The dark power was approaching fast. The hope and victory of winning the battle was replaced by dread and apprehension as fast as a snuffed candle. Your hand immediately flew to rest on Cosain's hilt but something made you stop. This power was familiar yet different. There was no bloodlust, no desire to fight. Just a deep sadness.

She landed heavily, dust flying through the air obscuring everything before you. Elizabeth was at your side and the same feeling that stopped you drawing your sword stopped you from forcing her behind you. Derieri walked stiffly out of the dust towards you. Her hair was shorter than you had ever seen it. Her eyes were faraway and lost. So desperately sad. They reminded you of Meliodas.

'Derieri?' said Elizabeth softly. 'Is that you?'

As she came closer, the knights around you muttered softly. Their misgivings rippled through the crowd like a cloud passing across the sun. Even without turning, you knew your friends would be standing tense and ready to attack. But still you didn't draw your sword.

'Oh my,' said Tarmiel from somewhere behind you.

'That's the one who ...' Sariel trailed off.

But Deathpierce picked it up. 'The Ten Commandment who killed Sir Denzel. Derieri of Purity. Oh, thank you, gods. I'm grateful. Now I'll finally have the chance to avenge Sir Denzel with my own two hands.' He roared and charged past you to attack.

'Hold on.' The words you spoke were too quiet. You tried again. 'Wait! She has no will to fight.'

But Deathpierce didn't stop. His blade cut through the air and struck Derieri on the neck. And, with a great crashing sound, the sword shattered.

For her part, Derieri didn't even blink. She just kept walking to you ever so slowly only stopping when she was about a metre away.

'Why are you here?' you asked, completely letting go of your sword. 'What happened to you?'

Derieri's face screwed up and she looked at the ground instead of meeting your eyes. 'A lot. And at this point, I ... didn't know where to go. But then ... I sensed your magical power ... Elizabeth's too ...' She stopped for a moment, seeming to struggle over some words, sucking in harsh breaths through her teeth. 'Monspeet, why? Why'd you have to ... save me? That moron.' Her eyes weren't lost anymore. They were full of hate. 'Damn you, Estarossa.'

You frowned. 'Estarossa?'

But before you could say anything more, your head snapped up. More dark power was coming from the same direction as Derieri had, but it was coming faster. With more intent. Elizabeth gasped and this time you did force her behind you. Your eyes narrowed in on Estarossa's form getting closer and closer, his hair whipping back and his face screwed up in hate.

'Finally found you,' he shouted in twisted glee, one hand reaching out already.

Still somewhere behind you, Sariel and Tarmiel spoke in unison. 'Wait, isn't that—?'

Estarossa laughed. 'Well, what do we have here?' His eyes were locked on you ... no. On someone behind you. 'I just found something even better. Feels like I just hit the jackpot. Evil Hound!'

Your fingers were stiff but you somehow managed to draw your sword. Just in time. As from Estarossa's glowing body, a giant wolf emerged. It had glowing red, hungry eyes. Elizabeth clung to your shoulders and Derieri gritted her teeth. The knights' panicked shouts and their horses' whinnies were lost under the beast's crashing footfalls. It ran through the battlefield, scattering ranks and breathing fire. And it was headed straight for you. Before you could swing your sword or think of a spell, it swerved. The scorching heat covered your body, almost forcing you back. You were trying to keep Elizabeth behind you, trying to keep the wolf in your sight and trying to think all while the relentless heat pounded against you and Estarossa's uniquely awful power threatened to engulf you.

The beast just kept circling with you, Elizabeth and Derieri at its centre. A towering wall of fire grew in its wake with flames so thick you couldn't see what was happening to any of your friends. And still the wolf ran on. The wall of fire was more of a tunnel now, its flames reaching up to block the sun.

'Everybody,' Elizabeth called. But there was no answer.

Instead, someone you weren't hoping to see descended from the sky.

Estarossa landed lightly. He always seemed to have that same smile. It made you shiver even with the temperature still rising.

