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As Senkuu and Chrome talked, Gen had another focus. The frozen Tsukasa who lay there. Hands over his heart with such a peacefully resting face. It had been a year, and it was like nothing had happened to the stoic man in front of him. Like they all didn’t just fight tooth and nail for the tool to wake him up. Mirai slowly walked to her brother’s side with the medusa tightly to her chest.
“Please, please work, Big bro…,” Mirai started to tear up. Mirai brought the medusa to her brother’s hand. “Please even if it’s just a little,” Mirai dropped to her knees in front of Tsukasa’s frozen body. “Please let the petribeam light shine a bit more. Even a little,” She whispered to it.
Taiju walked over to Mirai and sat next to her.
“Taiju?” Mirai whipped away a tear.
Taiju put his hands over hers. “Mirai, make sure to hold on to your brother’s hands really tightly ok?” Taiju told the little one.
“Of course, by pressing the device against his hands, even the smallest amount of light should take effect,” Kohaku beamed. “Right Senkuu?”
“While I don’t know if that’ll work, but it’s worth trying,” Senkuu shrugged.
Kohaku joined Taiju and sat next to Mirai and put her hands over Taiju’s And swished Mirai’s even more.
“Ahh guys!” Minami panicked. “You’re going to crush poor little Mirai’s hand,”
“No!” Mirai shouted. “Please… It’s ok if my hands get crushed. As long as my brother comes back,” Mirai protested.
Gen was almost taken aback by Mirai’s determination. This was the same kid who would play tag with Suika around the village…
“Optimistic or not. We got to try,” Senkuu put his hand in. “heh, and if the beam gets me too, then my cracks and injuries get healed so it’s only logical,”
“Oho, can’t wait to see how this thing works,” Kaskei added his hand in too.
“With cell phones, electric razors, and the like… Even when the batteries have been run dry, turning them off and on again, can make them flicker on for even a second,” Gen put his hand in too. “Even for an instant,”
“Minami?” Senkuu shouted.
“Got it!” Miami held up the vile of revival fluid.
“One second! One meter!” Mirai and Senkuu shouted together
Krk krkkkkkk~!
Senkuu wasted no time once he saw Tsukasa turn to stone. “Minami!”
“Got it!” Minami frantically tossed Senkuu the vile.
“Now for the fluid!” Senkuu popped off the cork and dumped the contents on Tsukasa. Everyone took their hands away and watched in anticipation. It was so quiet Gen swore he heard his heart pound in his chest. Gen knew this feeling but he couldn’t bring himself to label it yet. Not yet. Mirai put her hands together as she watched.
Please, Tsukasa, wake up.
Crk! Crkkkkkkkk!
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the cracking stone. The cracks in the stone rippled throughout. Tsukasa sat up. Like a scene from a movie, the stone fragments scattered around him as he moved.
“Hey there big bro,” Mirai’s smile was shaky.
“Hey Mirai,” Tsukasa smiled in return.
“Welcome bac- ack,” Mirai teared up.
Tsukasa got out of the fridge and stood up so he could be next to his sister. Mirai tried to get words out but nothing was coming out. All she could do was cry pure joy. Tsukasa patted the little one on the head.
.
.
.
“Tsukasa at full strength? That could spell bad news!” Yo tired to seem confident. “Listen up! The second you start talking about killing Senkuu or committing war crimes You’re going to have to answer to Sherif Yo and his gun,” Gen didn’t need to be a psychology expert to see that Yo was nervous.
“We see that hand trembling,” Nikki pointed out.
“Matsukaze is strong enough in his own right,” Tsukasa pointed out. “For me to join the kingdom of science now as a warrior… would be shameless,” Tsukasa hung his head. “I can’t do it. I smashed so many statues trying to create a world honoring my ideals. I can’t erase that,” Tsukasa bitterly smiled.
Oh so Tsukasa chan still feels like he doesn’t belong huh? Can’t have that now, can we?
“Whatever, get over it,” Senkuu blurted.
“You really don’t care, do you, Senkuu?” Ukyo nervously asked.
“Yuzuirha patched all these people up though,” Taiju protested.
“Yeah, we can ruminate on all that serious stuff until we go bald, so let’s do it later. Kind of got the fate of humanity in our hands right now,” Senkuu deadpanned.
Even with Senkuu’s strange way of reassurance, Tsukasa still felt a bit distant. As the Kingdom of science’s moral booster Gen couldn’t have that, but how?
“So if the battery is done and since you didn’t get petrified again, are you always going to have those cracks in your face?” Suika asked.
Suika you genius!
“Hey Tetsuya chan may I borrow that quickly?” Gen pointed to Tetsuya’s ink dish.
“Oh sure but what-,”
“Thank you Tetsuya chan,”
Gen dipped his pointer and middle finger into the ink and brought them to his face to draw what he remembered his scar to be. “Only dear Senkuu though?” Gen sang, catching the other attention. “That’s not fair, I want in on the war paint too,”
“Good display mentalist but what’s the point of drawing that on?” Senkuu questioned.
“I think it’s the perfect symbol. The day we remove this war paint will be the day we triumph over the petrifaction threat,”
“Cool! I want to try too!” Taiju dipped his fingers into it too.
“What are you planning Gen?” Senkuu whispered into Gen’s ear.
“Nothingggg Senkuu chan. Do you really think I would have any alternative motive besides just wanting to have my scar back? Besides, it might help everyone feel more connected,”
Senkuu followed Gen’s eye line to Tsukasa. “Oh, I see what you mean,” Senkuu snickered.
“Watch and learn dear Senkuu chan,” Gen grinned.
Gen walked over to Tsukasa with the plate of ink. “And you Tsukasa chan?” Gen smiled. “Won’t you join us dear Tsu chan? Or are you the type to complain about marks on your face?”
“No, Of course not,” Tsukasa dipped his fingers into the ink. “Thank you, Gen and everyone,”
“Don’t mention it Tsukassa chan,” Gen put his hands back into his overcoat and turned his back to Tsukasa to hide a small amount of blush that was forming.
“Hey Gen,” Tsukasa spoke. Gen stopped. “You betrayed me once. Yes, My greatest error was reviving you… or so I thought,” Tsukasa’s voice softened. “But now, I’m glad to have you around,”
Gen turned to face Tsukasa. “I’m glad you’re back too dear Tsukasa chan,” Gen sighed. “And I’m being honest,” Gen talked closer to Tsukasa. “One could say I always wanted to be on the same team as you,”
“Gen-,”
“When Senkuu first made the light blub… my first thought was ‘wow if only Tsukasa chan could see this. Maybe then…Maybe then we could be on the same side,’” Gen explained. “I can’t say I fully trust you… I hope you prove me wrong,”
“I will, I promise,”
"Can you really promise?" Gen glared.
"I can,"
Gen's face softened up and a small smile formed on Gen’s lips. “Good, now come on, I’m sure Senkuu already has something for us to do,”