Chapter 6: Week 1 : Day 6 : Lambo : It's not raining but there's lightning. And who is the handsome young man next to him???
Saya's body was brought into Jang Nini's laboratory, while the city of Namimori outside was darker than an ordinary night. Despite the absence of rain, green lightning struck repeatedly outside like an ominous premonition.
The girl's body, her skin flushed red as if struck by lightning, burned with a high fever. Saya thrashed uncontrollably in unconsciousness, prompting the team to restrain her with rubber straps. She lay breathing heavily under an oxygen mask, surrounded by cumbersome life-support machines attached to her.
Saya's face was deeply flushed, a combination of fever and the sudden outburst of her lightning-element flame. Small green sparks constantly flickered and crackled from her body, and her soft groans of pain, coupled with her tear-streaked, agonized expression, evoked pity from all who witnessed the scene, though they were powerless to help. "It hurts... It hurts... Someone, please help me," she whimpered.
Yamamoto moved closer but was loudly stopped by Jang Nini from across the room. He was stationed in front of several devices monitoring data displayed on green screens, the graphs fluctuating ominously. "Don't get near her! Saya's lightning flame is unstable. If you approach now, the consequences could be disastrous!"
"It seems she caught Hibari's fever, weakening her body and accelerating the manifestation of her lightning flame," Reborn concluded after hearing the story from Gokudera and Yamamoto, piecing the events together.
"We were incredibly fortunate that the Rain Flame emerged after the Storm Flame. It suppressed the injuries from the Storm Flame, and the Sky Flame balanced the two. But I never expected the Sun Flame to appear before the Cloud and Lightning Flames," Reborn continued.
"What does that mean?" Tsuna asked.
Reborn adjusted his hat as he explained the situation to Tsuna's group. At this point, only Tsuna, Gokudera, Ryohei, Yamamoto, Lambo, and I-Pin were permitted in the laboratory. As I-Pin looked at Saya, she softly murmured, "Big sis must be in so much pain... Poor her. Hey, Lambo, you're the Guardian of Lightning, aren't you? Do something!"
"Lambo doesn't know how to help!" Lambo protested, turning to Tsuna. "Hey, Tsuna, can't you do anything?"
"Exactly, Sawada!" Ryohei interjected. "There has to be a way, right?"
The brown-haired boy could only stare helplessly at the suffering girl, unable to think of a solution. Gokudera, however, adjusted his glasses and worked furiously on his tablet, his face tense with concentration. "Don't worry, Juudaime. I'll save her, no matter what."
"At first, I expected another flame to manifest before the Sun Flame after the Sky Flame appeared. I hoped the Sun Flame could repair Saya's body before the Lightning Flame emerged. But then the Cloud Flame appeared instead, and the Sun Flame had already dissipated," Reborn explained before Gokudera added.
"The Cloud Flame is one of the most dangerous flames. Saya's body, after enduring the fluctuation of flames manifesting daily, has grown weaker without anyone noticing. Her body was never trained for this, which led to this crisis." Gokudera bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. "Damn it! We're running out of time, and the balance of flames is still off!"
"Calm down, Gokudera. There must be a way to stabilize it," Jang Nini reassured while explaining, "We're calculating the balance needed to stabilize Saya's flames using the device attached to her bed. But her initial wattage and voltage are so high and erratic that this method might not work."
"Damn it!" Gokudera turned to Lambo, his face dark with frustration, causing the cow-suited boy to hide behind Tsuna. "If Lambo could handle his flames properly, this would've been over by now! I'd knock him out and call his Ten-Year-Older self to fix this!"
"It's scary!" Lambo cried, trembling and pointing at Saya. Reborn added calmly, "At this level, even Lambo from ten years later wouldn't suffice. Maybe in twenty years, but even if Lambo could withstand it, balancing the flames would be a different story."
"No way…" Yamamoto muttered, his heart sinking as he watched the girl on the bed.
Suddenly, Saya let out a piercing scream, her body arching violently as she thrashed in agony. Her vital signs spiked dangerously high as green lightning surged from her body, growing larger and more visible. Her figure was now enveloped in arcs of green electricity, crackling like she was being electrocuted. Alarms blared deafeningly throughout the lab.
