'So this is the Trumpet of Cernunnos, huh? You gotta be kiddin' me. Thing is frickin' massive.' Ban looked at the giant horn. It certainly was impressive looking, stretching up into the gloom. In the darkness of the room it was barely visible, illuminated only in a muted light from an unknown source. The surface of the horn was ridged and part of Ban wanted to touch it. But he didn't. Instead, he spoke to it as the legend had said to do.

'Yo, Goddess or whoever! Is there anybody home?' His voice bounced around the room. Ban wondered idly if he should perhaps be more polite when speaking to a goddess, especially when he was asking for something. Well, too late now.

'Hey, if someone can hear me, I want you to revive Elaine and in exchange take my life.'

No one answered.

'Hey, are you listening?'

Still no reply.

Ban lowered his head and put his hands in his pockets. 'Yeah, yeah. Guess it wouldn't be that easy, would it? Ah well.' He turned away.

'Who are you?' said a voice. A woman.

Ban span, looking for who had spoken. Could it be-?

'Ban!' Hawk was perched at the top of the Trumpet.

'That you, master?' Ban stared up at the pig. 'What the hell are you doing up there? Come to think of it, why are you here?'

'You tell me,' said Hawk. He started to freak out. 'Where is this place? And, for that matter, where is Elizabeth?'

¾

Elizabeth was thinking. She twisted one of her father's blankets in her hands and stared at it. But she couldn't see it. All she could see was Sir Meliodas and [Y/n] fighting, their faces covered in dirt and scratches. She had to do something. But what?

'Are you afraid?' The king's voice interrupted her thoughts.

'No,' said Elizabeth, turning to him, 'because I know [Y/n] and Sir Meliodas will be coming soon. Besides, I'm with you now, father.'

'I see. But it's only a matter of time before the two of us are separated once more.'

Elizabeth blinked. 'What?'

Her father shifted, turning his solemn gaze on her. Elizabeth couldn't look away.

'You are familiar with how my magical power, Vision, works, are you not? It only gives me insight into my own fate and surroundings, but by vague words and visuals, lets me see into the future.'

'Have you seen something, father?'

He looked away from her. 'Very soon I will be rescued from this impenetrable chamber thanks to the efforts of a crimson boar.'

'A boar?' Elizabeth knew her adoptive father wasn't the type to speak nonsense. Which meant either the sickness was starting to affect his mind or he was telling the truth. But a boar? Did he mean Hawk? Elizabeth's eyes flickered to the door as she imagined Hawk bursting through them.

¾

'So you're telling me that you got blasted all the way down here by that mage in the helmet?' said Ban. Hawk's story had been long (perhaps longer because Hawk embellished his own parts) but that about summed it up.

'Yeah,' said Hawk. 'She was probably scared of what would happen if I let my true power out.' Hawk snorted proudly. 'Anyway, let's get out of here. Now the first order of business is rescuing Elizabeth.' The pig turned to leave.

Ban stood up. 'Yeah, about that.'

'Huh?'

'You better go on ahead without me.'

'You're not coming?'

Ban looked back at the horn it had taken him so long to find. How could he leave when he was so close? 'There's still something I gotta do.'

The horn began to glow. The pink light shone bright in the darkness and Ban blinked away the dots in his eyes. The trumpet appeared to be lit from within and Ban could finally see it all. How it looked like it could have been made of pearl and how big it actually was.

'Correct,' said the woman's voice from before. 'There is something you need to do.' Her voice seemed to fill the cavern until it and the trumpet were the only things that existed.

Ban gasped.

'Who's there?' Hawk squeaked. 'Hey!'

'Someone from the Goddess race?' asked Ban.

'What are you talking about?'

'Come out and face me,' Ban shouted. 'Just show yourself already.'

'Regrettably, this is not possible now,' said the voice. 'All of our power was lost in the Ancient War. It will take some time to restore ourselves into what we were before.' The longer it spoke, the more Ban realised he didn't like the voice. It was lovely, sure, high and lilting. But it was also cold and haughty.

'Geez, she's pretty cocky, huh?' Hawk scoffed.

'Nevertheless, resurrecting one fairy would be little more than a trifle for us.'

