4. A Signal Beyond
Sept. 1, 2022
CW/TW appears later.
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The four of you had finished making gunpowder but needed to put it out. All of you used the water from the hot spring to put out the smoke and fire, but you noticed something coming from the forest ahead of you.
It was smoke.
"Senku, Taiju, Yuzuriha, look up ahead!" you cried out, pointing in the direction of the plume.
Senku's eyes widened as he saw it. "A smoke signal!"
"It couldn't be Tsukasa, since he's in the opposite direction...and it's too coincidental if it was a mountain fire," you thought out loud, then quickly faced the scientist. "Senku, do you think--"
"Yes. Exactly. Now, this is exhilarating," he answered with a nervous chuckle.
"Well, what should we do? Put it out or keep it going?!" you frantically questioned him. A smoke signal meant that there were people other than you, but sending another signal would alert Tsukasa of your location.
"Burn it! Send a beacon!" He ordered. Your friend threw some of the gunpowder into the flames, along with creating two more signals. "Throw everything that can burn into the fires! We're going to run out of gunpowder!"
Taiju began to run off and cried, "I'll go gather some wood!"
"We'll get some together!" you added, and Yuzuriha nodded, running with you to find some dry wood in the forest.
You found pieces of wood quickly and began to collect them. Yuzuriha was collecting some nearby. However, you felt something was going to go wrong. Your gut had tightened, and you immediately dropped everything you had in your hands, taking the bokken from the sheath you created out of lion skin. Pointing your weapon forward, you listened closely to the sounds around you. Then, you heard heavy footsteps heading towards your friend.
"Yuzuriha!" You called out to her as you ran forward. "Get out of the way!"
"(Y/N)-chan?" you heard her call as you saw the primate approaching.
You swung your weapon, putting your other hand on the flat side of the wood to push a spear out of the way before it had touched your friend's neck. Tsukasa was on the other end of the spear with his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes sharply looking into yours. He was powerful, with you using all of your strength to protect Yuzuriha as she hastily moved out of the way. You have to thank Senku for carving you such a sturdy weapon.
"This is not how I wanted to experience you fight for the first time, but damn, you're much stronger than I had actually thought," you smirked. "I would've hesitated to do this but I can't let my friend die, now can I? All this adrenaline is rushing through me right now. How amusing~"
The primate looked amused at the fact that you were blocking his spear. "Your strength is as impressive as Taiju's. Unfortunately, since Senku has successfully created gunpowder, either both of you die, or you can join me and abandon science for the sake of this world's future and the young."
"For the sake of this world's future? What kind of future doesn't have all the things we had? Science and scientists were involved with nearly everything good in the world!" You explained to him. "Don't you want entertainment back? Music? Technology? Things to help make life easier?"
"To get those back, we would have to release the corrupted, older generation, who will also bring back all the bad things science has brought," Tsukasa retorted. "I only want the young and pure to rule the world."
You tried to sympathize with him. "I understand how you feel. However, the young have no idea what they are going to go through."
"That is why I will guide and lead them down the correct path."
"And what will happen if they grow older and they are not what you want them to be? What if they grow to have their morals and become different? The young would soon want independence and have curiosity."
Tsukasa went silent and looked around. Yuzuriha was nowhere to be found. "You're stalling, aren't you?"
You nervously chuckled, "Maybe, but these questions need answers, Tsukasa."
He took his spear and flung you off of his weapon, which caused you to stagger and your bokken to fly out of your hands. The moment you caught your footing, his entire left hand was around your neck before you could do anything. You tried to pry them off, but they were like steel clamps around it, and he just barely put enough space for you to breathe, even just a little bit. The primate was faster and stronger than anyone you've ever faced competitively.
You then spoke with a shaky smile on your face, "Ha...I didn't know you were into foreplay, Tsukasa~. It's a bit out of character for you."
"And I wouldn't think you would make such a vulgar joke in a time like this. How amusing," he mentioned with a smirk.
"Yuzuriha shouldn't be far now," you heard him mutter. He then hollered, "If you don't want (Y/N) to die, come out and surrender!"
There was no reply back. He then lifted his spear and listened closely with his eyes closed. You watched him throw it into the forest with strength and precise accuracy, hearing a -thunk- sound just after a few seconds passed by.
"Move," he ordered. All you could do was walk in front of him as his hand was around your neck. "Try to escape or help her, and all I have to do is squeeze."
