Diego returned to the city of New Darkovia relatively unscathed despite his battle with one of the Light of God, although he lost a few soul beings during the preparation of his battle with Momon, while battling Momon and when he was returning to his home city. However, compared to the vast army he commanded, those losses were just like loosing a drop water from within an ocean filled with water, insignificant yet sobering, and could be compared to thinning the weak out of the herd. Through battles like this he used the experiences to tighten the resolve of his remaining officials, forging them into steel through hardship. His officials became more battle‑hardened, learned from their mistakes, and discovered new ways and methods to better destroy their enemies, devising faster, more ruthless strategies to dish out death to any who dared cross them.
As Diego walked through the gates of New Darkovia like a prodigal son returning to his rightful throne, he tried remembering the incidents that incited his resolve to return to his homeland—the ruined world of Darkovia—and how he had resolved immediately he stepped out of the gate of New Darkovia, filled with conviction to attempt futilely to repair his cursed homeland. Although he had felt the need to bring the rebirth of the soul beings' homeland with his own hands, he was returning to this city hoping to enlist the help of a few kindred spirits among the citizenry.
Diego also thought about the person that had always been his driving force and nemesis, the very person that had strengthened his resolve to take up the decision to heal the homeland: Maru. He had seen Maru's supposed servant turn the tides of battle in a deathmatch with one of Cord's servants in the servant's bout, and although Maru's servant could only be classified as a weak soul being at best, he had won a fight with Cord's servant that was ranked as a low‑class soul being, and was quickly rising to become a high‑class soul being.
Though Diego could understand that victory and note that it was probably the nature of Maru's servant's ability that secured the win, the series of events that happened next were both shocking and the filled Diego with constant contempt towards Maru. He had watched the supposed soul being absorb the defeated low‑class soul being into nothingness, and although he fell down after that, Maru came to his side to personally give preferential care to this weak soul being.
Although this vexed Diego alot as he watched the scene unfold, he could understand that Maru had something akin to a soft spot for his servants, and he was rumored to give his servants the best materials and training as he expected them to be his companions and possibly fight for him in battle. All these made Diego's dislike for Maru increase, as he felt Maru was just a slacker who liked people doing things for him. Coupled with the fact that he wanted his family—the Qanan's—status to increase and rival that of the Ritvegda's, he felt the Ritvegda's were always getting preferential treatment for power they didn't work for, and that the Ritvegda's were possibly soft‑hearted and kind and couldn't even fight something that should be unheard of for a standard soul being.
All these suppressed feelings had made Diego decide to seize a prominent position for both himself and his family as he hoped to became the rightful ruler of his cursed homeland, a homeland he was now taking certain measures to heal.
However, there was another feeling subtly gnawing in his heart. Although he hated Maru with all his guts, he also had a subtle likeness towards him, as he felt Maru was probably a better version of him in every way. Although he wouldn't say it to his face, he knew it in his cold, dead heart. However, all that changed when he saw the way Maru looked at and cared for the supposed weak soul being that had won a fight with a huge low‑class soul being. Diego had a subtle notion that while he viewed Maru as his rival, Maru would also view him as a rival.But something about the way Maru looked at the unconscious figure of the weak soul being made Diego walk out of the city of New Darkovia with anger and also kill the spies Maru sent after him.
However, now that he was calm and returning to New Darkovia, a new thought came to Diego as he looked at the situation in a new way. His eyes widened and he stopped dead on the spot as he muttered subconsciously: "Could it be…"
***
As Diego entered the gates of the city of New Darkovia, another figure was completing a search he had embarked on a week after Frank's disappearance from the care of Maru.
The figure was Sebastian. Sebastian had been working nonstop, driven by a relentless determination, to find out what had happened, how Frank had pulled the disappearing act, and what the five families' had planned concerning Frank. Sure, it looked as if Frank had just up and gone on his own, but nothing ever really happens that way in New Darkovia. There was always a cause and then an effect, and for Sebastian, the disappearance of Frank was probably caused by the need of one of the five families. In which case, they probably needed Frank—or his body—for something sinister, something that could tilt the balance of power.