Danmachi, Ch 186-190

Chapter 186 – The Beautiful Eyes Beneath the Eyepatch

“What did Loki say about the request I mentioned earlier?”

“Loki said it’s up to me to decide. After all, once we go there, there will be many things that neither she nor you, Lady Hephaestus, can easily act upon.”

Hephaestus gave a small nod.

Both she and Loki were still bound by the seal on their divine power, and even in another world, that was unlikely to change.

They were the ones who needed to be looked after.

And considering their true purpose for going—well, that was something they couldn’t handle themselves. It had to be Tsuna’s responsibility.

From that standpoint, whether they went to his world or not depended entirely on his decision.

“And what did you decide?”

Hephaestus turned her head slightly to glance behind her.

“Of course, I agreed.”

Tsuna’s hands rested firmly on Hephaestus’s shoulders. He had already made up his mind long ago about bringing both Loki and Hephaestus to his world.

“Lady Hephaestus is going there to search for materials that can ignite the Dying Will Flame. Even if the flame itself won’t spread beyond the three Familias, future weapons for those three will still require such materials.”

“So naturally, Lady Hephaestus must go.”

“If that’s the only reason, I suppose I don’t necessarily have to go myself, do I?”

Hephaestus’s lips curved faintly. From what Tsuna said, it was clear that she didn’t have to personally make the trip.

Forging weapons that could channel the Dying Will Flame and gathering materials for them didn’t require her direct presence as a craftsman.

“In theory, yes. But in principle—no.”

“Loki’s going mainly to observe the other world’s situation. I imagine that’s also part of your own curiosity, Lady Hephaestus. Asking for your help in forging weapons was my idea—but I can’t very well ask that of you without at least satisfying your own curiosity about the new world, can I?”

Trying to have it both ways only ever ended in losing everything.

Tsuna understood that truth perfectly.

If he wanted Hephaestus’s help, he had to indulge her curiosity as a smith.

Just like he had to with Loki.

“Heh. I think I’m beginning to understand why Loki likes you so much.”

Hephaestus laughed brightly.

She rose from her seat—a valkyrie-like figure, standing tall at over one-seventy, her presence towering slightly above the boy before her.

“You think things through carefully. You understand what equivalent exchange means. And in some ways, you’ve got that straightforward, boyish charm. A bit of a pervert, maybe.”

Her smile softened. “But you’re capable. Thoughtful. And honestly, quite adorable.”

Hephaestus truly did like this child.

Not just because of his strength,

but because of his way of doing things.

She had long noticed how Tsubaki was fond of him, how comfortable she was around him—always touching, always teasing, utterly unguarded.

Hephaestus had always looked upon that with quiet amusement.

But now… she found herself liking him a little too.

“If you weren’t Loki’s child,” she said playfully, “I might’ve stolen you away for myself.”

Hephaestus reached forward and pulled Tsuna into a warm embrace.

“But I am curious—do you like Tsubaki more, or that pair of Amazon sisters?”

It was the kind of question that could spark all sorts of chaos.

“Whether it’s Tiona, Tione, or Tsubaki…” He smiled. “Honestly, I like all of them.”

“Oh my, how greedy. You’ll be quite the troublemaker in the future. Still,” she chuckled, “I like your honesty.”

“Lying before a Goddess is a boring thing to do, don’t you think, Lady Hephaestus?”

Hephaestus lightly tapped his head.

“Idiot. That kind of honesty isn’t something you should blurt out so casually.” Her grin widened. “But fine—I’ll take it as one of your three redeeming qualities.”

“Really, such a fool.”

Despite her words, there was not a trace of anger on her face—only tenderness.

“I’ll allow things between you and Tsubaki. But as for the others… that’s not for me to say.”

“If you have the ability, then bring them all home yourself.”

“…Does that include you too, Lady Hephaestus?”

Hephaestus froze for a moment, then released him, cupping his cheeks in both hands.

“I said bring them home. Are you planning to take me as well?”

“I’m a Goddess, you know. What are you thinking—trying to take me away?”

It wasn’t unheard of for mortals to fall for Gods. Most were either impossibly beautiful or impossibly charming—it was only natural that some children would become infatuated.

Just like Freya, who had no shortage of admirers.

But that was because of more than just her looks. It was her overwhelming presence.

Hephaestus, however, never thought she possessed that kind of allure.

Her hand rose unconsciously to the eyepatch covering her right eye.

