"Big brother...?"
"Yugo... what do you think you’re doing!?"
Yugo offered a silent apology to Anhel for being unable to keep the promise he had made only moments ago. He had told her he wouldn't be reckless, but that was one vow he was about to break.
Without a backward glance at the voices of his brother or his comrades, Yugo walked straight ahead, magic power surging from his entire body.
"Hm...?"
Sensing the massive discharge of magic power, Zaraki chuckled and halted his advance toward Ryuga. He turned toward the one who had so blatantly provoked him.
"So, you couldn't just stand by while your friends were in a pinch? How sentimental. And utterly meaningless. Without the Dragon Power, your attacks won't even scratch me!"
"We'll see about that."
Zaraki was half right. Yugo didn't possess the Dragon Power, the specific weakness that the villain shared with Ryuga and Setsuna. But even without it, there was a way to make Zaraki feel pain. If a strike was powerful enough to pierce that resistance, the Dragon Power became irrelevant.
Yugo had a way. It was a trump card he had kept hidden—a final resort. Beyond even the formidable Magic-Slaying Crimson Lotus Blade, he had trained relentlessly to master one ultimate technique that surpassed everything else.
"You’ve come crawling out here just to die! Are you ready to be killed!?"
"Hah! I was never ready for that. But—"
He remembered. He remembered the moment he had died in his previous life while shielding a child from a random attacker. He remembered the sobbing face of that child and the crushing weight of his own regret.
When he was reborn in this world, he had sworn to become a hero who makes no one cry. He had polished his strength and sharpened his skills for that singular purpose. This moment felt like that one, but with one crucial difference.
Yugo glared at Zaraki, his voice unwavering. "I’m ready to make sure no one else dies."
Not just his friends. He would protect his own life, too.
Clenching his left fist, he whispered a final apology to his comrades for the reckless path he was taking. He would save them all.
"Super Transformation!!"
Magic power erupted like a storm. A crimson radiance swallowed Yugo as the Black Iron Armor manifested. It was hard, heavy, and thick. But the micro-particle metal that formed the Purple Armor was only the beginning. As the heavy plating settled, the Blaster underwent a further evolution.
In the center of the reinforced chest plate, an orange crystal appeared. The moment that magic crystal—imbued with the flame attribute—surfaced, Yugo’s magic power skyrocketed.
"What is that...?" Melt whispered, her eyes wide.
A massive pillar of fire roared to life, consuming Yugo.
"Is he...?"
Encased in heavy armor and wreathed in fire, Yugo stood his ground. The crimson lotus flames, burning as hot as his own fighting spirit, began to swirl and shift. As the magic power intensified the heat, the red faded into a deep, vibrant purple. When the inferno reached its peak, Yugo threw his arms wide, dispelling the fire.
"That’s the form Yugo-san used at the hospital...!"
Yui gasped, her breath catching as she recognized the armor’s heavy purple luster and the glowing magic crystal on his chest. She was the only one there who had seen it before.
During that explosion incident, the only reason Yugo had survived the final blast was this form. By combining the absolute defense of the Purple Armor with the elemental strength of the Flame Armor, he had negated the explosion’s force and saved everyone.
Now, he was unleashing that power to fight.
Yui felt the heat of his will in her very soul, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Zaraki smirked. "Heh. Interesting. But do you really think that’s enough to beat me?"
"Sorry, I don't have time for a chat. See for yourself."
"Hah! Fine by me! Come at—huh?"
Zaraki’s words cut off mid-sentence. Yugo, who had been a significant distance away, was suddenly right in front of him. In the space of a single heartbeat, the villain’s arrogant grin warped into pure shock.
(He’s... fast!?)
He’d seen the Purple Armor move before. It was agile for its size, but it still carried the weight of its bulk. This armor looked almost the same, so how was he moving at a speed Zaraki couldn't even track?
The realization and Yugo’s fist hit him at the exact same time.
Zaraki spat blood as he was sent tumbling across the ground. A second later, a ragged scream tore from his throat.
"Gwaaaaagh!? Gaah... aaagh!"
"Za-Zaraki!?"
Almost no one present had been able to follow Yugo’s movement. They only saw the aftermath—the villain sent flying.
Yui watched, understanding the terrifying reality of that power.
"That’s Yugo-san’s trump card..." she whispered. "The Purple Flame Armor...!"