Ban coughed and blood splattered to the ground. 'Come on, now what's the big idea, King?'

'Well isn't it obvious?' said the fairy. 'I'm here to save you.'

'Isn't that special? Thanks a lot, pal.' Ban smirked.

'Oh, think nothing of it. Anything for Diane, [Y/n] and the captain.'

You smiled.

'I see, but not for me, huh?' said Ban.

'No, not really,' King said. 'But my sister cares about you a lot.'

So it was her they came to see. You put a hand on one hip and shook your head. Well, at least it was over now. Or you thought it was.

There was movement in the corner of your eye and you turned just as an explosion shook the ground. It was Guila. Her rapier was pointed to the sky and chunks of crystal fell around her.

'Wow.' Ban's voice was drier than the sun.

'It's true your betrayal is not completely unexpected,' said Guila, 'yet, King the Grizzly Sin, I am rather disappointed.'

King shrugged. 'Well that's an unexpected thing to say to me. I didn't ever swear I'd be your lifelong partner in whatever your plans were. The realm wanted to defeat the Seven Deadly Sins and I wanted to see Ban destroyed. We had mutual interests for a while, but that's no longer the case.'

'Blah-de-blah,' Ban interrupted. 'I'm really tired of you talking behind my back.'

A tiny bubble of a giggle burst from your lips. Meliodas rolled his eyes.

'Poor King,' said Guila. The end of her rapier had begun to smoke. 'An entirely predictable excuse.' She moved her sword through the air leaving a trail or fireballs. 'Shot Bomb!'

With a flourish of her weapon, Guila sent the fire towards your group.

Before you could do anything, King made a small noise of disinterest and flicked his hand. His spear cut through Ban and span through the air, deflecting every one of the fires. It kept spinning until all the fire and smoke had dissipated.

'How magnificent,' said Guila even though her voice hadn't changed. 'The Spirit Spear Chastiefol, forged from the Holy Tree located in the Fairy Realm, more durable than steel, possessing the awesome powers of the Holy Tree itself. Your magical ability can summon all those properties. Disaster.'

King brought the spear back to his side and looked down at Guila.

Guila smiled. 'This should make things a bit more interesting.' She got into position. 'Please feel free to attack me five on one.'

King floated forwards, Chastiefol spinning lazy circles above his head. 'No,' he said. 'One on one will do.'

'Seriously?'

You opened your mouth to protest but Meliodas grabbed your hand and pulled you down to sit on the floor beside him. You pouted but sighed, giving in. King could do this.

'All right, King, go for it,' Meliodas called, sheathing his sword.

'You know I'll kick your ass if you lose,' shouted Ban.

'Be careful,' you said.

Diane made a high-pitched sound behind you and you turned to look at her. She was watching King with worried eyes. You smirked and turned back to watch King.

Guila laughed and raised her weapon. 'As you wish. So, whenever you're-'

Her sentence was cut short. Literally. Chastiefol sped by the knight, blowing her hair back and even cutting off some strands. A cut opened on Guila's cheek and she gasped.

'Now that's no good,' said King. 'Try to dodge a little.'

You watched as Guila frowned and shivered in anticipation. King sent Chastiefol at the knight again and she barely dodged. But before she recovered, the spear was coming back. Guila's blocks became more and more desperate and more and more sloppy. Your heart pounded in your chest. Guila tried to run and deflect and jump but Chastiefol was always there.

Guila leapt up a massive tower of crystal and, at its peak, cast an explosion. It pushed King's spear back down to his side.

'Brilliant Detonation!' Guila held her rapier in both hands pointed straight up. A giant ball of fire grew at its tip. It turned the air orange.

You leant forwards and clenched your fists. Behind you, Diane gasped. Meliodas reached for his sword.

'Don't like that,' muttered Ban and he half got to his feet.

King didn't move, Chastiefol once again spinning at his side.