"Well… there's no particular reason," Tsuna replied softly. "It's just the feeling I get after spending time with you."

“Spending time, huh? That’s a rather reasonable answer. But…” her tone lowered, “…will you still say that after you see what’s beneath this eyepatch?”

She could tell the boy wasn’t lying. There was no point in deceiving a God; falsehoods were transparent to divine sight.

He was sincere.

But once he saw the hideous truth beneath—

would he still hold such pure feelings?

Hephaestus slowly removed her eyepatch.

The skin around her right eye was warped and ridged, veins bulging like tangled roots beneath the surface.

That eye itself was grotesque—so out of place upon the face of a Goddess that it shattered the image of divine beauty, leaving only darkness and imperfection.

But Tsuna only looked at her, a hint of surprise flashing across his face—nothing more.

“I see,” he said simply.

He smiled, stepping closer.

His calmness left Hephaestus momentarily speechless.

Not afraid? Even after seeing something so ugly… why does he look at me like that?

While she was still trying to understand, Tsuna had already stopped before her.

“I know you wear that eyepatch to hide what you don’t like about yourself,” he said gently. “And yes—it really is that way.”

“Your right eye looks like the price of something—a wound, ugly and twisted, nothing like a Goddess should have.”

Yes… that’s right…

Hephaestus clenched her fists.

“But it’s not just the scars around it that matter,” he continued softly. “What about the eye itself?”

“The eye…?”

When she turned to him, there was no disgust, no fear, no trace of rejection on his face.

“In that eye, I can see only Lady Hephaestus’s kindness—the love you hold for your Familia and your children. The skin may be marred with poison, but within that poison burns the red beauty of your eye. A Goddess’s warmth, hidden beneath the scars.”

“Ah…”

Hephaestus trembled.

In his eyes, she saw a boy’s pure sincerity—words so honest they made her heart flutter, words that felt almost like a confession.

Chapter 187 – Your Proposal, I Accept

Hephaestus never imagined that a mortal child could so easily accept the grotesque scar of her right eye.

He had even called it beautiful.

And as a Goddess, she could clearly tell—he wasn’t lying. Every word he spoke was the absolute truth.

So… what was this? Wasn’t it nothing less than a confession?

Hephaestus had never expected that a child from the lower world would speak to her so openly, so sincerely.

And, against all reason—her heart had been moved.

A heartbeat that had long lain dormant stirred again, quickening in ways she hadn’t felt for ages. Those simple words had struck directly at her heart.

“Lady Hephaestus.”

Tsuna stepped forward.

Hephaestus startled and instinctively took a step back. But Tsuna was faster—his hand caught hers firmly, leaving her no room to retreat.

“W–wait, I… I’m not ready for this.”

Her face turned crimson. Her heartbeat pounded so loudly that it echoed in her ears.

She hadn’t expected things to develop like this.

But Tsuna had been prepared for it.

After Loki had confessed her true thoughts to him, Tsuna had decided to no longer hide his feelings.

He would openly express his affection for the women he cared about—boldly and honestly. And afterward, he would tell Loki everything.

“Lady Hephaestus, I’m not trying to force you.”

“I just want to express my feelings—and to hear your answer.”

My answer…?

Hephaestus suddenly felt that the boy before her had grown terribly cunning.

Such a direct advance left her flustered, unable to process the situation clearly.

She had always thought of herself as an outsider—believing that Tsubaki, Tiona, and Tione were the real targets of his affection.

Even if there were several of them, she didn’t particularly mind. Mortal children often loved more than one person—it wasn’t something she paid much attention to.

But who could have guessed this boy would be so bold as to harbor feelings for a Goddess… for her.

His words had truly stunned her.

And now, he was waiting for her reply.

“I… I never thought a mortal child could accept someone as ugly as me.”

The light on her exposed right eye made her realize it was still uncovered. Reflexively, she tried to hide it—but found that her hand was still being held.

Aside from Hestia, no one had ever accepted her for who she was.

Yet here was someone—his words sincere, his eyes unflinching, utterly unfazed by her deformity.

For the first time, Hephaestus realized how pure and fiery the heart of a mortal could be.

“This is the first time I’ve met someone like you.”

“I can’t believe you’d even think to make me one of your targets.”

She had always thought herself removed from it all—only to find herself drawn right into the center of it.

The image of Tsuna standing before her, eyes burning with conviction, flashed in her mind. Her heartbeat quickened again.

