A gunshot was heard, and very close by too. Ibara didn't think much of it...until blood started to seep onto the weapon from his hand. He gasped, his eyes wide as the blood was coming from him.
The others on the cliff had stopped after hearing the gunshot, but they couldn't tell what was going on. "Um, what was that noise?" Suika couldn't help but wonder.
Ibara let out a small groan. "It's sorcery..." He grunted out as down below, the gun was being pointed towards the ship.
"Ibara, you have the right to remain silent!" Yo called out from the water. Ibara's hand shook as the gunshot had hit the back of his hand, leaving a hole in it. The ex-cop grinned from down below, giggling in glee. "I've been dying to say that for years!" Because of his reputation, he never was allowed to read people their rights. 'I shot one bullet in the air and a second at Moz, but I saved the last one for the big bad.' "Crap you say will be used against you. How'd the rest go?" He glanced away in thought as it couldn't come to mind for him. "And is this battery? Obstruction of somethin'-or-other. Ah, whatever," He looked back up at Ibara, who wouldn't know the context of what he would say anyway. "The point is, you're under arrest for being a jerk!"
Ibara grasped his wounded hand, and in the process, the rope holding the Medusa slipped from his hand. He gasped in shock as it fell towards the water. Yo swam forward and reached out his hand, and then splashed into the water. The old minister then let out a scream as he looked to see Yo surfacing.
He let out a joyous laugh. "Sweet victory! Snatched the Medusa!" He held it up proudly in front of him.
Moz and Hyoga were still battling it out on the ship's deck. They continued striking constant blows against each other. The two fighters were evenly matched too as not a single blow actually made impact. Yo then held up the Medusa with a big grin on his face.
"Now with this baby in our hands, we've pretty much already won! And your boy Yo here made it all happen!" He smiled proudly, although no one from the Kingdom of Science was actually around to see it for it to really be impactful. The statue retrieval team couldn't even see him either, so they wouldn't think that Yo was the one who had actually grabbed it. "Payback time! Quadzilla will get a nice taste of vengeance for KO-ing me! Gonna serve it stone-cold, too!" He could just imagine it now.
"Right! Get rocked, moron!" Yo held out the Medusa in front of Moz, petrifying him in an instant. Amaryllis and Sumi then hugged him in admiration. Magma stood nearby with his finger in his nose to look as stupid as possible. "Ha ha! The enemy's completely sunk!" Ryusui gave a big smile.
"You're amazing!" Amaryllis gushed at him.
"And so brave too!" Sumi exclaimed with hearts in her eyes.
"It's settled, you're the King of the Kingdom of Science, Yo!" Amaryllis declared and Senku nearby bowed to him repeatedly.
"Your skills get me ridiculously excited. Please, take my precious violet as your wife as a reward!" He pleaded with the ex-cop.
Yo laughed gleefully, even though that last part would never happen, but he liked to dream...maybe a bit too much. He swam up until he could see Hyoga and Moz in battle. "Moz is done for!" He declared and then held it up towards the warrior. "Petri-beam thing go!" However, nothing happened unlike when Kirisame or Ibara would use it. The two fighting warriors didn't even notice him in the water, so they weren't afraid of it being used against them either like Yo would've wanted. They were too busy fighting each other to really notice or care about Yo, really.
And so the man waited and waited and waited...until he realized that he had no idea how it was even supposed to work in the first place. He then gave a sound of bewilderment acknowledging this fact. Might help if I knew how to use it...! He thought nervously as there was no way he'd be able to learn on his own. The only ones who could've figured out how to use it would be Senku and Sumi, who weren't even there anymore to assist him. Even if they were, he wouldn't know if he would ask either of them for help in using it, because then he wouldn't get to climb the ranks. Or take the credit either. Despite Sumi having excellent investigative skills that Yo lacked and could've deduced it in due time.
After another strong strike between weapons, Moz and Hyoga took a moment to catch a breather. Well, just Hyoga, Moz didn't seem too out of breath. Compared to Taiju or Hyoga, his stamina seemed to be off the charts. "Hmm," He stared at the spearman for a moment. "Hyoga. You've certainly proven your strength." The sun glistened right behind him. "However, the way you handle your spear absolutely reeks of effort. I can smell the sweat of all the work, of every practice."
As he spoke, Hyoga looked up at him while gaining his breath back. Just because Moz was saying all this didn't mean he had to confirm it. "Such a shame. You really were just doomed to lose," He smiled confidently at the white-haired man. "Takes a genius to beat another genius," He then bent down in a crouch. "Your fake fangs are only as sharp as they are thanks to years of training. I've possessed godlike strength from the moment I was born!"
He then charged forward with a yell, only for Hyoga to duck out of the way. Moz let out a light gasp as he watched his opponent fall backwards towards the water. He immediately jumped after Hyoga with a knowing smirk as he watched the man land in the water. He didn't slip and fall. He's trying to escape. Hyoga swam forward, Moz's weapon lunging forward and barely missing his head. He looked back to see Moz right nearby. Regardless, he continued to swim away and Moz immediately followed after him.
Hyoga then climbed to the top of the cliff, soaking wet as he heaved his body onto the rocks. He looked up at the rock structure in front of him and started climbing. Moz lifted up his head out of the water to watch him with an intense glare on his face. Look at him, fleeing like a scared animal. Pathetic.
Hyoga continued to climb until he reached the top, running off soon after. However, he wasn't running off because he was scared. It was because he already knew his former enemies and how they operated. Meaning that they already had another plan in place in order to defeat Moz. He had seen numerous times just how they acted. Senku isn't the type of man who would turn tail and run from an imminent threat. And Sumire isn't the type of woman to back down from a challenge, always facing them head-on no matter what the odds before her. Even if the challenge is Senku's concern that he always denies regarding her. He then looked up towards a mountain in the distance. I'd wager, they dashed off to get something.
