Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for just $7 to get early access to all upcoming chapters!
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations
─────
Chapter 33: Lower Floors (Second Line)
Having wiped out the Deadly Hornets and Bloody Hives with Natsu's help, Tsuna waited for the Vanguard to catch up.
"We finally caught up!! Wait, there's something there!!"
Just as the executives burst through the brush, Tiona froze, her eyes widening at the bizarre, fiery creature resting on Tsuna's shoulder.
"This is my partner, Natsu."
"Gau."
So cute...
As Tsuna introduced the cub, Ais stared unblinking, her heart utterly captivated by Natsu's adorable appearance.
"I've cleared out the bulk of the monsters in this sector. I'm going to fly back and report to Finn so we can keep moving."
"H-Hold on a second!!"
"What is it?"
"What do you mean 'what is it'!! You say he's your partner, but where the hell was he hiding this entire time!?" Tione demanded.
"That's a secret. It involves prying into my secrets."
"Hey!?"
Knowing he couldn't exactly explain that Natsu lived inside his ring, Tsuna ignited his flames and vanished with a sonic boom, blasting backward toward the rear of the formation.
"Oh come on!! He's already at the Captain's side!!"
"We just caught up to him, too!!"
Damn it!! I still can't track his movements at all!! Bete cursed internally, furious at his own inadequacy.
He was so cute... Ais remained entirely lost in her own thoughts.
Meanwhile, at the rear of the Vanguard.
"I've cleared the area."
"Whoa!?"
Tsubaki nearly jumped out of her skin as Tsuna, who had been miles ahead, instantaneously materialized beside them. Her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest.
"I see. And the creature on your shoulder is...?" Finn asked.
"My partner, Natsu."
"Understood."
Sensing Tsuna's silent, unyielding boundary, Finn accepted the answer without pressing further.
"Let's keep moving, then. Could you relay the order to the rest of the Vanguard?"
"Got it."
Turning around, Tsuna aimed his palms behind him and fired another massive burst of flames, rocketing forward and disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"What in the world did Tsuna-kichi just do...? He was just over there, and suddenly he appears here... and before I can blink, he's gone again..."
"High-speed movement utilizing the reverse propulsion of his flames. It's quite simple, really," Finn explained.
"I understand the physics of it, but... isn't that far too fast?"
"Those flames prioritize propulsion and destructive power over sheer heat. That's what allows him to achieve those blistering speeds."
Having experienced Tsuna's flames firsthand during their spar, Finn understood the terrifying mechanics behind them perfectly.
.....
Exiting the 24th Floor, the Vanguard plunged into the 25th Floor.
"Incredible..."
The moment Tsuna stepped into the new biome, the sight stole his breath away. A colossal, deafening waterfall roared in the distance, feeding into countless rushing rivers and crystalline lakes that fractured the entire floor.
"This is the Water Capital. And that massive waterfall is the Great Fall. It plummets endlessly, spanning all the way down to the 27th Floor. Be warned—there are monsters that actually swim up that waterfall to reach this floor."
"Swim up the waterfall...!?"
Scaling a normal waterfall was nearly impossible for most living creatures. The fact that monsters could swim up a torrent tens of times larger left Tsuna stunned.
"As I mentioned before we arrived, this entire floor is submerged in waterways. Fall in, and the aquatic monsters will drag you under and drown you. We must proceed while strictly avoiding the water's edge."
Just as Finn issued the warning, a massive aquatic beast breached the surface of a nearby lake, crashing back down into the depths without attacking.
"More importantly, are you truly alright without wearing an Undine Cloth?" Finn asked.
The Undine Cloth was a specialized piece of equipment designed to increase underwater mobility and reduce water pressure. In a floor where drowning equated to death, it was a mandatory safety measure for all adventurers.
"It's fine. My flames won't be extinguished by water. I can't say it's perfectly safe, but I can maneuver underwater if I have to."
Dying Will Flames were the visual manifestation of a person's highly compressed life energy. They burned independently of oxygen. If he fell in, Tsuna could simply use flame propulsion to rocket out of the water faster than he could swim.
"I see. But water isn't our only threat here."
Finn pointed toward the sprawling cavern ceiling. Tsuna followed his gaze, spotting two distinct species of avian monsters circling the stalactites. One had the upper body of a human female combined with deep red feathers for arms and the talons of a bird of prey. The other possessed a similar female upper body but boasted intense yellow feathers, and its entire lower half resembled a massive eagle.
"The ones with the deep red feathers are Harpies. The ones with eagle talons are Sirens. This floor is the domain of aerial monsters. If you focus too much on the water, the skies will kill you. If you focus too much on the sky, the water will claim you."
As Finn finished explaining the aerial threats, he lowered his gaze to the ground. A massive swarm of giant crabs was scuttling rapidly toward them.
"Are those crabs... walking forward...!?" Tsuna blinked in surprise.
Normal crabs had too many legs and complex joints; moving forward was highly inefficient, which was why they scuttled sideways.
