Danmachi, Ch 121-125

Chapter 121 – Prove It

"…"

Inside the Soma Familia, Soma rubbed his temples as he flipped through the secret ledger the Guild had sent him.

"This is absolute garbage."

Every single profitable entry was falsified—obviously cooked up to fool both him and the Guild. The gap between the real and fake accounts wasn’t small either; it was off by tens of billions of valis.

Aside from the ingredients required for brewing Soma, Zanis had squeezed every bit of profit the Familia could produce. Anyone capable of making money was treated like a disposable tool, all for the sake of feeding his parasitic control.

“The leeches inside my Familia are worse than I imagined.”

“All because of the addiction to Soma.”

Behind the curtain of his bangs, Soma’s expression darkened with something complicated. This—this was the result of his own negligence, his refusal to guide or discipline his children when he should have.

He’d let a bloodsucker grow unchecked until it drained every drop of value from everyone around it.

Soma picked up another document the Guild had delivered—a dossier of complaints against the Soma Familia.

Many reports described robberies and killings of other Adventurers inside the Dungeon. Officially, they were blamed on monsters, but he knew better. Most of these deaths had his Familia’s fingerprints all over them.

“I never even heard about this.”

The cold, naked accounts of human lives lost lay open before him, and even Soma’s calm eyes flickered with anger.

He’d never seen or heard of these Guild reports before.

"Zanis… you’ve outdone yourself."

He shut the ledger with a quiet snap. Every page of this mess would have to be sorted, line by line.

Soma could feel his blood pressure climbing.

Thankfully, the stolen funds Zanis had siphoned away were already recovered. If not, Soma might have been tempted to check himself back into the hospital.

Still, reparations for the damages caused by his Familia would have to begin immediately.

He mentally listed out the upcoming tasks. At this rate, he wouldn’t have a moment of free time for at least half a year.

“The parasites inside need to be cleaned out.”

Those who had taken lives would be handed directly to the Guild. Soma had no intention of covering for their sins.

You make a mistake, you pay for it—that was his rule.

"Once the pests are gone, the Familia’s rules will need a complete overhaul," he muttered. "The kids who haven’t fallen too far can still be reformed."

"And I’ll have to find a way to control Soma’s addictive pull on them…"

"Addiction is too great a flaw. Maybe I can… brew a version that doesn’t enslave their minds?"

The very thought intrigued him.

He had no interest in the “addictive” charm of Soma—it wasn’t the kind of craft that defined him. What he sought wasn’t wine that captured hearts, but skill that surpassed his own limits.

A new challenge, then: to create a divine wine that wouldn’t addict the children of the lower world.

He picked up his pen and jotted the idea down. From now on, his brewing research would take a different path.

"……!"

"Lord Soma, it’s Liliruca."

The voice outside made him set down his pen.

"Come in."

After a pause, the door creaked open.

Soma looked up to see Liliruca step in. She was the first child he’d raised in the Familia—the first he’d ever seen succumb to Soma’s addiction.

He noticed how she kept her hood low, her head bowed, her eyes avoiding his.

Her small Pallum frame trembled, looking even smaller under his gaze.

"Lili… you don’t even know what to say, do you?"

Her whole body shook harder.

"Ever since you got hooked on Soma, you’ve stayed away from my room. Because you know I can’t stand children like that, right?"

The tremors became violent.

She’d been only six when someone tricked her into drinking Soma. From that moment, she’d been lost to it. Once, she’d been saved—lifted out of despair—but as her addiction deepened, she stopped visiting Soma’s chambers altogether.

Not because she didn’t want to. The last time she’d gone, she’d seen the cold disappointment in his eyes. That look had branded itself into her heart.

From then on, she couldn’t bring herself to face him. She couldn’t bear to see that same distant, disheartened stare again.

After all, her addiction made her just like her parents—weak, helpless, and shameful. Now she understood why Soma had looked at her that way.

“She was six when she first tasted Soma… it’s been five years already?”

