Angel: I was gonna put the ending song in this chapter, but it got started halfway through because of the ending in general. So I'm gonna put it into the next chapter. And also, guys, it's fine if you wanna give me ideas for the My Hero Academia story. I'm halfway through season one already. But please watch your wording, because the way it can be written I'm not gonna take well. 'Make the love interest this person' does not mean I'm gonna do it. The love interest for the story has already been decided. I'm not gonna spoil it, but I tend to choose stuff like that before I even start writing. Please don't come at me with requests to change the love interest because I already had a lot to choose from. Alright, can we do that, please? Thank you!
Soyuz was rowing the science team back to the Sapphire Cave. "Alright. It's finally time to bring our god-tier craftsman, Kaseki, back to life," Senku explained to everyone, including Sumi on the phone. He then gave a small chuckle. "I'm ten billion percent sure he'll have a bad-ass drone ready in no time."
Soon, Kaseki's statue was already reassembled in front of them. Suika smiled after putting on a clump of kelp over his body. "Just a little splash and we can rock n' roll!" Senku stepped forward, holding a beaker of revival fluid. He held it up, about to pour it on him.
"Whoa!" Gen ran to stand in front of the green-haired scientist, waving his arms. "Hold it, Senku! Don't be asty-hay!" He held the wrist that was holding the beaker of revival fluid. He then placed a hand on the scientist's shoulder, who just looked at him in shock. "Not that this is too unceremonious or anything...though I guess that's somewhat part of it. Look!" He pointed a stick at something from Kaseki, showing that the statue was missing a big piece from his back. "Either Kaseki had a giant birthmark right here, or a sizable piece of his back is still MIA."
Soyuz yelped as he and Suika looked in shock. He didn't even notice that when he and Ryusui went onto the rescue dive. "Wow, you're right!" The little girl exclaimed in disbelief.
"So?" Senku replied carelessly while stepping forward, twisting the cork. "Thing'll heal right up thanks to the restorative effects of the revival process." It was the same feeling he had about seeing people naked when they were revived in that he himself didn't care.
"Sure," Ryusui remarked while rubbing his chin. "But it's bound to leave a brutal scar, though. Like the ones on Senku, Sumi, and Gen's mugs."
"Well, the cracks on their faces look cool," Suika looked up at the mentalist and scientist right next to her. "But Kaseki's mark...kinda looks like a..." They looked back at it as it literally looked like...well, a piece of poop. And if they revived him looking like that, it was bound to be super embarrassing for him, even if he might end up not caring. "I'd hate to have something shaped like that permanently carved into my skin!"
"This is the age of the stone world," Senku commented while picking at his pinky. "No one gives a crap about that crap." He just thought that no one should really care—unless Sumi ever got petrified and he had to see her naked. Then he might...just might feel differently about the whole thing.
"No, I'm sure some of us still do," Gen argued while examining it again.
"Let's just pour it on him," Senku held up the beaker again and the mentalist stood up.
"Hmm, I might need to try a different approach," Gen rubbed his chin in thought. He then grinned maliciously as he came up with something. He pressed his fingers against his throat as his hair suddenly turned into Sumi's. Just like when he impersonated her mom, his head was now Sumi's head. "Senku, don't you dare revive Kaseki with a petrification scar that'll look like that for the rest of his life!"
He spat in shock while turning around, coughing in disbelief as it sounded just like his lover. Ryusui looked at Gen wide eyed as the mentalist cleared his throat. "Or at least, that's probably something she'd say if she knew your intentions. Wouldn't be surprised if she already had a feeling," He shrugged a little as he didn't seem to notice their baffled expressions. Luckily, the cell phone wasn't on yet for Sumi to actually hear it.
"Wow, it sounded just like her!" Suika cried out in shock.
"Yeah, he's gotten practice doing her mom's voice, and now it's come full circle..." Senku cleared his throat in embarrassment; if Sumi were here, and Gen still attempted that voice, he would've for sure mistaken the two. "But don't ever do that again, it's freakin' weird hearing you do her own voice unlike Lillian."
"It was a last resort kind of thing," Gen chuckled a bit awkwardly. "But at least it worked..."
"Fine," Senku sighed in defeat. "If the chance of that impression coming back is zero and we wanna play it safe, we can wait until Taiju gets back from his errand." Something told him that Gen was gonna keep doing Sumi's voice unless he backed off...
"Taiju?" Ryusui wondered curiously and was just now noticing the recently revived friend wasn't around. Heck, he wasn't even in the boat on their way back. "Where did he go?" As he spoke, Senku walked up to the cell phone to get into contact with Sumi.
Something swam in from the water, and they looked at the incoming person in alarm. Taiju lifted up his head, coming in fast from the river. He then leapt up with some stone pieces in his hands; though unlike Ryusui, he still had no clothes. "Hey, check it out, everybody!" He splashed everyone from jumping, and plus some of them did not need to see his...parts. "I just gathered a buncha parts!"
"Whoa, how'd you do that?" Soyuz wondered; without oxygen tanks anymore, that rescue dive wasn't happening again for him and Ryusui. So the fact that Taiju pulled it off without even so much as a loss of breath was impressive. "There aren't any oxygen tanks left."
"How? Freediving!" Taiju answered cheerfully while putting down the pieces he just got. "I can hold my breath for a couple of minutes, easy! And I already knew where they were thanks to you, so ha! Piece of cake! If we're talkin' endurance, then I'm your guy! Although I gotta admit, Sumi had a small part too. We used to see how long we could hold our breath when I was camping with her and Senku!"
Senku gave a small amused chuckle to himself. Usually, Taiju would win, and Sumi would have to cook a lot of food for him whenever they betted...sometimes Taiju would just let her off the hook though, knowing how hard she worked every day just for survival. She was the one cooking and hunting for the three, after all. And that was on top of being Senku's science partner, helping him trying to figure out the de-petrification.
"Which fragment is the one Kaseki's missing, though?" Gen wondered while examining the pieces in front of him.
"That I couldn't tell ya!" Taiju replied in the same cheerful tone. "Best just to get all of 'em!" He waved and turned around to run off.
"Hang on!" Ryusui called out after him. "Your brute strength is incredible, but there's no way you can retrieve every single piece-"
"Not in one go!" Taiju interrupted while swimming away. "But I can bring 'em back little by little! It's gonna take a few hundred trips, but that's totally doable!"