"Saya!" Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Ryohei shouted in unison, but Gokudera yelled at them before they could rush forward. "Baseball idiot! Turf-top! Juudaime! Don't go near her!"
"But…" Tsuna hesitated.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Yamamoto asked, to which Gokudera shook his head. "Idiot baseball player, you'll definitely be of help, but I need to calculate this first!"
"Support flames like Rain or Sun are already spent. The only remaining option is the Mist Flame, but it might not manifest while Saya's still alive. Chrome's not here, Mukuro's unreachable, and Hibari's in the hospital... It's just us now, Tsuna," Reborn said, pausing as his words sank in.
"You mean…" Tsuna trailed off, unable to complete his sentence, and no one else dared to speak.
"If we can't stabilize her flames before the Mist Flame manifests…" Reborn lowered his gaze and hat, hiding his eyes. "Saya... will die."
"Her condition isn't improving," Reborn said as Gokudera used his Storm Ring to balance Saya's condition. After failing to calculate a formula for stabilization, Gokudera instead devised a formula to stabilize himself so he could physically interact with Saya. He ignited his Storm Flame to try and restore balance, but Saya remained unresponsive—his primary attribute was not Storm but Sky. Even Reborn now seemed visibly stressed.
After a while, the Storm Flame died out, unable to be sustained. Gokudera clenched his teeth in frustration before storming over to Lambo, who was standing behind Tsuna, and grabbed him. "You! Stupid cow! Ignite your ring flame now!"
"Gokudera's lost it!" Lambo yelled in protest, struggling to free himself. "You're hurting the Great Lambo!"
"Gokudera-kun, let Lambo go!" I-Pin shouted, but Gokudera seemed too frantic to listen.
"Hey, calm down. If Lambo from ten or twenty years in the future can't help, this won't work either," Yamamoto said, trying to reason with him, but Gokudera swatted his hand away.
"Then what do you expect me to do?!" Gokudera released Lambo only to grab Yamamoto by the collar. "Saya is dying, you baseball idiot!"
"That's exactly why I'm telling you to calm down!" Yamamoto raised his voice, surprising everyone as he rarely ever shouted. Tsuna quickly stepped in to intervene.
"Both of you, calm down!" Tsuna said, supported by Ryohei, who shouted from the side, "Hey! Don't start fighting among yourselves now!"
"Boss, this is my fault," Gokudera said, his voice low and guilt-ridden. "Saya got caught in this mess and is now on the brink of death—all because of a mix-up over some candy. As your right-hand man, isn't that pathetic?"
"Gokudera-kun..." Tsuna called softly.
"This is all my fault, Boss... If she dies, I..." Gokudera hesitated, his voice shaking. "I'll carry this guilt for the rest of my life—as your right-hand man and as a human being."
Everyone fell silent at his confession. Yamamoto's expression turned serious as he activated his Vongola Gear, summoning Kojirou, his swallow companion.
Until now, they'd agreed—except for Tsuna—not to reveal their true identities or use the Vongola Gear in Saya's presence, hoping she could return to a normal life after recovering. But with Saya's life hanging by a thread, they had no choice but to do whatever it took to save her.
Kojirou flew around Yamamoto, its flames igniting, just as Tsuna activated his Sky Flames. His orange gloves glowed, and his serious eyes burned with determination. "If you feel that guilty, wouldn't it be better to use that energy to save Saya instead, Gokudera-kun?"
"Exactly! What she needs now is our help!" Ryohei added, summoning his kangaroo companion with his Vongola Gear. "Garryuu! Let's go all out!"
Garyu appeared before Ryohei with a loud cry, raising both its arms in readiness.
Translation of Garyu: "Time to save Ryohei's fiancée!"
A sharp scream from Saya broke through the commotion, drawing everyone's attention. Electric currents surged around the room as she cried out again. White smoke began to rise from her body, and her pulse suddenly spiked. "It hurts! Somebody help me—Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto-kun, Sawada-kun, Ryohei-senpai, Reborn—anyone!"
"Forget the formulas!" Gokudera yelled, tossing his glasses aside and pointing. "You stupid baseball freak! Use your Rain Flame to suppress the effects of the electricity! But be careful—if you mess up even slightly, Saya's heart will stop because of you!"
"Got it! I won't mess up!" Yamamoto replied confidently. "Go, Kojirou! Help Saya!"