'Bringing this up is probably gonna bite me in the ass, but here goes.' Ban smirked. 'About these wishes, do you Goddesses really grant them for any person who walks in and wants one?' There was no answer. He frowned. 'If I exchange my life for hers, will you ­­­–'

'No. We have no intention of taking your life. Instead, we shall give you a mission.'

Ban stared at the horn intently. His eyes were starting to hurt.

'Hey, Ban,' said Hawk, his voice trembling, 'you gotta admit this sounds pretty sketchy.'

'Well, yeah, maybe so,' Ban conceded but didn't look away from the light. 'But just shut up, okay?'

'Shut up, pig,' said the woman.

'Man, I can't get a break,' said Hawk.

'Okay, I'm in. I'll do anything you want.' Ban wasn't scared. Like there was anything they could ask him to do that would make him second guess this decision. Seeing Elaine again was worth anything. Everything. He would give them the sun, the moon, the stars. He would give his power, his breath, his bones.

'We want you to kill a certain person,' said the goddess.

'Are you serious?'

'Ban, this is crazy.' Hawk charged at him but Ban held the pig back with one hand, still not looking away from the trumpet.

'For somebody as noble as a goddess, that's a pretty dark request,' Ban pointed out.

'So you refuse to accept the offer?' There was something in her voice. A challenge, perhaps. Whatever is was, it was really starting to tick Ban off.

'Weren't you listening before? I said I'd do anything. Now, who do you want me to kill?'

'At present, he is known by this name: Seven Deadly Sins Dragon Sin Meliodas.'

Wait. What?

¾

Vivian was suspended in mid-air in great discomfort. You watched, torn between alarm and grim satisfaction.

'Vivian, tell me where Princess Elizabeth is,' said Merlin, her voice firm.

'She's in the king's room,' said Vivian, her voice choked.

Merlin released her hold on the younger mage and turned to you. 'There you go.'

Behind Merlin, Vivian fell to the ground. She landed hard before scrambling to her feet and fleeing.

'Hey, she's running off,' said Arthur. 'Shouldn't we –?'

'Forget her,' said Meliodas. 'For right now, we need to focus on rescuing Elizabeth.'

A sly grin stretched Merlin's lips. 'Then it's time to get a move on.' She snapped her fingers.

You blinked and your little party of six was no longer outside. Instead, you were in some sort of large room with brick walls in front of a very big door indeed.

'Where are we?' you asked.

'We're in front of my father's room,' said Margaret who was still holding Gilthunder.

'I tried teleporting us inside but got deflected,' said Merlin. 'The handiwork of my disgraceful ex-disciple.'

'All right.' Meliodas gripped his sword tighter. He rubbed his shoulder and stepped forward. 'Take a few steps back, guys.'

'Wait,' said Merlin. 'Hang on a second, Captain.'

Meliodas turned to her in confusion.

'Even with your powers, you couldn't breach this barrier. It's the Perfect Cube. A spell from the Demon World that can deflect any kind of power regardless of its magnitude,' she explained.

How can she be so calm right now? Meliodas huffed.

You're just mad you found a problem you can't solve by punching it.

Gilthunder reached out a hand, his fingers covered in lightning. But he couldn't touch the door. He was pushed back.

Merlin walked towards the door slowly, swinging her hips lazily. You watched her go, knowing she had something planned and excited to see what it was.

Upon reaching the door, Merlin paused for a moment. All eyes were on her. No one was breathing.

Merlin opened the door.

'How'd you get rid of the spell like that?' asked Meliodas.

'Using Absolute Cancel,' said Merlin, her self-satisfied smirk still firmly in place. 'I cut off my disciple and the spell cast over this room.'

You couldn't help but giggle as you imagined Vivian's face if she knew what was going on right now. In fact, you wouldn't put it past Merlin to make sure Vivian knew she had failed.

At your side, Meliodas straightened up. You looked round to see what he'd spotted and froze. There she was, beside a ginormous bed. Looking exactly as she had when she'd disappeared.

Elizabeth.

You walked behind Meliodas into the room.

'Yo,' said Meliodas and you couldn't help but envy how well he masked his emotions when it came to Elizabeth. Perhaps you should say something too.

But then it didn't matter. Because all of a sudden there were footsteps and a warm body colliding with yours. Elizabeth wrapped one arm around you and the other around Meliodas, squeezing you tight. You smiled softly and stroked her hair.

'We were only apart for less than a day,' said Elizabeth, her voice slightly muffled, 'but I missed you two so much.'

