“Someone wearing a black hood… You don’t even know if it’s a man or a woman…!?”
Jinba clenched his fist and banged it against a wall, frustrated over the lack of information in Delta’s testimony.
But since the words magic sword, that apparently were important, did not ring a bell to Yuugo, he asked about it.
“Jinba, what’s a magic sword? Is that the key to this case?”
“Probably. Magic swords are basically cursed magic items. They come about in different ways, but they all give incredible power to whoever holds them.
But… It’s said the curses eat away at the users, until finally, they lose all sanity.”
“Are you saying Cross went crazy because of that magic sword!?”
“It makes sense that it was the magic sword that drew out his power and allowed him to transform into Ehn. But it made him crazy…!”
“Magic swords make negative emotions swell. I’m sure it twisted and amplified his feelings of sadness over Ehn leaving.”
“Cross did…!?”
Even if it made sense in the mind, the heart was a different story.
Ehn’s expression sank, as she thought about the feeling of sadness over her leaving and love for her being twisted by a magic sword, when Delta spoke with tears flowing from his eyes.
“Cross slowly got weirder, and by the time I noticed, it was too late. He started saying he wanted to be with you forever, and then he gave up on starting over, and instead started planning to mug people and put the blame on you.
He disguised himself as you and made sure people saw him, and that’s why he left that magic item behind too.”
“…So he was the culprit, and threatened you so you would do what he said after you came forward?”
“I showed up in front of you to try to stop him somehow, but… That was all I could do. I know it’s pathetic. I didn’t notice him going crazy, and I was too scared not to do what he said… And because of that, a lot of people got hurt, and we got in the way of Ehn trying to be a better person. If I just stopped him even if it cost me my life…!!”
He said, with regret seeping from his voice.
Delta failed to notice his friend’s suffering, and he was completely twisted because of it, along with it having a bad influence on Ehn’s efforts to start a new life. He deeply regretted it all.
Melt and the others realized that he acted like a bad guy in front of them on purpose, because he was so ordered by Cross.
They silently took in his regret, and in the end, Yuugo put his hand on Delta’s shoulder and spoke.
“Don’t blame yourself, Delta. You did well. You didn’t abandon either of your friends and ran away, and tried to keep fighting however you could, right? I can’t defend you about the muggings, but I wouldn’t grudge you for being desperate to help your friend.”
“Yuugo…”
There was no denying that he committed crimes, both before this started, and about the muggings as well. Delta and Cross could not be said to completely virtuous people.
But still… Yuugo did not see them as bad people.
And Delta pleaded at the person who did not blame him or ridicule him for taking action for his friend.
“Please…! Stop Delta…!! He’s going to kill people at this rate. He was just barely holding on, but I think he reached that limit. Stop him before he kills…!”
“Yes, leave it to me. I’ll… No.”
Yuugo grabbed Delta’s stretched hand, and responded strongly.
But he stopped, turned to Melt, and rephrased it.
“We’ll stop him.”
Melt nodded, and after making eye contact with her, Yuugo got up and smiled at Ehn.
“Ehn, look after Delta. We’ll do what he have to as magic knight trainees. It’s all right, just leave Cross to us!”
“…Yes, I believe in you, Melt. Take care of Cross. Stop him somehow…!”
Melt took in her friend’s feelings, and left with Yuugo.
As they saw Cross kicking around the guards trying to catch him, and a shocked Rommelo, Melt turned to her partner.
“Let’s go Yuugo. We’ll stop him!”
The magic crystal in her Seward Ring shined, and Melt released a violet light.
Cross saw it, and turned to them with madness creeping in his expression.
“What? You want to get in the way too? That’s not nice… Then you can die…!”
“We’re not gonna die. We’ll stop you… For the people who think of you as a friend.”
Yuugo looked at his clenched right fist with Delta and Ehn in mind, and spoke while turning his eyes to Cross.
Then he blinked and opened his eyes slowly, and while feeling a fire welling up inside him, silently announced the start of this battle.
“…Henshin!”
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Probably. Magic stones are basically cursed magic items.
Stone or sword?
fighting how you could
Suggest changing how to however for tense