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Chapter Text

Prologue - Her moving towards the light

Current arc: Ishigami Village Saga

Chrome defeated Magma. He is about to win the tournament and simultaneously win Ruri's heart. After all, the village head is to marry her.

Kohaku is happy for her sister. She knows they both have a thing for each other. She is truly glad, yet she finds herself wondering what it is that she is feeling. Is it jealousy? Is it towards Ruri? She cannot label her emotions.

Ever since she was a child, she has been the one protecting her sister. Due to Ruri's fragile composition, she has walked long distances every day so her sister could bathe in warm water, for instance. She has always been the protector, never the protected.

Seeing Chrome go out of his way to save Ruri is something she has never experienced for herself.

She hopes that she, too, one day, can live a romance like theirs.

She sighs and walks up to Chrome.

"Well, well, well," Senku jokes. "Looks like we got a winne-"

Chrome suddenly faints.

Thanks to his unplanned newfound authority, Senku managed to finish the antibiotics.

Ruri finally takes her treatment.

Kohaku stays the night with Ruri. Her coughing worsened.

There is blood all over her pillow. Her body is burning. She had never been this bad before.

Ruri takes her sister's hand in hers.

"Say Kohaku, when I'm gone..." She coughs.

Kohaku gets a lump in her throat.

"Ruri-nee. Don't say anything, keep your energy," she says as tears begin blurring her vision.

"Kohaku, I-I'm sorry I've been such a burden for all of your life."

Kohaku damps yet another cloth and wipes off Ruri's face. She cannot fathom living without her sister.

"I've always lived with the guilt of slowing you down. So, don't live like me. Don't give in to despair. When I'm gone, go on with your life. I'm sure a new adventure awaits you with Senku and the others. Thank you for everything. I love you."

Ruri passes out from fatigue.

Kohaku plays the nurse all night long, but little did she know, it would be her last time.

After a night of terrible coughing, Kohaku opens her eyes. Ruri is nowhere to be seen.

Quickly, she heads outside the house.

The priestess is standing in the sunrise's first light. She looks as ethereal as ever, bathing in this warm yellow glow.

"Ruri-nee?"

She turns around to face her younger sister.

"Kohaku! I feel, I feel better!"

It worked.

Dumbfounded, Kohaku walks, then runs, into Ruri's arms. She cannot hide her tears anymore. They both cry in each other's embrace. Finally, this nightmare is over.

She seems to be getting convincingly better.

Senku said it would take another week for a full recovery, but that is just a detail. The antibiotics are working. It looks like everything sorted itself out in the end.

Along with this nightmare ending, Kohaku cannot stop thinking about Ruri's words.

With her sister finally healed, does that mean that she can finally go on with her life and goals? But what are her goals? She wonders.

She has always lived for others. This feeling of liberty is new to her. Her novel fear of change overtakes her. Maybe she could stick to her usual, unchanged routine.

Then, she remembers Ruri's speech.

"Go on with your life. I'm sure a new adventure awaits you with Senku and the others."

Kohaku makes a decision.

"Senku!" Ginro shouts as he runs towards the village. "They are here! The enemies are here!!"

Tsukasa's men have arrived.

Kohaku runs towards the bridge and notices a few armed figures. Who might they be?

"This is bad..." says Gen, "Hyoga is here!"

Joining the Kingdom of Science in this Stone War will only be the beginning of her story.

A beautiful love story is about to bloom amid a clash of human ideals. Who will have the strength to fall in love in this stone world?

Chapter Text

Chapter 1 - Crossing swords, crossing words

Current arc: Stone Wars

"This is bad," shouts Gen, "The guy Kinro-chan's fighting is Hyoga!"

Hyoga... that name rings a bell. Gen had already mentioned him before. He said that if either he or Tsukasa shows up at the village, it'd be really messy. The situation is critical.

Winter has only just ended, but the first troops are already coming. And not any troops, but one led by Hyoga.

The man standing before Kinro is on the taller side. A powerful aura emanates from his muscular build. His white hair contrasts with the dark mask covering his face, not allowing his emotions to be seen.

He instantly catches her eye.

'So this is what Tsukasa's army's top 2 looks like...'

Before Kohaku gets a chance to make up her first impression of him, her thoughts are rapidly cut off.

"You won't get past this point. Over my dead body!" shouts Kinro.

The always-so-diligent guard is obviously struggling. 'I must intervene.'

Kohaku takes off, only to be stopped mere seconds later. Someone's arms are wrapped around her, locking her in place.

She looks up, it's her father.

"Father?!"

