Some time had passed since Natsumi left Tsuna to his own concerns. A hushed breeze swept into the room. Gliding over the soft bed and filling the room with its warmth. Outside, Tsuna brushed off his palms on his shorts, then wandered into town. He followed along the ocean side, searching for the path Natsumi led him on and using it to navigate his way back to it when he made a wrong turn.

“The sun just set and there aren’t that many people out. Where’d they all go?” Then he heard the clatter of mugs from the buildings ahead, followed by hearty cheers and shanty singing. The less entertainment based shops were closing up. Contractors and shipwrights. While the bars and restaurants were booming with crowds. None of it differed from what he’d experienced. “Sounds like one of those high school parties.” Sliding his hand into his pocket and swaying it, he pulled out a journal with a silver pen tucked into its pages. The ink displayed in a small sliver on its side, reading half full. “Natsumi is very clingy, and quick to become emotional. A lack of nurturing at a premature age may be what causes her to attach to people she likes as quickly as she does. Her affection concerns, but it’s practically like a mother cat taking on a stray. Note to self: Do not dismiss the fact that it could be a trick.”

A flicker of light exposed before him, promptly fading to dark before flaring up again after the sound of a clang. This is it. I’m really in one of those fantasy worlds. The light sparked from a hammer striking an anvil, while a stout man swung the hammer onto an anvil with a force that appeared effortless. With each flash, the shop’s contents blinked into sight. Weapons lined along the upper walls and on the lower wall were what Tsuna recognized as an opportunity. Tools!

Streetlights flashed on while the signs of buildings shut off. A press of the journal into his pocket and Tsuna vanished before the lights could touch him. Now he crept into the shadows like a predator, closing in on the blacksmith. Part of him felt guilty that what he was doing still came instinctively to him. The hesitation between his steps being the most telling sign. I made a promise I have to see through. He rationalized. It’s not like I have money, anyway. What if I brought the tools back to the guy when they’re done? I’d get scolded, then beat… The closer he slithered, the more he could see inside. The man was alone. There was a sack lying roughly flat in the building's corner. Perhaps with an item inside of it. All he required was a diversion. His kid calling him inside for supper. His wife berating him about him cheating with a bartender down the street. Man, I’ve read a lot of trash. Deception was always a choice, still he knew that his sleight of hand wouldn’t be keen enough to remove the tools and toss them into a bag without a noise. Or he could easily ask the man to borrow the tools. Thinking his current bum appearance may work in his favor… or to his detriment. Why would someone like him need tools?

The smith dropped his hammer, wiping off his face with his oily glove. “Damn, I shouldn’t have done that. Where’s that cloth?”

The man turned back inside his dark shop, flipping on a light before stepping into the door near the sack. Tsuna’s legs advanced before he realized it. Quickly analyzing the streets for any commoners while he flew into the shop. He flung the sack into his left hand, hearing a suppressed clink as the bag swayed. There was no time to think about it as he plucked tools on the wall like apples from a tree. Hammers, screwdrivers, nails. His breaths matched his speed, accelerating to the point he’d cleaned a fourth of the tools on the wall. He snagged whatever he could until.

“Thief!”

The brimming confidence he had sunk, leaving the rest of his body cold as he intuitively twisted around.

“You Minhki bastard!” His bellowing voice was loud enough to alert anyone in the area. Immediately snatching a short sword from the wall, he took a swing at Tsuna.

Frozen, Tsuna watched the blade as it came to the level of his eyes. An ominous warmth wrapped around his torso, drawing him back just in time to avert being cut in the eye, but not fast enough to save his cheek. The boiling blood leaked from his skin, restoring the heat to his body and his senses. A pivot on Tsuna’s foot gave the attacker the impression he was about to make a run for it. Exactly what he wanted. The blacksmith dashed closer as Tsuna charged a swing of the sack, hitting the man into his anvil with the sack of tools. “Chump!” The words slipped out of his mouth. Tsuna took to the street. A small group formed to block his path. Another twirl and he tossed the bag into them, knocking a man over and recovering it as he kept running.

“Stop that Minhki!”

“Thief!”