Sumi, who was now listening in, let out a small giggle to herself. Taiju always worked hard for others, even if it meant he had to do what seemed like grueling labor. For him, it wasn't really a problem thanks to his infinite stamina.
"Um, please save some of your crazy strength and take a boat," Soyuz spoke up nervously, offering to row Taiju there. If he swam back and forth constantly, then he'd at least feel a little tired from the constant trips.
"Oh! Good thinking!" He exclaimed in alarm.
"He said it's gonna take a few hundred trips like they're casual strolls through the woods," Suika commented in disbelief, her, Gen, and Ryusui just staring at him. They honestly couldn't believe how chill he was about the whole thing.
"I love how shocked you guys are even after all the time you've spent with him!" Senku laughed out loud at their reactions behind them. "You haven't figured out that Taiju defies logic on the regular!" He continued laughing, tears flying from his eyes. Just like with Yuzuriha's crafting skills, Taiju's strength wasn't really a surprise to the four childhood friends. Senku and Sumi were really the only ones who could have that effect anymore regarding the four. Mainly because of their intelligence and plans.
Gen gave a small chuckle himself. He then turned towards Soyuz and Taiju with a small smile on his face. "Well, there is one thing that I fully grasp now. I was baffled by how Senku, Mire-chan, and Taiju got on like a house on fire despite being polar opposites. But you three all have the same resilience. Never folding in the face of adversity."
Senku gave a small laugh to himself, as he could agree on some level. Sumi gave a small smile from what she heard. Kohaku had said something similar, actually. But it was just a matter of not only their bond, but also their skill sets as well that complimented each other back then. "Yeah...that's how we all met, actually. Well, technically, I met Sumi first. She and Taiju became friends right after she and I became science partners," He smirked with his hands on his hips. "She was facing some bullies that were after my latest science project and the next thing we knew, he came in out of nowhere like a bull, heh heh...and we were inseparable since then up until we parted ways."
Suika and Gen smiled a little towards Taiju, seeing that Sumi got along with almost everyone, so Taiju wasn't any different. And to Senku and Taiju, they saw her as invaluable for not just being cheerful, but for her own strengths she brought to the table.
The sun started to set and Taiju had returned with even more pieces. Suika then placed the mark matching Kaseki's onto his back. "That chunky hunk was the perfect size to fill Kaseki's poop hole!" The little girl shouted happily, tears flying from her eyes.
"Yes, you're technically correct, but please mind your phrasing..." Gen warned her gently; that sounded terrible out of context...
"Whatever man," Senku stood over the statue. "It's splashy time!" He quickly poured the revival fluid over Kaseki without any more hesitation.
"No ceremony at all?!" Gen shouted at him in disbelief—although part of him shouldn't really be fazed...Kaseki then started to glow, and he formed into skin. The top of his head shined as his hand was then revived last. He made it into a fist, standing in the same pose still. Ryusui then looked at the kelp around his waist.
"No clothes to spare for our god-tier craftsman?" He wondered in confusion.
"The dude's rockin' that kelp," Senku gave a small smirk, a hand on his hip. "It's fine. Sumi must be having a field day right about now, though," He grinned towards the cell phone. And indeed, Sumi was laying down on the bridge, smoke coming from her ears as her face was red from embarrassment. Her eyes were also white as she wasn't responsive, her soul trying to escape. Amaryllis, Ginro, and Kohaku all yelped at her in alarm.
"W-What happened?!" Amaryllis stammered as Kohaku bent down to her.
"Oh wait...yeah, we've seen this before. She usually reacts like that because of someone being naked or just having to imagine it," Kohaku gave a nervous knowing smile. "And since she's still wearing the earring, I'm guessing Senku was teasing her about it..."
"He really loves doing that, huh?" Ginro deadpanned a little.
While she was happy that Kaseki was revived, she also didn't want to imagine him naked...
"Isn't she an expert with medicine, though?" Ryusui sweated a bit at the irony. "Doesn't she realize that it shouldn't be that big of a deal?"
"A question that even I can't answer," Senku sighed slowly at this before giving a trademark smirk. "Makes for a great bit though, heh heh!"
"Eally-ray?!" Gen shouted from behind the two of them, his eyes bulging from both Senku's casualness and his delight in teasing Sumi about her...qualms. "And yet you can't even bring yourself to tell Sumi to her face that you love her."
"I didn't ask for your opinion on my relationship," Senku deadpanned, hands on his hips. "Especially about something that I didn't want to happen like that."
"WAIT, YOU WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Taiju shouted and he picked at his ear in annoyance. "Wow, Senku! I can't believe you finally told her," He smiled happily at his friend. "She must've been really happy to hear that, huh? After she's loved you for thousands of years!"
"It was ten billion percent illogical the way I even told her," Senku grunted a bit. "It's ridiculous how much guys even stress over this," He placed a hand on his forehead. He didn't even think he'd be like this himself until he had even told her...to him, he just found it to be awful timing, though if Sumi could talk to him, she'd probably be like a schoolgirl right about now gushing over a boy band or something. He wouldn't even be giving this a second thought if it wasn't Sumi. I can't believe you've got me worrying over cliché stuff like this, you dummy.
Kaseki let out a gleeful laugh. "So that's how it feels to have your whole body petrified!" He gushed while clasping his hands. Suika then started to mimic him. "Marvelous! Though I'm a first timer, I was thrilled from start to finish!" He then spun around, stretching out his arms and legs.
Ryusui gave an amused laugh. "Oh, yeah. All of you Ishigami people are new to the stone thing."
"Since it entails being motionless, powerless, and fearful of what might happen, I would call it harrowing before marvelous or thrilling," Gen commented since that was definitely what he felt before he fell unconscious. And what a majority of the whole world felt as well. Plus, even without that, Senku once felt the pit in his heart being alone counting for thousands of years. So marvelous was the last word he'd use right about now.
