True to her word, Anhel watched the battle with a thrill of anticipation. Before her eyes, Hex launched a counteroffensive against Yugo, who stood clad in his newly manifested Purple Armor.
Desperate to break the disastrous momentum of the fight, Hex funneled Magic Power into the axe in his left hand. Strengthening both the sharpness of the blade and his own physical power, he charged straight at Yugo.
"How about this?! Mighty Slash: Armor Crusher!"
Zap! The overflowing Magic Power transformed into sparks that raced along the blade.
Anyone could see the sheer weight behind the strike as it slammed directly into Yugo’s chest—and yet?
"Not bad. That last hit had quite a kick to it."
"Wh—?!"
He hadn't budged an inch. If anything, Yugo had enough presence of mind to offer a compliment.
Despite Hex having delivered a full-power strike, Yugo showed no signs of sustaining any damage whatsoever. As Hex stood there stunned, Yugo clenched his right fist, concentrating his Magic Power into it.
"My turn now. This is going to sting... so don't hold it against me!"
"Ugh?!"
Hex tried to pull away instinctively, but his left arm—the one gripping the axe—was seized. Unable to retreat, he was left with no way to defend or evade as a right straight came flying toward him.
Unleashing a fist packed with an immense surge of Magic Power, Yugo shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Blaster Hard Punch!"
"Gah-huuuh?!"
The tightly clenched fist caught Hex square in the center of his chest.
The strike from that sturdy, heavy fist—born from the armor’s increased mass and further reinforced by Magic Power—boasted extraordinary force. Taking a clean hit, Hex had his consciousness instantly snuffed out and was sent flying.
"And that’s that. I might have overdone it a bit, but don't take it personally."
Yugo emerged from the testing space, carrying Hex over his shoulder after the boy had been slammed into the wall and knocked unconscious.
He handed the student over to Melt, who could use healing magic. The moment Yugo tried to deactivate his Blaster, Anhel approached him with sparkling eyes, seemingly unable to contain her excitement.
"Incredible! I’ve never seen a Blaster that changes forms before! You’ll let me investigate how it works, right?"
"Yeah, I’ll leave it to you! I’m glad you’re that interested. Let’s work together from here on out to power up this Blaster like crazy!"
"Oho! As an aspiring Magic Item Engineer, I don't get to encounter something this intriguing very often! I'm looking forward to seeing how far I can push its performance through repeated analysis and modification!"
It seemed Yugo and Anhel shared a certain frequency, as they hit it off immediately.
Watching the two of them, Fee and Melt drew back slightly, whispering to one another.
"Um, this is just a hunch, but... is Anhel just as weird as Yugo?"
"She might... be..."
Yugo occasionally said nonsensical things or showed a unique sense of enthusiasm, and Anhel clearly possessed a personality that could keep up with him.
Whether it was their shared obsessive nature or the fact that they were simply similar at their core, the two were already deeply fascinated by one another. Amidst this, Anhel called out to the Industrial Department students who had been watching the Duel.
"Hey, why don't you guys join in? As engineers, it would be unthinkable to do nothing when such an interesting Magic Item is right in front of us, wouldn't it?"
"Huh? Who would ever help with a piece of junk belonging to a scumbag like—hey, why are you trying to use the Workshop however you please?! Like we said before, we have no intention of letting this guy use—"
"Hey, now. Is that any way to treat the man who just saved your skin? If Yugo hadn't fought Hex, who knows what that hot-headed guy would have done? It's thanks to Yugo that no one got hurt and the Workshop wasn't damaged. I think it's only right that you show at least a little gratitude for that favor."
"Ngh...!!"
Anhel countered their personal grudge with the logic of repaying a debt for settling the disturbance.
Perhaps finding a fair amount of reason in that argument, the male student fell silent. Taking his silence as an answer, Anhel patted his shoulder and pushed the conversation forward forcefully.
"It's settled then. Yugo, Fee, Melt, leave Hex's care to these guys and follow me... Ah, right. You lot, once Hex wakes up, give him back the materials you're holding for him. That should make him back off."
As he watched Anhel's back after she had won permission to use the Workshop through sheer force of will, Yugo wondered if she had intended for him to face Hex in a Duel for this very reason from the start.
Whether he won or lost, the fact remained that Yugo had stepped up to protect the Industrial Department students. Even if he’d lost and her workload had increased, if she’d factored all that into her proposal from the start, she was a clever operator indeed.
However, thanks to her, one problem had been solved.
From the perspective of Yugo, who had gained practical benefits equal to the price of the Duel, being played by Anhel's plan was actually something to be grateful for, not something to resent.
Walking behind her while mulling this over, Yugo was led to a small room in the back of the Workshop.
Anhel spoke with a cheerful laugh as the group looked around the room, which was equipped with analytical tools and a space suitable for discussion.
"Now, let the experiment begin. For starters, we'll analyze the Blaster. I want to hear everything you can tell me... You'll cooperate for the sake of the Magic Item Enhancement, won't you?"