Tsukasa Shishio!

Senku pulled Yuzuriha along as he ran like mad.

They ran forward with everything they had, not daring to pause for even a moment, until they could no longer hear the deafening roars behind them.

Li Xiang and Taiju were nowhere in sight.

As her taut nerves eased a little, Yuzuriha suddenly jerked her hand out of Senku's grasp and stopped dead.

Her face was pale, her eyes full of worry. She clutched the hem of her clothes, her voice trembling on the verge of tears.

"Senku! We can't keep running! We have to go back and save them! Li Xiang and Taiju are still back there!"

Those two had stayed behind to cover their retreat, risking their lives to give them a way out. How could they think only of escaping?

Senku clenched his back teeth, his eyes bloodshot and his expression frighteningly grim.

"I know! You don't have to tell me!"

He wanted to turn back more than anyone. He was more desperate than anyone.

Li Xiang was exhausted and badly injured. No matter how freakish Taiju's stamina was, he couldn't hold off two adult male lions at once. If this went on any longer, neither of them would last.

Senku's mind raced, frantically running through every possible plan, but they were out in the wilderness.

They had no weapons, no traps, and no way to turn things around quickly.

His gaze swept impatiently over their surroundings, accidentally passing over a stone figure among the trees nearby.

Senku stopped in his tracks.

That face was unmistakable. It had appeared frequently in television reports.

He had sharply defined features, piercing eyes, and a tall, powerful build. Even sealed in stone, he radiated an overwhelming presence.

The strongest high schooler among all primates-Tsukasa Shishio!

Senku's pupils contracted. The wildest idea flashed through his mind-and it was their only chance of survival.

Time to take a gamble!

He immediately reached for his waist. The clay jar he kept close to his body still held one last precious portion of revival fluid.

This was it!

There was no time to hesitate. Without another word, Senku sprinted toward the statue, raised his hand, and poured every last drop of revival fluid over Tsukasa Shishio's petrified head.

The clear liquid quickly seeped into the hard, gray-white stone shell, instantly triggering a chemical reaction.

Crack, crack-

A rapid succession of cracks spread across the entire statue.

The thick petrified shell peeled away layer by layer, dazzling daylight pouring through the fissures.

A second later, a pair of extraordinarily sharp, all-seeing eyes snapped open.

The glare was blinding. Newly awakened, Tsukasa instinctively frowned and raised a hand. Senku immediately stepped forward and held up his own hand to shield him from the direct sunlight.

The light softened.

Tsukasa Shishio looked up, his deep, dark eyes meeting the boy's gaze steadily.

His voice was low and hoarse, rough from millennia of sleep.

"Were you... the one who saved me?"

Senku wasted no words and got straight to the point. "Yes. Now I need your help. Hurry and save my friends. They can't hold on much longer!"

Tsukasa watched Senku quietly for two seconds. Without asking why, he gave a small, decisive nod. "All right."

Meanwhile, back at the battle beside the stream.

Li Xiang forced her exhausted body to keep going, barely defending herself with one hand. That full-power punch had fractured the bone, leaving her entire arm useless.

Agony spread relentlessly through her bones and across her body. Cold sweat soaked her back, and her face was almost translucent.

Her legs could no longer support her. Her body went limp, and she collapsed onto the grass, utterly spent.

"Li Xiang!"

Taiju panicked instantly. He planted himself protectively in front of her, staring hard at the two male lions advancing step by step. Cold sweat had long since soaked his back.

Just as the lions prepared to leap in for the kill, a figure with an overwhelming presence burst through the trees and strode toward them.

His presence dominated the battlefield!

Taiju watched the approaching figure from a distance.

So this was the power of the strongest primate. Merely by standing there, he made every beast instinctively shrink back.

Tsukasa Shishio swept an indifferent gaze over the two male lions, utterly unperturbed.

He simply took two steps forward. Two dull thuds rang out.

In just a few moves, the two adult male lions that had been so viciously pursuing them lay motionless on the ground. They were finished.

The uproar abruptly ceased, and the danger was over.

The battlefield fell silent.

Senku hurried back to the battlefield. Looking at Taiju, whose body was rigid and drenched in sweat as he stubbornly shielded Li Xiang, he spoke calmly.

"Taiju, good work."

Then he walked over to Li Xiang, who sat slumped on the ground, and looked down at her weakened form, asking softly.

"How are you doing? Are you okay?"

Li Xiang raised her eyes slightly and managed an easy smile, trying to sound casual.

"I'm fine. Nothing too serious."

"Just... a broken arm."

At her words, Yuzuriha's expression changed dramatically, her eyes reddening with fright.

"A-a broken arm?!"

She frantically searched around, soon picking up some sturdy, slender sticks nearby and strips of cloth from who knew where.

Copying the first aid she had seen before, she crouched down and carefully fashioned a simple splint for Li Xiang, securing and bandaging her arm.

Her movements were gentle and attentive. She was careful throughout, afraid of hurting her.

Li Xiang gritted her teeth the whole time, silently enduring the agony of her fractured bone without a sound.

The makeshift emergency bandaging was finished, stabilizing the injury for the moment.

Yuzuriha carefully helped Li Xiang to her feet, supporting her steadily and not daring to let her sway.

Li Xiang turned toward Tsukasa Shishio, who stood nearby with an air of indifference, and thanked him softly.

"Thanks. It's a good thing you got there when you did."

Tsukasa shook his head slightly, his expression calm. "It was nothing."

Senku dug at his ear, looked at the lion corpses scattered on the ground, then glanced at the sky and urged them on. "Let's not waste time. Hurry back to camp."

Tsukasa had no objections. He bent down, picked up several lion corpses with one hand, and effortlessly slung them over his shoulder. He stood tall and walked steadily, showing no sign of strain.

The group headed back together, slowly making their way toward the wooden cabin.

By the time they returned to camp, evening had fully settled in.

Li Xiang usually handled dinner, but with her arm fractured, she was now the one who needed care most.

Leaning against the cabin, Li Xiang watched the others bustling about and couldn't help chuckling.

They soon had a fire going.

Tonight's dinner was no longer wild fish or rabbit, but the rare treat of charcoal-grilled lion meat.

The flames danced and crackled. Lion meat slowly roasted over the fire, fat dripping with a sizzle as its distinctive aroma soon filled the camp.

Everyone chatted as they grilled the meat, finally relaxing after an entire day of tension.

But once things settled down, a new problem emerged.

The little cabin, originally only big enough for two people to stay in temporarily, now held Senku, Li Xiang, Taiju, Yuzuriha, and the newly arrived Tsukasa Shishio-five people in all.

There was no way one tiny cabin could house them all.

It was far too cramped to spend the night in. There wasn't even enough room to stand.

Taiju instantly grew fired up. His eyes shone as he enthusiastically raised his hand with a suggestion. "That's easy!"

"All right! Tomorrow, we'll just build another cabin!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

It had been a lucky day.

Not only had they saved everyone, but they had also unexpectedly awakened their strongest fighter, Tsukasa Shishio. The Science Kingdom's ranks had grown once again.