Crisis Sixteen

Fragments of deep brown, metallic walls mingled with clusters of brilliant orange-red flames, cascading like a shower of meteors in every direction. Amidst this glaring, almost disruptive light that threatened to pierce the darkness of night, the red-haired demon fox stood quietly, a smile lingering at the corner of his lips.

His face was somewhat pale, yet it could not mask the luminous, jade-like beauty of his emerald eyes, where a mesmerizing, fierce radiance danced. He stood upright, steady and silent—even with a frame so slender it seemed fragile enough to be toppled by a gentle breeze, he exuded an unsettling aura of intimidation and instability. It compelled others to instinctively step back, unable to approach him any further.

Xanxus stared at Kurama for several seconds, then suddenly spoke without warning:
"Are you also a member of Tsuna Sawada’s family?"

"No," Kurama replied with a gentle smile, shaking his head. "I’m merely Tsuna’s friend."

"Friend?" Xanxus scoffed softly, "How dull."

"If you’re not part of Tsuna Sawada’s family, I’ll give you a choice."
His dark-haired brows arched with intrigue, and his gaze bore down with an almost predatory aggression:
"Kid, your abilities seem interesting. How about joining Varia?"

Xanxus’s words stunned not only Kurama and Tsuna, but even the Varia members beside him. They could tell their boss was quite serious. But… why? Was it simply that the red-haired youth’s unique abilities had caught the boss’s attention? Not impossible, of course. Yet, although Xanxus was indeed a reckless and self-indulgent leader, when it came to formal decisions, he had never given his subordinates reason to doubt him. He wasn’t the type to invite someone on a whim, based solely on personal preference.

In silent confusion, the Varia members exchanged glances, wisely refraining from questioning their boss’s decision. Not that Xanxus cared about their reactions. He watched the red-haired youth below with rare patience, awaiting his answer.

Kurama, however, found himself at a loss for words. He could sense Xanxus’s sincerity, but—was it really just because he had blocked a single fiery attack? Would that alone warrant an invitation? Was that truly the kind of person Xanxus was?

A thousand thoughts flashed through the fox’s mind, but in the end, he shook his head and politely declined without hesitation:
"Sorry, I have no interest in joining the Mafia."

"…Ah, is that so. What a pity."
Despite the words, neither Xanxus’s tone nor expression betrayed the slightest hint of disappointment.

He lifted his arm again, as if he’d lost all interest in Kurama, speaking coldly:
"Then, this little farce should end here."

Before the words faded, a torrent of flames erupted from his palm, surging violently toward Kurama and Tsuna’s position.

Kurama barely had time to toss Mokona into Tsuna’s arms; in the next instant, a rose thorn blade sprang from his palm, weaving a dense wall of vines before him—

The flames were blocked once more.

Xanxus’s expression finally shifted.

"So… I underestimated you, did I?"
He spoke quietly, and the fire in his palm began to condense once more.

Kurama’s expression grew even more grave. Fire was a natural counter to his rose thorn blade, which was ultimately a plant-based weapon. He wasn’t sure how many more attacks he could withstand, especially after forcibly overextending his demon power to activate the Giant’s Cage, leaving him in a state of extreme weakness.

If only… he hadn’t lost over ninety percent of his demon energy…
If only… he were still the demon fox Kurama, reigning at the pinnacle of the demon world…

Kurama realized that never before had he so desperately longed to reclaim his power.

How long had it been since he’d yearned for strength with such fervor?

As he closed his eyes, Kurama suddenly understood a little of why Yuko had demanded his demon power as payment.

"At a time like this… what are you looking at, kid?"
A single moment’s distraction, and Xanxus was already giving him a cold smile—

"I thought you’d be more interesting."

The man seemed to feel genuine regret at last. The flames in his hand glowed with an ominous blood-red light, about to surge toward Kurama—

"That’s enough, Xanxus!"

With a spinning, utterly ridiculous-looking miner’s pick landing before the Varia, Tsuna’s father, delayed by some unknown matter, finally arrived at this critical moment.

He first gave Kurama a subtle glance full of gratitude and admiration, then turned with domineering confidence to the black-haired man still poised with flames:
"From now on, I’m taking over here. Varia, the Ninth’s assassination squad, and… Xanxus, are you going to attack me, the external advisor?"

"…Iemitsu."
Expressionless, Xanxus stared at Tsuna’s father for several seconds before suddenly extinguishing the flames in his hand.

"Stupid boss…?"

His reaction left Squalo momentarily stunned. But soon, the silver-haired youth recovered and redirected his fury at the miner’s garb-clad man who had ruined his boss’s "fun":
"Iemitsu, what are you doing here now?! You coward who only knows how to run away!"

Tsuna’s father simply shook his head, unusually serious.
"Squalo, I’m not avoiding anything. I was waiting."

"Waiting… for the Ninth’s response."

And now, he had received it.

Iemitsu produced from his breast pocket a warrant from the current head of the Vongola family—the Ninth, Timoteo.

Kurama, who vaguely recalled how events would unfold, watched as Iemitsu handed the two warrants to Tsuna’s side and Varia’s side respectively. The contents…

As expected, the matter was settled: two individuals, each bearing a half-Vongola ring of the same attribute, would face off in a one-on-one ring battle.

