41. Action

Tsuna was enraged.

This man known as Rokudo Mukuro had many a few screws loose.

As Tsuna knocked the possessed Bianchi and Gokudera out and laid them down carefully, he was thinking of many things.

How he should fight was one. Reborn shot him with the Rebuke Bullet, and so he was in a state of Hyper Dying Will. In that state, he felt calm. He felt so, so calm, it almost felt fake. Like a false sense of peace forcefully settling down on his senses.

And that didn't feel all too good. In contrast, it felt unnerving.

"Tsuna...?" came a soft, inquiring voice from behind the couch.

Sawada Tsunayoshi's eyes widened in a horrified mixture of shock and surprise as he heard the familiar voice.

He snapped towards the stage. And sure enough, Ninomiya Rei emerged from behind the couch, a hand scratching at the back of his neck as he spotted Tsuna.

"Hm? What are you doing here, Tsuna...?" Rei asked, seemingly confused about his current surroundings. He looked around, surveying the room he was in, "Where am I... Where are we?" he turned to Tsuna inquiringly.

"Rei-san!" Tsuna was horrified to see the boy.

Those-- those wounds..?

Blood trickled down the boy's head, and some spilled out of his mouth as if he had a mouth wound. One of his arms laid limp unable to move-- and the other wasn't much better. Bruises were dark and purplish at his exposed sides, and there was one right by his left eye, and that probably hurt a whole lot.

What on earth happened to Rei in the days he went missing?

Rei took a staggering step, and another-- but Rei was getting more unstable at each step-- and at his fourth, his legs gave in.

Reborn was first to go over, stepping on the couch and looking over the boy beside it.

"How long have you been there, Rei?" Reborn asked. He made himself sound unaffected, but it was evident he himself was worried. Those wounds looked worse from up close. And he definitely shouldn't be moving around. He shouldn't be--

"I-- I don't remember, Reborn. I just woke up and..." Rei mumbled, slumping against the couch now, "My body feels all cold and numb... My head's spinning and-- I think my right hand's fractured--"

Tsuna hissed at the description of those injuries. Rokudo Mukuro and his gang-- how could they have done this? To Rei, of all people? Why? Tsuna stepped forward, intending on making his way over too.

"I guess I need a hospital." Rei joked, chuckling slightly.

At that, Tsuna just stopped. He froze in place--

Huh? Something was weird here. Something was terribly, terribly amiss.

Rei turned to Reborn, smiling. "I'm sorry if I worried y'all with my disappearance-- how long has it been, even?" he asked.

"It's been about two or three days." Reborn answered, "How are you even alive with those injuries?"

Rei chuckled. "It's alright" he assured the infant, "I'm stronger than you think." he grinned cheekily as he said so-- a farce of strength.

Tsuna's eyes widened.

That's right, he realized. Rei never wanted anyone to worry about him. Rei would never show himself if he's realized he had those injuries. Instead-- he gave us a description of the extent of his injuries, and willingly admitted he belonged in a hospital?

That doesn't sound like Rei at all.

I'm stronger than you think? Tsuna could've rolled his eyes. Rei is strong because he admits his weaknesses. He will never, ever, call himself 'strong'.

Tsuna's fists tightened in pure, raw, anger. His glare intensified as he couldn't resist the growl that erupted from his throat.

"Mukuro," he caught their attention again. The two turned over, spotting the brunet that was seething with rage and burning with hatred. "Get out of Rei." Tsuna demanded, an authorative tone in his voice.

At that, Reborn smirked, feeling a little pride.

And a wide, sweet smile graced Ninomiya Rei's features.

"Well then," he admitted, Mukuro's smile on his face, "I guess I should."

---------

Reborn wasn't liking this situation.

Sure, he was proud and absolutely amazed at his student's advance. It was a clear sign of his efforts finally bearing fruit, and most of all- Tsuna was finally proving himself worthy.

The fight was headed in the right direction. Tsuna was gaining on him. Tsuna was winning.

But there was another thing Reborn had to take note of.

He turned to Rei- to the brunet beside the couch. Rei was on the ground now, limp and lifeless and not budging an inch. Reborn didn't even know if he was breathing.