"Harrowing?" Kaseki asked in utter disbelief. "I was perfectly relaxed because I knew you fellas would crack me out with science! My confidence in that didn't waver for a second, not even the tiniest bit!" Gen, Senku, and Ryusui all smiled for Kaseki's full faith in them. Sumi, having calmed down, smiled as well—though the less she thought about him without clothes on, the better. Suika, Taiju, and Soyuz looked happy towards him as well. "And now, for some reason, I'm feeling as spry as I did in my younger days!" He jumped around, doing a handstand. "What's up with that?" He then did a cartwheel, doing another handstand.
"Yup, that's how the restorative effects work," Senku explained, digging his pinky into his ear. "I'm sure an old fossil like you had arthritis and stuff that got cured." Kaseki flipped to land back on his feet, holding out his arms. The green-haired scientist then chuckled, relieved that they could finally make headway with their mission. "And I've got just the job for ya, Kaseki 2.0. Assuming you're up to the task of building something," He held up the road map.
"Hm? Like what?" Kaseki stared at him curiously.
Senku then opened up the scroll to show him. "A drone," He answered simply to the craftsman.
"A d-d-d-d-!" The old man stammered with wide eyes. "A drone?!" He pumped a fist before the kelp just broke right off of his waist.
"I completely forgot you do that!" Gen exclaimed at this reaction. "You're gonna need a stronger outfit!"
Kaseki glanced to the side...before noticing the wrecked lab. "Oh, no! I can't work without my beloved mobile lab!" He fell to his knees in dismay. Senku gave an innocent laugh while rubbing the back of his neck.
"Guess your first project isn't the drone..." Gen murmured at this; well, at least Sumi didn't have to worry about the lab now either...
Kaseki got right to work on rebuilding the mobile lab. Meanwhile, the others were piecing back together the pieces Taiju had gotten for them. Taiju gathered up more pieces from the boat, Soyuz doing the same. Senku rolled out the paper for the drone blueprint.
"Alright, we gotta start somewhere, and I say that somewhere should be with the propellers!" He exclaimed with a big grin.
"Ah, yes," Gen looked wide-eyed, since...otherwise, they wouldn't be able to take the weapon without them. "A feature that many would deem essential."
"The blades have to be extremely light," Senku plucked a bird feather with some tongs, and then placed them into a brown liquid. "So we'll gather some bird feathers, or pluck 'em if need be, and duck 'em in plastic," He then carefully moved the feather out of the plastic coating. "Once coated, we'll adjust them by hand." Kaseki then started to carefully work on the bird feather in his hand. "Trial and error will be quicker than explaining aeronautic theory. Oh, one more thing. There's a key item we need Kaseki to make for us," He pointed at something near the bottom of the paper. "And that'd be a fidget spinner!"
"Ah, yes. That's quite essential too," Although unlike his last statement, Gen then flinched with wide eyes. "You wanna waste resources on a frivolous children's toy?!" He screeched down at the green-haired scientist.
"This is the furthest thing from a waste though, Gen. If Sumi were here, she'd be all over these things. Or maybe I'm giving her too much credit," He glanced up in thought with his arms crossed. Sumi looked a bit annoyed with a red mark on her cheek, having recovered from the Kaseki incident.
It's a freakin' fidget spinner. I'm not that immature...
"Anyway, all our sub-par motors shook enough to register on the Richter scale," Senku spoke up again with a small grin. "But that would change if they had a bearing. It stabilizes things along an axis, which allows for high-speed rotation. As I'm sure you know, Leonardo da Vinci came up with the idea."
"You act like that's common knowledge when most people know him as the guy who painted the Mona Lisa," Gen deadpanned towards him.
"He's an OP dude who mastered both art and science. You get these incomprehensible crazies once in a while," Senku ignored the mentalist's remark.
"Hmm, I think you and Mire-chan fit in that category pretty nicely, too. Both individually and apart," Gen told the green-haired scientist.
Senku would rather take that as a compliment, given his mad scientist mode. And Sumi was already a violent type when provoked or just protecting everyone. The wheels from the mobile lab turned as a machine was being grinded between the wheels. "Take little fragments of steel, throw 'em in these tubes with some rocks, then spin them around real fast so the rough edges grind down and round off," He explained as they watched the process, the mobile lab having already been completed.
Suika laughed as metal small orbs flew onto the ground from a bucket. "And you're left with a bajillion pachinko balls," Senku smiled while holding one up.
"Then pachinko machines are on the way too!" Ryusui snapped his fingers with a gleeful grin on his face.
"Sure," The green-haired scientist replied sarcastically. "We'll have 'em sometime in the next ten billion years." He then rolled them onto a wooden pathway, each plank having a hole in the middle. "We'll sort the balls by size with these holes. He grinned as they fell into place. "And once we've got a bunch that are the same size..."
"Aha!" Kaseki exclaimed in realization as he imagined the fidget spinner. "It's a simple enough concept, but making that with the parts and lathe we have lying around here is gonna be another back-breaking job for us, huh?"
Before Senku could answer, Soyuz and Taiju returned with lots more stone pieces. "Hey!" The latter called out while pumping his fists. "This haul's the last of the pieces, everyone!" They all looked up in shock, Sumi gasping and beaming happily at the news in the hut. Suika then heard Kaseki hard at work, turning around to him. He was wearing a pair of goggles since he was grinding down something.
"The god-tier craftsman Kaseki is back and things are really looking up...!" She stated hopefully while they continued piecing the statues back together. They also used kelp to cover the bodies, since they didn't have enough material. Or just Yuzuriha or Sumi to make clothes for the statues. Soyuz handed Suika more kelp while Kaseki made the propellers for the drone.
Ryusui stepped up to the crowd of statues, glancing up while eyeing them out. "Chrome...Francois...Ukyo." However, there was one statue that no one recognized, because he wasn't a villager, nor was he from the Tsukasa Empire. Especially since he had hair covering his face. "Who's this guy?" Ryusui asked in utter confusion.
"It appears we have a rando on our hands," Gen commented as they stared.
"I did bring back everything I found out there," Taiju gave a small smile. He must've somehow gotten mixed up with the petrified crew. It was a bit surprising that he didn't get washed up in the currents like Soyuz had said.
"And yet another victim of petrification. No telling how long he's been like this," Senku glanced away in thought.
"Well, fancy that," Ryusui gave a small smile, glad to have everyone back. "Taiju managed to assemble our entire crew and then some. Most of us may still be petrified, but we're here...though it's not the way we originally planned, the Kingdom of Science is finally making landfall on this island."