For a God, five years was nothing. But for a child of the lower world, it was half a lifetime.

He’d never given time much thought before, but after learning everything Zanis had done behind his back—the embezzlement, the deceit, the Guild complaints—Soma finally felt the weight of it.

"I was deeply disappointed to see the children of the lower world enslaved by Soma," he said quietly. "Especially you. When I saw you on that platform, clawing for Soma like a puppet with its strings cut… I lost all affection for this Familia."

"…"

"Even the ones I raised with my own hands weren’t exceptions."

Lili’s tears spilled over. She hadn’t known. She hadn’t realized that her own weakness had been the last straw for him.

"I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Lord Soma. It’s all my fault…"

Watching her sob, Soma closed his eyes, recalling the words of the goddess Loki.

Not guiding them, not correcting them, just watching and hoping they’d wake up on their own… that had been his failure too.

But now, as he looked at the trembling girl he’d once cared for, a thought formed.

"My judgment was that you’re ‘worthless,’ because none of you could stay clear-headed under Soma’s influence."

"If you want me to take that back, then prove me wrong."

"If you think this was your fault, then show me with your actions."

Lili’s head shot up. For the first time in years, she looked him straight in the eye. They were still cold—but the disappointment was gone.

In that moment, she understood why he said what he did. She wiped her tears away with trembling hands.

"Lord Soma… I’ll prove it to you!"

She didn’t want to earn his approval for glory, or for forgiveness.

She just didn’t want to see that look of disappointment in his eyes ever again.

Because Lord Soma was the only person who had ever been kind to her since the day she was born.

Chapter 122 – Three Objectives

The reforms within the Soma Familia were massive.

Out of the Familia’s 312 members, nearly eighty percent were dismissed, leaving only around sixty members.

Of those, about sixty percent were taken directly by the Ganesha Familia—essentially sealing their fates.

Another twenty percent, whose offenses weren’t as severe, were simply expelled from the Familia and labeled as abandoned Adventurers.

But even then, it would be nearly impossible for those people to join any other Familia in the future. Their reputations were already completely ruined by what they’d done under Soma’s name.

To the outside world, this large-scale upheaval sent a clear message: from now on, Soma himself would oversee every aspect of his Familia’s management.

Any attempt at underhanded dealings would be nearly impossible. Several taverns and merchants that used to trade with the Soma Familia were already preparing to renegotiate their contracts.

Still, it wasn’t all bad news.

After all, working directly with Soma was far better than dealing with that bloodsucking bastard Zanis.

Soma was far easier to handle—and at least had the decency not to cross the line.

The sweeping reforms of the Soma Familia became the biggest gossip in the entire Labyrinth City.

But over in the Loki Familia, the gods weren’t getting any of that entertainment.

Even though rumors had begun circulating about Loki’s “new child” and the mysterious powers he possessed, neither Loki nor her Familia gave any sort of response.

"It seems your plan’s working beautifully," Astraea said, lifting her teacup with a faint smile.

"By letting a small part of that child’s power be seen, and then staying completely silent about it, you’ve made the entire city guess endlessly about who he really is."

"The ‘summoner’ persona you crafted for him is quite convincing."

"And if the next Expedition doesn’t include a transport squad, those rumors will only seem more and more credible."

"But that also means all eyes will be on your kid from now on."

"Let them keep watching," Loki said with a smirk.

The situation in the city was moving exactly the way she wanted.

"Freya, though… she really knows how to seize an opportunity and dump the blame on Ishtar."

"True. If Freya hadn’t called it out first, no one’s attention would’ve shifted to your child at all. Ishtar clearly didn’t want to reveal the information she got from that ‘extraordinary man’ just yet—she was hoping to learn more first."

Astraea shook her head slightly, still a bit surprised at Freya’s move.

Ishtar’s reaction, on the other hand, was exactly what she expected.

"Freya’s just as bad," Loki scoffed. "She only stirred things up because I turned her down. Now she’s trying to get her own information about Tsuna."

