Chapter Text
Gokudera, the right hand man of the Vongola's head, couldn’t disguise the unease written across his face.
The Tenth had changed significantly over the last six months, ever since that accident. He had never been the same since. Yet, despite these changes, Gokudera held steadfast in his belief in him. This morning, however, the Tenth felt different. A strange yet familiar light flickered in his eyes, one Gokudera hadn’t seen in a long time. Even in his frantic state, bombarding Gokudera with bewildering questions like, “Who am I? Where am I? What’s my name?” he felt something dangerously close to hope. The Tenth had even thanked a servant this morning, thanked him.
Gokudera had nearly short circuited on the spot. Could it be? Had the Tsuna he swore loyalty to finally returned?
“So, I am the next head of the Vongola Famiglia?” he asked slowly, a faint crease forming between his brows.
“Yes, Tenth,” Gokudera replied at once. “You’re Japanese. Namimori. That’s where you grew up and you were trained to become the next heir.”
It was absurd.
Tsuna had been called stupid before, clumsy, hopeless, mediocre even…but this was beyond absurd.
He woke up this morning in a stranger’s body. The face was his. The name was his. But the body? Absolutely not. There was no universe where he possessed sculpted muscles with defined abs, well-styled hair and living inside a multimillion dollar estate guarded by armed men.
Yes, he was Japanese, but there was no such town named Namimori. Most importantly, there was no version of himself who would willingly entangle himself with the Mafia.
“…Are you sure you’ve got the right person?” he asked, half serious.
Was this a dream? He didn’t know. He had even demanded that Gokudera slap him awake, but he refused with visible horror.
The Vongola Famiglia, once the most powerful Mafia syndicate, reigned supreme at the top of the food chain. Or should he say ‘ had’ stood?
For the past five years, they had been locked in a war that showed no signs of ending. Nearly all of their major headquarters had fallen, their forces had dwindled to a fraction of their former strength, and their top personnel were scattered. Communication between them was nearly nonexistent.
In simpler terms, they were losing…
The current head of Vongola, Vongola the Ninth, had suffered a catastrophic injury and fallen into a coma. And with no one left capable of holding together what remained, that burden had been placed onto the designated successor.
Onto him.
Everything was barely functioning well until this world’s him lost his mother in an assassination and snapped rather spectacularly.
"Tenth, tomorrow is the day of the meeting with the Millefiore Famiglia,” Gokudera reported carefully. “They’ve agreed to negotiate.As you already know, the Millefiore have gained immense power, enough to rival ours. This meeting is extremely important and could tip the scales back in our favor. It might be best if you prepare beforehand…"
“Gokudera, stop,” he ordered.
Gokudera immediately shut his mouth.
'Millefiore has gained immense power, enough to rival us?' Aren’t you downplaying them a little too much? From what he had just heard, and what little he could piece together, they weren’t just simple “rivals.”
They were being crushed.
Tsuna pressed a finger to his temple, pretending to soothe a nonexistent headache in an attempt to cover the growing dread on his face. He didn’t need anyone to tell him he was losing his grip on reality, he felt like he really was losing his mind.
His eyes stopped at Gokudera, who was still quietly watching him. Gokudera had assured him he didn’t believe a word of what anyone said about him, and that he would serve no one but him. It could be just a word of mouth to make him feel better but looking at the perplexed expression on his face made Tsuna wonder if, deep down, even he thought Tsuna was going mad.
The situation was terrible and it was clearly evident on Gokudera's face. He looked utterly exhausted. The Vongola was collapsing and Gokudera was bracing the ceiling with his bare hand. And here Tsuna stood, barely holding himself together, fighting the urge to scream.
He pinched his cheek again, harder this time.
“…This can’t be real,” he muttered under his breath.
He couldn’t have been mistaken. This setting. These people. The predicament he had fallen into. Everything here lined up too cleanly to be coincidence. When he first opened his eyes in this world, the first person he saw was Gokudera, and he recognized him immediately. How could he not? Gokudera was the protagonist in the game he had been playing just a little while ago. His very first five-star character!
Mafia Inheritance was a strategy, action, RPG game.Castle defense. Resource management. Political maneuvering disguised as dialogue choices. The tutorial stage began with one event. The meeting with the Millefiore Famiglia. Vongola Decimo was going to be assassinated on the spot. His best friend, Gokudera Hayato, unable to save his boss, spiraled into madness. Consumed by grief and regret, he vowed vengeance, swearing to tear down those responsible for Decimo's death.
