Two Blackhole

The festival was at its peak. The entire village of Flowerfield was alight with joy, laughter, and celebration. The scent of freshly grilled meats and sweet pastries filled the air as villagers danced beneath the warm glow of lanterns.

And above them all—the celestial event was beginning.

The moon and the sun were approaching alignment, their edges barely overlapping, casting an eerie golden glow over the land. The festival crowd grew quiet as people turned their eyes skyward, waiting for the moment of total eclipse.

Then—the screams began.

Sharp. Terrified. Echoing through the festival square.

The joyous atmosphere shattered in an instant.

Eclipse Zero immediately sprang into action.

"Move!" Hugo commanded, breaking into a sprint.

The group rushed through the village streets, their senses sharp, pushing past panicked villagers running in the opposite direction. The once lively festival had turned into chaos, people scrambling to flee from something—or someone.

Then, as they rounded a corner into the village's central square—they saw him.

Xander.

Standing in the middle of the square, completely calm amidst the terror around him.

His long black coat drifted in the wind, the golden glow of the eclipse reflecting off his silver hair. His dark eyes were cold, unreadable, but his presence alone sent a suffocating pressure through the air.

And in his hand—

Vengeance.

The Sword of the Black Hole, its obsidian blade crackling with black and violet energy, pulsing with its own hunger.

The very space around it distorted, like reality itself was struggling against its presence.

Hugo stopped in his tracks, his white eyes narrowing.

"…Xander."

Xander smiled. A slow, knowing, almost amused smile.

"Hello, old friend."

The moment his voice reached them, a chill ran down everyone's spine.

Eclipse Zero braced themselves, each of them instinctively gripping their weapons.

Nathan's grip on the Arc-Hammer tightened. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Lena exhaled sharply. "Of course he shows up now."

Darius spun Drill Fang, his stance tense. "Tch. This guy again?"

Ethan muttered under his breath. "This is bad."

Iris, who had been silent up until now, actually looked serious for once. "…That sword is worse than I thought."

Stella, standing closest to Hugo, instinctively stepped forward, her Arc-Blade already unsheathed.

But Hugo held up a hand, stopping her.

His gaze never left Xander.

"What do you want?" Hugo's voice was calm, but the edge of danger was there.

Xander chuckled softly, resting Vengeance against his shoulder. "Come now, Hugo. Do I need a reason to visit an old friend?"

Hugo's grip on Cosmos tightened slightly. "You're no friend of mine."

Xander tilted his head slightly, smirking. "And yet… here we are."

The air grew heavier.

Even the villagers—who had long fled—could feel it.

This wasn't just an ambush.

This wasn't just an attack.

This was a challenge.

Then—Xander moved.

In a blink, he vanished—appearing directly in front of Hugo, his sword already swinging.

CLASH!

Hugo blocked instantly, Cosmos meeting Vengeance, sending a shockwave that shattered the stone ground beneath them.

Sparks of gold and black erupted, the force sending both of them sliding backward.

Xander's smirk widened. "Still sharp, I see."

Hugo didn't respond.

Because in that brief clash—he already knew.

Xander had gotten stronger.

Much stronger.

And this time… he wasn't holding back.

The air crackled with energy as Hugo and Xander faced each other beneath the dimming sky. The eclipse had almost reached full alignment, casting eerie shadows across the ruined festival square.

The weight of their battle pressed down on everyone present.

Eclipse Zero stood ready, weapons drawn, but none of them moved.

They knew.

This fight wasn't theirs.

This was between Hugo and Xander alone.

Xander tilted his head, amusement flickering in his dark eyes. "Come now, Hugo. We both know where this is going."

Hugo exhaled, his grip tightening on Cosmos. "Yeah."

At the same time—

Both warriors raised their swords.

And in unison, their voices rang out.

"COSMOS!""VENGEANCE!"

Both Cosmic Swords responded instantly.

A deep hum resonated through the battlefield as Cosmos shined with dark power in Hugo's hands, its energy flickering like a dying star.

Meanwhile, Vengeance trembled, its blade rippling as if it were consuming the very air around it.

Then—

The swords spoke.

"VOLTRA MODE."

The world erupted.

A surge of blackened Arcana exploded outward from both warriors, shaking the very ground beneath them.

Hugo transformed first.

The white of his eyes vanished, turning into an abyssal black, his usual coat shifting into darkened, corrupted threads that pulsed with unstable energy. His very presence became a void, a walking shadow of Arcana's raw power.

Then—Xander changed.

His left hand, the one gripping Vengeance, twisted and warped, blackened Arcana seeping into his flesh, twisting his veins into darkened corruption.

The right side of his face cracked, a web of black tendrils stretching across his skin like an infection. His once pitch-black eyes flared purple, glowing unnaturally, giving him the appearance of something monstrous.

A being between human and nightmare.

Nathan staggered back at the sight of Xander. "Holy—"

Lena gritted her teeth. "We've seen this before… but it's worse now."

Ethan clenched his fists. "Xander's losing himself to Voltra."

Iris, who had remained quiet, finally spoke. "No." Her silver eyes flickered. "He's not losing himself. He's embracing it."

Hugo, now fully in Voltra Mode, glared at Xander.

"You're getting reckless with that power."

Xander grinned, the glow in his corrupted purple eye flickering. "And you're still afraid of yours."

Then—

Without warning—

They both moved.

In an instant, the battlefield exploded into a flurry of black and violet energy as Hugo and Xander clashed, their Cosmic Swords colliding with devastating force.

A shockwave erupted, splitting the ground beneath them, sending chunks of debris flying in all directions.

The sheer force of their strikes warped the air, distorting space itself as if reality was struggling to keep up with them.

It was not a battle of humans.

It was a war of titans.

A battle between the Hero of the Eclipse and the Solstice of the Dominion.

And this time—there would be no holding back.