The chanting from the crowd captured the attention of townsfolk inside of the buildings, some now chasing after him as well. Despite bearing what he thought would be a substantial sack of tools, Tsuna’s endurance continued unshaken. His speed was like what he could remember from his childhood, paired along with the adrenaline rush of being chased. The gem was the sole thing that could justify it, considering he hadn’t trained in over a year. But what stuck out more than the rest was that his heart wasn’t burning. How am I going to get away?! The reality came back. He was still being hounded by the townspeople through the night. Turning an alley wouldn’t simply get him away and abandoning the tools would make this a complete fool’s errand. Ahead, the blinding lights of the next part of the town burned his eyes. There’s an idea. Establishing a distance from the crowd, he promptly stopped to tie a knot on the top of the sack, then ran again. The pattering of the crowd was on his heels, as he was certain they would grab him if he stopped again. “Cmon! You haven’t failed me yet!” Spinning several times, he launched the sack into the garish lights and turned towards the crowd. The blacksmith himself was still on his tail, arms wide to apprehend him. Tsuna drew his fists back, then thrust them forward with a shout. His attack impacted the man’s chest and, after a delay, two flames blasted him back into the crowd with a domino effect. One falling over the next. Tsuna himself flew backward, passing between the men and women in the streets. The sack had already hit the ground, a man approaching it until Tsuna seized his prize and scampered into the darkness.

***

Circumventing any open street, Tsuna retraced the steps he and Natsumi took earlier. First, turning up on the dead end of town, then back to where the Minhki lived. A barely lit sign that read “Titania’s” but with the few letters that were lit spelled “Tit” made Tsuna chuckle. Through its windows, he could see a familiar face on the inside quarreling with one of the other employees. Their tails raised up, both on the verge of attacking one another until Tsuna pushed the door.

“Who the hell are you?” The employee screamed.

Kiyomi strode into her point of view, preventing the woman from speaking to Tsuna. “Doesn’t matter who he is. You don’t work here anymore, remember?”

“You can’t just fire half the staff and expect anything to get done! This place will crumble in weeks with no one to cook, clean, or do dishes! Enough with the hate and just mingle with the Hummies, we’d all be better off.”

“Why are you still talking to me like I care? What don’t you realize by you being fired? Your opinion means shit! Get out!”

“You’re making a serious mistake, Kiyomi! This is why no one wants to eat here!”

“Out!”

With no further word, several Minhki headed towards the exit. Tsuna strolled past them, giving them enough space to leave without bumping into the sack he carried. Kiyomi fell into one of the rickety chairs, it squealing as she leaned back. “Everything alright?”

“Hell no.” Kiyomi giggled. “It’s about time I got those useless bitches out of here. Think they can just come in here and do anything for some easy money, then take their profits and invest it on junk in the human end of town. Wish I could just go to The Crossing, then I could make a difference for us.” She let go a lengthy sigh. “But I’m no fighter.”

Her remark about The Crossing shook Tsuna as sat the bag down, then seated himself next to her. “What’s the matter with that? They earned the money, right? Who’s to say where they spend it?”

“The problem is much vaster than that. The rich will get richer, polishing what needn’t be polished already. While our community’s left to starve and fend for ourselves, taking the little Drax that we have and fattening the coins of those who need it less. The fools. We should work to get to where we don’t need to rely on any other to survive. Humans or Tribes.” With a sigh, her tail furled into a ball, then stretched out to her side.

The stress of her position struck a cord with Tsuna in a way where it almost felt relatable. He needed to know more. “Is this… A common thing for Minhki everywhere? This rings like an ‘us versus them’ kind of dispute and it doesn’t have to be.”

“Yes, it fucking does!” The lashing snap of her tone made Tsuna’s eyebrows jump. “Because you people choose to beat down on us for shit that our ancestry did. What have I ever done, but grow up hungry? Make ends meet while getting rejected because of the black spot on my nose, my tail, or my ears. All shit I had no choice in! Even if I were more fortunate, I could never judge someone who’s trying to make something out of their miserable excuse for a life.” Snot rolled from her nose, all the while she checked her apron for napkins. Resorting to using her forearm. “What makes us different from you besides what you see on the outside?”