'I have no idea how you managed to get away from my brother,' he said, 'but hey, lucky me. It's good to see you again, Elizabeth.'

Something about the way he said her name made your skin crawl. Like he was savouring each syllable, each sound.

Derieri took half a step forward. 'Bastard.' She raised a fist. 'After what you did to Monspeet—'

You raised a hand to cut her off, not looking back to see if she was offended. You didn't care if she was.

'Derieri, I'm taking your Commandment now.' Estarossa huffed a smug little laugh. 'And don't you worry, I'll make sure that you're reunited with Monspeet right away.'

Derieri gnashed her teeth.

Even though your heart was beating too fast, your voice was steady. 'Just as I thought, you're retrieving the Commandments for Meliodas. To turn him into the Demon King.'

Estarossa blinked at you once and tilted his head before that cocky smile was back. 'Oh? You think I'm here for Meliodas, huh?' He was taunting you. 'Hate to break it to you, but—'

'I'm not going to let you!'

A tiny bit of your anger. A tiny bit of your still rising power.

'Hold on,' said Estarossa. 'You didn't hear what I have to say.'

Like you wanted to hear anything he had to say right now. A choked gasp forced its way from Estarossa's mouth as the Ark formed around him. Its bright glow stood out sharp against the dark flames. Estarossa couldn't seem to move, a bug caught in amber, and before he could try to escape, you waved your arm and sent the Ark plus Estarossa flying out of the fiery cave and straight through two mountains. Further. You gritted your teeth and pushed harder. Go further away. Leave Elizabeth alone.

But something dark was eroding through your power. And it shattered.

You sucked in a harsh breath through your teeth. 'Damn it.'

A slightly warm hand was on your shoulder and you turned to meet Elizabeth's eyes. She didn't say anything, just smiled softly before looking skyward to where Sariel and Tarmiel were battling Estarossa. Seeing the three of them together made your head ache, so you didn't watch the fight.

'So is he gonna lock us all up or something?' Derieri said, unimpressed.

One corner of your lips pulled up at her tone but the smile was short-lived. A great crashing of giant footsteps brought your attention back to the wolf that had finally stopped circling and was now headed for your group of three again.

This time, Elizabeth stepped forward. Your heart leapt to your throat. But Elizabeth just calmly raised a hand.

A whale even bigger than the wolf appeared. It shone with the same lavender light that all Elizabeth's spells did. You knew this spell – Jonah's Ordeal – but it was different to any version you had seen before. Elizabeth's spell made the air tingle. Her whale looked faceted like it was made of crystal. It was beautiful.

The whale swallowed the wolf whole and dispersed the wall of flames at the same time, filling the air with dust and sparkles. And you smiled as your heart burned for Meliodas to see Elizabeth too.

Derieri was watching Elizabeth with an inscrutable expression. 'That magical power you just used ... it is you, isn't it? Elizabeth of the Goddess and Demon races.'

But Elizabeth wasn't listening. Her head whipped from side to side, looking across the barren, scorched landscape. It was empty. No sign of your friends. No sign of anyone.

'There's nobody here,' she said quietly before clinging to your arm. 'Where are they? Why aren't they answering?' Her panicked voice echoed.

You put a comforting hand over hers and went to answer.

'It's Hell Blaze,' said Derieri before you could. 'It doesn't die down until it's burned away all flesh and bone.'

Elizabeth's breath wobbled.

'Don't worry, Elizabeth,' a muffled voice called.

You heaved a relieved sigh as the ground started to shake. The soil before you erupted into a huge column and this time you were surrounded by earth. With a squeal, a familiar looking face burst through the dirt.

Elizabeth beamed. 'Hey, Hawk.'

'Elizabeth!'

The two embraced and you watched with a fond smile.

Next to pop out of the ground was Howzer, his hair a mess and spitting out dirt. A graceful Grand Master indeed. Diane was quick to join you above ground with Hawk's mum. They both looked unscathed. You looked around to see everyone back looking more or less the same and smiled.

