When Loki and Tsuna left the secluded courtyard, the place that had once been heavy with despair now shimmered with renewed hope. The adventurers who had lost parts of themselves were whole again. All they needed now was time—time to rest, retrain, and they'd be ready to return to the Familia's front lines.
"What a shame," Tsuna murmured.
The Healing Rabbit's potential was incredible, but it wasn't something they could just parade around. He sighed at the thought.
"No need to feel bad," Loki said casually, slinging an arm around his shoulders.
"The rabbit you made is insanely capable. Its healing functions alone are practically all-encompassing. And that's exactly why it needs to be controlled. If we flaunted it, our Familia would end up on the opposite side of every merchant Familia in Orario. That's a fight not worth picking."
She spoke like a goddess who'd seen too many power struggles to count.
"There's no need to downgrade the rabbit's abilities. Just... keep the first three functions under wraps unless it's absolutely necessary. As long as Finn and the others know it can heal severed limbs, that's enough. For wounds, poisons, and curses—let them use normal recovery items."
Loki had no doubts about the Healing Rabbit's power. In the field of healing, it could rival the so-called "Saint of the Battlefield." With a bit of tuning, even large-scale area healing wouldn't be out of reach. But that was exactly the problem—it was too capable. Until they were ready to face the full economic backlash from the merchant Familias, the rabbit had to stay hidden.
"Besides the Healing Rabbit," Loki continued, eyes narrowing playfully, "I bet you've made other stuff too, haven't you? Come on, tell me. I'm curious."
With something that advanced already under his belt, she was genuinely interested in what other creations Tsuna might have come up with.
"The others aren't as flashy," Tsuna said. "I just made a rest space for Tiona to use while exploring the Dungeon—safe, comfortable, with clean water for bathing, and storage."
"A rest space?" Loki raised an eyebrow. "You already solved that problem?"
That was unexpected—and impressive.
"That's damn useful. The two biggest issues with Dungeon expeditions are survival and supply. Finn's always been passionate about deep-level exploration, but we've had to retreat early every time because of resupply limits. With your rest space, Finn's probably gonna lose his mind from excitement."
She grinned, then her tone softened, more serious. "Still, some things need to stay under wraps. You're not ready to be out in the open yet. For the next three or four years, you need to keep yourself hidden as much as possible. Once you've grown strong enough—then you can stand in the spotlight."
"Honestly," Tsuna said with a faint smile, "I never planned to stand in the spotlight anyway."
"Yeah, I figured."
Loki wasn't surprised in the least. From the moment they met, she'd noticed he wasn't driven by greed or ambition. He was still like a kid in some ways—innocent, even. But when it came to power, there was a sharp, unmistakable hunger.
"Thing is," Loki said, "you don't always get to choose that. The moment you have power that stands out from the rest, the world's spotlight will find you, whether you want it or not. That's true in any world. But with power, you can shape your life the way you want it. Once you have that freedom, it won't matter if the spotlight's on you or not."
Her words cut to the heart of it. The world's gaze could fall on anyone for countless reasons—but only the strong had the right to decide what came next. Those who couldn't bear the light usually just lacked the strength to step out of its reach.
Tsuna didn't mind that truth. Power was something he genuinely desired. When the chance came, he'd seize it. He already knew that strength was the key to changing one's fate.
"Power takes time to build," Tsuna said. "But once I'm strong enough, I'll deal with this world's biggest threats... and maybe find a way home. Then I can handle the problems waiting back there too."
"Your home world's got trouble too?" Loki asked, tilting her head.
"I can't say for sure," Tsuna replied. "What I know comes from... a 'story.'"
"Oh-ho~ a story, huh?" Loki chuckled. "Then it's anyone's guess how the future turns out. With you in the mix, it's bound to change anyway. But that's for later. For now, you should focus on growing stronger—leveling up both your body and your skills."
She was already planning ahead. When the time came, she would see Tsuna's world for herself. But that was for the future—after he found a way home. For now, priority number one was his growth.
"Well then," she said, smirking, "looks like you've already done plenty of prep work. The Healing Rabbit, the rest space... Oh, right! Yesterday, didn't you give Ais a pair of bracelets? What the hell were those? She couldn't even move this morning!"
"Couldn't move?" Tsuna blinked, then groaned. "She must've activated the Gravity Bracelet all night. It's a training device that increases gravity on the body—adjustable from one to ten times normal. She told me yesterday that the monsters weren't strong enough for her, so I gave her a way to push her limits. I didn't think she'd use it overnight!"
That woman's obsession with strength was downright terrifying. Tsuna had known Ais was dedicated, but this was... excessive. Who the hell sleeps through tenfold gravity? The only reason she wasn't crushed flat was probably because her body had healed recently.
"That's Ais for you," Loki sighed. "From now on, you're forbidden to give her any of your creations without clearing it with me first. Normal gear is fine, but anything for training? No way. If it ends up in Ais's hands, always assume the worst."
"You mean... she'll misuse it?"
"Exactly. You could give it to Tiona instead and it'd be safer. At least Tiona's not crazy enough to torture herself overnight. But Ais? The moment she finds out something can make her stronger, she'll do it—no matter the risk. She's a walking disaster."
The others were manageable. Only Ais was the unpredictable, obsessive one.
Loki had practically raised the girl herself, so she knew exactly how her mind worked. When it came to strength, Ais's brain just... stopped functioning properly. If nobody was there to rein her in, she'd absolutely do something no one could have imagined.