Lost’s eyes widened beneath his hood at her question. After his initial surprise, his face broke into a wide grin, and Drop continued.
"A game of world destruction to entertain bored Gods... it’s fun in its own right, and you’ve participated plenty of times before, but isn’t this round a little different?"
"I suppose so. Between the unexpected participants and everything else, it certainly is unique."
"It’s more than that, though. For me, for you... even for the masterminds who’ve already been erased, this game is something special."
Lost narrowed his eyes, studying Drop. Her somber tone was a stark departure from her usual flippant attitude. After a long silence, he posed a question of his own.
"Based on that... it sounds as though you wouldn't mind losing."
"You know how it is, Lost. Like you said, we all have our reasons for ending up like this. But to put it simply: none of us became masterminds just to win."
She added that there were exceptions like Burn and Dogma, of course. Lost gave a satisfied smile at her answer. Closing the distance between them slightly, Lost hummed a tune to himself in high spirits before finally addressing her earlier point.
"I’ll let you in on a secret, Drop. Regarding your question... I don't actually care about winning or losing. In fact, being the victor is the last thing I want."
"Aha! I had a hunch. You really are an enigma, Lost—predictable in some ways, yet so hard to pin down."
"I’ll take that as a compliment. That doesn’t mean I intend to pull my punches, though. I’m going to challenge My Hero with every intent of ending the world. If he loses and meets a dramatic end, so be it. If he strikes me down and saves the world instead, that’s just as good."
For a brief moment, Lost had slipped into a different way of speaking, dropping his usual persona. Realizing he had shown her a glimpse of his true self, Drop let out a delighted laugh. While Lost returned her laughter with a smile, Drop nodded to herself and spoke once more.
"Giving it your all is what matters. I don't care about the final score either, but I do have a personal goal... and I think I’ll put everything I have into making it happen!"
"Why shouldn't you? To hell with the Gods and the state of the world—let’s just do as we please. We are masterminds, after all."
The two of them laughed together innocently. In that moment, they shared a grin like children plotting a massive prank. There was something almost charming about it—an aura that made them impossible to truly hate.
"Anyway, I still have a few things to prepare. I’d better get back to my setups, though I shouldn't dally. You're likely doing the same?"
"That's right! Oh, wait! What we were talking about earlier was perfect timing!"
"Earlier? Which part?"
"About our deal not to step on each other's toes! I still have some groundwork to lay, but I’ll show you what I’m planning to use."
Drop clapped her hands twice. At the signal, a lone figure emerged from the gloom. Once Lost realized who it was, his face lit up with a grin of pure, shocked excitement.
"I see! When did you find the time to set this up?"
"A while back, I suppose. I figured they’d come in handy eventually, so I’m glad I kept them tucked away."
After exchanging those words, Drop spun quietly on the spot. The girl in the Gothic Lolita dress twirled like a black swan in the silent void. Coming to a graceful stop, she spoke.
"Lost, you’re only interested in Hero-kun, aren’t you? Then leave everything else to Drop-chan. After all, you can’t have a masterpiece of a stage without a brilliant supporting actor."
"You’re right. Well then, let’s both give it our best. For the sake of a fun end to the world... no, that isn’t quite right. In this case—"
Lost brought his bent arm up to his face as if a puppet were perched there. Paying homage to the mastermind from his favorite hero's show, he whispered:
"Shall we? Let us bring this world... a Good Apocalypse!"
The 32nd Reincarnation Game—hero versus mastermind, protector versus destroyer. As the curtains began to close, the eternal struggle between good and evil finally entered its endgame.