It couldn't be possible... for a high school girl to have this kind of strength. Tsukasa couldn't make sense of it.
"I saw everything!" She shouted at him, unrelenting in her attack, "You took a girl hostage for that boy – that gentleman sorcerer who was going to give himself up for her.
"I don't give a damn what your explanation is – I'm going to cut you down where you stand!"
Kohaku hadn't been able to hear what they were saying, but her eyesight was the best there was – she had seen everything down to the expressions on the strangers' faces. She'd gotten a good enough idea of what was going on to know this giant man was no good!
"Sorcerer?" Tsukasa asked, "Then you must be..."
He looked at her as best he could while the two fought fiercely. There on her arm was a finely detailed tattoo – the exact same style as his own. A seagull surrounded by crashing waves. It wasn't impossible for her to have a symbolic mark, like Tsukasa, but it was very rare.
No, Tsukasa thought, it was far more likely that she was of some kind of ancient people. It didn't matter – there wasn't time for that. He had to get back to the cave.
No more humoring this strange girl in battle. Tsukasa parried her back and with a swift cut of his spear, severed the last of an already damaged tree, bringing it down on her.
It could have been the end of Kohaku... had a certain three not been still nearby enough to hear the great tree fall over.
"Senku!" Shouted Taiju, "Look, a girl is trapped under there!"
"My god!" Shouted Yuzuriha.
All three had spotted her now, a strange blond girl shoved partially into a crevasse, trapped by an enormous tree.
"Senku, Yuzuriha, help me!" Taiju shouted, sprinting over to the tree to attempt to lift it.
"Um, right!" Yuzuriha said, rushing after him to help in whatever way she could.
"That won't work, you idiots, it's far too heavy, even for Taiju," Senku said, "We need to figure this out logically."
"You," The girl said, "You three were on the mountain with that long-haired man."
"Can you hold out until night?" Senku asked, crouching down next to her, "Because if you can't, we'll try to blow it up with the little gunpowder we have left. But if you can -"
"Gunpowder is too dangerous, Senku!" Taiju shouted.
"Shush, Taiju," Yuzuriha said, looking to the strange girl.
"Yes," She said after a moment, nodding, "My bones and organs are fine – I can hold out."
"In that case -" Senku said, "Taiju! Yuzuriha! Listen to me, we've got work to do!"
Kohaku watched as three worked in perfect organization, assembling a bizarre device. The one called Senku leading, Taiju doing the physical labor of the job, Yuzuriha the more detailed crafting. When they ran into a problem, their leader quickly found another way. In almost no time at all – only a couple hours – the three had finished whatever bizarre device they had constructed.
"This is it," Senku said, addressing the group all at once, "Invented by Archimedes some few hundred years BC. I hope you remember it from class, Taiju - ! The pulley!"
With that, as if it were a mark, all three took a heavy hold of rope and shared a nod while Kohaku watched in awe. As one, fully trusting in their device, they leaped from the high branch they'd finished their 'pulley' on.
And the huge tree was lifting instantly and smoothly.
"Incredible!" Kohaku said, even as Taiju pulled her out from under the tree, least it somehow fall down on her again.
"That," She said, "That was more than Archi-whoever. It was your determination – working through the problems as you came across them. Working together in a perfect team – could you three be this generation's set of triple soul-mates?"
"Huh?" Taiju asked, tilting his head.
"Though... where are your tattoos?" She asked, "Do you all three have little hidden ones?"
"I think we've both got a lot of questions," Senku said.
There was still plenty of time before nightfall – all three of them working together had finished the pulley quickly.
So Kohaku explained her village and why she was out so far in the wilderness in the first place. Senku's group explained what had happened to them, how they had woken from the stone.
Kohaku was clearly amazed, but didn't seem to doubt them.
"Then that long-haired man," She asked, "What happened?"
"He thinks Senku is his soul-mate," Taiju said, "He was going to make Senku forge the soul-mate connection once Senku's timer ran out."
"Timer?" Asked Kohaku.
Senku raised his wrist to show her, pulling down his arm wrappings.
"My soul-mate mark," He said.
"I've never seen one like that," Kohaku said, "But I guess... it actually reminds me a little of Chrome's... Chrome's doesn't move, though."
"Mine will stop moving soon," Senku said, "When I meet my soul-mate, it'll pause on zero forever."
"When you meet them?" Kohaku asked, clearly confused again, "But you're already about fourteen. How could you not have met them yet? When you realize who it is, you mean?"
"... I'm eighteen." Senku corrected, narrowing his eyes.
Yuzuriha giggled, "And nineteen in winter, right?"
