"Have you forgotten? This man stole your brother’s name and has been lying to you since the moment you met. Do you truly intend to believe a single word he says?"
"…!"
Dogma’s spiteful words hit their mark, and a flicker of doubt reignited in Fee’s eyes.
It was true; Hugo had kept his most vital secret buried deep. Dogma smirked as she watched Fee’s internal struggle, having implicitly warned the boy that if he trusted a man who had deceived him from his very first step, he was only asking to be betrayed again.
Then, Hugo spoke.
"…Yeah, she’s right. I’ve been lying to you this whole time. I wouldn't dream of asking for your forgiveness. I don’t have the right."
"…!"
Hearing this from the man who wore his brother’s face, Fee’s eyes clouded with grief.
Hugo didn't look away. He kept speaking to the silent boy.
"You have every right to stop believing in me. To you, I was someone worthy of trust, and I responded with a terrible betrayal. Even if the Real Yugo ever comes back… it won't erase what I’ve done. I’m not looking for an easy way out."
Hugo flatly rejected Dogma’s repeated accusations that he was merely trying to run from his sins. He would carry the weight of his betrayal toward his brother and his friends for the rest of his life. He looked Fee straight in the eyes.
"You have every right to hate me. You have every right to resent me. But you can only feel those things because you’re still alive. Whatever you decide to feel about me, I’ll accept it all. So… please, come back, Fee."
"…!"
He would take the brunt of it because that was his cross to bear. As a first step, he would accept any word, no matter how harsh, from the brother he had deceived.
There was no hesitation left in Hugo’s eyes. Fee caught his breath and took a step forward. Seeing this, Dogma shrieked.
"Wait! Don’t you want your revenge? This man stole your brother! He’s played you for a fool from the start!"
Dogma’s scream was laced with genuine panic as she realized her meticulously crafted plan was on the verge of total collapse. Fee turned back to her, his eyes as clear and resolute as the man standing before him.
"…It was a shock at first. When I realized my brother might be gone, that the person in front of me wasn't the Real Yugo… it hurt. It hurt so much. But then… I remembered. I remembered everything he’s done while I was by his side!"
"…!?"
"He might not be my real brother. But he still faced me head-on. He cherished me like a younger brother. He told me he’d become a great brother I could be proud of… and he fought every day to make that happen. Maybe he was lying about who he was, but there was no lie in what he did!"
It was an undeniable fact that Hugo had deceived him from the very beginning. However, Fee could not believe that everything that followed was a sham.
This man had thanked Fee from the bottom of his heart for being his only ally. He had declared he would become a brother Fee could be proud of. He had saved countless people and forged bonds of friendship as he pushed forward.
The yearning Fee felt for those actions—for that Hero—was not a lie.
Hugo’s feelings and his deeds, driven by Fee’s own words and presence, were anything but fake.
"He might not be Older Brother Yugo. But he is still my brother, and he is my Hero! That’s why I believe in him! I trust the brother I’ve stood beside more than the poison coming out of your mouth!"
"Guh…! You brat!"
Dogma let out a cry of rage and reached for Fee as he turned and ran toward Hugo.
But just as her hand was about to brush his shoulder, a dull impact exploded against her face.
"Abuh…!?"
"Older Brother Yugo!"
"…You’re still willing to call me that? Thank you, Fee."
Hugo, having swung his fist to protect Fee, caught Dogma squarely in the face. He offered the boy a small smile.
Fee nodded back, and Hugo turned his gaze back to Dogma. He tightened his grip, his knuckles white with focus.
"Dogma… I’m finally going to pay you back. And while I’m at it, there’s something I’ve been meaning to say."
"Ah, ga…!?"
Dogma’s eyes went wide as she felt the sheer pressure radiating from the fist Hugo was still holding against her cheek.
Putting every ounce of strength from his arm down through his hips into the strike, Hugo followed through, sending her reeling.
"You… you’ve got a lot of nerve, hurting my little brother."
"Buberaah!?"
Dogma went spinning, bouncing through the Black Sludge.
With a thunderous roar, the sub-space shattered. Hugo returned to the Cathedral alongside Fee and the others. He looked down at his groaning nemesis and spoke with quiet, cold fury.
"Right now, I don’t care if I’m Hugo Clay or Yugo Kurei. I’m Fee’s big brother… and I’m going to beat the hell out of you for making him cry!"