Tsuna bit his lip. An emotion he knew too well rose to his throat. Anger. Ready to scream back at how much he knew how it felt. But this wasn’t about him. “Nothing at all.” He untangled the sack of tools, leaving it open enough to display the contents inside. “I made you a promise and in exchange, I want you to make me one.” Light gleamed in her sharp eyes as if it had restored her to life. A face full of shock and confusion stared at him, an expression that almost brought a smile to his face. “Make this place something that the people have never seen. Whether it’s to Humans, Elves, or Minhki, turn this community into a glaring example of what one can become when given the opportunity. Give those girls a reason to come back and don’t hold it against them. Be better than them.”

Kiyomi scoured through the bag, her smile growing fuller with the deeper she went. She paused, forcing eye contact with Tsuna. “Who are you?”

“Tsuna Tachibana. That’s all you need to know.” He rose from his seat and made his way towards the exit. “Oh, by the way! For me to get those… they might’ve assumed I was a Minhki. I would recommend lying low with those before making any improvements.” Geez, If I was hearing this from someone I’d think I’m corny as hell. But I hope I just made her day.

“Wait!” Kiyomi’s voice called out, halting Tsuna. “I’m in awe that you came through so quickly. You kept your word and risked yourself for us. People you don’t even know. At least let me compensate you somehow.”

Confidence bolstered in Tsuna’s chest. Despite what he thought, he kept up his heroic facade. “I remember what you offered before, and I don’t want it. Just take the stuff as a sign of goodwill. From a Human.”

“You really are extraordinary. Here, take these then.” From the bottom of the sack, she exposed a pair of metal gauntlets. “I don’t think we’ll have any use for these, so they’re yours to take.” She extended her arm out and gave them to Tsuna when he walked back. “I’ll keep this a secret until the Humans simmer down about a robbery. Knowing them, they won’t search our side for too long before they get sick of the smell. While you’re in town, come back for a free meal. I’d love to see your face again.”

Tsuna strode out of the building, waving his free hand at her until he stepped outside. A sigh deflated his chest. Never in a million years did I think that I’d be praised for stealing. But if I didn’t, someone else would have. Better me than them. He held the gauntlets before his eyes. “When did these get in there?” They weren’t like any gauntlets he’d seen in visual novels or anime, as someone did not craft them for protection. There wasn’t much plating on the exterior, leaving plenty of space for full wrist movement. It occurred to him that perhaps they were incomplete, which is why they were tossed into a sack. Soon after, an idea came to him. I’m not tired just yet. While he slipped each gauntlet on his hands, a presence over his shoulder made him tighten up as he jerk to his side. A passing visage of a man draped in a flowing robe crossed his vision. The mans crimson eyes stared at him. Tsuna’s body went at ease. “You can show up outside my head too? I don’t think I need you to ruin the rest of my night.”

“What side schemes you partake in is of no interest to me. I worry about your development and your preparation for the battle to come.” Infernus crossed his arms. “No matter if you run or if you fight, so long as you live, the war will wage on.”

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“I’m not interested in taking part in your damned war! If you don’t like that, find someone else to hide out in!” In the corner of his eye, lights flickered on from nearby buildings and Minhki outside stared at him unusually. Tsuna started striding as Infernus tailed him.

“You don’t have to speak out loud to talk to me. Put your emotions aside and face my son in his dispute if you want to save the people you love.”

He had Tsuna’s furious but undivided attention. “Been digging around enough, have you?”

“The woman, Emiko, the father figure, Amagi, the swordsman, Yuichi. That list is surprisingly small compared to the average man, but is more understandable why your bonds with these people would be so close. From what your memories have taught me, you were far more the aggressor in the past than you are now. Your inner turmoil a machination of your own creation. The reason you were hated and feared was because of you. A shame, as you would comprehend my ether quickly if that were still the case.”

“And that will never be the case again. I’ve grown, kept the peace around me to make life better for those people.”

“While you dawdle trying to keep the surrounding peace, there’s no one who will keep the peace within. You’ve hardly grown, just become passive and tolerant to the masters and their whips.”

The reality of what Infernus was saying came to light. Had he just been tolerant? Is this what growing up meant? In his heart, he knew he wanted to be free of everyone’s thoughts and opinions. To disappear. That thought hadn’t arisen in him for years past, but now resurfaced with the dragon’s words. A glance at Infernus’ face and it was as stern as always. His aim was unclear.