'There there,' said Meliodas, patting her on the back.

'Ahem,' said a deep voice.

Elizabeth let you both go and you looked over her shoulder to see who was occupying the larger-than-necessary bed.

'You sure got old, Bartra,' Meliodas said with a cheeky grin.

'I apologise for him.' You sighed.

'And neither of you have changed a single bit.' Bartra sighed too.

'Guess not.' Meliodas pinched your butt. Arthur stared. You smacked Meliodas on the head.

Before you could do anything more than that, you heard footsteps behind you. It was Dreyfus. His red armour shone and his hair tumbled over his shoulders.

At the sight of the Grand Master, Gilthunder clutched Margaret to his chest. Seeing this, you instinctively took a step in front of Elizabeth.

Meliodas remained calm. 'Hey, what's up? It's been a while since I've seen you too, Dreyfus.'

'What the hell is going on here?' said Dreyfus, his voice low and gravelly, as he looked round your group of unlikely companions.

'Hendrickson's been killed in battle,' Gilthunder replied, not relaxing his hold on Margaret.

Dreyfus's eyes widened. Was there sadness on his face? You couldn't tell.

'He died without ever repenting for the crime he committed.'

'His crime?' Dreyfus said jerkily.

'I saw it happen,' said Margaret. 'The dawn of the Anniversary Festival ten years ago you and Hendrickson conspired together and murdered Zaratras. Such an unspeakable sight.'

You ran your tongue over your lips. You could hear Elizabeth's breathing quicken behind you. But you didn't turn to her. Because you were caught in Dreyfus's eyes. His eyes showed such fear and pain. You had seen those eyes in many people over the years.

'And then, consumed with overwhelming fear, I told Gil about it,' Margaret continued, her soft voice ringing out in the silent room. 'Little did I know, Vivian was eavesdropping the whole time. She placed each of us under guard, and we were forced to do her bidding.'

Merlin raised a pensive hand to her chin. 'Is that so? Though seeing as Vivian was head over heels for Gilthunder, I suppose it adds up.'

'But thanks to Meliodas and [Y/n], that curse has finally been lifted,' said Gilthunder.

Dreyfus's eyes darted over to you. Then he closed his eyes and fell to his knees breathing heavily as if he had been running for the past ten years and could finally stop.

'I have lost everything,' he muttered, not looking up. 'Just as they told you, I conspired with Hendrickson and murdered Grand Master Zaratras. At first I only envied my brother, but somewhere along the way it turned into hatred.' His voice wobbled. 'I am so sorry.'

'But what's that gotta do with what's going on around here right now?' asked Meliodas.

'It was to start a Holy War.'

Those two words echoed in your head. Your hands turned cold.

'A what?' Arthur asked.

'It's a phrase found in a Britannian poem long ago,' said Merlin. 'His majesty predicted that such a war would take place sometime in the near future.'

'But his majesty ordered us to put down our swords,' said Dreyfus, continuing his story. 'I was planning to use the war to lay to rest the events that had transpired ten years ago. By annihilating the Seven Deadly Sins as our mortal enemies, no one alive would know the truth behind the incident. However, Hendrickson had other plans.' He took a shuddering breath. The words seemed like they were physically hurting Dreyfus but, now they had started flowing, he couldn't stop them. They dripped off his lips like poison, burning your ears as you listened. 'After committing that terrible crime, Hendrickson wasn't the same. But never did I suspect that he was mad enough to plot the Demon race's resurrection. How did it come to this? All I ever wanted was to be a father that my son could be proud of.'

As the Holy Knight Grand Master dissolved into sobs, you felt Meliodas's hand twitch. You looked at him out the corner of your eye.

'Griamore is alive.' Elizabeth's voice broke the silence.

Dreyfus's head shot up. Now there was hope in his eyes too. It burned so fiercely you swore you could feel it. You had seen those eyes too.

'He was told to guard the remains of my sister Veronica. He still is, I'm certain.'

Dreyfus began to cry. The tears started slowly but then fell in earnest, running down his cheeks and dripping onto the stone floor. They were washing away a lot, you knew. Not everything, but perhaps enough for Dreyfus to become who he wanted. Dreyfus threw back his head and let out a wail. It was full of hope and despair, hate and love. A sound he had been holding back for so long.

