52. Rain

"Will you be here for the Rain Battle tonight?"

Reborn spoke me to on my way home from school. I was just at the crosswalk, and found him, standing on top of a wall.

Why he was there, I will not ask.

"I-" my smile was on, but I had to turn away. I clutched the sling of my bag, swallowing my words. "I'm not sure. Maybe not."

"Well," Reborn mused, "Would you come if I threaten you to?"

That made me chuckle. My nerves loosening, I turned to the infant. "No, Reborn. Tsuna-kun scolded me for it before. I'm better off staying at home."

"Dame-Tsuna and Yamamoto scolded you for lying, Rei." Reborn was clarifying-- was he assuring me? He was blank and stoic-- it could've been both. "He wasn't angry at you for being there."

"Still," I tried, "I really don't think they'd want me there." 

"Aren't you close with Yamamoto?" Reborn spoke up with another plan this time, "Don't you want to see him act cool? I'm sure Yamamoto would prefer to act cool for you too."

Hearing that, I dipped my head solemnly. "Takeshi and I..." I fiddled with my fingers awkwardly, " Wee aren't exactly in the best of moods right now." 

Almost as in an impulsive reaction, Reborn kicked me in the face.

"Ow!"

"Just go already. I'll shoot you, y'know?" Reborn threatened, raising a gun at my face.

In the end, I was threatened to go.

-

"Why are you here??" Tsuna freaked out the moment he saw me.

"I told him to come." Reborn responded easily.

"I didn't want to come." I added simply.

To my surprise, Takeshi, upon catching sight of me, stepped toward me. I jumped as his eyes met mine-- and I took a hurried step back in a panic.

He stopped a step before me, and gave me one of his signature smiles. 

"Here to watch, Rei?" he asked me.

He had asked, so casually, so normally-- so entirely naturally-- as if nothing had ever gone on in between us. As if he had never gotten angry at me for lying to him. As if he had completely forgotten it all. Or pretended to forget.

I bit my lip to hold back the burning at the back of my throat, and gave him a nod.

He's always like this, I told myself regretfully, Being the idiot that forgives and forgets in an instant, no matter the one at fault. 

Takeshi patted me on the head. 

"Ta-" I spoke up quickly, "Takeshi--"

He looked at me. "Hm?"

I jumped. "Uhm-- Do your best, alright?" was all I could manage.

Takeshi seemed to stop for a long moment-- then chopped me on the head. "Of course I will, who do you think I am?"

I blushed. Gosh, to think I was so nervous to speak to this moron for the past number of days!

"Alright," Takeshi turned back to Squalo, "Now that Rei's here-- I'm definitely not gonna lose!"

-

"That strange kid's here again." 

I looked up, knowing they were referring to me. They had been mocking Tsuna and the others thus far-- but it seems they had noticed me after all.

"Hey, I thought you ran off like the coward you were!" Belphegor joked. 

This made Takeshi click his tongue, and Tsuna was visibly irked as well. Gokudera glared slightly and Basil looked stern. 

I, seeing their serious reactions, sighed.

What would Eve do in a time like this? I mildly thought.

Calmly, I smiled back. "I did. I was sooo scared," using a tone one would when speaking to a baby, "But I came back because I heard you nearly lost to puppy boy Dera! Seems like you ain't much, eh?"

"Hey, what did you just say??" Dera and Belphergor snapped at me in unison.

I chuckled. "Hahaha--hah." and I stopped, my face instantly falling back into an entirely unamused face. Enough playing around, I told myself, back to being Rei.

My eyes quickly met with Xanxus'-- and catching my line of sight, Tsuna quickly turned to him as well.

"Pathetic Dogs should just disappear." Xanxus spat sharply. 

I resisted a chuckle at the harsh words.

Looking towards the few of us, he said, "You worms--" he turned to Squalo, "--can get rid of this trash for me." 

"Wha-!!" Squalo was shocked. "Hey!!" he yelled after his Boss.

-

-

"Well then, go get 'em, Yamamoto!" Ryohei grinned at the male as a last cheer before the match. 

"Don't you dare lose," Gokudera grumbled.

"Okay!" Takeshi simply laughed. 

That was typical. An active and loud senpai; a rude, short-fused friend that won't ever say a nice and honest comment such as 'good luck'. They both were confident Takeshi could win the battle. they both had zero doubts. 

"We-Well..." Tsuna spoke up more nervously, "Do your best..."

"Yeah, See you after!" Takeshi smiled at him.

Tsuna was different. Tsuna was worried and still is incredibly concerned. The field-- one that would submerge itself and drown the contestants after due time-- of course, the shark that would be released wasn't a matter to dismiss either.

But that was an excitement everyone wasn't much worried about.

And finally, Takeshi turned to me. He gave me a smile-- and immediately, I turned around and walked out of the battle zone.

"What," Takeshi sounded a little disappointed, "No 'good luck' for me?" 

He sounded sad. 

I stopped, but didn't turn to him. "If I look at you now," I admitted to him, "I'd tell you not to fight. I'd tell you to just up and surrender-- or maybe I'll tell you exactly how you're supposed to defeat him."

This made heads turn at what I was implying.

"Are you saying that Yamamoto's gonna lose?" Gokudera was first to speak up.

