"Yugo! What happened?! What is this?!"
"Are they serious about killing Fee-kun?!"
Marcos and the others, who had likely witnessed Yugo’s battle with Burn after hearing the earlier broadcast, were struggling to grasp the situation amidst the chaos. Facing their frantic questions, Yugo pointed a finger at the smugly smiling Dogma.
"Everyone, stay back! They’re with Abyss!"
"What...?"
The students—and the teachers as well—stared in shock. No one could believe that representatives dispatched from the Central Church were actually accomplices to a criminal like Abyss. As the members of the academy looked on in doubt, Dogma let out a chilling laugh.
"Fufu... Ahahaha! Well, there’s no point in lying now that we’ve been found out. You’re right—we are the comrades of Abyss, the man who plunged Wind Island into the depths of terror. We are members of the masterminds."
"That’s impossible! Criminals infiltrated the Central Church? How...?"
"Professor Castle, now isn't the time for that," Yugo interrupted.
"I agree. We can discuss the details after we've beaten them into the ground."
The students and teachers of Luminous Academy formed a perimeter, weapons in hand. As if representing his comrades who had taken up battle stances filled with intense hostility, Marcos glared at the woman.
"You're awfully confident, but have you forgotten where you are? This is enemy territory. Do you really think you can walk away safely against these numbers?"
"I don't care what your goals are," Melt shouted, her voice trembling with rage. "Just give Fee-kun back! Once I've beaten you to a pulp, I'll make you talk!"
"Fufufu... Now then, I wonder if it will really go that smoothly?"
Despite being surrounded on all sides by enemies burning with hatred, Dogma’s fearless smile didn't waver for a second. On the contrary, she looked as if she were enjoying the situation. Her attitude filled Professor Castle with a sense of dread.
This is strange. She must have known that revealing her identity here would put them at an overwhelming disadvantage. So why do it so casually?
The sequence of events—from Yugo’s accusation to Dogma’s confession—had been far too easy. At the very least, the academy had no proof to judge if Yugo was telling the truth. If she had claimed that a distraught brother was simply spouting delusions to disrupt the scene, she could have forced a stalemate.
Instead, Dogma had chosen the path that left her isolated in the heart of a hostile stronghold with one of her three members already incapacitated. There was no way she didn't realize how dire her situation was.
So why? As Uno agonized over her motives, Melt conjured a sword of magic power and took aim at Dogma.
"Give Fee-kun back, you wicked woman!"
"Fufufufufu...!"
Melt unleashed her magic without mercy. The sharp blade she had honed flew straight toward its target, intended to tear the smug smile off Dogma's face—but it didn't.
"Gah?!"
"Wait... what?!"
The sword Melt fired didn't strike Dogma. It buried itself in Yugo’s shoulder. Melt stood frozen, watching him groan in unexpected pain.
"Why? How? What did you do to me?!" Melt screamed in confusion. She was certain she had aimed for Dogma, yet her magic had struck Yugo instead.
As she cried out, a panicked Setsuna called to her. "What are you saying, Melt? You were aiming for Yugo from the very beginning!"
"Eh...?"
Melt gasped, unable to believe her best friend's words. She was sure of her own aim, yet she knew Setsuna wouldn't lie to her. As she looked up, her terror only grew.
"They must have done something to you. Melt, do you feel any—" Setsuna started, but Melt cut her off.
"Wait, Setsuna! Why are you drawing your bow?!"
"What? What are you..." Setsuna frowned, confused by Melt’s panicked observation. She thought she was simply talking to her friend, but when she looked down at her own hands, the blood drained from her face.
"Wait... why? How?! Stop! Why won't I stop?!"
Just as Melt had said, Setsuna was gripping her bow, her sights fixed directly on Yugo as she pulled the string back. A wind arrow flickered into existence, and regardless of the wide-eyed girl's will, the arrow streaked toward Yugo.
"Gugh! What is going on?!" Yugo managed to parry the sudden assault from his own friends, his mind reeling.
"Yugo, it's not me! This isn't my will!" Setsuna screamed, her calm shattered as she bordered on hysterics. "My body is moving on its own!"