The group can only watch helpless through the glass of the inner room as Reito looks to be on the verge of dying.
"D-D-Doctor Shin," Maria stuttered. "How is the MK Virus's reaction?"
"It's no use," Doctor Shin sighed with frustration as she wipes her brow. "Usually it takes a few days to kill, but I injected him with a high concentration of the virus. Even with Reito's resistance," as she turns to them with a grim expression, "he only has a few hours left to live."
"Why that high?!" Jason demanded.
"It was the only way to provoke an immunological reaction to the virus!" Doctor Shin answered intently.
"Reito-dono!" Anastasia gasped tearfully.
Their attention is next drawn to the sound of a door opening and they look to see Bingbing standing with the metal suitcase in her hands.
"Bingbing?!" Anastasia exclaimed. "What's that?"
"The rest of the crystallized MK Virus!" Bingbing stated. "This was our's to begin with. I'm heading back to Hong Kong!"
"Th-Th-That's," Maria attempted.
"I only came to give a quick farewell," Bingbing said as she turns away. "See you."
Anastasia makes her move, but Jason is quicker as he manages to reach Bingbing in time before she could leave.
"Oh so that's it?! You're just gonna cut and run?!" Jason exclaimed bitterly as he forcibly turns Bingbing around to face him.
"It is inevitable, isn't it?!" Bingbing shouted back, then more somberly. "I don't want to see . . . Lianren's death!" As her eyes tear up.
"Lee-an-ren?" Jason inquired.
"It means, lover, in Chinese," Bingbing answered.
"I see," Jason said, finally understanding. "But neither do we, and we are not just going to leave him alone like that."
The doors open once again and this time two familiar women enter: the Izunami girl accompanied by Elisa.
"Elisa!" Anastasia gasped.
"I heard the news," Elisa said as she looks over at Reito, blood still trickling out of his nose. Then starts looking around. "Where's Mahiru-chan?"
"Sh-Sh-She's with Akane-san!" Maria stuttered.
"Princess Ana," the Izunami girl said to her. "I apologize for the timing, but . . . it is getting pretty chaotic outside as well."
"What?" Anastasia asked.
As if right on cue, one of the monitors televises Shuto, The Minister of General Relations who betrayed her colleagues.
"Citizens of the world," Shuto announced. "We have made a serious discovery of the mastermind that spread the MK Virus to the world five years ago . . . It was . . . the Duchy of Rosania."
Everyone is too bewildered to voice their mutual shock.
"Since the past," Shuto continued. "Rosania has been continually conducting unethical scientific experiments and they possess many large research facilities. According to UW investigators, a high concentration of the MK Virus was detected from one of Rosania's corrupt bio-technology facilities . . . Rosania kidnapped Mr. Reito Mizuhara and it appears that Mr. Mizuhara, who possesses resistance against the MK Virus, was injected with the high concentration virus and is at the verge of death. It seems that for some reason, the country has been plotting to wipe out the existence of men for over five years."
The screen goes blank. A stunned silence fills the room.
"I knew it!" Jason stated triumphantly through gritted teeth as he punches his own palm. "I knew we got away too easily! It's because they were setting us up!"
"You're right, Jinshuyuan," Bingbing noted. "It did seem mysterious how we got here so easily without any interference from the UW."
"But it's terrible slander and baseless propaganda!" Anastasia screeched as looks to them ardently with a frustrated expression and tears of helplessness.
"Yeah? Well tell that to the rest of the world now!" Jason scoffed at Anastasia as he momentarily thumbs elsewhere, then looks around at the others. "But things have gotten a lot harder now. It's bad enough Reito's at death's door, but with the UW's lies, no woman out there is gonna trust whatever gets pulled from this catastrophe."
"At any rate, riots are happening in Rosania," the Izunami girl spoke up. "The UW will probably send troops over."
"That's," Anastasia gasped at a loss for words while clutching her own head.
Their attention is suddenly diverted back at Reito as he makes a loud groan. His eyes are now open.
