Chapter 10: Pride (Orgoglio)
After leaving an overwhelmingly dominant impression during his first Dungeon dive, Tsuna and his party returned to the surface. Their first stop was the Guild headquarters to exchange their loot for cash.
"S-Seventy thousand Valis..." x2
Having finished the exchange, the trio sat around a table in a nearby café. When they opened the leather pouch provided by the Guild and counted the golden coins inside, Bell and Lili were paralyzed by the sheer amount.
Valis was the standard currency of the world. To put its value into perspective, a hearty meal cost around 50 Valis. Hestia's part-time job paid a mere 30 Valis an hour.
"Umm... is that a little?"
"N-No!! I just never imagined we could earn this much in a single day!!"
Assuming their stunned silence meant the payout was disappointingly low, Tsuna asked hesitantly. Bell frantically corrected him.
I suppose it makes sense... Even if they were only Upper Floor monsters, if you completely eradicate every single spawn across nine floors, it adds up...
Lili recalled the absolute massacre Tsuna had unleashed. Individually, Upper Floor monsters were incredibly weak, making their Magic Stones and Drop Items relatively cheap. However, through sheer, unprecedented volume, they had amassed a small fortune. It was vastly more than what a normal worker could earn in months.
"So... we just split this evenly down the middle, right?" Tsuna asked.
"Eh... no... but this all belongs to you, Tsunayoshi-sama..."
Lili felt incredibly guilty at the prospect of taking an equal cut. The reason was obvious: Tsuna had single-handedly annihilated every threat, while she had contributed absolutely nothing to the combat.
"Why? Aren't we a team?"
"Eh...!?"
Tsuna genuinely didn't understand why she was hesitating to take her share. Lili stared at him, utterly stunned by his nonchalant generosity.
This person... is just as ridiculously soft-hearted as Bell-sama...
She quickly realized that Tsuna was an incredibly trusting and good-natured person.
"Umm... Tsunayoshi-sama... If I were a bad person, I could easily exploit you right now..."
"That wouldn't happen. Like I said, I don't get a bad vibe from you."
"You mentioned that earlier, but what exactly do you mean by 'bad vibe'?"
"Hmm? It's kind of hard to explain... but when I'm around bad people, I get this awful, chilling sensation. Like a shiver down my spine... I don't feel anything like that from you, so I know you're fine..."
"I have no idea what you're talking about..."
Lili shot him a flat, deadpan stare, entirely unconvinced by his abstract, feeling-based logic.
"Fine... I understand. As you suggest, Tsunayoshi-sama, I will accept my half of the share. Is that acceptable to you, Bell-sama?"
"Y-Yeah..."
.....
After parting ways with Lili, Tsuna and Bell headed back to their home base at the ruined church.
"U-Umm, Tsuna!!"
"What's wrong, Bell?"
As they walked through the city streets, Bell mustered his courage and called out to him.
"I have a favor to ask!!"
"A favor?"
"Please... please train me!!"
"Ehhhh!? Train you!?"
Tsuna was completely blindsided. Being asked to act as a mentor was the last thing he expected.
"I-I can't do that!! I've always been the one getting trained! I've never taught anyone anything before!!"
"Please, I'm begging you!! Just sparring with me normally is fine!!"
"Ehhh..."
Seeing Bell press his hands together and bow his head so desperately, Tsuna was entirely at a loss.
"A-Alright... fine..."
"Really!? Thank you!!"
Considering how much Bell and Hestia had helped him, and understanding Bell's desperate desire to grow stronger, Tsuna decided to do whatever he could to aid his new friend.
"But... where should we do it...?"
Having only arrived in Orario the day before, Tsuna had zero knowledge of the city's layout. He had no idea where they could train without causing a public disturbance.
"If that's the case, I know a place..."
.....
Following Bell's lead, Tsuna arrived at their makeshift training ground.
"This is... on top of the wall...?"
They had climbed up onto the massive city wall encircling Orario. It was completely deserted, offering a sweeping, panoramic view of the sprawling city below. While the walkway wasn't exceptionally wide, it provided more than enough space for a sparring match.
The colossal circular wall served to physically isolate Orario from the outside world, preventing both external monsters and unauthorized intruders from breaching the city.
"Yeah. No one ever comes up here."
"I see..."
Confirming their isolation, Tsuna slipped the '27' mittens onto his hands.
"Then let's get started."
He instantly entered Hyper Dying Will Mode, signaling his readiness.
W-What an overwhelming presence...
When they were in the Dungeon, Bell had only been able to stare in awe at Tsuna's destructive power. But facing him head-on was completely different. Even though Tsuna was simply standing there, the sheer pressure radiating from him threatened to crush Bell's spirit.
But this was training. He couldn't back down. Bell drew both of his knives and dropped into a combat stance.
