"What...?"
Yugo’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Jinba, who had spoken with such raw anguish.
Jinba pressed a clenched fist to his forehead as he continued his story.
"I told you that when Thomas and Regen had their shootout, there were hostages... I was one of them."
"How did it come to that?"
"...A child who had been slow to flee wandered into the fray while we had him cornered. Regen tried to trap the kid in his Birdcage. I thought I was protecting the child, but I ended up getting caught right along with him."
Jinba gave a small, pained shake of his head, his teeth gritted as the memory resurfaced. Yugo was left speechless by the weight of the man's self-reproach. The investigator continued, his voice heavy with the burden of an irreversible mistake.
"We knew Regen used children as shields. We should have anticipated it the moment we saw the Birdcage. But because I was reckless and got caught right in front of Thomas... he lost his cool. If he hadn't, he never would have taken that double-suicide shot."
He remembered it all too well—the moment he emerged from the shattered Birdcage with the children, only to see his partner. Thomas had collapsed before him, mortally wounded. Jinba had rushed to his side, screaming for him not to die, begging him not to leave... but Thomas had simply stopped breathing.
"It’s on me. If I’d just stayed calm like he told me to... Thomas would still be alive. I’m the one who killed my partner. No one else."
"Jinba-san..."
The sheer weight of Jinba’s grief, and the raw frustration of letting the killer slip through his fingers after coming so close, was a level of pain Yugo could barely fathom.
If he had just suppressed his reckless impulses like he’d been warned, maybe Thomas would still be here. Now, Jinba finally had a chance to settle the score. His face made it clear: for the sake of the city, he could not afford to lose this memorial battle.
"I was transferred because I went overboard with the investigation afterward," Jinba said, "but the fact that he showed up the moment I returned to the city... that has to be fate. This time, I’m bringing that bastard in. No matter what."
"Don't go doing anything crazy. I'm worried about you, Jinba-san."
"Haha! Thanks. But Yugo... this case is a mountain I have to climb even if it kills me. You'll have to forgive me for being a little reckless."
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"I see... For Jinba-san, this case is also a battle to avenge his partner."
"I can understand why he's so fired up. But, just as Yugo said, I'm worried about him."
Not long after his conversation with Jinba ended, Yugo shared the details with his friends who had arrived following the news of the riot. Together, they sat in somber reflection. Melt and Setsuna both voiced their concerns, and Yugo nodded in agreement. Then, Marcos spoke.
"I understand this is a personal matter for Investigator Jinba, but we must also consider the threat to the public. If we let Regen run wild, this city will be crawling with Magic Armor Beasts."
"The Security Force is well aware," Yugo replied. "They're doing everything they can to track the culprit group. They’ve already stationed guards at high-risk targets."
"But they're holding the children," Melt pointed out. "If they use them as shields, it’ll limit our options."
"Shielding themselves with children... what cowards! They are a disgrace to the very name of samurai!" Setsuna exclaimed.
"Even if we try to reach them, they’re hiding in the sub-space within the Birdcage. Launching a preemptive strike is out of the question."
"So they’ll always have the jump on us. That's a grim outlook."
When organizing the situation, the biggest bottleneck for Yugo and the others was the captured children. As long as they didn't rescue them from Regen and his group, the enemy would always hold the winning card.
"But if we break the Magic Item, the kids will be released safely, right? That’s how it worked for Jinba-san."
"The problem is getting to it," Marcos argued. "They’re a coordinated organization. If a fight breaks out, it’ll turn into a massive, chaotic brawl."
"And since we’re dealing with Bat Magic Armor Beasts, they can just take to the skies and retreat."
"Melt and I could try to snipe it," Setsuna added, "but hitting a target like that in the middle of a melee..."
The more they analyzed it, the more they realized how difficult destroying the Birdcage would be. The room fell into a frustrated silence until Yugo slapped his knees and stood up.
"Standing around talking won't change anything. For now, let's get ready so we can move the second they do."
"I agree," Marcos said. "If we know they’ll take the initiative, we must be positioned to counter it. I'll stay here at the Security Force Station tonight. That way, I can respond immediately."
"Then I'll head to the hospital and fill Ryuga-san in," Setsuna decided. "We might need to call on his strength eventually."
There was little more they could do for the moment. Preparation was their only recourse, and that included getting enough rest. The group parted ways, leaving Yugo and Marcos to spend the night at the Security Force Station.