As Liebe reached the door, he whispered, "Oculus cordis obscuri," and the gates opened. Liebe entered the room, standing before the sword.
"Now," he muttered, "dark magic — drop of black."
As the black droplet fell onto the crystal, the floor beneath him opened, and he was dropped down into the forbidden chamber. When he landed, a burning thought echoed in his mind — why does it hurt so much inside?
Why do emotions cause so much pain?
If they can cause me this much pain… then I don't need them anymore. God damn it.
As he walked deeper, his mind was empty except for that single thought. He began searching through the Book of Faust — every page, every word — hoping to find a forbidden spell that could ease his pain, something that could heal his heart.
Finally, on page 104, he found it — the name of the Supreme Devil of the 12th Underground Floor, Morvath, a devil said to control the hearts and minds of men, easing their suffering.
The spell's title read: "Fire and Ash of Anima."
Liebe realized this was his only choice — the only way to ease the pain once and for all. No longer would his mother's words cut through him. With this power, he could become the ultimate soldier — one who could face any threat without emotion or hesitation.
But deep down, he understood something painful — losing his emotions meant losing his dream of becoming the kind of knight who could save people with a smile.
Still, the pain of knowing his mother saw him only as a mistake of her past was far greater.
With trembling hands, Liebe began to draw the magic circle, carving the ancient runes into the ground. When the circle shone dark crimson, he chanted:
"Eldr ok reiði brenna bjart, með allri minni mætti, kalli ek hinn bannsetta, vörðr hins tólfta halla heljar — Morvath!"
The room trembled as Morvath appeared before him.
At that moment, Liebe understood why Morvath was the supreme devil of the 12th floor. His presence alone was suffocating — his magic denser than any being Liebe had faced. Even Arteos, the supreme devil of the 17th floor, paled in comparison.
Liebe clenched his fists. "I want one percent of your power!"
Morvath's crimson eyes glowed as the two clashed. The air exploded with violent energy. Liebe was fighting for his life. Covered in blood and sweat, he shouted, "I will die before I lose and let you take control! I'll defeat you here and take your power — I need it more than anything!"
Morvath laughed, his voice echoing like thunder. "The half-breed actually believes in victory? Pathetic. You realized your mother's true feelings, and now you come crawling to me to ease your pain? Do you want the truth? Neither your mother nor your grandfather ever loved you — they pitied you, to the point they pretended to care!"
"Shut up! Shut up! You don't know anything!" Liebe roared as their battle shook the chamber.
But Morvath's words cut deep. Liebe collapsed to the floor, bleeding, realizing his defeat was certain. For a moment, all he could hear was the pounding of his heart and the cruel echo of truth.
Then, his communicator buzzed.
"Liebe! Where are you?!" Licht's voice shouted.
"What happened?" Liebe replied weakly.
"What happened? We've been looking for you for the past seventy-two hours! Where the hell have you been?"
"Been busy," Liebe muttered.
Licht's voice cracked. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?! Alysa's been crying like a three-year-old! We thought we lost you, damn it!"
Liebe froze. "Worried… about me?"
"What else, dumbass?! Get back to base — we're waiting!" Licht shouted.
Tears welled in Liebe's eyes. "I'm coming back… wait for me, okay? Just… wait a bit more."
He stood up, staring at the pool of blood beneath him. "I have a reason to fight," he said. "I won't lose to you."
He raised his hand, shouting,
"Dark X Attribute — Steel Magic: Full Release! Demonics !"
Horns and a tail emerged as his aura flared. Arteos' distant voice echoed through the void:
"This… this is the true embodiment of forbidden magic — the power of a devil and a human as one."
Liebe clashed with Morvath once more, and at last, the battle ended. He had obtained one percent of Morvath's power.
But as he stood in silence, Liebe realized something profound — he didn't have the strength t to erase his emotions. Without them, he wouldn't feel the warmth of those around him.
When he finally returned to HQ, covered in blood, Licht immediately shouted, "Where were you?!"
Before he could answer, Alysa ran to him, tears streaming down her face, and hugged him tightly.
Everyone around them smiled with relief. Licht lightly punched Liebe's shoulder. "Idiot."
Liebe fell to the ground, exhausted, smiling through his tears — tears of joy.
"I… really missed you guys too," he said softly.