Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1661: Where Is Safa (Part 1)

Raze didn’t answer Liam’s question immediately, and the silence alone was enough to make Liam’s heart sink.

He had already lost someone dear to him once before.

A person he hadn’t wanted to admit he cared about as deeply as he did, until it was already too late. Losing them had left a mark that never truly faded, no matter how much time passed or how many battles he survived afterward.

But Safa was different.

Liam had never questioned how much he cared about her. He had never tried to hide it, even from himself. She had always been there, steady, supportive, fighting beside them even when the odds were impossible. If something had happened to her… if she was truly gone…

Liam didn’t know what he would do.

Especially if the one responsible for her fate had already disappeared beyond reach.

“The situation could get extremely messy,” Raze finally said, his voice calm but firm. “What we need to do right now is leave this place. Before the guilds arrive in force, or before the remaining Grand Magus catches wind of what’s happened. I don’t know how long it will take for word of Gizin’s death to spread, but once it does, things will move quickly. When we’re somewhere safe, I’ll explain everything.”

The others exchanged glances but nodded in agreement.

For now, retreat was the smartest option.

What eased Liam’s chest, if only slightly, was Raze’s expression. He wasn’t consumed by rage. He wasn’t trembling with grief or fury. If Safa had truly died, Raze wouldn’t have been able to hide it. Liam had seen that look before, back when they believed Safa had perished during the fight against the Behemouth Clan.

Raze hadn’t looked like this then.

So Liam held onto that fragile thread of hope as they followed Raze through the broken remains of Alterian’s underside. Still, the question gnawed at him relentlessly.

If Safa wasn’t here… then where was she?

What Raze didn’t realize was that above them, the world was already changing.

Several members from various guilds, those tasked with protecting the people of the Underside, had been watching the battle far more closely than expected. Not just the fight against Harvey, but the clash with Gizin as well. Through shattered structures, lingering mana distortions, and firsthand reports, they had already confirmed one impossible truth.

Gizin was dead.

And not only that, the Dark Guild, once feared across Alterian, had been almost entirely annihilated.

With the fighting finished, movement above ground resumed in uneasy waves. Survivors from the Underside were being taken in by larger, more established guilds, those willing to offer them temporary refuge until governments and councils decided their fate.

That decision, however, would take time.

After all, the governing system that answered directly to the Grand Magus was now in complete disarray.

As for Raze and his group, now consisting of Alen, Kelly, Londo, Sophie, and the Pagna warriors, they moved through the sewer lines above the water level, eventually reaching a large circular chamber reinforced with stone. A tall ladder stretched upward toward a sealed exit.

There were many such chambers throughout Alterian.

Raze knew them well.

Members of the Underside had often used these routes to sneak into the upper world, stealing food, medicine, or basic supplies just to survive. Not everyone down there had been a good person, but survival rarely allowed room for morality.

At the very least, this space offered them a place to stop.

A place to breathe.

A place to rest.

“I’m sorry we can’t go to my house,” Alen said, breaking the silence. “I still have contacts above, people who can reach me. Give it a few hours, and we should have a clearer picture of what’s happening across the city. Once things settle, we can regroup and plan the next steps.”

He paused.

Almost all of his allies were gone.

Those willing to fight were dead. Those who survived were scattered, injured, or hiding. Other than offering shelter and information, there was little Alen could do, especially if their future involved confronting the last two Grand Magus.

But he didn’t voice that thought.

There were still bodies to mourn. Sacrifices to acknowledge.

Alen understood Raze’s burden more than he wanted to admit. He understood why Raze had avoided letting Alen and the Dark Guild clash earlier.

This, this hollow victory, would have been the outcome regardless.

They had defeated Gizin, yes. But in doing so, they had lost nearly every ally capable of standing against the remaining Grand Magus.

“Raze,” Liam said at last, his voice tight. “You said you’d explain about Safa. There’s no one else around now. I didn’t see her during the escape. I’m starting to get worried. Is she okay?”

Raze stopped walking.

He turned slowly to face them.

“Okay… is hard to say,” Raze replied. “But she’s not dead. At least, not the last time I saw her.”

Liam exhaled sharply, relief and dread colliding in his chest.

“During our fight with Gizin,” Raze continued, “it was because of Safa that I was able to defeat him. Gizin’s body was almost impossible to damage, even for me. But Safa… because she wields Light magic, and because of her God Eyes, she was able to absorb his energy.”

Much like how Raze had absorbed Harvey’s power.

“The difference,” Raze said quietly, “is that Gizin possessed divine energy in addition to mana. When Safa absorbed it, she didn’t just advance a star stage. She reached the Divine stage.”

The room fell silent.

“And when she did,” Raze finished, “she was taken. Pulled into the Divine Realm.”

No one spoke.

Even those who didn’t fully understand the implications felt the weight of the moment pressing down on them.

“She might be one of the youngest people in history to ever reach the Divine Realm,” Dame finally said. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a joyous declaration. An achievement worthy of celebration.

But the Divine Realm wasn’t a place spoken of lightly.

“I’m wondering…” Liam said slowly, “is she really safe there?”

Raze shook his head. “That’s what I want to know too. But I don’t know if there’s anyone left we can ask.”

At that moment, both Liam and Dame turned their heads toward B.

Raze didn’t notice the shift.

He didn’t know that the presence standing among them wasn’t Beatrix anymore.

It was an ex–Divine Warrior.

And for the first time since Safa disappeared, there might finally be someone who understood what awaited her beyond the mortal realm.

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