And he was right as Nikki sliced down bamboo with a knife. Sumi was doing the same from the opposite side with a knife of her own. Senku then held up a bamboo piece with a small chuckle. Gen then blinked in realization as Sumi walked over with a small smile with a pile of bamboo pieces in her hands.
"Oh, I see now!" The mentalist exclaimed at the object.
"Mmhm," Sumi nodded in confirmation. "We're gonna give our spearman a leg up in this battle over the lives from the Kingdom of Science. Might be the only thing that can defeat Moz at this rate. Because if we don't, then it really could mean our deaths." She then gave a small frown, looking towards the mountain. I haven't forgotten just like Senku though that...Hyoga does still have the chance to kill us as well just like Moz wants. I know that what he said meant that he was on our side, but still...I'll just have to trust that he won't do that, which I can't believe I'm thinking. I'm really putting trust into the man that tried to kill a child, severely wounded Tsukasa, and didn't show any remorse for any of it after the fact. Either I'm crazy or I really am showing traits similar to Sen. I guess that's what happens when you're both his science partner and his lover. She gave a sheepish smile to herself.
They want their battle-tested wild card armed with his best weapon. Hyoga recalled that when he first confronted the Kingdom of Science, he took them down easily. Sumi was a bit more of a challenge, he'd admit, what with her quick thinking and agility when she was in action. He then remembered the way he would always spin his spear. I have faith they'll make that happen. Wholeheartedly. Moz was chasing him down as he lifted down his mask slightly, as it hit Hyoga immediately what he had just thought about them. He didn't think he'd ever have hope in both science and people he had battled with previously. Especially since he had thought that their goals were shortsighted...that reviving everyone wasn't the way that humanity worked in his eyes.
Hang on...I have faith in Senku and the others...? He thought in slight disbelief. Hyoga couldn't think too much on it though, since Moz was still on his tail. He did let out a soft chuckle to himself, though. Obviously, he'd never admit this to his temporary allies. But even if they remained enemies after this...he didn't see a problem putting his faith in them again someday. Especially with the way they did things.
More bamboo pieces were sliced off by the women, and they fell over to Kinro and Ryusui. Gen approached the duo as Kinro was eyeing the pieces very carefully with his glasses. "Kinro, just how thick is your spear?" Ryusui couldn't help but wonder. "Time's running out. Which one will fit?"
"It'll be a tight squeeze," He informed while examining them. "None are quite right."
"Since we lost the gun, this might be the only thing that will stop Moz," Sumi sighed a little, a hand on her hip as she approached them. "So whichever size it is, we can't spend much time trying to remember which piece will fit the spear...Moz isn't one to wait when he's determined, he'll still want to kill us if Hyoga can't fend him off without the very thing he's exceptionally skilled in."
"Why are you still hung up about it? The damn thing didn't even kill Ibara," Magma grumbled at the reminder. "Could've used it against that Moz guy right about now if it worked to begin with..."
Sumi flinched in alarm as a snap was heard, remembering how they even got to this point in the first place. If Magma hadn't taken the gun, they wouldn't even have needed to rely on Hyoga. Or even be in this situation that he technically got them in to begin with. "I think I just heard something snap," Nikki blinked nervously as she turned towards the black-haired scientist.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me..." Sumi stood up slowly, glaring at Magma and Gen angrily. They both recoiled back in alarm with wide eyes as she pointed at them. "You two!"
"Wait, what did I do?!" Gen yelped at her and she towered over them with white angry eyes, a red mark near her forehead.
"You guys seriously thought going off like that would fix everything?!" She shouted and they yelped, falling to the ground. "Ibara getting killed isn't in our interest at all and he's not even top priority right now! I don't wanna see you attempt this crap ever again. Especially when it was supposed to be for stopping Moz! Next time, stick to the plan that we laid out!" She gritted her teeth at them, and it was a wonder that neither Hyoga or Moz hadn't discovered them with her shouting. Maybe it was because they were too focused trying to take each other down. It was the Kingdom of Science's lives at stake after all...
"Who are you to give us-"
"You shut your mouth!" She cracked her cloak at Magma and then planted her foot onto his back, pushing him onto the grass. Both Magma and Gen had white terrified eyes while laying on their stomachs, as she was too strong to push her off of them. The others all looked at her in bewilderment, hiding behind Senku and Nikki. They still peeked over their shoulders, though.
"Listen, I was nice enough to let every single stupid thing you caused to happen until now. So at least I'm doing you a favor by not killing you myself! Why. Do. I. Bother. Caring. For. You. At. All?!" She gave a swing from her cloak at every single pause from that last sentence. And they were lucky this time around that Senku had taken away her whip, because otherwise, they might be dead right about now. Once she was done, she jumped off of them with a huff, walking away to calm down. Both Gen and Magma both not only had head-bumps, but their backs were smoking thanks to her hard strikes. And the fact that it was a cloak didn't make it any less painful either.
"Hoo-boy! Sumi sure is a spit-fire, huh? And she didn't even have her weapon," Kaseki commented at this. "Otherwise we'd be burying them right about now."
"This is why you don't try to kill people with her around..." Senku sighed a little once he finally snapped out of it, crossing his arms.
"Heh...well, at least they're still standing," Ryusui commented a bit nervously while staring at the duo.
"Yeah, she had a similar reaction when Magma tried to smash statues..." Chrome sweat-dropped a little, and he was glad that she didn't do this to him then. Otherwise, they would've gotten captured immediately by Ukyo. She could keep her emotions in when she needed to, but she had to let it out at some point. And Magma kinda had it coming the moment he took the gun...
"Poor Sumi, she's had a lot to shoulder ever since seeing Kohaku and Ginro get petrified..." Nikki closed her eyes in sympathy.
"I can only hope that she can overcome her personal struggles," Kinro pushed up his glasses.
