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Chapter 57: Awareness (Conscientia)
Though Tsuna had cornered the masked figure, they had vanished without a trace, leaving only their mask and cloak discarded on the dirt.
What's going on? Their presence is completely gone…
Tsuna scanned the surrounding area, straining his senses to pick up any lingering traces, but he felt nothing. He realized the masked figure had genuinely vanished from the battlefield.
No, wait. More importantly, how did they escape?
The figure had been kicked high into the air. Believing they couldn't dodge, they took a defensive posture. If they had a way to escape mid-air, they should have used it to avoid the attack in the first place. Yet, the masked figure didn't use any such method, instead vanishing and leaving only their mask and cloak behind. The discrepancy bothered him. Why hadn't they escaped immediately? And how did they manage it at all?
"Ryuu. After my last attack hit them, did you see where they went?"
"No… I didn't see anything."
Hoping she might have caught a glimpse of their escape, Tsuna asked Ryuu, but she shook her head.
A Real Illusion? Or perhaps spatial teleportation?
Tsuna theorized that the masked figure might have been a physical illusion wearing real gear, or perhaps an ability user capable of warping themselves into a separate pocket dimension. However, without concrete proof, it was nothing more than speculation.
"Sorry, Ryuu. If I had managed to capture them, we might have been able to squeeze some information out about the Evilus."
"There is no need for you to apologize, Mr. Sawada. I am the one who should be apologizing."
"Apologizing?"
"You stopped me when I was completely consumed by hatred. Yet, I trampled all over your goodwill. If you hadn't stopped me, I likely would have lost someone precious to me all over again. I am truly sorry."
Ryuu bowed her head deeply, her voice heavy with sincere regret.
"Raise your head, Ryuu. Ultimately, you were the one who held yourself back. There's no need to apologize."
"Mr. Sawada…"
"The real problem is that the Evilus—an organization that was supposedly wiped out—have reappeared."
Tsuna tucked the throwing knives under his arm and bent down to pick up the abandoned mask and cloak.
"Ryuu. Do you have any idea who that might have been?"
"No. None at all."
"I see. Then maybe I should ask Finn."
"Are you acquainted with [Braver]?"
"Yeah. He's the one who told me about the Dark Age. Don't worry. I won't mention anything about you being involved."
"Thank you."
Since Finn had lived through the Dark Age, there was a chance he might recognize the masked figure. Even if he didn't, Finn wouldn't just ignore the resurgence of the Evilus. Tsuna figured Finn would at least investigate the matter for them.
Ryuu voiced her gratitude for his discretion. As she did, a soft flush crept up her cheeks, and she slightly averted her gaze.
"B-By the way, Mr. Sawada…!"
"Yeah? What is it?"
"A-About earlier…!"
"Earlier?"
"U-Um…! When you protected me from the masked person…!?"
The memory rushed back to her with vivid clarity. The moment he had tackled her to the ground to shield her from the blindspot knife. The moment he had effortlessly scooped her up into a princess carry to save her from the explosion.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"N-No! Never mind, it's nothing at all!"
"Oh, alright. Anyway, I'm heading back to the others. I doubt the Evilus will attack again, but keep your guard up."
With that, Tsuna turned and headed back to where Finn and the others were gathered to hand over the evidence.
.....
Tsuna made his way back to the area where the Man-Eating Flower had spawned to show them the masked figure's belongings.
"Ah!"
One of the Loki Familia members spotted him approaching.
"Captain! He's back!"
"Finally back, are we—!?"
The moment Finn laid eyes on the cloak and mask in Tsuna's hands, the color drained from his face. He rushed over to Tsuna immediately.
"Why do you have those!?"
"Finn?"
It was incredibly rare for Finn to raise his voice. Hearing the panic in his tone, Riveria quickly approached them.
"What's wrong? What happened?"
"Look at this."
"This is!?"
Just like Finn, Riveria's expression hardened the second she recognized the items.
"When that monster appeared earlier, I felt like someone was watching us. I went to investigate and found two guys in white robes, but they were taken out by the person wearing this cloak and mask. I was almost silenced too, but I managed to fight them off… or so I thought. I'm not sure what trick they used, but they vanished, leaving only this behind."
"..."
Tsuna briefly explained the encounter. Finn and Riveria fell completely silent, lost in deep thought.
"They were seriously creeping me out. I brought this back thinking you might know something, and judging by your reactions, I'm guessing you do."
"Yes, I do. In fact, you could say we've been tracking that exact individual."
"Finn. Are you sure about this?"
"Whatever the circumstances, he has already made contact with them. He has a right to know. If he really fought them head-on, he'll likely be targeted too. And if we're going to stand against them, we'll need his strength."
So it really is the Evilus? Listening to their exchange, Tsuna deduced that their enemy was indeed the Evilus, and that the Loki Familia had been actively hunting them down.
"However, discussing this here isn't a good idea. Let's talk properly once we return to the surface. Will that be alright with you?"
"Got it."
.....
Meanwhile, at that exact moment.
What is this?
Standing on a thick tree branch, Ryuu inspected a strange, red spherical object in her hand. It had an eyeball-like object embedded into it and had the letter 'D' meticulously engraved into it.
She had found it a short distance away from where Tsuna and the masked figure had fought. Realizing it wasn't just an ordinary tool, she had decided to take it with her. However, she had absolutely no idea what its actual purpose was.
I suppose I'll look into it once I return.
Slipping the strange sphere into her pocket, she began to walk.
But still, who exactly is Mr. Sawada?
Witnessing Tsuna's overwhelming strength firsthand had made one thing abundantly clear: he was absolutely not a rookie adventurer who had just arrived in Orario. She had suspected he was extraordinary ever since she saw his Hyper Dying Will Mode, but his combat abilities far exceeded anything she had imagined. Her curiosity about his true identity was growing by the minute.
W-Why…!? My cheeks are burning, and my heart won't stop pounding!
The moment her thoughts drifted back to Tsuna, Ryuu placed a hand over her chest, tightly gripping her shirt. She suddenly realized the strange anomaly occurring within her own body.
N-No! Mr. Sawada simply saved my life! That's all it was!
Shaking her head frantically, Ryuu desperately tried to deny the unfamiliar emotions swirling inside her.
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