Faust reclined back and looked up to the night sky through the devastated house. The sound of celebrations still echoed in the distance at the Town hall. He could feel Nirvana’s eyes boring into him, her flowery scent enveloped him.

How she smelled like flowers after fighting a literal war for the last fifteen hours was beyond him.

"Why did I go out with Liora?" Faust hummed to himself, thinking. He had what he wanted to say to Nirvana to break her, but this was a conversation. He couldn’t just throw words at her.

"Did you ever meet me a few years ago?"

Nirvana deadpanned. "We’ve gone to the same schools for ten years."

"Ahh," Faust laughed nervously. "Anyways, I wasn’t always like this. I was too unwilling to be who I wanted to be. I wanted to fight. Whenever I saw someone good at something I wanted to be better than them. But I understood that people didn’t like that."

Nirvana’s gaze softened a bit.

"Liora helped me lean into that and still have friends," Faust explained. "She helped me decide on which tournaments and competitions to go to. She built the whole persona I had online. She helped me feel normal in a world that seemed insane to me."

"She did all that for me. So yeah. I liked her. What gives you the right to question that?"

Nirvana flinched back. He sat up and placed a hand her sharp jaw, making her face him.

"You’re going to say you killing Amelia was for me," he guessed.

"She wasn’t right for you. She’s a liar—"

Faust laughed, pitching his head back. "You didn’t know her before today. Besides, who’s right for me? You? You haven’t made a single attempt to get closer to me despite all your love. Instead you tried hurting Liora."

Nirvana’s eyes widened. She tried to move away, but Faust grabbed her hands and forced her to stay in place.

"Not even gonna deny it?" Faust sighed, "You love me but you make decisions for me? Do I look like a toy to you? Do you think I’m stupid?"

Nirvana struggled against his iron grip, avoiding his eyes. She felt so fragile now, despite all the power she held. That weakness was her sin.

"Answer me!" Faust said more forcefully. "Do you think I’m an idiot?"

"No..."

"You lie well. Look at me when I’m speaking to you."

She raised her head, revealing her tears and shaking lips. "I love you. I care. That’s why—"

"No.You don’t care about anything but yourself. And you think so little of yourself, that rather than telling me you like me you decided to reduce the competition."

He took her chin into his hand and forced her head up. "So beautiful and yet so fragile. But I understand why you didn’t tell me."

"Please..." Nirvana rasped. "Don’t... Please just stop. I’m so hungry. I’m in so much pain. Don’t break..."

"You already know," his voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "There wasn’t anything about you that wouĺd make me leave Liora for you."

The wail that came from Nirvana was childlike. It was the cry of someone who had always known the truth. She grasped at her blue hair hard, almost ripping it out. Her eyes were clamped shut, yet Faust kept her head up.

"But there is hope."

Now that Faust had dragged her into that pit, he could show her a light worth fighting like a wild animal for.

"This obsession. I find it beautiful in a way I never expected. I do not trust someone who ’does things’ for me without even asking. But If you prove that I can trust you..."

Nirvana was still crying, but she stared at him like the sun after a thousand years of darkness. She grabbed his shoulders so desperately. Her voice was weak and raspy like a woman dying of thirst.

"I’ll—i will do anything." She coughed, gasping. "Take me.... I’m yours. Always—always I have been yours. Anything you say I will do. I’ll never lie again. I’ll never... hurt anyone without your permission"

She struggled with that last one. But he appreciated the sentiment. He took her still acid burnt hand into his and kissed it.

"You’re still hurt."

She stared at his lip dreamily, but her eyes drifted to his neck with a carnal gaze. He smiled and pulled his shirt aside. She pitched forward a bit but stopped to glance at his eyes.

"Good girl. Go on, have a bite."

Her fangs didn’t hurt. The rush of blood from him into her mouth felt... good. How unsettling it was to feel good when a predator was taking your life. Her hands caressed his chest and shoulders, searching every inch with her slim fingers.

When she reared her head back she looked like she was high. The stars reflected in her eyes like silver fire in a red sea. Her lips were spread in a dopey smile. In that moment Faust reached forward and used her own Schema.

He pulled her shirt down revealing the blue band of her bra and her pale neck. He bit her and drained her essence at once.

She immediately grew rigid in his arms and her mouth opened to say something. But she stopped and let it happen. His trust was all she wanted. And so she let him take from her.

[You have drained 10 points of Spirit]

[You have drained 5 points of Constitution.]

[Constitution: 170 > 175 (+40)]

[Spirit: 256 > 266 (+40)]

[Combat Power: 885 > 900 (+230)]

He stopped draining then and a new message popped up.

[You have defeated Nirvana the Blood Lord. Do you wish to permanently replicate her Schema?]

Yes.

[Congratulations! You have gained a second Schema!]

[You have gained an Achievement!]

Nirvana met his eyes hesitantly. "What was that?"

"Its something you should never tell anyone else," Faust said. He wasn’t against her finding out how his Schema worked, but she’d have to figure that out herself.

After a moment, she just nodded. Then she glanced down at their position and blushed slightly.

"I’m sorry about everything," she said. "I’ve caused a lot of trouble that i’m not sure i can fix."

"Don’t worry about that." Faust shook his head. "Words are meaningless. You can prove how sorry you are with your actions."

He picked her up as he stood and she yelped.

"Your hand," She said shyly.

Faust hummed. "Sorry. You don’t like that?"

"I don’t mind..."

Before they could continue talking, the system messages flooded their vision. They both flinched at the sudden barrage.

[Patch notes are coming in earlier as acceleration has been requested by our sponsors!]