Author's note:

to xenocanaan: Thank you for that wonderful review, glad you like the characters so far and sorry if my reply to your PM was short. Yes I do wonder how it will affect them in the future ;)

to goyitaaz: Okay honestly? I never thought I'd bring someone to tears, even a bit, with my writing haha so that review means a lot. You'd have to brace yourself in the future chapters then ;)

Every new favorite and follow means a lot to me. Also can I just say that I love writing a Hibari in pain :) And oh god, some actions scenes. I'm not sure if I can pull them off right, but do let me know what you think! I'd probably start putting some extras at the bottom too in case anyone's interested.

"- Hi... sn-"

".. H.. bri.. s-"

"- H- ibari-san..."

Exhausted, grey eyes snapped open when Hibari felt something warm enveloped his whole being, his mind mocking him for even closing them earlier. That's right, Hibari Kyoya was never the one to look away from the face of danger, nor from any unsightly scenes of blood and violence. Hell, he was known to start fights most of the time and when there was one, there would always be a series of blood shed with him emerging as the victor.

So why?

Why would he turn away from the lifeless form of one student as if he couldn't bear to set his eyes upon it?

Broken bones. Dark bruises all over the body. Blood.

These were the things he was already used to seeing every time he establishes his authority over others. And yet, he couldn't even glance back at the crimson liquid pooling underneath Akihise Erika, nor at her dull eyes that lay open when she slowly stopped moving minutes ago.

Her ragged breathing, her brown orbs that once held life and desperately begged at him to save her, her trembling voice that weakly called out to him- when was the last time he saw a death that involved a Namimori student? In the hands of a delinquent nonetheless? The answer was simple, none. Still, it was a fact that Hibari Kyoya was never the one to care about anybody else's well being, whether they were in a coma from his own beatings or on the brink of death.

Why would he feel something inside of him twist disgustingly at the sight of the girl's unmoving body then? Except, the cold touch of her hand resting on top of his disappeared in a matter of seconds.

'What?'

And instead of her corpse laying helplessly beside him, all that's left there was... nothing. As if the gruesome murder caused by this bastard standing all mightily didn't happen just moments ago.

Akihise Erika's eyes jolted wide open when the aching sensation she was waiting for didn't come, noticing how her frail arms were spread protectively around the worn out prefect. Realization hit her that she was very much alive after she released a breath she didn't know she was holding. She wanted to scream at her impulsive stupidity- what the hell was she doing? Throwing herself in front of Hibari to save him from the incoming bullet just like that?

"It's a blank."

Almost forgetting about the blue haired teen that was with them inside the room, Erika cautiously focused her attention towards the mastermind behind all of this confusion. He gave her a knowing smirk in return to her stunned expression as he casually tossed the gun away, approaching them afterwards until he was staring down at the two as if they were plain dirt.

"What... the fuck."

"You know, those words don't suit you at all." He shook his head in a disapproving manner when he heard her curse for the second time. If he and Hibari were actually in good terms and were not bound to slice each other's necks, the latter would have agreed with him wholeheartedly.

Akihise Erika was a petite and short girl who looked like she couldn't hurt even a fly, her sharp eyes and usual, impassive lips contrasting her fragile stature. One could even say that she looked unapproachable with that dreary aura she surrounded herself with, unless someone made the first move to strike a conversation with the said girl. Surprisingly when acknowledged, Erika's seemingly apathetic features would instantly change into a shy and friendlier one.

Despite her face that screamed 'Go away we're not close' most of the time, there was no denying that her presence was that of a mere, timid herbivore. In conclusion, her physical appearance certainly didn't match her colourful language, not to mention that tongue of hers that would spout the most inappropriate comebacks at the wrong times.

"Yeah right, what are you- my mom?"

His lips curled into a frown at her childish retort, his immediate reply being an unexpected swing of his leg to her side. Erika was anything but a fighter, good thing her natural instincts reacted at his swift kick that she managed to block the assault using her arms. Her weak and noodle like arms. That alone brought her back to reality that she wouldn't be able to entirely defend herself against him, his movement sending her reeling backwards from the now smiling boy.

"What the hell man?! What was that for!"

"For assuming I'm a clown earlier."

"Wha?! I didn't-" Her face twisted in confusion at his words, trying to remember what he was pertaining to before she settled with what she thought was the answer,

"You mean the pineapple thing?! What are you 9?" She cried in disbelief at the petty reason for his sudden act, how immature he sounded for being offended at her direct attack to that piece of shit he called a hairstyle. Again, her response managed to wipe off that cocky grin of his and was soon replaced with a scowl,

"... Illusionists are not the same as magicians. Educate yourself." He narrowed his gaze at her, Erika scoffing at the quite appalling man who was very much affected by her other insult. If he wasn't looming over her with that intimidating look on, she would have thought that she was dealing with a kid having a tantrum over being called names.

"Right- because I should be learning the difference between the two instead of worrying about myself. Sorry fruit cake but I got my priorities straight."

Fruit cake.

Erika wasn't able to stop the words from coming out of her mouth due to irritation, the guy sharing the same sentiments seeing that his mismatched eyes darkened at the term she just used on him. It was obvious that it was another lame attack to that hair of his.

"Kufufu, you think you're funny huh?"

"I'd rather be a stand up comedian than pull rabbits out of a hat yeah."

She was... aggravating. To think that this girl, who carefully chose her words as she talked to him awhile ago, now had the guts to throw him whatever kind of insult she could think of as if her life didn't depend on his mood. Bold? Probably. A dimwit? Definitely.

Which brings him to the conclusion; she wasn't mafia. She'd be more wary of her actions and words if she was. Shame.

He kind of hoped that Chikusa brought him a member from the Vongola's pack, someone who was at least the tiniest bit involved with him, but then again, his original plan was to snatch a random Namimori student for the sake of riling up their boss. It was just one big gamble considering that almost everyone in Fuuta's list was from that school.

Although he wouldn't mind using anyone, really, that is until this annoyance of a girl started getting on his nerves the more she opened that mouth of hers. Well not that it mattered much, she was predictable and for that, he'd have to thank his subordinate for bringing him the easiest one to manipulate.