The ball of fire had grown. It was like a new star, hovering just above Guila. And then it began to split apart. Fire rained down and you got ready to move but-

'Chastiefol Fifth Configuration: Increase.' The spear began to glow and suddenly it was thousands of daggers. They surrounded King like a swarm of pointy insects, each one pointed straight at Guila. King snapped his fingers. The daggers flew. Each one collided with a fireball, making it explode.

Your mouth dropped open as you stared up at the fire. The heat pushed against you like a wave. Beside you, Meliodas gasped and when you looked at him you saw the orange reflected in his eyes and caught in his hair. The ground shook and a huge wind began to blow. It whipped your hair around your face and you pushed it impatiently out of your eyes.

When you could see again, you couldn't stop the smile that tugged on your lips. King had Guila surrounded, all the daggers were on her and, judging by her face, she was scared.

King gestured and the daggers fell like hail. Dust billowed into the air and you couldn't see Guila anymore.

'Hey!' Hawk's voice called over the sound of falling rubble. 'You were raising a ruckus.'

A sigh of relief escaped your lips as Hawk and Elizabeth came into view, both of them unharmed.

'Nobody got hurt, did they?' asked Elizabeth.

'We're all good,' said Meliodas. 'There's no need to worry.'

'You're okay too?' you asked and she nodded but then her eyes widened. She stumbled off Hawk and ran to you. 'What is it?'

'[Y/n] you have... you have wings?' Elizabeth's hands shook as she pointed to the wings you had, quite honestly, forgotten about.

'Oh, yeah, I guess.' You rubbed the back of your head. 'Sorry.' And you went to tuck your wings away but Elizabeth started shaking her head vehemently.

'No, no don't! I was just surprised. Could I... could I touch them?'

You stared at her in shock but then smiled. 'Of course.'

Elizabeth and Hawk immediately walked around you, admiring the feathers and stroking them. You caught Meliodas's eye and blushed for some reason. But then something caught your eye. You frowned. The mess of broken crystals was moving. Before your eyes Guila rose, staggering and stumbling. You stepped in front of Elizabeth and Hawk, spreading your arms and wings to shield them, ignoring their noises of shock.

'At a range as close as this, even the power of the Spirit Spear can't save you from me!' Guila shouted. She swung her rapier at King's back.

But Meliodas was there.

He dived between the two and blocked the strike with his own sword. 'Back at ya,' he said, smiling the whole time.

Through the blazing light of Full Counter, you saw Guila's face. It was contorted in a scream but was soon hidden as the huge wave of power hit her. The force of the spell washed over you but you stood strong, shielding Elizabeth.

'Sir Meliodas,' you heard her say.

'I don't sense Guila anymore,' said Diane.

The dust began to settle and you relaxed your stance. You couldn't sense Guila either.

Screams came from behind you and you whipped around, hand flying to your sword. You blinked. Hawk's ears were... glowing?

'My ears are disappearing,' the pig squealed.

'Oh no, Hawk,' said Elizabeth before noticing the glow on her arms. 'Wait, now the same thing's happening to me. What's going on?'

Meliodas appeared at your side, glowing with the same light.

'Now I've got it,' cried Diane, looking at her golden fingers.

'The Necropolis senses that you belong here,' said a vaguely familiar voice, 'so now it's beginning to push everyone out.' You turned to where the voice was coming from and drew in a quick breath. 'That was great,' said Ellen's brother. 'You saw who you'd hoped to.'

'What are the two of you doing here?' asked Ban.

'Hold it,' said King. 'Do you mean you were from here the whole time?'

'The cooking you did for us was really yummy,' Ellen said and you felt tears well up in your eyes. 'Thank you so much.'

Ban smiled. 'Sure.'

You blinked away the tears and felt a hand on your arm. You looked down at Meliodas and smiled. The light grew brighter, you blinked and then you weren't in the Necropolis anymore.

Grey clouds blanketed the sky and a cold breeze was blowing. The village was just the same as it had been when you left. You tucked away your wings.

