The villagers were enjoying their fun, Gen denying a jug of alcohol. "Thanks, but I'm strictly a cola man."
"Never heard of it," He replied innocently, since only a few people knew about it.
He then looked up with a tight smile. "I wouldn't be able to talk business if I got drunk. And now that the village is gathered, I've got a message to deliver."
"Yeah?" Gen gasped while looking up to see Senku and Sumi arriving. The two had stopped holding hands at this point, since they'd get teased and questioned if they continued it. Sumi was hugging herself underneath her chest. "Well, let's hear it then, mentalist. What have you got?" Kohaku, Chrome, and Suika looked up at the two.
Sumi gave a two-finger salute to them in greeting with a smile. "It's the same message you wanted to tell us before the Grand Bout, isn't it?" She guessed correctly while putting her arm back down. She stood to Gen's right side.
"We can take a guess. The Tsukasa Empire?" Senku questioned next, and then there was silence. Gen had a manic smile, looking back at them sinisterly.
"He's coming!" He responded tensely to them. "And he's bringing an army!"
This earned shocked gasps from the Kingdom of Science. They all had wide-eyed looks from what he said. Gen held onto that look.
"Gen," Tsukasa spoke up to him in his empire's home base. "You haven't actually seen Senku's body, or Sumi's mental state. If he's out there somewhere alive, they'll likely discover the village and use it to build their Kingdom of Science..." He then let out a sigh. "And that would be the worst conceivable scenario. As soon as we've assembled an army, we will take the village by force. And if Sumire is there...I'll do the same myself."
Everyone looked grim after hearing of Gen's news. "An entire army of men like him?" Kohaku asked in worry, as it was what everyone else was thinking. "All of them ridiculously strong and just as ruthless?"
Gen gave a small shrug. "That's the idea, yes," He informed with a small grin. "He's been very busy reviving people and making sure that things will be comfortable for our dear Sumi."
She gave an annoyed scowl after hearing this. "Bring it on. I'm not scared of him in the slightest. We'll have to prepare for what's to come, and I know that we'll live up to that task," She crossed her arms, opening her eyes with a confident smirk towards them. Senku was excited as he cackled, on the same page as her as he gave his usual smirk.
"It's finally come to an all-out war between the Kingdom of Science and the Empire of Might! Time for a showdown. Get excited!" His eyes glistened while declaring this.
Outside the village, unbeknownst to them, something was in the distance...Ginro was standing on the bridge, looking towards the party. Kinro was standing in front of the bridge, looking towards the forest with his back turned.
"It's not fair!" Ginro whined while bending down and looking towards the village. "I wanna party!" He then looked over to his brother, annoyed that he was dragged back out here. "If it weren't for Mr. The rules are the riles, I'd be back there living it up with the rest of them right now!"
Kinro kept his gaze up ahead, not even reacting to Ginro's statement while being firm. "Protecting the village is our duty! If they're going to attack, this would be the time while we're off guard," He explained to his younger brother.
As soon as he said that, something up ahead got his attention. His eyes widened and he immediately got into a defensive stance. He didn't move his eyes away from the forest at all. "Ginro...go back and alert the others. Now!"
Ginro didn't notice the urgent voice, what Kinro was looking at, or the defensive battle stance. "Huh? About what?" He retorted in boredom as Kinro held up his shield in front of him, gripping his spear. Up ahead were several figures with weapons, all of them muscular-looking and ready to fight. Ginro recoiled back with wide eyes in terror, shaking. Kinro tightened his stance while looking at the group of men.
"If they reach the living quarters where the children are, it's over!" He explained to his little brother and Ginro glanced back in worry. "Listen, if I'm killed, cut down the bridge. Don't worry about my body!"
Ginro gasped at what he was told, staring at his brother. He didn't have time to argue...he needed to warn the others. He then turned around and ran down the bridge as fast as he could. Kinro kept his gaze up ahead, backing away further onto the bridge. Meanwhile, there was a mysterious figure standing on a bridge, watching Kinro.
"Hmm...he knows the numbers aren't in his favor, so he's hoping to lure us onto the bridge to fight him one at a time...I like it. He's a proper warrior," The mysterious figure spoke up while holding a spear of his own.
The men started to walk out of their hiding spots to approach the bridge. Kinro watched them closely, ready to strike back when needed. One of them gave a bloodthirsty smirk, and then he jumped forward to attack.
"Look at this guy trying to run away! What, are you scared of us, caveman?" He mocked the guard. Kinro struck back by slamming the end of his spear into the man's face with a yell. The man was then sent flying backwards into the others. The one who was watching Kinro from the trees stepped up to the group, scoffing a little while looking at them.
"You're even more mush-brained than I imagined if you thought you could win against a spearman on a narrow bridge. That strategy wasn't proper at all!"
The one Kinro attacked held his nose. "I think he broke my nose!" He complained in pain.
"We're sorry, Hyoga, sir," One of them apologized, the others looking the same as well.
Hyoga then looked over to Kinro, who hadn't wavered from his stance at all. His eyes were glinting from the moon above. However, the man wasn't scared at all as he approached Kinro silently. He stopped a couple feet away from him. He noticed Kinro's right eye twitching and came to a conclusion.
"Hmm, interesting...you have poor eyesight, don't you?" He deduced correctly, though didn't get a response in return. There was no way he'd confirm it for him...but he needed to be cautious of who he was facing as well.
The rest of the Kingdom of Science were still unaware of what was going on. In Sumi's case, she was too far away to smell anything from the intruders.
"And Tsukasa isn't the only major threat," Gen continued to tell them. "There's another among them who's bad ews-nay." The others gasped at someone being as dangerous as Tsukasa. "If either he or Tsukasa show up at the head of the war party...frankly, you would have no choice but to run. His name is Hyoga and he was only recently revived. I offered to go in as a spy and stir things up, lay the groundwork. So I left first before the rest of the forces. I don't know how much time it'll buy-"
"EVERYONE!" Ginro's loud yell interrupted him in the distance. They all turned to see him running towards the group in a panic. "It's happening! The enemy is attacking!"
