11. Dancing With Trickery and Combat
Oct. 20, 2022
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"So, Gen is a bad guy?! Since he's working with the main bad guy, Tsukasa?! Why did he save us from Magma then?!"
You, Senku, Chrome, Kohaku, and Suika were inside of the warehouse. Suika was surprised after learning that Gen was a comrade of Tsukasa. You had to explain to her his situation and why he needed to leave.
"He's not good or bad," you told her. "He's just an ample opportunist."
"A shallow one, at best," Kohaku scoffed.
"Either way, the Kingdom of Science needs him. All we need for him to do is give Tsukasa a false report that 'Senku-chan is dead and (Y/N)-chan is nowhere to be found!' That's how we can win," said Senku.
Chrome immediately popped his head out of the warehouse and shouted at Gen, who seemed to be minding his own business, "Hey, you saw that great, scientific light, right?! Whether one wins or loses, whoever has the advantage; it's painfully obvious which side to choose! The more interesting option is the Kingdom of Science!"
The mentalist smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He spoke with lightness in his voice, "My, my~ a young man's conviction. How passionate. Unfortunately, I have none of that, Chrome-chan. After all, I'm the world's smoothest talker; I only look out for myself~"
As he walked away from all of you, Kohaku was getting ready to kill him. You and Senku had to hold her back, while Chrome was frustrated by Gen's answer.
"Why won't he just join us?!" He wondered.
You sighed. "There's no way to tell what he's thinking too. He's either the greatest liar we've ever listened to, or he's completely honest with us--"
Your group then heard the sound of something heavy falling to the ground. You and everybody else quickly stood up, confused to what it was. The five of you exited the warehouse to investigate. Then you saw it: Asagiri Gen lying down on the ground, bloodied up with a spear sticking out from his chest. There was a large puddle of blood underneath him.
"What the hell?! Hey, Gen, say something!" cried Chrome.
Kohaku shook her head. "It's no good. He died instantly for sure. Who would do such a cruel thing?"
"Hold it!" The scientist motioned them to back away. He then looked at you as he grabbed the spear from his chest and pulled it out. "(Y/N), check his pulse."
You put your two fingers on the vein in his neck. His heart was still beating, and you noticed the subtle expansion of his chest when he would take a breath. "He's alive! But how in the world did he survive after losing so much blood?"
The boy then ripped the mentalist's clothes apart to find that there were multiple pouches filled with "blood" and that the man was wearing a guard around himself.
"Whoa! He planned for the worst from the moment he entered the village and prepared to this extent!" Chrome took some of the packs and was impressed as he inspected them.
"Kukuku, aren't you a capable guy? A magician down to the bone! Slowpoke, lioness, let's get him up so we can heal him," Senku ordered with a laugh. Kohaku looked at him with disdain but knew it was the right thing to do.
The two of you carefully carried Gen up the warehouse and laid him on a mat and a straw pillow. Senku took some of the herbs and mixed it together with water to turn it into a paste to put on the open wounds. His placed leaves over the paste so it would stick like bandages. You would wipe the sweat and blood off of his face with a small towel that Suika handed to you, and noticed his eyes were slightly opened.
"Damn, we'll definitely catch the guy who did this!" Chrome cried angrily.
"I think we have a more pressing matter. With a wound as serious as this, we don't know if he'll be able to walk again," said Kohaku.
You added, "But if he doesn't return to Tsukasa, the big man himself will come after us. We will be killed."
"Well, this is all we can do for him in the meantime. Without modern technology, we can't fix his insides. All we can do is rely on him resting," said Senku. "All of you can leave. We'll sleep outside to let the mentalist heal."
With that, the primitives were the ones to leave first. The two of you stayed behind to make sure Gen was actually okay before leaving him on his own for the night.
"Senku-chan, (Y/N)-chan..." you heard him speak with a weak tone. You felt pity for him, as it reminded you of what just happened to you many days ago.
"Yes, Gen?" You answered him. "Do you need anything? Are you still in pain?"
You and the scientist leaned over to him. He turned over on his right side, so he faced you as Senku was on his back. The scientist had to lean over just to hear him speak.
He lightly spoke with a murmur, "In this stone world, can you make it? A bottle of cola?"
You looked up and saw Senku grin. "Yeah, we can make it. It's me and my assistant, after all!"
The mentalist looked pleased, and he ended up falling asleep on his own after hearing those words. You got a blanket for him and slowly pulled it up to his neck so that he wouldn't be cold for the night. The night was quiet, and the only thing you could hear were the small flames flickering from the torch used to bring light to the warehouse.
