17. Riled With Determination
Feb. 4 2023
A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter! I did my best to keep your part entertaining.
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I will also have the previous chapters edited a little more because I use a website for the Dr. Stone manga and they're not really official chapter translations.
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The blonde warrior sway side-to-side as he finished taking in raw ingredients for caffeine. His opponent, a large, well-built man named Argos, stared at him with confusion.
"That boy takes mind over matter to the next level. I knew that much, but still..." mentioned Kohaku.
Senku chuckled, "Kukuku, for better or for worse, in this Grand Bout that we've rigged, a simple, brute force like that might be just the thing to smash our way forward!"
All of you then watched Ginro snap from his trance and run straight forward, blindly with no hesitation. He started giving Argos a flurry of jabs and attacks with his weapon with a confident grin on his face.
"Ginro, that fool! He convinced himself that he made himself stronger because of those herbs!" Kinro stated.
"I guess it's because it's his first time trying caffeine," you told him. "He's practically a steel ball of sheer will...how amusing!"
Senku chimed in, "Considering all the sneaky strategies we employed during the Grand Bout, this is the first straightforward, honorable fight we've seen and Ginro's the only one who hasn't realized it!"
It was honorable, there was no doubt about it. However, as soon as Senku had finished talking, Argos had taken a step forward to fight and ended up returning that flurry of attacks at Ginro.
The blonde warrior ate the attack and looked up at the man. His face was bulging with bruises and lumps, and his nose dripped with blood. You could hear him trying to talk but it sounded garbled. Everyone saw how messed up he was, but he was still standing proud.
Argos backed up, terrified. "Crap! How are you still--"
He did not realize it, but the man was at the edge of the arena. Ginro ended up pushing him off, causing him to fall into the water.
"The winner is Ginro!" Jasper announced.
Everybody cheered as Ginro held his spear high into the sky, in his abilities. You were quite proud, considering you were the one helping with his training before. But you saw him clutch his stomach and immediately rush out of the arena in fear. He was knocked out the moment he finished his bathroom break.
"For the fifth match, may (Y/N) and Titan step forward!"
"Guess it's my turn. I know you said to hold back, but can I at least have a little fun?" You looked at Senku, pleadingly.
"Don't screw him up too bad," Senku smirked.
You took out your bokken and headed for the middle. Before you could make it, Jasper stopped you. "I know the rules state no bladed weapons, as it is a wooden weapon, but the tip is sharp, isn't it? You need to cover it up before participating or else you're disqualified."
You widened your eyes, and your group was shocked as well. All of them were frantically looking for something to help cover up the tip of your blade.
"Crap, we don't have any cloth or anything to stick to your bokken!" Chrome cried.
"Well, we can't have her disqualified like Kohaku!" Kinro argued.
"Damn, it leaves me no choice!" You declared. You looked down, then frantically took the hem of your shirt and started ripping it off. You could hear gasps and noises of shock being heard around you as you continued to tear it off until your midriff was revealed. You then wrapped the cloth over the tip of your bokken, allowing it to stay soft. Since the rope you had around your waist had nothing to tie up, you used it to keep the cloth in place by tying it together. "That should be enough, right?"
"Yes," Jasper awkwardly coughed.
Senku yelled, "You slowpoke, you should've brought your lion sheath!"
"Did it look like I needed to bring it?!" You screamed at him.
"Yes, idiot!"
As you headed toward the middle, you saw your opponent. Titan was an average-sized boy with long, spiky hair and a face that was similar to Chrome's. He wore clothing identical to the men in the village, but his chest was revealed like Mantle's, and he had a backpack-like shield strapped to his back that was tied with a rope. His weapon for the tournament was a spear with its tip covered.
"Y'know, I didn't think another woman would join other than Kohaku. I'm quite lucky to fight someone as good-looking as you," you heard Titan say, his hand on his hip as he spoke with an upbeat smile.
