Even after a day and a half, Saya's bracelet continued to glow with the Sky Flame, showing no signs of changing to another element.
Since leaving the emergency room, Saya felt much more comfortable. Fon mentioned that although she might eventually return to her original state of possessing all seven elements, the Sky Flame would naturally balance them out. He promised to teach her how to manage it once she grew stronger.
"We can probably start your lessons next week," Fon said. "For this week, just relax. Go and fully enjoy the time you've lost."
Hearing that made Saya truly happy. At the very least, something within her was finally improving. It had been a chaotic and long two weeks for her, but they were good weeks nonetheless.
She decided to order three sets of clothes to be delivered to the hospital. There were appointments she desperately wanted to keep this week.
"Um... Jinnai, Dino-san, Fon-san... how do I look?" the girl asked, twirling for the black-haired boy. His eyes sparkled for a split second as he looked at her. She was wearing a black skirt that sat just above her knees, topped with a long-sleeved denim jacket and white high-top sneakers.
"You look adorable," Dino said with a wide grin, giving her two thumbs up. "A little hairstyling and you'll be perfect."
"My Lady looks beautiful in anything she wears," Jinnai added, though he secretly wished the skirt were a tad longer. "But may I ask, what is the occasion?"
"Well..." Saya bit her lip, scratching her head shyly. "I'm going to a movie with Gokudera and then to watch Yamamoto's baseball match. Oh, and I have plans with Rinji-senpai and Naoka-senpai too, but I remember those aren't for a while."
Jinnai smiled before pulling out his phone to search for fashion styles he thought would suit her. At that moment, a Line message from Yamamoto arrived.
Made it to the next round! Semi-finals are the day after tomorrow. Yamamoto was holding up two fingers in a selfie, looking disheveled but triumphant, with the leading score visible on the field behind him. Another photo showed Tsuna, Ryohei, Kyoko, Lambo, I-Pin, Haru, and Kanna all there to cheer him on.
Fortunately, his eyes had healed in time for the game. He had been discharged from the hospital yesterday, following Tsuna who had left even earlier.
"Yamamoto made it to the next round!" Saya showed the photo to Dino and Jinnai. Just then, Lussuria walked in, arms laden with shopping bags.
"How much stuff do you need to buy?!" Squalo roared, tossing the bags he was carrying onto the floor before storming out of the room in a foul mood.
"My cosmetics!" Lussuria shrieked.
Saya didn't quite understand why Squalo was acting that way. She didn't particularly like him, though Dino insisted he wasn't a bad person.
The girl stepped forward to help Lussuria pick up the items. Jinnai and Dino joined in as Lussuria began to sniffle. "I only bought a little bit. Since I'm in Japan, Squalo is so mean!"
"Well... it is quite a lot," Jinnai noted. "If he weren't a teammate, I doubt anyone could endure carrying all this. It's quite exhausting."
"Squalo isn't my boyfriend, he's just a colleague!" Lussuria snapped before turning his gaze to Jinnai.
Looking closely, Jinnai had a clean, somewhat delicate face, but he possessed a strong masculine aura. His well-proportioned muscles and slight tan made him look... huggable. Jinnai caught Lussuria's gaze and felt a chill run down his spine. "But you... you're quite a treat yourself, aren't you, dear?"
"...I already have someone I like," Jinnai replied with a polite smile.
This made Saya's ears perk up instantly. "Who is it, Jinnai?" she asked, her navy-blue eyes wide with excitement. "Is she pretty? Is she kind? Do I know her? I've never seen you with a girlfriend—she must be very beautiful, right?"
Her sparkling eyes and expectant smile were so close that Jinnai struggled to find his voice. He swallowed hard, his heart racing uncontrollably. Dino couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for him, even though Jinnai was technically a rival for Saya's heart.
"So, when are you going out with Gokudera?" Dino asked, testing the waters.
"I don't know yet. He just mentioned sometime this week," Saya replied.
This week, huh, Dino thought, already forming a plan. "Saya-chan, have you ever visited Italy?"
"Um, I've been twice, but only for very short trips," Saya said. "I mostly just ate pizza and took selfies with my mother for her Instagram for an hour, then we left."
Dino's lip twitched.
"But I'd love to go for a long visit. I want to see the sea and look at houses there."
"...Are you planning to buy one?" Dino asked. Saya shook her head.
