"What do you think you're doing?! This is a hospital!"
"Leave immediately or I'm calling the Security Force! If you understand, then behave yourselves!"
In a hospital located just outside the grounds of Luminous Academy, the halls were suddenly filled with an aggressive commotion. Those injured during the recent Insect Museum Incident were still convalescing there, but their peace had been shattered.
A mob of men, each wearing a badge shaped like a black feather on his chest, had stormed the building. They fanned out across the floor, pinning patients and doctors alike with intimidating glares.
Several nurses raised their voices in protest against the group's blatant occupation of the ward. Far from being deterred, however, the men seemed to take the confrontation as a welcome opportunity to voice their demands.
"We are messengers of Lord Kurotobari, members of the Society of Friends of the Night. We were told students from Luminous Academy were admitted here. Take us to them."
"Those runts mocked Lord Kurotobari and denied his justice. They are sinners deserving of ten thousand deaths. In his stead, we shall hand down their sentence!"
"D-Don't be ridiculous! Who in their right mind would help you after hearing that?!"
"Oh...? Are you saying you intend to shield these sinners? Then you are sinners yourselves. We shall deliver the Judgment of Justice upon you!!"
As the man screamed, three members of the Society of Friends of the Night stepped forward.
They held their Black Feather badges high in the air. A sinister aura swirled around the metal, erupting in a jet-black light that warped the men's bodies into inhuman forms.
"A-Ah...!"
"...Witness. This is the power of justice bestowed upon us by Lord Kurotobari. With this power, we shall execute True Justice!!"
The three men had transformed into sleek, avian Magic Armor Beasts, covered in black feathers and brandishing razor-sharp beaks. They immediately turned their fury on the doctors and patients nearby.
They kicked over the waiting room chairs and shoved fleeing people aside to flaunt their newfound strength. One of the monsters seized a nurse by the throat, hoisting her up as he hissed a threat.
"Where are the Luminous Academy students? If you continue to protect them, we will deem every doctor and patient in this hospital an accomplice. You will all face Divine Punishment!"
"G-Guh, ugh..."
The nurse groaned, her face contorting in pain as the beast tightened its grip.
The Magic Armor Beasts and the Society members continued to harass her, trying to force the location of the students out of her, when a voice cut through the chaos from behind.
"Let her go. If you're looking for the Luminous Academy students, we're right here."
The Magic Armor Beast spun around at the sound. His eyes landed on two boys in school uniforms, both glaring back with unwavering intensity.
Having found his primary targets, the man's eyes narrowed into a predatory smirk. He launched himself into a straight-line charge toward the boys.
"Found you, sinners! Prepare to receive your heavenly punish—gack!?"
Mid-charge and fueled by a mad ecstasy, the Magic Armor Beast slammed headfirst into a Golden Wall that materialized out of thin air. The impact was so sudden his consciousness nearly flickered out.
Before he could recover, a heavy Front Kick buried itself into his midsection. The beast was sent reeling back the way he had come, skipping across the floor until he slammed into a far wall. The force of the blow forced him out of his transformation, leaving him unconscious on the ground.
The other Society members stood frozen. They had watched their comrade—the one who was supposed to be the predator—get dismantled in the blink of an eye. Yugo and Marcos stood their ground, looking over the group with cold eyes.
"I suppose I have to thank Egos for one thing," Yugo said. "People like this always go for the weak first... It was because I learned that lesson that we were able to get here in time."
"Indeed. However, this situation is..."
Marcos trailed off. Yugo let out a pained groan as he surveyed the wreckage of the hospital interior and the injured civilians huddled in the corners.
His gaze sharpened as he turned back to the fanatics who had caused this misery. The remaining two Magic Armor Beasts screeched at him.
"You dare resist?! Sinners! You are all sinners!!"
"In the name of justice, we shall judge you! Accept the justice of Lord Kurotobari!"
"Don't kid yourselves," Yugo countered. "I don't care what kind of justice you claim to follow—that's no excuse to hurt innocent people. Right now, you're not heroes or messengers. You're just criminals who've messed with a power you don't understand."
"A motley crew, literally intoxicated by their borrowed power and sense of righteousness," Marcos added, readying himself. "Come. Allow us to show you the difference in our calibers."
Yugo deployed his Blaster while Marcos leveled his Giga Scissors. The two Magic Armor Beasts flapped their Black Wings and lunged, striking out with sharp claws and beaks as the battle in the hospital began.