We have them thinking I'm dead.
You'd better visit my grave regularly.
Taiju-kun.
Look.
Someone's dug it up at some point.
You're right.
Good eye, Yuzuriha. I'm impressed.
Do you think Senku-kun and the others buried something for us?
But what should we do?
There are guards watching.
We can't dig it up with a shovel.
They're visiting that grave day after day.
What, are they talking to the dead or something?
I've got this.
I-Is this...
Yo.
Senku!
I missed this all so much, I could cry.
Including your ridiculously loud voice.
Is this the guy we've heard so much about?!
So that's Taiju!
It finally connected!
Our cell phone hot line, over an absurd distance!
Senku!
It's been just about a year, huh?
Senku!
I... Senku...
I...
Senku!
I...
Senku!
I am Senku!
No, you're not.
I'm Senku.
Call from the Dead
Senku!
The "cell phone," was it?
To think it really allows him to speak to his friend over such a distance...
It's so impressive, I don't even know what to think.
The voice of science known as "radio waves" flies through the air,
connecting the faraway enemy base with this village, Father!
Are you done crying yet, you big oaf?
My ear's rotting.
Sorry.
I'm just so happy.
Senku-kun...
Hey, Yuzuriha.
You worked up to cell phones in just a year, huh?
You're amazing. Not that I didn't know that.
What's going on? He's been screaming all day.
Is it the anniversary of his death or something?
I'd love to sit here shaking in the awe of our cell phones working
as we reminisce about old times for ten billion years...
But I think you're gonna have to get going.
I'll get straight to the point.
First, tear someone away from Tsukasa-kun's army and drag them to the cell phone.
Make up any reason you need to.
I'll fill in the details.
Are you sure you don't need to rehearse this?
I don't think he has an option, so long as there are guards watching them.
In fact, Taiju, it's better that you don't know anything.
Just believe everything I say like the idiot you are, even if it sounds crazy.
That's so half-assed!
I'd be mad if I were Taiju-kun!
Senku, let me make sure of one thing.
That's the best way to avoid bloodshed, is that right?
Yeah.
That's the best way to avoid bloodshed.
All right, I got it, Senku.
If that's what you think, I don't need any more explanation.
Even after a year apart, their trust is unwavering.
I think I see why Senku and Taiju survived against Tsukasa.
We don't have much time left until the Tsukasa Army makes its full assault.
Gen will be back tomorrow or so.
The mission begins immediately.
Have you gotten any messages from Gen and the others?
No, I haven't heard anything.
All I saw was the receiver buried really deep in the ground.
That would have put the phone at risk of being found.
That doesn't sound like Gen.
S-Something must have happened.
Why are we hiding in these bushes?!
Let's go murder any enemies we see!
Yeah, if only we knew where they were!
Shh!
You're the type that gets mowed down on the battlefield right off the bat, Magma!
The enemy's name is Ukyo-chan.
He's got insane hearing.
These bushes are bad, then.
Bingo.
If we hide in these bushes,
we'll be making rustling noises everywhere we go.
And he's definitely going to shoot us.
In fact, we didn't come to these bushes to hide.
We were lured here.
Damn it!
We need to get Gen back to the Kingdom of Science,
even if we don't make it.
Then we could begin the cell phone operation to take down the Tsukasa Empire.
If we only need to get Gen home, I have a plan.
First, Chrome, you charge out.
And I follow.
Ooh!
And then what?
He's shooting from over there!
Found you!
Smash!
Oh, of course!
Wait, no!
Shh!
I'll die if we do that!
What the hell?
You're only worried about your own life.
What a selfish bastard.
Says you!
Why would I be bait for him?
Bait...
The spare battery we tried to give Taiju and Yuzuriha.
The "positive" and "negative," was it?
Whatever, I just need to connect the ends,
and the wire will heat up like crazy.
The noise and smoke would give away our position
if we sat there rubbing wood to start a fire.
But with science, it's instant.
Oh, shit!
He's hiding under the smoke and screaming
to drown out the sound of me running through the bushes.
I love it.
This is way better than just lying in wait.
Oh, shit!
That's it, Gen!
You have to go, or we'll be making ourselves bait for nothing.
You've got the insanely important task of talking people
from Tsukasa's army into joining our side!
I'll beat you to death if you don't make it home alive!
Oh, shit!
I already know who to bring to our side first.
There's something I want you to hear.
With the guard on our side,
we should be able to slowly bring everyone in the Tsukasa Empire onto our side.
I made some kind of copper swirly!
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Clock spring acquired!!
The record's spinning so smoothly!
Spinning it manually messes up the song, because it's hard to keep a steady speed.
Even with the record playing perfectly, without Gen here, it's all for nothing.
Yuzuriha and Taiju are about to bring their target to the cell phone.
If Gen doesn't get home by then, it's game over.
So, Senku-chan, who's the first one I need to win over?
Gen!
You're okay!
Nikki-san, was it?
I'd like to talk.
Hear me out.
I won't!
My job is to watch over you two.
I'm making sure you aren't meeting
with anyone in secret or doing anything suspicious.
Tsukasa would tell me not to let you find out, but I don't care.
You two already know, don't you?
Taiju, Yuzuriha, I have no intention of getting chummy with either of you.
Give it up.
The only word I'll accept in response is "yes."
