RI-3 Old Times

Doctor, I took a quick stroll around. Didn't seem like there were any others.

Looks like we're gonna have to head back into the rainforest to look for her bunch after this.

——! (Cry of victory)

Oh, Peta won.

This Peta's pretty good. Makes me wanna rumble with him, actually.

Mm-hm! He's one of my tribe's warriors.

But he's definitely not as good as you, Gavial.

Haha, easy enough to say.

Come on, Gavial! You already came so close to becoming Great Chief over when we were little! Like you could lose to Peta!

Hmm? Oh, yeah, that one time.

I was super young. Thought the idea was so cool, I actually went in for the ceremony once.

Yeah, and you were already so super strong by then!

Gah...

So that's all you Wilderness's Wills amount to!

S-Strong...

Pfeh. All our warriors taken down like nothing.

Let's go in together!

We can't. No number at once will be enough... Can we only give up...?

Who else wants to challenge me?! If you're all done, then it's just me versus the Great Chief!

I do!

And you're... Wilderness's Will's orphan, Gavial?

I hear you're a terror among the kids, but kids don't join the ceremony. Run back home and drink your milk. You've got a few more years.

Hmph! Let's see who wins first!

Hah! You really are an orphan. You don't fear death?!

My tribespeople are my family! Cut the crap! Do you wanna go or not?!

Heh! It's your funeral, brat!

Im... Impossible... Just two punches...

Gavial's... so strong...

Hmph! I guess that's all, then!

Who else wants some?

Didn't she ever tell you?

Didn't I?

Eh. I guess I didn't, but it's not like it was important enough to come up.

Dunno who my parents were, but that's not all that rare in these parts.

Doctor, it may not make sense to you, but death is pretty common out here.

It doesn't even take a Catastrophe—honestly, nobody here knows what Catastrophes are—a single cold or a bout of bad weather can kill off folks who would've lived otherwise.

I'd guess my parents just went like that.

Eugh. Let's quit this talk. All you need to know is the tribe raised me.

Gavial...

You can quit it, Doctor. I don't really need the pity treatment.

I'm not the only orphan ever. Plenty of families around here that link up and raise a bunch of 'em together. It happens all the time.

Doctor, don't overthink it.

I didn't even know it was unusual until I left.

Actually, I guess you could say it's what made me decide to do medicine.

Haha. Yeah.

That one, uh...

Found you, you goshdarned bounty hunter!

Who's that?!

Huh? I know that voice...

Give the Doctor back!

What the hell are you talking about?

Kay?!

Tomimi, didn't we tell your people to tie her up and take her back to the tribe?

Um, I thought we did?

She's real strong. Kid must've just plowed past everyone...

Bounty hunter! Hand the Doctor over!

Or else I'm gonna chase you to the end of the world, if I hafta!

Tch. Smartest girl ever. Looks like she still hasn't even sobered up.

Gahhh!

She sent Peta flying!

She finished Peta off!

She's insanely strong...

Where'd that weirdo come from?! Which tribe is she?!

No idea! I don't even understand what she's saying!

Forget it! All we gotta do is beat her, right?

Oh, damn it. Now they think Kay's the new challenger, don't they?

Gavial, should we go in and help?

No, wait. The dumb little kid is way tougher than you'd think. She can handle this. If we go in, we're just gonna add to the body count.

But something tells me this might get messy. Doctor, see if you can help Tomimi's lackeys get this under control.

This weirdo's way too strong! She's beaten back so many of us already!

I still don't get what she's saying, but she's no joke!

I reckon she'd make a fine Great Chief!

...Gavial, your friend's really strong.

She sure is a pain in the ass at times like this though.

I think we finally hit a lull. I'm gonna go up there and restrain her...

You, Reunion! You're back!

So you were the ones who took the Doctor!

You won't get away!

Oh, you dumb... She's gonna escape again!

I'm going after her! Tomimi, you and the Doctor stay put! I'll come back and find you!

Uh, okay!

......

Oh, there's another fight starting.

...Doctor, could you tell me what Gavial is like on the outside?

Is Gavial having a good life out there, then?

......

Maybe you don't know Gavial that well?

That's great! ...Um, no, I was just thinking since Gavial came back with you, and she seemed to really like you, and it looks like you get along really well.

But that's okay! Gavial's a really nice person! I think you can definitely get along with her!

That's great! Even if she's a doctor, Gavial's still Gavial!

That's good to know. Gavial hasn't changed. What a relief...

So if Gavial decided to leave you one day, how would you feel?

Mmm. I cried a lot when it happened, too...

How... How could you be like that?! Gavial's such a good person! How could you care so little if she left?!

You're incredible... I couldn't do that.

I always hoped Gavial would come back.

Doctor, um, about Gavial...! I-I'm not gonna let you take her from me!

Um, that one...

Oh, what? You call me a kid, and this is all you've got?

Who else is gonna challenge me?!

She beat a lot of fighters more experienced than her...

Gavial, you rule!

It's wild to say, but could she be the next Great Chief?

I'll take you on!

Oh, what the hell are you doing here, Zumama?

Weren't you busy building your machines? Every time I went looking for you, you ignored me.

...I decided to come and see, in the end.

See what?

See if my fists could beat you or not.

You say that like you wanna get killed dead.

Enough talk. I'm not losing to you today, Gavial.

Hey, you won't know until you've tried!

They fought from noon until night without settling anything. No winner, no loser.

They went until they'd used all their strength, and afterwards, both of them got dragged off by the others.

That's the story of the first time Gavial joined the ceremony.

Zumama was someone from a different tribe, but she was fairly close.

Back when they were young, she and Gavial fought a lot. Gavial was stronger than her, but it wasn't like Zumama never won.

But then Gavial said Zumama just stopped caring about fighting for some reason. She started researching machines instead.

And I remember that day was the last time Zumama and Gavial ever fought.

After that, Zumama barely even showed her face anywhere. Eventually, her tribe moved away, and I never saw her again.

Not even at that final mess of a ceremony before Gavial left. She never came.

I'm back.

Gavial! You're okay, right?

I'm fine. Tch. Kay's got a hell of a pair of legs. Just ran off and disappeared out of sight.

But knowing how well she can fend for herself, I'm not worried. Tomimi, did Zumama get here yet?

Not yet.

Who else will challenge me?!

I will.

Hmm? Looks like I came back at just the right time.