"What...? Wait, what!?"
Hugo let out a cry of surprise at the unexpected words spilling from Jinba’s lips.
Confused, Yugo wondered if he had misinterpreted the offer to join forces. Seeing his bewilderment, Jinba shed his earlier hostility and spoke with a grin.
"Sorry for the scare. I just had to see what you were made of. Forgive me."
"N-no, that’s fine, but... Jinba-san, didn't you have orders to arrest me? Is it really okay for you to do this?"
As Jinba had said before, no matter how unreasonable the orders were, the guards shouldn't have been able to defy them. Yugo questioned whether it was truly alright for them to side with him, given their official positions and duties.
Jinba simply snorted in response.
"Yeah, it’s fine. None of that matters anymore. Every man standing here turned in his resignation before we left. We aren't members of the Security Force anymore, so there’s no reason to follow orders, right?"
"What!? Why would you go that far...?"
"Why else? To fight at your side, obviously."
With a hearty laugh, Jinba draped an arm around Yugo's shoulders. He gestured toward the men standing behind him—or rather, the former members of the Security Force.
"I told you before, didn't I? Everyone here feels they owe you. We’ve fought criminals alongside you for a long time. Between you and some suspicious woman who appeared out of nowhere to spout nonsense and try to kill Fee... well, it’s a no-brainer who we’re going to back."
"Jinba-san...!"
"Don't shoulder the burden alone, Hugo. You aren't the only one who can stop that woman. We're in this with you. Besides, it looks like you've got plenty more allies on the way."
Yugo had claimed he was the only one who could save the world, but Jinba rejected that notion by declaring they would fight as well. He pointed toward the horizon.
Following his gaze, Yugo saw a massive crowd of people converging from every direction.
"Hugo! Are you okay!? We're here to fight with you!"
"It seems the time has finally come to repay the favor. I'm glad, Hugo."
"En? And Batz and Sanga! Everyone from town, too...!"
The trio of employees from his favorite shop were there, along with the owner. Mary and her father, whom he had met during the Kurotobari Incident, were among them as well. Many other townspeople Yugo had helped over time had rushed to the scene, weapons in hand.
As Yugo stood stunned by the sight, an elegant, sharp-featured woman called out to him.
"Hugo Clay... on the orders of Eugene Clay, the current head of the House of Clay, we are here to support you. It’s a pleasure."
"Drowa, Mad, Fango...! My father sent reinforcements...?"
"Fee was going to be executed for some ridiculous reason. It’s only natural for the House of Clay to resist, isn't it?"
"I told you before—I follow the man who beat me. Your enemies are my enemies. Let's get to work."
The members of the House of Clay had also deployed their private troops to rescue Fee. While Yugo rejoiced at the news that his family was backing him, exchanging nods with familiar faces, another group of allies who had traveled from distant lands raised their voices.
"Sorry we're late. I’ve gathered my private soldiers to join the fray."
"Who’s the idiot who laid a hand on our daughters? Point them out so I can take their head myself."
"You saved our homeland once. Now it’s our turn to lend you a hand."
"I’m glad we made it in time. It was worth the trouble of pushing the monsters to their limits to get here. Shepherd is operating elsewhere, but we’ll provide plenty of muscle on our own."
The heads of the Three Great Houses of Yamato—the fathers of Setsuna and the other girls—and the reinforcements from Wind Island spoke to Yugo with iron-clad conviction.
They had likely heard of the anomaly from their daughters, yet Yugo was overwhelmed by the fact that they had traveled so far in such a short time. Then, a young voice called out to him.
"You're going to save Fee, right? Then I'm coming too! Because Fee is my friend!"
"Shiroi...!"
It was Shiroi, the boy Yugo had once saved and who had become close friends with Fee. Clutching a stone knife, he had rushed here alongside his fellow villagers to save his comrade. Behind him stood a massive throng of people gathered from various other districts.
Town residents. Villagers from the surrounding countryside. Residents of distant islands.
Every single person there had been helped by Yugo in some way. In his time of need, the people who felt indebted to the Hero had come running to his side.
"Don't you forget it, Hugo. You aren't alone. You have all these people behind you."
"...Yeah. Thank you, everyone...!"
It wasn't just Ryuga, and it wasn't just Zenon's group. He didn't need to feel like an outsider just because he had come from another world. As he looked at the faces of those who had gathered for his sake, Yugo truly realized that the world was full of people willing to stand by him.
Jinba flashed a wide, confident smile and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Now... let’s go save the world, Hero!"