3rd PoV

By dawn, Hayano is awake, slightly disoriented by good on the head. Her reaction on meeting Layla and Ryona was kind of cute, it was enough to change Alaude's first impression of her being a calculated woman to a huge softie on the inside kind of woman.

"Is the plan clear for everyone?" Tsuna gathers all the people in front of Flavio's house, forming a semicircle in front of her, while as Alaude stands not too far from the crowd. Hayano still has bandages around her head, but her eyes hold the same determination as the others, Flavio too, while shouldering a big bag full of metallic materials.

"The formation will be triangular, Signor. Alaude will be the one on front, guiding us. Hayano and I will be behind. Signor. Flavio is top priority, so Layla and Ryona will be on protection duty. Kyomi, please be on the look-out for the phantoms." 

"Hime, the horses are ready, we can depart in fifteen minutes." Hayano dutifully informs her, checking her watch, "Thank you, Hayano. Our main objective now is to make it safe to the mansion. We still have limited knowledge on these phantoms and limited shards of iron for defense, so please use them wisely." Tsuna's molten gold eyes sweep over them.

"Good luck to all of us and may we all survive."

-

So far, it was peaceful, but they didn't dare lower their guards around the woods. Alaude is doing a good job leading them to the mansion, after turns and gallops, the horses are now on the familiar dirt path that Alaude, Tsuna and Flavio remembers.

"The mansion is not far from here now." Tsuna comments. Alaude hums.

"In 15 minutes we'll-"

"At 0500!" Ryona's horse suddenly swerved until it lagged behind and crashed on the ground, releasing a pained neigh. Ryona clicked her tongue.

"Ryona!" said woman jumped off and flips midair, landing cleanly behind Layla, balanced precariously on the horse with her hand clasped on Layla to avoid falling.

"More phantoms at our 6." Kyomi appeared beside, "How many?" Tsuna yells over the panic neighs of the horse who sensed the danger emitting from the enemies, "5!"

"3 more at our 9!" Layla informs.

"Damn! Why did they appear now!?" Tsuna cursed, "Protect Signor Flavio, Ryona! Layla! Hayano and I will deal with them."

'Shit, why now when we're near the mansion. Not only are we in danger, but Giotto and the others too!' Tsuna clicked her tongue and pulled on the bridle, and her horse stopped, standing on his back legs. Hayano follows her and let the others pass through.

"Hayano!"

"Yes!" without even saying anything but her name, Hayano already knew what to do, she pulls out a gun and throws it to Tsuna who's already pulling out a glass canister full of iron shavings. 

Tsuna throws the canister to the closest group of phantoms and-

BANG

The spectrals screeched as the little pieces pierced into their supposedly untouchable skin and they're stuck with the black materials pinning them on the ground.

"How far are we!?"

"Less than a kilometer! Prepare yourselves!" Alaude yells, "Yes!" yells the two women like veteran soldiers who have been to multiple wars. Kyomi is not far behind them, still keeping an eye on the remaining phantoms and her two sisters.

A phantom suddenly jumped from above, a hand morphing into some beast claws clearly aiming for the Italian man, but Kyomi intercepted, jumping off her horse and appearing above the enemy in less than a second.

With a grunt, she drilled her iron infused heels on its back and kicked it back to the forest, far, far away. Kyomi landed on Flavio's horse, back facing her allies and tonfas out in case another of the spectrals come.

Soon after they can see the high gates of the Vongola Mansion and two people are guarding it while as there are few people inside in the open.

"Primo! Alaude is approaching with other people!" one of the guards alerted him. Giotto approached the gates and true to their word, Alaude is arriving with few people by horses. The back of his head throb and he grimaced, "Open the gates and keep your guards up!"

Yamamoto and Asari rush outside upon hearing their shouts, "Tsuna? Where's Tsuna?" she frantically asked them. One of the guards checks through the telescope and sees the other four people behind Alaude, but none of them has the same shade of brown hair.

"We can't spot her, but there are other three women with him!"

'Three? Could they be-?' Takemi sweats.

The guards hurriedly opened the gates, and the horses' thunderous gallops echoed through the entire estate.

All of them gets down from their horses, including Flavio, who clumsily stumbles. "You two, get inside!" Alaude orders them, startling almost everyone, as they rarely hear him yell.

"Alaude, what is happening and where's Tsuna?" Giotto runs to him, asking. "And why is Flavio here?"

"No time." Alaude grunted.

"Kyomi-nee! Ryona-nee, surround the place with iron shavings! I'll stay here!"

"Osu!"

"Layla!?" Takemi gasps and she staggered to her youngest sister. Asari follows suit, eyes trained on her form in case she stumbled.

"Take-nee." Layla sighs upon seeing her.

"What's going on?" she asks her. Layla shakes her head. "No time, I'll tell you later. Tsu-nee and Haya-nee will be here, just wait but go inside, it's not safe." she pleads.

"Hayano is also here?"

-

"DIE!" Hayano grunts as another group of phantoms is pinned on the ground. 

She groups up with Tsuna, back to back, as they're surrounded by a few more phantoms.

Tsuna sweatdrops, 'Hayano, they can't...really die.'

"Hayano, how many canisters do you have left?"

"Not much, Hime. 5 canisters." she replies, wiping the sweat off her chin. Tsuna sighs and concentrated once more.

'We only have several canisters left, but I don't think it will be sufficient to hold them down before we reach the gates.' she observed. She sighs and closed her eyes.

"Hayano, retreat, now!"

The second in command stopped firing and pivoted her feet, running towards the mansion, "Roger!" Tsuna is not far behind her. The remaining phantoms chase after them, letting out creepy hisses and wails, untouchable body slithering across the ground.

They run through the woods, because of the specters relentless attacks, they were pushed back deep in the forest, luckily Tsuna knew where to go and she led the way. The forest is dense, dark and a bit confusing to those who never venture, but thanks to her Intuition, Tsuna knows where to go.

They did their best to lost them in the thickness of the woods, they did partially, there are still some following them persistently. "I can see the mansion!" Tsuna informs her.

"Let's hope they put a circle of iron shavings." Hayano gasps for air, they've been running for a while now, and she wasn't healed completely, it must be taking a toll on her body.

"On 3 we jump, okay!?"

"Yes!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1, JUMP!" they did a high jump, high enough to surpass the high walls and flipped, but alas, a phantom still followed them, copying their action and leaped in the air. It opened its jaws directly above Hayano and the girls screamed her name.

"What the hell!?" G nearly swallowed his cancer stick upon seeing the monstrosity that is after the silverette and grabbed his gun holster reflexively, but Hayano moved quicker.

She throws a canister behind her and turns around midair, she grabbed her gun and points it at the canister which is fortunately away from her and directly on the torso of the phantom. She glares scathingly, her hair flowing around her, "Fuck off."

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Three consecutive shots echoes through the area and it was followed by a screech and glass breaking. Hayano landed on the ground with a roll and sits on her legs, sighing.

The girls rushed to her and Tsuna inspects her face, worried face, asking questions frantically. Hayano merely smiled at them.

"I'm fine."

"Good-" a gruff voice interrupted them, and the girls turned to the redhead that is now walking towards them, followed by a few medics. A glint of suspicion in his narrowed eyes.

"Because I have some questions, first, what in the hell was that thing!?"

A/n: I have no brain cells left, I'm so sorry guys, I don't have any reason as to why it took me months to update, I simply lost motivation to write this book at the moment. 

I, uhhh, fell into the Jujutsu Kaisen phase, so that's why ;-;

This is probably the last chapter because I put this book in small hiatus, AGAIN.