The next morning, as Liebe realized the truth and was forced to confront his own feelings about his own pain, he woke up and realized what he had to do.
He said, "Horn, come."
Horn said, "You called for me, Lord?"
Liebe said, "Return it now. The Mask of Ifrit Mythical Model Loki."
Horn said, "Oh? Why? Did I do something to attain your distrust?"
Liebe said, "No."
Horn said, "Oh, then why the sudden change of heart?"
Liebe said, "I realize it now. The pain she was in while we were together. She was in so much pain as I slept around. And I realize it now—just seeing her engaged with her fiancé, Kelvin Aink Fulrus, and I'm dying inside. It hurts. And all this BS ends now. For so long, we used the great power of the Mask of Ifrit Mythical Model Loki for the sole purpose of dating girls. You would appear in front of me wearing the faces of the ones they admired the most, act like you knew them, so that I could sleep with them. But this ends now."
Horn said, "Alright then. Here is the Mask of Ifrit Mythical Model Loki." As she handed it to Liebe, she said, "It appears you really are capable of growth, Liebe Faust."
Liebe said, "No. It's just realizing what was necessary. But don't worry, I still intend to honour our contract—use the power of the Mask of Ifrit Mythical Model Loki to let loose the worst criminal in the world, the one whose hatred rivals your own."
Horn said, "It appears so."
As a month passed and Rum Island was engulfed in a blizzard:
Liebe said, "It's time." As Liebe said, "Yeah, time to see this BS."
Licht said, "Alright, Captain."
As Liebe left, in the glacier:
Licht said, "Mia, wear this mask."
Mia said, "It's a gas mask, sir."
Licht said, "Yeah. There is low oxygen at 350 km in the sky."
As Liebe was meeting Sylvia, Licht and Mia were watching the meeting 350 km into the sky.
Mia said, "Sir, don't you need an oxygen mask?"
Licht said, "No, I don't. My lungs are capable of holding oxygen in and utilizing it for longer periods of time due to my expertise as a swimmer. Time to use mana resonance to see how the meeting is going."
In the blizzard, Liebe met the woman in a cloak.
Liebe said, "So you are the one known as Sylvia Vale."
The woman said, "Yeah."
Liebe, now radiating malice, said, "Answer my question. Are you—or are you not—the daughter of Tenebris Vale?"
Sylvia said, "I indeed am."
From Liebe's rage alone, the glacier around them was cleared. The pure burst of mana itself was intense.
Liebe said, "Now, are you his biological daughter?"
Sylvia said, "No, I'm not."
Liebe said, "Alright then. That's all I needed to know."
From in the sky, Mia said, "What? So much rage, and it vanished? What if she is the one who is lying?"
Licht said, "No. Liebe and I can detect lies from the truth, but we use different principles. Liebe detects lies through the presence of unholy emotions. I detect lies through the absence of holy emotions."
Liebe said, "Now, what do you want from me?"
Sylvia said, "Oh my. The great hero of Eldoria—the one who took down one Sin after another."
Liebe said, "Tell me."
Sylvia said, "Revenge."
Liebe said, "Who?"
Sylvia said, "The former Vice Captain of Sacred Freedom Forces, Gruel. And the former Vice Captain of Endless Justice, Belgene. The one who is protecting them: Blaze Rein, the current Lust. And the big bad, the one who is the real thorn in my way—one of the 25 Princes of Hell, the 25th Chair, Azure."
Liebe said, "A Sin, former Vice Captains, and a Prince? Not to mention every single one of the personal forces of Azure. It's no different than taking on a nation, if not multiple. I refuse."
Sylvia said, "Why? Do you have any idea what happened 11 years ago? Everyone in the church—Father Michael, Dad, everyone—they promised to let us live. But those bastards, Gruel and Belgene, they killed Father Michael and my brothers and sisters. You were living your privileged life when they died. Father Michael died saving me."
Liebe said, "I know." As tears were streaming down his face, he said, "I know. I goddamn know. My family was ripped away from my hands—my mother, my father, my grandfather. I won't let them go. Even if God or the devils forgive them, I never will. I will hunt them to the ends of the world itself. I will return each wound a billionfold over."
Sylvia said, "So this is the true face of the hero of Eldoria—the devil of endless hatred, Liebe Faust. But you took on Eldoria head-on with Lilith Faust, Asten Chronous, and Lady Mikhail as they stood before you. You took on one enemy after another. So what's the issue?"
Liebe said, "The issue is that during that battle, I almost died on multiple instances. And our priority was keeping everyone safe—humans and devils alike. Not to mention, I had access to forces that I don't have right now, such as our former Vice Captain Jewel Vaude, the Grand Maestro of Symphonics Alex, the Platinum Warrior of Aldina Warner Crimson Makido, not to mention the man who has been able to remain a Sin for a thousand years, Pride. And we took some huge hits ourselves. My team is basically in shambles, to say the least. Some are still recovering from the incident, and my body itself is broken inside after my battle with Envy. Not to mention, my team lacks a nutritionist and a doctor."
Sylvia said, "So you are declining?"
Liebe said, "No. Those bastards—the remnants of Sacred Freedom and Endless Justice—I want to burn them to the ground with my own two hands. They killed my grandfather. But if the true enemy is a Prince of Hell, we can't rush in blindly."
Sylvia said, "So what are you saying?"
Liebe said, "As your brother, I accept. But as of right now, it isn't possible. If we rush in without thinking, we will just die. And I will help you, but I need time. As of right now, based on the damage we have attained and that we still need another 10 months until our healer returns, I need 15 months to prepare it all."
Sylvia said, "Alright."
Liebe said, "When it begins, I will burn it all down myself."
Sylvia said, "Alright. Find me in 15 months—the leaders of the Black Rebellion. Sylvia Vale, the one who will take the power from the Empire."
Liebe said, "Good. Let's see how good you rebels really are."