Shortly after Yugo defeated the Grasshopper Magic Armor Beast, Jinba and the Security Force arrived from the city, accompanied by a team of doctors.
It was a bitter irony: the monster rampage that had plagued the village had only subsided because the Magic Armor Beast—having been ordered to "eliminate all threats to the village"—had systematically wiped out every other monster in the area. In that narrow sense, the creature's actions might have actually served the community. However, this peace was merely a stay of execution. With the surrounding territories now a power vacuum, there was every chance that monsters from elsewhere would soon swarm in to claim the empty land.
Gamba was deeply disheartened. His orders had not only nearly cost him his sister and the lives of his neighbors but had effectively invited further disaster. As he surveyed the damage his ignorance had wrought, he fell into a somber, self-reflective silence.
Yet, they had avoided an irreversible tragedy. The Magic Armor Beast had been defeated by Yugo, and the injured—Jasmine included—were beginning to stabilize under the care of the medical team Jinba had provided. When Jasmine finally regained consciousness after her long, nightmare-ridden slumber, the entire village shared in the family’s relief.
Yugo was genuinely glad the sibling bond remained intact and the young girl had survived, but he knew better than to think this was a clean happy ending. There were questions to be answered and penance to be paid.
While Jinba handled the interrogation of the opportunistic villagers who had tried to rob the Village Chief and flee during the chaos, Yugo sat down to speak with the Gamba and Jasmine siblings.
"Yugo-san, what’s going to happen to Big Brother?" Jasmine asked, her voice trembling. "Is the Security Force going to arrest him?"
"I can’t say for certain," Yugo replied. "He was tricked, that’s true. But it’s also true that he did something wrong. He probably won't get off without some kind of punishment."
There was no doubt that the true culprit of this incident was the now-vanished mastermind, and Gamba certainly hadn’t intended for things to go this far. Still, his culpability remained. Keeping and using a forbidden tool designed to control Magic Armor Beasts was a grave offense. He should have come forward the moment he realized how dangerous the situation was, just as Jasmine had urged.
"Don't worry too much," Yugo said, offering a small smile to the worried pair. "It won't be a full acquittal, but I don't think it'll be a severe sentence. He just needs to cooperate and tell us everything he knows about this."
As he spoke, Yugo tossed the shattered fragments of the black crystal into the air, catching them with practiced ease. The Security Force would be desperate for intel on the mastermind who had handed this thing to Gamba. A few days of detention in exchange for information seemed like the most likely outcome for Gamba’s punishment.
"Yugo, Jasmine... I’m so sorry," Gamba finally spoke, breaking his silence. "I let my pride and a stupid rivalry get the better of me. I relied on a power I didn't understand, and because of that... Jasmine was right. I should have told the truth the moment I realized I was in over my head. I nearly lost my family... my home... everything." He looked Yugo in the eye. "I’ve been a complete jerk to you since the moment you arrived. Thank you for saving me anyway."
"Don't sweat it. I’m used to that kind of treatment," Yugo shrugged. "Besides, you did exactly what I was trying to do."
While Yugo had dealt the finishing blow, Gamba had been the one to shield Jasmine when she was about to be taken hostage. They had reached a resolution that neither could have achieved alone; by joining hands and forming a bond, they had fulfilled a wish that a single pair of arms could not have reached.
Gamba swallowed hard, his expression turning solemn. "Yugo... about that black crystal. I’m going to tell the Security Force everything, but I think I should tell you first..."