Hyoga spun his spear so fast it could barely be seen, scraping it against Kinro's shield. His eyes widened as the wood was near his face. No! Impossible! He then slid backwards, his shield near his face while glaring at him. How is he able to move his spear so quickly?
The others raced towards the bridge, seeing Kinro fighting someone. "They're already attacking?!" Gen then looked up with unease as he knew who Kinro was going up against. "This isn't good! Do you see the guy Kinro's fighting? That's Hyoga!"
Kohaku, Senku, and Sumi all gritted their teeth while looking up ahead, knowing that they had to watch their step around him. Hyoga lunged his spear forward, and this time, it pierced Kinro in the stomach. Red blood spilled out from it. There was also some coming from his mouth as he fell off the bridge, the others watching with wide, terrified looks. Thankfully, Kinro was able to grab Hyoga's ankle before he could fall into the water.
"KINRO!" Sumi and Kohaku shouted, though the latter reacted first by drawing her draggers. She was about to run over to help him, only to be stopped by Kokuyo.
"No, stop!" He yelled while holding her back, as he didn't want her to get hurt either.
"Now!" Kinro called out weakly, trying to hold on as much as he could, so that he could stop Hyoga. "Do it! Cut down the bridge! Ginro!"
Ginro gasped in shock, sweating as he was hesitant to do so. He looked towards his spear since...Kinro was still out there. And that would mean...
"Let me go!" Kohaku screamed while struggling, trying to break free from her father. "I have to help!"
"You can't! The bridge is narrow and he's got a spear!" Kokuyo told the woman while still keeping his hold over her.
"But Kinro's going to-"
"Kohaku!" He cut her off; and Ginro was still hesitating. He could either protect everyone...or lose his brother.
"Think about the children, Ginro!" Turquoise held out her hand urgently. "We need to cut the bridge now! Hurry! Do it!"
He realized that if he didn't...innocent people could die, and that would be on him. So he had to cut it down...he slowly stepped towards the bridge, though shakily. Sumi and Senku both gasped softly while watching him, unsure if this was the right move. He then began to start moving his spear against the rope.
"You're right. I have to...cut down the bridge...and save the village," His voice was broken as he kept trying to convince himself...that this was the right thing to do. For everyone's sake. Sumi blinked while frowning towards him.
Kinro looked towards him proudly. "There you go," He mumbled, still weak thanks to the injury. "I can no longer be saved."
As soon as he heard this...Ginro stopped and he was frozen in place. A tear fell down from his eye as he stepped back, moving his arms away. He looked downwards while shaking. "I can't!" He told them, unable to stop crying. "I can't cut the bridge down! If I do that, Kinro's going to die! How can I ever kill my own brother?"
Senku bit his bottom lip, his eyebrows furrowed while trying to come up with something. His eyes were also shut. Sumi clenched a fist, her nails prickling her skin. If it was her and Senku...she wouldn't have even made the choice to cut it down. She would do something to save him. He wasn't like a brother, but he was still very important to her. Looking at Ginro and Kinro, it was the same thing with them. And then she remembered that quiz in class one day...that she or Senku wouldn't sacrifice anyone. That decision of hers wasn't about to change anytime soon.
Without warning, she leaped into the air to land a few feet away from Hyoga. Everyone gasped while staring at her in shock, Senku's eyes shaking a little. It was the same feeling of dread he had when Tsukasa cut at her lips... "Sumi...what is she doing?" Chrome murmured as Hyoga slowly looked up at her.
"A little girl against all of us? Surely you aren't that stupid as I'm led to believe," He slowly turned to her, Kinro looking at the woman in shock. She kept her fists clenched while staring down this new adversary in silence. The others continued to stare at her, as they didn't know what was going through her mind right now. Was she crazy, trying to die, or something else entirely? The guard gasped while looking at the hand gripping Hyoga's leg. He realized...that she was distracting him long enough so Kinro could get to safety. He then removed his hand, gripping the rope instead. Hyoga didn't even seem to notice or care.
"I wouldn't underestimate my skill set if I were you," She spoke up in determination, the other men stepping past Hyoga. They all smirked at her smugly while staring her down.
"We could take her."
"Step down, honey, before we bust you and the others up," Gozan said confidently to the female scientist.
Sumi blinked while the Kingdom of Science all looked on in disbelief. The black-haired woman let out a small chuckle, her tongue touching her teeth as she had an amused look. She glanced behind her silently with that same look still on her face.
"Heh. They've gone and done it now," Kohaku smirked with her arms crossed knowingly, having calmed down.
"Dumbasses," Chrome remarked in a blank tone.
"Those poor men..." Suika lamented for them, clasping her hands.
"Heh heh heh..." Senku gave his usual smirk as he knew what was about to happen. He was a little less worried now given that she wouldn't take something like that lightly. "You ten billion percent shouldn't have said that."
Sumi smiled softly, her hands in front of her skirt innocently while turning back to them. "You know, when you guys go crawling back to Tsukasa practically dead, he's gonna ask what you got beat with," She said in a polite tone. She then slowly removed her belt, tossing it to Chrome. Senku stepped up to hand her something over her shoulder. "So you tell him..." She cracked her whip into her hands. "That it was with this," She then spun the whip so that it was wrapped around her wrists. Senku gave her a big grin while stepping backwards.
"Very well, then," Hyoga spoke up after a few seconds, stepping away to be on the opposite side. "Let's test out that theory with a meager whip."
The men all yelled while running up to her. Sumi grabbed the rope next to her on the bridge. She then swung over it so that she was dangling over the water. The four looked on in confusion before she propelled her body forward so that she could flip in the air once they reached her. Hyoga stared silently at this.
"Hm. I like this one the most. She's got spirit," He commented quietly from her movements. Sumi maneuvered her body around with ease, gripping her knees while spinning. She then landed between the four men on the bridge. She swung her head around to avoid an incoming punch to the face. She then swung up her arms still caught in the whip to capture the wrist. She threw her hands down so that his fist was now downwards, right above the planks from the bridge. He gave a sound of shock as she twisted her body around to throw him into his comrade, sending them flying and landing in front of Hyoga. Her friends all gasped at her move, Senku chuckling to himself.
"Now this gets me excited," He grinned widely at her moves.
