Two shadows were walking around in the Tsukasa Empire. "Just hang in there until our paths cross again, you big oaf." Taiju and Yuzuriha came to a stop. "We already had to wait 3,700 years to see each other. A few more months or even years is no big deal. Time is relative, you know." They could imagine the Kingdom of Science flag being raised in the air. "But no matter how long it takes, we will build our Kingdom of Science."
"And with our kingdom, we'll beat Tsukasa and then reunite! Don't worry, Taiju. With you guys as our spies, there's nothing we can't do."
The sonic bombs went off, Homura gasping while looking up. "Explosions?" She asked herself in confusion.
"Move now!" Senku shouted as the team of four took off.
"We're gonna get the Kingdom of Science's custom-built cell phone to Taiju and Yuzuriha even if it kills us!" Chrome shouted in determination. As the sonic bombs continued exploding, Magma gave a small grumble.
"Why do we have to sneak around like this, anyway?" He asked them in annoyance.
"Because if she spots us, she'll likely follow us," Gen reminded him as they walked.
"And then our whole top-secret cell phone plan would be blown to pieces," Chrome explained while in front.
"And afterwards, our chances of defeating Tsukasa would be slim to none," Sumi stated, looking over her shoulder while raising a brow. "Or did you already forget the plan?"
"Well, if we're so worried about that scout Homura or whatever, all we gotta do is catch her, kill her, and then our problem's solved!" He responded with a menacing grin.
"We don't know where she's hiding, Magma!" Chrome retorted back, Gen having a sheepish smile. Sumi gave Magma an annoyed look at him wanting to kill her. If he tried, she could easily stop him with her whip...
"We're not gonna kill anyone, so stop with that crap," She rolled her eyes.
"That is true," Gen stated with a small smile. "However, right now, with all the noise we just made, she'll have to leave her spot to see what's happening. After all, they're worried about our gunpowder supply. Her job is to keep an eye on us, so she can't ignore the assive-may explosions going off."
Homura was on her way to inspect the site of the explosions. Suika, Kaseki, and Kohaku were inside the observatory. Suika was using the telescope to keep an eye out for Homura. "If Homura's gonna show herself, she'll be along the line between that hill and where the sonic bombs went off."
Homura was in Suika's eyeline of sight, causing her to gasp. "I saw something just now!" She squinted her eyes a little to get a closer look. "A shadow moving really fast-" Kohaku ran past her, flipping out of the observatory. Suika let out a sound of shout with her eyes wide. Kohaku started jumping along the tree branches. Kaseki joined the little girl's side. "She's already in pursuit!"
"Well, that's Kohaku. She's so impressive, she sees a problem and off she goes," Kaseki commented at this.
Senku gave us this one in a million chance with his sonic bombs. I have to catch her, no matter what! Kohaku had a determined look while going as fast as she could.
Homura reached the explosions and landed on a branch. She looked at the dents left behind in the snow. She stood up while examining them. Those craters...from the blasts? A gust of wind flew nearby, both moving her hair and the fur from her coat. She gasped and looked to her right side, and Kohaku came in from the left. Her eyes widened in realization. Chills. Kohaku pulled out her katana, her eyes red while aiming it at Homura's neck. My neck! She quickly reacted and flipped, dodging the blade. Kohaku slid while looking back, gasping. Homura landed safely and jumped, grabbing a tree branch. She swung around and then headed for the opposite direction.
Kohaku put her katana away and went after her, gritting her teeth. How could she move like that? It's crazy!
Homura glanced back at the blonde. She remembered her gymnastic meets before being petrified. Gymnastics. You, born in this age, wouldn't know.
"I'm not trying to kill you, okay?" Kohaku called out as they both jumped over petrified statues down below.
"Yes, back of your sword," Homura maintained her current speed while retorting back. "How long will you chase me?"
"Until I catch you!" Kohaku replied back as they continued jumping.
Homura landed on a branch and glanced over her shoulder. "You can't, so give up," She jumped off and Kohaku landed on the same branch.
"Stop running and come with me!" She ordered the pinkette.
"And why should I?" She responded and kept her eyes forward. She's trying to exhaust me by making me talk. But... She looked back, shocked that Kohaku was still on her tail. Kohaku...I can't shake her.
Kohaku was determined, but struggling a little bit. Homura...I can't get closer.
She's fast! Both of them thought in unison.
I'm gonna have to herd her toward the village.
Suika gasped while noticing the two women on their way. "They're coming this way!" She announced to everyone outside.
"Children and elders, take shelter," Kokuyo ordered the others. "The rest of us will surround her!"
The chase was still going on until they both heard footsteps. They looked down to see Senku running towards them.
Senku? Homura thought to herself in confusion.
He had a piece of metal on his forehead, holding something attached to a long coil of string. He grinned while tossing it up into the air. It looked like a thin bulb attached to some metal. Homura opened her mouth in shock while he chuckled. "Curious, aren't ya?" Kinro, Kokuyo, and Ginro arrived to see what was going on. "Turn your peepers over this way and take a real good look. Check out my shocking science gadget, level 2," He then placed the metal over his eyes. "It's a flash grenade." As soon as he said that, the device activated, and a glaringly bright light appeared. Homura attempted to look away, giving a small sound of pain.
"What is that?!" Kohaku exclaimed as it was in her eyes too. Mecha Senku and Mecha Sumi appeared suddenly.
"Long time no see, folks! Mecha Senku and Mecha Sumi back again! And now, we're gonna teach you all how to make your own flash grenades!" Mecha Senku started off.
"But definitely try these outside if you're gonna make these!" Mecha Sumi waved a claw.
"First, boil seawater. That'll make this stuff called bittern. Then, you gather it up and zap it with electricity. And blam, magnesium acquired! Shove it in a light bulb and then you're done!" Mecha Senku then explained.
"It's nonlethal, but it does give off a loud bang and usually lasts a few seconds, so don't go using this thing willy-nilly!" Mecha Sumi warned playfully.
"This is what they use in Print Gocco. Huh? You've never really heard of Print Gocco? Well, your mom and dad might know, so go ask them!" Mecha Senku then encouraged.
"It was pretty big in Japan way back when before even we were born!" Mecha Sumi gave a closed-eye smile.
