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030

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You were just on a random walk when, suddenly, you bumped into someone. Your reflexes kicked in, but before you could take a defensive stance, your gaze met a familiar pair of sharp, calculating eyes.

Ukyo.

"Hiya!" You greeted with a cheeky grin, trying to mask any tension in your posture.

Ukyo, however, didn't return the sentiment. Instead, he studied you carefully, his expression unreadable. "What's your deal here?" His tone was calm but laced with suspicion.

Your grin faltered slightly, replaced by a raised eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he said smoothly, tilting his head slightly. "You don't actually believe Tsukasa will trust you, do you? You've spent too much time with Senku. You're one of them."

There was no hostility in his words, just pure, calculated reasoning. Ukyo was sharp—sharper than most in the Empire.

You sighed dramatically, rolling your eyes. "Whatever. I don't owe everyone a bloody explanation."

Ukyo hummed, his gaze never leaving yours. "I'll find out what they're up to, one way or another," he mumbled before walking away.

You turned, watching him go, your mind racing.

Interesting...

If Ukyo had wanted to expose the plan, he would've done so by now. Instead, he hesitated. That meant only one thing—there was doubt in his mind. He wasn't blindly loyal to Tsukasa.

A smirk tugged at your lips.

"Senku, darling, I think you have to bring him to your side..."

But first, you had a hunch to follow. You quietly trailed behind Ukyo, keeping a reasonable distance. He walked with purpose, navigating through the encampment, his eyes locked on a specific destination.

And then, you saw it.

A group was huddled together. Your eyes darted between the familiar faces—Taiju, Yuzuriha, a handful of men you didn't recognize, and... Nikki. There was a softer voice that stood out.

💭 "Gen..."

They were surrounding something, but before you could take another step, Ukyo walked right up to them.

The tension in the air was suffocating. Taiju and Yuzuriha stiffened instantly, their faces betraying their shock. Ukyo stared at the device in front of them—the cell phone.

''Cool...it really is Lillian...'' He mumbled, seemingly impressed.

...

''But. There is no vibration of the voice, which is hard for you to imitate. Gen.'' He added. Your eyes widened ever so slightly, not in the surprise that they got caught but at the sudden realization that he was another one.

Another one who could also hear things...a small smirk played on your lips.

💭 ''Interesting...''

As Ukyo conversed with Senku, you were intrigued, because maybe he wasn't as loyal to Tsukasa as you thought he was. Ukyo wanted one thing and one thing only.

No bloodshed.

Lucky for you, you and the Kingdom of Science also wanted no bloodshed. So, now, you still don't know whether Ukyo is an ally, because he was still figuring things out. He wanted to see where this would go. And so did you.