It was quiet at the Perseus as the stars were in the sky. The guards were in the hallway, using their torches for light. Suika rolled right past them as a watermelon. She went down the hallway towards the lab, peeking around the corner. She then bounced down the stairs and found what she was looking for. She rolled towards the lab.
Senku put down his telescope with a small smirk. "Okay, our mobile lab's got a camo cover. It was meant to hide it from animals," He gave a small chuckle. "Suika's a pro with blending into nature. So there's a ten billion percent chance that she'll know how to use it."
"But...um...do you think that's gonna work to hide it from people too?" Soyuz asked nearby in a bit of unease.
"Nope, not at first," Senku gave a small smile glancing at him. "They'll still have to use force to bust their way out."
"We have a real chance!" Kohaku pumped her fists with a small smile. "Especially if our team can work in coordination with each other."
"Hmm, obviously Suika's capable, so I'm not too worried about her," Gen pointed out as the little girl was using grass to disguise the lab. "But her partner...well, you know, that's a completely different story."
"Maybe," Kohaku agreed while looking at the ship. "But he always comes through in a pinch. You've got this, Ginro. I know it!"
"I'm just glad Suika's okay. So I know that she'll convince him to help us out," Sumi spoke up; Suika must've been why Ryusui had suddenly used that barrel before they had even left the ship. She honestly wasn't surprised given how much Suika wanted to help others and prove her worth.
"You really think he would?" Gen turned to her skeptically, earning a small shrug in return.
"Eh, knowing him, he'd chicken out at first or not care. But he would go back for Kinro, since he'd know about the petrification by now, and eventually stop being a selfish dumbass," She gave one of Senku's trademark smirks. "Plus he does care about his friends somewhere deep down once you get past the sleaziness or initial cowardice."
"Ha ha!" Senku grinned while crossing his arms and looking at her. "Never fails to excite me when you act like this. It's honestly pretty attractive."
She blinked from the compliment, turning away with a slight blush over her cheeks. She closed her eyes, still thinking of when Kohaku had 'kissed Senku.' It didn't actually happen, she acknowledged that, but she couldn't stop thinking about it since it kept popping up in her mind unfortunately. "This is not the time or place, put your excitement away..." She mumbled in embarrassment and he blinked from her reaction. He figured she'd be a bit happier to hear that, or at least go back to herself right after. But no, instead, her reaction was a bit more hesitant.
"Now I see why you and Senku get along so well..." Amaryllis murmured to herself with a sweat drop.
"Somebody really came to save me!" Ginro cried out while waving his arms around. "No reason for me to stay! Time to go, like right now! Special technique, not my problem!" Somehow, the guards didn't hear him as he went down the dock. One of the guards was moving a goat towards a small boat.
"This thing's called a goat, right? The pelt's pretty nice and I bet it tastes good, too," The one escorting it commented.
"There are all kinds of creatures out there that I've never seen before," The guard in the boat stated.
Ginro placed his hands on the edge, elevating himself up. He looked back with a big smile. Alrighty...they're busy moving the goats, so I'm gonna sneak away on the other side while I can. Somehow I didn't get turned into stone, so I gotta use this lucky streak and save myself! He froze before he could jump into the water. He let out a gasp as he realized...he was the only person not a statue from the ship, since he didn't know yet that Suika had been saved. His eyes glistened as he thought of someone he couldn't leave behind... Oh yeah...I'm...the only one. Kinro was laying on top of other statues. The last man standing. He dragged his brother over to the edge, while on the opposite side of the guards. He moved as fast as he could so he wouldn't be seen. Geez, Kinro, this is a terrible time for a nap. He hoisted Kinro up onto his back, tears falling down his face. Let's get out of here together. Oh, fine. I'll carry you if that's what you need...
He continued to cry before he heard a noise. He glanced over in shock to see Suika bouncing around as a watermelon, being chased by guards. She knocked into some barrels, hitting some glass windows along the way.
"Whoa! She's bouncing around like crazy!" One of the guards exclaimed, shocked by how fast she could move.
"I thought it was a fruit, but it's some kind of beast!"
Suika? Ginro's eyes widened in shock to see that she was alive too. But how?
I can distract the guards! Finally, this is my chance to be useful! All I gotta do is keep making a bunch of noise! And that'll give Ginro a window to escape with the lab!
However, the blond didn't seem interested in doing that, in fact he looked terrified. What if they catch her? They'll petrify her for sure this time! Or they might just kill her! As he stood there, Suika continued breaking things.
"It went that way!"
"Hold still, will ya?!" They ran after her and Ginro placed down his brother, standing up straight. Just when he wanted to get out of there, Suika came along and changed everything. But he didn't want anything to do with this, he just wanted to get out safely.
"Come on, I don't have time for this!" He glanced over his shoulder to look at his brother. "Because we gotta run away together...right? Kinro?"
Of course, he got no response in return. Ginro...Ginro! Ginro! Inside of Kinro's head, he could only see black with specks of green. I can't see or hear anything right now. So I'm not 100 percent sure...but since you weren't on the ship, I think you might still be alive. He was floating around naked. Plus...I believe in you. And even through all this darkness, I know you're still alive. I can feel it! He then opened his eyes, as if he was staring right at his brother. If I could talk to you, I'd tell you to think...think about what you should do.
Ginro stared down at his petrified older brother, as he could sense what Kinro was trying to tell him. He let out a light gasp and smiled knowingly. Aw, man. Even if he can't talk, I see it on your face. i know you want me to follow the rules or do the right thing! He then clenched a fist, as he had made up his mind. He was gonna save his brother from this, prevent Suika from getting hurt. Not because he knew what Kinro would tell him, but because he always believed in doing what was right—even if it took him a bit to do so sometimes. "Sorry, Kinro, but you're gonna have to wait a bit..." He then stormed off with a determined look. "I'll find Senku and Sumi. I know they can figure out a way to save every one of us!"
The guards were still chasing down Suika. "Over there!" She bounced right past them, knocking into the barrels again and hitting the glass in rapid fashion. Meanwhile, Ginro had already found the lab. He used the pump to bring up the lab as quickly as he could.
Suika eventually came to a stop. "Gotcha!" One of the guards picked her up. "Alright, now you're gonna..." He paused as she wasn't inside the mask at all. "Huh?"