You grin. "Heh, we're quite unexpected, are we? Though, you aren't too bad yourself. Unfortunately, I'm only after one thing right now."
"And what's that?" He raised an eyebrow, getting ready for what was to come.
"Your dear Ruri-sama," you replied and pointed your wooden blade at the blonde woman, who you saw had a shocked look on her face. All you did was send her a wink and it was enough to make her blush out of surprise.
You noticed that Titan seemed to be more determined to defeat you now, considering how uncomfortable some people got when you said that. Chrome looked to be a little annoyed, especially with his crush on Ruri, while the rest of your group had sweat dripping down their temples. Ginro, however, had a sleazy appearance on his sleeping face, as though he had heard what you said. You couldn't imagine what he was dreaming about, but it probably wasn't that good. Meanwhile, Senku was staring straight at you with his arms crossed and a smirk.
"Her personality is quite daring when she fights, huh..." Kohaku had a deadpanned expression on her face.
"Damn right," the scientist replied with a grin.
"It's kinda hot..." Ginro mumbled in his sleep. Kinro made sure to knock him out completely by punching him in the gut.
The village chief, Ruri and Kohaku's father, seemed to be emitting intense fury underneath that serious guise of his. It was understandable that he would feel that way since he didn't know what you or Senku's intentions were. But it was all for your amusement, and to rile up your opponent.
You raised an arm, beckoning Titan. "Let's dance, shall we?"
He gripped his weapon tighter and charged you. With a single, swift move, you dodged his blunt spear with a twirl. The boy would look around to see you smiling, gripping your bokken as if it were to be your partner. His spear would try to hit you with each move, but you would always be out of reach.
"How are you moving so fast?!" Titan asked you.
"Your technique is good...but it's not enough. It is incredibly similar to how Kinro and Ginro fight. I'm guessing this is the standard of your training in the village," you mentioned as you dodged another attack.
You immediately ran up to his face as the weapon was extended. "Gotcha!"
You flicked his nose and he faltered, surprised by how quickly you went up to him. He backed up, then grinned and spoke, "The only other person I've seen dodge as fast as you would have to be Kohaku. You guys are amazing! But can you at least use your weapon? It's kind of humiliating..."
"Wow, you're more positive than I thought. Okay, I'll bite," you said. You took your weapon and placed your hands on the handle, waiting for Titan to strike. "Don't be upset when you lose."
Over by the Kingdom of science, they were having a small conversation among themselves.
"The fight is already over," said Kohaku. "Once that weapon is out, he stands no chance."
"Why didn't she finish him off right away? She should've destroyed him!" Chrome questioned.
"It's probably to hide all her strength from Magma. Either way, this is the most chivalrous fight we've had so far," Kinro mentioned.
He then dashed toward you and tried striking you from the side, only to be stopped by your wooden blade. You immediately curved it upwards, and he reeled his spear to jab your core. You parried the spear, causing him to recoil once more and go for your head.
Bending your head and body back to avoid the impact, you saw the reactions of the crowd for just a second. Even if you weren't going all out, you could tell how impressed the villagers were by your fight. However, you locked eyes with Senku, whose arms were crossed and was staring intently at you with those crimson eyes of his. You never knew how he looked at you when you fought, and this is the first time you saw how focused he was on you. He knew that you were capable of winning. You gave him a grin and bounced your head forward, only to headbutt Titan straight on as he pulled the spear back.
"SHE HEAD-BUTTED HIM?!" You heard the crowd go.
The boy, having his hands clutching his forehead, fell to the ground. "Damn, what the hell was that?! Your head's as hard as a rock!"
"My head?! Your head is freakin' hard too!" You yelled at him, placing a palm over your sore forehead.
"You're not a demon slayer, slowpoke! What were you thinking?!" You heard Senku scoff.
You rolled your eyes and muttered, "Never again will I do that."