Footsteps behind you. You didn't turn away from Dreyfus – you didn't think you could – but Elizabeth's words confirmed who it was.

'Father,' she said. Meliodas's hand twitched again. You grabbed it and squeezed.

King Bartra walked slowly over to the trembling man on the floor. 'Dreyfus,' he said. Elizabeth and Margaret flanked him, their hands ready to keep the king steady.

Dreyfus looked up, not wiping the tears off his face. 'Sire.'

'In light of this severe transgression, I'm relieving you of your post as Holy Knight Grand Master. You shall await your sentence in the dungeon.' The king's voice was stern.

Dreyfus bowed his head. 'Yes, sire.'

Gilthunder produced a pair of heavy manacles and locked them around Dreyfus's wrists. Dreyfus didn't complain and he didn't look up.

'I'll take him down there myself,' said Gilthunder.

Bartra nodded. And then he coughed. Blood splattered onto his beard, staining it a gory red. Everyone started, reaching out to him. Bartra collapsed onto the floor.

'I'll take a look,' said Merlin, walking too calmly to the king's side. She knelt and held a hand over his body. 'He's weakened considerably. He needs to be treated right away.' She glanced at you over her shoulder.

Your chin trembled. You knew what she was asking but there was no way you could treat him as you were now. You gritted your teeth and clenched your fists.

'Lady Merlin,' said Elizabeth, drawing Merlin's attention, 'please do whatever you can for my father.'

'Please save him, I beg of you.' Margaret's voice was desperate.

'You've my word that I'll do my best,' Merlin told them. 'But his majesty won't be able to rest easily here. If it's all right with you, I'd like to treat him in Camelot.'

You're blaming yourself again. Meliodas put a hand on your shoulder.

I have a lot to blame myself for.

We both do.

'There is no need for you to fear, my darlings.' Bartra's voice broke your reverie. 'Elizabeth, do you remember the vision I was telling you about earlier?'

Elizabeth blinked. 'Vision?' She looked round at Merlin. 'A crimson boar.' She gasped for some reason. 'Margaret, we should leave father's recovery to Lady Merlin okay?'

Margaret nodded. 'If you truly believe that's best.'

'I'm not sure what the deal is,' said Meliodas, his cheery voice capturing the attention of everyone in the room, 'but it seems everything's taken care of. And if that's the case, let's –'

'Sir Meliodas!' Arthur interrupted whatever Meliodas was going to say. The young king grasped Meliodas's hand in both of his. 'It was by a great twist of fate that you and I have been brought together. As the Grand Master of Camelot, I humbly ask for your assistance. And [Y/n]'s too, of course.'

You blinked. Your lips twitched.

'Sure thing,' said Meliodas. You swore you heard Elizabeth gasp.

'You'll really help me? Then we need to leave right –'

Meliodas broke free of Arthur's hold. 'If I ever feel like it. Since I've gotta clean up this town and take care of the Boar Hat too, it might just take a while.'

Arthur hung his head. 'Aw man.'

Merlin laughed. 'Classic fake out.'

You giggled and patted Arthur's hair. 'Don't despair, Artie. You'll see us again. No doubt.'

Arthur looked at you. 'Promise?'

'Promise.' You grinned. 'Bet you'll be trying to get rid of us in the end.'

He grinned back at you.

You looked over at the Boar Sin. She had Bartra draped over one shoulder like a large jacket.

'Merlin, you plan on coming back to the Seven Deadly Sins any time soon?' said Meliodas.

'If I ever feel like it,' she said. And, with one last smug smile, Merlin, Bartra and Arthur disappeared in a soft golden light.

Meliodas tutted and you giggled.

'Guess she got me there,' Meliodas said, rubbing the back of his head. 'Oh crap! I totally forgot to ask her what happened ten years ago.'

You gasped and looked down at your wrist. The purple star winked cheekily at you. 'And I forgot to ask her to take this thing off me!'

'Um ... are you ...?' Elizabeth said quietly.

You turned to her. 'Huh?'

'You're not ... I mean, are you really leav –?'

An explosion ripped the air. The ground trembled. Dust filled the air. With a great roar, the castle fell. Meliodas darted to Elizabeth's side, scooping her up easily. His eyes met yours, bright through the dust, and you grabbed him under the arms. Your wings unfurled and the three of you fell gently, dodging falling debris.