In his left hand, he held his standard baselard dagger, the Schweizer Degen. It was a high-quality weapon Lili had splurged on for him, costing a hefty 19,000 Valis even after aggressive haggling—more than enough for a rookie adventurer.
In his right hand, he held a knife inscribed with Hieroglyphs: the Hestia Knife. Hestia had begged her divine friend, Hephaestus—the Goddess of Forging—to craft it specifically for Bell. Forged directly by the ultimate artisan, its durability was unparalleled. Infused with Hestia's hair and Ichor, the blade was alive. In the hands of anyone else, it was a dull piece of scrap metal. But when wielded by a member of Hestia's Familia, its attack power scaled directly with the user's own strength. Its true value was a staggering 200 million Valis. Since Hestia obviously couldn't pay upfront, she had signed a 35-year, 420-installment loan. To pay off the crushing debt, she secretly worked a second job at the Hephaestus Familia's shop in Babel. Naturally, Bell was entirely oblivious to this.
"Knives, huh... Sorry, but I don't know the first thing about swordsmanship. I can't give you any technical advice. If you want to get stronger, you'll have to find the path yourself through our clashes."
"R-Right..."
"Don't hold back. Come at me from any angle. Come at me with the intent to kill."
"Please take care of me!!"
With a fierce battle cry, Bell launched himself straight at Tsuna.
"Haaaaaa!!"
The moment he entered striking range, Bell swung his reverse-gripped Schweizer Degen in a horizontal arc from left to right. It was one of the nine fundamental strikes of swordsmanship: the Right Sweep.
"...!?"
However, Bell's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. Tsuna had casually blocked the blade using only his right index finger.
With one finger...!? And it won't budge...!?
Bell poured all his strength into his left arm, but the blade remained completely immobile against the teenager's digit. Tsuna had perfectly condensed his Dying Will Flames into his finger, creating an impenetrable barrier.
"You're wide open."
Tsuna straightened his left fingers into a knife-hand strike and gently pressed it against Bell's throat.
"In a real fight, you'd be dead. Combat is an endless series of unpredictable variables. The moment you realize your attack won't work, you need to immediately disengage and plan your next move. Trying to overpower an opponent who clearly outclasses you in raw strength is pointless."
"...!?"
Unable to argue with the flawless logic, Bell slowly lowered his blade, pulling it away from Tsuna's finger.
"Next."
"R-Right...!!"
Looking slightly dejected, Bell retreated to his starting position.
A frontal assault won't work... In that case!!
Bell charged straight at Tsuna again. But this time, the moment he closed the distance, he dropped into a rapid slide tackle.
I'll take his legs first!!
Using his momentum, Bell aimed to sweep Tsuna's footing. Anticipating the low strike, Tsuna simply leaped into the air.
I knew it!!
Bell wasn't deterred in the slightest. He had fully expected Tsuna to dodge.
This is the real attack!!
By forcing Tsuna into the air, Bell had successfully secured his blind spot. Utilizing the momentum of his slide, Bell kicked off the ground, rocketing higher than Tsuna. He raised both knives above his head and brought them down in a vicious, plunging strike. It was another of the nine fundamental strikes: the Head-cleaver.
"...!?"
However, Tsuna calmly raised his right arm, blocking the dual downward slash with his gauntlet. In a fluid motion, Tsuna swept his arm outward, knocking Bell away. Bell tumbled through the air but managed to land safely on his feet.
I thought I had him perfectly, but he blocked it effortlessly...!?
Even after exploiting a blind spot with a perfectly timed feint, his attack hadn't even grazed Tsuna. Bell was left entirely stunned.
"Not a bad sequence, but entirely predictable. You realized during our first exchange that a direct attack was useless, which meant your next logical move would be a sneak attack. I deliberately jumped to dodge your slide, intentionally creating an opening for you to exploit."
He read me!? He predicted all of that from the very beginning!?
Bell was horrified to realize that Tsuna had been manipulating his movements before he even launched his aerial strike.
"Also, don't you have some kind of skill or magic? Use whatever you have."
"Eh... but..."
"I told you not to hold back. You want to get stronger, don't you?"
"U-Understood..."
Following Tsuna's urging, Bell reversed his grip on his knives and dropped back into a combat stance. This time, he began to sprint in a wide circle around Tsuna.
First, I need to create an opening...
He aimed to disrupt Tsuna's breathing rhythm to force a vulnerability.
Now!!
The moment Bell slipped into Tsuna's blind spot and Tsuna turned his head to track him, Bell thrust his right hand forward.
"Firebolt!!"
A blast of flame shaped like a jagged lightning bolt erupted from his palm.
Firebolt was Bell's singular, no-chant magic. Normally, casting magic required reciting an incantation. However, Firebolt was a rapid-fire spell that only required the user to call its name. While its raw power was lower than chant-based magic, its instantaneous cast time made it an exceptional combat asset.
