AUTHOR'S NOTE:

As promised, this is the new chapter. I have a lot of times while waiting for the thesis schedule to be uploaded, so here is the new chapter. And I would like to thank these readers who have reviewed the previous chapters:

Crows-kun

long live marshmallow

Frwt

Fenrirwulf

Thank you ver much! Hope yu enjoy this chapter too!

Oh, and please check my newest fic, "Bond of Vongola". It's a mini-series and I just published the first chapter :)

ADELAIDE/ AUSTRALIA/ 2020

The three Vongola clones were lost at words when they saw what it seemed like an escape pod standing in front of them the moment they arrived at the location Ryohei has told them. This definitely didn't belong to VFT, let alone any earthling.

"No matter where you look at, this definitely belong to Millefiore." Tsuna commented.

"Hahaha! Right, it does! What should we with it then?" Takeshi questioned.

"I suggest we blow this up." Hayato was more than eager to ready his dynamites.

"Why don't you try to check the inside first?" Ryohei suggested. "I already checked it, but maybe you should check it yourself and think about."

"True. Maybe there's something useful for us." Tsuna said, checking the inside.

Hayato and Takeshi followed the suit, getting closer to the pod to look how the inside was. As they got closer, when their bodies almost fully entering the pod, from behind, Ryohei pushed them into the pod. Before the trio could react, Ryohei brought out a remote and pressed the yellow button, shutting off the pod.

"The hell?!" Hayato cursed while he was struggling to move, which was pointless because the pod were too small for three people.

"Ha-Hayato, don't move too much! It's already hard enough for us!" Takeshi said while trying to get a comfortable position.

"Easier said than done! For a squirt you're heavy!" Hayato said, referring to Tsuna who was at the top of him.

"Shuddup! This is no time for that!" Tsuna retorted back. "Ryohei-san! What's the meaning of this? Ryohei-san!"

From inside, Tsuna frowned when he saw a girl with long blue hair wearing black cloak suddenly with a tall guy wearing a red Japanese demon mask and the same black cloak covering his entire body appeared behind Ryohei. When they appeared, Ryohei hand over the remote he was holding and shouted at them with an agitated look. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but considering the position they were right now, it wasn't difficult to guess what this mean…

"This was a trap. Ryohei-san is working with the Millefiore to trap us here…"

"He what?!" Hayato yelled from the top of his lungs, enraged.

"Then that means Sasagawa-san betrayed us?" Takeshi didn't want to believe it.

"I can't hear what they are talking about, but there's no mistake. He was the one who pushed us inside after all."

"If that's the case, we just need to make an exit ourselves!" Hayato

Knowing what Hayato intended to do without having even need to look at him, Tsuna and Takeshi quickly landed their bodies onto Hayato who unluckily was beneath them, crushing him with their weights.

"G-get off...! C-can't breath…!" Hayato protested, breathing weakly.

"Are you insane?! You'll kill us too if you bring that out!" Tsuna lashed out.

"Hayato, we want to get out of here as much as you want to, but don't be so impatient. Since I can't use my sword, Tsuna, can't you use your flames to get us out of here?" Takeshi suggested.

"Unfortunately, I've tried since a while ago, but for some reason I can't use my flames. It won't come out no matter how many times I tried." Tsuna looked at his hand helplessly and confused.

"Don't tell me this is also because of this damn pod!" Hayato twitched.

"It seems so…"

"Damn it!"

Meanwhile, outside the pod, Ryohei was glaring at the Millefiore pair in front of him. He really wanted nothing more but to punch the two aliens, but doing so would be the end of everything.

"I've done as you asked, return Kyoko now!" Ryohei demanded.

"Chill down, boxer boy. Wait for a moment. We still need to bring them to Byakuran! Stupid~"

"That's not what we agreed on!" Ryohei protested.

"You're not in the position to demand anything, stupid brat! Hurry up and carry this! You can carry it with Torikabuto and the carnage boxes." The girl tapped the pod. She started losing her patience.

