(…So you’ve finally gotten serious. Yes, that’s exactly how it should be.)
Gomez watched the purple flames swirling around Yugo and the shifting form of the Blaster.
Purple Flame Armor… It was undoubtedly the most destructive form Yugo currently possessed. His decision to transform into it was absolutely correct.
Chipping away at Gomez was a futile endeavor. His natural toughness allowed him to endure minor wounds, while the power of the Clear Plate only strengthened him in proportion to the damage he sustained.
If Yugo truly meant to take him down, he had to decide the match with a single blow of overwhelming power.
With the superior firepower of the Purple Flame Armor, it might actually be possible to crush Gomez, even after he had pushed the Clear Plate to its absolute limit.
(I wish you’d reached this resolve sooner. But I suppose it can’t be helped…)
Gomez let out a self-deprecating smirk. It had taken the lives of the Sunlight’s passengers being used as shields to finally force Yugo’s hand.
Gomez kept his eyes fixed on the boy, watching him clench his flame-wreathed fists. Then, in the split second it took to blink, Yugo vanished.
"Uooooooh!!"
"Guhaa!?"
A roar erupted an instant after he disappeared, followed by a heavy impact that tore through his body.
Gomez let out a pained cry as the staggering power of the punch sent him flying backward for the first time in their battle.
"Gah…! Heh, heh! You’ve got it in you after all. Yes… that’s the punch I wanted!!"
Gomez groaned in agony, but a look of satisfaction crossed his face. Until now, Yugo had been holding back out of concern, delivering only half-hearted strikes.
To think he could deal this much damage even after I enhanced my toughness… Sensing the bottomless strength of the Hero before him, Gomez wiped the blood from his lip and tightened his fists.
"…The next one settles it. Are you ready?"
"Yeah… let's finish this!"
Gomez channeled his Magic Power into his right fist, forcing his muscles to swell to grotesque proportions.
He didn’t care if they burst, tore, or bled. He would pour every ounce of his being into this final strike to bring an end to both the battle and his own life.
Opposite him, Yugo stood his ground, the Purple Flame seething within his left fist.
(Yugo…! Let this fight, let my death, be your nourishment. Step over me and grow…!)
Even before the clash, Gomez already knew the outcome.
No matter how much strength he squeezed out of his dying body, he couldn’t beat Yugo. The boy was going to win.
But that was fine. That was what he wanted. He hadn’t been looking for victory from the start.
Gomez’s only wish was to be defeated and find his death here. He widened his eyes, a grin splitting his face as he let out a thunderous roar.
"Come on, Yugo!!"
"…!!"
Answering the roar, Yugo kicked off the deck.
He soared through the air, his left fist wreathed in Purple Flame. Using the fire venting from his back to accelerate, he rocketed straight toward Gomez.
"Blaster Punch!!"
"Uooooooh!!"
Gomez swung to intercept, but his fist only cut through the air.
Yugo’s fist slammed into his chest with perfect timing, triggering a literal explosion of force that brought the battle to its final conclusion.
"Gah!! Guh… aaaaaah!!"
His vaunted toughness and the power of the Clear Plate had reached their breaking point.
The impact of the damage was too much to bear. Gomez’s body spasmed as he reverted to his human form, collapsing against the ship’s railing.
"Heh, hehehe…! Magnificent, Yugo. Like a true Hero, you protected the passengers… though it seems you didn’t quite manage to kill me. No… that was on purpose, wasn’t it…?"
Gomez spoke through the blood dripping from his mouth, his laugh filled with self-mockery.
He had been shown mercy. Yugo had never intended to kill him.
Yugo hadn’t gotten serious just to execute him before the ship went down.
He had fought with everything he had specifically to save Gomez from the self-destruction brought on by the Clear Plate.
He was kind to a fault, and Gomez couldn’t bring himself to hate him for it.
However… he couldn't allow himself to be saved. For the sake of his granddaughter, and to pay for his sins, he had one final task to perform.
(Beautiful sea of Wind Island… forgive me, but please take this old man in.)
He had spent his life fighting to protect the peace, the people, and the beauty of the island he loved. It was only right that he met his end in the waters he cherished most.
It was a shame to foul such a beautiful sea… but surely a man could be forgiven for one last selfish whim.
"Farewell, Wind Island. Farewell, young Hero. Farewell, Cocoa…"
Gomez’s massive frame swayed, snapping the railing as he leaned into the empty space.
He closed his eyes, surrendering himself to the fall… but at the very last second, a hand reached out. Yugo, having sprinted across the deck, grabbed him just before he plunged into the depths.