The other two reacted by lifting up their fists, thinking to ambush her. She whipped around to grab one of them by the wrist with her whip. She then leaped to run along the rope, spinning around swiftly. He screamed in alarm before she let go of him, tossing him across the bridge hard. He yelped while landing in a bush, groaning in pain. Another man ran up to her and she flipped back onto the bridge once more, her whip letting loose from her wrists. She landed between the two men, alternating between the two in quick strikes with her hands and arms. Sumi looked between the two in rapid succession so that they wouldn't catch her off guard. She then punched both of them in the face before a short split kick to knock them down. Hyoga's eyes slowly widened as the woman was left panting heavily. She stood up while shaking her hand in pain.
"Man, these guys have thick skin. Tsukasa definitely picked the right guys, alright. I could've broken my hand," She said casually as if nothing happened while catching her breath. She also had sweat dripping down her face, but otherwise was left unharmed, all the guys she took down groaning in pain. She smiled while turning back to her friends. "Everyone's okay, thankfully...no one got hurt."
"This only solidifies to remind me to never make Mire-chan angry..." Gen murmured in fear of her, shaking from his spot.
"Wow...so fast!" Kohaku smiled at the woman, impressed. "Almost as much as me."
"Impressive...let's see how you do against this!" Hyoga then rushed towards the woman, alarming the others.
"BEHIND YOU!" Kinro managed to cry out from his spot. Sumi didn't even look back, and instead flipped off the bridge to land on the side, gripping the rope. She turned her body quickly to grip the next knot to her left, doing this over and over again as Hyoga tried to strike at her. Hyoga swung down his spear right in front of her face, a single lock of hair getting cut off. The others all gasped in concern for her as she looked at Hyoga wide-eyed. She lost her balance a little as she slid down the rope. Sumi gasped while keeping her grip on the rope, looking towards the water. If she were to fall in...
"I've gotta help her!" Kohaku was about to run forward when Kokuyo stopped her.
"There's already too many people on the bridge!" He warned her as she struggled. Sumi looked back up, propelling her lower body forward to land back on the bridge in front of Hyoga, using her feet to land on the planks. She gripped Hyoga's spear with her whip, both of them glaring at each other. She then leaned backwards with one hand still gripping the rope, sending him forward. He actually stumbled towards the edge while she was still dangling from the bridge.
Heh. I was warned of her fighting skills...but for her to actually catch me off guard isn't to be ignored at all...
Sumi then gripped the spear, dangling from the end instead of the bridge now. She swung her body around with ease to flip and land back in front of Hyoga. Once her feet touched the wood, she slid backwards so that he wouldn't attack her directly afterwards. She glanced back at her friends to see them a little terrified, but relieved that she didn't fall. She turned around and ran towards them.
Leading me towards them? Does she really not care for their lives at all?
Sumi slid against the bridge, bending down to come to a stop in a crouched position. The woman looked up to see Hyoga running toward her. She then quickly spun around, cracking her whip to strike it against his face. His head moved to the side as they looked in shock for her move. It was risky, but she made the right choice.
The only way I could've struck him was from a long distance. That spear isn't easy to get close enough to make a move...so now his next thing to do now is to focus on only me. She looked up while panting, getting exhausted.
"...Heh," He responded simply and grabbed her whip, to her shock. He then tugged hard to pull her forward before she could let go of it. She gasped as they were now face-to-face. "You lasted longer than I thought you would." He then kneed her in the chin, causing her to fall backwards. She landed roughly with a grunt and then he spun his spear to approach her face with. Sumi gritted her teeth while looking up at him. "But I'll make your end as swift as you."
"Sumi!" Chrome exclaimed at her as the others looked in shock.
"NO!" Senku screamed and quickly grabbed an iron tube from Kaseki, confusing him.
"Hm? What are you planning to do with that iron tube?" He asked in confusion as Senku quickly filled it with dirt. He gave a small chuckle, though was biting his lip while glancing towards Sumi. He reached in as fast as possible to take a small clay pot from a bag. He then poured it in.
"We're down to the last of our gunpowder. Who would've thought we'd be using it for a bluff?" He glanced towards Sumi still laying on the bridge. She stared at the spear, moving her head away so that it hit the bridge plank underneath her.
I've gotta be fast, I can't let Sumire die! Not like this!
Senku then lit the iron tube on fire, Gen watching him from behind. "Huh...? Wait, eriously-say?" He asked in realization. He then ran up to Magma, who was standing with the other villagers. "You're the strongest person in the village, right Magma?"
"Yeah," He replied slowly while staring at him. Gen then held up a rock.
"Would you kindly throw this rock at the enemy? As hard as you can?"
"Huh?" Magma was both confused and doubtful. "How am I supposed to hit them from here with that? And why should I listen to an outsider like you-"
"You don't have to hit them," Gen interrupted, further confusing the blond. "Senku and Mire-chan are the chiefs. But you want to take the title away from him. How will you do that if the whole village is lost? Cooperate and you might get your chance!"
Magma fell for it as Senku lit the fuse made out of rope in the iron tube. He then held it towards Hyoga. Gen held up his arm, looking towards Magma. "Magma, now!" He swung down his arm. Magma yelled while throwing the rock as hard as he could. Then Senku's makeshift cannon fired off with a bang, catching all of them off guard. Sumi looked up in shock from the bridge, and noticed that it was a rock, but the others didn't know that.
Gen stood in front of Senku, attempting to pretend hold him off. He looked over his shoulder looking panicked. "Hyoga, quick! Take everyone and get out of here!" He then moved the cannon away and ran to the bridge with wide eyes. "We need to retreat now! This village already has guns!"
"Go!"
"Damn it!"
The enemies fell for this as they turned around and ran away. Sumi glanced up towards Gen running past her. "Come on, Hyoga! It's not safe for you either!" He gave the woman a wink as he passed by and she blinked. Hyoga didn't move away from Sumi or release his weapon away from her. He then looked up towards Senku.
"A working firearm. Which means you must be him. And I've already had a lovely introduction from your partner to know who she is..."
A shadow fell over Senku's eyes as he laughed, smirking. "It was very considerate of you guys to give us time to finish preparing! The Kingdom of Science is ready!"