This was the very first narrative of the game…
It was notoriously brutal. Unlike most RPGs, you couldn’t reload a checkpoint. Death meant a complete reset. The world regenerated.Characters evolved based on prior decisions. No two runs were identical. It took him five grueling years to reach the end, and he vividly recalled the final message that flashed across his screen:
[Congratulations! You are the first player to come closest to the true ending!]
He remembered a blinding light enveloping him before he found himself lying in a bed in this brand-new world.
Judging by everything that Gokudera had explained to him, the time line aligned perfectly. He was about to enter the tutorial stage. The meeting with Millefiore Famiglia and the assassination event.
Out of every playable unit, every strategist, every support character… Why did he have to inhabit the one who dies first?
“Gokudera… I have a question,” Tsuna said. “A really important one. So can you answer me properly?”
Gokudera, caught off guard by his boss’s sudden seriousness, froze for a moment. Then, with a respectful nod, he sat down beside him.
Tsuna hesitated, brushing absently against the sleeve of his shirt before he looked up again. “I want to understand,” he said. “About the Vongola, what kind of Famiglia it is, what it used to be.” His gaze drifted, thinking of the right word. “And, the people around me. Our history. Mine too, I guess.”
“The Vongola was originally a vigilante group. The First Boss, Vongola Primo, Giotto, was the founder of Vongola. He’s the progenitor of the Vongola bloodline and, of course, your direct ancestor. Giotto was a righteous man, a true protector. He never sought to rule over anyone. He only wanted to safeguard the weak. He believed in justice above power, and he stayed true to that conviction until the very end. But…”
It wasn’t easy to summarize the twenty years of a person’s life, let alone the centuries-long history of an organization. Its legacies are built on power, betrayal, and sacrifice. Each Boss had left their mark, shaping the Vongola into what it had become, for better or for worse.
They talked until the sun rose above the horizon. By the time silence settled, Tsuna had barely managed three hours of restless sleep before he was called awake again.
Tsuna opened his eyes, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling for the second time. It hadn’t changed, not since yesterday when he first arrived in this world.
Fuck. He was screwed. Completely and utterly screwed.
He dragged a hand down his face and let out a long, long sighed.
He’d read enough of those stories and isekai and transmigration. All those ridiculous setups where someone wakes up in a different body and is immediately thrown into a life or death speedrun type of situation.
He just… never expected to be on the receiving end of that kind of nonsense. He doesn't even know he ended up here!?
And definitely not this kind of shenanigans. Of all roles he could’ve landed in, it had to be the head of a mafia family. This sounds like the start of a fucking disaster, a full on disaster run.
Yeah. This was bad.
The thought circled back on itself, over and over, as he forced himself not to panic. To not do something profoundly undignified like scream into a pillow and confirm everyone’s worst suspicions about their “boss.”
He’s pretty sure he had been transmigrated.
Into Mafia Inheritance.
To make matters worse, hovering right before his eyes was a floating black window.
It was counting down.
[TUTORIAL STAGE]
Counting down: 02:58:37
Mission: Meet with Millefiore and try to negotiate an alliance.
Reward: ???
Note: Failure to participate will result in death
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out but a high-pitched whine.
Holy shit. This was happening.
The tutorial stage. The same death trap where Tsuna was gunned down like cutscene prop. And what did it even mean by "Failure to participate will result in death"?
“Negotiate?” he muttered hoarsely. “What’s the point of negotiating if they’re planning to kill me from the start?”
Desperate, he whispered into the void, “System?” The word felt foolish the moment it left him.
Nothing happened.
No response. No menu. No pop-up windows. No guiding voice to explain the rules of this absurdity.
He felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him, followed by a deep sense of dread. He wanted to crawl under the bed. Of course, there wouldn’t be some magical game system to save him now.
“Tenth!”
The door slammed open, and Gokudera stumbled in, looking even worse than Tsuna felt. Bloodshot eyes, disheveled hair, and jittery, frantic energy told the story that he had probably hadn’t slept a wink.
“Thank God you’re awake. Let’s get you ready for the meeting, Tenth!”
“Wait, what are you…”
Too late. Gokudera was a man on a mission, deftly dressing him up in an expensive suit and tie.
Tsuna froze mid-protest. His gaze had locked onto something strange hovering above Gokudera’s head.
[Gokudera Hayato LV.20]
“Character?” Tsuna whispered in disbelief.
In response, another pop-up menu appeared, displaying a character screen with only one member in his party.
[Vongola Member: 2]
LV.30 Sawada Tsunayoshi (EX)
LV.20 Gokudera Hayato ☆☆☆☆☆ (NEW)
Gokudera paused, frowning. “Did you say something, Tenth?”