As the two of you walked a little further, the two of you saw Yuzuriha. She looked frozen in shock, and the spear was stuck to a tree behind her. You noticed that a considerable length of her hair had gotten cut short because the spear had chopped it off.
"Sorry that I didn't give you enough time to escape, Yuzuriha," you apologized regretfully. "I'm a little rusty."
"No, no, it's okay. Besides, it's such a huge relief! Washing your hair in this world would be such a hassle," she replied with a sad smile on her face. "Cutting it short is the way to go!"
Tsukasa plucked the spear off the tree and pointed it at your friend. He motioned her to lead all of you to Senku. Your friend did without hesitation, for if there was even just a bit, she knew you would die by his hand. The primate kept the spear pointed at her back as she walked forward.
As the three of you made it up the mountain, all of you saw Senku waiting at the top, the smoke surrounding him. He turned around. You could tell he was a little surprised that Yuzuriha's hair was shorter and that Tsukasa was holding you by the neck just from how the scientist furrowed his eyebrows.
He smirked. "'If a weapon of science should enter the scene, then I would cease to be at the pinnacle of power as the strongest!' From here, all it looks like is you whining like a baby, Tsukasa. Hey (Y/N), how well were you able to deal with him without science?"
You replied hesitantly, "Ah, if I was careful, I probably could've put up a better fight. I had no time to think about preparing my next move."
"She was impressive with just her wooden weapon. A young prodigy of the sword. However, it doesn't matter to me how you chose to perceive it. If you choose to create weapons of science and bring back the former era, wars will once again start from the greed of man, and we will be thrown back into the corrupted world," Tsukasa replied to him. "To keep that from happening, I'll do whatever it takes, even if using force is necessary."
"So then it's 'I gotta kill Mr. Science Man, Senku!'. You're too kind. Even all of America weeps at the charity of decision for capital punishment," Senku said with a chuckle.
"Hmm, yes. But before that, how about telling me the recipe for the revival fluid?" said Tsukasa. He pointed the spear at Yuzuriha's neck as you saw sweat coming down from Senku's forehead. However, his grip on your neck loosened just a little when he saw him getting nervous, allowing you to relax a little.
Senku shrugged. "Sorry, but I'm not as you think I am. I'm the type that can think about what's the most logical and efficient. Those women? I have no interest in them. There's plenty of them to pick from left--"
Warning: CW/TW starts here. (STRANGLING)
The grip around your neck immediately tightened, and your eyes shot open. Your airway was blocked, and you couldn't breathe. It felt as though Tsukasa was going to snap your neck. With panic and adrenaline rushing through you, you tried to pry and scratch his hand off of your neck. Even with his hand starting to bleed due to your sharp nails, nothing fazed him. Sharp pain would come up whenever you tried to move your neck muscles, tiring it out. But to no avail, you couldn't do anything.
You saw Yuzuriha panic and try to help you, but Tsukasa pointed the spear at her neck the moment she turned around.
The primate spoke up as you struggled, "It's useless to bargain, Senku. You should've buried these two; that way, they would've never been used as hostages. But you didn't."
He looked at him with a sinister smile. "Was it for Taiju? Yuzuriha? For (Y/N)? For you? You have precious friends here, despite saying you act out of what's most logical and most efficient. I have an endless number of fans, yet not one is important to me. That is why this is my victory, Senku."
You looked directly at Senku with tears forming in the corner of your eyes as you couldn't take a single breath. You looked at him with fear and desperation, and the expression that had formed on your face as you were beginning to lose consciousness looked as though you were saying,
"You can't tell him."
You saw him think before he forced a smile on his face as he saw you stop trying to escape Tsukasa's grasp. His smile was sorrowful.
"The revival fluid is a mixture of alcohol and nitric acid. Filter out the cave water and mix it with distilled alcohol with a purity of 96%. It is 30% miracle water together with 70% alcohol, so if you're a few percentages off, it won't have any reaction," explained Senku.
The primate smiled. "Thank you, Senku. I now have no reason to keep you alive."
Tsukasa let go of your neck, and you fell to the ground, frantically gasping for air and coughing violently as tears fell from your (E/C) eyes. Yuzuriha had also begun to tear up as she helped you, for she almost saw you suffocate. You were close to death's door, and Senku had taken your spot.
"If I were to let you live, you would rebuild civilization. I don't suppose that you could promise me that you won't?" Tsukasa questioned Senku as he went down to him.
"A promise couldn't possibly be good enough for you here," Senku let out a small chuckle.
"Will you promise here and now, for all of eternity, that you will abandon science? If you do, I won't have you kill you, Senku," said Tsukasa.