"She's the one in pain right now...?" Gen sat up in agony, looking over to Sumi with white eyes. He took a moment to recollect himself before turning to Kinro. "Well anyway, the odds of finding the perfect bamboo are pretty slim."
Senku removed a cork from one of his bottles, getting their attention. Sumi bent down to him, looking over his shoulder. "Not with this stuff. Graphite gathered from chimney soot can be combined with alcohol to create an instant lubricant," He explained to the group, starting to mix the substances together.
"Once it's mixed together, you can easily apply to just about any surface," Sumi smiled while holding up a finger. "This then creates a fast-evaporating solvent, and it can be pretty slippery, but it does last for a long time."
Mecha Senku and Mecha Sumi popped up side by side. "It's your ol' pals, Mecha Senku and Mecha Sumi! Hope you didn't miss us too much!" He started off as she gave a small clawed wave.
"Hi! As usual, we're gonna hit you with another science experiment that you can try at home!" She informed next with a smile.
"Today we're looking at how ridiculously slick all carbon crystals are," Mecha Senku continued for her.
"If you're talking about Assassin's Creed, you probably know what those are. But in science, there are three different types: Diamond, Graphite, and Fullerene. Graphite specifically is softer so that it can rub on paper in pencils!" Mecha Sumi held up a claw.
"Yup, exactly right, mecha angel. You can even make things slide with some regular pencil lead. Have a stubborn drawer that sticks? Etch over its edges with a pencil and it'll be butter smooth!" Mecha Senku chimed in and she smiled happily towards him.
"So sweet, Mecha Sen! Ah, but there is one thing we forgot to mention though about this stuff," Mecha Sumi gave a sheepish smile. "You need a regular pencil, not mechanical, plus you have to sand that off when you're done. Because lead as we all know...well," She glanced away hesitantly, as the kid's parent from the scenario touched it and got lead all over her fingers. She let out a scream at this.
"Though touching it will dirty your fingers," Mecha Senku explained next. "Talk to your fam before you try this at home, kids!" The mom glared at the two and they looked at her anxiously, sweat flying from their heads. Mecha Senku sighed while ducking away.
"We're so sorry..." Mecha Sumi replied as apologetically as possible while following him. "Maybe don't try this at home so that we don't get a bunch of angry parents! Or maybe just wait until you go to college or just be old enough to move out of home..."
"Lubricant, huh? Gonna save it for yourselves?" Gen gave a teasing smirk and both of them flinched in alarm. Sumi then slowly gave a small frown, not because of the whole intimacy conversation she had with Senku before. But because she already knew what exposure to graphite would result in.
"Even if I wanted to have this conversation right now, first of all, no," She started off with a skeptical raised brow, looking slightly annoyed. "And second, excessive exposure to graphite isn't good for the respiratory system. Do I even need to explain that it's been well-documented of what diseases you can get from that? I can make a whole list of reasons of why you shouldn't do it, and even then, it's still not enough to make a recommendation."
"What she said," Senku jerked a thumb at her without even looking. "And I really have no desire to detail our intimacy excursions to you of all people."
"Boo," Gen pouted towards the two of them, and Sumi sighed, dragging a hand down her face. "You guys are no fun..."
"Did you not hear what I just told you, Gen?" The black-haired scientist sweat-dropped a little.
"I did, but you could just alter it with fun chemistry stuff! Just want what's best for you, Mire-Chan!" He held her shoulders from behind and she gave a blank look. She had a feeling that he was saying that just to either tease them or maybe get something out of it later down the line. To the point where she still questioned sometimes if he wanted her as a best friend genuinely or because of what she could possibly do for him when he didn't want to do something.
"Why do I feel like that's a bit misguided?" She couldn't help but ask him.
"Oh-ho-ho!" Kaseki called out while applying the lubricant himself to the bamboo. "Would ya look at that sheen? And so slippery! Astounding!"
Sumi then flinched as she smelled something, looking over her shoulder. Senku noticed this and looked in the same direction. Hyoga and Moz ran right past them, the former probably stalling for time. "A long, long time ago," Gen started off with a knowing smile. "Ishigami Village's mightiest warrior, Magma, chucked a rock across a ravine so we could pretend we invented the ultimate weapon: the gun."
Gen held up his arm, looking towards Magma. He then swung down his arm while giving the signal. Magma then yelled as he threw it as hard as he could. Senku's makeshift cannon fired off with a bang. Sumi looked up in shock from the bridge while Hyoga stood over her, and this stopped him from killing the woman. It was actually a rock and not a bullet, but they didn't know that.
Sumi gave a small hum at the irony, glancing up towards Senku with a hand on her hip. He acted quickly just to save her, and now Magma would be doing something similar so Hyoga could save all of them from Moz. "But precision is key this time. It's a tough shot. Think you can make it, Magma?" Senku asked with a small smile towards the brute blond. It might've led to Tsukasa finding out he was still alive back then, but he didn't regret it then, and he still didn't now. Because if he hadn't done that, Sumi wouldn't even be standing next to him. Not that he'd ever tell her unless he wanted to get endless teasing for probably the rest of his life.
Magma scoffed a little with a smirk. "Buncha dumb wimps," He held the bamboo piece in his hand. "You even have to ask?!" He then threw it with just as much force as he did that day, the bamboo flying around. Hyoga held up his spear without even looking back. Moz gasped as the bamboo slid perfectly into place and Hyoga slid to a stop. Moz gritted his teeth looking at him.
"Thank you very much. You are indeed proper allies," He stated and Sumi closed her eyes, looking away. The only reason she didn't have any more contempt for him was that he was a capable fighter. She had to see how he'd act going forward for her to really be okay with reviving him.
"Oh?" Moz gave a look of intrigue, wondering what was going to happen next.
"...Actually, let's see how you've improved as well, Sumire," He glanced back at Sumi, who flinched while turning back to him in shock. The group all stared in slight disbelief that he was asking for a tag-team with her of all things. "You've had much time since our last encounter to train, if my latest revival is anything to go by. You gave him that faded mark, didn't you? Meaning that you've faced Moz before."
She blinked in shock that he even noticed it, and Moz gasped at his deduction. He then narrowed his eyes at her. The warrior had just thought that Hyoga didn't care about it to comment, since he could've gotten it from anywhere. But Hyoga was no fool as he wanted to believe. "So what if she did? Alright then. It won't change the fact that I'll win even if it's two-on-one," He said confidently to Hyoga. Though he did grip his weapon a little since the last time he faced off Sumi, it was a close call for him. So he was just a little worried that she might actually beat him.
"Heh heh," Senku gave a small smirk noticing Moz's hesitation. Is he actually scared that she'll win? She did throw their weapons back against them and threw him into the lake. She could've won if we didn't stop them from going further. He must've never been almost defeated by a woman before, not even Kirisame.
"Hyoga and Sumi...working together?" Chrome asked skeptically towards the two of them.
"It does make sense. Mire-Chan is our strongest fighter now, and they both know what she's been capable of. It's an assessment of skill, to see if she can keep up with them and what strategies she could come up with," Gen remarked with his hands in his sleeves.
Sumi gave them both a suspicious glare, not sure if Hyoga was going to kill her or let Moz do it himself. It could be a trap...but then again, she had no reason to say no. If he was going to harm her, he would've already done it, and he wouldn't have asked for a team-up. As for Moz, he had opportunity as well, yet wasn't taking it. Though she had to be mindful of that because he could pull something on her unexpectedly. It was a risk on both ends...but she had to believe that they wouldn't attempt anything on her or the Kingdom of Science.
"...Fine, Hyoga. If that'll keep you convinced," She stepped forward and her lover grabbed her arm.
"Violet, wait," Senku stopped her and she turned around silently. She watched him removing her whip from one of his pouches rolled up. He then tossed it to her other hand and she caught it in shock. Sumi blinked and then smiled, realizing that Senku was trusting her again with it. And that Hyoga wouldn't kill her either...mostly.
"Thank you, Sen. I won't let you down," She declared while pumping a fist.
"Meh. I'm not worried," He patted her briefly on the head and she turned around.
Sumi jumped and landed safely next to Hyoga, gripping it in her hands while staring down Moz. Both of them then took a stance. "Prepare yourself, Moz. Behold a spear of science and the true power of Sumire's strength." She gave an awkward look as he might've been playing it up a bit too much. "With years of history woven in, this is the Owari Kan Ryu style." Moz flinched and Sumi gasped in realization, preparing herself as well. She knew exactly what he referred to when he said that phrase, because she had remembered it when trying to figure out her own style. Using the bamboo piece, Hyoga spun the spear around. Sumi took a deep breath and started spinning her whip just like how he was doing it, gripping the end of her weapon with both hands. Hyoga was spinning his so fast that Moz couldn't even see the tip anymore.
His spear tip's circling so fast, and she's following his movements without even hesitating! It looks like full moons. No! It's like the golden light of the sun and the full moon both working together! Moz let out a scream as the weapons were hitting his own in rapid speed. They were going so fast that his armor was falling off a little. He grunted while trying to fight back, with little etches from their strikes appearing from his weapon.
"This is impossible!" He cried out in disbelief, since he had never seen this before. "No spear or whip in the world should be able to move at this speed, yet somehow, you're doing it!"
"Because we're using what's called leverage," Hyoga explained to the warrior. "The bamboo's acting as the fulcrum. Mastering this style takes time; no one's born knowing it. Though it might go faster with this kudayari since it works remarkably well."
Sumi gave a small smirk from both of their circular strikes having cut off Moz's armor entirely. "As for my whip, it already has a fulcrum since it acts as its own support for the rope. Along with it being made out of tungsten, it's perfectly capable. Thanks to having seen Hyoga's fighting style multiple times, copying it is no limit for me!" She revealed to Moz.
"Oh, man! The kudayari's the baddest weapon ever!" Chrome exclaimed in awe. "And Sumi's bad with just about any weapon!" She did use a cloak to fight back against the guards after all, and she had used a spear in the Grand Bout. So it seemed that she was capable of using just about anything as a weapon by seeing its potential.
"Moz can't fight back!" Kinro commented in shock, Magma blinking rapidly. The former didn't think Sumi was that good with a whip, and could even replicate Hyoga's style of fighting with it.
"Hyoga! Sumire! Damn you both! To hell with you and your spear of sorcery, and your own magic!" Moz declared angrily, being pushed back as his weapon now had marks everywhere. It was a wonder that it was even still intact.
"Heh. Magic?" Sumi gave a knowing smile, a shadow over her eyes.
"Spear of sorcery, you say?" Hyoga spoke up after her. "Out of all humanity's weapon, which do you suppose is the most powerful?" A younger Hyoga stood in front of a dojo, holding his kudayari. Sumi stood in front of Senku at their camp, before they met up with Taiju. She decided to train herself to fight, since out of the two of them, she had more potential of strengthening herself physically. And should he need arise, it was evident that eventually, they would have to defend themselves. "One that places the human race above all others. What lets us build upon past generations."
Hyoga's teacher spun his staff just like the kudayari, striking the younger Hyoga. He then fell backwards onto the ground just as Sumi jumped up and kicked a plank of wood Senku was holding between his hands. However, it wasn't enough. "Again," The teacher prompted as Hyoga sat up.
"Yes sir."
"Come on, Sumi, I know you can do better than that," Senku crossed his arms at her as she sat up. He offered his hand and she smiled as she took it. "Try again, give it all you've got! Don't worry about me."
She nodded silently and then jumped up, kicking the plank of wood and splitting it in half this time.