Although Kokuyo is aware of Kohaku's strength, the former chief can tell that joining this fight would put her in grave danger. She doesn't stand a chance against a spear while on a bridge. He doesn't want to risk losing his precious daughter, especially not after Ruri miraculously - or rather scientifically - beat her illness.

"Let me go, I have to go!" she shouts, unable to break his grip. "I HAVE to help him!"

"..."

"Ginro, cut the bridge. Think of the kids!" orders Turquoise, to which the aforementioned obliges, disassociating.

Slash

The sound of a wet slicing noise reaches her ears.

"Kinro!!"

"Nii-chan!!"

Kohaku watches, powerless, as her childhood friend Kinro gets stabbed in the abdomen, trying to protect them all. She can't look away.

'...So that's how it is. Just when I thought I'd lost Ruri, now Ginro is about to lose Kinro...? I... I can't let that happen.'

Resolved, she gathers all of her strength and tears herself from her father's hold.

"Kohaku-!"

"Wait for me, Kinro, I'm coming!"

Running along the bridge, she catches up to Kinro and his opponent, her signature knives in hand.

"Kohaku! What are you doing? If both of us die here, how are the others going to survive?"

"Dying?" she laughs, "there's no way we're losing now."

"...Oh?" responds the mysterious man. "Do you really think your little knives are going to do the trick against me?"

"Well," she grins, "can't tell unless I try!"

With Kinro badly injured, Kohaku places herself in front of him and begins walking steadily towards the masked man. He mirrors her. The atmosphere darkens. All eyes are on them. They must be within arm's reach to yield their respective weapons. Yet, Hyoga's spear doesn't need the same range as Kohaku's melee knives. This implies that she must go into his optimal weapon range before being able to assail any of her attacks. Each one of their steps is daunting.

Kohaku knows what she is risking. She has been warned about him. But there is something more important right now. She must protect her village, her family, her sister, Suika, Kinro, ... She's willing to sacrifice herself. But she won't go down without a fight. She has always won all of her previous battles, but this one seems to be different from everything she has experienced so far. She pays close attention to Hyoga. The way he is holding his weapon, down to his overall menacing aura, everything he does shows he is an experienced warrior. Her eagle eyes caught on to that.

The two fighters are just a few steps away from each other. Hyoga quickly sets himself in position and points his kudayari spear at his opponent's face. She is about to have a taste of the Top 2's advanced technique.

Our heroine is ready to dodge and deflect. Will her speed allow her to both parry and launch an attack without getting hit? Should she take advantage of her speed and run through his personal weapon range, or should she wait for an opening? Who will make the first move? It's only a matter of seconds before they both find out.

Hyoga starts spinning his spear. He takes on his final step for more momentum before blasting off in her direction. Kohaku hardens the grip on her weapons and runs towards him.

It's time.

Bang.

The two fighters stop in their tracks. Kohaku's ears start ringing. 'What was that loud sound?' she wonders as the sound of the gunshot echoes into the horizon, shattering the scene.

"... A gun?" the armed man mutters under his mask.

"They made a gun in this stone world?! We have to leave!" shout Hyoga's goons.

"...Then, I presume you must be Senku," Hyoga says as he looks towards the village, specifically talking to the one holding the presumed gun. "I'm sure Tsukasa-kun will be pleased to learn that you're still alive," he sarcastically adds.

"That's right. I'm alive and well. You're 10 billion years too late, I've already built my Kingdom of Science!" Senku boasts as he pretends to reload the firearm.

Most of Hyoga's troop runs away, leaving him and Kohaku alone on the bridge.

"This isn't over yet. We'll finish that fight later," he tells her nonchalantly as he takes off into the forest.

She watches his figure slowly disappearing.

'Hyoga... I don't think I would have beaten you if Senku hadn't created a diversion. I need to train harder.'

–☆– 3 days later.

Daily training, around noon.

"Don't force it, Kinro. You need some rest," says the Power Team leader.

"I don't, I'm okay, Kohaku."

"...Mandatory break!"

Kinro sighs and sits down, constrained to take a quick pause before resuming the exercise.

Although they managed to win in extremis, there is no guarantee they'll be able to accomplish the same next time. Especially since Kinro is still badly injured from his fight with Hyoga. Kohaku glances at his wound. She noticed it keeps reopening during their training. He needs proper rest. They really need to deal with this situation as soon as possible.

The mentalist he is, Gen guessed they would come during the next storm, the rain rendering the use of firearms impossible. At least, that's what they think; the guns were fake. Senku doesn't have all of the items necessary to make them, yet.

Kohaku sits next to the injured Kinro.

"If only Senku could make those scientific weapons now..."

"Bingo!" Chrome replies with a visibly braggy smile.