"It seems the anaesthesia has run out," Doctor Shin said, then turns to the rest. "If you want to talk to him, now is the time."
Elisa is quick to enter the room with Reito.
"Reito!"
"Elisa," Reito groaned. "Has your fever healed already?"
"Yeah," she gasped tearfully while holding his hand. "I'm fine."
The rest enter to gather around Reito, save for Jason as he hangs back in the doorway.
"I see," Reito groaned. "I guess . . . I'm going to die."
"You won't die," Elisa sobbed as she rubs her face against his hand. "You won't die! You'll still be fine if we put you into cryostasis again!"
"Hey, hey," Reito moaned with a grin. "Are you planning to freeze me alone for however many years again?"
"I told you, didn't I?!" Elisa stated ardently. "That I . . . will always be waiting for you!"
Reito passes out with everyone, including Mahriu and Akane, now gathered around him. The girls all call out to him tearfully. Jason had been watching the whole scenario and it fills him with frustration.
"Ah, shit!" He snarled uneasily, then steps out through the door to regard Doctor Shin and the Izunami girl. "So is he really gonna . . . ?" Unable to finish it.
"Hey, look at this!" the Izunami girl gasped.
Jason hurries over, along with Doctor Shin.
"This is," Doctor Shin gasped with wide eyes. "No way!"
"What?! What's going on?!" Jason demanded.
"The MK Virus is rapidly dying!" The Izunami girl answered.
Reito makes a loud cry as he spasms, then relaxes as he sighs with a look of relief. Jason hurries over to the doorway.
"It looks like," Reito gasped with relief, "the bleeding's stopped."
"Reito!" Elisa exclaimed joyfully with tears while pressing her face against his own.
"Reito conquered the MK Virus!" Doctor Shin exclaimed joyously.
"I have finished a complete monitoring of it's reaction inside of Mr. Mizuhara's body," the Izunami girl said. "We can secure the pathogenic proteins as well by using nano-machines!"
"So we got a vaccine against the MK Virus?!" Jason exclaimed at Doctor Shin and the Izunami girl with wonder as he tenses.
"Not yet," Doctor Shin said with her hand extended outward. "But we will!"
"Yes!" Jason hollered as he pumps his fist in the air, then turns to the rest inside. "Hey, everyone! Good news! We're gonna get a vaccine out of this!"
"That is the best news we have since Reito's surviving this," Akane said.
The next few days are an arduous one as the group await the results of Dr. Shin being able to create a vaccine out of Reito's immune system. Those days seem like months. It is at that point when Reito paces about in the facility with Elisa and Anastasia sitting by. Jason leans up against the wall.
"Reito," Elisa said. "Why don't you settle down for a bit and wait?"
"Yeah, pacing about isn't gonna get her to make it any faster," Jason added.
"I can't settle down!" Reito exclaimed. "After all-"
That is when a lab door opening gets their attention and out walks a haggered looking Ragini Shin hands in pocket.
"Ragini-san!" Reito exclaimed.
"Dr. Shin!" Anastasia exclaimed, then in a more hopeful tone. "So . . . How is it?"
Ragini stands there for a moment as if wondering what to say to them. Then reaches into her lab coat pocket tension in the room is palpable.
"I made it," Ragini said with a smile as she pulls her left hand out of her pocket to hold the cure aloft.
Everyone gasps with delight and relief.
"I made the vaccine," Ragini said as she transfers it over to her right hand. "Next is figuring out how to mass produce it."
"But before that," Reito said. "There's one more major hurdle for us."
"I know," Ragini agreed.
"What?" Jason asked.
"We need to actually test the effects of this vaccine," Ragini said to Jason.
"Oh yeah, on one of the males in cryo you mean!" Jason said as if he had forgotten something important.
"Yes," Reito verified.
"So any idea as to who will be the guinea pig?" Jason asked.
There is a moment of silence.
"I have already decided," Anastasia said. "My father . . . The Grand Duke of Rosania!"
There is a look of shock on the faces of Reito, Ragini, and Elisa.