Sumi moved her head backwards to look at Senku, fear coming from her eyes as that meant...he'd go tell Tsukasa about this. She tensed up at the possibility of him dying again, her eyes shaking from the thought.
"I'm sure Tsukasa will be simply delighted to hear that!" Hyoga said in satisfaction.
"Pass on a message for me! Tell Tsukasa that Ishigami Senku and Maeda Sumire are still alive!" His eyes glinted while pointing at Hyoga. "And let him know we're waiting for him! With the ten billion rifles we made using the power of science! Oh, and one last thing," He narrowed his eyes darkly. "As long as I'm standing...Sumire will never side with Tsukasa. Now get off of my science partner," He growled that last part and Sumi was shocked to see this side of him. There was a tense silence as Hyoga lowered his eyes down at the black-haired woman. She narrowed her eyes and then finally moved away from her body. His cape flew as he turned around and left her on the bridge, followed by his army.
Sumi sighed in relief once they left, standing up. She calmly walked towards Kinro still hanging onto the bridge.
"Sumi!" Kohaku ran up to her, followed by Chrome, Ginro, and Senku.
"Are you okay?" Chrome asked her in a panic. "We were worried. That was some bad fighting until he managed to get the upper hand!"
"I'm fine thanks to Senku," She smiled, gesturing to him, but he didn't react to this. She didn't register it, however, as she bent down to Kinro. Ginro shouted as he fell to his knees, Kohaku helping Sumi get Kinro onto his feet.
"He's dead!" He cried out loudly. "Kinro's dead!"
"No, I'm still alive," Kinro let out a gasp while falling onto his back. "Don't go killing me off, Ginro!"
"He's not dead, but that strike with Hyoga's spear doesn't help matters. It pierced almost straight through his abdomen," Sumi sighed lowly from his injury around his waist. She looked down at her waist, remembering that she didn't have her belt, she gave it to Chrome. Kinro took a few seconds to breathe, only to have a funnel shoved into his mouth. Sumi looked at Senku wide-eyed as he had something in his mouth.
"Acetonolide, and antifiratic and an analgesic," He stated with the cork in his mouth. He poured something into Kinro's mouth. "We had to whip up a batch in order to make the sulfa drug, and luckily, Sumi kept it on her the whole time. And now, a pinch of this!"
He threw the mixture onto Kinro's wound, shocking everyone except Sumi. She stood up with a small knowing sigh. "Sen, come on...at least do it gently..." She held out her hand and Chrome handed the woman her belt. She tied it back around her waist tight.
"Rub some of this on your wounds and you'll be fine by tomorrow. Probably. Here, have some more!" He threw it again onto Kinro and Sumi shook her head silently from him not replying.
"That soon?!" Kohaku looked up with her eyes bulging out.
"He said probably. The chances of those results are a 50-50 chance. This is the stone world after all, so I don't know if it'll fully heal him by then," She had a large sweat drop at the side of her head at him promising that. The possibility was slim, to say the least. Wounds usually took days to heal, given that they didn't open up. And considering it was Kinro, she could already tell that was gonna happen.
"You're making that up, aren't you?" Chrome questioned in shock.
"Give me that, let me at least rub it on him," Sumi held out her hand, but Senku just threw it again. She dragged a hand down her face, moving him aside. "Alright, let's get him into his hut so he can at least have some rest," She told them, Ginro and Kohaku pulling Kinro up. They then walked him over to the village. Once they stepped off, Suika ran up to Sumi. The other villagers were relieved while looking at them—well, Magma just stared.
"I'm so glad you're okay, Sumi!" She cried out while hugging her knees. Sumi just smiled at her and patted her back.
"Of course. No need to worry about me, Suika," She then turned to the green-haired scientist in realization once Suika let go of her. "Oh yeah. Good job making them think we have gu-" Senku placed his hands over her shoulders, gripping them tight. She blinked in confusion as he had a shadow over his eyes.
"Don't ever do that again, Sumire..." He told her seriously and she tilted her head.
"Eh? But why?" She couldn't help but wonder.
"Hyoga isn't someone to mess with. You proved that. And we don't need the villagers to have to fuss over the village chieftess. If you end up dead, it's game over!" He clutched her sleeves, shaking and she looked at him in shock. He faltered as he realized he could be scaring her. "...And the Kingdom of Science falls apart. So you can't just risk your life like that," He finished quietly and released her afterwards, his back turned to her. She stared at him in silence before looking away. Even if she had died today...she didn't regret her choice at all.
"Senku...I'll do whatever it takes to protect this village...and the people in it." Everyone turned to her with small gasps at her declaration. "You do realize that, don't you? Even if it costs me my life..." She turned back to him with a serious expression on her face. He clenched a fist, gritting his teeth. He could've lost her...and that would've broken him, even if he didn't show it. And that couldn't happen again.
"Don't make claims you can't justify, Sumi. I know you will...but I can't ask you to do that. Just trust in the Kingdom of Science, and we'll stop them," He then walked off to go across the bridge and she stared at him with an annoyed look.
"He doesn't mean it that way, Sumi," Chrome tried to assure her. "In his own way, he only wants to protect you. I mean, that Hyoga guy could've killed you if Senku hadn't stopped him."
"I can take care of myself," She responded thinly and walked towards the village. "I'm gonna go check on the villagers."
They all frowned in concern for both her and Senku.
The next morning, they all looked at Kinro climbing up to the science shed. They were skeptical of what Senku said from his injuries and then the guard stopped. "It doesn't hurt at all now..."
"What?!" They all exclaimed in shock that Senku would be right in that he'd be recovered today. Kinro was shaking though, his lips turned inward while trying to fight off the pain.
"Hang on. He's just acting tough," Chrome said knowingly at him. "He's still nowhere near okay!"
He glanced back in defense while his wound reopened, and he started to bleed. "I can't guard the village if I'm bedridden for some minor injury!" He didn't comment from his bleeding out. "There's no telling when those bastards will come back to attack us in full force!"
"You're so dedicated!" Chrome shouted up at the man.
Ginro closed his eyes in defeat. "Of course he's dedicated. He's still Kinro..."
