As Liebe saw the red ground—his blood—he realized he wasn't dead yet. It wasn't over. He managed to get up on his hands and knees, barely standing.
Sloth said, "Oh, you're alive."
Liebe said, "I am not done yet."
Sloth laughed as he grabbed Liebe by the collar. "You're the first—the first who survived my attacks and didn't start begging for dear life. It's hilarious. Maybe I really did mess up your brains. You can't even beg straight. What a joke."
As he slammed Liebe into the ground, Sloth said, "Looks like it's over. Now then, Álfrinn—fight me."
As Liebe stood up and said, "I'm not goddamn done yet," he picked up the swords.
Sloth kept punching him. Liebe said, "I'm not done yet!"
Sloth said, "You aren't begging for your life yet? Maybe this will help. Thanks to Pride's help, I own the Mask of Ifrit, Model: Black. Now—Nightmare Magic: Absolute Exposure."
In his mind, Liebe was transported back—back ten years, to the Faust mansion, to the day Tenebris would die. He could see Tenebris as he was going out the door. Liebe knew Tenebris would not return.
Liebe said, "Dad… Dad, please don't go. Dad, please don't leave!" he screamed.
As Tenebris turned around, Tenebris said, "Liebe? Is that you?"
Liebe said, "Dad, you can see me now?"
As Tenebris turned around and walked back, Liebe tried to hug him, but he went straight through him. Tenebris knelt to the past Liebe—the seven-year-old Liebe.
Tenebris said, "What's wrong, son? Why aren't you playing with Alysa and Licht?"
The young Liebe said, "Daddy, I want to play with you."
Tenebris said, "Of course, son. Same here, but sadly we can't. You know how my magic doesn't work in the rain."
Young Liebe said, "But Daddy, I want to play."
Tenebris said, "It's a promise. Let's do that after I get back."
Young Liebe said, "Promise? When you get back, let's play a bunch."
Tenebris said, "Let's do that."
Liebe screamed, "Dad, please don't leave! Don't walk out that door! Please, Dad, I miss you!"
As the moment Tenebris left, the time changed. Now it was a week into the future from that day, as Gelda told the younger Liebe that Tenebris was no more.
Liebe said, "But Daddy promised he would be back."
As Liebe began to cry, Liebe tried to hug the younger him and said, "Please, don't cry, me. Please. I miss Dad too, but crying like this—"
As Sloth stated, "What a joke. Your father wasn't there. He broke his promise."
Liebe screamed, "No, he didn't! No, he didn't!"
Sloth said, "Then where is he? Or did you end up playing with his corpse?"
Liebe said, "Shut up! Shut up!"
Sloth said, "Like father, like son. Looks like failures run in the blood. He failed to come back. And remember the promise you made to yourself?"
Liebe said, "No… no, don't—"
Sloth said, "The promise that you would grow stronger and become a hero so that others don't have to suffer the same fate as you. But look where that has gotten you."
Liebe said, "Shut up! Please… please just stop."
Sloth said, "Nowhere but your grave. At least you'll have the pleasure of stating you could fill his shoes of being a failure."
As Liebe couldn't react, in the real world, Liebe's face was full of tears.
Sloth said, "This ends now—for good." As he punched Liebe in the gut and delivered a final punch to the face, sending Liebe flying back.
As Liebe was on the ground, he couldn't talk. He wasn't moving.
Sloth said, "That was fun. I've heard many sad stories in my life, but yours truly was delightful. But sadly, it's over now, Mr. Son of Lilith Faust. Now then, Mr. God-Kin—will you just stand there, or actually fight me?"
Álfrinn thought, It's quite unfortunate. He wasn't able to fulfill our promise. He wasn't able to break her shackles.He is broken. I suppose my lady will have to find a new champion as unfortunate as that may be. Now that you have failed, you have no reason to livei m sorry my lady please forgive me. I will end you myself—a quick execution is the only mercy I can grant, despite all your failures.
As Álfrinn charged toward Liebe, Álfrinn said, "I suppose it can't be helped. I will end this myself."
Meanwhile, in Liebe's mind, as he lay deep in despair in an endless plain of green grass and endless skies, he couldn't help but think, I really did fail everyone.
As a child appeared before him and said, "Do you still hate me?"
Liebe said, "I guess you can see me now."
The child said, "You always were a part of me. It's just that till right now, I've never seen you."
Liebe said, "It's for the best you didn't."
The child—the seven-year-old Liebe—said, "I see. You still haven't forgotten that day."
Liebe said, "I can't."
The child said, "So you still hate me?"
Liebe said, "No. It's just that… I can't let what happened to Dad go. I don't know when it happened, but I started to hate you. Maybe it was my way of coping with the truth. That day, I didn't just lose Dad, but Mom too."
The child said, "Will hating me help you feel better? Will it help Dad?"
Liebe said, "I don't know."
The child said, "We are one and the same, but when did we drift apart?"
Liebe said, "Maybe… my heart. The hatred must have engulfed it."
The child smiled and said, "Why don't we try together? You may have failed, but you are still me. Remember our promise."
Liebe said, "Always. How can I forget? Grow stronger so that I can ensure no one else would have to feel as helpless as I did, and maybe in the end, be able to talk to Mom again."
The child said, "Maybe we can't succeed. Maybe Mom will never talk to us or love us again. But we can't stop now, can we?"
Liebe said, "At this point, I don't know."
As Liebe felt a warm hug from behind, it was Tenebris. Tenebris said, "My dear son, I'm so proud of you. I'm glad I was your father."
Liebe said, "No… we can't. We will not stop—not now, not ever. Not until the dream is a reality."
A black silhouette from the shade said, "I'm glad. It was you. You really are the one."
As Álfrinn was about to attack Liebe, Gelda used her lance to stop him. Eldrie said, "Two ganging up on one? You should be ashamed."
Gelda said, "His wounds are critical. Eldrie, heal him. I will hold off these two."
Álfrinn said, "Don't bother. He's at his limit."
As Liebe was finally getting up, he grabbed Gelda and Eldrie's sleeves and said, "Please… let me handle him. I can do it. I m done being called the son of lilith faust i m god damn done being save by everyone time and time again." As liebe charged towards sloth.
Álfrinn said, "Took you long enough, halfbreed harebrain. Now finish this."
It wasn't encouragement. It was an order. A verdict. The final seal on a contract written in blood and betrayal. In that moment, Liebe understood—the executioner's blade had always been a whetstone.
"I can sense it . Faust is awakening . The day has finally arrived. I can see the dawn of Faust"