Homura shielded her eyes, but that didn't stop Senku from lunging and pinning her down. Kohaku fell down into a bush thanks to being blinded.
"Senku's weak as a flea, but look!" Ginro exclaimed, everyone impressed.
"That was awesome!" Suika cheered and Homura glanced over her shoulder with a glare.
"Watch you're touching me, okay?" She warned, earning a chuckle.
"Sorry, but that old trick's not gonna work on me. Once we rebuild civilization, though, I can pretend to be a sweet innocent boy all you want!" He smirked and she looked away with a pout.
"Your lover Sumi might love that," She remarked flatly and he looked annoyed.
"Yeah, no. She's not my lover," He corrected, to the dismay of the others as they wanted the illusion for just a few more seconds...just because he acknowledged his feelings, didn't mean he was so willing to let other people believe there was something going on. Not until the war was over, at least. Otherwise he would've taken great pride in it right about now.
Force him off and run? I doubt I'm stronger. Homura thought while still on the eyes widened in realization, remembering what Ginro said. She imagined Senku as a flea and then pushed herself off, knocking him back easily. He screamed as he spun around and fell onto the snow head-first.
"That was a total fail!" Suika, Kokuyo, and Kaseki cried out with white eyes.
"He is weak as a flea!" Ginro chimed in dismay.
Kinro immediately readied his katana. Homura ran forward, flipping over all of them with ease. She fended off every single villager with a weapon. "Whoa," Kokuyo said with unease as he and Kinro looked back in shock. "It's not about power."
"You're right. It's all about how she moves," Kinro stated as they watched her flip onto some branches. She landed on one and examined everyone in the crowd.
"No! She's getting away!" Kokuyo exclaimed while gritting his teeth. Kohaku's eyes were still blinded as she waved her hands.
"I still can't see anything!" She cried out since everything was white to her, as well as bright.
"I suppose your top-notich vision's not helping us now," Kaseki turned to the blond.
"...Kinro, Ginro, Kohaku, Suika, Kaseki, Jasper, Kokuyo, Turquoise, Mantle, Argo," She listed off to everyone's shock.
"How the heck do you know what all of our names are?" Suika questioned nervously while looking up at her.
"If her job has been to keep watch on us this whole time, it appears she's taken that task very seriously," Kaseki explained to her. She then noticed the four missing people.
"But no Chrome, Magma, Gen, or Sumi," She eyed the crowd again, still not seeing them. "Most of the villagers are here, yet those four are missing. Something's wrong. Where are they?" Senku took off the metal headband, looking up at her. Chrome has brains, Magma has brawn, and Sumi has medical experience, and brains as well. Are they mining for ore? No, they wouldn't need Gen. What purpose would he serve? To guide them? To where? She then realized what was going on and took off, using the leaves from the trees to hide her. They're taking something to our base! This was all to distract me! Must be a critical weapon of science! But what?
Kinro put his katana away. "She must've figured it out," Ginro gave a sound of shock towards his brother. "She knows Chrome and them are on the move."
"This is bad!" Ginro exclaimed in worry.
They set out to follow her, using Chalk to sniff her out. But he gave a defeated whine as he couldn't smell her at all. "I guess we can't count on following her scent, huh? Which means that Sumi might not be able to detect her either if she gets close enough to them," Kohaku sighed a little knowingly. If a dog couldn't track her scent, there was no way Sumi would be able to tell either. Homura could just as easily move fast enough so that Sumi couldn't get her scent, or even mask it. The pinkette scout wasn't careless enough to let herself be tracked that easily. "Chrome's team got a headstart. Right now, they're racing towards the Tsukasa Empire's base. Homura's in hot pursuit. And when she finds them, she finds the cell phone. Not good, if she destroys it or she reports it, we're so done for."
Kaseki had some tears in his eyes. "And that also means all of our hard work would have been for nothing!"
"So we're just gonna have to catch her," Kinro spoke up, looking out to the snow.
"Homura's chasing after Chrome and the others...and we're gonna have to chase after her? Ahh, that sounds tough," Ginro said in disbelief.
Senku, who was doing something nearby, stood up while holding up a device. "It's time to bust out our ultimate weapon. Aka, our surprise science gadget level three!" He turned it on, and they gasped in surprise to see that some parts of the snow and branches were glowing with light.
"Do you see all those spots glowing?" Ginro asked in shock.
"Yeah, they're like marts of light!" Suika added in as they looked up ahead.
"Well, there's no time to lose, guys," Senku opened up his free hand, as he had the same glow as the spots. "I hope you're ready for this! Because we're about to begin a fun little race within a race!"
"So, all of these glowing spots...are showing us Homura's path?" Kohaku murmured while looking at the snow.
"But wait, how come we can see them like this?" Suika wondered, since she knew that only tungsten glowed in sunlight. Senku just chuckled in response.
"You guys need to pay better attention. You've seen this twinkle before," He reminded them, and Suika recalled when she held up the tungsten in the sunrise.
"Oh! The blue gemstone!" She exclaimed in realization.
"Yup, in powder form," He confirmed while moving his fingers.
"Ah! I get it!" Kohaku hit her fist against her palm in realization. "You put it on her arms and legs, huh?"
"That so?" Kaseki rubbed his chin in confusion. "But even still, I thought that stuff only lights up for a little while, right before dawn."
"Naturally, yes," Senku turned to him with a small smile, holding up the device. "But we can make ultraviolet light artificially using science. It's called a blacklight. Nickel, barium, we needed all those treasures we found in the cave to make it. It's basically just a purple lightbulb we made by mixing them with glass."
"This is great!" Kohaku smiled a little. "Now we can follow her with these!"
And so, Kohaku was wearing the blacklight on her shoulder while setting off with Kinro and Senku. He felt it was better if two people went with him, and who better than the rest of the battle team? Well, there was Ginro, but he wouldn't be able to handle it. Plus, he felt more relieved since if anything happened to Sumi by Homura, they could help protect her. He knew she wouldn't need it, but it was Homura and the black-haired scientist barely managed to keep up with Hyoga. So with someone who was faster than Sumi, it would be a close call.
Kohaku then remembered the moves Homura did just before she went to go chase the four. She still couldn't figure out how she could move like that. "...Hey, Senku," She turned to the green-haired scientist. "You should know this." He looked up in confusion and she turned to him fully. "The way she moves is unusual. I've seen Sumi's moves, but Homura's is on another level."
