The sound of the gunshot echoed through the forest, a violent crack that cut through the silence like a blade. Senku barely had time to react. Everything happened in an instant, too fast for any calculation. With potato starch or kudzu powder — it didn't matter — he mixed it with water, creating a swelling non-Newtonian fluid in a desperate attempt to cushion the impact of the bullet.

But the bullet didn't hit him.

It was you who fell.

The shot was imminent and, without thinking, you threw yourself in front of him. Senku couldn't be hit. The projectile found his shoulder, deviating from its original target. The world seemed to freeze in that instant, and everyone on board the Perseus held their breath in unison.

Senku's eyes widened, a rare expression of horror written across his face. He held your body as you sagged to the ground, blood staining her clothes as a cruel reminder of the gravity of the moment.

“No… No, this can’t be happening…” he muttered, his voice barely audible. The logic that always governed his mind seemed to stumble, getting lost in the chaos. Still, his nimble fingers began to act. Scientific precision met human desperation as he pressed on the wound to stem the bleeding.

“You are a complete idiot!” he hissed, teeth clenched, but the voice betrayed the mask of usual coldness as it broke.

You tried to say something, but Senku interrupted, his voice firm and shaky, “Shut up! Don’t you dare waste energy!” He leaned closer, eyes burning with a mix of anger, fear, and determination. “You’re the only person who can’t get hurt, understand?!”

Tearing off a piece of his own clothing, he improvised a bandage, his movements quick and precise. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply, as if trying to reorganize his chaotic mind. When he opened them again, the familiar glow of resolve was there.

There was no room for failure. Not when the subject was science. Not when it was about you.