Senku and Sumi were in the science shed, both of them silent. They were looking over the items in the shed together. She let out a knowing sigh while looking over her shoulder. "Kinro, I know you wanna protect everyone, and so do I. But you also can't let them take advantage of your injury if you fight them like this." He blinked as she looked a little exhausted. "So please just get some rest, for the village's sake?"
"...Yes, ma'am," He said while bowing to her. "You are the village chieftess, after all. Your rules are the rules."
She gave a weak smile, to the shock of everyone else that she managed to get him to back down. "Thanks, Kinro," She said quietly and went back to looking through the baskets.
"Yeah," Senku commented as they were looking for something. "He's got it wrong, though. We can predict exactly when they'll be coming back," Kinro peeked over to them curiously and Sumi gave him a small warning look with an annoyed grunt. He flinched and went back down the ladder.
A scream was heard from the forest. "I can't go crawling back to Tsukasa after being utterly humiliated by a bunch of weaklings!" Gozan shouted while slashing repeatedly at a tree. And given how there were other similar marks on other trees, he wasn't the only one venting his frustrations. "Damn it! Those twigs would be nothing if it weren't for their guns!"
Gen stood behind him with a smile, his hands in his sleeves. "I have a suggestion," He spoke up with a small smile. "Why not attack during a storm when they can't use their matchlocks?"
"They'll time their attack to occur during a storm because they're afraid of our non-existent rifles," Senku explained to the others.
"And after that, it'll give us enough time to think of our strategy against them. Especially Hyoga, he's the one to worry about the most out of them," Sumi closed her eyes in thought. "I just hope Tsukasa doesn't show up next time..."
He stared at her silently, as they hadn't spoken since last night. His eyes hardened a little looking at the woman, turning away. "Gen will talk them into it."
"Ah," Gozan gave a pleased smile. "I get it. Can't light fuses when it's raining."
"The outcome of our attack was less than ideal," Hyoga spoke up while sitting behind a tree. "But whining about it now is pointless. As for striking during a storm, it's such an obvious move, it might well get us killed."
"Huh?!" Gozan exclaimed in shock, he and Gen staring at him.
"Now that we know Senku and Sumire are alive and well, the tables have turned 180 degrees. Let's do this properly. We should return to Tsukasa at once and build as large an army as we can," He suggested, Gen smirking that the plan was working.
"Ha! What's the matter, Hyoga, are you scared?" Gozan mocked while pointing at him. "You're just like those villagers, aren't ya? You're a hopeless little twig without that weapon. Your kudayari or whatever you call it."
Gen then picked it up to examine it. "A kudayari? Is that the name of this spear with the little bamboo tube? I've never seen one before."
"I strongly suggest putting that down," Hyoga remarked without even looking back at Gen. "Unless you want me to kill you."
Once he heard that, Gen backed away in alarm, holding up his hands. "Ah! Right, hands off! Sorry, Hyoga!"
"It's settled!" Gozan turned to the others. "We'll attack as soon as a storm hits!"
The others cheered at this plan, Hyoga staying silent. If they're so eager for a fight...sending them against Senku and Sumire might make for a good opening gambit, after all. Considering Sumire is the more capable fighter between the two. Who knows, we may be able to win. But if those apes fight and lose, at least we'll have seen the Kingdom of Science's hand. They're not worth much in this game, even as pawns...
Sumi stood up while holding a basket of what they needed. It was still tense between the duo after last night's attack from Hyoga and the others. "...Hang on, Sumi," Senku spoke up and she turned to him silently as he had a shadow over his eyes. "I didn't mean to make you stress...about what I said last night. I'm not undermining your skills at all. I just...don't want to see you up and die on me from Hyoga."
"Uh?" She blinked in shock from him telling her this. Her heart leaped a little as she gave a soft smile and hum. "I know, Sen. Thank you for what you did and for the apology. But I wasn't stressed. I just want to protect everyone...you know that, right?"
"Yeah..." He sighed, digging a pinky into his ear. "Your stubbornness doesn't move me one millimeter with stuff like this...but I know you'll live up to that task. So I'll have to swallow my pride on this one and suck it up..."
She smiled and reached out, patting him on the head like he usually did with her. He blinked while looking up at her, his eyes glistening. "I have you to keep me safe if I need it, remember? And by being by your side...we'll protect the village from whatever they have to throw at us. Because we can do anything as a team!" She smiled brightly and he blinked, chuckling. He was never going to stop worrying...but he was going to have more faith in her when it came to her fighting skills.
"Yeah...you're right on that one..." He admitted and she bent down to hand the jar over to Chrome waiting for her.
"Come on, we've got work to do."
What they had been looking for was quartz sand for glasses and another item to help face off the army. And once they were done, Sumi gently placed a pair of glasses over Kinro. Ginro gasped in shock as they watched her put them on him. And he was fully healed at this point thanks to the drug Senku gave him, though Sumi did order for someone to rub it on him for more effect. Sumi stepped back with a smile once she finished putting them on. He looked handsome in them as his eyes glinted a little.
"Oh, man, he looks like a badass!" Chrome grinned while pumping a fist.
"I like them," Sapphire admired him, a hand on her cheek.
"And those should cure his fuzzy eye sickness?" Turquoise wondered while looking on from behind Magma.
"Sorcery or science, whatever you call it, it's impressive," Kokuyo stated with his arms crossed, awed by what the two chiefs can do with science.
"I'm so glad Kinro won't have to deal with the fuzzy sickness anymore!" Suika said happily, wearing her new watermelon mask that the two made for her. And this time, there was no crack over them like she had last time.
Kohaku glanced down at the little girl, noticing it. "Oh hey, you got some new glasses too, huh?"
"Sure did!" Suika smiled while pointing at it. "Different than Kinro's, but this just feels more right for me, you know?" The leaves started moving back and forth.
"To give her anything other than that mask would be a disservice," Sumi chuckled in amusement. Suika preferred wearing it anyway, so she wasn't going to argue with what the girl wanted for herself. Her name did mean watermelon, after all.
"That's not all the scientific battle prep we're doing either," Senku replied while carrying a basket of charcoal. He placed it down in front of the furnace.