Titan then tried standing up, but he couldn't seem to stand still. He was swaying side-to-side as he took a few steps toward you. His swings weren't focused and his eyes were lidded.
Time to wrap it up. He can't fight anymore.
You swiftly lifted your weapon as he was trying to attack you, and swung it diagonally into his shoulder blade. It caused his arm to go weak and he dropped his weapon. You kicked it away before he could pick it up from the ground, and you placed the wooden blade under his chin as he looked up at you.
"You can't fight anymore after a blunt to the head? You need training, Titan," you told him. "Why'd you even join in the first place? How amusing of you."
"Fighting ain't my style, but I still wanted to try. At least I lost to someone as merciful as you," he stated with his arms up in the air, meaning he forfeited.
"I'm not as merciful when I go all out. You were just lucky," you told him with a devilish smile, and his eyes widened.
Jasper came up to both of you and lifted his arm on your side. He announced, "The winner is (Y/N)!"
Everyone went wild, as cheering could be heard from around you. You headed over toward your group with a grin.
Chrome cried out, "That was crazy awesome!"
"Congratulations, (Y/N)! Suika knew you could do it!" Suika happily exclaimed.
"Even if I see it a million times, I'm still impressed by your fighting!" Kohaku admitted.
"Aw, thanks guys," you sheepishly replied.
"What a woman!" You heard someone cry out. "Once I get Ruri, I need to have her and Kohaku by my side!"
You and your friends looked over to where the voice came from and it was from Magma. You immediately cringed in response to his statement.
"I want to kick his ass so bad," you mentioned.
"Don't worry. Since you won, you will get that chance," said Kinro. "Despite how tough he is, you are equal to Kohaku. But anyways, thank you for being fair and just during the fight."
"It was the only way I could really do it," you told him.
You then looked over to Senku, whose red eyes were gazing upon you. You were patiently waiting for his response to the fight. He sighed and placed a hand on your head with the smallest smile on his face. "Yeah, good job, slowpoke. Never doubted you for a second."
Despite getting a bunch of compliments from your friends, the scientist's response to you affected you the most. You felt as though a million butterflies had been released into your stomach, and you didn't know what to do about it.
"Thank you, Senku..." your lips curved upwards as you felt bubbly inside. As you said that, you could feel the eyes of your friends on both of you, which made it incredibly awkward. Sweat dripped down your temples, and so you cut the tension in half by speaking up, "A-Anyways, since my fight is done, the next match-ups should be ready now!"
And it was. The next match-ups were finalized and the next fighters were Chrome versus Magma, and Senku versus Ginro versus you. They couldn't put you on an extra bracket since there was an uneven amount of people.
"Needless to say, if Magma makes it to the final round, it's game over," said Senku.
"Because the odds of Senku and a heavily injured Ginro beating Magma is zero! And if (Y/N) were to win, we'd have to do another Grand Bout next month," Kohaku added.
Chrome nodded, "Yup, and we don't have time for that. So the only way to save Ruri is for me to take down Magma."
He walked to the center of the arena to face Magma with a staunch expression on his visage.
"If does he win, he'll be able to face one of us in the finals and we'll guarantee his victory by throwing the match," the scientist told you. "He will be the new chief and Ruri's husband."
"It would be a win-win for the Kingdom of Science all around, but Chrome fighting head-on...he wouldn't stand a chance. From what I've seen, Magma is the equivalent to a stone wall. You need dexterity and precision to take him down, which is why Kinro was such a good counter," you explained.
Senku furrowed his eyebrows, knowing you were right. "That's why we're betting on the damage that Kinro had done earlier."
Suika, worried about the brunette, put her hands together. "But Chrome...he practiced so hard, hitting the target over and over again. Oh, God of Battle, please watch over him!"
The match officially started when Chrome headed straight for Magma's vitals. A loud crack was heard throughout the arena, and silence filled the air. It was loud enough to wake Ginro from his nap.
