Throughout every era, the successive Bosses of the Vongola Famiglia have always had Guardians to protect them. Just as the Bosses were likened to the all-embracing Sky, their subordinates were likened to the weather that colored it—the Guardians of the Storm, Rain, Lightning, Sun, Cloud, and Mist.
Whenever a crisis threatened the Vongola, these successive Bosses and Guardians would invariably gather, overcoming any hardship that stood in their way.
And now, to protect the Hestia Familia and the Xenos, the Guardians of the 10th Vongola Famiglia had assembled in Orario.
. . .
Yamamoto & Bell's Side
"Right now, my friends are holding off their executives. So just focus on getting that kid home safely," Yamamoto instructed, briefly explaining the situation while directing Bell's next move.
"Sorry to be selfish, but we're switching out. From here on out, I'll be your opponent."
Yamamoto Takeshi. The Rain Guardian of the 10th Famiglia, and one of the Vongola's two great swordsmen. Boasting the greatest athletic reflexes in the Famiglia, he was a natural-born hitman in Reborn's eyes.
Why is it always him...!?
With Yamamoto appearing right after Bell, every conceivable negative emotion swirled violently within Ais's heart.
It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair!
Ais couldn't understand why the monsters—the enemies of humanity and the existences she hated most—were being offered a helping hand instead of her. When she had cried, when she had screamed, when she was terrified, suffering, and overwhelmingly lonely, no one had come to save her. No hero had appeared. That was why she had taken up the sword and chosen the path of fighting on her own.
Gripping Desperate tight enough to nearly shatter its hilt, Ais dashed forward with the sole intent of striking Wiene down.
In response, Yamamoto stepped into her path to protect Bell and the young Vouivre.
"─────Move!"
Shouting louder than she ever normally would, Ais unleashed a sweeping slash with Desperate. Yamamoto dropped his posture to cleanly dodge her Right Sweep. The bamboo sword in his hand transformed back into a real blade, its steel igniting with Rain flames as he mirrored her attack, aiming a Right Sweep at her legs. Ais kicked off the ground, escaping into the air to evade his flash of steel.
His sword is gone!?
The katana that should have been gripped in Yamamoto's right hand had vanished from her sight, leaving Ais wide-eyed.
"Fifth Form: Early Summer Rain!"
"Gah!"
Before she knew it, the blade was in his left hand, swinging diagonally upward from the right. The Right Upward Cut scored a direct hit on Ais's right flank.
Shigure Soen Ryu. An invincible, flawless assassin's sword style that had buried countless people in the darkness during the warring states period. Claiming to be the strongest, its inheritors were destined to defend that title from incoming assassins. It possessed eight forms—four offensive and four defensive—tailored to various situations. However, its strict rule dictated that a technique could only be passed down from master to disciple once. Consequently, if a generation lacked the spirit and talent to evolve it, the style would inevitably die out, earning it the moniker of the "Sword of Destruction."
The technique he had just unleashed was Early Summer Rain—an unpredictable sword strike where the wielder swaps the blade to their other hand mid-swing, altering its trajectory and timing entirely. Yamamoto had feinted an attack at her legs, forcing Ais to escape into the air, only to deliver a slashing blow to her exposed right flank.
"Ngh!"
Though she had taken the hit, it was a blunt strike with the back of the blade. Enduring the pain, Ais gripped her scabbard with her left hand and swung it fiercely at Yamamoto.
"Seventh Form: Splashing Rain!"
Swirling his flames as if churning water, Yamamoto generated a blazing tornado that easily deflected her scabbard strike. Caught in the backlash, Ais's body was sent spinning backward through the air.
Splashing Rain was a defensive technique that originally whipped up water to block attacks. Lacking water in their immediate surroundings, Yamamoto had perfectly recreated it using his Dying Will Flames. Furthermore, by utilizing the rotation of the tornado against Ais's sweeping strike, he had forcefully blown her away.
He's fast!