"Gymnastics. It's a skill that doesn't exist in this age," He answered for her. "Sumi picked up on some skills during training, so that's why they're on different skill sets even though they have the same practice."
"I don't think we can capture her unharmed," She spoke up and stepped forward. "But if we need to...I could stop using the back of my sword and behead her."
"We can do it all without spilling a single drop of blood," Senku assured Ruri with a small smile. Sumi gave her a smile, a hand on her hip as she nodded in agreement.
"Is that an option? To kill her?" Kohaku questioned him shakily. He stared at her for a couple of seconds, as he could sense her hesitation. It was the same kind that Sumi had when Senku mentioned killing Tsukasa...
"Kohaku," He spoke up seriously. "Have you ever killed a person before? Be honest," He stood up and she looked away in silence. The silence was a bit tense between the two of them. Senku had never seen Kohaku kill anyone in the time that he and Sumi had known her, and she wasn't as vocal about it as Magma could be. Kohaku then looked up with white eyes.
"No, of course I haven't, Senku!" She then placed her hand on the back of her katana. She gripped it tightly. "That's why...I know I'll hesitate when it's time. That is definitely a weakness of mine...so I have to acknowledge it right now," She looked up with a serious expression. "For me to have the conviction to go through with it...I think I'm gonna need some reassurance from you."
He gave her a small smile, remembering his reaction to when Sumi refused to kill Tsukasa. "Relax, okay? Because if everything goes according to my plan, you won't even have to use that awful thing." She gasped in shock as Kinro walked over and he chuckled. "Why do you think we worked so hard on that ridiculously huge box? I promise it wasn't just for fun." Gen, Chrome, Sumi, and Magma were sliding down a hill while wearing their gear. "We've got the ultimate weapon of modern times. Information warfare. Sumi also had hesitation when we thought we had to kill Tsukasa."
Kinro and Kohaku both gasped while staring at him. "...I didn't know that. I thought she was almost always on the same page with you."
"Just because she can fight...doesn't always necessarily mean she's willing to kill. I had to calm her down and promise we wouldn't go that route...she's seen enough in her life that she wouldn't even think about killing someone," He looked towards the snow; referring to when she saw her dead grandmother or when she felt helpless against her father. "So she wouldn't do it with Homura either," He hummed and looked up, smirking towards the two. "That's just the kind of person she is."
Sumi, Chrome, and Gen landed at the bottom of the hill safely. They suddenly heard a noise, looking up to see Magma high in the air. He screamed as they all panicked, waving their arms rapidly. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" He landed with both feet harshly and the three screamed in alarm. Sumi attempted to cover her face, yelping as some snow landed onto her shawl. She grunted while dusting it off of her, looking annoyed.
"If those tubes are broken, we're in trouble," Gen stated as Chrome and Sumi checked it over.
"It looks alright, but I think we should check it every now and then just to make sure," Chrome told the two and Sumi stood up, hands on her hips.
"No more rough landings with this thing, okay? The last thing we need is to make a trip back to the village if you break stuff. We already have spring approaching, and we can't afford losing that kind of time," She warned Magma, who just looked away with a small grunt. The cell phone rang not too long afterwards, getting their attention. Chrome picked up the speaker.
"Is someone there?" He asked into the microphone.
"Stop!" Gen held out his hands. "I don't think we should answer right now!"
"He's right, and no one even picked up," Sumi gestured to it.
"But why not?" Chrome wondered to the duo.
"It stopped ringing," Magma pointed out and Gen gave a look of unease.
"I can only think of one reason that they'd want to contact us at this stage in the plan...and with only one ring...Homura must've spotted us." She was still on her way over to them, jumping onto the branches. "And we're being followed."
Magma gave a small gasp and Sumi nodded in confirmation. "Yup. And I don't have much science equipment on me to distract her or throw her off," She told them while placing the phone on Magma's back. She already had to carry some phone equipment on her so that they could set it up once they got there. Anything she could come up with to stop Homura would require a trip back to the village. "That single ring was essentially a warning."
"She's from mine and Sumi's time. So if she saw us talking, she'd realize we're carrying a cell phone," Gen continued leading them to the Tsukasa Empire. "The best thing to do is just keep going, and act like we don't have a clue about her."
"I'm ten billion percent sure the others already know that she's onto us, and that they have a plan to stop her," Sumi gave a small smile towards the others. "We all know it's game over if she attacks us and breaks the phone. Or capture us to bring over to Tsukasa. So they'll likely clue us in with instructions by tomorrow since this is a race, after all."
"Huh? How?" Chrome blinked at her and she grinned, a hand on her hip.
"Information warfare, remember? They'll find a way so that we're not going in blind. That's just how Senku and I operate," She gave a small shrug.
Kohaku looked out to the snow as she, Kinro, and Senku had a fire going. Night had fallen, so no one would be making any more movements until tomorrow. "This race is like two games of tag in one," Senku told the duo. "There's Chrome's team carrying the cell phone. Homura, who's chasing them. And we're all chasing Homura. Check it, though. You wanna know what happens if we use radio waves to coordinate our movements?"
Kohaku and Kinro gave him a look of shock as they realized where he was going with this. "We could turn our little game of tag into a pincer attack!"
Senku then let out a chuckle. "And that's information warfare. I know that Sumi's aware of us on the move too and has already told the others," He looked towards the moon. "I don't have a shred of doubt in that fact."
Homura was sitting on top of a tree, looking out to the moon. She had covered her body with her coat. "I'm coming, Hyoga," She murmured, closing her eyes as a bright light appeared, meaning morning was approaching. She looked out to the horizon, then letting out a small shiver. The pinkette looked up ahead, blinking as she noticed the light spots from the powder Senku put on her. She looked at her hand to see it still on her...
Once morning hit, the phone rang repeatedly as Senku, Kohaku, and Kinro were attempting to track her. The scientist was looking at a map and Kohaku looked down from a tree. They were near a river, but there were no more light spots. "Bad news. The light spots end at this river," She jumped onto a lower branch.
"Dang," Senku gave a knowing smile. "She must've washed off the tracking powder. I'll bet she noticed it this morning." At least they had gotten to a reasonable distance before losing track of her.
