"Ngh...!"
At Yugo’s words, Gamba bit his lip.
He was shaking—partly from frustration and pain, but mostly from the sheer patheticness of having brought this disaster upon himself. Yugo didn't let up.
"You knew all along, didn't you? That power isn't yours. It’s a borrowed strength, handed to you by the very outsiders you claim to hate. Maybe as you practiced controlling the Magic Armor Beast, you started to forget that... but deep down, you had to have known."
"..."
His secret laid bare, Gamba could only stare at the floor in silence. As tears fell and he gazed at his suffering sister, he was paralyzed by a regret that ate away at his soul.
"That Magic Armor Beast’s power isn't yours. Its arm isn't your arm. That’s why it ended up hurting Jasmine and the people you wanted to protect. Your will and its claws were never the same thing."
"...I know. I knew it... but I thought I could do anything with that power! I thought I could protect everyone! I thought I could be the one to protect my family, instead of the outsiders who let my mother die! That’s... that's what I believed!"
"I'm sure you did. I get that feeling. But if that was the case, you’re the one who should have reached out to Jasmine—no one else. You didn't need a borrowed arm; you had to reach out with your own hands."
"U-ugh... uuu..."
It was exactly as Yugo said; Gamba had treated everything like it was someone else's problem. Or rather, he had been desperately trying to convince himself that it was. Even as he took credit for exterminating the Arachlaws, he had averted his eyes from the disaster his recklessness had caused, attempting once again to use the beast's power to make things right. He wanted the glory, but not the responsibility. This nightmare was the direct result of ignoring the consequences of his actions.
At the very least, his sister had truly cared for him. She had desperately pleaded for him to be honest with her.
It was Gamba himself who had slapped away Jasmine's hand and refused her. It was undeniably Gamba himself who had tried to escape his responsibility because he couldn't accept the reality before him.
If only he had moved past his mother’s death.
If only he hadn't been captivated by a suspicious power granted by an untrustworthy stranger.
If only he had properly confessed his actions to his family and the village people.
If only he hadn't harbored unbecoming desires, trying to protect things his own arms couldn't reach... it never would have come to this.
"Big... brother..."
"Ngh...! Jasmine...!"
The moment he heard his sister's pained voice calling his name, the dam in Gamba's heart finally broke. He held Jasmine close as large tears streamed down his face, repeating his apologies through his wailing.
"I’m sorry, I’m sorry! It's my fault... you were right! I’m the worst. I should have just told you everything when you asked! If I had, you wouldn't be like this! I’m the one who hurt you! And now... now I can't do anything! I have no way to save you!"
The Magic Armor Beast was no longer under his control. He had no way to stop that monster. With no medical knowledge or skill, he couldn't treat his sister, either. All he could do was cry out while watching her suffer.
"I'm sorry, Jasmine...! I'm so sorry, Mom...! I... I...!"
As Gamba sobbed and apologized to his suffering sister and his late mother, Yugo suddenly spoke.
"There is something even you can do. Stay by Jasmine's side and give her courage. That is something only you, as her brother, can do for her."
"Eh...?"
Gamba looked up, turning a face messy with tears toward Yugo.
With a serious expression, Yugo told him, "You don't have to help or protect people all on your own. I’ve only made it through countless crises because I cooperated with my friends. If there truly is an arm in this world that can reach anywhere... it's the bond created by people's feelings, connecting them infinitely."
"Feelings... and bonds?"
"There are things people can do and things they can't. I can't be Jasmine's brother. I can't encourage her the way a sibling can. But you can. So, be my arm. You do what I can't, and I'll do what you can't. We don't use each other; we take each other's hands to help. That is what a bond is."
"......!"
If you take someone's hand, the world expands. Even things impossible for one person become achievable through cooperation. Gamba, who had tried to carry the world on his shoulders alone, gasped as the truth of Yugo's words sank in.
Watching him, Yugo posed a final question.
"I've already told you my wish. Now it's your turn, Gamba. Tell me what you want."
"My... wish... my wish is—!"
He repeated Yugo's words with a trembling voice. Then, after pausing to find his resolve, Gamba let out the rawest thoughts in his heart, squeezing the words out in a desperate shout.
"Please, Yugo! Help Jasmine... save my sister!"
"Got it. Your wish... has been heard."
Gamba, who had been stubbornly holding out alone, had finally learned to rely on someone else. For now, that was enough. Having clearly determined his next move, Yugo left the house with a faint smile and began to prepare for the battle ahead.