"This is Yugo. I've boarded the Sunlight safely. How are things on your end, Partner?"
"We've made it onto the Moonlight without any trouble. The real show starts now—stay sharp."
After boarding the Sunlight where Gomez and his men were waiting, Yugo checked in with Ryuga on the other sightseeing boat, the Moonlight, via radio.
Everything had gone smoothly so far, but as Ryuga said, the real test was just beginning. Specifically for Yugo, a duel with Gomez was imminent. Even if the man was retired, the Security Force still hailed him as a hero. Yugo couldn't afford a single moment of carelessness.
Plus, four other Clear Plate possessors—Gomez’s associates—were likely lurking somewhere on the ship. Thinking that there was no time to relax, Yugo was addressed by Anhel, who had boarded with him.
"Yugo, Melt and I are going to track down the hostages and prep the lifeboats. It’ll take some time to make sure they haven't been sabotaged, so do whatever you can to keep him talking. Buy us some time."
"Understood. Marcos, are you with me?"
Yugo, Marcos, Melt, and Anhel—this was the team that had boarded the Sunlight. Ryuga, Sakura, and Raiha were handling the Moonlight, while Setsuna remained on the water to guard Elena and the Seahorses.
For Yugo and his small group, who had to secure the hostages' evacuation while simultaneously dealing with multiple Clear Plate possessors, the deal Yugo had struck with Gomez was vital. As long as the fight between them hadn't started, the other four enemies wouldn't interfere. In other words, the longer they delayed the start of the duel, the more time they had to prepare.
In that window, they would locate the hostages while the Security Force finalized their backup, allowing for a swift, coordinated escape. To achieve that best-case scenario, Yugo needed to stall for as long as possible. With that objective in mind, he nodded to Anhel and began walking slowly toward the deck with Marcos at his side.
"As I thought, no signs of hostages on the way to the deck," Yugo noted.
"Figures. They'd probably be kept somewhere lower, like the engine room," Marcos replied.
The two climbed the stairs, engaging in brief conversation to bleed off the mounting tension. They could feel the heavy pressure radiating from above—the undeniable mark of Gomez’s strength—but they pushed through it and opened the door to the deck.
"...So, you've arrived."
Gomez sat at the bow of the ship with Fee and Yui by his side. When he saw Yugo, he let out a quiet murmur. Standing, he narrowed his eyes at the pair before speaking.
"You don't look much like brothers. Still, I can tell which one is Yugo. You're the red-haired one, aren't you? And that would make the other Marcos Borg. I heard you've taken down a Plate possessor yourself."
Gomez, who had clearly heard plenty from Fee, wore a faint, quiet smile. He stared intently at the two young men who had defeated possessors with power equal to his own, nodding slowly.
"Both of you have good eyes. They aren't the eyes of men who feel no fear, but of men who have the courage to master it. There must be at least one more person with eyes like that in your group, isn't there?"
"...What makes you say that?"
"If the two of you represented your maximum combat power, you wouldn't be standing here together. You would have split up to secure the passengers on the Moonlight. The fact that you're both on the same ship means you have allies on that other boat with strength you trust implicitly. Am I right?"
As he spoke, Gomez patted Fee and Yui on their backs, sending them toward the two older boys. After watching them reach Yugo and Marcos without incident, Gomez spoke again.
"So? Is Marcos here as a reserve? Or do you intend to take me on two-against-one?"
"He's only here to get the kids to safety. Our duel will be one-on-one, just like we agreed."
"Hmph! Then have him take them away quickly. Somewhere they won't be in the way."
At Gomez's prompting, Yugo turned to Marcos. Marcos gave Yugo a silent nod of encouragement before taking the children by their hands.
"Yugo, about that man..." Fee started, looking back.
"I know," Yugo said. "He seems like he's carrying a heavy burden. I'll see what I can do."
"...Yeah. Please help him, Big Brother."
Fee, sensing that Yugo understood there was more to Gomez than met the eye, nodded with a look of relief. Marcos then led the children away, leaving the deck. Once they were gone, Yugo turned his full attention back to Gomez.
"Now it's just the two of us. Let's begin."
"Wait. I want you to honor your word first."
Gomez's brow furrowed slightly. "...I believe I kept my promise not to touch the hostages?"
"You promised that if I came here, you'd tell me why you're doing this."
Yugo brought up the conversation they'd had before he boarded. While this was partly a tactic to buy time, he genuinely wanted to know why a man like this had turned to a life of crime. A man who kept his word so strictly and refused to harm children didn't seem like a true villain.
He suspected there was a deeper reason. Gomez let out a heavy sigh, his gaze drifting.
"...I was sick of being treated like a hero. That’s all there is to it."