'How's it going?' said King a bit too nonchalantly. Elizabeth just laughed.

Somewhere in the skies, Sariel and Tarmiel were still battling Estarossa. You could hear the clashes and the screams. You could feel the massive amounts of magical power. And Gowther was still glancing at you when he thought you weren't looking.

But then there was silence.

'Hey,' said Diane, 'it got quiet all of a sudden.'

King was at her side. 'I'm sensing that one presence has vanished.'

You shifted slightly and bit your bottom lip. This was all getting too weird. Too much. You wanted to see Meliodas.

'I have a question for you, [Y/n],' said Derieri. Her voice was soft but it still made you jump. Her eyes were sad again. 'Before Monspeet ... before he died, there was something he wanted to tell me. Something he'd been holding back for so long. What was it?'

'Do you mean the man who was always at your side?' said Elizabeth.

You frowned. 'I'm sorry, Derieri. I wish I could help but ... I have no idea.'

Derieri didn't shout or cry. She just looked more sad. More alone. 'Of course you don't. I was a pain to deal with. All I ever did was fight recklessly yet he always had my back no matter what. Even so, I ... I was never able to do anything for him. Not one single thing.'

Her words, spoken with so much self-hatred, resonated in your heart. Wasn't that what you had been like for Meliodas? Wasn't that what he had basically confirmed last time you spoke? That all this time, all those thousands of years, you had been nothing more than a burden.

'I – I know how you feel,' you said, staring at your feet. 'In my desire to protect Elizabeth, I hurt Meliodas. I did reckless things assuming all the while that he felt the same as I did. I was ignorant to the pain he carried and my methods at helping were clumsy at best. I see that now.' You took a deep, shuddering breath. 'But it wasn't my intention.'

'Me too.' Elizabeth stepped forward. 'For all this time, I've been protected by my parents, never realising how much blood and how many tears they shed for me. Over and over again. And now my father intends to save me and my mother with no regard for himself. He's about to sacrifice everything.'

You clenched your fists and raised your eyes to meet Derieri's. 'So we've decided to put it all on the line to save him. We're a family. And we're going to show him that we feel the same way toward him.' One corner of your lips twitched. 'I know what you're thinking, Elizabeth, and that's not what I meant.' She groaned in half-hearted exasperation and, still smiling, you turned back to Derieri. 'Like I said before, I don't know how Monspeet felt about you, but the important thing is how you feel about him, isn't it?'

Derieri's breath and hands trembled, but before she could say anything, a commotion rippled through the crowd of knights.

'Look,' one called out. 'The Archangels have returned!'

You looked up to see Sariel and Tarmiel descending. They looked unhurt, but their appearances had changed. It was sort of like they were becoming more Goddess-like, even their clothes.

'No way,' said Howzer from the front of the crowd. 'Does this mean you've already defeated Estarossa?'

Sariel's smile was smug. 'Yes. He should be a handful of dust by now.'

But you weren't listening. You could hardly even look at Sariel or Tarmiel. Because something was coming, rising on the horizon. Its power spread across the land wildly, without reason. It was misshapen in the sky. What race did it belong to? It somewhat resembled Estarossa. His face twisted with a mad smile was visible, but his body was warped. He laughed and you shivered. His magical power was thrashing like a cornered beast. Like someone being electrocuted. Your throat was dry and your heart was pounding in your ears. You needed to get Elizabeth away. Far away. This was dangerous. But you couldn't move.

'That doesn't make sense,' said Tarmiel jerkily.

'What's going on?' Sariel fell back a little. 'There's no way he could have escaped without having the same level of power as we do.'

'He's acting differently too.' Elizabeth's voice shocked you. How could anyone speak right now?

Derieri gasped. 'No way!'

'His Power Level's eighty-eight thousand?' Hawk stammered out. 'Oh crap!'

'His already twisted soul has been warped even further now,' said Gowther, his tone as steady as ever.

