"Stop looking down on me! I’m going to turn you into ash!!"
Reina screamed as she took a stance, her entire body wreathed in flames. She intended to transform herself into a living fireball; if she collided head-on with Yugo, she was certain her superior destructive power would leave him reeling. Even if he chose to evade, that was fine too. She would simply use the opening to reclaim the initiative from her hesitant opponent.
Reina prepared to incinerate everything in a desperate, all-or-nothing charge—but Yugo had already anticipated her move. Rather than retreating, he unleashed a sudden spray of water to disrupt her concentration before she could activate her technique.
"What—?!"
Reina had been so focused on the offensive that her concentration wavered for a fraction of a second as she tried to generate the flames. Yugo did not miss it. Water jets erupted from the thrusters on his back and legs, instantly erasing the distance between them. Driven by that explosive momentum, he thrust his staff forward.
"Hyaaaaaaaah!!"
"Guaah?!"
With a dull thud, the tip of the staff slammed into Reina’s left chest. The strike combined the force of his leap with his Water Attribute Magic Power, further amplified by the momentum of Reina's own charge used as a counter. The impact was devastating beyond measure.
"Gah... ah...! Impossible... I have the power of the Plate—!"
While it wasn't a lethal blow, the Magic Power surging through her chest sent a shockwave through her internal organs, leaving her paralyzed. She tried to regain her footing, but Yugo was already preparing the Finishing Blow.
"This ends now!"
Yugo flourished his staff to focus his spirit before driving it into the ground to anchor his leap. Behind him, the Water Attribute Magic Power of the Blue Armor coalesced into the form of a massive Azure Dragon. Lowering his posture and spreading his arms, Yugo locked his gaze on Reina. He didn't leap toward the sky; instead, he shot forward in a sharp, straight line, accompanied by the roaring Azure Dragon at his back.
To understand the Blue Armor, one must consider its unique design. The strength of this form lay in the tricky aerial maneuvers enabled by the Fountain Mechanism installed across the suit, balanced against a specialized reinforcement of the legs to enhance leaping power. Consequently, while the armor lacked significant punching power or defense, its leg strength was superior to almost any other form.
Despite its slender silhouette, the Blue Armor possessed incredible kicking power. When Yugo utilized its full potential for a jumping strike, the resulting destruction was catastrophic.
To Reina, it seemed as though Yugo vanished the moment he kicked off the ground, only to reappear instantly before her eyes. The transition from his leap to the impact was so fast that she couldn't even raise her arms to defend herself. Yugo's flying kick connected with absolute precision.
"Dragonic Blaster!!"
"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The low-altitude kick slammed into her, sent Reina hurtling backward as her body arched in agony. The Azure Dragon following in Yugo’s wake swallowed her within its watery form before detonating in a massive explosion that dealt the final, decisive blow.
"Ah... gah... ugh..."
"Playtime is over," Yugo said. "I'm confiscating this."
"G-give it... back... My Plate..."
Reina’s transformation into a Magic Armor Beast unraveled amidst the dissipating mist of the explosion. Yugo reached down and picked up the Clear Plate that had been expelled from her body. Reina reached out a trembling hand in a final, desperate act of defiance, but she had reached her limit. Her hand fell limp, and she collapsed into unconsciousness.
Having suppressed the threat, Yugo took a breath and examined the item.
"She called it a Clear Plate? What exactly is this...?"
He stared at the small, square object. The letter 'F' was engraved into its surface, appearing as if it were floating within the material. He had seen many items used to transform humans into Magic Armor Beasts, but this felt fundamentally different.
In fact, the item seemed strangely familiar to him. Though the details were slightly different, the concept of a plate engraved with an alphabet that granted incredible power to someone who inserted it into their body was strikingly similar to the transformation trinkets from his favorite hero shows.
As he recalled his encounter with the mastermind Lost and wondered if there was a connection, Fee and Melt came running toward him.
"Brother, are you okay? Wait, is that—?!"
"The Plate?" Melt asked. "The thing that turned her into a monster?"
"Yeah, it looks like it," Yugo replied. "We’ll investigate it later. The real problem is that there might be others out there with the same thing."
"An-san said she was securing the settlement, and Ryuga and the others are busy with the Sahagins," Fee noted, his expression turning serious. "That means the only ones left unaccounted for are..."
"Marcos and Elena!" Melt finished. "That woman came from their direction!"
The group quickly piece the puzzle together. Reina likely wanted to avoid competing with her partner for a hunting ground, meaning she had intentionally moved away from the other Clear Plate user. Realizing that Marcos and Elena might be in the path of a second transformation user, the three of them turned their gazes toward the horizon.
"Given the situation, Marcos is likely holding his own, but Elena and the islanders are with him," Yugo said. "We need to go check on them."
"Right. Fee-kun, I'm sorry to ask this of you, but could you head back and tell Ann and the others where we are? We need them to help evacuate the people here."
"Understood," Fee said with a nod. "The Sahagins seem to have vanished, probably thanks to Ryuga, so it should be safe enough until Ann-san gets here."
As they prepared to move out, wary of encountering a second Clear Plate Possessor, Yugo looked toward the distance and whispered a prayer for his companion.
"I know you can handle yourself... but don't do anything stupid, Marcos!"