Not long after this announcement was made, two eccentric women appeared out of nowhere, claiming to be members of the Ninth’s direct agency, the Cielbello, and declared themselves the referees.

Kurama watched their performance with cold amusement, even an unconscious sneer forming at his lips.

Truthfully, he had a strong dislike for these "Cielbello."
Regardless of their true identity—guardians of order, overseers of the Mare rings, or as many fans speculated, inheritors of some ancient race like the Avengers—it didn’t matter.
What Kurama disliked was their attitude toward Tsuna. Even if they were biased toward Varia, Tsuna was still a legitimate candidate for the next boss. He might be young and soft-hearted, but was it their place, as supposed subordinates, to look down on him?

Kurama cared little for whatever justification they might have. He simply found them unpleasant and resolved to make things difficult for them.

"These two… Cielbello?"
With a refined smile, Kurama stepped forward during the brief pause when Iemitsu’s "I’ve never heard of any Cielbello" was met with a mild rebuttal. Without waiting for their permission, Kurama, channeling the gentle campus prince persona of Shuichi Minamino to the fullest, spoke with cutting words:

"You claim you bear no responsibility to anyone, so you truly act with impunity? You refuse to accept doubts, so you believe you’ll never be questioned? The ring battle is crucial to the Vongola family. If the Ninth truly values the selection of the next boss to the extent that it hinges on this contest, then surely every arrangement would be written in the warrant beforehand?"

"Where is your authorization? Where is your proof?"

"Ladies, the document you waved in front of Tsuna’s father proves nothing."

"Because… it lacks the Ninth’s Dying Will Flame seal, does it not?"

At Kurama’s words, the entire scene fell silent.

In truth, this was an obvious flaw—an easy question that would leave Cielbello utterly unable to answer. In the original story, Tsuna’s ignorance of the mafia world, Iemitsu’s preoccupation with other worries, and the Ninth’s warrant bearing the Dying Will seal made the ring battle inevitable, so no one questioned the sudden appearance of the self-proclaimed referees.

But Kurama would not let them off so easily.

He stood there, smiling quietly, but his presence thoroughly intimidated the two Cielbello who were left speechless.

"So, you wish to be arbiters? Fine! As long as you can present proof."
Kurama smiled benignly, giving the two pale-faced Cielbello a gentlemanly gesture:
"There’s plenty of time. Using your ‘special channels,’ request a proper identification and judgment commission from the Ninth, bearing the Dying Will Flame seal. That shouldn’t be difficult, should it?"

"You are, after all, the Ninth’s direct special operations agency, aren’t you?"

Kurama’s suggestion was truly devilish. The Ninth was currently sealed inside the Gola Mosca across the way; unless the outer shell was broken, there was no way to rescue him. Under such circumstances, where were the Cielbello supposed to find a "Ninth" to give them a Dying Will seal?

A cold autumn wind swept through, leaving the entire arena in a bleak, silent hush.

***

Though Kurama had silenced the Cielbello with his questioning, the events of that day ultimately did not prevent them from becoming referees for the ring battle.

Because, after a silent exchange of looks, Xanxus and Iemitsu both chose to temporarily acknowledge the Cielbello’s status.

The two women sighed in relief, spared from disaster, but under Kurama’s warning gaze, their attitude toward Tsuna softened—from calling him "Sawada" to "Lord Sawada," a most telling shift.

Thus, the ring battle was set in stone. Though Tsuna was reluctant, he could not alter the outcome.

After an unexpected detour, everything returned to its proper course. The first battle for the Ring of the Sun was slated to begin that night, with Namimori Middle School as its stage.

As Kurama walked toward Namimori with Mokona and Tsuna, his thoughts were elsewhere—

He and Mokona might soon have to leave.

Author’s note: Regarding everyone’s questions about Kurama’s strength—well, it’s not that Shuichi in human form is truly weak. Kurama acted as he did because, as mentioned, he could defend himself, but actually fighting Xanxus head-on would mean intervening in family affairs, which wasn’t appropriate. Second, he’s lost over ninety percent of his demon power. Kurama now may have less energy than when he first joined the Dark Tournament in Yu Yu Hakusho. Experience alone can’t make up for such a loss of strength, so…

But don’t worry too much! You all know I’m absolutely a doting author—once this world ends, Kurama will regain some of his power. This weakened state won’t last much longer! Trust me! (>﹏<)

Regarding Cielbello… To be honest, I never quite understood where their lofty attitude came from. Tsuna is a legitimate candidate for the tenth boss—how dare they look down on him and push him around! The demon fox is very protective! Bullying my adorable Tsuna? Hmph! [pretending to be tsundere]

Attached images for this chapter… Well, public demand was so high that I’ll put up the 10+20th generation for everyone to see—this picture is in the same series as the previous one by S, and the ten-years-later, reverse-aging X father is absolutely stunning! X dad, marry me!!! [rolling in the mud]

And finally, the customary preview: Kurama’s discovery. Kurama says he and Mokona may leave soon—is it true? Meanwhile, the ring battle officially begins, and in the process, Kurama seems to uncover… a remarkable secret? Please look forward to the next chapter of "Demon Fox Kurama," Kurama’s Discovery!

PS: Today is the CET-4/6 exam—best of luck to everyone taking it! (╯3╰)