The series of Clear Plate Incidents that had ravaged Wind Island finally drew to a close with the downfall of Conductor Abyss, the mastermind who had been pulling every string from the shadows.
With his defeat, every Clear Plate he had created dissolved into nothingness. The dummy plates scattered across the island vanished alongside them, and the Magic Armor Beasts born from their power faded from existence.
Once the frantic struggle for the Final Plate subsided, the people regained their senses. Realizing the danger had passed, a hard-won peace settled over Wind Island once more.
However, things were far from returning to normal.
The island bore deep scars from the violent clashes, the rampages of the monsters, and the chaos of the people's own infighting. Rebuilding what was lost and restoring the island to its former glory would be a long, arduous process.
But the people of Wind Island had found a new sense of unity through this crisis. They knew that as long as they worked together, reconstruction was only a matter of time.
Yet, there were things beyond even their power to mend—namely, trust and reputation.
The standing of the so-called Hero Candidates had utterly collapsed. Cyan, already facing expulsion for his complicity in Abyss’s plan, was joined in disgrace by Woz and Torin, who had surrendered to the enemy. But even those who hadn't turned traitor were shunned; the students of Luminous Academy had watched them abandon their comrades and act out of pure self-interest during the hunt for the last plate.
Now that the emergency had passed, those who had slunk back to the group were met only with cold, disillusioned stares. While no formal punishment was handed down—the faculty acknowledging the extreme stress and psychological toll of the crisis—the isolation they faced was a penalty far more severe than any official reprimand.
Shrinking under the weight of their own shame, the Hero Candidates became ghosts of their former selves. Their parties dissolved as members quit in droves, leaving them completely isolated.
In stark contrast stood Yugo, the man once reviled as the academy's lowest and worst scum.
As the hero who had personally struck down the mastermind, Yugo was now the object of universal respect. His reputation had undergone a total reversal, and he had finally traded places with the candidates in the eyes of the public.
His younger brother, Fee, and his inner circle of friends were overjoyed to see Yugo finally receive the recognition he deserved. Once they returned to the academy, the insults and mockery would surely be a thing of the past. To those who had witnessed his struggle on Wind Island, Yugo was their savior, their hero, and their greatest benefactor.
In gratitude, the island's authorities sought to honor him with formal commendations and rewards, but Yugo steadfastly refused them all. He insisted that the victory belonged to everyone who had stood their ground. He wasn't the hero just because he delivered the final blow; in his eyes, every person who had fought through the crisis was a hero.
This humble stance only served to bolster his popularity. Even now, Yugo spent his days fulfilling what he considered the duty of a hero: helping with the reconstruction. The sight of the man who had saved the island performing manual labor as if it were the most natural thing in the world had a profound impact.
"If Yugo is helping, so will I," the other students said, joining the efforts. His presence transformed the work sites, boosting morale and efficiency until the reconstruction became a self-sustaining engine of progress fueled by shared purpose.
Despite the busy days, the school trip was nearing its end. On the evening before their departure, Yugo stood watching the sunset, taking a break from the restoration work. As he spoke with Fee, he looked back on the whirlwind of events—a time that had felt both agonizingly long and incredibly brief.