"Partially. But what I really want is to buy properties for rent and run a homestay," she explained. Dino raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what my father is planning, but I've had this plan for a long time just in case something like this happened. In Japan, I can't be 100% independent from him. The best way is to hold another citizenship and live in another country."
Her father had sent Jinnai after her for a reason. She had to find a way to handle it as quickly as possible. Even if she had to leave Namimori, she had to be prepared. She didn't want this town to lose its cherry blossoms—even if there was someone who didn't quite get along with them.
Saya knew what her father was capable of, and she didn't want to imagine his next move. Though they weren't close, she had heard rumors of his ruthless actions. She would protect herself and Namimori.
"My Lady," Jinnai spoke up. "Don't you think abroad might be a bit... too cold for you?"
Saya looked at the boy, understanding his underlying concern. It would be cold and difficult in many ways for a Japanese girl like her. But the scent of freedom was worth the trade. "No, Jinnai," she said with a determined smile. "I can definitely survive."
"I... I will go with you, My Lady, if that is the path you choose," he declared. "I will take care of you. I will protect you... at least until you are settled. Then I can go train with Master Skull."
"I'll help too," Dino added, pulling Jinnai into a sudden embrace. Jinnai blinked, confused. "Me, Enzo, Romario, and the Cavallone Family will help you. And there's Vongola too. Oh, in case you didn't know, Tsuna moved the Namimori base from Italy to here a while ago."
"...What?" Saya gaped, having never heard of this.
"I'm just saying, it'll be okay," Dino said, hugging both Saya and Jinnai. "The future can always be changed."
At that moment, her bracelet emitted a soft light. The Sky Flame flickered out, replaced by the yellow glow of the Sun Flame.
Immediately, Saya's hair, body hair, and nails grew at an incredible rate. Before she knew it, her face was covered in fur—she had turned into a little Shih Tzu!
Dino and Lussuria stared for a moment before Lussuria took a ribbon and tied her hair up. It only made her look more like a Shih Tzu. Jinnai let out a horrified shriek. "MY LADY!!!"
"Oh dear... I've become a Shih Tzu, haven't I?" Saya sighed, slightly annoyed but resigned, especially with the ribbon now in her hair.
All three of them pulled out their phones to take photos while the girl gave them a mock-glare.
"You're cute in anything, Saya-chan," Dino beamed, loosening his hug slightly. Jinnai and Lussuria nodded frantically in agreement.
Are you all going to keep these as memories of me as a dog? Saya thought, a forced smile on her face. Ultimately, she stuck her tongue out and acted like a real Shih Tzu, letting them take their pictures.
"Hahi!" "Saya-chan!" "What on earth is this?!"
Yamamoto's group arrived at the hospital in the evening. Naturally, Haru, Kyoko, and Hana cried out in shock at the sight of "Shih Tzu Saya." Saya could only laugh sheepishly. Shamal suppressed a chuckle, while Gokudera tried to look away, his brow twitching as he fought back laughter.
"What happened?" Hibari suddenly hopped onto the windowsill. Seeing Saya as a dog, he went silent.
"Ciao-su," Saya greeted him, imitating Reborn's voice.
"Shih Tzu... Yusu," Hibari muttered. He froze for a moment before jumping back down.
"Um..." Saya gave a strained laugh. "I guess I've been given a new name."
She imagined herself as a Shih Tzu puppy chasing after Hibari in a flowery, sparkly filter—a thought so saccharine it made her shiver.
Lussuria and Jinnai helped trim her hair and nails, but they grew back instantly. Fon, observing quietly, spoke up. "Her primary element is Sky, but there is a significant proportion of Sun Flame as well." He stroked his chin. "Interesting. Even after balancing, the symptoms don't disappear, though they are much better than the pillars or trees of light."
"It's better because the cherry blossoms aren't blooming anymore," Saya said as Lussuria braided her fur so she could see. Looking at her own reflection, she wanted to cry. "Ugh... this is so embarrassing."
"Hmm..." Fon pondered. "Actually, Reborn might know more about Sun Flames, but since we're here, I can teach you the basics. I've come up with a principle."
"A principle?" Saya asked.
"If you have too much fire, use some of it," Fon explained. "That way, your body won't store too much until it explodes like before. The Sun Flame is the easiest to understand—it is the 'Activation' that stimulates cells back to their original state."
"Like a healer in a game," Dino added.
"So it's a healing flame," Saya said, and Jinnai nodded.
"Like when you healed Jinnai back then," Tsuna recalled the light rushing toward Jinnai.
