Diablo's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared down at the young man standing before him—a man far younger than himself—holding a sword pierced through his throat.
"Who... who are you...!" he stammered, his voice fractured with shock.
The young man's mouth curved into a slow, wicked smile. "I am the 'soul eater' killer."
In a swift, decisive motion, the sword swept upward, cleaving Diablo's head in two. A look of frozen horror lingered on his face as his body crumpled to the floor.
Looking down at Diablo's lifeless body, the young man bent down, his fingers curling around the orb in Diablo's limp hand, lifting it away.
This was Victor, emerging from the shadows where he had been concealed with Herakles' presence-concealing magic, waiting patiently for the precise moment to strike.
A figure materialized beside him, and Herakles, eyes steady on the fallen form of Diablo, murmured, "Are you sure you don't want any assistance?"
Victor's gaze remained unwavering as he replied, a cool confidence radiating from him. "Just handle your part, Herakles. I've planned for everything."
Herakles nodded, accepting the answer without further question. "Very well." With that, he turned, leaving Victor alone with Diablo's corpse.
---
Meanwhile, outside the underground chamber, hundreds of people continued to search frantically for any trace of Alber, but so far, their efforts had yielded nothing.
Fueled by a mix of anger over his son's abduction and fear for Alber's safety, Lionel relentlessly pushed forward in pursuit of the kidnapper's whereabouts.
"Spread out! Check the city center!" he commanded, sending over fifteen people darting off in all directions.
He stood still for a moment, rage evident in his clenched fists and tense expression. Regret weighed heavily on him; if only he hadn't left Alber alone, none of this would have happened.
In a flash, his expression hardened with resolve—he would find his only son, no matter what it took.
Just as he was about to continue, he stopped, sensing a familiar aura behind him.
"Patriarch, hold on a moment!" a familiar voice called out.
Turning, Lionel saw Albert and a formally dressed middle-aged man with silver hair—Eirik Ballford, one of the senior of the Nine Realms Guild—approaching quickly.
"What is it? Have you found something?" Lionel demanded.
"Yes, there's been an aura fluctuation detected underground. We're certain it's from the person who took young master Alber," Albert replied, his tone grave.
"We need to move there immediately, Lionel," Eirik added, his voice firm. "Albert rushed to find me, and I knew locating you was urgent."
"Understood. Then let's go!" Lionel urged, wasting no time.
Albert nodded, and with a quick glance, set off, leading Lionel and Eirik swiftly to the site.
In less than five minutes, using the speed afforded by their high-ranking magus abilities, they'd traveled several kilometers and now found themselves in a grassy clearing thick with undergrowth.
"Do you believe my son is here?" Lionel questioned, scanning the area.
"I'm almost certain," Albert responded with a nod.
Eirik took a step forward, his gaze sweeping the terrain. "This place holds a concealed power—one I haven't felt in years. Whoever has taken Alber is hiding deeper within. We need to find the entry point before they sense our presence. Lionel, be prepared for anything."
---
Back in the underground chamber, Victor sat on the floor, gazing at the dark red orb in his hand, feeling the intense aura radiating from it.
The orb held Alber's unique power that Diablo had extracted. Victor knew exactly how formidable Alber's ability—control over darkness—was.
In the original storyline, it had been Leon who interrupted Diablo here and claimed this power. But this time, events had taken a different course.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, and the air grew thick and oppressive. Realizing what was happening, Victor stood up, his eyes fixed on Diablo's corpse as it started to shudder violently.
Dark energy seeped from Diablo's body, filling the chamber with a terrifying aura that seemed to press down on everything around it.
Within moments, the two halves of Diablo's split head began to merge back together, held by the dark energy. His body rose upright, defying gravity.
"You're a dead man!" Diablo roared, his voice laced with rage as his eyes slowly opened, fully black and blazing with dark energy that billowed like smoke.
But Victor only grinned. "I've been waiting for this moment," he murmured, a smirk playing at his lips.
Diablo froze, narrowing his eyes. Victor's reaction was nothing like he'd expected—no shock, disbelief, or fear. Just confidence.
"You look so much like Alexander Archfindor," Diablo remarked, his tone strangely calm.
"He's my father," Victor replied, his voice firm.
"So you're Victor Archfindor, the so-called talentless young master." Diablo sneered. "I'll kill you and take your body as my own!"
In a flash, Diablo lunged, his fist aimed directly at Victor.
But, to his surprise, Victor dodged it effortlessly, shifting his head just enough to avoid the blow.
Diablo's eyes widened in shock, and before he could process it, Victor's fist collided with his face.
The impact sent Diablo hurtling backward, crashing into the wall with enough force to crack it like a spider's web.
Victor grinned, adrenaline surging through him. "Let's get started," he announced, his eyes gleaming.
Falling among the rubble, Diablo was stunned. He'd been convinced from the reports that Victor Archfindor was talentless, wasting his life on indulgence. But the punch he'd just received—there was no way it had come from an ordinary human.
Meanwhile, near the exact entrance to the chamber…
"Isn't that Victor?" Lionel muttered, disbelief in his voice.
It was hard to believe that the Victor he knew could strike with such power.
"Master, that's young master Alber!" Albert exclaimed, pointing toward the child lying on the ground.
Lionel's eyes widened. "My son!" he shouted, about to rush to Alber, only to find his path blocked by a towering figure.
"You're not going anywhere. Don't interfere with their fight," Herakles stated calmly, his gaze steady.
Veins bulged on Lionel's forehead. "Who are you to give me orders?" he growled.
He threw a punch at Herakles, swift and powerful, but Herakles caught it with ease, leaving Lionel and Albert stunned.
"I told you, you're not going anywhere," Herakles intoned, his aura exuding an overwhelming sense of dominance. "Don't worry about the child; Victor and I arrived in time to save him."
Lionel was astonished. Herakles' grip was unyielding, and his aura was so powerful it made him shiver.
Albert, sweating, kept his tone serious. "Master, this man is a Sage-realm magus—possibly peak level."
"What?" Lionel's eyes widened. He looked at Herakles, taking in the man's commanding presence.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Albert quickly inclined his head. "We mean no trouble, sir. My master's son was abducted, and we found him here. We only want to bring him back," he explained respectfully.
"You'll get the child back. He's safe, but for now, stay put," Herakles replied, his voice firm.
Lionel's worry deepened as he looked at Alber lying unconscious on the ground, but Albert tried to reassure him with a steady hand on his shoulder. "Let's trust him, master. I don't sense any hostility."
"Albert is right, Lionel," Eirik murmured, his tone measured but laced with caution. "A peak-level Sage-realm… provoking someone like that wouldn't end well." His gaze flicked toward Herakles, taking in the man's towering form and the subtle, almost tangible aura radiating from him. "And remember—he did say Alber is safe. Let's put our trust in him for now."
"Fine," Lionel agreed reluctantly.
Herakles released Lionel's hand, and the four turned their attention back to the fight unfolding between Victor and Diablo. In their intense focus, they hadn't even noticed the fierce battle that had already begun.