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Chapter 73: Nexus
Lili had resolved to execute Tsuna's plan.
"The problem is figuring out how to make the plan succeed…"
"What should we do…"
Tsuna deactivated his Hyper Dying Will Mode, pacing back and forth as he and Lili brainstormed methods to ensure their victory.
"Oh, there you are."
"Welf?"
"Welf-sama?"
Suddenly, Welf appeared, carrying his massive greatsword on his back. Tsuna and Lili blinked in surprise at his arrival.
"Hestia-sama told me you guys were training out here."
"What business do you have here, Welf-sama? I apologize, but we are currently very busy planning our strategy for the War Game. We don't have time to entertain you."
"Don't say such cold things, Lilisuke. We're members of the same Familia now."
"Eh!?"
"Welf-sama, you don't mean...!?"
"Yeah. I withdrew from the Hephaestus Familia and Converted to the Hestia Familia. I'm joining the War Game against Apollo too."
Pointing a thumb at his chest, Welf flashed them a refreshing, confident grin.
"Did you do this for us…!?"
"Yeah. Hearing your words yesterday made up my mind."
"Huh?"
"'If I lost a precious comrade right in front of me, I wouldn't be able to rest in peace.' That's what you said, right? You were desperate to keep your true strength hidden, but you threw that pride away without a second thought to save Lilisuke. So I figured… I should be willing to fight for Bell—my friend—too."
"Welf… thank you."
Despite the overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation, Welf had chosen to stand by them. Tsuna bowed his head in sincere gratitude.
"And I wasn't the only one moved by your words."
"I am here as well."
Stepping out from the tree line was Mikoto from the Takemikazuchi Familia.
"Mikoto-sama too!?"
"Yes. I have yet to fully atone for driving you all into a death trap. Therefore, I have Converted from the Takemikazuchi Familia to the Hestia Familia. With this, I too can participate in the War Game."
Mikoto dropped to one knee, bowing her head deeply to demonstrate her absolute resolve.
"A-Are you sure about this?"
"Yes. However, unlike Welf-dono, I will only be transferring for a single year. Though my time with you will be brief, I intend to devote every ounce of my strength to your cause. I look forward to working with you."
"So that's the deal. Mind if we join the strategy meeting?" Welf asked.
"Yeah. Of course."
"So? Got any good ideas?"
"Yes. Tsunayoshi-sama has devised a plan, and we were just trying to figure out how to successfully execute it."
"What kind of plan?"
"It involves…"
Lili quickly brought Welf and Mikoto up to speed on Tsuna's strategy.
"Whoa…"
"Hey, hey… that's one hell of a gamble…"
"Yes. But if it succeeds, we can flip the entire board in our favor."
"That's true, but… hey, Tsuna. Are you really okay with this? If this fails, Bell falls into the Apollo Familia's hands."
"If worst comes to worst, I'll step in and handle it. But… once this War Game is over, I'm returning to my own country."
"Huh!?"
"W-Why so suddenly!?"
"A lot happened... Anyway, once I'm gone, you guys will have to fight without my power. If you rely too much on me now, you might not be able to survive on your own later. That's why I'm keeping myself out of the frontline fights as much as possible. I know it sounds selfish, but it's for everyone's sake."
Tsuna explained his reasoning for holding back. Since they couldn't force him to stay in Orario forever, and his logic was fundamentally sound, Welf and Mikoto accepted his decision without further argument.
"Let's just fight it out for now. If we don't know what kind of power each of us brings to the table, we won't be able to coordinate properly. Plus, fighting might give us a hint on how to pull off this crazy plan of yours."
"I agree with Welf-dono. We must first understand each other's capabilities. And even though our time is short, actual combat experience will help us refine our skills."
"That makes sense. Tsunayoshi-sama, would you mind sparring with Welf-sama and Mikoto-sama? I'll observe your movements and see if I can formulate a concrete plan."
"Got it."
Tsuna pulled his signature '27' gloves from his pockets, slipping them on as his eyes flared into Hyper Dying Will Mode.