"What the hell? It's just some melon rind or something!"
The floor suddenly opened up in front of them and everyone around looked back in shock. Suika's mask fell on top of the disguised lab. The six watching all gave happy looks at this. Ibara turned around in confusion as the lab then drove down the ramp and onto the water.
"Come back!" One of the guards shouted as they started to chase down the vehicle as a collective. Once they were gone, Ginro looked up and then got onto the edge. He leapt forward to dive into the water. The lab came to get him seconds later. Suika cried out while driving it.
"This lab is so awesome, on land or water!" She exclaimed shakily thanks to having never driven before. She then drove it up a cliff and into the forest. After driving a couple of feet, she jerked to a stop. Two hands reached out to touch her head, and she heard a familiar chuckle. She looked back and gave a beaming smile, closing her eyes as she was really happy to see Senku and Sumi behind her.
"Nicely done, you guys," Senku told them as Sumi smiled cheerfully. Soyuz and Kohaku looked at them with white eyes while Gen had a soft smile on his face.
"Suika, Ginro! You did it, we're so proud of you!" The black-haired woman clapped for them.
"Senku! Sumi!" Ginro cried out joyfully with tears flying from his eyes.
"You aren't mad at me for stowing away, are you, Sumi? Ryusui wasn't very happy..." Suika blinked up at Sumi. She placed a hand on her hip, rubbing her chin in thought.
"Hmm. Mad? No," She gave a small smile. "I'm glad you came, otherwise you and Ginro wouldn't have gotten our lab back and we'd be at a major disadvantage. Tell ya what. Since you did such a good job, I'll handle Ryusui when we de-petrify him about you stowing away," She offered the little girl, who gasped happily that Sumi was willing to do that.
"Wouldn't he not be pleased about this?" Gen gave a nervous smile.
"Considering his first impression of me, it probably wouldn't be hard to sway him..." She gave an evil laugh as devil horns appeared on her head, a maniacal look on her face. "Cause I'd slaughter him if he insists that all this doesn't deserve her to stay..."
"Ahh! Scary Sumi is never a good thing..." Ginro backed away from her in fear.
"Really, Sumi?!" Suika reached out and turned around to hug the woman. "Thank you!"
"Of course, Suika," Sumi hummed happily, having calmed down instantly. Either Suika wasn't afraid of Sumi's scary side, or the scientist just didn't mind letting her see it. Senku gave a small smile towards the two. Sumi would do anything to keep Suika happy, so convincing Ryusui wouldn't be too difficult for her if they needed to do so.
The guards started to surround them, and Ginro let out a fearful yelp. "They've got us surrounded!"
"I can't say I'm all that surprised," Gen murmured as the guards closed in on them.
"It's so dark. I can't see a thing!"
"At first, I thought it was a boat, but it took to the land. Is it another strange beast?"
Senku, Sumi, and Gen all looked very confused at this assumption. "Oh, I see," Soyuz spoke up, getting their attention. "The islanders don't know there are vehicles that can move around on their own. In their minds, it has to be an animal. I mean, it's what I would've thought."
Senku gave a small laugh from this explanation. "Well, that's a convenient misunderstanding for us."
"That should mean they won't have any idea that we're even still alive," Gen turned to the two with a hopeful smile.
"Ehh, I don't think we're really safe just yet," Sumi commented and he blinked in confusion at her.
"Yeah, if we drive off right now, we're gonna be spitting out a ton of exhaust. Which will give away that this thing is man-ma..." He trailed off as he looked outside one of the windows to see jasmines right outside. "Those flowers..." His eyes widened in realization as an idea came to mind. Sumi turned to them and then gave a small smile as she knew what he was thinking.
"Huh? Yes, those are jasmine," Amaryllis confirmed for the two.
"We're in the south, after all. Do you think this is the right moment to have some jasmine tea for tea time?" Gen pointed out and Sumi gave a small scoff.
"While it does have a sweet flavor to it, and I do like sweet stuff, we're not gonna use it to try and make peace," She answered, hands on her hips. Senku reached into his pouch and then pulled out a shell. Amaryllis stared at it for a few seconds.
"A shell?" She blinked at the object.
"It's one of yours," Senku informed with a small smile. "You had dropped a few of them earlier today," He then let out a chuckle as Sumi walked up to him. "I never imagined we'd have a use for the rotten flesh inside of these little guys," He then took two groups of items, one a light brown and the other white. "Since we'll be blowing a cloud of fumes their way, we might as well make 'em mega fragrant," He grinned widely while slamming his fists together. "With jasmine plus amines from the shellfish, we can make a batch of skatole."
"Skatole, huh?" Gen gave a nervous look. "Even the name sounds asty-nay..."
"Well, it is found in feces of vertebrates, so you're not too far off," Sumi smiled sheepishly at him. "But people used to use this in specific products from the perfume industry or as flavor additives in ice cream." He blinked at her in shock.
Then Mecha Sumi and Mecha Senku popped up near a bowl of meat. Mecha Sumi was on the left. "It's the return of Mecha Senku and Mecha Sumi! Been a while since you've seen us!"
"Glad to be back to explain some more science to ya!" Mecha Sumi gave a wink.
"Today, we're gonna be making poo, or rather, we're gonna be making the smell of poo," Mecha Senku started off.
"Yeah, if we robots make poo, then there'd be some concern," Mecha Sumi glanced away sheepishly. "Because...for us, it'd be just oil, and we don't really need to obtain human poo."
"Relax," Mecha Senku glanced at her briefly. "Ya mecha angel."
"Aww!" She gushed at him with her eyes shaped like hearts.
"Anyway, just pour some stupidly strong jasmine tea on whatever kind of cooked meat you have on hand." Once the tea was poured, it sent out a strong stench and Mecha Senku grunted in disgust while moving away.
"Hit the deck, everyone!" Mecha Sumi looked away with a gag.
"In our case, we'll wrap some rotten clams wrapped in jasmine petals!" Senku held out the concoction towards a metal pipe. Thanks to the air from it, it let out the stench and he had his nose plugged in from it.
Poo acquired!
"Why do we need to acquire that, anyway?!" Ginro screeched at him. "That's something we can get from our butts!"