"Hm?"

"Look, Kaseki and Senku (and I...) made advanced swords!!! They're called katakanas!"

"Katanas," Senku corrects him, "They were used by samurai warriors in ancient feudal Japan."

He hands her one of the scientific swords.

She is instantly struck by its shape. Its sharp steel gives it a strong and clear-cut look. Yet, the sword feels light, as it is easy to wield. They were definitely made with a mystical technique only a few could reproduce, let alone make multiple exemplars of. She takes a closer look and recognizes Kaseki's bladesmithing touch. It's no wonder the new weapon looks premium now. After all, he's the one who also happened to have made her beloved knives.

"Not bad at all!" she says with a smile. "Let's try them now! Ginro, in position!"

"Gyaah!"

Unsurprisingly, Kohaku wields her katana with ease. Everyone watches her as she wields the blade as if it were an extension of her own hand, the motion so smooth it seemed rehearsed a thousand times over. Her remarkable fighting talents highlighted, she truly embodies the status and honor the katanas have been carrying for thousands of years. One would be surprised to learn it is her first time holding one.

'I could definitely make it my second weapon of choice.'

Ginro, being both struck dumb and dazzled by her innate affinity with the new swords, backs up against a rock.

"Ginro, you need to train too, you know. Try to counter that!" she shouts as she dashes forward, her katana in hand.

He dodges to the side, leaving Kohaku about to collide with the boulder.

"Ah."

However, she doesn't let go of her sword and tightens her grip.

The sound of a rock breaking echoes throughout the battleground.

'... No way I cut through that.'

Everyone falls silent, some of them even have their mouths wide open in shock.

'With this, maybe I can beat him.'

"Kyahaha," Senku laughs, as if he knew that would happen. "Katanas can cut through rock and will also slice lesser blades in half. Their blades are strong for cutting, and the back is flexible for parrying. The Lioness Kohaku just did a great demonstration."

"Yeah!" adds Chrome, "Thanks to the Gorilla, we-

Kohaku stares at them with an overly menacing expression.

"I'm gonna k-" she suddenly quiets down.

... Something caught her attention.

'That smell... Rain is definitely coming soon, maybe more.'

"Everyone! It's about to rain. Let's quickly revise our strategy."

"The Lio-, Kohaku, is right," Senku says. "Since Kinro is still injured, let's go ahead and focus on Kohaku, Magma and Ginro."

"I can still fight," Kinro debates, although his just-reopened wound is bleeding again despite Senku's treatment. "Okay, fine, I'll take a backseat for this one."

"We actually have an ally on an important mission right now," Senku resumes, "so your main objective is to make the fight last as long as possible. Don't be heroes like Kinro the other night..."

"..."

'We only need to retain them? I wanted to get my revenge...' She pouts. 'But maybe it's for the best, since I barely know how to wield this katana.'

It seems not everyone shares the same definition of "barely".

A few hours later, raindrops are already falling down. Everything is ready. The plan is as follows. Kohaku will take the lead during their fight against Hyoga, with both Magma and Ginro as main support. A few villagers agreed to partake in this battle, the target being their new leader. The former, Senku, will act as the bait, pretending to be unable to use the gun because of the weather conditions, so the other three can have the element of surprise playing in their favor. As for Kinro, although he desperately wanted to join forces with the Power Team, Senku convinced him to stay inside the village to protect the children and elders if anything happens.

Kohaku hears the subtle sound of grass being stepped on. Although they are moving slowly, nothing can beat our heroine's sense of perception.

"Senku," she whispers, "let's go!"

The heavy rainfall is rendering the atmosphere even gloomier.

Hiding in the bushes, Kohaku watches him "accidentally" failing to light the "gun's" powder. Will they fall for their bait?

"Now," a manly voice murmurs.

Following that man's order, a flow of Tsukasa's soldiers suddenly runs to Senku, their weapons in hand.

A (scared) Ginro and Magma come to his aid.

"You won't k-k-kill Senku!" Ginro declares, his arms trembling as he holds his new sword, his resolve still showing nonetheless.

"I only have to beat some of those numbskulls so I can take yer place, right?" Magma asks Senku.

"Yea, yea."

The battle starts. The soldiers of both sides begin crossing swords.

Slash, slash, cling, cling

A quincophony of metallic sounds resonates within the area.

"Wait, where's Kohaku-chan?"

"???"

They haven't seen her since the battle started. As of now, she is nowhere to be seen.

"Is this a Japanese katana?" Hyoga asks.

"Want to find out?" Kohaku replies.

The two are deep in the forest, away from the others.