The swallow, engulfed in soothing Rain Flames, dove through the electric currents, circling Saya. The blue flames transformed into a fine mist, dampening the electricity around her. Some of the Rain Flame's energy touched Saya's skin, calming her slightly. Seeing this, Tsuna and Ryohei approached, placing their hands on hers to support her with their flames.
"Hang in there, Saya. If we don't try, we won't know for sure!" Tsuna said firmly yet gently. "Lambo, we need your help!"
"Alright then! Mr. Lambo is on it!" Lambo, already perched on the cow's head, dashed forward at full speed, but abruptly came to a halt. He was flung off toward the girl, colliding with the side of the bed and tumbling dramatically. With a yelp of pain, he bounced off Saya and landed on the other side of the bed.
The boy quickly pulled out a hat from his afro, resembling bull horns, and placed it on his head—it was his personal Vongola Gear. He ignited a storm flame and urgently reached out to touch Saya.
BOOM!!
A massive lightning bolt tore through the sky, shattering the research lab's roof and striking Saya's bed. Even Tsuna, Ryohei, and Lambo—who was usually resistant to electricity—were blown away. Tsuna scrambled to his feet to check on Saya.
Swallows continued circling around the girl as Yamamoto stood, panting heavily. He had overexerted himself shielding the lightning to protect Saya, taking the brunt of its impact. His body was scorched, and streaks of electricity raced across his skin. The swallows fluttered for a few seconds longer before falling to the ground.
"Yamamoto! Damn it!" Ryohei shouted. "Why isn't this working?!"
"Juudaime!" Gokudera yelled as he rushed toward Tsuna. Once again, lightning struck the same spot. Gokudera grabbed Lambo and hurled him back toward Saya to absorb the electricity.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! It hurts!" Lambo cried as he lit up with pale green lightning. "I'll... endure!" he whimpered, tears streaming as he rolled across the floor, his hat tumbling off.
"Lambo!" I-Pin rushed to his side, just as Lambo pulled out his bazooka and fired it at himself, creating a thick cloud of pink smoke. Meanwhile, Gokudera lit flames on all his attribute rings, preparing to do what needed to be done. Looking upward, he saw green light gathering once more.
"Gokudera…" Yamamoto muttered weakly, collapsing as the lightning surged again. Gokudera bolted toward Saya.
BOOM!!
The lightning was larger and fiercer this time as Gokudera activated Sistema C.A.I. Black skeletal rings surrounded him and Saya, absorbing the energy just in time. Green electricity coursed through the rings.
"Saya-chan! Are you—" Gokudera's voice caught in his throat. His eyes widened as he looked at Saya.
The monitor let out a flatline tone. Saya lay completely still—no screams, no breaths. Her mouth was slightly ajar, her eyes watery as if she'd died in agony.
Gokudera froze, stumbling back a few steps. Yamamoto attempted to rise using his baseball bat but failed. Both Ryohei and Tsuna rushed to check on her, but it was too late.
"This... can't be happening," Tsuna whispered, his voice trembling. Ryohei was speechless. Yamamoto clenched his fists, slamming the ground in frustration, his head hung low.
"Saya-chan…"
"What's going on here? Is that really Saya-san?" A deep voice interrupted the silence. Teenage Lambo had appeared. Before anyone could react, Gokudera stormed toward him, grabbing his collar in rage.
"Use the Ten-Year Bazooka on yourself, Lambo!" Gokudera demanded.
"Gokudera-kun," Tsuna interjected, no longer in Hyper Dying Will Mode.
"Ahhh!" Lambo shrieked as Gokudera's grip tightened, nearly choking him.
"Do it yourself, or I'll do it for you!" Gokudera's tone was ice-cold.
"Okay! I'll do it!" Lambo stammered, pulling out the Ten-Year Bazooka with tears in his eyes and firing at himself. The pink smoke cleared, revealing adult Lambo—taller, clad in a coat, and exuding an air of calm authority.
"That's Saya-san, isn't it?" Lambo's adult form said, glancing at Saya. Without waiting for a response, he approached her body, pulling something from his coat. "My future self told me I'd be summoned at this exact moment, so he gave me this."
