The Duel of Fate

"Great, so much for sneaking in," Hugo muttered, gripping Cosmos tighter.

"Where do we go now?" Stella asked, glancing frantically down the corridors.

Hugo spotted an open doorway ahead. "In here!" He pulled her inside, shutting the door behind them.

But as they turned around, both of them froze.

The chamber was vast, lined with banners bearing the insignia of the Neo Arcana Dominion. At the far end of the room, standing with an air of absolute confidence, was a lone figure. His armor was dark, pulsing with streaks of violet Arcana energy, and the very presence of him seemed to thicken the air.

A slow, amused chuckle escaped his lips. "You certainly took your time."

Hugo's eyes narrowed. "And you are?"

The man smirked. "Veydris. One of the Seven Commanders of the Dominion." He took a step forward, his piercing gaze locking onto Hugo. "And you... You're not just some random swordsman, are you?"

His smirk widened into a grin. "No… You're him. The Hero of the Eclipse."

The moment those words left his mouth, Stella's breath caught in her throat.

Cosmos let out a small chuckle. "Well, there it is. Took long enough."

As the blaring alarm echoed through the base, Hugo and Stella sprinted out of the arsenal, their footsteps barely audible over the deafening sirens.

"Great, so much for sneaking in," Hugo muttered, gripping Cosmos tighter.

"Where do we go now?" Stella asked, glancing frantically down the corridors.

Hugo spotted an open doorway ahead. "In here!" He pulled her inside, shutting the door behind them.

But as they turned around, both of them froze.

The chamber was vast, lined with banners bearing the insignia of the Neo Arcana Dominion. At the far end of the room, standing with an air of absolute confidence, was a lone figure. His armor was dark, pulsing with streaks of violet Arcana energy, and the very presence of him seemed to thicken the air.

A slow, amused chuckle escaped his lips. "You certainly took your time."

Hugo's eyes narrowed. "And you are?"

The man smirked. "Veydris. One of the Seven Commanders of the Dominion." He took a step forward, his piercing gaze locking onto Hugo. "And you... You're not just some random swordsman, are you?"

His smirk widened into a grin. "No… You're him. The Hero of the Eclipse."

Cosmos let out a small chuckle. "Well, that didn't Take long."

Veydris rested his spear on his shoulder. "Hugo, why not cast aside these foolish games? Join the Neo Arcana Dominion. With your strength, we could reshape this world as we see fit."

Hugo let out a short, mocking laugh. "And let me guess—you see yourselves as the new rulers of Arcana energy? Please. The Neo Arcana Dominion is nothing but a cheap imitation of the Five Nations. A pale shadow trying to act like something greater."

Veydris' smirk twisted into a scowl. His grip on the spear tightened, and his aura flared with raw energy.

"We are NOT a cheap imitation, boy!" His voice was sharp with anger. "We are the future. The Five Nations fell because they were weak, divided by their own arrogance. We will succeed where they failed."

Hugo remained unfazed, smirking. "You keep saying that, but no matter what you do, you'll always be a cheap imitation."

Veydris' fury surged, his Arcana energy crackling through the air. "You insolent—"

Before he could finish, Hugo cut him off. "And by the way, I've lived ten times your lifespan, so don't call me 'boy,' child."

Stella blinked in confusion, turning to Hugo. "Wait… how old are you?"

Hugo shrugged. "Forever seventeen."

Cosmos let out a dry chuckle. "1017."

Stella's eyes widened. "What?!"

Stella stared at Hugo in shock before shaking her head. "I knew you were old, but I didn't think you were that old!"

Hugo sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, well, immortality has its downsides."

Cosmos chuckled. "Understatement of the century."

Veydris, still fuming, gritted his teeth. "Enough of this nonsense. If you won't join us, then you'll die here, relic."

Hugo cracked his neck, stepping forward with a smirk. "Funny, that's what the last guy who tried to kill me said… a thousand years ago."

eydris let out a frustrated sound. "I should kill you where you stand, but I am no barbarian. Instead, I'm going to make a deal with you."

He took a step forward, his crimson eyes locked onto Hugo. "I know why you're here. You want to destroy this base. So here's my proposal—battle against my best soldier. If you win, I shall take my leave. But if you lose… I will take Cosmos with me."

Stella furrowed her brows, clearly confused. "Wait… that's it? Just a duel?"

Before Veydris could respond, Cosmos chuckled. "I get it. Even if we win, you'll have something to report to your master. It's a win-win for you, huh?"

Hugo smirked, shaking his head. "Nice try, but this isn't my first rodeo."

He then pointed at Stella, making her jolt in surprise. "Instead, she's going to fight for me."

"What? Are you insane?!" Stella shouted, glaring at Hugo.