“However, Tachibana, I have limited time in this form, as pulling your conscious would take too much energy. I can feel your ether draining by the moment, so I will waste no more of our time.”

“Did it cross your mind that it could just be me trying to get rid of you?” The insult bounced off of him as he continued to speak.

“Since my binding to you, my power has been severely limited. I am only led to assume this because I no longer have either a physical or ethereal form. I felt shifts and changes in the flow of ether through you and a substantial change has happened within this region over several hours. A shift so great that I can only assume my son caused it.”

“Changes? What changes?”

“It is like a wildfire, loose and untamed, spreading to this location. The rampant ether shrouds him, giving him the element of surprise. This brings attention to my fading ether. Something is leeching it from me. Meaning I will be of no use to you for tracking him.”

Tsuna’s gaze immediately fell to the gem in his hand, then peered Infernus in the eye. “Will you cease to exist when your ether runs out?”

“I live through you. As long as you live, I will as well. However, my time to recover will extend with every attempt at communication between us. Because of this, you cannot rely on me to find my son when he arrives. You will need to remain vigilant at the hour of his arrival.”

“Is that so?” Tsuna muttered to himself. A fury built up in his chest, one that sparked from fear. His very life could end before his journey began. In frustration, he cocked his fist back, about to slam it into a wall before he reconsidered and targeted the ground instead. Bewildered, he noticed something different. No fire? Without hesitation, he removed the gauntlet from his fist and aimed for the same spot with another punch. His rough knuckles cracked pavement, fire encircling his fist before shooting a blast that flipped him into the air. Gravity dropped him on his head, then onto his back. The excitement that pumped through his veins overtook the pain in his skull. “That’s all it took!? Gloves?! It can’t be that simple.” Infernus stood over him, blocking the full moon that lingered above.

“This may be the last time we may speak. If you die. Overcome this challenge as you have in your past, for the people you care for depend on it.”

***

Tsuna’s fist smashed into the rusted container, creating a small dent of scraped paint. A stretch of his fingers inside of his newly stolen gloves, and he fixed himself for another punch. His mind escaped back to his fight with Zio. When the storm of adrenaline took over and he gained the strength to fight back. He reassessed his position, as he swung his next punch marginally lower than the last.

What does it all mean? I’m stronger, not only physically I have this fire ability because of a guy who lives in my body, telling me I have to fight. Since the scrap with Zio, I haven’t felt tired at all. Is this also because of the gem or because of the dragon? A thrust of his foot and he kicked through the rusted metal. Aside from that, the name Rylen keeps saying. Ginchiyo Tachibana… Once head of the Tachibana clan hundreds of years ago. He assumes I am related to her because I have her face, but I’d always been told I have my mother’s face, Satsuki Tachibana. Were there an incident she secretly had children, genetics would be the simple answer. Four generations of genetics making me look like someone who would be my great grandmother is very unlikely. There has to be a connection. He stalled for a moment and looked towards the sky. The Crossing and its eminence shone through the night. Its glistening aura cutting through the dark as if it were a sun of its own. And that thing… No matter where I go, I can see that thing everywhere. What if that’s what started this? And that wish I keep hearing about is how I get back to my normal life. Removing the glove from his right hand, he promptly followed with a punch into the container. The blast that came from his hand mimicked the sound of a gun being fired and the burning rusts scent spread around the area.

“Hey!” a voice called out to him.

It rang through the night and bounced through the other containers, putting Tsuna on guard. A figure descended behind him, its shadow from the moon cast in front of his body. He whirled around to see a more enthusiastic Rylen, two fingers to his head as if saluting.

“I’d consider that a destruction of property, if I actually cared. Can’t be too careless. Our organization can’t really help when the law gets involved.”

“How’d you find me?”

His fingers tracked down his face until they reached his chin. “Long story short, Natsumi discovered you were missing but was too drunk to do anything, so she came to me. She was afraid you’d ran away, but I knew that wasn’t the case. Your mom wasn’t much of a runner, either.”

“Again with my mom!? Shut up! What was she to you?!”

