It begins.

At this moment, looking at Johnny Winger who was in full momentum, Gin thought subtly.

Although this guy is a rabbit, he is the type that can put on a lion's mask and disguise himself.

Only in front of people who are close to them or people they trust will they take off their disguise and reveal their soft fur and inner core.

Obviously, the black-hearted and black-faced old crow who even wears a mask in front of his subordinates is not within his range of trust.

Thinking of this, Gin actually felt a little subtly happy.

——But only slightly.

And Tsunayoshi Sawada has no idea what his good friend Gin is thinking.

He stared at the crow with burning eyes, and after taking a look at the guy's basic situation, he quickly lost interest in the guy in front of him.

Mr. Godfather, who became particularly straightforward under special circumstances, subtly developed a feeling of fatigue.

After all, this guy looks like he is not very good at fighting. Although he appeared in front of his theoretical confidants, he was wearing a crow mask, which made him worthy of the code name of Crow that Tsunayoshi Sawada secretly gave him.

There was almost no exposed part of his body. The fitted black suit covered most of his torso. On his head was a ridiculous crow mask - or rather a crow hood, and on his hands were black gloves, which almost covered anything that could reveal any of his features.

But even so, looking at his body wrapped in clothes, Sawada Tsunayoshi could tell that this guy... might be a weakling.

Even 0.5 gin doesn't have that.

Although Gin is not an ordinary person, and ordinary people are not as strong as 0.5 Gin, this person is a crow, which makes Sawada Tsunayoshi subtly feel a little tired.

——Even though he knew it very well, the scary thing about Crow was not its almost non-existent military power, but its wealth that could rival that of other countries and the leaders of criminal organizations that could connect with the world.

Thinking of this, the corners of Sawada Tsunayoshi's mouth smoothed a little.

The crow looked at him and seemed to smile.

"Of course, my Johnny has been rewarded." He stretched out his hand and pretended to hug Sawada Tsunayoshi. "How are you doing recently? I heard that you brought in three new people. How are they doing? Are there any future stars rising in our organization?"

It is indeed rising.

Sawada Tsunayoshi thought slowly, it's just that undercover agents are gradually rising in your organization.

He lowered his eyes, pretending not to notice the old crow's mental condition.

In fact, it is a bit biased to call him an "old crow".

Crow used a voice changer, so it was hard to tell his age range. He stood tall, holding a scepter in his hand, but he didn't look old at all.

But from the first moment he saw her, Tsunayoshi Sawada secretly called her "old crow" in his heart.

——Just like how he had sent those rebellious elders of the Vongola to their graves with half a leg in their arms.

The old crow kept smiling and calmly withdrew his hand.

"But it just so happens that Mr. Rum and Mr. Tongshan arrived first, so we will deal with their matters first." He said, clasping his hands.

Sawada Tsunayoshi didn't believe that this was a coincidence.

But when the old crow said that, he reluctantly moved half a step to the side to make some room for the other party.

When he stood still, Crow patted his head as if he suddenly remembered something.

"I almost forgot. What's more, this matter is slightly related to Johnny's acquisition of you."

He said, "Since you are here, it would be nice to listen to it as well."

Sawada Tsunayoshi tilted his head and agreed happily, but he already had some guesses in his mind.

After all, he had just secretly spoken to Tongshan, which meant that he knew the questions in advance from the teacher in charge of setting the test papers.

He clasped his hands and lowered his eyes to listen to Crow talking and laughing about a recent email he received from an unknown source, which contained a message about a wildfire a few days ago. The protagonist turned out to be his beloved Johnny Winger - sorry, he felt like vomiting - the good-tempered Crow patiently watched the video and found it ridiculous to see his Johnny Winger being photoshopped with flames to resist the wildfire.

"How is this possible?" the crow said in a ridiculous tone, "How can mere human beings resist the might of nature? This must be a joke! A conspiracy between me and my Johnny! "

Even though he said this, Tsunayoshi Sawada could still feel his eyes on him.

As greedy as a crow, and as slippery as a snake.

The brown-haired young man curled his little finger, unable to control his subconscious reaction.

He turned his head and saw the kind, compassionate and calm profile.

The master clasped his hands together and apologized for the unknown monk, but he kept silent about whether the so-called video was true or false.

The crow nodded with satisfaction.

"But it would be too hurtful for Johnny to let him go like this," he said, picking up a remote control and pressing it.

A screen in the room lit up, and in a dark, metallic room, a monk in a robe was tied up and lying in the room. His faint breathing showed that he was still alive.

Sawada Tsunayoshi recognized at a glance that this was the guiding monk with whom he had exchanged a few words earlier.

He frowned and saw that Tongshan's calm expression had moved slightly.

