"Yugo! Is everyone okay!?"
"Answer us, you guys!"
"Yeah, we're fine! Over here!"
Yugo shoved aside a pile of debris and stood, answering the desperate shouts of Ryuga and Jinba as they stormed into the half-collapsed cathedral.
Ryuga rushed toward him, his face softening with relief once he saw that his comrades hadn't sustained any life-threatening injuries. "I'm glad you're safe. It looks like you managed to get Fee back, too."
"Yeah... but Dogma has turned into some kind of monstrous Magic Armor Beast. What's the situation outside?"
"Everyone's fighting, but it’s looking grim. That beast—it called itself Galberos—possesses terrifying power."
The roar of battle and the sharp pulses of magic clashing outside confirmed Ryuga's words. Despite the combined strength of Yugo’s allies, the fused power of Dogma’s group was proving to be an overwhelming force, and they were clearly being pushed to their limits.
"Those masterminds already had magic power and combat skills far beyond any normal reincarnator," Ryuga explained. "That magic circle didn't just fuse the three of them; it must have functioned as an amplifier, multiplying their combined strength several times over."
"An opponent more than three times stronger than Burn... That’s a nightmare I’d rather not even imagine," Marcos groaned. Having actually faced Burn in combat, he understood the gravity of the threat better than most.
He nearly felt his resolve waver at the sheer scale of Galberos’s power—an entity that surpassed them all as a single unit—but they couldn't afford to let it run rampant.
"We have no choice but to fight," Yugo declared. "We’ll coordinate our efforts and bring that thing down, no matter what it takes!"
"Right! But first, we need everyone in peak condition. If you have recovery magic, start treating the wounded immediately!"
They had to work together; it was the only path to victory. As he watched his older brother and the others begin to treat their injuries and stabilize their magic, Fee was gripped by a mounting sense of dread.
It won’t work, he thought. Brother and the others are strong, but Dogma is on an entirely different level now. Even if they manage to kill that Magic Armor Beast—even if they defeat a fusion of those three amplified several times over—the cost will be too high. There will be so many sacrifices...!!
Fee's cold analysis of their resources versus the enemy’s power pointed to a bleak outcome. He didn't doubt his brother’s ability to win, but he feared a pyrrhic victory.
Furthermore, everyone was already exhausted from the previous battles. While physical wounds could be closed with magic, their mana reserves wouldn't replenish so easily. A head-on collision in their current state invited disaster. Fee racked his brain, searching for any variable that could turn the tide.
There has to be something. A way to beat a fusion...!!
As he desperately searched for a solution, a faint, pulsing glow caught his eye.
He realized the light was coming from the very magic circle Dogma had used. A flash of inspiration struck him like a bolt of lightning, and he let out a sharp gasp.
"Alright, that’s enough healing for now. Is everyone ready!?" Yugo asked.
Having regrouped and caught their breath, Yugo and his allies prepared to charge back into the fray. But just as they were about to head out for the final showdown with Dogma, Fee’s voice rang out across the cathedral.
"Brother, wait!!"
"Huh...?"
Startled by the sudden interruption, Yugo paused and turned back to his younger brother. Fee wasn't looking at them; his eyes were fixed on the faintly glowing magic circle. Then, he spun around, his expression filled with a sudden, fierce determination.
"I’ve figured out a way to beat it! Just give me a little time!!"
"What...?"
The unexpected declaration left the group speechless. Yugo was the first to find his voice, speaking with a calm that steadied the room. "What do you have in mind, Fee? What kind of plan did you come up with?"
"This magic circle is still active! I can analyze it and repurpose it! If the enemy is using a fusion to fight us, then we’ll just have to counter with a fusion of our own!"
"A-A fusion? But don't you have to offer up souls as a sacrifice to make that work?" Ann asked, her eyes wide. "And what if we’re stuck together forever!?"
"I'll rewrite the parameters while I'm analyzing the circle! I’ll change the activation condition from soul sacrifices to pure magic power, and I'll add a time limit to the fusion! If I can get help from Ann-san and the teachers who understand magical engineering, I know I can do it!"
"Even so, the amount of mana required to jump-start that circle would be astronomical," Jinba pointed out. "How do you plan to get that much power?"
"Everyone from the Elementary Division is still here! They haven't been on the front lines, so unlike the rest of us, their magic reserves are still full! We have more than enough people to make it work!!"
"Can you really pull this off, Fee? If the analysis takes too long, the battle will be over before we even start."
"I'll do it! I'll make it happen! This... this is my fight!!"
Using the remnants of Dogma's magic circle to create their own combined warrior—it was the plan with the highest chance of success. Despite the skepticism from the others, Yugo looked at his brother and nodded.
"...Alright. If you say you can do it, I believe you. Ann, and anyone else with the right skills, stay here and help Fee."
"Brother...!!"
Deeply moved by his brother's unwavering trust, Fee immediately turned his attention to the magic circle, his fingers already beginning the complex work of analysis.
After watching his younger brother commit to his task, Yugo turned back and looked out toward the battlefield.