"Yes, that we are," Gen agreed with a small grin. "Bout time."
"I should be glad we're all on dry land together," Suika spoke up with a tear in her eye. "But I'm still so sad we can't wake everyone up."
"There's more revival fluid on the way," Senku assured the little girl, hands on his hips. "Just takes some time to make."
"And time is one resource we're scarce on right now," Ryusui pointed out to the group. After all, they had been here for a week, and already there was suspicion on the spy team. "The enemy will find this cave and they'll fire a petrification beam from the outside when they do. Then we'll really be screwed."
"That would suck," Senku had a small smirk on his face. "So before those guys are able to locate our hideout, we'll just have to nab their petrification beam by air. Numbers won't matter once we have that," He stepped past everyone, getting their attention. "Because the power of science will beat them every time. The drone's our trump card. If Kaseki can build it."
Kaseki then stood up with a laugh. "You certainly have a way with words. I'm more fired up than ever now!" He then turned around with a serious look on his face. "I've been crafting for over five decades! Don't underestimate me, kid!" The fidget spinner was around his finger.
Soon, the drone was flying up into the air. Soyuz and Taiju gave shocked sounds while Suika waved her arms happily. "Wow, it's flying!" Soyuz gave a pleased smile. "It's like a mechanical bird!"
However, it was flying out of control, so it wasn't exactly 100 percent ready to go. It then flew up to hit the ceiling and got stuck there. Suika blinked in confusion as they all stared a bit awkwardly. "Yeah, it's just a mark one, guys," Senku explained from behind with a slightly embarrassed look. "Stabilizing it comes next."
Ginro, Amaryllis, and Kohaku all gasped happily from everything Sumi had just told them. "So soon we'll have the petrification weapon in our hands?" Kohaku grinned at the woman.
"And I won't have to wear this dress anymore?" Ginro piped up, Sumi silently rolling her eyes at him.
"What I'm saying is that we've made significant progress on the science team. Can't exactly steal something in the air with a defective drone. But now we have to pull in something too. Don't forget that this infiltration is get as much data as we can on everyone from the inner palace..." She stated while narrowing her eyes a bit. "Like Ibara. Sure, we know how he operates, and it's...really gross. But we need to know his mindset, guy's always one step ahead and I don't like it."
"Is this just because he tried to touch you earlier?" Amaryllis blinked at the black-haired woman.
"No, but I don't look forward to Senku getting reminded of that once we meet up..." Sumi rubbed a temple at the reminder. "But it's not because of that. It's because he's the biggest player here, and something tells me that we should really set our sight on him. Obviously we'll need to keep an eye on Kirisame and Moz too, but they're not the ones who are calling all the shots. Ibara...I can tell he's hiding something big from the island and just about everyone else. So if we can get inside information on the layout, it'll really give us a big advantage."
A guard then stepped up, clearing his throat. "Ladies, a word."
They all blinked, wondering if this had anything to do with Ryusui or the glass left behind...and they really hoped that it was neither of those things. The last thing they needed was to be brought in for an interrogation...
"No, no, no!" Ginro cried out once they found out the actual news. "Have a heart!" He pleaded with tears falling from his eyes. "I really don't wanna meet the master!" Amaryllis gave a small smile while waving, Kohaku and Sumi watching him. "At the very least, please come with me!" He lunged forward to hug both Sumi and Kohaku.
"You were the one who was called, not us," Kohaku told him while trying to push him off. "This is as far as we're going. Now suck it up!" She then finally got him off.
"Sumi...!" He whined towards her and she gave a nervous expression. "You can come and kick their asses for me?" He was trying to use his special technique: not his problem. Kohaku would've worked just as fine as well, though neither of them knew nothing of what Ibara could pull on them, or the master for that matter.
"No, I'm not coming with you," She answered while holding up a hand. "I wasn't asked to go like Kohaku said. I'm sure it'll be fine, this is the perfect chance to get some more information like I suggested! We need to learn all we can, remember?"
"Ha!" Kohaku smirked while clenching her fist. "Sumi's got the right idea here. It's a golden opportunity for our team! Our mission is to investigate the enemy, and you're about to make contact with their leader!" Ginro was shaking nervously the whole time, sweat flying from his face. "Get friendly and get info, and then maybe we can even take him hostage if we get the chance!"
"Yeah, if Moz and Kirisame don't catch on," Sumi reminded while crossing her arms. "We still have them to tackle, too..." Given how they were the two allies of Ibara and they had seen Kirisame fight, that might be harder to pull off if needed...
"You think I can stay collected enough to accomplish all that stuff?!" Ginro exclaimed in protest, still crying. This was exactly why he didn't want to be chosen into the inner palace selection.
"I think you can do whatever you set your mind to," Kohaku pointed at the blond as Amaryllis walked away. "And I doubt he'll assault you since you're a man."
"You doubt that he will, and I'm stuck hoping he won't!" Ginro argued back and she clenched a fist in determination silently. Sumi gave him a thumbs up with a small smile.
"Relax, Ginro. Besides, it's not like you're unarmed. Good luck, and bring us back something valuable, okay?" She walked off before stopping and glancing back over her shoulder. "And besides, if he does anything to you...I'll have to make him regret it, won't I?" She narrowed her eyes a bit with a sly smile, laughing like Senku would. She then smiled brightly as if nothing happened. "Do your best, bye bye~!"
"Not my fault I look good in a dress," Ginro whined as he walked away in defeat. He continued to whine as he got further away from the duo.
"I bet Sumi just wants to send a sweet message to Senku~" Amaryllis teased Sumi and she looked away with a blush. The last she heard from him, he didn't speak to her directly, it was more so about the drone. And when he had spoken to her directly, it was to tease her as usual. Also as usual, his approach with this was to hide it from everyone else...she was sure he'd address it once they returned, though.
"No, no I don't. It's just a matter of updating him on the mission," She closed her eyes to calm down her flushed cheeks, hands on her hips. "He hasn't given us anything new since he's busy with the drone and probably reviving the rest of our friends. I just wanna know if I can help him." Amaryllis gave her a small teasing smile before taking the lead. Kohaku then turned to Sumi, who was lost in thought. Of course, it was about him saying that he loved her. She still couldn't believe he even said it to begin with, whether it was a blurt or not. 3,700 years of waiting for him and to have a relationship with him, and he had finally done it...albeit, it wasn't exactly ideal. But she had done something similar to get to that point with him when she accidentally confessed over the phone...
