In the storage room, Senku and you looked everywhere for a certain item that was hidden way down the left shelf. Once you find it, Senku instantly smirked at it.
"Nice. You have native copper." He complimented as you stood next to him, studying it.
As Chrome catched up with the two of you, he instantly frowned, "Hey! That stuff is way too pretty to destroy."
"We'll melt it to make wire."
Senku was merely uninterested. He's going to do anything as long as it accomplishes their goal.
"Thanks for the free donation, have-it-all!" You cackled teasingly like a lunatic, earning a deep sigh from Chrome.
"You two are the worst!"
Senku, however, continued, ignoring your discussions with Chrome, "If only we could get some lightning..."
As if on cue, a storm suddenly swept in, causing thunder to crackle all over the place.
Your head snapped outside in an instant, eyes widening in disbelief at the coincidence. Grumbling, you dragged your cheeks down in despair, "Damn you and your bad luck, lettuce head!"
Without further explanation, the three of you climbed down to the ground and looked up at the sky.
While Senku was frozen in disbelief, you were already crouching to the floor disappointedly.
"Can you believe how lucky we are?" Chrome cheered.
In an instant, Senku exploded in rage, "No, you idiot! This isn't luck! This is the worst case scenario! We are in no way to prepared to utilize this!"
All you could do was groan; Not only is your strategy failing, but the rain is now drenching you.
"Will the generator run on lightning?" Gen asked amusingly, observing both of your reactions.
With a grimace, you turned to face him, "That's ridiculous. No, it will not. But, we can make it in the future."
Soon after, you just sighed deeply and went to get something from beneath the storage room.
"Magnets." You then smirked, showing the rock you had just taken, "We can make a generator out of these."
"No. The natural ones are way too weak." Senku argued back.
"Think ahead, Sen." Tapping your forehead mockingly, you walked back to stand beside him, "We can catch lightning with an iron rod to create a powerful magnet."
Giving Senku a few seconds to understand what you were talking about, he then smirked as his eyes became wide at the thought.
"Chrome, do this as fast as lightning. Smash the furnace now!" Senku gave the order, which Chrome immediately executed with a hammer.
Without wasting any time, you managed to assign tasks to each person. First, Suika had gone to get a lacquer, the substance that covered Kohaku's shield. Then, Senku poured some lacquer on the iron bars and ripped a plank off the bridge with force. In the meantime, Kohaku carved a channel into the plank. Next, Senku filled the channel with the molten copper and afterwards, he wrapped the bars with the result.
Even if you're guiding the others what to do, you breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the pressure alongside them.
Gen, the person standing beside you, arched an eyebrow mockingly, "So, you're like their commander or what?"
"None of your business." You immediately ended the conversation, allowing Gen to pat himself on the back for attempting to communicate with you.
After a few moments, Chrome gave a startled, loud gasp. That surely caused you and Gen to exchange quick glances before staring worriedly at something that Chrome was pointing to.
It appears that three villagers are approaching the Kingdom of Science. The two men next to him are unquestionably his underlings, while the center man is a massive, blonde man with shoulder-length hair.
"This is bad! It's Magma!"
"He's not the kind of guy who talks things over." Kohaku warned, preparing her weapon in front of her, "We're gonna have to fight!"
Quickly, you seized her wrist and shook your head, "If we go to war with the village right now, it's game over."
"But we have no choice!" Angrily, Kohaku shot back, but she did as you asked and lowered her weapon.
"Oh, we have."
With a menacing smile that caused everyone to take a few steps back, you slowly and eerily turned your head back to face Gen.
"Asagiri Gen." You spoke silently as Gen responded with an unwilling smile.
'Please, not me. Please, not me!' He continued to beg in his mind, but as your look grew stronger, he was forced to let out a heavy sigh.
Forcefully, He took a step forward, his head lowering in dread. With a mere gaze, he knew what you were going to say.
"You got my flowers?" Gen asked in a bitter tone.
You simply set a few white Asters on his hand without responding before giving him two gentle pats on the back; 'Good luck.'
Unconsciously, a small smile spread across his lips as he felt a little relief that despite your hatred for him, there is still a part of you that showed him kindness.
"Flowers over war." He muttered beneath his breath.
After Gen figured out the right grasp to hold the flowers, he walked towards Magma and the gang.
But it's obvious that his actions infuriated them much more.
"What in the hell is this guy holding flowers for?! Doesn't he know we're looking for a fight?!" The small blonde asked angrily.
But Magma hadn't yet shown his rage. He merely chuckled, "Were you the one that made the Gods so angry? Stepping out to me like this takes more balls than brains."
In response, Gen let out a dramatic gasp, "I'm sorry! I'm afraid you're mistaken. We're trying to use our sorcery to stop this onslaught of terror from above."
"Quit talking out of your ass! I don't want to hear this-"
"Allow me to show you." With a cunning smile, Gen flipped his palms back, making the flowers vanish from sight in front of his opponents.
Of course, Magma and his friends were filled with shock when they witnessed such a thing; Their eyeballs almost popped out! So as a result, they fled in fear as their anger growing.