The sharpness of his tone made the Elf hesitate, then recomposed himself. “A leader, a friend. I loved her in the way one would love a hero. She fell into my life when I least expected and shaped it forever. I’ve been thankful for what she’d done every moment of my life and I realize I’ve talked about this a lot in such a short time, but it’s exciting when things come full circle.”

Loved her? The comment about his mother spiked his heart rate, but Tsuna knew better than to react out of annoyance, as it would get him nowhere. Instead, he tightened his jaw and exhaled through his nose. “What makes you so sure that I’m the person you think I am? The name that woman had, Ginchiyo, she could have been my great grandmother who died hundreds of years ago and maybe I look like her from genetics.”

“Well…” Rylen laughed, the hand now moving to his hair. “I’m not a hundred percent certain. You see, before Ginchiyo disappeared, she made it clear to us that our fight wasn’t over. What the fight was for or who it was against, she failed to elaborate. Then I saw how you behaved. You’re pretty cool headed when things don’t concern you. But when it grows into your problem, you think. A lot. Ready to stand your ground if you have a point that needs to be made, even taking a gamble to prove it. She acted the same way. It’s an inkling, mostly. But I’d be a fool to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“All I am is an opportunity, then?” Tsuna’s blood boiled, his fist shaking. “You’d be no better than the bastard in my head if all you want from me is to fight some battle, beat some ancient evil, or whatever bull that you have planned. I want one thing, to find my girlfriend and mom.”

“And I told you I’d help you.” Rylen’s grasped onto his neck, feeling around until he felt the icy touch of a necklace on his fingers. He removed the necklace, holding onto the circular charm, and stared as he juggled it in his hand. “I won’t speak of Ginchiyo again from here on.” A final bounce and the charm flew a distance from his hand, landing in front of Tsuna. “You were supposed to catch it…”

“Let me know next time. Could’ve been some ether bomb for all I know.” A glance at the charm before him and Tsuna’s mind paused. It connected in a full circle, the front ends draped like curtains. In the center were two crossing scrolls, connecting with the outer ends of the charm. He scooped it up from the ground. “This is the Tachibana clan crest!”

“Now, do you believe me? It was the last thing she left before she vanished. Made it herself. It has a special property of scanning out null ether or, in other words, ether with no element. With you being here, it belongs to you.” Rylen watched with a growing smile as Tsuna slipped the necklace over his head and peered at the crest. His head tilted upward. “Our plight’s growing more dire by the hour. We need to be thoroughly certain we can get you to where we need to without trouble. There, you can see it by now. Can’t you? The red ether trailing in the sky?”

Tsuna stared up and saw nothing but darkness and the stars beyond. Focus. He closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply, then reopened them. Drifting through the sky like a stream of billowing smoke was a dark red essence hovering over the town. “What is all of this?”

“Infernus’ ether. Spreading all over the southern end of the continent like a plague. It’s the most informing sign his brood is closing in on us. According to Leora, it’s been like that for a day or so when that wave crossed the sky. Around the time we found you, actually. Today’s worse than yesterday, she says. With the insight we have from those who witnessed the creatures or people being dominated by his ether, we’ve learned that they attract to richer sources of it like moths to a flame. And you’re like the sun to them. Morath isn’t the most quintessential place to hole up, but if we tried moving too soon, we might find ourselves circled by an army of those under his influence. My plan was to get you combat ready, before that happens. Infernus’ power alone could turn the tide, combined with the strength of Ginchiyo. You’d be able to stop this.”

“Infernus doesn’t think I have a shot with the way I am right now.”

“Infer-… What!?” Flabbergasted, both of Rylen’s arms crossed. “You can talk to him!? When? For how long?”

“Since he first entered my body. We’ve had our abrupt exchanges now and again, but he just recently told me it would be our last one for a while.” Tsuna peered into the sky again, then stared over at Rylen’s continued shock. “What do you know about Infernus’ son?”

“Son? That’s only a myth the dragon worshippers near the volcanoes tell. Infernus has no son.”