"Despite everything that we and Tsukasa had to offer, the only thing he truly wants is a bottle of cola," you said softly, not being loud in order to not wake him up.
The scientist replied, "Some of us can't get the things they want the most in a world like this. I know for a fact that there are loads of things you want back."
"And I can say the same for you. I guess it's a good thing we're working hard and getting friends and allies so quickly. But...it isn't so bad," you admitted.
Senku was curious to what you meant. He had a questioning look on his face as he spoke, "Oh? Just a few days ago, you were freaking out about losing nearly everything."
"Yeah, I was. Well, I still am, but after a few days, I've had time to heal, to think, to relish in the moments we have now...I'm actually happy," you tell him. "I mean, yeah I'm terrified of Tsukasa, but I've had so much fun."
"It's exhilarating, isn't it? Or should I say, amusing?" He smirked.
You let out a laugh. "Yeah, amusing, isn't it?"
-----
"Aw shit, that bastard Gen disappeared!" You heard Chrome cry out early in the morning as he checked the warehouse.
"Ah. He probably returned to Tsukasa," said the scientist, his pinky stuck in his ear.
You mentioned, "We didn't even get to check if his injuries were okay."
"If he was able to leave, then his injuries are probably fine," Senku told you.
"Isn't he gonna tell Tsukasa?! That you guys are here and alive?!" The boy panicked.
Senku sighed, and he explained, "If Gen was someone who had absolutely no interest in science, he probably wouldn't have cooperated with us at all. By the time I had used electricity, that man had already decided who he'd follow. But even a frivolous man has a frivolous way of following."
Chrome questioned, "So, what exactly does that mean?"
"That means he's on our side," you say with a grin.
Kohaku had the biggest smile on her face. "HA! The first match between Tsukasa and the kingdom of science has been decided then! Getting Gen has resulted in the kingdom of science's victory!"
"Our shallow alliance, sealed with a bottle of cola," said Senku with a chuckle. "We'll get started with that sooner or later."
A few seconds later, you saw Suika hastily rolling towards your group.
"Suika figured it out!" She called out.
"Oh, sounds like you've been busy, Ace Detective Suika! What is it that you figured out?" asked Senku.
She frantically replied, "Suika figured out the culprit from the Asagiri Gen murder case!"
"You did?! Who is it?" You questioned her.
"It was Magma!"
She then explained how Magma was boasting about the fact that he was able to kill an "all-powerful sorcerer" and that sorcery was just child's play. He and his partner had also believed that Kohaku was only so strong due to the sorcery Gen provided.
"That's not true, I'm all natural!" Kohaku admitted.
Chrome then added a snide remark, "Yeah, a natural gorilla."
Suika continued her story as Kohaku beat the boy into the dirt. She explained how without sorcery, Kohaku was just a normal woman and if she were to cry and beg, he would make both Ruri and Kohaku his women.
"Well, the mentalist made those flowers disappear in front of his eyes. From Magma's point of view, Gen is the rumored outside sorcerer that Kohaku brought to the village," you mentioned. "Basically, Magma messed up and mistook him for Senku."
Both Senku and Chrome burst out laughing. "Gen's plan ended up working out perfectly then!"
Kohaku sighed. "You guys are laughing way too hard. Enough that you're making me start to feel pity for him...and I'm the one that hated him the most!"
The young brunette smiled. "If he were dead, that would've been awful, but he's not! He's alive, thanks to his own magic. As far as I'm concerned, pity amongst men is an insult, and being able to laugh each other is proof of being friends!"
Senku had scowl on his face. "Huh?! Gen? A friend?! We simply have an alliance with him, nothing more, nothing less."
"You men are such a pain in the ass," Kohaku scoffed.
"I don't know about you, but he seems like a good friend to have." You shrugged, then brought up, "So, why does Magma want to kill you so bad, Kohaku?"
She replied, "It's no doubt because of the Grand Bout."
The blonde then explained that the Grand Bout, for as long as the village has been around, is a huge martial arts tournament that happens once per generation. That is why there is a large arena-looking island in the village.
But a few months ago, the priestess, or Ruri, had her eighteenth birthday. The tournament was held, and that the winner of the tournament would marry her and succeed the village. Magma was in the lead during the tournament, and Kohaku had overheard him saying that he hoped that Ruri would drop dead due to not wanting to nurse her and only wanting the chief's position. He had also mentioned that if it took too long, he'd assist in her suicide.
Therefore, Kohaku took up the task and defeated Magma to protect her sister. This caused her father to get angry.
"You basically got disowned by your father," Senku chuckled.
"No...well...it might have been the final straw..." she said.
You questioned "So, when is the Grand Bout going to happen?"
