Fifteen battles!

This was a group of people whose attire was nothing short of bizarre. There was a muscular man with an explosion of hair, sporting distinctive lip and eyebrow piercings; a flamboyant figure in sunglasses with a vivid green Mohawk; a half-grown youth wearing a crown-like hair ornament, his bangs obscuring most of his face; a tiny infant, barely even two heads tall like Reborn, with a mouth shaped like a "へ"; someone completely encased in steel armor, appearing more machine than man—perhaps a robot? And...

“Who possesses the ‘Ring of Rain’?”

—And then, there was the silver-haired beauty, lovely as a painting when silent, but whose terrifying roar shattered any illusion as soon as she spoke.

Kurama quietly turned his face away, protecting Tsuna like a fierce dragon. He had always wanted to comment on these people ever since he watched the anime. Though their strength was truly formidable—each one possessing the destructive power of a human artillery capable of razing a small town—their taste and personalities were, frankly, appalling.

The guardians around Tsuna were little more than a group of playful natural disasters, but the Varia… they were an army of problem children, weren’t they? And among these “problem children,” the greatest issue was their boss…

“Xanxus.”

As Reborn calmly uttered the name, a tall figure stepped out from the shadows cast by the trees, emerging into the bright moonlight and the glow of street lamps, gradually becoming clear before everyone's eyes.

He was a man both perilous and compelling. He wore the same black, standard-issue leather jacket and pants as the rest of the Varia, his coat hanging open to reveal a snowy white shirt and a loosely knotted tie. Draped around his neck was a scarf-like ornament made from feathers and animal fur, giving him an indescribable air of luxury and aloofness.

His face was strikingly handsome, but several hideous scars marred his cheeks, destroying the original beauty yet lending him a dangerous, irresistible allure. Now, as he faced the gaze of Reborn—the reputed number one assassin and perhaps the strongest in the mafia world—his expression remained cold and indifferent, unchanged in the slightest.

He didn’t even bother to respond aloud, simply standing there quietly, his gaze sweeping over the tenth-generation family members below, finally settling on Tsuna.

It was an eye filled with palpable murderous intent and disdain. Tsuna was so intimidated that his legs folded beneath him, and he sank to the ground. The other boys beside him fared little better. Though not directly in Xanxus' sights, the man’s invisible yet overwhelming aura left them unable to move, let alone defend or attack.

Only Reborn and Kurama retained the ability to act. Yet neither was in a position to intervene—Reborn, constrained by his identity and role, could not become involved in the dispute between the two candidates for the Vongola’s tenth boss; Kurama, as an outsider to the mafia, knew that any rash action to help Tsuna might bring unpredictable negative consequences for him (such as diminishing his reputation among the Vongola elders).

After all, this was an internal conflict within the family, not a clash between families, and neither side could call upon outside friends or connections.

Thus, Tsuna and his companions were in grave danger; even the dullest could sense the air thick with murderous intent.

Time seemed to freeze.

Xanxus stared at Tsuna for a long moment before slowly raising his arm.

“Tsuna Sawada.”

At Xanxus’ gesture, it was the Varia members who panicked first. Their reaction alerted Reborn to the imminent danger; he turned and shouted to Tsuna:

“Not good—run, Officer Tsuna!”

But Tsuna, stunned by Xanxus’ overwhelming presence, failed to react in time. He remained slumped on the ground, turning blankly to Reborn.

The demonic overlord could have kicked him out of sheer frustration. He glared at his foolish disciple and then turned to Kurama:

“Why are you spacing out, too? Hurry up and get this idiot out of here!”

Kurama, however, did not move at Reborn’s urging. He calmly glanced at Reborn, “In this situation, even if we run, where could we possibly escape to?”

Xanxus’ abilities were undoubtedly powerful—effective both up close and at a distance—so even if Kurama did take Tsuna and flee, they wouldn’t likely escape his attack range.

Kurama’s composure was rooted in his knowledge of the “plot.” He knew Tsuna would be safe here, because Sawada Iemitsu would soon arrive and stop Xanxus.