"Those are Blue Crabs. One of their claws is grotesquely overdeveloped. They use it like a sledgehammer, boasting enough blunt-force trauma to effortlessly shatter boulders. Their steel-like shells are also incredibly dense. I doubt they pose a threat to you, but would you like me to explain their weak points?"
"No need. I've actually got a technique I want to test out."
"A technique?"
Tsuna stepped forward, dropping his center of gravity. He extended his hands toward the ground, dropping his right knee to the ground and aiming both hands forward. The flame on his forehead began to flicker violently, pulsing in an erratic, stuttering rhythm.
"Zero Point Breakthrough: First Edition."
A terrifying wave of absolute zero erupted from Tsuna's hands, surging forward like a tidal wave of jagged ice. The encroaching glacier swallowed the swarm of Blue Crabs in an instant, freezing them completely solid.
This was a legendary technique developed by Vongola Primo, the founder of the Vongola Familia. If Hyper Dying Will Mode was a "positive" state of highly active energy, this technique invoked the exact opposite "negative" state, emptying the user's dying will. Reversing the flame produced an extreme, localized freeze. The ice generated by this technique sealed the target away completely. It could not be melted by normal heat, magic, or sunlight—only by a Dying Will Flame of equal or greater strength. In a world completely devoid of Dying Will Flames, this ice was absolute and eternal.
"Ice...!?"
"Good grief... he never ceases to shatter our expectations..."
Seeing Tsuna command absolute ice on top of his destructive flames left Riveria and Finn utterly bewildered.
I knew it. This technique leveled up too.
Tsuna realized that his Falna blessing had drastically increased the freezing speed and area of effect of his Zero Point Breakthrough.
And it wasn't just my imagination either...
He had chosen the technique because the Blue Crabs were low to the ground and restricted to land, making an area-of-effect freeze the most efficient choice. But upon executing the move, Tsuna confirmed another subtle shift in his own capabilities.
"I'll go clear out the airspace."
Aiming his palms downward, Tsuna ignited his thrusters and blasted into the sky, rocketing toward the circling Harpies and Sirens. Since the Vanguard lacked aerial combatants, they were normally forced to endure bombardments until the monsters swooped into melee range. Tsuna reasoned that if he wiped them out preemptively, the group could traverse the floor without issue.
"H-He's flying...!? Is there truly no limit to what he can do!?" Tsubaki gaped, staring at the boy casually dominating the sky.
"He is securing the airspace for us. Vanguard, focus entirely on neutralizing the ground and aquatic threats!" Finn commanded.
Thanks to Tsuna drawing the aggro of the aerial monsters, the Loki Familia pushed through the Water Capital at a blistering pace, free from the constant threat of aerial bombardment.
Eventually, the expeditionary force reached the 27th Floor.
Seeing it up close is insane.
They were currently navigating a massive precipice located directly behind the Great Fall. Feeling the thunderous vibrations of the plummeting water, Tsuna couldn't help but be moved by the sheer scale of the Dungeon's architecture.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, a black blur shot out from the roaring waterfall, rocketing straight toward Tsuna's head. Reacting instantly, Tsuna threw his right hand up, projecting a dense wall of Sky Flames. The black blur slammed into the wall of flames and subsequently vanished.
"A swallow?"
In the split second before impact, Tsuna's kinetic vision caught the distinct shape of a scarlet-feathered swallow.
"That was an Iguazu. They hold the title of 'Flash' and are undeniably the fastest monsters in the Lower Floors," Finn explained.
"It definitely lives up to the name."
"Speed isn't their only weapon. They are completely suicidal, launching themselves at their targets like living bullets. Because of that relentless aggression, they are exceptionally lethal. Countless adventurers have died without even realizing what hit them."
As Finn detailed their terrifying nature, the walls surrounding the waterfall began to violently crack and pulse. Suddenly, hundreds of new monsters burst from the stone. An absolute swarm of Iguazu filled the cavern.
"A Monster Party..."
"Monster Party?"
"An irregular, massive outbreak of monsters."
"I see."
"Can you handle it?"
"Not a problem."
Aiming his hands at the ground, Tsuna blasted himself high into the air, instantly drawing the swarm's attention. Surrounded on all sides, the hyper-accelerated Iguazu locked onto him and launched a synchronized, suicidal barrage from every conceivable angle.
"Natsu. Cambio Forma. Modo Difesa."
The instant the words left his lips, the swarm of living bullets slammed directly into him.
"A direct hit!?" Tiona shrieked.
"Tsuna!!" Ais yelled, her heart leaping into her throat.
The rest of the Vanguard watched in utter horror as the boy was seemingly skewered by a hundred high-speed projectiles.
""""""!?""""""
But then, an impossible phenomenon occurred. The moment the Iguazu struck him, their bodies instantly lost all molecular cohesion, liquefying into harmless water. A split second later, the torrential downpour of liquefied monsters splashed against the ground. Hovering untouched in the center of the deluge was Tsuna, draped in an elegant, pitch-black cloak adorned with the Vongola emblem.
"Mantello di Vongola Primo."
─ ─ ─ ─ ─
Support this fanfict by leaving Positive Review, Comments, and Power Stones.
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations