Angel: I wanna give a warning because there is a portrayal of assault and mention of victim blaming in here. It's not too graphic, but it is still present, so if you don't wanna read it or it's not something you enjoy or you're sensitive to it, I'll leave a warning before it happens.
Ibara's laugh echoed throughout the island once he was alone, the whole island having been petrified. 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 came to a stop, and then stopped in confusion. He found the Kingdom of Science, yes, but all of them were lined up one by one, holding out one hand. The other was in a fist towards the sky, and every single statue was like this of the statues he could see. "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 then used a big boulder 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, 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.
"Two pairs of fresh footprints..." Ibara murmured while walking forward and seeing that they went down away from the cliff. As he followed the set 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. He then removed it in confusion.
He then stopped in front of the mobile lab, as the noise was coming from inside of it. 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. 'No. It's not a living creature. Just more of their sorcery.'
The Medusa then dangled back and forth. "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."
The two then chuckled, smirking at Ibara. And now, it was time for the true battle for the Medusa: Senku and Sumi vs. Ibara.
"HOW?!" Ibara shouted at the top of his lungs, whipping his head between the two surrounding him. "How'd you two survive?! With sorcery? It must be! That last beam covered the whole island! You two should be statues!"
Senku chuckled from his response. "No thanks. I can't turn to stone when there's a petrification weapon up for grabs," He retorted back to the minister.
"And when you've terrorized this island long enough," Sumi spoke up from behind, a hand on her hip with a small smirk. "Let's not forget all this trouble started when you were most likely the one who ordered our crew petrified. Probably because you thought we were a threat."
Ibara sweated a bit glancing back at her nervously. He had no idea how she came to that conclusion, when really, for her it was just process of elimination. And given what she knew about him, it made sense that he thought that new people meant trouble and would've shaken up his empire he created for himself. Which did end up being the case.
"So if you're got no use for it, we would be thrilled to take that thing off your hands," Senku smirked towards the Medusa.
"KINGDOM OF SCIENCE!" Taiju shouted at the top of his lungs. "THAT OARASHI HAS THE MEDUSA!"
"He's gonna turn the island to stone! Stop him!" Ryusui called out to the power team, everyone attempting to chase him down. Senku was at the back trying to come up with a plan.
'Think. How do I evade this? Trying to get out of range is pointless. I'd never make it in time. Wait...I could preemptively stick my thumb in revival fluid. Best case scenario, my whole body turns stone, and I simply go back to my normal fleshy self a beat or two later. But the worst...is that only my thumb would be saved.' He sweated nervously as it could go either way, and he couldn't just test it if the worst case scenario would happen. 'No way of knowing what the outcome will be without experimenting. And if it's the latter...the digit spared from petrification will rot off. And that would be that.' He gritted his teeth while looking up ahead. 'Which means...my only move is...'
"Sumi!" Chrome called out to her and she glanced over her shoulder. She planted her feet against the rock to slide so that they could catch up to her since she was slowing down. "Guys, I took mental notes and gauged how fast the beam spreads. The green glow only grows at one speed!" Senku's eyes widened at him, just as shocked as Sumi was. Chrome then picked up speed, leaving them behind in the dust. Ryusui glanced over his shoulder.
"What's this?" The blonde asked with a small smile. "A flashy insight got you pumped?"
"Might wanna sit down, cause this plan's sickeningly bad!" Chrome called out, glancing over his shoulder with a small smirk. "We all gotta line up...spacing ourselves evenly apart!" He informed, earning a small smile in return.
After examining his hands, Soyuz realized that Oarashi wasn't actually holding the petrification device. "What?! If he doesn't have the Medusa, then where could it be?" He questioned in disbelief.
"I just wanna make it to the only safe place!" Oarashi gritted his teeth while Taiju held him down from behind. "Minister Ibara said the middle of the island will be in the clear!"
Amaryllis, Ukyo, and Soyuz looked at him in shock. Ukyo gritted his teeth in anger over realizing the trickery. "That guy is...the worst!" He let out a hiss.
The green glow started to come from Oarashi's stomach. "Ha ha!" Ryusui pointed up ahead. "Let's make the distance...the length of the mobile lab!"
Senku and Sumi's eyes widened as they quickly recalled its shape and size. 'Okay, so...5 meters!'
'Should be doable...but will it really work?' Sumi bit her lip nervously, clenching a fist. Senku glanced at her briefly, noticing that she hadn't said a word about any of this.
"Everyone! Line up single file and do as Chrome says!" Ryusui told the others.
Chrome stood up in front, holding up his arms. "Reach out, one hand towards the light! As soon as your fingers turn into stone, signal by raising your other hand! The signals will go up at the same rate, giving Senku and Sumi a way to measure the beam's speed from the back of the pack! They'll be able to calculate the exact moment the light will hit 'em!" He explained to the others.
Sumi gasped sharply at this, her bangs flying as Senku gave a look of realization. The two would then be able to calculate the exact time frame. The former then frowned deeply at the result that might come. Either he'd protect her and it might not work, or they might all get turned into stone. Chrome's hand started to get petrified and he held up his other hand just as he was petrified. Ryusui was then up next and he gave the signal by raising two fingers.
"About half a second for five meters. Wind velocity, or rather beam speed, is just under 40 kilometers per hour," The captain reported just as he turned into stone as well.
"Good gracious!" Gen cried out while giving his signal. "It's been 3,700 years, but I remember this feeling like it was yesterday! Best not ungle-bay this, Senku and Mire-Chan! It'd be a shame of putting all my faith into my bestie and have her disappoint me in the end!"