This time, she doesn't hesitate and directly launches towards him. With this new sword of hers, her optimal weapon range is about the same as his, reducing the inequality of their fight. She has a chance.

Hyoga parries her first strike. Kohaku keeps delivering unsuccessful blow after blow; the warrior keeps parrying, leaving no opening for her to target.

"Why would you do that to Kinro?!" she asks him frantically as her blade is halted once more by his spear head.

"Hm? Are you referring to that bad-sighted friend of yours?"

"Why are you going out of your way to hurt people that have nothing to do with you?"

"..."

Hyoga finally starts spinning his kudayari katana, calmly launching his first attack.

"...It's not like you would understand our ideals, judging from the way you act."

"What even IS your ideal?"

Just as his blow was about to hit her, Kohaku dodges and aims for the opening created.

He quickly shifts his position and blocks her attack at the last second, resulting in a clash of weapons between the two. Their weapons are crossed horizontally between them, standing close together and pushing against each other's weaponry, each trying to knock the other off balance.

Their faces draw near, leaving little to no space between them.

"I'm gonna ask you again, why?" she asks as she looks into the eyes of the man who attempted to kill her childhood friend.

"...In the world you didn't get to know," he finally agrees to explain, although the force of their collision knows no change. "The talentless ruled over the skilled. Incompetent imbeciles presided over all nations, always staying on top. Prodigies were hidden, driven away, so they wouldn't risk taking some corrupt person's place. This defied all logic. Instead of striving for the top, humanity started evolving backwards; the weak crushing the strong... It is that same world your little friends are trying to revive from the stone. I won't let that madness happen once more. I shall crush anyone who gets in my way."

Kohaku backs up and creates some distance between them. Even though she cannot fully grasp the extent of his thoughts, his speech makes sense. Yet, she finds him hypocritical in a way.

"I see. That world you're describing sounds... terrible. But, what's even worse is you condemning most of humanity because of a few corrupt people."

"I don't deny that I intend to make a few sacrifices to build my ideal world of elites."

"What even qualifies as an elite? Don't you know that sometimes, hard work beats talent? Even if I admit you are indeed skilled, you've certainly trained for years too, haven't you? You weren't always part of the powerful ones. The people you'd deem unworthy of being saved right now, those same people still have the ability to improve themselves and become strong. Yet they'd never get to see the light of day ever again because of you. Wouldn't that make you part of the fraudulent leaders you mentioned?"

"!"

Without him having the time to process what she said, he hears a loud crack between his fingers. His weapon of choice is suddenly breaking down into pieces.

"?"

"Ha... Are you kidding? Looks like a magic trick."

"Oh no! Who could have done that ? ♧" Gen pretends not to know anything as he comes out of a bush.

"Gen."

The sound of steel in the distance also stopped, leaving them guessing the fights had also ended on the other end. If Gen is here, it means the Kingdom of Science likely won.

"My, my, my, if you aren't a clever one, Gen-kun," he laughs without breaking his calm demeanor despite the situation. "That's good, I like people like you."

"You lost to the power of scientific swords, Hyoga!" Kohaku says.

He turns around to face her.

"Remarkable athleticism, coordinated teamwork, and dirty betrayal," he says before opening his eyes wide open. "Almost perfect. Too bad you didn't realize this was all a diversion."

The sound of dainty footsteps can be heard. A mysterious young woman with pink hair enters the scene and places herself next to Hyoga. She blows out her ignited torch as she looks at Hyoga's opponent.

A few of his men join the two, laughing together.

Kohaku reluctantly turns around, only to be faced with the terrifying sight of her village burning down. The very village she grew up in is now slowly being turned to ashes by scarlet fires.

This is not the adventure she expected.

"... You didn't."

"What if we did?"

Blinded by rage, Kohaku rushes towards Hyoga, her katakana still in hand. She pins him to the ground, pointing her sword at his neck.

"Hyoga-sama!" the minions pull out their weapons.

The warrior, being unarmed, cannot retaliate.

"So after hurting my friends, you're going for my hometown next?!" she emotionally shouts as her blade touches his mask.

"You have no right to!!"

"No, wait, Kohaku-chan! They need us there!" Gen shouts.

She regains her sense of priority. Although she desperately wants to hurt the man beneath her, her friends need her help, right now. Revenge can wait; she cannot waste another minute here.

She slowly gets off of him, tears blurring her vision. She hopes she won't regret making that decision later.

"I'll make you pay!"

'How foolish. Letting go of an opportunity because they cannot withstand any loss during a war...'

They all part ways, the antagonist pair and their lackeys going back to their base, Kohaku running back to save her village.

