"Ugh...!? Look out!"
Yugo caught Jasmine at the very last second after she was hurled through the air. He called out to her desperately as she lay limp in his arms.
"Jasmine! Stay with me! Jasmine!"
"U-uuugh... it hurts... it hurts so much..."
She drifted in and out of consciousness, moaning in agony. Her injuries were far worse than he had initially feared. Her arm was definitely broken, and the bones in the other areas where she had been struck were likely shattered as well. Blood seeped from a wound on her leg; it was chillingly obvious that the Magic Armor Beast had singled her out for this brutalization.
(It wasn't an accident. Out of all those people, the beast specifically targeted Jasmine. But why would it do something like that...?)
There was no longer any doubt that this Magic Armor Beast was the same culprit that had exterminated the Arachlaws and dealt out such savage "punishment" to the robbers. However, unlike the previous victims, Jasmine shouldn't have been guilty of any wrongdoing. She was just a child. Why would it go so far to hurt a girl who had done nothing wrong?
Yugo glared at the beast with a burning rage, but before he could speak, Gamba screamed at the grasshopper-like creature.
"Why?! Why did you attack Jasmine?! There's no reason for her to be targeted! None!"
"A reason? It is simple," the beast replied. "She is evil. She posed a threat to this village—an evil that had to be eliminated."
"What did you say...?"
The Magic Armor Beast had answered him in clear, human speech. Yugo realized the creature possessed a high degree of intelligence as it began to explain its rationale for the assault.
"Your sister attempted to expose your secret. Had she succeeded, my freedom of movement would have been restricted. To hinder my actions is to become an evil that harms this village. Therefore, she was eliminated."
"That's... I never asked for that! I never wanted you to hurt my sister! Never!"
"Just because she is your kin does not mean I can overlook an evil that threatens this village. Justice is a cruel mistress. To protect the village, there was no other way."
"U-uuuh... Waaaaaaaagh!"
Gamba exploded with fury. He couldn't stomach the beast’s indifferent tone after it had broken a young girl. He clenched his fists and lunged at the creature in a blind charge, but the Magic Armor Beast simply sidestepped him with ease and vanished into the distance.
"Ah... a-ah... Aaaaah! Aaaaaaaaah!"
"Gamba...!"
Yugo felt a pang of sympathy for the boy as he collapsed in a heap of hysterical sobs. However, if Jasmine didn't receive medical attention immediately, her life would be at risk. He had to shove his questions aside for now; her survival took priority over everything else.
"Someone! Tell me where the village doctor lives! Jasmine is in critical condition! We have to get her treated right now!"
At Yugo’s shout, the villagers who had been hiding began to emerge in small groups, pointing him toward the doctor's house. He told them that the robbers from earlier also needed attention, then handed Jasmine over to the villagers. As he headed toward the unconscious thieves with some of the men, Yugo spotted Gamba still crouched on the ground, weeping uncontrollably. He walked straight over to him.
"Get up, Gamba. This is no time to be sitting here crying."
"Uuuugh... uuuuuh...!"
"How long do you plan on staying like that?! Go be with your sister! You're her brother, aren't you?!"
Yugo’s voice lashed out like a whip as he seized Gamba by the collar and hauled him upright. Jolted by the reprimand, Gamba finally began to move. He stumbled toward Jasmine, leaning on the villagers for support.
Yugo worked with the remaining villagers to carry the mangled robbers to the clinic. Once they were inside, he returned to the scene to conduct a brief on-site investigation, searching for any traces the mysterious Magic Armor Beast might have left behind. Finally, he returned to the doctor's house, where he sat down to speak with the Village Chief in an atmosphere even heavier than he had anticipated.