At the same time, the hotel—
The hotel currently serving as the lodging for Yugo and the other Luminous Academy students had been repurposed into a makeshift evacuation shelter. It was a logical choice; the building was spacious, and it was filled with personnel, including apprentice Magic Knights who had undergone rigorous combat training.
Professor Castle was busy coordinating with the hotel staff as people, winded and terrified by the sudden appearance of the Magic Armor Beasts, scrambled inside for safety. He had just finished speaking with a parent and child who had arrived moments earlier.
"I see. One of our students..."
"Yes. I’m certain because he was wearing that uniform. A red-haired boy with somewhat frightening eyes saved us. He told us to run here and helped everyone else evacuate..."
Castle knew immediately who they meant. He had wondered why that conspicuous shock of red hair was nowhere to be seen. Realizing the boy had sensed the danger and rushed out to help, Castle asked, "And what did he do after that?"
"I’m sorry. We were so focused on escaping... Last I saw him, he was standing his ground against a whole legion of those monsters..."
That sounds exactly like him, Castle thought. As a teacher, he found the boy’s actions reckless, but he kept his voice steady and authoritative to reassure the trembling pair.
"Don't worry. Our students are not trained so poorly that they would fall easily. He will return safely, I promise."
"Really? You don't think that big brother will lose?"
"Of course not. He is very strong. He is one of my proudest students, after all."
Castle didn't exactly have a face that children found comforting, but he forced his features into the most reassuring smile he could muster. Once a staff member led the pair away, his expression darkened instantly.
What on earth is happening? I had received reports that strange incidents were ongoing, but this is far beyond what I expected...
He had been briefed on the existence of the mysterious Magic Items called Clear Plates and the Magic Armor Beasts born from humans who transformed using them. However, a crime of this magnitude—so massive that the full scope remained impossible to grasp—was completely unprecedented.
Likely, the mastermind had lost patience and finally made their move, but the scale of the operation was simply too vast.
As Castle pondered how he should act, several students rushed toward him.
"Professor Castle, we’ve finished directing the Elementary Division students to safety... except for two, that is."
"Hm...!"
Turning at the voice, Castle saw Ryuga and Marcos, whom he had tasked with accounting for the younger students. Fee and Yui were trailing behind them; understanding the feelings of younger siblings worried for their brothers, Castle didn't scold them. Instead, he nodded to the group.
"Thank you. You’ve been a great help. As you can see, the faculty is stretched thin managing the chaos. However, as those who carry the spirit of a Magic Knight, we cannot simply sit back while this crisis unfolds."
"How is the evacuation of the island residents going? What is the status of the other shelters?" Marcos asked.
"What in the world is happening? For such a massive number of Magic Armor Beasts to appear all at once is clearly an emergency," Setsuna added, her tone characteristically formal.
"There are too many things we don't know," Raiha murmured. "We’re severely lacking information."
Residents, students, and even the teachers were beginning to panic. Everyone felt the mounting frustration of not knowing the truth. What was the connection between this sudden invasion and the Clear Plate crimes they had been investigating?
As Marcos and the others struggled to make sense of the situation, Ryuga checked the state of his Ryuo-ga, turned on his heel, and started toward the hotel entrance.
"R-Ryuga-san?! Where on earth are you going?" Raiha cried out in a panic.
"Don't ask me a question with an obvious answer. I'm going to rendezvous with Yugo and annihilate every last one of those beasts."
Ryuga’s voice was flat and detached. He stopped for a moment, glancing back at his comrades.
"Yugo is already out there fighting to buy time for the islanders. I can't let my partner handle this alone. I also intend to investigate exactly what is happening on this island while I'm at it. If I find anything, I'll send word."
"Wait! In that case, I'll go with—"
"No," Ryuga cut Marcos off. "We don't know what's coming next. If this hotel is attacked, there is no one else here but you who can truly protect the people. I'm leaving them in your hands."
"But—!"
Ryuga had made up his mind to join Yugo and strike down the monsters rampaging across the island, leaving the defense of the shelter to his friends. Marcos tried to argue, but the words died in his throat as a voice suddenly echoed through the air.
『...Dear residents of Wind Island, good day. Can you hear my voice?』