Ginro let out a happy scream from the steam engine. "Yay! Now all of us can go and rescue our friends!" Suika cheered happily, her arms in the air.
"It's like we built a living creature..." Kohaku murmured in awe and then smiled. "It's incredible!"
Steam engine acquired!
The villagers thought it was fascinating, and they all stared in bewilderment at the machine moving straight at a high speed. The engine then moved right past some of them as they murmured. "That thing will run you over! Get out of the way!" Senku shouted out in warning.
"Eriously-say!" Gen called out next. "Stay clear of it or else you're gonna get hurt!" They all listened, Ginro yelping as he nearly got hit. Kinro gasped up ahead as Magma was at a good distance away from the steam engine.
"Ha ha ha!" He laughed confidently while staring it down. "Gonna get hurt, my ass! All this thing does is run. Which is exactly why it's gonna be no match for my number one power!"
"Huh?! Are you crazy?!" Ginro shrieked with his eyes white.
"Ha," Kohaku smiled a bit, as she was honestly getting interested. "Wow! Looks like Magma and the iron steam engine creature are gonna fight it out right in front of us! This will be interesting."
Magma smirked as he readied his hands. Magma vs Steam! As soon as it approached, he held out both hands and stopped it from moving, to their shock. "You don't frighten me," He growled, through he was struggling. He then let out a battle cry as he was determined to win. However...he ultimately lost, and he screamed as he was sent flying backwards into the sky.
"MAGMA!" Kinro, Ginro, and Kohaku screamed in worry, and then he was left with a few head bumps, laying on the ground. Steam was coming from his head.
"That was really dumb, dude," Senku scolded with his hands on his hips, a deadpan expression on his face. "Even muscles as big as yours won't stop a steam engine." Though, if Sumi were here, she might've laughed...he sighed to himself while closing his eyes. He really hoped she'd come back unscathed...usually he was telling her not to stress, and here he was doing the same...
"It truly is like a living creature," Ruri commented in fascination next to Kinro.
"Indeed. One with incredible strength," Kinro agreed with her.
"The thing's like a big gorilla!" Suika stated while looking at it.
"Yeah, wild! Even more than Kohaku," Ginro commented, and then Kohaku innocently appeared behind him. The blond yelped as a few blows were struck onto him, and he had a very swollen head now. "Man, that hurt..." He said miserably while holding his head in pain. "Chrome usually takes these beatings, right? I wish he was back home now..."
"Anyway, this means that we can all go on the rescue mission," Kohaku smiled while her fist was still large.
"Sure does," Senku confirmed to her. "Once the engine's finished, the rest of the car will be pretty easy to build. It's our science-powered monster: the Steam Gorilla!" The wind blew in his bangs, looking towards the village with a small smile on his face. "Alright. Ishigami Village has been great to me and Sumi...but I gotta say goodbye."
Kokuyo looked towards the ground, Ruri looking up ahead sadly. Kohaku felt the same, as Senku had been here for almost a year now. He had made lots of memories here...and now they were going off to the Tsukasa Empire to end the war. "Listen, Senku-"
Senku then looked over his shoulder with a smug expression. "We don't have the time to be getting sentimental and crap! That's more Sumi's thing than mine. Because we got a job to do!" Kohaku then gave a sweat drop at the back of her head. "Let's throw every last piece of science gear on board. We're taking our army to the Tsukasa Empire. Get excited, you guys!" He gave his trademark smirk towards the villagers.
"Let go of me, ya hear?!" Chrome protested while getting tossed into his cell, yelping as he landed roughly onto the ground. "That hurt, you bastards!" Chrome clenched a fist as the door was closed in front of him.
"Chrome!" Sumi held out a hand, frowning. Tsukasa placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I assure you, he'll be safe. But...it has to be this way. And just like you, we took all his things," He said calmly, and she had her lips pressed together. She glanced back at him with a small glare. Given his height, he was certainly just as intimidating as he was the last time they saw each other. Tsukasa looked away from her and then his eyes scanned the necklace Senku gave her for Christmas the first year they met. She hated the way his eyes bore into it and she covered it up protectively. She already almost lost it once, she wasn't going to let him take it.
"I've never asked, but...Senku made that for you...didn't he?" He sounded strained while trying to compliment her.
"Mmm..." She didn't say anything back, clutching it tight. He already cut her face, so breaking it wouldn't be any different.
"It's just a simple question," He gave her a small sigh. "You have my word that nothing will happen to either of you."
She looked away towards Chrome as his eyes were searching for something. She had no idea if his feelings had changed at all, or if they remained the same. She felt like she hadn't properly gotten down to it, and even she did, would it still be safe for either of them? She gulped as the seriousness of the situation was just hitting her. She...she didn't know if she would even leave, or if Magma got back safely...or what would happen to her and Chrome.
Chrome then gripped the bars, breaking the silence as they stared up ahead. "Hey...do you think this wimpy bamboo cage is enough? It's gonna take more than this to hold me!"
"I'll show you to your room," Tsukasa walked away from the cage, Sumi blinking at him in disbelief. She glanced back at Chrome in worry as she had no choice but to follow him. Chrome frowned deeply, hoping that she wouldn't have to be around him too much...
"Tsukasa," Hyoga approached him outside. "Is there a reason we're keeping them out in the open?" He didn't get a response and he gasped a bit, looking out towards the ground in front of them. All they could hear was the wind. The frost from the trees started to melt, the same thing occurring with the ground.
Tsukasa silently approached the cave Sumi was staying in. He stopped at the edge, peeking in to see her sitting on the make-shift sleeping bag she had. He gasped at the sight and Sumi hadn't noticed him. She was combing through her hair, as it looked so long that it pooled onto the sleeping bag, like black and red ink. It was something out of a painting...
"Sumire..." He murmured and she flinched, glancing back at him. "I'm sorry. It's just...I wanted to continue our little chat."
She turned away, picking up her pink ribbon and tying it. "About what?" She replied finally after about a minute of silence.
"Sumi..." She gritted her teeth from hearing his nickname from his mouth. "I didn't mean to make you change your opinion of me over the past year. It's just that I can't see this world go into despair if we don't have the right people. That's why Senku cannot live on this world."