Hyoga continued to practice and practice as he got older. Sumi continued doing the same with trees, practice dummies, and workouts. She also did pull-ups using a branch from a tree to help with her upper body strength. "It's the accumulation of knowledge and skills, diligently obtained for millennia." Senku gave the two of them a small smirk. He motivated Sumi to get stronger since she wasn't doing it just to survive. She was training so she could felt like she was bettering herself as a person. He then thought of his science lab gifted to him by Byukaya, as it was thanks to his dad that he could even perfect his own skills. And thanks to science, it also led him to Sumi, so that he could teach her in the subject. "We perfect what we've learned until we die, and even then, our hard work lives on through our descendants. Which is exactly what Sumire does to be at the level she is now."
Moz actually looked terrified for once of what that would be like. Sumi noticed this and let out a small chuckle. "Now who's the scared little rabbit?" She mocked, using his own words against him. Both of them spun their weapons around, Hyoga pointing his spear down at Moz's neck. Sumi cracked her whip to capture the neck, though she wasn't going to do anything with it.
"I don't care if you're a genius. There's simply no winning against such relentless refinement," Hyoga finished as the sun shined behind the two. Sumi smiled a bit for their win, a bit relieved that she could for once trust Hyoga to not harm them.
"Hey!" Yo pointed the gun at some of the guards. "Take a lap around the island or I'mma blast you with my sorcery!" Two guards swam away in fear of him. Not that I have ammo left. He then held up the Medusa to examine it, as he still had no idea how it was operated. "I'd be more bite than bark if I could use this. But at least the island won't get petrified with the Medusa in my control."
He unfortunately didn't notice Ibara falling towards him with his mouth open. "Affect three meters in a single second," He spoke into the Medusa, revealing that it was voice-activated. The Medusa's green glow arrived as Ibara swam underneath Yo, looking up at him. He yelped in alarm as the stone piece from his eye broke off.
"Oh, crap!" Yo cried out at this. There was nothing he could do to stop it, and thus, he was petrified once again. The green light disappeared soon after, causing him to drop the Medusa. Yo fell afterwards, and Ibara caught the device in his hand.
He looked up to see Oarashi in the water, and he looked towards Yo sinking. "Just what in the master's name is goin' on here?!" The guard demanded in shock.
Wonderful! I'll give Oarashi the device as planned, and... Ibara then closed his eyes, since Oarashi was dumb, but he wasn't blind. And he had no idea how much the guard had seen now. Wait, don't be rash. Your strength lies in how cautious you are at desperate times, so play to it. Oarashi just saw this thing's disturbing power right before his eyes. He opened his own eyes with an evil smirk on his face, his eyes black again. And since I need him to carry it to the middle of the island, I know exactly what I have to do! He placed the device into his mouth so he could speak into it. Affect 2,000 meters in 15 minutes. He laughed while opening his mouth and revealing the glowing Medusa.
Oarashi had surfaced, having a wide-eyed look trying to process what he had just seen. None of the islanders had actually seen the device's power, because they were always told to cover their eyes. This was so no one would know the secret of the beam, but now that he knew...
Before he could question it further, he was dragged down to the laughing Ibara.
The islanders were retreating back to the island because of all the chaos from the Perseus. Among them was the statue retrieval team. Ukyo's ears then alerted him of the confrontation between Ibara and Yo. I heard that. Something about...meters and seconds, followed by the warped sound of petrification! He had no time to warn the others, as Oarashi pushed past several guards to head somewhere. He looked really panicked as he was running, and Suika looked at him with her telescope to see who it was.
"Uh! The guy who's running really fast looks super scared!" She commented as Amaryllis looked at him with wide eyes.
"That's Oarashi! This is bad! The path he's on now...it leads straight to the center of the island!" She told the group in a panic.
"You're up, Taiju!" Ukyo gave a nervous look, as there was no way they could catch up to him right now. "Use that booming voice of yours to let Team B know the deal!"
He then took a deep breath to prepare himself. "KINGDOM OF SCIENCE! THAT OARASHI DUDE HAS THE MEDUSA!" Taiju screamed at the top of his lungs. Senku, Sumi, Kinro, and Ryusui all flinched with wide eyes and open mouths. Sumi immediately lifted up her nose to get a good sniff, and then turned to Oarashi's direction.
"I smell his sweat and the sheen from his body! He's somewhere over there!" She screamed as she and Ryusui ran up to spot him.
"He's gonna turn the island to stone! Stop him!" He ran off first, followed by Magma, Nikki, Kinro, and Sumi. The black-haired scientist led the way since she'd be able to find him with her nose. Oarashi panted heavily with the power team hot on his tail. Sumi slid down the hill, hopping towards the ground and sliding to a safe stop while looking around. She sniffed again and pointed to an open pathway, where they could see him. The four started to catch up to him, running past two guards who didn't know what was happening. But without context, they thought that they were chasing Oarashi down and that he needed help from the group.
"I'm not sure what's going on, but we gotta protect Lord Oarashi!" One of them cried out as the other one stopped Gen and Chrome in place.
"Ah! Don't attack us! We're saving you from being petrified too!" Gen shouted, getting Sumi's attention. She then backflipped once and turned around once she landed, running right back towards the guards. She simply stepped up to them from behind, the two thinking that she was gonna fight again like on the ship. She simply held up her fists and then slammed them onto their heads, watching them fall in front of her.
"I gave up," She explained with a shrug to their shock. "If Nikki's taught us anything, it's that the quickest approach is the right one—mostly." Plus, she didn't have nearly as enough time to fight them like she did on the ship because they were basically on a time limit. Because otherwise yes, she would've wiped the floor with them like she did when they were gonna attack the group as a whole.
Kinro reached out to pin down Oarashi, followed by Magma and Nikki. Chrome, Sumi, and Gen approached with small smiles. "Yeah, got 'im!" Chrome smiled in victory at this.