Senku gave a wry chuckle in response. "It's just the smell. Speaking of smell, I'm sure you love this, huh?" He then held it out to Sumi's nose, and she recoiled back in disgust.
"Eww! Keep that stuff away from me," She waved a hand in front of him to swat him away from her.
"Heh heh heh..." Senku chuckled while moving it closer to her nose. She yelped while trying not to throw up in her mouth from the stench. Thanks to her sense of smell, it was stronger for her than anyone else...
"No! It's so gross, open up a window before I die," He leaned over her, pressing it further against her nostrils. She squealed and pushed him away, gagging. "Okay, okay, you've had your fun, please stop!"
"Come on, don't you want a smell of science?" The green-haired scientist chuckled from her reaction, waving it in front of her eyes and she leaned her head back to look up towards the ceiling.
"Senku, so help me!" She cried out in protest.
Once he was done teasing her, he held it out to the pipe again. He had a slight blush on his face while drooling a bit. "We'll throw in some sulfur too. I mean, why not give 'em a nice juicy fart as a bonus?"
"This lab can make anything..." Gen murmured in a bit of awe. The stench was released, and the men took one whiff of it...and gave looks of utter disgust.
"Gross!"
Gen made a fart noise with his mouth, looking towards outside. The lab then took off. "I knew it was just an animal!" They headed for another cliff, driving off down a pathway.
"Oh yeah!" Ginro cried out while cheering in relief. "It worked! The lab's ours!"
"We left 'em chokin' on a big stinky cloud!" Suika gave a wink.
"You know what this means?" Gen grinned towards Sumi and Senku. "We can transform Kohaku into a thing of beauty!"
The guards were informing Ibara of what happened. "Hard to tell what that was in the dark. But we think it's some kind of beast..."
Ibara hummed and stepped forward. He bent down to the ground, his eyes dark. He then noticed the tire tracks.
The others had stopped in order to make sure they wouldn't be followed. "I've got an idea!" Gen gave a big grin. "For safety, we should take this chance to make some fake traps to throw them off." Ginro and Soyuz were sweeping the ground, while Suika and Kohaku were rolling their feet onto the tires to make the tracks themselves.
"Make sure they're far away from us as possible, kay?" Sumi gave an encouraging smile towards the two. She then looked towards the disguised mobile lab, smiling a bit. "Ahh, takes me back to Persona 5…"
"Huh?" Soyuz turned to her in confusion.
"Oh, it's just something I indulged in from my time," She waved it off.
They then rode the lab out to the sea, heading towards an underground cave. "There's a secret passageway called the Sapphire Cave that you can only access from the sea," Amaryllis explained to the group. Once they were inside, the entire interior was blue.
"I don't think I've ever seen anything this blue before!" Suika admired the water in front of her. Her watermelon mask was back on.
"It's like that place in Italy? I think it's called the Blue Grotto? It was a very popular spot," Gen commented and Sumi nodded in agreement.
"You're exactly right, Gen. A sea cave that was in the coast of the island of Capri, southern Italy. And just like this cave, light is reflected back through the water, to give it this blue glow to illuminate the cavern," She gave a small smile towards the water.
"The waves carved this out over millennia..." Senku murmured in a bit of awe.
Amaryllis gave them a small smile. "I believe only the people from my village know about this cave. So we can hide out in here for a while."
"Thank you, Amaryllis," Sumi told her gratefully.
"Perhaps it was a strange kind of beast that left these tracks," Ibara spoke up as he led the group of guards to follow the tire tracks. "Or it was something else entirely. Without investigating, there's no way to know. But I will certainly find myself in quite a predicament if there were escapees now roaming our territory." He came to a stop, looking back with black eyes. "So...leave no stone unturned as we search the island. Under every tree...in every village around. Look inside every last hut. Nothing is off limits."
And so, the guards began searching everywhere for potential stowaways amongst the village.
The next morning, early, while guards were looking, Amaryllis slipped past them holding a basket of fruits. If any of them happened to come across her, she could just use her charms to throw them off her trail.
The group were waiting in the Sapphire Cave for her to return. Kohaku was sitting down, her leg up with her elbow on her knee. "So this beauty contest, you think they'll still go through with it even after all of the ruckus we caused?" She wondered to her friends. Gen stared at her from behind, a bit awkward at her unladylike behavior.
"Perhaps you should work on your posture," He warned, but she didn't listen.
"They will," Amaryllis spoke up, getting their attention. They looked up to see her rowing over to them with all the fruit she got. "It would take much more than that to stop Moz. He's not like Minister Ibara. He's confident, powerful, and does whatever he wants, whenever he wants to. Which is normally going after cute girls."
"So as long as we don't bother him, he won't bother us. Cool, got it," Sumi gave a thumbs up.
Gen then gasped at the haul Amaryllis brought in, as requested by Senku and Sumi. "Wow! Look at all these tropical fruits!" There were lemons, limes, and coconuts.
"Yeah, very nicely done, Amaryllis," Senku grinned while clenching a fist.
"Yeah, this is impressive!" Sumi beamed happily at the haul.
"Sorry that I couldn't gather any more than this...mainly just coconuts and stuff," She informed as the green-haired scientist took a coconut, looking pleased.
"This is more than enough. And combined with a few choice items from the lab, we'll have what we'll need. All made possible with the awesome power of science!" He informed and Sumi stood up, her hands behind her back.
"Thank you, Amaryllis. You've more than exceeded expectations for this mission already." Amaryllis blinked and then smiled from her praise. They then had a road map for the makeover.
"Let Operation: Kohaku's Beauty Makeover begin!" Gen announced to them.
"Um...we're really gonna make all of this?" Suika looked at the roadmap Sumi created with white eyes. Kohaku looked just as shocked as the little girl. They needed shampoo, condition, perfume, coconut, foundation, and lipstick.
"Yeah, and by midday," Senku causally responded while digging his pinky into his ear.
"I guess it must take a whole lot of work to look cute, huh?" Kohaku blinked and Sumi gave a nervous laugh.
"This is why in the modern world, us ladies take forever to get ready...well, unless you're like me, who don't really do much at all," She rubbed the back of her neck.
