Eclipse Zero

The morning sun cast a golden hue over Ironfang Village as Hugo and Stella stepped outside, the crisp air carrying the scent of metal and wood from the nearby blacksmith shops. The tournament was only three days away, and if they were going to win, Stella needed to be ready.

"So, how exactly are you going to train me?" Stella asked, stretching her arms.

Hugo smirked. "Simple. We're going to push you past your limits."

Stella frowned. "That sounds... unpleasant."

Cosmos chuckled. "It will be."

Hugo walked a few paces ahead, stopping in an open clearing near the village outskirts. "Alright, first things first—let's see where you're at." He gestured for her to draw her Arc-Blade.

Stella sighed, unsheathing her weapon. "Fine. But don't expect anything flashy."

Hugo took a step back and raised Cosmos. "Try to hit me."

Stella blinked. "Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah," Hugo nodded. "Come at me with everything you've got."

Stella hesitated for a moment before dashing forward, swinging her Arc-Blade at him. Hugo effortlessly sidestepped. She slashed again. Another dodge. Then another. And another.

"Are you even trying?" Hugo teased.

Stella grit her teeth. "Oh, shut up!" She lunged with a quick thrust—only for Hugo to lightly tap her wrist, redirecting the attack and causing her to stumble.

"Predictable," Hugo said. "You hesitate too much before striking. You also leave yourself open after every swing."

Stella groaned in frustration. "Then what am I supposed to do?!"

Hugo grinned. "First lesson—stop thinking. Start reacting."

He raised Cosmos. "Now, again."

And so, the training began.

For the next few hours, Stella attacked relentlessly, but no matter what she tried, Hugo evaded every strike with ease. Each failed attempt only fueled her frustration.

"Damn it!" she shouted, swinging her Arc-Blade in a wide arc. Hugo effortlessly stepped back, the blade slicing through empty air.

"You're still overcommitting," Hugo pointed out. "You put too much force into every attack. If you miss, you leave yourself wide open."

Stella panted, sweat dripping from her forehead. "Yeah? Well, maybe if you actually let me land a hit, I'd get better!"

Hugo smirked. "Not how it works."

She charged again, slashing upward. Hugo leaned back. She spun, going for a quick second strike. He parried with the flat of Cosmos, knocking her blade aside. Before she could recover, he closed the distance and lightly tapped her forehead with two fingers.

"Dead," he said flatly.

Stella groaned, rubbing her forehead. "Ugh! This is impossible!"

Cosmos chuckled. "It's only impossible because you're fighting like an amateur."

Stella glared at the sword. "Gee, thanks."

Hugo sheathed Cosmos. "Alright, take a break."

She sighed in relief and collapsed onto the ground. "Finally."

Hugo sat down next to her, looking up at the sky. "You're not bad, you know. You've got the speed, the reaction time. But you're wasting energy."

Stella exhaled, trying to steady her breathing. "So what, you want me to fight like you? All calm and perfect?"

Hugo shook his head. "No. I want you to fight like you."

Stella raised an eyebrow. "That makes no sense."

Hugo smirked. "It will. By the end of this, you're gonna find your way of fighting."

Stella groaned. "Ugh. That sounds like more work."

Hugo stood up and stretched. "Yup. And we're just getting started."

Stella sighed. "I hate you."

Hugo grinned. "Nah, you'll thank me later."

And with that, training resumed.

Two Days Later

The sun hung low in the sky as the final day before the tournament arrived. After two days of relentless training, Stella had improved significantly. She no longer wasted unnecessary energy in her movements, and her attacks had become sharper, more precise.

She wiped the sweat from her brow, standing across from Hugo, her Arc-Blade raised. "Alright," she said between breaths. "One more round?"

Hugo smirked. "Confident, huh?"

Cosmos chuckled. "She's learning. Maybe she won't embarrass herself tomorrow."

Stella shot the sword a glare. "Oh, shut up."

Hugo rolled his shoulders. "Alright. Last round."

