"Is—is this for real...!?"
Woz and Torin caught their breath in shock at the sight of the metal fragments that had materialized before them following Abyss’s cryptic, smiling remark.
As the two stood speechless, having already guessed the true nature of these objects, Abyss spoke up to confirm their suspicions.
"Yes, they are Clear Plates. I have gathered almost every single one of them, save for those confiscated by the Security Force."
"You knew about these things and went around collecting them... Don't tell me you’re the one who created the Clear Plates?"
"Huh? What are you talking about? Clear Plates were items that appeared in Luminous History to begin with, weren't they?"
Clear Plates. These were the mysterious items used by the Magic Armor Beasts that had thoroughly tormented them back on Shandia Island.
Woz and Torin questioned Abyss about them, but Cyan was the one who replied, offering a strange contradiction.
The two wondered what on earth Cyan was talking about—but then they realized he was under some kind of hypnotic trance induced by Abyss.
There’s no doubt about it. This Abyss guy has terrifying power. He’s the one who made these Clear Plates and scattered them across the island...!
And the title of Conductor, the one pulling the strings behind the scenes... that doesn't seem like an exaggeration. We might be talking to someone far beyond our imagination right now...!
The duo understood that Abyss was no ordinary man. Not only had he created items that didn't exist in the original game and used them to cause various incidents, but he had also demonstrated the power to hypnotize Reincarnators like themselves and manipulate them as pawns.
Recalling Cyan’s words about them being "chosen," Woz and Torin turned their gazes toward the scattered Clear Plates as Abyss had instructed.
"Yes, that’s right. For what it’s worth, you are both men referred to as Hero Candidates. Though you weren't originally chosen by the Clear Plates... if you use one with high enough affinity, you should be able to obtain a fair amount of power."
As they listened to his words and scanned the pile of Clear Plates, Woz and Torin saw a single plate within the heap shimmer brilliantly.
Almost simultaneously, they reached for different plates and gripped them tight. Abyss let out a delighted laugh.
"I see. So those are the Clear Plates you chose... or rather, the ones that chose you. Well then, go ahead and use them."
Abyss had said he would show them his power, but now he projected an aura as if he were testing their own potential.
Frustrated that everything was going exactly as he wanted, Woz and Torin felt a spark of defiance. They thrust the Clear Plates they had selected against their chests, screaming as they felt a surge of intoxicating power.
"Uooooooooh! This... this is it! What incredible power!"
"With this power, even we can... Haaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"
A surge of energy and the thrill that came with it. Knowing they were about to obtain abilities far greater than the "bonuses" they had received upon reincarnation, Woz and Torin let out roars of triumph.
Under Abyss's watchful, composed smile, the two used the Clear Plates and were enveloped in light. When the glow faded, they had been reborn into Magic Armor Beasts, their appearances transformed.
"Hi—hihihi...! What strength! I’ve done it! I’m the strongest now!"
Woz’s voice rang out. He had transformed into a monster that resembled a knight clad in full-plate armor—or rather, a grotesque, several-times-more-hideous version of one.
Exuding the atmosphere of an RPG hero rather than a noble knight, the transformed Woz drew the Greatsword from his back, unable to hide his elation.
"No, I’m the strongest...! I’ve obtained invincible power!"
Much like Woz, Torin had also shifted into an otherworldly monster.
His body was a gaudy, brilliant gold, but his form was otherwise simple and unadorned, his face as smooth and featureless as a blank doll.
One was a cluttered, warrior-like monster; the other was a creature that was unremarkable save for its striking color.
Having reached these two extremes, Woz and Torin forgot their previous terror and glared at Abyss before launching their assault.
"Hihihihi! Take this! Elemental Sword!"
Woz swung his Greatsword in a massive arc, slashing at Abyss.
He unleashed a flurry of strikes imbued with various attributes—fire on the downward swing, ice on the following upward slash, then lightning and wind during the spinning strike. Abyss parried the onslaught with ease, only for a golden mass to fly toward his face.
"Ahahahaha! Witness my power!"
Torin extended his arm, firing golden spheres that seemed to be formed from his own flesh turned into bullets.
Abyss twisted his head to dodge, but the golden bullets reversed course to pursue him. At times they changed shape, sprouting thorns or turning into spinning cutters. Throughout the barrage, Torin’s body neither shrank nor disappeared.
"I see, I see. So that’s how it is."
Abyss was subjected to a relentless pincer attack—Woz at close range and Torin from a distance.
Though he was dealing with two Magic Armor Beasts of staggering power simultaneously, his composure remained unshaken.
After observing their movements for a while, he leaped back to create distance, then pointed at each of them in turn as he summarized his analysis.
"That appearance and those abilities... you are like the hero from a game. Most likely, your Heroic Desire was given physical form by the power of the plate. In short, your ability is [Hero]."
"Heh...! So what if you figured it out?"
"You, the other one, were a bit more difficult to read. However, I expect your desire for a miracle—a Grand Turnaround from a desperate situation—is what drew out that mystical energy. The letter on the plate is M. It is the power of [Miracle]... am I correct?"
"Full marks! But now that I have the power of miracles, no one can stop me!"
"Hmm... you’ve awakened to even greater abilities than I anticipated. I’m truly glad I chose you two while you were in the depths of despair. Now then—"
Having confirmed their new-found strength, Abyss declared them a success and pulled out his own Clear Plate.
He gazed at them with a wicked smile, watching as they stood intoxicated by their own power and absolute sense of superiority. Remaining perfectly calm, he made his final declaration.
"It is time I showed you. The power of both myself and the Plate that stands at the very apex of all others."