"So you're saying this Black Feather is the source of the surge in Kurotobari sightings?"
A short while later, having returned to the academy, Yugo and his companions delivered their report to Uno, with Jinba also in attendance.
Uno held the Black Feather confiscated from the woman belonging to the Society of Friends of the Night, staring at it intensely as he addressed Yugo.
"Does this mean every member of the Society of Friends of the Night possesses the power to transform into a Magic Armor Beast?"
"No, that’s not quite it. My guess is that there’s a limit to how many Kurotobaris can manifest at once."
"...I see. So they don't necessarily possess the power itself, but rather the potential for it."
Uno pondered Yugo’s words for a moment, muttering as the realization took hold.
As Yugo nodded firmly, Jinba and the others began reviewing the situation regarding the Black Feathers and the mass appearance of Kurotobaris to get their facts straight.
"Kurotobari has placed some kind of enchantment on these badges. Through that magic, he granted the members of the Society of Friends of the Night the ability to become Magic Armor Beasts."
"If the person wielding that power is defeated, or if the badge is destroyed, the power migrates to someone else. In other words, every single person holding one of these badges is a potential Magic Armor Beast."
"The selection process seems completely random. The fact that the power transferred to someone we had already suppressed proves that much."
"...Does that mean no matter how many Fake Kurotobaris we take down, their numbers won't actually decrease!?"
"Precisely. Even if we defeat the Magic Armor Beast in front of us, as long as there are members of the Society of Friends of the Night left, another will simply take its place."
"Wiping out the Society of Friends of the Night would put an end to it, but that's hardly a realistic solution..."
Sakura groaned, her face turning pale as she processed the information.
As she pointed out, even if they defeated the monster before them, as long as other members of the group remained, an equivalent number of Magic Armor Beasts would inevitably resurface.
While annihilating every member of the Society of Friends of the Night would solve the problem, the organization currently boasted a massive membership. Furthermore, considering the possibility of new recruits joining, lured by the promise of such power, it was a practical impossibility.
The group sat in grim silence, fearing for the state of a city where a Magic Armor Beast could appear and attack anywhere, at any time. Suddenly, Yugo spoke up.
"In cases like this, it usually ends if you strike the source. If we defeat Kurotobari, the magic on those Black Feathers should vanish with him."
Drawing from his knowledge as a Nichiasa Otaku, Yugo knew that incidents affecting a large population were often resolved once the Kaijin responsible was destroyed.
Though his reasoning was meta-contextual, Jinba responded to the opinion, acknowledging it wasn't far-fetched.
"The Security Force is currently tracking Glonas, the representative of the Society of Friends of the Night. He could be Kurotobari himself, or at the very least, he’s bound to have some kind of information."
"I’m counting on you, Jinba-san. That’s one of the few leads we have."
Unless they dealt with Kurotobari directly, this crisis would never be resolved.
Having entrusted that task to the Security Force, the discussion came to an end, and the group prepared to disperse.
As they left the room, Yugo turned to his companions.
"I’m going to head to the Workshop for a bit. I want to check in with Ann and the others who are developing the new weapons."
"Yeah, that makes sense. We’d probably just be in the way, so you should go on your own, Yugo."
"I’m heading back to our room, so take your time."
Marcos and Ryuga saw Yugo off as he went to check on the progress of the Long-range Armament designed to counter the flying Kurotobari.
While Yugo felt a slight sense of unease at their strangely suggestive tone, Sakura, who was also walking with them, spoke up.
"Yugo-dono, I have a request. I intend to go and see how Mary-dono is doing tomorrow... Would you be willing to accompany me, if it is not too much trouble?"
"Sure, no problem. I was actually a bit worried about her myself."
Yugo readily agreed to Sakura's request. Seeing her somber expression as she likely imagined the worst, he offered a few words of encouragement.
"Don't worry so much. It'll be fine. Mary has her father with her, after all. He won't let anything bad happen."
"...You are right. I shall place my faith in Mary-dono and Lord Gaut."
Sakura nodded, appearing to have regained some of her composure.
Relieved, Yugo finally turned and made his way toward the Workshop.
"...By the way, do you know what Utsusemi-san is up to today? She hasn't been working with the Armament Development Team, right?"
"Eh...? Oh, Raiha? She has been on standby in her room. Apparently, she was planning to go out, but the riots made it difficult, so she had no choice but to stay inside."
"Go out? Where to?"
"To the Security Force Base. I heard she received a summons by letter, requesting to hear her account of the attack by Kurotobari last night."
After Yugo had departed, Ryuga questioned Sakura about Raiha, whose whereabouts had been unclear all day. He frowned at the answer, feeling a distinct sense of incongruity.
Just as he had during the initial raid, a flash of suspicion crossed his mind, and his expression grew heavy as he delved deep into thought, searching for the source of his unease.
"Kurotobari’s sudden raid, the escalating damage, the Security Force's reaction... something is off..."
With his arms crossed, Ryuga continued walking toward the dormitory alone, muttering under his breath.