Much to his enjoyment, her rude statements only earned Hibari another hard kick under his chin, causing him to fall on his back once again. Erika quickly scrambled on her feet as she shouted at him to stop,

"I- I said stop it!"

"Or what? Call me names?" He taunted with his eyes gleaming darkly, and Erika could only gulp at what he meant. That's right, she was a dumbass for even provoking him. What was she thinking? All the blame would be on her if Hibari doesn't leave this place in one piece, alive. But another question began invading her thoughts; what the hell is she supposed to do then?

Clearly there was no use in talking the psychopath out of it, proof was when he pulled the trigger on them earlier despite it being a bluff, as if he was showing her that he already had his mind set for his goal.

Cry and beg for their lives? Even for someone like her, she'd never stoop that low unless it was necessary, but this situation calls for desperate measures doesn't it? Though there was no guarantee that he would consider sparing them even if she tried. After observing the maniac, she was well aware that people like him found sick entertainment in the misery of others. So no, she wouldn't let her pride die with her.

The idea of going for his balls and then make a run for it while he rolled on the ground in pain was a big no that she might as well throw the whole plan in the trash- Hibari couldn't even lift a finger and she doubted that she could support his whole body in his current state.

Akihise Erika made a quiet whine of frustration, how did she even get into this mess in the first place?

"Urgh!-"

Another punch to Hibari's face interrupted her self planning, and out of surprise not only for herself but for the two men as well, she found her own hand gripping tightly on Mukuro's shoulder. The said illusionist raised an eyebrow at her, meeting her dark eyes with his as he dropped the bloodied committee head on the floor.

"... S-stop hurting him." Ah, there it was. He gave her an unnervingly cunning grin. He knew the right buttons to push into having her submit to him, her former obedience manifesting itself through her shaking hands and strained face that now displayed a mixed set of emotions. He was right with his judgement; she did value the life of those around her a lot.

"Stop it."

Her words were greeted with a swoop and hard knock to the chest that sent her falling back to the couch, Mukuro following in suit as he immediately straddled her in an attempt to hold her down. Which was completely effortless.

"Fuck! What are you-!" His hands quickly worked on their ways; his right hand snaking itself around her other wrist while his left one forcefully grabbed at her neck, Erika gasping for air at the intensity of his grip as her free hand scratched at his to at least lessen the pressure. Son of a bitch was almost choking her.

"I told you, watch your pretty little tongue. Or do I have to cut it out myself? Seems like you're rather willing to trade places with your pitiful boss. You should know by now that I don't mind killing a girl."

Despite his chilling threat that held no regard for any human's well being, Erika's other hand still found itself seizing his shirt's collar, tugging at it violently towards her until their noses were just a few inches from each other.

How revolting. One moment she'd be cowering at his mercy, calculating her options to save herself from what he could tell, and then the next she would be up against him, her pure defiance blazing in that dark irises of hers. But no matter how hard she tried to hide it, he could see specks of that familiar emotion he'd seen from the eyes of his fallen victims before.

Fear.

Hibari Kyoya spat out a good amount of blood, not even given a chance to wipe off the remains from his mouth because those damn cherry blossoms were still hovering in the air, leaving him with nothing else to do except watch the two figures on the couch.

Fierce eyes full of vigor, the Akihise Erika he saw right now was totally different from before, from the one presented to him in a grisly manner. Whether it was one of those bastard's tricks or he had a vivid hallucination of her death no thanks to his injuries, he was only glad to see the Namimori student alive and kicking. Maybe not for long though, he noted when the male on top of her kept his grasp on her neck and was only a few hesitations away from strangling the life out of her.

But the herbivore kept hers too, never backing down as they did ferocious exchanges, trying to fight each other off for dominance. Hah, Akihise Erika? Battling her way for dominance? It was a ridiculous notion.

He'd never admit the tinge of relief he had though when another Kokuyo student came limping in the room, before he toppled down on the floor, capturing the blue haired boy's attention and away from the girl below him. Wheezing as soon as the man got off her, Erika whirled to the side all the while breathing in and out to steady her lungs that were deprived from oxygen.

'Motherfuc-'

"Oh? Chikusa, back already?"

"..."

"Looks like number 3's quite of an opponent eh?" His assumptions were only met with silence, sighing after as he walked towards the boy's unconscious and damaged body.

"Oya, we can't have you dying now."

He needed them in top shape so he could still use them for later when necessary. Who knows if the others would be able to successfully fend off the Vongola and his members? Speaking of which, where the hell was Ken?

His eyes darted from his subordinate and back to the girl, who was miraculously standing up, albeit wobbling a little, with a concrete block on her palms. He wasn't even surprised that she managed to get her hands on a potential weapon with all the filth scattered everywhere.

"What are you doing?" He asked with that signature amused smile of his, squinting at the said girl who had reluctance written all over her face. Was she really planning on fighting him using that pathetic piece of crap? Absolutely ridiculous.

The sound of glass shattering was what caught him off guard, Erika quickly taking her chance to finally make her escape through the now broken window, which was thankfully connected to a platform that she could use to get down from the second floor.

"Hibari-san!" She yelled at the crouching prefect, her eyes burning with determination as she looked back at him one last time. She nervously bit her lip, before continuing in a firm voice,

"I- I'll call for help! So don't die on me! I promise I'll come back!" Her gaze instantly snapped towards the blue haired boy, rage overcoming her resolve when his sly smile came into view,

"You! If you kill him, I swear to god almighty I'll kick you so hard where the sun doesn't shine you won't be bearing any children in the future!"

"..."

And with those parting words of hers, the gaping Kokuyo leader was left with an equally dumbfounded Hibari Kyoya as their stares lingered at the spot where the daring doofus once stood.

Sawada Tsunayoshi gingerly navigated his way around the thick forest, his eyes scanning every possible direction that could pinpoint him to Fuuta's whereabouts. Why would he run away? And tell them that he was going with that Mukuro dude? His wandering thoughts led him to a suspicion that Fuuta may have been plotting everything all along, he was still mafia despite his age just like Reborn and the others.