Senku crossed his arms and glared at her.
"So you three... aren't soul-mates, then?" Kohaku asked.
"Well... Yuzuriha and I..." Taiju said, his face red as a tomato.
"Ah, that's right," Senku said, "I haven't bullied you two over that yet!"
"Senku!" Taiju shouted, "I have nothing to be ashamed of!"
And now Kohaku was laughing.
"You three... I think you're people I would get along working with!"
Senku smiled to himself while everyone made friends. He already had one of the valley people on his side. Things were going well to build his army.
–
Soon afterwards, they headed back towards Kohaku's village. If they moved fast enough, they'd be home before dark. It took a little longer, because Kohaku had to get a jug of spring water from the mountain for her sister.
"Whoa!" Taiju had shouted, seeing her lift it, "You do this every day?"
"It's less than 50 liters," Senku said, "She does this more than once a day."
"Your injuries!" Yuzuriha noticed first, how Kohaku was suddenly struggling.
"Taiju, that's your mark – step up!" Senku said.
"Of course!" Taiju shouted, grabbing the pot from Kohaku, "This is nothing!"
With that, Taiju began to sprint down the mountain.
"W-wait!" Kohaku called, "Do you even know where you're going?"
"Better catch him, lioness," Senku said, picking his ear.
"Y-you!" Kohaku began, but decided to chase and stop Taiju rather than yell at Senku.
"You're already making fun of her," Yuzuriha sighed, "Can't you ever just be nice to get to know someone, Senku?"
Senku smiled, "No, not one millimeter."
Yuzuriha started slowly down the mountain after them, but Senku called to her.
"I think I've got a better idea, Yuzuriha – let those goons run, we civilized craftsmen have better ways."
Given they already possessed a nice set of wheels from the pulley, Senku had a flash of inspiration. And in almost no time at all, a fine make-shift three-wheeled cart was rushing down Kohaku's worn mountain path.
"Make way!" Yuzuriha shouted, "Taiju, Kohaku, get out of the way!"
"Huh?" Kohaku turned around slowly. Apart from Yuzuriha's voice, she heard some kind of terrible racket.
But her eyes certainly couldn't miss what her ear could. Rocketing down the mountain at full speed, on another bizarre device were Yuzuriha and Senku.
She leaped out of the way despite her shock and watched the cart pass her.
Taiju had turned more quickly.
"Senku, you genius!" He shouted, but made no effort to move.
Could those two even control that thing? It didn't look like it. It was about to hit Taiju.
"Taiju!" Yuzuriha shouted, fearful of the same thing.
But Senku only smiled.
"Three... two..." And right on one, Taiju jumped, landing perfectly onto the quickly moving cart with the jug of water, careful not to spill a drop.
These three... were not to be underestimated, thought Kohaku.
"Wait for me!" She shouted.
–
They'd managed to stop the cart and let Kohaku on and approached the village quickly.
Senku was amazed. The village was far more enormous than he'd bargained for. He was captured in thoughts of where it could have come from.
They had only three months to get these villagers on their side and prepare to take on Tsukasa. Regardless of whether Senku was in the picture, Tsukasa had to be stopped. Senku would save everyone, ten billion percent!
His first obstacle was being allowed into the village.
These two, Kinrou and Ginrou, weren't too keen to let that happen. Taiju's high energy behavior certainly wasn't helping. With a basin of water and his soap, Senku blew a few bubbles.
"They keep multiplying!" Ginrou had shouted, "No matter what we do! In this case there's only one option – Chroooooome!"
It didn't take long to get the so-called sorcerer on the side of science... though Taiju being amazed with everything he did certainly didn't help. Chrome was truly impressive. His science was primitive compared to Senku, but unlike Senku, Chrome had figured it all out himself, from the very start. That was amazing and commendable.
Having Chrome on their side would make a great difference, certainly... and it was meaningful to Senku to be reminded that even if he wasn't around, science would continue, ten billion percent!
"To save Ruri..." Chrome said later while Senku was going over his medicines, "Is one of the reasons I became a sorcerer."
"Is she your soul-mate, then?" Senku asked, picking his ear.
"N-no!" Chrome shouted, "I... I don't have a soul-mate."
"Oh?" Senku asked.
It hadn't been too long ago that Senku had thought the same thing.
"There was something wrong with my mark," Chrome said, showing Senku his wrist, "I never got a full tattoo... just these meaningless scribbles."
"Let me see..." Senku said, looking it over.
In Japanese... 'Ruri Ishigami'. Funny that, the same last name as Senku.