"By the way, Senku," Kinro glanced at the buzzing phone on his back. "How come this thing won't stop ringing like this?"
"Oh, that?" Chrome was leading the way while Gen was standing behind Magma. Sumi was behind the mentalist. "Nothing to worry about at the moment. It's Gen sending us a message," Gen was constantly pressing the button over and over again to make it buzz. Sumi gave a little smile as she listened in on the messages. "He's using something called Morse code. We can't use voice, so that forces us to text each other. It makes sense if you think about it that way."
"Yeah, not to me, Senku," Kinro commented as he and Kohaku couldn't picture it. Senku and Gen were informing each other their locations, and of the plan.
"We're not from your scientific era, you know," Kohaku reminded him with white eyes. Senku was drawing on his map, indicating both locations of Homura and the cell phone team.
"Gen's reported location and Homura's route have synced up for the last several kilometers," He reported to the both of them, pointing to the pathways.
"So you're telling us that Homura has caught up to them...and now she's right on their tail?!" Kohaku exclaimed in shock; if she knew where the pinkette was right about now, she'd chase her down immediately.
"Heh heh, that information's worth its weight in gold," Senku took the clicker and started using Morse code to message the others. "Cause with Homura directly in front of us, and with us communicating our positions via the cell phones, we can see where every piece is on the board."
Homura was peeking behind a tree branch, looking down at the four. "And pull off the pincer move." Sumi already knew she was there, and didn't even look up. Not because of smell, but she just had a feeling. Plus, if she did turn her head, Homura would've attacked them if she knew Sumi was aware of her presence. She winked at the three silently. Gen then shook the phone, looking disappointed.
"It's not orking-way...there's no signal anymore," He then turned to the brunet. "Hey Chrome, think you could put it up a tree?"
"Sure thing," He held out his hands. Sumi gave him a small smile.
Signal? Her eyes widened in realization as she saw Gen holding the microphone. No way. Not in the stone world! Gen looked up to see Chrome setting up the antenna. Sumi placed a hand in front of her forehead.
"Make sure you get it nice and high, alright?" She called out and he gave her a thumbs up. The black-haired scientist let out a hum, hands on her hips proudly.
A communicator? Homura gritted her teeth in determination. Once Chrome had walked back to the group, she took off as fast as she could. The four were seemingly unaware of her movements. I'm a scout. That means...I have to make sure. I'll destroy it right now. She flipped towards the top of the tree. It might be my only chance! However, once she reached the top, her eyes widened in shok as it was just made out of wood, twigs, and vines. A fake? But how? She thought back on it, and realized that Gen could've swapped them out. And that Sumi could've made it as well to begin with, as well as being unfazed by the cell phone not working. Gen...his slight of hand! And Sumi's façade behind that smile.
Suddely, the tree started to shake, thanks to Kinro and Magma cutting down the tree. Homura lost balance, caught off guard as she fell towards the ground. No...can't land safely. This is it. I'm dead. She closed her eyes while awaiting her faith down below. Goodbye, Hyoga.
"NOW GO!" Senku shouted, Kohaku running as Sumi stood between Gen and Magma, quickly taking off her gear. The two bent down as the black-haired woman planted her feet on their hands, and they moved their arms up to give her a boost. She flipped and landed on the tree, running up the wood. She jumped right when she reached the end, soaring in front of Homura, who gasped while looking up. For a brief moment, only her shadow could be seen underneath the sun. She grabbed her whip from her side and threw it entirely at Homura. It spun around and captured her just as Kohaku caught her from behind. The tree fell onto the ground, the two women landing on the snow safely. Sumi landed in front of them a few seconds later in a crouch, standing up proudly.
"Ha! You may be crazy fast and nimble, but if we know right where you're gonna be...and exactly when you're gonna be there...then we can still capture you unharmed!" Kohaku smirked triumphantly, Homura letting out a shaky breath of defeat. "Great amount of speed back there, Sumi."
"Learned from the best," She winked towards the blonde.
"HELL YEAH!" Chrome shouted while running over. Senku chuckled while watching him.
"Get excited, you guys. This is information warfare, brought to you by the Kingdom of Science," He glanced up to see Sumi grabbing some rope, since she might need the whip back. Kohaku held onto her while the scientist unwrapped Homura and tossed Chrome the rope. Sumi then walked up to her gear to pick it up. "Nice job, Sumi," Senku told her while crossing his arms, looking at her from a few feet away. She turned to him with a small smile as he approached.
"Thanks, Sen," She replied quietly while glancing back at Homura getting tied up.
"With your skills...dealing with Tsukasa shouldn't be that hard, huh?" He closed his eyes and she could tell he was frustrated. She was right here in front of him, and yet he had to watch her leave all over again...
Her eyes softened as she didn't want to leave him like this...since he was the biggest one against her going in the first place. It was almost making her rethink her decision of going upon seeing him worried about what could happen to her. She closed her eyes while taking a deep breath, opening them seconds later. "...Senku, I-"
"Sumi!" She glanced back at Chrome and the others waiting for her not too far away. "Let's go so we can continue walking!"
"Your friends Taiju and Yuzuriha aren't gonna wait on your asses forever!" Magma shouted, Sumi looking a bit annoyed. She then sighed in defeat, turning to them slightly.
"Okay, I'm coming!" She called out and put her gear back on. Once it was secured, she turned back to Senku with a sad look in her eyes. "See you later..."
"Come on, it's not goodbye forever," Senku turned away from her so she wouldn't see his slightly pained expression. It was the same feeling he had when he thought she was gonna move away once her father got arrested...he didn't think he'd experience the same thing again thousands of years later. After Homura was secured, Kohaku waved to the others. Chrome returned it while the three continued walking.
Sumi frowned as she looked at the snow, only her footsteps being heard between everything else. She was now lagging behind the others. Was this really how she was gonna say goodbye to him for now...? Sure, she'd be back in a few days, but...she felt she needed to do this right. After a few seconds, she turned back around, to the confusion of the others as they looked back. They looked out to the distance to see what she was going back for. She stumbled a bit from a rock in the way, but kept going. Her eyes were only kept on Senku as he filled her sight seconds later. He heard something and stopped from hearing the noise.