"Ho-ho-ho!" Kaseki gave a small laugh while holding up his hand. "I'm confident that Senku and Sumi will outsmart the beam and crack out of their stone forms all on their own!"
Nikki then held up a fist. "Sure, we're just lifting our hands and giving a signal, but you've both got the brains to take what you see and time it down to the millisecond like human stopwatches!"
"Here's your data!" Kinro grunted while holding up a hand. "As precise as possible! I'm glad we were able to offer you this, in one final act!"
Magma was the last one. "Let's beat the crap out of this damn beam! And if we don't, I'll beat the crap out of you, Senku and Sumi!"
Both of them stared up ahead, concentrating as Sumi squeezed her eyes shut. It was like a bunch of wind flew in towards them. 'Using the square method, the light speed is 36 kilometers per hour. So it'll reach us in 5.5 seconds' Both of them thought at the same time while thinking of tossing the bottle of revival fluid above their heads. 'Tossing high gives us more room for error. But one miss, we're screwed. 3 meters high sounds doable. Weight is 300 grams while drag force is .21 with a gravitational acceleration at 9.8 meters per second squared. If it's thrown a rate of 33 kilometers per hour, it'll reach the three-meter apex in 7.2 seconds. And once it's in free fall, it'll douse us in...1.8 seconds. So, our job boils down to waiting exactly 4 seconds, then lobbying the revival fluid 3 meters into the air. Too soon, and we'll get doused before we're stone. Too late, and we'll be rock solid before we toss it. So one mistake means death. This calls for a countdown that's ten billion percent accurate.'
Senku let out a chuckle while giving a trademark smirk, remembering all the counting he did when he was petrified thousands of years ago. 'Luckily...I've got a ridiculous 3,700 years of mind-numbing practice under my belt.'
He threw the bottle up into the air as Sumi looked up at the bottle, not even paying attention to the green glow. Something about this...it just made her very doubtful of the outcome. Maybe it was just instinct, concern, or having just seen everyone turned into stone before her eyes...but she felt like she had to act, and quickly. 'If I do this, then...he'll have even more of a chance if I time this right, and I'll be able to move him even further than five meters!'
Before Senku's fingers could get petrified as he anticipated, Sumi suddenly ran in and pushed him backwards. His eyes widened in shock as they both fell towards the ground, the bottle of revival fluid still in the air, but was still a bit off-target. He watched as Sumi's hair started to turn into stone, sweating as he had no idea what she was doing or why. The bottle then flew towards them and then broke over their heads, thankfully dousing both of them in the revival fluid. Her hair got soaked with it. As the green glow got stronger, the golden glow washed over the both of them, stone turning into skin very slowly. There was a flash as both of them then landed on the ground with a thump. She was hugging Senku close to her as he stared, blinking as she slowly sat up to sit on her knees, panting as her hair was in her face. He had to catch his breath as well, trying to process what just happened.
He looked up at Sumi and then gritted his teeth, sitting up to loom over her. He gripped her shoulders tightly while shaking her a little. "Why would you do something like that, Sumire?!" He demanded to her and she didn't respond. "Are you trying to stay a statue? Is that it? That was completely illogical!" He screamed down at the woman; he still would've gotten revived regardless if she had done that or not, so he didn't understand why she felt the need to try and get herself petrified.
"I don't care if it was stupid, you saved me!" She screamed back at him with her eyes squeezed shut and he flinched, very confused.
"Uh?" He didn't save her recently, so he had no idea what she was referring to.
"Don't you remember...?" She hid her face into his chest while hugging him. "You tried to save me when we were both petrified thousands of years ago..." His eyes softened a little as of course he remembered. How could he not? The very first thing he did when the petrification happened in their time was to save her, even if it didn't work. And that must've been what it felt like for her... "The only way I could've repaid that...was to do the same...I'm sorry..." She murmured without looking up at him.
Senku paused from her explanation as he could now understand why she did it. He didn't agree with it, but at least she could now say she tried to save him from being petrified...just like he did with her the first time. "...Haaaa," He let out an exhausted chuckle, his face falling onto her shoulder so she wouldn't see his face. He just wanted to hold her for a little while longer, since he didn't even think of this being a possibility. But her doing that just showed him how much she was willing to sacrifice...so that he wouldn't be petrified again. And then be all alone like he was counting all those years. "It's okay, Sumi...I'm not mad. I get it now..."
She blinked while looking at the back of his head. "You do...?" She asked him slowly.
"Yeah...although I wanna smack you upside the head for what you did...consider us even now. But don't ever do that again," He sat up, running a hand through his hair. One of these days, she was gonna be the death of him, he swore it.
"I can't promise that," She gave him a sheepish smile.
"Nope, you can't, can you?" He gave a knowing expression with a small sigh and she stood up, offering her hand. He grabbed it and she pulled him up. They both looked towards the lined up statues in front of them. "Just as I thought. The revival effects stop the petrification process in its tracks..."
Sumi gave a sad look towards the group. "Everyone..." She murmured softly, a fist in front of her heart. Senku looked towards her hair specifically.
"Any body parts submerged in the fluid...would be safe from Medusa's power," He murmured to himself, remembering her hair getting affected first, but the revival fluid had broken over their heads. The two then slowly walked up the hill together. "I bet just soaking my thumb would've ended poorly...which means, the only sure fire way to avoid petrification is to dive into a pool of revival fluid," He looked towards the ground. "Heh heh...except swimming in nitric acid is pretty bad for your health too."
