"Guaah! G-ugh...!"
Regen groaned in pain as he slammed into the ground and bounced.
Managing to endure the agonizing pain, he staggered to his feet, only for his vision to be filled with the figures of Yugo and Jinba glaring at him.
"Regen...! You’re going to answer for murdering my partner!"
"Regen, leader of the syndicate! For the crimes of serial kidnapping, inciting a large-scale riot, and the murder of a security officer... your judgment is at hand!"
"Don't give me that self-righteous crap...! I'm not finished yet! There's no way I'm going down in a place like this—not me!!"
Driven by the pride of a criminal mastermind, Regen showed one final flash of resistance.
Seeing him prepare to fight back, the two men realized he had no intention of surrendering. They immediately moved to suppress him with force.
"Let’s end this, Yugo!"
"Yeah... let’s finish it!!"
Jinba gripped his sword in his right hand and the crossbow that served as a memento of his partner in his left.
Clenching his fists in response, Yugo charged toward Regen alongside him.
"It's over, Regen!!"
"!?!??!"
Yugo shouted, channeling magic power into his left hand.
As he leaped high into the air, Regen hesitated. He was torn between responding to Yugo’s aerial assault or Jinba’s frontal charge.
That hesitation lasted only a fraction of a second.
However, that single moment proved fatal. Regen lost his window of opportunity to defend or evade.
"Take this! Special Fist: Blast Hammer!!"
"Guoaaaaahhh!!"
Yugo’s strike, carrying the combined momentum of his leap and his descent along with his magic-infused left arm, slammed squarely into Regen’s face.
As Regen staggered back with a scream, Jinba followed through with his sword, slashing across the villain’s chest. Regen shrieked again as the blade bit deep.
"Guaah! Guhak! Gaaah!"
He swung his arms wildly, struggling to stay upright as he turned toward his attackers.
In that instant, Thomas’s crossbow was pressed directly against the fresh wound in Regen’s chest.
"Hii...!?"
Regen’s voice hitched in terror. He stared down at Jinba, who had the muzzle of the weapon jammed into his flesh. An arrow forged of pure magic power was already loaded, and Jinba’s finger was tightening on the trigger.
Trembling with naked fear, the villain pleaded for his life.
"W-Wait, Jinba! Just wait—!!"
"Regen..."
Jinba was deaf to his enemy's pleas for mercy.
He let out a fearless, mocking snort. A split second before pulling the trigger, he threw a final word at his nemesis.
"...Adieu!"
"Hii!? Guaaaaaaaaaahhh!!"
With that signal, the magic power arrow was fired point-blank into the wound on Regen’s chest.
The arrow—the physical manifestation of the anger and tenacity of Jinba and his fallen partner, Thomas—pierced Regen and sent him hurtling backward.
Regen slammed into a wall and vanished within a massive explosion, letting out one final scream before collapsing into a heap.
As the smoke cleared, Regen lay there, having reverted to his human form. Jinba approached the slumped figure, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his coat.
"This is the end of the line, Regen. Submit and pay for your crimes."
"Heh... heh-heh-heh...! Nothing’s over. Even if I’m gone, someone else will just take my place and start a new era of chaos. Arresting me doesn't change a thing, Jinba. No matter the age, crime will never truly disappear...!"
"Maybe so. But we’ll be there to fight it. No matter how many times evil rises, we will stop it. For the safety of the citizens and for peace."
The metallic click of handcuffs echoed as Jinba locked them around Regen’s wrists.
Thus, the long-standing case of blood and bitter fate finally reached its conclusion.
As Jinba stood over his captured nemesis, having finally avenged his partner, it was impossible to say exactly what was crossing his mind.
"I’m sure it’s not as simple as all that... but for now, I'd say this case is closed."
Yugo watched Jinba's back as he made the arrest. He sensed the complex emotions swirling within the older man and let out a quiet sigh of relief, thankful that the incident had finally been resolved.