But then his face flashed right before his eyes, how he was so close to crying as if he was forced to say those words in front of them. Tsuna released a stressful sigh, to think that he would come up with the idea of the little boy betraying them- he was just... a child. He held his head in his hands frustratingly,

"What am I supposed to do?! I- I never wanted this!" He shouted at no one in particular, a bit grateful that he was alone right now.

He never wanted Gokudera to take the hit for him, nor Yamamoto sacrificing his hand that may have costed him a life time of not being able to play baseball, not even Bianchi. Granted with an upper hand against M.M. earlier and only taking mild blows were enough to soothe his worries for the pink haired woman.

Rokudo Mukuro's henchmen were surely frightening. No he wasn't exaggerating, even if they did manage to knock out that old pervert cold with just one kick. If Reborn didn't specifically ask for Shamal, Ipin and Lambo to follow the girls, well... he didn't want to go beyond of what may have happened if Kyoko and Haru were left alone.

"Hie!?" He stumbled on his ass as soon as he caught sight of a Kokuyo student surfacing behind the bushes, the kind looking boy's eyes lightening up when he saw Tsuna.

"Are you here to save us?"

"Ah haha... um- I guess?"

"I'm glad, thank you very much."

"N-no problem..."

He appeared harmless unlike his fellow classmates who only terrorized him and his friends so far, Tsuna mentally said to himself as he observed the guy. Everything was going fine, until their conversation went for a sudden turn and his strange interest in Reborn brought him nothing but pure discomfort. Especially with those mismatched eyes of his that invoked terror within him, the young Vongola could only stammer a quick promise of coming back to help them before he bolted the other way.

"Kufufu, so that is the Vongola? Doesn't look promising." Mukuro grinned, his attention changing from his main objective and back to the other person who was also stuck in this area when he heard her familiar woes.

"Ugh. If I knew I'd get tangled in all this shit I would have made myself breakfast today... ah but what the hell- where am I? Fuckin' trees."

Lost. Furious. Hungry; have these three combined together and you got yourself a grouchy old woman who could cuss non stop all day.

Erika continuously massaged her sore arm, it was already embarrassing as it is that she fell on her side during her quest to flee from the building, and circling around this part of the forest for what seemed like hours wasn't helping at all. Where the fuck was the entrance?

Out of sheer panic once she landed on the ground awhile ago, her irrational thinking led her running straight to the forest just in case they decided to pursue her. She was still their hostage after all.

'Every breath you take and every move you make,
Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you,

Every single day and every word you say,
Every game you play, every night you stay, I'll be watching you,'

The faint intro and increasing volume of the lyrics that echoed all around Erika has caused her to whip her head left and right to find the actual source, her heart thumping loudly when she recognized the song along with the creepy message encrypted in it.

'Oh, can't you see you belong to me,
How my poor heart aches with every step you take-'

She liked this one, loved it so much even, but hearing it now while she was on the run from an insane psycho was enough to raise the hairs at the back of her neck. A heavy wave of dread crashed into her as the voice she grew to despise over a short span of time spoke up,

"Did you really think I'd let you escape that easily? You underestimate me."

"H- how- y- you-" At this point she failed to form any kind of coherent sentence when she saw not only him, but the glasses freak as well. He sent her a smug smile as he took pleasure in watching her horrified state make a step back against a nearby tree.

"What happened to kicking me where the sun doesn't shine huh? All bark but no bite? I must say, you truly are quite the fool. But anyway- how did you like my illusion? I made this maze very special for you."

His revelation hit her so hard that the theory of him actually possessing some kind of magic power made more sense to her, which also meant that she was just going around in circles in this goddamn forest the whole time.

She had the impression that the vines were just controlled by a hidden contraption, same goes with the cherry blossoms, and that his mismatched eyes were a result of wearing contact lenses so he could finally complete the perfect villain look. But now that she thought about it, maybe it was time for her to accept the possibility that there are things in this world that can't be explained by simple logic or science.

"Ah ah, I can't have you running now. You still need to do something for me." He declared when he noticed how dead set she was in sprinting away as far as she could from them.

His red eye that held the kanji number for one switched into six in a split second, those clashing colors of his orbs were the last things Erika could remember before darkness completely consumed her.

Yamamoto slowly sat up right once he regained his consciousness. The battle with those two Kokuyo students did make an impact on him, both physically and mentally, that he couldn't help but jump a bit at the sight of said opponent laying beside him.

"W-what?- Where's Tsuna and the others..?"

"Is that you, Yamamoto-san?" Along with the voice that he so often heard in their classroom was none other Akihise herself jogging towards him.

"What are you doing here?" She exclaimed, squatting in front of him while studying his current state.

"Sorry to say this but, you look like shit." Despite her foul language, Yamamoto knew that she was hell bent worried for him especially when she shot him those eyes that were on the verge of tearing up and a worried smile he had never seen before.

"You know, I should be the one asking you that..." He laughed as he replied at her last question, stopping in an instant at the sharp pain spreading across his abdomen and whole body. Erika noticed this, her eyes skimming over his apparent wounds, specifically at his wrist that was covered in bandages.

"It's... a long story. More importantly, what happened to you? You- and uh, that man too I think, needs an ambulance. Ah!- and Hibari-san too! We need to call the police! There's these dangerous guys from Kokuyo, you know this guy had the craziest pineapple shaped hairstyle ever! And the one with the- the yoyo! The yoyo guy-!"

"Woah- slow down there! It's alright, I'm sure Tsuna and the others are on their way to defeat him now. Trust him." Yamamoto cut off her frenzied rambling with his confidence radiating like the afternoon sun. She would have believed in his words that is until she realized something,

"Hah?! What do you mean Sawada-san and the others?! Those guys would destroy him! We should take this to the authorities! I'm telling you- hey what's so damn funny?! This is no laughing matter!" She almost wanted to hit him when she saw his shoulders shaking while suppressing a wide grin,

"Sorry sorry, it's just... you seem so out of it lately I never thought I'd see you make that kind of face."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Did you hit your head or something? Lemme see that." She closed the gap between them and carefully checked behind his hair for any signs of swelling. Thank god there wasn't.

