I can't return empty-handed!
If I go back now, I couldn't call myself the boss's right-hand man!
Boss, if I win, the tide will turn.
Cut the crap!
What do you think you're fighting for?!
We've gotta have a snowball fight together again!
We've gotta watch fireworks!
That's why you're fighting!
That's why you're getting stronger!
I want to have fun with everyone again!
That won't happen, if you die!
Gokudera-kun!
Gokudera!
Squid head!
I'm sorry, boss...
I told you I'd get the ring, but...
I came back for the fireworks.
The ring...
I'm the winner...
Gokudera lost, leaving Tsuna's group at one win and two losses.
And since Tsuna was disqualified when he tried to save Lambo,
the Sky Ring was also taken.
We will now announce the next match card.
What are we going to do, Reborn?!
If they choose the Mist or Cloud Rings...
No big deal. They'll be here.
You can't just say that...
Tomorrow night's match will feature...
Rain.
The next match will determine the Guardian of the Rain Ring.
The fourth match would be a fateful one between
the Guardians of the Rain Ring, Yamamoto and Squalo.
To be honest, our backs are already against the wall.
Target 48 Flow of Battle
Mrs. Sawada.
Sorry to keep you waiting!
The relief team is here!
Oh, hello everyone.
Huh?
What's with those outfits?
Oh, I just thought we should be cheerful in times like these.
Haru-chan mentioned how she hadn't seen any nurses in the hospital.
We help out!
So how is Lambo-kun doing?
Well...
He's still unconscious.
I see...
Lambo still asleep...
That no fun for I-pin.
Which is why I brought this!
That's La Namimorinue's deluxe strawberry shortcake!
Yes!
Only fifty of these delicacies are sold each day!
The sweet aroma of cake should wake anyone up!
Lambo-chan is no exception.
Lambo-san's back in action!
This yummy smell is...
Cake!
Lambo-san's starving!
Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
All right...
There you go. There you go.
It's no use...
What a shame.
The plan failed.
It's all right.
I'm sure Lambo-kun appreciates the gesture.
He's sure to wake up soon.
Don't you feel like strange things are happening lately?
Huh?
My brother's arm was injured...
Tsuna-kun and the others stopped going to school
for a sumo tournament...
That's right.
I saw Tsuna-san and Gokudera-san
engaged in some kind of dangerous training.
That's...
Help Tsuna all you can... and trust me. -From Iemitsu
Men are so unfair.
Huh?
They always do whatever they want and leave us to worry.
Okay!
Once they finish what they're doing,
we'll make them do anything we say as punishment!
Yes.
Okay!
I eagerly agree!
Prepare yourself, dear.
They're here.
Today's battle will take place in the southern school building.
Please go there at once.
A school building again...
What's the field going to be like this time?
Hey!
Where's it at?
This way.
Sword boy...
I'll be waiting!
Shall we depart?
Yeah.
Sorry I'm late!
Kyoko-chan's brother!
I brought him along too.
A mummy!
N-No! It's me!
That Romario guy was like,
"This is how a man treats injuries,"
and wrapped all these bandages around me!
Go-Gokudera-kun?!
Aren't you still injured?
It's no big deal.
It looks bad, but they're just scratches.
He's supposed to be resting,
but he insisted on coming, so I helped him out.
I didn't need help!
You just tagged along!
Besides, you can't even use your right arm, turf top!
What was that, squid head?!
Anyway, I couldn't lie around all beaten up without knowing what's going on.
There's no way I could rest without watching the fight!
You're such a worrywart.
You're way too laid-back!
Anyway, boss.
Where's the match gonna be tonight?
Ah, yeah.
The south building.
Gotcha!
Let's go!
Gokudera?
Gokudera-kun?!
This guy really is a moron.
H-Huh?
The windows are sealed?
So's the entrance.
What's going on here?
Looks like we enter through here.
Huh?
What's that sound?
What is this?!