When you landed, you let Meliodas go. He set Elizabeth back on her feet.

'You okay, Elizabeth?' Meliodas asked.

'Yes, I'm fine.' She looked at you. 'Thank you both.' She looked around. 'What just happened?'

The dust was clearing. You frowned at the rubble.

'Are you three all right?' asked Margaret's voice. You turned and watched her come closer, carried in Gilthunder's arms.

'Someone's missing,' said Gilthunder as he set Margaret down.

'Yeah.' Meliodas frowned. 'Dreyfus is gone.'

On the floor a short distance away, were the empty manacles.

Something changed. You gasped and felt Meliodas stiffen beside you. A dark power was growing, seeping through the streets of Liones. It was everywhere, getting stronger. Your eyes flickered instinctively to Elizabeth. She was watching you and Meliodas with wide eyes.

'What –?'

And then the screaming began.

Your head whipped around.

'Come on,' Meliodas shouted. He ran off, hopping over the rubble.

You sprinted after him. Behind you, you could hear the footsteps of Elizabeth, Gilthunder and Margaret as they struggled to keep up. But you didn't slow down because, up ahead, you could see something that made your blood turned to ice.

Knights everywhere were convulsing in the streets. Their bodies swelled, skin bubbling grotesquely before they turned into demonic monsters. They looked just like Dale after his transformation, though with slightly different appearances. You swallowed thickly and, even though it made bile rise in your throat, you looked closer. There had to be a reason or a pattern.

Not all the knights were changing. You saw one knight kneeling by his companion as they writhed and shrieked before turning into a demon and crushing their friend in one hand.

It's the New Generation. Meliodas's voice was colder than you'd heard in a while.

You looked closer and, sure enough, the only knights transforming were ones with the same dead eyes as Guila and Jericho. But why are they only transforming now?

If I had to guess, said Meliodas as he hopped over a fallen wall, I'd say someone is controlling them.

You sucked in a breath. Then ... that means –

Hendrickson's still alive.

Up ahead, a monster almost as big as Diane was looming over the houses. Its body was grotesque, its mouth too large, its skin a ghastly poisonous purple. And, at its feet, was a group of people. Diane, King, Gowther, Howzer, Guila, a little boy you vaguely recognised. They were all injured but alive.

As you watched, Diane forced the monster back, her arms trembling. 'I wanna know what's happening to Jericho and Guila,' she said, her voice strained.

Jericho? You couldn't see Jericho. But then you gasped and tripped over a paving stone. The monster ... Jericho had turned into the demon.

'My guess would be that the demon blood inside the New Generation Knights is going out of control,' said King from where he floated with Chastiefol at the ready.

'No,' said Meliodas, joining the conversation. 'It's being forced to go out of control.'

He jumped, hitting the demon. It was knocked back, tumbling ungracefully over the ground. You skidded to a stop beside Meliodas.

'[Y/n]! Captain!' Diane cried.

'Gil, what are you doing with these guys?' Howzer asked behind you.

'There's no time to explain right now,' said Gilthunder. 'I'll fill you in later.'

'Captain.' King's voice was closer. 'It's being forced to go this way? You mean someone's behind this?'

Meliodas nodded. 'Yeah. Guila and Jericho are only a couple of the New Generation this is happening to. Doesn't it seem kind of strange that all the New Generation knights in the city would go crazy at the same time?'

There was a faint buzzing noise behind you as Gowther tended to Guila. You left him to it, more unsure than ever of your power after what happened with Bartra. Instead, you watched as demon-Jericho got to its feet and laughed evilly.

'I'm not sure I understand,' said King.

'Look there.'

You knew what King was seeing: dozens of the demon knights wreaking havoc in the streets, their mouths open in roars that blending together into a single cacophony with the screams of ordinary citizens. You could imagine the look on King's face, the way it would twist and how his mouth would gape open. You could even imagine how his stomach would churn and his hands would go cold. Because that's exactly what was happening to you.

Demon-Jericho charged at Meliodas who was still watching the horrifying scene. But you were ready. As soon as it was close enough, you jumped, flipping in the air and kicking the monster in the chin. Its head snapped back as you landed but it didn't collapse. It just attacked again, hands raised. You got ready, but someone dove in front of you, forcing the demon to a stand-still. Diane's arms trembled with the force she was exerting.

