Chapter 73

Rokudo Mukuro followed Misaki deeper into the forest. "This place is way too clean. This doesn't suit the image of a vicious villain at all~"

Looking at the surrounding environment, Rokudo Mukuro offered his expert critique.

Sanxiao looked at the intriguing human in front of her with great interest. "So, how should we modify him?"

“Watch me.” Rokudo Mukuro enthusiastically took on the task. “A few skeletons by this pond will give it the atmosphere of a yokai living there.”

Misaki retorted, dissatisfied, "I have no interest in human flesh!"

"Tsk." Rokudo Mukuro glanced at it. "I didn't say you eat people, it was just to create atmosphere. Oh well, what do you, a big youkai, know..."

"Anyway, if you want to be a good villain, just listen to me, I have a lot of experience~"

Sansho glanced at Rokudo Mukuro, who looked confident, and after thinking for a moment, let him do as he pleased.

Thus, under the manipulation of Rokudo Mukuro's illusion technique, the originally clean and clear pond in Sansho became murky, as if the bottom of the pond was filled with corpses, and several skeletons lay on the edge of the pond.

Even the light by the pond dimmed under Rokudo Mukuro's illusion.

It has that "big boss making an appearance" feel to it.

"It feels pretty good," Misaki said admiringly. "Human, the power you possess is quite interesting."

“Of course, I’m a professional villain.” Rokudo Mukuro said with a smile, “Now we just wait for the protagonist to make his appearance.”

"However, shouldn't you also make yourself look a little disheveled?"

"You don't need to tell me, I know what I'm doing."

...

While Rokudo Mukuro and Misaki were diligently setting up the stage, Sawada Tsunayoshi and his group were suffering immensely. And Reborn was only adding fuel to the fire…

The elusive Reborn landed on Sawada Tsunayoshi's shoulder.

"Reborn! Do you have any information about Mukuro?" Sawada Tsunayoshi looked at him anxiously. "Could you ask your insect subordinates to help look for him?"

Reborn's expression was serious. "We've searched, but haven't found him." He pulled down the brim of his hat. "...However, I found this..."

He pulled out a camera, and the sight of it made Sawada Tsunayoshi's vision go black. It was clearly Mukuro's camera, but there was blood on it! Was Mukuro injured? Or had something terrible happened to him?

At this moment, Sawada Tsunayoshi was in a state of complete collapse. He looked at Reborn with anxious eyes, hoping that the little Reborn could give him some strength.

Fortunately, Reborn comforted him, "Don't worry, the fact that there's blood on the camera means that Mukuro's life is not in danger."

"But he's injured!" Sawada Tsunayoshi shouted at Reborn.

"As long as you're alive, there's always hope."

Sawada Tsunayoshi muttered to himself, "Yes, as long as Mukuro is alive, I will definitely bring him back."

Hayato Gokudera, standing to the side, also frowned, his expression filled with worry and mixed emotions. "Tenth Boss, don't worry, we will definitely rescue Mukuro."

Hayato Gokudera's feelings for Rokudo Mukuro were complex. He initially disliked him, believing he harbored ill intentions towards the Tenth Boss. However, through their subsequent interactions, he gradually came to understand and accept Rokudo Mukuro. Even if he didn't say it aloud, he recognized him as a member of the Vongola family.

Not to mention, Rokudo Mukuro was only brought in because he was saving the Tenth Boss...

"I'll go check on Yamamoto and Ryohei's situation."

When Reborn found Yamamoto Takeshi and Ryohei, he took out his camera again and used the same rhetoric, which once again ignited the fighting spirit and unwillingness of the young men.

After the boys had all regained their fighting spirit, Reborn watched their retreating figures, a smile playing on his lips. The camera in his hand vanished in a wisp of indigo mist.

Of course, Rokudo Mukuro wouldn't lend out his precious camera.

Along their journey, Sawada Tsunayoshi and his companions encounter various strange and unusual monsters. Some are timid and hide from them, while others harbor malice towards humans. To obtain information from the latter about the monster that captured Rokudo Mukuro, they must subdue them and make them willingly provide information.

"Damn humans, you want to know where Lady Misaka is? Dream on!"

As a burst of death energy struck Sawada Tsunayoshi's forehead, his clothes ripped open again, his forehead ablaze with death energy, and with a ferocious expression, he knocked down the monster before him and extracted information from it.

"Reborn, let's hurry!" Sawada Tsunayoshi casually threw on a set of clothes prepared in his backpack and headed towards the location provided by the yokai.

Sawada Tsunayoshi and his companions fought their way through thorns and brambles, defeating several waves of ferocious monsters, and finally arrived at the place where Misaki was.

Their clothes were disheveled, their faces covered in dust, and although they weren't seriously injured, they were utterly exhausted. Yet, their eyes shone with unwavering determination; they had to go and rescue people, their comrades were waiting for them.

Sawada Tsunayoshi took a deep breath, looking around at his surroundings with an uneasy expression. "This is it. Where is Mukuro?"

