The seed

Ever since Tsukasa Shishio joined the group, construction at the camp had shifted into overdrive.

Before, Taiju had shouldered all the heavy work, hauling stone and transporting lumber by himself.

Now that they had Tsukasa, the strongest fighter among all primates, every physical task became effortless.

In just two days, two brand-new cement-and-timber cabins stood firmly in the forest clearing.

The arrangement was clear, neat, and orderly. One cabin went to the three boys-Senku, Taiju, and Tsukasa-while the other belonged to the two girls, Li Xiang and Yuzuriha.

No longer forced to cram into the tiny old cabin, all five finally had secure quarters of their own. The camp instantly looked far more respectable.

Life moved steadily along, and two months passed in a flash.

That afternoon, the sunlight was warm and the breeze gentle.

Sitting on a stone slab in front of the cabin, Li Xiang carefully removed the wooden sticks and cloth strips that had held her fractured arm in place.

Two months of rest had been enough for the fracture to heal completely.

She gently rotated her wrist and bent and straightened her arm. There was no stiffness or pain at all. She could move freely, fully back to normal.

In this primitive age, there were no medical plaster casts or specialized braces. Yet a makeshift splint of simple cloth strips and wooden boards had allowed the fracture to heal completely, without even any lasting complications.

Even by modern medical standards, it would have counted as an excellent recovery. Under such primitive conditions, it was practically a medical miracle.

Li Xiang gently raised her hand, watching her arm move without trouble, and could not help marveling.

The human body's ability to heal itself really is far stronger than I'd imagined.

Day after peaceful day passed. The camp grew more developed, supplies became more plentiful, and life settled firmly into a routine.

Senku's grand plan to rebuild civilization and revive all humanity was also progressing steadily, step by step, drawing ever closer to its ultimate goal.

Everyone basked in the security of their steady progress. Only Tsukasa Shishio was gradually changing.

The others noticed nothing unusual, assuming he was simply quiet and aloof as always.

But after spending every day together, the perceptive Li Xiang had long since noticed the change in him.

Lately, Tsukasa kept getting distracted.

Whether he was helping with work, sitting quietly to rest, or chatting around the evening barbecue, his gaze would often go blank as he stared into the distant forested hills.

He seemed to share the same space as everyone else, but in truth, he remained apart from the group, harboring worries that no one else could reach.

That evening, the breeze was cool, and the setting sun stained half the sky red.

Everyone was resting on their own, leaving the camp especially quiet. Tsukasa sat alone on a distant tree trunk, his back straight and lonely, once again lost in a long daze.

Li Xiang watched him for a long time before finally getting up and walking over.

She stopped quietly beside him. "Tsukasa, what's been bothering you lately?"

"I keep seeing you zone out. You look like you've got a lot on your mind."

At her voice, Tsukasa abruptly snapped out of his daze.

He slowly drew his gaze back from the distance and turned toward Li Xiang beside him. His dark eyes were calm and still. Hiding all the tangled thoughts in them, he gently shook his head.

"I'm fine."

"I've just been thinking about a few things."

Li Xiang did not expose his attempt to hide it, nor did she press him. She simply smiled faintly and sat down beside him.

"That's good, then."

"But if the pressure gets too much and you feel like you're bottling everything up, you can talk to me."

She tilted her head slightly, her voice husky. "Whatever else, I'm older than all of you. Think of me as an older sister you can confide in. You can tell me anything that's on your mind. I won't spread it around, and I won't laugh at you."

Her gentle words were like a breath of evening wind, softly smoothing the creases in his heart.

Tsukasa remained silent for a very, very long time.

The last rays of sunlight fell across his sharply defined profile, softening his fierce, lethal aura and revealing a rare trace of gentleness.

Usually a man of few words, he finally began to lower his defenses in the face of her undemanding kindness.

After a long while, his thin lips parted, and he slowly spoke in a low, rough voice.

"I have a younger sister."

Li Xiang did not interrupt. She sat quietly beside him, listening patiently and waiting for him to continue.

Tsukasa spoke very slowly. His sister's name was Mirai. She was several years younger than him and had been the person he cherished most throughout his life.

Six years before all humanity was petrified, Mirai, still a young child, had suddenly fallen gravely ill. Diagnosed as clinically brain-dead, she had slipped into a deep, unending coma.

Only medical equipment barely kept her alive. She lay motionless in bed, unable even to open her eyes or speak.

Back then, Tsukasa had trained desperately, fought desperately to grow stronger, and worked desperately to earn money. He had honed himself at any cost to become the strongest fighter, driven by a single obsession: save enough money to cure his sister.

The small, precious thing he had fought with all his strength to protect had ultimately been crushed by this unjust world.

Those adults who held power and wealth, those sleazy, selfish people at the top who cared only about profit, had coldly watched little Mirai struggle. All they did was squeeze resources out of others.

They monopolized opportunities and left an innocent child to suffer the torment of illness, never showing the slightest kindness.

That was when a seed of obsession had been planted in Tsukasa's heart.

He hated this rotten world from the bottom of his heart.

He hated the bald, potbellied, repulsive old men in power. He hated the adult world, full of oppression, scheming, and backstabbing.

They hoarded all the resources, squandered every opportunity, exploited the weak, and bullied the kind. They turned the world into a filthy mess, then still claimed everything as if it were their natural right.

So the moment Senku revived him and he saw daylight again, the obsession deep within him erupted.

He secretly made up his mind.

Senku wanted to revive all humanity and rebuild the old world's civilization.

But Tsukasa did not.

He had no desire to revive those rotten adults, to let those selfish, vile people return to the world, or to allow the darkness and oppression of the past to shroud this land once more.

He would seize this chance, with petrification having reset everything, to wipe the slate clean and start over.

He would destroy those rotten elders and malicious adults, clearing away all the darkness and filth.

He would leave only vigorous, pure-hearted young people-those who were kind, decent, capable, and passionate.

He would leave the best resources, the best world, and the best future entirely to those who deserved them.

With his own hands, he would build a new world without oppression, scheming, or ugliness.

A clean world where everyone was equal and earned their place through ability, where the kind could live well and the weak were not bullied.

Once that thought took root, it could no longer be torn out. It circled constantly through his mind, leaving him distracted and weighed down by worry.

After laying bare everything in his heart, Tsukasa turned to Li Xiang beside him.

His dark eyes were intensely earnest. Hoping she would agree with him, he looked steadily at her and asked softly.

"Can you understand me?"

He knew his views were extreme and ran directly counter to Senku's ideals.

The sunset's lingering glow fell softly around them, and the forest was quiet and peaceful.

Li Xiang quietly regarded the young man, whose eyes held both uncertainty and stubborn resolve, her heart filled with conflicting emotions.

"I understand completely."