"I heard that monks have a precept of 'not telling lies,'" Crow asked in an innocent tone, "What kind of punishment will I receive if I break this precept, Master Tongshan?"

——This is what is meant by “monks do not tell lies.”

Without waiting for Tongshan to answer, he spoke first.

"It doesn't matter what your punishment is," he said. "In my place, the liar has his tongue cut out."

He turned his head and looked at Sawada Tsunayoshi. Although his vision was blocked by the crow mask, Sawada Tsunayoshi could still feel the other party's covetous eyes on him.

I couldn't help but laugh at the other party's roundabout way.

He was about to speak when he saw Tongshan step forward.

"That is indeed the way it should be," said the elder in a monk's robe, bending slightly, "but Mingzhi is still young, so please don't blame him."

The crow let out an elongated "Oh."

"But what should we do about the slander against Johnny Winga?" he said bitterly, "My Johnny Winga is not a compassionate person like you, Mr. Tongshan."

He enumerated the evil deeds that Johnny had committed, like a parent showing off his child's academic performance. "He wiped out an entire family of children overnight, and once left the soul of a boy who deceived him in Italy forever. It must have been very painful to be slandered like this, and he must have wanted revenge."

——Bullshit.

Everyone present knew that this was Crow's nonsense.

But what does it matter if you know?

Michizen didn't even look at Sawada Tsunayoshi, who was regarded as the gatekeeper, but bent his waist even deeper.

Sawada Tsunayoshi suddenly recalled an event that happened not long ago.

【“Does Jigokuji know your duties as the host?”

During those long talks, Michiyoshi once asked Sawada Tsunayoshi.

Although he knows strange things at strange times, Tsunayoshi Sawada is not clear about this.

However, under the gentle and tolerant gaze of the elder opposite him, the Godfather frowned and thought for a moment, then gave a tentative answer.

"Disciplining disciples and maintaining the temple?" He tilted his head and recited all the details about business operations as if he was reciting a book.

When I looked up, I saw the elder looking at me with a smile.

Sawada Tsunayoshi's heart ached, and he bowed his head to drink.

"You are right," Tongshan said, smiling as he poured him some tea. "Do you want to know what the previous host told me?"

Sawada Tsunayoshi pricked up his ears.

So Tong Shan smiled, dipped his finger in some tea, and wrote a word on the table.

"Protect."

"Then please let me take the punishment for you," a kind voice sounded in my ears. The old monk bent his waist, his expression was not visible, but his voice was understated, as if it was just a trivial matter. "As the abbot, disciplining and training disciples are the entry-level homework. I am not good enough in this subject."

…

…

"The realization that ignites the flame?"

On the rooftop of Namimori Junior High School, Tsunayoshi Sawada, who was having lunch with his friends, subconsciously chewed the food in his mouth and frowned as he thought about this question.

Enlightenment or something...

His gaze drifted.

"Reborn knows this better than me..."

Hayato Jigokudera, with his hair tied in a bun, looked at him with shining eyes.

"Yes!" Xueba Jiji held a notebook in his hand, "I asked Mr. Reborn, and Mr. Reborn said that you, the tenth generation, are the user of the Death Flame, so let me ask you directly!"

The silver-haired boy looked at his tenth generation with admiration. If he could transform into a dog, a big furry silver tail would have been swung behind him like a propeller.

Sawada Tsunayoshi chewed the food in his mouth slowly, trying to express his unwillingness to face the situation.

But no matter how unwilling you are, you still have to face it.

After all, times are different now. The Death Flame, once the secret weapon of the Vongola family, is no longer an absolute secret. In this situation, if the tenth-generation family guardians do not know how to use this weapon, they will surely suffer great losses in future wars.

However, if possible, Sawada Tsunayoshi wishes that his partners would not have to face a battle of this scale... After all, the bombs and baseball bats that turn into knives that we usually use are dangerous enough, so why not continue to be dangerous!

Thinking of this, a layer of gloom appeared between Sawada Tsunayoshi's brows.

"Well, Jigokuji, don't be so anxious."

When he lowered his eyes and took a big bite of bread, a big hand suddenly reached out and pulled him out of his depressed mood. It was Yamamoto.

The athletic boy with enviable wheat-colored skin patted the boy leader's shoulder with a smile.

"And you can already light up the Hell Temple." He gestured with his mouth, indicating the Vongola ring on the other person's hand.

The young leader raised his head and uttered a sound of admiration.

"Wow——Jiuji-kun is so awesome!"

The silver-haired young man just laughed and shook his head, completely ignoring his ferocious look towards other people. He smiled like some kind of cute dog and explained his behavior at the same time.

"Because Mr. Reborn said that the strength of consciousness determines the strength of death energy." He explained seriously, not arguing with Yamamoto. It was rare that he didn't have room for Tsunayoshi Sawada in his green eyes. "So I thought that the tenth generation with such a strong flame must have a super-strong and invincible consciousness!"

