It had been minutes since the first light was lit up in the dark night of Stone World. Senku had called Chrome, Kohaku and Suika to join him inside the storeroom where he told them everything, including his encounter with Tsukasa and the circumstances that led them up to this point. Besides the exhausted brothers sleeping near the power generator, Gen and Rikona were hanging around a nearby tree sitting next to each other.
"Should I sew you a pair of slippers?" she suddenly asked, as her curious gaze went to his bare feet.
Gen turned to her with a closed-eye smile. "But I don't like wearing anything on my feet." he said in a sing-song voice. "So you don't have to trouble yourself, Ri-chan."
"Whatever floats your boat, then." she shrugged. "Guess the least I'll do is to just make sure you don't have a blister."
His playful smile was replaced by one of sincerity and warmth. "But you'll always be there to help me in need, right? Like you always did."
Rikona, too, had the same smile. She leaned into him and placed her head on his shoulder. Gen didn't seem to mind at all, as if he'd been used to it. She soon broke that silence with a soft sigh before asking, "Do you remember we used to play in the park when we were young?"
"Of course." answered Gen, giving her a gentle nod.
"It felt like it was so long ago." she remarked. "How long has it been since we last hang out?"
"I believe it was before you went to university, and I went on to work my way for a full-time career as a mentalist." he answered. "Honestly, I thought it was pretty interesting how we came from two completely different worlds, and yet, we became friends instantly."
Rikona chuckled at this. "We were so young and didn't have a care in the world of what everyone else thought. Look where were are now, after being apart from each other for so many years. I guess meeting you when you got the blisters while playing in the park was truly meant to be."
Gen suddenly flinched and then gave her a pout. "Did you have to ruin the moment?" he whined. "I thought it was pretty cool until you had to bring up that embarrassing memory."
The blue-eyed lass removed her head from his shoulder and laughed, which, of course, didn't help much with his sulking. "What can I say? You were a pretty clumsy kid back then. I mean, you literally tripped on thin air and got bruised up all over. And after patching you up, you'd somehow have a magic trick under your sleeves as if you were trying to repay me."
The mentalist could only heave a sigh, but even he chuckled at the embarrassing, yet fond, memory. "I still remember those Doraemon and Crayon Shin-chan plasters. You would also accompany me wherever I went because you were so worried I'd get hurt again. Ever since then, we kept meeting each other in the same park before you invited me to your family garden. You have no idea how terrified I was to meet your father and grandfather. But luckily your grandmother was there, so it was less terrifying."
"It is called parental protectiveness." she shrugged before getting up on her feet. "You can't expect a parent to not be protective over their daughter who suddenly brought over a male friend."
Just as the mentalist mirrored her action, Chrome suddenly emerged from the storeroom entrance and shouted, "Hey! Did you hear that, Gen? You saw it too, didn't you? Electricity! That powerful light of science! I don't care who wins or loses. Tsukasa versus Senku. Who cares if either Tsukasa or Senku has the edge? The Kingdom of Science is obviously more fun!"
But the mentalist had a closed-eye smile plastered on his face when he turned around. "The youngsters are so passionate." he remarked. "But what a shame. I don't have such passion, Chrome-chan. I'm the world's most shallow man. I only care about my personal interest." With that, he walked away with a concerned Rikona trailing behind, completely oblivious to Senku holding back an enraged Kohaku who was very close to charging up to him with the knife in her hand.
Gen approached the power generator and stared at it blankly. Memories of his de-petrification flashed through his mind. He remembered escaping the sword box for a performance, only to be awakened atop a cliff where he had a good view of the sea. The first who greeted him was Tsukasa, the one he knew as the Strongest High School Primate from the TV special on psychological magic whom he appeared with. Behind him was a huge mountain of stone statues of people he targetted to de-petrify. Judging by their appearances, they seemed powerful enough to rule an empire. The mentalist couldn't help but wonder - why did Tsukasa revive him of all people when his own prowess was underwhelmingly overshadowed by the rest? But he soon got his answer when he was assigned his first, and possibly last, mission; to track down Senku and find out if he's alive and, at the same time, convince Rikona to join his empire. Gen might not have heard who Senku was, but the latter was certainly familiar to him that he couldn't shake off the fact that she'd been revived. And her name alone was all it took for him to accept this mission.
