Requiem Prime

The group continued their walk toward the Veilgate, the looming portal now visible in the distance.

For a moment, no one spoke. The air was calm, the tension from earlier finally settling.

Then—Darius cleared his throat.

"Hey, Boss."

Hugo sighed. "Stop calling me that."

Darius ignored him.

"I've been wondering… y'know, about the Eclipse War."

Hugo glanced at him. "What about it?"

Darius rubbed his chin. "Well, there are a lot of stories about what happened. Some say you fought an army of one million Perfect Lifeforms by yourself. Others say you split a mountain in half with one swing of Cosmos."

Ethan's eyes widened. "Wait, you're asking about the Eclipse War?"

Darius shrugged. "Yeah, I mean—just curious."

Ethan grinned.

"Oh my Arcana." He pointed at Darius. "You're a fanboy too!"

Darius froze.

His crew wasn't here to save him now.

"Hah?!" Darius scoffed. "No, I'm not!"

Ethan leaned in. "You totally are!"

Stella smirked. "Wait, so all that talk about surpassing Hugo, and now you're asking about the war like some history nerd?"

Lena crossed her arms. "And here I thought Ethan was the only one."

Darius' face turned red. "I—shut up! I just wanna know if the rumors are true!"

Ethan laughed. "Yeah, yeah, sure. 'Just curious.'" He made air quotes.

Darius grumbled under his breath, looking away.

Meanwhile, Hugo kept walking, completely unfazed.

After a few seconds, he finally answered.

"…The part about splitting the mountain was exaggerated."

Darius perked up. "So, wait—what's the truth?"

Hugo exhaled. "I split two mountains."

Silence.

Then—

"SEE?! YOU'RE A FANBOY!" Ethan shouted, pointing at Darius again.

Darius groaned loudly, covering his face.

Stella and Lena laughed.

And for the first time in a while—the journey didn't feel so heavy.

The group arrived at the center of Ironfang Village, where the massive Veilgate stood.

A towering archway of shimmering energy, the portal pulsed faintly, waiting for its next travelers.

Standing at its entrance were two guards, clad in the black-and-gold armor of the Requiem Republic.

As Hugo and the others approached, one of the guards tensed slightly.

Before either could speak, Hugo raised a hand.

"Remember us?"

The second guard sighed heavily.

"Of course we do." He shook his head. "You're the guy who didn't have any ArcanaCoin last time."

The first guard nodded. "And now you're back. So, let me guess—you're here to complain about the price again?"

Hugo ignored the sarcasm.

The guard crossed his arms. "Same rules as before—1,000 ArcanaCoin per person."

Hugo nodded. "Yeah, yeah."

Without hesitation, he reached into his coat.

And pulled out—his brand-new phone.

Darius grinned. "Go on, Boss. Use the fancy tech."

Hugo tapped the screen.

Nothing happened.

He frowned. Tapped it harder.

Still nothing.

Darius raised an eyebrow. "Uh… Boss?"

Hugo squinted at the device, then swiped randomly.

The phone didn't respond.

Stella sighed. "You have to unlock it first."

Hugo frowned. "Unlock?"

Lena crossed her arms. "Did you even set a password?"

Hugo paused. "...A what?"

Ethan facepalmed. "Oh my Arcana, he doesn't even know how to use it."

Darius smirked. "Come on, Boss, even kids know this."

Then—a soft hum filled The air.

Cosmos.

"Ah, the mighty Hero of the Eclipse," the sword mused, its tone full of amusement. "A legend on the battlefield, feared across the ages… defeated by a mere phone."

Hugo's eye twitched. "Shut up."

Cosmos hummed again, clearly enjoying itself.

"Perhaps you should challenge it to a duel? I'd love to see how that ends."

Ethan snickered. "Even Cosmos is roasting you."

Stella snatched the phone from Hugo's hands. "Okay, before we waste another hour, let me set it up for you."

After several failed attempts, some frustrated muttering, and Stella taking over, Hugo finally completed the payment.

A soft chime echoed. Transaction complete.

The guards blinked.

One of them whispered, "Did… did he seriously just struggle with a phone?"

The other sighed. "Man was strong enough to win the tournament but lost to modern technology."

Hugo slid his phone back into his coat. "We good now?"

Cosmos hummed one last time.

"I wonder… should I be worried about the future of the world?"

Hugo ignored it.

The first guard shook his head. "Yeah, yeah. Go on in."

With that—the path was clear.

And the Veilgate to Requiem Prime awaited.

As the group stepped through the Veilgate, reality bent around them.

For a moment, there was nothing but a swirling vortex of light and shifting energy, pulling them toward their destination.

Then—they emerged on the other side.

The air was different. Cooler. Heavier.

They had arrived in Requiem Prime.

Darius stretched his arms as he looked around. "So, Boss… you ever been here before?"

Hugo glanced at him.

Then—he answered casually.

"Almost became the First Councilor once."

Silence.

Darius blinked. "Wait. What?"

Ethan's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

Lena turned toward Hugo, completely thrown off. "You were almost the First Councilor of Requiem Prime?"

Hugo shrugged. "Yeah. Requiem Republic offered it to me after the war."

Darius looked at him like he had grown a second head. "And you just… said no?!"

Hugo nodded. "Didn't want the job."

Darius ran a hand down his face. "Unbelievable."

Ethan was still stuck on the thought. "You were almost the most powerful man in the Republic and you just—walked away?"

Hugo remained completely unfazed. "Wouldn't have been a good fit."

Then—a hum vibrated through cosmos.

"Indeed. A wise decision." The sword's voice carried a hint of amusement.

Darius frowned. "How is that wise? He could've shaped the whole Republic!"

"Yes," Cosmos agreed. "And lasted precisely one week before abandoning his post out of boredom."

Ethan choked back a laugh.

Darius stared at Hugo. "…Would you actually have quit after a week?"

Hugo simply started walking forward. "Come on. We have a Chancellor to meet."

Stella smirked. "That's a yes."

As the group followed, the realization still lingered.

Hugo wasn't just a legend of war.

He could have shaped the entire future of the Republic.

And he chose not to.

Why?

And more importantly—what does the Chancellor think of him now?