27 Collective_2

"Leaving things to their natural course is best," Tony whispered in a voice as gentle as a caress on the cheek.

"Right... Yeah, you're right," I replied, nodding. Tony was saying it, so it couldn't be wrong.

Seeing me convinced, Tony nodded in satisfaction.

"Can I bring up something too? It seems the plant-like beings we've collected were indeed from the Gaveto tribe," he said next.

"Ah, yes. Etzio collected them for us. They're now housed in the Third Research Facility."

Tony stood up with a burst of energy.

"Let's go see them," he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Following Tony to the Third Research Facility, I couldn't help but chuckle as he skipped ahead, reminding me of old times.

"You haven't changed a bit," I commented.

"Well, of course. This is nothing but exciting," he replied.

As we entered the facility, there was already someone there.

"...Etzio."

It was Etzio, apparently collecting data. However, upon seeing me, he quickly averted his gaze and left the room.

Echoes of a recent confrontation flashed in my mind.

"Why won't you say you'll save Luti?" Etzio had demanded, anger and sadness evident in his stance, with Yuzuki looking upset and pained behind him.

The weight that had just lifted from my chest seemed to return heavier than before.

My gaze involuntarily followed Et

zio as he walked away, but then Tony placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Ban, you just need to do what you think is right. Come on, let's get to our research," Tony said, his face beaming with a smile that some might find excessively cheerful.

Yet, this unwavering resolve was quintessentially Tony.

"Right," I agreed.

Hearing that voice, I strangely felt at ease, reminiscing about our student days and couldn't help but smile softly.

I flipped through the documents,

"As I mentioned earlier, there's no mistake that these are from the Gaveto tribe. It's been confirmed they amplify earth energy. And about the Gaveto tribe that Tony was curious about, it seems they indeed don't have consciousness. Their brains aren't perfectly formed to that extent."

"Well, by that definition, it means they do function to some degree. Do they have memories or something?" Tony asked, looking up at the Gaveto tribe member enclosed within a heavily guarded case.

"With current medical knowledge, we can't say for sure. Of course, there's a possibility," I replied.

"Memories before death" Tony muttered softly.

"What do you mean by that?"

"No, just thinking that we are witnessing a time of transformation," Tony's voice trembled slightly with excitement.

But at the same time, I thought I saw an emotion in him that I'd never seen before. A chill ran down my spine.

However,

"It reminds me of our university days," Tony's comment dispelled those thoughts.

Memories of those nostalgic days flashed through my mind. It seems Tony was thinking the same.

"Yeah," I found my face relaxing knowingly.

"Those were wonderful days," Tony said with a smile.