"Kitsune?" came the young doctor's voice from behind. She watched him raise his right hand to gently spin one of the wheels, as a gentle smile was plastered on his face. "Are you okay? You've been staring into space for a while now."
"I've decided, Ri-chan." he said affirmatively, catching her by surprise. The last time she heard him speak in such a tone was when he told her that decided to be a mentalist, after sharing their future dreams and aspirations as elementary schoolers would do. When he knew he'd gotten her attention, he continued, "I'll join the Kingdom of Science. I did say I have my own personal interest, but that's partially a lie." He finally turned around to face her, taking a few steps forward, and then stood before her. "It doesn't matter which side I join, as long as I get to be with you."
The said woman's eyes widened as she let out a soft gasp. "Are you sure? It's entirely up to you. I won't bear a grudge even if you decide to side with Tsukasa."
But the determination that was etched all over his face never once faltered. "Didn't you mention it earlier? After all those years we spent together, we've been apart from each other for too long. I've been away from you for far too long, and I don't intend to say goodbye to you ever again."
She could only stare at him as his nickname softly escaped her lips. Just as he said, they'd been involved in each other's childhood for so long, and it felt odd to be apart from each other for so long. Sure, they were able to keep in touch through messaging applications, phone calls, or video calls; anything was possible with modern technology. But it wasn't just the same as the time they'd sit next to each other under the tree, with the girl making flower crowns and then place them on top of their heads. Or when he learned some new magic tricks and demonstrate them to her; though it'd end up in disappointment as she debunked every move easily. Or even the time they'd share their own passions and dreams, to which they provided support and encourage each other to achieve them. To think a strong friendship would form between a sly mentalist who took pride in his abilities and an intelligent doctor who aspired to cure the impossible. They were truly an unlikely pair who had mutual respect for each other.
Rikona's lips curled into a smile. "If that makes you happy, then I'm willing to welcome you to the Kingdom of Science." she finally said. That heartwarming moment was soon ruined by the playfulness in her tone when she added, "Should I make a crown out of your favourite flowers?"
Gen was so dumbfounded that he looked like he just got smacked in the face. "You sure have to ruin the moment, don't you?" he deadpanned with a sweat drop on his temple. "I thought I sounded cool saying all those things, and you're concerned about a flower crown?"
"I was planning to make you one, anyway." she said before turning towards the other direction. "Let me go get some flowers, and I'll be right back."
"Just like old times, huh?" he muttered with a small smile.
The lass returned one as she breathed, "Just like old times."
But what she didn't expect was to return to the sight of an unconscious Gen all beaten up and covered in red, along with a spear pierced into where his heart was located.
Rikona swore her stomach churned so much she thought she was going to vomit there and then. "Gen!" Tossing the bunch of flowers to the ground, she crouched next to him and began looking for a pulse. Not long, she heard footsteps running towards the scene. Kohaku stood next to her, looking just as shocked as Chrome, who also knelt next to the mentalist.
"Hey, Gen!" he called worriedly. "Are you alright?!"
"It's no use." muttered Kohaku. "He obviously died instantly."
"This is bad!" said Suika, who soon joined them.
Senku then appeared in the scene, looking just as shocked as everyone else. "No, wait!" he called. "Let Rikona handle him." His gaze then diverted towards the said woman and inquired, "Doc, is he really dead?"
The young doctor heaved an exasperated sigh. "Not at all." she grumbled. She grabbed the spear by its shaft and pulled it out to reveal a packet of red liquid dripping out. "He guarded himself with bags of fake blood."
"It's all over his body!" noted Suika with relief, holding up another damaged packet.
"This guy is really something." commented Chrome, who also had a packet of fake blood. "He prepared these in advance for safety precaution!"
Even Senku didn't expect this. "That's amazing." he praised, though he was still slightly shaken as he was worried that Gen was truly killed.
"Carry him back to the storeroom and remove his clothes to clean his wounds!" ordered Rikona urgently before she looked over to the little girl. "Suika, collect some comfrey and any leaves the size of your palm! I'll prepare the other ingredients for the cream."
"Roger!" responded Suika, who immediately rolled to the nearby bushes to collect the flowers.
