84. Fare

"Rei, anything--" Reborn's voice went through the earpiece, but there was no time to register.

"DINOSAUUUURRR!!!"

"...Huh?"

-

-

"Russo!" I yelled, "Which genius idea told you to wander about into Kikyou's fighting range? Are you stupid??" 

"Shut up, I didn't know!" Russo yelled back, "Look, I don't even remember what on earth these things are called!"

"That huge lake thingy is like ten steps away, you should've known!"

"Just SHUT UP and RUN!"

Neither of us were running at full speed anymore. 

We both knew each that we were weak now, and our strengths have run out. The battle's barely gotten started, but neither of us have the ability to last until the end.

Neither of us can fight anymore--

Hidden among the trees, I spotted Kikyou, and the scene of battle on the other side of the lake. They haven't seemed to notice us-- if we stayed quiet we could perhaps get some distance. One lone dinosaur was chasing us by some stupid reason-- maybe Kikyou knew we were here, but was dismissing the fact.

Hibari, I saw, was standing on one side.

And in the next instant, one long neck emerged from the ground, shooting upwards-- engulfed the left side of his body-- and thoroughly tore his arm out. 

I hissed as I saw the blood gush out from the site of the wound. The amount of red was astounding. That was undeniably an instant kill-- if only it weren't an illusion.

But it still made me feel sick and nauseated. Turning away quickly, I noted that Russo was looking too. Catching my gaze, he turned to me-- with not another moment of thought he grabbed me by the wrist and we leaped into the trees.

Creating easy distance from the velociraptor, the dinosaur quickly gave up and regrouped to the majority of its pack. 

Breathing out a sigh of relief, we ducked behind the tree trunk.

"We should get further distance." he whispered to me. "I'll be heading over to the Gokudera and Lal side of things. What about you?" 

If he heads over to the Varia side... I can't stay here because it's dangerous, so... "I'll head back to Tsuna and Reborn," I decided, "It's safer there. I don't think I'm much use out here anyways."

Russo nodded. "Try not to get in anymore trouble, you hear?" he chuckled, "with Reborn, y'know?"

A chuckle back, I sighed. "I'll try."

Russo dropped down from the branch and unto the ground-- looking around a few times to make sure the coast was clear, he lifted his head to look at me.

He gave me a smile-- and I recognized that smile as a genuine one. Like Eve's-- His eyelids just a little drooped to the side-- his lips but a tiny bit curled upwards. 

"Bye," he said.

"Ah... Yeah," I simply raised my hand in a simple wave, "Bye. See ya after the battle."

Russo gave me one last look, and ran off in the other direction.

-

-

I walked this time.

Hoping I wasn't chancing upon the battlegrounds, I made my way through slowly. 

"The battles are all going fine," I reported to Reborn, "There's nothing to worry about. As for what I've found at Byakuran's... I have nothing useful to report. My utmost apologies."

I heard Reborn tut on the other end. I chuckled nervously. 

"Don't worry, Reborn." I assured him, "This battle will end up on our side."

Everything will end up fine. 

"Just... probably not in the ways you've expected."

Just then, a hand emerge from nothing right beside me-- Taking hold of my wrist-- it tugged- and with incredible force, pulled me right through a barrier of Mist.

I let out a surprised yelp-- falling down onto the ground, I realized I had entered an area of Mist Flames. An area I was supposedly right beside, but I hadn't noticed at all...

And the person that pulled me in was none other than Belphegor.

I jumped, but held back a shriek.

"Ushishishi," he giggled, "You never change, do you?"

I hissed at him.

Diverting my attention from bloody prince, I realized there were more people in the area. Looking around, I saw the rest of the Varia-- then there was Ryohei, Lambo, Nozaru, Tazaru, Basil... Hibari, Fran.

Ah, this was the space eveyone hid. The illusions were going on, and thus everyone stood on standby in this small space. Even so, Belphegor had taken the effort to drag me in? Why-

Then I saw him. The one man, with long, indigo hair-- and stood up with a presence somehow more prominent than the rest.

"Mu-" I couldn't help the stutter, "Mukuro."

The man looked over, and his lips curled up in one sly, endearing smile--

"Kufufufu," he chuckled, ominously, but amusedly-- "Well, It seems we meet again, little one. And as promised, we've met outside."

Eyes turned to me, questioning the statement, but I made no acknowledgement of them.

My mind drifted back to that time in the Varia Arc-- not more than a week ago, I think. Felt so long. When I fell into a near-comatose state during the Cloud Battle... when I met Mukuro in a dream.

We had done nothing but talk-- but by that time it seemed neither of us held grudges for each other from the Kokuyo Arc.

I simple laughed back. "Yeah," I pushed myself up and made my way over. "Been ten years for you? Ah, and is your body actually alright? Why are you capable of standing up and using your powers? Why aren't you a crinkly, wrinkled grandpa? Laws of physics? Or uh, illusions? Magic?"

Instead of the trident, a hand chop came down on my head. 

"It seems you have developed a certain cheekiness while I was out," he mused, almost irritably. "You are much like, and much different, from Fran." His palm touched the top of my head-- and ruffled my head just gently and soothingly.

Looking around, I saw the frog boy. At the same time, the frog boy saw me. Our eyes met.

"Nice to meet you," I bowed at him, "I'm a half-dead magician."

"Nice to meet you," Fran imitated, "I'm a frog magician."

In that one instant, we had mutual recognition. Because Ah, I somehow knew, I'm definitely gonna get along with this guy. We're so similar.

We then stared at each other for one long minute, doing nothing but have some sort of mental imagery communication in the realm of something. With unreadable expressions on our faces.

"Should've left them outside," Mukuro muttered under his breath.

-

"Hibari-senpai," I called out to the man, "It's been a very long time."

He gave one short hum-- then raised his tonfas. "What are you doing here?" he questioned interrogatively. "Out of school ground during school hours?"

"Senpai, you're out of school grounds too." I retorted. 

He glared.

I sighed.

"I came here to be polite, since I haven't talked to you in ages, but I honestly feel so attacked right now." I mumbled with a whiny pout, trying to sound like I wasn't joking. 

Hibari conked me in the head with a tonfa.

"Ow!" I whined, "Senpai, you're gonna make me stupider," I fake cried. Well, should've guessed by now my whiny, half-hearted lies don't work on Hibari anymore... 

But did he have to hit meee? 

"Go into the woods, herbivore," he growled, but he didn't look that angry to be honest... He held in tonfas threateningly, and his eyes sharpened. "You're in my way."

"Senpai, am I actually allowed to interpret your sentences through a Tsundere translator?"

WHACK!!

"OW!!" I held my head.