Even though she had the man served on a silver platter, Kohaku stayed true to herself and chose to use her remaining energy to help rather than hurt. One could call it naivety, but they would be wrong. Using her strength to help thy neighbor has always been her quintessence. Hyoga could not possibly empathize with that. He simply couldn't. At least not as of now. However, curiously enough, the few words they exchanged that day began flowing through his mind. What qualifies as an elite? Should it be ranked at pure face value, or is there another answer?

Both of them think about each other for different reasons, one being intrigued by the other's words, the other indignant at the other's actions. How will the two protagonists' views ever be able to overlap?

Chapter Text

Chapter 2 - Heat wave, heart wave

Current Arc: Stone Wars (middle)

"Homura-kun."

"What is it, Hyoga-sama?"

"You've been spying on the village for a few days now, report."

"Yes. I memorized all of their names, roles, and specialities. From what I understand, their strategy centers around their scientific team's advancement. Meaning, whenever Senku and his apprentice scientist manage to create a new item, their battle team will be upgraded."

'A second scientist... I wasn't aware of that fact. I could use that information to my advantage.' Another scientist in this stone world would definitely be welcome in his ideal world of elites.

"As for the battle team in question, I'm sure you're already aware of it, Hyoga-sama, but the strongest ones are the blonde girl Kohaku, the buff man Magma, and the now-wearing-glasses guy. The weapons they are using vary. Kohaku mostly opts for knives or swords. Magma wields various melee weapons, including axes and spears. Kinro only uses spears. It seems that although Kohaku is the strongest, she appears to choose to abandon the offensive in order to save someone when necessary. We even witnessed it firsthand last time."

'I saw it happen twice.'

"Good work, as always. Make sure you keep reporting to me first before you share your observations with Tsukasa. And remember to go along with the plan if anything happens."

"Speaking of the devil," she whispers.

"Homura, could you brief me on the situation in the village? I apologize for taking her from you, Hyoga."

The two leave the scene together, leaving Hyoga alone in his quarters, thoughtful.

'That girl, although she has remarkable strength, her foolhardiness knows no boundary.

She's got it all wrong. The weak should stop weighing on the strong. Yet, she keeps using her strength to help others.'

Frustrated, Hyoga heads outside for a midnight walk to get some fresh air in a nice field near the forest.

The moon is as bright as ever, shining at the center of this ever-expanding starry sky. Hyoga lies in a field of blue cosmos flowers as he reminisces about his old life. Before, he used to be able to guess the exact hour by simply looking at the firmament. But this is completely obsolete and meaningless now. Millenniums have passed, and the constellations themselves have moved. Humans aren't tied to a schedule anymore. It is as if there had been a reset. This is a new era, a perfect wind of fresh air to be able to start anew, to build a better world, his world.

Just like how he can only now admire the Milky Way after Medusa got rid of light-pollution-inducing people, Hyoga is resolved to eliminate any person he deems weak to see humanity shine at its full potential.

"Ehhh? You're brave enough to bring me, a wizard, to your lair?!" a voice arrives in the distance. "Don't say I didn't warn you!!"

"!"

Hyoga stands up stealthily, making sure not to make a sound, and begins cautiously listening in on the conversation as he puts his coat and mask back on.

"For now, let's see what Tsukasa says when he learns you've been spying on us," Ukyo says. "What were you even doing in the cemetery?"

"Uhh, I was looking for mushrooms to prepare another one of my dark magic potions. I didn't know YOU GUYS were there!"

'This must be the second scientist Homura-kun mentioned.'

The protagonist reveals his presence as he walks towards them.

"My, my, what do we have here?"

"... Hyoga," Ukyo lets out with a certain animosity.

The archer never seemed to take a liking to the warrior. Something always felt off when he looked at him.

The air is tense.

"I found this guy during my routine night watch. Turns out he's the enemy's apprentice scientist."

"Oh?"

Hyoga doesn't even try to conceal the fact that he somehow already knew who he was.

"... I was about to put him in temporary imprisonment, but maybe I should hand him to Tsukasa-kun directly."

"No."

Ukyo is disconcerted by his response.

"?"

"Tsukasa-kun is busy with Homura right now," he lets out a half lie: they should be done by now. "I'll help you bring him to his cell."

And thus, the three walk back to their base, with Chrome tied up.

"Y'know, the second my hands are free, I'm gonna curse you all with black spells!"

"We'll see if you can still talk after I'm done with you," Hyoga responds, sending shivers down the scientist's spine.

"What do you mean?" Ukyo asks.

"Well, since Tsukasa-kun seems to be available, I'm gonna talk to him in his stead."

"What for?" Ukyo replies, visibly made uncomfortable by the implied undertones.

"..."

