Bathed in a brilliant crimson radiance that cut through the darkness of the night, Yugo leaped from the building, his Blaster armor fully deployed.
He lunged toward the nearest rioter, driving a fist into the man's midsection and pouring magic power into the strike.
“Finishing Move! Moderate Power Fist!!”
It might have seemed contradictory for a finishing move to be non-lethal, but this was a legitimate technique in its own right. Inspired by the way Zenon had used magic-infused slashes to knock out the villagers earlier, Yugo had devised a way to neutralize opponents using the concussive shockwave of magic power rather than the physical force of the blow.
The technique, which took away a target's consciousness as quickly as possible without risking their life, was a perfect match for Yugo’s pride as a hero. Grateful to Zenon for the tactical insight, Yugo set about neutralizing the maddened villagers one after another.
Even if Zenon's okay with it, I can’t let the others handle these people! To make sure there aren't any casualties on either side, I have to suppress as many of them as I can!
Melt hadn't been the only one shaken by the sight of Zenon and his followers attacking the villagers without mercy. Yugo had been equally horrified to see the villagers cut down, and while he wondered why they had to go that far, he had held his tongue, knowing this was an emergency and that the students were acting out of desperation.
However, that didn’t mean he approved of their methods. A hero did not lay a hand on innocent people. No matter how much of a disadvantage it created, a hero was someone who saved everyone they could.
I decided to be a hero in this world, and I’m going to follow that path to save the people of this village... Just as Yugo solidified his resolve, a purple sword streaked past him and shattered in a flash of light. The impact sent a villager tumbling backward.
The man let out a faint groan before going still. Yugo turned back and offered a word of praise to the person responsible.
“Nice work, Melt! Detonating it right at the point of impact like that—impressive!”
“Heh-heh! I’ve spent a lot of time practicing my mana control to get those Sword Ring shapes just right!”
As she spoke, Melt conjured a small knife and hurled it, snagging the trousers of a villager near Yugo. The man tripped and fell with a heavy thud. Yugo followed up with a carefully measured strike to knock him out, then thrust his fist into the air in a silent gesture of thanks to Melt for reading his intentions so perfectly.
“Let’s keep it up! We’ll take down as many as we can ourselves!”
“Right!!”
There was no telling how many rioters were emerging from the mist. With most of the village possessed and the mountain climbers added to the mix, they could be facing nearly a hundred enemies.
He had to save the attackers. He had to save the elderly and the children behind him. Protecting everyone was the hardest part of being a hero, but Yugo refused to compromise.
Even as he fought desperately to fulfill his mission, a child's cry for help pierced the air.
“He-Help! Somebody, help me!!”
“There!”
A little boy had been hiding in the shadows, trying to evade the mob. Several rioters had finally spotted him and were closing in.
Detecting the child's peril, Yugo infused his legs with magic power and leaped. He interjected himself between the boy and the rioters, using his armored body as a shield. He tore the attackers away and neutralized them with precision strikes before shouting to the child.
“Run! Get to the girl over there!!”
“O-Okay!!”
It wasn't just the rioters closing in anymore; the red mist was almost upon them. Realizing their time was up, Yugo took it upon himself to hold the line so the boy could escape. Melt, sensing his resolve, fired her magic swords to provide cover for the child running toward her.
When the boy finally reached her, she pulled him into a protective embrace, speaking softly to calm the terrified child.
“It’s okay now. You’re going to escape with us, okay?”
“Yeah... Thank you, big sister...!”
The boy seemed to relax slightly now that he was with someone who would protect him. All that remained was to retreat. Melt started to look up, ready to tell Yugo they had the child and could pull back together, when everything went wrong.
“Whoa?!”
“Yu-Yugo?!”
Startled by Yugo’s cry, she looked toward him only to see him stumble to the ground. He tried to scramble up and turn back, but he was trapped in a pincer move—the red mist surged from behind while a wall of rioters blocked his path to Melt.
“Hold on, Yugo! I’m coming for you—”
This was a disaster. At this rate, Yugo would be swallowed by that mist. Melt moved to rush to his aid, but a firm hand clamped onto her arm, pinning her in place.
“Stop, Melt! It’s too late for him!”
“Let go! There’s still time! I can save him! Let me go!”
Yugo was surrounded and in trouble, but she was certain they could break through the encirclement if they worked together. She screamed at Zenon, but he refused to release his grip.
As they struggled, the mist rolled over Yugo... and finally swallowed him whole.
“No... Yugo...”
“I’m sorry. But I couldn’t let you be dragged in with him.”
Zenon offered an apologetic look to the dazed Melt. He then turned to the remaining students and shouted an order.
“Everyone, retreat! The mist is right on top of us! Catch up to the forward unit! Move, now!!”
The order was given. Zenon had made the call to abandon Yugo and withdraw. He turned back to comfort the heartbroken Melt, but she was already gone.
Clutching the boy Yugo had saved, Melt was already fleeing from the mist, her grief buried under a layer of desperate resolve. She felt the weight of the betrayal in leaving Yugo behind, but she forced herself to believe he would have demanded she do exactly this.
“Big sister... what about the big brother?” the boy asked.
“...He’s fine. He’ll be fine. Yugo is strong—nothing can stop him. So for now, stay with me, okay?”
The words were meant for the child, but they were also a plea to herself. Even as she struggled with the doubt eating at her heart, Melt sprinted away with her classmates, running as fast as she could to outpace the advancing red mist.