"The man in the black mask is quite formidable," Kohaku pointed out and he turned around to her. "Even Sumi couldn't hold him off for very long last night. Do you have some way to use science to fight him?"
"Yeah," He remarked as Sumi walked over to him. "You and the rest of the battle team are gonna be in tears when you see what it is." Kaseki joined the two as Sumi cracked her hands, ready to work. "It's time to show off your skills," He smirked down at the old man. "Are you ready?"
Kaseki hummed in response as the two bent down to whisper. Kohaku looked on with curiosity, since she couldn't hear anything they were saying. Once he was aware, Kaseki's eyes lit up as he was excited. "Oh yeah! You better believe I'm ready!" He then ripped off his clothes as he was fully naked to show his muscles.
"NO!" Sumi shouted while turning away, her eyes covered. Sapphire, Garnet, and Ruby let out squeals as they protected their eyes. Kohaku did the same while Chrome looked on with a shadow over his eyes.
"Just the thought of crafting does disturbing things to his muscles..." Kohaku mumbled as Senku placed a hand on Sumi's shoulder. He then guided her to the charcoal. She removed her hand as they both picked it up.
"We need to hurry and get started! There's no time to waste! We're in a race against the storm and we can't afford to lose now!" He told them firmly while looking up.
"It could be a day or even a few hours before the storm comes!" Sumi told them with narrowed eyes. "Therefore, we can't afford to let time pass us by when they show up. So let's get this thing going, guys!"
"Heck yeah!" Chrome shouted in agreement as they started up the furnace.
"All hands on deck, Ishigami Village!" Sumi and Senku exclaimed in unison.
"RIGHT!" They all shouted while getting into their positions.
And soon, the storm had arrived. The only thing heard was the strong winds while the leaves flowed around. Dark clouds were coming in and Kohaku was standing by the main bridge. Her blonde hair was blowing from the wind and she kept her eyes forward. A small frown was on her face. "A powerful wind is blowing in from the mountains," She murmured to herself.
Gozan laughed with a big grin on his face, looking up towards the sky. "It's a storm! And we only had to wait three days. The heavens are obviously on our side." He, Hyoga, Gen, and the rest of the army were in the forest near the village. "Let's see how they fight without their guns!" He laughed while the others stepped forward. Hyoga was the last to move, Gen staring at him from behind in silence. He kept trying to figure Hyoga out...but he couldn't.
Back at the village, two figures were standing next to each other hand in hand. Sumi had her eyes closed as her hair danced behind her in the wind, along with her ribbon. They knew the time was approaching as they turned to each other silently. Both of them didn't need to say anything to each other as they slowly nodded to remember their promise. They then looked back up ahead, Senku's hand tightening around hers a little. He knew he could trust her to hold her own against them when needed. In the horizon, they were approaching, both of their stances unwavering. Hyoga was following close behind while the two didn't move. That is, until they heard the sound of bare feet, looking behind them. They were coming in fast.
Senku grabbed his lighter for the gun. As soon as he pulled it up, a gust of wind came to put the flame out, to his shock. Sumi had a wide-eyed look as well as the enemies were passing onto the bridge. Senku looked panicked while standing near Sumi protectively. Gozan laughed as Sumi sweated a little...and then they both smirked, their eyes shining a little. Suddenly, five figures came in out of nowhere from the sides of the bridge. These figures were all Kohaku, Magma, Ginro, Kinro, and Kokuyo. Sumi grinned, bending down while pulling out a katana hidden behind her back in a swift motion. She then leaped into the air to join the others as they were all holding katana blades as well. They all looked like samurai while lunging forward.
"They have Japanese Katanas!" Gozan exclaimed in disbelief at the sight. Sumi backed up towards Senku with a pleased smile, holding her blade straight and true at her right side. He let out a chuckle from the looks on their faces, as this was exactly what they wanted.
"These are the most powerful weapons in the stone world!" They then started slicing at the enemy's weapons. "The blades of science!"
Hyoga stared at the six katana wielders. "Proper weapons," He looked on from the back, impressed with these efforts. "I like it. Well done, Kingdom of Science!"
"They might not be perfectly finished, but they'll do the job," Senku smirked with his arms crossed. Magma then sliced through Gozan's weapon, Kinro attacking two of them.
"I can see clearly. This is the power of glasses!" He declared as Ginro swooped down to slice at tonfas.
"I have Magma, Kohaku, Kinro, and Sumi by my side! We can do this!"
"Ha!" Kohaku sliced two stone weapons to pieces. "It cuts through their weapons easily!"
Kokuyo attacked two enemies with a serious look on his face. "So this is the power of science!"
"Even though they're not how we wanted them, they're still enough to beat you!" Sumi grabbed two weapons with her whip, bringing them forward to slice them in half. Once she did, she jumped and landed swiftly next to Senku, bended down with one hand touching the bridge. She smirked while standing up by his side.
"Damn it!" One of them growled at their defeat, not pleased at all for being beaten twice now. "How did they make blades like that?"
"We're screwed!" Another one exclaimed nervously, stepping back a bit. "Their weapons are stronger!"
Senku and Sumi smirked while their bangs were flowing to the right side of their faces.
Something was burning in the furnace. Two villagers were pumping air into it. "Get it up to 1200 degrees with pine coals," Senku started off while Shovel walked by with materials. "When the flame turns people, it's ready!"
"The more you burn it, though, the more weak the metal will be. So unlike other minerals or metals, it's important that we don't overheat it this time."
Senku and Chrome held the hot piece of metal for Kaseki. He and Sumi pounded at it, Sumi enjoying herself doing something like this. "Smack the hell out of the metal for a while to get rid of the impurities. Then we fold it, fire it up again, and hit it some more!"
"And this process is really fascinating. Swords were made in early 1,000 BC, though most people usually associate the date in 794," Sumi explained with a bit of a cheerful tone. She and Kaseki hit the metal together again.
"This folding process is called orikaeshi tanren," Senku continued as he and Chrome watched. "Doing it repeatedly powers up the iron. It's hot, sweaty, brutal work for the craftsman!" He stood up with his hands on his hips. Sumi stood up, wiping her sweaty forehead. "And you have to do it at least 10 times!"