"Kukuku..." Senku said, smirking, "And you think you don't have a soul-mate because of this? No, Chrome, your people just haven't learned to read yet!"
"What do you mean?" Chrome asked, eyes filled with hope.
"Before the petrification, humans used writing to preserve ideas and communicate over long distances. What's written on your wrist was a common soul-mate mark in my time – the name of your soul-mate!"
"It is?" Chrome shouted, ecstatic, "Well, who is it? Can you read it?"
Senku merely smirked.
"Y-you - !" Chrome realized, "Tell me! Don't you dare keep it hidden!"
"If I tell you now," Senku said, "You'll just run off and be all lovey-dovey instead of working. I consider this insurance... Kukuku..."
"Senku, you bastard!" Chrome shouted.
–
With a group of so many, including Taiju and Yuzuriha, they were able to work quickly and make fox tail ramen far earlier than they could have otherwise, getting a good number of villagers on their side.
"It's still not enough," Senku said, staring at his wrist. "There's no way we'll finish the cure-all before Tsukasa makes his move."
"Are you certain he'll have even remembered the exact number on your timer?" Yuzuriha asked, "You kept saying 'three months' so won't he attack in three months?"
"That was an estimate. And I'm certain he remembers. Damn, if only we could delay this until the start of winter. I doubt he'd attack in winter, he'd have to take care of his army."
"Senku," Kohaku asked, a serious expression on her face, "Are you certain this Tsukasa isn't your soul-mate after all?"
Senku nodded without hesitation, "I'm sure. We met long before my timer ended – that's how my soul-mate mark works."
"But what if he's the odd number in the population?" Kinrou asked, "The 'second'."
"What do you mean by that?" Taiju asked.
"The second soul-mate," Kinrou said.
Not very helpful.
"You said something about triple soul-mates when we first met, Kohaku," Senku said, "We've been too busy reviving the kingdom of science to return to that topic. Can you explain what you meant?"
Kohaku nodded. "Well, if there's an uneven population in a generation that 'leftover' person becomes a second soul-mate, so no one in the whole world is left out," Kohaku said, "I'm surprised you science people don't know about this."
Senku snorted, "Well, our population was considerably larger than yours. Billions of humans, so many that sometimes they couldn't find their soul-mates at all among all the rabble."
The villagers gasped, having never thought of such a thing being possible.
"We wouldn't have noticed anyone 'leftover'," Senku finished.
"So if Tsukasa really is the leftover, what does that mean for Senku?" Yuzuriha asked.
"Well..." Kohaku said, "It's not the same as normal soul-mates. It's a half-bond. A one-sided bond. It's still just as powerful as any other bond, but only in one direction."
"So...?" Taiju asked, not getting the full picture.
"Depending on the bond, as always" Senku said, "It's never quite the same, after all... But if I had to guess... Tsukasa might be able to sense if I'm in danger, or my emotions, or even where I am... but I couldn't sense him the same way."
"Scary," Said Yuzuriha, staring down into her ramen.
"Of course, that would only happen if we connected," Senku said.
"What's 'connection'?" Suika asked to much blushing of the group.
"W-well..." Yuzuriha stuttered.
"That depends too, Suika," Senku said, "There was a historical case of a chaste knight kissing the back of his soul-mate's hand being enough to connect. And asexual people might not even need that much. In any case, while the amount depends a lot on the person, there's always some kind of touch involved."
"A...sexual?" Suika asked.
"N-nevermind that, Suika!" Yuzuriha stuttered, "How about we go collect more iron dust!"
"Hm?" Taiju asked, "We don't need any more iron dust, do we?"
"Back to topic - what should we do?" Chrome asked, "What's the plan here? We've only about a week left – no time to finish Ruri's medicine and get the rest of the villagers on our side."
"Will Ruri..." Kohaku asked.
"She'll be fine," Senku said, "Because you're still going to finish the medicine. You're all just going to have to listen carefully."
"Nothing rash..." Yuzuriha said quietly.
"Nothing rash," Senku promised, "But it won't be easy."
–
...A special task, huh?
Tsukasa had tasked Gen with approaching the primitive village, just days before their planned attack on it. With his skills as a mentalist, they expected him to learn the enemies plans and report back.
...But the enemy knew on what day they'd be attacking already, didn't they? They could be expecting a spy. There was no way they'd let Gen waltz in mere days before the attack and let him leave right away afterwards. But if he didn't... Gen was terrified of what Tsukasa would do. That guy was more obsessed with meeting his soul-mate than anyone else Gen had ever known.
He found himself looking down at his arm as he walked. His soul-mate hadn't written anything there since Gen had awoken. It was likely that they were still encased in stone. And since Gen's type certainly wasn't the hulking, muscled brutes that Tsukasa kept reviving for his army, they might not wake up any time soon.