"Yes, but now we will do it intentionally. Does anyone have a Sun Ring?"
Squalo, walking into the room, flicked three Sun Rings from his pocket onto Saya's lap. "Is that enough, woman?"
Saya blinked in confusion as he immediately left the room.
"Ryohei-chan, look after Saya! Wait for me, Squalo!" Lussuria ran after him. "Did something happen?!"
"He just knows what he needs to do," Fon said. "Now, put on a ring. It will give your flames a clear shape and contain them."
"But back then, I used it without a ring. I just don't know how I did it."
"Hmm..." Fon closed his eyes. "That's why I want you to follow the principle first. The 'extraordinary' stuff will come on its own later."
"I understand, Fon-san." Saya put on a ring. She tried two, but they wouldn't fit over her Shih Tzu fur. The third one, which was larger, finally slipped on. Immediately, Sun Flames erupted from her hand, making Fon frown.
"Don't be startled," Fon said, stepping closer. "Your flame is just very strong. Now, Yamamoto, you're injured, right?"
"Ah, yeah. I took a bit of a slide." The boy lifted his arm to reveal a long scrape. "I tripped, but luckily they didn't get the point."
"It was so intense!" Haru added, followed by Kyoko.
"But after that, you didn't miss a single play. It was a great match," Ryohei said. "Too bad you couldn't be there to see it."
"Then go watch the next one," Shamal said.
"It's the day after tomorrow," Tsuna said. Shamal thought for a moment. "The finals are next week—if they make it."
"First, let's heal the injury. An athlete's body is important," Fon said. Yamamoto held out his arm, and Saya touched the wound. In no time, the scrape vanished. But it wasn't just the wound—Yamamoto felt his whole body rejuvenated.
He tried jogging in place, amazed. "I feel so light!"
At that moment, the fur on Saya's face and body began to shed, falling onto the bed. Simultaneously, the ring on her finger shattered.
"It looks like we'll need a lot more rings," Fon noted. "Squalo is likely arranging that."
"Just like Kyoya," Dino laughed. "He tends to break rings too, unless they're Vongola-grade."
In the garden, Hibari, who was reading, suddenly sneezed. "Someone is gossiping about me." He suppressed a small smirk, thinking about the girl he had renamed.
"This is a hospital," Fon said to Saya. "This is the simplest way to use the Sun Flame."
"Go ahead," Shamal added. "I have plenty of patients. If you heal them and they go home, I'll have more empty beds. We're running out of space."
"Then it's settled," Fon said. "But we have to choose carefully; there are only two rings left."
"I'll give you mine. It might be more durable," Jinnai said.
He disappeared into the bathroom for a moment and returned with a Sun Ring that looked significantly thicker and larger than the previous three. Tsuna and the Vongola members were surprised; they had never seen Jinnai wear a ring.
He held it out to Saya, but Fon caught Jinnai's hand.
"Your ring won't last long against her fire either. Keep it; you'll need it soon," Fon said. "Reborn has a job for you."
Jinnai frowned but put it away. He went back to the bathroom and returned without the ring on his finger, leaving Tsuna puzzled.
"Jinnai is blind in his left eye. He keeps the ring in the socket," Shamal whispered. "Saya doesn't know. Don't tell her—Jinnai requested it."
Tsuna remembered the fight with Hibari, where Jinnai's eye had flared with fire.
"Then it has to be a Vongola or Varia quality ring to not break," Gokudera said. "I wonder if Old Man Talbot could help?"
"Then shall we try it?" Ryohei asked, pulling off something resembling an armband. "If we're going to try, let's do it EXTREME!"
"Wait, Ryohei-senpai!" Tsuna tried to stop him, but Ryohei had already slipped it onto Saya's wrist.
The moment it touched her, Saya's surroundings turned pitch black. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she saw a figure before her, shrouded in bright yellow flames.
Who is that?
Saya tried to shout, but no sound came out.
Suddenly, the darkness was washed away by the image of a beautiful white church. It was decorated with blue, yellow, and sky-blue mosaic glass, depicting men who looked like Tsuna's friends, yet were different.
The man standing before her was dressed in Christian priest's attire. He smiled kindly and exuded an aura of profound gentleness—a true servant of God. He had brown hair, tanned skin, and a bandage on his nose just like Ryohei. He held a Bible in one hand.
Hello. I am Knuckle, the First Generation Sun Guardian of the Vongola Family. Welcome, our most honored guest of all time.
Lela Starfield.