"I'm sure he'll appreciate it," Kohaku turned to her knowingly, giving a small smile. "He told you something last time, didn't he?"
Sumi flinched as her face turned red and she pressed her forefingers together. "M-Maybe..." She stammered nervously to her friend after a couple of seconds.
"Ooh, what was it?" The blonde asked in interest, having the same look when they saw Amaryllis get proposed to. "Considering it's Senku, it may have been really special...or just more science stuff," She glanced with a blank look.
"He...he said he loved me and then hung up. Maybe that's why I haven't heard from him much? But I know he wouldn't be embarrassed over something like that."
Amaryllis gasped happily as she gushed, hands on her cheeks. Kohaku blinked rapidly and then gave a small smile. "Hm. Everything's fine. He just thought it wasn't the right moment over the phone."
"Mm..." Sumi frowned a little. The two were about to turn to leave before Moz smirked.
"Hey, Kohaku, Sumi," He greeted the two women. They came to a stop, not even looking at him. They had no idea how much he had heard or how long he had been up in the tree. "So about those intruders Ibara mentioned...he meant you guys, right?" Sumi let a sweat drop roll down the side of her face. She then bit her lip in thought, trying to come up with something...but she didn't think anything would convince a guy like Moz off their trail. "Since you're caught, go on and tell me where the rest of your friends are hiding."
Kohaku glanced back at him with a small glare. Sumi kept the same expression, gritting her teeth.
Ginro reluctantly approached the hut of the master. He then stopped as he gasped in realization. "Oh yeah! I have a secret weapon right here!" He pulled out...a pineapple from his dress. "Behold, the pineapple!"
Senku poured in something into the pineapple. They were preparing Ginro for the selection. He chuckled while Sumi smiled next to him. "It's pretty likely the master will call for one of you on the beauty squad at some point."
Ginro turned away from getting makeup put on him. "I don't even wanna think about it..." He murmured in dismay, since it could very well be him. Sumi gave him a small smirk, a hand on her hip while glancing at him.
"With this, you won't have to," She revealed and he blinked in confusion at her.
"When that moment arrives, use this in the room," Senku sealed off the pineapple.
"A pineapple?" Gen stared at the fruit in confusion.
"It was one, but nope," Sumi smiled with her hands on her hips.
"No, it's what's inside of this thing. Some good ol' ethyl acetate. Bug collectors normally use it to kill and preserve their specimens. Just need vinegar, booze, and a drop of our old friend, Sulfurina," He explained to the mentalist.
"It's a one-use thing, though. So be really mindful of the right moment to use this," Sumi told Ginro as he took it. He lifted up the top and recoiled back in disgust, covering his mouth with his arm.
"That reeks! Why so stinky?!" He shrieked, though the black-haired scientist wasn't fazed by it at all.
"Hang on," Amaryllis took a sniff for herself. "Smells just like an ordinary pineapple to me."
"Uh-huh. That's cause it's the same aroma compound. I'm sure it smells like a ripe pineapple to all of you southern islanders, or an overripe one in Ginro's case," Senk then had an evil smile on his face. "It's not powerful, but it's also not totally safe. You shouldn't even sniff it in the comfort of your own home. Makes you dazed and confused in a bad way."
Sumi sighed slowly at his behavior, moving the top back onto the pineapple. "Honestly, this stuff is second nature to me nowadays when Sen and I do similar things all the time. But like he said, it won't last very long, so you have to be quick about it whoever gets picked. It's basically the same feeling as getting drugged, and it can cause congestion of the liver and kidneys."
Ginro gave a nervous look, since Senku's luck...was terrible. So if he passed this onto the pineapple... "I gotta wonder, will it really work?" He murmured to himself skeptically. He then groaned in defeat as he stepped forward. He cleared his throat as he stepped in front of the curtain doorway. "Um, hello? Master? It's G-Ginrolina," He called out nervously, laughing a little. He then stepped up to the door, moving away the curtains. He gasped once he saw the silhouette of the master up ahead.
"Enter..."
Ginro shook anxiously from the low voice, his teeth and eyes shaking. He then quickly got in. "Alright, so one unavoidable thing led to another, and I wound up in the inner palace somehow!" The blond stated quickly to try and get out of this. "I hope this won't make you mad, but I'm honestly not even supposed to be here because looks can be deceiving and mine have definitely been a little deceptive. And I'm really, really, really sorry for that, but the truth is, I-"
Two stone sandals stepped forward, and he yelped to see Ibara bowing down to the Master. "You called, my noble master?" Only a grunt was heard in response. "Yes, yes. The usual, then?" Ginro couldn't understand a word of what the master was saying. "I'll happily oblige, sire," He then looked up at the blond with a devilish smirk on his face. "Please settle your anxious heart, Ginrolina, dear. I'm here to appraise, not harm." Ginro was shaking the whole time, though. He didn't like the look on Ibara's face at all... "For we can't give you to the master before a proper assessment, now can we? I'm going to teach you everything you need to know. Then, if you're able to completely sate me using my tender and affectionate ways, you'll go to the master and satisfy him just as thoroughly."
It was just as Ginro feared, as Ibara meant...satisfying them in ways he didn't want to think about. He fell onto the ground, backing away and whimpering. "Oh, I told you I mean no harm, so relax," Ibara stood up to loom over him.
Ginro quickly got onto his feet, running off. "And I told you, I'm not what you think! I'm a boy! A boy!"
"I noticed. You're very tomboyish, and if that means you'll put up a good fight...perfect," Ibara stated in a pleased tone.
"The heck?!" Ginro screeched, though he definitely didn't want to stick around to figure out what that meant exactly.
Moz jumped and landed near the women, who hadn't said a word yet to him. Sumi clenched a fist as they were now faced with the most powerful man on the island. What to do, what to do? I can't tell if he heard us or if he just assumed because we don't look like we come from the island. We haven't seen his fighting style, but if it's anything like Kirisame's...
