An awkward tension lingered in the air, but Tsuna and Ryuu resumed their morning spar nonetheless.
Her movements have gotten sharper. Fully utilizing her high Agility stat, Ryuu relentlessly assaulted Tsuna from multiple directions. As he evaded her flurry of slashes, Tsuna could feel firsthand that the speed and edge of her wooden sword had significantly improved. Clearing away the lingering doubts in her heart had allowed her to take another leap forward in her strength.
He's already beginning to read my blade… and in such a short amount of time, Ryuu thought, gritting her teeth.
My training with Ais is really paying off… I can actually see her attacks coming. Despite swinging her wooden sword with everything she had, Ryuu couldn't even manage to land a single glancing blow, let alone create an opening. Thanks to his grueling sessions with the Sword Princess—a swordswoman who also favored the single-handed longsword and relied heavily on technique and speed—Tsuna was already adapting to Ryuu's style.
"That spiky-head is completely brushing off Ryuu's attacks, nya…"
"Am I dreaming, nya...!?"
"Is he really just a Level 1!?"
Anya, Chloe, and Lunoire had heard from Syr that Tsuna was sparring with Ryuu. They had come out to the courtyard out of sheer curiosity, half-expecting Ryuu to go overboard and leave the boy battered just like she usually did to them. Instead, they were greeted by the shocking sight of Tsuna effortlessly toying with her. They couldn't hide their utter disbelief.
"Natsu."
Tsuna parried Ryuu's wooden sword with his right hand, leaping back to create distance as he summoned his Box Weapon. In an instant, the flame on his forehead, his eyes, and Natsu's mane shifted into a deep, piercing indigo.
Grrrrr… Rooooaaarrr!! Natsu unleashed a fierce roar toward the front. Ryuu immediately kicked off the ground, vaulting into the air to evade the wide-area blast of flames. However—
"What is this…? The Dense Forest of Seoro!?"
Ryuu's eyes widened in profound shock. The enclosed courtyard they had been standing in just a moment ago had completely vanished, replaced entirely by a sprawling, lush jungle canopy.
"T-The courtyard turned into a forest, nya!!"
"What in the world is going on, nya!?"
"More importantly, where the heck did that little lion come from!?"
The sudden environmental shift threw the two catgirls into a panic, while Lunoire was simply baffled by Natsu's abrupt appearance.
"I've never actually tested that before… but it looks like it worked," Tsuna muttered to himself, observing his surroundings.
"Don't tell me… is this an illusion too...!?" Ryuu asked, landing on a sturdy branch.
"Yeah. I used Natsu's power to spread the flames over a wide area and alter the perceived environment."
During his past battles against the Millefiore Famiglia, Tsuna had fought Genkishi, an illusionist swordsman who used the Spectral Sea Slugs to completely rewrite the battlefield with large-scale illusions. Now that he had awakened the Tri-Ni-Sette and possessed all seven attributes of the Sky Flame, Tsuna figured he might be able to replicate something similar.
"It's a great opportunity, so I'm going to test out a few different things."
Although staying in Orario wasn't his original intention, now that it was decided, he would be diving into the Dungeon alongside Bell and the others. As the deep-floor expedition had violently reminded him, anything could happen down there. To protect Bell and his friends, Tsuna knew he needed to explore every possible application of his newfound abilities.
"I appreciate it. Even if it is an illusion, being able to train in an environment like this is incredibly valuable. Besides, I've had some bitter experiences with illusionists in the past… This will serve as excellent practice."
Though initially startled by the perfect recreation of the Seoro forest, Ryuu quickly regained her composure. She lowered her stance, leveling her wooden sword in a flawless guard as she prepared to re-engage.
"Well, if Ryuu figures out how to counter illusions, Chloe is doomed," Lunoire noted dryly.
"Chloe. I will never forget you, nya," Anya solemnly added.
"Don't kill me off without permission, nya!!"
Seeing Lunoire and Anya look at her with expressions of profound pity, Chloe snapped back, but internally, she was sweating bullets.
