"Now then... who should be the next target?"
In a space of absolute darkness, a lone figure murmured gleefully.
Lost, the mastermind behind the recent string of incidents near Luminous Academy—also known as the man in the black hood—stared into the gloom, guided only by the flickering light of purple candles.
Floating in the air before him were countless cards.
Upon closer inspection, each card depicted a young man or woman. Lost seemed to be weighing his options as he scrutinized them one by one.
"Every single one of them is prime material. With a little polishing, they’d make first-rate Magic Armor Beasts. I really have to give my deepest thanks to these 'Protagonists' for providing such high-quality stock one after another."
Lost’s lips twisted into a smirk as he spoke to the empty air.
Though the words were genuine, they were laced with heavy sarcasm.
To him, the sight of these youths energetically striving to become heroes while constantly sabotaging one another was nothing short of a comedy.
Just a short while ago, a group of them had conspired to assassinate one of their own comrades. From the perspective of an onlooker who knew the truth, it was impossible to tell if they were aiming to be legendary heroes or the greatest villains of the age.
Well, perhaps it was unavoidable. In a sense, they too were merely high-grade materials.
For Lost, the current state of affairs—where materials were essentially delivered to him on a conveyor belt without any effort on his part—was extremely convenient. He had no complaints.
Furthermore... while his recent large-scale plans had been thwarted twice now, those failures had led him to someone far more exciting than any of the so-called protagonists.
Wishing to see more from this man—an irregular existence in every sense of the word—Lost’s grin widened. He reached out and snatched several cards from the air.
"Yes, yes, this should do. This one would be an easy mark, but the one I’m personally interested in is... this girl."
Lost pulled a single card from his hand and stared intently at the girl illustrated upon it.
She was characterized by her yellowish hair and an expression that felt somewhat inorganic, almost doll-like. After studying her for a long moment, Lost’s lips curled into a cruel arc. He gave a sharp, playful whistle.
"Now then, shall we begin the game? Will she be saved, or won’t she? I suppose it’s time for the 'stay tuned' part!"
"Alright! Feeling good, feeling good! I think I'll call it a day!"
At the Luminous Academy Training Ground, Yugo wiped the sweat from his brow, speaking in a bright, energized tone after finishing his special training.
Letting out a long, satisfied sigh, he took a drink of water to quench his parched throat, then stretched his limbs.
"Blaster still has plenty of room to grow, and the modifications from Ann and Fee have opened up all sorts of new possibilities. In the end, it all comes down to the person using it, so I can’t afford to skip my training."
Thanks to repeated upgrades, his Magic Item and transformation device, Blaster, had achieved levels of performance and versatility that were unthinkable for an old-generation model.
However, no matter how powerful a Magic Item became, the strength of the wielder remained the deciding factor. To truly master his enhanced equipment, he had to forge his own body and mind first.
Ever since the wounds he sustained during his consecutive battles with Isaac and Neid had healed, Yugo had dedicated himself to this daily regimen.
(I managed to prepare a secret trump card, but whether I can actually pull it off in the heat of the moment depends on my daily training. I need to make sure I can look anyone in the eye and tell them, 'It’s because I’ve been training.')
Yugo nodded firmly as the image of a certain Purple Ogre—beating a drum, or rather, echoing that rhythm through his soul—flashed through his mind.
Carving the lesson that consistent effort was the key to victory into his heart, he offered a silent word of respect to the heroes who had taught him such vital things. Just as he was about to head home from the training ground, someone stepped into his path.
"Excuse me... You’re Yugo Clay, aren't you?"
"Eh? Ah, yeah, that’s me...?"
The person who had suddenly called out to him was a female student with yellowish hair styled in a bob.
She possessed a quiet, stoic aura, her poker face making it impossible to read her emotions. After staring at Yugo for a few moments, she spoke.
"I have a request. Would you be willing to listen?"
"A request? I don’t mind, I guess, but what is it?"
Yugo tilted his head, wondering what she could possibly want from him.
The girl offered a deep, formal bow and voiced her desire.
"Please... make me your apprentice."