Before he could turn around, Sumi put down her stuff and hugged him from behind. She hid her face into his shoulder blade, her eyes closed. She felt his warmth for what would be the last time in a while...Senku himself was frozen for a bit and then straightened up, as he didn't turn around. Seeing her face right now would be too hard for him. Kohaku smiled a bit at them, Kinro keeping his gaze both on Homura and them.
"There's a ten billion percent chance of me coming back...right?" She whispered quietly, but he still heard it. She gripped his coat a little as she wanted to hold onto him for just a little longer... "Is it still illogical...to say goodbye for now?"
"...No," He murmured while closing his eyes. "Not at all, Sumi..."
She smiled and pulled away after what felt like a long time to him. "Bye..." She told him softly and turned around. She ran off, picking up her bag along the way and running off with it over her shoulder. Senku looked back to watch her leave. He stood there in silence as it felt like one moment she was there, and the next...gone...she then disappeared into the horizon and he kept his eyes there. Kohaku and Kinro stared at him, since they knew that he was worried about her, but didn't want to say it. And also, her facing Tsukasa again for the first time didn't escape his thoughts either...
"Senku...if you wanna go back and join them, we'll understand," Kohaku finally spoke up, but he didn't react to this. "We can take care of Homura."
"No...no, it's fine," Senku put his hand over his face. He then placed it down, looking back to the two of them with a small smile. "I hold Sumire Weinberg's life in my hands. Meaning I have to put my whole faith into her staying alive by letting her go..."
Sumi didn't turn back as she kept running back towards the group. I have to keep my end of my deal with Senku. I carry his life, so I have to get out of this unscathed. I'll be back soon...
She reached the others while panting a bit and they stared at her. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting," She gave them a sheepish smile while putting her stuff back on. "It's just...I didn't want to leave things as they were, you know?"
"Nah, it's fine. We get it," Chrome gave her a knowing smile.
"Couldn't resist saying goodbye to your dear Senku, huh~?" Gen teased her and she blushed in embarrassment. "And from the looks of it, it seemed very touching!"
"S-Shut up!" She stuttered while defending herself and pouting. She'd only be gone for a few days at best, but...she felt like if she hadn't done it, it wouldn't have felt right to leave without acknowledging that she was going back to see Tsukasa. And that Senku was still concerned. As the four walked off together, she glanced over her shoulder in the direction she came from, smiling to herself.
As they continued on their journey, Chrome waited as Gen hopped above a small river. Later that night, they were all eating some cup ramen by a fire. Sumi put down the kettle of water and started to eat. Chrome glanced up at her, wondering what would happen when they got there. Did she have a plan or was she just gonna wing it?
"Hey, Sumi," Chrome spoke without looking at her. He kept his eyes on his ramen.
"Mm?" She looked up with noodles in her mouth, slurping them.
"When you talk to Tsukasa...what are you even going to say to him?" He couldn't help but wonder. She blinked and then looked back at her ramen in her left hand.
"The truth, obviously. What else would I say?" She responded with an unreadable expression.
"Isn't he the one who cut your face?" Magma asked her bluntly, earning a sigh.
"Yeah...he was," Her face then looked determined while looking at them. "But I'm not scared of him. Tsukasa may have brute strength, and he may have done that and tried to kill Senku...but that doesn't mean I'm backing down from setting his head straight about the whole bride thing. I don't know what'll happen afterwards, but...I'll have at least gotten some closure."
The first time she told him off, he didn't register it. This time, she hoped that he would understand, especially since it was coming from her personally. Plus, she didn't want to leave things bitter with the man just because she disagreed with him. It may be a lost cause, and she still didn't like him the way he felt for her...but it was the only thing she could think to do to make an attempt of making things right. He might listen...although there was the chance of him doing something rash like at the hot springs. Of course she knew that, but if it meant he'd stop getting the wrong idea, then it was worth it to her.
"What's the deal with you and Senku, anyway?" Magma questioned and her eyes widened from the blunt question. Gen looked at him in disbelief for him straight up asking her, sweating.
"Dude! You can't just ask her that!" Chrome hissed a little.
"So insensitive..." Gen deadpanned and then perked up. He gave an innocent look while glancing towards the phone. Maybe it's time I give Sumiku the right push it needs...and if they find out, I can just iron out the details later! They don't call me a mentalist for nothing.
"I'm just saying. You two are the village chiefs and yet you're not married. You gave him a kiss on Christmas and there was that awkward bullshit between you two. So what exactly are you?" Magma casually sipped the broth from his ramen. Sumi flinched and then stayed silent, closing her eyes as she put her cup down. Chrome gritted his teeth and stood up in protest.
"Magma, I swear if you've upset Sumi, you'll-"
"We don't need to define to you who we are. Only Tsukasa," Sumi interrupted, everyone turning to her as she still didn't open her eyes. She then continued to eat before speaking up. "Just because we're the chiefs doesn't mean we need to be married. Senku...is more than just a science partner to me. He's my best friend. That's all there is to it, really," She gave a sad chuckle. "And whatever Tsukasa has to say, I'll never give up on someone I've loved for...well, before you and Chrome were born." All of them stared at her in shock, though Gen gave a small chuckle to himself. She glanced up at Magma, annoyed. "This better not be a ploy so that you can surpass Senku by getting to me. You really think I'm that stupid?"
"I told you, I don't care about that anymore," Magma scoffed and then gave a sly smile. "I'm still on the table if you wanna have feelings for me when things don't work out with Senku."
"You're such a pig," Chrome deadpanned at him, blue lines over his eyes.
Gen then looked towards her. "Mire-chan, you and I both know that even though he's a brick wall when it comes to romance...he does care for you," He smiled a bit, his hands in his sleeves. "He wouldn't show concern about you if he didn't. After all, why would he go out of his way to do selfless things for you? Or be so worked up about you coming along with us to Tsukasa?"
"Hmm..." She looked towards her empty cup, a sad look on her face. "I know that with me, things are different...we've known each other for a long time." She remembered first meeting him, him asking her to be his science partner...and all the times they had denied being a couple. She gripped her cup a little while shedding a tear and it hit the cup. "But him matching what I feel? Nah...probably never gonna happen," She had a wistful look in her eyes and looked towards the moon. "He doesn't usually think emotionally. He's probably just ignoring everything that's happened between us. And yet...I still love him," She said breathlessly, shocking the three. "Kinda pathetic, huh? I'm in love with someone that I'll eventually tell my feelings to, but can't have it returned...because I know it's just not in him to feel the way I do...and I can't even bring myself to face that fact anymore the closer we are into this war..."