However, from your perspective, you were still able to see the flowers between Gen's fingers — a magician's technique known as the 'Backpalm'.
"Pfft-!"
You clearly wanted to laugh aloud. But fortunately, Senku immediately intervened by covering your mouth with the palm of his hand.
"I can't with you." He stared blankly, wondering how you could laugh in this situation.
All you could do was give him a glare before biting his palm gently, forcing him to yelp in surprise and let go of you.
"Haha! I won!" You beamed happily, despite the fact that this time it was Senku who was glaring at you.
"It's not even a competition!"
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever floats your boat, lettuce head." You flashed him a playful wink before turning to face the other again. This time, your tone has shifted to something more serious, "Alright, guys! Let's get to the highest peak!"
"Oh! I know a place!" Chrome's eyes grew wide slightly.
All you did was look proudly at him, 'Of course he knows something.'
Without further ado, the Kingdom of Science climbed a mountain that Chrome had said would be ideal for the task at hand.
Once you all reached the top, Senku and Gen were clearly panting a lot because they're not the physical type. You, on the other hand, remained as thrilled as ever!
"Well, Chrome. I'd say that your ten years of exploration are really paying off now." Senku declared.
"Aw yeah! Pretty incredible, right?" Chrome stretched his right arm to show everyone the magnificent view, "We're on top of the bald mountain!"
With an enthusiastic grin, you put an arm around his shoulder, "A perfect spot to catch lightning, have-it-all. We couldn't ask for a better place!"
Swiftly, you instruct everyone to set up the lightning rod, which they tried to accomplish. Unfortunately, though, the stick you guys were going to use to build the structure was too blunt to cut through the rock.
"The lightning's close now." Senku alerted, "There isn't enough time to build a real scaffolding."
Kohaku frowned with frustration, "If only there were something long that we could stick into the ground..."
As she searched around the mountain, she saw there were two men hiding in a bush; One of them carrying a shining, gleaming gold spear.
"Bingo."
It turns out that you saw it too, which caused the two of you to stare at each other with mutual understanding.
When Kinro saw such looks, he instantly cried in desperation, "N-No! Not happening!! This is my spear!"
But before he could complain any further, Kohaku kicked the spear out of his grasp in one swift motion before it landed perfectly on top of your palms. Immediately, you grabbed the iron from Senku's hand and tied it around the spear's tip using a rope from one of your inventory pockets around your waist.
As soon as it was tied, you ran straight to the center, brought the spear down with both hands, and pierced the ground with it.
You then looked up to see lightning coming straight towards you, leading you to leap out of the way to avoid being struck, and precisely landed next to Senku with a smirk.
"The stage is all yours, lettuce head." Dramatically, you extended your arm as if to allow him to walk first.
What you weren't expecting, though, was the way he grasped your chin and raised your face to meet his softened gaze.
"I won't walk without you, goldfish." A smirk spread across his lips.
That surely made you roll your eyes playfully, yet you obliged. Eventually, the two of you confidently made your way over to the iron bars.
"Kukuku! Well, take a look at that. The lightning god descends." Holding it, he displayed with a smug attitude.
You, on the other hand, were standing next to him as you stared up at the now-clear sky, "Electricity is in play. Interesting, isn't it?"
Gen's mouth fell open, too astonished to utter anything. All he could think was how crazy you two must have been to create such a thing.
"Oh, no! Was your golden spear destroyed?" Ginro asked mockingly, pleased that his brother had nothing now.
Kinro didn't even bother to respond, shooting a depressing gaze at the destroyed spear.
"I hope you can forgive me, Kinro. It was kind of an emergency." Even though Kohaku said that, she didn't seem to feel bad at all.
"I'm sure (Name) and Senku will make you another one if you ask them." Suika spoke up with a smile.
"Yeah, we can." You laughed a little before walking away, not wanting to see Ginro make fun of his own brother just so you could stop laughing.
"This is exhilarating." Senku turned to face you, two of the magnets already connected to each other.
The primitives who glanced at the magnets were immediately puzzled.
Kohaku was the one to speak up, "How come it sticks?"
When you heard such question, you beamed, "Simple! It's because magnets have two polarities; South and north. When different polarities faced each other, it can stick like this."
You then showed them the magnets before elaborating more, "However, if you face the same polarities, they will have a force to push each other away."
"Wooahhh!" At this point, everyone ollectively nodded their heads in awe.
Once again, Gen, who watched from a distance, could do nothing but admire your intelligence and Senku's.
[ POWERFUL MAGNETS ACQUIRED !! ]
"We can make it now, can't we? The crazy incredible thing you called 'electricity'?!" With enthusiasm, Chrome pumped his fist high into the air.
"Correct! You're getting smarter, Google Chrome!" You playfully winked.
Gen then chimed in, sweating bullets at the sight of your successful creation, "I'm curious. Are you creating a thermal generator or a wind turbine? I don't suppose you're going nuclear yet."
Senku and you exchanged a quick glance before shrugging shoulders at the same time.