"The Soma situation made for a nice excuse, though. Perfect timing."

"It also helps showcase Tsuna’s strength. Once the next Expedition begins, we won’t need to hide his abilities as much. It’ll make his future experiences more convincing."

"Plus, with his Puppets active in the city, he can start taking more independent actions without anyone linking them directly to him."

Loki leaned back with a sly grin. "The next six months will be crucial. We’ll use that time to solidify the city’s perception—that Tsuna is a ‘summoner,’ and that while his summons are powerful, he himself is cautious and perhaps even limited."

"Give him a special spatial ability, make him a hidden operator behind the scenes, and everyone will just assume the ‘summoner’ himself has major flaws."

Astraea nodded, following Loki’s reasoning.

"That makes sense. A summoner who always hides behind his creatures—people will naturally assume his personal strength is lacking."

"Exactly," Loki said, satisfied. "Tsuna’s situation is special—not just because of his abilities, but because of who he is."

"Until he fully learns how to protect himself, it’s best not to let him step into the spotlight."

"But as an Adventurer in the Labyrinth City, he’ll inevitably appear before the gods sooner or later."

"If he can’t stand in the light himself, then something else will have to stand there for him."

"A powerful Puppet on the front lines will grab the gods’ attention just fine."

"As long as I don’t report Tsuna’s level to the Guild, he’ll officially remain level one."

"Until he’s strong enough, Finn, Gareth, and Riveria will serve as his shields."

"I’ll make sure all my children shine—draw the gods’ attention to them instead. That way, Tsuna’s powers can seem purely supportive. Aside from a few nosy gods, no one will dig deeper."

"Like I said before, a child with extraordinary power always comes with some kind of flaw."

Astraea nodded slightly in agreement.

"An ability too powerful can stifle one’s own growth."

"Or maybe," she added softly, "a power that strong consumes all of one’s potential, leaving nothing behind. That’s what we call ‘balance.’"

She’d always believed that. There were too many cases proving it.

"Take ‘Silence,’ for example—so gifted, yet her life was so short. It was as if fate had decided her brilliance had to burn out quickly. She shone too brightly to last."

"A child like that… there aren’t many."

"No god would expect an Adventurer to be both overwhelmingly powerful and perfectly balanced."

"So as long as we craft that image for Tsuna, it’ll work."

With the main discussion done, Astraea tilted her head curiously.

"So this whole thing with Soma—is he just the spark? Or are you trying to stir things up on his side too, to draw more attention away?"

Loki didn’t dodge the question.

"Both."

"After Ishtar got information from Raul, a bunch of prostitutes started hanging around near my home."

"That woman knows I haven’t stepped outside in days, but if she matches what she knows with what’s happening around Soma, she’ll easily figure out that I met with him."

"I was planning to let Ishtar be the one to leak it—but then Freya had to stick her nose in and mess with the timing."

"As for Soma himself, that shut-in’s a single-track idiot. If Tsuna hadn’t drunk the Soma and come out completely fine, he’d never have suspected a thing."

"So you’re sure now that Tsuna’s totally immune to Soma’s addictive properties?" Astraea asked.

Loki shook her head.

"I knew he wouldn’t fall for it. His ability lets him handle all sorts of situations."

"But what I didn’t expect was that he didn’t use his ability—he actually drank it. And nothing happened."

She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Next time, he better warn me first. That boy almost gave me a heart attack."

Still, the result was good.

"And as for the third objective," Loki said with a mischievous grin, "I just wanted to mess with everyone a little. Stir things up for fun."

Chapter 123 – Can You Recreate “Silence”?

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

The chaos within the Soma Familia and the eerie calm surrounding the Loki Familia had both begun to fade from the gods’ gossip circles.

After all, gods had short attention spans. Unless a situation kept producing fresh drama, their interest died out quickly.

But it was during this lull that the entire Loki Familia threw themselves into training with almost manic intensity.