The world sure had gone to shit, hadn't it? His feet hurt from walking barefoot. He wanted shoes. And a real meal. He could almost smell the ramen.
!
Could he smell the ramen? Definitely – it was ramen, from up ahead. He was close to the village. Were they advanced enough to mill grain and make noodles and soup? That already sounded nicer than Tsukasa's planned empire. Not that it mattered of course. This place would probably be wiped out.
A group of primitives were handing out bowls to the others. They were a large group, the village. More than forty. That was quite a bit larger than Tsukasa's current army, which worried Gen.
"H-hello!" Gen called out, as if startled, "Thank god, I finally found someone!"
The others turned to face him – two of the group had petrification scars on their faces. Taiju and Yuzuriha, Gen surmised based on Tsukasa's description. No sign of Senku around.
Yuzuriha had been crying. Her face was red and the skin around her eyes was puffy.
"Stop right there!" A primitive shouted in remarkably modern Japanese, "Who are you?"
Gen wasn't worried about the spear in his face. If they wanted him dead, they'd have killed himself instead of threatened him. Of course, acting afraid was quite important.
He shrieked as if in shock and stumbled backwards.
"A-asagiri!" He said, "Asagiri Gen! Please don't hurt me – I just smelled the ramen and I'm so hungry."
The man threatening him didn't seem phased, but his didn't close in on Gen any further.
"Taiju, Yuzuriha, you know him?" The man asked.
"No... wait, Asagiri Gen, right?" Yuzuriha said, "I used to read his books, actually, but, I mean, we never met personally."
"Read!" Shouted another villager, as if realizing something, "Yuzuriha, you can read too? Can you read -"
"Not now, Chrome!" A female guard villager yelled, "You, stranger – are you part of Tsukasa's group?"
"Tsukasa?" Gen asked, feigning ignorance easily, "I've never heard of him. Who is he?"
Taiju looked dark.
"Tsukasa... is the one who killed Senku!"
–
No way, thought Gen. If this Senku guy were really dead, wouldn't Tsukasa be too? And would Tsukasa not know if he'd killed Senku?
Maybe Tsukasa was wrong about the identity of his soul-mate. Gen certainly didn't want to be the one to break that news to the guy.
"I'm sorry to hear about your friend," He said gently to Yuzuriha while everyone was eating.
They hadn't allowed him into the village, but at least the modern humans were being quite open with him.
"I'll miss him," Said Yuzuriha, "But at least I have Taiju to keep me strong."
That seemed off. Something... was amiss, though Gen wasn't sure what yet. He pressed ahead.
"How did he die?" Gen asked, "No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't..."
Pretending to have a faux pas – ah, Gen felt so clever!
"He... he killed himself," Said Yuzuriha.
Gen stared at her in silence. She had certainly been crying earlier – they were true tears, Gen was certain. But right now, he was equally certain.
Yuzuriha is lying.
Maybe Senku was even alive.
"God..." Gen said, "I'm so sorry. The loss of the modern world... it hit him that hard? Or... his soul-mate, maybe..."
"Because of Senku, we're safe now," Said Taiju, rubbing Yuzuriha's shoulder in comfort, "Tsukasa is dead."
Was that the fake plan? 'Senku killed himself to kill his soul-mate,' like some horrible melodrama on TV. Gen wondered if they had figured him out or if they were telling this sob story to whoever would listen.
"It sounds like he was a strong person," Gen said.
"The strongest..." Said Yuzuriha, her voice breaking.
And Gen felt that was real emotion. Something had really happened then, to make Yuzuriha feel like that, but Senku hadn't really died. So what happened?
Did he run away? Was Yuzuriha crying because she'd found out her friend was a coward who left them? No, for two reasons. She really thought of him as strong... and why would she lie about him deserting?
Senku could be in hiding. This village had tons of nice places for that. But Gen knew Tsukasa would tear it down to find Senku. And if Senku was as smart as Tsukasa said he was, then Senku would know that too.
They had some separate plan.
"You said this Tsukasa guy had an army, didn't you?" Gen asked, "What happened to them?"
"We have no idea," Kohaku said, "Hopefully, they disbanded when their leader unexpectedly passed, but I doubt it. They're probably still planning to raid the village. Modern idiots would need us to survive."
"You're right about that," Gen said, "I was barely getting by on my own. Just look at these rags."
He was dressed in a simple hide shift, very similar to Taiju's. It didn't suit him in the slightest. Gen would much rather wear a suit or a kimono robe.
