Chapter 497: Save the wife

The laughter began low, almost a whisper.

Then it grew louder, echoing through the emptiness of the forest, ripping through the silence like a clap of night thunder.

Vergil laughed—not like someone losing control, but like a king finally finding something that was destined to be his. His voice reverberated in waves, mingling with the echo of the ravine, making it impossible to distinguish where his laughter ended and the sound of the earth itself vibrating began.

“Hah… hahahahaha…!” He held his forehead with his hand, tilting his head back. “The whole world may hate me, but until the end of time… she will always be waiting for me.”

His flaming blue gaze fixed on the darkness below.

It didn’t matter what that crack was. It didn’t matter if there were monsters, curses, or the end of reality itself.

Roxanne was there.

And wherever she was, there would be his place too.

Vany’s eyes widened, taking a step forward. “Wait! You can’t be seriously considering—”

But there was no time to finish.

Vergil opened his arms as if embracing emptiness itself and, without hesitation, without looking back, threw himself over the edge.

The wind swallowed him immediately.

It was like falling into an invisible ocean—cold, merciless, endless. His hair whipped against his face, and the pressure increased by the second, as if the ravine wanted to crush him before he even reached the bottom.

Behind him, Titania’s voice boomed with rage.

“Damn you madman!”

Zuri screamed, running to the edge. “VERGIL!!!”

But Vanny just stood still, her eyes fixed on the shadow swallowing the leader. The blue glow emanating from it could still be seen, a fading beacon, growing smaller.

Rize, for her part, said nothing. He simply closed his eyes, his hands clasped together, as if whispering a prayer or sealing a fate.

The fall seemed endless.

Vergil let his body relax, allowing himself to be carried by the abyss. There was no fear. Only anticipation. With each passing second, her voice echoed in his mind: “Husband!!! Get me out of here!!!”

It was real.

It wasn’t an illusion.

It couldn’t be.

He had faced illusions before, had faced traps designed to destroy his mind. But none could recreate this: the unique resonance of Roxanne’s soul. A flame only he would recognize, unmistakable, indomitable.

His laughter ceased, replaced by a cold smile.

“Wait for me, Roxanne. I’ll be back… no, we’ll be back.”

Suddenly, something changed.

The fall slowed. The air began to swirl in spirals around him, like invisible currents. The void took shape. It was as if he were passing through veils, layers of reality peeling away one after another.

The darkness pulsed like living flesh. Eyes opened in the ravine walls, dozens, hundreds, all staring at him with curiosity, fear, and reverence. Voices whispered, ancient languages never before spoken by mortals.

“—Who descends…”

“—Who dares…”

“—Who claims what should not be claimed…”

Vergil laughed again.

—I dare not. I take.

A sudden flash illuminated everything.

He landed on solid ground.

But it wasn’t earth.

The ground seemed crystallized, a dark mirror reflecting his own distorted body, as if mocking him. Every step he took reverberated like thunder in a cave.

All around him, colossal pillars rose, made of bones and twisted roots. Above, instead of sky, there was a constantly shifting mass of darkness, like a sea of shadows suspended in midair.

And then, he heard it.

Her voice.

Closer.

Clearer.

“VERGIL!!!”

His heart raced. His eyes scanned the space until he found her.

And there was Roxanne.

Clamped in the center of a circle formed by black chains rising from the ground, wreathed in runes that burned with crimson flames. Her figure, still so familiar—long hair, blazing eyes, the expression of pure rage and passion that had always defined her.

Even chained, even weakened, she seemed to radiate life.

“Roxanne…” he murmured, and for the first time in centuries, his voice sounded soft.

She stared at him, tears mingling with fury.

“You took your time, you idiot!”

He smirked, stepping closer. “I lost my way. This forest has no maps.”

“Shut up and let me go!” she roared, shaking the chains that clanged like damned irons. “These bastards trapped me here, and if I have to spend another day listening to the screams of these curses, I’ll blow this hell up myself!”

Vergil raised his hand, touching one of the chains.

The instant he did, the iron reacted—a cracking sound rippled through the circle, and a deep voice echoed from the ground itself.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

The darkness around them stirred, and shapes began to rise.

Humanoid figures, but faceless, fleshless, just dense shadows with glowing red eyes. There were dozens, then hundreds, surrounding the space, each with weapons made of the same darkness that composed them.

Roxanne snorted. “I told you they were waiting for you, husband. Now show them you’re still the arrogant demon I married!”

Vergil chuckled.

“As if there was any doubt.”

The first of them advanced, brandishing a black spear that could pierce stone. Vergil moved like lightning. The sword appeared in his hand in a single motion, slicing through the air. The impact was devastating—the being was split in two, dissolving into smoke.

Ten more advanced at once, but Vergil didn’t retreat.

He danced among them, each strike of his blade tracing lines of blue light in the air. The ground cracked with each movement, the echoes of his attacks reverberating like war bells.

The enemies fell, one after another, but new ones emerged, multiplying like swarms.

Roxanne watched, a cruel smile on her lips despite the chains. “You’re still so beautiful when you fight.”

Vergil raised his sword, dodging three attacks at once and piercing them all in a single swing.

“And you’re still unbearably loud.”

She laughed. “You love me like this!”

The battle continued, but Vergil didn’t seem to relent. On the contrary—each new enemy fueled his fury, and his aura grew in intensity, consuming the darkness around him.

Until, at the height of the massacre, a new voice rang out.

Different.

Heavy.

As if it wasn’t just a sound, but a command.

“—ENOUGH.”

The enemies froze, instantly dissolving. The darkness receded, and a single being appeared before him.

A tall man, clad in ornate black armor, his face hidden beneath a helmet that glowed red. He held a colossal spear, and his mere presence made the air bow in reverence.

Vergil narrowed his eyes.

“Who are you?”

The being raised its spear, pointing it at him.

“Guardian of the Abyss. The one who maintains the seal. You shouldn’t be here, intruder.”

Vergil smirked.

“Funny. I was about to say the same thing.”

Roxanne screamed from the chains:

“HUSBAND, STOP TALKING AND LET ME GO!!!”

The guardian moved first. A single step, and the space between them disappeared. The spear came with enough force to pierce mountains.

Vergil raised his sword. The impact shook the entire space, cracking the ground, shattering the pillars of bone. Thunder exploded as the two forces collided.

Vergil’s blue eyes blazed like stars at war.

“You don’t understand…” he said, forcing the spear back. “I didn’t come for power. I didn’t come for dominance. I came… for my wife.”

And in that instant, the Guardian seemed to hesitate.

Roxanne screamed again, tears of rage shining in her eyes:

“AND HE WILL TAKE ME, OR YOU WILL DIE, YOU BASTARD!!!”

Vergil smiled savagely.