Eclipse Zero

Steam rose from the bowls of ramen as Hugo and Stella sat at a small table inside the bustling restaurant. The aroma of rich broth and sizzling toppings filled the air, but Stella's mind was elsewhere.

She twirled her chopsticks, looking at Hugo with curiosity. "So… back when we were fighting Darius, you said only one other person had used Drill Fang's Gear Shift before. Who was it?"

Hugo took a sip of his broth before answering. "Yeah… that would be Roy. He was one of my old allies back in the Eclipse War. The guy was stubborn, but he had guts."

Stella raised an eyebrow. "An ally? Does that mean he was part of your group?"

Hugo nodded. "More or less. He wasn't the strongest, but he worked harder than anyone to prove himself."

Stella thought back to Darius and his crew. "So, do you think Darius has what it takes to live up to Roy's legacy?"

Hugo smirked. "That depends. It's not just about having the weapon—it's about how you use it."

Stella leaned back in her chair, processing the information. "And what happened to Roy?"

Hugo's smirk faded slightly as he looked down at his bowl. "…He didn't make it."

Stella felt a pang of guilt for asking. "Oh…"

The two sat in silence for a moment, the sound of the restaurant's chatter filling the air.

"Well, no use crying about it now," Hugo said, shaking off the moment of silence. He grabbed his chopsticks and started eating his ramen like nothing had happened.

Stella watched him for a second before sighing. He really doesn't like to dwell on the past, huh?

The scene shifts.

In a small, dimly lit workshop on the outskirts of Ironfang Village, Darius sat at a workbench, carefully adjusting Drill Fang. Sparks flew as he tightened its mechanisms, his face set in deep concentration.

The three kids from his crew sat nearby, watching him work.

"You sure it's okay, boss?" one of them asked. "Hugo really did a number on it."

Darius smirked. "Of course it's okay. Drill Fang isn't some cheap scrap—it was built to take a beating."

Another kid leaned in. "Still… that was crazy. You really went all out, but he still won."

Darius clenched his jaw for a moment before exhaling. "Yeah… but that just means I have to get stronger. If I want to be the next Hero of the Eclipse, I can't afford to lose."

The kids nodded, their admiration for him unwavering.

Darius tightened the last bolt, then looked at Drill Fang with determination. Next time, I won't lose.

As Darius adjusted Drill Fang, his hands moving with practiced precision, his mind drifted back—back to ten years ago, when he wasn't the one giving orders.

He was just a kid back then, no older than the ones who followed him now. But unlike them, he had someone to look up to.

A leader.

The memory played vividly in his mind.

10 Years Ago

A young Darius, barely seven, ran through the streets of a bustling town, trying to keep up. Ahead of him, leading the way with confident strides, was a teenage boy wielding a weapon that looked strikingly similar to Drill Fang.

His boss.

"Keep up, kid!" the older boy called back with a grin. "A future warrior can't afford to fall behind!"

Darius panted but pushed himself harder. "I—I can keep up! Just watch me!"

The older boy laughed, amused by his determination. "That's the spirit!"

They stopped at a quiet spot near a broken-down fence, where the teen leaned against the wooden beams, spinning his drill-shaped weapon in one hand.

Darius watched, eyes full of admiration. "Boss, do you really think I can be strong like you one day?"

The teen smirked. "Strong like me? No, kid." He knelt down, placing a hand on Darius' shoulder. "You're gonna be stronger."

Darius' eyes widened. "Stronger?"

"Yeah," his boss nodded. "But not just because you fight. Being strong means carrying the weight of others. It means leading. Protecting. Earning the right to be followed." He ruffled Darius' hair. "Think you can handle that?"

Darius grinned. "I'll prove it to you!"

The teen chuckled. "Good. Then start by listening to your boss—and go buy me some food, I'm starving!"

Darius groaned. "Boss! You just gave me a whole speech!"

The older boy just laughed, tossing him a small coin. "That's part of being strong too—making sure your leader doesn't pass out from hunger!"

Darius huffed, but ran off to buy the food anyway, determined to show he could be relied on.

Present Day

Darius tightened the last bolt on Drill Fang, his expression unreadable.

I never got to prove it to you, boss.

He looked down at the weapon in his hands—the one that was meant to carry on his leader's legacy.

But I will. I swear it.

He stood up, determination burning in his eyes.

"Next time, Hugo," he muttered, gripping Drill Fang tighter, "I'm winning."

At the Edge of Ironfang Village.

Lena and Ethan wandered toward the outskirts of the village, where the buildings looked older and more worn down. The air smelled of iron and burning coal, the telltale signs of a blacksmith's forge.

Standing in front of an aged blacksmith shop, its wooden sign barely hanging on by a single chain, Lena nudged Ethan. "This place looks old... but it might be worth checking out."

Ethan nodded, glancing at the soot-stained walls. "Yeah. If Dad passed through here, maybe someone saw him."

With that, they approached the open forge, where a burly, middle-aged blacksmith was hammering away at a heated piece of metal. Sparks flew with every strike, casting an orange glow across his hardened face.

Without looking up, the blacksmith spoke. "If you're here for repairs, leave your weapons on the table. If you're here to buy, I ain't got time to bargain."

Lena cleared her throat. "Actually, we're looking for someone. A man—tall, rough-looking, uses an Arc-Gun."

The blacksmith paused mid-swing. Slowly, he looked up, his eyes narrowing at them.

