The damp, cool air in the cave carried the smell of stone dust. Everything was quiet except for the faint whisper of wind.
Ukyo Saionji, whose stone statue had just been pieced together and revived, was the first to regain consciousness.
His stone shell crumbled and fell away in a soft shower. He slowly opened his eyes as the vivid sensations he had gone without for so long returned to his body.
But the next instant, a cool breeze swept across his upper body, and overwhelming embarrassment engulfed him.
He snapped his head down and froze completely.
He was bare all over, with only a ring of broad, rough leaves wrapped around his waist, barely covering the essential parts. Nothing else covered his skin.
His pale, clean skin was exposed to the air. He was a grown man, disciplined and meticulous-was he really waking up practically naked?
Ukyo's entire face flushed crimson, from his cheeks to the tips of his ears.
He pressed his lips into a tight line, embarrassed and bewildered, his voice noticeably trembling.
"W-why... don't I have any clothes?"
Nearby, Senku leaned against the stone wall and idly picked at his ear, looking utterly unbothered.
"Yeah, Li Xiang isn't in the cave, so there's nobody to sew clothes. Forgot to prepare any for you guys."
Ukyo opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but embarrassment clogged his throat. He stammered for ages without managing a single sentence.
All he could do was stand there stiffly, his face red.
A moment later, another fully reconstructed statue beside him cracked open.
Chrome woke up right after him, meeting Ukyo's gaze the instant he opened his eyes.
He had received exactly the same treatment as Ukyo: he woke from petrification completely bare, with only a ring of leaves to preserve