"Tear down the fences! Burn it all! Set the monsters free!"
"In the name of freedom and justice, we shall reclaim the great blue sea!"
"Stop! Please, stop! Why are you doing this!?"
Men and women brandished weapons, tearing through the fences and smashing the small huts that served as habitats for the monsters.
Residents of Shandia Island screamed in protest, but the members of Blue Ever ignored them. Instead, the radicals hurled handmade firebombs, watching with fanatical glee as trees and obstacles went up in flames. They didn't just ignore the islanders; they actively moved to eliminate anyone who tried to interfere.
Elena stood frozen, her eyes wide with horror as she watched the mob descend into a violent frenzy. Marcos was the first to snap back to his senses. He lunged forward, using his shoulder to tackle a Blue Ever member who was closing in on Horon.
"Are you all right!? Pull yourself together!"
"You're the...! Ah, thank heavens. Truly, thank you."
"What on earth happened here!? How did it come to this!?" Marcos demanded.
"I don't know," Horon stammered, nursing a few light scrapes. "They just stormed in without warning and started destroying the huts and the fences."
Marcos scanned the chaos, his gaze settling on a man who seemed to be shouting orders to the group. Gritting his teeth, he charged straight for the leader.
"Hmph! You’re one of those meddling students from earlier today...!"
"Seize him! Let’s teach this sheltered brat the meaning of our justice!"
"Scoundrels...! Out of my way!" Marcos spat.
The Blue Ever members lunged at him with hand axes and daggers, but Marcos didn't flinch. He intercepted a man swinging an axe from above, catching him with a sharp punch to the jaw that sent him spiraling into unconsciousness. When a second man lunged with a knife, Marcos caught his wrist and twisted it into a brutal joint lock. In seconds, the thugs were neutralized.
"Gah...!?"
"My arm! My arm! It's broken, aaaaagh!"
"Enough of this! Stop this madness at once!" Marcos roared.
"Madness? A child like you couldn't possibly understand," the leader sneered. "We have a mission! A sacred mission to protect the natural world of this island!"
"You burn the trees and drive the monsters into a corner, yet you dare speak of nature!? Where in this carnage is there any sign of your supposed ideals!?"
Marcos grabbed the man by the front of his shirt, his fury boiling over. He condemned the group’s actions—this wasn't environmental protection, it was a riot meant for total destruction. But the members only seemed emboldened by his anger.
"Hey! Let go of our leader!"
"Otherwise... this happens!"
Marcos’s eyes went wide.
A silver-haired man and a red-haired woman threw the firebombs they were holding directly at a nearby shed. As the wooden structure ignited and the flames began to spread, the agonizing shrieks of the monsters trapped inside reached Marcos’s ears.
"You... monsters!" Marcos growled, his heart burning with a rage far hotter than the inferno before him.
He realized he couldn't waste time on the leader. Prioritizing the lives of the creatures, he shoved the man away and sprinted directly into the burning building. The leader straightened his clothes, watching Marcos’s retreating back before turning to his two subordinates.
"Well done. Geras-kun, Reika-kun, you are truly reliable comrades!"
"Thank you, sir! We’re just happy to be of service!" Geras-kun chirped.
"Let’s show the whole world the justice of Blue Ever!" Reika-kun added.
The pair offered crisp, smiling salutes. The leader nodded with approval.
While they exchanged their self-righteous pleasantries, Marcos emerged from the smoke, guiding the frightened monsters out of the collapsing shed. He spotted Elena and called out to her immediately.
"Elena! Which monsters are most vulnerable to the fire!? Tell me, I’ll prioritize them for rescue!"
"There aren't many of that type here...! But the ones in the other sectors...!"
"It’s fine! Yugo and Ryuga are out there! With them on the move, we don't have to worry about the rest of the island. We’ll focus on the people and monsters here and get them to safety!"
"U-Understood!"
"Kani-kani!"
Elena had been paralyzed by the shock of it all, but Marcos’s decisive commands pulled her back to reality. She began moving, helping the people wounded by Blue Ever’s assault and gathering the panicked monsters to lead them away.
"Don't let them escape! Secure the monsters!"
"You bastards... how much more of this idiocy must you inflict on us before you're satisfied!?"
The Blue Ever radicals closed in on the fleeing islanders, brandishing weapons and throwing more firebombs to cut off their escape with walls of flame. Marcos stepped between the villagers and the attackers, acting as a living shield.
When a man swung a sword at him, Marcos summoned Giga Scissors. The golden wall materialized instantly, and the attacker knocked himself unconscious against the indestructible barrier. Marcos followed up by using a shield bash to swat a flying firebomb back at the thrower, breaking their formation.
"Now! Run while you can!"
"Kaniiiii!"
Responding to Marcos’s desperate stand, Polulu began spitting out high-pressure bubbles to douse the fires blocking the path. Elena and Horon joined in the firefighting effort, working feverishly to clear a way out.
But then, through the smoke and the screams, a voice rang out—a voice that carried a chilling, jarring note of delight that had no place in such a nightmare.