Blown into the air, Ais realized that Yamamoto, who had been right in front of her, was already moving behind her. Astonished by his sheer speed, she forcibly used her spinning momentum to swing Desperate in a wide arc. Unable to defend, Yamamoto was cut down by her sweeping slash.
Water!?
But the resistance against her blade was far too light. A split second too late, Ais realized she had only sliced through an illusion of water.
"Ninth Form: Duplicating Rain!"
"Ghk...!?"
Having taken the high ground, Yamamoto swung his blade straight down. His Karatake strike slammed heavily into Ais's back, sending her crashing face-first into the cobblestone street.
Duplicating Rain was a technique Yamamoto had created himself—a form that reflected his own image on a surface of water to draw the enemy in before ambushing their blind spot.
Inheritors of the Shigure Soen Ryu received not only the techniques but also Shigure Kintoki, a sword that would only transform from wood to steel when performing the style. Their final trial was to develop a brand new form. Failing to do so meant they were unworthy of inheriting the flawless style. This was the other reason it was called the Sword of Destruction.
A style that constantly demanded its wielder to surpass it—that was the very reason Shigure Soen Ryu was hailed as flawless and invincible.
"Looks like you were too focused on me to notice what was above you."
Above?
Hearing Yamamoto's words, Bell looked up. Circling overhead was a swallow wreathed in blue Rain flames. It gracefully descended, gliding around Yamamoto.
Rondine di Pioggia. Yamamoto's Box Animal, which he had affectionately named Kojirou.
When he had generated the flame tornado with Splashing Rain, Yamamoto had summoned Kojirou from his Vongola Gear—the Necklace of the Rain Version X. Using the tornado as a blind, he took to the sky, positioning himself directly above and behind Ais. By raining down waves of Rain flames, which shared the exact same properties as water, he had projected his own reflection for her to strike.
Amazing...
Bell was utterly speechless. Even when he had thrown himself into a desperate, suicidal charge, he could barely land a scratch on Ais. Yet, Yamamoto had damaged her with unbelievable ease.
"Leave this to me and go on ahead," Yamamoto said, tossing Bell the baselard dagger he had dropped earlier.
Knowing that staying would only make him a burden rather than a help, Bell accepted Yamamoto's kindness. Resolving to prioritize returning the Xenos to the Dungeon, he took Wiene's hand.
"Thank you!" Wiene cried out.
Yamamoto gave her a confident thumbs-up in response.
"W-Wait...!"
Ais immediately tried to get up and chase after them, but a sharp pain flared in her flank. She dropped to one knee, clutching her side with her left hand as Bell and Wiene disappeared from her sight.
"...Why?"
"Hm?"
"Why are you helping a monster...?"
"Because Tsuna said he wanted to protect them."
"That's it...!?"
"Yeah. That's right."
"Many people have died because of monsters... They've caused so many tragedies...!?"
"So I've heard. But helping Tsuna is way more important to me."
"Why would you go that far...!?"
If it became known that he protected monsters, he would be hated and shunned. Even if Tsuna wanted to help them, Ais couldn't fathom how Yamamoto could remain so optimistic.
"What are you talking about? You help people when they're truly in trouble because that's what friends do."
"...!?"
Yamamoto answered her question with a bright, genuine smile. Seeing that he wasn't joking in the slightest, Ais's eyes widened. Just like with Bell, she realized they would never see eye to eye. Pushing through the pain, she stood up and readied her sword.
"Jirou."
Determining that a clash was unavoidable, Yamamoto called out again. This time, a fierce dog clad in Rain flames emerged from his necklace.
Cane di Pioggia. Yamamoto's second Box Animal, named Jirou.
"Jirou, Kojirou. Cambio Forma."
Instantly, Jirou and Kojirou merged with Yamamoto. The Vongola crest burned brightly on his back.
"I'm going all out from here."
Yamamoto's attire shifted into a traditional Japanese uniform. Jirou transformed into a longsword in his left hand, while Kojirou fused with Shigure Kintoki to form a matching longsword in his right. The pommels of each blade were adorned with Kojirou's wings and Jirou's decorative motifs, respectively.
