"…I'm sorry. Finding a way out of these situations is supposed to be my job, but I couldn't think of a single thing."
Marcos felt the weight of his own failure. Usually, it was his responsibility to sniff out enemy schemes or find a breakthrough in a crisis. This time, however, he had succumbed to a state of near-panic, leaving him unable to offer even a single suggestion.
If Melt and Raiha hadn't stepped up, the animals would have been…
As Marcos slumped his shoulders in dejection, Yugo offered him a few words of encouragement.
"Don't sweat it. Helping each other in a pinch is what comrades and friends are for, right? Hero's Condition #5: 'Be One Who Takes the Hands of Comrades and Fights Together.' Just as you're always there to help us, we're here to help you. It's as simple as that."
"Exactly! I know more about magic than you do, and Raiha was just using her own specialty. We're all just working together! You don't need to be so depressed, Marcos!"
"I… I'm sorry."
"Don't say 'sorry.' Say 'thank you' instead."
Seeing that Marcos was dejected but hadn't lost his fighting spirit, Yugo grinned confidently. As Marcos nodded, Melt decided to poke fun at him.
"Well, it's understandable! Anyone would lose their cool if the girl they liked was in danger!"
"What!? W-wait! I don't harbor those kinds of feelings for Elena—!"
"Melt didn't actually say it was Elena, though," Yugo pointed out. "If we're talking about being in a pinch, Melt and Raiha were in one too… So why did you single out Elena's name?"
"That's because you two tease me about her at every opportunity! There's no other meaning behind it! I'm serious!!"
When they pushed him with a bit of playful malice, Marcos grew defensive and began to deny it heatedly.
He's finally looking forward again, Yugo and Melt thought, exchanging smirking glances. In the midst of their laughter, Raiha’s voice rang out. She had finished her Animal Scan.
"This is…! There are two biological signatures here!? One belongs to this wolf, but the other is… right here!"
As Raiha spoke, a crackle of electricity burst from her fingertips.
Yugo and the others watched in surprise as a small object flew out from the wolf’s body. Ryuga was the first to react, plucking it out of the air. He narrowed his eyes at the thing in his hand.
"Is this… a parasite? So this is what was latched onto the animals and hijacking their consciousness."
"Yes. In all likelihood, this insect is a drone designed only to receive commands from a central source. There is a culprit somewhere nearby who implanted these parasites to drive the animals into a rampage."
"They're being controlled, but much like the person using hypnosis magic, the instructions aren't very detailed. Perhaps it's because there are too many targets to manage, or perhaps—"
"—Or perhaps they haven't had these powers long enough to handle them properly?"
Yugo suspected the latter.
He didn't have proof, but experience suggested that the culprit was likely someone who had let their new power go to their head. Nine times out of ten, these people were humans who had gained the ability to transform into Magic Armor Beasts.
Sensing the arrogance of someone who had decided to use their new strength for a large-scale crime, Yugo slammed his fist into his palm.
"Alright, the plan's clear! We find the person controlling the animals with magic and parasites and take them down! That'll settle the whole incident!"
"W-wait! You talk about finding them, but do we even have a lead?"
"And isn't it possible they've already run off?"
"Not a chance. Types like this want to savor the sight of people and animals in a panic. I bet the culprits are still inside the zoo."
"As for the parasites, I have a way to find the source. I've prepared a Shikigami that can analyze this insect and track a similar, stronger reaction. If we follow this little guy, we should find the master parasite."
Raiha released a Shikigami from her palm. Shaped like a small bird made of paper, it fluttered its wings and pointed toward the direction of the Parasite Boss.
"Good! One of us will follow the Shikigami and defeat the Parasite Boss. The rest of us will look for the hypnotist while directing the evacuation!"
"If the animals are only being controlled by magic, Elena's voice might still reach them. If we can just take down that main parasite, things should turn around quickly."
"Right! Let's work together and save the animals!"
Having established their objectives, the group nodded in unison and began a quick discussion to finalize their roles.
They were just about to split into two teams—one to destroy the parasite and another to handle the evacuation and find the hypnotist—when it happened.
A heavy thud echoed through the air.
The sound was jarring and unnatural. As everyone turned toward the source of the roar, a sphere of crimson fire streaked toward them.
Yugo and the others were caught completely off guard. The fireball flew in a straight line, slamming directly into Raiha. An explosion erupted, throwing her through the air.