The sky was calm, and a light breeze brushed against Alex's face as he strolled through the quiet streets. The morning sun gave everything a soft bright glow, yet something lingered in his mind.
"Grandpa Ranpo hasn't come back in three months…"
He blinked. That realization struck him like a quiet whisper in the back of his mind.
"Oh, come on. It's Grandpa," Alex muttered to himself with a short laugh. "He always does this. I bet he's doing fine. It's Diablo I'm worried about."
Before he knew it, his feet had carried him to the front of a house, it seemed to be well kept.
"Wow... this house doesn't look bad at all," he said, tilting his head slightly in surprise.
He knocked on the wooden door and waited. No answer.
Just as he reached for the knob again, the door creaked open by itself.
Alex narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Weird… it's open?"
Stepping inside cautiously, he called out.
"Yo, Diablo! Where are you? I haven't heard from you in months!"
The place was surprisingly cozy. Warm lighting. Neatly arranged furniture. Everything had a personal touch to it.
Alex casually looked around.
"Diablo's house is pretty cool… I never knew he lived like this. Seems like he enjoys himself quite well."
His eyes wandered toward the hallway, eventually finding the bedroom. Inside, a modest bed sat between two drawers, a wardrobe standing beside it. As he examined the room, a photo frame atop one of the drawers caught his eye.
He picked it up.
In the picture, four people stood together. A younger Diablo and Veronica, both around fifteen. Kazuma—Alex's father—stood proudly behind them, and at the middle was a fourth person: a boy with short brown hair and a brown shirt.
Alex's lips curled into a nostalgic smile.
"Veronica was Diablo's teammate? No wonder they're close. And my dad was their team leader too…"
He paused, eyes narrowing.
"But who's this other guy…?"
Then, it clicked.
"Oh, right… Diablo once mentioned a friend who died while they were still teens. That's gotta hurt…"
Setting the photo back gently, Alex gave the room one last glance before turning around and heading out the door.
Meanwhile… In Kojin's Office
Veronica stood at the center of the room, surrounded by Sughi, Levi, Tomoa, and Kojin who had sat on his desk.
Kojin glanced at her, his tone as sharp as ever.
"Why are you holding a meeting in my office? Is it that important?"
Levi leaned back in his chair, folding his arms with a smirk.
"Whatever it is, it better be good."
Sughi sighed and added,
"Levi has a point. I was in the middle of something too."
Veronica, expression serious, didn't hesitate.
"I needed to tell you this before any of the C-Rank soldiers find out. After thorough investigation... I discovered something."
She paused.
"Diablo has been sealed away."
A silence followed—brief but heavy. Then both Sughi and Levi burst into laughter.
"You've gotta be kidding," Levi said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Diablo? Sealed? That's the best one I've heard today."
"Yeah," Sughi added, grinning. "Come on, Veronica. Diablo can't even be touched, let alone sealed. What's the real deal?"
But Veronica didn't laugh.
"I'm serious."
The tone in her voice wiped the smiles off their faces.
"I went searching for him personally. No trace. So, I summoned one of my Shikigami—one that can view past events. That's how I saw it. Diablo was sealed while fighting Ukina in a time-space void."
Levi and Sughi froze.
"You… can't be serious," Sughi said slowly. "This is Diablo we're talking about."
"Yeah," Levi echoed. "Isn't he basically a god or something? How can he be sealed when he can just break out? Stop messing around."
Veronica shook her head.
"He's trapped in a timeless dimension. A place where space and time don't exist. And we all know—time manipulation and reality warping are his tools. He controls them. But in a realm without those factors... there's nothing for him to control. Or at least, that's what i understand."
She looked them dead in the eyes.
"In other words, he's completely trapped."
A weight settled over the room. Everyone was silent.
Tomoa finally spoke up.
"Now I'm worried... If Diablo's sealed, what's Ukina planning?"
Kojin rubbed his chin.
"Knowing Diablo, he's holding up fine. But Ukina… she's not just some threat. She's using the power of the Divine Beasts, which are forces strong enough to turn countries to ashes. Not just that, but for her to be able to have defeated Diablo, she must have insane powers that are as strong as his. Aside from that, the only thing I know that is strong enough to possibly be on the same level as Diablo, is probably Zodia.! He was stated in the legends to be strong enough to wipe out worlds like planets. This might be a stretch, but I think that force was the same power that wiped out the demon country."
His voice turned grave.
"Ukina, she's planning something deadly. Too deadly."
Tomoa's eyes widened.
"Wait a minute, but that's not possible. It doesn't makes sense. Could it be possible that..."
Kojin nodded.
"Exactly. Ukina is planning something far worse than a petty battle. She wants a war—against all of humanity."
Veronica clenched her fists.
"I had the same thought. But until she confirms it, we can only prepare. We need to alert every assassin and soldier in the city. And we need to start strengthening the younger generation. Fast."
Levi took a deep breath.
"Kojin… The city's still allied with the Lightning Nation, the Country of Iron, and Raijin City. In the whole world, we're the only nations with military power fit for something like this."
Kojin gave a sharp nod.
"I was already planning on contacting them."
Just then, a knock came at the door.
Kojin raised an eyebrow.
"Come in."
The door creaked open—and the moment they saw who it was, everyone in the room dropped to their knees without hesitation.
The figure stepped in slowly, his presence overwhelming and yet gentle. A kind smile crossed his face.
"I'm glad you still honor me at my old age," the elder said. "It's nice to see the kids I once carried on my shoulders… now standing as strong adults."
Kojin smiled, respectful and warm.
"Lord Fugaku… it's been a long time. It's good to see you again."
Levi, Sughi, Veronica, and Kojin all spoke together in unison:
"It's a pleasure, Lord Fugaku."
The old monk with long brown hair, let out a light chuckle.
"You may rise."
As they stood, Fugaku's tone turned curious.
"Tell me… is Alex here? The grandson of Ranpo?"
End of Chapter.