Yugo possessed the pride of a hero, guided by the innate sense of decency he had brought from his previous world. Thus, no matter how depraved his opponent, he never inflicted more pain than was strictly necessary.
Ryuga, however, was a different breed. His lack of mercy toward evil was incomparable to Yugo’s. This wasn't a question of who could win or lose—Hypno should have understood that if he incensed this man, he would face a reckoning like this.
"Haa, haa...! Ah, gah...!?"
Realizing he had triggered the dragon's reverse scale in the most disastrous way possible, Hypno understood the gravity of his mistake. He could no longer maintain his Mad Dragon Form and reverted to his original appearance as the silver Magic Armor Beast. His body—once as pristine as a polished mirror—was now crisscrossed with a tapestry of jagged lacerations.
"Is that all? I haven't quite finished cutting you down."
"Ugh, gu, gu...!!"
A snapping sound, like blood vessels bursting in his brain, echoed within Hypno's head. Consumed by a white-hot rage, he glared at Ryuga through ragged breaths.
"I will never forgive you...!! Don't think you'll get away with humiliating me like this...!!"
"What a coincidence. I was thinking exactly the same thing."
To Hypno, concepts like being "overwhelmed" were utterly foreign. He was always the one doing the oppressing—the elite who used money and authority to dominate others. Even including his previous life, he had almost no experience being unilaterally beaten down.
While someone like Burn might have been overpowered in a brawl or outmatched in an unfamiliar field, Hypno had walked a path of excellence. He had never known true failure, and that lack of setbacks was proving to be a fatal disadvantage in this moment.
(I won't tolerate another soul defying my will! I am the one! I am the ruler of all!)
His acquisition of hypnosis—a power seemingly ill-suited for direct combat—was a direct reflection of his deep-seated psychological need to dominate. He had died in his past life because he had crossed paths with an unpredictable fool—someone so moronic they were beyond his control. That was why he sought to rule. He would never repeat the same mistake.
"I didn't want to resort to this...! It’s utterly exhausting, and I had no desire to become like your kind. But I don't have a choice... I'm going to kill you! Me! With my own hands!!"
Hypno let out a feral roar of bared fury. Sensing the villain was preparing a desperate move, Ryuga stood his ground, intentionally waiting to see what would follow.
Hypno activated his ability once more. However, this time, he directed his hypnosis not at Ryuga, but at himself.
"I am the strongest...! I am invincible, beyond defeat...! I will... definitely... kill you!!"
As mentioned before, the power of conviction can produce effects that transcend human logic. While Hypno had previously used the ability to make others believe an illusion was real to inflict physical damage, there was a far simpler application: self-suggestion.
In high-stakes performance, one must settle their mind to bring out one hundred percent of their capability. By maintaining a positive mindset and convincing oneself of their own greatness, they can ensure their true potential is realized. Sometimes, that conviction allows a person to exceed their own limits.
Through his hypnosis ability, Hypno had sublimated the act of self-suggestion to an ultimate level. Using it as a massive buff to draw out his latent power, his body responded to the mental command. His slender frame swelled, transforming into a massive, muscular physique that transcended human proportions.
"...I see. So that's your ace in the hole."
"Precisely...! This is my Strongest Form...! Now that I’ve unleashed this, I will surely end you...!!"
Having pushed his body, his magic power, and his murderous intent to their absolute limits, Hypno growled with a monstrous voice. Having drawn out every ounce of power he possessed, a sliver of composure returned to him. He took a deep breath before addressing Ryuga.
"Did you know, Ryuga Renjou? They say humans only utilize five percent of the power sleeping within them. Even those in this world who can manipulate magic power probably only draw out ten percent of their true potential."
"...What about it?"
"By using my ability, I have unlocked every shred of latent power within me! I have literally surpassed humanity!!"
Hypno boasted as he swung an arm as thick as a tree trunk. He brought it down toward Ryuga with blinding speed, a strike so powerful it gouged the earth. A smirk played across his lips.
"I am ten times stronger than you. How do you intend to fight me now?"