Partners in Crime

Chapter 1

"Shit." I murmured. I locked eyes with a lion, and I took a calculated step back. Taiju had Yuzuriha in his arms, the fierce look of protectiveness on his face reserved for when his friends need him. I spared him a glance.

"Taiju, we need to back up slowly-" the rest of my sentence was cut short as a lion pounced. I let out a shout, and Taiju and I took off, sprinting as far away as we can. I stumbled over a tree root, but I managed to catch myself before I face planted into the ground. I looked around, recognizing this area. My eyes narrowed, a plan forming in the back of my brain. I had enough of the revival fluid for one person, and we were near someone who would increase our chance of survival by ten billion percent.

"Sorry Taiju, but your soulmate is gonna have to wait a little longer!" I exclaimed, secretly hoping he would understand. Taiju looked torn, he wanted to revive Yuzuriha, but he also knew that I don't just blurt things out without having a plan in mind. He nodded, deciding to trust me. We were trapped, the lions coming in an arc, cutting off any route. I looked behind me, seeing a statue crouching, leaves and vines covering the surface. I raced to it, scrambling to move the debris out of the way before pouring the liquid. The next few seconds passed slowly, and I held my breath as a stone fragment broke away. A single brown eye popped open, and soon the rest of his body broke free. Pieces of the stone were still stuck to him. I quickly explained the situation.

"Lions."

The man nodded, understanding immediately what his job was. With a strength he shouldn't possess he punched the nearest lion, propelling it towards a tree. I stared at the sight with poorly concealed awe, I knew he was strong, but I didn't realize how much until now.

"Woah!!" Taiju exclaimed, effectively summing up both of our thoughts. The man turned to us briefly, his brown eyes flashing and long hair swinging. He took up a position in front of us, using the pieces of stone still connected to his skin as projectiles towards the lions. They scattered, leaving just the three of us, including Yuzuriha, in the clearing.

"My name is-" he started.

"I know your name Tsukasa. I'm Senku, and the blockhead is Taiju." I interrupted. Tsukasa was known as the strongest primate in high school, and his strength was not exaggerated. Tsukasa smiled warmly, and I didn't trust it.

"Hello Senku, hello Taiju. Now that I'm here, you'll never be in danger again. From now on, I'll do the hunting." he told us. Taiju whooped, pumping his fist into the air. I nodded.

The next few months passed in relative ease. With Tsukasa gathering our food and Taiju gathering any materials we need; I was free to focus on my experiments. Now that I knew what we needed to revive people, I was finally able to revive Yuzuriha. Taiju wanted to be the one to pour the revival fluid on her. As she broke free of her stone cage, she tilted backwards, most likely disoriented from not moving for the past 3,700 years. Taiju caught her before she hit the ground, tears streaming down his face. Yuzuriha opened her eyes, staring up at Taiju. I turned away and left them alone, wanting to give them some privacy. I sat on a tree stump a few meters from them; out of earshot. Tsukasa joined me, but I didn't talk to him.

"Do you miss your soulmate?" he asked me, sitting on the ground.

"Huh?"

"You're rubbing your soul-mark. I just assumed you missed them." Tsukasa clarified. I looked down and sure enough, my fingers were once again on my left wrist, tracing my mark. I sighed, letting my hands rest behind me. I tilted my head back, looking at the sky.

"No, I've never met them. It's just a habit." I said finally. Tsukasa hummed, and we turned back to an easy silence.

Finally, after thirty minutes later, by my calculations, Taiju and Yuzuriha returned, hand-in-hand.