"It'll be muscle powered."
"I should've expected as much..." Gen grinned shakily, hesitant to ask further questions.
As soon as you all arrived back at the Kingdom of Science's place, everyone started working on the generator.
Chrome pounded the copper sheet flat, which Senku helped shape into a perfect circle. Afterwards, he continued applying lacquer to some copper wire, causing you to scream when you saw his now-bright red and puffy face.
Quickly, you looked aside, covering your lips in an attempt to prevent yourself from laughing.
"Holy shit, pufferfish!" You laughed, "Your allergies is coming back!"
"Pwufferfwish?!"
"Ohh, that's why. I was wondering why the hell Senku-chan turned into Anpanman." Gen murmured under his breath, to which you laughed even more.
"I can shtill wowk," Senku fired back, but it was evident that his eyes were growing redder, "And pleashe dwon't cwall mwe thwat agwain."
"Oh, you mean 'pufferfish'? Not gonna happen." You took the jar out of his hand with ease and gave him a playful pat on the head, "You can take it easy and do my job — commanding everyone!"
A mischievous smile slowly extended across Gen's face, "Nepo baby-chan and her motherly aura win again! Is that how things are between the two of you, Senku-chan? You loving her smothering care?"
"Nwo."
"Ouchh," Dramatically, Gen placed a hand on his chest, "You hate it? Perhaps I might get her to take care of me again. Who would want to waste such a gorgeous and elegant lady?"
You simply went along, leaning closer to him with a seductive look, "Very charming of you. You do have good looks and usefulness. Maybe I'll consider."
Unbeknownst to you, Senku witnessed how the two of you interacted and clicked his tongue in annoyance, 'This is annoying.'
"Stwop. Jwust dwo the work, gwoldfwish." He grumbled as he turned to check Chrome's performance.
With that, you and Gen instinctively high-fived each other, proudly grinning.
"YIPEEE!"
But, you immediately halted in your tracks and cleared your throat as soon as you recognized what you just did. Your entire cheerful mood abruptly altered to one that is more serious.
"Uhh... Let's get back to work." You spoke icily, before deciding to leave Gen alone.
Now that you had left him, he stood by himself in the midst of everyone's business. He was overjoyed that he had finally taken one step closer to get closer to you! But he felt like he had taken three steps backwards again when you said such a thing in a cold tone.
That doesn't mean he'll stop trying.
Shortly and flawlessly, the power generator was finally completed.
"The Kingdom of Science advances." You gleefully presented, "Our two-wheeled hand crank generator is now complete!"
[ POWER GENERATOR ACQUIRED !! ]
"So, do we need to spin them both in unison? That seems pretty challenging." Kohaku pondered, as did Suika, who merely raised both of her hands in excitement, "Not if the two of us work together!"
"If they get out of sync, it'll break down. The timing has to be perfect." Chrome replied firmly.
For some reason, hearing the information you taught him come out of his mouth made you very proud at the time, 'I'm so proud of you, Microsoft!'
"If only we knew a pair who were perfectly coordinated and energetic." Senku mumbled under his breath as he thought about who is perfectly synchronized with one another in here.
After a brief moment of silence, all six of you stared at each other, already thinking the same thing.
"I'm not sure if they'll agree, though. Not after we burned Kinro's precious spear to ashes." Kohaku sighed, already giving up.
However, Senku smiled mischievously and pointed to you and Gen, "They'll do the work."
Like there was no tomorrow, you and Gen immediately collapsed to the ground and began sobbing dramatically.
It's incredible that despite being supposed to be rivals, you both react in the same way.
"This is clearly his revenge for what we did to him!!"
"NO, IT'S NOT!"
In the end, Kinro and Ginro decided to power up the generator. How? Easy! You and Gen told them lies through your teeth about how electricity may grant them the ability to obtain a silver spear and a golden spear, among other things.
Despite your knowledge of how difficult those are to produce, you couldn't resist entertaining yourself by slowly deceiving everyone into becoming an ally of the Kingdom of Science.
"They really put all of their effort into it." You amusingly smiled, crossing your arms, "Kinro and Ginro are ours. The Kingdom of Science is building up a solid work force."
Senku stood next to you, offering a fist bump. Instantly, you accepted as the two of you chuckling at the unspoken congratulations.
"But, are they actually generating electricity?" Doubtfully, Gen asked.
Hearing that, Senku quietly raised a leaf with a small piece of wood on it as you rested your arm on his shoulder.
"Of course. This, menta-freak, is a steam-roasted bamboo fiber. You know what I mean, right?"
Gen's eyes widened slightly as he took in what was in front of him.
He remembered when you used to explain scientific concepts to him, concepts he neither understood nor cared to. Yet, when you talked about electricity, he showed little interest in it because you used to help him with using electricity and lighting for his magic shows. Gen didn't pay attention to your explanation of how to generate power until you showed him a picture that looked just like what Senku is showing him right now.
"I remember." Gen mumbled to himself, eyes softening with nostalgia, 'It's Edison lightbulb.'