The sonar operator does not condone the use of violence. To him, it should only be used when necessary, in the hopes of protecting something, or someone for instance. Inflicting pain, sorrow, and despair out of one's free will feels wicked; Hyoga's ways deeply anger him.

They finally reach their territory. A few guards assist the two in handling the new prisoner. Everything is now set for his interrogation. Ukyo reluctantly leaves them together, guilt already building up.

"...Well, then, Chrome-kun, why don't you start talking about how far science has progressed in your village? Quit the wizard act."

Chrome swallows his saliva.

"Last time I went there, your comrades had guns and even katanas. Do you only mass-produce weapons to win the war?"

"Of course not! We're not cold-blooded murderers like you guys! We're civilized scientists!" Chrome shouts, directly falling into the trap Hyoga set to make him talk.

"Hoh... Then what are you guys currently working on? And what could possibly justify you roaming around here?"

"... Hum. Today, I mean, yesterday, we... We made light at night! We won over nature, heheh, heh..."

"..."

"And I was just here to pick up a few mushrooms!", the scientist begins lying through his teeth, even under intense pressure.

Hyoga grabs his wrist and squeezes it with force.

"...Are you sure?"

"N-no, well actually! We are also working on making paper- AHH!"

The callous man bends one of Chrome's fingers back, possibly breaking it at the same time. The former groans in pain.

"One done, nine more to go. We can play this game for a long time."

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoes in the makeshift cell.

"I take it you must be Chrome, hm, one of the scientists working along with Senku."

Tsukasa.

"Given the current time, we'll canvass about your case tomorrow, Chrome. Hyoga, you are dismissed."

"Looks like luck is on your side tonight," he bids him farewell as he takes his leave.

"Thank you for filling in for me even though you weren't on watch shift tonight," the disputably-good leader gently tells Hyoga.

"You're welcome, well, then, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Tsukasa having come can only mean one thing: Ukyo went out to look for him. He has a bad feeling about it.

★- The next morning

Hyoga comes back from his duties which consisted of hanging Chrome over the waterfall - or rather, throwing him in the waterfall - to make him talk. This proved to be as ineffective as Hyoga's personal interrogation from last night, even though he almost killed him this time.

As he looks around his quarters, he notices it is unusually quiet. Although it is already lunchtime, Homura is nowhere to be found.

'Has she been captured again?'

While looking for her, Hyoga passes by Chrome's cell. The scientist seems to have mysteriously broken out. It is almost as if an insider helped him out.

'Ukyo. ...A traitor, an escapee, and a hostage. They are coming.'

Hyoga goes to Tsukasa and warns him about their soon-to-be arrival before instructing Yo to free Homura while they are busy fighting. Being the second-most-renowned man in their Empire of Might, his privileges allow him to order people around.

And soon enough, the Science Kingdom had assembled near the Cave of Miracles, after carrying out a ram-raid with their new car. Senku, Gen, and Chrome are currently inside said cave, trying to look for a way to craft a scientific weapon, all the while the battle team buys time.

"Ha! Looks like it's time for our Revenge match, Hyoga!"

The two protagonists resume their fight, with Hyoga having the advantage this time. After a brief series of chasing, attacking, and parrying, Kohaku is now lying on the ground.

'That was way too easy. They must have a plan in mind.'

"Looks like you are weak after all," Hyoga has to let out to boost his own ego, despite knowing it's a bait. "This is what happens when you use your strength for others: you become as sluggish as them."

As he was about to critically injure her in the abdomen, Kohaku grabs his spear and doesn't let go.

"Don't get ahead of your horses, Hyoga. I'm just trying to slow you down. I know you're saying this to get me to actually fight you but, I don't care if you stab me right now. I'm doing all of this because I believe in my friends. Even without me, as long as I manage to slow you down, my sacrifice will allow them to build a weapon that can stop both you and Tsukasa!"

She looks at him with shiny eyes full of certainty, leaving him disconcerted. Surely a group of such weak people cannot be worth risking her life for, but there she is, confident as ever. Her faith shows no hint of a shadow, even though her opponent could pierce through her any second now.

"That, here is strength."

"!"

So that is her response.

"...Why don't you ever live for yourself? Given your abilities, you would be unstoppable. You could even–"

BOOM

Nitroglycerine sent through a magician~'s paper plane explodes in the area for everyone to see. The trees around cave in from the force of the explosion. A heat wave envelops its spectators.

'After guns, they made dynamite? In this stone world? Spectacular.'

An appalling idea crosses his mind.

★- A few hours later

Tsukasa's sister, Mirai, woke up. The aforementioned agreed on a treaty in exchange for her revival. Kohaku truly relates to him, both having sacrificed - or rather dedicated, out of love - a part of their lives for their dear siblings.