The illusionist who had given Ryuu a "bitter history" was none other than Chloe herself. Back in the dark underworld, she had been a feared assassin known as the Black Cat. During an assassination contract targeting Ryuu, Chloe had deceived the elf with an illusion, managing to slash her with a knife coated in the deadly poison of a Poison Worm.
She had washed her hands of the assassination trade and had no intention of ever crossing blades with Ryuu again. But if they ever did end up fighting for some reason, Chloe knew she wouldn't stand a chance. She clutched her head in despair just thinking about it.
Meanwhile, within the illusionary forest, Tsuna and Ryuu continued their clash. Both of them utilized the dense foliage and heavy shadows of their new environment to conceal their movements and launch surprise attacks.
"Hah… Hah…"
"...Let's call it a day here."
"Agreed…"
Despite employing every tactic and feint in her arsenal, Ryuu hadn't managed to land a single solid strike on Tsuna. Seeing her shoulders heaving with exhaustion, Tsuna suggested they stop before it started interfering with her shift at the tavern. Sensing his consideration, Ryuu readily accepted.
To go at it that intensely and not even be out of breath… Ryuu thought, gazing at him.
Oh, thank goodness… I was worried it would turn into another Ais situation… Having pushed herself to her absolute limits, Ryuu was drenched in sweat, a stark contrast to the unfazed Tsuna. He canceled his Hyper Dying Will Mode with a quiet sigh of relief. He was just glad Ryuu hadn't developed an obsessive desire to defeat him out of frustration like Ais had.
The illusionary forest dissolved like mist, returning them to the familiar walls of the Hostess of Fertility's courtyard.
"Good work out there, you two," a cheerful voice called out.
Syr approached them with a warm smile, holding two wooden cups in her hands.
"Here's some water."
"Thank you very much."
"Thanks, Syr."
Taking the cups from her, Tsuna and Ryuu drank deeply, downing the cool water in a matter of seconds.
"Oh? Is that your cat, Tsuna-san?" Syr asked, tilting her head at the small lion perched on his shoulder.
"Yeah. His name is Natsu. He's my partner."
"Wow. He's such a cute kitty."
"Gau♪"
"Eh…"
Syr reached out and gently stroked Natsu's head. To Tsuna's absolute bewilderment, Natsu let out a happy purr and rubbed his head affectionately against her palm.
"Is something wrong, Tsuna-san?"
"No, it's just… Natsu doesn't usually warm up to people other than me…"
Natsu's personality was a direct reflection of Tsuna's subconscious. While he was fierce and courageous in battle, outside of combat, he was incredibly timid and rarely opened up to strangers. As far as Tsuna knew, the only other person Natsu had ever willingly let pet him was Kozato Enma, the boss of the Simon Famiglia.
"So, how was the sparring session?" Syr asked.
"It was wonderful. Thanks to Tsuna, it was incredibly productive," Ryuu answered earnestly.
"Wait? Did you just call him Tsuna…?"
"N-No!! I merely thought that since everyone else was addressing him that way, I should try it as well!! There is absolutely no deeper meaning behind it!!"
"I know, Ryuu. You just wanted to close the distance between you and Tsuna-san by using his nickname, right?"
"I-I harbor no such ulterior motives!!"
"Eh? What's so impure about using a little nickname?"
As usual, Ryuu was being spun in circles by Syr's teasing. Tsuna, completely failing to understand the nuances of Ryuu's panic, just stood there in confusion. Anya and the others watched the entire exchange from the sidelines with massive grins.
"Oh, that's right, Tsuna-san. Mama Mia made breakfast. Would you like to stay and eat?"
"Ah, but…"
"She accidentally made one portion too many, apparently. You don't have to hold back."
That means… Hearing Syr's explanation, Tsuna immediately realized that Mia had intentionally cooked an extra portion just for him.
"…Then, I'll gladly take you up on that."
Not wanting to waste Mia's quiet kindness, Tsuna decided to stay for the meal.
"Ryuu, you're drenched in sweat. You should go take a shower," Syr suggested.
"Yes, I suppose I should."
Knowing she couldn't properly enjoy a meal in such a state, Ryuu nodded at Syr's advice and headed inside.
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