"No, what I meant was, that thing with Tora-"

"This is no time for that, Yamamoto-san. This is an emergency, I need to get you guys out of here. Can you walk? I don't have my phone with me because I left it back at the park." She cast his arms around her and tried to hoist him up, only to fall back immediately when her legs gave up on her,

"Okay, I didn't expect you to be this heavy..." She admitted.

"Hahahaha! You don't have to worry that much, I'm sure help would come soon."

"If this is about Sawada-san again, I already told you-" Yamamoto rested a hand on her shoulder to ease her agitation, looking at her once more with his reassuring gaze fixated on hers.

"Hey, I told you didn't I? Put your faith in him." He paused, "If you can't, then at least trust my words."

She glanced back at him skeptically, before she finally surrendered when she realized that there was no use in arguing with him.

"... Fine- if you say so... But if I see any Kokuyo coming here I'm leaving you for real." Erika warned him, but he only cracked a smile in response.

"You wouldn't do that."

"Yes, I wou-"

The abrupt throbbing constantly pricked all over that she jerked forward on her knees out of shock, clenching the sides of her head while gritting her teeth so hard as the tingling head ache slowly faded away.

What the hell was that?

'No-'

"O-oi, are you alright?" She hastily swatted Yamamoto's hands away on impulse, mumbling an apology afterwards regarding her odd actions. She blinked a few times to focus her vision, swaying a bit as she got up, before she directed her blank eyes at the tall building that was just a few meters ahead of them.

"Hey, where are you going?" His hand reached for hers, but Erika turned to him momentarily with eyes closed and a smile so blinding that it overshadowed the malicious intent.

"I... need some air. I'll be right back."

...

..

.

"Hibari-san! Gokudera-kun! I- I'm glad you guys are alright!" Tsuna unknowingly cheered when he saw that the two were alive, but his feeling of comfort shifted into worry as he took a glimpse at their sustained injuries.

However, instead of fretting over the matter concerning the Vongola's additional allies, Mukuro's smile only became wider when another figure showed up by the door. Ah, just in time.

"Akihise-san?! What is she doing here?!" Tsuna's shrieks certainly earned everyone's attention, curious and confused eyes settling upon the dark haired girl who looked like she was in a daze as she picked up the trident Fuuta once held.

"W-what's the meaning of this?"

"It is what it is, Vongola." The illusionist sent him a smug grin, signaling at her to come closer. Unfortunately for Tsuna and the others, Erika obeyed his order without hesitation and placed herself defensively in front of Mukuro.

"What are you doing?!" Tsuna took a step forward.

"Oi woman! Snap out of it!" Gokudera yelled.

"It's no use. It's obvious that he's controlling her too." The arcobaleno remarked when he first noticed how her dead eyes resembled Fuuta's, his orbs filled with grim darting over the ex convict.

"Now now, don't look at me like that." He pulled her near him as he talked, "But ah, I never thought that you actually knew her decimo, it really is a small world isn't it?"

"Leave her out of this!"

"Kufufufu, make me."

Tsuna felt his temper rise and his breathing becoming ever so unsteady, throwing all of his hate into a piercing glare that was aimed solely at the illusionist. The image of his close friends laughing, his school mates teasing him, and the many faces of Rokudo Mukuro's victims flickered right before him.

No, this has to stop. He needs to be stopped. No more. He didn't want any of them to be involved in any of this mafia bullshit in the first place- not even him. But now that he was forced in this position, he was left with no other choice but to beat the damn guy.

'I promised Gokudera-kun that we'd all hang out with the others after this, I can't lose right now!'

"Why don't you take care of the nuisance, Aki is it?" He lightly tapped her on the shoulder. Erika hanged her head like a mindless doll, wasting no time as she charged towards the head prefect with the trident on her hand.

"Hibari-san!"

The skylark blocked her strike with his other tonfa, putting all of his pressure in his counter attack to push her back, in which he succeeded, and swung at her. She foresaw this even though Hibari was much faster, her body barely dodging the tip of his weapon. She took the opportunity to slice at him again and when he made another block, she rapidly whipped her other leg into his side, startling him.

Luckily in just a swift motion, he managed to grab her hand that held the weapon but before he could even smash his tonfa unto her, Erika threw a quick punch on his chest, making the prefect stumble back a bit due to his deteriorating condition.

The girl attempted to stab him but Hibari gained the advantage this time when she easily missed, swiping his tonfa below her stomach to render her paralyzed. His hit landed on her arms that were blocking him, Erika shambling backwards at the collision. But not once did she cry out of pain, she just brushed it off and faced him again, although Tsuna could see her wince when she gripped the trident tighter.

"No! Hibari-san stop it!"

This was bad. Despite being able to keep up with a wounded Hibari Kyoya, Akihise was still your regular person with no extreme capabilities or whatsoever who was just under Mukuro's influence. He imagined that the only reason she could withstand the devil that is Namimori's strongest was because Hibari wasn't even trying. If he was, then Akihise would most likely be crawling on the floor already, or dead.

Mukuro watched the whole scene with an entertained expression on, peeking at the prefect who had a gleam of hostility in those grey eyes of his.

Hibari set his posture right up as he heaved, his bruises were starting to take their toll and he still hasn't bashed the pineapple bastard's head on the ground like he wanted to, all because of Akihise Erika's insolence. Screaming like an idiot about how she was going to save him but then fall into the enemy's hands like a mere puppet, he was undeniably livid.

He really shouldn't have to hold himself back and just pummel the shit out of her together with the Kokuyo prick. Maybe include Sawada Tsunayoshi as well for trying to stop him.

"Hie!" Tsuna screeched when Erika made a dash past Hibari and ran straight towards him.

"Tenth!"

This time it was Gokudera's turn to interfere, he shoved his boss out of the way just in time and tackled his classmate. The two fought for domination as they rolled on the floor, both wildly thrashing against each other until Erika ended on top of the silver head. She pinned him using all of her weight before she raised the trident above her head with both hands, preparing herself to plunge it into him,

"Gokudera-kun!"