"This makeover's gonna be a mad dash to the end," Senku had a big smile on his face. "A new hairstyle is a crucial component," He then reached down to untie Kohaku's hair. "To start, we'll let it down and see what we're working with." Va-va-va-voom! To Sumi's shock, Kohaku's hair was so big and wild that it ended up hitting Senku in the face to give him a nosebleed. "These cowlicks are freakin' insane!"
"Stones and glass houses, Senku," Gen gave a sheepish look at this.
"Now I understand why you had it tied up..." Amaryllis murmured with blue lines over her forehead.
"Sen! Are you okay?!" Sumi checked over him in a panic.
"Make some coconut oil from the island, with a little regular sodium hydroxide, and then we'll have our sulfurina give it a kiss!" He laughed gleefully once he was checked over as Gen clapped, the green-haired scientist having a small blush on his face again.
"Yay, wow, it feels wonderful to have a working lab again!" Gen cheered as they boiled down the sulfurina.
"Then add a skosh of salt and oil, and we're in the beauty business," Senku smiled a little while pouring it in.
Amaryllis then started washing Kohaku's hair, bubbles floating up to the ceiling. Kohaku felt delighted from the washing. "My hair feels cleaner than it ever felt before!" She cried out in awe as Amaryllis smiled happily. Soyuz and Ginro looked over them in surprise as there was a big cloud of bubbles surrounding Kohaku's head. "Now let me get it all nice and dry!" She used a fan to rapidly dry her hair.
"That's a Kohaku-powered hair dryer!" Gen gave a small smile.
"Is her hair gonna be soft, smooth, and silky like Ruri's when she's done?" Ginro wondered as the others watched.
I can't wait! Suika thought as they could just picture it. Ginro and Amaryllis looked hopeful as they blushed...but unfortunately, Kohaku's hair went back to being frizzy again.
"WHAT THE?!" Ginro and Amaryllis shouted in utter shock at this. Soyuz was shaking with lines over his head. Senku and Sumi looked on in disbelief while Gen had a closed-eyed semi-awkward smile.
"She's got some fearsome follicles..." Senku commented at this.
"Thank god I can easily fix my hair with just a shake, but apparently, that doesn't apply here..." Sumi gave a big sweat drop. If her hair was ever like Kohaku's, it would be an absolute nightmare to work with it...
"I mean, it tracks that her hair would be just as tough as she is. I think some conditioner is in order..."
Senku took a strand of Kohaku's hair in his hands. "Even hair is science."
Kohaku slid over, rubbing her chin curiously. "Oh?"
"Just look closely at a strand. It's wrapped inside a cover that's kinda like mushroom skin. A shampoo will wash off the dirt, but as for that cover, it just gets all bunched up and stuff," He told the others.
"That's called a hair follicle, they grow your strands out. Mine tend to be more neater, so this doesn't really happen to me when I wash mine," Sumi piped up next.
"That would explain why her hair looks so wild, even after giving it a good wash," Amaryllis commented after hearing them.
"Wow, this has to be the first time that Senku started one of his science lectures, and I didn't get bored to death after the first minute!" Kohaku gave a semi-cat smile.
"Well, we could all use some good tips on hair care," Gen commented next with a small smile.
"I don't think that applies to me, though," Soyuz pointed to his bald head.
"So anyway," Senku poured in some chemicals into a pot. "We'll rip open the cortex with alkaline and then pack in some sugars. Once we calm the negatively charged surface with a weak..."
"Yup, I knew it," The others stared at him with blue lines over their heads. "He finally lost me..."
Sumi giggled at their reactions. "Well, that's Senku for ya!"
"Heh heh," Senku looked up at her with a playful smirk. "Sumi's the only one who gets a kick out of it."
"Hey! Not in front of everyone!" She blushed in embarrassment while looking away. He wasn't wrong, but the flirting was sometimes still something that always got a reaction out of her. Sure, his science talk she always enjoyed hearing, but she didn't need it broadcasted...
Senku then held out honey, lemon, and a coconut. He winked while giving a two-finger salute. "Everything's real simple and all natural!"
"Little bit of honey, lemon, and a coconut?" Gen stared down at the ingredients in confusion.
Suika drooled at the thought. "That all sounds delicious..."
"If the outside layer of the hair is outta whack, we can totally fix it up with some fats," Senku explained while Kohaku was dousing her hair with the mixture.
"And in turn..." Sumi started off as Kohaku dried her hair again afterwards. She didn't even need to finish as Kohaku revealed straightened shiny blonde hair. She aired it out as it flowed nicely, sitting in front of the lake.
"Oh, yeah! There we go!" Ginro exclaimed at this.
"I can hardly believe how soft, shiny, and beautiful it looks!" Suika admired it with a smile.
"For the next step..." Senku gave a small grin towards some mica in his hand. "We're gonna take this stuff and smash the hell out of it." Sumi gave a small wince as the last time he said that, he got a rock to the face... "Got a ton of mica when the two of us went into the treasure dungeon with Chrome and Magma." After it was smashed, there were now three powders on a small plate, one white, red, and yellow. "The white version is what's known as sericite. While the red and yellow and stuff is a type of rock we grabbed called Bengala. It's got iron oxide. Grind these babies and mix that in with the coconut oil, and boom, it's done!"
Gen and Ginro watched as the two scientists now had a set-up to mix it all together. "I've never heard of g-litter of founda-whatever, but I really haven't been keeping up for a while," The blond admitted sheepishly to them while Sumi was swirling around a beaker.
"All to upgrade Kohaku for the big infiltration mission," He informed the two men, Sumi pouring in the liquid.
"In other words, it's makeup," Gen deadpanned in response.
"Sericite is a fine, ragged grain from mica, and that's commonly found in airbrushing properties, and add a silky soft feel to your skin. Meanwhile, iron oxide enhances your complexion and protects skin from light, it's non-toxic and non-allergenic," Sumi explained with a small smile. "I've actually had to make similar stuff before..." She gave an awkward laugh as she made it when they were taking the first photo of her and Senku. She was so awkwardly stiff that day...
Once they were done, they had a whole array of make-up. "Wow!" Amaryllis looked at it in awe. "Amazing! How did all this come from regular fruit? I would love to have some of this for myself!"
"Well, once we're done using it, you can have all you want!" Sumi told her with a small smile. "Think of it as a thank you for all you've done for us."