Sawada Tsunayoshi: …

"Hahahaha." He laughed awkwardly, "Do you believe me when I say no?"

Jigokudera: "Of course! So there isn't any... You really are worthy of being the tenth generation!"

——No, no, don’t believe it so quickly! And why would you say “I am worthy of being a loser like me” when there is nothing? !

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased, Yamamoto Takeshi let go of his hands without leaving a trace and placed his hands behind his head.

"But I'm curious too." He smiled and said, "What was Tsuna thinking when he lit the flame?"

…That’s a really good question.

Sawada Tsunayoshi thought.

Even now, recalling Yamamoto Takeshi's initial question, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

If I must say something, I actually didn't think much about it.

After all, Sawada Tsunayoshi has been a single-threaded creature since he was a child. He is not good at thinking about complex problems, and even messes things up when he tries to do two things at once. He is also called a good-for-nothing, and his peers in the whole team are unwilling to team up with him.

But such a useless child, under the training of his tutor, became the uncrowned king of the Italian inner world.

In such an experience, the flame of death played an extremely important role.

The Death Flame, which is considered to be the secret of Vongola, was once believed to be a secret treasure hidden in the blood of Vongola, and is also a high-level weapon that can defeat various cold weapons. It is said that only the blood of Vongola can ignite the Death Flame, and this is indeed the case.

Non-Vongola races naturally have the qualifications to ignite the flame, but generally speaking, one is to use external forces such as death pills or rings, and the other is to "enlightenment".

——Of course, even the Vongola need to be "aware" when lighting the flame.

Therefore, when the tenth generation of the Vongola family was urged by the tenth generation tutor to learn to use the Death Flame, this "awakening" became the central issue.

Unlike the ten-generation family in the other world that was facing a critical situation, the ten-generation family in this world was not facing such an urgent crisis during this period of time, in which they could lose their lives and future if they were not careful. Therefore, a group of young people could try to ignite the fire as if they were facing a final exam, while sighing and looking for the only guy who could pass the final exam and even become the examiner.

But Tsunayoshi Sawada felt that he couldn't say anything.

First of all, there is really nothing much to say. After entering the death state, he felt as if he was put into ice to calm down. If you want to be more specific, he is still himself, and he is freer to choose what to do than usual.

Secondly...

Even he can be shy.

Sawada Tsunayoshi thought that as long as the situation was normal and not a critical moment, it would be better for him not to say anything.

——However, at the request of his companions, the young leader who had entered death mode calmly wiped out the strange shyness.

When he released the flame of death on the deserted mountain, he looked at his companions with a stern face.

“This is my realization.”

The young leader, whose eyes and eyebrows were stained by the flames, released a flame more beautiful than fireworks in his hands, softening his eyes and eyebrows in the flames, "My enlightenment is you."

——I want to protect your feelings.

So Johnny took a step forward and stood right in front of the bent Tongshan, looking fearlessly at the crow with evil intentions.

Rum was the first to notice his action and said "Hey", but the next moment he found that Gin was standing beside him and gave him a cold smile in a friendly manner.

Rum: ...

He glanced at Crow, and seeing that Boss didn't show any reaction, he raised his hands in surrender.

Sawada Tsunayoshi clasped half of his hand in his wide cloak, and after a brief flash of memory, he could feel the fire in his body still surging, even burning more vigorously.

"Oh? Johnny wins?"

After waving off Rum who was trying to rescue him (?), Crow looked at Johnny with interest, "Do you have anything to say?"

He thinks he knows why he is becoming more and more lazy, Tsunayoshi Sawada thought.

"Yes," the brown-haired young man said softly.

The superior nodded with interest, satisfied that this part of the plan was heading in the best direction.

"You say." He looked down at Sawada Tsunayoshi and nodded.

So the young godfather chuckled softly.

"If the monk made a mistake, he should be punished," he said, with an unwarranted hint of deception, "but what if it's not a lie?"

With a click, a beautiful flame lit up on his forehead.

The beautiful and powerful brown beast looked at the black crow and smiled gently.

"You can see, right?" He walked slowly up the stairs until he was in front of the crow - only then did he realize that he was actually taller than the crow.

Tsunayoshi Sawada looked down at the black crow hood, as if he could see through it and see the pair of cloudy yellow eyes inside.

He chuckled.

"Let's not set up any traps or anything like that. It would hurt feelings." He said, "This is what you want to see, right?"

——Yes.

——That’s it.

The guy hiding under the crow mask suddenly widened his eyes and even lost his voice for a moment.

"Johnny wins, leave Boss."

Rum drew his gun.

But almost at the same time he drew his gun, Gin also took out his Beretta.