She felt like her heart was getting ripped out, stomped on, and then torn to pieces. A part of her...was dreading telling him once everything was sorted out. Because she wasn't ready for the heartbreak that she knew she'd receive in return. But keeping it in for so long wasn't an option either...yet she believed that no matter what his reaction was...that she'd still be in his life. Just not the way she longed for...back then, it wasn't really a bother to her because it was easier to hide. But now time was catching up...and it was scaring her.
"You're not pathetic," Chrome said softly and she looked up. He looked sympathetic since he knew how she felt given his crush on Ruri. "You just don't wanna lose what you have with him, and I don't blame you. If anything, it makes you as selfless as he can be. I'm sure one day you'll be able to express your feelings properly."
"Or chicken out," Magma grumbled to her. "Both of you oughta just sit down and get it over with."
"Remind me to never expect any sympathy out of a man who just wants the attention and not an actual relationship ever again," Sumi deadpanned at him and he flinched, grunting.
"Don't take it out on me just because you can't tell him!" He retorted back to the woman.
Gen patted the woman on the shoulder, ignoring Magma. "I'm sure that deep down...maybe he does feel the same," He gave her a small smile, the rest unaware of what was to come.
Sumi didn't respond and then put away her things. She grabbed her sleeping bag and laid down. "Come on. Let's get some sleep," She changed the subject. "If we wake up by dawn, we should be able to reach Tsukasa's Empire in a few hours time." The three didn't say anything else and started to put out the fire. Once they did, and went to sleep, Sumi opened her eyes as she couldn't drift off. She let out a sigh while thinking about Senku...
Who was currently standing in front of the phone, his eyes shaking as he was frozen. Because he had heard everything she just said... Gen gave an innocent look towards the phone. He pulled out the speaker and called Senku. Kohaku, Kinro, and Homura were all currently sleeping as well, so they didn't hear anything. Thankfully, Homura's ropes were tied tightly so that she couldn't escape if she could.
Senku let out a shaky breath, his hand on his face. It all makes so damn sense now...why she couldn't describe who her crush was to me. And she never went into too much detail, either...
"Ah ha ha, no thanks," Sumi sweated a little when a student suggested she used the love potion herself. "Even if I use it, it could never happen. He's...not really into the whole romance thing."
"Hey, Sumi," She looked up at him in confusion. "Maybe if we find your crush and revive him, you could profess your love too."
She blinked and then gave a weak smile, closing her eyes. "I appreciate that, Sen. But the thing is...it's not that simple for me. I'm borrowing your phrase, but it wouldn't be logical for me to do that. We have other things that require our focus," She had a fist in front of her heart. "I can wait as long as it takes before I think about a relationship. Just having him in my life...is all I'll need for the time being."
"Offer's still up for grabs, you know. To locate him and use the revival fluid on him."
"Sen, really, it's okay," She gave a small smile. "I don't think the guy would be safe if he figured out I like someone when he wants me in his world," She gave him a light shrug.
Sumi...how long have you kept that a secret? I know why you didn't tell me...because there was no way I would've figured it out. And now I have to be prepared for when it happens. But...what am I even gonna say...?
He didn't know if he should feel relieved that he heard her or worried since Tsukasa could easily figure it out if he did a little digging. And these feelings, even though they had been going on for a while now, still felt very new, especially now. But he knew...that he had fallen for Sumi by now. And that he would fully accept them now that he heard what she had to say. She didn't know she did, but it was still something he knew they'd have to tackle moving forward.
He gave a small chuckle to himself while looking up towards the moon. Once she was back, he'd act like nothing had happened so that he didn't tip her off. He would just let things happen until he was able to talk to her.
"Heh...you really are something else, aren't you, Sumi? All this has gotten me excited now," He murmured to himself, as he could picture her beaming smile in the moon. He really wanted to see it again as soon as she returned.
The four continued walking to the Tsukasa Empire, and finally reached it. The clouds were dark, however, since the sun wasn't up yet. "We made it," Chrome stated while looking up. "Finally, we're here!" He exclaimed in relief, alarming Gen. "The home base of the final boss, Tsukasa!"
"Don't yell like that, Chrome," The mentalist whispered in warning, holding a finger in front of his mouth. "Tsukasa has a guy with insanely good hearing in his army." Sumi turned to him in silence, blinking. So movements would be especially risky...
"Ack!" Chrome stepped back with wide eyes. "Sorry about that! And it'd suck to get caught after coming all this way," He continued to back away until he felt something on his head. He glanced back to see that it was just a hand belonging to one of the statues among many of them. He gasped in alarm and backed away as the others joined him. "That statue looks bad, guys! As a matter of fact, all of them look pretty scary to me."
"I didn't think he'd have this many...he must spend a ridiculous amount of time looking for them if this is how much he had," Sumi frowned with a hand on her hip, looking up. She couldn't help but wonder if he had more lying around. She wouldn't be surprised if he did.
"Something's written in blood on its face," Magma stated as every single statue had a crimson number.
"I think they're priority numbers that order when to revive them," Gen explained to the trio. "And I'm positive they weren't there last time I saw these. The lowest number is 33. Which means...since I've been gone, ol' Tsukasa has revived 32 people at the least. Awfully quick, huh? Seems he's in a hurry..."
"All thanks to the amount of revival fluid he has from the cave," Sumi stepped up to examine them. "If one jar is gathered in a few days time, it makes sense that he'd revive at least one person per month. He started at least a few months into the time that Senku and I came to the village. He could even have some hidden away somewhere if he wanted to preserve it first..."
"Even if we can convince some of his people to come over to our side, we may not be able to keep up with how fast he's making 'em..." Chrome said in a bit of worry.
"Yeah...that is a real oblem-pray," Gen murmured in agreement.
"I wouldn't worry about it right now," Sumi replied and they turned to her. "Reviving too many people wouldn't be the smartest move, and he knows that. Otherwise it'll be an absolute mess trying to sustain that many people depending on food supply."
