"Hey, are you sure you’re alright? Things are looking pretty bad, don't you think?"
"……"
In the suffocating darkness, three figures were deep in conversation.
Abyss sat motionless in his chair, while Drop leaned toward him with a prodding, mocking tone. Lost stood a step back from the other two, watching the exchange in silence.
Drop maintained her malicious smirk as she pressed the silent man further.
"The guys who got taken down in that sea-jack incident... weren't they supposed to be the best of the best among those who picked up Clear Plates? With them all defeated, the only ones left are the small fry."
"I have my concerns as well," Lost added. "You made a grand declaration that you would crush the Hero Candidates—the reincarnators—in this scenario. But things aren't exactly flowing in that direction. While I’m glad to witness My Hero’s success, the fact that he continues to obstruct your plans cannot be good for you."
"Is this really part of your plan, too? What’s the next move, Conductor Abyss?"
The Clear Plate possessors Yugo and his allies had faced during the sea-jack incident were the most capable and promising members identified so far. However, they had been systematically defeated, their plates confiscated, and their persons taken into custody.
The remaining possessors were minor threats at best; it was unlikely they could exert any significant power even if they transformed into Magic Armor Beasts. While other undiscovered plates surely existed, those starting late were unlikely to ever surpass the strength of someone like Gomez.
Abyss had declared he would bring the story to an end, and his plan to use the special Clear Plates to breed Magic Armor Beasts had been a bold opening act, but the subsequent developments had been anything but smooth. While the plate-holders had injured a few Hero Candidates, they were nowhere near permanently disabling the lot of them.
Under normal circumstances, Abyss’s strategy might have worked. But with Yugo and his group constantly hunting the plate-holders and disrupting the cultivation of the Magic Armor Beasts, Abyss seemed to be backed into a corner.
Lost and Drop watched him with a sliver of concern and a massive amount of amusement—until Abyss began to laugh.
"Heh... heh-heh-heh... Ahahahaha!"
The sudden, boisterous laughter caught the two off guard. For a moment, they wondered if the stress of the failing scenario had finally caused Abyss to snap, but their fears were groundless.
"I apologize for making you worry. But there is no need for it. Everything that has happened so far has proceeded almost exactly as I, Conductor Abyss, anticipated!"
"Seriously? You sure you’re not just acting tough?" Drop asked.
"Hardly! If I could bring the story to its finale simply by scattering plates and growing Magic Armor Beasts, I wouldn't have prepared this... nor would I have needed to keep one specific plate for myself, would I?"
"……!"
Abyss produced a black ticket and let it flutter between his fingers. As he looked at them with a knowing smirk, Lost narrowed his eyes beneath his hood.
Lost realized then that the man wasn't bluffing. Abyss stood up from his chair, taking several light steps forward while looking up into the empty void above.
"If I merely wanted to annihilate the opposition, it would be easy enough. What matters is the drama created within that destruction. Everything we’ve done up to this point has been nothing more than the prologue."
"So, you’re saying all twenty-six Clear Plates were just decoys for your real plan?" Lost asked.
"Non, non, non... only twenty-five of them. As I said, I kept a Clear Plate for my own use. This is the strongest plate—the others were merely the opening acts intended to make this power shine."
He had intended this from the start. Abyss was going to intervene personally and bring the curtain down with his own hands. Lost had suspected as much, but hearing it directly didn't clarify what the man’s concrete goal actually was.
"Not everything has been perfectly smooth, but... no matter. It is time for me to move. I must demonstrate my strength as the Last Boss of this game."
The ticket in Abyss’s hand began to dissolve into black particles. Lost watched the disintegration in silence before speaking to the grinning conductor.
"Using that ticket means you’re committed. I have my thoughts on the matter, but... I’ll simply wish you luck."
"Heh-heh. Commitment isn't necessary, Lost. I have an absolute plan for victory. There is no room for doubt or worry."
"So, what’s the first move?" Drop asked. "What does the Last Boss slash Conductor Abyss intend to do now that he’s finally stepping onto the stage?"
"I already told you, Drop. I’m going to demonstrate my power. And for that, I had you prepare the perfect opponent."
Abyss gave a confident wave of his hand, and a pitch-black rift tore open in the darkness. He glanced at the hole, then turned back to the two observers with a buoyant voice.
"First, I’ll go meet a jobber to show the audience what I can do. Lost, Drop... I hope you enjoy the performance I’ve conducted until the very end."