A deal with a demon for knowledge, endless hardship, and at the end of the journey for knowledge, nothing remained of him—yet here stands the most powerful alchemist known in history: Faustus.
With the old man's name finally revealed, we witness that he was in truth FAUSTUS, a man acknowledged by hell itself and by alchemy—a truly terrifying entity. However, this Faustus is different from the one we knew; he is a variant possessing power far beyond what we recall, and we will find out very soon.
The old man is taken aback by the revelation of his name and remains motionless. Ancient memories rapidly flood his mind: making a bargain with a demon, his life of romance with a beautiful woman, the tragic loss of his beloved and the reckless madness he committed trying to bring her back, a duel against two gods, the centuries spent researching and seeking knowledge, and finally, a stroll through a forest where he discovered a tiny black flame. After all of this, the old man returns to reality, a completely transformed look upon his face.
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: YES! At last, my memories and powers have returned!
A surge of fire envelops Faustus, transforming his attire into a red robe adorned with gold embellishments. From the ground, amid lava and flames, emerges a wooden staff featuring a highly peculiar ornament at its tip. He immediately snaps his fingers and utters "Cuas," instantly restoring MALEKIN's and ELENA's energy reserves.
The group is left stunned, as he didn't even step near them to restore their strength. TARAMIS halts his assault on DANTE and fixes his gaze firmly on the old man. DANTE falls back, taking a position beside MALEKIN.
DANTE HERALDI: In the end, I really did have to tell the old man his name... (turning to MALEKIN)
MALEKIN: Um, DANTE, do you think we'll be fine?
DANTE HERALDI: MALEKIN... (swallowing hard) That old man is Level 1,000,000.
MALEKIN: WHAT?! You're joking, right?!
DANTE HERALDI: I wish I were. He's even slightly stronger than MORS. Now that he remembers his past and commands his full power… With "Examine," I can see he possesses an endless list of spells, but above all, there are 5 primary spells. This old man is a complete enigma.
MALEKIN: (sweating) What you're telling me is unbelievable... We should leave this to the old man and go check on ELENA. I see the god and the old man are sizing each other up—they haven't stopped staring at each other.
DANTE HERALDI: Yeah, we should fall back. (calling out to the old man) Hey, FAUSTUS, could I leave this guy to you? It wouldn't be too much trouble, right?
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: Do not worry, unknown person, I shall assist you with your predicament. sir MALEKIN, I shall grant additional protection to you and the young lady so your barriers remain active and she can maintain her illumination. What I am about to do may impact you as well, so maintain your barriers at all times.
MALEKIN: Thank you. Hey, DANTE, he just called you "unknown person."
DANTE HERALDI: (sighing) Just let it be for now; that old man will pay for that later.
Our heroes fall back. We see FAUSTUS recite a few words, and a small barrier envelops all our friends. FAUSTUS steps outside MALEKIN's barrier, explaining that he placed the barrier around them for extra protection. TARAMIS watches as FAUSTUS emerges from the barrier and positions himself directly in front of him, merely 3 meters away…
TARAMIS: So you are the legendary old man.
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: Ho, ho! To think a lesser god like you would know of me.
TARAMIS: Word spreads far regarding the man who conquered everything in his world and now wanders across all universes. The gods of my world desire your power, and today, I believe I shall claim it.
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: (closing his eyes) It seems many realms know of me—such is the price of power, hahaha. (Opening one eye as a sinister aura takes shape) But, child, you will not leave this place alive today.
TARAMIS senses a violent, freezing gust of wind emanating from the old man and steps back. The old man flashes a joyful smirk and utters the word <
MALEKIN: Hey, DANTE, doesn't it feel like he's imitating MORS?
DANTE HERALDI: Definitely, it's just like him. This old man is even stronger than he is.
Our friends are utterly dumbfounded by the old man's power. Returning to the battle, we witness TARAMIS growing desperate. He leaps into the air and rains down countless lightning strikes upon FAUSTUS, who merely opens one eye as the bolts impact him, triggering an immense cloud of dust. The god lands on the ground, laughing under the assumption that his attack actually affected the old man. However, as the dust clears, we see the old sorcerer standing there completely unscathed.