"If that stuff got applied to skin instead of stone, there'd be severe burns, scarring, dermatitis, and a whole list of other not pleasant stuff I don't wanna imagine," Sumi rubbed a temple at the last part. "So it's really just a matter of hitting your body and not just one effective part. After all, when we usually pour revival fluid on people, it's not just one area for that reason..."
Senku stopped her in place and they both looked up to see their petrified friends. Sumi shed a small tear as her eyes glistened towards them. They were willing to work together to help them stop Ibara...that they let themselves get petrified, without question or protest. And some of them didn't even understand why.
And because of their efforts, the two smacked all of their petrified hands together while walking off. "Thank you..." Sumi whispered while looking back at them. "We won't let this opportunity go to waste. Come on, we've got an old geezer to stop," She stated and he grabbed her arm.
"Hang on," He pulled her towards him and then leaned down quickly to press his lips against hers. She immediately returned it, hugging his neck as he caressed her back. He licked her scar with his tongue gently and she blushed, letting him explore her mouth. The moment was both intense and passionate at the same time. They pressed their lips harder against each other until they had to pull away. She looked up at him in confusion, wondering what that was all about, but he gave her another quick kiss on the lips, pulling away as she was left breathless.
"Now we're even for your rescue attempt," He turned around to walk off as she touched her lip lightly with a blush. She then finally reacted by chuckling, running a hand through the top of her hair in amazement.
"Even when I think I know you…you still manage to amaze me, Sen," She admitted and he didn't react vocally to this. But he did have a small smile on his face.
The two climbed up towards Oarashi, Taiju, and Senku. They were all statues as well and Senku punched the statue. He then let out a yelp of pain, waving around his hand since obviously, he didn't have enough strength to break it himself. Sumi looked at him with an open mouth, reaching out to examine his hand.
"Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea," She told him sheepishly while looking it over. "It seems fine to me but maybe ice it later. I could probably use my whip-" She flinched as she smelled something, and then a rustle was heard from the forest. The two turned around quickly.
"Crap! Ibara's already here!" Senku hissed in a whisper to her as they both took off their shoes. They both then made sure to make footprints into the ground. "We'll set a trap, Kingdom of Science style!"
They both reached the lab soon after, planting the cell phone together inside. They used the rope they created to start securing something. Ibara then came into view, looking around while Senku was hiding from up above. Sumi was hiding in a tree at the opposite direction of Senku.
"How?!" Ibara screeched at the duo. "How'd you survive? With sorcery? Must be! That blast beam covered the whole island! You two should be statues!"
"Yeah, no," Senku smirked while speaking into the speaker again. "Maybe we would be if we weren't scientists. And you've got hyper-tech dangling in front of our faces like freakin' carrots. You'd better believe we're gonna get excited about it."
"We have no interest in being statues for your own amusement," Sumi smiled while hugging her arms underneath her chest. "Science is a driving force of everything, and there's no way we wouldn't have backed down from that. That Medusa's a gold-mine of theories and mystery, so of course it's gonna intrigue us as scientists."
Ibara gasped sharply in realization and then reached out for the Medusa. "Oh, we nearly forgot. Since we had some time to kill waiting for your ass, we took the liberty of crafting some cutting-edge technology of our own. The likes of which Google and Toyota were once working around the clock to develop. We present the rebirth of the self-driving car! Violet, now!"
Both of them jumped at the same time, landing on the rope that was around a tree. It then pulled down a lever from the mobile lab, causing an explosion. It then took off and Ibara didn't have time to react as he got ran over with it. "Rube Goldberg would give this machine two thumbs up!" He commented at their efforts.
Sumi let out a small giggle with her hands on her hips. "It's all about timing to process what can happen, but quick enough so that people won't have time to react."
Both of them jumped to land on top of the lab, glancing over their shoulders. "Oh, duh. You wouldn't know since you aren't from the 21st century, but here's a tip. Playing in traffic is very dangerous, so don't make it a habit!" Senku remarked though they didn't get a reaction from Ibara.
"You should know better than to be standing in front of a car moving down a road," Sumi wagged a playful finger. "Getting run over by cars can break several bones, and it's not a fun feeling to have ever!" Not to mention he might become her patient, which she didn't want at all...
The two then jumped off of the mobile lab, running towards the Medusa. This boss fight isn't about a battle of strength. The victor will be determined...by whoever has the Medusa at the end! Both of them had panicked looks on their faces while running, but Senku grabbed onto it and held it up.
"We both win!"
She gasped in fear as she turned around to the mobile lab. "Senku...I don't smell anything," She murmured as her eyes shook and he gasped, looking at the lab again.
"...You don't smell anything," He repeated in realization of why she was so afraid now. "Where'd he go? Under the lab?" He held the Medusa to his mouth. "Affect three meters in just three-" A loud piercing sound was heard as ibara had just sunk his claws into Senku's shoulder. He looked at his arm in shock as before Sumi could react, he was kicked by Ibara onto the ground.
"Senku!" Sumi cried out while reaching out a hand to him before Ibara's front touched her back. She gasped sharply as he chuckled, holding her shoulders. He reached out a hand to catch the Medusa, laughing breathlessly.
"You underestimate...just how cautious this old man is," The old minister spoke up to the both of them. Sumi looked at Senku in fear and concern for him, seeing his arm seeping blood. She knew that if she moved, Ibara would petrify her in no time flat. At the same time, she wanted to check on Senku…
For the longest time, she didn't think she'd be in the same scenario Senku was when Tsukasa cut her face. "Wanna know how prepared I was today?" He then ripped off his shirt, revealing his muscles and Sumi did not want that mental image in her head. "I arrived wearing armor in case you used your projectiles against me!" He revealed a shell in front of his chest.
