Old Times

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.