"Brother, please take this..."
"Hmm? What is it?"
Yugo took the object Fee held out and gazed at it intently.
It appeared to be a silver bracelet embedded with a single red gemstone. After examining it for a moment, Yugo strapped it onto his left wrist and showed it to his younger brother. Fee gave a happy smile.
"I’d like to run an operational check, so could you try pouring your magic power into it, Brother?"
"Huh? M-Magic power...? Ah, right. Magic power. Yeah, magic power..."
Yugo was visibly flustered by the sudden mention of a term he only knew from fiction.
He reminded himself that this was another world. Naturally, another world would have magic and mana. As he tried to wrap his head around the concept, he caught sight of Fee watching him with an innocent, expectant expression.
"...?"
"Aha... Ahahaha... Ahahahahaha..."
This was bad. There was a limit to how much he could fake his way through this.
In this world, manipulating magic power was clearly a basic, common-sense action. While he could blame his lack of knowledge about people or his surroundings on amnesia, that excuse wouldn't fly here.
On the other hand, if he honestly confessed that he was a reincarnated soul from another world, he’d just be written off as brain-damaged from his injuries. Even if he simply admitted he didn't know how to use magic, the result would be the same.
Yugo didn't want to worry Fee any further. Since he wanted to avoid saying anything unnecessary, it was only natural that he reached a "do or die" conclusion.
I have no idea what I’m doing, but for now... focus, focus! Shine! My imagination!! Please, give me a miracle!
Staring intensely at the bracelet on his left wrist, Yugo concentrated every ounce of his awareness on it.
He offered up a silent, desperate prayer to the heroes of his world who turned imagination into power. As his focus reached its peak, the gemstone in the bracelet suddenly erupted with a brilliant red light.
"Whoa!? W-What the—!?"
Enveloped in the glow, a startled Yugo crossed his arms in front of his face.
When the light finally faded, he slowly opened his eyes. He let out another cry of shock at the sight of his own arms, which were now encased in a suit of pitch-black armor.
"Oh? Ohhh? Ooooooh!? What is this?! What is this!?"
"Thank goodness. It looks like the adjustments to Blaster were successful."
"Blaster? Is that the name of this armor?"
"Yes. It’s an armor-type magic item called 'Blaster.' It’s a suit of full-body powered armor that deploys when you channel magic power into the bracelet. It’s an old model, and it’s honestly more of a 'better than nothing' item than something high-performance, but since Galandil was confiscated, I thought you’d have a hard time at the academy without any magic items. I took a unit I’d been given for research, tweaked it a bit, and brought it for you."
"You went through all that trouble just for me!? Whoa, I’m seriously grateful! This armor is way too cool! Thank you, Fee! Your big brother is so happy right now!"
"Please, it’s really just an old-fashioned tool. Compared to Galandil, it’s probably like a toy to you..."
"What are you talking about!? I just got the transformation item of my dreams! I couldn't be happier!"
As he spoke, Yugo began repeatedly transforming and de-transforming. He was essentially playing "hero"—except in this world, the transformation was real.
Fee watched as Yugo marveled at the magic of another world, looking deeply moved by his newfound ability to become the hero he had dreamed of since childhood.
"Oh, right. I should explain Blaster’s functions. By charging the magic crystals embedded in the wrists and ankles with mana, you can unleash punches and kicks with increased physical force. Though, that’s really all it can do..."
"Whoa!? You mean I can use a Special Punch and a Special Kick!? Are you serious...?! Can life really be this perfect!?"
"B-Brother? I hate to ruin the mood, but I really don’t think it’s something to be that excited about. Um, hello...?"
Fee’s voice was no longer reaching Yugo’s ears.
Not only had he received a transformation item, but the armor even had built-in special moves. As a tokusatsu geek, he was beyond overwhelmed with emotion.
Talk about a total reversal of fortune.
Immediately after his reincarnation, he had felt like he’d hit rock bottom. But now, with a kind younger brother and a badass suit of power armor, he felt like he was on top of the world.
The design—mostly black with red accents—was exactly his style. Filled with gratitude toward Fee for such a wonderful gift, Yugo made sure to express his feelings.
"Thank you, Fee. Truly. You’re always looking out for me."
"It’s nothing to thank me for. Really, it's just a low-tier magic item..."
"I’m not just talking about the magic item. Just knowing there’s someone like you who’s kind to me... it really cheers me up. Thank you, Fee. Having a brother like you makes me the luckiest guy in the world."
"Brother..."
Fee’s face was a mix of surprise and pure joy as Yugo affectionately ruffled his hair.
Blushing deep red with embarrassment, Fee stood up bashfully and picked up his bag.
"...I should probably head back now. Let’s talk more tomorrow at school. I’ll come find you during the break, so let's have lunch together."
"Yeah, sounds like a plan. Sorry for keeping you out so late. Get back safely."
Yugo cancelled his transformation and watched his brother off with a smile.
Fee waved back, offered a final parting greeting, and began the walk back toward the elementary division dormitory.
"Goodnight, Brother. See you tomorrow..."
"Yeah, goodnight. See you tomorrow, Fee."
Yugo watched until his brother disappeared from sight. He felt a profound sense of relief that he wouldn't have to spend his first night in this new world alone.
More than the transformation item, and more than the thrill of seeing magic for the first time, he was simply happy that there was someone in this world who cared about him. His expression was warm, filled with a quiet, genuine joy.