Tsuna swallowed hard, his pulse hammering in his ears. It was the character screen. The character screen. He’d seen it countless times in the game, but seeing it now, tied to reality, made his stomach twist.
“Gokudera…” he said, swallowing the violent rhythm of his pulse..“I think I might be in serious trouble.”
Gokudera’s face darkened instantly. He grabbed Tsuna by the shoulders, his expression a mix of worry and fury. “What happened? Did someone threaten you? Tell me! I’ll kill them right now!”
“It’s not, ” Tsuna winced slightly at the grip. “It’s not someone.”
He shook his head, forcing his thoughts into something coherent without sounding completely unhinged. How was he even supposed to begin?
“It’s just, ” he hesitated, then let the thought drop entirely. “Gokudera, what exactly is the point of this meeting?”
Gokudera stilled. “The meeting?” he repeated, brows drawing together.
“Yes,” Tsuna pressed. “The one with the Millefiore. What are we actually going there for?”
“It’s a negotiation,” he said. “A temporary ceasefire. You proposed it.”
“A ceasefire,” he repeated.
“Yes, Tenth,” Gokudera replied. “You initiated the proposal. Both sides would suspend hostilities for a fixed period. It would allow us to stabilize our position.”
A brief pause settled between them. Tsuna’s fingers brushed lightly against his cuff, straightening a crease that didn’t need fixing.
“…And they agreed to it,” he said.
“Yes.”
“Doesn’t that strike you as strange?”
Gokudera’s brows drew together.
“For a side that has the advantage,” Tsuna continued quietly, “they accepted rather easily.”
Gokudera’s expression darkened. “If it’s a trap, we cancel the meeting,” he said at once, voice hard. “To hell with them. We’ll fight if we have to.”
“No!”
The desperation in his tone must have reached Gokudera, who froze. Refusing wasn’t an option, that would be the worst possible outcome.
Tsuna clenched his fists. How could he explain that his life had been compressed into mechanics? That somewhere above his head floated invisible parameters dictating outcome and probability?
“We’re—We’re going,” he stuttered. Tsuna winced. Great. That wasn’t helping. He drew in a steady breath and tried again. “We’re going,” he repeated, this time more firmly.
“Tenth, if I may, you’re not making any sense,” Gokudera straightened, clearly unconvinced.
“It doesn’t,” Tsuna said thoughtfully. “But refusing it doesn’t feel like an option either. This is the better path.”
Tsuna exhaled quietly and looked away. Oh god, he could hear how completely unreasonable he sounded.
“Can you give me a few minutes? Alone,” he said.
Gokudera hesitated. “Understood,” he said, his shoulder stiffened. “But I’m not letting you go in there alone.”
“Thank you,” Tsuna murmured.
“Always, Tenth,” Gokudera stepped out, the door closing behind him with a soft click.
Tsuna remained where he stood, eyes fixed on the dark window hovering in his vision. The numbers on it continued their steady descent.
He drew in a slow breath. Then another.
…Alright. Panic wasn’t going to help him here. He needed a plan.
In the game, this stage had never been meant to be won. That had been its purpose. Players were meant to experience despair
He willed the interface open. He needed to know what he had.
[Gokudera Hayato ☆☆☆☆☆]
Title: Smokin’ Bomb
Level: 20
Rank: ☆☆☆☆☆
Type: Mid-Range Attacker
Attribute: Storm
Affiliation: Vongola
Stats: Strength: 25, Agility: 20, HP: 1100, Stamina: 90
The stats were good. No, this was more than good. There’s a reason why he was chosen as the first five-star character. His stats were a little below other starter five stars, but the thing was he’s a build-up-damage type of character. That means the longer the battle, the more advantages he has.
[Skills]
Passive: For The Very Best
Skill 1: Master of Dynamite
Skill 2: Dead-Eye Aim
Skill 3: ???
His passive ‘For The Very Best’ was a powerful buffer passive. It raised the stats of all allies by 20%, making it one of the most useful passives early in the game. The effect grew even stronger if his teammate, Vongola Decimo, who was him, was nearby. That was why it was called ‘For The Very Best’. That was the real beauty of Gokudera’s kit. He wasn’t just a mid-range attacker; he was a strategist, able to turn the tide of battle with his sharp mind. The game had described him as a brilliant tactician with a fiery temper, but despite his short fuse, his strategies never failed. Gokudera’s ability to read the battlefield and make quick decisions was invaluable; that was why his buff was so massive.
He was the best stand-in commander when his boss died in the tutorial stage.
