Veydris let out an amused chuckle, folding his arms. "Interesting… throwing the girl into the fire instead of fighting yourself? I must admit, I expected more from the so-called Hero of the Eclipse."
Hugo smirked. "You worry too much. That arc-blade chose you for a reason—you just need to trust it."
Veydris raised a brow, then let out a short laugh. "Oh, that arc-blade? That thing's arcana energy is unstable. No one has ever been able to use any technique with it." He shrugged. "I mostly put it in the arsenal for show."
"You've gotta be kidding me," Stella muttered, gripping the arc-blade tightly.
"Don't worry," Hugo said casually, leaning against a pillar. "Every weapon has its power—it just needs the right wielder."
Stella shot him a glare. "Easy for you to say! You're not the one holding a supposedly useless weapon!"
Veydris smirked. "This should be entertaining."
Veydris snapped his fingers, and the doors on the far end of the chamber creaked open. A tall figure stepped forward, clad in dark armored plating with glowing red veins of Arcana energy pulsing through the cracks. His helmet concealed his face, but the sheer presence of his Arcana energy sent a chill down Stella's spine.
"This is Dazmir, one of my best enforcers," Veydris said smugly. "If you can defeat him, you may leave in peace. But if you fail, Cosmos will belong to the Dominion."
Dazmir drew a massive arc-lance, the energy humming ominously as he pointed it toward Stella. "I have no interest in fighting weaklings," he said, his voice a deep growl.
Stella swallowed hard, then turned to Hugo. "You're really making me fight this guy?"
Hugo grinned. "You'll be fine."
"That doesn't help!"
"Just trust your instincts. Let the blade guide you."
Veydris chuckled. "Enough stalling. Begin."
Dazmir lunged forward at terrifying speed, his lance crackling with Arcana energy. Stella barely had time to react as she raised the arc-blade, bracing for impact.
The moment Dazmir's arc-lance struck, Stella felt a sudden surge of energy coursing through the arc-blade in her hands. The impact sent a shockwave through the room, but instead of being blown back, she found herself standing firm, the blade absorbing the force.
"Huh?" Stella gasped.
Dazmir grunted and pushed harder, but the energy of the arc-blade flared up, forming a faint golden aura around her. The unstable Arcana energy Veydris had mentioned… it wasn't rejecting her—it was resonating with her.
"Interesting," Veydris muttered, watching closely.
Hugo smirked. "See? Told you it just needed the right wielder."
Dazmir stepped back, spinning his lance before thrusting forward with a powerful strike. Stella, still overwhelmed, barely dodged, the weapon grazing her side and scorching her clothes.
"Focus, Stella," Cosmos chimed in. "This weapon is adapting to you, but you need to meet it halfway."
She tightened her grip. "Meet it halfway…?"
Dazmir attacked again, but this time, something inside her clicked. As if acting on instinct, she twisted her body and brought the arc-blade down in a sweeping motion. The weapon pulsed, releasing a golden slash of energy that collided with Dazmir's lance, sending him skidding back.
The room fell silent for a moment.
"That's more like it," Hugo said with a satisfied grin.
Stella stared at her blade in shock. "Did… did I just use a technique?"
Veydris's smirk faded slightly. "Impossible. That blade has never responded to anyone before."
Dazmir steadied himself, rolling his shoulders. "Not bad," he admitted. "But let's see if you can handle this."
With a burst of speed, he vanished from sight, reappearing behind Stella with his lance aimed at her back.
Hugo's voice rang out. "Stella, watch out!"
Instinct took over. Stella twisted her body, barely dodging the strike as the tip of Dazmir's arc-lance grazed her shoulder. Sparks of Arcana energy crackled from the impact, but she ignored the sting, gripping her arc-blade tighter.
"Too slow," Dazmir taunted, already moving for another attack.
But this time, Stella didn't back away. She took a deep breath, feeling the pulse of the blade in her hands. Instead of retreating, she stepped forward, meeting his assault head-on.
Their weapons clashed, sending another shockwave through the chamber. The unstable energy within her blade surged again, but instead of fighting it, Stella focused, letting the power flow naturally. The golden aura around her weapon flared, stabilizing for a brief moment.
"There it is," Hugo muttered, watching with approval.
Dazmir narrowed his eyes. "Tch. You're learning quickly. But you're still not fast enough!"
He vanished again, reappearing at her side, thrusting his lance forward.
"Come on, blade," Stella whispered, shifting her stance.
At the last second, her arc-blade responded. It pulled her forward with a burst of speed, allowing her to duck beneath the attack. As she moved, she swung upward, aiming for his exposed side.
Dazmir barely managed to block in time, but the sheer force of her strike sent him stumbling back. His eyes widened. "What the—?"
"She's adapting," Veydris observed, his intrigue growing.
Stella exhaled sharply, adjusting her grip. "I'm not done yet."
"Now, use the technique from earlier and call out its name!" Hugo commanded.
Stella hesitated for a split second, feeling the energy surge through the arc-blade. She still didn't fully understand it, but she could feel it—pulsing, waiting.
Dazmir recovered from his stumble, gripping his arc-lance tighter. "You think shouting a name will make a difference?!" He lunged forward again, his weapon crackling with deadly Arcana energy.
"Do it now, Stella!" Cosmos urged.
She gritted her teeth, focusing everything on the blade. The golden glow around it intensified, flaring like a sunburst. She tightened her stance, exhaled, and then—
"Radiant Slash!"
The blade roared to life, releasing a blazing arc of golden energy. It slashed through the air with blinding speed, colliding with Dazmir's lance.
For a moment, there was silence. Then—BOOM!
The force of the impact sent Dazmir flying across the chamber, crashing into the far wall. Smoke and embers flickered in the air as Stella stood there, panting, her blade still glowing.
Hugo smirked. "Now that's more like it."
Dazmir groaned as he struggled to push himself off the cracked stone floor, his arc-lance sparking erratically from the impact. His breathing was ragged, and his eyes burned with disbelief.
Veydris, who had been watching with arms crossed, let out a low chuckle. "Well, well... Seems the unstable blade found a wielder after all."
Stella tightened her grip on the arc-blade, still catching her breath. "I-I actually did it…" she muttered, looking at the weapon in her hands.
"Told you," Hugo said casually, resting Cosmos on his shoulder. "Every weapon just needs the right wielder."
Dazmir forced himself to stand, gripping his lance with trembling hands. "I... I'm not done yet!" he growled.
But before he could make another move, Veydris raised a hand. "Enough."
Dazmir froze. "But, Commander—"
Veydris' eyes flashed dangerously. "I said enough. You lost." He turned his gaze toward Hugo and Stella. "It seems you've earned your victory. As promised, I will take my leave."
Stella's stance remained tense. "Just like that?"
Veydris smirked. "Oh, don't look so surprised. I keep my word." He then leaned forward slightly, his grin widening. "But don't think for a second that this is over. The Arcane Sovereign will want to hear about this... and when he does, your little victory here will mean nothing."
Hugo sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Get in line. I've heard worse threats."
Veydris let out an amused chuckle before turning away. "Dazmir, we're leaving. The Neo Arcana Dominion has no use for failures."
Dazmir clenched his fists in frustration but didn't argue. He cast one last glare at Stella before following his commander.
As the two disappeared through the corridors of the base, Stella finally let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "We actually won..."
Hugo gave her a light pat on the back. "Told you this wouldn't be so bad."
She turned to him with narrowed eyes. "You threw me into a fight with an unstable weapon!"
Hugo just grinned. "And yet, here you are—victorious."
Cosmos chuckled. "Ah, yes. Classic Hugo. Reckless, irresponsible, and somehow always right."