"Nice work getting him, power team!" Sumi smiled with her hands on her hips and then approached the four. "Now let's see where he's hiding the petrification weapon so we can put an end to this," She bent down to them.
As soon as she said that, Oarashi growled. His eyes bulged as he looked up to see her reaching out her hand. He wasn't letting anyone find it whatsoever, and he'd die trying to accomplish that. "Miracle power, go!" He pushed the three off of him, causing the black-haired scientist to gasp sharply as he continued running.
She then gritted her teeth and took off after him. "Alright, playing hard to get, huh? Don't forget you're dealing with some major players from the Kingdom of Science! We will capture you!" She called out after him. She pulled out her whip and tossed the end of it towards him, but he whipped around with a grunt. He grabbed the rope, to her shock, and then tossed her up into the air. She gasped sharply as Oarashi, while still running, threw down his arm and she let go of the whip. Nikki and Kinro grabbed her from behind to catch her fall. She growled towards him as he dropped her weapon and sped off. "Damn it! He's really determined, huh?"
Ibara stared at the island from the Perseus. "In terms of brute strength, no living soul on this island can compete with the likes of Oarashi," He commented with a dark look in his eyes.
As Sumi continued running, something about Oarashi just felt off to her. Mainly his insistence to keep heading to his destination without letting anyone get to him. What I don't get is that if he looks so terrified, given the kind of sweat I'm smelling, then why is he still headed for the center of the island? He'll still get affected no matter what, there's no way he can avoid the range at all if he has it on his person. Is It because of the petrification weapon? But why even still go through with this if people like him fear it? Even with my speed training, he's way too strong to keep a tight grip on for me to stop him.
What course do we take? Ryusui was trying to plan out a route in his head, but nothing came to mind. He didn't entirely know the layout of the island, and using the Perseus to try and escape would take too long. No time to escape out to sea!
Senku was trying to catch up to the others from the back. Think, Senku! Is there a card to play?
Chrome kept his eyes forward while trying to come up with some helpful information. What now? What can I do? Come on. I'm the explorer. The science user, Chrome! And Senku and Sumi always talk about how science has gotta be replicable, so think! Remember the petrification beam! I wasn't dumbstruck.
Chrome looked up towards the Medusa above their heads as it came into view. 'I was observing and learning!' As he was petrified, he noticed a piece of information from what was going on.
"Sumi!" Chrome called out to her and she glanced over her shoulder. She planted her feet against the rock to slide hard with her shoes to slow down. This allowed the two of them to catch up to her. "Guys, I took mental notes," He informed the two scientists once she was within range of the two. "I saw the Medusa's petrification attack from start to finish, and I was front and center for the whole damn thing!"
Sumi gasped from his explanation with wide eyes.
"I measured it. I gauged how fast the beam spreads." As the green glow grew bigger, he observed it closely. "That green glow, it only grows at one speed," He revealed to the duo. Senku's eyes slowly widened at him, just as shocked as his lover now. Chrome then picked up the pace, leaving them behind in the dust. Ryusui glanced over his shoulder.
"What is he doing?" Sumi couldn't help but wonder, glancing to Senku who didn't give her an answer.
"If that burst of energy was fueled by a flash of inspiration, let's hear it!" He encouraged as Kaseki zipped over to them.
"Might wanna sit down, cause this plan is sickeningly bad!" He called out, Ryusui snapping his fingers with a laugh.
"Ha ha! Regardless if your plan's good or bad, we members of the Kingdom of Science don't hesitate. As long as it means we'll progress!" He declared confidently in their willingness to survive this.
Chrome gave a small chuckle in agreement.
Taiju let out a yell as he charged forward. Amaryllis, Soyuz, and Ukyo all looked at him with open mouths. All their eyes were also white. Taiju picked up speed and then tackled Oarashi to the ground and they both slid to a stop. And just before he got to the center of the island. The others caught up to them, Taiju's OP strength keeping Oarashi pinned unlike with the others.
"But how? How is a weakling able to keep me pinned down?" He wondered in disbelief, not knowing that Taiju had infinite stamina to help him out. Soyuz helped to keep the man on the ground. "And when I'm so close!"
"Take the device!" Ukyo urged them from behind. "Clock's ticking!"
"We have to throw that thing far away!" Amaryllis chimed in, just as panicked as him. However...after examining his hands, Oarashi wasn't actually holding the petrification device. Not even in a little pouch like Kirisame had or a rope. It was nowhere to be seen on him.
"What?" Soyuz looked utterly baffled. "He-he doesn't have the Medusa! Where is it?!"
Amaryllis and Ukyo gasped as Oarashi looked up at them. "Get...off!" He snarled towards the group. "I just wanna make it to the only safe place! Minister Ibara told me the middle of the island won't be petrified!"
Ibara was holding onto Oarashi as he was trying to keep himself steady. 'I'm swallowing water!' He opened his mouth trying to breathe, and Ibara placed the Medusa into his mouth. Oarashi then swallowed it, both of them surfacing. The man was hopelessly confused as he had no idea why Ibara just did that. After all, it would make more sense to hide it somewhere else.
"Best hurry," The minister warned with a small smile on his face. "There's only one safe space. Make it to the island's center or be a stone statue!" Oarashi, not being the brightest, fell for this immediately and turned around to swim towards the island. "Swim, my good Oarashi!"
They all looked horrified after hearing this explanation. Of course Oarashi would do anything Ibara says, because he didn't fully understand the situation unlike Kirisame or Moz. And fearing for his life, he would do this just to stay alive, not knowing that the opposite would happen if he made it to the center of the island. Meaning Ibara had gotten what he wanted after all. A green glow started to come from Oarashi's stomach, and they had no time to run away or escape from it this time.
