The moment Tsuna saw Byakuran, he immediately became alert.
Judging from how the other True Six Funeral Wreaths had behaved earlier, their leader was clearly not here with good intentions.
Byakuran remained lounging lazily in the chair, looking like someone enjoying a vacation. His gaze drifted toward the sky as if Tsuna wasn't even worth his attention.
Tsuna slowly shifted his steps.
In his opinion, staying on the rooftop with Byakuran was far more dangerous than going back downstairs and enduring a few sarcastic remarks from Hibari. As long as Namimori's discipline wasn't violated, Hibari was practically the safest person around.
Suddenly—
Tsuna's heart tightened.
Acting purely on instinct, he rolled to the side.
Clink!
A palm-sized needle engraved with a dragon pierced the ground where he had just been standing.
Killing intent.
Tsuna could clearly feel it.
The murderous aura radiating from that seemingly relaxed figure was completely inconsistent with his lazy appearance.
Thanks to the combat instincts Tsuna had developed from fighting Hollows, Byakuran's sudden attack failed.
"Not bad… young Vongola."
Byakuran stretched lazily, crossed his legs, and sat up, resting his chin on both hands as if watching a show.
Tsuna immediately noticed something.
"Young Vongola."
That meant this Byakuran was different from the others below.
This one knew Tsuna wasn't the original Sawada Tsunayoshi.
"What do you know?" Tsuna asked solemnly.
"What are you referring to?" Byakuran said playfully.
"The younger you? Or the even smaller you?"
So his guess was right.
This Byakuran hadn't mistaken him for the Tsuna from the Reborn world.
And this Byakuran seemed far more rational than the others.
Could it be—
"Are you my Zanpakutō?" Tsuna asked.
He hadn't forgotten the real reason he entered this inner world.
He had never seen his Zanpakutō spirit before, so it wouldn't be strange if it appeared in the form of Byakuran.
The moment he heard that question—
Byakuran burst into uncontrollable laughter.
It took quite a while before he calmed down.
Then he looked at Tsuna with utter disdain.
"Young Vongola… congratulations."
"You've managed to piss me off."
"How dare you associate me with that thing."
The killing intent around Byakuran intensified instantly.
He pointed toward Tsuna.
A white serpent-like creature shot forward with terrifying speed.
Tsuna couldn't possibly dodge something that fast.
But strangely—
Just before Byakuran attacked, Tsuna felt a sudden premonition.
Because of that strange feeling, he moved a moment early—barely avoiding the attack.
Only then did he clearly see what the white serpent was.
It was a white dragon.
Byakuran's Box Weapon — White Dragon.
Unlike the earlier needle, which only attacked once, this White Dragon had its own consciousness.
After missing its first strike, it immediately turned and continued chasing Tsuna.
Meanwhile, the Lambo on Tsuna's back thought they were playing a game and kept cheering excitedly.
Rip!
The dragon pierced the hem of Tsuna's clothes.
If this continued, the next thing pierced would be his body.
On the lower floors, Tsuna could hope that the corresponding Vongola Guardian would appear to stop each Funeral Wreath.
But on this rooftop—
The only one who matched Byakuran was Sawada Tsunayoshi himself.
Which meant no one else would come to save him.
And Lambo not causing trouble was already the best Tsuna could hope for.
Besides the White Dragon chasing him, Byakuran himself stood in the distance, watching like a predator.
If things continued like this—
They would both die here.
Tsuna glanced toward the door they had entered from.
Combining that with Byakuran's earlier actions, it was obvious—
Byakuran would never let him leave.
But at least…
Tsuna looked down at Lambo.
Lambo couldn't be dragged into this.
Relying on his strange intuition, Tsuna chose the option that minimized damage.
He performed a tactical roll.
His left arm took the White Dragon's attack, while he grabbed Lambo and threw him toward the still-open door leading to the stairs.
"Run, Lambo! Go find Hibari-senpai! He'll protect you!" Tsuna shouted.
Hibari might have a sharp tongue, but he cared deeply about the weak.
If Lambo went to him like this, Hibari would definitely protect him.
"And you still dare lose focus while fighting me?"
Byakuran's voice sounded behind him.
A terrifying flame pressure ignited throughout the space.
Tsuna turned around.
In Byakuran's right hand, a massive cluster of Sky Flames had formed.
The attack looked frighteningly similar to the final clash between Byakuran and the original Tsuna.
Help…
Tsuna screamed internally toward that mysterious instinct.
But his intuition told him something terrifying.
He was completely locked onto by this attack.
There was no way to escape.
Is this the end?
Byakuran extended his arm.
A massive spiraling pillar of flames shot toward Tsuna.
He had no way to resist.
He could only wait to be devoured and shredded by the raging flames.
Reality — Underground Training Ground
At that moment—
Large amounts of white fluid began pouring from Tsuna's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
The substance quickly covered his face and upper body.
A Hollow mask formed over his face.
Behind it, purple hair emerged.
Strange patterns appeared across his upper body.
Tsuna's body had begun to Hollowfy.