They continued to eye him as he stood up, giving the both of them a smirk. "Heh," Kohaku returned it right back, putting an arm in front of the black-haired woman. Sumi blinked and then looked up at the blond in confusion. "Let's pretend we are the intruders for a second," She spoke up to him. "Do you think we'd betray our allies so quickly and just reveal their location to the enemy?" She dug into her dress, pulling out a blade attached to a small rope. She glanced back at Sumi and nodded. The woman hummed in acknowledgment, neither of them needing to say a word. She reached into her own dress to pull out her whip.
The guards nearby all gasped as they saw this. "Weapons! Explain yourselves this instant, courtesans!" One of them demanded, and Kohaku responded by leaping up into the air at a great distance. A guard yelped in shock, and she landed right in front of him. She then cut his weapon in half, doing the same to other people around her, flipping and knocking them down with ease. Sumi ran in the opposite direction, jumping off as well. She landed on a tree branch nearby, gripping the branch with her hands. She then moved up her legs while letting go to land on a different platform. A guard pointed his weapon at her and she moved her whip around her wrists. She caught his weapon right in front of her face, using the wood to knock him backwards. But she wasn't done yet, she then pushed him backwards as he was still holding onto the weapon, causing him to crash into other guards as she ran forward with a yell.
Oarashi looked up at the two with a growl. He should've known after warning them that they were up to something. He watched the women knocking down the guards with ease. Kohaku used a tree to gain momentum, swinging her weapon to cut shields in half, also knocking down two of the men in the process. Meanwhile, Sumi did a light flip onto another platform, tossing the man she was still holding onto into a tree. Her whip cracked into the air, causing the men approaching her to slide to a stop. She smirked and then leapt forward, swinging her legs in kicks to knock them down while still above their heads.
"Hmm," Moz smiled at the two, impressed. "So I was right. Kohaku, Sumi, you two are strong."
Sumi ran up to the opposite side where Kohaku was, sliding to a stop as the blonde stopped attacking. She turned around to see Oarashi heading towards them, followed by more guards. "There's no end!" The blonde told Sumi, who narrowed her eyes.
"Damn it. If we keep fighting like this, eventually it's gonna alarm them that Ginro and Amaryllis are our allies," She muttered at this. "We've gotta end it ourselves, before they catch on about science and start interrogating us!"
"Go! Quit holding back and kill the intruders right now!" Oarashi shouted, getting Moz's attention immediately.
Kill them? Moz moved as quick as lightning, landing on a tree right above the women. He then let out a yell, his eyes white as he lunged forward. With one single strike, he knocked down the entire group of guards heading for them. Kohaku and Sumi stared at him in shock that he was protecting them. He watched them all fall off the platform. "Who granted you permission to slay beauties like them? I can think of no greater waste than that. The inner palace ladies are my primary source of entertainment," He had a shadow over his eyes while glaring towards them. "You'd do well to remember."
Of course...he just wants to continue having his harem of cute girls. Why does that sound so familiar? Still, unlike Ginro, it's not just beauty he admires, but strength. Although he's still gonna fight us...I can tell that right off the bat. His scent...it's nothing I've ever experienced before. It's like his endurance is flying right off of him... Sumi frowned deeply towards him.
His battle prowess blows the others out of the water. The petrification kingdom's mightiest warrior—Moz. How fitting, Kohaku thought with a small smirk on his face. Not to sound full of myself or anything, but we're currently the best cards the Kingdom of Science can play. Heh. If we can't stop this man, it's fair to say no one on our team can.
"Just as promised, I'm ready for that fight we talked about," Kohaku got into a defensive stance in front of Sumi. By default, since she trained Sumi, neither of them would be able to take him down even in a tag-team fight. And not to mention, Kohaku knew she couldn't let Sumi perish by Moz now...not when they still had to get the petrification weapon.
Moz gave a pleased smile glancing back at her. Sumi turned around with a small glare as more guards headed for her from behind. She then ran forward and quickly punched one across the face. The next one held out his arms as she punched his wrists in quick fashion and then got him in the chin, knocking him backwards. Moz blinked at the girl as she spun around in a kick towards a third and he yelped, stepping backwards. She then got onto her hands, elevating her body to give out rapid kick after kick towards him. He tried holding back, but she gave him one final kick to knock him off the platform. The other guards approaching her all stopped in shock and she got back onto her feet. She got into a stance with a small smirk.
Ginro leaned against the wall, shaking while Ibara was reaching out to him. "The strangest noises come out of your mouth, child," He commented curiously and Ginro gasped in realization. He then moved away, uncorking the pineapple.
It's now or never!
Ibara recoiled back in confusion and then sniffed the air. "This smells like...pineapple juice? Or alcohol?" He didn't have time to question it further as he started to feel the effects Senku explained. "Oh, my. I'm suddenly feeling dizzy," He slowly fell onto his knees, Ginro having covered his mouth and nose.
Thank you, science! He pumped a fist in relief. I can escape from-! Oh wait!
He could just imagine Kohaku and Sumi's reactions if he returned back now. "You were right there in the master's chambers and you didn't inspect a single damn thing?!" She shouted while stepping on his head repeatedly. Sumi slowly shook her head watching them. She then pulled out her whip, snapping it between her hands.
"Guess we'll have to whip you into shape with rigorous training!" She stated in disappointment.
I should at least get a glimpser of the master's face before I book it, otherwise Kohaku's gonna kill me! And if I'm still alive, Sumi's gonna put me through a minute by minute schedule to make sure I know what I'm doing...
He stepped up to the master, peeking through the curtains. The master was completely in shadow, and oddly enough, he didn't move or speak. If he was watching the whole time, wouldn't he have said something at this point? Ginro gasped in shock after getting a look at him. "Well, it's hard to tell for sure in the dark...but he looks kinda familiar..." He murmured in thought and then realized...he looked similar to Soyuz. "Soyuz?" The clouds moved away to reveal the moon, illuminating the room thankfully. However...he was utterly shocked...to see the master the whole time had been petrified. Part of his face was missing, as he had no eye, and the rocks had eroded over time. He screamed while falling backwards, the flower from his hair flying off. "H-H-he's petrified!"
"Ah...so you saw," Ibara stepped up from behind; like Sumi said, the effects wouldn't last long, and unfortunately, that time had passed. Ginro flinched and looked back. He then tried to pass it off by giving an awkward smile.
