"There are so many things that bother me about this. First of all, why didn't they make the Clear Plate's side effect trigger immediately?"
Drawing from his extensive knowledge of tokusatsu tropes, Yugo shared his latest theories regarding the Clear Plates with Shepherd. He prefaced his thoughts by admitting he didn't have a concrete answer yet, but he laid out his logic nonetheless.
"Take the magic power drainage, for instance. If the goal was simply to steal mana, wouldn't it make more sense for it to happen the moment the user is defeated? But it doesn't. The side effect only kicks in after a certain amount of time has passed without a transformation. That tells me this isn't just a penalty for those who lose."
"I have been wondering about that myself," Shepherd replied. "It feels like it carries a different weight than simply making an example of the losers."
"Exactly. Which makes me think this might be some kind of demonstration. Are they trying to showcase the power of the Clear Plates to the world by using the residents of Wind Island as a stage?"
Yugo's theory could be summarized as follows: the distribution of the Clear Plates on Wind Island and the subsequent wave of crime were part of a promotional campaign orchestrated by the mastermind. By letting various crimes unfold and demonstrating the overwhelming strength of the plates to the underworld, the creator likely intended to turn the chaos into a massive profit.
However, Shepherd shook his head on the other side of the communication device, rejecting Yugo's hypothesis.
"It is a plausible thought, but I believe the probability is low. When selling dangerous contraband like drugs or weapons, you do not market to the end-users first. You appeal to the brokers who mediate the deals. It is far more efficient to persuade someone with established connections than to try and negotiate with every street-level criminal organization from the start."
"I see... In that case, the truth might actually be the exact opposite."
"Hmph... So you have arrived at the same conclusion, Yugo-kun."
If this wasn't a promotional stunt, only one possibility remained. Having inverted his perspective, Yugo continued his thought for Shepherd, who was clearly thinking along the same lines.
"The Clear Plates transform humans into powerful Magic Armor Beasts and trap them in a pseudo-addiction state as the price... or so it seems. But what if the siphoning of magic power—the thing we've been calling a side effect—is actually the true function?"
What if the "side effect" where mana was forcibly drained if a user didn't transform for a set period was the intended purpose of the plates all along? Was this the exact scenario the distributor had been aiming for? At first glance, the idea seemed far-fetched, but it began to click with the other pieces of the puzzle.
"The Clear Plates are indestructible, which means they can be reused indefinitely. And given that different abilities manifest depending on the user, the creator must have designed them with the assumption that the 'host' would be interchangeable."
"Providing a playground for these people to run wild also looks like an attempt to cultivate their strength as Magic Armor Beasts," Shepherd added. "As the host’s power grows, so does their mana capacity. That means there is more magic power available to be harvested. When you factor in the shrinking interval between transformations, it becomes clear: the stronger the user becomes, the more mana the mastermind can eventually reap."
"So the mastermind is siphoning all that mana to fuel something else... which means the crimes committed by these plate users are nothing more than an opening act."
The real show would begin after the plates were recovered, potentially leading to a crime even more horrific than what they were currently facing. As Yugo swallowed hard, imagining the mastermind's plan steadily advancing in the shadows, Shepherd spoke again, his voice tight with suppressed urgency and dread.
"There is a distinct possibility that a terrifying plan is underway at this very moment. However, our mission remains the same. We must collect the Clear Plates as quickly as possible and prevent further violence. Our duty is to protect the safety of the citizens."
"Right. We'll do everything we can to help. Please be careful out there, Shepherd-san."
No matter what dark intentions were hidden behind the incident, they couldn't simply ignore the rampaging Magic Armor Beasts. They were being forced into a reactive position, but they had to defeat the Clear Plate possessors and secure the devices. If too many people fell victim to the plates' influence, they would be playing right into the mastermind's hands.
To prevent that, Shepherd's resolve to continue their steady crackdown on crime remained unshaken. Yugo agreed, promising his full cooperation before ending the transmission. With the information exchange complete, he headed back to his room to relay the grim news to his comrades.