"T-this...! Impossible! [Finale] was destroyed?! What on earth are they doing over there!?"
The scene shifts back to the rooftop of Havent Castle.
Abyss, who had taken his Word Second Form to engage in a life-and-death struggle against Hugo, let out a cry of pure shock as he watched his plan’s centerpiece—the super weapon [Finale]—grind to a halt with a deafening roar.
At its summit, a massive shell forged from concentrated magic power pulsated with a malevolent glow, but the [Finale] no longer possessed the mechanisms required to launch it.
Staring at the villain as he reeled from the realization that his plan had been effectively thwarted, Hugo spoke.
"How does it feel to have your grand design stopped by the very people you looked down on? For a Conductor who claims to rule everything, you’re looking pretty rattled."
"Hugo Clay...! What are you?! Everything was supposed to follow my script! If it weren't for you—if not for the noise you call a life—this world would have found its perfect harmony in destruction! And yet, you—!!"
"I'll give you an answer, Abyss. I’m just a man fighting to protect the peace of this world and the freedom of its people! No life in this world exists to be dominated for your pathetic stage play! I will strike you down—for every soul on this planet and for everyone I hold dear!"
"You... you arrogant brat!!"
Abyss howled, firing a magic bullet along with a swing of his fist.
Hugo evaded the projectile with a sideways leap. In mid-air, he manifested a staff in his hand and hurled it straight at Abyss.
"Gwah!?"
It was a clean hit. The tip of the staff, thrown with enough force to pierce the wind, slammed directly into Abyss’s face.
As the villain groaned and staggered back a few steps, clutching his bloody nose, Hugo refused to let the opening slide. He leaped high into the air.
"Hah!!"
"!?!?"
Abyss looked up at Hugo’s spirited battle cry, his eyes widening as he saw the staff Hugo had just thrown suspended in mid-air.
Hugo grabbed the staff with both hands and spun around it like a gymnast performing a giant swing on a high bar. Using that incredible centrifugal force, he launched a flying kick at the stunned Abyss.
"Take this, Abyss! Feel the fury of everyone on this island! X-Blaster Kick!!"
"Ngh!? Urgh! Gaaaaaaaaaah!!"
It was an unpredictable maneuver—a technique beyond imagination. Powered by the [X] Clear Plate, Hugo’s finishing blow completely bypassed the defenses of [Word] and struck Abyss squarely in the torso.
For a heartbeat, Abyss tried to brace himself against the impact, but he couldn't withstand the overwhelming destructive power of the kick. He was sent flying like a ragdoll.
"Gah! Guh, gugah...!! Gwaaaaaaaaa!!"
Abyss slammed into the wall right next to where [Finale] was mounted. After a choked groan, he let out a piercing scream.
An X-shaped light suddenly flared across his body. An instant later, the light erupted into a massive explosion, swallowing him whole.
"...It’s over. The world should be safe now."
Hugo whispered to himself as he felt Abyss’s magic power fading.
With Abyss’s defeat, he felt certain that the series of tragedies—starting from the Clear Plate Incident on Wind Island to the impending end of the world—had finally reached their conclusion. Or so he thought.
"Not yet... it’s not over yet!!"
"!?!"
With a snarling shout, Abyss lunged out from the smoke.
Having reverted from his monstrous Second Form back to his humanoid First Form, Abyss leaped to the very peak of the castle. Standing beside the massive, highly-charged magic shell within [Finale], he gasped for breath as he screamed at Hugo.
"Hugo Clay... no, Yugo Kurei. It seems I cannot best you in combat. However... I don't need to defeat you. [Finale] may be broken, but it has already been charged with a staggering amount of magic power. If I add just a fraction more of my own energy here... it will be more than enough to wipe this island off the map."
"[Finale] is destroyed! Even if the shell is ready, you have no way to fire it!"
"Yes, quite right. But... I don't need to fire it. I can simply drop it. From a height like this!"
"What...!?"
As if Abyss’s words were the signal, the castle tower—the very section that served as the barrel for [Finale]—detached itself from the main structure.
The castle began to crumble beneath Hugo's feet, forcing him to scramble for balance on the shifting stones. Meanwhile, Abyss used the mana discharge from the detached tower like a rocket, propelling himself high into the sky. He declared his victory with a hysterical laugh.
"You fought well! But the one who laughs last is the Conductor, Abyss! Perish along with this island, Hugo Clay!!"