Meanwhile, Hyoga subtly asks Yo with hand gestures if he managed to free Homura. The former policeman gives him a thumbs up and points at Homura, hiding on a tree branch in the distance.

The white-haired warrior and his trusted assistant meet in secret.

"You heard that explosion earlier. Let's go along with a slightly modified plan. That traitor Ukyo is guarding the remaining dynamite. You know what to do. Same location, same result, but different means."

"Well received, Hyoga-sama."

The two part ways, Hyoga going back to everyone, Homura heading to the cave after stealing from the inventory.

'Now, neither side will be able to revive anyone. Only the strong will remain on top.'

That was his plan all along.

Kohaku watches as Tsukasa accompanies his miraculously saved sister to quench her thirst, along with his right-hand man.

'They're on our side now? It almost sounds too good to be true. Although she's his sister, Mirai-chan is a frail girl. His empire now allows the weak to live? Something is off...'

BANG

An even louder explosion echoes deep within the forest. There goes the Miracle cave.

Kohaku flinches but calms herself down to keep on thinking. Her gut feeling is telling her everything is linked.

'The weak can now live. The weak? Live? This isn't even close to the ideals Hyoga let me know about. Wait. I've actually never heard of long hair talking about such philosophy. Could it be that he and his right-hand man don't share the same one? So Hyoga is the only one who harbors these ideas?... Hyoga. HYOGA!'

She instantly gets the overbearing feeling that something tragic is about to happen. Without thinking, she runs in their direction.

"Tsukasa, Mirai-chan!! BEWARE OF HYOGA!!!"

Senku reaches the same conclusion, the dynamite sticks having disappeared, and Homura reappearing.

"Run away!!" the scientist screams.

Too late.

The feared one spins his spear and charges at Mirai, only to be blocked by Tsukasa, acting as a human shield. His weapon pierces through his chest. Fatal blow. Stabbed and disoriented, Tsukasa is about to fall into the waterfall.

Senku, who also guessed what was going on, runs towards them and attempts to pull Tsukasa back onto the land, before Hyoga suddenly kicks him, making both of them fall. The warrior joins the two and dives into the high-altitude body of water, his weapon in hand.

"..."

"... SENKU!" a horrified Kohaku shouts. "I must... I NEED TO JOIN THEM!"

As she's about to plunge, a hand stops her.

"You're going to get severely injured", Kinro says. "Let's go find out where this waterfall leads. Together."

She knows he's right, and she knows it is the only logical thing to do. She's not alone anymore; her friends are going to help her retrieve them.

It's already night now. The sun had set hours ago, but no one could seem to find the three men.

"How are we supposed to find them in the dark with barely-lit fire torches?" one of Tsukasa's men – now ally – says.

They have a point. Although almost everyone is on the lookout for them, it is strenuous to see anything. Except for Kohaku, whose eagle eyes allow her to see better than most people in the darkness.

"Don't stray too far from us, you won't be able to fight off Hyoga alone."

Ignoring them, she doesn't stop in her searches, running along the shore and scanning the entire area. Her heart feels heavy.

'Please be okay, Senku. Please be okay, Tsukasa! Please be okay, ... God, please, may no more lives be lost, no more!'

She finally distinguishes three silhouettes in the distance, all of them lying down on the sand.

"SENKU!! EVERYONE, THEY'RE HERE! HURRY UP," she shouts as she evaluates the situation.

Tsukasa is unconscious, Senku is mildly hurt, and Hyoga seems to be unconscious as well. There is blood all over the sand. The sight leaves her speechless.

"Kohaku..." the scientist says, 'We need to get Tsukasa help, ASAP."

A few other members of the New Kingdom of Science arrive and take Tsukasa in a litter. The hero was stabbed in the heart, and from what Kohaku sees, he lost a significant amount of blood. He may not survive the night. Senku, on the other hand, leaves almost injury-free, relying on both Chrome and Gen for support. He claims to have an idea to save Tsukasa.

Her ears are ringing. Voices around her begin to sound muffled. A lump lodges in her throat. She wants to cry. But, she carries on.

Kohaku turns around and approaches the unconscious Hyoga. There are no signs of major wounds on his body. However, his breathing is faint. She kneels beside him and places two fingers on the side of his neck, right below his mask and jawline, and checks his pulse to know if he needs CPR right now. She feels his pulse beneath her fingers. He is still very much alive.

'His pulse is slow and steady. Probably slower than mine. He truly has an elite athlete's heart rate [*].'

The warm touch of her fingertip wakes him.