"Come at me with your Dying Will."
I-Incredible…
S-So strong…
Welf and Mikoto stood opposite Tsuna. They already knew from yesterday's incident that he was a powerhouse. But standing directly in his crosshairs made them truly realize the sheer, oppressive gravity of his strength.
Welf hoisted his greatsword, and Mikoto drew her katana, both settling into their combat stances.
"Welf-dono. Could you create an opening for me?"
Covering her mouth with her left hand to prevent Tsuna from reading her lips, Mikoto whispered to the smith. Welf instantly grasped her intent and gave a silent nod.
"Uwooooooo!!"
Holding his greatsword high above his head in an overhead stance, Welf charged straight at Tsuna.
This was the Jodan stance. It allowed for the fastest possible attack—requiring only a single downward swing to cleave the enemy—and maximized the weapon's reach.
"Not a bad swing."
I-It won't budge!!
Welf brought the massive blade down with all his might in a devastating Head-cleaver strike. Yet, his all-out attack was caught effortlessly in Tsuna's right hand.
"You haven't mastered your strength yet. Is it the aftereffects of your [Rank Up]?"
"—!?"
Tsuna's Hyper Intuition saw right through Welf's core. Welf was visibly shaken that a single clash had exposed his fundamental weakness.
When an adventurer undergoes a [Rank Up], the sudden, explosive increase in physical specs leaves their senses lagging behind. Because of this dissonance, they cannot fully utilize their newly acquired strength. This wasn't unique to Welf; it was a universal phenomenon for all newly leveled adventurers, one that could only be corrected through rigorous training.
He's good at hiding her presence.
Realizing Mikoto was no longer in his forward vision, Tsuna probed the area but couldn't sense her aura.
Suddenly, Mikoto materialized completely soundlessly behind him and launched an attack.
She dropped her sword!?
Sensing the killing intent just as she initiated her strike, Tsuna whipped around—only to see Mikoto lunging at him barehanded. She threw a vertical fist. Surprised but reacting instantly, Tsuna caught her fist in his left palm.
The Takemikazuchi Familia's patron deity was the God of Martial Arts. Therefore, Mikoto had been thoroughly drilled in martial arts.
"Welf-dono!!"
"Yeah!!"
Recognizing Mikoto's cue, Welf released his grip on the greatsword, kicked off the ground, and vaulted high into the air.
"Haa!!"
Mikoto threw her arms around Tsuna, locking him in a grapple to break his balance.
So that's what they're doing.
As his posture tilted, Tsuna caught sight of Welf reaching out mid-air to grab Mikoto's katana—which she had tossed high above Tsuna's head beforehand. In that fraction of a second, Tsuna deduced their entire strategy.
Welf's initial charge was a smokescreen. While Tsuna was distracted, Mikoto erased her presence and circled behind for a surprise attack. To seal Tsuna's movements, she threw her katana up and grappled him. Finally, Welf would grab the airborne katana and execute a plunging strike from above.
Excellent teamwork.
Tsuna mentally praised their coordination. Simultaneously, the flame on his forehead and his eyes shifted to a blinding yellow. Cloaking Welf's greatsword in Sun Flames, Tsuna hurled the massive weapon straight up into the sky.
Y-You've gotta be kidding me!?
What absurd arm strength…!?
The greatsword rocketed upward with terrifying velocity, violently colliding with Mikoto's airborne katana and knocking it completely out of reach. Welf and Mikoto stared in pure disbelief as Tsuna threw the heavy weapon with the ease of tossing a pebble.
Tsuna had utilized the Sun Flame's characteristic of Activation to drastically accelerate the greatsword's kinetic velocity, turning the heavy blade into a projectile as fast as a bullet.
Having thrown the sword, Tsuna placed both palms flat against the earth to stabilize his balance.
"What is this!?"
The grass around Tsuna and Mikoto suddenly erupted in a frenzy of accelerated growth. Shocked by the writhing vegetation lunging toward her, Mikoto immediately released her hold on Tsuna and leapt backward as Tsuna was entirely swallowed by the towering grass.