Heat rushed through her face.

“If I had to say it… I think I rather like you.”

Obedient, capable, intelligent, and endlessly creative—Tsuna had always left a good impression on her as a craftsman.

And now, that impression had deepened.

Because he was the first to accept her scars without hesitation. That first held a special meaning.

“But really—you’re far too bold.”

“To think of something like that… you’ve got some nerve.”

Not only Tsubaki and the Amazon sisters—he had even included her from the start, and dared to ask if she could be part of it too.

His courage was truly outrageous.

“You realize, don’t you—if a Goddess agrees to something like this, there are consequences?”

“An eternal life, an existence forever separate from mortals. Do you understand what that means?”

Hephaestus drew a deep breath. The boy knew exactly what she was implying.

“And yet you still…”

“Lady Hephaestus,” Tsuna said softly, “it’s because life is short that I want to spend it doing something meaningful. Saying I love someone is far better than keeping it locked away forever.”

“Besides, Lady Hephaestus, I’m confident in my own future. I don’t intend to live just a few decades.”

“What…?”

Hephaestus met his gaze—steady, unwavering, full of self-assurance.

Then she remembered. This child was no ordinary mortal.

His strength didn’t come solely from the Falna. The Dying Will Flame—his true power—was his own.

He said he didn’t plan to live only a few decades… meaning he sought something greater.

Surprise flickered in her eyes, soon followed by understanding.

Had anyone else spoken such words, she would’ve dismissed them as delusions.

But from him… it was different.

Because he could reach higher. Because he might truly make it possible.

Hephaestus’s brow arched suddenly.

“Have you said those words to any other Goddess?”

“…Loki.”

“Loki!?”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. He had said this—to Loki!?

"Actually," Tsuna admitted, "I once proposed to Miss Loki without even realizing it. And… she accepted. She even wears the ring I gave her."

He took Hephaestus’s left hand gently, brushing his thumb across the ring of Mare’s sky-blue gem on her finger.

Hephaestus stared at her hand, then at the boy holding it.

“So… you’re proposing to me too?”

“Eh?”

“If you’re certain—and if you truly mean what you’ve said—then I suppose… I could accept it.”

“I’ll ask you once. Are you serious?”

Tsuna nodded firmly.

“I’m serious.”

For the first time in her divine life, Hephaestus was confessed to—proposed to—by a child of the lower world.

And yet… that child was special.

“You’ve gone and entangled yourself with a second Goddess.”

“Remember this, Tsuna. Gods take promises seriously. Even after a thousand, ten thousand years… we do not forget.”

Her cheeks flushed faintly.

“Your proposal… I accept.”

Chapter 188 — Huh? I Have a Backup Plan

“Eh!? You confessed directly to Hephaestus? And she actually agreed?”

Loki stared at Tsuna in utter disbelief.

For a moment, she was completely speechless.

She had encouraged him to build more relationships—it would, after all, be a great motivator for his growth.

But she hadn’t expected him to be this effective. In just a few months, he had managed to win over Hephaestus herself. He’d not only confessed—he’d even successfully proposed to her!

“I thought you were aiming for Tsubaki. Who would’ve guessed you wouldn’t even spare Hephaestus?”

Loki had been the first to find out about Tsubaki.

After that first time Tsubaki had suddenly hugged Tsuna, he’d confessed everything once he got home.

And this time was no different—Loki was, once again, the first to learn that Hephaestus had accepted his proposal.

After her brief shock, Loki’s eyes glinted with a mischievous sparkle as she looked him over.

“You know,” she began, “back in the heavens, Hephaestus and Soma were both the type who hated leaving their homes. Total shut-ins.”

“The difference was that Soma liked staying home to brew wine, while Hephaestus spent her days forging weapons.”

“One honed the craft of brewing, the other perfected her forging skills.”

“And now look at them—one got dragged out of his shell by you for ‘re-education,’ and the other just got proposed to.”

There was a hint of jealousy in Loki’s voice, though it softened as she spoke.

She spread her hands, the gesture saying everything without words.

Tsuna stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms. Loki leaned close, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered:

“So now you’re bound to two goddesses. Your path forward’s already been narrowed. Feeling any pressure yet?”

“You can only succeed. Otherwise, even after a million years, the grudges of those goddesses won’t let your soul rest.”

The love of a goddess ran deep—so deep that once it began, it would never truly fade.

