Someone once said:
There are Gourmet Jellyfish that live in a paradise at the bottom of the sea and possess a miraculous power.
Gourmet Jellyfish, who can come back to life again and again, changing their body little by little, evolving...
And within those creatures who have eaten this jellyfish, the more delicious things they eat, the higher vital activity level of the regenerating cells...
Creatures that possess Gourmet Cells!
The world is in the Gourmet Age! An age in which people quest for yet unknown culinary delights!
Questing for the jewel meat, Toriko and (First Name)'s groups headed inside the body of the Regal Mammoth.
Coco and Sunny fought to the brink of their lives to stop the GT Robots controlled by Gido and Cedre, leaving the capture of the Jewel Meat to Toriko and (First Name).
However, Toriko and (First Name) have now encountered Starjun's GT Robot!
🍴🥢🍽🍖🐘🍽🥢🍴
"(First Name)-nee-chan!" Rin cries out, firing another stream of smoke at the automaton. "Fragrance Bazooka!"
The mechanical humanoid gently pushes aside (First Name) to dodge the incoming attack before suddenly reappearing right before Rin.
"You could've hurt (First Name)..." The GT Robot bores his metal fist deep into Rin's abdomen. The punch is so hard that all can see the fist digging deeply into her stomach. The force of the blow knocks the breath right out of the ravenette beast tamer and sends her flying into the wall.
"Rin..." (First Name)'s eyes go wide behind her goggles, looking at her fallen friends, wishing that what her Aura is letting her see isn't real. "RIN!! TORIKO!!"
Feeling their mother/sister-figure's fear regarding the safety of her friends, the Sweetspets go in for an attack. Their anger for (First Name)'s happiness cutting through their own fear of the semblance of death the black GT Robot is emitting.
🍈🥖🍫Rin-san!! Toriko-san!!🍫🥖🍈
The Sweetspets rush to the Gourmet Hunters' sides but are intercepted by the GT Robot, snatching them up with ease.
The three dessert-based creatures seemingly struggle in the mechanical grip.
"Melorina! Chocola! Eclan!" (First Name) screams but her body won't lift itself, not even with the fear coursing through her veins at the sight of the mechanical monster having her babies in his grasp.
"So you're the one-of-a-kind Sweetspets the world is gushing over." The GT Robot snickers. "Not sure I see the appeal."
🥖Oh, you will, Monsour. But I doubt you'll like it.🥖 Eclan remarks rather smugly.
If the GT Robot had eyebrows, he'd raise it at the Eclair Rex-rabbit's cryptic reply.
Suddenly, the GT Robot's legs are pinned together.
"What?!" He looks down to see vines sprouting from out of nowhere and wrapping around his legs tightly.
🍈Don't think just because we're cute means we're naive and dumb!🍈 Melorina glares darkly at the automaton, hoping that it reaches its user. 🍈Our real target was you!🍈
🍫We're not just the Gourmet Goddess' cooking assistants...🍫 Chocola starts, invoking ice spikes to emerge from the GT Robot's wrist, being painful enough to feel past its limiters, causing him to grunt in pain and force to release his hold on the clearly more than meets the eye Sweetspets.
🍈🥖🍫We're also her hunting partners!!🍫🥖🍈 The Sweetspets exclaim proudly.
🥖And right now, she's got a new addition who doesn't take kindly to GT Robots.🥖 Eclan smirks, sticking the GT Robot's arms together with her eclair creme.
🍈🥖🍫Oh, H.C.~!🍫🥖🍈 They all chime, each of them bearing smirks or grins at what's coming.
A tall darkness shadows over the struggling GT Robot. But just before he can force his head back to see what, he's met by a scaly tail and the sounds of deep snarling as he's sent flying into the fleshy walls.
The Sweetspets and their Culinarian Dragon protege follow after where the black automaton went flying, intent on keeping him occupied until Toriko and/or (First Name) could regain their strength and finish him off.
A weakly struggling (First Name) painfully pulls her aching body up off the ground, using the walls to hold herself up. The constant use of her Aura and the long duration in which she hasn't eaten is draining her strength.
But even so, her will is something to be admired, as it's the thing that's forcing its way through the physical pain she's enduring. 'I have to save them...I will save them! Even if I have to resort to that.'
As the fighting continues between her Sweetspets, Culinarian Dragon and the GT Robot, (First Name) forces her way towards the heavily injured Rin.
Having nearly reached her side, (First Name) crumbles, no longer having the strength to support herself to stand but still enough to crawl the remainder of the way. She unravels long tresses of her hair, gently laying them on and around Rin's broken form in a sort of intricate circle. She then closes her eyes in deep concentration and takes in a long breath.
