Cosmos vs Drill Fang

The final battle had begun.

Hugo, still in Luna Mode, stood calm and steady, his silver-blue aura flickering around him.

Darius, in Vortex Gear (Green), held Drill Fang tightly, his stance firm.

The air was electric. The entire crowd held their breath.

Then—

They moved.

CLASH!

Their weapons met in a blinding shockwave.

Hugo's speed and precision against Darius' defensive power.

Each strike was calculated, each counter perfectly timed. Neither gave an inch.

Then, in the middle of a clash—Darius spoke.

"Is this all you got?!" he shouted, pushing against Hugo.

Hugo's white eyes narrowed slightly. "Tch. You're still talking?"

Darius gritted his teeth.

"What happened to you?!"

Hugo's stance stiffened for just a second.

Darius pushed harder.

"You talk about how you wandered, how you lost your reason to fight—but that's a lie, isn't it?!"

Hugo's expression darkened.

"…What?"

Darius kept going.

"You act like you gave up because you were tired—but deep down, you were just afraid!"

Hugo's grip on Cosmos tightened.

Then—a flicker of realization.

His eyes narrowed.

"…How do you know that?"

Waiting Area – Stella & Lena's Reaction

Stella and Lena, still catching their breath in the waiting area, were watching the match on the holographic screen.

Darius' words echoed through the speakers.

Stella blinked. "Wait—what?"

Lena sat up straighter. "How does Darius know about Hugo's past?"

They looked at each other, both arriving at the same thought.

Darius knew something he shouldn't.

Their weapons clashed again, sending another shockwave rippling across the battlefield.

Hugo's Luna Mode made him a blur, moving faster than the eye could track.

Darius' Vortex Gear absorbed and redirected every attack, refusing to be overpowered.

But even as they fought, Darius kept shouting.

"You're running, Hugo! You've been running for centuries!"

Hugo's strikes came faster. More aggressive. But Darius refused to back down.

"You think no one else can bear the weight?! That you have to carry it alone?!"

Hugo's white eyes flashed as he swung again—but this time, Darius met him head-on.

"I WON'T LET YOU!"

BOOM!

The impact sent both fighters skidding back.

Darius, breathing heavily, wiped sweat from his forehead.

Then, his green eyes locked onto Hugo's.

And he said it.

"I'M TAKING THE TITLE FROM YOU."

Hugo's grip on Cosmos tightened.

Darius took a deep breath.

"I'LL BE THE NEW HERO OF THE ECLIPSE—SO YOU WON'T HAVE TO BE."

Then, finally—he spoke.

"You don't understand."

His voice wasn't angry. It wasn't even tired.

It was firm. Absolute.

His white eyes locked onto Darius.

"This title… it isn't something you should want."

Darius gritted his teeth. "What?!"

Hugo took a slow step forward.

"You think this is about strength? About proving yourself?" His voice remained steady. "This title isn't a reward. It's a burden."

Darius clenched his fists. "So what?! That's exactly why—"

Hugo cut him off.

"I don't want anyone else to go through what I did."

The weight of his words sent a chill through the battlefield.

For the first time in the entire fight—Darius hesitated.

Darius stood frozen.

For the first time, he hesitated.

Hugo's words cut through him.

"I don't want anyone else to go through what I did."

The way Hugo said it—it wasn't just about responsibility.

It was pain.

A truth buried under centuries of regret.

But Darius gritted his teeth, shaking his head.

"You don't get to decide that!"

Hugo remained still, his white eyes unreadable.

Darius pointed at him, his voice sharp.

"You think you're protecting me? That no one else can handle it?" He clenched his fists. "You're wrong!"

His green eyes burned with conviction.

"If carrying this title means being strong enough to change things—then I'll take it!"

The crowd erupted.

Hugo stared at Darius for a long moment.

Then—he sighed.

"You really are stubborn."

Darius smirked. "Damn right."

Hugo tightened his grip on Cosmos.

"Then prove it."

Darius grinned.

"Gladly."

The arena pulsed with energy.

Hugo stood firm, Cosmos glowing in his grip. His white eyes locked onto Darius.

No more holding back.

He shifted his stance.

Then—his Arcana flared.

"Luna Break."

A massive silver-blue wave of energy erupted from Hugo, far stronger than before.

The shockwave shattered the stone floor, sending a rippling force toward Darius.

The crowd gasped as the sheer pressure of the attack sent a violent wind surging through the arena.

Darius braced himself—but he wasn't backing down.

Instead, he gritted his teeth and slammed Drill Fang into the ground.

"Fine! Let's do this!"

His Vortex Gear surged, absorbing all the force it had taken throughout the fight.

The energy built up—boiling, roaring.

Then—

"Drill Break!"

Darius launched forward like a missile, his Arc-Lance spinning violently as it unleashed every ounce of stored energy.

The two attacks collided.

BOOOOOOOM!

A massive explosion of silver-blue and emerald-green consumed the battlefield.

The entire coliseum shook.

The crowd screamed in awe.

And as the dust settled—only one fighter would be left standing.

The arena was silent.

The massive explosion of silver-blue and emerald-green energy had consumed everything.

The shockwave had sent dust and debris billowing into the air.

For a long moment, no one could see anything.

Then—

The dust began to settle.

A single figure stood in the middle of the battlefield.

His white eyes glowed faintly.

His blade was lowered.

Hugo.

Across from him, Darius was on one knee, gasping for breath.

His grip on Drill Fang weakened. His body trembled. He had given everything.

Then—his Arc-Lance slipped from his fingers.

And finally—he collapsed.

The entire arena erupted.

The announcer's voice boomed across the stadium.

"DARIUS HAS FALLEN! HUGO WINS! HE IS THE CHAMPION OF THE IRONFANG TOURNAMENT!"

The crowd's cheers shook the very walls of the coliseum.

Ethan jumped from his seat, shouting in excitement.

Darius' crew yelled in both shock and admiration.

And on the battlefield, Hugo simply stood there.

His expression unreadable.

Another victory.

Another fight won.

But this time… it didn't feel the same.