"...Is that so? Is that why you tried to kill him in front of me? So that I'm some prize to you?" She asked while dropping her hand. He looked up to see her gripping the sleeping bag, and it was dead silence again. "Senku is very important to me, Tsukasa. And yet you're still willing to do that whether or not you make me watch it," She growled out a bit. Trying to be rational was proving to be more difficult by the second, especially alone.
"Well, when you put it like that, you make me seem like the enemy. I just...need you to make it all complete," He confessed while looking away. He could tell by her tone that Senku was someone she cherished...a lot. But it was like...something pulled him towards her every time she was near. Something he knew he could hold onto. Ukyo was walking up to her cave from the right side as he wanted to speak with her.
"Tsukasa...look," She stood up while facing him. Ukyo flinched and came to a stop. He pressed his back against the wall, peering to the side. "I've been angry at people who abuse their greed too. And I've experienced loss before as well," She spoke up softly while staring at him. "Like seeing my grandmother die when I was a child, my mom disappearing, and my dad just using me as a punching bag." He let out a light gasp to hear that she was abused, as he never knew that...and he couldn't picture it, yet it was the truth. "Or having to see Senku's limp body in front of me."
"...I understand," He took a deep breath. "You've been through a lot."
"...Do you?" She responded back thinly while trying to keep her emotions in. He could do anything he could if she managed to piss him off enough. He only acted irrationally when she was around, after all. "Even with all that I've lived through...I still never actually killed innocent people just because of an animosity towards them...when I didn't have one," She finished off in a small hiss and clamped her mouth shut while clenching a fist. A shadow was over her eyes as she remembered all of the statues he was breaking for the sake of his new world. And broke Senku's neck in front of her. After all that time...she finally actually understood why Senku was so guarded over her own incident of the man in front of her having sliced her face. How much guilt she felt he had, because him dying...was something she could've prevented if she had attacked like she wanted to. She could've begged Tsukasa to not listen to Senku and just take her to leave. Even if it meant losing her science partner...his previous death was something she played a part in, whether Senku acknowledged it or not.
"I know my methods aren't Senku's, but if you would allow me to show you how we can be together-"
"I think you've said and done enough," She breathed out with an edge to her voice and it was more tense than ever before between the two. Tsukasa had his lips into a thin line as she hoped she got her point across like she wanted...at the cost of Chrome's imprisonment. She also hoped that the others would understand why she wanted to get to this point...so Tsukasa could fully grasp the fact that she wanted nothing to do with his new empire. "And please...don't call me Sumi ever again..."
"I see..." Tsukasa spoke up quietly after what felt like a millennia. "I'll respect your decision, then. And I'll be waiting for you if you ever change your mind," He finally turned around and left, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Ukyo glanced from behind a wall as he watched Tsukasa leave the cave. He then stepped in himself and she didn't have to look up to know it was him.
"It took everything I had in me not to kill him then and there," She murmured out while her hand was shaking, in front of her mouth.
"Are you gonna be okay?" He reached out a hand and she waved it off.
"I'll be fine. I don't have time to stress over him. We have more important things to handle around here," She walked past him and he stared after her, wondering if things would really be okay now that she was here...
The kids from the village all laughed while the adults were getting the snow off of the huts. Soon, all the snow was gone and replaced with beautiful flowers roaming the fields. Something shook by the river, and it was the Steam Gorilla. Gen was yelling as the road was both rocky and uneven. He was trembling throughout the entire ride. "It's still shaking and rattling! It's gonna collapse! It'll all pull apart before we even get there!" He cried out and then slowly came to a stop. "So ad-bay!" Senku approached the mentalist, who was still shaken. "Why...why me? Why do I have to be the test driver, anyway?"
"Because you're the only one with a driver's license!" Senku replied with his pinky in his ear.
"Why would that matter in this world?!" Gen shouted in disbelief with wide eyes.
"Still gotta respect those traffic laws," Senku stated in a nonchalant way.
"You're that much of a stickler for rules...?" The mentalist couldn't help but wonder.
"Not even for a millisecond," Senku answered to him cheerfully, chuckling to himself. It was more so the fact that Gen always kept teasing him and Sumi, so it was time for some much-needed payback. Plus, he did inadvertently seal his fate for secretly letting him know Sumi's feelings when he knew that she would've wanted to tell him to his face.
"Which is it?!" Gen exclaimed in confusion and then gave a nervous smile towards the engine. "Regardless of that, these wooden wheels aren't gonna ork-way. We won't be driving on paved roads, so do we have tires or what?"
They returned to the village, and his question was answered as Kohaku was shredding bamboo into thin lines, Kinro helping her out. Suika and the other kids were using it to make hexagonal plaits. "Don't worry!" She smiled up at Gen. "Us kids are working super hard! We're weaving bamboo!" He looked around as all of the kids were weaving and he raised a brow in confusion.
"Bamboo...?" He then looked to Kaseki, who was weaving a large wheel with the plaits the kids were making. "That's a tire?" He asked in a bit of shock while looking at it.
"Yeah, like the airless tires developed by NASA for planetary exploration," Senku explained to him. "Ours are made from woven bamboo."
"A great idea..." Gen deadpanned towards him. "But you know, I've never heard of that before! I wasn't a big science fanboy like you, Senku..."
"It's finished, you guys!" Kaseki shouted while standing up, and they now had a car. "Whoo-hoo! Check it out! The Steam Gorilla is ready to go!" He raised his arms up in the air.
Automobile acquired!
The other men were excited as well as they admired the car. They had looks of awe, Ganen having steam from his nostrils. "I don't understand it at all...but it's so cool!" Ginro commented with a slight blush on his face.
"Yeah, I'm confused too," Kinro remarked while lifting up his glasses. "But it's awesome!"
"I'm sure it's incredible," Kohaku started off while looking at them, her arms crossed. Suika and Ruri were next to her. "And I'm really impressed by it, of course. But why are the guys freaking out over it?"
"That's how it is," Gen commented behind her. "We guys just love our mechs," He gave a small amused smile. Past him, Kaseki didn't look as excited as he was before. Suika then noticed his eyes glistening, concerned.