By the time she'd returned, Kohaku and Chrome had carried Gen back to the storeroom where they laid him onto a mat with his head resting on a wooden pillow. After removing his clothes, they cleaned his entire body with a cloth dampened with warm water. During this, Rikona began making the comfrey salve with Senku as her assistant. The latter started by adding some comfrey oil she had made to grated beeswax inside a bowl. The mixture was then taken outside by the doctor to be gently melted over a pot of simmering water. While Senku helped with another batch, Rikona took the salve back inside and applied them onto the bruises before Suika helped to seal them with the leaves she collected.
After covering his lower half with a blanket, she folded a piece of clean fabric and placed it on his left cheek where the bruise was more prominent. "Although he had those fake blood bags for protection, he's badly injured." she said.
"Damn it!" muttered Chrome. "We must catch the perpetrator!"
"But who would be so cruel?" questioned Kohaku.
Suika looked around the room, taking note of everyone's troubled expressions; especially the young doctor. She didn't need any explanation to know how much Gen meant to Rikona, after seeing how comfortable they were together when the others were busy talking about something else. Rikona had been so kind to her since their first meeting, she thought the black-haired woman of an older sister, and she wanted to help her to at least ease her troubles.
Dashing out of the storage room, she went inside the melon and announced, "Suika is going to investigate it!" With the older ones treating Gen's injuries, she began rolling her way towards the village, finding any clues that could link to Gen's assaulter. And boy was she in for a surprise.
As soon as day broke, the little girl returned to the hut, where Senku was brushing his teeth outside while Kohaku was stretching not far from where he stood. "This is bad!" she shouted, immediately grabbing their attention. "Suika knows who did it!"
"Well done, Great Detective Suika." praised Senku, placing his free hand on his waist.
"Suika knows who's behind Asagiri Gen's murder!" she announced.
"Well, he isn't dead yet." pointed out Kohaku nonchalantly.
"So, who did it?" questioned Senku. That was when she revealed that the culprits were Magma and his accomplice, as well as their brute plans to go after Kohaku next in order to get Ruri as his prize.
"Magma?" hissed Chrome, slamming a fist into his palm. "That bastard."
"I see." said Kohaku, placing a fist on her chin. "Asagiri Gen made the flowers disappear in front of Magma and his friends. From Magma's perspective, Gen seems more like the rumoured sorcerer that I brought here."
"So, Magma mistook Gen for Senku and then assaulted him." concluded Rikona, who happened to pass by them with a basket containing turmeric, edible gingers, and lemons.
The blonde woman scoffed, "But Magma actually thought that my strength came from sorcery."
"Yes, Kohaku is like a real gorilla. A really great one at that." If only Chrome knew that this line would've almost cost him his life, as he now bowed before the said woman who was wielding one of her knives. "I'm sorry."
As much as she wanted to stay and join the conversation, she still had work to do as the doctor of the team. After setting up the stove where she placed a small pot, she added grated ginger and turmeric, followed by lemon juice from the whole fruit with a bit of its rind, and water. When it came to a simmer in a few minutes' time, she removed the pot from the fire and then strained the liquid into a jar before leaving it to cool down while she cleaned up.
With the flames now wiped out, Rikona went back inside the hut where Gen slept. She sat next to him and gently shook him, managing to wake him up as his eyes slowly fluttered open. "Sorry for waking you up, Kitsune." she murmured. "I need you to drink something that helps with the inflammation." All she received was a weak grunt from him. She reached over to her side and poured the tonic into a small bowl before scooting closer to him. Placing one hand on the other side for support, she placed the tip to his lips and gently tilted it, letting him slowly sip the tonic until the bowl was empty.
Dabbing away the access around his lips, the doctor moved away to put away the bowl and cloth while the injured man went back to sleep. Upon return, she knelt down next to him, silently staring at him as the image of his "corpse" flashed through her mind. She had to be frank, she was deathly worried that he was dead. They'd finally reunited, and he made up his mind to join the Kingdom of Science, there was no way she could bear the thought of losing him again. 'Idiot.' she scolded. 'You could've gotten yourself killed had you not put those fake blood bags inside.' But then again, this was Gen she was talking about. She knew that he'd always find a way to get himself out of trouble. Otherwise, why would she call him by one of the sneakiest animals on earth? A small smile then plastered on her face as she reached out to stroke his hair. 'You're a magician through and through, aren't you, Kitsune?'