The Training Space was powerful, but not infinite. Every adventurer’s talent and potential determined their personal limits—the cap on their Status.

For most people, 999 was the ceiling—the absolute peak a normal adventurer could reach through effort alone.

Those born with exceptional talent could push past that threshold and break into higher realms. But for the majority, 999 was a wall that couldn’t be crossed.

And even reaching that wall was no easy feat. It demanded time, pain, and unrelenting effort.

For most Level 1 adventurers, maxing out their stats wasn’t the real goal. What mattered most was Leveling Up—achieving that first evolution that marked a true adventurer’s growth.

Especially for those who’d been stuck at Level 1 for over a decade, finally ascending meant far more than any increase in raw Status.

They’d waited too long already.

Once they broke past that barrier, then they could think about perfection.

Over the course of that month, the Familia members trained in rotation, each spending ten days inside the Training Space. Thanks to that, every single Level 1 in the Loki Familia had finally gained the chance to Level Up.

After just one month, the Familia’s lowest-ranked members had all advanced to Level 2.

When that happened, the joint meeting between the Loki Familia and Astraea Familia was held once again—this time hosted directly by the two goddesses themselves.

"My children," Loki said, her grin wide and mischievous, "how are you all feeling after this past month?"

"Better than ever!" someone shouted back immediately.

The room burst into laughter and cheers.

Both the low-ranked and the elites had grown stronger. Many who had once lost faith in their future now burned with renewed determination.

Reaching Level 2 had rekindled something vital in them—their belief that hard work did pay off.

"Good, good. I like that energy," Loki said, smirking. "But after hitting Level 2, you’ve got more to think about than just partying."

"If you follow the Familia's direction, getting to where Raul is now will be easier than it was for him. Tsuna already solved your biggest bottleneck—the issue of maxing out your stats. Now your next hurdle is mastering your skills and using that power to earn more Excellia."

"Of course," Loki added slyly, "Tsuna’s already come up with a way to help with that too."

As always, she shifted the spotlight toward him.

"Just like the Training Space, Tsuna’s created something new—a ‘Challenge Space.’ It’s built around a replica of the Dungeon’s Large Tree Labyrinth and can recreate all sorts of monsters, even Floor Bosses, and the ‘Cleaner’ that Astraea’s girls fought before."

"When you enter, you’ll be able to test yourselves against all kinds of foes using whatever strategies you want."

"While you won’t earn Excellia inside, it’ll help sharpen your coordination and combat skills."

"Of course, it’s still dangerous. You can get hurt. Losing a limb or nearly dying isn’t off the table. Without risk, there’s no training effect."

"But don’t worry—death and permanent injuries won’t happen. Even if you lose all four limbs, Tsuna can restore you afterward."

"That said… it won’t be a pleasant experience."

She paused, letting that sink in before continuing.

"Also, there’s a cooldown period between sessions. If you fail a challenge, you’ll have to wait a full week before re-entering."

At that, Alise raised her hand. "Lady Loki, why the one-week break after failure?"

"Because the monsters inside are almost identical to real Dungeon creatures," Loki explained. "If you stay too long in the Challenge Space, you’ll start mixing up what’s real and what’s not."

"In there, the monsters only nearly kill you. In the actual Dungeon, they’ll finish the job."

"To stop you from getting too comfortable with near-death, we limit how often you can go in."

Loki knew exactly how valuable the Challenge Space would be—but she also understood the danger.

If her children got used to a place where death wasn’t final and carried those habits into the real Dungeon, it could prove fatal.

"That’s why we’re restricting daily entries and banning solo challenges altogether. Team challenges only. Got it?"

"Lady Loki, I’ve got three questions!"

Alise shot her hand up again.

Loki chuckled. "Alright, shoot."

"Besides Floor Bosses and that monster we fought before… can we face other opponents?"

"Oh? Like who?"

"‘Silence.’"

The moment Alise said it, the room went dead silent.

Every adventurer stared at her, stunned.