"For some reason, Old Man Kaseki looks really sad all of a sudden," Suika pointed out to them and they all turned to the craftsman curiously. He turned to them before looking towards the ground.
"We need to hurry up and get Chrome and Sumi out of there as soon as we can," He said in a grim tone. "They've got them locked up and I just feel so sorry for them!" He lamented and Kohaku gave a small frown.
"Tsukasa does need them as hostages...but who knows how they're treating them...?" She agreed with the craftsman.
"No, no, I'm not talking about that!" Kaseki corrected, confusing her. Suddenly his mood was a 180 change as he rubbed shoulders with Senku. The green-haired scientist had the exact same expression. "Building this incredible creation was one of the coolest things we've ever done! But since the two got themselves captured, they had to miss out on the whole experience entirely!"
"I bet all of America would be crying for 'em right about now," Senku added while the others had deadpan looks. "So we gotta get over there pronto and flex our Steam Gorilla right in their faces!"
"And so humble about it...I'm not surprised you're not mulling over Sumi's capture right now," Gen commented, his hands in his sleeves. "Haven't you two known each other for 3,700 plus years? At least show a little emotion!"
"I'm not worried," Senku stated confidently, hands on his hips. They all gave him accusing looks as they knew he was lying, given he wanted to speed things up. "Sumi can handle them just fine. Chrome...ah, we'll see."
Chrome then let out a sneeze, bringing back up his snot. He rubbed his nose in confusion as he felt like somewhere, people were making fun of him.
"The science team sure is a kind-hearted bunch, huh?" Gen remarked at their behavior.
"I guess that's how friends behave sometimes," Ruri commented with a small smile. "Even those who have known each other for so long." Senku then turned away and she blinked as he took a few minutes to himself...
They were this close to her now. Although he was trying to hide it...reality was still hitting him. Both about Sumi's feelings for him now known to him and her still being with Tsukasa. It had been 1,003 days ever since he and Sumi had reunited since petrification. There were things he had adjusted to, like the world and having Sumi around again. What he hadn't been adjusted to was still knowing how she felt, and that she was most likely unaware that she did so over the phone. But now, with the Steam Gorilla, they were going to arrive at the Tsukasa Empire in just hours. He sighed to himself, wondering if Sumi was unharmed, aside from the arrow incident. Would she be successful in her closure? Or would she fail and might make things worse between her and Tsukasa? If it was the latter...he had no clue what to anticipate from the whole thing. Especially since the last interaction between the two had...ended horribly.
"Senku...are you okay?" Kohaku asked slowly as they stared.
"Yeah..." He reached out with his wrist to wipe his forehead. "Yeah, I'm okay," He hated the feeling that Sumi could be in danger. Her connection with him was one of the major reasons he stuck to science so much...because he feared without it, she wouldn't be in his life. He then gave a small gulp, turning to the others. "Let's get to setting off."
Sumi led Ukyo to the high point of where they had set up the LED light; it was risky to meet up here since Tsukasa could be looking for them. But given their last conversation, he probably wanted to give her space right now. And just like the Kingdom of Science, she was already out of her winter clothes. Thankfully they were layered over her regular clothing or else Tsukasa might've gotten her fur.
"...It's better if we talk without the others around," Ukyo spoke up almost nicely. "I know some stuff about Tsukasa and Hyoga...and I don't like it. I know that you considered it a risk for us to team up, but...I don't want anyone to get hurt. Including you."
"If you ask me, you're not exactly on the right side to claim something like that," She stated and he paused, crossing his arms.
"Well...I didn't really have a choice. I could tell you didn't either when you two first met. He told us all about it...that you'd be lion chow if you hadn't revived him. I woke up to hell...but I had to survive. If you can show me that you and Senku are different...I might change my mind."
She turned around to him, sighing. "You're right about my choice...but Senku and I would never hurt anyone. Even when we discussed the option of killing Tsukasa...I couldn't go through with it. And even though he makes my skin crawl...I can't bring myself to take his life. I guess Sen would call me pretty stubborn when you think about it," She let out a sniff while giving a small smile as she wished she could see him right now... "But Hyoga...he's too dangerous already, he and Tsukasa...they're just like us, but...more malicious."
"...I should tell you...when Hyoga attacked your village...he's already killed people," Ukyo closed his eyes.
"What?" Sumi looked up in shock.
"...I wasn't there, but...Hyoga said the men he had with him and Homura were lost...there was some dangerous gas? It was coming from the ground, but I know he tested it on them...to see if it could end their lives. I don't really know the whole story, but...it didn't sound good."
Sumi was quiet as she looked away. There was tension between the two as he couldn't see her expression. She didn't turn her head back, but her eyes did flash a little. And he could tell for just a second, it was like she wanted to hunt down Hyoga, and it was relieving that she didn't scream or yell anything. As soon as that flash appeared, her kindness reappeared just as soon. She rubbed her eyes, letting out a deep breath.
"Are you okay? Should...I not have said anything?" Ukyo asked quietly and she waved a hand.
"I'm fine, it's just...I'm honestly not surprised. He probably didn't even tell Tsukasa the whole story either," She placed her hands on her hips with a deep sigh. "God damn it," She gritted her teeth in anger at herself for not noticing it sooner.
"...Oh. I see. Well...look, I'm serious about this alliance with you, and...when you went to save Chrome, I believed you. And...well, you don't seem like the type of person to lie," He spoke up in determination.
"So Sen tells me," She gave a small smile.
"The way you and Tsukasa interact, I can tell that your intentions are noble, even if he doesn't like them. So...I hope you can trust me, and believe that I do want to help you."
"...Okay," She nodded and took in a deep breath. "I won't tell Chrome, though. He's already suspicious enough already. Your arrow probably made him a bit more cautious if he could tell I'm working with you."
"Heh. Can't say I blame him..." He nodded in agreement with her. "Alright. But we should be heading back, and return tonight like last time. I just wanna warn you, though...make sure you're not alone with Hyoga. You should stick to me or...even Tsukasa. I'm sure you understand."
"Yeah, that fight with him on the bridge was already enough of a clue for me to stay away," Sumi sighed a bit, pinching her nose. If she ended up alone with the man she fought against, he could harm her or try to kill her...she could tell he wasn't so happy that Tsukasa was allowing her to walk free like it was nothing.
