I can't handle overly large wounds or poison very well."
Hibari's brow twitched as he observed Jinnai. Despite having a comparable number of wounds, Jinnai's injuries had faded into mere scratches. Without a word, Hibari walked over to Saya, who was lying on a bed, and whispered in her ear.
"Uh... that's not the right thing to do," Saya said to Hibari, hoping to appeal to his sense of compassion for Jinnai. Yet, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Hibari as well.
"...But that time, he started it," Hibari said, glancing at Jinnai, causing the latter's eyebrow to twitch.
"Just once," Saya urged. Hibari gave her a blank stare before leaning in close, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered softly. Jinnai, seeing the young lady looking conflicted, moved to intervene.
"Strawberry daifuku..." Saya repeated what Hibari had whispered. Hearing this, Jinnai paled and broke into a cold sweat, raising both hands to cover his ears.
"M...My lady," Jinnai stammered, only for Saya to sigh.
"Jinnai, back when we were at the old school, didn't you often tell me, 'Think carefully and use your judgment so you won't regret it later'? Then why didn't you listen to me when I tried to stop you back then?"
Jinnai's face turned ashen as he swallowed hard, the dryness in his throat leaving a bitter taste. His reaction elicited a faint smile from Hibari.
"Back then, Mr. Hibari had already stopped, but you kept attacking him. It's only fair that Mr. Hibari demands justice, isn't it?" Saya's words left Jinnai speechless, his jaw dropping in shock. He turned to Hibari, who now wore a smug smile. Clenching his teeth in frustration, Jinnai's anger boiled over when Saya uttered another word: "Dango."
At that, the young man let out a scream, tears streaming down his face like a child's. He cast a vengeful glare at Hibari, who smirked wickedly.
Just you wait, Hibari Kyoya!
Hibari grinned triumphantly and left, while Saya slowly got off the bed to check on Jinnai.
"My lady..." Jinnai, without hesitation, wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder. Saya gently patted his head, comforting him. Hibari, pausing briefly, glanced back at the two before continuing on his way.
"Tetsuya," Hibari called, halting in his tracks. His assistant stopped walking as well.
"Yes?"
Hibari was silent for a moment. "Sakura..."
"Sakura?" Tetsuya repeated, looking out the window as Hibari did. The cherry blossoms were sparse on the branches, the heavy rains from the other day and the approaching winter having stripped most of the blooms that had just blossomed a week ago.
"I love sakura. I fell in love with Namimori..." A young girl's voice echoed faintly in his mind, the memory cutting to Saya cradling Jinnai, her hand gently stroking his head in consolation.
"It's nothing," Hibari said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
With that, the young man strode off briskly, leaving Tetsuya perplexed and scrambling to follow in silence.
Gokudera, Shamal, and Zhang Nini were observing a particular plant growing inside a circular glass dome. The plant had lush, bushy leaves resembling a type of water reed. Its flowers were white with pink streaks running through the center of the petals, and its stamens formed a yellow cluster.
"The status of the 'Curious Flower' is currently completely non-toxic," Zhang Nini explained. "However, if we do this..."
Zhang Nini leaned forward and spoke into a microphone directed at the flower. "I'm so curious! Who am I?"
After a brief moment, the flower's white petals turned pitch black. Then it spoke in a voice that echoed, "Curious! Curious!" As it finished, the flower appeared to release a puff of air accompanied by a loud toot. The stamen swayed, and its petals flushed a light red, its expression looking utterly satisfied. Moments later, the flower reverted to its original white color.
Gokudera, who had been wearing gloves attached to the glass dome since the beginning, carefully collected some pollen and passed it through a side slot. This time, Shamal, also wearing gloves, took the sample to prepare a formula.
Once the mixture was ready, Shamal tested it on Saya's blood sample. The results brought a smile to his face.
"It worked. This is the key component for the elemental stabilizer medication your future self will need," he announced, pulling back from the microscope. "While it won't be a permanent cure, it should stabilize her elemental balance. With this, Saya-chan's body will endure less strain from the flames."
"Awesome!" Gokudera exclaimed, giving Zhang Nini a high five in celebration.
"It's all thanks to everyone's efforts that we've made it this far," Zhang Nini added humbly.
"Now we need to let the formula integrate with all the components and test it on Saya-chan's blood again to be absolutely certain," Shamal said. "After that, we'll administer a small trial dose. If there are no side effects…" He grinned. "I'll adjust the dosage accordingly. Who knows, with a miracle, she might fully recover. And then I'll finally woo Saya-chan!"
His carefree attitude earned a twitch of Gokudera's eyebrow. "You? Seriously?"
"And what about it?" Shamal retorted. "If Saya-chan likes me back, it's between me and her. You, on the other hand, are the one at fault here. Falling head over heels and not even trying to confess—what's your plan, huh?"
Gokudera's eyebrow twitched again, his silence betraying the fact that Shamal had hit a nerve.
"Hayato, listen to me," Shamal continued, a smirk on his face. "From my experience, a real man steps up and confesses when he likes someone. None of this pointless hesitation. How's she supposed to know how you feel? By the time you realize it, you'll have already lost your chance."
"Tch." Gokudera turned away, visibly irritated.
"And just so you know, you're not the only one interested in Saya-chan," Shamal added with a teasing grin. "Unless you're deaf and blind, even the baseball brat and Jin'nai make it painfully obvious. The latter, in particular, could easily go from subordinate to boyfriend if Saya-chan gave him even the slightest opening."
"Ugh," Gokudera groaned. "What a mess."
Shamal sighed at his stubborn apprentice. "Saya's got this unique aura that makes people around her drawn to her in one way or another. I'm warning you, Hayato—if you keep being indecisive, don't come crying when someone else takes your spot."
"I don't like her like that!" Gokudera snapped. "I just feel responsible for her, that's all." With that, he stormed out of the lab, leaving Shamal shaking his head.
"Fine, let him figure it out the hard way," Shamal muttered before returning to his work. He prepared several vials of the formula and placed them in the refrigerator for storage.
Time passed, and by 8:00 AM the next day, Saya's elemental balance shifted. The glow of the Storm flame faded, replaced by the gentle radiance of the Sun flame.
The moment the Sun flame appeared, Saya's body began to shine with golden light. A pillar of light shot into the sky, branching out like a tree of light at dawn. The glowing particles scattered everywhere, resembling spores drifting on the wind.
In Namimori, trees that had been withering or shedding their leaves began to sprout vibrant green foliage. Maple trees shed their orange leaves, and the entire town transformed from autumn into spring in an instant.
But it wasn't just Namimori. The surrounding cities were also enveloped in this sudden spring-like revival. Not only cherry blossoms and maples bloomed, but all kinds of trees came to life.
Suddenly—
Crash! The door was kicked open, slamming against the wall, as an all-too-familiar figure entered.
"You…!" Hibari stepped in with a murderous glare, his tonfas in hand. Hibird, however, was nowhere to be seen.
"H-Hibari-san!" Saya paled, glancing around for an escape. Without hesitation, she leaped onto Ryohei. "Jump out the window, senpai! Quick!"
"I'll bite you to death!" Hibari roared. "You dare to mess with my bento!"
Jin'nai rushed in, blocking Hibari's path and engaging him in a fight. "Not gonna let that happen!"
Meanwhile, Ryohei sprinted at full speed with Saya on his back, dashing at over 120 kilometers per hour. A loud explosion suddenly echoed behind them, forcing the group to halt and look back.
The source of the explosion was the research facility near the hospital—the very place where Saya's elemental stabilizer had been developed.