(Angel: This is that warning I mentioned earlier where the things I mentioned before start to become more apparent. It doesn't last the entire rest of the chapter, but it does start right here.)
Senku looked at him wide-eyed that neither of them saw this coming. "That said, heh, your last attack with the large beast did throw me for a bit of a loop," The pieces of the shell fell right behind Sumi's feet as Ibara took off his cape. Sumi gritted her teeth nervously towards Senku, a large sweat drop going down her face as she wanted to move, but couldn't. And then Ibara gave an evil grin towards Sumi, his eyes black.
"Judging by the way you two act...you must be lovers, are you not?" Neither of them answered him as he narrowed his eyes playfully. Sumi clenched her fists as she didn't want to give him any satisfaction or further assumptions if he was assessing them. "No? Then I suppose you don't mind if I do...this," He suddenly reached out in front of Sumi to grab her left breast. Her eyes widened at his action, Senku letting out a sharp gasp.
"Ah?!" She then gritted her teeth. She saw that Ibara tried to get a feel and failed before, but the fact that he was doing this in front of Senku was making her angry. "Hey-" She reached out to her whip...but then he held up the petrification weapon in front of her face.
"Ah, ah, ah..." He dangled it in front of her gleefully. "I wouldn't suggest fighting me off with sorcery or your strength if that whip is any indication," He mocked, Senku sweating nervously looking at them. He could just revive Sumi...but Ibara could also activate it to petrify both of them, and then Ibara would know what the revival fluid looked like. Could he really take that chance? Sumi debated this too and ultimately had to relent, because she didn't want anything else to happen to Senku. And she had felt similarly with Tsukasa too when he was threatening Yuzuriha's life...she just couldn't see Senku get petrified again like when he tried to save her from it...
"Look at that," Ibara admired with a small smile, continuing to fondle her. She squeezed her eyes shut, twitching uncomfortably with a terrified whine as she dropped her whip. "Tamed within seconds," He leaned down towards her cheek and she looked away in disgust from both experiencing this and what was going through his mind right now. "You know, I said that you were quite doable, but I might have to take that back. She's just perfect, isn't she?" He used his claws to tear off the fabric in front of her breast. He then tore through the bra too so that her left breast was on full display. Sumi whimpered at this as his hand felt rough and forceful, and she hated it. This feeling of helplessness because she couldn't risk anything here and also dread for what he could do next. But worst of all, he was putting his unwanted hands on her right in front of her lover, which she couldn't imagine how he felt right now.
Senku gritted his teeth from having to watch Ibara do this and seeing just how much she didn't want this at all. It was honestly making him sick, and he felt helpless just like her watching it. Thankfully Ibara didn't have a fighting weapon like Tsukasa did, but that didn't make it any less harder to witness for him. Especially when she had no choice in the matter.
"You don't need her. So get the hell off," Senku snarled while his hand was shaking, trying really hard not to snap.
Ibara gave a small hum while rubbing his hand against the nipple. "Hm. So you do share a strong connection as lovers. But that's not how this works, you two," He continued exploring her chest with his hand and she let out another whimper, tears prickling from her eyes. "So I think I'll just continue. Hmm, she's very blessed."
"Stop touching me...!" She pleaded in fear. "Get off!"
Even if she gets petrified, I can still use the revival fluid, but he's trying to provoke me so that he'll either petrify only me, her, or the both of us... And unfortunately, it was starting to work as Ibara still had his hands on her. It was taking quite a lot to not do anything but watch because the old man had the one thing that was preventing them from acting. And if they did anything, he'd know where the revival fluid is, and that they had it on them. If Tsukasa from their early days was any indication, they couldn't let Ibara know about their hoard of revival fluid.
"Yes, quite soft. And sensitive too," Ibara pinched the nipple.
"Mm...!" She let out a soft grunt, tears shedding down her face while her eyes were shaking. Thankfully, he stopped a few seconds later and released her.
"That's enough for now. Earlier, you spoke of a boss fight," He closed his eyes with a smirk, holding up the Medusa as Sumi was left trying to catch her breath, her eyes wide as she felt like she couldn't breathe. "So what do you say we get it started, sorcerers? The cautious and clever old man versus the haughty children!"
He opened his eyes to see that neither Sumi or Senku were anywhere to be found. "Uh? The second things look grim, their leaders run away. A horribly selfish coward, and not a shred of affection for his lover either," He stated since he would've expected either of them to attack for what he did.
Both of them were running as fast as they could. Sumi had her eyes squeezed shut while gripping Senku's wound, hoping that she could patch it up later. At least it wasn't fatal wounds like Ginro or Tsukasa, but that didn't make it better given the situation. Senku glanced down at her, wondering what was going through her head right now. She seemed to be scared, lost, or even both. At the very least, he knew that she was definitely not okay given the current circumstances. First she had been touched without permission in front of him and now she must be worried sick about him.
If I've learned anything being in this relationship with her, I need to assure her of my condition. And I know her well enough to know that she'll keep fretting about the wound.
Any time Sumi had a patient, she dedicated all of her time for them. Which was something he always admired but she had to focus on this skirmish of theirs.
"I'll be fine, Violet, I swear it. But I need you to do something for me," He spoke up seriously and she looked up in confusion silently.