"Shall we make it official?" Ukyo held out a hand and she stared at it. She couldn't believe that they were working together still...but she felt like she could trust him. Even if it was a bit misguided to her still. She took his hand and they did a firm handshake. Ukyo gave a small hum and turned around. "Let's go before people notice we're gone." The two then walked away from the rock.
People began loading the Steam Gorilla with as much as possible so they could leave. "We're ready to move out when you are!" Kokuyo announced with a smirk. "Let's start this rescue mission and go get our friends!"
"Yeah," Senku agreed with a small smile, hands on his hips. "Time to get going," He then looked to the group of elders. "Load up the science gear and all the old farts who can't walk that far." Natri and Alumi glanced to each other, nodding silently. Senku and Kohaku turned to them in confusion. Natri then walked up to the scientist, hands behind his back.
"...Hey Senku," He started off slowly. "We think that it would be best if we stayed behind." Senku gasped at him in shock. "The elder folks have all talked it over. You younguns could bring the science gear yourselves. It would just take a couple more trips. So why did you build this so-called automobile contraption?" Senku blinked in silence, speechless. "Because us old folks would slow you down or stop you from getting there. And because you want as many people possible to rescue someone who's very dear to you. We've got you completely figured out. Right, Senku?"
He then turned away. "Nah, that's not it. Honestly...I mostly built it because I love using science to create things." He said nothing about Sumi, however, biting his lip as his eyes glistened a little. Senku moved his hands away to show Sumi his lab and she explored it happily. He watched her read a science book and then quizzed her. Her cheek fell onto his shoulder when they were distilling the wine together at night. He wrapped a blanket around them and fell asleep as well. The two then shared a high five after promising their lives to each other. She turned around after winning her match in the Grand Bout, a beaming smile on her face. She then ate some cotton candy and gave a delighted look, sharing some with him. Senku flinched when she kissed his cheek at Christmas time and she gave a happy smile. Sumi ran up and hugged him in the midst of the snow, and he didn't respond. She then ran off, her bag over her shoulder.
Kohaku stared at Senku, as she knew he was thinking about Sumi again...even when he was building the car, her safety always came first. Even if he didn't actively say it. And if she ended up being hurt...he wouldn't know what he'd do.
"We'll stay behind. We belong in Ishigami Village," Alumni gave them all a small smile. "We really don't want to be a burden to you. Much less get in the way of the battle."
"And without us taking up room, you could bring more science tools," Natri pointed out, holding up a finger.
"Don't stay!" Ruri pleaded in worry for her fellow villagers. "That's too dangerous!"
"She's right," Kohaku agreed with her. "And what if the enemy sends reinforcements this way?" They had already sent over an army when they least expected it, so doing the same tactic again wouldn't be out of the ordinary.
"You won't stand a chance against them," Kinro frowned deeply at the group.
"We have to go together," Kokuyo insisted while Senku stated silent.
"Please don't stay behind!" Suika added, and despite all of this, Alumni gave a soft smile.
"Mm. You're all so sweet. But we're not worried about that. The Tsukasa Empire is the least of our concerns," She spoke up, and the others nodded in agreement. Senku finally turned back as Natri stepped forward, keeping his eyes on the green-haired scientist.
"You wanna know why?" He then looked up optimistically. "Because we have faith. You'll beat the Tsukasa Empire with Sumire right before they get a chance to come here. Isn't that right?"
This was more than enough to assure them, that the elders had complete trust in them. Kohaku turned around in determination. "Yeah, of course we will!" The group then set off with Gen driving the Steam Gorilla. We'll fight together...and when we come back home... The kids and elders waved to their friends, Suika doing the same. Kohaku then held up the Kingdom of Science flag in the sky. We'll have the Kingdom of Science flag raised high in victory! A bird flew past them, in the direction of their destination.
As their journey continued, Ginro was admiring the Steam Gorilla from behind. "He's lucky..." His eyes shined towards Gen. "I wish I could drive too. It's cool..." Kaseki and Senku were walking behind him.
"Whoo-hoo! I'm so impressed by our Steam Gorilla!" Kaseki cheered while gushing over the vehicle. "It's holding up!"
"That's because we're on level ground," Senku stated with a small smirk. Gen glanced over his shoulder.
"Although it's a bit of a roundabout way, I'll confess...I've made this trip a couple of times, so I know how to avoid any steep inclines," He explained, looking back up ahead to the landscape in the distance. "Till now. We can't skip all of them...yeah..."
And soon enough, the Steam Gorilla got caught in a slope. Magma, Kinro, and Kohaku were all grunting while everyone had to push the car. Gen was still at the steering wheel. "Dumb thing can't go up hills?!" Magma exclaimed in disbelief.
"We'll have to...push it together!" Kohaku wheezed out a bit.
"The wobbler engine's good, but still...it does need some momentum to keep it turning!" Kaseki pointed out, pushing behind Senku. He had sweat dripping down his face.
"Yeah, it would've had a whole lot more power if we built a double cylinder engine. Trying to save time backfired on us," He then suddenly stopped as his eyes widened. More power...?
Finally, everyone managed to push it over a large rock, and they continued pushing the car up the hill. "Alright, there's even more of a climb up ahead," Kohaku walked right past Senku, who had stopped moving. She gasped and stopped pushing, turning around to him. The others did the same and a few seconds passed. "Hey...what's up, Senku?"
Senku looked up with blazing red eyes. He let out a scream as he had a menacing smile, imaginary flames behind him and a breeze blew. "That's his seriously evil grin, you guys!" Kohaku exclaimed in alarm. "Sumi warned me about this once!"
"That face tells me he's definitely up to something!" Suika exclaimed knowingly, Kinro and Magma sweating nervously at him.
They reached a cliff, and Gen parked the Steam Gorilla behind a large rock. Everyone gathered to start unloading. "We'll set up behind this ridge," He was standing at the top to help guide everyone. "The natural protection is perfect for our field camp."
Senku was struggling to carry a clay pot. "Production will be down at the bottom! We'll try to hide the smoke and stuff behind the trees!" He called out in exhaustion.