Chrome looked at him in shock, Kaseki sounding surprised as well. "That's bad!"
"Relax, we're not going that drastically," Sumi chuckled at his expression.
"To make a real Japanese katana, but we won't do it that many times. Just twice," Senku finished with a small smile.
"And that's enough?!" Chrome looked at them with wide eyes, still trying to process everything he was learning from them.
"It has to be, Chrome. Doing it 10 times for multiple katanas would slow us down, and we have a short deadline," Sumi smiled with her arms behind her back. "Doing it twice should make the metal malleable enough."
Senku chuckled, patting her on the head. "Yup, that's right. We have modern science to thank for that bit of knowledge. We looked at the crystalline structure of metal and realized it was basically done after 2 folds. And like Sumi pointed out, we aren't katana artisans. We're going for speed. Any step science lets us skip, we skip."
"But now we get to the fun part!" Sumi cheered while clenching her fists as they watched Kaseki paint the blade with something.
"What's more important than folding is the quenching," Senku explained what he was doing. "The plate cooks right through turning into martensite side as it does. But the part we coated in clay paste bakes less, becoming semi-ferrite." Kohaku and Chrome stood to the side, as they weren't able to understand it. Sumi giggled and was about to simplify it when Kaseki spoke up.
"Let's see. I don't know much about the science behind it. But the point is, the blade itself is made strong for cutting and the blunt edge is made flexible for parrying. That's the idea, right? Pretty amazing!" He stated and the two gave wide grins, chuckling.
"No big surprise there. We figured a craftsman would understand."
"You're exactly right, Kaseki!" Sumi smiled brightly at him.
"Yeah, the difference between the 2 sides is the key. That's what makes the Japanese katana the most powerful blade in the world!"
"And plus, they just look awesome as hell!" Sumi's eyes shined at the thought as a chibi head.
"Yeah, that too," Senku smirked in agreement with her, also a chibi head.
Katana acquired!
"Sumi?" She glanced down at Suika speaking to her. "Is…there something I can do, please?" She looked up pleadingly and Sumi smiled.
"Let's see," She reached behind her to unclasp her necklace. Suika gasped as Sumi bent down to her. "The work we're doing, I can't let this get burned or damaged this time around. So could you put it somewhere else safe for me? I know that you'll hide it real good. It's really important to me. I should have something for you to do when you get back."
She beamed at being trusted with the object, taking it tightly. "You can count on me!" She leaned in to whisper into Sumi's ear of where she'd hide it and Sumi nodded in approval.
The enemies were surrounded by the katana-wielding team. One of them growled as they knew that they weren't winning this one. Not to mention, they had no more weapons to fight with. "Our weapons are breaking apart!"
"It's not only your weapons that are being broken. Your feeble minds are shattering as well," Hyoga spoke up while walking up to them. "Which I imagine is exactly what Senku and Sumire wanted to accomplish. Hence their little display with the Japanese Katanas..." Magma gasped a little while watching, and he leaped into the air, spinning his spear. "But your katanas are no match for my kudayari and my kanryu-style of spear fighting!" Magma was caught off guard while looking at the spear spinning fast in a circle.
It's round, like the moon. What's going on?
Because he was distracted by the spear, he wasn't able to stop the attack. The spear gave him some small cuts on his hand, wrist, and the side of his head. This caused him to drop his katana.
"MAGMA!" Sumi screamed while rushing forward as fast as she could. Hyoga then attacked Kohaku next, and she was barely able to block it off. The spear knocked her backwards as Sumi gasped at this. Ginro was next, and Kinro stepped in front of his brother. The shield thankfully blocked off the attack as Magma's katana fell towards the water. Sumi approached next, Kokuyo bending down in front of her. She leaned her back onto his, flipping to land in front of him. Hyoga, however, knocked her down easily. She grunted and stood up, all of them staring in disbelief at the white-haired man. Their bodies were tense while anticipating his next move warily.
This spearman's in a different league! It's like Gen said, he's the real threat here.
Speaking of the mentalist, he popped up from behind a bush near Hyoga. "Magma, Kohaku, Mire-chan, and Kinro are the strongest fighters in the village! Bring down those 4 and victory will be yours for the taking, Hyoga!"
"Thanks so much for the advice, Gen," Hyoga replied, as he wasn't surprised by Gen's appearance at all. "Not that I couldn't have seen it for myself!"
"That Gen bastard is helping the enemy! What the hell?" Magma looked on with murderous eyes.
"Did he switch back over to their side?" Kohaku mumbled, but they still heard her. Her eyebrows were narrowed as she was confused but also angry. "That sneaky rat!"
Sumi looked on in concentration, as Gen at this point didn't say it for no reason. "Hold on," She held up a hand in front of the two while staring up ahead. "That's not what he's trying to tell us. He wouldn't give up this strategy unless it benefited himself," She chuckled while the two were confused. "Classic Gen. But this can also only work...if Senku trusts me," She glanced back at him and he nodded silently at her. He knew that she'd pull through this time.
"She's right, calm down," Kinro kept his eyes straight ahead. "He's saying we need to join forces. It's the only way we're going to defeat this guy."
"Alright," Magma took Ginro's katana from him.
"Hey, give that back. It's not yours!" Ginro complained at this, but he was ignored. Kohaku turned to Kinro and Sumi.
"Then let's do this, Kinro and Sumi. Magma!" However, he was already charging at Hyoga with a yell. "He's not even listening!"
"Well, that's Magma for you," Ginro called out a bit nervously.
Kohaku just huffed while the two turned to her. "Whatever...We can still coordinate our attack! Magma will block his view. While he does, you give me a boost. And then Sumi will go in for the final blow," She told the two.
"Right. You got it!" Kinro agreed and Sumi nodded at her.
"Alright, go!" The black-haired scientist waved a hand up ahead and they ran forward.
"Uh, a boost for what?" Ginro questioned in utter confusion. Hyoga spun his spear in a circle, and Magma blocked it off with the katana. From behind, Kohaku jumped up, landing on Kinro's blade. She then yelled as she launched herself in the air above Magma's head. Sumi slid in from the side, rushing forward with her blade ready. Hyoga saw this and moved his blade forward towards Kohaku. Sumi gasped while running as with the speed she was going at, she could get hit as well. Both of their eyes widened in shock.