Ibara was sprinting after them, holding the Medusa. He knew that Senku's wound would slow them both down. Surely they know they can't escape the petrification weapon once I throw it at them. Is that why they lured me into the trees? There's a good chance it'll get caught on the branches, so perhaps they fled here on purpose!
Sumi hid from the bushes, smelling him approaching. She then held up her arm and swung her leg for a better posture. The black-haired scientist then threw two bottles of sulfuric acid as hard as she could towards Ibara. He smacked them away and they hit a tree, smoke coming from the bark. "Sorcery," He gave a knowing smirk, unable to see Sumi since she was a good distance away. She then hopped out of sight to go catch up to Senku through jumping on tree branches. "It was definitely a tactical retreat. Not bad at all, children."
Sumi landed back next to Senku, though her breast was still showing unfortunately. She had no time to think about that, though. Their only step was to stop Ibara, but they had no idea how. "Damn it! We've got nothing left to use as a weapon!" He gritted his teeth in a quiet hiss.
"I dropped my whip, crap," Sumi hissed as well, looking back towards up ahead. She let out a worried sound as she could smell him catching up, and then gasped. "Senku," She glanced towards him and he looked up. "There's still a chance to turn things around, remember? When you and I work together, there's nothing we can't do! So we have to trust each other."
"...Heh," He gave her a small smirk for her words. Even when Ibara did his worst, he still couldn't turn off Sumi's optimistic nature. And it reminded him that it was one of the things he enjoyed most about her, as dumb as it was sometimes in his own opinion. "So what we've always done since the beginning, right?" She blinked in surprise for his answer. "Nothing's really changed there, Violet, but you're right. Ten billion points to you."
She gave a weak smile in return.
"I'd applaud you two, except you didn't take into account that no one knows this island better than me!" Ibara bragged with a devious look watching them up ahead. "Oh well! Though it's a minor oversight, it's completely sealed your fates! You think you're setting a trap when really, I'm the one driving you both out into an open space!"
He laughed as he saw the two kneeling by the edge of the cliff. The two of them sat there in silence, looking a bit exhausted. Well, mostly Senku, Sumi was still a bit traumatized by Ibara. She reached out to her chest slowly as her eyes were half-closed, the memory still fresh in her mind. The waves crashed and the wind was loud, just like a similar area they had been to before...
Ibara then approached them slowly and Senku turned around with a small smirk. Sumi let out a deep breath while glancing over her shoulder. "Look, Ibara. Recognize this thing? It can shoot projectiles we call science arrows," The two pointed the cell phone speaker towards him. "How 'bout we blast a hole in your other hand so you aren't off balance, yeah?"
"Or better yet, we can aim it in so many other places, especially since I know the stronger areas to strike," Sumi growled a bit, as her wanting revenge for earlier was starting to show just a little. "I for one wouldn't mind aiming for your head right about now."
"What an incredibly sad bluff!" Ibara smiled widely at them. "Cut me some slack. I've been watching you two all day long! That's not what that tool does," He waved a playful clawed finger at them. "If it actually fired arrows, I would've been shot by now! However, even if it's harmless, I'm not fool enough to approach a sorcerer, let alone two while one can certainly fight back. Weren't you listening? I am unbelievably cautious. Meticulously so," Senku smirked a little while holding an arm in front of Sumi. "Might I have the pleasure of your names, sorcerers, before I kill you? Because if you snuck into the inner palace, then you must've used a fake name," He pointed at Sumi.
Senku gave a small smirk at this. He's trying to buy time while he estimates his distance from us.
Ibara then held up the Medusa to his mouth. "Affect five meters, five seconds from now."
Senku didn't look afraid as Sumi narrowed her eyes. "My name...is Ishigami Senku."
"If it wasn't for what you did, or if you weren't such a despicable human being, I would answer that question," Sumi glared at him intensely. "But...nah, you don't get to know that luxury. You don't deserve that in the slightest."
Senku completely agreed with her and wasn't going to add anything. She had said all he could.
"Well, hello, and aw, what a shame. At least I had some enjoyment while it lasted. Those curves and your beauty are truly a sight to behold. Though it's been fun, I couldn't be happier to say goodbye forever, Ishigami Senku!" He then tossed the Medusa into the air, and then finally heard the loud wind. He gave a sound of realization.
This whooshing sound. That's right. We're at the cliff of the howling seas. He had a sinking feeling while looking at the duo, who hadn't flinched or moved at all.
"It appears they've arrived at the cliff of the howling seas," Moz explained as the group of cloaked warriors stared at the forces of the Petrification Kingdom.
Ibara then realized...this was part of their plan all along. Sumi threw the bottles of sulfuric acid, and he broke them. But what he didn't know was that this was a distraction for Senku to toss a bottle of revival fluid. It had hit Ryusui's statue right behind Ibara, and he was revived within seconds. He gasped while looking at himself, and then saw Ibara chasing after the two scientists. His eyes widened as he knew the direction that the two were running in. He took off and then found the earpiece from Moz's statue.
While Senku and Sumi were waiting for Ibara to show up, the former had contacted the captain through cell phone. "The signal will be the next message you hear," The green-haired scientist informed.
"You can do this," Sumi encouraged while pumping a fist. "We can pull this off if we time it just right."
"It's almost time."
Ibara held the petrification weapon confidently, staring at the two. "Might I have the pleasure of your names, sorcerers, before I kill you?"
"My name...is Ishigami Senku," Senku stated while staring him down.