Kohaku was on top of the cliff, laying on her stomach. They had brought over the telescope from the observatory so she could get a better view. She kept her eyes towards the Tsukasa Empire. First, we need to figure out where they're holding Sumi and Chrome. Not much we can do until then. But where do I start looking? She gasped in shock as she saw a familiar green head heading towards the Tsukasa Empire. "Suika?!" She exclaimed at the girl, as she didn't even know that Suika left.
Now's the perfect time for Great Detective Suika to make herself useful! Sumi's put a lot of trust in me, so now I have to live up to that and not disappoint her!
She looked to several men at the dome on the grass. Then she was watching men eat meat from a rock, and she drooled from the sight of it. It was making her admittedly hungry. A guard turned to the side from the miracle cave, and both of them were confused. Suika was hiding behind a tree as a melon head. She rolled into the forest, coming to a dejected stop in front of a tree. No luck...there's not a sign of them anywhere!
Sumi was hiding behind the left side of the rock Chrome was in. She glanced to all of the guards, Ukyo standing next to her. "Ah, they have the place completely guarded. If I just approach them, they might chase me off," She muttered to her ally.
"Maybe there's another way to check on him without having to get past them," He suggested and she turned around to him.
"If I had any of my equipment, I could, but unfortunately I can't get to it. And someone will notice if we start stealing it too often. We might have to stick to the nightly conversations with him until we think of something..." She rubbed her chin in thought. "We can't break him out with this much security both inside and outside. We'll need to find a way to get him out from inside the cell..." She then sighed while looking away. "But also I'm looking for something."
"Looking for what?" He asked as she inspected the area, cursing to herself.
"I'll explain when we're alone, but if I'm right...then we need a strategy fast. Another option would be to somehow have my friends figure out where he is so they can help us out," She bit her lip, hands on her hips as she straightened up in thought.
"Are they even here?" Ukyo blinked at her and she smiled, turning back to him.
"I know they are. No way would they leave Chrome here on his own, just like me. Which means that if they wanna seek us out..." She glanced around from behind the rock and flinched at what she saw. Her lips then curled into a satisfied smile. "They'll have one of our best on the lookout." She pointed to Suika in the distance.
Chrome watched the guards digging and then gasped while seeing Suika as well. He then grinned as he knew that she needed his exact location. "And in 3, 2, 1," Sumi pointed to where Chrome was as if on cue.
"THIS IS BAD!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, scaring Suika. "THIS IS SO BORING! I'M ALL COOPED UP IN THIS STUPID LITTLE CAVE WITH THE BAMBOO GRID OVER THE ENTRANCE!"
Ukyo gasped in shock for Sumi's timing and she smiled. "Thanks, Chrome! Exactly as I needed."
Suika let out a sound of relief while the guards were looking towards Chrome. "Why the hell did he just start screaming like that?" One of them asked in utter confusion.
That was Chrome! He's still alive and well! But where's Sumi? Suika looked around for her and Sumi moved Ukyo to be behind her. The little girl gasped to see the black-haired woman waving to her with a wink. She's okay too!
Chrome and Sumi both smiled towards her in unison, knowing that she heard him. "And now I have confirmation that they are here. We'll still strategize with Chrome tonight as planned. I've got a feeling I know what those guards are doing over there..." She glanced over to the pits they were starting to create.
"Hm? But shouldn't we wait for your friends to break him out?" Ukyo asked and she walked past him.
"Not that I don't have faith in them, but I have no way to contact them. The LED light would only work one way, and they probably wouldn't see it if everyone else would be asleep," She explained to him and he followed her. And with Ukyo's suggestion to stay close to him, she couldn't reach the cell phone anyway. Not that she wanted to possibly run into Taiju and Yuzuriha, and give away their positions. "No...what's more concerning is what they're doing in front of Chrome. So we have to do something about it before it's too late."
Suika had safely returned to the others and told them what she saw. "Hoo hoo! You put yourself in serious danger, you know," Kaseki scolded her a little.
"Very well done, Suika," Kokuyo commented to the little girl.
"They had so many guards around, though..." She explained in a bit of worry. "And I saw Sumi, but she's not in a prison, she's walking around. I think she still had her injury from her arrow, but she didn't seem hurt to me. If she was, she would've found a way to tell me!"
Senku was relieved to hear that they were still alive, but that last fact was suspicious to him. The idea that Tsukasa was letting Sumi roam around without any supervision unlike Taiju and Yuzuriha...was a red flag to say the least. He knew that she was ten billion percent not intimidated by Tsukasa's men at all, and she was capable of getting out on her own. Though he knew that Tsukasa had to have known that she would never do that if it meant leaving Chrome behind. Yet she wasn't imprisoned at all? Why, was Tsukasa planning something else?
He then gulped, sweating a little. Stressing about it still wasn't going to help matters. At the end of the day...Tsukasa's feelings about Sumi wasn't his business unless Tsukasa himself was going to make it a problem. The safety of his friends was more important, and they had to get the two out before it got worse. Gen was staring at him knowingly, but decided not to say anything.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Magma laughed confidently, punching the air. "That just means we'll have to charge straight in there and murder every last one of 'em!"
"You gotta be kidding," Ginro looked to him in disbelief.
Senku let out his regular chuckle, and the two looked towards him in confusion. "I'm not so keen about murdering them...but the part about charging in might not be a bad idea." Ever since Sumi refused to kill Tsukasa, he had followed her mindset.
"Say what?! Do you really think so?" Ginro asked him nervously. "Because...I don't wanna be the one doing it myself! It just sounds crazy!"
"We're gonna bust down that bamboo prison with brute force," Senku smirked with his arms crossed. "I mean, we've got an amazing mech on our side, right? Our science-powered monster, the Steam Gorilla!" He looked towards their car. "All it needs is an insane upgrade, and we'll have a real tank on our hands!"
Everyone else gasped in awe, except for Kaseki. He let out a wail while hugging one of the bamboo wheels. "We're really gonna modify my adorable little Steam Gorilla! After all of the hard work and care we put into it...!"
Adorable? Gen thought in disbelief as he, Kohaku, Suika, Kinro, and Ginro definitely didn't feel the sentiment.