But Loki's grin only widened. "Now that's interesting." She turned to the quiet boy sitting beside her. "Tsuna, what do you think?"

Tsuna didn't answer right away. He closed his eyes, picturing the legendary adventurer in his mind.

Under the collective gaze of the room, a tall woman appeared beside him—silver hair cascading down her back, dressed in a flowing black gown that contrasted sharply against her pale skin. Even with her eyes gently closed, the aura she gave off was suffocating.

Everyone felt the weight of it pressing down on them.

Tsuna turned to study the vision he’d conjured.

"The image can be shaped easily enough," he said at last. "But her abilities and magic need accurate information before I can recreate her true strength."

"The manifestation would be based on my imagination, so it might differ from her actual power."

In other words, he could recreate the form—and even approximate the abilities—but perfectly replicating her would be difficult.

After all, Tsuna had never seen the real Silence fight. His imagination had limits.

And so did even his power.

Chapter 124 — The Sparring Three Years Ago Was Just Child’s Play

Gulp—

The moment Alise saw Silence again—exactly as she’d appeared three years ago—a familiar weight pressed down on her chest.

And it wasn’t just her. Every girl from the Astraea Familia who had once stood against Silence felt that same suffocating pressure all over again.

“Oh~ the likeness is uncanny. Looks exactly like she did three years ago.”

Loki leaned closer to the Puppet, circling it with fascination before letting out an appreciative whistle.

“Indeed,” Astraea nodded, her expression calm but thoughtful. “This version of Silence is almost identical to how she appeared back then. The only difference is that the real one was constantly suffering from illness. Her complexion was paler—more frail.”

As someone who had met the real Silence, Astraea’s words carried weight.

The resemblance of Tsuna's Puppet was nearly perfect. The only thing it lacked… was life.

“And the rest is just as you said,” Astraea went on. “You don’t have a precise grasp of her actual strength. You can describe fragments, yes—but three years ago, when Silence confronted Alise, she was holding back. Even their entire team’s experience wasn’t enough to truly comprehend how overwhelming she was.”

The implication was clear.

Recreating Silence’s full power was practically impossible—

Unless Silence herself was resurrected and fought before Tsuna’s eyes.

But that was a fantasy.

"As for her abilities," Astraea continued, "even within the entire Labyrinth City, the knowledge we have is incomplete. To understand Silence's full data, you'd need to meet Hera directly. Appearances alone won't cut it."

Tsuna nodded in full agreement.

“Yeah… just like Lady Astraea said, without knowing her exact skills, what I can make is mostly just a shell.”

He raised his hand, thoughtful. “But if I know the three types of magic she used and her Status parameters, I can reconstruct a simplified version—by combining Finn and Riveria’s data to model a Level 6 benchmark.”

With a snap of his fingers, the hollow Silence vanished. In her place, energy threads intertwined—an amalgamation of Finn’s agility and Riveria’s magical framework taking form.

Then Silence appeared once more.

Her eyes, previously closed, lifted slightly—releasing a presence that struck the air like thunder.

“—!”

The crushing weight hit instantly. Finn, Gareth, and Riveria all froze, their faces paling.

It was the same suffocating aura they had felt long ago—back during the Great Feud.

And this wasn’t even Silence’s true Level 7 power. This was merely her reconstructed Level 6 version.

“Short-text chant magic, short-text enchantment magic, and long-text ultimate offensive magic…” Tsuna listed calmly. “A single blow capable of killing one of the Three Great Quests—the Leviathan. Its destructive potential… could wipe out half the Labyrinth City.”

He paused. “If we add that kind of imagination—”

Before he could finish, cracks began spiderwebbing across the Puppet’s body. The Silence construct destabilized and broke apart within seconds.

Tsuna sighed.

“Still too much deviation. Either the imagined framework collapsed, or the compatibility between their skill sets didn’t hold up.”

He brushed his hair back and smiled wryly. “If I remove her ultimate-level magic, though, the structure holds just fine.”