It doesn't look like the school anymore!
This is the battlefield for the Rain match: Aquarion.
It features a three-dimensional structure.
In addition, a large quantity of water will constantly pour into this sealed space.
The water sprayed from the tank on the roof will begin filling the first floor.
As the battle progresses, the water will continue to rise.
Like we're on a sinking ship!
It will become more difficult to find your footing.
Furthermore, thanks to a special mechanism,
the accumulated water has the same composition as seawater.
When the water reaches a certain level,
a ferocious sea creature will be released.
What?!
A sea monster?!
Sounds fun.
The Varia!
I woke up this morning with a ring.
The prince for the win.
Damn that bastard...
Xanxus!
Losers are eliminated.
Whether it's you guys...
or this scum.
Hey!
Xanxus is serious.
Don't scare them too much before the match, Reborn.
Dino-san!
Yamamoto.
I'll be watching your fight.
Sure!
Kyoya finally asked me about the battle for the rings yesterday.
He's probably come to watch.
He didn't know about this until yesterday?!
Hovering over green...
From Namimori...
Neither big nor small...
Normal is all...
What a bore.
They should just settle everything in one go.
Mist...
Takeshi Yamamoto...
I need you to win so I get my chance.
We've obtained one ring but they've got three,
so our backs are against the wall.
This is a hot match for many reasons.
Okay! With that decided...
Hibari needs to join the huddle!
Where is he?!
He'd never do it.
Not a chance.
He'd totally beat us up.
I have to agree.
Hey man, no exceptions!
Come on...
This isn't meant to be a substitution,
but can Basil-kun join in?
What? May I?
Fine with me, if the boss says so.
We're all in the same boat here.
Lambo too, of course.
Here you are.
Oh, why thank you.
Okay!
Yamamoto, fight!
Yeah!
Now, will the Guardians of the Rain Ring please come to the center.
Since this battle will be fought underwater,
the spectators must remain outside.
The battle will be displayed on a large screen attached to the wall.
I ask that all, except the Guardians, please exit the building.
Well, hang in there, Yamamoto.
Best of luck.
Kick some butt.
Okay.
W-Well, good luck.
Yeah. See you later.
Yamamoto...
Be careful...
There will be no time limit.
Hey!
Guess you haven't learned!
I'm gonna make you regret that you didn't run away a week ago!
You never know until you try.
And now...
Let the battle between the Guardians of the Rain Ring,
Superbi Squalo and Takeshi Yamamoto...
begin!
And now...
Let the battle between the Guardians of the Rain Ring,
Superbi Squalo and Takeshi Yamamoto...
begin!
I'm gonna send you to outer space!
That's right! That weapon...
The tip of the blade shoots...
...Hidden explosives.
Heh, you dodged it.
That was close.
Good thing I did all that visualization training
every day after you beat me.
Visualization training, you say?
That's crap.
Did you picture this?!
He disappeared.
What was that?!
He's fast!
If you think I used
my full strength in our last fight,
you're dead wrong!
At that distance...!
Yamamoto!
Huh?
Wh-What is that cloud-shaped thing?
Yamamoto's drawn his sword.
What?
This is the defensive seventh stance of the Shigure Soen Ryu.
Blowing Rain
Blowing Rain.
What was that?!
A-Amazing...
He evaded the long-haired guy's blast!
That's Yamamoto's Shigure Soen Ryu...
His technique's still rough,
but I'm impressed by how far he's come in such a short time.
No kidding.
I knew Yamamoto had basically spent the entire week training,
except when the other Guardians had matches.
But even if he's trained his stamina and reflexes through baseball,
there's a world of difference
between using stances
in training and actual battle.
Especially a battle to the death.
When a respectable human is able to fight without hesitation,
he's either an idiot...
or a natural hitman.
What?!
Yamamoto's a hitman?!
What are you talking about, Reborn?!
Well, either way,
I'm the truly amazing one for scouting Yamamoto.
