"What’s going on? It’s suddenly gotten loud out there..."
"It’s Yugo! He’s broken in! Yugo is fighting for us!"
Inside the jail, the captured comrades listened to the thunderous sounds of battle echoing from outside. They could sense that Yugo had finally arrived.
The sheer scale of the conflict reached their ears. It was clearly more than just Yugo and Ryuga; it sounded as if he had brought an entire army of allies with him. Marcos and the others grimaced in frustration. They should have been out there by his side, fighting as his comrades. Instead, they were stuck here, useless. But just as their spirits began to sink, an unexpected figure appeared.
"Everyone, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting!"
"What?! C-Claire?! How are you even here?!"
Everyone gasped in shock as Claire suddenly materialized inside the jail. She ignored their confusion and rushed to Uno’s side. Seeing his condition, she immediately began casting her magic.
"What a terrible wound! Please, hold on. I’ll heal you right away."
"Wait, Claire! Why are you in here?!"
"It’s a long story, but this is part of the plan!"
The night before, Yugo and the others had finalized their strategy based on the intelligence Zenon had brought back. Their top priority was the safety of their friends held in the Gymnasium. To prevent Dogma’s Group from using them as Hostages, they needed a countermeasure. While Yugo and Ryuga provided a massive, flashy distraction, Claire was tasked with slipping inside to establish a defensive barrier. This would effectively block the enemy from forcing Yugo into a surrender.
"I see... so Zenon really was on our side..."
"To deceive your enemies, you must first deceive your allies. Master Zenon went undercover as a Spy just to get us this information...!"
They remembered Zenon appearing before them yesterday as one of Dogma’s subordinates. Realizing he had been working for Yugo all along, their faces lit up with relief. At the same time, Marcos and the others felt a pang of guilt; they would have to apologize later for the insults they had hurled at him.
Under the influence of Claire’s healing magic, Uno slowly regained consciousness. "Ugh... where am I...?"
"I’m glad you’re awake. You don’t have to worry anymore," Claire reassured him.
"Rouge...? Why are you...?"
"I’ll explain everything later. Right now, I have to hurry and set up the barrier!"
With Uno stable, Claire quickly began weaving a protective wall of light. As she was an expert in Protection Magic, she was confident she could buy enough time until Yugo defeated Hypno.
Melt watched her with deep gratitude. "Thank you, Claire. You saved us."
"No, we’re the ones who owe everything to you. If Yugo-sama hadn't saved us back then, we wouldn't be standing here today."
Claire was referring to the time Yugo saved Zenon from Isaac’s influence, rescuing him from his own mental instability. This was her way of paying back that debt.
"When this is over, let’s go out for a meal," Melt said with a smile. "I know a great place!"
"Hehe... I’d like that very much."
As they spoke, Claire completed the First Barrier. She was about to layer another spell to reinforce the defenses when a voice cut through the air.
"Well, well... so they did sneak a little rat in here after all."
Claire froze.
A massive explosion rocked the room. A ball of fire slammed into the fresh barrier, obliterating it instantly. Through the swirling smoke, a man stepped forward.
"What a pity. I guess I got here a bit too early."
"Burn...!"
Burn stood there with a savage grin, his Fighting Spirit radiating like a scorching heatwave. He looked down at the prisoners with pure contempt. He licked his lips as his eyes settled on Claire.
"Hyahahaha! This is perfect. I was getting so frustrated. Dogma told me not to touch these loser sandbags, but she didn't say anything about intruders! I can burn you to a crisp without breaking any rules. Finally, some stress relief!"
"Run, Claire! Get out of here!" Melt screamed. She knew exactly how monstrous Burn was. Claire was no fighter; she stood no chance against a direct assault.
Claire took a deep breath. She didn't move. "...No. I won't run. Yugo-sama and the others are out there risking their lives right now. I won't be the only one to turn my back and flee."
"Gutsy. I like it," Burn laughed, his hands igniting with lethal flames as he fixed his gaze on his prey. "But don't expect any mercy. Don't blame me when you're nothing but a pile of ash!"
He lunged forward, his face twisted in a mask of sadistic joy.
"Come on, entertain me! Die a pathetic, burning death so I can feel like a winner again!"