Say any more than that, and I'll pound you.
I don't care!
I said, say any more, and I'll pound you!
It hasn't hurt him at all.
No, it has.
He's toughing it out.
That's fine.
You can punch me on every second word.
But in exchange, hear me out!
Hear what my friend has to say! It's important!
What is that?
You're kidding! A phone?!
In this world? How?
Hi! I'm Lillian Weinberg.
I don't know much, but even I know that she's an American singer.
Do you know her, Nikki?
Do you think I'm stupid?
Of course I do.
And I'm her interpreter, Sebastian.
Sebastian?
Wait, that's Senku's voice!
No, he said not to say anything, even if it sounds crazy.
Hello? I'm calling from USA.
"I'm calling from America."
Everyone in Japan, please listen to me.
"Please listen to me, everyone in Japan."
USA is back from the stone.
"America is back from stone."
What?!
Did you hear that, you two?!
We're saved!
Wow, is that what's going on?
I think I've figured out their plan.
I can at least tell that Senku-kun's trying to play her.
Hold it.
First...
Lillian was in space at the time.
Yup.
As soon as we returned to Earth, we were petrified.
We only recently got restored.
Lillian...
I...
I was saved so much by your songs, you have no idea!
I had such a rough time at school, being so butch...
And you saved me!
I'd do anything to help you.
But if someone's pretending to be Lillian Weinberg...
I'll make certain they're dead!
Yeah, this is bad.
She's legit.
We've hit a super-fan right off the bat.
You know, I've always noticed...
Your luck of the draw really sucks, huh?
The first person you revived was Tsukasa-chan,
lightning strikes right before you're ready...
I can't help...
but notice something's off about your voice.
If you're the real Lillian, I'm truly sorry.
Could you answer some questions so I know you're real?
If you're really her, you would know.
How many CDs have you sold in total?
What are you going to do, Senku-kun, Gen-kun?
There's no way you'd know!
We've got three options.
My memory got wiped when I was petrified!
One: dodge the question.
The answer is ten billion copies.
Two: guess.
That's so rude! I'm gonna get angry!
Three: snap.
What should we do, Senku-chan?
Four: answer correctly.
Here's a back-of-napkin Fermi estimate—a logical approximation.
A seat on the Soyuz spaceship costs 50 million dollars, or five billion yen.
Supposing Lillian has double that in cash, or ten billion yen,
and given that singers of her caliber pull in roughly ten times that on tour,
we find what she makes in royalties.
At least 60 million copies.
I don't know how much more.
Okay, perfect.
Now it's up to me.
We had a "50 million copies sold" party a while ago,
but CDs don't make up the majority of my sales anymore, so I don't remember.
Sorry.
Should I wake up my manager?
No...
She's right.
Then, one more question.
If you can say this number, I'll believe you.
We've got this, Senku-chan!
If it's just hard numbers we're dealing with, you can use your Fermi-whatchamacallit, right?
What are your measurements?
Just give me something rough!
Even if it's not perfect, I can tell her I changed!
I'm counting on you. The other one is this diva named Lillian Weinberg. Apparently she bought a ticket for $50 million.
Huh.
Senku!
Check out this photo I got with my buddies at the Russian base!!
I gotta estimate from memory.
Byakuya's height, the sizes of the equipment...
Use that to calculate her proportions!
88-65-85.
You look way skinnier in your profile photos.
How am I supposed to know?!
She's obviously shopping her photos for her fans!
She's a professional!
Well, those are my actual proportions!
Of course. Lillian would never tell her fans her real proportions.
She's a professional, even in this world.
She'd keep the fantasy alive for her fans!
You aren't the real Lillian Weinberg!
This is seriously bad.
Should we chance it and play her song?
No, but if a super-fan heard her voice after she heard mine,
she'd pick up on it immediately.
Should I keep talking at her?
Or...
We're playing the record.
The sound quality's better now, with the clock spring.
We're betting on science over BS.
Mu...
...sic!
Amazing...
But how?
Yeah, it's real.
Only the song is real.
I'd never mistake it for anything else.
You could never fake it.
Do you have any idea how much I...
How many times I listened to this?!
Lillian doesn't exist in this world anymore.
Am I right?
Yeah, that's right.
But she lives on forever, if only in this song you brought back to life.
This is a science question.
Could you use your power to bring back Lillian's other songs?
Yes!
Senku-chan, you have to say yes!
No way in hell.
All those wimpy recording mediums have turned to dust, ten billion percent.
I can only promise you one thing.
I'll protect this one last song for you,
with the power of science.
You're pretty awkward, aren't you?
I could tell right away.
You're always honest about science.
It's something to have faith in.
I might fall in love with you.
No, seriously, don't.
I need to protect this record with my life in order to trick
Tsukasa's troops and bring them to our side.
And you want to preserve the song, even if it kills you.
We're on the same team.
All right.
We have a deal.
I'll cooperate with your plan!
Thank you, Nikki-san!
We've done it! Finally!
We finally have an ally in the Tsukasa Empire!
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Nikki the Guard has joined the party!!
Full Assault
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Full Assault
This is a work of fiction, but the plants, animals, and production methods described are based on reality. Foraging and making things on your own accord is extremely dangerous and, in some cases, illegal. Please do not imitate without expertise.