"GIRYUIOOOOOOOOOO!!"
The Gigantrose let out a blood-curdling shriek in response to Yugo's provocation.
Fee and the others watched from behind, their bodies trembling as the scream rattled the very air around them.
"First he's using the Flame Attribute, and now he’s switched to a heavy-armor form?" Verda muttered. "How many functions did Yugo pack into that Blaster?"
"Forget that—is he really planning to take that Magic Armor Beast head-on?! It’s suicidal!" Peewee shouted.
"No," Raiha countered. "If he used high-mobility tactics to run circles around it, the bombs would scatter and hit us. Yugo-san is taking every hit on purpose so that doesn't happen."
Against a foe like the Gigantrose, which possessed devastating Long-range Attacks, the logical choice was to prioritize evasion. However, they had people to protect. If Yugo dodged, the explosions would tear through the civilians behind them.
Raiha had correctly deduced his intent. He had chosen the defensive Purple Armor specifically to serve as a human shield, intercepting every strike intended for the others.
Peewee fell silent for a moment before whispering as she watched Yugo’s back. "It’s too much. I don’t care how much he trusts his armor... taking a point-blank barrage of that magnitude... there’s no way he can hold out—!"
"He will! Brother will never lose!" Fee cried out. "He’s going to win!"
Fee stared at Yugo with a gaze filled with absolute trust, remembering his brother’s powerful resolve. No matter how thick the armor, a continuous barrage of high-yield bombs at point-blank range would take a massive toll. Yet, as the two combatants finally clashed, Yugo did not waver.
"GIIII! GI!!"
"Guh...!"
A bomb launched from the flower on the creature's abdomen slammed into Yugo. He groaned under the impact, but as the explosions rocked his body a second and third time, he refused to stop. He kept marching toward the Gigantrose.
Terrified by the sight of Yugo advancing through the fire and smoke, the Gigantrose grew desperate. It accelerated its bombardment, unleashing a relentless, frantic assault.
"GIGYAAAAA!! GIGIGIIYIII!!"
"U-OOOOOOOOOO!!"
To demonstrate his indomitable will, Yugo advanced in a No Guard state, taking one step and then another. As the distance closed, the interval between the direct hits grew shorter. The air filled with a rhythmic, thunderous booming as Yugo absorbed every blast. Watching him, Verda and the others were overcome with a mixture of helplessness and mounting frustration.
"Damn it! I can't just stand here and watch! I'm going to support him—!"
"Don't!" Peewee barked, stopping Verda. "If you jump in, the Magic Armor Beast will lose its focus on Yugo! If that happens, the people behind us will be caught in the crossfire! Think about why Yugo is being so reckless!"
"Guh...! Damn it!! Are we really supposed to just stand here!?" Verda slammed his fist onto the floor in a fit of rage.
As they suffered through the agonizing wait, Yui stood by Fee, noticing the way his expression tightened as he watched his brother.
"Fee..." she whispered, gently placing her hand over his white-knuckled fist.
Fee didn't look away from his brother’s back. "It’s okay," he said softly. "Brother told me... a Hero shows their true strength when they have something precious to protect! Right now, Brother is protecting all of us. That’s why he won’t stop. He won’t give up. He’ll protect everyone until the very end. Because—!"
Even when the bomb barrage was joined by the lashing strikes of thick Briar Whips, Yugo did not falter. He knew that if he stopped, the people behind him would be hurt. If he gave up, those he wanted to save would lose their lives. The concepts of "stopping" or "quitting" simply didn't exist in his mind.
Hero's Condition #1: Never giving up.
Fee remembered his brother telling him that a hero must stand firm, especially in front of those who believe in him. Fee put every ounce of his conviction into his voice and roared.
"Because Brother is... a Hero!!"
"GIIGAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
Neither the monster’s shriek nor the thunder of the explosions could drown out Fee's cry.
Hearing his brother's voice, Yugo took one final step to answer that trust. He looked up at the Gigantrose, which was now pinned against the wall, its back to the corner.
"Yo, Squid Bastard. Finished with your turn? Good... because from here on, it’s My Turn!"