"Village Chief, how are the injured doing...?"
"The doctor says everyone is in a critical state. He’s performed first aid, but there are limits to what a single doctor in a remote village like this can do. He told me that if we don’t get them to a hospital with proper facilities immediately, their lives will be in danger."
It was only natural. Jasmine and the robbers had all been subjected to horrific violence.
Yugo gritted his teeth, imagining the agony Jasmine must have endured when the Magic Armor Beast struck her. Beyond the broken bones, the sheer force of the blow had likely caused severe internal damage. As he stood there, the Village Chief continued.
"We've already sent word to the Security Force and doctors in the nearby villages. However... between the chaos at Luminous Academy and the surge in magic beast activity—just as you warned, Yugo-san—no one can get close to us."
"Then can't we go to them? I'll act as an escort and take Jasmine and the others to the next village over!"
"Actually, someone tried to flee just a moment ago... but that mysterious Magic Armor Beast blocked their path. It told them it would kill anyone who tried to leave the village."
"No..."
They couldn't call for help, and they couldn't escape. In the meantime, Jasmine’s condition would only continue to deteriorate until it reached the point of no return.
Yugo looked over at Gamba, who was huddled by the bed where Jasmine lay moaning in pain. He spoke quietly.
"I'm sorry, Village Chief. Could you give us the room for a moment? I need to speak with Gamba alone."
"I understand."
Information was the only thing that could break this stalemate, and Gamba was the only one who had it. Seeing the grim determination on Yugo’s face, the Village Chief accepted the request without question and left the clinic.
Once the room was empty of everyone except for the unconscious victims and the two of them, Yugo addressed him.
"Gamba... it's you, isn't it? You're the one behind that Magic Armor Beast."
"No! It's not me! I... I—!"
"Can you really say that while looking at Jasmine? Can you look your suffering sister in the eye and claim you’ve done nothing wrong, Gamba?"
"Ugh... uuu..."
Gamba had shouted back desperately at first, but Yugo’s retort cut through his defenses like a blade. He hung his head, unable to say another word as he watched his sister whimper in agony. He began to shake uncontrollably, tears spilling over as he finally broke.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this! I never thought... I never dreamed it would turn out this way! I didn't think it would be something I couldn't take back!"
Toward the boy who had finally admitted his guilt, Yugo kept his expression hard.
"Talk to me, Gamba. There's still time to save Jasmine. I need information on that Magic Armor Beast if I'm going to help her, and you're the only one who has it. If you just sit there and cry, Jasmine is going to die. Do you understand that?"
"Jasmine...! I'm so sorry, it's my fault! Please, forgive me... forgive me!"
Yugo watched in silence as Gamba wept. After sobbing for several minutes, the boy took a deep, shaky breath. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a dark, crystalline object, and set it on the table.
"What is this?"
"A strange man gave it to me a little while ago. He was suspicious—wouldn't tell me his name or where he was from—but he said he'd show me something interesting."
Gamba spoke in halting fragments, and Yugo listened intently.
"I didn't trust him at first, either. But then he used this black crystal to summon a Magic Armor Beast and made it do whatever he wanted. Once I saw that power... all my doubts just vanished."
To be able to freely command a beast of such terrifying strength... The mysterious man had stood before the stunned Gamba and offered him a choice.
"He told me that with this power, I wouldn't have to rely on outsiders anymore. He said I could take the very beast that killed my mother and use it to protect the village myself—to do what the outsiders who failed her couldn't."
That was the moment Gamba’s heart had been led astray. Unable to resist the temptation or his own craving for strength, he had followed the mysterious man’s lead and accepted the black crystal. Since then, he had become increasingly entranced by its dark allure.