"...!?"
A collective gasp rippled through the group.
While the others stood paralyzed by the weight of Hugo’s confession, Melt spoke up, her voice trembling with denial.
"Wait, just hold on a second... You're a Reincarnator, Hugo? That’s impossible! You’ve been living in this world for years! You were attending Luminous Academy long before any of those other Reincarnators even showed up!"
"Indeed, it is as she says," Sakura added. "Unlike the others whose origins remain a mystery, Hugo-dono has left a clear trail of the life he lived until now. There is no way he could be a Reincarnator!"
"Maybe Dogma or Hypno did something to him... made him believe it?" someone whispered.
Unlike the other Reincarnators, whose lives prior to the academy were a blank slate, Hugo had a documented past as the former heir to the House of Clay and a history at Luminous Academy dating back to the Elementary Division.
His companions, who knew him as someone fundamentally different from the entitled "heroes" they had encountered, tried to reject Hugo’s own words. But then, Anhel spoke, her voice quiet and steady.
"...No. Deep down, I think we all saw the signs."
"Ann? What are you talking about? What signs...?"
"Was it after you lost to Zenon?" Marcos asked, picking up where Anhel left off. "Is that when you stopped being Hugo Clay?"
Melt and the others widened their eyes as Marcos’s words sank in.
It was exactly as he said. Hugo’s personality had undergone a radical transformation the moment he recovered from his defeat in the Duel with Zenon.
At the time, they had accepted his claim of Memory Loss. Besides, most of them had only truly become close to him after that change, so they hadn't given it much thought. But looking back now... the story was simply too convenient.
Seeing the realization dawn on the group, Marcos continued.
"In hindsight, there were always things that felt slightly off. We attributed your new personality to the memory loss, but you frequently spoke of things we didn't understand—concepts that seemed impossible. Your fighting style, your ideas, your very common sense... they all defy the logic of this world. Those were things you brought with you from the Otherworld, weren't they?"
"…Yeah," Hugo admitted. "I was originally from a different world. I died there—at least, I thought I did—and the next thing I knew, my consciousness was here, inside Hugo Clay's Body."
"Just your consciousness...?" Melt’s voice was small. "Then, what happened to... the Original Yugo's Consciousness?"
Hugo offered no answer.
Seeing him stand there in silence, Melt read the truth in his expression and fell silent as well.
Representing the group who now understood what that silence implied, Marcos spoke to Hugo.
"...Whether it’s Ryuga down in the basement, or any of us here, or me... none of this changes the Trust we have in you. To be honest, I wish you had told us the truth sooner. But the person we’ve fought alongside, the person we admire... that’s the man standing in front of us right now. At the very least, I believe in everything you’ve done. However—"
Marcos paused, his voice heavy with a profound, bitter regret.
"You should have told Fee. He’s the only one who truly loved his brother from the start. I understand why you couldn't bring yourself to say it. But when I think of how Fee must feel, realizing in a moment like this that the brother he believed in was actually a stranger... I have to say it. You failed him there."
"…You’re right," Hugo said, his voice thick. "I’m sorry."
Hugo accepted the rebuke from Marcos, who had shown immense understanding even while delivering a necessary, painful truth.
The image of Fee’s face when Dogma had exposed the secret burned in Hugo’s mind. He imagined the devastating shock the boy must have felt. His younger brother had become the victim of a tragedy born solely from Hugo's own secrecy, and he found himself clenching his teeth in silent agony.
Marcos was right. He should have told Fee the truth.
Even if the boy had ended up hating him, even if he had been despised or cast out... it would have been infinitely better than Fee finding out like this.
As Hugo stood consumed by the regret of his own cowardice, Marcos reached out and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Save the apologies for later. Once we’ve rescued Fee, you can bow your head to all of us—including him. Until then, we have to take Dogma down."
"Yeah...!"
His best friend was right. This wasn't the time for wallowing. He had to save Fee, no matter what it took.
Just as he steeled his resolve and looked toward the horizon, the thunderous rhythm of approaching hooves and a voice calling his name rang out across the battlefield.