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“And right now that very Ukyo is being occupied dealing with Magma and Chrome… I just hope they make it back safely,” Gen bit his lip.
“Worry mentalist?” Senkuu asked.
“Kind of,” Gen honestly replied. “When I was in the empire of might I tried to learn more about the people there, but Ukyo chan was so elusive. I hardly know anything about him,”
“Chrome will figure out a way,” Senkuu replied.
“Hope so,” Gen replied.
It was such a long walk back too.. The only reason Gen had made it back so fast was because he ran all the distance. It was a miracle his legs didn’t give out.
I guess all the labor paid off…
“I’m going to go down and wait for them,” Gen spoke.
“Sure, oh and tell Chrome I’m going to need his help when he’s back,” Senkuu added.
“Will do~,” Gen sang, closing the door behind him.
.
.
.
An hour or so had gone by and still no sign of Magma or Chrome. Gen was starting to worry. It was an irrational worry. Tsukasa was not the type to order someone’s death unless it was absolutely necessary. To him, Magma and Chrome were probably just privates .
“They’ll be fine Gen,” Kohaku rests her hand On Gen’s shoulder.
“Hmm?” Gen snapped out of his thoughts. “Of course Kohaku chan. I know that,” Gen smiled.
“No point in lying to me Gen,” Kohaku commented. “You’re worried for them,”
Gen looked at Kohaku standing to the side of him. Gen was still getting used to being more honest with how he felt.
“Someone in particular?” Kohaku raised an eyebrow.
“I have no idea what you talking about Kohaku chan,” Gen grinned.
“Sure you don’t,” Kohaku sighed.
Gen was going to reply but the sound of heavy breathing stopped Gen. Gen turned to face where the sound was coming from. In the treeline, there was a tired and out of breath Magma but no Chrome.
“Where’s Chrome?!” Kohaku questioned.
“Water,” Magma tried to say.
Suika handed Magma a tube of bamboo they’d hollowed out and used as water bottles. He drank half of it in 5 seconds.
“Captured by that archer,” Magma sneered.
“Hang on Chrome!” The rest of the villagers shouted in unison. “Was captured by the Tsukasa empire?!”
Magma drank down the last of his water and used the back of his hand to wipe this mouth dry. “Yeah, I was going to just him as a decoy to escape but a sudden cloud of dust showed up and lost the damn sorcerer ,”
“Damn it,” Kohaku muttered under her breath.
Kohaku tensed up before she started to run with her hand on her sword.
“She’s not trying to save her alone is she?!” Suika shouted.
“Stop Kohaku!” Kokuyo Shouted.
“Get back here lioness,” Senkuu’s voice boomed.
“I’m not a lioness!!”
“Have you lost your mind Kohaku!?” Kokuyo restrained his daughter.
“Huh? What are you saying? We just leave Chrome there!?” Kohaku protested. “Leave him there to die?!”
“Kukuku… If we can’t do anything on our own then we'll all just have to go together,” Senkuu took to flag off the roof of the observatory.
How did he get up there…?
“You mean?!” Ginro asked.
“A kingdom of science all- unit sortie,” Senkuu proclaimed.
That seemed to get everyone excited… Well mostly everyone. Magma was still sitting down trying to catch his breath.
“How are you holding up Magma chan?” Gen asked.
“I don’t need your pity sorcerer,” Magma glared.
“I wasn’t pitying you,” Gen replied. “I was just asking how you were,”
Magma clenched his eyes shut and took a deep breath. “Sorry,” he whispered.
It was barely audible but it was a start. “Wanna tell me what’s bothering you?”
Magma hesitated to start talking. He pursed his lips together before letting a sigh pass over them. “I thought I could take on that archer pipsqueak but... He snuck up on me and captured Chrome. He was a twig. I could.. Should have easily won,”
“Ukyo isn’t someone to take lightly,”
“Still should’ve beaten him,”
Gen sighed. “You know there is more to life than winning and proving who’s stronger?”
“Tchhh of course you’d say that. You have magic,” Magma clicked his tongue. “Like you know what it means to lose.
“Then tell me?”
“If you lose, you lose power and respect. Simple as that,” Magma explains. “And fear is power,”
“Fear huh…?” Gen questioned. “Magma chan, may I ask you, if fear equals respect then why is everyone following Senkuu? Even you?”
Magma opened his mouth to form a sentence but nothing came out. He just sat there.
“I’m not saying it's bad to have goals Magma chan, but it’s much better to have friends than people who’re scared of you,” Gen placed a hand on Magma’s shoulder. “Trust me,” Magma’s eyes meet with Gen’s. “Okay?”
The other man turned his head away from Gen’s glance but put his hand on Gen’s.
“Why are you so patient with me?” Magma asked.
It was a short sentence but it carried with it a lot of meaning.
Gen felt a small smile spread on his face. “I once thought that people couldn’t change. I didn’t think I could change,” Gen replied. “But I took a step back and looked at everything now. It was the new start I was looking for... And maybe you’re looking for one too?”
“Maybe,” Magma replied. “But unless I turn to stone and wake up years later-,”
“I never said it had to be something big,” Gen cut Magma off. “How about once you sit up from that rock that’ll be your chance Magma chan,”
“Sounds ridiculous,” Magma scoffed.
“Maybe it does,” Gen hummed. Gen took his hand off Magma’s shoulder and reached it out. “Or maybe it doesn’t,”
Magma looked star-struck up at Gen. “How do I..?”
“You can start by helping us win the war,”
Manga pressed his lips together before taking the mentalist’s hand and sitting up off the rock.