Yugo slid off Skull’s back as his companions rushed toward him one after another.
Marcos and the others, who had seen him collapse with a grave injury not long ago, were overjoyed to see him awake and back on the field, their faces breaking into wide, relieved smiles.
"Yugo! You're awake!!"
"To recover from such a critical state in so short a time... honestly, you never cease to amaze me."
"Truly, truly... I am so glad you are safe! I was so worried, I truly was!"
"Good grief, you’re far too reckless. You could have stayed in bed a little longer...!"
"You say that, but you’re the one who told Fee where you were going just in case I woke up. Thanks to that, I made it in time. I owe you one, Marcos."
"Hmph...!!"
For a time, they had feared the worst, and the relief that Yugo had safely awakened was felt by every one of them. Even Marcos, who had firmly believed Yugo would stand up and come running eventually, couldn't hide the grin on his face when Yugo gave exactly the reaction he had expected.
"...I believed in you, Ryuga. I knew you would save Raiha."
"It wasn't my strength alone. It was only because everyone worked together... because everyone was here... that I can stand here now."
Ryuga replied to his Partner, the man who had trusted in his inner strength and believed he could shake off his past.
The two then turned together toward Zaraki. They watched him as his rage continued to fester and grow.
"He’s pretty weakened. Just one last push should do it."
"Yeah. He’s trying to gain the upper hand by spawning those dragons, but Zaraki is near his limit too. From here on, it’s a pure test of endurance."
Yugo, having just arrived, was far from perfect physical condition. Naturally, Ryuga and the others were also nursing more than a few injuries after the prolonged battle.
However, the damage Zaraki had sustained was just as massive as theirs. Right now, the villain was merely standing by wringing out the final dregs of power left in his body. The window of opportunity was wide open.
"Everyone...! You can still do this, right!?"
"Of course! If anything, you're the one fresh out of a sickbed, so feel free to sit this one out!!"
"We have to give Zaraki a proper thank-you for doing whatever he pleased until now!"
"You... you brats...!! You dare mock me to the very end...!!"
Despite being covered in wounds and barely able to stand, a light of hope shone in the eyes of Yugo and his friends.
Zaraki, his fury mounting at their dismissive attitude—acting as if he weren't even a threat worth acknowledging—screamed at the top of his lungs in a fit of pure, concentrated rage.
"I'll never forgive you!! I'll slaughter the lot of you! I'll devour Raiha! This time, I will become the Strongest Being!! I won't let brats like you... no, I won't let anyone in this world look down on me ever again! I will transcend humanity!!"
"What's this? You're a rather small man, aren't you? Is that all you're going to do with the Dragon Power you worked so hard for?"
"Shut up!! Don't you dare talk down to meeee!!"
Zaraki roared, exploding with anger at the children who showed no fear, screaming out his childish desires. That behavior, desperately trying to intimidate them, only served to prove how small his character truly was.
No matter how much Dragon Power he possessed, no matter how staggering his strength... none of them felt like they would lose to such a petty man.
Melt and the others, their spirits burning bright, spoke to Yugo.
"Yugo, leave the dragons to us!"
"We’ve recovered our Magic Items as well. We won't let those things interfere with your fight."
"I shall make up for being a burden until now!"
"That's how it is. We'll leave Zaraki to you guys!"
"Right! I'm counting on you, everyone!"
"We’ll deliver the finishing blow with our own hands...!"
Following the women’s lead, Yugo and Ryuga stepped forward. Watching their backs, Marcos readied his Giga Scissors and called out to the group.
"You all! Get behind me! When the enemy launches an attack, I'll counter—Gah!?"
Suddenly, a crisp, satisfying smack rang out. Marcos let out a yelp of pain as a sharp sting shot through his back.
Spinning around to see what had happened, he found Melt and Anhel staring at him with exasperated expressions, still in the follow-through of a double open-hand slap.
"That's not where you’re supposed to go! You shouldn't be in front of us... you should be over there!"
Melt pointed firmly to the spot next to Yugo. While Marcos took a breath as he realized her intent, Anhel spoke in a softer tone.
"Go on. We don't exactly need a babysitter."
"Are you really okay with letting Ryuga have all the cool moments? Aren't you supposed to be Yugo's rival?"
"...My apologies!"
His voice thick with emotion at their consideration, Marcos gave a sharp nod and took off.
In front of the women watching his back, Yugo and Ryuga spoke to Marcos as he lined up beside them.
"Hehe...! You finally joined us, Marcos. I'm starting to feel sorry for the guy who has to face us now."
"Indeed. Bringing this much combat power to deal with a single, gasping Lizard seems almost excessive."
"You two...! Don't get overconfident. If you lose focus and get tripped up, there's no telling what Melt and the others will say to us later."
"I know. But now that the three of us are together, I don't feel like we can lose. Right? ...Wait, was that supposed to be Ryuga's line?"
"...What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
"Don't worry about it. He gets like this sometimes; just let it slide."
Trading lighthearted quips while tightening their resolve, the Three Warriors stood side-by-side. As Ryuga drew his Katana and Marcos braced his shield, Yugo clenched his fists and took a familiar stance, deploying his Blaster.
"Here we go...! Transform!!"
A wind flying dragon danced through the air. A water dragon lunged across the ground. And before them stood Zaraki, his face a mask of primal rage as he commanded his creations.
Yugo, now transformed and radiating a brilliant Crimson Radiance, glared at the enemy and shouted to his comrades.
"Alright, let's go! From here on, it's our stage!!"