"Big brother! You came! ...Ow!"
"Fee, I get how you feel, but you can't just go charging off on your own, okay?"
"I'm sorry. But I—"
"I know. I've got the gist of the situation."
Yugo lightly chopped his younger brother on the head before turning his gaze toward Naruru and the boy, Shiroi, who was bound to her massive form.
Having pieced together the situation almost perfectly from what he saw and Egos’s previous words, Yugo fixed a grim expression on Naruru. Just then, a large black shadow leaped over his head.
"Skull! I’m counting on you to take care of the others!"
"Bafu!"
With his hooves wreathed in fire, the black horse vaulted over Yugo’s group and immediately set to work rescuing the Cooking Club members under Naruru’s assault.
As Skull vented flames from his body to skillfully deflect the incoming branches and lead the students toward a safe zone, Yugo spoke to his brother and Presia.
"First, we regroup. President, you and the others need to pull back for now. Honestly, I can't fight properly while trying to protect a crowd and worry about Shiroi at the same time."
"You’re planning to fight that Giant Magic Armor Beast alone?! That’s suicide!"
"I don't plan on being alone for the whole fight. But first, I have to break her momentum. In a fight, the side with the better 'flow' wins... I'm not even joking; that’s usually how it goes."
Naruru had hidden her trump card, the Giant Treant, until the very end. On top of that, Cyan and Egos had tried to sacrifice Shiroi, forced the club members into a losing battle, and then suffered a pathetic defeat. Thanks to them, the flow of battle had shifted entirely in Naruru's favor.
Based on her personality, Naruru was the type of person who performed far beyond her actual limits as long as she was riding a wave of confidence. Conversely, that meant she would fall into a catastrophic slump the moment her momentum was broken.
He had to knock her off her high horse. Yugo glared at the Treant, knowing exactly what he had to do, when Presia spoke up in a trembling voice.
"Yugo... do you think I should have done what Egos said?"
"Wha—What are you talking about, President?! There is absolutely no reason for you to ever do something like that!"
"But I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't arrived. We might have all been killed by that monster. When I think about that... I can't help but wonder if Egos was actually right."
Having been caught in the wake of the charisma typical of those who called themselves Protagonists, Presia was beginning to doubt herself. Even though she knew sacrificing Shiroi was wrong, she couldn't bring herself to fully reject their logic.
As she stood there, assaulted by a power more terrifying than any Magic Armor Beast—a power that could twist common sense and personal beliefs—Yugo looked her straight in the eye to dispel her hesitation.
"It's just as Vice President Hao said. You don't have a single reason to do something like that, President."
"But...!"
Presia tried to protest, unable to fully accept his denial. However, Yugo cut her off, raising his right index finger toward the sky.
"A certain man once told me... that to live is to find the world delicious. Whether you're eating or not, it's delicious. What he meant was that life is unconditionally wonderful. But if you carry the weight of a death, you'll never be able to think that way again. Life becomes tasteless in an instant. And if that happens, the food you cook will turn just as bland. Your dream of making people smile with your cooking would never come true."
"..."
"That’s why you don't need to carry the weight of anyone's death. No, you must never carry it. If someone tells you that's the only way, then I'll be the one to carve out a different path. Because that is a Hero's Duty."
Clenching his raised hand into a fist, Yugo gave Presia a firm thumbs-up. He wanted to protect Shiroi’s life, but he wanted to protect Presia’s dream, too.
"Speaking of dreams... I haven't told you mine yet. My dream is to become a Hero my younger brother can be proud of. That’s why I’ll take down the villains... and I’ll save my brother’s friend. I don’t care how difficult it is; I'm not giving up. It’s my dream, and I’m not compromising on it."
"Yugo...!"
Hero's Condition #1: Never give up.
Fee caught his breath, remembering the words his brother had once said to him during a desperate battle.
"Fee, you still have Shiroi's treasure, don't you?"
"Ah...! Y-Yes!"
Realizing that Yugo had overheard his conversation with Shiroi that night, Fee’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. Nevertheless, he pulled the Stone Knife from his pocket.
The weapon used by the Hero who had protected him once before... Taking it into his hand, Yugo gave a heavy, determined nod.
"Thanks. I'm heading in. I’m definitely saving Shiroi, so just wait for me."
"Right...!"
Having finished evacuating the students, Skull trotted to Yugo's side. Yugo mounted him and began his approach toward Naruru.
As he moved toward her at a slow, deliberate pace, Naruru threw a mocking laugh his way.
"Whaaat? You're all by yourself~? Are the others too chicken to move~?"
"I'm more than enough for someone like you. I'm going to break that arrogant nose of yours in about five seconds."
"Ahahaha! You're hilarious! I have a hostage, and your attacks can't even touch me! The only things breaking today are your bones and your pride!!"
With a shrill scream, Naruru sent a barrage of branches toward Yugo. Fee and the others watched in horror as the Treant’s limbs, thick as logs, lashed out like whips. Atop his horse, Yugo clenched his fist and shouted the words that signaled the true beginning of the fight.
"Trans... form!!"
"What?!"
The moment a Crimson Radiance erupted, the countless branches reaching for Yugo were cleanly sliced away. Naruru froze in shock, her momentum halted. From within the light, Yugo emerged, fully clad in his Blaster armor.
A Black Knight atop a black horse in dark barding... but there was one thing that glowed with a different hue.
The sword Yugo held was far too large to be called a mere blade. Boasting a length that easily exceeded the height of a man, the greatsword emitted a scorching Crimson Lotus Radiance.
"I've been thinking about how to use that Magic Crystal I got from Skull. When I had the Attribute Imbuement Function added to my gear, it hit me. If imbuing the armor itself with an element was too dangerous, I could just put it on something else. It turns out I had to pack in this much metal just to keep the sheer heat of the flames from melting the thing... but it's finished now, and it's a hell of a trump card."
"What is that?! What even is that thing?!"
"This? The Blazing Great Zan—... wait, that would be copyright trouble. If I had to give it a name—"
Based on the Zanbato he had forged during the fight with the Bull Golems, this was a greatsword wreathed in the Crimson Lotus and imbued with the Flame Attribute. Yugo, knowing of a similar weapon from his past life, almost let the name slip before catching himself. He stated the weapon's true name with conviction.
"—The Magic-Slaying Crimson Lotus Blade. That’s what this sword is called."