Ryohei gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, furious. But both he and Millefiore pair knew that he couldn't and would never risk his sister's safety. Wordlessly and with great reluctance, Ryohei started to roll the pod. The moment he rolled the pod, he could hear the cries and curses from people inside the pod. He was really guilty. He never wanted to do this. He didn't want to hurt his fellow clones who have been so nice to him and the soldiers.

But he didn't have a choice. His sister got kidnapped because of his carelessness and he couldn't forgive himself for it. Comrades were important, but his sister was the most important to him in the whole world. She was the only one he has after his guardian passed away. He couldn't lose his only family now. He was prepared to receive any retribution for his betrayal as long as his sister was safe. That's all that mattered to him.

Unbeknowst to them, Hibird was watching from afar before it flew away.

HARBOR/ ADELAIDE/ AUSTRALIA/ 2020

Kyoya was watching the blue, cloudless sky, gaze calculating, his brow furrowed as his eyes searched intensely at the sky above.

"What are you doing, Hibari?"

Kyoya turned to Bianchi, the owner of the voice, and the sight irked him. In front of him was a group of Adelaide branch soldiers. The moment he saw them, the urge for him to just return to the top of ship where there was only himself was pushing him. It took all he has to accept this crowd. Patience, Kyoya. Patience. He must not disappoint his father. Be patient.

"Nothing. Where are the baby and the small animals?" Kyoya referred to Reborn and the others who was supposed to pick up Ryohei.

"They haven't arrived yet? I thought they already arrived ahead of us."

"Hibari! Hibari!"

Kyoya looked up and saw Hibird flying towards him, landing on his finger.

"Captured! Captured!"

Kyoya's eyes narrowed. Without even bothering to explain to the confused Bianchi, Kyoya dashed off to where Tsuna and the others were, ignoring Bianchi who was calling out to him.

"Show me the way, small animal." Kyoya said to his pet bird who flew ahead of him.

"It's time to bite them to death."

SOCCER STADIUM/ ADELAIDE/ AUSTRALIA/ 2020

Inside the pod, Tsuna, Takeshi, and Hayato were suffering. Very much. After being rolled for how long it was, they have finally stopped. Their heads were spinning like crazy, everything seemed upside down, and it was hard for them to hold themselves from puking. This was the most sickening thing they have experienced ever since they awoke.

"Finally...it stopped…" Takeshi was relieved.

"I'm gonna beat the crap out of that lawn-head once we get out of here…!" Hayato swore while covering his mouth as he felt sicken again.

And just as Hayato said so, the escape pod was opened and they were thrown out. The trio mentally has a waterfall tears, glad they were finally out after those torturous minutes. This didn't last long, however, as Ryohei was standing in front of them.

"You! You traitor, you better be prepared!" Hayato was about to lung himself at Ryohei, but was stopped by Takeshi.

"Wait Hayato, look at them."

"Huh?!"

Hayato looked at where Takeshi was pointing. Near the big screen of the soccer stadium were two Millefiore aliens and several carnage boxes that Tsuna recognized were with Ryohei when he pushed them into the pod.

"Hello, kids! I'm Bluebell, and this is Torikabuto. Sorry to say, but we're going to part ways here~" The girl, Bluebell, clicked her tongue out.

"I thought you said you want to bring them to Byakuran? What are we doing here?" Ryohei questioned the Millefiore aliens.

"There's a change of plan." Bluebell flicked her fingers.

From the west side of the stadium, someone emerged at the audience seat. Ryohei widened his eyes as he recognized who it was. It was a girl with short auburn hair and pair of yellow eyes. She was wearing a plain pink shirt with frills on the sleeve and collar. Behind her was two carnage boxes that resembles wolves, growling at her. The girl was trembling in fear and she looked at Ryohei pleadingly.

"Kyoko!"

"Brother!"

