"Hehehe... Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!"
"You're in high spirits, Abyss. I’m glad to see you’re enjoying yourself."
"Oh, I certainly am! The stage is being set, piece by perfect piece!"
Somewhere within the boundless darkness, Abyss let out a laugh that seemed to ripple through the void. When Lost spoke to him, the man replied with genuine delight.
Lost stole a glance at the figure lying beside his companion before turning his gaze back to Abyss. "What do you plan to do with that? You went to quite a bit of trouble to retrieve it."
"Didn't I tell you? It's a prop for my stage... He’s going to assist with my latest production."
As he answered, Abyss turned toward Cyan, who lay nearby with his eyes rolled back into his head. A manic grin spread across Abyss’s face.
Lost sighed at the display, prompting Drop to chime in. "You're having the time of your life, aren't you, Abyss? Did you really take such a liking to that Zamaa-ed Protagonist?"
"Since he went through such roundabout lengths to recover him, I'd assume so," Lost added.
Originally, Cyan Fail was destined for the custody of the Security Force after being expelled from Luminous Academy for his assault on the teachers and students in the Control Room. However, Abyss had intercepted him, posing as a guard to secure his person and bring him here.
"Though I don't think being 'favored' by him is a blessing in the slightest," Lost muttered.
Abyss had gone to great effort to obtain Cyan, but it certainly wasn't out of the goodness of his heart. To Abyss, Cyan was a mere stage prop—or perhaps just another actor in his play.
Lost, for his part, saw little value in dragging a man past his expiration date back onto the stage. Nor did he feel Cyan was worth the effort of a grand, tragic finale. Still, Abyss clearly had his own designs. Between Masterminds, a policy of non-interference kept things civil, so Lost kept his thoughts to himself.
"He is magnificent! A flawless piece for the stage I’m building! He will command the spotlight as the one who leads this story to its end! I have no doubt!"
"You're certainly enthusiastic. Well, as long as you're having fun."
"Indeed! And Lost, I owe you a debt of gratitude! You were the one who orchestrated Cyan Fail's spectacular fall from grace!"
"Aww... nothing for Drop-chan? It’s a little insulting to be overlooked like this."
"My deepest apologies! I'm afraid my excitement got the better of me. Please, forgive my discourtesy, Drop. By way of apology, I'll show you both something special."
Abyss snapped his fingers with a cryptic smile. Immediately, Cyan began to convulse violently.
"Agagagagagagagagagagagagagaga...!?"
"What are you doing to him?"
"Think of it as a convenient bit of memory alteration. It would be quite a headache if things stayed as they are. One must finalize the character settings, after all."
Turning his gaze away from the twitching Cyan, Abyss snapped his fingers once more. As Lost and Drop watched, a palm-sized iron plate drifted into the air and floated toward them.
"This is...?"
"Hehehe...! You both recognize it, don't you? The item that serves as the crucial key to the School Trip Arc of Luminous History... Oh, but I should stop there. Spoilers would only ruin the fun for those watching us!"
Lost took one of the plates. Its surface was engraved with cryptic script or perhaps an emblem.
"Lost, are you not looking forward to it?" Abyss asked. "The moment when the masks of these Reincarnators called 'Protagonists' are ripped away to reveal the monsters beneath, leading them to their wretched ends... I promise you the ultimate entertainment."
"Well, do your best. I'm rooting for you."
Hidden beneath his hood, Lost’s mouth twisted into a faint smile. He turned to leave, and as they walked away, Drop questioned him.
"You aren't actually looking forward to the end, are you? You don't want the story to finish here."
"Of course not. But I meant what I said about rooting for him. I want to see My Hero tear through whatever stage Abyss has built."
Abyss intended to bring everything to a close, but Lost didn't desire an ending. He wanted to keep watching the exploits of Yugo, the Hero, for a long time yet. Even so, he had no intention of interfering. If Abyss’s ambitions were to be crushed, that was a job for the Hero. That was Yugo's role.
"A turbulent School Trip Arc indeed," Drop mused. "I wonder how it’ll play out."
"Oh, My Hero is sure to give us the show of a lifetime! On that, I’d bet everything!"
Lost spoke with cheerful conviction. While thinking that he was quite mad, Drop gave a self-deprecating smile, realizing she was no different. She turned her thoughts to the grand commotion that would soon arrive.