"You... you betrayed us?! Why are you siding with them?!"
"Shut it! We’re done being 'Protagonists' and 'Heroes.' It's over. If we can't win, we might as well fall as far as we can and stick with the winning side!"
"Besides, they promised to let us get revenge on Hugo for ruining our happy reincarnation lives! Once we beat this guy to a pulp, we can do whatever we want with the rest of you. You’re all paralyzed by hypnosis anyway! This is the best outcome ever!!"
"You absolute scoundrels!! Have you sold your pride and everything else to the devil?!"
Only tens of minutes ago, the students had been sick with worry for the peers Dogma had suddenly whisked away. Now, hearing the utterly selfish justifications of these Reincarnators, they regretted that sympathy from the bottom of their hearts.
Siding with Villains who sought to bring the world to ruin, these men intended to unleash their stolen power upon the hated Hugo simply to satisfy their own twisted desires.
"As I mentioned yesterday, you are not to kill Hugo Clay," Dogma interjected. "Let’s see... just gouge out one of his eyes for now. It will add a lovely touch of tragic beauty to his look."
"Hehehe...! Understood. But hey, don't get mad if I accidentally go a little too far, okay?"
"Stop... stop it...!!"
"I'll do anything! I'll follow any order you give! Just don't hurt Hugo anymore!!"
Three Masterminds, their friends turned into puppets, and now a legion of Reincarnators Turned Magic Armor Beasts.
Hugo’s situation—forced to face them all while his own body was already in tatters—could only be described as total despair. Dogma, the turncoat Reincarnators, and even his own comrades believed his defeat was a foregone conclusion.
Licking their lips, the Reincarnators surrounding him felt their excitement mount. They sneered at Hugo.
"Hey, hey! How’s it feel? Your friends and your brother stolen by the enemy, and now you’re going to be toyed with and killed by us without being able to do a damn thing. Pretty desperate, right?"
"Everyone worshipped you as a Hero, but in the end, you're all alone! How truly pathetic! It's freaking hilarious!!"
"...Is that all you have to say?" Hugo asked. "Then hurry up and come at me."
"What...?"
Though the Reincarnators were certain of their victory, Hugo didn't show the slightest sign of being shaken. Even in his battered state, as he clenched his fists, a light that would never be extinguished burned in the eyes peeking through his broken helmet.
"I won't succumb to despair, and I'm not going to give up. I'll keep fighting to the very end for everyone who believes in me... because that is the Hero's Condition."
"Brother...!!"
Fee wept as he watched his older brother grandly declare his unbreakable heart and unbending resolve.
Melt, Marcos, Anhel, and the other students looked on with agonizing heartache. Even in this hopeless situation, Hugo beckoned the Magic Armor Beasts forward.
"Come on...! I don't have to hold back against trash like you. It doesn't matter if I'm alone or if I have no allies. My brother, my friends... I’ll protect everything precious to me. Every single one of them."
"...Don't get cocky! There's no way you can win against us as you are now!!"
Hugo’s refusal to break or yield rubbed the Reincarnators the wrong way. It likely stung the deep-seated inferiority of those who had surrendered so quickly to Dogma's group.
"Die, Hugo! We're gonna kill you!!"
"Hugo...! Run!!"
Feeling as though his very existence emphasized their own misery, the Reincarnators reached their limit and lunged at Hugo all at once. As everyone despaired, imagining him being trampled into the dirt, Hugo clenched his fist and braced for the impact—!
"...Eh?"
"Wait—what?! Gyaaaaaaaaaah!"
A soft, gentle breeze stirred the air.
As Hugo’s eyes went wide, feeling the wind brush against his cheek, that breeze transformed into a violent gale. It swept past him, blowing the attacking Reincarnators away with incredible force.
A single, horizontal flash of a blade had struck them. Hugo watched, stunned, as the Reincarnators suffered deep gashes and reverted to their human forms. Then, a familiar voice echoed in his ears.
"...Don't say such cold things, partner. You aren't alone. I'm here, aren't I?"
"...!?"
Hugo looked up toward the voice. When he saw the figure standing there, tears finally welled in his eyes.
In stark contrast, Hypno was visibly shaken by the unexpected turn of events. He screamed at the sudden intruder.
"Impossible...!? How can you defy my orders?! You definitely used the Flame of Judgment!!"
To Hypno's frantic, borderline-delirious question, the intruder gave the answer everyone present had been waiting to hear.
"Don't ask me questions."