Dense jungle all around. A sheer, bottomless gorge to the side.
The terrain was unforgiving—yet explosions of power echoed through it again and again.
"Haah!"
Alise, wreathed in blazing flames from head to toe, charged ward with her sword, slashing at Silence again and again.
But her strikes never reached. Every blow stopped short, absorbed by an invisible barrier surrounding her opponent.
"Damn it! How is she this strong!?"
Alise was already going all out, every ounce of strength burning through her veins—
Yet the woman in front of her brushed off her attacks like they were nothing.
Did Tsuna give her extra magic?
No… that's impossible.
A flicker of crimson light glinted at the edge of her vision. Reacting instinctively, Alise leapt back—
Clang!
A katana swung down, striking directly in front of Silence. The air itself cracked audibly from the force.
The blade bit forward, inch by inch.
"Flames—full burst!"
Alise gritted her teeth, both hands gripping her sword tight as she swung with everything she had.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The sound of shattering grew louder, reaching its limit—then the barrier collapsed completely.
A blinding hum roared in their ears.
"Gospel! 933!"
The voice rang like a divine decree—vibrating straight into their skulls.
The shockwave hit both Alise and Kaguya like a hammer.
They were thrown violently through the air—Alise crashed through a thick tree trunk before slamming into the ground.
Thud!
The impact knocked the wind from her lungs. Her body locked up, unable to move.
"Ha... ha…"
Her eardrums rang with a piercing buzz, throwing off her balance. The world spun around her.
She couldn't hear anything—not her surroundings, not even her own ragged breathing.
Leaning on her sword for support, Alise forced herself to look up—
Just in time to see a blur of black appear before her eyes.
Crap—!
She sensed the danger, but her body wouldn't respond. She could only brace herself for the hit.
A massive shield suddenly rammed in from the side—
Silence's heel slammed into it.
The sheer impact reverberated like a church bell, sending both the shield and Alise flying.
They were launched over a hundred meters down into the canyon, crashing into the river below.
Splash!
It took a while before the two bodies—Alise and Lyra—floated to the surface, unconscious, barely breathing.
Then Silence descended gracefully, her black heels tapping the water's surface without sinking—
as though a thin, unseen layer held her weight aloft.
She spread her hands. The two girls lifted from the water, suspended midair.
All eleven members of the Astraea Familia lay motionless on the ground.
The one responsible for that—Silence—stood silently beside Tsuna, perfectly composed.
Tsuna looked over the scene, shaking his head faintly.
"A Silence without her illness as a weakness… even with her level suppressed to Level 4, she's still not someone you can handle easily."
He crossed his arms. "And her magic isn't just for offense. Her voice magic works defensively too—almost like Ais's magic. She can use it in all kinds of ways. The strength depends on how much magic power she channels into it."
He glanced at Astraea. "Without a counter for that kind of magic, trying to fight her head-on is a nightmare."
Astraea sighed softly as she looked down at her fallen children.
"Even if they knew that," she said with a helpless smile, "they still would've charged straight ahead. Alise is... stubborn like that. Until she runs headfirst into a wall, she won't turn back."
Despite her words, Astraea couldn't help but laugh quietly at the sight of her eleven girls lying there in perfect rows.
"I suppose the reality check hit them harder than they expected."
She paused, her eyes softening.
"Can't really blame them though. Silence used to be the destroyer of the world. Only recently did these girls realize—they're the ones carrying on what she left behind. That understanding probably made them push themselves harder, trying to be worthy of the flame she passed to them."
Astraea's voice lowered.
"And after that ambush by the Dark Faction… I think that near-total annihilation left a scar on them. It made them painfully aware of how weak they still are."
Tsuna nodded slowly, understanding dawning in his expression.
"So that's why Alise's been chasing power so desperately… She doesn't want Silence's sacrifice to have been for nothing."
He sighed. "I get it—but the truth is still harsh."
"Lady Astraea, I understand their urgency, but strength doesn't come overnight. Silence's magic was like Ais's—but even more versatile. In battle, she could adapt to anything. Pouring more mana into her spells could even make them stronger than Riveria's."
He glanced back at the Puppet, his tone sober. "A person like that… she was practically a walking taboo."
"Setting their goal high isn't wrong," Tsuna continued, "but pushing themselves to the brink of death isn't exactly healthy either."
Astraea chuckled lightly. "Oh, I know that. But sometimes words won't reach them. Letting them crash into that wall headfirst is the only way they'll understand how thick it is. Once they do, they'll realize Silence isn't a goal to defeat—at least, not yet."
She turned to Tsuna, still smiling faintly. "So… shall we just leave them here to rest?"
"Rather than heal them right away and have them wake up tomorrow full of energy, maybe it's better to let the pain remind them for a while."
Tsuna thought for a moment, then nodded.
"That works."
"Giving them time to rest and reflect might do more good than patching them up instantly. They need to process this failure first."
"Exactly," Astraea said gently. "They'll come around once they've had time to think. Leave it to them."
Tsuna gave a short nod.
Since Astraea agreed, he didn't cast any healing.
They wouldn't be entering the Challenge Space for at least a week anyway.
A week in bed nursing their wounds would be enough to make them think—
and face what lay ahead with clearer minds.