The GT Robot throws H.C. off him and pins the three Sweetspets to the wall with just one hand, his other raised into a fist ready to smash them into pulp, until he's interrupted by a soft, soothing voice.
Flower, gleam and glow
Let your power shine
Whipping his head around, he's awe-struck at the sight of the amount of Aura (First Name)'s is emitting as she sings.
Make the clock reverse
Bring back what once was mine
As she sings the roots of her (Hair Color) hair turns a glowing shade of green until it reaches the ends and begins emitting small orbs of green energy, like fireflies on a clear summer night.
Heal what has been hurt
Change the Fates' design
Save what has been lost
Bring back what once was mine
Slowly but surely, as the light from her long locks grows in intensity, the wound on Rin's stomach begins to heal until it's like she was even hurt in the first place.
What once was mine
The intense light begins to dim leaving a now green-haired (First Name). Everything seems normal and calm, until the Gourmet Goddess begins to bleed from her own abdomen and begins harshly coughing up the thick, red substance.
"(First Name)-nee-san!" Komatsu cries out in hysterics.
🍈🥖🍫(First Name)!!🍫🥖🍈
🍴🥢🍽🐘🍖🍽🥢🍴
All Toriko can see is darkness, struggling to open his eyes.
When he finally manages to force them open, his only view is a red blur amongst a dark void. As the blurs regain clarity, he comes to face his own Appetite Demon devouring something in a dark corner of the endless void.
The scene is enough for Toriko to remain frozen in his spot. 'W-What? W-Who is that?'
Upon closer examination, the Appetite Demon is eating Toriko himself.
'Me? It's eating me?'
"The time limit is five minutes." The Red Oni states with no other reasoning or explanation, smacking its lips and running its long tongue over its sharp-toothed maw. "Hurry up and eat something. You want to save her, right? Yes... If possible, something supremely delicious. The cells will evolve."
'What?'
"(First Name)-nee-san!"
🍈🥖🍫(First Name)!!🍫🥖🍈
Komatsu's and the Sweetspets' anguished cries cut through Toriko's inner void, supplying Toriko the means to come out of his unconscious state.
🍴🥢🍽🍖🐘🍽🥢🍴
Exhaustion doesn't even begin to describe how (First Name) feels at this exact moment. In her honest opinion, it feels like death. Everything hurts but is at the same time numb. Her body feels like it's burning from the inside out but also feels icy cold. How she's remaining conscious during this physical and mental turmoil after draining her own Aura to near total depletion to save Rin's life is anyone's guess. Yet even despite all this, her desire and will to protect everyone is what's keeping her from delving in to total darkness.
Shaking the fatigue plaguing her mind, threatening to sink her into pitch blackness, she fights to remain awake.
Before she can even so much as twitch her finger, a familiar suffocating, weight bears down on her, spotting her vision with black splotches. But she still remains strong in her weariness.
She slowly swings her head to look over her shoulder and she's no longer surprised to see the black GT Robot waiting behind her.
"Now, my lovely Goddess..." The black automaton outstretches a hand to her. "It's time you left these mortals behind."
To her own shock, (First Name) manages to scrounge just enough energy to curl her lips into a snarl and raise her arm to smack away the offered metal hand. "Get...bent..."
Suddenly, a familiar calming scent invades (First Name)'s nose. No soon after, thick clouds of smoke begin to cover all the surrounding area, obscuring the GT Robot and (First Name) from one another's view.
"Endorphine Smoke..." (First Name) sighs at the scented smoke's calming effect on her overdriven mind, leading her to smile softly. "Rin..."
She looks over to see the reawakened Beast Tamer use what little strength she's regained to separate the Gourmet Corp automaton from her big sister-figure. "(First Name)-nee-chan...You saved me...But now you're the one in pain..." She sobs quietly.
Toriko finally awakens to see a now healed, but still weakened, Rin in the care of the now injured (First Name).
"These wounds are not pain to me...Pain was seeing you hurt by someone who doesn't know the value of life and love." The blind Bishokuya states. "You're out of harm's way...And that's all that matters to me..."
Rin starts to sob hard. "I'm sorry, nee-chan...This is all I can do to ease your and Toriko's pain."
"Rin-san!" Komatsu exclaims.
"See? It's also a smokescreen..." Rin glances towards Komatsu and Tina. "All you guys, escape while you have the chance."
(First Name) laughs through her suffering. "Silly girl. Worried about others when you're already out of the woods, yourself. Maybe the good parts of me rubbed off on you when we were young." She reaches over to wipe away the girl's tears. "If you promise to rest and get better, I'll do everything possible on my part to make sure we all make it out of this, okay?"
