The announcer's voice boomed across the arena.
"For our first match of the tournament, we have a battle you won't want to miss! Introducing first—a warrior shrouded in legend! The man who once wielded the power to shake the heavens! The one and only… HERO OF THE ECLIPSE—HUGO!!!"**
The crowd erupted into deafening cheers, chanting his title as Hugo stepped onto the battlefield.
Up in the spectator seats, Ethan stood up, practically jumping in excitement. "That's right! That's Hugo! The REAL Hero of the Eclipse!"
Meanwhile, in the waiting area, Darius clicked his tongue. "Tch. They won't be chanting that for long."
Back in the arena, the announcer continued.
"And his opponent! A powerhouse of raw strength! The undefeated underground brawler—KAIN THE IRON FIST!"
A massive, muscular man stepped forward, cracking his knuckles with a smirk. "So, you're the famous Hero of the Eclipse, huh?" Kain rolled his shoulders. "Let's see if you can handle me!"
Hugo simply smirked, lifting Cosmos onto his shoulder.
"Let's find out."
The crowd cheered louder as the announcer raised his hand.
"Fighters ready?! Begin!"
As soon as the announcer's hand dropped, Kain lunged forward like a charging beast, his fist rearing back.
"Let's see how tough you really are!"
With a thunderous roar, he threw a punch straight at Hugo's face.
But in the blink of an eye—
WHOOSH!
Hugo sidestepped effortlessly, his body barely moving more than necessary. Kain's punch whiffed through empty air.
The crowd gasped.
Ethan pumped his fists. "Oh-ho! Classic Hugo move right there!"
Darius' crew, sitting next to him, looked unimpressed. One of them scoffed. "Tch, dodging? Lame."
Ethan turned to them, frowning. "Excuse you?! That's called skill!"
One of Darius' crew members crossed their arms. "Skill? Looks like he's just running away to me."
Ethan huffed. "Yeah? Then watch and learn!"
Back in the waiting area, Darius had his arms crossed as he observed the fight. He narrowed his eyes.
"No… He's testing his opponent."
Back in the arena, Kain skidded to a stop, turning toward Hugo with an annoyed glare. "Oh, so you're one of those fancy footwork guys, huh? Fine!" He slammed his fists together, a faint glow of Arcana energy crackling around his knuckles. "Then I'll just hit harder!"
With a sudden burst of speed, he threw another punch—faster this time. But Hugo casually leaned back, dodging it by a hair's breadth.
SWISH!
Another punch. Another dodge.
Again. And again.
The crowd murmured in amazement as Kain kept attacking, yet not a single punch landed.
Hugo sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Man… this is kinda disappointing."
Kain snarled. "Stop dancing around and fight me!"
Hugo smirked. "Alright, alright. I'll give you one shot." He planted his feet and spread his arms open. "Go ahead, take your best hit."
The entire arena went silent.
Ethan's eyes widened. "Wait, what?!"
Stella facepalmed. "Oh no, not this again…"
Cosmos, strapped to Hugo's back, chuckled. "Heh. This never gets old."
Kain's face twisted into an eager grin. "You're gonna regret this, pal!"
With all his strength, he cocked his fist back, Arcana energy surging around his arm.
Then—
"IRON FIST SMASH!"
He drove his punch straight into Hugo's stomach with full force.
BOOOOOM!
A shockwave rippled across the arena. The ground cracked beneath Hugo's feet. Dust and debris flew into the air.
The crowd held their breath.
Then the dust cleared—
And there Hugo stood.
Completely unfazed.
Not even flinching.
Kain's face went pale. "W-What…?"
Hugo yawned. "That it?"
Kain stumbled back, disbelief plastered all over his face. "H-How…? That was my strongest hit!"
Hugo rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck. "Alright. My turn."
Before Kain could react— cosmos roared.
"CORONA MODE!"
A golden flare of Arcana energy erupted around Hugo, his eyes glowing with fiery intensity.
Then—
WHOOSH!
In the blink of an eye, Hugo disappeared from Kain's sight.
And reappeared right in front of him.
"Strong Corona."
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
A flurry of rapid sword strikes rained down on Kain, too fast for the human eye to follow. He barely had time to react before—
BOOOOOM!
Kain was sent flying across the arena, slamming into the wall with a deafening crash.
Silence.
The dust settled.
Kain was out cold.
The referee rushed in, checked for signs of movement, then raised his hand.
"KAIN IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! THE WINNER IS—HUGO!"
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Ethan jumped up, screaming. "THAT WAS SO AWESOME!!"
Darius' crew, still seated next to him, stared in disbelief. One of them muttered, "Uhh… maybe dodging wasn't so lame after all."
Another crew member sighed. "Boss better have a plan for him…"