Galberos likely sensed the overwhelming aura radiating from Ryuga as he took command from Marcos. The beast’s entire body began to tremble violently.
As the monster began to convulse, its form suddenly multiplied, rapidly churning out an army of clones.
"Whoa! What's this? He’s suddenly swarming us with fakes!"
"Is he trying to distract us? Keep your guard up, Ryuga!"
Seeing the forms of Galberos multiply explosively—ten, twenty, thirty and more—Hugo and Marcos shouted warnings to Ryuga.
However, Ryuga remained silent, watching the ever-increasing horde of Magic Armor Beasts. He exhaled softly and spoke in a detached, clinical tone.
"I call myself a swordsman for a reason; I can at least sense my opponent's intent. Galberos... no, Hypno. You're terrified of me, aren't you?"
"Kh...!?"
"Struck a nerve, didn't I? I can feel your agitation clearly."
Quietly and dispassionately, Ryuga saw through the state of mind of the resurfaced Hypno. With every word he spoke, the speed at which Galberos produced clones increased.
"It seems being cut down by me has left a lasting scar on you. I can feel the trembling of your cowardly heart."
"O-ohh...!!"
"You're desperately increasing your numbers just to mask your insecurity, aren't you? You're so terrified that you have to rely on intangible illusions... am I wrong?"
"Uaaa, aa, a...!?"
"But you should know this as well as I do. Illusions don't work on me. I'm going to cut you down again, Hypno."
"Aaa, a... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
"Hey, Ryuga... you realize you sound exactly like a villain right now, right?"
Hugo spoke to Ryuga while feeling slightly put off. Ryuga was relentlessly picking apart Hypno's psyche, using his previous trauma to fan the flames of his fear. However, the swordsman wasn't just bullying his opponent; he was launching a psychological assault with a clear strategic purpose.
"You seem to have increased your numbers quite a bit, but it's meaningless if the real body is this agitated. Dread, fear, confusion—there is only one individual radiating those emotions without pause."
"Ah...!? Gyaaaaaaah!!"
From among the clones of Galberos, which had swelled to nearly a hundred, Ryuga swung his katana toward the one that continued to bleed mental turmoil.
The single strike found the physical Magic Armor Beast. As Galberos screamed and collapsed from the slash, the surrounding clones vanished instantly.
"Yugo, I'm going to borrow your strength for a moment."
"Yeah! Give it everything you've got, Partner!!"
The Trinity Blaster's eyes flashed red for an instant, and Hugo’s straight sword manifested in its hand.
Wielding both the katana and the sword as twin blades, Ryuga closed the distance to Galberos before the beast could recover its stance. He swung the twin swords, now wreathed in fire and lightning.
"Storm Dragon Swordsmanship Variant: Flame-Thunder Style... Thunder Blade: Cross Blast!!"
"Agugh!? Gah! Gwaaaaah!!"
A flurry of continuous strikes followed, the twin blades of fire and lightning singing through the air. After showering the enemy with alternating slashes, Ryuga drove the overlapping katana and sword home simultaneously, cutting Galberos down.
Assaulted by the dual-attributed blades, Galberos writhed in agony before being consumed by a massive explosion. Yet, even then, the beast began to stand back up, its wounded flesh already knitting back together.
"The impact was sufficient. That blow should have ended it... and yet, you still stand."
Ryuga frowned, wondering why his attack had failed to be the decisive blow when he had clearly struck the beast's core.
"A... ah... He...lp... me..."
"Kh...!?"
The three of them winced at the sound of that voice. It belonged to neither Hypno, Dogma, nor Burn.
Hugo and the others felt the presence of whoever had spoken vanish along with the sound of something evaporating. They all reached the same conclusion at once.
"Yugo, Ryuga! This thing is healing its wounds by consuming the souls it absorbed! At this rate, we'll have to kill it hundreds of times over!!"
"So the human sacrifices are nothing more than fuel to them... 'Scoundrel' doesn't even begin to cover it."
"I won't let the people killed by Dogma's group suffer any longer. We're finishing this with a blow so powerful it can't recover!!"
The Trinity Blaster's eyes shifted from green to a deep, burning crimson.
Hugo took back command, clenching the Trinity Blaster's fists. Across from them, Galberos braced itself, Dogma's soul surfacing as the dominant personality to meet their final charge.
"Hugo Clay! You are a thorn in my side to the very end!!"
"This is it, Dogma! You're about to feel the weight of everyone's anger!!"