Don't think that's the right word Kohaku thought with her arms crossed.
It isn't adorable Kinro had a blank look on his face.
I wouldn't call it that Ginro commented to himself.
It's like the opposite... Suika thought as Senku stepped up.
"No, we're giving it a power-up," He explained with a hand on his hip.
Immediately the tears stopped and Kaseki looked up in glee. "Oh, seriously?" He then ripped off his top, landing in front of Senku excitedly. "Then let's upgrade it! Right now! Come on!" The others had deadpanned expressions looking at him. It was almost like he was Sumi, and it was a bit scary...
"Okay, Senku," Kohaku turned to the Steam Gorilla. "How exactly are we giving it an upgrade?"
"Easy. We're gonna give it a ridiculous amount of armor. Turn it into a tank that we can ram straight through the army," He told the group.
"Oh, so cover it with iron?" Kohaku guessed curiously.
"That would make it too heavy to move one millimeter," Senku explained to her. "To use it as a ram, we'll need speed."
"Of course, yeah," Gen commented, though he was still a bit nervous to say the least. "So then what will we covered it with instead?"
Senku's hair curled into paper-like strands as he had a calm look on his face. "Paper," He answered the mentalist.
"Pa-per?" Kohaku tilted her head in confusion, not understanding it at all. On the other hand, Ruri already knew about it thanks to the 100 tales.
"Pa-prayer?" Ginro was just as confused. "Oh wait! I remember now. That was the same thing that was used for Sumi's mom, wasn't it?"
"I get it, Senku. A paper tank, huh? That would certainly be nice and light," Gen's eyes then bulged as it finally hit him what the scientist said. "WHAAAAAAT?!" Ruri, Ginro, and Suika all shouted in alarm from his reaction.
Shovel, Suika, and another kid all gathered grass from a nearby field. They all hauled a large heap of grass, as ordered by Senku. "We got a ton of grass and leaves and stuff!" She exclaimed in excitement. Ruri stood in front of Senku with her own grass.
"It doesn't matter what kind of plants we get, does it?" She wondered to him.
"Nah, any kind works," He assured and turned to the big pile of it in Suika's hands. "We just take this bundle of grass, and boil it down with sodium hydroxide."
Mecha Senku and Mecha Sumi then popped up, both of them wearing lab coats. "Mecha Sumi and Mecha Senku here again! If you're trying this at home, use bleach or baking soda, okay?"
"You can also use apple cartons, a blender, a sponge, old picture frames, or even scrap wood! But if you're gonna use a spatula for mixture, probably just buy one," Mecha Sumi gave a small sheepish smile.
"We take that boiled mess of goo, wash it, press it down, and dry it." They filled the pot with water, and once it was gooey, it was washed. Then it was layered on top of each other, and pressed before drying into the sun. Gen then held up a piece of paper.
"Wow! This is legit!" He exclaimed in awe. "I had no idea paper was so easy to make!"
"It'll come in handy making blueprints and stuff," Senku stated with a big grin, his arms crossed.
Paper acquired!
"Just think of all the pelts we could've saved if we had access to paper before!" Kaseki agreed with him. Magma, Kohaku, and Kinro all stared at them in confusion, since they didn't understand why it was so important.
"What's so great about it...?" Kinro murmured to the three.
Magma grabbed a piece of paper, and then poked a hole through it with two fingers. "How is something this filmsy gonna do us any good?!" He mocked with a shadow over his eyes.
"Sorry, but I agree with him, Senku," Kohaku pointed to him after this demonstration while sweating a little. "I hope you're not suggesting we use such weak material to make armor for our car..."
"Yeah," Senku confirmed before holding up a wooden grid that looked like a shield. Just like the wooden grids Sumi and Ukyo made together, in fact. "That is what I'm suggesting." Kinro stared at him, doubtful himself. Senku then laid paper on top of the grid, having cut the paper in the shape of it. He then applied a dark substance, the same one Sumi used.
"Hold on just a second..." Gen's eyes widened in realization. "That looks like a Japanese paper door!"
"That's ten billion points to you," Senku replied and then wore a mitten. He placed down a pot of burning charcoal and pressed it against the paper. "Now we just iron it out, and we get..." He held up the paper shield. "The stone world's first paper shield!"
Paper shield acquired!
"That does it," He smiled while admiring it in his hand. "We'll manufacture a bunch of these and add them to the sides of the automobile. Turning the Steam Gorilla into a tank!"
"...Senku," Kinro frowned deeply at him. Senku glanced up at him and the guard walked over to a tree. "You might not be aware of this, but..." With only one swipe, the spear lodged into the tree trunk. And this was enough to rip the tree from the stump, before it tumbled backwards onto the ground. Kinro straightened up while looking at the cut. "A blow from a spearman can split even a wooden shield. Considering the weapons we'll be up against...I have a hard time believing in the effectiveness of a paper one."
"Yeah, that goes double for me!" Ginro called out from behind.
"Oh? Sounds like that'll make for a perfect test, then," Senku commented as he wasn't fazed by their doubt whatsoever. He chuckled at Kinro, who was surprised at him. "So, you wanna fight me?"
Senku vs Kinro!
All of the villagers watched as Senku was holding the shield in front of him. Kinro was only a few feet away, spear in hand. "This isn't good! Senku and Kinro are about to battle each other for real!" Suika panicked while pointing at them.
"A battle?" Kokuyo was the last to join the crowd. "Why would they do that?"
"Oh, boy..." Gen murmured, as he was just as alarmed as everyone else was. "And the spear that Senku asked Kinro to use for the test...it's not for sparring sessions, is it? It's the eal-ray deal..."
"This is too risky," Kinro spoke up, as he didn't want to hurt Senku. "Didn't you and Sumire—I mean, Sumi...promise your lives to each other? So with that in mind, I can't-"
"It's not a true test if you don't come at me with your full strength," Senku interjected as he wasn't worried about getting hurt by him. Even though Kinro was probably three times more stronger than him. "I'll handle Sumi if it comes up. Even then, she'd understand why I asked you to...eventually. It's what the rules say. And the rules are the rules...aren't they? According to you," He gave Kinro a small smirk.