"What's happening?! Chrome's fighting Magma, right?!" Ginro asked.
There was no need to reply, as he had gotten his answer from the loud wheezing coming from the boy himself. He was on the ground, his nose bleeding, and his face bruised beyond compare. Chrome could only look up at him as he tried to stand up, and Magma just glared at him with disdain. Using his large weapon, the brute continued to beat him into a pulp, as though he was trying to kill him.
Ginro cried out, "Waaaah, Chrome, just give up already!"
You heard the other villagers agree. They knew what would happen, but they didn't expect Magma to keep going just for the sake of torturing the boy.
The moment you took one step forward, Senku held his arm out to stop you. "If you interfere now, this whole plan will fall apart. I know how you feel, but we can only watch."
"Shit...this entire match is one-sided when it comes to power," you grit your teeth together, fuming at the fact that you couldn't do anything to help your friend.
"Chrome, I know you'd never give up. Not when you're fighting for Ruri," Magma started.
"Yep...you're smarter than you look, Magma, considering you got muscles for brains..." Chrome breathed out.
"Well, it's lit a fire in me! Ruri's gonna be crying so hard over your loss and I'm gonna work you over so good, you'll never walk again!" The blonde declared.
"Chrome!" Ruri cried in despair.
The boy then crawled over to Suika's broken helmet, which was never moved from its spot when Magma had broken it. He used his entire body as a shield to protect it as the brute continued to smash the crap out of him. Suika was weeping, feeling heartbroken that Chrome was protecting it to prevent the glasses from breaking. He then stood up and pointed his spear at Magma with the helmet hanging off of it. Senku's eyes widened as he saw that the glass was pointed at the ground.
"BWAHAHAHAHA! You almost scared me! That's just the bewitched helmet that I crushed!" Magma cackled. "You really thought I'd turn tail and run from that thing?!"
"What is he gonna do with Suika's helmet?" You wondered.
"He's got it all wrong! Chrome's trying to set Magma's clothes on fire with the lens! That's gotta be it!" Senku informed your group. He then shouted at his student, "Chrome, the lens that set fires are convex lens that focus light, while concave lens spread light! You're ten billion percent never gonna light that thing on fire with those lenses!"
"Don't worry, Senku-sensei! Even a novice scientist like me picked up on that!" Chrome told him.
"No way..." The scientist then realized something. "This guy filled the lens his own sweat and tears when he covered the helmet..."
You put your hand in a fist and smacked it against your othet hand, figuring it out as well. "That means he made his own convex lens to start a fire!"
"Will that really be enough though?" questioned a familiar voice.
"Yeah. There have been stories of fires starting via convex lenses made of suction cups and air--" Senku explained, but immediately stopped when he registered who the voice belonged to.
All of you turned around to see Asagiri Gen standing on top of one of the bridge frames with his hands inside his sleeves.
"Gen! You smooth-talking jerk, what are you doing here?!" Kohaku demanded.
He replied with a devious smile on his face, "Is this really the time to be worrying about what I'm up to? We should be worried about poor little Chrome-chan here, because if the Kingdom of Science fails to triumph today, how will I ever get my promised cola?"
"All for the cola, huh? Well, seems like you've been watching for a good while then," you said.
Gen then put on a cheerful grin. "Yup! Now, how long does Chrome-chan need to start that fire?"
"Hmph. Coming here and asking for all those calculations so casual-like...just give me a sec." Senku's expression turned serious as he stuck one finger up to help calculate the amount of time needed to start the fire. As he figured it out, his lips curled into a smirk and he placed his hands on his hips. "Exactly sixty seconds!"
Gen immediately walked off with a devilish smile on his face.
"Okay~! Time for this mentalist to go to work!"
-To be Continued-
A/N: I know I said I'd keep up the bi-weekly updates, but college is killing me (T_T). I'll still do my best to keep up the schedule though!
The dates I set on myself are so I force myself to finish the chapters for you guys!