A mirror verse to New Games Plus. [Still debating whether to post on ff.net.]
Summary: Instead of simply returning to the beginning with higher stats, Tsuna returns with all his powers levels and skills.
XXxxx Chapter Four xxxXX
He followed the shopkeeper back to the front of the store.
Taking the chance for what it was he started browsing the merchandise. Inside several display cases, there was a large collection of items both weapons and ammo. Some were flame activated but most were normal weapons. Several of them were more heavily upgraded than others but the majority of them were street weapons that had no major special abilities. Tsuna frowned, glancing around and weighing his options as he looked through the display cases for anything useful.
Most of the weapons would be useless for his purposes, either too heavy or too unusual that he doubted any of his guardians would care for them. There were some fighting gloves on sale, but the quality was too low to be of any use for him.
Frowning, he moved over to another counter peering into the display case. There were a few cases of rain ammo and one shard of a lighting gem, but not much else.
Glancing around his eyes caught sight of a small bookcase to the right of the shopkeeper. It had two rolls of books, most of them looking to be antiques of some kind, but what caught his attention was the fact that five books had item displays. Maybe this was what the MENU was talking about? They certainly looked like skill books.
“Can I see the last five books from that shelf?” He said gesturing to the books.
The shopkeeper nodded and retrieved the books spreading them out on the counter. The item displays folded out in a line above each book.
Cold Reading Skill Book
Gardening Skill Book
Lock Picking Skill Book
Rapid Learning Skill Book
Cryptography Skill Book
Interesting.
If the menu had not told him earlier about buying skill books at the midnight shop he would have never have known to
look for them. Normally if he wanted to obtain a skill that he didn't have, he’d look for a mission with a skill book as a reward in an attempt to gain it or if he was lucky enough he’d find the skill book he wanted for sale with the Traveling Merchant. Yet, that didn't always mean he would gain the skill he wanted. Both options were rather hit or miss for the most part.
Looking at the five books, he put three of them back on the counter. Cold Reading and Gardening weren't any use to him and he already had a lock picking skill so the only two that might be of any use to him were the rapid learning and the cryptography skill book. He looked at the price tags. They were forty thousand a piece which, while not expensive was still quite a dent in the money he had.
He thought over the situation a bit. While cryptography would be an interesting and probably valuable skill to learn it wasn't something he needed immediately. Right now his focus was to gain as much experience and as many skills points as possible—
"Honored guest, we have the grand total for your items prepared for you over on this counter," The shopkeeper said motioning to the counter. “If you would like I can hold your items for you?
Tsuna nodded and handed the books over.
He’d think about them later, for now, he needed to count up the money.
Walking up to the counter by the register he was handed back his bag as well as a stack of cash on a silver tray. He noticed the money was in Euros instead of Yen but didn't say anything. It wouldn't matter much once he put it in his inventory.
He counted the money carefully, and matching the amount with the amount on the sheet of paper, he started shuffling it into his bag. He wouldn't put it past the Midnight Shop to shortchange him if he wasn't careful. This area might be a neutral territory, but it was still a mafia shop. If they could get away with it they would.
His hyper intuition nudged him.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see the looks the shopkeeper had given him. They were testing him. Instead of asking which form of cash he wanted the money in they gave it to him in euros. It was probably one of the ways they used to verify both the size and nationality they were dealing with.
A smaller family probably didn't have the resources available to them to exchange the money. While a Japanese Yakuza family would always demand the money in yen, either because they were purist or simply because it was easier to use yen in Japan.
Sliding the money into his bag, and secretly into his inventory, he turned back to the shopkeeper and his assistants. The feeling he was getting off the shop keeper was starting to get to him. There was something about those eyes that was sending chills up his spine. It was time to leave.
“I’d like to purchase these two books.” He said reaching back into his bag and summoning the money he needed before he slides it across the counter. The wait for the shop keeper to count money was near agony as every single one of his senses was telling him to get the hell out of the Midnight Shop, but he fought against them. There was something...familiar about the feeling, and then it hit him—
“It was a pleasure doing business with you, honored guest." the shopkeeper said bowing.
Tsuna nodded and slipping the books into his messenger bag left the shop, glancing back only once, he caught wisps of mist flames starting to recede...
It was on a completely different level than the mist flames from earlier, and considering how long it had been since he had last seen Kawahira, it was little wonder why he didn't immediately recognize the flame signature. Apparently, Kawahira was somehow associated with the Midnight Shop, whether that was because he owned it, worked there or was using it to stake out new flame holders for the Arcobaleno Pacifiers, he didn't know, but at least he knew now. If he hadn't already been feeding his flame into the mist bracelet, his illusion might have been dispelled.
Fixing his messenger bag more securely around his waist, he sped off from the shop, trying to get to the train station faster. It might not do anything to get Kawahira's eyes off of him, but the more public the place he was in the better his chances were of surviving. Kawahira wouldn't likely cause trouble where the Vendice might find him. He detested having to deal with them.
Feeling the eyes of the mist finally start to fade Tsuna slowed down. He knew he probably showed a little too much of his power to Kawahira with his stunt, and it would probably annoying in the long run, but the feeling of despair he could feel from the flames was something he would never get used to. It was like hands around his throat, choking him and the longer he was in the presence of flames, the more he felt like he wanted to hide. Kawahira's flames were painful, as they clawed at him. He had almost forgotten they were like that.
Moving to the steps near the station he took a few deep breaths to calm himself.
Kawahira was gone. There was no reason to take the panic and grief home with him. He was a good distance away from Kawahira, and out of his grasp. He was unknown and it was going to stay that way. Taking a deep breath, he let the stress slowly leave him and focused in on other things. He needed to get home as soon as possible. He still had school tomorrow and even though his mother won't notice his little adventures into Tokyo late at night, he did still want to get some sleep before he left for school. As it was he was going to have to take an alternative route if he wanted to avoid having anyone connecting his new persona to his real identity.
He did not doubt that by the time he got home it was going to be very late. He’d be lucky if he managed to get a few hours of sleep.
As he entered the train station a window popped up.
[A random limited time quest is taking place near the train station. Would Player [Sawada Tsunayoshi] like to participate?]
XXxxxxx
Author’s Note: Tsuna still looks like long haired Riku from Kingdom Heats.
So instead of reblogging, from now on, I’ll just post a test box and a link. Because its getting annoying to try and make the formatting work and this kind of works.