Standing before Saya's lifeless body, adult Lambo revealed a silver syringe without a needle. He pressed it against her elbow, and the mechanism locked into place, injecting a rainbow-colored substance.
"This is a formula specifically designed by my future self to stabilize Saya-san's elemental imbalance. It includes a cardiac stimulant and is activated with Thunder Flames," he explained.
Lambo placed his hand over Saya's chest, igniting his Thunder Flames to jump-start her heart. Moments later, her pulse returned. Everyone stared in stunned silence before breathing a collective sigh of relief.
"She'll recover in time," Lambo said. "Oh, and one more thing—watch out for Mukuro. Gokudera in the future told me to pass that along."
Saya's eyelids fluttered open, and her gaze fell on the man beside her bed. His handsome features rivaled those of a movie star.
"So... handsome…" she murmured before fainting again. Adult Lambo reverted to his child form, while Saya's body no longer emitted electrical charges. The once-chaotic night sky had calmed, free of lightning and storm clouds.
Gokudera approached Saya's bedside, relief evident on his face. Though he hated to admit it, he was grateful she was alive. "Women… always so much trouble," he muttered.
Saya woke up again in her room, with Gokudera lying next to her. As she slowly sat up, she felt a strange pain in her chest, a kind of pain that felt like a dream she had experienced. She dreamed that they were arguing about something, with her lying down, before the pain became too much to bear and she died. She even met a handsome angel in heaven.
However, when she woke up, she saw Kyoko sleeping on a chair and Reborn sitting nearby, still asleep but with snot running down his nose. She wasn't sure if she was still dreaming, since she clearly remembered losing consciousness outside the disciplinary committee's office.
As she moved, she noticed a boy in a cow costume and a girl in a Chinese dress on the bed with her. Gokudera groggily woke up and found Saya staring at him. The girl was so shocked that she accidentally opened her mouth slightly in confusion about why he was there.
Although still confused, she spoke up. "Sorry for waking you."
"It's fine. Do you need anything?" he asked.
"...Water," Saya replied. Gokudera nodded and brought her some water to drink.
"I dreamt I died," she said, which made the boy freeze for a moment before he continued pouring the water, and Saya immediately knew that everything that had happened was real.
"I really want to hit you, Gokudera-kun," Saya admitted, feeling quite angry. "Since I found out what I had to go through, why did this happen because of your candy?"
"It's Jang Ni's candy, actually," Gokudera whispered, handing her the glass of water.
"But you took the wrong one," Saya pointed out. Gokudera didn't get upset or make a face of annoyance this time. Instead, his expression turned strangely sad.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"...Hmm, I won't forgive you," Saya replied after thinking for a moment. She figured it would be good for him to owe her something emotionally. After all, he was the reason she died once, and that wasn't something she could just forgive easily. "I actually died for a while, you know."
Gokudera grumbled before calming down. "What do you want then?"
She truly wanted something, but when the time came, she couldn't think of anything to ask... except for, "I want you to make me the way I was before."
Gokudera fell silent, but Saya's gaze was more serious than usual, and that made him lower his eyes. Saya knew the answer immediately.
"Do you... want to go back?"
"If... you... can't return to the way you were," Gokudera said with difficulty after nearly ten minutes of silence, his eyes on her. "And if you can't live a normal life or experience love like normal people... and if you really have no one left... I... I can marry you."
At his words, Saya's eyes widened as she looked at him, who slowly turned his gaze away, his face turning bright red. It was clear he wasn't joking, and that made Saya's heart swell before she couldn't see his gaze anymore.
The little heart that had just started beating again now had to work harder. Her face turned as red as his, and as both of them stayed silent, Gokudera asked again.
"Aren't you going to answer?"
"…"
"Don't make me feel more guilty than I already do. I can't repay you enough already," he said quietly. "Can you not make me say it again?"
Saya remained silent, and then Gokudera, feeling uncomfortable, stood up and left the room. However, he stopped in his tracks when he heard Saya speak.
"If that time comes... you don't have to marry me out of guilt," she said. "If that time comes... Gokudera-kun, if you love me and I truly love you, then when that time comes... please ask me to marry you."
"...Hmm... Thanks," the young man said, not looking back as he walked out, while Reborn murmured in his sleep.
"Young people are really something... Zzz..."
--
From Wrter
I'm not good as translator much but I will try my best.