“Not from what he tells me. His son is the reason things are becoming worse. He’s coming for me. To kill me. If he gets his hands on his predecessor’s ether, he’s going to start another war to avenge the dragons who died in the last.” Palm covering his mouth, Rylen paced in place. This was the hardest Tsuna had seen him think. For someone learning that a myth might be reality, he’s quite calm.

“Damn… This changes everything. No doubt this hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Tarragon.” He sighed, giving the sky another look as well. “Thank you for telling me. Knowing if you can trust us or not must be difficult for you, but with that, you may be saving lives.” His attention turned over to the holes in the containers near them. “So you were searching for a spot to train. Looks like you’re not going down without a fight. Is that the choice you’ve arrived at?”

“Yes. I’m certain of it.” Tsuna’s gaze fell to his bare fist. There was no choice to be made. He must survive this encounter.

Rylen clapped his hands nonchalantly, drawing Tsuna’s attention to him. “Are you ready to develop into the protagonist?”

“What the hell do you even mean by that? Are you writing a book?” It wasn’t the first time he’d heard that. More interest enveloped Rylen’s character, the more the two spoke. “Didn’t you call Zio the protagonist before?”

“Protagonists change. Maybe his book ended, or maybe he’s closed his character arc. Doesn’t matter. Now it’s your time to step up.”

Tsuna swung his glove covered fist at another container, holding it in place waiting for a flame to shoot. “Quit talking like that. It implies you know more than everyone else and just aren’t telling us.”

“A point here, a bit there.” He said with a wiggle of his fingers. “What I don’t know is how we’ll get to them, but you needn’t worry about that and neither should I. My focus is what Infernus has told you now that I know the two of you have spoken.”

“He’s done nothing outside of digging through my head and telling me about his son. Before we left The Crossing, his focus was on discovering the mystery of that power that came over me when I fought with Zio. Because let’s be real, there’s no way I should have been able to withstand a punch from that man. At least that time, I wasn’t watching my body control itself. I know now that the power is coming from this thing in my hand.”

“That is a… more important discovery than you know. Don’t ask how, because I’m going to explain. Continue with your training as I elaborate.”

Tsuna’s eyes fell low as he pulled back a punch with his exposed hand. Try to hold back on this one. Almost as soon as his fist touched the container, a wave of flame circled his knuckles. Damn.

“The gem in your hand isn’t as new to us as it is to you. Before you arrived, two important people have existed in this world for hundreds of years with that same gem lodged in their hands. The Elysian Diamond Gate General, Maximus. And the Hylerian Wing Commander, known as ‘Echo’. Each wielding insurmountable ether. Many believe them to be the descendants of Astraea herself, locked in an endless battle against one another to rule... But that’s all just rumors and speculation! The two nations have been somewhat peaceful, so we have not seen the Generals in quite some time.”

He can always spew a mouthful. I wonder how he knows so much. After another blazing punch from his exposed fist, Tsuna recoiled back. With a sharp sigh, he reached into his pocket and removed the journal. “Maximus and Echo?” He wrote. Bookworm, Gun otaku, knows too much somehow, Rylen. “Do the Elves of this world live a really long time? By your outward look, you don’t seem a day over thirty. But you know a lot of things someone who’s thirty probably wouldn’t.”

“That would be the least of your concerns. If you die tomorrow, then it wouldn’t matter right?”

Tsuna’s face went blank. “Awfully dark way to put it for someone so enthusiastic.” Tucking the journal back in his pocket, Tsuna removed the glove from his hand. “From what it seems, whenever I punch with my bare fist, I trigger that fire that blasts out. However, that changes when my fist is covered. It’s like whatever comes in direct contact with my skin or causes pain stirs it up… But my fist is coming in contact with the inside of the glove…” Thinking this much is making my head hurt.

Rylen shrugged. “I’d help if I could, but seeing as you still don’t control your ether, it could be a multitude of reasons. With the inability to converse with Infernus, now your task has only become far more daunting.”

“Not like he’d help anyway.” Tsuna sighed, shoving the gloves into his empty pocket. “I’m done training for now. Got some energy left, so I’m going to walk around the city. Maybe to the entrance so I can see something that doesn’t remind me of home.”

“I trust you’ll find your way back to Infinity. The night is yours. I shall return to assess our situation further. May you stay safe under the light of Astraea, Tsuna.”