Huh? He can still react to an attack from above?
I should've known. Gen did warn us that he was dangerous...and this is why.
Kohaku tried to find the right spot. If I can just strike the first blow! She gasped as she noticed Hyoga's hands. He's twisting his wrist to spin the tip around! Moving that fast, I can't tell where it is!
She gasped as the spear was incoming towards her. "Kohaku!" Sumi pulled out her whip to throw it at the spear. Before she could get hit, however, the spear tip broke off from its pole. Both Hyoga and Kohaku froze, Sumi sliding to a stop as she recoiled her hand back. Her whip fell limp on the grass between them. Hyoga stared at his weapon in silence while Kohaku landed safely.
"The tip broke off?" Kinro looked on in shock.
"I didn't see that one coming..." Ginro commented, sharing the expression as his brother. Hyoga studied his weapon and then narrowed his eyes.
"A cut that precise couldn't have been made with stone tools. And it was well hidden. With enough force, the spear falls apart. It's almost like magic, isn't it?"
"For eal-ray?!" Gen called out from behind in fake concern. "Who would've done such a thing?" Hyoga then remembered something from a few days before.
A kudayari?" Gen held the weapon from behind the tree. "Is that the name of this spear with the little bamboo tube?" As he spoke, he started to rub at the rope with his fingers. All part of the plan from the Kingdom of Science.
"I have to admit, Gen," Hyoga spoke up, his head faced down. "I'm impressed. You did a proper job! You filled the role of filthy turncoat quite well!"
"No!" Gen cried out in a fake hurt tone, having some tears in his eyes. "You don't really believe that, do you? I would never betray your trust!" Hyoga silently turned to him, as he wasn't falling for this act at all. The mentalist let out a few whines before recoiling back. "Well, damn!" He had a creepy smile on his face. "You had me figured out already. Guess I can't put anything past you."
Ruri, Chrome, Kaseki, and Suika looked on from the opposite side of the bridge. Suika especially stared in concentrated silence.
Kaseki and Chrome were still hitting the iron for the blades while Senku and Sumi stood in front of Suika. "Suika," He spoke up while holding something in his hand. "Go and give this to Gen."
"Hmm?" Suika looked up in confusion, her dog Chalk next to her. "But he went off with those bullies of Tsukasa's to who knows where. So how am I supposed to find them?" She couldn't help but wonder, her eyes wide.
"What's this?" Sumi blinked down at her with an amused smile, hugging herself. "Aren't we putting faith in the right person for the job?"
"A mentalist like them would've left signs for us to follow. Signs that only we would be able to recognize. Which makes this a job for...Detective Suika!" Senku gave her a small smile.
"Ah, not just Detective Suika," Sumi bent down to the little girl, smiling and patting her on the head. "We're relying on our Great Detective Suika to pull this off," She then stood up, pumping a fist with a big smile. "We know you can test your limits! And when you see him, you'll hand over this to Gen. Just make sure you stay out of sight, though," She handed Suika the item. "And don't worry, he'll know what to do with it."
"Ha ha!" Suika beamed happily at the two, determined to do it and be useful. Sumi waved to her as she left.
"You really are like a mom," Senku suddenly spoke up with a smirk and her face turned red at what he just told her.
"T-That's not it at all!" She turned to him with a pout and he merely chuckled.
Suika then looked through the forest with Chalk, but didn't see anything yet. They both scoped the ground for a clue, and Chalk barked. He ran over to some flowers on the ground, howling. Suika examined them in confusion.
"Hey, look at that. I've only ever seen these flowers in the sun before. What are they doing in the shade?" She placed a finger near her chin in thought. Chalk barked again as he ran over, seeing more of the same flowers not too far away. He and Suika followed the trail of flowers and she realized something. "The forest here is my playground, so I can tell! These are the signs that Gen left for us to find!"
They followed the flowers, freezing as up ahead were Gen and some of their enemies. She hid behind a tree and Gen flinched as he felt a familiar presence. He glanced behind him as she tossed a small knife over. He caught it with ease, glancing down at the dagger. He then realized what it was for, just like Sumi told Suika.
A flurry of petals went past Hyoga, and they followed towards Gen. "Do you know this flower?" Hyoga looked up as Gen was standing on one of the bridge's pillars. "It makes for an effective signal if your allies are familiar with natural science," The mentalist had a smirk on his face, and then he tossed the knife back to Senku. Sumi just smirked while holding her katana to the side. "Black nightshade, an old favorite of mine, and one I frequently used on stage," He then had a gleeful smile on his face. "In floriography, it means liar."
"Heh. A great one to describe how Gen operates," Sumi replied with a hand on her hip. "With how he's always tricking others and sometimes lies to get them to do what he needs."
"If you weren't Senku's science partner, I'd snatch you up in a heartbeat, Mire-chan," Gen smirked at her, and Senku looked annoyed.
"When did you two get so buddy-buddy?" He raised a brow and Sumi scoffed, giving a small shrug.
"Yeah, no. Gen's my friend and all, but I'm taken by science," She gave a small amused smile, closing her eyes. "Still waiting for me to say you're my best friend, huh? Sorry, Gen. Senku's got that spot down pat."
"Just one. Damn. Time!" Gen emphasized in agony while dropping his shoulders. "That's all I want..." He whined with fake tears streaming down his face.
Senku gave a playful smile at the two. "You know, it still catches me off guard when you're so brutal, Sumi. It's honestly getting a little exhilarating for me," Sumi blinked in surprise while staring at him, and he was unfazed by it. He then looked back at the knife. "Wow. You made a pretty good cut there, mentalist. Your wit's almost as sharp as our weapons."
"I knew we could rely on you, Gen. Never a doubt in my mind," Sumi smiled and he gasped from her praise.
In their imagination, Gen, Sumi, and Senku were wearing kimonos while holding blades, like true samurai. "We've bested you, with our blades of science!"
There was then silence as the Tsukasa Empire and the Kingdom of Science stood face-to-face with each other.