"I could make you something better," Yuzuriha said, "I'm a seamstress."
"We don't have time for that!" Chrome shouted, "We need to work on the medicine for Ruri, just how Senku told us!"
Gen had been about to inquire for more information... when his arm suddenly tingled. He nearly jumped three feet in the air in shock, spilling his bowl of ramen over the ground.
"What – are you okay?" Taiju asked, jumping to his feet as well to look over Gen.
"I'm fine," Gen said quickly, "Just, uh... just suddenly need the bathroom. I've been eating nothing but wild fruit, so...!"
"Ah, of course," Taiju said, grinning in recognition, "Me and Senku had to go through that too!"
"T-taiju!" Yuzuriha blushed.
Since Taiju had no shame, Yuzuriha had to feel it instead.
Gen rushed from the group, his excuse having worked out just fine. It would have been better if he hadn't jumped like that. He could have gotten more information. But as it was, this was a good chance to get away from the village unseen.
Before that, though...
He looked down at his bare arm.
A map. A map of this valley, too, he was sure.
His soul-mate was awake!
–
Gen didn't return to the camp.
"So, Tsukasa did send a spy..." Yuzuriha said, "Just like Senku thought he might."
"He was a spy!" Kohaku shouted, leaping up, "There's still time, I'll kill him!"
"No!" Taiju shouted, gripping Kohaku tightly around her middle, "Killing is wrong!"
"He'll feed the enemy false information," Chrome said, "Let him go, Kohaku!"
"F-fine," Kohaku said, "But I... can't breathe..."
"Taiju!" Yuzuriha shouted.
"Whoa, even for the gorilla, Taiju's strength is crazy, huh?"
Bang!
–
"They said that Senku was dead," Gen explained, Tsukasa and his generals listening closely.
"I would know if Senku were dead," Tsukasa deadpanned.
"Of course," Gen bowed, "I'm just relating what they told me. I don't think they figured me out, but... they didn't fully trust me either."
Tsukasa nodded, then closed his eyes in thought.
"Senku instructed them to carry on with whatever technological plan he had ongoing and went to hide somewhere away from the village. It's unlike him.
"He knows I would just take his friends hostage again."
"Right," Gen said, using all of his mentalist power not to let a disturbed expression show on his face.
"He's planning something else," Tsukasa said, "I'm sure of it. You've done well, Gen."
Gen beamed. It was easy to do, given his sense of relief.
"Thank you, Tsukasa! I'm glad I could be of use to you."
"One thing before you go, Gen," Tsukasa said after Gen had already turned around.
"Yes?" Gen asked.
"Why are you holding your arm like that?" Tsukasa asked.
Gen swallowed.
"I've always done this, Tsukasa. What do you mean?"
Tsukasa wasn't falling for it. This giant man was too smart to be safe around. He grabbed Gen's arm to inspect it.
"I just wanted to keep it private," Gen said, "Since I don't have proper clothes yet to cover my marks... that's normal, isn't it?"
"Your soul-mate woke, then?" Tsukasa said, inspecting the map on Gen's arm carefully.
"I... supposed it might be one of the villagers. But it could be one of our warriors too."
"Not one of ours," Tsukasa said confidently.
How could he be so sure?
"Gen... you wouldn't be planning to defect to that village, would you?"
Eep! Gen hadn't been planning it, but Tsukasa still scared the wits out of him.
"No! Of course not!" He cried, "I'm with us, through and through, Tsukasa! You know I've had enough of the way things used to be, just like you!"
"Hmm," Was all Tsukasa said.
But he released Gen's arm.
"I promise," Tsukasa said, as Gen left the 'throne room' cave, "We'll take prisoners when we attack the village, so don't worry about your soul-mate, Gen."
Keeping his soul-mate as a prisoner? That was disgusting. Leave it to Tsukasa to have that idea. Him, with the soul-mate who hated him.
It wasn't a villager anyway. Even if Gen hadn't already had writing showing up on his arm since childhood, this map wasn't something one of those tribal humans would make. For one thing, it had Japanese writing on it: 'village'. Gen had found out the villagers couldn't read or write.
But Gen did wonder who it could be. Someone who woke up on their own? It couldn't be Taiju or Yuzuriha, they had each other. Not the mysterious Senku, he was already matched with Tsukasa.
And while Gen didn't think it was one of Tsukasa's brutes, it could be. Love works in mysterious ways. Gen wanted to examine everyone's arms. Force out who his soul-mate was and demand to know why they'd not revealed themselves all this time.
And why, all those years ago, they used to scribble Gen out at night.
Explain that. He demanded it.