'... o.. p.'

A stinging pulse shot across her forehead, Erika tossing the trident away in an instant as she clutched her head, trying to relieve the pounding head ache and jarring noises that seemed to come from everywhere.

ṱ̵̡̛̛̩̫̲̗͖͎̭̳̭̺̟̻̠̼̣̳̅̀̑̽̔̾̂̇̄͑̋̈́̾͑͌̇̂́̆͂͆̋́͗͊̿̌͊͂̔̃́͊̈́̄͒̇̊̒̄̌̽̓́̍̃̕͘̕͝͝͝ͅ.

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Stò̵͚̱̼͕͈͓̬̪͈͔͎̯̝̭͒̂̇̑̍̃͛́͑̾̿́͐̑͐̾̏̒͐̓̽̌̈́̂̂̇́͋̀̉̆̑̀̇̓́̈̈́̀̀͊̆̓̈́̐̋̐̌̊̕͘̚̕̚̚͜͜͠͝͝͠͝p̸̛̛̻͈̞̮̰̜̅͑̂͗̈́͆̅͌͂͋̑̋͊̀̋̽̌́͛̐̍͊̌̿̋̐̈͑͛̉̏͒́͂̐̾̆͊͐̌͆̄̈́̏̾̀̑̑̉̆̉̕̚͠͝͝͝͠͠ ̶̧̡̡̨̛̙͙̞̯̳̟͖͎̞̪̲̥͕̘͍̱̮͉͈̪̣̳̓͂́͛̇͗̂̊́́̋̀̓́͗͐̊̏͌͗͐̾̑̌̾̿̋̍̿͛̏̌̌̓̓̀͊̓̈́̊̀̄͌̋͐͂̽̄̒͋͘̚̕͘͜͠͠͝ͅi̷̡̧̢̡̡̛̱̗͚͕̭͈̳̗̭͚̩̙͓̜̤͖̗̯̤͓͙̬̠̘̺̼̤͉̬̮͎̯͙̠̫̣̠͍̗̖̠̱̹̠͍̙̟̞̣͓̩̠̬̝̞̿̔̾̐̒̐̓̆͆̈́̍̓͊̒̊̋̑̆͛͑͒̀̽̔͌̃̓̾́͌͒͊̔̎̾̽̅͌̐̈͗̀͋̅̿͊̀̓̏̏̽̈́̌̈́̍̔͛͑̕̕͘͜͜͝͝͝͝͠͠͠͝͠͝͝ͅt̵̡̡̢̛̫͍̮͎̤̣̩̟̫̻̘͈̼͚̘̬͉̦̠͍̪̻̖͕̫͔͙͎̬̬̹̬̮̤̟͚̤̲̟͎͖͍̼̩͕̣̳͈̘̟̫̹̞͓̝̭̣̯͂͊̑̂̈́͑̌̈̈͛̐́̓̿̏̆̏̈̈̈̈̎̂͌̒̀͑̄̍̐̈́̀͆͛̈́͋̕͜͝͝,̷̡̣̺̘͚̪̣͇̹̺͈͌̑̿̑͗̚͜͜͜ ̷̢̢̢̧̨̧̼̣̩͕̥͈̥̙̳̪̲̩͎̹͉͈͙̩̙̫̯̺̰͍͖͍̪̫̠̳̥̖̞̖̜̺̟̘̪̺͈̟̯̮̆́̉͑̾̈́͒̐̐̓̓͛̀̂̀͑̓̀͆̀̿̚̕͜͝͝ͅͅͅͅȨ̸̛̝̱͚͇̜̯̺͇̗̻͙̺̝̱̗̾̂̓̿̿͂̐̏̍̀́͐͑̊̇̅͌̀̂̃́̈́̆̉̋́̐́̑̓̓̽͌͑͆͑͋̋̀͊̾̓̑̽̈́̑̔̀͂͒̽̚͜͝͝͠͠͠͝ͅr̸̢̡̧̡̪̰͇͚̩̭͓̹̭̞̬̗̞͓̣̘̲̪̯̮̦͍̾̊̓͠ͅi̷̢̢̧̡̢͉̞͕̺̝̘̜͉̰̞̲̤͎̭̹͇̪̤͓̠̮̟̗̥͉̮͚̗̬͉̮̗̪͇̗̻̮̼͉̫͂̑͐́͐̐̀̚͘͜͜͝ͅk̸̢̢̡̢̨̨̛̤͖̳͍̪̠̘̭͖͈̥͓̪͚̬̖̙̪̳̰͕̯̖̯̙͍̞̜̻͍͎̭̤͔͉͇̼̳͕͔̣͙̰͖̦̱̣͖̜̺̞̼̀̀̽̓̍͌̌͂̊̂̀͗̿̈́̄̾̓̈́͑̓̌̉́̀̀̄̕͠͝͝à̵̧̡̢̧̢̨̨̨̛̛͔͚̼͙͙̲̮̤̥̠͍͙̳͔͎̲̫̗̼̮̖̲̗̮͕̬̺̤̗̦̟̜̤̺̪͙͖̳̰̺̀̓͑͂̌̅̎͋̅̆̎̆̈̅̒̓̓͂̃̽̏̊͑̊̄̍̋̇̃̆̏͆̉̿͛͐̉̇̑̆͑̂̕͘̚͘͜͜͜͝͝!̸̡̢̫̖̬͎̲̲̜̯̺̖̙̳̫̗̙̝̰̟͇̗̫̼͕̜͓͍̼͚̺̪̻͚͎̬̪̻̥͖̬̳̰͇̭̖̦̤̖̱̰̰̗̟̙̯̥̪̣̥͍̪̹̳̭̫̱̺̝̦̭̱͗̇̾̇̄̀̈̿́͑̽͂͗́͐͑̏̍͒̂̐͆̌̄̉͐̑̊̓̔͒̽̓̅͊͆̐̔̽̔͆̋̄̈́̋̊̈́̄͜͜͠ͅ