'Diane!' Elizabeth called out.

You drew your sword but before you could do anything, a cold voice crept through the air.

'Perceptive as always,' it said. You turned and glared at Hendrickson as he walked up to your group. His arm had reattached and his torso was wreathed in darkness. His hair had grown longer like it had been when he was younger. His mouth was twisted in a cruel smirk.

You stepped in front of Elizabeth, Meliodas at your side.

'To be honest,' Hendrickson continued, 'the New Generation are just the worthless riff-raff who failed to become Holy Knights. They're filled with contempt for those who are truly powerful and rage at themselves for being inferior. This ancient curse will only intensify those feelings and, in time, it will consume them completely.'

'It can't be,' King stammered above you.

'So you're still alive, Hendrickson,' said Meliodas. You could feel his anger bubbling away like stew on too high a heat. His sword pointed unwaveringly at Hendrickson as did yours.

'Hendrickson?' Howzer's disbelief coloured his voice.

'He seems different from before,' Elizabeth observed.

'It looks like he's got the demon's blood in him too,' said Meliodas.

Hendrickson stopped. He stood above you. 'What an incredible blessing.' He spread his arms wide. 'When one is truly compatible with demon blood, it augments their strength and amplifies their magical powers. All that research and experimentation was worth it.' And then he reached out one hand and his voice turned colder. 'Now hand over Elizabeth.'

You heard Elizabeth whimper behind you and gripped your sword tighter. Your upper lip curled back over your teeth in a silent snarl.

'Do so and, as one demon to another, I'll let you live.' Hendrickson wasn't even talking to you. It pissed you off.

'I'm not like you,' said Meliodas without skipping a beat (even though you felt his heartrate increase as his identity was revealed). 'See, you're not a human or a demon. You're nothing but a fool.'

Silently, King floated behind Hendrickson.

Hendrickson just smirked again. 'I can't say I wasn't expecting that.'

'Were you expecting this too?' said King. Chastiefol had transformed into the daggers and all of them were pointing at Hendrickson.

'Naturally.' Hendrickson didn't even turn. He didn't move a muscle.

Something hit King with a clang and pushed him back. 'Back up?' he asked in outrage and then choked out a gasp. 'But how?'

Despite yourself, you looked up. In front of King was another fairy. This one was covered in blood, way too much blood for him to possibly be alive. On his head was a dingy little helmet that you vaguely recognised. In front of him floated a sword that you also recognised for some reason. Your chest throbbed. It couldn't be ...

'I just watched you die, Helbram!' King said.

'There's no use talking to him,' said Hendrickson, still smiling. 'He's been dead for quite a long time now. If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who killed him right?'

King's face was the image of abject horror. 'What did ...?' His voice died. King tried again. 'What did you do to my friend Helbram?'

'King, no,' Diane shouted but she was still forcing the demon back and couldn't help.

'I hear the bodies of fairies don't rot even after death.' Hendrickson began his bloodcurdling tale. 'For nearly two hundred years, his corpse had been a veritable gold mine on the black market. One day it fell into my possession, and I gave it temporary life. A forbidden technique of the druids: Enslavement of the Dead.'

Your hand twitched and the point of your sword wavered before pointing back at Hendrickson. If you concentrated, you could sense the spell around this Helbram. The bitter aura filled your mouth and you wanted to spit it out. But you couldn't move. Hendrickson's cold eyes flickered down to meet yours. It was only for a millisecond, but you knew that he knew you knew.

'But I'm sorry to say that one can only be revived twice,' said Hendrickson. 'With each resurrection, the soul deteriorates further, and his functions greatly diminish.'

Tears began to drip down King's cheeks. 'No way. That's cruel. How could you?' He threw back his head and cried. The sound stabbed your heart.

Hendrickson's smile grew wider, contorting his face into madness. 'Come now, don't weep for him. What we have before us is a most glorious opportunity: a third occasion to kill your friend!'

Helbram attacked King. Helbram flew so fast, hitting King square in the face with the helmet.

The helmet. The sword. Even the name Helbram. They were all making your head go fuzzy. And you couldn't have that, not with Hendrickson so close. So you took a second, only a second, relying on Meliodas. You closed your eyes.

Helmet. Sword. Helbram. Helmet. Sword. Helbram.