"If it wasn't for what you did, or if you weren't such a despicable human being, I would answer that question," Sumi glared at him. "But...nah, you don't get that luxury. You don't deserve that in the slightest."
The drone then flew up right behind them on schedule, like they had planned it about a week ago. Ryusui laughed while still wearing the earring and piloting the drone. Sumi smirked with a hand on her hip as Ibara looked up in confusion.
"Wh-what?! What manner of bird is that?!" Ibara exclaimed in disbelief.
"Heh," Senku grinned widely while digging his pinky into his ear. "Boss fights are basically skirmishes between those at the very top, and what tops this? Nabbing the Medusa out of the air from the top dog!"
"That, and finally getting to use the drone like we had planned, until you interfered and had us change that. So you get the pleasure of being the only one to witness it in action," Sumi glowered at Ibara, hands on her hips. "Still think you're the one who trapped us?"
"What?" The old man murmured in utter confusion.
"Ha ha! I want everything this world has to offer!" Ryusui exclaimed while piloting the drone. "So I absolutely want the shiny, super tech of the Medusa!" He then wiggled his fingers at the controls as it flew forward. "Behind the zenith of our kingdom's ingenuity, the drone!" The Medusa then got caught in the drone's propellers, just like Senku and Sumi had wanted the entire time.
"Pull!" The two encouraged with small smiles. Ibara gasped as Ryusui pulled on the rope holding the drone. The minister himself pulled on his own rope as hard as he could with a yell. Ibara's rope then broke off, and he gritted his teeth.
"No!" He threw his cloak at the drone to snag it again, causing the two scientists to gasp. They immediately ran over as Ryusui slid with the drone. The duo grabbed onto the rope along with Ryusui, Sumi in front of Senku. And yes, her breast was still showing, but none of them really registered that as their main focus was now on their tug-o-war. Sumi gritted her teeth while pulling, since she had lost her whip unfortunately even though it'd be a big help right about now. The trio slowly started to slide forward, despite having Sumi's strength on their side. "Ha ha! Sorry, but I won't lose! Though you think you've got the upper hand because it's three-on-one, I'll have you know I used to be quite the warrior!"
He yelled while heaving forward, easily dragging the three forward. "Of course he was!" Sumi snarled while planting her feet to gain some balance, but was still being slid. Ibara continued pulling them forward, and they weren't gaining an advantage at all. Senku was already weak enough, but Ryusui or Sumi wasn't enough strength combined compared to Ibara. If only they had Taiju.
"The only tug-o-war in history that's not strength-based!" Senku called out in disbelief.
"Yeah! I figured that! Don't insult me!" Ryusui cried out behind him.
Sumi flinched as she let out a gasp, glancing over her shoulder. "Not if we work together and use our minds here like we always have," She told the two, getting their attention. Ryusui then noticed her chest, narrowing his eyes a bit suspiciously. He already knew it wasn't Senku, because he wouldn't tear her clothes at all. He wasn't the type to do that, and Sumi would never allow herself to look like that. So he figured something must've happened before he was revived. And then there was that weird signal Sumi gave when she refused to give Ibara a confirmation of her name. "Don't forget he's already used the Medusa, so we only have seconds to spare!"
The two nodded in agreement with her as she didn't need to tell them the plan. They could already tell what she had in mind.
Fools Ibara thought to himself while pulling backwards with all his might. I'm only pretending to lose until the very last second. I warned them how exceptionally cautious I am. This has been a battle of wits from the start, and since they surely know that... He gave a gleeful grin looking at the trio.
"Let it go!" Senku and Sumi screamed in unison and the three released the rope at the same time. This caused the rope and drone to go flying towards Ibara.
"Three. Two. One," The green-haired scientist smirked at the panicked look on Ibara's face. "Counting is my specialty. I've done it for millennia."
Sumi didn't look so confident, though. She frowned towards Ibara deeply. "Not that I'm doubting it, Senku, but..." He blinked towards her as she took a defensive stance. "But this is Ibara, remember? He won't go down without a fight. So I wouldn't let my guard down just yet."
And before he could ease her worries, the green glow went off...and Ibara threw his hat, pushing the two items back towards the trio. Sumi and Senku gasped sharply from this, her instincts once again being on point. The green light got bigger towards them as they had no time to move or react by how fast it was going. Ibara then put down his hands, pleased with himself as he was engulfed in the green glow, but too far away to be affected by the light.
"For such crafty brats, you're surprisingly dense. You honestly thought I wouldn't have practice countering the beam? If your specialty is counting, boy, then mine is estimating the device's range! Allow me to impart some wisdom in the final moments of your lives! The easiest people in the world to trick or screw over are the ones who think themselves intelligent!" As he was saying this, he was looking very confident with a scary look in his eyes. "Perhaps what's most laughable, though, is how you overconfident twerps thought you were as shrewd as old man Ibara!"
"Get behind me!" Sumi raised an arm in front of Senku and Ryusui while backing away slightly. She knew that if she tried kicking it away, it would still affect her. So using her quick reflexes when she was in battle wasn't going to help matters. She also knew that Senku and Ryusui would be able to counter this, just like before. Ryusui ran past the two, however, and she looked at him wide-eyed. "Wa-"
He ran forward with a yell, Ibara gasping as Ryusui ran past the light, instantly getting petrified within seconds. The light then diminished right behind him while he was wearing the cell phone. He fell in front of the shocked Ibara, getting smashed a little as well from the rough landing. Ibara fell to the ground, panting in shock as when the smoke cleared, the petrified Ryusui was on the ground.