None of these guys who said they would take away their weapons when meeting the Boss kept their promise. Rum turned his head stiffly, his brows furrowed deeply.

"I know you and Johnny are in the same boat," Rum said, suppressing his anger, "but that is based on the fact that you are both members of the organization."

"But look at him now! He's still the Johnny of the organization!!"

Even though he was the biggest rival in the organization, Rum never doubted his old enemy in terms of loyalty to the organization.

However, Gin just glanced at the brown-haired figure who was oppressing Crow, then he opened his mouth happily and smiled at Rum.

"Of course."

The silver-haired young man's deep voice rang in Rum's ears, causing the man's eyes to widen suddenly.

Rum's pupils constricted.

"So... So that's how it is. This is your secret plan..."

"Really?"

The person who responded to his next sentence was none other than the crow who seemed to be oppressed.

He tilted his head, and his cloudy yellow eyes fell on Gin through time and space.

The crow laughed twice.

"I thought I taught you not to trust others easily." He was like a patient teacher, teaching his useless student in a gentle voice, calling out his name like taming a wild animal, "Azhen."

Unlike rum, crow obviously has a different status in gin's mind.

The old crow laughed a few times and turned to look at Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"Did you say that or did I?" he asked.

Sawada Tsunayoshi felt a chill in his heart.

Looking at those yellow eyes that still had a hint of calmness in their madness, he couldn't help but press his temples.

"When did you know?"

he asked.

The old crow gave a neurotic smile.

"Let me think... um... probably when you brought back that little thing from the FBI." He tilted his head, observed the other person's expression, and exclaimed, "How interesting, you don't even know... the famous Decimo, you borrowed his identity, but you don't even know his background? I thought you expected this."

Tsunayoshi Sawada paused and silently recited the name in his heart.

Andrea...?

…

“A-choo!”

In the hotel where the FBI temporarily stayed, Andrea, wearing a cute black cat coat, rubbed her nose.

He huddled in a corner, surrounded by food thrown to him by his colleagues.

Andrea accepted the food, but avoided the questions of his colleagues, and his ears were like the ears on his hat - they were just for show. He would only say a few words when he was asked some innocuous questions.

This was the atmosphere when Shuichi Akai arrived.

He put on a disguise and only took it off after entering, revealing his real face to the young senior.

"What kind of person is Boss to me?"

Andrea tilted his head, with some cake still left on his lips, making him look a little more childish.

Hearing this question, he blinked in confusion, and then said logically: "Boss is Boss."

The FBI member in charge of him showed a painful look for a moment, not expecting that the young "senior" would answer this question in this way.

Looking at each other blankly, the boy with black hair and green eyes felt that he was too close to them, so he shrank to the side.

Akai Shuichi seemed to be thinking about something.

"Do you like Boss?" he asked.

Isn't this a matter of course?

——A young senior from the color matching department looked over, with this sentence clearly written on his face.

Shuichi Akai acted like the older brother next door, sitting at a distance that his younger senior would not be repelled by after observing him.

"Boss is indeed admirable." He first affirmed the other party's point of view, and then asked a question in a studious way, "Why do you follow Boss?"

—Sounds like some Johnnie Walker exchange meeting.

But this actually aroused Andrea's interest.

The black-haired, green-eyed boy blinked and cautiously said nothing.

So Akai Shuichi continued: "I was impressed by his strength - is it the same for you?"

——Fuck, Johnny has never shown any strength in front of him. He can only guess that the other party’s strength should be high from the muscles he saw when they were in the same room.

Just as he said this, certain scenes from the day of the wildfire suddenly flashed through Shuichi Akai's mind.

He was not as close to Sawada Tsunayoshi as he was to Furuya Rei, but he also had an illusion that a white butterfly flew out in the haze amid the wildfire.

As soon as Andrea heard this, he knew that this person did not truly admire the Boss.

He glanced at his meal replacement (not really), snorted, and his mood subtly improved.

"Superficial." He moved closer to Akai Shuichi like a little animal. He originally wanted to give "instructions" in the other's studious look, but when he saw the other's overly cold gaze, he changed his mind when the words came to his lips.

The boy frowned and smiled shyly.

"Because Boss is my half-brother, so I like him very much."

…

Crow approached Sawada Tsunayoshi, resisting the urge to reach out and touch the flame, and whispered, "He is the true illegitimate son of the family whose identity you borrowed, Decimo."

He tilted his head and said "Hey".

"So you understand, Azhen." He said affectionately, "This kid's identity was fake from the beginning. Do you know where he came from?"

"——Hint: This kid is indeed Japanese. He is not lying about this."

Kurosawa Jin——Gin's face darkened, he stared at the brown figure, and uttered a few words through his teeth.

"Japanese... Public Security Bureau."