"I didn't...see anything at all. P-p-p-please let me go," He shook, hoping Ibara would buy it.
"Lying will only get you into more trouble!" Ibara reached out his clawed hands, and Ginro screamed in fear.
Kohaku struck against Moz's weapon, leaping over the bridge.
Amaryllis ran over as fast as she could, having gone out to look for her friends after not seeing them for hours. She looked up to see the fighting going on. That's Moz, Kohaku, and Sumi! But why are Moz and Kohaku fighting? And why is Sumi going up against a bunch of guards? To her, she had to assume something was wrong in order for them to do so. And given by their strikes, it wasn't just a normal sparring session either.
Kohaku yelled while swinging her weapon forward. Moz dodged it easily by stepping to the side. She jumped up and swung at him again, however. They continued striking blows against their weapons, either side winning or losing.
"Being adept as you are, I imagine that you've realized the undeniable truth by now," Moz smirked at the blonde. "You're hopelessly outmatched." Kohaku only smirked back at him, never giving him any satisfaction. "Even if there were a dozen more of you two fighting at your side, you'd still lose." Kohaku flipped backwards several feet, landing right behind Sumi. She glanced back at Kohaku while still attacking a guard with her fists. She didn't even look back while fighting him.
"Kohaku...we can't keep fighting like this," She gritted her teeth a little. "Eventually someone's gonna get hurt!"
"I know. You can trust me. I won't let him hurt you, even if things get fatal," Kohaku said in determination, Sumi gasping in shock for Kohaku basically being her bodyguard...and she didn't even ask the blonde to do so. She was doing it just to make sure Sumi would get out unscathed. Amaryllis came to a stop, gasping in concern. Kohaku then turned back to Moz. "I figured as much well before we ever crossed blades. So you can save your cocky talk for another girl!" She leapt forward, swinging her blade again against his weapon. "What was the point of that, anyway?!" She jumped to kick, but he backed away. She swung again and he flipped backwards. She lunged, and he continued to dodge her. "Trying to intimidate us into selling out our friends? Is that it?" She turned around to fling her blade again.
"If your lips aren't feeling loose, then let's get better acquainted," Moz spoke as their weapons clashed again. "I'll make you fall so hard, you'll be spilling all kinds of secrets," He then knocked her backwards and she spun to a stop, the flowers falling apart from her hair. Sumi glanced over her shoulder and did a double take, her mouth open in shock. Her eyes then glistened at her friend.
"Kohaku!" She shouted, getting Moz's attention as Amaryllis gasped sharply. The man watched Sumi swinging her fists repeatedly at the guard in front of her, smiling as he was a bit impressed. She sweated as she knew that he was watching, and it was a sinking feeling knowing this fact. She then swung up her arm to punch the guard in the stomach, knocking him into other ones behind him. Sumi whipped around to Moz while pulling out her whip. He was about to step up to Sumi, when the blonde interrupted him.
"Don't you dare take your eyes off of me," She called out, though out of breath from all the fighting. Moz blinked at her and then smirked a little. He could tell that Kohaku didn't want him anywhere near Sumi.
"I really don't mind a strong girl as long as her face is pretty enough," Moz remarked while twisting Kohaku's weapon from his blade as the rope got caught in it. "Like the both of yours," He then removed the blade with a confident look on his face. "Now that you know my type, you should tell me yours. Like 'em strong, too? Because I'm strong as hell."
Sumi clenched an angry fist, hearing Oarashi yell while running up to her. She then turned around and kicked upwards so strongly that she ended up knocking him onto his back. Kohaku finally caught her breath, reaching up to retie her hair back into a ponytail.
"What I value is strength of character," She spoke up, Sumi glancing back at her. Moz then dropped his confident face. "Someone who follows his ideals step by step, who keeps at it no matter how long it takes. That's the kind of man I'm drawn to," She then crouched to get into a fighting stance. "So your exact opposite. It's a crying shame, but I'm just not that into you, Moz."
He then glared at her, still gripping her weapon. "Sure, your face is cute and your body won't quit, but your perks stop there," He remarked in a growl, tossing away her weapon.
Ginro screamed as he jumped backwards to avoid ibara's claw-like nails. Instead, he struck the ground, breaking some of the planks into pieces. "A few girls have laid eyes on the statue before," He revealed with black eyes. "One of the last things they saw, in fact." Ginro was shaking while looking back, tears in his eyes as Ibara was definitely showing his more intimidating side here... "It really is such a pity. I don't relish the killing, but I'm left with no alternative once someone has seen the secret that you have."
"I ain't dyin'!" Ginro shouted with tears flying from his face, jumping off the platform. He then waved his arms rapidly with a scream before landing on a bridge. He heard fighting noises and looked up. He glanced to the side to see Sumi finally finishing off the guards. Kohaku and Moz were still battling each other as Sumi stood up, panting in a bit of exhaustion. Kohaku and Sumi are here! He beamed happily at the sight of them. And in battle mode, no less! Time to use my special skill: let someone else deal with it! He sighed in relief that the two would be able to take on Ibara for him, since they were some of the strongest people from the Kingdom of Science, after all. "Please, help me!" He hollered and Kohaku pushed Moz away, spinning around to the blond's direction. Sumi blinked and looked up at him before gasping sharply. "Kohaku! Sumi!"
Ginro didn't notice what was going on behind him, but they already had at this point. "I need you guys!"
"Ginro! Watch out!" Kohaku screamed at him, though he didn't listen.
"Ginro, you need to move no-"
Ibara had landed behind him...and seconds later, used his claws to pierce right through Ginro from behind. Kohaku and Sumi looked in horror as it was now dead silent throughout everyone. The flowers from Ginro flew away in petals as he flinched, blood seeping through his mouth and body. Amaryllis gasped as well, her mouth open as Ginro was lifted up into the air. Blood seeped from where he was struck, Ibara quickly pulling out his claws. Ginro let out a painful sound as he started to fall.
"GINRO!" The two women shouted as they watched, Sumi's eyes shaking. Kohaku then lunged forward to catch him, Sumi leaping off the bridge to follow. The blonde jumped off several tree branches while Sumi slid down the rock behind them. They eventually landed on the bridge, Sumi gently landing on her knees to examine him. She squeezed her eyes shut, tears falling down her face.
