Yugo frowned, his brow furrowing as he processed the weight of Gamba’s words.
Gamba met his gaze with a grim expression. “I saw it. When that strange man gave me the Black Crystal, he had two others just like it.”
“He had what!?”
“There’s no doubt about it. He must have handed them off to someone else. He even hinted at it. For all we know, whoever took those crystals might already be making their move.”
Yugo had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed that the incident was far from over.
The Black Crystals, which summoned Magic Armor Beasts to grant a twisted version of Gamba’s wish, were still out there. Somewhere, others had accepted them from the vanished Mastermind.
Until those remaining two crystals were found and destroyed, the peace would only be temporary.
If this was a mess left behind by the Masterminds, then Yugo was the one who had to clean it up. It felt like fate.
Gamba seemed to sense Yugo’s resolve, offering one more lead.
“I think the guy headed toward the village to the west. I don’t know where he went after that, but he probably gave a Black Crystal to someone there.”
“Thanks, Gamba. I’ll go see for myself.”
“Be careful, Yugo. And... thank you. For everything. For saving the village, and for saving my sister.”
Yugo gave him a small, reassuring nod.
As he stood to leave, Jasmine spoke up, her voice small. “Are you leaving already? Shouldn’t you rest a little longer...?”
“I’m sorry, Jasmine, but I have to hurry. Someone else might be suffering because of those crystals right now. It’s my job to erase the Mastermind’s legacy.”
Yugo saw the sadness in her eyes and gently patted her head.
Just before he walked out to prepare for the road, he turned back to the siblings one last time.
“Take care of yourselves. I’ll come by and visit again sometime.”
“Be careful, Yugo-san!” Jasmine called out.
“I’m going to face what I did,” Gamba added, his voice steady. “Once I’ve finished making amends, I’ll come find you. Until then... stay safe.”
Yugo raised a hand in farewell and stepped out of the room.
He began mentally checking off his list: relay the intel to Jinba and the Security Force, pack his gear, and map out the path to the village to the west. He took a long, slow breath.
It was supposed to be a simple part-time job, but it turned into quite the ordeal. Still, I’m the only one who can do this.
His connection with the Masterminds ran deep. They had tried to destroy this world for the sake of a tasteless game, and it was perhaps fate that he—the man who had traded blows with them in a desperate struggle—was the one to uncover the scars they had left in their wake.
Even if they were gone, their malice still lingered, ready to strike. As a hero, he would be there to stop them.
“Alright... let’s do this!”
He didn't know what was waiting for him or what kind of enemies he would face.
With the destruction of the two remaining Black Crystals as his goal, the journey of Vagabond Yugo had truly begun.