A Legend's Challenge

As they walked through the lively streets of Ironfang Village, Stella continued to grumble about the Veilgate fee.

"A thousand ArcanaCoins? Just to use a teleportation gate? That's robbery! Highway robbery!" she fumed.

Hugo, however, wasn't paying attention to her complaints anymore. He had noticed something—or rather, someone. His instincts told him they were being followed. Subtle glances confirmed it: three small figures lurking behind them, darting between alleyways and market stalls.

After a few more steps, Hugo abruptly stopped.

"Alright, enough sneaking around. Come out," he said, turning his head slightly.

Stella blinked, confused. "Huh? Who are you talking to?"

There was a brief moment of silence, then three kids hesitantly stepped out from behind a fruit stand.

"You're pretty sharp, mister," one of them admitted. "Not bad."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Hugo replied, unimpressed. "Why were you following us?"

Instead of answering, the three kids turned their heads towards an alley. "Boss!" one of them called.

Footsteps echoed from the shadows as another figure stepped forward. Unlike the kids, this one was older—around Stella's age. He studied Hugo for a moment, then his gaze landed on the sword strapped to his back.

His eyes widened slightly. "That sword…"

One of the kids pointed at Hugo's weapon excitedly. "Boss! That's Cosmos! The Cosmos!"

The older teen's expression shifted from curiosity to something more serious. He locked eyes with Hugo.

"Well, well… looks like we've got a legend walking among us."

The teen smirked and reached behind his back, pulling out an Arc-Lance shaped like a drill. The weapon hummed with energy, its spiral tip glowing faintly with unstable Arcana energy.

Hugo's eyes narrowed as he recognized the weapon instantly. "That Arc-Lance…"

"You know it, huh?" the teen said, spinning the lance effortlessly before pointing it at Hugo. "Guess that makes sense. After all, you are the Hero of the Eclipse."

Hugo let out a tired sigh. "Not this again…"

Stella blinked in confusion. "Wait, again?"

The teen smirked confidently. "My name is Darius, and I'm the one who will take the title of Hero of the Eclipse!"

Hugo groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Great… another one."

As soon as Darius declared his ambition, the three kids behind him immediately cheered him on.

"Think about the fame we'll have!" one of them shouted excitedly.

"Think about the money we'll have!" another added, practically seeing gold in his eyes.

Then the last kid grinned and said, "Think about the hot girls we'll meet!"

Silence.

Everyone—including Darius, Hugo, Stella, and even Cosmos—just stared at the last kid.

"...What?" the kid said, looking around in confusion.

Darius sighed, rubbing his temples. "Dude… priorities."

Hugo shook his head. "Right… So, Darius, was it? You seriously think you can just take my sword and claim the title of Hero of the Eclipse?"

Darius smirked, spinning his arc-lance with confidence. "That's the plan. The world needs a real hero again, and let's be honest—you had your time, old man."

Hugo groaned. "Old man? Are we really doing this again?" He glanced at Stella. "Why does everyone call me old when I literally look younger than half these guys?"

Stella smirked. "Because you are old. A thousand years old, remember?"

"Seventeen," Hugo corrected.

"One thousand seventeen," Cosmos chimed in.

Darius pointed his arc-lance at Hugo. "Enough talk! If you really are the Hero of the Eclipse, then prove it! Fight me!"

Hugo sighed, already turning away. "Yeah, no. Not interested."

The three kids behind Darius blinked in confusion. "Wait… what?"

Darius clenched his fists. "What do you mean, not interested? Are you running away?"

Hugo kept walking. "Call it whatever you want, kid. I don't have time for this."

Darius gritted his teeth. "So that's it? The so-called Hero of the Eclipse just walks away?!" His voice rose with anger. "You abandoned the world when it still needed you, and now you're running again! Someone like you has no right to abandon your duty!"

Hugo stopped.

For a moment, there was silence. The air felt heavier. Stella glanced at Hugo, noticing how his posture had stiffened.

Then, slowly, Hugo turned his head back toward Darius. His white eyes, normally calm, now carried something else. Something colder.

A grin spread across Darius' face as he spun his arc-lance, slamming the base of it against the ground. "Good! I'll show you that the title of Hero belongs to me now!"

Hugo sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Let's get this over with."

The three kids cheered for Darius as they backed away, giving space for the fight. Stella crossed her arms, clearly annoyed. "You really don't have to do this, you know."

Cosmos chimed in, amused. "Oh, but he does. His pride won't let him ignore a challenge like this."

Hugo ignored both of them as he faced Darius. "Alright, kid. Show me what you've got."

Hugo let out a small sigh, then turned fully to face Darius. "Fine," he said, his tone carrying a weight that made even the three kids behind Darius quiet down. "I'll take your challenge."

Darius tightened his grip on his arc-lance, a determined grin forming on his face. "Good. I'll show you that the world doesn't need a coward like you anymore!"

Stella crossed her arms, watching Hugo closely. "You sure about this?" she asked.

Hugo shrugged. "Might as well get this over with."

Darius took a step forward and pointed his arc-lance at Hugo. "Then let's take this to the training grounds outside the village. I want everyone to see me take down the so-called legend!"

Hugo simply sighed and gestured for him to lead the way. "Whatever you say, kid."

The group made their way to the training grounds just outside Ironfang Village. Word had spread quickly, and a small crowd of villagers gathered to watch. Some were curious, others skeptical—after all, the Hero of the Eclipse was supposed to be a figure of legend, not some tired-looking traveler.