Except for the brothers, all of you returned to the storage room to witness the first-ever operation of the electricity.
"Do we need to place it on a high place?" Kohaku inquired.
"Not really. But, we might as well." Senku answered before his attention fell on you, who was simply standing next to Kohaku with a warm smile.
He's always in awe of this sight of you.
Calm, gentle, and absolutely unpredictable.
"Come on, goldfish. Let's get up there." He held out his hand to you with a warmed expression.
You looked at his hand, confused, before raising your gaze, "You've got Chrome to help you, right? I'm fine staying down here."
When he heard that, he just rolled his eyes and swiftly took your arm before dragging you along with him. You were definitely surprised.
Even on this freezing night, his body feels oddly warm.
"We created this together. I'd prefer not to see it alone." Senku fell silent before stopping in his tracks, "...And I know you want to see the light with your own eyes too."
You could swear his ears are red right now!
The two of you then managed to climb up the storage room's rooftop and prepare everything you needed, alongside Chrome.
Right then, you were a little taken aback.
The night sky was so blue that it wasn't even completely black. It was as bright as it had ever been, there were stars everywhere.
It was as if the universe wanted to make the stars look like the building lights that the Modern World once had.
"Chrome, does the night scare you?" Senku asked quietly.
"Well, yeah." Despite being confused, Chrome answered, "It's because everything gets dark. Why do you ask?"
"Back in my day, there was no darkness." Senku began as you stared at him with an unknown feeling.
Sadness? Happiness? Feeling nostalgic? You couldn't exactly explain it. But, whatever it is, the thought of what you once had in the Modern World made your heart tighten.
You really did miss it.
"With old man Edison's incandescent lightbulb, humanity beat back the night — conquering all twenty-four hours of the day. With the power of science, mankind defeated the darkness."
You mumbled, sounding unbothered, but your face never lies — it shows interest.
"And now, we're gonna do it again. For the first time in 3.700 years, the flame of science will burn."
Senku brought the wire closer together to make it touch the fiber, creating a spark that produced the most brilliant white light you've seen since you de-petrified.
It was so intense, almost everyone had to shield their eyes from the unexpected light.
Beaming through the darkness of the night, all around you was illuminated by that one light.
A spark of light in the midst of the darkness.
'Shit.' Biting your lip, you quickly closed your eyes.
You knew this was going to happen; you knew you'd have to create light first. Nevertheless, you still had the urge to cry. You didn't want to, not in front of everyone.
Unexpectedly, you felt a hand on the back of your head, pulling you closer to his shoulder.
You were taken aback, yet once you realized who it was, you soon relaxed.
"Sen..."
"I know." He whispered softly as a feather.
You may not notice it, but his ruby eyes have softened upon seeing your expression. You were never the emotional type, but when he saw you display such emotions, he would always hide your face from his gaze.
The sight always made his heart tighten and he couldn't help but smile, wishing you couldn't hear the rhythm of his heartbeat right now.
After a few seconds, the fiber burned out, leaving ash on the leaf. It caused the light you saw to dim once more.
Nevertheless, the hope-filled light within you remained. It became even more radiant, flooding your thoughts with inspiration and determination.
"We made it." With a light smile, you lifted your head off his shoulder, "We're off to a good start."
"Yeah." Senku responded, lifting his gaze to the stars. "We made it."
After answering a few questions about electricity from your primitive friends, you all gathered in the storage room for a strategy meeting.
Obviously, Gen stayed outside because he was a tattle-tale, not a member of the Kingdom of Science, still on one team with the Tsukasa Empire, not your friend, and you didn't trust him at all.
"So you see, Suika. The long-haired man — Tsukasa — is the one who's behind (Name) and Senku's murder." Kohaku warned.
"Guys, we're-"
"That guy is seriously bad news!" Chrome suddenly yelled, causing Suika to flinch and move closer to you, "He wanted to stop scientific progress! That's why he killed the two of them without hesitation."
"We are still alive!"
"It's like we can still hear them-"
"Okay. By now, it's obvious that you're all making fun of us." You forced a smile, which made Chrome and Kohaku immediately cover their mouths.
"So if this Tsukasa is some kind of violent bad guy and Gen has been working with him, that means Gen's a bad guy too?!" Suika asked frantically before pausing, "W-Wait. But isn't Gen also the person who saved us from Magma? Then, he's a good guy."
"He's not a bad or a good guy. We just need him to be on our side so he could make a fake report to Tsukasa." You shrugged your shoulders before looking out the storage room's door where Gen was already grinning at you.
Unconsciously, you smugly grinned back, before simply waving twice; 'Good luck' — A simple gesture that holds significant importance for you and Gen.
"He's nothing but a rat who's only in it for himself." Kohaku scoffed.
All of a sudden, Chrome got up and moved to the doorway to look at Gen, which made you immediately grimaced.
'Please, no. Don't shout.'
"Listen up, Gen!"
Sadly, you jinxed it.