Kinro got into position, readying his weapon. "Right then. I won't hold back whatsoever!" He then swung his weapon, thrusting it forward to strike the shield. Senku firmly held it in front of him, blocking the attack as much as he could.
"Senku!" Kohaku called out in worry as they watched nervously. A small shockwave occurred from Kinro's strike.
Sumi flinched and looked towards the cliff they were hiding behind from her spot. Ukyo blinked at her reaction. "Mm? What's up? Something wrong?" He tipped his hat a little. She blinked and then turned back to him.
"I...I don't know. For some reason I have a strange feeling to fight one of my friends all of a sudden. I feel like he just did something to Senku," She blinked rapidly towards the cliff. "But maybe he's fine...if he's not, I'm definitely not holding back."
"Remind me to not get on your bad side then," Ukyo murmured nervously at the woman, a sweat drop at the back of his head. He then realized that this wasn't the first time that had happened. When she felt betrayed by Senku, she noticed it right away, and he had heard what she had said. "And how is it that twice now you've been able to sense something up with him?"
"Well, I'm a scientist, and I don't believe in that telepathy stuff. But it's more so of an instinct whenever he's in trouble or at least he's about to be for doing something dangerous," She huffed, a hand on her hip. "Might have something to do with knowing him for over 3,700 years."
"Wow. So you guys immediately know when something's wrong, huh?" Ukyo rubbed his chin while looking at her. "It's like you two are always in sync with each other."
"Well, we have to be," She smiled a little while turning to him. "Wouldn't be science partners if we don't get along—although he goes right up to the edge of annoying me sometimes," A red mark was on her forehead as she remembered all the times he either got on her nerves or mentioned something she disagreed with morally. What she wouldn't give for a head pat from him right about now...she actually missed those, since they were always endearing to her.
Once the shockwave stopped, Kinro was in absolute shock. Not only did the shield only have a small dent, but his spear completely broke into pieces right after. He gasped as he could only stare. "Whoaaaa!" Ginro chuckled in awe.
"Senku actually won!" Kohaku announced, the others just as surprised.
"That thing totally shattered Kinro's spear!" Magma exclaimed while being stunned.
"And Senku's shield wasn't so much dented!" Kaseki replied in awe.
"Huh?" Gen was utterly confused. "How'd a paper screen do that?"
Kohaku inspected Senku a bit more. "Give him a second." Senku, still holding the shield, was shaking furiously after receiving a powerful force like that in close contact. "I think he's going to need a little time before he can answer any questions."
"Look at him shaking..." Suika pointed out as Senku's eyes were white.
"He did stop the blade...but he still took the impact," Ginro commented and Gen realized something.
"That wasn't just regular glue you were painting onto the paper, was it, Senku?" He smiled and Senku turned to him, still recovering.
"Yup, bingo. I'll give you ten billion additional points for that...Actually, I painted molten plastic onto it. Combine the flexibility of paper with the legerity of plastic, boom!" He smacked his fist onto the shield. "You've got you some carbon fiber!"
"Carbon..." Gen let out a small gasp. "I'm pretty sure I've heard of that stuff!"
"It's a stupid light and stupid tough material. They use it in formula one car bodies and rockets," He explained to the mentalist. "I'd rate it an SS in agility and SS defense. The ultimate component!" And in no time flat, the Steam Gorilla transformed into an armored tank.
"Whoa! Check out the Steam Gorilla!" Ginro shouted from the upgrade.
"Look at it now! This baby's powered up! Whoo-hoo!" Kaseki cheered happily as it looked even more cooler.
"That's the toughest looking thing I've ever seen!" Suika exclaimed in utter excitement.
"Now it's got a double steam engine, front wheel drive, and insanely huge caterpillar tread wheels!" Senku told everyone with a grin.
"We can pull it off," Kohaku smiled optimistically, as she hoped to get her friends out sooner than later. "As long as we have this tank fortified with the ultimate material! All we gotta do is ram the prison and destroy it! Then we can save Chrome and Sumi without any bloodshed at all!"
Kinro gave a small impressed smile, as he had now changed his opinion. He thought the material wasn't suitable...but he should've known that with Senku, they'd have a greater chance of rescuing their friends.
Chrome sat in his prison, frowning to himself. Sumi was back to scoping the area again with Ukyo. She had a feeling there was something here to see, she just didn't know what yet. I'm sure Suika told the others where I'm being held. And that Sumi knows where I am too, but we can't speak until night time. I still can't believe she's working with Ukyo of all people...and I really hate just waiting here while she comes up with a plan!
"Gotta go pee!" Chrome blinked as one of the guards speaking brought him out of his thoughts.
"Hey, idiot!" The brunet turned to see one running up ahead. "Not over there!" The guard stepped on some rock, which fell through. Then an entire hole appeared underneath his feet, revealing a bunch of bamboo spikes. The guard let out a shocked sound while another one kept him from actually falling into it. Sumi's eyes widened slowly, Ukyo's jaw dropping.
"Is...is that what you wanted to check out?" He asked slowly in realization and she nodded.
"Yeah...not good," She murmured while rubbing her chin. "That's why I wanted to be absolutely sure. Those guards earlier were standing in certain spots, so I knew that there had to be something up with the ground..."
Chrome opened his mouth in disbelief. Bad...that's...
"A trap?" Hyoga questioned as he and Tsukasa were alone.
"Coal would be fairly easy for them to obtain," He explained while sitting in his throne in the dark. "If quality isn't an issue," He had his eyes closed, knowing that it wouldn't be hard to find with Senku still alive. "And besides gunpowder, the next scientific threat to be wary of...is an assault with some kind of steam engine."
"A steam engine?" Hyoga questioned in surprise; though he sort of wouldn't put it past Senku. "You think that's a real option in the stone world?"
Tsukasa then got onto his feet. "Sooner or later, they'll get there. Senku's capable."
Hyoga then gasped as he now knew what Tsukasa was getting at. "So that's why you put him practically out in the open. You're anticipating that they might try and ram the cell. I get it. We're just using Chrome as bait!"
Tsukasa then gave a small smirk. "Senku likes to act cold-hardened...but he's not the type to abandon his friends...or Sumire, though I don't understand how they find their balance when they're too different. Sentimentality and Sumire. Those are his fatal flaws."
