Gen walked over to the generator Senku had built nearby, remembering everything that had happened when he was revived and the orders Tsukasa had given him. Suddenly, a dark figure darted out beside him.
Before he could react, he saw someone rush over and intercept the attacker.
"Who's there?" Gen shouted.
"Tch..." The attacker hadn't expected anyone else to be there. With no easy opening, he prepared to leave, only to find that he couldn't pull his hand free.
"You think you can come and go as you please? Magma, who gave you the nerve?" Chen Yu asked, gripping Magma's fist.
"Magma? Chen Yu?" Gen said, recognizing the names.
"Get lost." Magma struggled with all his strength to break free.
He had originally intended to grab Chen Yu and had followed him here, only to lose track of him. Then he spotted this man. Since the man had come with Chen Yu, he decided to take him out first. He hadn't expected Chen Yu to appear at the crucial moment.
"Gen, go get Senku and the others," Chen Yu instructed.
Only then did the startled Gen snap out of it, and he hurried off to find Senku and the others.
"Since you won't behave, I'll have plenty to say tomorrow. You can stay in that pose all night." After saying this, Chen Yu used his internal energy to temporarily lock Magma's muscles, preventing them from contracting or extending.
Seeing Chen Yu release his hand, Magma tried to leave, only to discover that he couldn't move any part of his body. He couldn't even speak.
Terror shot straight to his brain.
A little while later, Gen returned with Senku and the others. Holding a torch, Senku saw Chen Yu standing in front of Magma, who appeared unable to move.
"What happened?" Kohaku asked.
"What else could have happened, Kohaku? Can't you see this man attacking me?" Chen Yu said with a smile.
"Attacking?" Kohaku studied Magma's punching pose and Chen Yu's position in relation to him. But why was his fist aimed at Chen Yu's neck?
"He ambushed me, I blocked him, and this was the result," Chen Yu explained.
Gen stared in surprise as Chen Yu claimed the role of victim for himself, unsure what to say.
"Go back for now. I'll keep an eye on him, and we'll have a proper talk tomorrow." Chen Yu gave a casual laugh, fed Magma a mouthful of water, then went off to find somewhere to sleep.
Kohaku and the others didn't know how to handle it. Worried that Chen Yu had given Magma something harmful again, they eventually left Kohaku there to stand guard while everyone else went back to sleep.
But none of those who returned could sleep. They all wondered how Chen Yu would deal with Magma.
And so, they endured an anxious night until morning.
When the sky grew light, Chen Yu took out a vine, tied it around Magma's waist, and dragged him to the village entrance.
Kinro and Ginro, who were stationed at the entrance, initially thought nothing of Chen Yu's approach. But when they saw Magma being dragged along the ground, they immediately went on alert. No wonder they hadn't seen Magma today-he had been here all along. Still, why was his pose so strange?
"Go get your village chief. I have something to discuss about your village," Chen Yu told the two of them.
Kinro didn't know what had happened, but seeing that Chen Yu's expression was off today, he sent Ginro back to report it.
Before long, the village chief, Kokuyo, hurried over. Kohaku, Senku, and the others outside the village were also waiting to see how Chen Yu would handle the matter.
Once most of the people had arrived, Chen Yu propped Magma upright. Then he brought over a piece of wood, bundled some grass into a ball and hung it from the wood, and snapped his fingers.
Magma's body moved, punching the grass ball off the wood. The ball fell to the ground, and Magma collapsed in exhaustion.
No one understood what was going on. The short fellow who had hurried over helped Magma back.
"What are you trying to say?" Kokuyo asked.
"I was wondering-what if this piece of wood were a person? And this ball were that person's head? What then?" Chen Yu picked up the ball and looked at Kokuyo as he asked.
"I came here to make friends. I'm a doctor. I save lives and treat the injured. Yet now I've seen someone attack us, with the intent to kill. Am I to take that as your village declaring war on us?" Chen Yu looked at Kokuyo, enunciating every word.
War.
That single word rang in everyone's ears, stirring panic.
After all, the village had been peaceful for hundreds of years. The thought of suddenly going to war was enough to terrify everyone present.
"Chen Yu, that's absolutely not..." Kohaku tried to say more, but Senku held her back. Confused, she looked at him and saw that he was watching Chen Yu with open curiosity.
"We have no desire to go to war..." Kokuyo explained.
"But someone from your village did attack me. If I hadn't used a few tricks, we would have ended up seriously injured and unconscious at the very least," Chen Yu said, staring coldly at Kokuyo.
Now everyone seemed to understand. Chen Yu wanted an explanation or compensation. But they truly didn't know what they could offer to appease him.
"Don't know how to compensate us? Then let's go to war. Gen, we're leaving," Chen Yu said after seeing their reactions.
"W-wait! We'll compensate you. We just don't know what would satisfy you." Kokuyo hurried to stop him. He knew how strong Chen Yu was, after all. If Chen Yu and his people fought them, his side would certainly be no match for them.
"What do you want? We'll do everything we can to give it to you," Kokuyo pleaded.
After all, they were in the wrong here. They had never imagined that Magma would cause such a huge mess.
They had originally left Senku and the others alone, so long as they didn't threaten the village. But now one of their own had attacked the other side directly and been caught red-handed.
"How can you be sure Lord Magma was attacking you and not hitting a rock?" the short fellow asked just then.
"Oh? Is that so? You want evidence? Then tell me, how did Magma end up with me? Miss Kohaku kept watch beside Magma with me all night yesterday. Besides Kohaku, Chrome, Suika, and Senku also know what happened." Chen Yu looked at the people behind him as he spoke.
"Kohaku, is what he's saying true?" Kokuyo asked at once.
"Miss Kohaku, I hope you'll stick to the facts. Don't show favoritism because you're Senku's friend or because you're a member of the village."
Kohaku looked at Chen Yu, then at her father, whom she had never gotten along with particularly well since childhood. She nodded and said, "Magma was the one who attacked. When I arrived yesterday, he was attacking Chen Yu in that exact pose."
"I see." Kokuyo sighed, feeling weary.
"We have both witnesses and evidence now. So how are you going to compensate us?" Chen Yu asked, looking at Kokuyo.
Kokuyo immediately felt the pressure mounting.
(Not sure if this chapter works. I feel like it's a bit far-fetched.)
Before you continue