"Huh?" Magma looked at them in confusion. "Why don't we just smash all these stupid things and be done with it now?" They all glanced back at him, Sumi having wide eyes. "Nah, that's way too much work," They silently watched him walk past. He held his axe over his shoulder, a gleeful smile on his face. "All we gotta do is break off their arms or legs as we find them! And they won't be able to fight."
Chrome and Gen were sweating as Sumi had blue lines over her eyes. "Wow!" Chrome jumped back a bit. "You're pretty damn brutal, Magma. You're kind of an ally now, so I forgot about that."
"Magma, are you insane?!" Sumi held her head in disbelief. "Senku and I said we'd revive every single last person. We can't just cut off their body parts and act like humanity will be back to normal after that."
"It's all about thinking how to beat that Tsukasa guy," Magma deadpanned towards her. "Look away if you're really that scared." She gritted her teeth while looking at him, her body shaking a little from this decision.
"I don't recall him being that big on showing ercy-may in the past..." Gen mumbled a bit nervously. "Although logically...he does make a valid point." Sumi gasped while turning to him in utter shock. "It's probably best to destroy them while we have the chance."
Sumi's eyes glistened while looking at him. Was this really the best choice for humanity right now...? If Senku were here, he'd be absolutely furious. All human lives, even the ones she didn't like...she couldn't think about just letting them have no limbs. Sure, they'd still be alive, but these were just people Tsukasa picked out for the war. They didn't do anything to them. But this was Gen she was talking to...and he always thought about what was best for himself.
Magma smirked and then lunged forward with his axe, laughing. Chrome looked on horrified while Gen was silent for a few moments, Sumi frozen in place. He then thought about his parents...and how Tsukasa wanted to bring back only strong people. But he just...couldn't really allow this, especially since that just wasn't how he was. Gen finally reacted by rushing over and stopping Magma, gripping the axe. Sumi threw her whip at Magma's wrist to pull the axe away, determined.
"Sorry..." Gen gave a sheepish smile and showed his weathered hand. "Let's slow down, though. These statues have done nothing wrong, you know? Maybe if we knew they were major villains or something..." His smile faltered as he looked towards the ground. "I talk like a strong pragmatist...but when I have to make a decision on whether someone's going to live or die...I'm actually quite weak," Sumi's eyes softened as she released her grip on Magma slowly. "It's true." Chrome turned away, a small frown on his face. Both of them could sense his hesitation and his sympathy...the mentalist then could remember Tsukasa destroying statues. "Tsukasa is an earsome-fay foe...because he doesn't have those reservations. That's why we have to stop him."
"I don't think that you're weak, Gen," Chrome spoke up and Gen looked at him in surprise. "We're taking the high road here, trying not to spill any blood. All we gotta do is convert people faster than Tsukasa can grow his army. The sun's rays started to appear in the clouds. "Let's keep going, cause we've got a mission. We've gotta set up this cell phone hot line as soon as we possibly can."
Gen gave a small chuckle while Sumi smiled, nodding in agreement. "Well said, Chrome. You almost sound like Senku," The brunet grinned widely from his compliment. She then took the lead, walking past them. "Come on, we can't stay here, or else someone might spot us. And Gen?" He blinked from being addressed as she glanced over her shoulder with a smile. "It's not a weakness. I think it's more of who you are as a person."
He gave her a small smile. "Aww, you really are my best friend, aren't you, Mire-chan?"
"And you lost me," She gave him a blank look, to his dismay.
"Dude, Magma," Chrome started off in disapproval as they walked. "You were about to destroy those statues without a second thought!"
"So?" Magma replied in a blunt tone. "Why do you care? It's not like you know them."
"Yeah, I'll say this, we're quite ucky-lay you're on our side, big guy," Gen murmured as Sumi turned around, holding out her hand.
"Give me that axe, I don't want you getting anymore ideas," She waved her hand forward and he grumbled, giving to her. "Just because they're all strangers to us doesn't give us any reason to hurt them. When I said every last person is getting revived, I meant it. Whole, not in body parts," She growled a bit, pointing to the ground.
"Hm. Always looking out for everyone, even those you don't know," Chrome commented and she gave a small smile to him. He was the last one to reach their destination, looking up in confusion. "Where are we...?"
There was a large wooden cross in front of them. "At a gravesite," Gen replied as they stared at it.
"Is it for Tsukasa's guys?" Magma tried to guess.
"No, sir," The mentalist answered him simply.
"So whose, then?" The blond wondered to him, and Gen turned around with a dark expression on his face.
"This grave is for Senku..." He revealed in a foreboding tone.
"You mean Senku's dead?!" Magma exclaimed with sweat on his face.
"No, that's not what he meant," Sumi gave him a sheepish look. Plus, even if he were to die again, she wouldn't be able to handle it...
"Come on, man, he's obviously still alive," Chrome turned to him with a deadpanned look. "This is just to keep up the illusion and throw off Tsukasa."
"This was part of the mission Sen and I gave our friends before we parted ways," Sumi grinned with a hand on her hip towards the grave.
Senku chuckled as he walked away with Sumi. Taiju and Yuzuriha were walking in the opposite direction. "We have them thinking I'm dead, so you'd better visit my grave regularly," He glanced back at them with a smile, Sumi having the same expression.
"Ha!" Kohaku laughed while Senku was explaining this to her and Kinro. The latter was holding onto Homura's rope as they headed back for the village. "Our communication spot is really at your grave, huh?"
He gave a chuckle, hands on his hips. "It's the perfect sacred ground. Considering Tsukasa's men have no interest in me or my grave."
"And if your friends go there often, they'll look like they're paying respects," Kinro guessed correctly, a small smile on his face.
"It is a place to go converse with the dead," Senku dragged a hand down his face, Sumi's confession still on his mind. "This is the birth of the ghost communicator."
Later that night, the cell phone team started setting up the phone. Chrome was setting the satellite and wire into the nearest tree. Sumi and Gen were working on putting the wires into the ground. Magma was carrying sticks over to them.
"What an illant-bray plan," He commented while digging to cover the wire. "Nothing odd about going to a gravesite to talk to the dead," He then raised his brows while looking over his shoulder. "But I will say...it's looking a little obvious, you know!" He looked to Magma covering the cross in tree branches.