Reborn jumped down from the sofa, and tried to ascertain Rei's condition.

Mukuro could only control movable bodies, so Rei was alive. However, Mukuro could not make a lot of movement with Rei's body, so Rei probably wasn't in any condition to be moved carelessly.

Reborn placed his tiny palm at Rei's neck-- and gave a sigh of relief as he felt the faint but present heart beat, though it strummed in a worryingly slow staccato.

Rei's body was cold. It was freezing, like a corpse. But from the little movement in his eyes, Rei was dreaming. He was in a deep, deep sleep he wouldn't wake up from anytime soon.

The best course of action now was to wake the boy up, Reborn knew.

However, Rei looked exhausted. Dark bags lined his eyes, thick and painfully clear now that Reborn observed from up close. His breaths were shallow but present, the rise and fall of his chest at his breath was barely visible.

Reborn gritted his teeth.

It's been a while since Reborn's felt such hatred and malice rise in his veins for someone else.

-------

"Kill me," he said, "I'd rather die than submit to the Mafia once again."

Rokudo Mukuro was tired. Tired of all this. Exhausted from everything. Utterly done.

He almost felt relieved. After all, Death would give him peace. He's already lost his place, his position, and his friends were fated to it too, if they lacked immediate treatment.

Death would maybe, finally free him. He's gone to hell six times. Preferably this time, he won't come back. Ah, yes-- maybe this time, he'll end up in the Void, where Ninomiya Rei said he went to.

"No, I can't." was the mercy Sawada Tsunayoshi gave him.

Mukuro closed his eyes and sighed.

There's really no point, he thought, after all, if I don't die, I'll just go back there. There, in jail, forever.

Mukuro smirked.

Pushing himself up, his enhanced strength brought him over to Tsuna immediately, and Mukuro grasped at Tsuna's arms, holding the behind the boy to counter his new abilities.

I guess I have to make you kill me, then.

--------

The battle didn't take much longer.

Tsuna's Sky Flames-- the effects of Harmonization took place as they purified Mukuro's scornful aura.

Mukuro was on the ground, unconscious. He had a blank, peaceful expression. A face free of all those eerie grins and mocking jeers.

He was defeated.

And he was still alive.

---------

Reborn watched as Mukuro and his two underlings were captured by the Vindice. Merciless even to their wounds, they were encased by their necks and pulled by chains--

They could struggle, to no avail.

Reborn felt no remorse. After all, this was the world of the Mafia, where no mercy is bestowed upon and no lives are usually spared.

But when the Vindice turned towards the stage, Reborn felt his stomach drop, a sense of doom looming over him--

"That boy..." one of the Vindice spoke up suddenly, "We would desire to take him as well," he told the infant hitman.

Reborn instantly reached for his gun.

"Wh-What?!?" Tsuna shrieked, "Why would you want Rei-san? He didn't do anything!" he pointed out accusingly and desperately, although he was obviously scared by the jailkeeper's presence.

It was said on an impulse, so when the Vindice turned to him, he felt panic rise in him. Fear and fright filled his head, and so he ducked behind Reborn for a certain former of shelter.

"I understand your concerns." the Vindice spoke again, "this child possesses something that should not be handled carelessly. We would request to have him under our care as to prevent future casualties due to the lack of our supervision." he even sounded convincing as he explained.

Reborn did not submit. "I will have to refuse." Yes, the Vindice could only legally capture criminals. They wouldn't capture Rei by force, and that is why they are trying to convince us to give them Rei.

"You can't just take him away!" Tsuna spoke up bravely, "Not after all this!"

The Vindice seemed taken aback at the opposition.

There was a short moment of silence before another one of them came to a conclusion.

"Then, we shall be keeping him on supervision instead." he told them.

Tsuna gave a short sigh if relief. That meant that Rei wasn't going to jail, Right? That's one thing we solved.

Reborn was unnerved. They had given up too easily. Vindice always used force if things didn't go their way. Vindice never submitted to anyone. Was this matter not important to them? Then why did they even bring it up?

"But one day," he spoke up again, and this time, his eyes were hostile towards Reborn.

"One day, we will take him in."