"I know you saw it!" Chrome exclaimed, overflowing with enthusiasm, "Electricity; That powerful light of science! I don't care about who wins or loses. Who gives a crap if either (Name) and Senku or Tsukasa have the edge!? Because the Kingdom of Science is obviously the side that's more fun!"
Unfortunately when Gen turned around, he showed Chrome that false smile you were all too familiar with.
"Oh, is that so? You are the passionate type. Too bad for you, I don't really care about that. I'm probably the most superficial man on earth." He shrugged his shoulder lazily, "All I consider is what's beneficial to me."
With that, he walked away, disappearing into the trees. Even so, for some reason, there is one possibility that you cannot disregard.
"I wanna do a bet." You mumbled.
"A bet?" In confusion, the primitives tilted their heads simultaneously.
However, Senku arched an eyebrow, clearly intrigued, "With what?"
"I don't know. Anything. But..." Lifting your sight from the forest, you glanced at them calmly as excitement surged within you, "I'm betting Gen will join us."
"How do you know that?" Kohaku asked doubtfully.
Simply, you shrugged and leaned back against the wall with a nonchalant smile, "A person who effortlessly manipulates others cannot fool someone who is more intelligent than them."
'Huh??'
At that moment, everyone was completely perplexed by what you were saying.
Yet, unlike usual, you didn't feel the need to elaborate.
Deep inside, you know what lies behind Asagiri Gen's deceptive face.
He was interested in the Kingdom of Science.
No matter how hard he tries to perfect his mask to conceal his genuine emotions, you will inevitably discover what is going on inside his heart.
But while you were thinking, there was an enormous noise echoing through the forest, almost like someone had been punched.
"W-What's going on?" Suika nervously asked as she hastily cowered behind you for comfort.
You all quickly turned to see where the noise was coming from. Several more blows were thrown, followed by a faint whimper in the darkness of night.
Shortly afterward, there was a tremendous roar that caused the birds to fly away. It exposed to you all the precise location where the sound came from.
'Arthur-?'
"That's bad news." Kohaku growled, preparing her weapons, "Let's go!"
Without wasting any time, the five of you rushed to the source of the sound.
There, you spotted Asagiri Gen lying on the ground.
A puddle of blood was everywhere and the center of his chest was pierced by a spear.
"GEN!"
Shouting, you immediately knelt next to him and tried to think clearly.
He was your friend. Yes, he broke your trust, yet the memories of the two of you will never be forgotten.
You were shaken to the core. Not only was his face bruised and bleeding, he wasn't moving at all.
"Holy crap, what happened here?!"
"Damn it. Looks like he died instantly."
"This is horrible!"
All three primitives peered at the scene and gave up on saving his life, but you never give up hope.
'No. He has a lot of tricks in his sleeves. He's not going to die easily!'
Hurriedly, you placed two of your fingers on his neck. A few moments later, you let out a sigh of relief. His heart continued to beat, albeit slowly and maybe undetectable.
"No. He's still alive." You stated firmly, "Sen, rip off his shirt."
Thus, Senku did.
He tore off Gen's top, revealing several 'blood'-filled pouches surrounding the man.
"He's got these things all over his body!" Suika gasped in surprise.
"This is really freaking incredible! Look (Name)!" Chrome examined one of them and showed it for you to see too, "I bet he did this before he even came to the village just in case."
"That's pretty impressive." Senku acknowledged, "He really is a magician to his core. Not to mention, a showman."
Calmly, you wiped a sweat from your brow, grateful for the trick he had just carried out, 'You menta-freak really are a freak...'
"He's still in a bad shape, you know? No time to be impressed. We have to heal him now."
Carefully, you and Kohaku moved Gen to the storage room, laying him on a mat and a straw pillow.
You then took some of the herbs and combined them with water to make a paste so you could put it all over the open wounds. Afterwards, Senku placed leaves over the paste to make it stick like bandages.
"Damn it." Chrome clenched his jaw, "We gotta catch whoever did this!"
"First, we need to find out who did such an awful thing." Kohaku responded tiredly.
In that moment, you and Suika peeked at each other with slightly widened eyes, as if you both had an idea.
You leaned on her side and cupped your mouth so no one could hear you before whispering, "Great Detective Suika-sama, you know what to do."
"Yes, ma'am! I'm gonna go investigate!"
Hastily, Suika curled her body to fit inside her watermelon shell. Soon, she left the storage room and headed into the village to perform further research.
The rest looked at each other for a short moment before chuckling, knowing that Suika is a very reliable little girl.
As midnight approached, the others had left for the village, leaving Senku to sleep in a sitting position while you chose to remain awake.
"This guy..." With a sleepy laugh, you discreetly picked up a straw pillow and placed it next to Senku. Afterwards, you carefully lowered his body until he was in a sleeping position.
Fortunately, he's still sound asleep.
As you turned to walk back, your expression softened when you saw Gen's state.
He seemed extremely worn out.
You couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
"I shouldn't be the one apologizing..." You muttered before bowing down respectfully, "But, as one of the kingdom's people, I apologize for our actions."