Ukyo gritted his teeth in anger over realizing the trickery. "He's despicable. The worst!" He declared in hatred for the old man. He knew Ibara was careful, but having Oarashi believe he'd survive when in fact it'd be the exact opposite was the lowest. All just to further elevate his own selfish needs above anything else.
Ibara gave a small chuckle, knowing that the clock had run out by now. He gave an evil triumphant grin while waiting for the chaos to unfold. Amaryllis and Ukyo ran off while the green glow started, Taiju and Soyuz in the center of it. The islanders looked up towards the mountain in horror. They all started panicking and running away, some unfortunately being affected right away since they were closer.
Ryusui pointed up ahead as the other members formed a line for some reason. Chrome then looked towards the very back. "Now the rest is up to you, Sumi and Senku!" He told the duo. Senku's eyes widened while sweating immensely. He wasn't one to feel pressure, but this was one of the few times he could say he had felt this way. Sumi gasped sharply as her eyes glistened.
"Seriously?" He murmured quietly as the black-haired scientist shed a small tear.
"Chrome...everyone..." She murmured in realization softly. It was all resting on them now...to do what they had always done and work together. But what cost exactly? Not only of her friends, but Senku was now at risk as well too...
"Only you guys can take on the Medusa!" Chrome encouraged the two as he held up a fist into the air. "Use your big brains together and let the power of science show you two the way!"
Senku gritted his teeth while pressing his fingers to his nose. He grasped Sumi's hand tightly, causing her to flinch as she finally processed the fact that...Senku might not survive this. She didn't know why she thought that way, but just something about the light and its range...it was causing her to worry, even though she wanted to believe that they'd survive this. But she just didn't, not this time around. Senku gritted his teeth while holding up two fingers and facing the light. Sumi took a deep breath as her eyes saddened.
"We'll take everything that's in our arsenal and crack through Medusa's petrification!" He declared to everyone as Sumi clenched her free hand into a fist, not saying a word.
I can't just stand around and do nothing...not this time! I'll make sure everything goes as it's supposed to! For science and for humanity's sake!
As the glow expanded in size, Amaryllis looked back as this time, she knew she wouldn't get lucky or be too far out of range. "This is it! Everybody on the island is doomed!" Her eyes then widened in fear as she let out a gasp, her face getting petrified first.
If nothing else, I have to tell them what I learned! Ukyo gritted his teeth while looking up. "It's voice activated!" He shouted as loud as he could. "Say the affected range and countdown ti-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as he was then petrified seconds later.
Hyoga and Moz had stopped fighting, looking towards the approaching green light. The latter had some blood trickling down his mouth, looking away. He knew...that he had not only lost the petrification weapon, but that Ibara had done everything to make things in his favor. "It's all over, for both of us," He told the spearman.
"Apparently so," Hyoga looked up, as he had already seen this twice now. And just because the Kingdom of Science revived him once, didn't mean that they might be so keen to do it again. Same thing could go for Moz from the island's perspective. They were already willing to imprison him. So in his mind, it'd be beneficial to the Kingdom of Science to not revive two strong men that were both shown willing to kill them. "I don't see either of us getting revived this time, being the wild cards that we are. Both factions think us too dangerous." The green glow got even closer to the duo.
Moz let out a small groan, as he reluctantly agreed. "First loss, and I guess it's my last one too," He looked up as the glow started to touch his head. "But let's say we eventually break free, this relentless refinement intrigues me. Not sorcery. I believe you called it kudayari," He started to turn into stone from that last sentence.
"I'll gladly teach you. The gates of the Owari Kan Ryu style are open to all interested parties, as long as they seek to do it properly," After that, both of them were now statues themselves, Moz sitting in defeat in front of the victorious Hyoga. The green glow engulfed the entire island, even taking the inner palace with it. People screamed in fear, unable to get away from being petrified themselves, and the sounds slowly died out. Even little Suika braced herself while holding her watermelon mask. The light touched Chrome's outstretched arm. Ryusui smirked as he was turned to stone, followed by Gen. Senku held out his hand to the light, his forelocks flying along with Sumi's. Both of them gritted their teeth at the sight in front of them. The light then stopped, the whole place inside of the green glow...
And it delighted Ibara, who was still on the Perseus. The only one on the ship, in fact, thanks to all the guards retreating from the Kingdom of Science. And because the ship was too far away from the island like he wanted it to be. He held out his arms as he basked in his glory, while the glow was just only a blip on the Earth. The light then stopped, and then it was total silence, as if nothing just happened. The only thing that could be heard was the wind. Ibara sailed a small boat back to shore. A small crab was walking around on top of a petrified guard, only to be stepped to pieces by Ibara. He laughed evilly at being the only one still standing. He had a maniacal look on his face as he relished in his victory.
He then walked up the hill to find a specific statue. "My plan went off without a hitch, and I'm the last man standing! Even I can't help but throw my head back and laugh at my outrageous victory!" He giggled as he stopped in front of a statue of a young woman. "Why, hello! You have a very voluptuous figure, my dear," He gave a pleased smile at her looks. "Too bad. All your soft curves are rock hard. But you won't be stuck like this forever! There's a way to restore you!" He then thought of Senku with a stupid look on the green-haired scientist's face. "Those troublesome sorcerers surely have all their revival water stored somewhere!"
He was looking forward to getting his hands on it, and then reviving the women first for his own pleasure... he then took off to continue the path he was still walking on. "And if there isn't enough, I'll free one sorcerer and torture them till they make more. Or maybe just revive that woman Sumire and I won't even need them~! A group of them chased after Oarashi, so they have to be up this path."
He chuckled to himself at his plan, and came to a stop in confusion. He found them, yes, but all of them were lined up one by one, holding out one hand. The other one was in a fist towards the sky, and every single statue was like this of the statues he could see. None of them were even out of place, and he'd expected them to be terrified, but they weren't. "Huh...?" He stared in confusion as he had no idea why they would do this.
