63 Chapter 55

Renato doesn't miss the way Tsuna's frame stiffens at the sight of the ring resting on her finger. It's the same as last time, a white gem with wings at its sides. Going on by the way her smile tightens, she does too. But what's odd about the situation is what happens next. Like in their previous meeting, she unfocuses her gaze to the side, as if searching for something no one can't see. Her head turns slowly from one direction to the other with careful movements for a few seconds, eyes lost and vast.

It doesn't last long. When she comes out of her trance, he can see the determination in her eyes even with the mask casting shadows on them.

He knows that whatever comes next, it'll be blunt. It's a thing about Mafer that he likes. She doesn't beat around the bush and he can respect that.

This time it makes him want to grind his teeth together.

"Who are you, really?" she asks, a faint hint of hostility in her tone. She seems surprised by her own voice as she clears her throat and softly, "My apologies if I act rash, but—I can't see you."

The vehemence in her tone triggers him off. Without thinking, he steps in front of Tsuna, a finger twitching in anticipation. He doesn't have a gun but that doesn't make him any less deadly.

"I don't know what you mean though shouldn't I be asking you that?" Tsuna asks, honest confusion in his voice. Then with a lower tone, he whispers, "You knew enough about how I looked to find me."

"It was difficult to get that much, too. Perhaps we can talk in a more private place about it?"

Tsuna starts nodding but then he stops, his head turning towards Renato. "Reborn can stay. And Mo-I mean, Viper, too. It concerns them as you should know."

Her lips frown into a thin line. "It's not the time for them to know."

"Then let's make the time," Tsuna says, earnest. He doesn't know her and yet, her opinion seems to matter to him.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

Tsuna steps forward, but Mafer's Lightning does too. It stops him from advancing any more towards her Sky. Tsuna takes a deep breath. "Then explain it to me. Please."

"... I will. But only to you."

"And me, too," says the man standing behind Tsuna, his tone too casual to not be aware of what's going on. "Good afternoon. I'm Ozora's associate."

Mafer frowns but still presents her hand for the man to kiss. "Another person you're involving?"

Tsuna clenches his fist at her tone as the man with the ponytail moves forward to kiss Mafer's knuckles. His free arm was expertly hidden from their eyes for a brief moment. Going by the way Tsuna relaxes, it must have been some sort of physical contact.

He doesn't like that man.

Renato's speaking aloud before he knows he's aware he's doing it, "And who are you, may I ask?

The eyeholes of the man's mask glint, eyes appearing to have some type of heterochromia. He seems amused as he gives Tsuna a glance. "You may call me Misuto."

He's not even made an attempt to hide the fact that is a made-up name. It literally means Mist in Japanese. Tsuna shuffles in his spot, announcing to the world who is the one who came up with it. It would be cute if it wasn't infuriating.

The little Sky clears his throat. "Misuto knows everything there's to know about the situation."

Yes, he definitely doesn't like that man.

"So there's no need to move, I can shield us fine." The Mist waves a hand and in the next moment, the sound around them diminishes considerably. Reborn tries to poke at the barrier with his own secondary Mist flames but doesn't find anything, not even a trace of flames.

...That's worrying.

"You're pretty strong," he says idly, posture loosening in case he needs to attack. A memory of a yellow bento appears in his mind. Different food and tastes, all accompanied with Tsuna's shy smile and one simple comment of his 'chef' friend. He bites down the curse that wants to come out. "Wouldn't you be a cook, too?"

The Mist shrugs regally, a weird laugh coming out of his mouth. "I'm a man of many talents."

Tsuna sighs, his hand going to the bridge of his nose for a second before letting it go. "I think that covers it, then? We can talk now."

Mafer glances at the other Mist in the room who hasn't said anything so far. The one who has been doing a swell job at being unnoticed. Viper, apparently, is a name widely known in the underground for being a reclusive information broker. They're clearly the Mist Arcobaleno as their appearance to the ball is answer enough. How does Tsuna know them?

(Are they... the Mist who stalked Tsuna's job?

Fuck. One day he's going to hide that problematic Sky away from everyone.)

"I understand Reborn, he's your Sun, after all." Her tone contains a hidden emotion, something he's having a hard time pointing out if only for the lack of context. There's apprehension, though, that he can identify. "But what about Viper?"

"They are part of this and you know it," Tsuna says, his tone forceful for the first time ever.

Mafer is clearly working herself up, too. Her fingers go to the side of her head, as if wanting to push away the headache she must be feeling. Renato understands her. He wants to do the same. "And that's why I say you don't understand. I don't know why or how you're here but I know you're disrupting this timeline."

"I want to make it better," Tsuna says quietly, his soft voice not doing anything to hide the steel in it.

"You can't." Mafer's posture then relaxes, a small sigh leaving past her lips. "Look, I see you're doing what you think is the right thing, but you should think first, is it really the right thing for everyone?"

"I know a way to make the curse void, so-"

"Think, kid. You sound like a nice person, but do you think there won't be any consequences if you try to change things?"

Tsuna shakes his head. "If there are, I'll pay them, I will-"

"Even if you're destroying whole parallel universes with your actions?"