But Tsuna had already prepared himself for that from the very start.

If there was a chance to gain a longer life, he would never let death take him so easily.

As for how he might attain that longer life—that was a road he would have to discover himself.

He pulled Loki tighter in return.

“Loki, I’m a greedy man.”

“I want to bond with goddesses. I want to live longer. I even want my parents and friends to share that longer life.”

“I’m not the type to stop just because of some obstacle.”

Loki smiled, clearly pleased with that answer.

“Then I’ll be looking forward to it.”

This was a path no child of the lower world had ever walked before. Loki didn’t know whether Tsuna could truly succeed.

But compared to countless past challenges, Tsuna possessed conditions that ordinary challengers never had—

A true qualification to walk the road to the heavens.

A power even the gods themselves did not possess.

Annihilation Maker.

"No need to be so tense," Loki said with confidence. "You've got what those before you didn't. That power even the gods lack—it can carry you continuously toward the peak. All you have to do is bring out its full potential. Once you do, everything else will fall into place."

“I know.”

Tsuna nodded. He also had a plan—his own Backup Plan.

“Actually, I’ve always had a backup plan.”

"But I think… if I manage to create that, it probably means I can obtain the immortality all past adventurers desperately sought—without even having to pursue it."

“Wait—seriously?”

Loki’s eyes went wide. Whatever tension she’d had a moment ago vanished instantly.

"It's true," Tsuna admitted, "but the same problem remains—unless I reach a certain level of strength, using that thing to alter causality would just draw divine attention."

"...What the hell!?"

Changing causality? That's basically rewriting the world's laws!

In an instant, Loki understood just how that so-called "backup plan" could make a mortal transcend humanity—by directly letting them surpass the causality of their short-lived nature, by rewriting the very rule of human mortality, to achieve longevity… even immortality itself.

“Then why did you look so serious earlier?”

“Uh… Loki, you’re the one who got serious first. And I did say—it’s just a backup plan. If I tried to use it while I’m still weak, it’d be reckless. But once I’m strong enough, I might not even need it to live a long life.”

Tsuna explained quickly.

He’d understood his situation from the start, but Loki’s grave expression had prompted him to play along and act serious too.

Good grief.

Loki covered her face with her palm. She’d gone through all that only to find out Tsuna had another contingency ready.

“I really underestimated you. You can even handle something like that?”

Even Tsuna himself couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“Honestly, I didn’t realize it either—until I created the Boosted Gear. That’s when it hit me: if I can make something that can bring people back from the dead, then maybe I really can create things tied to immortality.”

"However, since my ability can create that thing, I thought that even just relying on this power alone, I should be able to achieve it. Plus, the Holy Grail of the Netherworld would have quite a significant impact, so I figured I'd try relying on my own ability first."

When Tsuna had first realized that his Annihilation Maker could even recreate Sacred Gears, he’d understood that his path was now full of shortcuts.

But that completely cheat-like power far exceeded what he could currently control. So for now, he'd sealed away those impossible ideas.

At least until his strength could finally match them. Otherwise, it would only bring him unnecessary trouble.

“Next time,” Loki groaned, “give me a warning before you drop a bomb like that.”

Her face felt like it was burning.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 189 — The Holy Grail and the Road Home

“The Holy Grail of the Netherworld…”

Tsuna opened the record book, his mind gathering every bit of information about the Holy Grail. On one of its pages, the image of a chalice made entirely of pure gold appeared, categorized under Armaments.

“That Grail truly does possess the power to twist life and death—but that power doesn’t come merely from controlling life itself. It comes from reversing causality. By overturning cause and effect, it can bring the dead back to life.”

"Moreover, in Japanese tales, the word 'Netherworld' symbolizes Yomi—the land of the dead—and also represents dimensions beyond our own."

“The combination of these two words, literally speaking, means the key to the underworld.”

“That certainly fits its ability to reverse causality and alter the state between life and death.”

“Yomi… the home of the dead. To leave it, one must open its gates. Thinking of it that way makes perfect sense.”

He deconstructed the meaning of the Holy Grail of the Netherworld word by word, recording his analysis onto the record book.

If a concept was sound, the book would accept it—preserving it as a construct he could summon freely in the future.

If not, the blueprint simply wouldn’t imprint onto its pages.

Simpler creatures—those with single abilities—didn’t need such logical consistency. Their functions didn’t conflict the way complex constructs did.