"Really?!" Amaryllis stood up to hug her happily. "Thanks, Sumi!"
"Ha!" Kohaku held lipstick and a make-up brush like her daggers. "So painting this on my face is using the power of science to be cute!"
"Of course she'd hold the makeup like she was wielding a couple of weapons!" Gen accused her and Sumi blinked in realization.
She held out a hand in alarm. "Wait, Kohaku, I think you should-" Kohaku rapidly used it on her face before Sumi could stop her. All of them inched away from her in surprise as a cloud of smoke appeared from her. Kohaku then spun around, striking a pose. Ginro and Amaryllis were the first to react, their mouths open. Soyuz, Suika, and Gen looked shocked. Senku then stared at Kohaku with shaking eyes, Sumi covering her mouth in disbelief.
"Kohaku...you're..."
Kohaku basically looked like someone out of a horror movie. There was make up on her hair, even, and it made her look like a scary clown. Soyuz and Suika screamed in fear, their eyes white. Ginro was shaking as he stared at her. Gen had streams of tears going down his eyes and onto the ground. Senku could only stare in shock as Sumi's hair was shaking on end from her friend. The blonde dug her pinky into her ear in confusion.
"Hate to be a downer...but I'm not entirely sure she's gonna get selected as one of the top cuties!" Gen cried out in dismay. Sumi finally reacted by having a sheepish nervous smile on her face, her eyes closed.
"Eh heh heh...what I was gonna say was...since we just technically invented makeup, you wouldn't know how to use it..." She murmured while sagging her shoulders.
"Well, perhaps we should consider putting forward multiple candidates," Senku rubbed his chin in thought. "The only other girl that we have in our group is Suika, but she's way too young."
"Gross, don't send Suika down there," Sumi wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Relax, I don't plan on it," He waved it off while assuring her.
Soyuz turned to the black-haired woman. "Well, there is you, S-"
"Nope! No one else!" Senku interrupted gleefully while hugging his stomach. "Besides, you have to be 18, and she's only 17! So she can't participate!" They all stared at him, but decided to drop it. Though Gen wondered to himself that Senku couldn't care less about rules and was only delaying the inevitable.
"Let me give it a try!" Amaryllis offered while looking towards Kohaku in shock. She then started using foundation on Kohaku's cheeks. "Okay, I think you'll look your best with just a little styling work on your hair." She then used blushed over the cheeks. "And a bit of light, natural makeup," She placed one hand on Kohaku's head, using the other to put on eyeshadow. "We really don't wanna overdo it on the eyes. Some color should make those lashes pop. And we'll give those lips some love, too," Once she was finished, Kohaku had a pink dress, flowers over her hair, and makeup. She gave a small giggle as Soyuz gasped, his heart beating with a hand on his chest. Suika gasped in awe of the blonde.
"Oh, some al-pitations-pay? Ha," Gen gave a knowing smirk towards Soyuz.
"Kohaku looks like a kind and beautiful priestess now!" Suika cried out while waving her hands. "So amazingly pretty!"
"Well, she is Ruri's little sister, after all," Ginro gave a small smile.
Senku then chuckled with a grin while Sumi clapped with a small smile. "Seems like you've got a real talent for beauty, Amaryllis."
"These scientific cosmetics are incredible," She commented, having a mischievous look on her face. "Which gives me a brilliant idea. You mentioned having multiple candidates. I think we should give that plan a shot," She cracked her hands while looking towards the men, who all sweated from her suggestion.
"Huh?!"
Senku was in a yellow dress, in makeup, with his hair in pigtails. And he did not look happy about it. "There's a ten billion percent chance of failure..." He groaned out as Sumi blinked rapidly at him. She then burst out into a fit of giggles at her boyfriend.
"And I don't think he could explain his muscled arms either," She hugged her stomach while laughing, pointing at him. "And did you really put coconuts for boobs?"
"Oh, muscled arms, huh?" He gave her a smirk.
"Don't say stuff to me that's gonna make me blush when you're dressed like that..." She looked away with a slight blush. "It's hard to take you seriously when you look like this. I honesty should take a picture of this if my camera is around here somewhere."
"Yeah, no," Senku pulled at her cheek. "Don't even think about it."
"Stop it!" She swatted at his arm repeatedly. "You know I hate that..." She rubbed her cheek with a whine.
"No picture it is, then," He replied and then groaned again. "Absolutely ten billion percent not what I needed my lover to see..."
"Maybe you could pass, if only you could keep your mouth shut!" Gen teased him a little.
"That would be a dead giveaway, huh?" Amaryllis gave an amused smile.
Gen then dressed like a woman as well. "I, the other hand, have no problem with my voice."
"Whoa!" Amaryllis commented in utter shock. "He sounds like a girl!"
"I mean, if he was able to capture my mom's voice, sounding like a girl wouldn't be an issue," Sumi explained to her, shivering a bit. "Thank god he didn't use that one for a demonstration or else it'd be way too weird."
"Gen is a dainty little fella," Kohaku spoke up next. "But there's a chance he might be a bit too much on the tall side."
Soyuz was last, but even with the fake coconut boobs, he...just didn't look very passable as a woman. He was too muscular and tall. "Um...think this will be a hard nope," He murmured nervously as he looked actually terrifying.
"Extremely hard nope," Amaryllis, Senku, Gen, and Sumi all looked horrified looking at him.
"Ah," Kohaku crossed her arms, Suika also looking horrified towards Soyuz. "So I guess what we really need is a petite guy with a more feminine sound..." She blinked as the other men turned around to the final option. Ginro looked very nervous from all the looks he was getting.
"NOOOOOO!" He cried out at this, tears flying from his face as he backed away.
"Well, there's still one more person," Amaryllis glanced over to Sumi, who blinked in realization.
"Eh? Oh...I don't think I'd win, though. On account of the whole scar over my lips," She scratched her cheek nervously.
"Don't be ridiculous," Senku crossed his arms, his eyes closed. "If I were the Master, I'd pick you over anyone else. She's attractive in every single aspect, so increasing that would get her in." He honestly found it a bit ridiculous that she was even doubting her looks to begin with. Everyone, including him, froze once they heard that. His eyes widened as he looked to Sumi blushing as she gave a shy look.
"Ooooh! I didn't even have to guide him for that one!" Gen grinned widely at him.