Your eyes flew open. The last time you had seen that helmet it had been perched on the head of a tiny, red-robed creature. A creature that called itself Love Helm. And the last time you had seen that sword, it had been sticking out of your chest. You gritted your teeth and bit back a snarl.

Meliodas's eyes flickered to you. Focus.

But he –

I know. King's got it covered.

You pursed your lips and looked back at Hendrickson just as he spread his arms.

'It appears the show is about to begin,' said Hendrickson.

'Come on!' called Howzer.

Hendrickson turned into a blur of darkness that smacked into Howzer. Howzer flew backwards and landed in a wall.

You watched Howzer's journey. Something grabbed your wrist. You started and twisted but it was too late. Hendrickson lifted you up and hurled you down. You saw the ground approaching and then it slammed into you. Pain ripped through your body and you felt your eyes widen and your mouth open and something force its way up your throat. You saw the splatter of red and something blurring towards you. Hendrickson's foot slammed into your ribs and then everything was snapping and wind was whistling past your ears and then you were falling falling falling.

'[Y/n]!' You heard Meliodas's shout but what could you do except fall further. Faster. Into the waiting arms of stone.

You landed. Bounced once. Twice. Before coming to a stop.

There was a ringing in your ears. Your heartbeat pounded in your head. Your breaths were shallow and quick and made your sides sting. You blinked. You were looking at the sky. Why? You were lying on your back. One of your arms was twisted awkwardly beneath you so you tried to move it but that hurt so you stopped. You started to heal yourself.

Once everything was more or less back to normal, you sat up. Your head span so you sat still for a moment. Meliodas was frantic in your head so you reassured him. You got to your feet and staggered forwards, back to where Meliodas and Elizabeth were waiting. As you went on, your steps got stronger.

But then anger and fear burst into your mind.

Elizabeth ... captured ... help ...

Meliodas's voice was incoherent. You stumbled along faster. Up ahead you could see the red of that Vivian's dress, the pink of Gilthunder's hair and Meliodas shining brightly.

And then pain. You stopped and looked down at your chest blankly before you realised. This wasn't your pain. You looked up. Meliodas and Gilthunder had fallen.

You took a step. Another step. Another one. More. Faster. Quickly. But it wasn't enough.

Elizabeth was walking calmly to Hendrickson.

'Sir Meliodas,' she said softly, a smile on her face. 'For once, let me protect you instead.'

'Shall we both take our leave then?' said Hendrickson, conjuring more black flames in his hand.

'Elizabeth.' You tried to shout but your voice just rasped, scraping out of your throat weakly. 'Please don't go. We can – we can sort this out, I promise.'

You didn't know why you were still talking, certain she couldn't hear you when your voice was so weak and you were so far away. But, somehow, her eyes met yours.

'It's my turn,' Elizabeth said softly. 'It's only fair. And that promise between us –' she looked down at Meliodas '– please don't ever forget it.'

The memory flickered through Meliodas's mind and you saw it too. Doctor Dana lying in a puddle of blood. Elizabeth's tears. Meliodas's voice. And the promise that you knew had so many layers echoed in your ears.

The flames in Hendrickson's hand stretched into a scaly black wing. He wrapped his other arm around Elizabeth's waist. And now you were running. You fell, hands scraping against rough stone, and you got back to your feet, panting choked sobs. Your arms stretched out, hands grabbing, but you were too late, too far, as, with one mighty push, Elizabeth and Hendrickson disappeared into the sky.

'Elizabeth!' Meliodas's anguished cry followed them.

You just fell to your knees. Your arms wrapped around your chest as the dry sobs wracked your body. You couldn't blink.

'[Y/n].'

You looked up. Meliodas had rolled onto his stomach and dragged himself over to you.

'Go after her,' he said.

You blinked. 'But –'

'You have to.' His eyes were unwavering. 'This isn't like last time. This time will be different. You can save her. You have to.'

You took a deep breath and ran your tongue over your dry lips. 'Okay.' You gripped Meliodas's hands in yours and pressed a kiss to his forehead, spending some of your power to heal him. Not much, not enough, just enough that he could move without screaming. Then you stood up.

'Don't come back without her. No matter what happens to me.'

You smiled down at him. 'You got it.'

And you pushed off into the sky. It wasn't until you started flying that you realised you probably should've been watching which way Hendrickson had flown. What a fool.