Maybe because he had finally crossed a line with Tsubaki, Tsunayoshi found himself far more at ease when facing Tiona and Tione.
Tione's whole heart was tied to him—her worry was the worry one has for the person they love. Tiona's feelings were even purer. Compared to Tione, she was more forthright, treating him with the open warmth of family.
And Tsunayoshi, for his part, truly liked them both. Perhaps because he had met them early on, he was fond of their frankness and their adorable charm.
Knock, knock.
The door sounded, and Tsunayoshi pulled himself back to reality from the faint fragrance the sisters had left clinging to him.
The door opened. The one who stepped in was Tsubaki; she was the only one with a key to his room.
"Yo—still drowning in the gentle paradise called Tiona and Tione's arms?" she teased, a smile tugging at her lips.
"No, just… a little happy," Tsunayoshi said. "Knowing how worried they were about me."
"Isn't that only natural? They truly like you. And so do I," Tsubaki added, half playful, half earnest.
She strode up to him, still smiling at his sentiment—and then gave her own answer.
A quick peck on his lips.
"Well? Did you feel onee-san's love?"
Tsunayoshi paused, then nodded with a small smile. "Loud and clear."
Tsubaki sat down beside him, gently pinching his boyish cheeks before leaning in to his ear.
"I already heard how you made a splash out there today. You fought an Enhanced Species and took it down easily, right?"
"It's spread through the Familia that fast?" Tsunayoshi asked.
"The adventurers haven't stopped talking about it," Tsubaki snorted. "You didn't just beat any stone giant—you beat a version way beyond the usual, and you did it with such a flashy style that it's impossible not to gossip."
She had listened from the side as adventurers breathlessly described his fight with the Enhanced Species. Exaggeration or not, even ten or thirty percent of what they said painted a dazzling scene.
"It's not like I wanted to fight that way," Tsunayoshi said. "Head-on, I couldn't outmuscle it. I had to use… alternative methods."
He then explained the particulars of the Enhanced Species and the "spirit embryo" hidden within it.
"Pfft." Tsubaki laughed. "You really are unlucky—getting targeted this fast by those petty, vengeful types."
Her laugh held both sympathy for his bad luck and disdain for those shadow-dwellers.
"But you're really something, too. Even the partial intel they've got on you is enough to make those creeps tense up and plan against you."
"I'm guessing last time's ambush by Valetta plays a role," Tsunayoshi said.
"'Killer Empress,' huh… she was unlucky too," Tsubaki mused, remembering how Valetta's ambush on Tiona and Tione ended with Tsunayoshi bagging her instead. Valetta must have been very confident about snatching the sisters. She just forgot to account for one unpredictable variable—and that's what doomed her.
Tsubaki knew Tsunayoshi had been called over at the last minute by Tiona and Tione. If not for that, Valetta would likely have scored a resounding win.
But luck wasn't with her that day; she ran straight into Tsunayoshi. And considering how his abilities defied every norm—especially from the perspective of schemers—there was probably no one in Orario prepared to withstand him.
So of course Valetta had been the one to suffer.
"That's why I said those kinds never let things go," Tsubaki went on with a scoff. "They remember their grudges forever, and they love to hit you where you're not looking."
No matter what, once those people fixate on a target, they'll try anything. Even countering spatial abilities isn't impossible if they tailor their plans well enough. So Tsubaki gave him a proper warning:
"Tsuna, don't underestimate them. They're a shadowy bunch, but their execution is terrifying. They build whole playbooks around an adventurer's profile. Next time, they might show up with a way to limit your space-type tricks."
"Hmph. If that's how they want to play, I don't mind showing them a few… fun toys," Tsunayoshi said lightly.
He took her warning to heart. But if they refused to "play fair," he'd teach them the true meaning of "countermeasures."
Tsubaki could picture exactly what those "toys" meant—and they were not things the Dark Faction would want to see. If it came to that, it would go down as another blood-soaked page in their history.
If it really reached that point, the Dark Faction might just collapse entirely, she thought.
"By the way, Tsubaki—how are things at the workshop?" Tsunayoshi asked, realizing she'd probably heard the gossip from adventurers over there.
"My smiths are about to lose it," she sighed. "Gear we repaired just yesterday came back today in tatters again—and worse than before. But that's the Deep Floors for you."
She wasn't going to shove the blame onto the adventurers. Down there, the monsters' power was just too high; weapons and armor were bound to meet hell.
Not everyone could afford top-grade, first-class weapons that don't break.
"This 'Joint Expedition' is really a trial run to learn what a real expedition demands," Tsubaki continued. "It's normal to be scrambled the first time. Next time—before the Joint Expedition—I'll arrange for more tough, durable rotation weapons to be forged."
"I'm sure the smiths still chasing a name will be thrilled," Tsunayoshi said. "They'll finally get a chance to forge without penny-pinching."
Thinking of those fiery craftsmen, he was certain they wouldn't pass up such prime conditions.
"Finn-san gave the smiths an extra day of rest," Tsubaki added.
"An extra day?" Tsunayoshi nodded. "In that case, I'll ask them not to pull all-nighters tonight. If they keep grinding like this, they'll all go mad tomorrow."
Remembering the despair on the smiths' faces when they saw the heap of ruined gear, Tsubaki decided she really should head back and warn them. She brushed another quick kiss onto Tsunayoshi's lips and stood.
"I'll run over now. I'll come back later."
She waved and slipped out the door.
(End of Chapter)
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