"Conductor Abyss... so he's the one behind all this...!"
Yugo Kurei stood aghast in the deserted city streets, the echoes of the rampaging Magic Armor Beasts he had just defeated still ringing in the air. He listened to Abyss’s broadcast, stunned by the sheer scale of the man’s confession.
As the self-proclaimed mastermind behind the Clear Plate atrocities, Abyss was a man Yugo had a mountain of questions for. How had he manufactured such items? Why was Cyan, a student who should have been expelled from the academy, aiding him?
But more than anything, Yugo needed to know if Abyss was a reincarnator like himself.
This entire incident bore a striking resemblance to a movie Yugo remembered from his previous life. Had Abyss used that film as a motif to construct this plan? Just as Yugo became certain he had sensed the presence of another reincarnator, a voice spoke from the shadows.
"Curious about Abyss, are you?"
Yugo spun around with explosive speed. His eyes narrowed as he took in the figure approaching him—a man draped in a familiar black hood.
"You... Lost!" Yugo growled.
"Aha! You remembered me? I'm touched, My Hero!"
"What are you doing here?" Yugo demanded, his body tensing for a fight. "Don't tell me you're one of Abyss's comrades!"
"Now, please, calm down. I didn't come here to trade blows. I've actually come to help you, in my own small way."
This was Lost—the mastermind who had previously manipulated Rush and Neid, orchestrating their transformation into Magic Armor Beasts. Though they had only met once, Yugo could never forget him. He immediately dropped into a battle stance, but Lost showed no sign of hostility. On the contrary, the man left himself completely defenseless. Realizing the figure truly had no intent to fight, Yugo continued to glare at him warily as Lost began to speak.
"To answer your earlier question: Abyss and I are allies, but we aren't exactly 'comrades.' If we were characters in one of those hero programs you love so much, we’d be the type who team up because our interests align, but we never grab a drink together afterward. Something like that."
"That phrasing... so you really are one too—"
"Yep. That’s right. Both Abyss and I are reincarnators. Just like you, Kurei Yugo-kun."
Lost smirked beneath his hood, causing Yugo to catch his breath. Though he had expected the answer, hearing his former name spoken aloud sent a jolt through him. He pressed the man with a sharp gaze.
"What is your objective? Turning people into monsters, causing this much chaos... why would you do something like this?!"
"Unfortunately, I can’t answer that. Rules of the game, you see. My apologies."
"Don't screw with me! After everything you've done, you think you're in a position to talk about rules?!"
Yugo moved to close the distance, his fists clenched, but Lost raised a hand to restrain him.
"Your anger is perfectly justified," Lost said, his tone remains nonchalant. "I understand you can't forgive me. But is this really the time to be fighting? If you have time to punch me, wouldn’t it be better spent asking questions and extracting whatever information you can?"
His breezy attitude was infuriating, but Yugo knew he was right. Punching the man wouldn't stop the plan. Suppressing his rage for the moment, Yugo spoke.
"Fine. Do you know where the final Clear Plate is?"
"Hmm... unfortunately, the answer is no. I’ve secretly investigated Abyss’s plan and understand the mechanics, but even I don't know where all the plates he scattered ended up."
"Then tell me this. How can I stop him? How do I stop his plan to blow up this island?!"
"There are several ways, but they all share one common factor: you must defeat Abyss. He has meticulously advanced his plan and activated the Finale using the magic power siphoned from every Clear Plate user. As long as Abyss remains standing, that super-weapon cannot be destroyed."
"So it really does come down to that... the final plate is the trump card for a turnaround!"
"I believe so. However, finding that trump card will be quite a challenge. At the very least, it's not going to just fall into your lap at some detective agency."
Yugo kept his suspicious gaze fixed on Lost, but there was one more thing he had to ask. "One more thing... do you and Abyss know about that movie?"
"Hmm? Oh, I know of it, I suppose. But Abyss definitely doesn't. It's a mere coincidence that this situation resembles the plot of that film."
Yugo looked at him with lingering doubt, prompting Lost to let out a small sigh.
"Think about it. If Abyss actually knew the script of that movie, do you think he would go out of his way to execute his final operation while intentionally leaving his opponent a chance to win?"