WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 11 of Dr. Stone, "PROLOGUE OF Dr. Stone," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
The second season of Dr. Stone reaches an emotional conclusion that opens the door for many more adventures and gives Senku a renewed sense of purpose. Following the battle with Hyoga, Tsukasa remains in critical condition and death seems to be imminent.
Everyone retreats back to Tsukasa’s home base where Hyoga and Homura are thrown behind bars for their crimes and misdemeanors. Yuzuriha and others work on restoring all the people destroyed by Tsukasa. After reassembling all of the stone pieces, the miracle fluid heals all physical ailments and injuries, just as Senku hypothesized. But there are even more pressing -- and painful -- decisions to make.
It seems that the Kingdom of Science has reached the best outcome, with one exception. Senku promised a bloodless siege at the start of the war, pledging that no one would die as a result. Tsukasa, however, is on the verge of death. Hyoga’s spear tore straight through him, damaging his organs. An easy fix does not exist in this Stone Age. The miracle fluid is the only thing that could repair the damage, but it only works on beings who are petrified. Senku is left with one choice -- he must petrify Tsukasa.
No one knows what caused the petrification beam 3,700 years ago. The only information Senku has is what he uncovered from Byakuya in The Hundred Tales. His new goal is now to uncover the mysteries of over three millennia ago. Thus the age of exploration begins, but it will take years before Senku will find the answers he needs. Tsukasa only has a few hours. To preserve his body, Senku decides to put him in cryo-sleep. When he learns the secrets behind the petrification beam, he will return for Tsukasa.
What follows is an emotional tribute to Senku and Tsukasa’s relationship in the form of an aimless chat reminiscent of two friends shooting the breeze. The two have never hated each other despite being enemies, and their mutual respect for each other keeps their dynamic captivating and intriguing. Although they were rivals for two seasons, their potential friendship shines through in the end. Senku tends to be a more stoic figure. He can show elation and dejection, but it’s usually more contained. As he eases Tsukasa’s mind into silence with idle chatter, even he has a hard time hiding his anguish.
The next part of Senku’s story will be in service or memory of Tsukasa. If Senku is successful, it could lead to millions of other positive effects around the world. He would also make good on his promises to restore every single life and ensure everyone lives beyond the Stone Wars. The information Byakuya’s story provides may be plentiful, but it doesn’t seem sufficient enough on its own.
That may not be a problem for Senku. If anyone is going to crack the biggest mysteries of Dr. Stone, it’s going to be someone tenacious and willful. It’s going to be Senku Ishigami.
