Defeating a Spirit and a man who had been hailed as the strongest adventurer a thousand years ago—without a doubt, that was an impossible task for the current Loki Familia.
A single Spirit alone possessed strength on par with the highest combat power in the Labyrinth City today—perhaps even beyond that of a mere Level 7.
If those two were to be regarded as hypothetical enemies ahead on the path, then the Familia's main forces would need to reach at least Level 6, perhaps even Level 7. Otherwise, the only thing that could carry them past such a wall would be a miracle.
Unfortunately, Tsuna hated relying on miracles more than anything.
If possible, he preferred to place all his hopes within the bounds of his own control—within his own strength.
Fortunately, there was still plenty of time before he had to face that kind of situation.
As long as he had enough time to grow—enough time—then Tsuna wouldn't be left completely without options.
The power of his Sacred Gear still hadn't been fully drawn out.
For now, he was only utilizing its surface-level abilities. The true potential of a Sacred Gear lay in its Balance Breaker.
Only by reaching that realm could he truly bring out the power hidden within it.
Tsuna sat at the desk in his room, idly spinning a pen between his fingers as he contemplated the next step forward.
"Balance Breaker, huh? The reason Sacred Gears are considered special among artifacts is because they possess a higher growth potential, greater strength, and more extraordinary abilities than ordinary ones."
"The Annihilation Maker I currently control has already shown signs of deviation. It doesn't just create monsters with simple life forms—it can even redefine the very nature of those lives."
Tsuna didn't recall Leonardo ever having the ability to create inorganic objects. That alone meant his Annihilation Maker was already an overpowered version of the Sacred Gear.
And on top of that, he could create other Sacred Gears on par with it—like the Boosted Gear, Divine Dividing, even the Holy Grail of the Netherworld. That fact alone was proof enough that his Annihilation Maker was far from normal.
Tsuna picked up his pen and wrote in his notebook:
"Annihilation Maker — altered, more advanced, higher operability, capable of producing other Sacred Gears."
"I can create them—but the limit of what I can make still lies within the boundaries of my imagination."
Tsuna furrowed his brow slightly.
He knew that ordinary Sacred Gears had their own innate potential for growth. That growth didn't rely on imagination; it came through exploration and relentless training. Bit by bit, the gear's potential would naturally unfold.
But the Sacred Gears he created lacked that kind of self-growth. Their limits rose only when he himself grew—when his understanding of power deepened, when his imagination expanded.
"So even though my means have increased, the ceiling still depends on the fusion of my awareness and imagination. Only by achieving greater personal growth can I continue to drive the growth of both Annihilation Maker and the Sacred Gears I've created."
"In other words, while my tools have multiplied, my upper limit remains tied to my own understanding."
Thinking of it that way, Annihilation Maker and his personal strength formed a symbiotic relationship.
In the early stages, Annihilation Maker provided Tsuna with the perfect safeguard for survival. And as his own strength, awareness, and imagination grew, the ceiling of Annihilation Maker rose accordingly.
"Looks like I still can't afford to rush things."
"Rapid growth in power won't work over there anyway. There's still a one-year gap left on that side. Staying there and wasting time would only be wasting my own chance to improve."
"Once this Expedition is over, I'll have to go back and deal with what's left there."
Having summarized everything, Tsuna confirmed that the way to raise Annihilation Maker's upper limit still depended on his own growth. The rest would simply be preparations for future development.
"As for Balance Breaker... achieving that isn't going to be easy."
Balance Breaker represented pushing a Sacred Gear to its utmost, crossing into a deeper, symbolic state.
It allowed one to unleash power far beyond the ordinary—so great that it could make the unreasonable seem reasonable.
But reaching that state was no simple matter.
It required emotions so intense they transcended everything—obsession and resolve strong enough to break through the limits.
"Obsession and resolve..."
"I already have resolve, and it's not as if I lack obsession... but my current condition isn't enough to push my Sacred Gear further."
Tsuna sighed.
The Dying Will Flame was a power born from inner resolve—the stronger the resolve, the more easily the flame could manifest its strength.
After all the unbelievable things he'd been through—even crossing into another world, fighting the Dungeon's monsters—his resolve was undoubtedly solid.
Yet the catalyst for triggering his Sacred Gear's Balance Breaker was still missing.
"So... is it that I lack obsession with power?"
Tsuna finally identified the root of the problem.
And when he thought carefully about it, that obsession with power truly was the key.
Right now, he was immersed in a well-paced plan for growth. Knowing he had time, he didn't feel any urgent pressure to grow stronger.
Without that urgency, his desire—his obsession—for power naturally lacked the intensity needed to push Annihilation Maker toward Balance Breaker.
"Is the problem that I don't feel enough urgency about the future?"
"I know perfectly well that I have time to grow at a steady pace, that there's no need to rush... Is that mindset what's stopping me from reaching Balance Breaker?"
"Hah... what a simple reason."
The conclusion left Tsuna both amused and exasperated.
He'd become too stable—too composed. Because he understood how the story would unfold, the pressure to grow had lessened, making it impossible for him to forge the desperate obsession needed to trigger a Balance Breaker.
"So this is the downside of knowing too much—you can't create enough pressure for yourself."
"There's still a year left before the day the Katekyo Hitman Reborn world comes into play."
Even so, Tsuna felt no pressure at all.
Not because his strength was already sufficient, but because, in the face of that world's current dangers, it was enough.
The same problem as now—
Without the crisis and pressure of survival, and with his confidence in himself, he simply couldn't possess the obsession with power necessary to advance further.