Tsuna, Hayato, and Takeshi were shocked. They looked Kyoko and then back to Ryohei. Tsuna looked carefully at the girl and saw the resemblance between the girl and the little girl at the photo in Ryohei's locket. There was no mistake, it was the same girl. But didn't Ryohei said that his younger sister was in another base?

"Let go of my sister! I already did as you told me! We have a bargain!" Ryohei shouted at Bluebell and Torikabuto.

"Don't worry. We'll return your sister. After…" Bluebell pointed at Tsuna, Hayato, and Takeshi. "…You kill them."

Bluebell's order horrified Ryohei. No, it was beyond horrifying. His face paled, as pale as a ghost. Cold sweat formed on his face. His body was trembling terribly as he stared his three fellow Vongola clones in horror.

VONGOLA BASE/ ADELAIDE/ AUSTRALIA/ 2008

"Father Knuckle!" Young Ryohei called out to his guardian.

"What is it Ryohei?" Knuckle chuckled when the boy bumped into him, hugging his legs. He patted his head.

Ryohei beamed at his guardian and then showed what he was holding, a pair of boxing gloves.

"This! I found this at shed! You're a boxer?" Ryohei asked eagerly.

Seeing the gloves, Knuckle smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in that smile. He kneeled so he and Ryohei were face to face.

"Yes. But I did something bad so I quit."

"Boxing is extremely bad?"

Knuckle shook his head at the question. "No, not the sport. Boxing is not bad, but Father did. I accidently done something that I shouldn't so I quit. Boxing can be dangerous if you're not careful."

"What accident? Does that mean I can't learn boxing?" Ryohei's face became a little down.

"You want to learn boxing?" Knuckle asked.

"I extremely want to learn!" Ryohei nodded vigorously to show how much he wanted to learn boxing.

Knuckle smiled softly. He placed his hands on Ryohei's should and looked at him in the eyes.

"Okay, I'll teach you then. But you have to promise something to me. Deal?"

"Deal! I won't break the promise to the extreme!" Ryohei's eyes shone brightly at the prospect of being taught boxing by his guardian whom he admired.

"First, you must never use boxing unless you extremely have to, which is to protect yourself and everyone who are important to you."

"Yeah! I will extremely protect Kyoko and everyone in Vongola to the extreme!"

"Second, this is also the most important. You must never break this one whatever happens."

"I know, I know! I extremely promise!" Ryohei answered again. He started to become impatient and wanted to quickly practice already, but still listening.

"You must never kill whoever your opponent. Whoever it is."

"Whoever it is?" Ryohei asked again.

"Yes. Whoever it is. Promise?"

"Promise to the extreme! Pinky swear!" Ryohei held out his pinky for Knuckle to take, which he did.

"Alright. I'll teach you boxing now!"

SOCCER STADIUM/ ADELAIDE/ AUSTRALIA/ 2020

Ryohei never killed anyone in his entire life ever since he awoke from his long sleep. Just as he promised his guardian. He never knew how it feels to kill someone, but he knew very well that killing was a horrible act. He knew not because he was told it was bad, but because he had seen the result of the act. The painful face the dead soldiers was making when it received the deadly blow, the cries of those who were left behind, those were more than enough to convince the young boxer to never kill.

But now, he was faced with two choices: not kill and let his sister being killed or kill and his sister will be saved. Whichever the choice he choose, in the end, he will become a murderer. For once, he didn't know what to do. He never wanted to kill anyone, especially his comrades who have helped him. But he also didn't want to lose his one only family, his sister who he loved so much more than anything.

What should he do?

A familiar whimpering sound snapped Ryohei to reality. And for the first time in his life he was so scared. One of the carnage boxes behind Kyoko used one of its claw to scratch Kyoko's arm, making it bleed. It wasn't fatal, but Kyoko began to tear up.

No. No. No!

Facing the trio in front of him, Ryohei stood straight and steadied his boxing stance. He unleashed his flames and charged at the trio.

"I'm sorry…Father Knuckle…!"

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