'It looks like we're back in our own world again,' said Meliodas with his hands on his hips.

'That place totally weirded me out,' Diane said.

Elizabeth gasped. 'Look, it's-'

It was Guila. You stepped back from her and reached for your sword but the knight didn't move. You looked closer. She was in the same position as she had been when she first appeared in the Necropolis, slumped over in a sort of half-bow with her hand on her chest. But now you could see her fingers were actually piercing just above her heart.

'I see,' said Meliodas. 'She reached the Necropolis by putting herself into a state of near death.'

'Doesn't that mean she's gonna be waking up pretty soon?' asked Hawk.

'Then we'd better get away from here,' said Elizabeth, already turning away.

'I say we kill her while the killing's good,' Ban said.

'You barbarian,' said King. 'I'll petrify her.'

You rolled your eyes. 'Isn't that the same as killing her?'

'Take it easy.' Meliodas folded his arms. 'Just let me handle it, you guys.'

What are you planning? You followed Meliodas as he carried Guila away from the others.

You'll see. He led the way to a giant tree in the village and propped Guila against the trunk. Hold her steady.

You did and Meliodas began to tie her to the tree with rope. Once she was firmly secure, Meliodas pulled a pen from his pocket.

'I've got one for you too,' he said and chucked you a pen.

You caught it and sighed. 'Are you serious?'

Meliodas had already begun to scribble on the unconscious knight's face. 'You don't have to help.'

You pursed your lips but couldn't stop the laughter that forced its way out. Meliodas grinned at you and, together, you got your revenge.

Back at the Boar Hat, you noticed Elizabeth watching you.

'Is there something I can help you with, Elizabeth?' you asked, not turning away from the shelf of bottles you were reorganising.

'Ah, no,' she said. 'Actually...'

You turned to face her, leaning on the bar. 'What?'

'Well, it's about your wings.'

'Oh?'

'Why didn't you use them before today?'

You smiled at her. There was no way you could tell her the real reason, about the curse, so you just shrugged. The princess frowned so you said, 'Want to go flying?'

Immediately Elizabeth's face brightened and she clapped her hands. 'Yes!'

She led the way outside. Hawk's mum was travelling at a leisurely pace so there wasn't much of a breeze. The landscape was just forest, no villages in sight. Perfect. You stood behind Elizabeth and wrapped your arms around her waist.

'Ready?' you asked as you unfurled your wings.

I'm just borrowing Elizabeth. We'll see you at the lake.

'Yes,' said Elizabeth and you heard the slight nervousness in her voice.

Have fun.

You spread your wings and, with a soft whooshing sound, you were in the air. Elizabeth screamed a little and you laughed. It was great flying again. You soared up to the clouds and spun, relishing in the cool breeze the swept over your face and through the feathers. Elizabeth was laughing; you could feel the vibrations on your arms. You looked down and could see everything clearly - there was the Boar Hat with Diane walking beside Hawk's mum and Meliodas waving to you through a window.

'How is it?' you said, hovering in place.

'It's amazing!' said Elizabeth.

You grinned. 'Not scary?'

Elizabeth shook her head.

So you held her tighter, pulled your wings in close and let gravity take over. You plummeted to the ground, the wind and Elizabeth screaming in your ears. And, with the trees mere inches away, you spread your wings once again. The wind caught them and you bobbed back up like a balloon, just skimming the highest leaves.

'How was that?' you asked.

Elizabeth didn't say anything. You could feel her heartbeat pounding under your hands and her breaths short and fast and just before you could feel guilty enough to call it a day she said, 'I trust you.'

You froze, wings beating automatically to keep you airborne. Elizabeth twisted around to look at you and smiled. You licked your lips and smiled back wider but stopped when you saw Elizabeth's wide eyes. 'Is something the matter?'

'Your eyes,' she said, 'are different. They're orange.'

'Oh yeah.' You mentally hit yourself on the head. 'It's to help me see. Watch this.' And you took her higher. The ground turned into a patchwork of greens. 'What can you see?'