His expression and aura shifted drastically, replacing his laid-back demeanor with a lethal edge. Though her heart was still in turmoil, the sheer pressure of his stance forced Ais to regain a semblance of her composure.
He's like Tsuna...!?
Ais couldn't hide her surprise that Tsuna wasn't the only one who could command flame-clad animals and transform them into new weapons.
"Special Form 12: Drizzle!"
"...!?"
Sheathing Jirou's blade into his right scabbard and Kojirou's into his left, Yamamoto instantly drew Jirou's sword with his left hand in a flawless iaido strike, launching a compressed blade of flame.
Ais hadn't expected him to bypass the distance entirely and launch a ranged slash, but she still managed to deflect the flaming blades around her with incredibly precise swordplay. The deflected slashes struck the surrounding ground and buildings, kicking up a thick smokescreen.
As the smoke blinded her, Yamamoto gripped Kojirou's sword with his right hand. His entire body became wreathed in flames that took the shape of a massive swallow.
"Special Form 12: Slashing Rain!"
"...!?"
The flaming swallow tore through the smokescreen, streaking forward with absolute precision to strike exactly where Ais stood.
Ais was stunned. She never expected him to land a perfectly accurate attack through the blinding smoke.
Drizzle and Slashing Rain. By using Jirou's enhanced sense of smell to map the space where the Drizzle slashes had passed, Yamamoto could perfectly track his enemy's scent and hunt them down with Slashing Rain. Though originally an anti-illusionist secret technique, Yamamoto had brilliantly repurposed it to accurately target Ais through the smoke.
"Tempest!"
Ais reflexively chanted her magic. Cloaking her entire body in violent winds, she barely managed to block the swallow's charging strike.
My wind is...!?
However, due to the Tranquility characteristic of the Rain flames, her wind was slowly but surely weakening. Realizing she would be skewered at this rate, Ais used the fading wind to high-speed step directly above Yamamoto and brought Desperate crashing down.
Crossing his twin blades above his head, Yamamoto blocked her flash of silver. Ais immediately kicked off his swords, putting distance between them.
"Third Form: Staying Rain!"
Before Ais could even land, Yamamoto kicked the pommel of Jirou's sword with his right foot, launching it like a deadly projectile straight at her.
Staying Rain was a surprise attack utilizing the foot to launch the sword when the opponent least expected it.
Ais violently swung Desperate, parrying the flying blade into the sky.
"First Form: Axle Rain!"
But before Ais could recover her stance, Yamamoto gripped Kojirou's sword with both hands and charged forward with a devastating thrust. Ais ran horizontally along the wall of a nearby building to dodge the spear-like strike, landing safely before attempting to ambush him from behind.
Yamamoto instantly spun around, and both of them brought their swords crashing down simultaneously.
My body...!?
The moment their blades clashed, Ais's movements grew sluggish. No matter how desperately she commanded her limbs, her body refused to move properly.
"That was Attacco di Squalo. You'll be paralyzed and unable to move for a while."
Attacco di Squalo—a technique that converts a full-body strike into a vibrating shockwave, robbing the opponent of their motor functions. It was further enhanced by pouring Tranquil Rain flames into the vibrations. Originally the signature move of the Varia's Squalo, Yamamoto had mastered it by studying the footage of Squalo's "Path to the Sword Emperor" during the Future Arc.
"Tempest!"
Before Yamamoto could press his advantage, Ais forcibly overclocked her magic. Pushing her physical body to its absolute limits, she violently overwrote the shockwave-induced paralysis, tearing herself away from the clash to escape the critical danger.
A moment later, Jirou's sword, which had been launched into the air, spun back down. Yamamoto caught it effortlessly.
He forced me to use magic twice...!
Ais canceled her magic once more. She had a strict personal rule against using her magic in combat against other people. Her only exceptions were Tsuna and one other person. Even during her training with Tsuna, she had held back, terrified of accidentally killing him.