A laugh from Squalo. "Looks like that punk doesn't think you can win, either!" 

My fist clenched. 

"Nothing of the sort," a strained, angered smile as I turned toward the white-haired swordsman, "In fact, I can see nothing but a crushing defeat ahead of you."

This made Squalo snap. 

"You!" he pointed his blade at me, "get the fuck up here, I'll slice you to pieces myself!!"

I would have probably been in trouble, but the Cervello stepped in. 

"Please refrain from conflict unrelated to the Ring Battles." they said in their usual, perfect synchronization, "None combatants, please leave the Zone as the battle will now commence."

Squalo clicked his tongue. 

"I'll kill that brat first," Squalo pointed his blade at Takeshi this time, "I'll cut him into pieces! And then, you're the next thing on my plate."

I would've been scared of that if I didn't know the outcome of this battle, Squalo.

-

The battle was quick.

Two swordsmen, fighting on a two-floored clock tower, with water that was filling up the sealed area at a rapid pace.

Watching from the screen, I briefly wondered where exactly were cameras placed in the building.

An explosion-- a burst of water-- and a sharp exchange of blows.

Takeshi swung his sword-- his Shigure Kintoki, the bamboo sword that would strip off into a blade when swung with the Shigure Souen Style.

A magnificent parry-- and another blast of water.

"That's Tsuyoshi-san's sword style," I talked to myself, but it wasn't as if no one could hear me, "Cool."

The sword style, with only eight forms of attacks and defenses. 

"Yamamoto's been practicing this all week, whenever the Ring Battles aren't on." Reborn told Tsuna, "But regardless of his already great reflexes-- remembering a style and using it in battle are two different things." 

I smiled to myself, in a little pride for my childhood friend.

"This is a battle where lives are at stake. For an honest man to fight in such a situation with no fear... Yamamoto has got to be an absolute fool--" Reborn cracked a smirk, "...or a natural-born Hitman."

"Wha-- Yamamoto, a Hitman?" Tsuna freaked out, "What are you talking about, Reborn??"

Of course, Tsuna could not believe that Takeshi was such a talent. After all, Takeshi was one that still considered the 'Mafia' as just a game Tsuna and Gokudera were playing.

I put a hand at Tsuna's shoulder. 

"Don't worry, Tsuna!" I told him assuringly, "no matter what Takeshi is-- you're the one tt gonna be his Boss in the future!"

Leviathan and Belphegor shot me a bemused expression.

How dare I, a peasant, declare such a thing in this battle of succession?

"Reiii!" Tsuna realized that too, "What are you even saying!?"

-

Shigure Souen Style: 2nd Defensive Form

Sakamaku Ame || Surging Rain

A large swing of the sword dragged up a large spout of water. Concealing himself behind it, Takeshi watched for Squalo's next move.

Squalo, without hesitation, did the same. With a hard swing, he brought up another spout-- and ducked behind it.

 With both of them camouflaged within water-- Takeshi swerved around, trying to locate his opponent-- but Squalo found him first.

With an unhesitating, wide slice across-- Squalo tore a large gash through Takeshi's left shoulder.

I hissed, seeing the bright red liquid gush out from the wound.

-

A shard embedded in his right eye; a slice across the stomach; a partially immobilized left arm-- and multiple other cuts and wounds.

My eyes were stuck onto the screen.

My expressions blank-- because I didn't know what to feel. There was a deep, painful clench in my heart seeing Takeshi look like that and standing right back up-- but at the same time, I was telling myself I had to watch this.

I had to watch Takeshi suffer and get heavily wounded? No-- I had to watch him fight. I have to watch him get stronger and  have to watch him win this round.

I had to, because that's what I came here to do tonight.

"Voi, do you still want to go? With that Shigure Souen Style you're so proud of?" Squalo taunted, looking down at the blood-stained figure of Yamamoto Takeshi one floor below. 

Squalo was still virtually unharmed.

"What about you show me all eight of those styles? And the eighth form-- Autumn Rain-- is unleashed, you can just tragically disintegrate for all I care!" Squalo laughed.

-

Shigure Souen Style: 8th Offensive Form

Pouring Rain

The first blow Takeshi used to hit Squalo was the tide changer. Despite being well known as the idiot of the pack, Takeshi may very much be the sharpest knife when it comes to battling.

I knew not much about swordfights-- but the Katana he drew was one that surpassed common human logic. 

For a man like him, there was probably no better sword.

The battle ended soon after that.

The battle ended, and Takeshi won.

-

-

The shark that was let loose in the tank-- in the field-- closed in on them.

The blood pooling in drew the attention of the shark-- and the shark, crashing into a pole, brought the two combatants down a floor.

The last one second.

In that one split second, Squalo shoved Yamamoto aside. In the next moment, the shark engulfed Superbi Squalo-- and disappeared into the water.

My mouth hung-- 

The amount of blood that surfaced after the shark disappeared down under-- 

I quickly turned away from the screen.

He's alright, I told myself, He's not dead. Squalo's not dead.

Sqaulo's not dead, but it still hurts to see that.

C'mon, I told myself again, Takeshi won. Let's be happy.

There really was a reason I did not want to come tonight.