Elizabeth shook her head. 'All I can see is different patches of green.'

'I can see the Boar Hat.' You pointed to where the tavern was travelling. 'I can see a village over there that's holding a market. And over that way is a deer having a drink at a stream.' Elizabeth gasped. 'Try focusing and tell me what you see again.'

It was quiet for a moment. You knew Elizabeth should be able to do this, maybe not with as much clarity as you could, but better than a human. Then she said, 'I can see the Boar Hat!'

'Good job.'

Hey, Meliodas?

What's up?

Can you wave at us again? I want to see if Elizabeth can see you.

Sure thing.

Far below, you saw Meliodas exit the tavern. He looked around until he spotted you then smiled and waved.

'Can you see Meliodas?' you asked. Elizabeth shook her head so you dropped a bit lower. 'How about now?'

'Yes!' She waved enthusiastically and laughed.

Meliodas waved once more and went back inside.

Thank you.

No problem.

Elizabeth twisted in your arms again to look at you. Through the gaps in her fringe you saw her eye glinting orange even though the other one was its normal blue. 'That was amazing!'

One corner of your lips quirked up in a smile. Below you was the lake the Boar Hat was heading for. The tavern wasn't far away and you weren't ready to land yet, so you flew Elizabeth in lazy circuits, swooping down to skim the surface of the water before rising high to touch the clouds. Eventually, Hawk's mum reached the lakeside and you grinned.

'Do you still trust me?' you said.

Elizabeth nodded.

You let her go.

For your eyes, she seemed to fall in slow motion. You saw her clothes rippling in the wind. Her hair floated in a cloud around her face. Her fingers were spread out, like she was trying to hold on to the sky. And below her, rising like a bubble in water, was Meliodas. His arms wrapped around her, one on her back, the other under her legs. And they both fell.

You followed slowly, letting the wind currents carry you wherever they wanted. The ground rose to meet you. The trees and the lake grew bigger. You blinked and felt your eyes go back to normal. And then you were on the grass, landing lighter than a feather.

'When's it my turn?' Ban's voice whined and you turned to watch him build a fire.

'You hate flying,' you said, cocking your head. 'King told me you're scared of heights.'

Ban growled. 'King!'

The fairy chuckled and bobbed over to you and shrugged his shoulders. 'That may not have been entirely true.'

You sighed and stretched your arms above your head. Meliodas wandered over and pressed a kiss to your temple.

'No more flying today,' he said. You smiled at him gratefully and left him to deal with Ban's continued whining. Flying took a lot out of you when you hadn't done it in a while. You looked over at Elizabeth. She was talking animatedly to Diane and Hawk, the colour high in her cheeks and a bright twinkle in her eye.

It wasn't long 'til the fire was burning merrily and fish was roasting on the flames. Both you and Ban knew how Meliodas could mess up even this form of cooking so you kept him far back. Your husband didn't seem to mind; he'd brought a collection of drinks down from the bar and was deciding which one to have. Delicious smells were soon drifting through the air. You accepted a bottle from Meliodas and sat down beside him.

'Here, Captain,' said Diane. 'I broiled this just for you. Open up!' And she started to poke the giant fish against Meliodas's head.

He didn't look up from his drink. 'That's a little big.'

'But it was very thoughtful of you, Diane,' you said quickly before Diane could get too hurt.

'Uh, Diane.' King floated in front of you. 'Are your injuries really healed now?'

Diane hid her face behind the fish and looked away. 'Sure, I feel fine.'

'Dumbass,' said Ban. His face was flushed and he was drinking another stein of beer. 'She was only pretending to get attention.'

King clenched his fist. 'Diane's not that kind of girl, okay?'

You giggled.

'Come on, would you two just take it easy?' said Meliodas.

'Speaking of which, I haven't asked yet,' King said, drifting down. 'So you and this girl, just what is your relationship?'

'What she is, is a princess of the realm. You're the third one, right?'