Stella took a deep breath, gripping her weapon. Then, without hesitation, she lunged forward.

Unlike before, she didn't waste her movements. Instead of a wild, full-force swing, she feinted left, forcing Hugo to shift slightly. Then, she twisted, bringing her blade down at a sharper angle.

Hugo barely dodged, her blade grazing his sleeve.

"Huh." Hugo stepped back, nodding in approval. "That was actually decent."

Stella grinned. "Damn right it was."

Hugo lowered his weapon. "That's enough for today. You'll need your energy for tomorrow."

Stella exhaled, finally relaxing. "Thank god."

As they packed up their gear, Hugo glanced at the sky. Tomorrow's the tournament. If we win, we can finally get the ArcanaCoin we need.

As they walked through the village at night, the cool air brushing against them, Hugo and Stella suddenly heard familiar voices.

"Huh?" Stella turned her head.

From the other side of the street, Ethan and Lena were walking their way—both of them freezing the moment they locked eyes with Hugo and Stella.

"You're still here?!" Lena blurted out in shock.

Ethan's eyes widened. "Wait, you guys didn't leave for Requiem Prime yet?!"

Stella groaned. "Don't remind me."

Hugo sighed. "Yeah, things didn't exactly go as planned."

As the four of them met up, Hugo and Stella explained their situation—the ridiculous veilgate fee, their lack of ArcanaCoin, and their plan to enter the upcoming tournament.

Lena crossed her arms. "Well, that actually works in our favor."

Hugo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Lena glanced at Ethan, who immediately perked up. "Oh! Right! We found something important!"

Ethan excitedly told them about the blacksmith, his connection to their missing father, and the truth about the Neo Arcane Dominion capturing him. Then, he got even more dramatic as he leaned closer to Hugo, eyes practically sparkling.

"So obviously, we need to go after them, right?! But—" He gasped, pointing at Hugo. "You're the Hero of the Eclipse! If anyone can help us, it's you!"

Hugo sighed as Ethan continued fanboying, listing off all of his legendary feats from the Eclipse War.

"Oh, oh! And then when you took down Heliothar, dude, I still can't believe—"

Lena smacked Ethan on the back of the head. "Focus."

"Right, right, sorry." Ethan grinned, still buzzing with excitement. "Anyway, point is—we need your help. And since you guys are stuck here too, we might as well work together!"

Hugo considered it for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. If the Dominion's involved, then our goals align."

Lena nodded. "Then it's settled. We all win this tournament, get the ArcanaCoin, and take that veilgate together."

Ethan pumped his fist. "Oh man, this is so cool! I get to team up with the Hero of the Eclipse himself!"

Hugo groaned. "You're not gonna let this go, are you?"

Ethan grinned. "Nope."

Stella chuckled. "You did this to yourself, Hugo."

Ethan was still fanboying over Hugo, practically bouncing with excitement.

"Oh man, I knew you were strong, but seeing it firsthand? This is insane! Wait—does Cosmos actually talk all the time? Does it have a cool, deep voice or is it more like—"

"Kid," Cosmos suddenly spoke, its voice echoing from the sword.

Ethan screamed.

Lena groaned. "Oh for the love of—calm down!"

Ethan, wide-eyed and trembling, pointed at the sword. "I—IT DOES TALK!"

Hugo smirked. "Yeah. You get used to it."

Ethan took a deep breath, clearly still freaking out but trying to hold it together. "Okay. Okay. I'm good. This is just—the best day of my life."

Stella rolled her eyes before turning to Lena. "So… which one of you is actually fighting in the tournament?"

Lena shrugged. "That'd be me."

Hugo raised an eyebrow. "Not Ethan?"

Ethan immediately shook his head. "Oh no, no, no—I like having all my bones intact, thanks."

Lena sighed. "He's not exactly the fighting type."

Ethan grinned. "I am the cheering type, though."

Stella chuckled. "Well, at least you know your role."

Lena crossed her arms. "So, that makes three of us entering. What's the plan?"

Hugo smirked. "Simple. We win."