"Next month," answered Kohaku.
You put your fingers against your chin and began to think. "I guess that's why Magma tried to kill Gen. If he ends up being chief, it'll be difficult for us to approach her with the 'cure-all' for her to take it..."
"I guess the dream of getting more citizens for the Kingdom of Science is still a long ways away," said the scientist.
Kohaku spoke loudly, "Not necessarily! If someone from the Kingdom of Science defeats Magma and wins, they can marry Ruri and become chief! If that happens, everything will be solved! We will be able to give her the cure-all, then get more citizens for the Kingdom of Science!"
"Then that settles it! The Kingdom of Science is going to enter the tournament!" You confidently said.
"But obviously, we need more people because just us isn't enough since this is martial arts," said Kohaku. "I'm going to convince Kinro and Ginro to join us."
She then started walking over to the two boys at their post. The rest of you followed her.
"Kinro, Ginro, I have something to ask you," she started when she had approached them. She crossed her arms and furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you think of my sister?!"
Both of them were taken aback by what she had asked of them. Ginro hesitantly replied with a flushed face, "I-I haven't really considered it... Ruri--I mean--Ruri-sama is really c-cute.... her face is p-pretty much identical to yours, but she's got huge tit--tides! Huge tides of cuteness that can wash me away!"
Kinro looked disappointed in him. "So all you care about is her appearance? You're scum, Ginro!"
"What the hell?! I did say her huge ti-tides, didn't I?" Ginro nervously answered him. You, Kohaku, and Suika just shook your heads in disbelief.
The tall brunette sighed and replied, "Look, my answer is simple. 'A gatekeeper will not ask nor answer', as rules are rules. However, if I just so happen to hear you muttering out loud, that's not breaking any rules. I already understand what's going on, so get to the point and say what you want. I already know that Senku and (Y/N) are not evil."
You and Senku felt thankful for him saying that. Kohaku, tears brimming in her eyes, solemnly looked up at them. Her voice was full of hope and sadness when she had spoken to them.
"I want to save my sister's life."
You looked at her with melancholy and sympathized with her, feeling her desperation. The brothers looked at each other, then looked at the blonde girl with understanding, as they too know the love between siblings.
"Very well. Then we don't need any further explanation."
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"How come you didn't want to join them, (Y/N)?" Chrome asked. "The lioness said that you have strength to fight, but you didn't go with them."
The three warriors were fighting in front of the generator, so the three of you would stay back and be able to watch them from the warehouse. Senku was on the ground, Chrome was inside the warehouse, and you were on the roof, getting a better look at them. It was the perfect spot for studying them.
Senku answered for you, as you were too focused studying their style of combat, "She is analyzing them. As she is a slowpoke when it comes to other things, martial arts is one of her best field of work."
Kinro and Ginro really seemed to struggle against Kohaku, even if it was two against one. You noticed how that even though they struggled, they are learning to keep up with her speed. You also noticed the strengths and weaknesses that Kinro and Ginro had during the battle.
"...Really? She doesn't really look like someone who can hurt another person. I mean, yeah, she can have a resting bitch-face, but she doesn't feel dangerous," the brunette stated.
After watching the first round of their training come to a slow, you had a smile on your face. However, it was quite different from your usual smile.
The scientist smirked, "That's where you're wrong, Chrome. She has a watchful eye, and can figure out how to counter you if given enough time to study how you fight..."
Kinro was the one that noticed you jumping off of the roof and approaching first, then immediately backed away. He noticed that something was different about you.
You spoke, "Kohaku, I challenge you to a duel."
"A duel?" She raised an eyebrow.
You nodded. "Us fighting will help us understand our ways of combat. This way, you will figure out how I will be able to help you train Kinro and Ginro."
Her eyes widened and she grinned. "Oh, I see! Then I will gladly accept."
Senku chuckled as he was with Chrome, watching you and Kohaku's exchange. He continued what he was saying about you, which caused a chill to go down Chrome's spine, "Because of those eyes, (Y/N) is the most dangerous one here."
You took her hand and she did as well, shaking it in agreement. You drew a large circle arena with your bokken to create the border that is similar to the one on the island. Then you and the girl stood away from each other on opposite sides. Senku immediately walked up to the makeshift arena, with Chrome trailing behind him, and stood at the border with his arms crossed against his chest.
[You can play the music starting now]
"This fight may or may not be equal, which is highly exhilarating," said the scientist. "You guys ready?"
"Yes!" The two of you replied.
"Hajime!"
Kohaku immediately dashed forward to attack you. As she was about to strike with her stick, you disappeared. Or so it seemed.
