"Wha—What was that?"
"An earthquake!? It’s a big one!"
Yugo and Raiha exchanged startled looks as the ground suddenly began to rumble beneath them. Other patients were screaming and gasping in shock, but amidst the growing chaos, Yugo noticed something felt off.
"Wait... is it just me, or did it get darker outside?"
It was subtle—a slight dimming of the light filtering in compared to only a few seconds prior. Yugo turned his gaze toward the window.
The sky was still blue, and the view initially seemed unchanged... but then, something appeared against the glass. An instant later, the window shattered with a deafening crash.
"Kyaaaaaaa!"
"S-Something’s coming in!"
Panicked screams echoed, louder even than the noise of the tremor. Before Yugo’s eyes, thick, vine-like objects forced their way through the broken frames.
He ducked to avoid them, then leaned out of a neighboring window that was still intact to see what was happening. His eyes widened. Vines were swarming over the hospital’s exterior walls, crawling upward as if to swallow the entire building.
He saw that the vines were descending from above and that sharp, green thorns were sprouting along their length. He pulled his head back inside and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Everyone, get away from the windows! Watch out for the thorns!"
The massive vines—no, they were more like briars—were covered in wickedly large spikes. A single scratch would be more than a minor injury. Even though they were already in a hospital, Yugo knew that preventing further casualties was the priority.
As he barked out the warning, Fee and Yui came running out of the hospital room.
"Brother! What's going on!?"
"I’m not sure yet! But this isn't just an earthquake. Both of you, stay close to me!"
Sensing that an incident far beyond his expectations was unfolding, Yugo urged the children toward him. He began to process his next move. Since the briars were growing downward, the source of the anomaly was likely on the roof. He considered heading up to investigate, but another complication arose immediately.
"Fee... Yugo-san... something... something is coming!"
"Coming? What do you mean!?"
"I don't know! But something terrible is getting closer! It’s coming from—!"
Yui, who perceived the world through the "soul" rather than physical sight, had detected an approaching presence.
Before she could even point, a crowd of people came sprinting down the hallway toward them, screaming in terror.
Yugo turned his back to Fee and Yui, shielding them from the human wave. Listening to the frantic footsteps and sensing the atmosphere, he spun around to find a grotesque figure standing at the end of the hall.
"...Utsusemi-san, watch over these two."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Having confirmed Raiha’s response and entrusted the children to her, Yugo stepped forward. He pushed through the panicked crowd, walking in the opposite direction of the flight, closing the distance between himself and the monster.
"Fujyu... jyuru... jyu... fujyuru!"
"A Magic Armor Beast... are you the one behind this?"
The creature standing before Yugo was a clash of green and red. With thorns protruding from every inch of its verdant body, any fool could see it possessed the plant attribute.
It had a relatively lithe frame, with long briar whips extending from its wrists. It was easy to imagine how effectively it could use those as weapons.
At the same time, Yugo noticed another unsettling feature.
What are those red things? Seeds? Or fruit...?
The Magic Armor Beast had no discernible eyes or nose. Instead, bright red, bulbous fruit-like objects were embedded in its face. The ring of flower petals blooming around its head added to the macabre aesthetic. Facing this plant-type Kaijin, Yugo felt a momentary chill at its bizarre appearance, but the sight of people still trapped behind the creature instantly steeled his resolve.
"Look this way, you green freak. I’m your opponent."
"Gujyu... jyu... jyu!!"
Yugo beckoned the monster with a provocative hand gesture. It reacted instantly, fixing its hostility solely on him.
Emitting a foul, squelching sound, the beast lashed out with the briar whips growing from its wrists. Yugo leaped back to evade the strike, his eyes narrowing.
Good. That’s it. Keep your eyes on me!
The situation was still unclear; he didn't know if this creature was the true source of the vines. However, he knew exactly what a Hero had to do: protect the people inside the hospital.
He wouldn't let it touch the patients or the staff.
Swearing an oath to protect them all, Yugo plunged into the battle. He dodged a second and third whip strike, closing the gap. He leaped into the air, his fists clenched with conviction, and screamed at the enemy he was destined to destroy.
"Trans... form!!"