"And you're absolutely sure you can trust Sumire roaming around?" Hyoga pointed out and Tsukasa silently stared at him. "Her fighting instincts you haven't seen first-hand. And if Senku had mentored her like you told me...she'll easily figure out our plan and break Chrome out on her own. That never crossed your mind at all?"
Tsukasa blinked and then said nothing, looking away. He wanted to say that Sumi wouldn't do that. Punch the wall. Lie and say that she hadn't thought of the possibility. But he couldn't bring himself to, because one, she had no way to contact him and trying to get information to him would take forever. And two, he already knew her own fatal flaw: Senku himself.
"Did you hear-"
"I heard what you said," Tsukasa interrupted, turning around.
"But nothing on the matter? I'm honestly still confused as to why you're so taken with her. Even if you two seem close...it won't change the fact that her loyalty belongs to Senku. I'm well aware of your intentions with her, even if they are pointless," Hyoga then turned away. "Perhaps it's time to stop trying."
"What do you want, Hyoga?" Tsukasa glared at him, as he really didn't want to attack him over what he just said. And with their strong skill sets, it could've been anyone's game...Hyoga had some nerve to say all this to him. And why even tell him when he knew Tsukasa wasn't going to give up on her? He could never do it to begin with...
"You know what? Perhaps I touched a nerve," Hyoga stated and simply left. Tsukasa stared at his back long and hard, sighing himself with a hand on his forehead. Should he even tell Sumi? If he did, she would probably accuse him of saying that to earn favor with her. If he didn't, he had a feeling Hyoga might do something on his own, considering that his interaction with Sumi was last on the bridge in the village...he might have to watch Hyoga closely from here on out.
Just then, Ginro got an idea and looked down at Senku, who was reading a blueprint. "Hey, listen, Senku," He spoke and the scientist looked up at him. "Once we rescue Sumi and Chrome, we could use the Steam Gorilla on their army! Scare 'em away and send 'em running for the hills! That way, we might not even fight them ourselves!" Really, he just didn't want to fight any of them since they were bigger and stronger. Plus, he just thought it'd be cool if the tank had weapons.
Senku simply chuckled, placing a hand on the car. "Yeah, maybe if it's still up and running after we slam the thing into the prison. It was built to save Chrome, and that's about all," He revealed to them casually.
"FOR REAL?!" Ginro and Kaseki exclaimed in unison.
"It's meant to be a one-shot surprise attack machine. If they figure us out and prepare for a vehicular assault, we're done..." He murmured in thought, though it was still a concern for him. He knew Tsukasa had smarts of his own, since he targeted Senku's cervical nerve. And he wouldn't have sent Gen to check if he was actually dead if he believed it to begin with. But the thing he hoped for the most was that Tsukasa didn't try anything on Sumi before they got to their friends, since he already came up with wedding invitations...
"Ha ha ha! Here, there, we got anti-vehicle traps everywhere!" One of the guards said confidently as there were lots of spots that had the same trap. The others laughed as well.
"If they try to come in and save their little friend, they are gonna be screwed!" Chrome gritted his teeth in worry.
No! It's a trap, Senku! Please don't come rescue me or Sumi! But how do I let 'em know? Somebody...He then gasped as he realized something and then a loud smack was heard. The guards flinched and then looked up to see that Chrome had slapped himself. Damn...what am I thinking? For somebody to come rescue us? What am I, a kid crying for his mommy and daddy? Hell no! I've got Sumi on my side...so we'll be the ones! We'll save Senku and the others. I just gotta wait for night time so we can coordinate!
Gen gave a look of disappointment while looking at Senku. "It'd be such a waste to use it once, though...maybe if we could mount a cannon on top...we could use it go on and take over the Miracle Cave or something like that?"
"Stop it," Senku remarked without even turning around. "You're talking in hypotheticals. Now that's a real waste."
Kohaku gave a small scoff with a knowing look. "I hear you, Senku. But if Chrome or Sumi figured out how to free him...we could make an even bigger move."
We'll figure out how to free Chrome/myself... Sumi and Chrome thought in unison as she was heading to the meeting point for her and Ukyo. All we need...is the power of science!
"Yeah, we got this," Chrome looked up ahead with a shadow over his eyes and a smirk. "I'm Chrome, the science user! And I have absolute faith in my friend!"
Sumi and Ukyo were bent down in front of a piece of paper at night. She held a paintbrush that he got from her belt. "If they are gonna make a move..." She sighed slowly while drawing. "There's only one way they'd do it. And unfortunately, it's the move I was dreading the most..."
"What move?" He raised a brow as he didn't know what he was drawing. He then gasped as he saw it was a drawing of a tank. "A-a tank?! Are you absolutely sure?"
"I'm ten billion percent sure of it. It'd be the only way to make a significant impact in this war. If they ram it, they'd bust out Chrome, thanks to my friend knowing where he is. But since the army has all of the traps, that's not an option. Tsukasa must know that too and that's why he set them up. So we have to help Chrome break out before they do. And we might not have that much more time..." She bit her lip nervously as they both looked back to Chrome's prison. Once the light was set up, she used the clicker.
Chrome, are you there?
Chrome blinked while looking up and seeing Sumi's message. He smirked and got out his light, flashing it back at her.
Where else would I be? What's the plan?
She smiled at his light still working as Ukyo watched from behind.
I'm certain Senku and the others made a tank to get you out. The only way to prevent that is to break you out before they get here.
He gasped at her deduction, his eyes shaking. "Whoa...a tank?" He murmured to himself. "That's pretty bad..."
"What would he need to break out?" Ukyo suddenly asked and she crouched down, trying to see his prison. She hummed while squinting her eyes and then using the clicker again.
"We'll need something that'll burn the rope and some wires to get him out," She explained to the archer the message she was sending to Chrome right at that moment. "And once he's got those, he'll let me know so that I can escape with him. Unfortunately, I used up the rest of my sodium hypochlorite to make our paper grids for the LED light...but we'll get there if we work as a team."
Chrome nodded in agreement, and he could tell that she knew he agreed. They'd get the materials soon to bust him out!