Despite the sudden projectile, Tsuna remained completely unfazed. He simply tilted his head slightly to the left, allowing the blazing bolt to streak harmlessly past his ear.
This time for sure!!
The Firebolt hadn't been meant to hit; it was a smokescreen to blind Tsuna. Using the distraction, Bell instantly circled behind him.
"Firebolt!!"
He fired a second blast directly at Tsuna's exposed back.
He's being cautious... but...
This time, Tsuna tilted his head to the right, effortlessly dodging the second blast.
Bell wasn't mindlessly rushing in after taking Tsuna's back; he was carefully layering his attacks. However, Tsuna's Hyper Intuition saw right through the strategy. The moment Tsuna dodged the flame, Bell was already lunging forward, the Schweizer Degen thrusting toward Tsuna's face.
I see... the ranged attacks were meant to force my attention, making it impossible to predict that he would immediately close in for a melee strike...
Having completely deconstructed Bell's multi-layered feint, Tsuna casually caught the blade of the Schweizer Degen with his right hand, completely stopping its momentum.
I planned for this too!!
Even with his blade trapped, Bell didn't panic. He continued his forward assault.
"Haaaaaa!!"
Using his forward momentum, Bell launched himself into a brutal flying knee strike aimed at Tsuna's chest. Tsuna caught the incoming knee with his left palm.
Both of his hands are occupied!! Now!!
With Tsuna's right hand holding the dagger and his left hand blocking the knee, Bell's right arm was free. He swung the Hestia Knife down with everything he had.
"It's a good strategy... but..."
"Eh...!?"
Before the Hestia Knife could connect, Tsuna violently shoved forward with the left hand that was holding Bell's knee. Her balance shattered in mid-air, Bell was sent flying backward, crashing hard onto his back.
"Once you launch yourself into the air, you lose all leverage to brace yourself. You made a fatal error in judgment."
Even after all that...!?
Bell slowly sat up from the stone floor. He had used his swordsmanship, his magic, and his physical martial arts. He had thrown everything he had at the boy, yet he hadn't landed a single scratch. He hadn't even forced Tsuna to take a single step backward. The sheer, insurmountable gap in their abilities left Bell in complete shock.
"Don't be so pessimistic... Though I know that's hard to hear. Your tactics weren't bad at all. But in your case, there's a much deeper problem."
"A problem?"
"You are terrified of something."
"...!?"
Bell physically flinched, his eyes widening as Tsuna ruthlessly struck a nerve.
"Feeling fear isn't a bad thing. In fact, fighting without fear is just reckless stupidity. But your fear is paralyzing you. That terror is acting as a lid, sealing away your true potential."
"..."
"No matter how physically strong you become, if you let fear control you, it's all meaningless. Until you conquer that terror, you will never achieve true strength."
"..."
Unable to deny the harsh truth of Tsuna's words, Bell lowered his head in silence.
"Bell. What is your pride?"
"My pride...?"
Hearing the unexpected word, Bell slowly lifted his gaze.
"Your pride is what you refuse to compromise on. The one thing you will not yield, no matter what happens."
"The thing I won't yield..."
"Exactly. If you can figure out what your pride is, you should be able to overcome your fear."
"..."
Bell looked down at his hands, desperately searching his heart for the answer. But he couldn't grasp what his true pride was.
"You don't need to find the answer right this second. But until you do, you will never defeat your fear."
Tsuna remembered his own struggles. During his war against his close friend, Kozato Enma, and the Simon Familia, he had been forced to fight with his pride on the line. He remembered the agonizing internal conflict he endured before finally understanding what his pride truly was.
"What is your pride, Tsuna...?"
"My friends."
"Your friends...?"
"Yeah. No matter what happens, I will never yield when it comes to my friends. That's why I can fight without giving into fear."
"That's why you're so strong..."
"I'm not strong at all. Because I wasn't strong enough to protect everyone. I've let people die."
"Eh...!?"
Bell stared at Tsuna in shock, completely taken aback by the sudden, heavy confession.
"I trained desperately to get stronger so I could protect my friends. But even then, I couldn't save them. They died right in front of me."
Tsuna closed his eyes, the painful memories of Yuni and Gamma sacrificing themselves to restore the world's order during the battle against Byakuran flashing through his mind.
"And the man who caused me to lose my friends... I killed him."
"Eh...!?"
"I couldn't forgive him. He sacrificed countless innocent lives and stole the lives of my friends. Consumed by rage and hatred, I killed him. I always said I fought to protect my friends, but in the end, I was just a murderer. I was no different from him."
"...!?"
Tsuna recalled the final clash against Byakuran, where he had vaporized the Millefiore boss, leaving not even a single trace behind.
Hearing the incredibly dark, blood-soaked past of the gentle boy sitting before him, Bell was left utterly speechless, his mouth hanging open in horror.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to dump all that on you. Anyway, back to training."
"R-Right..."