"I have to ask, just to be sure. Does that Great Hole appear in the game Luminous History as well?"
Yugo asked for clarification as he listened to Zenon’s explanation of how the current situation had come to be. In response to the inquiry, Zenon shook his head and continued to speak about what had transpired since the Mysterious Great Hole first appeared.
"As far as I recall, there aren’t any events in the game involving a hole like that. For that matter, Abyss—the enemy character you ran into during your school trip—didn’t exist in Luminous History either."
"Because of that, we concluded that the group we might call the masterminds has finally begun to move in earnest," Claire added. "Based on their actions, we also came to believe their primary targets are Reincarnators like Zenon."
"Reincarnators? Why on earth would they do that?" Yui asked with a pained expression.
Zenon nodded slowly at her question before speaking again. "Partly because we’re foreign objects in this world. But the main reason we think so is because of what happened during your school trip."
"Because you confirmed the existence of the mastermind, Abyss, during that incident?"
"No, that’s not it. Well, that’s part of it, but while you were away from Luminous Academy, no major incidents happened here. In other words, I realized you weren't just accidentally caught up in a crime committed by Abyss on Wind Island. It was highly likely that Abyss followed you there specifically to stage that incident."
"I see... From the perspective of someone who knows Reincarnators exist, that’s a perfectly natural deduction," Yugo noted.
If the masterminds were ravaging the world without a specific goal, they wouldn't have missed the chance to strike while Yugo and the others—who were powerful combat assets—were away from the academy. It would have been a natural move to trigger a large-scale crime or incident here while they were at Wind Island.
However, the reality was the opposite. No incidents occurred in the Luminous Academy Vicinity while Yugo’s group was gone; instead, a major crime broke out at Wind Island during their school trip. The appearance of the Great Hole shortly after their return only served to solidify Zenon’s theory.
"The hole appeared out of nowhere and slowly expanded as it drew closer to Luminous Academy. There’s no way a phenomenon that bizarre could be natural. I was convinced it was the masterminds' doing."
"We followed the trail of the hole's appearances and gathered information," Claire said. "We discovered that the trio including Dogma had visited every single location where the phenomenon occurred."
"Supposedly, they were visiting as representatives of the Central Church to offer condolences to the towns and people caught up in the incidents... but they were clearly the most suspicious. That’s why I had Claire use the House of Rouge’s influence to look into them."
"And? Did you find out anything about them?"
Hearing that Zenon had suspected Dogma before any of them and had already launched an investigation, Yugo pressed for details. However, Zenon shook his head in frustration.
"The only thing we found out was that a person named Dogma is registered with the Central Church. No other information came up. The same goes for the other two."
"So they’re women without a past," Ryuga observed.
"Just as Ryuga-sama says," Claire confirmed. "Other than the fact that they belong to the Central Church, nothing is known about Dogma’s group. There is no information on where they were born or what they were doing before joining the church. It’s as if that information simply doesn't exist."
"How...!? Is such a thing even possible!?"
"We found it suspicious too," Zenon said, "but after seeing their abilities today, I understand everything. That guy Hypno must have used his hypnosis ability to brainwash the Central Church staff. He fabricated Dogma’s identity as a priest—a person who shouldn't have even existed—and inserted her into the church’s ranks."
"So their identities and names are all fake..."
"I’m sorry," Zenon said. "I should have found a way to tell you this sooner. If I had, you might have been more on guard against them, and the situation would have turned out very differently."
"Don't beat yourself up over it," Yugo replied, offering his gratitude once more. "If you two hadn't come to our rescue, things would have been catastrophic. We’re only still standing because of you and Claire. Thank you."
After the medical treatment was finished and Zenon had performed a diagnosis—and a precautionary removal—of the hypnosis Hypno had placed on Yugo, he continued his explanation.
"While Claire and I were tracking Dogma’s group, we ran into Ryuga, who had just left the academy and was heading for the Royal Capital. I shared what we knew with him, and shortly after, we encountered that commotion... and that brings us to where we are now."
"It was truly fortunate," Ryuga added. "I was trying to uncover the true identity of Dogma’s group myself, and I happened to meet people who possessed information that was practically the answer. I realized the Great Hole was a self-staged incident they created to justify intervening in Luminous Academy. That's why we rushed back."
"I see... So the reason Ryuga made it in time was thanks to the two of you as well..."
Yugo exhaled deeply as he realized how many fateful coincidences had saved his life. As he fell silent, looking down, Zenon brought up the one doubt he still harbored.
"The mystery is why Dogma’s group targeted you and Fee. They already have the other Reincarnators in a dragnet, ready to be killed whenever they want. So why go after you two, when you have nothing to do with any of this...?"
"Perhaps our theory about them targeting Reincarnators was wrong," Claire suggested. "The masterminds' true objective remains opaque—"
"No... your prediction was right," Yugo interrupted, his voice heavy. "They are definitely targeting Reincarnators."
"Eh...?"
Surprised by Yugo's meaningful interruption, Claire watched him as he remained staring at the floor. Finally, Yugo lifted his head. His expression was one of deep apology, but his voice was firm as he revealed his secret.
"Because I’m one of them. I’m a Reincarnator, just like Zenon."