̷̢̡̨͍̲͖̣̝̱͔̳̖͍̬̥͕̱͕͙̟̪͚̻͚̻͙͖̹̝̙̟̳̼̳̲͔͚̩̭̈́̑̿̒̈́̋̃̎͂̇̄̍̑̈́͑̎̎̎̔͐͊́̄͐̅͐̎̃̏̕̕͘͜͜͠ͅḐ̵̨͖̯̘͓̞̲̗͙͙̖͎̺̼̪͓͎̫̟͎̪͐́̓̃̉͒̐̀͑̇͒͜͜͝͝ớ̵̧̨̢̺̼̗̤̳͈̖̫͔͈̪̤̺̳̮̱̗̦̯̀́͊̎̇͐̃͆̊́̂̈́͛̀̽͂̊͑́̀̈́̒̏̐́̉̌̃̈́̓͋̾̾̋̏̑͆̇̅̌̀͑̇̿͋̅̐̽͂́̑̃̃̓̅͑̕͘͘͘͘͠͠͝͝͝n̷̨̨̨̻̼͎͔̲̠̮̳͎͓͓̘̫̣̬̣̯̙͓̻͇̠̝̞͉̟̼̳̳̟͒̈͐͊̍̉̓̅̄̍̓̔̈́̇̆͗̅͛̓̃̊̽̕͘͠'̷̨̡̨̢̛̗̝̳̦̼̹͉̞̯͈̖̪͈͎͖̤̝͍͍̤̘̟̹͖͔̲̞͎̻̯̘̦̣͕͓͔͇̥͚͉̼̳̺̱͍̱̹̻͕̳̈́̇̅̿͛͌̑̒̾͂̉͐̇̓̄̌̆̋̏̉͌̀̚͘̚͜͝͝ţ̸̢̨̢̨͔̗̻̳͓̫͚̝̖̺̜̲͎͈͈͕͈̫̘̘̮̣͍̖̬̘͙͇̰͕̻̝̼͔̪̖̙͍̖̪̠̗̺̞͈̼̼̦̥̤͎̰̮̺̦͔̹̜̦̻͓̣̌͗͗̒̊̂͑͑͗͂͑͑̈́̆̃͐͊̓̍͆́̈́͊̔̑̅̑̋̀͋̎̈̓̎̌͂̍͐̿̓͘͘͜͜͠ͅͅ ̵͍͙͚̭̫̩̣̮̦̓̍̍̃͌̂̊̍̾͜ͅd̶̨̡̧̫͉̣̻̳̫͉̘̙͓̩̖͚̙̙͎͈̘̪̳̙̗̿̍͜ò̶̧̢̻̠̦̠͔̳̗̗̰̭̘͇̠̒̈͛̇͊̒̐̏̑̑̈́͊̉͋̐̔̎͛̐̉̔̌̅̂̀̈̍̂͂̃̄̂͌͆̕̕͜͠͝͝ͅ ̸̛̛̪͑̈́̐̓̉͛̄̏̍̈́͗̑̀̑̄̽̍̍̂̋͌̾͋̈̽̎̐̈́́̆̋̈́̀̅̏̍̃̓̍̏͐͊̉̈́̓̀̉͑͒̏̃͛͛͒͊̆͊̃̋̾͘̚̚̕͠͝͝͝͝į̴̧̧̛̛̘͍̩͍̱̖͙̣̼͎̩͇̙͍̣̤̱̳͎̹̗̟̜͖͚̻̙͓̫̺̖̬̥̬̮̯͕̭̣̰̬̠͇͉͒̄̈̆̈́̃̋̔̃̈̋̔̑͗̇̈́͌͊̒̏̿̓̑̊͘̕̚͜͜͝͝ͅţ̴̢͕͙͍̮̘́͗͋͊͆̓̓͛͊̆̋̋̈́͂̔̈́̓̇̀̏̔̅͐̏̈́̈̓̋͛̔͒̉͌͗̃͆͗͋̕͘̚͝͠͠.̸̡̛̛̼͓̫̗͉͉̠̞̙̠̼̮̬̒̌̌̄̃̓̏̂̀̈́̎̿̔͂̓̐͒͛̐̑̈̍̄̍̽̐̇̒̃̊̊͊̿̀̉͊͊̐̂̂͒̈́̍̓̄̈́̀̏͋̀̎́̈́́͛̓̕͘̕̕͝͠͠͝ͅͅ