"I...I don't have my equipment to do anything for him..." She revealed tearfully to them. "And even if I did..."
Kohaku lightly touched the blood from the yellow dress. "That attack pierced several organs. These wounds...are fatal," She revealed grimly as Sumi tried to calm down while crying.
"I'm so sorry..." She whispered with her tears falling onto the bridge in front of them.
Ginro tried to control his breathing in order to be able to speak...to hold on as long as he could for them. "Will you...?" He murmured and the two of them gasped.
"Hah...I bet you were just about to ask us to finish you off and put you out of your misery, weren't you? Well, that's not happening, so tough luck! We're saving you!" Kohaku interrupted and Sumi nodded in determination. Even if it seemed hopeless...she still wanted to heal him as fast as she could. Even though she was way too far from the science team to get her things. Kohaku squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to face the possibility of Ginro's death...because letting people die wasn't what they did, especially when it came to their friends.
"The master...is a statue," Ginro revealed, and they both gasped sharply.
"What...?" Sumi whispered in utter disbelief as his eyes were half closed. "He...he got petrified?"
"He's Soyuz's twin," He breathed out to the women. "Just a little bit older, though. Soyuz might be re..." He didn't finish his sentence though, losing his breath a little. Kohaku recoiled back in realization...that this must've been why Ibara wounded him. After all, he had shown no signs of this from what they had briefly seen of him.
"Thank you...that's some excellent sleuthing you did..."
"You've made the spy team proud," Sumi dabbed at one of her eyes, sniffing.
"I hope it helps...because it was my last mission. I want it to...make a difference, you know? Plus, I'm still a gatekeeper," He then thought about watching the bridge with his brother... "A warrior, even. So if I'm gonna go out, it's gonna be in style. No meaningless death for me." He looked up to the sky, blood dripping down from the side of his mouth. "See ya...Kinro..."
Kohaku stared at him, a small sweat drop on her face. Sumi bit at her lip nervously, trying to figure out the quickest solution to at least steady the blood flow. But just like someone else they knew...she couldn't repair damaged organs. Her equipment wasn't that far advanced yet, and she really wished it was...
"You're right, Ginro," Kohaku bent on her knees while holding him in her arms. "Your wounds are beyond healing. So there's only one thing for me to do," She got onto her feet, Sumi looking up at them. She then gasped in shock, standing up in alarm.
"You're...you're saying...?" She didn't even finish her sentence. Kohaku turned to her and nodded slowly. Sumi then narrowed her eyes, clenching a fist and nodding. "I understand, Kohaku. Actually...it might be the only chance he has at this point. And then we'll be back for you, Ginro," She placed a hand onto his wound gently. "I promise, Kohaku and I will-"
"Sumi...you and I both know that I'm exposed at this point. So I can't go with you...this is where we part ways for now."
"What?" Sumi murmured and then recoiled back. "Kohaku, you can't!"
Before she could continue her argument, Amaryllis approached the three of them. "Kohaku! Sumi! Is he-?" She gasped sharply as she saw Ginro's wounds up close. Kohaku walked up to Amaryllis to say something briefly and then walked off. Sumi stepped forward, clenching her fists.
"Stop! If this is to protect me, I don't need you to do this, Kohaku! We will save him, but there's no need for this!" Amaryllis glanced at the black-haired scientist in confusion.
"I know. But I also can't take the chance," Kohaku glanced over her shoulder, her eyes saddening a bit. "I'm sorry for this."
"Kohaku, what are you-" The blonde then swung her leg and kicked Sumi off the platform. She gasped while looking up and falling backwards. Amaryllis' mouth was open for the second time as she ran over to the edge, but missed Sumi's hand. Amaryllis gasped and Kirisame came in, followed by Oarashi with more guards. They all chased down Kohaku and Ginro, who saw that she had nowhere else to go. She then jumped up onto several tree branches. She landed on an empty bridge, running up a tree. She leaped in front of the moon to land on top of the master's hut. Sumi continued to fall, her eyes widening slowly as she could see them.
"LISTEN!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. "It's vital, you hear!" Ibara flinched at her, looking very anxious. Moz landed on a nearby bridge. "The master you revere is-"
"Don't be deceived!" Ibara interrupted, trying to drown out her words. "The villainess speaks nothing but silver-tongued lies!" Kirisame ran up to him. "She'll be silenced by the master's power soon enough! Quickly close your eyes or else you'll be petrified along with the trespassers!"
Oarashi covered his eyes immediately while Kirisame understood what Ibara was getting at. She glared while digging into her pouch. The others had covered their eyes as well, though Amaryllis was still peeking. Sumi was still flying away from everyone. It doesn't matter if we look or not. He just wants to hide the petrification weapon.
And with that, Kirisame threw it into the air towards Kohaku and Ginro. He looked up at her in understanding as she gave a small smile. "I get it now. Why you made a scene. You wanted them to use the petrification...wow, your instincts really are a superpower. That might work."
"Worth a shot," She revealed breathlessly to him. "If we can get you petrified before the final flames of your life flicker out for good, the revival fluid might heal you. It's the only way, Ginro," She then turned to the petrification weapon coming into sight. She blinked while getting a good look. "There it is. With my eagle-eyed vision, I see Medusa's true face." It was a small, metallic-looking item with tiny etchings all over it. "Senku, you and Sumi were spot on yet again. It isn't a curse or a demonic device without rules. Though the Medusa of legend used magic...this is science." The weapon then glowed and emitted the green beam. It grew bigger while only surrounding the hut. Amaryllis looked up with tears on her cheeks. "It's up to you, Amaryllis and Sumi."
Sumi called out for her friends in horror, reaching out a hand as she could only watch.
"Tell Senku and the others. Tell them all the secrets the infiltration team uncovered," Kohaku murmured while hugging Ginro.
Senku smiled while working with Kaseki. "If we're retaliating with science, we can't lose."
Kohaku then slowly started to become into a statue, half her face still skin while the others was turning into stone. "All that's left to do is wait and trust in the power of science."
"You're right...it'll turn out okay," Ginro murmured back while starting to become affected as well. "I know it..."
Sumi's eyes glistened while looking at the petrification beam, tears flying upwards from her face. "Kohaku...Ginro..."