"Let's go look for it quickly."

...

When Rokudo Mukuro saw Sawada Tsunayoshi and the others appear, he knew his stage play had officially begun. He lay sprawled on the ground, his white shirt stained with blood. The massive claws of the three-legged creature seemed to be pressing down on him, rendering him immobile. From Sawada Tsunayoshi's perspective, the three-legged creature opened its mouth full of sharp teeth and slowly pounced on Rokudo Mukuro.

Rokudo Mukuro's eyes were lowered, his long eyelashes obscuring his eyelids, giving him an air of resigned despair. In reality, however, Rokudo Mukuro was thinking: "It would be quite comical if I really did die at the hands of a yokai."

When Sawada Tsunayoshi arrived, he witnessed this scene. His pupils constricted, and his heart pounded. "No...no! Stop!!"

For the first time, the Dying Will Flame of the future 10th Vongola ignited on his own forehead without the aid of the Dying Will Bullet, and his orange eyes calmed down from extreme terror.

The deathly flames on his body suddenly surged up, and the next second, Sansho, who was striking a villainous pose, was knocked back several meters by Sawada Tsunayoshi's sudden charge, the impact kicking up dust on the ground.

Rokudo Mukuro looked at Sawada Tsunayoshi, who was protecting him, raised an eyebrow, and a smile flashed in his eyes. Oh, this time, Sawada Tsunayoshi finally didn't run around naked~

Even Reborn's eyes flashed with surprise. According to his calculations, Tsuna should still be some time away from breaking free of the Dying Will Bullet and igniting his own Dying Will Flame. Unexpectedly, under Rokudo Mukuro's stimulation, he broke through ahead of schedule. It seems that the more of this happens, the better.

"Tsuna/Tenth Generation...we're here to help!" The others who arrived rushed forward, ready to fight the monster with Sawada Tsunayoshi, but Reborn stopped them with a ridiculous excuse, "This is Tsuna's own battlefield, let him do his best. With me watching over him, nothing will happen."

"Human, your strength is not bad!" After stabilizing herself, Misaki looked at Sawada Tsunayoshi, the successor of the Shell, with curiosity.

At this moment, Sawada Tsunayoshi looked at him with a fierce expression, "I will never allow you to hurt my comrades!"

Chigusa, Inu, and Dino arrived leisurely, blinked as they watched what was happening, and walked to where Reborn was.

Dino: "Reborn, you've achieved your goal, aren't you going to stop them?"

Reborn looked at him innocently. "Stupid horse, what are you saying? To tarnish your master's reputation for no reason is a sin against the heavens!"

The dog stared at Sawada Tsunayoshi, and upon hearing his words, looked at Chigusa with a face full of unbearable disapproval. "Is the future Tenth Boss of the Vongola an idiot?" Hasn't he noticed anything amiss yet?

"What are you saying? How dare you speak ill of the Tenth Boss!"

Looking at Sawada Tsunayoshi's determined eyes and the raging flames of death energy, Sansho suddenly felt bored. She lay down by the pond and said irritably, "Forget it, being a villain isn't interesting either."

The heir of the shell is very similar to Takashi Natsume, and it feels that it can't possibly fight him.

Sawada Tsunayoshi looked at Misao like this, the deathly flames on his forehead slowly dissipating. Then he hurriedly turned to look at Rokudo Mukuro, who was lying on the ground in a disheveled state. He reached out to help him up, his face full of worry, "Mukuro, are you alright? Where are you injured?"

His eyes kept scanning Rokudo Mukuro's blood-stained upper body, his gaze filled with unease.

Rokudo Mukuro remained silent. He suddenly felt that deceiving Sawada Tsunayoshi like this was indeed quite pointless. This person had always been like this, opening his heart to them and caring deeply for them...

The illusions surrounding him dissipated, and he returned to his clean and tidy appearance, a stark contrast to Sawada Tsunayoshi who was supporting him.

"Kufufu~ Sawada Tsunayoshi, you've been tricked, I'm perfectly fine..."

Sawada Tsunayoshi was taken aback. He carefully examined Rokudo Mukuro's entire body, even reaching out to touch him. After a moment, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and then gave Rokudo Mukuro a gentle smile. "That's great, Mukuro. I'm glad you're not hurt."

"Tsk." Rokudo Mukuro took a step closer to him. "I mean, you were fooled by me."

Sawada Tsunayoshi scratched his head, his smile still gentle. He stared intently at Rokudo Mukuro. "I know you lied to me, but you didn't lie to hurt me. You must have been working with Reborn to make us stronger."

"However, Mukuro, don't put yourself in danger again. I don't want to see you or any of you get hurt."

His tone was exceptionally serious, his eyes resolute. Rokudo Mukuro thought to himself, "Sawada Tsunayoshi, this guy is really..."

However, he should know very well that this person will always be the same, tolerating all their willfulness, unchanged for decades.

The dog muttered under its breath, "...This person must be an idiot!" Lord Mukuro can't do anything wrong!