You then began to stare outside the storage room, observing the village go dark as the sea below them continued to reflect the sky in all its brightness.
You closed your eyes without saying anything for a little second.
Perhaps this is the right time to express what you're thinking.
"You know... I've never really hated you."
Wow.
Okay, nevermind. This is the worst decision you've made today.
What a fantastic start, (Name). Proud of you.
In an instant, Gen's closed eyes shot open in surprise. Why would you say that all of a sudden!?
Nevertheless, he continued to listen with his lips twitching upwards from the joy he felt right now.
"I used to loathe you. Why the hell you'd break your freaking promise to the person who was so happy to be friends with you?? That is just plain disrespectful and dumb... Not that I could really blame you. Fame, jealousy, and respect. It must have felt fantastic to have those, huh?"
'Oh.' Gen inhaled sharply, feeling a certain emotion hit his chest hard, 'That hurts.'
"You wanted all of those things until you lost the one you most wished; A friend." Scoffing, you continued, "That's why you spread false information about my parents in order to gain popularity and attention. I had no idea that our friendship could make both of us rivals in your eyes."
'Ouch.' Sensing another strike, Gen hissed painfully in his mind.
Respectfully, your words pierce deeper than stones.
"You have no idea how upset I was when you showed up in this Stone World!" You chuckled lightly at the memory, "But the more time passes, the more I find it unbelievable that I felt happy when we talked. It's as if nothing had happened."
However, you swiftly glared at Gen, "Still, I'll never forget what you did to me, even if we seem close."
"But, now? I guess, it's alright." Your warm gaze eventually focused on Senku, "You can betray me all you want, Gen. It won't bother me this time. As long as Senk- I mean... As long as the Kingdom of Science is with me, you can try."
"In the end, I will always forgive you." A lovely smile began to spread across your face, "I'm your friend after all, Gen."
At that moment, you could see Gen wrinkled up his entire face as a tear escape from his eye.
"Gen, are you alright?!" Panicking, you rushed toward him silently.
When you got closer, he started to open his mouth. Though, you couldn't quite hear him. So, you leaned in an attempt to understand what he was saying.
Soon, you heard a very faint noise coming from Gen's lips.
You expected him to ask for water or to speed up his recovery.
But you were mistaken.
What he was about to say would cut deep into your heart.
"I'm sorry..."
There's the word you want to hear.
His voice sounded scratchy and in pain yet he spoke, "I a-apologize for everything. I don't deserve... your apology... or a-a chance."
"I know." You whispered gently, slowly reaching out to take his cold hands, hoping to bring him some comfort.
Yet, it made him feel worse than he already was.
He let go of your hands and covered his face, even though it hurt him.
"Gen-!!"
"Y-You were right, okay? You're always right. I was... jealous. I hated you. I thought I-I could use you... I t-thought we weren't f-friends. You were too kind. I thought you're going to use me a-as well." He forced out a bitter laugh, "Here I am, becoming t-the dumb one.."
"I a-am so sorry." He paused for awhile, exhaling heavily, "It w-wasn't right of me.. to do t-that. I'm sorry. I'm so.. so sorry."
With his lips quivering, he closed his eyes and let more tears fall, "I'll... earn your t-trust back. I am sorry.. P-Please."
You felt your chest tighten as he spoke, "Gen..."
"I shouldn't have done.. that. I'm sorry for b-breaking your trust..." His words turned into sobs which hurt your heart even more, "I'm s-sorry. I-I'm so so so sorry..."
He was in tears.
He was sincere.
You knew that.
Thus, you came to a decision.
A choice that both of you will always remember.
"...I'll be waiting."
→
When you awoke, you noticed you were covered in a blanket, while the others were already outside to get ready for the day.
"Who-?"
"Senku-chan was the person who wrapped the blankets around you!" Gen chimed in out of nowhere and wiggling his eyebrows teasingly, to which you gave him a strange look.
"No. Way."
"Yes way, nepo baby-chan!" He evilly giggled, "I personally saw it. That's the blanket I'm meant to use, y'know?! But when he realized you had neither a pillow nor a blanket, he immediately placed a pillow under your head and snatched my blanket with force."
"He's not that nice!" You cringed just thinking about it.
"Well, you'll be surprised." Gen sighed dramatically as he remembered his argument with Senku over who deserved the blanket.
"He's far more considerate than both you and him realize." As he continued to explain, you gave him another strange stare.
"Hell. No."
"Hell yeah." Gen's shoulders shrugged casually before he pushed you forcefully. Sadly, you didn't move at all because of his weak arms.
"Now, go outside and perform your scientific business with the Kingdom of Science!" He cheered, and for the first time in a long time, you felt grateful to have him back as a friend.
"Ughh, fine. But, you better get some rest!"
"Okayyy!"
With that, you climbed down the steps and stretched your arms into the air. Without a doubt, the clean air in Stone World is a wonderful advantage.
"Big news, guys! Suika found out something huge!"
All of a sudden, Suika appeared in front of you before standing up straight.
"What is it, Great Detective Suika-sama?" You teased, although there was a sense of seriousness in your tone.
