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Chapter 24: Dying Will (Readiness)
Having successfully defeated Finn, Tsuna secured his place in the expedition.
"Hey, um... sorry about today. I went a little overboard with the attacks," Tsuna apologized.
He was currently standing near the gates of Twilight Manor, being seen off by Finn, Gareth, and Riveria. Despite tomorrow being the day of the major expedition, he had practically blown the captain to pieces.
"It's fine. It only escalated because I lost my temper and used my magic. You have nothing to apologize for," Finn assured him.
"Indeed. This is entirely the fault of a certain Prum who decided to throw a temper tantrum and wreck the courtyard the day before a massive operation," Riveria added smoothly.
"Aye. A certain captain let his pride get the better of him just because he wanted to win a spar. You needn't worry yourself, lad," Gareth agreed.
"I said I was sorry..." Finn groaned.
Though neither veteran named names, the sarcasm was thick enough to cut with a knife. Finn felt a flash of irritation but, lacking any valid counter-argument, was forced to swallow his pride and accept the verbal beating.
"As we discussed, we'll meet in front of Babel tomorrow morning," Finn said, changing the subject.
"Got it. See you then."
With the rendezvous set, Tsuna waved goodbye and left Twilight Manor.
"Well, I'll be. He certainly defied expectations. To think he harbored that much power," Gareth mused, watching Tsuna's retreating back.
"No. We haven't seen everything yet," Finn replied quietly.
"What do you mean?"
"He never went all out against me. Quite the opposite, actually. He was rapidly growing and adapting in the middle of our fight. Honestly, I can't even see the ceiling of his potential."
Finn had fought him directly. He felt the terrifying depths of Tsuna's strength far more intimately than Riveria had from the sidelines.
"For him to wring such praise from you is rare indeed. Still, it makes our job easier," Gareth laughed.
"It does. But it's also terrifying to think what would happen if he ever became an enemy. Right now, I honestly don't think I could beat him. He waited patiently for me to finish my chant today, but if he wanted to, he could have easily crushed me before I even activated my magic."
"Don't be absurd. There is zero chance that boy will ever turn on us. You know that better than anyone. It's exactly why you asked him to join the expedition," Riveria chided.
"I know he's a good person. But even good people can end up on opposite sides of a conflict when their ideals clash. I just couldn't help but wonder if we could stop him if that day ever came. That's all."
.....
After his bout with Finn, Tsuna met up with Bell, who had just returned from the Dungeon. The two headed to the city walls for one final training session before the expedition.
"Firebolt!!"
Bell fired a streak of lightning-laced flame. Tsuna merely tilted his head to the right, letting the spell sizzle past his ear.
"Haaaaah!!"
Using the spell as a smokescreen, Bell dropped low, stepping deep into Tsuna's guard to unleash a flurry of slashes. However, compared to the blinding speed of Ais and Finn, Bell's strikes moved in slow motion. Tsuna easily wove through the deadly dance with absolute minimum effort.
How about this!!
Bell raised both of his weapons high above his head, telegraphing a massive, dual-wielded downward strike. Tsuna raised his right arm to block the incoming overhead cleave.
"!?"
The blade of the Schweizer Degen clashed against Tsuna's guard. But the strike from the Hestia Knife never came. It was a feint. Bell had simulated a dual strike, but held the black blade back.
Now!!
With Tsuna's guard occupied, Bell lunged forward, thrusting the Hestia Knife in a deadly stab.
"!?"
Tsuna's left hand moved in a blur. He caught the flat of the Hestia Knife cleanly between his index and middle fingers, executing a flawless blade catch.
It's not moving!?
Bell yanked hard on the hilt, but the knife was locked in place as if bolted to a titanium vise. Tsuna had concentrated a massive amount of physical strength into his two fingers, rendering Bell's attempts to free his weapon completely useless.
"Take this!!"
Abandoning the knife, Bell dropped to a crouch and swept his right leg out in a low kick. Tsuna effortlessly hopped over it.
"Fire—!!"
Bell aimed his left palm directly at Tsuna's mid-air form, beginning his rapid-fire chant. Tsuna raised his left arm near his cheek, preparing to deflect the blast.
But the spell never came. Bell intentionally cut the chant short, sprinting forward to intercept Tsuna the moment his feet touched the ground.
Clever. Bell had used the first syllable of Firebolt as an audio feint, baiting Tsuna into a defensive posture. Seeing Tsuna's left side completely exposed, Bell gripped the Schweizer Degen tight, preparing to deliver the winning strike.
"!?"
Suddenly, Tsuna, while still looking forward, shifted his eyes sharply upward. At the exact same moment, something flashed from behind Tsuna's back, soaring high into the sky.
What is that!?
Bell's gaze instinctively chased the object. It was the Hestia Knife. Tsuna had thrown the confiscated weapon spinning into the air.
Crap!!
The moment of distraction was all it took. By the time Bell snapped his eyes back to his target, Tsuna had already landed safely on the ground. The golden opportunity was lost.
Tsuna had used Misdirection—a psychological technique commonly utilized by magicians to forcefully draw the audience's attention away from the real trick. By shifting his own eyes upward and tossing the knife out of his blind spot, he triggered a biological reflex in Bell to follow the movement. That split-second lapse in focus completely neutralized Bell's strategy.
"Your plan failed," Tsuna said calmly. He didn't even look up as he casually reached out and caught the descending Hestia Knife by the hilt.
"Pant... pant... pant..."
Having burned through both his physical stamina and mental focus, Bell collapsed spread-eagle onto the grass.
"Your movements and your tactical thinking have improved drastically," Tsuna praised. "But you still haven't conquered the fear sleeping deep inside you."
Bell had grown exponentially since their first session. Yet, Tsuna could clearly see the lingering chains of trauma holding him back.
"Do you never get scared, Tsuna?"
"Of course I do. But the thought of my friends getting hurt, or losing the people I care about... that scares me a hell of a lot more. That's why I fight. With my Dying Will."
"Dying Will..."
"Yeah. First and foremost, the Dying Will is the resolve to cling to your enemy and never let go, even if your body breaks."
"Even if your body breaks..."
Bell remembered the incident with the Freya Familia. He remembered Tsuna launching a suicidal, zero-distance attack against Allen, fully aware that his own body would be caught in the blast.
"Well, to be honest, I'm just quoting a certain guy I know," Tsuna admitted, scratching his cheek.
"A certain guy?"
"Yeah. A guy who would intentionally dislocate his own joints just to beat the crap out of his enemies."
"D-Dislocate his joints!?"
Tsuna shuddered as he recalled the Representative Battle of the Rainbow. He remembered the monstrous fighting style of his tutor—who had reverted to his adult form—brawling with his father, Iemitsu. Of course, Tsuna still hadn't fully connected the dots that the adult was actually Reborn.
Hearing about a man who would shatter his own body just to win a fight filled Bell with equal parts awe and sheer terror.
"The rest comes down to never hesitating, never regretting your choices, and believing in your own power. Every time I fought with my Dying Will, I discovered a new side of myself. Eventually, I realized that that was the real me. That is the true meaning of Dying Will."
"The true Dying Will..."
Bell closed his eyes, letting the weight of the words sink in.
"Also, you're still not drawing out the full potential of your magic," Tsuna added abruptly.
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"That's for you to figure out. Exploring your own possibilities to find a path to strength is part of your training, too."
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