Perfectly Balanced [ON-GOING]

Chapter Two: The Strongest High-Schooler

2. The Strongest High-Schooler

08-18-2022

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After Senku and Taiju had gotten you something to eat, the three of you were preparing to leave the base to revive your other friend. Senku had equipped himself with a makeshift hammer, some supplies in a bag hanging from his waist, and a small clay jar of the revival fluid.

"Hold it. Before we go, I need to give you something, (Y/N)," said Senku.

You tilted your head in confusion as he went inside the hut. He came out with a long, wooden stick. As he handed it to you, you realized what it was after you got a better look at it.

"Is this a bokken?" You inquired.

"You need to quickly defend us if any wild boar or something shows up. The impact of a bokken without armor can be harrowing, so it can also slow down our prey as we try to kill it. I would've used metal if we had any, but this is the best I could do for you, slowpoke," said Senku. He then turned around and started heading towards where you believed Yuzuriha was. You decided to inspect the weapon much closer as you followed him and Taiju.

It looked as though it was carved out of solid oak wood. It was the perfect weight for you to hold, and it was as long as a typical katana. The end of it had curved slightly, and the tip felt sharp when you touched it with the tip of your finger. It felt sturdy and thick as you swung it up and down using both of your hands. The handle was marked with "ヤドン" engraved on it.

"'Slowpoke,' huh..." you read it out loud.

Taiju slowed down a bit and cupped his hand to whisper to you, "Senku made many of those after we found you while we were making the revival fluid, but most of them broke and weren't as good as the one you have now."

Eyes widening a bit, a soft, gentle smile slowly formed on your face as you appreciated the gift he had given you. "Is that so?"

The three of you walked down the river. You saw a massive tree with roots growing all around it, along with a statue tangled in the middle of it. As you got closer, you saw that it was Yuzuriha herself.

"So, that liquid is gonna undo the effects of petrification and technically 'revive' Yuzuriha?" you asked just to make sure you remembered correctly.

"Yes. I splashed it all over your face, and it ten billion percent worked perfectly fine," Senku answered you. He made a motion with one of his hands to show how he threw the liquid all over you with one swoop.

You deadpanned as he gave you his snarky smile, then told him with a sigh, "So, it does work. Couldn't you be a bit more graceful with it?"

"Nah. I've tested it on broken pieces of stone, and it came back as dead flesh," he admitted to the both of you.

You widened your eyes in surprise. Taiju, who was as shocked as you were, yelled at him, "You sicko!"

Senku then continued, "I also tried sticking the pieces back together before giving it to them, but something already dead can't come back to life. They were invaluable sacrifices, so make a prayer for them."

"Right! May their souls rest in peace," Taiju put his hands together and said a small prayer. You did the same thing as well and kept it short and simple. You felt terrible for those who couldn't come back to life. Your friend opened his eyes then faced the nearby statue. "Now, let's give Yuzuriha the cure!"

Senku was holding the clay pot, and you and Taiju removed the tangled roots around Yuzuriha. Before the young scientist could pour it onto the girl, the brunette cried out, "SENKU, WAIT! YUZURIHA IS NAKED!