'Yes,' said Elizabeth.

King's eyes widened. 'What? You're a princess? You should've told me. If I'd known, I would've made myself more presentable.' He clenched his fists and seemed to strain.

'You don't have to-'

-pop-

King changed form. He was now the man from ten years ago, taller, older and slightly overweight. His clothes had changed too. They looked more regal, especially the poofy collar, but you had to admit you preferred the coat he had on before. Overall, it was quite the transformation.

Ban spit out his drink and you had to dodge to avoid the spray.

'Wow, you change your clothes,' said a wide-eyed Meliodas.

'Look closer!' Ban said.

'You know, it takes a great deal of mental effort to change into this form,' King boasted.

'What a pig.' Hawk spoke with his mouth full and you smirked.

King walked up to Elizabeth and bowed deeply. 'Hello, I am King, the Grizzly Sin of the Seven Deadly Sins. Glad to make your acquaintance.'

'The pleasure is mine I'm sure,' said Elizabeth politely.

'I didn't know you were royal.' King got closer to Elizabeth. 'Please forgive my poor manners here in the Necropolis.'

'Think nothing of it. Also, please don't let yourself become stressed out. Feel free to relax and just be comfortable.'

'If you insist, your majesty.'

-pop-

Tiny King was back. He slumped down and was caught by Chastiefol in its pillow form.

'That really took a lot out of me.' King sighed.

'Woah, his clothes changed back,' said Meliodas.

'Look closer dammit!' said Ban. You giggled.

'I really must say, you're one powerful individual, truly,' said Elizabeth to King who was now hugging his pillow and floating lazily in the air. 'On your own you took down an opponent that Sir Meliodas and the others had trouble with together.'

'Yeah, I guess I'm pretty powerful, but any of you could've taken care of that Holy Knight if you'd just unleashed your true strength.' King stared at you all. 'Now fess up, where are your Sacred Treasures?'

'I lost mine,' said Diane.

'Mine got stolen,' said Ban.

'Ours got stolen, too,' you said and rubbed the back of your head.

'Um, about that,' said Meliodas. You looked at him as he hotched on the floor and didn't meet your eye.

'What?' You narrowed your eyes. 'You said someone broke in while we were sleeping and made off with them in the night.'

'I lied. I sold them.'

'WHAT?'

'The New Generation? What's that?' asked Meliodas.

King rested his head on his hand. 'Apparently they're have been a few failed Apprentices who have found a way to gain the full powers of a Holy Knight in the space of only one day.'

It was a bit later. The sun had begun to set and the fire had begun to die. You were silently fuming at the news of what had happened to your Sacred Treasure but listened to King's information.

'Guila, for instance,' King continued. 'She's the latest Apprentice who's grown stronger overnight. Doesn't really seem right, does it?'

Meliodas leant forward. 'She was?'

'Let's back up a minute. You took the sacred treasure that was bestowed upon you by King Liones himself and sold it? And not only that, but [Y/n]'s too?'

You nodded furiously and glared at your husband. 'And lied about it!'

Meliodas somehow managed to look sheepish and proud at the same time. 'I needed seed money for the tavern.'

You huffed and rolled your eyes. 'That makes it better?'

King turned to Ban who was lazing on top of Hawk. 'Yours was stolen?'

'When they threw my butt into that prison,' said Ban nonchalantly.

King growled and looked at Diane. Her eyes glimmered with tears and she hid behind her hair.

'Am I a bad girl?' the giant asked.

King quickly backtracked. 'If it got misplaced then it's not your fault.'

You snorted. 'If you ask me, Ban is the only one with an acceptable excuse.'

'Hey, I don't understand why you two are getting so upset,' said Hawk finally free of Ban's embrace. 'These guys do pretty well with what they've got.'

'Sir Pig, now let's say that this lake represents all the magic power used by one of the Sins. How much water could you scoop out by using just your hands?' King gestured to the mass of water.

