The Water Flea Died

The blazing midday sun hung high overhead, spilling scorching light over the forest camp and baking the ground until it was warm to the touch.

Tsukasa, the Lion King, drew his brows tightly together, their sharp lines forming a cold, rigid curve. The indifferent aura around him suddenly grew heavier.

He lowered his eyes to Senku before him, a ripple passing through his gaze-a conflict even he had not noticed.

Why agonize over it? Why not just do it?

There would be no need to dwell on the ugliness of the world, to obsess over right and wrong, or to bear the crushing fixation of reshaping the world.

Simply living alongside his companions, enjoying those quiet, peaceful days, would have been enough.

Tsukasa's low, hoarse voice drifted softly through the wind.

"I really did enjoy the days I spent with you."

But...

"But the new world I want must be free of every potential threat."

"For the sake of my ideals, I have to kill you, Senku."

After a brief pause, Tsukasa fixed his gaze firmly on Senku.

"Besides that, I need the complete formula for the Revival Fluid."

"You know the whole production process, the key ingredients, and the exact proportions, don't you?"

Tsukasa smiled with a trace of apology, but the smile never reached his conflicted eyes.

"I hate forcing you like this, but I have no choice."

Senku looked up at him without a trace of fear. His thin lips parted as he prepared to reveal the complete formula for the Revival Fluid.

But at that critical moment, an urgent female voice suddenly rang out, cutting him off.

"Senku! Don't tell him!"

Yuzuriha's face was deathly pale. She rushed forward and stood in front of Senku, shielding the boy behind her with her frail body.

Her eyes were red and brimming with tears of desperation, and her body was already trembling.

"I won't agree to this!"

"I won't let you trade your life just so the rest of us can keep living!"

She clutched the hem of her clothes, her voice trembling slightly.

"We're companions!"

"Ever since we woke up, we've faced adventures together, fought danger together, and survived hopeless situations together! We're the closest of friends, so why can't we all keep living? Why does it have to end with life and death tearing us apart?"

Taiju clenched his fists as well, his entire body taut and his eyes red as he stared hard at Tsukasa.

Despite their attempts to stop him, Tsukasa's expression did not soften in the slightest. He remained cold and indifferent.

He said quietly, "I won't make him suffer."

"I'll destroy his nerve center directly. He'll die instantly. There won't be any pain."

"No! Tsukasa! Please!"

"Li Xiang, why aren't you stopping Senku?" Their eyes met, and Li Xiang turned her head away.

Yuzuriha shook her head desperately, unwilling to believe this was how it would end. Tears finally spilled down her cheeks as she choked out her pleas.

Taiju was trembling all over with desperation. Several times, he tried to rush forward and stop it, but Senku held him back with a look.

As the two desperately tried to intervene, he looked at their anxious faces. "Taiju, Yuzuriha."

"After I die, make sure you live well. Spend the rest of your lives in peace."

They did not need to avenge him or linger for his sake. Living well would be the best ending.

"Do it, Tsukasa."

Senku raised his eyes and calmly faced his fate without the slightest hesitation.

Tsukasa hesitated no longer. He buried every complicated emotion in his eyes and raised his hand so quickly it left an afterimage.

A perfectly precise knife-hand strike landed lightly on the vital nerve center at the back of Senku's head.

Thump. A soft sound rang out.

The boy who had been so full of life just moments before went limp in an instant. He lost consciousness completely, his eyes closed, and his body slumped.

Just as Senku fell, a figure stepped forward steadily and caught his slender body in her arms.

Holding the "unconscious and dead" Senku securely, she looked up at Tsukasa, the Lion King, before her.

"What's done is done."

"You've achieved your goal. This should be over now."

"We can leave, right?"

But Tsukasa shook his head slightly at her words. Sunlight fell across his hard profile, alternating between light and shadow.

"No."

"There's still one thing I haven't finished."

Li Xiang's gaze darkened slightly. "What?"

Tsukasa stared at her. "I still don't know the complete formula for the Revival Fluid."

Senku was already dead and could no longer speak.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, as though recalling something. "The key ingredient for making the Revival Fluid comes from that Bat Cave, doesn't it?"

"Then what are the remaining ingredients, Li Xiang?"

Li Xiang remained silent, neither confirming nor denying it. She simply watched him.

When she said nothing, Li Xiang curved her lips slightly and teased, "Little Tsukasa, going back on your word isn't a good habit."

"You just said you'd only kill Senku and let the rest of us leave."

"Are you planning to break your promise now and abduct me too?"

Her arms held Senku securely, and her body tensed slightly.

Tsukasa looked up, fixing his gaze directly on Li Xiang. His eyes were frank, making no attempt to hide his calculations.

"That's right."

"I need you."

"You're the only professional doctor in the entire Petrification World."

"To survive in a world starting over, refine my plans, and handle injuries and illness, you're the best choice-and the only one."

His target had never been Senku alone.

Senku handled science, while Li Xiang handled medicine. To establish his own new world order, a doctor was an indispensable core asset.

But now Senku was dead, leaving only Li Xiang as a threat to building a powerful kingdom. Still, she was not as clever as Senku, so recruiting her as medical personnel would be a decent option.

Li Xiang: Hey, hey, old lady? What's that supposed to mean?

The chill in Li Xiang's eyes deepened as she asked flatly, "Then what if I say I don't want to go with you?"

Tsukasa's expression changed completely. He raised his eyes to meet Li Xiang's gaze head-on.

Yet deep within those pitch-black eyes lay the certainty of victory.

"If you're unwilling..."

Tsukasa spoke extremely slowly. "Then I'll tie you up and take you by force."

Faced with his blatant, overbearing threat, Li Xiang did not panic. Instead, a faint smile curved her lips.

She turned slightly, holding the unconscious Senku, her presence every bit as imposing as that of the strongest human before her.

Her eyes were proud and defiant as she said softly, "Is that so?"

"You're pretty overbearing, aren't you?"

"Then let's see whether you actually have what it takes."

Li Xiang took two steps back, watching Tsukasa's expression. Taiju and Yuzuriha stood behind them, but Li Xiang was still holding Senku. If Tsukasa decided to try anything-or made a move-she would have trouble escaping.

[My stomach feels awful today. It hurts so much, so much. But considering I write ten thousand characters a day, could you leave me a book review or something?]

[Thank you, thank you, thank you all for your support! If the book gets enough attention, I'll keep adding extra updates. For now, I guarantee five updates a day!!!!!!]