All you wanted to do was brag!
But, it's dangerous to keep relying on the Shigure Soen Ryu...
You still think that?
But the technique actually worked!
Don't get cocky, rookie!
Not good! He blocked me in!
Cut!
Uh...
This is when...
I use this!
Wh-What?
The Shigure Soen Ryu's defensive second stance.
Surging Rain
Surging Rain.
He used a wall of water to hide himself while kneeling down in defense.
It'll be difficult to hit him!
This should work...
It should work!
Look, Dino-san!
Aren't they amazing?
Yamamoto and the Shigure Soen Ryu!
I hope so.
But Squalo seems to be enjoying himself.
Hey, kid!
Why didn't you attack after you blocked that?
Stupid fool!
You wasted your last chance to hurt me!
Huh?
Last chance?
Squalo is rather confident, isn't he?
Listen to him making excuses!
He's just bluffing!
Last chance?
You're pretty sure of yourself.
But you should know there's a lot more...
to the Shigure Soen Ryu.
That's right.
The Shigure Soen Ryu has four defensive and four offensive stances,
for a total of eight stances, which are adaptable to any situation.
It's the...
first time...
Yamamoto's gone on the offensive!
Master Yamamoto isn't holding the sword!
Shigure Soen Ryu's offensive fifth stance.
Early Summer Rain
Early Summer Rain.
Wh-What was that?
Early Summer Rain.
He switches the sword to a different hand with one stroke
and staggers his aim and timing to create a naturally transforming attack.
N-Not bad, I guess.
Amazing, Yamamoto.
What a naive bunch.
They don't understand what it means to be selected
as a candidate for the Varia boss.
Hey!
That didn't do anything!
Huh?
Squalo wasn't even scratched.
Wh-Why?!
That definitely hit him!
It happened instantly.
He matched Yamamoto's aim and stepped back in an instant!
Squalo wasn't knocked down by the blow...
He jumped back of his own volition!
That's just...
I can only assume he was able to read Yamamoto's movements.
But as far as I can ascertain,
there was nothing unnatural about Master Yamamoto's
movements when he switched hands.
Th-Then why...
Hey!
Is that all your "second to none" style can do?
Not good.
I was afraid of this.
Yamamoto...
And there was something else I couldn't understand.
Why did you use the back of your blade instead of the sharp edge?!
Back?
That's right.
Right before Yamamoto made his attack,
he flipped the blade and swung at Squalo with the blunt side.
He pulled that off during such an incredible attack?
Obviously...
Because I'm here to beat you,
not kill you.
That baseball freak!
Why is he so naïve?!
Yamamoto...
Nonsense.
He isn't taking this seriously.
Hey!
Are you underestimating me?!
You still don't understand the situation you're in!
I'll shut that cheeky mouth of yours up for good!
Th-The long-haired guy also...
Created a wall of water?!
Now they can't see each other!
Whoever finds the other first will win.
Yamamoto!
Well?
Does it hurt?
Before I kill you, I've gotta give you some bad news.
I know all your techniques and how to conquer them!
Because the Shigure Soen Ryu was one of the styles I crushed!
And now what you've been waiting for.
The horoscope for...
...next week!
The best three, maggot!
Lambo-san is here too!
You do this then.
That's right, maggot!
Hold... it... in...
The third sign for next week...
Capricorn Reviewing what you learned today instead of preparing for tomorrow will boost your grades!
...will be Capricorn.
I'll write that in my Book of Rankings!
Hold... it... in...
Scorpio Focus on the things you don't do well.
Number two for next week...
...will be Scorpio.
Let's enjoy some poison cooking to celebrate.
Hold... it... in...
And the top sign...
Taurus Great luck if you manage to do things at your own pace.
...will be Taurus.
Eek?!
Lucky and happy!
See ya next time!
That was all Lambo-san!
Ciao-ciao.
Bye-bye.
Next time:
Requiem Rain.