Silence reformed again—this time stable, her aura even heavier, more focused.

Yet Tsuna shook his head slightly as he looked at her.

“In the end, she’s still just a Puppet with similar abilities—rebuilt through my power. Her real strength came from her combat experience. I don’t have that kind of experience, so I can’t imagine her instincts, her reactions, the way she fights.”

He crossed his arms. “She’s strong, sure—but too conspicuous. Not something I’d casually put on display.”

“Still,” Tsuna continued, turning toward the Astraea girls, “this Puppet’s strength is something you could challenge… but I don’t recommend it.”

His tone dropped, calm but firm. “Because unlike the real Silence, this one doesn’t know how to hold back.”

“...!”

Alise’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes darted to Silence’s hand—

the same hand that had nearly ended her three years ago.

Her voice trembled. “Th-that’s… that’s how strong Silence really was?”

The Puppet silently stepped back, returning to Tsuna’s side, her expression serene and unthreatening once more.

“I’d love to say ‘yes’ to spare your pride,” Tsuna said with a rueful smile, “but no. This version was built after I deliberately removed her strongest killing move. What you just saw? That was only her normal state—her Level 6 baseline.”

He exhaled. “It’s not even her full strength.”

As much as he wanted to soften the blow, the point of reconstructing Silence was to show them the gap in power. Otherwise, there’d be no meaning to it.

“To be blunt,” Tsuna said, voice quiet but unflinching, “if the Silence from three years ago had really wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t have even lasted long enough to call it a battle. It would’ve been over in an instant—just like my Puppet showed you now.”

Alise took a deep breath, her face tightening despite all her efforts to stay composed.

Three years ago, what they’d thought was resistance… had only been play.

Back then, Silence hadn’t just been holding back a little—

She’d been playing around with them.

Otherwise, as Tsuna said, the fight would have ended before they even realized it had begun.

Their so-called resistance had been nothing but a joke.

In truth, they’d never even had a chance to fight back.

Still—Alise straightened her posture, her voice firm despite the weight in her chest.

“Tsuna, we’ll still challenge her.”

He raised a brow. “Oh?”

“No matter what happened three years ago, we still have an unfinished fight with her,” Alise said, forcing a grin. “But… maybe tone her power down a little. At that level, we wouldn’t stand a chance.”

A few awkward laughs followed.

Even the weakened version of Silence was already too much for them to handle.

The challenge would stay the same—but they’d need her strength lowered a notch.

Level 6… was just too high.

Chapter 125 — Total Wipeout

Dense jungle all around. A sheer, bottomless gorge to the side.

The terrain was unforgiving—yet explosions of power echoed through it again and again.

“Haah!”

Alise, wreathed in blazing flames from head to toe, charged ward with her sword, slashing at Silence again and again.

But her strikes never reached. Every blow stopped short, absorbed by an invisible barrier surrounding her opponent.

“Damn it! How is she this strong!?”

Alise was already going all out, every ounce of strength burning through her veins—

Yet the woman in front of her brushed off her attacks like they were nothing.

Did Tsuna give her extra magic?

No… that’s impossible.

A flicker of crimson light glinted at the edge of her vision. Reacting instinctively, Alise leapt back—

Clang!

A katana swung down, striking directly in front of Silence. The air itself cracked audibly from the force.

The blade bit forward, inch by inch.

“Flames—full burst!”

Alise gritted her teeth, both hands gripping her sword tight as she swung with everything she had.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The sound of shattering grew louder, reaching its limit—then the barrier collapsed completely.

A blinding hum roared in their ears.

“Gospel! 933!”

The voice rang like a divine decree—vibrating straight into their skulls.

The shockwave hit both Alise and Kaguya like a hammer.

They were thrown violently through the air—Alise crashed through a thick tree trunk before slamming into the ground.

Thud!

The impact knocked the wind from her lungs. Her body locked up, unable to move.

“Ha... ha…”

Her eardrums rang with a piercing buzz, throwing off her balance. The world spun around her.