Only creations with intertwined powers required coherent internal logic.

That was why Tsuna had always hesitated to design overly complicated magic beasts—once complexity increased, the risk of collapse skyrocketed.

Just like when he had created Silence, the Level 7 construct—it had collapsed upon formation.

It wasn’t just a problem of imagination, but of inner design—bugs within the structure that caused its framework to fall apart.

Ultimately, the problem always came back to imagination.

“Got it!”

Tsuna's face lit up as he saw the golden Grail image etched onto the book's pages. Beneath it, neat annotations described its abilities:

“Interference with space and dimensional planes, interference with established causality, storage of life energy and soul fragments~.”

"Its functions include manipulation of space, life, and cause—enabling the reversal of life, causality, and space."

“Wait… if the Holy Grail of the Netherworld can interfere with space, could it help me sense spatial coordinates?”

The thought struck him like lightning.

If the Grail could indeed influence dimensions, then perhaps it could enhance his perception of spatial anchors—the coordinates linking worlds.

Without hesitation, Tsuna moved to test it.

As long as he didn’t use the Grail to resurrect the dead, there was no ethical dilemma to worry about.

And naturally, he wasn’t the type to make things difficult for himself.

A chalice of pure gold appeared before him—elegant and radiant, its form like a wine cup.

He reached out and grasped it lightly. As he tilted it, a crimson liquid slowly welled up inside.

“Life energy…?”

That would require further study later. For now, the key question was whether the Grail could help him sense spatial coordinates.

Tsuna closed his eyes, focusing on the coordinates of another world far away.

At that very moment, the Grail in his hand began to glow faintly.

Within his perception, the once-hazy spatial coordinates grew sharper and clearer.

He opened his eyes in shock.

“It really works!”

Before, his strength had been too low—he could barely feel the coordinates, only a vague sense of direction pointing toward them.

But now, it was completely different.

This time, he could pinpoint them with absolute precision—no longer hazy or unstable, but crystal clear.

“Perfectly clear… perfectly stable.”

The discovery filled him with indescribable joy.

It meant that, at last, he had found a definite coordinate—a clear point that represented home.

“The spatial interference ability is incredible.”

“The Grail works like an amplified signal receiver—it strengthens my perception of the coordinates and stabilizes the connection.”

“This ability is a massive help.”

With clear and steady perception, he could now forcefully connect if needed.

But he took a deep breath and calmed himself.

“Stay calm. My perception is only stable because of the Grail’s support.”

Soon, his excitement subsided.

It wasn’t time to return yet. As long as he had confirmed the coordinates and verified that time in that world remained frozen from when he left, there was no need for impatience.

“I’ll finish this Joint Expedition first. Once I reach Level 3, I’ll think about returning.”

Everything had its proper order.

The Joint Expedition had been in preparation for quite some time—it was the next major milestone.

Tsuna also intended to use this expedition to break through and reach Level 3.

As his strength grew, so too would the stability of his spatial sense.

When the time came to return home, being stronger could only help.

As for what came after—he didn’t bother thinking about it yet.

There would be countless matters to confirm once he went back, and none of them could be planned out in such a short time anyway.

Still, there were a few preparations he could handle before then.

For example, he needed to create a magic beast that could perform digital infiltration—or more accurately, build a magic beast computer that could hack networks for him.

In a world dominated by modern technology, most information could be obtained through intrusion.

Mafia records, hidden data, secret archives—if Tsuna wanted to locate the stones that could ignite Dying Will Flames without revealing his identity, he needed a proper intelligence-gathering system.

With that decision made, Tsuna dismissed the Grail from his hand and turned to the next page of the book.

“Perfect timing. Since I’ve got free time today, I’ll make a magic beast specialized for electronic information capture.”

Chapter 190: Suddenly Curious

Tsuna, who hadn’t slept the entire night, was now leaning back in his chair, resting.

He turned his head and glanced out the window.

“The sun’s up.”

“Ahhh—”

He let out a deep yawn. After an entire night of brainstorming, the excitement of possibly finding a way home had kept him unusually alert.

But once that excitement faded, the backlash from his intense focus came crashing down.

Sleepiness!

And a serious kind, the sort that wouldn’t go away without proper rest.

“Beep beep!”

A metallic badge on the desk emitted a soft chime.

Tsuna straightened up a little, tapping the badge’s surface with a finger. A holographic projection rose from it.

