"Rookie, I thought your ability could only create monsters?"
Tiona looked at the metallic bracelets in surprise. Ever since she'd seen that metal zipper tear open the wall earlier, she'd felt something was off. None of this stuff looked like "monsters" at all.
"Monsters aren't the key part," Tsuna explained. "The so-called 'monsters' are just a medium—a vessel for my imagination. Whether they're living creatures or not doesn't matter. As long as I define it as a monster, then it's a metallic-type monster."
That's so sneaky. Tiona's mind blanked for a second. His ability was already absurdly overpowered, but now the very definition of a "monster" could be whatever he wanted? That was cheating on a divine level.
"How do you use it?"
Ais's eyes had been fixed on the bracelets the whole time. She couldn't care less about how they were made—what mattered was that they could help her train.
"You can adjust the gravity multiplier using the small slider on the side. Once you wear them on both wrists, they'll lock automatically so the gravity only affects you. The maximum setting is ten times normal gravity."
Ais listened carefully, then immediately slipped the bracelets onto her wrists. She checked her hands to make sure she had them on correctly, then fastened them in place.
"Don't start with a high multiplier," Tsuna warned. "If it's too strong, it'll strain your body. Begin with one times gravity and work your way up."
"Okay."
She nodded and flicked the slider to the first setting. Instantly, an invisible weight pressed down on her entire body. Her eyes widened. The unseen pressure made even the simplest movement feel exhausting.
"So heavy..."
Her body felt sluggish, nothing like normal. She couldn't move as easily as before, but her eyes were glowing. The discomfort, the resistance—it excited her.
"Good training."
Even moving a few steps made her breath quicken. She tried to adjust her stance, but the pressure never relented. It reminded her of the time she'd stubbornly carried everyone's packs up from the Dungeon by herself. She'd needed three full days of rest afterward.
This was even worse. The invisible weight crushed down harder than all those packs combined. Even breathing felt heavy.
Tsuna stepped forward and turned the slider back to zero. The pressure vanished instantly, but Ais's breathing was still uneven. The intense weight she'd felt just moments ago—greater than facing hordes of strong monsters—left her trembling with excitement.
"This is amazing," she gasped between breaths. "It's harder than fighting in the Dungeon."
"Gravity affects your whole body," Tsuna explained. "Not just the muscles—your organs feel the pressure too. Breathing becomes difficult, your fatigue builds up faster, and your stamina drains quicker. Even simple training in that state puts enormous strain on the body."
Ais nodded. She could still feel it—the phantom heaviness clinging to her limbs. Just standing had burned through her strength.
"Tiona," Tione said, glancing over. "She's pushing herself way harder than usual. Hey rookie, give me one too—I wanna try."
"Sure."
Without hesitation, Tsuna created several more Gravity Bracelets and handed one to her.
Tiona slipped the pair on and turned the slider to one times gravity. The invisible pressure hit her immediately. Even for someone as strong as her, the sudden heaviness made her eyes widen.
So this was what Ais just felt? No wonder she'd said it was incredible. The pressure really was insane. It forced every muscle to work overtime, and even breathing started to burn.
After a moment, Tiona switched the setting back to normal and jumped in front of Tsuna, eyes sparkling.
"Rookie, rookie—this thing's amazing! I totally get what Ais meant now. The pressure from this is even heavier than swinging Urga when I'm already at my limit! How long does it last? I want one!"
"Actually… I'm not sure," Tsuna admitted. "I still don't know how long the monsters I create can last after I make them. That's something I need to figure out. Maybe if I add a specific condition or imagine a stronger form, I can extend their duration."
He was curious about that himself.
When he didn't specify details during creation, the "monster" seemed to assign the lowest default value to any undefined trait. That much he knew—but exactly how long that default lifespan lasted, he'd have to test.
"I also don't know yet if the things I create can stay stable after I lose focus," he continued. "Besides duration, I need to work on something else—stabilizing auxiliary monsters. If I can fix their form permanently, I could recreate them anytime without starting from scratch."
"I see… figure out their lifespan, then work on solidifying them," Tiona nodded thoughtfully. "That'd open up a ton of possibilities."
"Exactly. That's what I'm aiming for."
The development of his Annihilation Maker had to be his top priority. Tsuna had always placed that ability first—it was the key to finding his way home. And once he did, it would also be the power that let him control his own destiny.
He needed to create as many types of monsters as possible, gather every kind of data he could, and expand his ability's versatility. That was the path forward—the only way to move beyond his current limits.
"The rest area's done," he said at last. "I'll go talk to Finn later about it. And for the rest, I'll confirm the details with him too."
"Perfect," Tiona grinned. "Ais, Tione—come on. Let's help him test how long these things can last!"