"Anastasia-sama," Elisa said uneasily while looking at Ragini. "I am not sure how to say this, but-"
"Don't mind me," Ragini said assuredly.
"The vaccine's effects are not known for sure," Elisa said with uncertainty. "A man awakened from cryostasis after injecting them with the vaccine may still fall victim to the MK Virus in the end."
"What?!" Jason exclaimed. "But the vaccine should rid them of that!"
"No vaccine's effect are instantaneous, Jeeson-san," Reito said. "He might actually die before it can take full effect."
"Not only that," Elisa continued. "But for someone of an important political status such as HIs Highness the Grand Duke of Rosania, I believe it is far too great a risk for him to be the very first test subject for the vaccine."
"It is because of such a status," Anastasia countered, "that he must do it. As you are aware, due to the UW's conspiracy, suspicions that our Rosania produced and spread the virus is currently taking over the world by storm. To clear those suspicions, we need a representative of Rosania to personally stand on the front stage. And father is the man who represents our Rosania . . . There is no way I could force any other citizen to take more risk than this. If," as her tone falters, "in the rare case it really comes down to it for Father . . . I still have my brother. Besides," as her tone turns more lighthearted, "if I were to let any other citizen take the risk, Father would scold me afterwards!"
"Princess Ana!" Reito gasped.
"Wow," Jason mused.
Elisa takes a bow to Anastasia. "Anastasia-sama's deep concern . . . I must solemnly apologize for stating something so impertinent without consideration."
"There is no need for you to apologize, Elisa!" Anastasia said lightheartedly.
"Well then," Ragini said while looking at the vaccine as she holds it aloft. "It's decided."
They head into a room where a cryo chamber is. Through its glass they can see a man with blonde hair and a mustache and wearing a pair of shorts.
"So this is a cryostasis chamber," Jason mused.
"You have never seen one before, Jeeson-san?" Elisa noted wryly.
"Not in real life. Only in pictures, on tv, or the net."
Ragini injects the vaccine into a receptical for it.
"The vaccine has been injected," Ragini said. "Now we have to see whether or not he will safely awaken after we release him from his sleep."
"I am prepared," Anastasia said with determination.
Ragini nods then turns to the cryo pod, lifts a small panel in its side, and presses a button. "It's unlocked now, so once you press this button," gesturing to it, "he'll be released from his sleep."
Anastasia kneels and tentatively reaches out to the button and finally presses it. There is a whirling sound from within the pod. Everyone seems to be holding their breath.
RELEASING. A feminine monotone voice proclaimed, starting the group. RELEASING. THAWING COMPLETE. THAWING COMPLETE.
The pod door opens. The others hang back, but Anastasia leans over her father. They watch as the Grand Duke gasps and stirs slightly, then opens his eyes.
"Father!" Anastasia shouted. "Father, can you hear me?! Father!"
"A . . . Anastasia?" The Grand Duke rasped weakly.
The Grand Duke closes his eyes once again.
"Father!" Anastasia cried out in concern as she lies across his chest.
"Oh shit! Don't tell me!" Jason gasped with shock.
"His vitals seem fine," Ragini called assuredly as she checks them out on a virtual screen. "There doesn't appear to be any bleeding either."
"That means," Reito asked eagerly.
"The vaccine's working properly," Ragini said with pride. "Like Reito, it can combat the MK Virus."
"Fuck yeah!" Reito and Jason shouted in unison as they throw their arms up simultaneously.
"Ragini-san! You are truly a magnificent scientist!" Reito exclaimed as he clasps her hand with both hands.
"Damn straight!" Jason added as he clasps Ragini's shoulders momentarily.
"Reito and Elisa," Ragini said with a smile. "It's all thanks to you two."
"What a relief," Elisa sobbed as she wipes a tear away. "Truly, what a relief!"
"Oh, and you too Jason," Ragini said as she turns to him and clasps his arm as if having forgotten something important.
"Me?" Jason mused. "What did I do?"
"Before I had Reito injected with MK Virus, I had to inject you first to see if my hypothesis was correct and it was," Ragini said.
"Oh yeah," Jason mused.