'For the mass slaughter of humans over the centuries by a single fairy, the burden is yours, Fairy King, for turning a blind eye and doing nothing – for Sloth. Your sentence is a thousand years imprisonment.'

The voice of the judge echoed in your ears. You stared at the Fairy King. It was weird seeing a fairy indoors. It was even weirder seeing a fairy in chains. But he never protested, never complained. You knew his wrists must be sore – at the very least aching – bound as they were in iron manacles, but the Fairy King's eyes were far away.

Meliodas sat by your side in the carriage. He was watching the fairy shrewdly, attentively. It put you on edge. So you looked out the window at the sky and pondered how best to bring some light back into the Fairy King's eyes.

¾

King stared up at Helbram. The warmth of his shield washed over him. Diane was safe. As she always would be. Just as he'd promised all those years ago.

'Why?' Helbram's bitter whisper drifted down to King. 'I thought the Sacred Tree would've abandoned you by now. How can you still draw out Chastiefol's power like that?'

Behind him King heard the clanking of armour. He didn't turn away from Helbram but was glad that Howzer and Guila were okay.

'I feel so warm,' said Howzer hesitantly. Then he gasped. 'My wounds!'

'When the Sacred Tree's injured, it protects the wound from outside forces by releasing pollen, healing itself,' said King, still staring at Helbram. 'It was a lucky thing, too. If I wasn't so close to Diane, then she'd already be dead.' King pushed off from the ground so fast everything around him blurred. Now level with Helbram, King continued. 'The Sacred Tree exists to watch over the entire Fairy Realm without any sense of good or evil.'

Helbram scoffed and tensed.

'Do you still intend to carry on, Helbram?' asked King. A tiny part of him hoped that his best friend would return to him. A bigger part knew that was impossible. 'After seven hundred years, do you still want to wipe out the human race?'

Helbram began to tremble. 'I don't just want it, I can't stop myself anymore!' His face twisted into an unrecognisable mask of pain and fury. 'Listen up, Holy Knights. I need all of your magical powers. Give me every last one you have!' Helbram cackled and began to glow with a strange purple light. 'Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes!'

King concentrated and the power that had been protecting Diane rushed back into him. Just in time. Helbram flung out his arms with a yell and his sword multiplied, each one spinning towards King at an incredible speed. King flicked his wrist and Chastiefol deflected them all. Helbram's swords fell to the ground. Dust rose into the air.

Helbram attacked. King parried and returned with an attack of his own. His heart was breaking, but King didn't let up. He had saved Diane. Now he had to save his best friend.

Chastiefol and Helbram's sword clashed again and again. Sparks flew. The harsh metallic sounds cut into King's ears.

'I won't let myself lose,' said Helbram through gritted teeth. 'Do you hear me?'

With another defiant yell, Helbram's sword multiplied again. And again, King deflected them all with a wave of his arm. Helbram kept screaming, a ragged tortured sound that cut King deeper than any blade ever could, his attacks becoming sloppier. King kept his face straight. He didn't look away from his best friend.

'It's going to be all right,' King said. 'You can finally get some rest now, Helbram.'

King squeezed his eyes shut. Helbram's shrieks became laughs. His twisted grimace became a smile. And, with one final flick of his wrist, King saved Helbram.

Everything stopped.

Helbram hung in the sky, a butterfly pinned to a board. His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open. Blood dribbled down his chin and then burst from his shoulder. As silent as a raindrop, Helbram fell from the sky.

King watched Helbram fall and tried his best not to throw up his lungs. Saying goodbye never got easier. But King knew he owed it to Helbram, so he drifted down to where Helbram lay sprawled by that awful dingy helmet. At his command, Chastiefol became a pillow again that King tucked under one arm and held onto so tight his arm began to ache. King picked up the helmet and carried it to Helbram. Helbram's eyes were dull, not lit by laughter or hatred, barely lit by life. King clutched Chastiefol tighter and willed his hand not to shake as he knelt at Helbram's side and offered him the helmet.