The image displayed a 360-degree view of the lands outside the Labyrinth City.

Soon, more scenes began to appear—each one showing the main roads leading into Orario.

There were even smaller, lesser-known paths among them.

He had placed Mimicry Eyes along all those routes, ensuring that anyone or anything entering the city would pass under their gaze.

“Still, whether these Mimicry Eyes can avoid detection... that needs to be tested.”

When creating the Mimicry Eyes, Tsuna had added several layers of disguise—camouflage, presence suppression, and sensory masking. Even so, he couldn’t help but worry that they might still be discovered.

After all, even those presence-reducing badges he’d crafted had once been noticed by the Dungeon’s Cleaners.

That meant that against beings with excessive power, stealth abilities could become ineffective.

Until he could confirm that neither gods nor adventurers would notice the Mimicry Eyes, he had no intention of deploying them inside Orario.

That would be far too reckless.

After verifying the status of the Mimicry Eyes, he moved on to testing the Pheromone.

“I’ll need to run some finer tests on it too.”

The metallic badge on his desk was labeled Pheromone—a device designed for information warfare, built with his return to his original world in mind. Its full name was “Information Warfare–Grade Data Collection Unit,” but he simply called it Pheromone.

“It has zero combat capability. All its attributes are focused on analysis, data capture, and information offense. But I still need to test its data acquisition speed and its information organization efficiency.”

In his original world, information networks had already spread among ordinary people. There, Pheromone would have been immensely useful. Here, in a world without such systems, its applications were limited.

Even so, it still required testing—both here and when he returned home.

After deactivating Pheromone, Tsuna leaned back in his chair once more.

Fatigue washed over him, and his eyelids grew unbearably heavy.

The adrenaline was gone. Now, he truly felt sleepy.

He summoned the Healing Hot Spring.

Stripping off his outer clothes, leaving only a pair of shorts, Tsuna slipped into the bath.

A translucent barrier surrounded him as one of his puppets remained behind in the room to stand guard.

Life had been too comfortable lately; he’d let his guard down. Realizing that, Tsuna decided to reclaim the caution he’d once had.

Especially during sleep—the most dangerous time for any human being.

Losing consciousness meant vulnerability, so to sleep safely, he retreated into the Alternate Dimension.

Two hours later—

Knock knock knock!

The sound of someone rapping on the door echoed through the room.

The puppet opened the door. Standing outside was Bete Loga.

“Hm?”

He peered inside but didn’t see Tsuna anywhere. The chair by the desk was pulled out but not pushed back.

“At this hour, he’s gone, and only the puppet’s here.”

“Resting, huh?”

After a moment of thought, Bete understood.

He had originally come to ask about the Dying Will Flame, but since the man himself wasn’t around, he’d have to find another time.

He left without saying anything.

He knew Tsuna’s puppet couldn’t speak anyway, so he simply closed the door behind him and walked off.

If he couldn’t ask today, then he’d go to the Challenge Space and ask the Floor Bosses with his fists instead.

The next Amphisbaena respawn was less than a month away.

After that battle, he’d need time to adjust his updated status—just in time for the Joint Expedition.

Bete didn’t have a single moment to waste.

He wished he could squeeze two minutes’ worth of work into every one.

Not long after Bete left, Loki came knocking at the same door.

The puppet answered again.

“Hm? Eh~? He’s not sleeping in his room today?”

Loki looked a little surprised.

Usually when she dropped by, Tsuna would be resting here.

But today, only the puppet remained—a clear sign that he had gone into the Alternate Dimension to rest.

“Tsuna’s puppet, can you take me there?”

The puppet gave a slight nod. The Space Rabbit appeared, and a translucent field enveloped Loki, transporting her into the other dimension.

The gray-white world of the Alternate Dimension was utterly unlike the real one.

Everything, including the people within it, turned monochrome.

It was like stepping into the mirrored reflection of reality. Loki stood before a familiar door, pushed it open, and found it unlocked.

Inside, in the muted gray world, Tsuna was the only being who retained his color.

Though, he didn’t look so great.

Wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, he lay immersed in a transparent bath. Pale green liquid surrounded him, slowly mending his body.

Loki walked up to the edge of the bath, clearly seeing the exhaustion on his face.

"Didn't sleep well last night?"

Was it about Hephaestus? Loki shook her head slightly.

Tsuna could get excited, sure—but not to the point of insomnia.

“Ah~ suddenly, I really want to know…”