The sound of thunderous blows echoed through the underground chamber. Victor and Diablo were locked in an intensely fierce battle. Each punch and kick sliced through the air with such force that shockwaves rippled across the room, causing the walls to tremble.
Lionel could hardly believe his eyes. Victor Archfindor—a young man he remembered as someone who neither enjoyed physical training nor had any magical talent—was fighting toe-to-toe with the mysterious, powerful man.
Albert and Eirik stood still, watching the battle unfold. Albert barely knew Victor, but Eirik, having been acquainted with Victor's father, knew enough to make this scene even harder to believe.
Thump!
Victor's punch landed squarely on Diablo's stomach, sending him skidding dozens of steps back. Diablo had to dig his fingers into the floor to halt his momentum.
Diablo's expression grew grave as he glared at Victor. "So, all this time, you've been hiding your strength? Pretending to be a rabbit when you're really a lion. You've fooled everyone, Victor Archfindor!" he growled.
"I call it genius," Victor replied with a smirk.
Diablo smirked back. "Of course. The blood of the Archfindors flows in your veins. And it will be mine!" he declared.
The next moment, Diablo lunged at Victor like a bolt of lightning, launching a sharp punch. But Victor dodged it effortlessly with a simple tilt of his head.
A barrage of attacks followed—dozens of punches, swift and powerful—but Victor evaded each with uncanny precision, moving only his head.
Then, in a decisive moment, Victor countered with a sharp jab to Diablo's face, sending him crashing into the wall, harder than before.
Victor couldn't help but be grateful for his "Muhammad Ali technique," which proved incredibly effective in physical combat. Diablo, in his resurrected form, was unable to use magic but possessed physical strength magnified dozens of times, making him formidable despite his weakened state. However, this mode had a critical limit: he could only sustain it for 30 minutes before dying completely.
Diablo rose from the rubble, disbelief etched across his face as he stared at Victor. He acknowledged the young man's exceptional strength—strength worthy of the Archfindor bloodline—but he hadn't expected this level of power. The blow he had just received felt eerily familiar, stirring an unbelievable thought in his mind.
"Don't tell me... you've reached the Sage Realm?!" he shouted.
The declaration left Lionel, Albert, and Eirik utterly stunned.
"The Sage Realm?!" Lionel exclaimed in shock.
"That's… impossible," Eirik echoed, equally dumbfounded.
Victor, however, merely smiled. "We've been fighting for several minutes, and you're only realizing this now, Diablo? Seems like your senses have dulled," he said.
"That's impossible! You're not even 20 years old yet!" Diablo yelled, disbelief dripping from his voice.
"You've probably heard the saying: 'Nothing is impossible,'" Victor replied with a faint smirk.
Diablo's mind spiraled. An 18-year-old boy had attained the Sage Realm—something even he, with all his experience, had failed to achieve. Such talent could overturn kingdoms and create new magic. If he could take over Victor's body, he could accomplish anything.
But could he defeat Victor in this resurrected form, which forbade the use of magic? He wasn't sure.
His expression turned grim. This was either the beginning of his resurgence—or his ultimate demise.
Fixing his gaze on Victor, Diablo's eyes sharpened with renewed focus. "I'll kill you quickly!" he vowed.
His speed increased as he lunged at Victor with a straight punch. This time, it connected, sending Victor flying backward. Before Victor could recover, Diablo surged forward again, appearing above him and slamming him into the ground with both fists. The impact was deafening, cracking the floor beneath them.
Even then, Diablo didn't relent, raining punches on Victor relentlessly.
The sound of his fists echoed through the chamber, creating a scene that left everyone questioning Victor's condition.
But Lionel, Albert, Eirik, and Herakles remained still. Herakles had no intention of intervening unless absolutely necessary, and the others were too curious about Victor's strength. If he truly was a Sage Realm magus, such attacks wouldn't faze him much.
Diablo continued his assault without slowing, as if stamina wasn't a concern. 6 minutes passed, leaving him with just 20 minutes before his resurrected form expired. He needed to kill Victor and take over his body before that time ran out.
As Diablo's right fist hurtled toward Victor's face, Victor suddenly caught it. In the same moment, he grabbed Diablo's left fist, halting both attacks.
Instead of showing pain, Victor smirked. "So, this is what pain feels like for a Sage Realm magus, huh?"
Diablo's expression twisted with anger and frustration. No matter how much strength he used, he couldn't break free of Victor's grip.
"Now it's my turn," Victor declared with a grin.
Releasing Diablo's right hand, he clenched his fist tightly, and the air around it began to warp, crackling with an unseen but palpable force. A faint shimmer of energy rippled outward, as if the very atmosphere was bracing itself for what was to come.