Rin's eyes begin to grow heavy as the exhaustion starts to set in. "Okay...Nee-chan..."
And with that, Rin falls into a peaceful slumber.
"Now how can I sit and watch as you torment those I care for?" With the Endorphine Smoke leaving her with a clear head, (First Name) wobbles to stand but manages to lift herself fully upright and into a fighting stance. Her body in a half squat, turning on them so that one leg is in front of the other and the rear is supporting most of her weight, hands at chest level with one arm outstretched as the same side leg that's out, with the elbows bent slightly. "Come! You want me? You'll have to fight for me!"
"As you wish." The GT Robot readies himself. "But isn't it customary for martial artists to bestow greetings to their opponents?"
"It's a form of respect and recognition." (First Name) states firmly. "Two things which you have yet to earn from me."
"Fair enough."
The two begin to circle one another, not giving any indication of their intentions to one another.
And like a switch had been flicked, the GT Robot rushes at (First Name).
The sightless woman skillfully blocks his outstretched hands that were ready to grab her, redirecting them so her opponent is left wide open for her to deliver several quick-fisted blows to his midsection. The GT Robot tries to reestablish himself and attempts to grab her but she skillfully evades, crouching down and using her foot to hook around the metallic leg, pulling it forward suddenly, resulting in a quick loss of balance.
Though it's only for a brief moment, (First Name) delivers lightning fast punches from the leg upward wherever he's leaving his GT Robot open.
While it's not doing the amount of damage it would do to a flesh and blood person, it does look to be messing with the automaton's internal system. Dealing damage upon damage, the GT Robot can't repair itself fast enough.
"H.C. Do as I say..."
Her little brother-figure and the female newscaster hinge on the woman's every word as she calls to her Culinarian Dragon in the midst of her fight.
"Take Komatsu, Tina and Rin and get out of here. Get Rin to Sunny and Coco outside. I can't fight and look after everyone in the state I'm in."
"I'm not leaving you behind, nee-san!"
In the middle of a rapid fire first barrage to the automaton's chest, so quick, yet so strong enough to slowly force the humanoid machine to be forced down onto its back as she continues to drive her fast fists into it.
"This is not up for debate, Komatsu!"
In yelling at her otōto in regards to his safety, (First Name) leaves herself open to the GT Robot who springs back up to pin her rather intimately to the wall. Her feet just inches off the ground, both arms grasps in one the GT Robot's metallic hands raised above her head and his free forearm pressed against her neck, threatening to cut off her airways.
"Go, now!" (First Name) urges her dragon companion. To which, he reluctantly does.
He quickly snatches up Tina and her Balloon Pigeon, along with Rin, but when it came to get Komatsu, the young man has a look of defiance on his face that startles even the chef amongst beasts.
"I'm not leaving her." Komatsu states defiantly.
A brief moment is shared between the two before the Culinarian Dragon nods in understanding and carries on his escape.
"Running away, are we? That's the smart decision." The GT Robot glances in the direction in which part of the group escaped.
"H.C. and Tina-san...They aren't running away!" Komatsu exclaims back.
The GT Robot turns its head in a menacing fashion towards the small chef causing him to flinch. In a flash, he reappears in front of him, holding (First Name) close with a single hand wrapped around her neck.
"It's no use. The Gourmet Goddess is now mine and not even Toriko will be able to take her away from me. If you had just not gotten in my way, like the other time...Toriko wouldn't have to die and (First Name) wouldn't be suffering as she is."
Komatsu whimpers and sobs as he faces yet another near-death situation. Only this time, he has no other help around.
(First Name) clamps her hand tightly around the GT Robot's metallic arm holding her. "You..." She pants hard to catch her breath. "You won't touch anyone...Because if you do..." Suddenly, every vein in her body begins to give a kaleidoscopic glow. "Then you lose the one thing more valuable than any Ingredient on this planet: me." She smirks, knowing she's the one holding all the cards now.
"You so much as touch anyone here, I'll overload my Aura so much that my body won't be able to sustain it. If any of them die, I die. And you don't want that, do you?" She taunts. "To lose the last remaining student of Aura?"
"Nee-chan's...Aura?" Komatsu whispers, utterly confused as to why the Gourmet Corp. would want (First Name) ability to "see beyond sight".
The GT Robot chuckles, leaning in close as if to kiss her.. "You truly are crafty as you are beautiful, my Goddess. That's what I've always found intriguing about you."
(First Name) huffs, amused. "Flattery will get you nowhere. And besides...I care for men who don't have to hide behind a walking piece of junk. Wouldn't you agree, Toriko?"