Hawk looked at one of his trotters. 'Hands?'

'That's right. No matter how much magic there is, you're pretty limited by them. But, if you have a weapon, especially a Sacred Treasure-' King reached out a hand. Water started to rise from the lake to hover in the air '-you could draw out incredible amounts of magic.' The water formed a massive sphere that bobbed over the lake.

'Sacred Treasures are pretty awesome,' said Meliodas.

'That makes a lot of sense.' Hawk grabbed Meliodas's shirt and screeched, 'Why the hell did you give yours up, hamhead?'

King let the water splash back down. 'In any case, we're gonna have to get your Sacred Treasures back assuming you're serious about saving the realm.'

Elizabeth got to her feet. 'Excuse me, but Sir King, before you joined us, were you working with somebody inside the castle?'

'More or less.'

'Do you know what happened to them? My father and two sisters, the king and the other two princesses.'

Meliodas flinched imperceptibly but you noticed. Your gaze softened.

'I'm afraid not. Sorry about that.'

'Oh, I see.'

You reached out and put your hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. She smiled at you, but you could tell it wasn't real. At least not 100%.

Night fell. Frogs croaked softly and the air cooled. Stars poked through the velvet darkness like millions of tiny eyes. You were tired but you couldn't go to bed yet.

'Why am I in this room?' King shouted.

Ban was already asleep, spreadeagled on the bed and snoring away.

'Because there's nowhere else,' you shouted right back. Then you sighed and ran a hand through your hair before turning to leave. 'You're welcome to sleep outside.'

'That's better than this.' King sorted but then yelled. Looking over your shoulder you saw he had been caught by Ban. You yawned and left them to their embrace, smiling softly at Elizabeth who had settled down in the camp bed.

'Don't worry, Elizabeth,' you said. Her bed creaked as she rolled over to look at you. 'We'll rescue your father and your sisters and everyone else too.'

She nodded and this time her smile was real.

'Sweet dreams.'

You trudged up the stairs and yawned again. What a day. You opened the door to your and Meliodas's room and gasped. He was waiting on the other side, shirtless and fiddling with the ring on his finger.

As soon as he saw you, Meliodas wrapped you in his arms.

'I am sorry,' he mumbled into your hair. 'I should've told you but I didn't want to admit how much we needed money.'

You stiffened but relaxed quickly and returned the embrace. 'It's okay. We'll get them back.' And you grabbed him by the hand and pulled him to the bed. 'But I think I need a better apology than that.'

You didn't need to look back to know he was smirking.

Late the next morning, Hawk's mum arrived at your next destination.

'That town there on the side of the mountain is called Vaizel. It's a merchant town,' Meliodas told Elizabeth.

You stood next to him and looked at the town. It was a cluster of buildings, some perched rather precariously on the mountain side. Off to one side stood a giant, flat-topped rock. It was in much better shape than the village next to the Necropolis.

'You think it's really here?' asked Hawk.

'Not too long ago, one of our customers said a hammer was brought in that was so big wield it, don't you remember?' You looked down at the pig.

'So nobody could handle it?' said Elizabeth.

King floated over. 'It could be Diane's.'

'To hell with that, we gotta do something about my clothes,' Ban whined.

'Just cover your six-pack with an apron,' said Meliodas.

'That's not important now!' Diane slammed her fists down and everyone went flying. 'Why do I have to stay and mind the bar?' There were tears in her eyes.

'Look, Diane, ever since a giant went wild at their festival a few years ago, they've all been banned from town. But we'll come right back as soon as we see what's up.'

Diane shook her head. 'It's gonna be boring!'

'I'll stay with you, Diane,' you said. Diane looked at you with wide eyes. 'You too, Elizabeth?'

The princess nodded. 'Sure, it'll be nice to have a little girl time for a change.'

'Yeah, just us girls.' Diane giggled.

'Okay, let's hit it,' said Meliodas to Ban and King. The three of them waved and headed off to town.