They formed a line...? And they're all striking the same strange pose.
He went up the path that led to the center of the island. As soon as he caught sight of the three statues of Taiju, Oarashi, and Soyuz, his eyes instantly went to the latter. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he recognized the man thanks to the facial structures. "Wait, I know this face..." He murmured in thought.
A small green glow came from the master's hut. The master had just been petrified, Ibara laughing evilly at him as he was the one responsible for this. Soyuz, as an infant, cooed up at the man while crawling over. He had seen this event, but didn't really understand it. Ibara flinched in alarm, looking over as the baby held out a hand with innocent blue eyes.
"Da...da?" He wondered, unfortunately not aware of the unfortunate fate his father now had.
Ibara narrowed his eyes darkly down at the unsuspecting infant. "Ah...so you saw. Infant or not, you're a witness," He declared and he then remembered something that the master had said.
"Generations of masters have taken wives with impressive memory to pass down the 100 Tales. As a result, my son can already remember all he sees."
And remembering that...he couldn't take any chances. Not when he knew this fact, and possible exposure once the baby had grown up and then would remember all of this. Ibara held up his claws, about to murder Soyuz with a grin on his face! He reached out to do so, only for Soyuz's mother to step in. "How could you be so heartless, Minister Ibara?!" She cried out while taking the baby and running off as quick as she could.
"Seize her!" Ibara ordered a couple of guards nearby. "That woman's abducting Prince Soyuz!"
As she ran, they chased after her down the bridge. "Block her escape!" One of them yelled. She cradled the baby close as they struck at her, and she blocked it using the shield. Though she did get her dress torn up a bit from their weapons.
She made it onto a boat with her child, as he looked towards their former home while sailing away. As they left, however...the mother had still taken damage from the blows. Blood was seeping from both her arm and her side. Tears streamed down her face from what she had to endure and from her husband's fate...
Ibara then let out a joyful laugh. He knew that with those injuries, she didn't survive that attack. "Sad day, young Prince Soyuz!" He wagged his tongue mockingly at the irony. "You survived that and spent the past 20 years growing up as a nobody, only to return home and meet the same fate as your idiotic father! Now you'll both rest in pieces!" He then glanced to the side as something got his attention.
He held up a big boulder over his head, using it to smash Oarashi's statue to pieces. And as he conveyed to Kirisame before petrifying her, he had no regrets or qualms whatsoever doing this. The Medusa fell to the ground amongst the mess of rocks, and he held it up to the sun with a laugh. However, this victory was cut short as he saw two pairs of footprints in front of him. And given that they were leading away from his location, they weren't running to get away from the light. It was to escape something else, despite the fact that the whole island had been affected by the attack. He knew that they wouldn't have gotten far trying to escape petrification, and yet his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.
"Two pairs of fresh footprints..." Ibara murmured while walking forward and seeing that they went down away from the cliff. "That's peculiar..." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at them. The device activated right behind me, yet this person ran quite far. Actually, given the amount, it can't be from only one. Meaning that it was at least two people...
As he followed the sets of footprints, he hummed in thought while trying to figure out where they led. Then static came from his hat. He stopped in alarm, glancing upwards while reaching up. "That noise sounds like the sorcery earring," He removed it from his hat, having kept it hidden in case anyone questioned it further like he did seeing it on Moz. Or in case there were any more intruders that would try to sneak up on him like before with the failed drone attempt.
He then removed it in confusion as he put it to his ear, but nothing came out of it. But who could possibly be casting the spell? He wondered to himself, since all the members he saw before were all petrified.
After realizing that someone must be behind this in order for it to happen, he ran faster to follow the trail. As he did, the static got louder and louder. He then stopped in front of the mobile lab, as the noise was coming from inside of it. He frowned deeply as he recognized it from when Suika escaped the Perseus with the mobile lab in disguise. This is the beast that fled from their oversized boat... He walked up to the open door, looking inside to see the cell phone's speaker, and nothing else. No one was inside, or seemed to be hiding either. The speaker was pointed right towards the door, though. No. It's not a living creature. Just more of their sorcery.
The Medusa then dangled back and forth as he waited in silence. "Affect five meters in one second," Senku's voice suddenly came out of the speaker.
Ibara gasped in horror, yelping and landing on his back. He let out a terrified scream as he dropped the Medusa, though there was no green glow this time.
"Damn," Senku then was heard right nearby as he stepped onto the cliff, overlooking Ibara. "Did Ukyo get it wrong? Doubtful," He was wearing the cell phone and then the old minister heard a rustle from the bushes. He gasped as he turned around, seeing Sumi walk out of them, her hair tied up in a high ponytail. She smirked while holding her whip confidently and he shook in shock that she was alive as well.
"Yoo-hoo~! Did you miss us?" The black-haired scientist called out in a playful tone. "But Ukyo's hearing meant that he wouldn't have misinformed us when we heard his message. Wouldn't be like us to start underestimating our sonar man."
"Damn right, violet! Bet you gotta talk up close and personal with it," Senku agreed with her, putting down the speaker with a big grin on his face. "Yo! How goes, Ibara?" He then laughed at Ibara's face as he was kinda enjoying it. "It looks like we're the last ones standing, huh pal? Time for a boss fight worthy of a demigod. Science v. Medusa with us as the proxies."
"And with it two against one...you're in for a ride against the two leaders of the Kingdom of Science," Sumi smiled while tugging the rope of her whip between her hands. "Only fitting that the both of us are facing off the big bad of this island together. Too bad, I bet you were really happy that you thought you won, when really, the joke's on you, dumbass."
Ibara couldn't even fathom it while whipping his head between the both of them. "How the hell are you both not statues?! How?!" He demanded, but the two just chuckled in response, smirking at Ibara from opposite sides. And now, it was time for the true battle for the Medusa: Senku and Sumi vs Ibara.