And our compatibility is the absolute worst...!
Ais's wind enhanced her abilities, while Yamamoto's Rain flames enforced Tranquility. No matter how much she buffed herself, it meant nothing if he could just passively weaken and extinguish her power. Ais grimly realized that Yamamoto was her natural enemy.
Besides, what is this sensation...?
Through Desperate, a heavy pressure completely distinct from the paralyzing shockwaves had flooded into her body from Yamamoto's sword. Looking back at the strikes he had unleashed, she knew for a fact that she possessed greater raw physical strength. Yet, the overwhelming, crushing weight behind his blade left her deeply bewildered.
"You really do remind me of my old self."
"?"
"You haven't become a true swordswoman yet."
"What do you mean...?"
"I know it sounds weird coming from a guy fighting you with the back of his blade. But how do I put it... your sword isn't scary. I don't feel any Dying Will behind it."
"...!?"
Squalo and Genkishi. When Yamamoto had crossed blades with them, he had felt a suffocating terror and pressure radiating from their swords. But he felt none of that terrifying intent from Ais.
Ais remembered Tsuna telling her the exact same thing during their training. Ever since he pointed out her weakness in anti-personnel combat, she had devoted herself to training to overcome it. Realizing she still hadn't fixed it shook her to her core.
"Plus, your heart's a mess. You aren't fighting at your best."
"...!?"
When Lyd and the others had poured into Daedalus Street, seeing them protect one another had overlapped with memories of her fallen comrades, throwing her heart into chaos. But upon seeing Asterius, the incarnation of destruction, she recognized the "monsters" she knew, bringing her a sense of relief and clearing her hesitation.
Yet, after her battle with Ryuu concluded, she had watched Bell and Haruhime tearfully reunite with Wiene. The only reason she hadn't immediately caught up to Bell was because she had hesitated.
"...My precious people were taken from me by monsters... What's wrong with holding hatred toward an existence like that...?"
"I don't think you're wrong. But that kid, Wiene, is different, right?"
"She isn't different! Because that thing is...!"
"You can't understand what's at the bottom of someone's heart that easily."
Yamamoto thought of Mizuno Kaoru from the Simon Familia. Despite his intimidating appearance that terrified everyone around him, Kaoru was actually deeply introverted and shy. He had been an enemy set on overthrowing the Vongola, but inside, he fiercely regretted betraying Yamamoto and the others who had been so kind to him.
"That's exactly why I think we have to talk it out, instead of just crossing swords."
If he had tried harder to understand Kaoru, they might never have had to fight. Though it had all worked out in the end, it was still a major regret for Yamamoto.
"There's no way I can do that...!"
"Maybe. I've never had anyone precious to me killed by a monster, so I can't pretend to understand how you feel. But... killing them without even listening to what they have to say... doesn't that make you no different from a monster?"
"...!?"
Yamamoto's words struck hard because they were the truth. But there was no way she could just cleanly accept it. Completely lost on what to do, Ais charged at him, swinging her blade wildly.
"Defensive Form 2: Surging Rain!"
Yamamoto instantly swung his swords, kicking up three thick pillars of water-like flames that completely obscured her vision. Ais viciously slashed her sword through the pillars, but her strikes hit nothing but air, as Yamamoto had already dropped to a low crouch to evade the attacks.
Surging Rain was a defensive technique that used walls of water to hide the user's body while crouching down to completely avoid the incoming strike.
"Jirou."
Yamamoto returned Jirou to his necklace. In exchange, three hilt-only short swords devoid of blades popped out. Catching them between his fingers, he ignited them with flames. In a flash, his figure completely vanished.
Asari Ugetsu's Irregular Four Swords. The signature weapons of the First Generation Vongola Rain Guardian.