Tsuna had used the Sun's Activation to supercharge the plants' growth. A split second later, Tsuna burst from the thicket, charging directly at Mikoto. She instantly dropped into a martial arts stance, intercepting him with a sharp palm strike to the chest.
He vanished!?
The moment her palm made contact, Tsuna dissipated like mist.
While hidden inside the overgrown grass, Tsuna had used the Mist Flame's characteristic of Construction to construct an illusion of himself. Because the clone had burst out so naturally, Mikoto hadn't realized it was a fake and engaged it head-on.
The real Tsuna seamlessly slipped out from the brush, instantly closing the distance and pressing a knife-hand directly against Mikoto's neck.
Got him!!
While Mikoto was being held at knife-point, Welf—still in mid-air—kicked off a sturdy tree branch to accelerate his descent, aiming a devastating right straight at Tsuna's exposed back.
However, Tsuna had already sensed Welf's approach. He glanced backward, the flame on his forehead and his eyes shifting to a tranquil blue. With a sweeping motion of his right hand, a wave of blue flames washed over the descending Welf.
M-My body!?
Welf instinctively crossed his arms over his face to block the attack, but quickly realized he was practically frozen in mid-air, his momentum completely killed.
Tsuna had feigned a direct attack, instead using the Rain Flame's characteristic of Tranquility to dull Welf's kinetic energy and physical movements.
"That was a solid combo."
Tsuna casually grabbed the sluggish Welf by the left arm and set him gently on the ground. The moment Tsuna reverted his flames back to the Sky attribute, the Rain Flames coating Welf vanished.
The Tri-Ni-Sette skill did not allow for the simultaneous use of multiple flame attributes. Switching to a new attribute immediately canceled the effects of the previous one. However, the grass that had been physically stimulated by the Sun Flames remained permanently overgrown.
"But neither of you have fully adapted to your [Rank Up] yet. First, if you can't master that power, you won't be able to compete with the Apollo Familia. Once you get a handle on it, you'll be able to execute much more advanced combinations."
He completely toyed with two Level 2s…
So this is the power of an adventurer who returned alive from the 59th Floor…
Welf and Mikoto had gone all out trying to land a single hit. Tsuna, on the other hand, hadn't lost his composure for a second, his breathing perfectly even. The two adventurers keenly felt the insurmountable gap in their abilities.
"Hey, Tsuna."
"Yeah?"
"Hestia-sama mentioned that Bell is currently training outside the city with your master, right?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"Is that training… harsh?"
"Harsh doesn't even begin to cover it… I don't know exactly what they're doing, but I guarantee Bell has nearly died several times by now. Worst case scenario, he won't even survive to see the War Game."
""What!?""
Welf and Mikoto gasped, having never imagined the training was literally life-threatening.
"His methods are absolutely insane, but if you can survive them, your growth rate is explosive. I believe Bell can overcome it. He's out there right now, training with his Dying Will."
Having witnessed Bell's battle against the Minotaur, Tsuna knew exactly what the boy was capable of. He was absolutely certain that Bell Cranel would become a hero who would save the world.
"In that case, don't hold back, Tsuna."
"What?"
"I don't care how strong you are. If we know you're not actually going to hurt us, this training is meaningless. We can't call this fighting with our Dying Will."
"I completely agree. In a real battle against a superior foe, they aren't going to pull their punches. If Bell-dono is risking his life to get stronger, we must be prepared to do the same."
"…Are you serious?"
"Yeah!! Beat us into the dirt!!"
"Come at us with the intent to kill, Sawada-dono!!"
"…Understood."
Feeling the sheer weight of Welf and Mikoto's resolve, Tsuna decided to harden his heart.
Instantly, flames like a raging storm erupted from Tsuna's body. The sheer pressure was so overwhelming that Welf and Mikoto had to plant their feet firmly into the earth just to keep from being blown away.
"Here I come."
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