"What are we going to do with you?" she sighs as she ties him up, the former slowly opening his eyes.

"...Oh. It's you..."

"Come on, let's get you to your cell."

Hyoga looks at his body. It seems someone has bandaged his cuts, leaving him confused. It's true that in this stone world, the slightest wound could be detrimental. But...

'This must be her doing. Why?'

"Aren't I your enemy? Why don't you just ki–"

"Don't finish that sentence," she cuts him off, "I don't want to hear about death anymore. I'm sick of seeing bloodshed. Why don't we all just get along? It shouldn't have come to this," she says with teary eyes. "Please, let the dying end."

"!"

It is as if her words had just pierced through his heart.

A bewildered expression paints his face as he spectates her sorrow. Baffled, he looks away from her within a few seconds. Is it guilt? Shame? Could it be remorse? His stone heart is not accustomed to second-guessing and self-reflection. Those emotions irritate him.

What Hyoga doesn't know is that a significant part of her village passed away from famine and illness, including her own mother. She already knows how weighing, cold, and isolating death is. Life is precious; when it is taken, it never comes back. This is why she believes it should always be cherished. When she had first discovered Tsukasa, her first new person, and Senku, her first outsider friend, she felt less alone in this vast yet depleting world. Those very people almost lost their lives today, with one of them still in critical condition. Senku said he'd save him. She chooses to believe in him, just like how she always has. But fear is human, isn't it?

As everyone walks back to their territory, the sun is already rising. The view is breathtaking.

Drawn to the charming scenery, the heroine stops in her tracks to admire it, her eyes red from crying. Connected to her by a rope, the white-haired prisoner has no choice but to do the same. Peaceful pink lights are painting the dawn sky. They shine brighter and brighter, slowly erasing the dark remains of the night. Even when the sunlight overlaps them, the stars will forever be there. Constellations keep evolving, and so do their stars, inexplicably attracting one another, becoming binary together. Bound by gravity, their mutual attraction continues to guide the ones who have lost their way, helping them find meaning again.

A flock of birds flies on the horizon, the weightless morning breeze washing away yesterday's sorrow. Everything feels light and serene, a stark contrast with ongoing events.

'That reminds me, the sunrise, it represents...' they think at the same time,

'A new beginning.'

'A new ending.'

"... It's you again. Why do you keep treating me, the man who killed your leader, with respect?"

The blonde warrior personally brings lunch and dinner every day to her defeated enemies.

She leaves his meal beside the door and looks at him through the bars. The two rivals are quiet. A ray of light shines through the makeshift cell, briefly illuminating the room in indigo hues.

"I thought I'd enjoy the face you'd make during your downfall; it isn't as fun as I imagined it to be."

"..."

"Tsukasa isn't dead."

"I'm pretty sure the blow I dealt him the other day was fatal. You guys truly are naive."

"We aren't naive. If Senku says something is within reach, then it is. He's proven time and time again that we can trust him. Though, trust is probably a concept you cannot grasp."

Curious, Homura fixes her gaze on Kohaku as well.

"Our trust in each other goes beyond believing someone is capable of accomplishing something. It's the will to rely on a close one we consider good and reliable. Someone safe, who has helped us countless times, always will, and whom we want to support as well. That is what trust is."

"..."*

Hyoga remains speechless after that. He thought emotions were a waste of time and ressources, not worth any investment. Those very same emotions that define the trust and friendship sound different in her speech. He feels as if he is missing out on something. Something grand and special.

"If you ever genuinely apologize to Tsukasa, he might allow you back in the Science Kingdom. You might learn one thing or two from us," she says as she leaves the scene, leaving Hyoga pondering, yet again.

With Tsukasa on the verge of death and her friend Senku having greatly risked his life, Kohaku's will to keep moving forward was being challenged. Her usually ever-so-strong persona let out a truly heartbreaking show in front of her enemy. She doesn't want anyone to lose their life anymore, and that includes him. Although she doubted her evolution, she is showing compassion in the midst of a tragic chaos, demonstrating more than self-control: true strength.

Tethered by distance's invisible thread, their intertwined journeys begin to resonate. Could her actions be the catalyst for his redemption?

[*] Mechasenku time! Set a 15-second timer, and place two fingers (no thumb) right below your jawline or on your wrist, below your thumb. Count your heartbeats. Multiply that number by 4. You get your BPM. The average heartbeat ranges from 60 to 100 bpm. Trained athletes, however, can have heart rates as low as 30 bpm! This is because exercise strengthens the heart muscle, allowing it to pump a greater amount of blood with each heartbeat. More oxygen gets delivered to the body, making the heart need to beat fewer times than it would for an average person.