"So, that's their plan. What about yours?"
"My own plan's a lot simpler," Tsuna replied calmly. "Just rounding out the rest of my Status."
He leaned back slightly. "Training with the Gravity Bracelet's been working really well. I plan to keep using it for a while."
Tsuna had a clear grasp of where he stood. His growth had reached a balanced stage—no glaring weaknesses left, only room to raise his basic abilities.
"Just don't overdo it," Loki warned. "Especially since you're still in the early stages of your growth."
"Yeah, I know," Tsuna nodded. "Given my base Status is still lower, I shouldn't keep the gravity load on for too long. I'm aware of that."
He caught the concern in Loki's voice and smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Miss Loki. I'm not gonna go to Ais's extremes."
"…She really did set a bad example," Loki muttered with a sigh.
If anyone in her Familia gave her the biggest headache, it was definitely Ais.
From the start, Ais's obsession with getting stronger bordered on fanaticism. Loki understood that deep down, the girl's hunger for power came from something else—an old wound that hadn't healed. That was why she'd never tried to stop her. Loki believed that, through the pursuit of strength, Ais would eventually learn restraint on her own.
Except Ais hadn't learned that yet—while the newcomer, Tsuna, already had.
His desire for power was crystal clear, but unlike Ais, he knew how to temper it. He understood that strength wasn't something you seized overnight; it had to be built, layer by layer, with patience.
Looking at him, Loki couldn't help but feel a twinge of wistfulness.
"If only Ais were half as level-headed as you," she said softly. "That kid's desire for power has turned into impatience. I made Finn cancel expeditions for a whole year just to keep her safe, but she's still itching to throw herself into danger…"
"Even if she's a Level 5 Adventurer—yeah, that's strong—but ambushes don't care about strength. Remember Astraea's kids? One ambush from the Dark Faction and they were nearly wiped out. Ais wouldn't fare any better."
She shook her head, the memory still bitter.
Astraea's Familia had eleven children—nine at Level 4, two at Level 3. A lineup like that was more than enough to take down a single Level 5. And among them was Alise, who was already close to breaking through herself.
But even with that strength, they'd almost been annihilated when Evilus ambushed them.
If Tsuna hadn't pulled them back from the brink, Astraea would've been mourning her children that very morning.
Loki couldn't imagine Ais surviving something like that.
Even Finn, Gareth, or Riveria would've had no choice but to retreat if faced with the same ambush.
Yeah. Ais had definitely set a dangerous precedent.
Tsuna agreed with Loki's take.
"Ais's desire for power isn't wrong," he said thoughtfully. "But that anxiety of hers needs to be managed. And, honestly, just keeping her on a leash won't work. Unless she can see that she's improving, she'll do something reckless sooner or later."
"Can't argue with that." Loki nodded.
Ais was the kind of girl who needed tangible proof of growth to calm down. Otherwise, she'd spiral deeper into frustration. But that was only a temporary fix. After Level 5, every step forward became exponentially harder.
Finn, Gareth, and Riveria had all been stuck at that stage for years. It had taken the intervention of Silence and Gluttony—Alfia and Zald, those monsters from the old Hera and Zeus Familias—to give them the chance to achieve the "great deeds" needed to reach Level 6.
So Loki's expression remained uneasy.
"Even so, that approach won't hold forever," she murmured. "Ais can never truly be satisfied with her strength. The moment she hits her limit, her first thought will be to level up—and the only way she'll think to earn that 'great deed' will be by challenging Udaeus alone."
She wasn't wrong.
Tsuna almost laughed. Loki really does understand Ais inside and out. She'd even predicted what Ais would do years down the line.
When it came to knowing Ais Wallenstein, no one in the Familia could match Loki.
Tsuna thought for a moment, then said quietly, "Actually, calming her anxiety isn't that hard. The best way's also the simplest—give her a dream."
"A dream?" Loki raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"The source of her restlessness appears in that dream," Tsuna explained. "It might all be fake, but maybe… that illusion is exactly what she needs right now."
Loki tilted her head, mulling it over. "A dream like that, huh… Ais, what do you think?"
It seemed Loki had already caught on to Tsuna's idea. She actually found it clever—direct and effective at easing Ais's inner turmoil, if only temporarily. The only problem was that the dream wouldn't be real.
So before deciding, Loki turned toward the door.
"Come in, Ais."
The doorknob turned.
Ais Wallenstein stepped inside, her golden hair shimmering in the light. But the eyes beneath her bangs burned brighter than ever—filled with that same desperate hunger for power.
This time, though, she didn't look at Loki. Her gaze locked entirely on Tsuna.
Compared to strength, she seemed far more interested in what he'd just called "a dream."
She knew it wasn't real. He'd said so himself. But still—if there was even a chance she could see them again, those faces she remembered so vividly… she wanted it.
"How do I do it?" she asked simply, her voice quiet but steady.
Tsuna smiled faintly. "You don't have to do anything. Just clear your mind."
"The dream isn't something I make," he continued. "I'm just using a special method to let you enter the one you've been longing for. But remember—what you'll see isn't real. You have to keep that in mind."
As he spoke, something manifested beside him—a floating eye with a strange, mesmerizing hue.
The moment Ais looked into it, her instincts screamed danger. She tried to move, to step back—but her body no longer obeyed.
Snap!
Her eyes fluttered shut.
And then, Ais collapsed softly to the floor.