Asari Ugetsu had been an unparalleled swordsman, but he hated fighting and loved music above all else. Yet, when he learned that his foreign friend, Primo, was in dire danger, he sold his instruments—things more precious to him than his own life—to fund his travel and forge weapons to rush to his aid. The weapons he created in exchange for his music were three short swords and one longsword.
When the Vongola Rings were upgraded to Vongola Gear, Yamamoto had lost the short swords. Stripped of his high-speed mobility during the Representative Battle of the Rainbow, he had been forced to ride a bicycle propelled by Gokudera's dynamite to provide backup for Tsuna against Iemitsu. Following that absurd experience, Yamamoto requested Reborn to have the short swords remade. Just like Tsuna, Yamamoto had fought tooth and nail to keep Reborn from dying. Acknowledging this, Reborn agreed, commissioning the Vongola's master smith, Talbot, to forge the blades and upgrade the necklace to store them, even covering the exorbitant costs himself.
"Defensive Form 4: Perfect Weather!"
Firing reverse thrusters of flame from the short swords, Yamamoto achieved true high-speed three-dimensional mobility, gracefully weaving through Ais's godspeed slashes one after another.
Perfect Weather was the ultimate evasion technique, matching the opponent's breathing to effortlessly dodge their attacks. Because Ais's breathing was ragged and panicked, her strikes were agonizingly easy to read. Not a single slash even grazed him.
He's flying...!?
Not only was he moving at blistering speeds, but he was literally using the flames from the short swords to fly. Stripped of her speed advantage, Ais's face twisted in bitter frustration.
"You're wide open."
Yamamoto swapped to a reverse grip on his longsword and swung downward, catching the guard of Desperate to violently deflect her one-handed thrust.
"Ghk!?"
Using the momentum, he smashed the hilt of his sword directly into her forehead. Ais stumbled, taking several unsteady steps backward.
"Special Form 11: Swallow's Beak!"
The instant she flinched, Yamamoto unleashed a blistering barrage of rapid-fire thrusts.
Swallow's Beak was a relentless stabbing technique that Yamamoto had created by copying Squalo's Zanna di Squalo.
Fast!
Ais held Desperate horizontally, desperately using the flat of her blade to block the onslaught, but the sheer force sent her skidding backward. Kicking a discarded wooden crate straight at him to block his pursuit, she bought herself a second of breathing room. Yamamoto casually swung his blade down, splitting the crate perfectly in half.
"Tempest!"
Ais chanted her magic once more. Kicking off the ground, she launched herself into the air, using the explosive acceleration of her wind to dive-bomb Yamamoto.
Realizing that dragging the fight out any longer wouldn't change the outcome, Ais wagered everything on this single strike. In response, Yamamoto fired his reverse thrusters, decoupling Kojirou from his blade. Placing Jirou in front of him, he generated a massive wall of water-like flames and flew straight into the accelerating storm.
Special Form 10: Swallow Crash. A charging shockwave attack that positioned the Rain Swallow as a vanguard, gouging through the air like a tidal wave. It was his version of Squalo's Scontro di Squalo.
"Lil Rafaga!"
"Special Form 10: Swallow Crash!"
Ais's wind-blessed thrust collided head-on with Yamamoto's full-body, Rain-blessed slash. The tremendous shockwave generated a massive cloud of explosive smoke.
"Gah...!?"
Losing the clash of raw power, Ais was blown violently out of the smoke, crashing into the cobblestones and bouncing violently as she tumbled across the street.
Yamamoto instantly accelerated from the sky, diving straight toward her fallen form.
I have to dodge...!
Ais desperately tried to roll away, but a torrential downpour suddenly assaulted her from above, so heavy she couldn't even open her eyes. Her vision was completely sealed.
High above, Kojirou was unleashing a localized, blinding rainstorm directly onto her—yet another of the Rain Swallow's abilities.
"Eighth Form: Pelting Rain!"
With her evasion delayed by the blinding rain, Yamamoto slipped effortlessly into her guard. Countless razor-sharp slashes engulfed her, launching Ais helplessly into the air.