You appeared behind her and tapped her back with your bokken. She immediately turned around to try to hit you again, but was met with nobody there. Then she felt the tap again--her legs this time. The blonde then heard you move to her right, only to vanish once more the moment she struck her weapons at you. She felt the tap on the back of her neck this time.
She's disappearing before my very eyes! thought Kohaku. No...she's dodging every one of my moves at the last second away from my field of view!
The girl then stopped, and managed to block another tap from you with one of her small poles. She took her other stick and tried to swipe at you only for you to move your bokken in a way to parry both weapons. Kohaku then attacked head on one pole at a time, you taking a graceful step away to evade with ease as you landed on your toes. At the same time, you hit the sticks with your bokken to keep its blunt edge away from you.
It's almost as if it is a dance. Her eyes furrowed as she figured it out. You were teasing her. You were holding back.
"You figured out how I moved, huh, Kohaku?" You laughed when you noticed her expression.
She had a confident grin on her face. "Your timing is amazing and your footwork is phenomenal."
"Why, thank you~"
The blonde then went to strike you once more. You blocked and pushed her back, only for her to use one other stick and strike your head. You immediately dodged it by bending your neck back. You continued exchanging hits during your sparring match, as if you were taking turns to strike and block.
Kohaku's movements carry a lot of strength behind it, and her flexibility is what gives her the advantage. You thought.
"Your strength and flexibility is something that I find amusing," you said as you continued to block both her weapons. "I'm impressed."
She had the look of gratitude. "It's something I'm proud of."
You and the lioness were then in sync as you fought, understanding each other's moves over time. Soon, both of you were at a stalemate in the middle, pushing against each other with both of your weapons. None of you were moving at the risk of letting the other person take the advantage.
She then spoke, "We can't stay like this forever."
"I would recommend forfeiting," you suggested with a smirk.
The girl returned the same attitude, "Oh? That seems too easy. Maybe you should back down."
"Then, let's finish this dance of ours."
You pushed down to separate the sticks that were holding you back, and jumped back to gain distance. Kohaku went into the stance of defence, but when you dashed in front of her, you knocked one of the sticks out of her hand as you struck upwards. You immediately took your wooden weapon and went for her neck, and she grabbed it with her bare hand to stop it. The girl took her armed hand and went for your neck as well, only for you to let go of your bokken and grab it with your free hand.
Senku then blurted out, "Okay, that's enough."
You set your weapon down, as did your opponent. You and Kohaku approached the men.
"That was so crazy!" You heard Ginro cry out.
"I've never seen anyone fight on par with Kohaku before. Both have incredible strength and speed," said Kinro, nodding.
Chrome then added, "But (Y/N) was way more graceful than Kohaku. Did you see how she moved? She's like a lighter gorilla!"
You sweat dropped. "So, I'm officially a gorilla now, huh?"
"The only thing I noticed though was that you were holding back in the beginning, (Y/N). Why did you hold yourself back?" Kohaku demanded. "I know you could have done more."
You then turned to her. "Didn't you notice how many times I hit you in the beginning of the fight?"
She then froze. You hit her three times. In those three times, you tapped her on the places that would be a guaranteed loss for the opponent; the legs, the back, and the neck.
"So that is why you held back... if you are willing to, will you teach me how to move as light as you did?" The girl asked you.
You then took a glance over to Senku, then nodded. "Of course. I don't have what I need to help us right now because it'll take a long ways ahead to make it, but I will improvise."
"I see... but now I do understand how you fight and how you can help me train Kinro and Ginro," said Kohaku. She then faced Chrome. "To be honest, Chrome, the one who I wanted to train the most is you, but the only ones who are capable of beating Magma is Kinro and Ginro. I'm sorry."
The scientist then burst out laughing, "She's saying that she's sorry because you're in love with Ruri! Even though you're in love with her, she's gonna have to marry one of those two boys!"
"Senku, you don't need to rub it in," you told him.
Chrome had a gentle smile on his face as he began to speak, "That's fine. I have no problem with that. If I can heal Ruri's illness with science's cure-all, and if she can be happy, then that's all I want. After all, I'm a genius scientist!"
You and Senku had an understanding smile on your faces. You spoke with a laugh, "What happened to you being a 'genuis sorcerer'?"
"Yeah, did you have a class change or something?" The green-haired boy asked.
"Yup! I'm no longer calling myself a 'sorcerer'!" The brunette happily cheered. "Alright, so what will science make next?!"
Senku then informed him, "In order to create civilization, there is a material that is just as important as iron. The first man-made material synthesized with science..."
Glass.
-To be Continued-
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this extra long chapter! I'm not that good at making fight scenes, but I hope you liked it!