One of the Void Hounds let out a guttural growl, the darkness around its body flickering as it prowled forward. The others followed, forming a loose semicircle around them.
"Wonderful," Stella said sarcastically. "What now?"
Hugo flipped Cosmos over his shoulder with a grin. "Now? Now we give them a fight they won't forget."
The Void Hounds lunged.
"Now, Cosmos!" Hugo yelled.
In response, Cosmos roared, "Corona Mode!"
A surge of blazing energy erupted from the sword, engulfing Hugo in radiant light. His eyes burned a fierce golden-red, and his clothing shimmered as fiery patterns ignited across them. The air around him distorted from the sheer heat, and the Void Hounds hesitated, sensing the shift in power.
Stella shielded her face from the sudden burst of light. "I'm never gonna get used to that…" she muttered.
Hugo twirled Cosmos once before pointing it at the approaching Void Hounds. "Alright, let's see if they're as tough as they think."
One of the hounds snarled before lunging, its shadowy form shifting like liquid darkness. Hugo reacted instantly, sidestepping and slashing with Cosmos. A wave of solar energy followed his strike, cutting through the beast mid-air. It yelped as its body was torn apart by pure radiance, dissolving into nothing.
The other two Void Hounds howled in fury, their bodies growing darker, absorbing the energy from their fallen kin. Their claws extended, gleaming with eerie purple light.
"Great," Stella said, readying her arc-blade. "They're adapting."
"They always do," Hugo said. "But so can we."
The Void Hounds lunged again.
The battle raged on as Hugo and Stella clashed against the Void Hounds. Each time they struck one down, the remaining hounds grew stronger, their bodies shifting and warping with the Arcana energy they absorbed.
"They're learning too fast!" Stella shouted, dodging a swipe from one of the beasts.
"We'll just have to be faster!" Hugo responded.
He took a deep breath and gripped Cosmos tightly. The fiery glow around him intensified as he focused his Arcana energy.
"Corona Burst!" Hugo roared.
In an instant, a golden-red aura exploded from his body, engulfing both him and Stella. The air crackled with heat as their movements became sharper, their strikes heavier, their reflexes heightened beyond normal limits. Stella gasped as she felt the surge of power rushing through her veins.
"Whoa—this is insane!" she exclaimed.
Hugo smirked. "Don't get too used to it. This boost won't last forever."
With their newfound speed and strength, they launched themselves at the Void Hounds. Hugo struck first, his blade moving like a streak of fire, cleaving through one of the creatures before it could react. Stella followed up, her arc-blade glowing with unstable energy as she delivered a swift, precise slash, cutting through another Void Hound's chest.
The final beast snarled in desperation, its body expanding, absorbing all the residual Arcana energy from its fallen pack. Its form twisted, becoming even more monstrous, its claws like darkened blades of pure void energy.
Hugo tightened his grip on Cosmos. "Looks like we've got one last problem to deal with."
Stella readied her stance. "Then let's finish this."
The Void Hound roared and lunged at them with terrifying speed.
Before the Void Hound could lunge, a blinding energy ray shot through the air, striking its left eye. The beast recoiled, letting out a distorted, ear-splitting howl of pain.
Hugo and Stella turned sharply toward the source of the attack.
Standing atop a nearby rock was a girl wielding an Arc-Gun, its barrel still glowing from the shot. She had short, dark blue hair and a confident smirk on her face. Next to her, half-hiding behind her shoulder, was a boy with messy blond hair, his expression nervous as he clutched a small Arcana device in his hands.
"Looks like you two could use some help," the girl called out, casually spinning her Arc-Gun before aiming it again.
Stella blinked. "Who—?"
"No time for introductions," Hugo interrupted, his eyes locked onto the Void Hound, which was already regenerating its lost eye. "If you're here to fight, then fight."
The girl grinned. "Gladly."
The shy boy, however, gulped. "I-I'm not so sure about this…"
The Void Hound let out another enraged roar, now fully focused on its new attackers.
"Alright," Said Hugo, gripping Cosmos. "Let's finish this."
Hugo's eyes burned with fiery determination as he gripped Cosmos tightly. With a deep breath, he channeled Arcana energy through his blade, causing it to glow with an intense golden light.
"Strong Corona!" he roared.
In an instant, Hugo dashed forward, his movements enhanced by the overwhelming surge of power. He became a blur of red and gold, slashing through the Void Hound with rapid, precise strikes. Each cut ignited with solar energy, burning away the beast's regenerative abilities.
The Void Hound let out a distorted shriek, its form beginning to dissolve into nothingness. With one final, powerful slash, Hugo cleaved it in two, the beast's body evaporating in a burst of black mist.