He shouldn't have assumed that fool actually intended to defeat him. He had clung to a prejudice born from the way he died in his previous life—an obsession that blinded him to Zenon’s true objective.
To Hypno, a man who lived solely for himself, Zenon’s logic was utterly alien.
The very idea of someone risking their life for another—of sacrificing oneself just to set the stage for the next move—was a concept he had dismissed entirely. Now, the voices of Zenon and a newcomer echoed in his ears.
"…Thank you. Thanks to you, I found this place. Seto Haino, you saved the lives of countless people. You are a genuine hero."
"I just... thrashed around a little. If you hadn't come, that would've been the end of it."
"Yeah, that's right. You believed in your friend and fought to the very end. You're the one who won this fight, Seto."
The dust settled slowly, revealing the figures within.
Ryuga draped his uniform jacket over the prone Zenon. When he turned around, Hypno called out his name, his voice dripping with unrestrained malice.
"Ryuga Renjou...!!"
"Ah, I wondered who it was, but it's just a rat that’s been skittering and hiding in the shadows. The toy you were guarding so carefully is broken now... what are you going to do?"
"Guh...!"
Hypno groaned as his gaze darted between the man who had likely found this basement by detecting the clash of magic power and the hypnosis diffusion magic item that had been sliced clean through.
Glaring with eyes full of hatred at Ryuga—the man Zenon had summoned as the one capable of defeating him—Hypno roared at the top of his lungs.
"Ryuga Renjou! Has the man who once ran away with his tail between his legs come back to interfere with me!?"
"Don't flatter yourself, you small-timer. I simply came to answer my friend's life-or-death resolve. Cutting you down is merely an afterthought."
"An afterthought? A small-timer? Just how much do you intend to mock me...!?"
"I am merely stating facts. I have no interest in overestimating a man who can do nothing but skulk around using cowardly tricks."
As Ryuga spoke with detached calm, Hypno’s rage surged toward its breaking point.
In contrast to Hypno, who stared with eyes filled with fury at the man who continued to mock him, Ryuga maintained a cool composure.
"I’ve already destroyed your prized magic item. All that's left is to cut you down, and then everyone will be released from the hypnosis. As far as results from a side job go, it's more than satisfactory."
"You...! You think you've already won? Don't look down on me!!"
"You're the one who needs to realize you've already lost. Not to me, but to the man named Zenon Ash."
"Don't mess with meeeee!!"
Hypno roared and manifested illusionary flames, raining them down upon Ryuga, but the swordsman didn't flinch.
Engulfed in the flickering fire, Ryuga knew it wasn't real. He slowly drew the katana at his waist and fixed his gaze on Hypno.
"Do you think such child's play will work on me? Everything about you is a fake... I understand that all too well."
"Ugh!?"
With a single sweep of Ryuo-ga, a sudden gust of wind snuffed out the illusory flames. The force of it sent Hypno stumbling back with a groan.
Ryuga, harboring a fire in his heart hotter and more intense than the fake flames that had just surrounded him, looked at Hypno.
"You're out of luck. I'm feeling a bit heated right now. Sorry, but I don't think I can go easy on you."
Of course, he had no intention of showing mercy from the start.
This man had tormented and injured his comrades, friends, and best friends, causing countless people to shed blood and tears. He deserved an appropriate punishment.
Shouldering the weight of his comrades' and Zenon's hopes, Ryuga felt his heart hammer with intensity. He let out a quiet, steady roar.
"Are you prepared? Now… let's shake it off!!"