Senku then walked next to you and gently shoved a toothbrush into your mouth before resting both arms on his hips, "Do you mind telling us what it is?"
"Thwanks." You murmured, causing Senku to nod.
"I figured out who attacked Gen last night! I know who killed him!"
"He's not dead-"
"It was Magma! He killed Gen and also declared that Kohaku's strength comes from sorcery!" Suika shuddered at the thought, "There's a huge scratch on his arm too! It seemed like a lion attacked him after attacking Gen."
Instantly, your eyes opened at the new information instantly. But it's not because you're terrified. It's because you were relieved that a companion you'd left was still with you in the shadows.
'Arthur. You clever little boy.' You thought, eagerly awaiting his return.
"Also, he mentioned you, (Name)!" Suika swiftly hugged your legs, to which you responded with a light pat, assuming it was merely because he wanted to kill you as well.
"He claimed that t-the female sorcerer should be the first woman he marries."
Okay, you were incorrect.
"SAY WHAT?!"
Everyone let out a horrified scream, even Gen.
"Um, no way in hell!" You cringed at the thought of it.
Senku grimaced as well, "That is the most illogical claim I've ever heard."
"My sister, me, and now (Name)?!" Kohaku yelled, already drawing her knife.
Chrome, on the other hand, was willing to beat Magma with his weak arms.
"He added that you are too attractive to become a sorcerer. He said that he could change you into the woman he deserves." Suika frowned, "He also considered that if you continue with your sorcery, he could exploit that to his advantage."
"NO!" Your jaw dropped open in shock, letting out a dramatic high-pitched shriek, "OH HELL NAW!"
"That bastard." Chrome snarled.
"When Magma came over here, Gen made those flowers vanish right before his eyes." Kohaku scowled, "I imagined from his perspective, Gen has to be one of the mysterious foreign sorcerers that I tried to bring into the village."
"So Magma tried to murder Gen because he mistook him for Senku?" Chrome asked, which you nodded in response.
When you looked down, Suika was still embracing you tightly. So, you carried her to calm her down, causing her to wrapped her arms around your neck.
"What's more offensive is Magma has the nerve to go around saying that my strength comes from sorcery!" Kohaku scoffed.
Hearing that, Chrome merely looked aside blankly, "Well, I always thought you had the strength of a gorilla because you were one."
Once again, Chrome bowed down to plead for mercy while Kohaku prepared her weapon to beat his ass up.
"Sorry, ma'am." Chrome mumbled shakily.
That surely made you and Suika laughed at the sight.
"Got a question for you, Kohaku." Senku chimed in, "Why would Magma be looking for an opportunity to kill you?"
"It's probably because... No. It's definitely because of the tradition we have called the 'Grand Bout'. Once every generation, the village holds a big martial arts battle." Kohaku explained, "The last one was several months ago, on the day that my sister — the village's priestess, Ruri — came of age."
"Let me guess. Whoever won that battle was supposed to marry her and become the next village chief or whatever?" You raised an eyebrow.
Collectively, Chrome and Kohaku turned their heads in surprise in your direction.
"Wait." Your face scrunched into confusion, "I'm right?"
"Yeah, actually." Kohaku nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders, "That's how my father became the village chief. Anyway, the latest Grand Bout was supposed to be won by Magma. But I figured that he only wants to marry her for his own greed; He mocked her and wanted to kill her! And so, I fought him."
"You definitely won." You snickered.
"Yeah." She then let out a heavy sigh, "That's why the Grand Bout ended up rescheduling next month. It was also my dad's final straw that broke his patience. So, he kinda disowned me."
"You have given the chief a lot of headaches." Chrome sweat dropped, "You've been like that your whole life, Kohaku. But... are you saying that the real reason Magma killed Gen is so he can win the Grand Bout?"
"What?! Gen really is dead?!" Suika shrieked frantically, "That's horrible!"
"No, he's still alive-"
"It would be bad news if Magma became the new chief." Chrome complained.
You agreed right away, "Yeah. With a guy like him in that position, getting the medicine to Ruri will prove to be even more difficult than it already is."
"Huh! I see this as an opportunity. If a man from the Kingdom of Science would've beat Magma and won the Grand Bout, they'd marry Ruri and become the chief." Kohaku firmly added, "That would fix everything."
"True." You hummed with curiosity, "More people would live in this kingdom, and delivering medicine to Ruri would be easier."
With that, all five of you intended to expand the population of your kingdom first.
There are only two people that come to mind and that is Kinro and Ginro; The guards.
"Listen up, guys. I have an important question for you." Kohaku started firmly, which made the two brothers tense up a little.
"What do you think about Ruri-nee? Do either one of you want her to be your wife!?"
The two guys' mouths dropped open and their eyes widened instantaneously.
They most certainly weren't expecting Kohaku asking such inquiry.
You seriously wanted to wheeze out loud when you saw their expression. Luckily, Senku had already cupped your mouth.
