"Haaaaaaa... huff! Hihihi, hahaha!"
"Ugh, waaaaah!? Wh-what is this guy!?"
Screams erupted as the passengers watched a human warp into a Magic Armor Beast before their very eyes.
The man, relishing their terror, paced slowly across the deck. He moved with a deliberate stride, putting his new, grotesque form on full display.
"Well? How about it? Don't I look strong? Don't I look terrifying? You won't look down on me now, will you!?"
"Kyaaaaa!"
"Hiiiiii!"
His skin had turned a dull, matte grey, looking as though he had been cast from solid concrete. His frame, once as thin as wire, had swelled with immense girth and density. Clenching his hands, the Magic Armor Beast showed off his new power.
His fists transformed into spheres of pitch-black iron. He slammed one of the heavy orbs into the deck, and the sheer hardness of the strike shattered the wooden floor with a deafening crack, leaving a jagged crater behind.
The man basked in the sound of the passengers shrieking at his overwhelming violence. His expression was one of pure ecstasy. Finally, he turned his gaze toward the middle-aged man who had first called for the group to resist.
"Now then... time to punish the bad little boys!"
"Hic! Gugueh!"
The beast's arm blurred in a wide, heavy swing, catching the man across the shoulder. The impact of the iron-hard fist was enough to pulverize the bone instantly. The man let out a choked cry of agony as he was sent tumbling across the deck.
"Aguh, uuuuh...!"
"It hurts, doesn't it? It’s agonizing, right? But I’m not done yet. Not by a long shot! I’m going to beat you into a bloody pulp!"
The Magic Armor Beast began to stalk toward his groaning victim. The other passengers scrambled away, huddled in fear, unable to do anything but watch the impending slaughter.
While everyone else remained paralyzed by the threat of being targeted next, Fee suddenly lunged forward. He knelt beside the fallen man, his voice urgent.
"Are you okay!? Please, stay with me!"
"F-Fee-kun! No, get back!"
"Huh? What are you supposed to be? You trying to get in my way, brat?"
The Magic Armor Beast spoke with a voice thick with irritation as he looked down at the boy.
Behind them, the schoolteacher shrieked in terror at the student's reckless bravery. Despite the danger, Fee looked the monster straight in the eye.
"That's enough! There’s no reason to keep hurting this man!"
"Haaah... Listen here. Whether it’s enough or whether I stop is up to me! Don't you dare open your mouth, you little brat. You’re weak, so shut up and watch!!"
Enraged that a child smaller and weaker than himself was trying to lecture him, the Magic Armor Beast let out a hysterical roar and raised his iron fist.
The onlookers squeezed their eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable tragedy. But the blow never landed. The beast's arm stopped dead in mid-air.
"It’s as the boy says, Lorence. That’s enough."
"Guh...!?"
The Magic Armor Beast groaned. His fist had been intercepted from the side, caught and held firm by a massive hand.
Fee, who had braced himself for the strike, looked up toward the voice. Standing there was a mountain of a man, nearly seven feet tall. His scarred hand was clamped over the beast's arm like a vice.
"You...! Do you think you can just order me around? Don't mess with me...!"
"The agreement was that you would follow my lead during this operation. You haven't forgotten, have you? Because if you have—"
"!!?"
The sound of grinding stone echoed from the beast's arm as the giant increased his grip.
The elderly man didn't flinch. He towered over the monster, his gaze fixed on Lorence's eyes with cold, threatening intensity.
"—Perhaps I should beat you down until the memory returns?"
"Kh... damn it...!"
The passengers watched the exchange, stunned. They quickly realized the hierarchy between the two—and the fact that the giant was significantly more powerful than the transformed beast.
Lorence stared into the giant's scarred face and log-thick arms. Finally, he let out a resentful groan and deactivated his transformation. The grey, concrete shell receded, leaving the wire-thin human behind once more. Lorence spat on the deck and glared at the giant.
"Don't get cocky, old man. You haven't forgotten either, have you?"
Lorence didn't wait for a reply; he turned and stalked away across the deck.
As the heavy tension eased slightly, the giant turned his attention to Fee.
"You have good eyes," the man rumbled. "The eyes of someone who knows what true strength really is."
"Eh...?"
"Luminous Academy, was it? I heard it was a school for training Magic Knights. You seem to be a promising prospect."
Fee stared at the man. His face and arms were a map of old scars, yet his eyes held a strange, unexpected kindness. As Fee caught his breath, a voice suddenly cried out from the crowd.
"Gomez-san...? It's you, isn't it? Gomez-san!"
The giant remained silent.
The middle-aged passenger who had spoken shook his head repeatedly, his face pale with disbelief.
"Why are you doing this!? Hijacking a ship with monsters like that—why!?"
Gomez didn't answer. He simply looked away, his expression unreadable.
Seeing the desperation in the passenger's eyes and the recognition on the faces of others, Fee realized that this man was a well-known figure on the island.
"Answer me! Why would a man like you do this!?"
"...I am under no obligation to answer that. Right now, I am just a criminal. Nothing more, nothing less."
"That's a lie! You were this island's hero! How could you...!?"
"Hero...?"