The brain had sighed. "I can't do that. What are you babbling on about? You were going to kill me at some point, no matter how I answered. To be on the safe side."
He then began to crack his neck. "Do it in one blow."
Your eyes widened at his nonchalant answer.
"Don't worry. I'll bust your cervical nerve in one blow. However, Senku, if we would've met 3,700 years ago, you may have been my first friend," Tsukasa softly admitted.
"Maybe. Also, keep (Y/N) alive. She may be smart, but she's still a slowpoke."
"I promise you on that."
Your heart dropped, and you began to crawl forward in distraught as you heard those words. Yuzuriha shouted for Taiju, hoping he would come in time to save him. Your vocal cords and throat were still sore from Tsukasa's grip, and all you could do was cry in a hoarse voice, "Senku!"
Then you saw Tsukasa slash the back of Senku's neck with the spear. Before he came into contact with the ground, Taiju appeared and caught him in his arms.
"SENKU!"
All three of you were sobbing for the loss of your friend. Tears wouldn't stop flowing, and hearts were breaking. You felt lightheaded; the urge to vomit was unreal.
Taiju was screaming at the top of his lungs as he held your friend, "SENKU! THIS CAN'T BE RIGHT! ANSWER ME, PLEASE! THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN DIE IN A PLACE LIKE THIS!"
The primate spoke up, "Don't be sad. As his friends, give him a warm, comforting burial."
He then took a step back. Taiju was emitting intense fury, and all of you could feel it. The brawn had given Senku for you to hold in your lap, then grabbed a boulder and broke a large chunk of it off. You and Yuzuriha had no idea what he was doing.
"Taiju, what are you doing?!" You questioned him in a weak, raspy tone. Your voice was slowly recovering. You didn't want to attack Tsukasa, as you were afraid he might kill the rest of you. You were busy protecting Senku's body, so you couldn't assist Taiju in his fight. Your bokken was also left behind in the forest.
"Taiju-kun, stay calm!" Yuzuriha cried fearfully, worried about the boy.
"Don't worry, Yuzuriha, (Y/N). I'm calm," he said. He then whispered something to her, and she understood. "I'm sorry, Yuzuriha, it's just..."
"It's alright. All four of us promised together back then, so it'll work out just fine. I'm sure it will," she reassured him. He nodded and agreed as they both had tears in their eyes.
He then thanked her and lifted the boulder in the air. Yuzuriha ran to get the remaining gunpowder and threw it at Tsukasa. The primate kicked it in defense, and the black powder covered him. The boulder landed before him, causing a spark to create a massive explosion. Yuzuriha picked you up to help you run while Taiju carried your friend's body away from the mountain and into the forest.
They only used the last of the powder to create a distraction. You thought it was a shame that there could be no more left of what Senku had created.
As you ran, it seemed as though God himself knew how sad you and your friends were. It began to rain as Taiju placed him on the ground, trying to do chest compressions on Senku. Your head was spinning and your vision blurred with tears.
"Taiju, don't move his neck," you turned to tell him in a low voice as he tried to pick him up by the head. You felt sick and tired. "Tsukasa hit it as he sacrificed himself for us."
"He sacrificed himself?!" Taiju was shocked. "Senku would never kill himself! He would bet everything in one shot if it were for everyone!"
"Tsukasa was going to kill (Y/N)-chan, Taiju-kun! How do you think Senku-kun felt as he saw her dying?" Yuzuriha tearfully questioned him.
Taiju looked at you with a sorrowful expression on his face as you slowly nodded. He then began to think. "Well, if he's got us as friends, there's gotta be some way for us to understand! Some kind of hint!"
A hint...
You then widened your eyes in realization. "Taiju, forget what I said about moving Senku. Check his neck!"
"His neck? Why?" He asked.
"The way he kept touching and gesturing toward his neck... where Tsukasa most likely hit him..." you explained. Then you saw him and Yuzuriha realize as well.
"That's never been a habit of his! It was so obvious!" He then lifted your friend to check his neck. There was a bit of stone still stuck to him.
"Taiju-kun, the revival fluid!" Yuzuriha gave the small bottle to him.
He hastily opened it and poured the rest of it on the stone, which crumbled away after a few seconds. Taiju was screaming at the top of his lungs to get up, and Yuzuriha was patiently waiting for something to happen. You had put all your hope onto him waking up.
You then felt the rain slowly let up, and the life in Senku's eyes returned.
-To be Continued-