The dark crest on Estarossa's forehead had changed too. It didn't have a shape anymore but rather looked as though the darkness had melted, dripping down Estarossa's cheeks and into his eyes.

'Hey, Archangels,' he said, his voice as contorted as his power, 'play with me some more, won't you?'

'What's wrong with him anyw—' But Tarmiel's question was cut short as Estarossa grabbed him in his arms. 'Hey, you're so creepy.' Tarmiel's voice was strained as he tried to get away. 'Just get away from me.'

Estarossa let the Archangel go but it was too late. Tendrils of darkness had grown around Tarmiel and knocked him out of the sky. He didn't get up.

Sariel's eyes were wide. 'Did he use Darkness to stop Tarmiel from liquefying?'

Estarossa appeared behind Sariel, still giggling wildly. 'All right, let's play.' And he wrapped his arms around Sariel just as he had with Tarmiel. But Sariel's Grace activated as a shield and Estarossa's body was ripped apart. Dark blood fell like rain. And still Estarossa laughed. He didn't try to get away. Your stomach heaved.

'I'm not here to waste my time clowning around with Demons,' Sariel said without turning. Until, somehow, Estarossa broke through the Tornado and Sariel was trapped in Estarossa's arms getting squeezed tighter and tighter.

Estarossa was still laughing. His whole body was covered in splatters of ink-like blood but he didn't notice or care. He just kept laughing.

Until a wheel of light burst from Sariel. It sliced through Estarossa and he fell, almost cut in half. For a moment, Estarossa's unhinged laughter stopped. But it was just a moment. This was so wrong.

It wasn't just Estarossa's power that was unnatural. It was seeing him fighting with Sariel and Tarmiel. But why should that bother you? You had seen the Archangels fighting Demons for years and years. Yes, Estarossa was Meliodas's brother, but it shouldn't be bothering you this much. Maybe it was just your fluctuating Power Level making your head spin. You swayed slightly. That had to be it. Derieri's voice brought you back to the present.

'It looks like Estarossa absorbed Galand's Commandment too,' she said.

You dragged a hand down your face, ignoring the spiking pain in your temples, ignoring Gowther still watching you, ignoring the gross feeling crawling over your skin. Just focus on Elizabeth. That's all you had to do for right now.

'What?' Derieri's voice had anger in it again. 'That's Monspeet's Commandment of Reticence.' And she was running to Estarossa.

Elizabeth went to follow but you caught her sleeve. You tried to breathe deep and slow, focussing only on the feeling of fabric. It didn't help much.

'Mum?' Elizabeth's voice was quiet but you still heard it over the sounds of Estarossa absorbing the Commandment. Her hands were warm on yours.

Howzer's shout to retreat rang in your ears and then Guila was saying something and Elizabeth was moving, guiding you forward gently and you were moving too somehow. You wanted to lie down. Magical power was crackling through the air. The ground was shaking.

And then stillness.

Elizabeth stopped and you managed to raise your head high enough to see her face. Her mouth was open, her eyes wide. She was looking at something behind you. Slowly, so slowly, you turned to see. And immediately you wished you hadn't.

'Stop making such a racket.' Estarossa's voice was almost like it had been. He was wearing ... You swallowed thickly. He was wearing what looked like Meliodas's Assault Mode outfit. 'You simply have to keep your mouths shut and die. Now perish at the hands of this Meliodas.'

~~~~~

... hello 😬 it's me, the clown™️

yeah so finally finished this chapter omg i wrote bits and pieces throughout the year so if it seems disjointed that's why but i tried my best please have patience before i get back into the swing of things (i know you're all really nice and probably wouldn't say anything but i want it to be the best for you you know?)

i really appreciate all the messages and comments and likes that came through 💕💕💕 they seriously kept me going through that shitshow of a year 🤡✌️ i'll get to all of them at some point i'm sure 💕💕💕

hopefully now things are on track again so i can keep writing

love you all and stay safe 💕💕💕