A strong hand grips at the GT Robot's shoulder, surprising the operator. "Ah. Our Goddess deserves far better."
Before the GT Robot can react, Toriko acts faster and punches the automaton, sending him flying and crashing into an opposite wall and forcing him to release his grasp on (First Name).
"Nee-san!" Komatsu rushes to the woman's beaten form, left on the ground.
She struggles with her air intake as the veins of Aura begin to disappear.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack! I actually thought you were going to blow yourself up!" Komatsu screams through his tears.
"No...That was a bluff on my part." She huffs, regaining her breath.
"Eh?"
"I don't have the energy, mentally or physically to take a massive action like that." She pats Komatsu's hand comfortingly. "The vein lightshow was just that: a show."
"Don't do something like that again, (First Name)!" Toriko berates, cradling her body close. "Do you have any idea how scared I was?! Knowing that you were talking of taking your own life and I couldn't do anything about it!?"
"I was...confirming a theory on...on why the Gourmet Corp. would want me...And my fears were right. I'm sorry I had to scare you like that...But my powers go beyond what you can possibly imagine. If it were to fall in the likes of their hands, it would be catastrophic. While I don't have the energy to pull it off, I could actually do it. I'm sorry..." She begins to sob. "I'm so sorry I would've had to make that choice without telling any of you..."
Seeing the normally fancy free and badbass Gourmet Huntress break down like this is very disheartening.
Toriko tightens his hug till they're as close as possible, offering as much comfort as he possibly can. He knew what she was saying was extremely difficult to admit but she was also very serious and it breaks both their hearts that if things get too close for comfort, she may have to make that tough decision.
"That won't happen. Not so long as I'm here." Toriko mutters against her neck.
Toriko feels the woman's arm move against his chest, lifting around to his back but whatever action she's about to take is too much energy than she has left and the arm flops onto the ground and she starts to cough mercilessly.
Toriko pulls away to see her blood leaking from the corners of her mouth and the wound on her stomach begins to leak. "(First Name)!"
"Nee-san!" Komatsu gasps at his "sister's" state.
"I didn't...have enough Aura to heal Rin fully, I could only take the injury and bestow it on myself."
"What?" Toriko tightens his hold on the blind woman.
"She was badly injured, Toriko. She wouldn't have survived without immediate help." She explains forlornly. "I did what I thought was right."
"(First Name) don't talk anymore. Just rest." Toriko gently lays her down besides her defeated Sweetspets.
"Toriko...I have one thing to ask of you." She raises a hand, successfully pressing her palm against the bluenette's cheek.
Toriko doesn't hesitate, leaning in to the woman's touch. "Anything. Name it."
"Should something happen to me, look after my Sweetspets. Become the guiding figure in their life as I have. They may give you grief at first and they're rambunctious and annoying sometimes and with personalities all their own but they're all very caring creatures. And t-to tell everyone at home that I'm sorry that I had to leave them all so soon."
"None of that will happen because you're going to be fine." Toriko urges, grasping at her wrist gently. "But if it comes to that...I'll do it."
"Thank you...Toriko. I'm glad to be...part of your...life." (First Name)'s eyelids slowly shut behind her goggles, ultimately succumbing to her exhaustion sending her entire world into darkness.
Toriko doesn't know what compels him to do what he does next but he lifts her up slightly while he leans down to press his lips against her pillow-soft ones.
"I give you my word, (First Name)..." Toriko whispers into her soft (Hair Color) hair.
"(First Name)..." The GT Robot emerges calmly from the crater he made. "Is she..."
Toriko grits his teeth as his anger comes out, full force. His muscles bulge as his aura goes haywire.
"GT Robot...HOW DARE YOU SPEAK HER NAME SO EASILY?!? YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT!!" The blunette roars, charging at blinding speeds and stabbing his fingers deeply into the metal face of the GT Robot. "Fork!"
Toriko's fingers are able to leave four finger hole impressions in the GT Robot's "skull".
The GT Robot's counters by ramming its metallic fist into Toriko's abdomen.
But Toriko doesn't waver. "Knife!" He slashes his hand across the GT Robot's face, leaving behind a long angular gash in the metal.
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5...6!" Pouring all his energy into his fist, he hurls it back then lets it fly at its intended target. "6-Fold Spiked Punch!"
The six consecutive punches burst through the black-"furred" automaton sending it flying and crashing once more.
"(First Name) was willing to risk her own life to save Rin's. She's more than aware that death is always right beside all living things. You, who are not prepared to die, have no right to live in this world! Let alone lay a hand on our Goddess! I'll make sure you feel it, all the way to where you really are...Taste the fear of death!"