"Hey, hey, hey... what are you idiots doing? You seriously think you can actually beat Abyss?"
Yugo and the others spun toward the voice, finding Cyan standing there with a mocking sneer. It was their first meeting since his expulsion from the academy, but there was no warmth in this reunion.
"Cyan!" Yugo growled. "Why the hell are you working for Abyss? Is this some petty grudge because you got kicked out of the academy?"
"That’s part of it," Cyan admitted. "But more importantly... he chose me. Abyss, the man with the power to rule this world! Right now I’m his subordinate, but when the time comes, I’ll be the one standing at the top. You think I’d let a chance like that slip away?"
Cyan had been driven out of Luminous Academy by his own hand, yet he had once aspired to be a Magic Knight. Yugo had hoped for some shred of that former self, but the answer he received was nothing more than the selfish ranting of a man blinded by greed.
"Look, you’re free to challenge him if you want, but you’ll never win," Cyan continued. "I’ve fought him directly. I know how terrifying he is down to my bones. I’m telling you now—he’s on a completely different level than us."
Marcos snorted. "So, in other words, he beat you so badly your spirit snapped? You’ve certainly gotten bold about admitting how pathetic you are, Cyan."
Cyan’s face contorted at the jab, but he merely spat on the ground and turned his gaze toward the girls. He licked his lips, his gaze crawling over them with naked lust.
"Melt, Ann, Setsuna, Sakura, Raiha... just give up," he said with a slimy grin. "Staying with these losers will only get you killed. Why not become my women instead? I’m going to be the King of the World soon. Not a bad deal, right?"
"You're joking!" Melt snapped. "I'd rather die than be treated like your property!"
"Didn't I tell you before?" Ann added, her voice sharp. "Don't call me 'Ann' so familiarly!"
Setsuna sighed, her expression cold. "Could you perhaps save your sleep-talking for when you're actually asleep? Even if you did, our answer wouldn't change."
"Sessha is not the kind of woman who would follow a man with neither conviction nor resolve!" Sakura declared. "Especially one who would dirty his hands with such atrocious villainy!"
"Our answer is the same," Raiha finished. "I have no intention of doing the bidding of a villain like you!"
Yugo chuckled. "There’s your answer. Five rejections in a single minute... that’s gotta sting."
Cyan’s face darkened, and he clicked his tongue in irritation. "Fine. I’ll just have to make you submit by force!" He pulled out a Clear Plate and slammed it into his own chest. Magic power erupted, forcing Yugo and the others into defensive stances. Cyan transformed, his body warping into an Invincible Magic Armor Beast.
"Feast your eyes!" Cyan roared, flaunting his new form. "This is my true power!"
With a deafening howl, he lunged. He swung a massive fist at Marcos, punching him back despite the knight's raised guard. He then turned his fury on Yugo, unleashing a flurry of strikes that Yugo narrowly managed to evade.
"How do you like that?" Cyan boasted. "This is the power of Invincible! No one can block me, and none of you can lay a finger on me!"
Marcos stood back up, brushing off his armor. "You talk a big game, but my Giga Scissors and I are perfectly fine. Does 'Invincible' mean something different in your world?"
"Tch... keep talking," Cyan hissed.
Melt and Setsuna seized the opening. "Take this! Sword Straight!" Melt cried, swinging her blade alongside Setsuna’s Wind Arrow. The attacks hammered into Cyan's armored form, but he only staggered slightly. He wasn't taking any damage.
"Useless, useless!" Cyan laughed.
Yugo lunged in, catching Cyan's arm and delivering a brutal punch to the elbow joint. Even without his armor, the strike should have been crippling, but Cyan didn't even flinch.
Cyan really was in an invincible state. While his offensive power hadn't reached its peak yet, his defense was absolute. He thinks he's some kind of golden, strongest gamer, Yugo thought with a scowl, annoyed that Cyan was using the same "Invincible" name as that legendary hero.
"What’s the plan, Yugo?" Melt asked, her voice tight with worry. "He’s a nightmare to deal with."
Setsuna nodded. "We’ve hit him with everything, but he has no obvious weak points. A direct confrontation will take too long."
"Go on ahead," Marcos said, stepping forward. "I have the best defense. I'll hold him here while you—"
A hand clamped down on Marcos's shoulder. Ryuga pulled him back and stepped into the vanguard.
"Marcos, what did I tell you?" Ryuga asked, his voice calm and cold. "The most important thing is doing what only you can do. Is staying here really your best move?"
"Ryuga...?"
Ryuga turned his gaze toward Cyan, his eyes narrowing. "Go on ahead. I’ll be the one to cut down this gold-plated fake."