Be careful, you said, watching Meliodas's blond hair fade into the distance.

Always am.

You hummed and folded your arms before turning to Elizabeth and Diane and grinning widely. 'Girl time starts now!'

Girl time wasn't going exactly as you planned.

It had started pleasantly enough. You and Elizabeth got a whole bunch of food from the kitchen and joined Diane outside for a picnic. It was relaxing and hilarious as you all swapped tales. Elizabeth wanted to know all about your and Meliodas's wedding, so you and Diane told her all about it.

After eating the last strawberry, you flopped back on the blanket and looked at the sky and sighed. 'I'm so full.'

'Me too.' Diane spread out beside you.

'[Y/n]?' Elizabeth asked. You hummed. 'I just wanted to say I'm really glad you're here.'

You blushed. 'Thank you, Elizabeth. That means a lot.' She smiled at you and lay down with her head in your lap. Your heart almost burst.

'Yeah,' Diane mused. 'It was always better when you were there and that hasn't changed.'

Elizabeth nodded. 'And Sir Meliodas is much happier with you around.'

'That fool?' You snorted. 'He's always happy.'

You felt Elizabeth shake her head and Diane turned to you.

'That's not true, [Y/n],' said Diane. 'Those few days before you came I could tell something wasn't right with the captain.'

'It's true,' Elizabeth said before you could object. 'I didn't know you or him at first but even I could tell there was something missing.'

It was quiet for a moment before you said, 'Well I'm here now. And I don't plan on leaving again.'

A comfortable silence settled over the three of you. Clouds drifted by overhead. It was perfect.

Then Diane had the idea that you could all prepare a wonderful meal for when the boys came back. The only problem was you had just used most of the food for the picnic.

'There's got to be some food in the woods,' you said, peering into the trees.

'Let's go!' Elizabeth and Diane cheered.

So the three of you ventured into the woods. It was cooler under the trees. The light dappled on the ground making the most beautiful patterns. Birds sang in the trees. You split up to cover more ground but stayed close enough to hear if anyone needed help.

You had just found a bush of blackberries when a shrill scream pierced the air.

'Elizabeth!' You heard Diane shout the princess's name as well. You tore off through the trees and burst onto the scene just in time to see Diane reaching out to bonk a Chicken-Matango on the head.

'Diane, don't! That's a-'

But you were too late.

Diane's fist made contact and the poor mushroom creature crumpled. Then it frowned and - poof - the air was filled with pink smoke.

You tried not to breathe too deeply. Elizabeth and Diane were coughing. Eventually the air cleared. You sighed as you looked down at your naked body. Your ring lay on the ground to your left now the size of tiara. You hefted it up and placed it on your head before Meliodas could freak out.

Screams filled the air again. you whipped round to see Elizabeth and Diane, also naked, staring each other in horror. Then they looked at you and screamed again.

'Calm down,' you said and raised a hand. 'It'll wear off.'

'But-' Diane stammered.

'And maybe next time you'll think before you punch.' You fixed the girl with a hard stare. She blushed and looked down.

'What should we do?' Elizabeth asked.

You looked around and the clothes. 'I think I have an idea.'

And that's how you came to be here, nestled between Diane's boobs with Elizabeth wedged behind you. Diane was wearing your clothes, a top hat and a cape so she could "surprise the boys". Elizabeth's clothes were under Diane's shirt secured with a rope. You made sure of this because you knew the effects of the spores wouldn't last as long for you.

'In that case, I'll wear Elizabeth's clothes,' said Diane when you explained but you shook your head.

'No way, that outfit is stupid,' you said. 'No offence, Elizabeth.'

When everything was ready, Diane set off into town so she could find the boys.

Well, that had been the plan. When you got in to town, however, it appeared there was a fighting festival about to begin. Meliodas, Ban and King had already signed up. You couldn't believe it.

'We're supposed to be keeping a low profile,' you hissed. 'I bet they used their own names.'

