Permission to investigate

'Am I... going to die?' Darn thought as the monster's energy blast surged toward him.

Just before impact, a familiar figure appeared in front of him.

"Mr. Noir?"

"I'll handle this, Mr. Kelly," Victor said, not bothering to glance back.

Darn exhaled shakily and closed his eyes. "Please do."

Victor raised his right hand, and a massive magic circle materialized in the air. The moment the monster's attack made contact, the spell absorbed it completely.

With his one hand still tucked into his pockets, Victor cast another spell.

"Reverse."

a dark art spell, one of his originals. It had the power to send back any attack absorbed by Consume.

a dark art spell that devours various types of attacks.

Before the Riftborn could react, a large magic circle formed above its head. The energy blast it had unleashed moments ago now rained down on it with full force.

The creature let out a deafening screech.

Victor narrowed his eyes. "This one's different. If I had to guess, it's already pushing past S-rank." He muttered to himself, his grip tightening. "If its rank increases mid-battle, I might not be able to take it down alone."

[ Emergency! Energy levels are rising! The current S-rank Riftborn is showing signs of further evolution! ]

"So I was right." Victor's jaw clenched.

He flicked his wrist, and five glowing magic circles appeared behind him. From within, five giant skeletal figures in tattered mage robes emerged, their hollow eyes burning with arcane energy.

"Attack with full force," he commanded. "No need to hold back."

Without hesitation, the skeletal mages raised their hands. A massive surge of fire magic erupted from them, colliding with the Riftborn like a barrage of flaming cannons.

The monster howled in pain, its form staggering from the sheer impact.

Victor took the opening.

With a burst of speed, he dashed toward the Riftborn. As he moved, he flicked his fingers, summoning five small orbs of violet flame that floated behind him.

A sharp motion of his hand sent them flying forward. One after another, the orbs detonated upon impact, each explosion forcing the Riftborn further onto the defensive.

Victor's eyes gleamed.

"Let's see how you handle this."

Victor pressed his palms together, then slowly pulled them apart. Between his hands, a dark, shifting energy stretched and pulsed like living shadows.

"Dark Void Invasion."

In an instant, the black mass expanded, swallowing the entire battlefield in absolute darkness. Only Victor, his summons, and the Riftborn remained inside the void.

Outside, Darn's breath caught in his throat. The monster is gone. Victor and his summons were gone. The battlefield, once alive with battle, had fallen eerily silent.

"What just happened?" he muttered, trying to make sense of what he had just witnessed. "Mr. Noir cast a spell… something black formed between his hands, and then they all disappeared."

Before he could process further, footsteps rushed toward him. Lloyd and Geo arrived, their eyes scanning his battered form. His uniform torn, his body covered in fresh wounds.

"Mr. Kelly! Boss!" Geo called out, his voice laced with urgency.

Both men knelt beside him.

Lloyd spoke first. "What happened here? Where's Mr. Noir?"

Darn hesitated, his throat dry. A few seconds passed before he whispered hoarsely, "I... I don't know. He just vanished, along with the Riftborn."

Lloyd and Geo exchanged uncertain glances, neither fully grasping the situation.

But before they could dwell on Victor's disappearance, Geo refocused his concern. "Can you stand, Boss?"

"I'm fine," Darn assured, forcing himself upright. "Just need a few minutes."

Lloyd shook his head. "I never thought an S-rank Riftborn could push you this hard."

Darn let out a frustrated sigh. "Neither did I." His jaw clenched. "I underestimated it. Just because I defeated an S-rank before, I thought I could handle this one too." He clicked his tongue in irritation.

"Don't blame yourself," Geo reassured him. "Like HQ said, this Riftborn's energy levels kept rising. It could have been on the verge of evolving to SS-rank."

Darn's expression darkened. "I doubt that's the real issue." His gaze hardened as he looked toward the battlefield's empty space. "While fighting, I was about to land a finishing blow… but something else blocked my attack."

Lloyd stiffened. "Blocked? You mean another Riftborn interfered?"