'Hey, it's been a long time, hasn't it, Harlequin?' Helbram's voice was barely audible. It shook and cracked as he fought to breathe. 'You know, that helmet was actually supposed to be a present for you. Isn't that funny? There was something about it that I kind of thought you'd like. So I got it from a human. But what an idiot I was. One good look at it and anyone would tell you that it's lame.'

The tears began slowly but got faster. With one hand holding Chastiefol for dear life and the other holding the helmet, King had no hands free to wipe them away. But he didn't care. He let them fall. They landed on the helmet and shattered in the same way his heart shattered.

'Yeah, you're right,' said King. 'In the end, you really are such an idiot.'

Helbram's eyes fluttered and closed. One final exhale and Helbram was still.

King didn't move. Perhaps he couldn't move. He didn't care. But then he took a breath. And another one. King put the helmet to rest on Helbram's still chest and got to his feet, wiping away the tears on his cheeks. It would get easier, he knew. Easier to breathe, easier to stand, easier to carry on. So King turned away from his best friend and glided over to one person he knew would be able to soothe his aching heart.

'I really am sorry, Diane,' said King, 'for making you go through all that alone.'

Diane smiled at him, her beautiful purple eyes soft. 'It wasn't your fault. Thanks, King.'

'You can just leave the rest to me.'

'Harlequin,' Diane said softly. King started. 'That name sounds so familiar. Wonder why? Who was it? I can't remember.' She looked off to the side and frowned.

King smiled. 'It was a dream.'

'Huh?'

'I bet it was from a dream you had.'

Diane exhaled a giggle.

'Would you mind telling me one thing?' said Howzer, his armour clanking as he walked closer to King and Diane, his brows furrowed. 'No matter how I look at it, I just can't wrap my head around the idea that you guys are plotting to overthrow the kingdom. So, if that's not why you're here, then what was your reason for coming in the first place?'

King looked away from him. 'We came here to rescue Princess Elizabeth who's been abducted.'

'Abducted? Are you saying Elizabeth's actually here right now?'

¾

You could sense Arthur and Hendrickson's power getting closer. Arthur's power had changed since you last saw him. It was still warm and steady, but it had gotten so much stronger. Hendrickson's power had also changed. It was stronger, too, but colder and darker. Like it had rotted inside of him.

This change affected Meliodas; you could sense his agitation. Knowing Ban's feelings about demons, you turned to see if he could sense it too, but Ban wasn't behind you. Distracted, you almost tripped over an uneven paving stone but Meliodas kept you on your feet.

Ban's gone.

Meliodas barely spared a glance over his shoulder. He did say he had a reason for coming here.

I don't like it. Why didn't he say anything? Why-?

That doesn't matter now. Meliodas's hand tightened around your own. We're so close. Look.

So you looked. Arthur and Hendrickson were locked in a fierce battle. There was a cocky smile on Arthur's face that you knew well but it didn't stay for long. Hendrickson kicked Arthur in the jaw. You winced. That had to have hurt. The two exchanged some words and then something happened that you definitely weren't expecting.

Purple-black flames began to flicker around Hendrickson's sword. You knew those flames, knew them very well indeed. Your shock mirrored Meliodas's as you both watched the fire crackle in the air. At Hendrickson's command, the flames grew to an inferno. Arthur's eyes widened.

You spread your hands. A blaze of pure white light grew in between them. It grew bigger and bigger and you threw it. It tore through Hendrickson's attack, extinguishing the black fire. But, in your haste to protect Arthur, you aim was off. You watched in horror as the remaining flames sped towards the boy.

And then they rebounded. The fire changed direction and hit Hendrickson full on. He was blasted backwards into a wall. Hard. Good.

'Well, it looks like you've gotten a lot more powerful since the last time I saw you,' said Meliodas, his calm voice masking the anger that swirled inside him.

You stood at Meliodas's side and smiled down at Arthur. 'Same to you, Artie. Long time, no see.'

'I know those voices,' muttered Hendrickson. 'Could it be?'

'Yeah,' said Meliodas, his voice getting harder.'It's us all right. And we're not leaving without Elizabeth.'