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: Is that all? My turn, then.
We see Faust raise his hand and form runic circles around his wrists. TARAMIS is on the defensive, waiting to see what the old man will do. In the blink of an eye, the old man disappears from his sight. TARAMIS, sweating, looks around. Suddenly, he hears a voice behind him. Turning around, he realizes it's the old man. Just as he's about to react, a circle with symbols appears at his feet. From it, a gigantic column of flames erupts, trying to burn TARAMIS. He manages to escape by the skin of his teeth, but his hand is reduced to bones. The fire had turned the muscles of his left hand to ash.
TARAMIS: You damned old man… so the rumors about you weren't lies! You truly are extremely powerful! But this ends here and now!
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: Hold on a second!. (Everyone is caught off guard).
TARAMIS: What's wrong, old man? Want to beg for mercy or something?! (sweating)
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: Don't be ridiculous. It's just that the noise from your pet is bothering me.
Falling from the sky a few meters away are QUETZALCOATL and the dragon, tangled together in combat. The dragon claws at the serpent's face, forcing her to release it and fall back. No sooner is the dragon free than it turns toward the old man and unleashes a massive stream of dragon fire. The ancient mage simply turns toward the incoming inferno, which hits him dead-on. Everyone panics, and TARAMIS's face lights up with glee, but the god's smile vanishes instantly upon realizing the old man sustained no injuries whatsoever.
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: (sighing) This is what I was referring to. That lizard has no manners—its owner is far too lazy to train it properly.
TARAMIS drops to his knees out of sheer helplessness. We watch as Fausto raises his hands and chants two words: "Black Hole." Right in front of the dragon, a miniature black hole manifests, slowly vacuuming the creature in. Desperate, the dragon tries frantically to fly away, but it is too late; it is completely sucked in. In the process, a desperate roar echoes from the beast before it vanishes entirely, leaving behind a deathly silence.
The old man turns to the god and asks, "What else are you going to show me?" The god, sweating, steps back, removes his armor, tears off his arm, which was reduced to bones, and we see a thunderbolt strike his body, surrounded by the immense power of lightning. The old man simply looks at him and says he will play his game.
Immediately, the god dashes forward at blinding speed, landing a heavy blow directly on the old man's face. We witness his face cave in as a huge spray of blood splatters out. Next, he violently kicks him into the air and pummels him mercilessly mid-flight, pulverizing the old man's body to a pulp. Everyone is horrified by the brutal beating the old man is taking. DANTE is sweating and panicked at the sight. MALEKIN stops maintaining his barriers and watches intently. After a few seconds, the old man's body crashes to the dirt, looking like nothing more than a sack of potatoes.
Convinced of his victory, TARAMIS celebrates, glaring arrogantly at DANTE, who initially wears an expression of anguish and disappointment. However, DANTE's expression quickly shifts to sheer relief. Noticing this change, TARAMIS spins around rapidly, only to find the old man standing directly behind him without a single scratch.
TARAMIS: (terrified) This is impossible… How the hell are you completely fine?! I distinctly felt your body beneath my fist!
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: Heh, there are so many ways to escape that, but let's just say I manipulated time.
TARAMIS: That's impossible! No god can manipulate time in its entirety!
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: "No god"? Of course they can, just not the ones you know, HAHAHA! You crack me up.
TARAMIS: What did you just say?!
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: Too much information for you, kid. Let's just say that above the gods you know, there are others far more powerful—the genuine ones.
TARAMIS tries to utter another word, but is instantly impaled by four swords formed from the four known elements: fire, water, air, and earth.
TARAMIS: You can master these elements as well?! Who on earth are you really, old man?!
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: Just a man hungry for knowledge, who lost everything.
Following this, swords of light and darkness materialize, slicing TARAMIS into tiny pieces. Next, Fausto snaps his fingers, and a flame of fire consumes his remains, leaving behind ashes that are carried away by a gust of wind. He then walks toward the youths who wait for him nervously.
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: Hello again, guys! Well, that's all wrapped up. (QUETZALCOATL drops down from the sky) I knew you were different when I first met you, haha.