Darn nodded. "It took the hit like it was nothing. And then… it spoke before I was attacked."

Geo and Lloyd froze.

"A… speaking Riftborn?" They exchanged uneasy looks.

For the first time, they realized they weren't just dealing with an ordinary monster.

*

Inside the Void.

Victor smirked as he sprinted toward the Riftborn. "Let's see how well you fight in total darkness."

a spell that transported targets into an absolute void. Once inside, all senses were stripped away. No sight. No sound. No touch. No smell. No taste. Only the caster could move freely.

Since his summons relied on vision, he dismissed them. He didn't need them for this fight. Not anymore.

The Riftborn stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had happened. A perfect opening. Victor flicked his fingers, and a single orb of purple fire ignited above his head. With a casual wave, the fireball shot forward like a cannon, slamming into the monster.

Another flick. Another fireball. Again. And again. Each explosion chipped away at the Riftborn's form, pushing it further into a corner.

Victor's eyes gleamed as he closed in. "I won't let you evolve."

Leaping into the air, he raised a hand. "Disintegration."

A massive black magic circle spread beneath the Riftborn. A split second later, a dark beam shot upward, engulfing the monster in a pulse of sheer destruction. When the light faded, nothing remained. The Riftborn was gone.

*

As Darn and his comrades talked, a magic circle suddenly materialized before them. The three turned to it, eyes sharp with anticipation.

From the glowing formation, Victor stepped out.

Not a single wound can be seen in his body or clothes, as if he hadn't just battled a Riftborn on the verge of evolving into SS-rank. The sight was nothing short of astonishing, not only had he defeated the creature alone, but he emerged completely unscathed.

Darn let out a breath and smiled. "Oh? Mr. Noir? Glad to see you made it out in one piece."

Victor gave him a brief glance. "Can you stand? We should get you to a hospital."

With a small grunt, Darn pushed himself up and waved a dismissive hand. "Nah, I'm fine. No need for that."

"If you say so," Victor replied, unconcerned.

Darn chuckled before shifting the topic. "Still, I owe you one. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't be standing here right now."

"It's nothing." Victor's voice was calm, but his next words carried weight. "Honestly, that whole situation was unexpected. Something or someone showed up and boosted the Riftborn's energy level out of nowhere."

Darn closed his eyes, exhaling deeply. "Yeah… We'll have to check with HQ later. See if they gathered any intel."

*

After the battle's chaos settled, medics finally arrived, some from public and private hospitals in District Eight, others from SSDC itself.

Darn sat at the open door of an ambulance, a nurse from HQ wrapping a bandage around his arm. Across from him, Victor stood firm, refusing medical attention.

"No thanks," he said, lifting a hand to stop the nurse. "Not a scratch on me."

Darn smirked. "By the way, Mr. Noir… what brings you to District Ten?"

Victor shifted his gaze from the nurse to Darn, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, that… I wanted to check something in Shefferd Town. Just an investigation."

A flicker of curiosity crossed Darn's face.

Victor continued, his tone more serious. "It's personal. It's about Tomas."

Darn's expression changed instantly.

Tomas, a close friend. A man whose fate had never been fully understood. The official report claimed he was killed by a Riftborn, but the details never added up. If Victor was bringing this up now…

"Are you planning to reopen the case?" Darn asked, his voice steady but serious.

Victor shook his head. "No, nothing like that. My people need some information, that's all. I have no intention of digging up a case I have no personal connection to… I'm just doing this for them."

Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and flicked his lighter. The flame caught, the tip burned, and he took a slow inhale before exhaling a thin stream of smoke.

"So… do I have your permission to investigate District Ten?"

Darn sighed, then shrugged. "After saving my life multiple times today? I'd be a real bastard to say no."

Victor gave a small smirk before turning on his back, ready to leave.

Darn raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Leaving already?"

Victor glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah, I need to meet with my team. They need to know what happened."

"I see…" Darn lowered his head slightly before muttering, "Thanks again... for saving me and everyone else in this town."

Victor didn't respond, but the ghost of a smile flickered on his lips before he walked away.