"I-I never really thought about it before. W-Would I marry her?" Ginro began murmuring about Ruri's appearance in an unpleasant manner. Just thinking about it made him blush heavily.
Kinro, however, were disgusted at her brother's attitude, "Is her appearance really all you care about? I had no idea you were so shallow, Ginro."
Then, with his expression as serious as ever, he turned to face each of the five of you, "I have a very simple answer."
"Ho? And what is it?" You arched an eyebrow in interest.
"Guards don't have discussions. Rules are rules. But, listening to one murmur to themselves is not against the rules." He paused for a moment before continuing. This time, his gaze was more relaxed, "I've seen it myself. (Name) and Senku are definitely not evil people. So, do what you normally do; Skip the details and tell us what you want."
Then, as a gentle breeze passed by, Kohaku lifted her head. You could see her eyes start to water from pondering about Ruri.
"The only thing I want... is to save my sister's life."
With that, the two guards agreed to help the Kingdom of Science. There, they trained as hard as they could, dueling with Kohaku. However, even with the two of them, Kohaku effortlessly blocked their attacks, indicating that the guards still have a lot to learn.
"Aww, the way the fight is so adorable!" You cooed while lying down on the rooftop to have a better look at them.
Chrome was now sitting in the storage room, casting you an odd gaze, "Why don't you join them? Against all three of them, you're practically a monster."
"Ouch!" With a smirk, you dramatically clenched your chest, "First a devil, and now a monster?"
Suika, who was sitting on your lap, frowned, "Heyy! Don't call (Name) that. She's too nice to be called a devil or a monster."
"Finally! Thank you, Suika." You gratefully pat her head before glaring at the two guys, "See! Listen to this girl, you guys! Learn from her!"
Senku and Chrome, however, simply looked away nervously, not wanting to irritate you by saying anything else.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." Senku replied as he stick his pinky in his ear, "I'll totally note it down."
"Aw man. I really want to see how (Name) fight, though." Chrome groaned, "I know she's smart as heck in science and a talented athlete due to her never-ending stamina. But, what about martial arts?"
"Too lazy to show it." You simply replied, yawning, "Plus, I'm not gonna fight my own friends."
Chrome was undoubtedly dissatisfied with such response. Thankfully, Senku answered for you, "Chrome, you should know one thing about our boss."
"I am not any of your boss-"
"She hardly trains and is too sluggish to show it." He just continued, "But when you watch her fight, it's as if she's been practicing for it all her life. I suppose she is the true definition of a ridiculously skilled expert."
"Oh, please. Martial arts isn't my style. But do you know what is?" You proudly grinned, "Guns! Specifically, sniper."
'A sniper, huh?' Senku hummed curiously, raising an eyebrow at the intriguing new thing you desired.
"What's that?" Chrome tilted his head, curious at the new word.
Instantly, with passion, you explained excitedly, "Snipers are weapons designed to accurately shoot targets from a long distance! No matter how far away you are, you will always be able to lock on your target."
"Woah! That sounds incredible!" Chrome's eyes widened with surprise.
"And creepy." Senku added blankly, his attention drawn to his own task, "To use that thing, you need to be calm, patient, clever, accurate, calculated, and many other qualities. Just one bullet shot will result in a lethal damage or death."
Suika shuddered, "That is creepy!"
"Well, you never know what lurks beneath or on the surface." Senku went on as his tone went cold, "Because you never know who the most dangerous predator was."
He looked up at your usual calm, compassionate gaze. But beneath that serenity, there's a fire blazing with passion.
"Hey, Chrome." Kohaku suddenly spoke out, "If you wanna know the truth, I'd rather be training you. But, Kinro and Ginro were the only ones who really have a chance of taking down Magma. I'm sorry."
This time, she appeared genuinely sorry.
Senku, however, chimed in with a really menacing smile.
"Yo, Chrome! The only reason she's apologizing is because the plan means that one of those guys would marry Ruri even though we all know you're in love with her!" He began to laugh out loud like a maniac, making Suika look at him strangely.
"Did you have to say that, Senku? You're blunt but that was brutal!" Kohaku sweat dropped like bullets.
"Yeah." Chrome gently smiled, revealing that he was prepared to go to such lengths for his lover, "I'm totally cool with that. If we can create something with science that lets her live a long, happy life, that sounds good to me."
'That is so adorable. What the hell?!' Unavoidably, you felt your heart clenched once more.
There it is; The desire to have this type of love is immaculate.
"Because above all else, I'm a genius scientist, aren't I?" Chrome carried on cockily.
All you could do was sigh at his words and jumped off the rooftop with Suika curled up in your arms.
"So you're finally changing job titles from 'sorcerer' to 'scientist', huh?" You proudly questioned, draping an arm around his shoulder.
"Yep! I'm not a sorcerer anymore!"
With that, the four of you — Senku, Chrome, Suika, and yourself — walked towards a certain location where you will all be creating new scientific items.
"Then, let's leave the Grand Bout stuff to the Battle Team." Senku declared, "While the four of us — the Science Team — get to work on the sulfa drug."
"Hell yeah!"