Pelting Rain was a form developed by Yamamoto's father, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, to save a friend. It was an anti-personnel technique that closed the distance instantly to deliver a flurry of devastating upward slashes.
S-So strong...
She had broken her vow not to use magic against people. She had unleashed her absolute strongest, ultimate technique. And despite all of that, she had been utterly crushed. The sheer shock of her absolute defeat overwhelmed her, and Ais lost consciousness before she even hit the ground.
The duty of the Rain Guardian. To become the requiem rain that settles conflicts and washes away the spilled blood. Yamamoto had perfectly embodied that duty.
"Sorry. I know you've got things you can't compromise on, but we've got things we can't compromise on either."
Muttering to the unconscious Sword Princess, Yamamoto returned Kojirou to his necklace.
"This is...!?"
Ryuu, who had rushed over to fulfill her duty as a rear-guard, arrived only to stare in absolute disbelief at the sight of the defeated Sword Princess.
"Oh, are you her friend?"
"N-No... more importantly, who are you...?"
"It's a long story, but I was asked to stall her. Oh, don't worry, I only knocked her out with the back of my blade. I didn't kill her, so please don't misunderstand."
He defeated the Sword Princess...!?
Ryuu couldn't hide her shock that this completely unknown adventurer had bested the very same Ais Wallenstein she hadn't stood a chance against.
"Hey. Do you happen to know where her friends are?"
"N-No... Unfortunately, I do not..."
"I see. Even if it was with the back of my blade, she still took a beating. I wanted to get her treated."
"If it is healing you require, I can provide it..."
"Really? Sorry to ask, but could you?"
"Y-Yes..."
Still utterly bewildered, Ryuu walked over to Ais and extended her right hand.
She is breathing...
Checking Ais's pulse, Ryuu confirmed that, exactly as Yamamoto had claimed, she was merely unconscious.
"O song of the distant forest. Nostalgic melody of life. To the one who seeks thee, grant thy healing mercy.—Noah Heal."
A soft magical light illuminated Ryuu's hand, and Ais's wounds began to stitch themselves closed.
Noah Heal was Ryuu's healing magic. It possessed a terrain effect, granting a massive boost to its healing properties when cast in a forested area. While it could simultaneously restore stamina and mend wounds, it lacked the immediate fast-acting properties of a potion, and its Mind consumption was highly inefficient.
"Thanks. I'll carry her to her friends then."
"Carry her...? But did you not just say you do not know where the Sword Princess's Familia is...?"
"If I walk around enough, I'll probably run into them. Besides, I'd feel bad just leaving her here."
With that, Yamamoto hoisted Ais onto his back and casually strolled off to find the rest of the Loki Familia.
Just who is he...?
. . .
Meanwhile, as Yamamoto wandered the streets looking for Ais's allies...
"Ais-san!?"
Elfy, spotting them from down the street, cried out in alarm.
"Oh, are you her friend?"
"Who are you!? What are you doing to Ais-san!?"
"Relax. I just knocked her out and was carrying her back to you guys."
Yamamoto gently lowered Ais to the ground and immediately took a few steps back to give them space. Elfy rushed over to Ais's side in a panic.
"Sorry, but could you give her a message when she wakes up? Tell her if we ever have to fight again, let's have a proper match next time."
Leaving that message with Elfy, Yamamoto turned and began to walk away. But unable to forgive the man who had battered the flawless Sword Princess, Elfy furiously aimed her staff at his back.
"Stop."
"Ais-san!?"
Ais's right hand weakly grabbed Elfy's staff, forcing it down.
"He's... Tsuna's friend... so it's fine..."
"Tsunayoshi-san's...!?"
"Yeah... He didn't use any underhanded tricks... He was just incredibly strong... If he hadn't used the back of his blade, I would definitely be dead..."
"Ais-san..."
Letting go of the staff, Ais covered her eyes with her right arm. Seeing her on the verge of tears, Elfy slowly lowered her weapon.
Someone... please save me...
----
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