"You're gonna draw too much attention with all of that stuff!" Chrome whispered with white eyes.
"Seriously, we're in the Tsukasa Empire, get rid of all those before someone notices we're trying to raise a zombie out of the ground!" Sumi hissed at him while sweat dropping.
After getting rid of the tree branches, they started burying the microphone and speaker into the ground. "We wanna bury it so that it's obvious to Taiju and Yuzuriha that it's here, but not to the point where other people can see it," She directed as Chrome dug until he found something hard.
"Dumb stone's in the way," He grumbled as Gen walked over. "Man, that's bad."
Magma raised his axe into the air and Sumi looked up, waving her hands rapidly. "Wait, don't-" He then smashed it to bits, knocking away the others. And the ringing sound was enough to alarm someone standing around, in a yellow outfit and white hair.
"You don't give a damn about anything, do you, Magma?!" Chrome scolded as they quickly and comically dug the ground.
"Just hurry up and bury it!" Gen exclaimed and they quickly covered their tracks. The four dashed over to hide behind a rock, peeking over it. Gen, Chrome, and Sumi were all sweating nervously, and no one was around as they waited in silence. The woman was between Gen and Chrome, Magma on the far right.
"Okay, it looks like we pulled it off, you guys," Chrome said in relief and Sumi sighed, pinching her nose.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," She spoke up quietly, getting his attention. "Just because I can't smell him doesn't mean we're not noticed. If this guy Gen told us about did hear us, it's only a matter of time before we're all screwed."
"You little wimps freak out way too much. I'm sure Sumi's wrong too," Magma mocked and Sumi gave him a glare.
"It's still too early to say...didn't I tell you?" He gave the other two annoyed looks. "There's a guy with azy-cray hearing!" Sumi suddenly flinched as she had a feeling something was coming their way. She looked up and saw a glint heading towards Gen and Chrome.
"Gen, Chrome, get down!" She hissed and pushed them down just as an arrow came in. It struck her in her left arm. Magma looked at her in shock as she let out a quiet yelp, landing between the two over them. Chrome and Gen looked back, seeing her injury. The arrow was lodged in her arm, but wasn't sticking out of the other side, blood coming from her sleeve.
"Sumi!" Chrome whispered in worry. Gen and Chrome immediately helped her up, the latter putting his hand over his mouth as they rushed her over to somewhere safer. Magma followed close behind them. A few seconds later, the person who had heard them landed on top of the large boulder. He stood still, listening attentively for the four. He then turned to the left, running with his arrow in his bow.
I know I definitely heard something right around here. He continued running around the rocks, though his eyes were a bit horrified since he had heard a yelp. And that yelp meant that something did happen when he fired it.
The next morning, the members of the Kingdom of Science were in the observatory. Senku had already set up the mobile phone there. "Tsukasa's guys...if one of them finds the cell phone first, it's all over," Suika spoke up in concern. Senku gave a chuckle as he wasn't concerned, yet.
"That's why the mentalist and Sumi are there. They'll know the best way to cover it up. And I'm not worried at all about my friends. They're a tag team of diligence and guts. No matter how well it's hidden...those two will find it."
Two people stepped up to the grave, an arm digging into the dirt. It then pulled out the yellow speaker. Soon after, the phone rang in the observatory. Suika gasped in alarm while Kohaku looked at it with wide eyes.
"It's ringing!"
"Hang on! What if it's one of Tsukasa's people?" Kohaku questioned, but Senku picked up the speaker anyway without protest. He held it up to his mouth and pressed the button. It was silence for a few seconds before he finally spoke.
"Yo."
The other person on the line quivered his lips, his teeth shaking. Tears then fell from his face, and he couldn't stop as he covered his eyes with his arm. The person was revealed to be Taiju, with Yuzuriha standing next to him crying.
"SENKUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" He cried out happily and once Senku heard their sobbing, his mouth stretched into a grin. He chuckled and looked up with tears welling in his eyes.
"I missed you guys so much, I could almost start crying..." He admitted, though with his voice normal. "Even your ridiculously loud voice, you big oaf..."
The Kingdom of Science flag then flew as they sunk in their reunion...
(The exit you can't see)
Two gorillas in a white outline were walking on rock. Trees grew behind them as they started walking upright.
(The voice that won't reach)
The trees disappeared and then the gorillas turned into a man and woman, with huts being built behind them.
(I don't even know who I am)
The man and woman then turned into modern ones, while the environment turned into the modern world.
(Keep struggling but)
They passed by a streetlight to turn into a younger Senku and Sumi, wearing their backpacks. Science items started flying past them. Sumi was skipping a little bit in front of Senku.
(I still use my passion to push myself)
A car passed by, and they turned into their teenage selves, wearing lab coats.
(Even if the story'll never change)
Sumi was no longer skipping, instead just regularly walking. Her hands were behind her back.
(That has been decided)
The science items disappeared around them.
(Even if I know I am under powered against the enemy)
The petrification occurred, stopping them in place.
(Let me hear, a voice that is as loud as possible)
The world behind them started to crumble into pieces.
(Reach my arm out and grab it, come on)
Then trees were regrown next to them.
(I'll change the future)
The stone cracked on their faces before the two were de-petrified, Senku's right eye on the left while the other face of his face made up Sumi's left eye of her own.
(Live, live, by wandering and struggling)
The two were now in their stone clothing walking side by side. She was on Senku's left side.
(To the unseen place ahead)
The two then planted one foot forward each, stomping on them.
(If you need me)
The duo started running off together.
(I'll keep going forever)
Senku's gear and winter clothing appeared after a blue glow washed over them. The same light passed over Sumi as well, and her winter clothing appeared.
(Over and over)
The two kept running together, Sumi's hood over her head.
(We'll keep going to seek an answer)
Senku smirked up ahead as Sumi jumped up from behind, her arms behind her head as her hood flew off. She had a small smile on her face as color was returned to the both of them at the same time.
(Even further)
Past all of the snowy trees, the snow immediately disappearing, was their destination: the Tsukasa Empire. Then the Kingdom of Science flag was raised in front of it.
Angel: To those who might've picked up on this, I know that it was said Prince Gocco first, and then Print Gocco, but I went with the latter for both times because I think that's what he meant to say. I did look this up before I even wrote it just to make sure I didn't misspell or mishear.