Chapter 449: Why did he go there?

Sapphire’s house seemed quieter than usual. The sound of careful footsteps echoed softly on the varnished floor, each step of Sepphirothy resonating with restrained determination. She crossed the front door with attentive eyes, her long silver hair swaying like veils of mist with each movement.

The energy in the air was wrong. There was no presence of combat, nor any sign of disaster, but something was… missing. As if a key piece had been removed from the board.

Sepphirothy’s gaze scanned the rooms for any sign of Vergil.

Nothing.

Until, turning into the main room, he came across Viviane, sprawled lazily on the sofa like a bored cat basking in the sun.

The maid sat with her legs crossed, absentmindedly twirling her fingers over a floating wine glass, while her broom rested on the floor next to the sofa. Her blue eyes slowly rose toward the visitor, as if she had been waiting for her all along.

“You seem to be quite comfortable,” Sepphirothy commented in a neutral tone, crossing her arms.

Viviane let out an exaggerated sigh, letting her body slide further down the back of the sofa. “I’m taking a break. You should try it. It’s good for your skin and your mood.”

Sepphirothy didn’t answer right away. He just kept his gaze fixed and analytical, as if waiting for something else.

Viviane raised an eyebrow. “But something tells me you didn’t come here to see me relax.”

“I’m looking for Vergil,” Sepphirothy replied firmly. “Have you seen him?”

Viviane rolled her eyes, as if the question were an annoying reminder. “Unfortunately, no. He’s in that damn forest. You know… the one with the energy that makes even the weather seem sour, that shitty maze that no one likes to enter.”

“Did he go alone?” Sepphirothy asked, though he already suspected the answer.

“Not exactly,” said Viviane, spinning the glass in the air with a lazy gesture. “He took the troupe. Ada, Roxanne, Katharina… all following him like armed shadows. A hellish group outing, even though I think they just wanted to get out of the house and take him with them.”

Sepphirothy raised an eyebrow. “Does Sapphire know about this?”

Viviane finally sat up straight, now more interested in the conversation. “Ah… that’s the fun part.” She smiled mischievously. “Sapphire found out recently. And she left here looking like a furious demonic hurricane heading straight for Selene’s house.”

Sepphirothy frowned. “Selene?”

Viviane nodded, twirling her hand in a dramatic gesture. “She wants to understand why the hell Vergil invaded that place. Because let’s be honest… that forest is owned by those strange things Lucifer liked to play with. And Selene is the only one who can know what’s in there, after all, she has territory there.”

“Of course,” said Sepphirothy, more to herself than to Viviane. “Vergil doesn’t step anywhere without making the ground scream.”

Viviane giggled, then leaned back again. “I warned them before they left. But no one listens to the bored demonic spirit on the couch.”

Sepphirothy approached the window. The sky outside was cloudy, and a light mist rose over the nearby hills. She could feel remnants of Vergil’s demonic energy, albeit faint. It was very far away, like a whisper in a cave.

“If he’s releasing power in there, it could attract something worse. My father sealed so much in that place…” she murmured.

Viviane snapped her fingers, and the glass landed softly on a small table beside her. “He’ll be in there for a few years. It’s very different from any demonic place in the underworld.”

“He hasn’t been the same since he came back,” said Sepphirothy. “Something inside him is different. Darker, but at the same time… calmer. That worries me. He wasn’t supposed to be going to Lucifer’s Playground so soon…”

Viviane smiled slightly. “Vergil has this habit of seeming calm before the apocalypse begins.”

Sepphirothy turned to her, his gaze now determined. “I need to find him. Before someone else finds him first.”

“Are you going after him alone? I mean, Sapphire must be thinking the same thing, she must have already gone after him,” Viviane asked, with a hint of exhaustion.

“I don’t need company,” she replied, already making a seal with her fingers. A slight distortion began to circulate around her body, like a vortex about to form. “And honestly, I don’t trust Sapphire to go to him with a calm heart. I need to get there first.”

Viviane stood up, smoothing her skirt with a casual gesture. “Just don’t forget… you can’t stop him when he wants something, just watch.”

Sepphirothy did not respond. The seal was complete, and in a flash of violet light and dense shadow, she disappeared—as if swallowed by space itself.

Viviane stood still for a moment, staring at the void where Sepphirothy had been.

Then she let out a long sigh, picked up her wine glass, and whispered to herself:

“These Lucifers… they always know how to turn a holiday into a nightmare.”

The doors of Selene’s house burst open with a magical crash, and a gust of biting wind invaded the central hall like a raging storm. A crack reverberated across the black marble floor, slightly cracking it with the intensity of the aura that had just crossed the threshold.

Sapphire had arrived.

Her eyes burned with a violent turquoise glow, like lightning trapped beneath her skin. The air around her trembled with the raw energy of someone who had long since exceeded the limits of patience. Her navy blue cape floated with the same fury as her stride, and when she crossed the main hall of the arcane mansion, the silence among the witches present was immediate.

Selene was there, as if she knew the storm was coming. Sitting at the edge of a stone table adorned with ancient runes, she looked up with an almost theatrical boredom… but not fast enough.

In the blink of an eye, Sapphire lunged forward and grabbed her by the throat.

The muffled sound of the collision echoed through the hall.

Ada, Roxanne, Katharina, Stella, and even Raphaeline—who rarely got involved in other people’s dramas—were there, watching the scene with expressions that oscillated between shock and discomfort. None of them moved immediately.

“Why, Selene?!” Sapphire’s voice cut like a whip. “Why did you let him go into that forest?!”

Selene, despite the tight grip on her throat, maintained her composure like an annoyed goddess being awakened from an interesting dream.

“You… need… to calm down,” she said between pauses—not for lack of breath, but out of pure sarcasm. She breathed normally, her lungs functioning as if there were no fingers digging into her windpipe.

“Answer me!” Sapphire shouted, her face close to hers, her eyes burning like liquid embers. “You know what’s in there. You know that place isn’t just a forest?!”

Selene finally snorted.

“Let go of me, drama queen,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I didn’t send Lucifer there. He went. On his own two feet. With his own stubborn head. I just… didn’t stop him.”

“YOU COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING!” Sapphire’s voice reverberated off the walls, causing some runes to light up on the columns of the hall.

“He’s the devil’s grandson, Sapphire,” Selene replied calmly. “Do you really think I could stop him if he wanted to pass? Do you think a stern look from me and a fence of thorns would be enough?”

She pushed Sapphire’s hand lightly, and Sapphire hesitated… then let go, taking a step back, panting, but still filled with rage.

“You guys are making too much noise, you know?” Seppirothy said, getting everyone’s attention. “He’s already in there, there’s no turning back now. Let’s just wait a few more hours and I want to know exactly who had the brilliant idea of sending my son there,” she added, looking at Ada, Roxanne, and Katharina.