Later that night, the members of the Kingdom of Science gathered inside the hut. Senku was making the comfrey salve while Rikona replaced the old batch with the new one. Kohaku sat between the two, while Chrome was on the other side holding a bowl of tonic and Suika helped wipe off the sweat on Gen's forehead.
"I plan to join the Grand Bout Tournament too." announced Kohaku, pulling both knees to her chest. "Kinro, Ginro, and I from the Kingdom of Science team must stop Magma from winning."
"Okay." responded Chrome. But his gaze then went to Gen who was trying to catch his breath as he kept panting in his sleep. "Hey, Gen. Are you alright?"
"Looking at his condition, it's going to take some time before he recovers." noted Rikona.
"In other words..." he trailed off.
"That's right." chimed Senku with a smirk. "We have a short time limit before Tsukasa comes to kill me and drag Doc along." Chrome, Suika and Kohaku immediately express worry and cautiousness on their faces; no one noticed that Gen had had his eyes open and was listening to them the whole time.
Hours later, and it was time for bed. With Chrome leaning against the shelf snoring away, Rikona stayed up to replenish the comfrey salve. Her attention soon shifted from the leaf to the mumbling man laying behind her. Like before, she placed a hand on the other side for support and leaned closer, attempting to picking what he was saying.
"In this Stone World, are you and Senku-chan able to make it, Ri-chan?" he asked weakly. "A bottle of cola."
The said woman gently pat his exposed shoulder and said, "Yes, we can. Even if he can't, I'll make you one."
That was all it took for Gen's lips to curl into a smile.
Zzzzzzz
"I haven't had enough sleep." yawned Ginro while rubbing his eyes groggily.
Pop!
"Wake up, Ginro." scolded his brother. "Didn't we agree to have morning training before the shift handover?"
"THIS IS BAD!" screamed Chrome, causing the two to flinch with Ginro the most taken aback as he appeared to be more awake now. "Gen is missing!"
But strangely, Senku and Rikona were the only ones who were unfazed by this. "I see." said the former nonchalantly while picking his left ear. "So, he has gone back to Tsukasa?"
"But why would he leave quietly?" questioned Chrome while climbing down the ladder.
"Is that sneaky little bat going to tell Tsukasa that Senku is still alive?" deduced Kohaku, eliciting gasps from him and Suika.
"This is bad, Senku, Rikona." he said. "We have to go after him then."
"We must quickly catch that sneaky little bat." declared Kohaku.
"Hold on." The blond woman suddenly slammed into something; or rather, someone. But the person was stronger than her as she was about to fall backward, only to pulled back by the person until she'd regained her balance.
"Rikona, why did you stop me?" she demanded once she got a look. "We must catch him at once-"
"Don't worry about it." she interrupted with a reassuring smile. "It's going to be fine. I've known Gen for a very long time. If he wasn't interested in science, he would have never helped us in the first place."
"Doc's right." joined Senku. "When I made electricity, Gen has already decided whose side he was going to take. But I'm ten billion percent sure that the main reason was Doc herself. I wouldn't be surprised, since it's perfectly normal if he wants to join his childhood friend who is part of the Kingdom of Science. It's just that this superficial guy has his own way of doing things."
"Men are troublesome." remarked Kohaku. "It's the same no matter which era it is."
"Will Gen join the Kingdom of Science?" asked Chrome with surprise.
"That's right." confirmed Rikonna, giving him a nod. "He'll surely make it back here safely."
Kohaku humphed at this and crossed her arms. "The first battle between Tsukasa Empire and the Kingdom of Science." she began triumphantly. "The fight for Asagiri Gen. The Kingdom of Science won!"
"Gen is indeed a good person!" gleamed Suika.
"Awesome!" cheered the brunette.
'An alliance is formed with a bottle of cola.' thought the amused Rikona as her gaze was fixated on the sky. 'The world's flimsiest alliance. That's Kitsune, alright. Looks like we'll have to make a very chilled bottle of cola using science just in time when he gets back.'