"Ryusui!" Sumi cried out with tears in her eyes for what just happened. She already acknowledged the fact that they could piece him together should they survive this. But he did this without a second thought, just to help them win. Not unlike what Kohaku did so that Sumi wouldn't stop her from the same fate.
After taking a moment to recollect himself, Ibara let out a laugh. "This is what I meant! You're truly just a gaggle of idiots! As if anyone could avoid the petrifying light by charging through it, head-on!" Sumi and Senku glared at him intensely for his mockery. The hat, drone, and petrification device then fell towards him and he caught it into his clawed hand. "This was the inevitable ending! Now it's goodbye for real this time! You gave a valiant effort, but the last man standing is and was always going to be me!"
And then he noticed that the Medusa actually had the earpiece hooked around it. He gasped as he looked up, realizing how it got there. "He attached the noise-making earring when he ran through...!" He then gasped as he actually looked scared for once in his life.
"You know, Ibara," Senku spoke up while bent down. Sumi had her fists clenched while staring him down. "You make a valid point. People who think they're smart are the easiest ones to screw over," He then held up the speaker to their lips.
"Now affect five meters...in a single second!" They both declared in unison. The Medusa activated once again and Ibara had tears prickling his eyes as he knew he had lost.
"NO!" He cried out as the green light touched him, and his cry was echoed out as he slowly got petrified. There was a white flash and then the two looked up ahead in silence. The only thing heard was the wind as Senku kneeled.
Sumi panted while staring at Ibara's statue and then kneeled right after, starting to cry softly in relief. She had held it in for so long her emotions of what he had done to her earlier. And now she could finally let it all out, because not only did they win...but Ibara was never going to plague her or anyone else ever again. And also...she was letting herself feel all of the pain she felt all the way from Kohaku and Ginro's petrification...up until this very moment. When she scolded Magma and Gen, that was more or less a small breather...
Senku was silent still while listening to her let it all out. He then placed an arm around her shoulder, gently moving her head onto his shoulder. She welcomed it silently as he rubbed circles around her back. They didn't look at each other or speak, but their intentions were very clear. After a few minutes, she let out a sniff.
"Senku...please don't tell anyone what happened with him," Sumi cried out, her tears falling down from her eyes. "If you do, then they'll see me as a joke. So please...right now I can't even still believe everything that's going on...I wouldn't be able to live with that hanging over my head."
He slowly stood up to look down at her, listening to her cry for a few seconds. He blinked with an unreadable expression on his face. "Come on, violet. Get up..." He sighed a little, hand on his hip as he held out the other one to her. She took it while not looking towards him still and he pulled her onto her feet. She let out another sniff while staying silent. "Do I really look like I have any inkling of interest in telling anyone what he did to you? Especially since if I hold your life, I can decide what happens with it?"
"But...but we just faced him with Ryusui, and he might know too," She gave a desolate look in her eyes, fearing the worst. "You must think I'm disgusting. You wanna break up with me, or tease me like you always do. I don't wanna drive you away-"
"Stop making assumptions out of me!" He growled a bit, getting her attention as she flinched. He looked a bit annoyed, but also determined while holding her shoulders. Her mouth opened a little as they stared directly into each other's eyes. "Listen to me, I wouldn't do something like that! Violet, if you're a victim, it doesn't matter. People who think you wanted it to happen or that they need to think of you less...are just as much as dumbasses as Ibara was for even touching you," His eyes shook and she let out a quiet gasp. "It's like you told me once...I'm not going anywhere. Don't ever say or think I'd act like them ever again!"
Her eyes glistened as she realized that she might've made him angry without intending to. "Senku...?" She asked him slowly in concern and he realized what he said. Not to mention, he could still see her chest as his eyes wandered over to it. He removed his hands and the two stood there in silence for a few seconds. Sumi yelped in embarrassment as she hugged herself. He kneeled while looking away from her. Oh my god, I completely forgot about my clothes! And it's been at least a half hour ever since I've had my breast showing...
"...Sorry," He sighed quietly with his hand over his face. "I didn't mean it like I'm being negative towards you," He untied Ibara's brown cloak and then tossed it over to her. She caught it into her hands, blinking as he was turned away, blushing. "Cover yourself up, seeing your chest is..."
"Eh!" She blushed deeper from him not finishing his sentence, but she knew what he wanted to say. She turned away herself, clutching the cloak tight. "I'm sorry, it must be pretty distracting, huh?" She pulled out a knife, bending down while also getting a needle from her pouch. He wasn't bothered by the fact that he was looking at them, it was just that her physical appearance now was-
Wait a minute! His eyes were white, some lines underneath his left eye as he realized something. Aren't I being a pervert looking at her?! He then took a deep breath, staring at her back as she was still hemming the fabric. It's not that I like it or anything just because she's my lover and I'm allowed to stare. This is bad, it's not even close to an excuse.
She ripped a part of the cloak and then adjusted her clothes as much as she could despite the tears in them. About two minutes later, Sumi stood up, the fabric now tied into a ribbon to stitch together the front of her clothes. "I'm done."
He slowly stepped past her and she followed him. They stared down the statue of Ibara, and then finally took the Medusa back from him. Senku held it up with a triumphant smile, chuckling as Sumi gave a small smile.
"HEEEEELL YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" He cried out in joy over their victory and for finally gaining the petrification weapon.
"WE DID IT!" Sumi pumped a fist.