̴̡̨̢̢͚̻̲̭̱̖̮͈̖͉̱͍̬̩̲̼͇͓͚͔̮͌͋͐̿̏̄̾̍͐̓̿̀͌̅̾́̈́͋̆̀̃̑́͗̀͗̈́̂́̿͂̓̈́̄͛͌̇̅̏̓̓̀́͒̆́̕̕̚̚͘͝͝͝͠͠ͅͅY̵̢̧̛͓̝̦͔̤̞̬͈͚̖͍̼̩͉͎̤̠͚̜͕̤͈͎͓̱͇͈͉̣̹̓̀̏̉̒̀̆́́̐͌̇̋̊͆̃̌̒̽́͋̈́́̇̋̊̈͋͂̾͛̑ǫ̴̨̡̧̢̛̯̫̲͚̦̦̭̱͉̝̞̗͖̯̗̋̓͊͗̽͗̓̂̀͊͑͊̎̐͐̑̿͗̆͛̂́̈́͌̒̚͘͘̕͜͝͝ư̶̧̡̢̛̛̩͍̠̘̮̞̞̦̟̟͍͕̹̘͖̫͇͈̮̻̒̒͛̓̀͐̅̿̏̀͒̿̂̒̋̂͒͐̿̈̑́̂̈́́̇̽̿̒͒̽̎̆̒̽̍͋̿̀͑̓̔̎͊̈͐̒͗͂̇̊̒̀̿́̉̇̾̓̃̌͑͂̂̚͘̕̕͘̚͝͝͝ ̴̧̡̧̡̢̢̛͓̭̫̖̠̦̙͇͇̰̩̮͇͖̜̼̬̭̦̬̹̦̦̬͍̼͕̰̖̣̳̘̘̫̺̖̮̥̲̦͚̦̖͓̟̫͔͎̟͍̥̭̱̞̼͉͐͆̃͒͗̅̑̓̎͊̆̑̌̒̓͐́̅̐͒̋̚͘̚͘͜͜͝͝ͅͅͅͅl̴̨̧̨̡̲͕̙͇͓̦̱̩̭̞̘͇̺̫̤̩̰̦͕͈̪̪̰̗̤̻̘̹̭̥̝̠̞̱̪̤̯͑̾́̄̾̓̋́͂̄̍̆̊͂̀̚͠ͅ ̸̧͈̥̭͕̬̘̠̟̳̑̔̓̅̈̉͑̀̽̽͘s̸̡̡̧̧̡̢̡̘͓̭̼̫̯͉̫̭̲͇̖̫͖̩͓̯̻̖͓̮̖̝̥͎̲͕͈̙̳͉̭̥̯̥̞̫̳̮̪̳͇̤̪͙̼̺̳̼͕̱͖̮̜͔̹̓̔̈́̽̇͌̅͐͒̀́͌͂̈́̂́̓̋̕̕͠͝ͅ ̴̢̧̧͕̬͕͎̯͉̞̺̝̮̪̠̯̻̙̞̬̳̘̞͇̜̼̣̘̫̳̺͇̘̳̗̲̱̳͖̬̰̥̻̺̗̜͙̙̣͕̟̦̥̟͎̯̥̝̙̩̭̖̳̹̘͓͐̄ͅR̵̢̢̡̡̧͚̰̣͖̻͍͚̼͇͇͙̮̭̙̞͖̱͎̠̞̬̘͓̼̳̩̜̹̮̫̦͚̘̥͓̫̠̤̟̫̠̦̪͔̦̳̫̪̘͔̼̯̲̐͛͛̐͐͊́͘͜ͅͅ ̶̨̛̣͓͓͇̺͑̈́̓̈̌́̑̏͂̔́̉̄̽́̍̓̇̆̾̂́̐̿̿͂́̊̓̅͗̕̕͠͝k̸̢̢̡̛̛͇͇̼̭͎̝̲̜̠̤̮̪͎̯͙̩̹̮͇͖̪̤̥̳̞̼̺̯̪̺̼̞͈͉͚͚̖͍̞̫͇͐̓̓͗̑̂̊̓͒̊̆̇̂̐͂̈̂̏̇̉̆͐̓͘̕̕͝ͅ ̷̡̡̡̛̦͕̰̹̥̬̖̜̤̭̠̯͚̩̞̼̺̰̼̙̩͉̱̩̞͓͔̪͔̬̗̦̫̻͑͑̃̿̓́̉̓̌́̌͒̋̏̔̊̄͒̽͂̌̂͂͆͆̓̉͋͌̾̈́͗̀̽̽̈́͊̾́̏͛͐̋̔̅̍̓̍͛͆̉̒͑͑͋̾̑̕͠͝͠͠ͅͅͅͅǫ̵̨̧̪̹̤̦̜͓̬͇͈͓̭̙͙͚̘͈͖͙̦̰̜͙͇̜̺͖͍͍̣̭̟͖̻̠̙̪̲͎̻̺̮̖̺̼̜͈͈͎͇̦̯̝̗̼̱̙̈́̿̅͛͑͐̐͜͠ͅͅͅͅͅͅ ̶̧̢̨̡̮͈̖̮̗̬̲̲̤͖̻̟̼͓̼̳̝̭͍̖̩͙̞̺̟͍̭̙̼͉̟͕̥͉̥͇͇̠̰̦̬͍̫̜̜̻̟͍͍̬̖̜͎̝͍̱͚͔̞̱̳̝̼̜̑̈́͑̽̈́͛̿̉̆̐̃̑̽̈͌̂̔͌͌̇̌͋̈́͆̈́͗̔̅̐̊̂̀͛͆͛͗̏̀͆̈͑́̽̉͌̈̈́̍̎͛̇̎͗͒́̓̓̈̑̆̏̏̓͒̐̂̾̍̕͜͜͜͝͠͝͝ͅȕ̵̧̧̨̢̹͙̱̗̝̤̬̼͕̰̤͉͓̣̟̦̳̟͕̯̦̥̩̮͓̺̝̼͕͖̗͓̯͍̰̗̪̱̯̜̬͎̤̩̻̮̣̲̮̣̞̩͓̝̼̦̤̪͔̉̈̓͐̋̀̍̎͐́͑̚͜͜͠ͅͅͅ ̴̡̧̨̛̼̲̟̺͇̣̜̭͇͍͉̟̭̣̦̘̯̦̬̝͍̺̩͖̜̩̮̼̺͔͔̪̙̥̲̰̩̠͕̬̘͛̓͂̔́̍͊̃̊̊̄́̈̐̄̌̐̓͌̓͒̌͂͋̓̚͜͝͠͝ͅͅḵ̶̢̧̛̛̮̠̞́̇̾̋̓͌̍̎̂͌͒͂̊̍̎̃͆̾͗̍͗̄́̌̓̉̑̓͋͌̏̐̏̀̈́̓̈́͋̽̓̾̅̾̾̍̈̄͋̆́̉̚͘͘͠͝ͅr̸̢̡̢̛̜̯̟͎͎̟̦͛͒̈́̀̀̑̽͋̓͂̈́̋̃̄̂̑̍̽̍̊͐̈́̀͐͌̊̇̅̔̾̀̄̾̾̂̋̂̄̅͆̍͗́̍̈́͛̈́́̕̕̕̚͠͠͝ ̷̢̡̡̡̨̢̢̛̮̤̝̥̥͕̱̳̘͕͔͖̙̱̗̰͔̗̞̗̯͔̲̣̹̬̠̠͖̞̻̹̫̦̙͔̱̜̭̦̼̠̳̝͎͓͈̯̟̫̗̗̩͖͙͈̹͓̫̪̭̞͍͉̲͈͍͖̜̓͗̐̈́͂̔͆̋́́̾͛̈͋̓̊̒̐̽͗̐̎̑̔̀͊͋̂̀̔͐͑̀̊̔̀͊̾̂̍̃̐̋̾̐̏͗͊̉͘̕͜͠ͅõ̷͎̻̺̰͌̎̏̏̈́̑̉͒̀̇͘͠͠

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"Akihise-san!"