Without hesitation, Victor drove his fist forward in a devastating arc aimed straight at Diablo's face.
THUUUMMPP!
The impact was cataclysmic. The ground beneath them split open in jagged fissures. The walls groaned and fractured, cascading debris in every direction. The very air vibrated with a deafening shockwave, a deep and resonant boom that felt less like sound and more like a force slamming into the chest of everyone in the room.
CRACK!
Diablo's body was launched like a cannonball, colliding with the far wall with such force that the stonework didn't just crumble—it exploded, sending shards and chunks flying in all directions. A cloud of dust and rubble enveloped the space, swirling like a chaotic storm, obscuring all but the aftermath of destruction.
Lionel, Albert, and Eirik stood rooted to the spot, their eyes wide with disbelief. The raw, unrestrained power behind that punch defied comprehension. With such strength, there was no doubt that Victor was a Sage realm magus.
Victor straightened, lowering his fist as his grin widened. His chest rose and fell with satisfaction as he surveyed the devastation. The Earthquake Punch—a technique he had acquired through sheer luck that morning—had delivered far beyond his expectations. There was no training required, no mastery needed; it was a gift, a devastating force he wielded as if it had always been his.
From the rubble, Diablo rose, his face a mask of disbelief. That one punch had shattered most of the bones in his skull. If not for his immortality in resurrected form, the damage would have been catastrophic.
But his disbelief quickly morphed into frustration. Now, he was up against a Sage Realm magus.
"Fuuuuuuck!" Diablo roared, charging at Victor with deadly intent, his fist poised to strike.
With enhanced perception, Victor swiftly reacted, and—
BANG!
Their fists collided, generating a shockwave that made the entire chamber quake and sent weapons and racks clattering to the ground. Even Lionel and the others struggled to keep their balance.
But the outcome of the clash was clear: Diablo was sent flying into the wall again, his right arm completely broken.
Yet, he refused to give up. Ignoring his injuries, he launched another flurry of punches and kicks, his superior speed giving him a sliver of hope.
The fierce battle resumed, each second feeling like an eternity. Ten more minutes passed as the hyena-like agility of Diablo clashed desperately with Victor's lion-like strength and resilience.
Finally, Victor's Earthquake Punch connected with Diablo's face once more. But this time, instead of being thrown back, Diablo caught Victor's arm and bit down viciously, tearing away a chunk of flesh. Blood poured freely.
Victor pushed Diablo away, momentarily stunned by the unexpected move.
Diablo grinned wickedly, blood dripping from his mouth. "I'll kill you, no matter what it takes!"
Instead of being provoked, Victor replied coolly, "That was... unexpected."
The next moment, his grievous wound began to heal rapidly, regenerating completely within seconds. "What do you think of that?" he asked, smirking.
Diablo's eyes widened in utter disbelief, his breath hitching as he staggered back. "How... how is that possible?" he rasped, his voice trembling with a mix of shock and fear.
His gaze darted downward, locking onto the pendant hanging around Victor's neck. Slowly, his eyes shifted past Victor, landing on the massive, shattered door at the far end of the chamber.
Realization struck like a thunderbolt, his expression twisting with rage and despair. "No... no, it can't be!" Diablo's voice cracked, rising into a furious scream. "You... you killed my chimera?!"
The words tore from him like a wounded beast's roar, echoing through the chamber as if to defy the reality before him.
Victor responded with a sly, almost predatory smile. Without hesitation, he lunged at Diablo, seizing him by the throat in a vice-like grip.
"We've fought long enough, haven't we? Let's end this!" Victor declared, his voice cold and resolute.
With a brutal motion, he slammed Diablo into the ground, the impact sending cracks spidering through the floor.
Without giving him a chance to recover, Victor unleashed a relentless barrage of Earthquake Punches. Each strike shook the chamber violently, the thunderous roars echoing like the wrath of a storm.
Diablo's body shattered under the onslaught, torn apart only to begin reforming—until Victor struck again, ruthlessly preventing his regeneration.
Minutes dragged on as the relentless assault continued. Finally, the once-immortal Diablo's regeneration faltered and stopped entirely. His body emitted an intense heat as it began to dissolve, flames consuming his form and reducing him to ashes.
Victor stepped back, his breathing steady as he watched the last remnants of Diablo scatter into nothingness, except for the head. A faint smile touched his lips, satisfaction radiating from him—victory was his.
[You have slain Diablo and obtained the ability to manipulate darkness]
[Congratulations, you have inherited the memories of the 'Demon Emperor']