The sun was now starting to set over the island as they silently walked past statues over a hill. Senku was still carrying the cell phone on his back as Sumi trailed behind him. She had a forlorn look in her eyes as they walked onto a cliff. The sea was right next to them as they were taking it all in...and to confirm that...everyone on the island was indeed petrified. Not a single other person was alive unlike them. They walked up to the inner palace, and could see the master's hut in the distance from the cliff they were standing on.
Soon, the stars were starting to appear. The two looked up at them silently, the sunset illuminating them both. Sumi was behind Senku to give him some space, and he was giving her some as well given what had happened today. His words from earlier were still in her head, and he hadn't said anything else regarding the matter afterwards. Maybe to give her time to think on it...? Or because he didn't feel the need to elaborate since he stated it pretty clear to her.
"...I'm alone," Senku finally spoke up, and she slowly looked up at him.
After he was de-petrified, he wrote down the date on a tree. He then attempted to make a fire, with some monkeys nearby watching him. He then smashed rocks and was hard at work trying to survive making rope. He then poured the nitric acid over a swallow, testing it on other statues near the miracle cave. He then tried using fire on a bird, biting off his thumb to write 'e=mc2'.
"Once again...I'm all alone..." He murmured sadly as Sumi couldn't say anything. She didn't know this time...what she could've said after hearing that. Because...it was the truth, unfortunately. For 3,700 years...they had no one but themselves in a world that wasn't what they were used to anymore. And on top of that...their parents were long gone by the time they woke up, and they didn't even know until they met Ruri. So now...in a place where everyone was a statue again...it was the same exact feeling of having to build up things on their own...for the second time.
Senku bent down in front of the cliff as she once again stood a few feet behind him. She had her hands layered on top of each other on her skirt while taking in the sight in silence. And it was like that until the phone rang, alarming the both of them. The two gasped as their eyes bulged a little in surprise, looking over to the cell phone. They had no time to question who was calling because a familiar voice called out to them.
"Senku? Can you hear me?" Ruri asked and they stared at the speaker in silence. "How're things on your side of the world?" She smiled while being surrounded by Mirai, Minami, Natri, and a few other villagers at the golden pagoda. "Are you doing well? Is Sumi with you?"
Senku didn't say anything at first while holding the speaker. He then gave a small smile. "I'm great." He remembered all of the friends that they were now able to revive thanks to Byukaya's amount of decades of effort. And that was when he also remembered...even though for thousands of years he had no one but himself...he was now surrounded by all of his friends that he had gathered in three years. And that he always had one person who had never left his side. "Because this time...I'm not alone."
Sumi gave him a happy smile and then blinked in confusion as he glanced over his shoulder. "This time...I have a Kingdom of Science...and a science partner who still manages to put up with my crap. Someone who makes sure that I know...that I'm not doing all of this on my own anymore. Because she's the most exciting part of building back civilization that I wouldn't trade for anything."
Her eyes glistened at him from his words, unable to say anything at the moment.
Sumi gathered branches and dry grass, doing this until she had enough for a fire pit. She then constructed it and attempted to carve her tools. She then spent hours cutting down vines, whining towards the pile of them. Sumi came out of hiding once Senku found her shelter and she tackled him to the ground, letting out a gasp once she realized it was him. She then jumped off once she realized that he was naked almost and then fainted.
She watched as he poured the revival fluid onto a bird, both of them pouring nitric acid onto the statues. She held her own petrified swallow above his. After some hesitation, she bit off her thumb to write the formula herself.
The two in the stone world stared at each other after creating light. Then the two high-fived after making their promise for each other's lives. Sumi turned around with a beaming smile towards her friends after her fight in the Grand Bout. Senku then hugged her tight in the cemetery, both of them kneeling while in front of the gravestones. Senku dragged her off to get sugar crystals for the cotton candy, and later that night, they had their talk in the shed. Then she kissed his cheek at Christmas, and she smiled after singing her song for his birthday. She hugged him from behind as she was saying goodbye after they had captured Homura. His eyes widened as he heard her feelings for him over the phone. The two then shared their first kiss at the Tsukasa Empire. Then they confessed to each other in the observatory, in which he proceeded to break her brain from his questions. He then told her he loved her in person, and she then blushed over his words when he called her grown-up on the ship.
Sumi shed happy tears from not even what he said, but all of the memories of the past 3 years with him, both as just his science partner and then lover later on. She silently stepped up and then kneeled behind his back. She hugged him from behind, hiding her face into his back. "...I love you," She whispered softly to him.
"Heh," He let out a small scoff, looking back towards the sunset. "What, did you think I'd get all shy and sentimental from you trying to comfort me?" She didn't react to that and he continued looking up ahead, blinking. Even though it was ten billion percent cliché to say that especially given where they were...he still couldn't bring himself to say that he hated it. While he didn't show it, he did feel...a bit of warmth knowing that she meant what she said. "Still...I love you too, Violet," He murmured while closing his eyes.
"This is nothing like how it was before we were revived, Senku. We have what we need to restore everyone on the island and make sure that these people never have to live in fear again. I don't know if it'll be enough in all honesty...but we can at least try, right?" He hummed a bit as acknowledgement and she didn't react to that, standing up. "Come on, we've got work to do."
"That can wait for a little while," He grabbed her hand to get up and she looked up at him. She let out a small gasp as he held her cheek and he pressed his forehead to hers. She gave a small smile from his gesture as he was silently telling her that she was safe with him.
"...Maybe just a little bit," She agreed and he leaned down to kiss her. She returned it while closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around his neck. He hugged her close as they continued to kiss with the sunset looming over their heads.