"Fee! Here, the knife I promised! You’d better treasure it!"
"Thank you, Shiroi! I'll never let it out of my sight!"
Once the incident was settled and the Security Force had arrived to secure the area, the students of Luminous Academy prepared to leave the village for the city. As the time to say goodbye approached, Shiroi handed Fee a gift—a stone knife identical to his own—sealing their bond of friendship.
"The only reason everyone’s safe is because of you and your friends, Fee. Thank you. Truly."
"Oh, it was nothing. My brother and the others did all the heavy lifting."
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean you didn't do anything! To me, you're a Hero too, Fee!"
In his own mind, Fee didn't feel like he’d accomplished much. But to Shiroi, he was the precious friend who had stayed by his side and offered comfort when he was terrified. He was a Hero in every sense of the word. Bashful yet clearly moved, Fee offered a bright smile.
"I’ll come back to visit once you’ve recovered. When I do, let’s talk. I have so many stories to tell you—about my brother’s exploits and plenty more."
"I'll be waiting! Next time, I won't show you a village full of fakes. I'll show you the real thing! I’ll cook you the best food you’ve ever tasted, so you better come back!"
The two boys shook hands firmly, confirming their new bond. Though the parting was tinged with regret, they both knew they would meet again. They continued to wave, shouting their farewells until they were out of earshot.
"See you later, Shiroi!"
"Fee! Yugo! Thank you for everything! Come back soon!"
"...Ah, young friendship. How heartwarming. It’s almost enough to make a man feel nostalgic," Marcos remarked as they walked.
"Maybe we should invite him to the city next time," Anhel suggested. "We could show him the sights. That would be a blast, wouldn't it?"
"It would!" Fee agreed. "And... the fact that Shiroi and the villagers are safe is all thanks to you, Brother. You really are amazing!"
"I didn't do it alone," Yugo replied. "I only made it this far because I had all of you backing me up."
As they moved further from the village, the group chatted amiably, reflecting on the ordeal. Marcos, however, looked a bit weary as he let out a heavy sigh.
"Still... that was something else. To not only imprison an entire village but to masquerade as others to further her schemes... That villain’s malice was on a scale I never expected."
"No kidding! Because of her, I had to deal with sexual harassment and basically being seen naked. It was the absolute worst!" Anhel fumed.
"Still, we might have been lucky she wasn't particularly bright," Fee mused. "If someone truly clever had that power, the damage could have been catastrophic. Maybe we should just be glad it ended here...?"
"Fee might have a point. Even so, I didn't see that massive Magic Armor Beast coming at the end. We should probably start looking into countermeasures for those types of enemies, just in case... What do you think, Yugo?"
"...Hm? Oh, sorry. I was lost in thought for a second."
When Anhel directed the question at him, Yugo could only offer a strained, apologetic smile. His companions exchanged concerned glances, their expressions turning skeptical.
"What’s with you, Yugo? You’re acting weird."
"Eh? Am I?"
"You are! Usually, you’d be all over a topic like this. Your eyes would be practically glowing!"
"I was expecting you to demand I add a Combination and Transformation Function or something," Anhel added.
"Well, I mean, I probably would... but even I have off days, you know?"
"Are you okay, Brother? Maybe the fatigue from the fight is catching up to you...?"
"I'm fine, really! Seriously, you guys are making me lose my rhythm. Just go on ahead; I’ll catch up once I’ve cleared my head!"
Yugo gave them a self-deprecating wave, realizing he must look quite suspicious if even his little brother was worried. He urged them forward, coming to a halt as he watched their retreating figures. As he stood alone, he let out a long, heavy breath.
"...Masquerading as someone else, huh? I suppose I’m no better."
It wasn't a thought he had forgotten, nor was it something he took lightly. But he had certainly been avoiding the reality of it. In the end, what he was doing wasn't any different from Naruru’s deception. He, too, had hijacked the life of the real Hugo Clay.
By continuing to play the part without ever revealing the truth to his friends, he was perhaps even more cold-blooded than the monster they had just defeated. He was a man who took advantage of Fee’s genuine love and respect for his 'brother'—a man who deserved the title of villain.
(I wonder if that’s how 'The Lord' felt...)
The Hero who had wielded the weapon that served as the basis for the Magic-Slaying Crimson Lotus Blade had also been a man of secrets, deceiving his comrades about his true identity. For the first time, Yugo felt like he finally understood a fraction of what that man must have gone through.
He looked up, his gaze fixing on the horizon. He couldn't keep Fee and the others in the dark forever. One day, the time would come when he had to lay everything bare. Accepting that weight as his own responsibility, Yugo let out one last breath and broke into a run to catch up with the others.
He pushed down the inner turmoil and the lingering sense of guilt. Even if his very existence was a lie, he vowed then and there that he would never betray his brother's expectations in any other way.