"Well, if even Senku thinks I'd win, I'll give it a shot!" Sumi gave a happy smile towards Senku. He turned away, clearing his throat.
"Well then, we'll use what we have left over from Kohaku's makeover," He murmured in defeat. Even if she was only 17, she was still 3,700 years old thanks to the petrification. Besides, who was gonna check when there was no paperwork regarding her age?
Once he was out of his girly attire, Senku undid the ribbon in her hair while the others picked out her outfit. He pulled out the jasmines from earlier and started looking for the biggest one. "Are those the flowers we used earlier?" She eyed them curiously.
"Yeah, I asked Amaryllis to get some extra ones if we needed to fend off those villagers again. But it'll work just as well for decoration," He held up a big jasmine flower, and then they all washed her hair like with Kohaku. Once that was done, they stared at her face as they couldn't just leave the scar there. Otherwise they'd be at a disadvantage.
"Maybe we could use the makeup to cover her scar?" Kohaku pointed out, her arms crossed.
"You can do that with makeup?" Suika looked up curiously.
"Yeah, but it's a daily thing," Senku stepped up and she flinched. He bent down and started applying concealer to her face. She closed her eyes because one, she'd be embarrassed if she had to look at him. And two, she didn't even have to look to know that the others were staring at them with teasing expressions.
"Keh. You know, it'll make things easier if you just open your eyes," He grinned at her while touching her lip with the concealer.
"Mm," She opened her eyes while blushing, seeing his expression. "Glad to see you're enjoying this."
"Yeah," He remarked simply, his smirk widening from how embarrassed she was.
"Mmm...maybe a little too much," She raised a brow at him accusingly and then pouted. Once again, the fake kiss with Kohaku came to mind. He blinked as he realized why and then Senku leaned in towards her ear. She flinched from how close he was.
"Don't tell me you're still worried about what Kohaku did. If you are, clearly I can get all the physical affection I want from the woman in front of me," He then left a light kiss on her shoulder and she bit her lip a little, clutching her skirt in her hands.
"I-I wasn't worried!" She stammered nervously as her entire face turned red, her eyes glistening.
"Then why is your face red?" He pointed at it with a small smile.
"Because you're being too much of a flirt! And don't you think they'll notice?" She huffed a bit while closing her eyes. The last thing she needed was for them to start teasing, because then they'd have a field day with it.
"Heh heh," Senku glanced back at the others standing behind them. Yes, they were staring, but because Senku was taller than Sumi, they couldn't even see her. He was blocking their view of her since they were a few feet away. "They're just waiting for me to finish. In the meantime, so that you're not stressing about what happened anymore..." He moved his face forward to kiss her. She flinched as she squirmed, Senku placing his hand on her leg to get her to stop moving. Sumi let out a small squeak, but he silenced it with his tongue. She squeezed her eyes shut, kissing him back. While she didn't hate it, the others were bound to notice. And she would admit, it did get her to stop thinking about the fake kiss he had with Kohaku. It was honestly kind of intense since their friends could tell at any minute if they looked hard enough.
"Eep!" She pulled away shyly while blushing, snatching the makeup in rapid fashion. "Yep, nope, I think it's better if I do this myself, ha ha ha..." She stood up, to the confusion of everyone besides Senku, who looked up at her with a smirk. She glanced back at him silently, her look telling him that he had proved his point.
"If I may ask you, Sumi...how did you even get that scar in the first place?" Amaryllis couldn't help but wonder.
Both of them froze as the memory hit them. Gen, Kohaku, Soyuz, Ginro, and Suika all frowned at the two. "Um...it's a long story, but...technically, Senku is the reason. He tried to negotiate with a former enemy of ours, and well...he could tell Senku was bluffing. So he used his blade..." Sumi lightly touched her lip so she wouldn't ruin the concealer. Even though it had been years, she still remembered the feeling of the blade against her skin very well...
Senku turned around so that his back was to them. Sumi looked up at him sadly.
"Senku..." Kohaku murmured knowingly; even if it seemed like he was over it, the reminder hit him much harder now that Sumi was his lover according to him. He couldn't even promise something like that wouldn't happen to her again...
"Alright, do your thing, guys," He spoke up, hands on his hips. He looked at the water with a deep frown on his face.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Amaryllis said regretfully and Sumi sighed a bit.
"You didn't know. It's okay, Amaryllis," She stated while the others held up her outfit—though Kohaku made sure the guys didn't sneak any peeks. Especially Ginro himself since he was known for that. Senku heaved a sigh, as he didn't know if it was a good idea to let Sumi participate anymore in the contest. Nothing to do with her looks, but more so that he didn't know the power levels of the men from the island. Hyoga couldn't beat her, she never thankfully went against Tsukasa to know, and she couldn't keep up with Homura. Maybe she needed to train even harder if she was going to defeat people like them in the future...
"All done!"
Senku looked back, and once he saw her, his eyes widened a bit. Sumi had on a white headband over her head, the big jasmine flower attached to the right side. The flower also had two small strings of pearls underneath. Her dress was in a light green color, sleeveless as there were some gems going along the collar. Her skirt was like Amaryllis' dress, but had a silk layer over it with flower patterns all over the fabric. It made the bottom look like her dress was literally looking into a field of flowers. Her shoes were stone heels, and her necklace was around her neck. She had on dark pink lipstick, and light pink eyeshadow. And her hair was in a braid this time, stopping at her waist and rested over her shoulder.
"Oh, you look so pretty!" Suika exclaimed at her.
"Aww, thank you!" She then stumbled a little, and Senku lunged forward to catch her. "These shoes I could do without, though. Now I'm a shoo-in for getting chosen."
"Yeah, that's right. And then—ah," Senku realized what she said...and that some of these guys might not take no for an answer. In fact, because of her upgraded looks, she might get chosen to be the master's bride, even with Amaryllis. "Wait...what?" He could just imagine them now, trying to marry her or have their way with her. Or even petrifying her if she refused them. "Ahh, you know, maybe you don't have to go. Three's more than enough, you know?"
"Eh?" Sumi then frowned, tears forming from her eyes. "You don't think I'm good enough to get in?"
Senku winced and then waved his arms around. "What? Of course I do! What kind of question is that?"