QUETZALCOATL: Hehe, yes, Lord Giorgius.
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: Come on, just call me Fausto. Very well, since your faces speak volumes, tell me: what do you wish to know?
Elena stops maintaining her light magic, and as her light fades, she approaches the others. Fausto snaps his fingers, creating a luminous orb to illuminate the area where they stand.
DANTE HERALDI: I only have… I want to ask you something very important… How did you get here? And why do you always ignore me?!
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: hahahahaha! As for your second question, it's because you look a lot like my beloved's brother, which is why I thought you were him—though I see now you're not. I had to kill him, but that's a story for another time. Now, regarding your first question, allow me to introduce myself properly and share my tale: I am Giorgius Faustus, and you likely know me from the books of your world. As you may know, there exist several dimensions across this vast multiverse, and I originate from one of them. You could say I am akin to a divinity. For the time being, I cannot share everything I know, as you would perish from such overwhelming knowledge. If you are familiar with my lore, I can tell you that was not my true end, or perhaps not the one I experienced. I simply kept pressing forward, seeking knowledge without rest. After disposing of my troublesome companion with whom I made a deal, and relinquishing my love, I stumbled upon a power beyond my comprehension. I spent years obsessed with it, but in the end, I managed to master it—the power of time—and I stretched my lifespan beyond what was permitted. You see, there is so much knowledge to acquire that a single human life is insufficient. This power came to me as a blessing. After mastering it, I wandered across my entire world, acquiring even more knowledge. Over time, millions of years went by, and eventually, I witnessed my world fading away—the natural cycle of life. Naturally, fearing being left alone, I decided to investigate further and turned to my former friend. In the end, I tricked him, and he took me to his hell. There, I discovered manuscripts that didn't exist in my world. After learning everything, I acquired the magic of opening portals, and after spending eons studying, I attained infinite knowledge, which I divided into 5 great spells: "Exil" = Portal, "Cuas" = Restoration, "Foryt" = Infinity, "Faat" = Elements, and "Thas" = Energy. By combining these spells, I can combine all types of powers and weave countless incantations. Once I mastered them, I became a dimensional traveler. Naturally, I abandoned everything about my former self and even killed the demon I initially made a deal with, hahaha! I'm not proud of it, but he had it coming. To conclude: one day like any other, while strolling through a cursed forest in a strange dimension, a black flame appeared in my path. From it, a voice provided me with a set of coordinates… After analyzing and deciphering them, I realized it was a place I had never seen before. Curious about this new discovery, I opened a portal and proceeded to enter. Upon crossing over, I was greeted by a strange entity who didn't reveal his name, but was an elegant demon.
DANTE HERALDI: Um… who could that entity be?
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: That creature granted me even greater knowledge and earned my trust, but then he struck me with a strange spell that gradually stripped away my memories. In sheer desperation, I cast a portal and managed to flee to this realm; after that, I recall meeting Quetzalcoatl, and the rest is history.
DANTE HERALDI: I only have one more question for you: do you think you could take me back to my world so I can put an end to all of this?
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: Unfortunately, I cannot, as I do not know the exact dimension, year, or specific timeline of the world you originate from or wish to return to. The magic I command is exceptionally powerful, but I have yet to recover the full extent of my memories; I do not know what that creature did to me, but I do not possess my complete power. However, if you wish, I could transport you to another world where you could live in peace and attain immense power—though I can only take you, as I currently lack full control over my magic…
DANTE HERALDI: (looking at ELENA) I would appreciate it greatly… is what I'd like to say, but I don't know how heaven or hell operate in that realm you're offering to send me to. I want to continue on my own path, do things my way, and (holding ELENA's hand) be able to stand beside my new beloved without fear.
GIORGIUS FAUSTUS: You know, I respect your decision. Do not end up like me, DANTE. In the end, I abandoned my beloved in pursuit of power and knowledge; do not make that same mistake. As a reward for your assistance and your goodwill toward my more fragile self, I shall grant you this.
From beneath his robes, FAUSTUS draws a stone as red as blood and hands it to DANTE. What new power could this be? We will find out very soon.