1 Chapter 0A - The New Eclipse

I stared as a man fell to the ground in front of me, my punches having shattered his ribcage, most likely causing them to pierce into his organs. He was surely dead, but the words he said before he fell echoed in my mind. I walked away, my arm having been completely bent out of shape. The damage from that fight was heavy, I could no longer feel any pain, there was so much of it flowing through my body at once. Just like that, everything had turned into a blur. I was crowned the champion, and I became the new head of the Eclipse.

…

A few months have passed since I had won the Eclipse's 7th tournament. After some intensive treatment, my left arm was back in working order, but the metal I had implanted into my arms was removed to make the surgery possible. The Basement was my greatest ally for giving me those enhancements in the first place, but also a great enemy for almost killing me off prior to that during the tournament. If the rest of Arachna ended up failing to pay them more than that man paid Jason to kill me, I don't even want to think about what that would have spelled for my fate. Despite that, I had become the new head of the Eclipse, meaning I had to run the entire show now. With my newly gained position, Nile Kinder and Shizu Nunes stayed closely by my side, especially during my recovery. Despite the high risk they calculated, I was met with high praise, everyone having recognized that my position was well deserved. The only thing that seemed to fall during my rise was the group that had attempted to kill me, The Dictatorship. With the head now gone and the second in command having seemingly disappeared, The Dictatorship crumbled, meaning Arachna was able to become the most prominent power of the organization.

Recently there has been an attempted assassination on me, the perpetrator being a strange fellow that had tried to fight me. The man was swiftly dealt with, but killing him felt strange. Murder at this point should have become second nature to me, however it now seemed so fresh and new. Was it due to my lack of action in the last few months? I cannot tell, but it was a rush that had put a smile on my barren face.

Shizu: You really should rest. You may have recovered, but it was recommended that you should not enter anymore combat while your body is still trying to recover naturally.

I smiled at the woman that was so concerned for my health.

Daymond: There's nothing to worry about. It was only a single person, and they were nothing too dangerous. Nothing compared to the last fight I had.

I said that with a smile on my face, but even if the fight was nowhere as intense, it had shot a type of excitement all throughout my body.

…

A few weeks had passed and my position in the organization was praised. I was seen as the dawn of a new age, the light in a dark saga of the organization. Even with all those kind words, they felt empty to me. I could feel no sincerity. I no longer participated in any of the jobs we had gotten, my allies wanted me to focus on my position and to ensure I had returned to my peak condition. I was grateful for the position I was put in, but was this really all I had to do? I kept watch over the organization, I dealt with any new corporations or figure heads that wished to make connections with us, I was needed to keep peace between us and other organizations that only knew us for our fighting rings. Was this really the life I wished to keep myself isolated to? The lack of thrill for battle made this position seem more like torment than something I would keep on doing forever. Is this why the previous tournament was held? How did the previous head keep this position for so many years when I got bored of it after only a few months? It took a different type of fortitude to feel satisfied in this position, and I truly do respect the ones that once sat in this seat before me.

As these thoughts filled my head, I was signaled to enter the banquet hall, with the rest of my Arachna.

Simon Lunaz: Is this really all we were called for?

Shizu: Give him a second, he's on his way.

I entered the room as all my faithful members sat around the table. They have stuck with me for as long as I could remember. They had kept the group alive when I was left with the heavy work as the head of this organization. I was eternally thankful to them, but they simply saw it as their duty.

Abo: What exactly was the reason behind us gathering together?

Luci Kekoa: This is the first time we've come together since Daymond was placed into power, isn't it?

Yukikaki: It must be pretty important.

Nile: Well, it just seemed like an appropriate time to meet up. We haven't had time to speak about the future of the Arachna, right, Daymond?

I looked at the group, everyone seemed eager to hear my response. All except two members, who sat the furthest away from me. I cleared my throat, to ensure they could hear me.

Daymond: I have decided that we need to keep the Arachna moving forward. We are not a group that simply sits down and does nothing, and I as the leader, refuse to be in that type of position as well. So I wish to make a type of movement, something that finally pushed the Arachna back in motion

They all looked at me with open eyes, I have caught all of their attention.

The meeting ended, but Shen Nupan and Arthur Hickory did not get close to me once. I don't blame them, I probably seem like a shell of my former self. However, they did show some interest in my idea. None of us intend to make the idea known to the public, but it came from something inside myself. Something that I desired… more. Even with how I currently am, my heart and words are still able to reach them. I do wonder how I've come to change over such a small time, but having reached the highest high makes things seem lackluster.

Hickory: Yo, boss.

I turned around, Nupan and Arthur waving me down.

Nupan: Were you serious about that plan?

Daymond: I am always serious. I know when the time to be serious and when to be lighthearted are needed. So I chose a serious matter that can be rather… fun.

Arthur: Sounds just like you, boss.

Nupan: I hope you don't mind if we sign up for it.

The two walked off as they walked in. Our conversation was brief, but seeing that they haven't lost their spirit put a smile on my face.

Shizu: Someone seems to be in a good mood.

She pushed her glasses up as she stared at me. I put on a lighthearted smile as I walked with her.

Shizu: I see you've been wanting this for a long time.

Daymond: Of course, it was only a matter of time until the Eclipse felt a new rush.

Shizu: The gap between the previous two tournaments was around a decade, you are shooting for the smallest time gap between two tournaments ever.

Daymond: If that's true, I'm proud to have made history in an interesting way.

Shizu: Do you believe you can win once again?

Daymond: I no longer feel alone, I know the others seem as interested as I am to hold this tournament.

Shizu: Whenever you wish to hold the announcement, I will be sure to be there with you.

Daymond: Of course, we are in this together.

She had noticed my change and didn't seem to want to convince me otherwise, I couldn't ask for someone better. Nile is the only other person I trust as much as her, but he often seems busy with his own personal life. I don't intend to push him into this mess that I intend to make for myself. My excitement is not visible, but I feel like I can win a marathon with the energy I have in myself. When the time comes, what new wonders will the Eclipse show me?

…

Elsewhere, a man wearing a mask struck at a training dummy, sweat dripping from his forehead. An older man walked into the dojo, a towel over his shoulder.

???: Thong, don't you think it's time you take a break?

Thong: Sorry dad, I just kind of got into it.

Thong's father handed him the towel as they both smiled at each other, Thong feeling fatigue grow on him as he sat down.

Thong's thoughts: This fighting stuff is kind of tough, but who knows when it'll come in handy.