"Hmm...okay!" She brightened up at him. "Then I guess you really don't need me here after all!"
The green-haired scientist froze comically as he felt everyone staring at him. "What...what just happened?" He turned around, attempting to cover his red face with his arm. "Gen, you're influencing her too much for her to pull that off."
"Damn right she did! Well played, Mire-chan! I'm so proud," Gen smiled towards the woman.
Sumi giggled in amusement, looking up at him. "Don't worry, Senku. I can take care of myself just fine. And so can you. Focus on our mission."
"Oh, you know I'm not like that at all, you silly girl," He ruffled the top of her head and she pushed it away.
"Don't you dare mess up the hard work we just put into getting me ready for this thing!" She warned with white eyes, hissing at him like a cat.
"Guess we won't need me after all," Ginro laughed in relief, but once he said that, they all grinned widely towards him. He gave a nervous look as they surrounded him and he ran off. "NOOO-HO-HO!" He cried out as Sumi used her whip to catch him.
Ginro whined as he was put into a dress, a shadow over his body in embarrassment.
"At least they'll be too focused on her beauty to really turn an eye at our dear Mire-chan. Isn't that right, Se—ack!" Gen turned to Senku to see an intense look on his face looking at Sumi. And not because of her attire either. But because he was still concerned about the men from the island, even though usually, he found it too troublesome to get jealous. Sumi just brought out that side of him, however. Multiple times unfortunately, even if she didn't know it. "Never mind..." Gen sweated sheepishly at him.
"Maybe you guys should keep an eye on him just in case..." Kohaku sweated a little as well.
"Keep this in a safe place, okay? I don't wanna send you out there without it. And even if they find it, they won't think twice like people usually do when you use it," Senku handed over her whip.
"I don't need it, but if that's what you want," She smiled softly while taking it. She then leaned in to kiss his cheek. "We'll find everything we need if we all work together. So don't miss me too much," The woman gave him a wink.
"Heh. I'll be waiting. And hey. When you get back...we need to talk. There's something I wanna ask you..." He had a light blush over his face and she blinked up at him, anticipating something romantic. "About these beauty products, of course!" He held up the makeup with a big grin.
"What is wrong with you?!" Gen shouted at the green-haired scientist. "You two are a couple, remember, Senku?!"
"Um...okay?" Sumi raised a confused brow, not sure if she should even be mad or not surprised that he was acting like this. Considering how he was treating their relationship, it could be a good thing...hopefully.
Moz had a pleased smile on his face as they were heading over to the selection of ladies. "The selection of ladies for the inner palace is the thing I look most forward to every year," He commented as he looked at the crowd of women. Most of them looked pretty nervous as they got closer.
Gen and Senku were in the lab, the latter holding a vial. "Seems they're about to start the beauty pageant," He murmured nervously, as they had no idea how this would go.
"That's fine. We've got the mad science visual upgrades working in our favor," Senku stated, Ginro dolled up as a woman. He had a flower in his hair, makeup, and a dress, much to his chagrin on the inside.
"Mad science upgrades?" Gen asked, and thankfully, no one batted an eye at Ginro.
Senku closed his eyes with a small sweat drop on his cheek. "I really hope Sumi doesn't win. Not that I'm putting down her looks but those guys already seem like pervs. Especially that Moz prick," He gritted his teeth a little while trying to keep it together. Just because he didn't think Sumi would cheat on him didn't mean he still liked the idea of her participating if it meant she'd have to deal with Moz.
"I'm sure she'll be fine...not sure about you, though," Gen commented a bit awkwardly as Senku looked like he was about to murder someone.
"Form a line, girls! The most beautiful among you will be chosen for the inner palace. Which means you'll belong to the master! Ha ha, it's truly an honor!" One of the guards announced while Moz stepped up to admire them.
"Ooh, looks like we've got some cuties this year, too." As he approached, Kohaku, Sumi, and Amaryllis glanced back at Ginro.
"Ginro, you do know that you can't keep hiding behind us, right?" Kohaku hissed a little towards him.
"What else am I gonna do?" He complained at the three of them. "You know I'm a guy, Kohaku! I really don't want these weirdos to choose me! Sumi, protect me!" He hugged her arm and she flinched in disbelief.
"Yeah, like that's gonna work," She deadpanned a little with a red mark near her forehead. "If you could help get the lab back when I know for a fact you almost chickened out, this shouldn't be anything different."
He pouted at her as she guessed correctly over his actions on the ship...didn't mean he wanted to do this, though. "Ha. Did you just forget about our plan, or what? And Sumi's right, this shouldn't be a problem. Don't forget she and I had to get makeovers too for this."
A scream was heard and they all gasped, looking up at the top of a cliff. Ibara was holding a woman by a small piece of cloth from her dress. She was shaking in fear while he wasn't fazed in the slightest. Another islander was nearby, surrounded by the guards. "I was busy searching everywhere for that beast, but lookie here, I just so happened to turn up this adorable little thing instead. Yes, isn't she lovely? It proves that those of us who do the work should also reap the rewards."
"I'm begging you to let her go," The man nearby pleaded, holding his injury that was near his forehead. "Please, sir. We're still only just newlyweds."
Ibara had a look on his face that told the man that he couldn't care less in the slightest. "And why should that matter?" Sumi flinched from this answer; this meant that he didn't care if anyone was in a relationship either.
The man gritted his teeth while putting his hand down, grabbing his weapon from behind as he was about to attack. Idiot! One of the men nearby thought as they all stared in disbelief.
Stop! They're either gonna turn you to stone or kill you!
Amaryllis placed a hand on the man's shoulder to stop him. She then leaned down to whisper into his ear. "Please, try to calm down and play along. These guys petrified some friends of mine. I've waited for this moment for five years. This is my big chance. My group is going to infiltrate the inner palace, so we can save everyone."
He turned around with a gasp, his eyes glistening. "Amaryllis. But how? You're such a sweet and kind girl..."
"Now, let's have the other girls come introduce themselves so we can begin to make our choices," Ibara spoke up with a small grin.
"That means you," The guard next to him told Amaryllis. She gasped and then narrowed her eyes. The woman then blushed while looking towards them shyly, putting her act back on.