A piercing scream erupted from his throat.
Nearby, Tsukabishi Tessai strengthened the strange hand seal he was maintaining.
This wasn't the first time he had seen a Hollow transformation, so he remained calm.
But soon—
His expression changed.
The restraints of Bakudō #99 — Kin were loosening.
As the white substance continued spreading, the bindings on Tsuna's arms suddenly shattered.
Tsuna broke free.
White fluid covered his entire body.
A Hollow Hole appeared in his chest.
Sawada Tsunayoshi had completely Hollowfied.
Tessai immediately changed tactics.
While retreating rapidly, he cast two incantationless Kidō.
Bakudō #61 — Rikujōkōrō.
Bakudō #62 — Hyapporankan.
Six beams of light locked around Tsuna's waist.
Then dozens of white rods shot forward and pierced his body.
The Hollowfied Tsuna screamed in pain.
But as he twisted violently—
Both Kidō techniques shattered.
The wounds caused by Hyapporankan immediately filled with white Hollow matter and regenerated.
Now free, Tsuna immediately targeted the one who had attacked him:
Tessai.
Inside this narrow pit, Tessai could rapidly cast Kidō—
But Tsuna could also reach him instantly.
Tessai reacted immediately.
Using Shunpo, he leapt upward while casting two more spells to slow Tsuna's charge.
Hadō #31 — Shakkahō.
Hadō #33 — Sōkatsui.
Red and blue fireballs slammed into Tsuna.
They didn't injure him—
But they successfully slowed his movement.
With a flash, Tessai escaped the pit.
From the bottom of the pit, a red light suddenly erupted upward.
Tessai quickly cast another Kidō.
Bakudō #88 — Dankū.
A transparent barrier sealed the pit.
The red beam struck the barrier—
BOOM!!!
A violent explosion collapsed the pit.
Debris buried Tsuna beneath the rubble.
"Oh my… what a powerful Cero," Urahara commented casually, fanning himself as he walked over.
"Stop joking around, Kisuke," a voice said.
A cloud of smoke passed, and Yoruichi appeared in human form.
"This kid's Hollowfication is clearly much stronger than the others we've encountered."
"Mr. Urahara, Lady Yoruichi," Tessai said seriously.
"Please prepare yourselves. Mr. Sawada's Hollow is clearly different from the others."
After fighting Tsuna directly, Tessai knew—
If his reaction had been slower earlier, he might have been killed at the bottom of that pit.
"You're right," Urahara said, adjusting his hat.
He raised his cane horizontally.
Inside it was his Zanpakutō.
He was already ready for battle.
Suddenly—
The battlefield became eerily quiet.
Aside from drifting dust, nothing moved.
Logically speaking, those rocks couldn't possibly trap a Hollow.
So why hadn't Tsuna emerged yet?
"Kisuke… maybe we were mistaken?" Yoruichi stretched lazily.
"No," Urahara replied.
"That's exactly why we should be more cautious."
Based on past experience, most Hollowfied subjects lost their sanity and fought purely through brute force.
But Tsuna had not appeared at all.
That was far more dangerous.
Suddenly—
A series of sharp piercing sounds echoed around them.
Green hair-like strands erupted from underground, burning with purple flames.
They formed a cage, trapping Urahara, Yoruichi, and Tessai inside.
"Interesting," Urahara said calmly.
He drew his Zanpakutō.
"Awaken… Benihime."
The green strands attacked from above.
Urahara cut them down with his blade.
Yoruichi dodged with incredible agility.
Tessai shattered them using rapid low-level Hadō.
Soon the ground was covered in severed green strands.
Then—
They ignited with purple flames.
Their shapes began to change.
As the flames stretched them outward, they transformed into purple flame-covered spinosaur-like creatures.
"Trouble, Kisuke!" Yoruichi shouted.
"I know."
Urahara flipped his blade and stabbed it into the ground.
"Bind them… Benihime."
Net-like Reiatsu erupted from the blade tip, trapping the newly formed creatures.
Yoruichi and Tessai quickly destroyed them.
After seeing this transformation, the three of them no longer dared to casually cut the attacking hair.
They could only evade the attacks.
"Kisuke, we can't let that kid keep playing like this!" Yoruichi shouted.
"I know. Tessai—work with me."
Tessai immediately understood.
Both of them moved in perfect sync.
Bakudō #63 — Sajō Sabaku!
The massive chain-like restraints burrowed into the rubble.
Tsuna's Reiatsu was far too obvious to hide.
The chains wrapped tightly around the abnormal spiritual pressure underground.
Together, Urahara and Tessai pulled.
A Hollowfied humanoid monster was dragged out from beneath the rubble.
Tessai's eyes widened in shock.
This Hollow looked completely different from before.
It had:
Green hair
A dark green scaled left arm
A massive crimson right arm
A giant eye in the center of its chest
A blue fish tail extending from its lower back
Pure white wings growing from its back
Lightning-like energy crackled across its entire body.
And on its Hollow mask—
There was only one marking.
An inverted blue crown beneath the left eye.