She couldn’t hear anything—not her surroundings, not even her own ragged breathing.

Leaning on her sword for support, Alise forced herself to look up—

Just in time to see a blur of black appear before her eyes.

Crap—!

She sensed the danger, but her body wouldn’t respond. She could only brace herself for the hit.

A massive shield suddenly rammed in from the side—

Silence’s heel slammed into it.

The sheer impact reverberated like a church bell, sending both the shield and Alise flying.

They were launched over a hundred meters down into the canyon, crashing into the river below.

Splash!

It took a while before the two bodies—Alise and Lyra—floated to the surface, unconscious, barely breathing.

Then Silence descended gracefully, her black heels tapping the water’s surface without sinking—

as though a thin, unseen layer held her weight aloft.

She spread her hands. The two girls lifted from the water, suspended midair.

All eleven members of the Astraea Familia lay motionless on the ground.

The one responsible for that—Silence—stood silently beside Tsuna, perfectly composed.

Tsuna looked over the scene, shaking his head faintly.

“A Silence without her illness as a weakness… even with her level suppressed to Level 4, she’s still not someone you can handle easily.”

He crossed his arms. “And her magic isn’t just for offense. Her voice magic works defensively too—almost like Ais’s magic. She can use it in all kinds of ways. The strength depends on how much magic power she channels into it.”

He glanced at Astraea. “Without a counter for that kind of magic, trying to fight her head-on is a nightmare.”

Astraea sighed softly as she looked down at her fallen children.

“Even if they knew that,” she said with a helpless smile, “they still would’ve charged straight ahead. Alise is... stubborn like that. Until she runs headfirst into a wall, she won’t turn back.”

Despite her words, Astraea couldn’t help but laugh quietly at the sight of her eleven girls lying there in perfect rows.

“I suppose the reality check hit them harder than they expected.”

She paused, her eyes softening.

“Can’t really blame them though. Silence used to be the destroyer of the world. Only recently did these girls realize—they’re the ones carrying on what she left behind. That understanding probably made them push themselves harder, trying to be worthy of the flame she passed to them.”

Astraea’s voice lowered.

“And after that ambush by the Dark Faction… I think that near-total annihilation left a scar on them. It made them painfully aware of how weak they still are.”

Tsuna nodded slowly, understanding dawning in his expression.

“So that’s why Alise’s been chasing power so desperately… She doesn’t want Silence’s sacrifice to have been for nothing.”

He sighed. “I get it—but the truth is still harsh.”

“Lady Astraea, I understand their urgency, but strength doesn’t come overnight. Silence’s magic was like Ais’s—but even more versatile. In battle, she could adapt to anything. Pouring more mana into her spells could even make them stronger than Riveria’s.”

He glanced back at the Puppet, his tone sober. “A person like that… she was practically a walking taboo.”

“Setting their goal high isn’t wrong,” Tsuna continued, “but pushing themselves to the brink of death isn’t exactly healthy either.”

Astraea chuckled lightly. “Oh, I know that. But sometimes words won’t reach them. Letting them crash into that wall headfirst is the only way they’ll understand how thick it is. Once they do, they’ll realize Silence isn’t a goal to defeat—at least, not yet.”

She turned to Tsuna, still smiling faintly. “So… shall we just leave them here to rest?”

“Rather than heal them right away and have them wake up tomorrow full of energy, maybe it’s better to let the pain remind them for a while.”

Tsuna thought for a moment, then nodded.

“That works.”

“Giving them time to rest and reflect might do more good than patching them up instantly. They need to process this failure first.”

“Exactly,” Astraea said gently. “They’ll come around once they’ve had time to think. Leave it to them.”

Tsuna gave a short nod.

Since Astraea agreed, he didn’t cast any healing.

They wouldn’t be entering the Challenge Space for at least a week anyway.

A week in bed nursing their wounds would be enough to make them think—

and face what lay ahead with clearer minds.