"Um. My name is Amaryllis. I'm sorry, I just get so nervous around big, strong men. You sure you want little ol' me to participate? I feel so shy and embarrassed right now. But I'll do my best!" She then looked away innocently. "I promise!"
Ginro, Sumi, and Kohaku looked towards her in shock at how fast she reacted. She changed her tone so quickly.
She's a pro!
"Okay!" Ibara smiled while pointing at her. "We'll take you!"
"Next up!" A guard bellowed, though no one stepped forward. It seemed no one wanted to do so, even though they knew they had to.
Here we go.
"Please don't pick me. Please don't pick me. Please don't pick me," Ginro muttered to himself while repeating this; he REALLY wanted nothing to do with this out of everyone. Even the ones that weren't speaking up.
"Next one!"
The woman next to Kohaku looked up nervously. "Oh, sir, I, uh-"
Kohaku gasped nervously, her eyes white. "Guess that means either Sumi or me are next."
Gen gave a polite smile, as he was instructing her before they even left. "I'm not totally convinced that you can pull off the cutesy, shy little girl routine like Amaryllis. So maybe you should go for the spry, energetic type, yeah? Basically, you and Sumi will switch roles. We don't want them to know your true personalities."
Kohaku and Sumi were both sweating awkwardly, since they knew of how the other would act. But not being themselves and basically imitating each other would probably be a hard sell... "Next!"
The blonde gave an awkward look while giving a thumbs up, her right eye twitching. "My name is Koha—I mean, I'm Kohaku! And fighting is like my—I mean, being full of energy is my thing. So you really oughta pick me, okay?"
"And I'm Sumi—that is, my name is Sumi!" The black-haired woman spoke up confidently while doing a spin kick. "Fighting is my—I mean, I'm tough as nails. So choose me, or you'll regret it, kay?" She gave an awkward smile at that last part.
Do we really sound like that? Both of them thought in unison about the other.
"Oh..." Ibara's hat basically acted like a scale as he couldn't really decide after...all that. "Well. That's...a tough one."
What in the heck is wrong with you guys?! That was super rough! Even when they switched personalities, it's like they only scratched the surface!
"Then again, I suppose you two are kind of attractive. Not to mention, you've got bodies that won't quit. Especially her," Ibara eyed Sumi's chest specifically, as she was more...attributed than Kohaku. Sumi flinched as his hands reached out to touch her breasts. She gritted her teeth, taking a defensive stance. "My eyes aren't what they used to be, but those curves'll work." Kohaku gave a dark look in her eyes towards Ibara's hand. "You won't be problems at all..."
She reached out to grab his hand, the other gripping his wrist. Sumi gasped in alarm, hoping Kohaku won't give them away so quick. Before she could do anything, Moz's weapon got between them, preventing Ibara from moving any further. The two gasped towards him in shock. They stared at his weapon in silence, wondering why he just did that for them. He then lifted up his weapon, some pieces of it flying towards the ground.
"What's the big idea, Moz?" Ibara turned to him a bit accusingly.
"I just saw a bee," He lied through his teeth, stepping between Kohaku and Sumi. "Comes with the season."
"A bee? Huh," Ibara murmured in thought. He then turned towards the two women. "You pass! Quite doable!"
Amaryllis let out a slight giggle, pleased that the two got through. Sumi turned away, taking a step forward as her foot flinched from the heel. She stumbled a bit, but quickly recovered so no one would notice. Kohaku turned around and started to walk away. Moz hummed to himself.
"Kohaku, was it?" She came to a stop from being addressed. "I can tell," He turned around with a small smirk. "You're a strong one, aren't you? And maybe your friend is as well." Kohaku let out a small gasp from him deducing it so quickly. She then narrowed her eyes, but didn't look at him. "You're actually just my type, the both of you. I don't have a clue what you're after, or if Sumi is in on this. But that's not my problem. Unless you try to spoil my fun at the inner palace, because then things could get very ugly." He then turned around so that his back was to her. "I'll sneak over there and find you sometime. I think we could have a lot of fun together."
She gave a small scoff. "If you come looking for a fight, I'll be ready. Sounds like a good time to me," The two then walked away from each other as if nothing happened. And no one seemed to be inclined to wonder what they talked about. Sumi glanced at the blonde as she approached.
"Thanks, Kohaku," Sumi whispered once Kohaku was back at her side. "I already can't stand those creeps. If Sen had upper body strength, he'd kill them with his bare hands."
"I wouldn't tell him about this right away..." Kohaku sweated nervously as she remembered him using a weapon against some bullies from the story of how he and Sumi met... "Maybe wait a week or so."
"Yeah, that's a good idea..." Sumi closed her eyes with a nervous look as she was thinking of the same exact thing.
"Alright, last one. You there!" Ginro gasped while looking up. "Now introduce yourself, sweetie." Ginro gave a nervous sound as Kohaku and Sumi turned to him in silence.
He did help recover the lab. And he always comes through in a pinch.
This is a tall order, but no matter what, he does the right thing. Even when he's shown to be scared.
Amaryllis clenched a fist, hoping the same thing as them since they had told her about him. Ginro then slapped his knee, trying to look as unappealing as possible. "Hey! I'm Ginro—I mean, my name is Ginrolina! And, like, I'm the furthest thing from cute, ain't I?"
Amaryllis had her wide white eyes in shock, her mouth open. I knew he didn't wanna get picked, but come on!
Kohaku groaned, a red mark on her cheek with a shadow over her eyes. Sumi pinched her nose, wanting to facepalm, but also couldn't ruin her makeup. Her raised eyebrow twitched in disbelief while looking up towards Ginro.
"A little tomboy!" Ibara exclaimed in delight. "You try to act so tough, but you can't hide the fact you're so cute! You pass, so come with us!"
Ginro screamed in horror, his jaw opening wide. Tears flew from his eyes. The three women were just as shocked as he was right about now. "I guess he really doesn't have a type!" Amaryllis commented while Kohaku and Sumi also had their mouths open.
Soon, the chosen ladies were being led to the inner palace. Ha. It was close, but we all made it through. The first hurdle has been cleared. She then looked up at their destination in the distance. We're heading toward the enemy base.
Senku then looked at a copper wire in his hand. "Now then, the petrification beam mission is on. We're about to shift into high gear," He then looked up with a smirk. "It's about time to get excited!"