But knowing was one thing; Kurama was still prepared for the worst, should Iemitsu fail to arrive in time…

As fate would have it, the very thing he feared happened. Xanxus’ hands ignited with brilliant orange flames—an event that diverged from the original story. Kurama watched as the fierce man unleashed a barrage of powerful flames toward their position, and yet, the one who was supposed to intervene, Sawada Iemitsu, was nowhere to be seen. In that instant, Kurama could only inwardly despair—how could Sawada’s father be so unreliable?!

The fox demon raged silently in his heart, but his hands moved without hesitation. At the moment Xanxus released his flames, Kurama summoned all his demonic power to activate the seed he had long held in his palm—

Demon Realm Plant: Giant’s Cage.

Brilliant green light burst from Kurama’s hand, blooming instantly into a thick, metallic-hued wall of vegetation that enveloped Kurama, Tsuna, and the others within its protective embrace.

With a thunderous crash, Xanxus’ flames struck the plant wall—so formidable, so furious—yet not even a scorch mark was left.

The Varia, who had appeared frantic yet, on closer inspection, hadn’t truly changed their demeanor, now looked genuinely shaken.

“The boss’s flames… were blocked?!”

Equally stunned was Xanxus himself. He knew he had poured at least eighty percent of his power into those flames to annihilate Tsuna. To him, such fire could obliterate not just one Tsuna, but ten. Yet, they were repelled so easily?

A cruel, arrogant smile curled his lips as Xanxus spoke loudly:

“Hmph, so you’ve got some skill after all, Tsuna Sawada.”

But this is as far as it goes.

His arm rose again, crimson light flickering in his eyes—this time, he intended to use his full strength.

Would that strange plant wall withstand his attack again?

The man smiled, lips curled in ruthless amusement.

Inside the wall, however, Tsuna and his companions were far from comfortable or optimistic. Kurama, who had summoned the Giant’s Cage, was pale and swaying as the wall formed.

The Giant’s Cage was among the most formidable Demon Realm plants Kurama commanded, its properties making it an exceptionally resilient prison—ideal for defense or detaining foes.

Kurama had tested it before; even at his peak, Yusuke would need to attack it with full force for over three minutes to break through. On a battlefield where moments matter, three minutes could change everything.

But to summon such a powerful plant required tremendous demonic energy. Even at full strength, Kurama would rarely use it, let alone now…

He had forcibly overdrawn his power to activate it. The Giant’s Cage was therefore incomplete, its defensive strength not what it should be. By Kurama’s estimate, under Xanxus’ full assault, it would last at most a minute and a half—perhaps only a minute—before being breached. And then…

Kurama glanced at Tsuna, who watched him with concern, and at Reborn, whose expression remained unchanged but whose eyes betrayed a hint of worry. Kurama forced a smile:

“All we can hope for now is that Uncle Iemitsu is efficient. Otherwise… we might really have no way out.”

Despite the peril, he smiled as he ruffled Tsuna’s hair, who had walked over to support him.

“Tsuna, are you scared?”

The brown-haired boy’s head was bowed, his expression hidden, but under Kurama’s hand, his fluffy head shook slowly and firmly.

Kurama’s smile deepened.

“That’s good,” he said with a cheerful grin, as if death were not lurking at the next moment.

Just then, with a sharp cracking sound, the seemingly impregnable wall before them split open with a massive fissure…

Xanxus’ flames had breached the final layer of defense.

Author’s Note: Covering my face—I couldn’t resist giving Kurama some style points →_→
Though there wasn’t any intense (why does this word suddenly feel off? o_o) direct combat, sparks certainly flew, so next… patting your shoulder, Kurama-kun, you… better fend for yourself _(:3∠)_ [Hey]

And honestly, Varia are a bunch of oddballs. They didn’t seem so at first, but in the future arc, they go full-on crazy! Like boss, like subordinates… [beaten by Xanxus’ dad]

…Ahem, anyway, the chapter illustration this time is the debut of the overwhelmingly charismatic twentieth boss [beaten again ==]—

Actually, I firmly believe that the Xanxus of ten years later is more handsome and compelling! Maybe it’s the hairstyle? [quietly covers face]

Finally, as always, a preview for the next chapter: Crisis. The Giant’s Cage is breached, and both sides face off once more! How will Kurama and the others resolve this crisis? Is battle… truly unavoidable? Look forward to the next chapter of “Kurama the Demon Fox”—Crisis!