'It's worse than that,' you heard Diane say quietly but loud enough for you and Elizabeth to hear. 'Ban was the one to sign them up.'

You slapped your forehead and heard Elizabeth giggle behind you.

'Fine. Whatever. I give up. Enter, Diane. Enter and kick their butts.'

'You got it.'

¾

This town is so cool! The streets were filled with people and lined with shops of all kinds. Chatter filled the air and mingled with smell of exotic spices and freshly baked bread. Meliodas spied one stall selling pastries and resolved to buy one for [Y/n] before they left.

'Captain, do we have to look through all this stuff?' asked Ban.

'You're really wearing an apron,' said King.

'Let's go find an arms vendor,' said Meliodas. Then he blinked and looked down at his ring. For a second it went cold but not a minute later was warm again. He shrugged it off. Girl time means girl talk and girl secrets. He kept walking, keeping his eyes peeled for Gideon.

'Looking for something, son?' asked a voice. It was an old man. An old drunk man. His cheeks were flushed and he had a bottle in his hand. He was perched on a tree stump by a fruit stand. 'Or are you planning on being part of the festival?'

Meliodas smiled. 'Nah, we're trying to look for a weapon, a really big hammer. We heard there might be one at this market.'

The man stroked his moustache. 'Ah. Well, that's easy enough. Right there, behind that rock.' And he pointed to the giant, flat-topped rock on the outskirts of town.

Sure enough, Gideon was right where the old man said it would be.

'Look, it's Diane's Gideon,' King exclaimed as they got close. The hammer had attracted a small crowd who marvelled at its size. It was very impressive.

Meliodas put his hands on his hips. 'It was here all the time.'

A shrill voice caught his attention. 'All right,' it said. 'It's time to begin the annual Vaizel Fighting Festival now!' The crowd cheered and Meliodas looked over to see a midget in a red dress and wack helmet. 'Use of weapons strictly forbidden. Men who let their fists do the talking should hurry and sign up right away. The winner's gonna get a hundred gold coins. But that's not all! You also take home this giant war hammer!'

As soon as he heard the words "Fighting Festival", Meliodas blanked out. He vaguely heard that Gideon was being offered as a prize and King complaining, but that wasn't important right now.

'We're gonna put our names in aren't we?' asked Ban.

'Let's see who's got what it takes,' said Meliodas. He grabbed King's hood and yanked the fairy along, following Ban to where everyone was signing up. 'Hey! Count us in!'

'You can count me out,' King tried to protest but Meliodas didn't let go. He didn't let go even when a giant bald guy hoisted him into the air by his vest.

'This ain't a festival for little kids. Get outta here,' said the man.

Meliodas blinked. 'Sorry, I don't see what the problem is.'

Another man appeared. This one was younger and had an aura of power and a crazy hairdo. 'Hey there friend,' said the newcomer. 'This is a festival, okay? Just relax.'

The bald man scowled but put Meliodas down. 'Who do you-? You know that my name is Taizoo, right? I've been the winner of this festival for three years in a row.' And he stormed off.

The most-likely-Holy-Knight guy rubbed the back of his head. 'Okay then. Man, my job has gotten in the way every year until now.' He thrust his fists into the air. 'Yeah! My dream of fighting here is coming true at last.' He winked at Meliodas. 'So let's do this, you guys.' And he chuckled and walked away.

'I've seen him somewhere before,' said King.

Meliodas shrugged and followed the crowd of people heading to the top of the rock. He didn't let it show on his face, but he was confused. For a while now he had been sensing [Y/n], Elizabeth and Diane through the ring. What were they doing? But it wasn't time to think about that now. The people who had signed up for the fight were being ushered onto a sort of raised podium.

'The Fighting Festival Elimination Round will now begin,' shouted the shrill midget. 'Fighters into the ring!'

Ban climbed up with no hesitation and Meliodas quickly followed. King was still complaining.

Meliodas crossed his arms. 'Now, let's get ready to take Diane's Sacred Treasure back.'