Ethan noticed the shift in his demeanor. "You... you do know something, don't you?"

The blacksmith exhaled through his nose and set down his hammer. "Depends on who's askin'."

Lena and Ethan exchanged glances before Lena took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"We're his kids."

The blacksmith's gaze hardened as he crossed his arms. "If you're here about your father… let it go."

Lena clenched her fists. "What do you mean, 'let this go'?"

The blacksmith sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Your father—he was taken by the Neo Arcane Dominion."

Ethan's eyes widened. "Taken? Where?!"

"Don't know," the blacksmith admitted. "They came through a while back, asking about him. Next thing I knew, he was gone. And trust me, kid, you don't want to go picking a fight with them. It ain't a battle you can win."

Lena stepped forward, her voice firm. "We're not just gonna walk away! He's our father!"

The blacksmith shook his head. "And running in blind will just get you killed. The only way you'd stand a chance against the Dominion…" He hesitated, then exhaled. "Is if you had the help of the Hero of the Eclipse."

Ethan and Lena exchanged a look.

Ethan spoke first. "We do have the Hero of the Eclipse."

The blacksmith frowned. "What?"

Lena nodded. "We met him. His name is Hugo."

The blacksmith's eyes widened in disbelief. "Hugo…? That Hugo?"

Ethan grinned. "Yep! He even has Cosmos with him!"

The blacksmith let out a breath, shaking his head. "Well, I'll be damned. So the Hero's still around after all."

Lena's expression was serious. "If we ask him for help, do you think we'll stand a chance against the Dominion?"

The blacksmith thought for a moment, then nodded. "With him? Maybe. But even a legend like Hugo can't take on the Dominion alone. If you want to save your father, you'll need more than just a hero. You'll need allies, strategy, and a hell of a lot of luck."

Lena crossed her arms. "Then we better start preparing."

Ethan, now even more determined, pumped his fist. "Yeah! With Hugo on our side, we can do this!"

The blacksmith gave them a small, knowing smirk. "Just don't get yourselves killed, kids."

Lena turned away. "That's the plan."

As they left the blacksmith shop, Ethan nudged Lena. "So… we're asking Hugo, right?"

Lena sighed, staring ahead. "We'll see, Ethan. First, we need a plan."

As they stepped out of the blacksmith shop, a realization hit Lena like a brick.

"Wait a second…" she muttered, stopping in her tracks.

Ethan blinked. "Huh? What's wrong?"

Lena ran a hand through her hair, groaning. "Hugo and Stella… They were headed for Requiem Prime, remember?"

Ethan's eyes widened. "Oh no… You think they already left?"

Lena clenched her fists. "If they had enough ArcanaCoin, then yeah. And we don't even have enough to use the Veilgate ourselves!"

Ethan slumped. "Oh man… we were so focused on finding clues about Dad, we didn't even think about that!"

Lena cursed under her breath. "Damn it. If they're already gone, we might have lost our best chance to fight the Dominion."

Ethan looked around desperately. "What do we do now?!"

Lena exhaled sharply, thinking fast. "We need to find out if they're still in the village. If they already left…" She hesitated, then hardened her resolve. "Then we find another way to reach Requiem Prime."

Ethan gulped. "Without the Veilgate?"

Lena nodded. "If we have to."

The weight of their situation settled in. If Hugo and Stella were truly gone, then their search for their father was about to get a lot more complicated.

As they walked through the village, Ethan suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, Lena! Look at this!" he called out, pointing at a large poster nailed to a wooden post.

Lena stepped closer, reading the bold letters at the top. "Ironfang Village Tournament – Grand Prize: 10,000 ArcanaCoin!"

Her eyes widened. "No way… That's more than enough for the Veilgate fee!"

Ethan grinned. "And it's in three days! If Hugo and Stella are still here, they might be planning to enter too!"

Lena crossed her arms, thinking. "If they haven't left yet, this could be our chance to catch up to them… and if they have left, well…" She smirked. "Winning that prize money means we can still get to Requiem Prime ourselves."

Ethan pumped his fist. "Then we have no choice—we have to enter!"

Lena nodded. "Agreed. But first, let's make sure we're ready. We only get one shot at this."

With newfound determination, the siblings turned away from the poster, now set on a new goal: Winning the tournament and securing their path forward.

Back at the ramen restaurant, Hugo and Stella sat at their table, the warmth of the broth filling the air as they discussed their next move.

"So, the tournament is in three days," Stella said, stirring her ramen absentmindedly. "We need to make sure we win that prize money."

Hugo nodded. "Yeah, but we can't just rely on what we already know. We need to be at our best." He set his chopsticks down and looked at her seriously. "Which is why I'm going to train you."

Stella nearly choked on her ramen. "Wait—what?"

"You heard me," Hugo said, leaning back. "You're strong, but you're not ready to face the kind of opponents that might show up in this tournament."

Stella narrowed her eyes. "And you think you get to decide that?"

"Well, unless you want to get thrown out in the first round, yeah," Hugo said, smirking. "Look, you've got talent, but you rely too much on instinct. I'm going to make sure you actually know how to fight properly."

Stella crossed her arms, annoyed but unable to argue. "Fine. But don't think I'm just gonna let you boss me around."

Hugo chuckled. "Wouldn't expect anything less."

With their plan set, they finished their meal, ready to prepare for the tournament ahead.