"H-hey!"

Rokudo Mukuro stared at the girl who collapsed on top of the Vongola's right hand man, his perplexed expression turned into a glower once it dawned to him that she broke out of his mind control on her own.

No, wait.

"Are you ready?"

He diverted his attention at the skylark who impatiently made his battle stance, Mukuro shaking his head to free his mind from any kind of distraction. There were more pressing matters at the moment and he could worry about it later after he accomplishes his main purpose.

Bright.

It was too bright.

Erika groaned, moving to her side as she gripped the covers. Inhaling deeply, she let out a contented sigh after, stretching her muscles all over the soft and comfy bed. She lazily opened an eye, taking her time to adjust her blurry sight around her surroundings.

The room clad in white definitely contrasted the darkly lit building back in Kokuyo.

"W-where am I?" She mumbled when she realized that she was nowhere near that horrendous place.

"Hey, you're awake!" An upbeat voice surprised her, Erika twitching a bit before slowly sitting up to meet the owner. She was immediately greeted by a blond who was smiling so kindly.

"... who are you?"

"Name's Dino, I'm Tsuna's big brother."

How many brothers did Sawada even have? And why the hell don't they all look alike? She left the unanswered questions at the back of her mind, which was still hazy from everything that happened.

"Um, where am I? And how long was I out..?" She asked as she brought a hand to her forehead, pinching the bridge of her nose. Amazingly, she felt kind of... refreshed. Except her empty and growling stomach soon ruined her mood.

"You're in the hospital. More than a day I think."

"... I guess that explains it... I'm so fucking hungry." Erika didn't even care about her disheveled appearance nor if she was drooling or not, well there goes her first impression in front of an actually cute looking boy-

'YO- what the hell am I thinking, starvation is making me delirious.'

"Oh, haha. Here, this is all I could bring right now." He handed her a perfectly wrapped hamburger, which she politely took from his hand.

Hey now, she wouldn't just suddenly lose her manners even if she was very tempted to swallow the whole thing in one bite. No, not now, especially not in the grace of a beautiful creature such as this man.

"Wait, is everyone alright?" She immediately munched on it, not even waiting for his response as she melted at the sweet taste of meat. Ah yes, thank god for fast food.

"Don't worry, they'll live. Tsuna and the others are in the next room and they're already full so... you're kinda stuck here with him." Erika almost choked on her food when he pointed at the person sleeping peacefully on the bed next to hers. Dino laughed at her reaction as she coughed a bit,

"Pft, is he really that scary that you're more concerned about him than what happened?" He asked with a smirk, before it changed into a troubled one.

Oh crap, he shouldn't have said that. The last thing that they needed right now was an innocent passerby bombarding them with questions. Reborn did mention that she was just a classmate who got caught up in the middle. But still, that meant that she'd be seeing more of Tsuna if she was in the same class as him, right?

"N-no. It's just that... I don't know." She deliberately stopped eating before she stared at her open palm, her eyes clouded with uncertainty glancing at Hibari's unconscious form.

"I'm still... processing what happened. Feels like a dream." She slightly shrugged, continuing her meal afterwards as if it was just another ordinary day.

That's right, she was kidnapped- alright, she actually went with them but of course it was against her own will. So technically that was still considered as kidnapping, right? Then out of nowhere a weirdo with a fruit for a hairstyle came out and threatened her by using magic. Like magic magic, or whatever that was. Hibari got busted pretty bad, and so did Yamamoto, probably a whole lot of other people too and... that was pretty much all she could remember.

How could she stay calm about it instead of hysterically asking for specifics of the entire event? She wasn't sure.

"Oh shit wait!- my parents will kill me if they find out about this. I- I'm not sure if I can stay here for so long, I don't have the budget for-"

"Relax, you don't have to worry about a thing. The expenses are all on the Vongola family."

"... Vongola..?"

Another crap, why the hell can't he just shut up about the mafia? Was it because of the fact that his subordinates weren't around? He should have brought Romano with him instead of asking him to wait outside, maybe then the older man could smack some sense into him every time he slips up.

"V-vongo- mongo- like the mongolian beef?-"

"Right right! Mongolian, ah- a food company! They would take care of the costs so worry not! Haha..." Dino tried to put up a smile, well a nervous one at that. Although he had to admit, the girl looked a tad bit adorable when she tilted her head in curiosity.

"A-anyways, you had some scrapes here and there, nothing you couldn't handle I suppose..? You'll probably be out after a few days. Here," He neatly set her Namimori coat at the foot of her bed, "There were patches of blood but other than that, it wasn't that damaged."

After the blond bid her a quick farewell, and presumably crashing along the hallway judging from his shouts of pain, Erika laid comfortably against her pillow. She took a peek at the prefect, who did not so much as stir despite her loud conversation with Dino earlier, which made her frown. That bastard really did him dirty, didn't he?

"Huh?" Erika abruptly stopped, feeling something in the pocket of her coat when she thoroughly inspected it.

Her blood ran cold, not at the sight of her mp3 and earphones that were tucked safely inside, but at the title of the song that was currently on pause.

'The Police - Every Breath You Take ⏯️ 2:32'

It almost took all of her strength to not hurl the accursed thing across the damn room, fearing that her outburst might wake up the sleeping beauty next to her. But between a barbaric prefect and a demonic stalker, she'd choose to deal with the former one this time.

Short omake(?)

"What happened to kicking me where the sun doesn't shine huh? All bark but no bite? I must say, you truly are quite the fool. But anyway- how did you like my illusion? I made this maze very special for you."

"Well what do you want? A fucking pat on the back? Want me to call you sweetie and tell you how much of a spectacular job you've done?" Erika hissed when he came closer,

"Is that too much to ask for?" Mukuro sighed in fake dismay,

"Oh shut it, fruit head."