Skill 1, Master of Dynamite, was simple: Gokudera was a master of explosives, and his entire combat style revolved around bombs. His real edge, though, came from Dead-Eye Aim. This skill allowed him to hit any target with pinpoint accuracy, ensuring his bombs landed exactly where they were needed
Now that he saw Gokudera’s stats. He needed to see his own. He swiped the screen up.
He could already feel the anticipation built up in his chest. Because if there was one thing he remembered clearly, it was that Sawada Tsunayoshi…
…was not supposed to be weak.
[Sawada Tsunayosi (EX)]
Title: Mad Heir of Vongola
Level: 30
Rank: EX
Type: Attacker
Attribute: Sky
Affiliation: Vongola
Stats: Strength: 50, Agility: 70, HP: 1350, Stamina: 110
[Skills]
Passive: Vongola Hyper Intuition
Skill 1: Zero-Point Breakthrough
Skill 2: Iron Fist
Skill 3: ???
He stared at the name with a strange mix of feelings. In the game, he was strong. No, more than that, he had been built around the very foundation of this world.
The Dying Will Flame.
A person’s strength was measured by its density, control, and the precision with which it could be shaped. And this person had never struggled with that.
His passive 'Vongola Hyper Intuition’ granted him an exceptionally perceptive mind. This ability allowed him to read enemy movements, grasp the battlefield dynamics instantly, and formulate strategies on the fly. This was the kind of skill only a born leader could have, the ‘eye that sees through everything’.
His first skill allowed him to reverse the state of the Deathperation Flame and freeze everything. His second skill grants him the ability to be a hand-to-hand combat master.
When the game first launched, players were outraged. Decimo was an overpowered starting character, with such immense potential. Yet, despite his skills, he was destined to die in the tutorial, and there was no way to save him.
“Let’s not lose hope, Tsuna. You didn’t spend five years mastering this game for nothing. You’re a master.”
With that thought echoing in his mind, Tsuna shifted his focus to the enemy intel.
[Tutorial Stage - Enemy Intel]
Boss: LV. 160 Byakuran
- 50 Elite Soldiers: 80
- 35 Normal Soldiers: 330
“...”
He cradled his face in despair.
Oh my god. This was hopeless. The sheer numbers alone were suffocating. Even without understanding every detail, the disparity was obvious.
Facing a Level 160 boss with his current level felt like pitting a child against a raging storm. Gokudera was strong, but how could they contend with an onslaught of 80 elite soldiers and 330 normal soldiers?
A Lv. 160 Against him.
Tsuna swallowed.
…Yeah. No.
This wasn’t something you could brute force. Strength alone wasn’t going to bridge a gap like that.
Byakuran alone was a living nightmare. This was a boss that you don't have to fight until stage 40. To defeat him from the get go was impossible. Even their mobs’ levels were higher than his.
This was a tragedy waiting to unfold. It was no different than challenging a hurricane with a paper umbrella.
“Decimo, you idiot…” he muttered under his breath. “Why would you even try to negotiate with someone like that?”
His hands slowly lowered.
Wait. What about his original body? Was it still there? Was he unconscious? If he died here would he go back?
Should he test it? Then he shook his head.
“No. No, that’s—”
Was a terrible idea. A really, really terrible idea.
Dying once to check was how you ended up dead for real.
He just needed to survive. Survive the tutorial, survive this entire game.
And in that realization Tsuna suddenly thought of a genius idea.
☆
MISSION:
[TUTORIAL STAGE]
Counting down: 01:38:53
Mission: Meet with Millefiore and try to negotiate an alliance.
Reward: ???
Note: Failure to participate will result in death
[Tutorial Stage - Enemy Intel]
Boss: LV. 160 Byakuran
LV. 50 Elite Soldiers: 80
LV. 35 Normal Soldiers: 330
CHARACTER OVERVIEW:
[Sawada Tsunayosi (EX)]
Title: Mad Heir of Vongola
Level: 30
Rank: EX
Type: Attacker
Attribute: Sky
Affiliation: Vongola
Stats: Strength: 50, Agility: 70, HP: 1350, Stamina: 110
[Skills]
Passive: Vongola Hyper Intuition
Skill 1: Zero-Point Breakthrough
Skill 2: Iron Fist
Skill 3: ???
[Gokudera Hayato ☆☆☆☆☆]
Title: Smokin’ Bomb
Level: 20
Rank: ☆☆☆☆☆
Type: Mid-Range Attacker
Attribute: Storm
Affiliation: Vongola
Stats: Strength: 25, Agility: 20, HP: 1100, Stamina: 90
[Skills]
Passive: For The Very Best
Skill 1: Master of Dynamite
Skill 2: Dead-Eye Aim
Skill 3: ???