"F—Fee!!"
The cry had barely left Hugo’s lips when he spotted his brother. Fee was still firmly within Dogma’s grasp.
Hugo had been so focused on breaking the hypnosis over his comrades that he had momentary forgotten the boy was still a prisoner. Dogma turned to him, her expression twisted into a look of pure, malicious delight.
"Your precious brother is in my hands," she purred. "I imagine you’d do anything to get him back... but I’m not the type to let things go so easily."
A wicked grin pulled at the corners of her mouth.
In an instant, Hugo vaulted off the ground, scattering the Shadow Soldiers in his wake. He launched himself through the air, fist pulled back to strike.
Dogma evaded the blow with practiced ease, Fee still tucked under her arm. She let out a short, playful whistle.
"My, my... How dangerous. You really don't leave a girl much room for error, do you?"
"Give him back right now!" Hugo growled, his voice thick with a rage that bordered on a snarl. "Do it, or I won’t be held responsible for what I do to you next."
His knuckles whitened as he squeezed his fists tight. Dogma only offered a serene smile in response—before delivering a remark as sharp as a blade.
"Brother? You say the strangest things... This child isn't your brother, is he?"
"…!?"
Hugo’s eyes widened behind his visor, and his breath hitched.
Fee, oblivious to the sudden change in his brother's demeanor, turned his fury toward Dogma. "What are you talking about?! Stop talking nonsense!!"
"Heh heh heh... Perhaps ignorance really is bliss. Don't you agree, Yugo Kurei-san?"
"Ugh...!"
Hugo let out a strangled groan. The mockery in her voice as she used his true name felt like a physical blow.
Sensing the shift in the air, Fee looked at Hugo, his confusion mounting. "Brother...? What’s wrong? What is she...?"
"Hee hee! Fee Clay-kun. The man standing over there isn't your brother at all. He’s a total stranger—a different person entirely who stole your brother's body."
"What...?"
The revelation hit Fee like a physical weight. His eyes stretched wide with shock.
He shook his head, desperate to reject the absurdity of it. He couldn't believe it; he wouldn't. "Brother... isn't my brother? What the hell are you saying?!"
"Sadly, every word is true. The brother you loved so dearly is gone. He’s nowhere to be found."
"Gone? No... you’re lying! That’s a lie! You’re just trying to trick me!! Right?!"
The brother who had finally acknowledged him, the one who had promised they would stand side-by-side in the future... Fee desperately searched Hugo's face for a denial. He needed the man he looked up to more than anyone else to tell him Dogma was wrong.
But Hugo remained silent. He didn't speak; he didn't move. That oppressive, heavy silence was the only Proof Fee needed to know that the woman was telling the truth.
"Liar... Liar, liar, liar!!"
"Heh heh heh... I do feel a bit guilty for revealing it this way, I suppose. But my plans have suffered quite a few setbacks today... Consider this a minor casualty of the circumstances."
Dogma spared a dismissive glance for the hysterical Fee before turning her attention back to Hugo. He was still gripping his fists, trembling as he fought through the shock.
"You really are a pitiful creature," she continued. "Because you cared for the boy, you couldn't bring yourself to tell him the truth. And now, look at the result. Truly wretched!"
"Say what you want," Hugo said, his voice cold. "I have a job to do, and I'm going to do it."
He refused to let her provocations bait him further. Dogma watched him with a distorted, amused smile.
"Oh, I see. You want to kill me. You think that if you do, you'll get the boy back and these soldiers will vanish. But tell me... knowing that, do you honestly think I have any intention of fighting you?"
"What!?"
As if on cue, a pool of black sludge bubbled up beneath Dogma’s feet. She held Fee tightly, casting one last malicious look at Hugo.
"Apologies, but I believe I'll be retreating for the day. I'll be taking your precious brother—well, not really—along with me."
"Wait!! Stop!!"
"If you're so desperate to fight me, you'll have to deal with my followers first. That is, if you're capable. Until then... farewell, Yugo Kurei-san."
With a mocking wave, Dogma began to sink into the Black Swamp. Fee, gripped by terror as he was dragged down with her, reached out a hand toward Hugo.
"B-Broth—!!"
"Fee!!"
Hugo lunged forward, his fingers straining to catch his brother’s hand, but his grasp caught nothing but empty air. Fee vanished into the darkness a second before Hugo reached him.
Hugo’s fist slammed into the solid earth where the swamp had been. A guttural groan of frustration escaped his throat.
He had to save him. No matter what it took, he had to get Fee back from Dogma. But as he knelt there, the voice of Marcos Borg, who had been standing frozen nearby, finally cut through the chaos.
"Wait, Hugo... what's going on? What Dogma said... was it true?"
Hugo couldn't bring himself to look at him.
He knew he couldn't hide it anymore. To stay silent now would be the ultimate betrayal of the trust his friends had placed in him. Hugo gave a small, heavy nod and finally spoke.
"...Yeah. I’m not Hugo Clay. I’m a Reincarnator—just like the people who were working for Dogma."