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Chapter Text

Elizabeth

I stood alone on a rocky ledge, looking right down at the fatal fall with a bittersweet smile. Perhaps I’d have longed to be mortal -a human- if just to avoid the horrible burden of this war. But then I would lose my wings.

And, even if they were physical proof of my goddess heritage… of all the burdens that rested on my shoulders, it’d still break my heart to give them up.

Flying in that wide, open sky, forgetting what it was to be Elizabeth of the Goddess race, forgetting duty and responsibility… that was the only thing that could bring a smile to my face… at least that way the way it had been for the last couple years.

Well, actually, I smiled plenty. But those smiles were the fake, practiced kind. The kind that came with years of experience, of tuning out the whispers that seemed to follow my every step.

“Ellie, come on! We have to go, Ludociel is calling another meeting!” Mael’s voice was chiding, but it made me feel oddly comfortable. We had known each other for so long. Fought together for so long. He and two of the other archangels were the only ones to ever make me feel… happy. They were the ones I fought to protect.

“Coming! Wait up, Mael!” I leapt off the cliff, spreading my four ivory wings to catch the currents. It was euphoric, truly, it was.

One thing dulled that joy, however.

Ludociel. I wouldn’t have even considered going to this meeting if I didn’t think Ludociel would immediately propose the most bloodiest -and sadly most efficient- solution. Someone had to oppose him.

He wasn’t all terrible, but he was the one archangel I couldn't bring myself to quite like. He just had a callousness toward life that rubbed my feathers the wrong way. How was it that two brothers could be so different? How was it that Mael was compassionate and caring, and Ludociel was so apathetic?

But I knew the answer. I always had.

Ludociel had only ever loved two people. Himself… and Mael, his brother. It was because Mael was so kind and trusting that Ludociel had to be so cold. It was the only way he could protect his brother. Or maybe it was the other way around? Maybe Ludociel was just cruel, and Mael didn’t want others to hate his brother? Then again, it wasn’t like he had to do too much: Nerobasta already worshipped Ludociel… it was kind of disturbing, really.

Whatever the cause, I stayed silent about it all. It wasn’t like I was so much better. I hadn’t gotten my nickname -‘Bloodstained Ellie’- from nowhere, after all.

I may not be heartless… I may not be completely apathetic… but I was still a warrior who was destined to fight for -and die for, if need be- my people.

“Ellie…” Mael’s whisper brought me back to the real world, the one covered in blood and death. But I felt no anger. I could never be angry at Mael.

“Sorry, we can speed up, if you want? I know you miss your brother.” I forced a twist to my lips, hoping that Mael wouldn’t notice how much effort it took.

He did. Of course he did.

“Ellie, you don’t have to do this anymore if you don’t want to, take a healer’s position. If you don’t want that, you can work at the plantation or the orphanage! Anyone would be thrilled to have you.” Mael’s voice was kind and understanding, the way he always was, but my attention had caught on one thing and one thing only.

The orphanage wouldn’t need more hands to help out if there weren’t so many orphans in the first place! And if I did a better job here, then maybe-

“Ellie, please, just take a break! One tiny break, that’s all!” Mael playfully elbowed me, and, surprised as I was, I fell a couple inches in altitude before leveling again.

Part of me wanted to ask him if the demons were going to take a break too, but I resisted. Mael meant no harm. He was just… young.

I snickered softly to myself, surprised by how little I had to force it.

The humans would have thought me a very strange little goddess indeed, for thinking of Mael’s 347 years as nothing of great significance. Then again, considering I was nearing the third century myself, perhaps I had that right.

Well, in human terms, anyway.

For the rest of my race, we were both immature little tykes that should still be stuck in the nursery.

Not that we were anything like children. At least… not physically.

I was quite certain that it was the subtle sense of power that hung around Mael that did the trick, but it somehow made him feel more… regal? Powerful? Either way, it was a supremely difficult thing to do, since I had seen the very same -but slightly younger- Mael running around swiping candy.

Or it might not have anything to do with the power and more to do with the fact that he towered an entire head over me.

I struggled to remember just what he’d said, so I simply said, “ Perhaps,” and left it at that.

By now we’d reached the meeting place, and I tensed slightly, not quite sure what turn this conversation would take. My last battle -two days ago- hadn’t been particularly rough, but then again, as long as I wasn’t taking on more than one Commandment alone, I gave myself a pretty generous chance of making it out unscathed.

Being the daughter of The Supreme Deity had some -very limited, and with serious drawbacks- privileges.Then again, I hated thinking about my state of ‘not dead’ or ‘not brutalized’ as a privilege. But it was a time of war.

“Lady Elizabeth, pleasure to see you here.” Ludociel’s voice was smooth and slippery. And entirely untrustworthy.

I gave him a detached smile -which required more effort than casting an ark- and said, “Pleasure’s all mine.”

Poor Mael looked between me and his brother and gave us both a wobbly, fake smile that I dearly hoped was inferior to mine. If I was anywhere near that transparent, that was not a good sign.

“Just get to the point, Ludociel!” Sariel, the short archangel of the Tornado Grace, snapped.

I think I had never wanted to hug the little angel more than I did at that very moment. I was exhausted from patrolling for these last couple of hours, and a surprise meeting in which Ludociel constantly played mind games did not make me feel all too friendly.

At least the mind games would be marginally toned down. The meeting would still be terrible, but thanks to Sariel, it would be a lot shorter.

Ludociel glowered at Sariel for a couple moments before clearing his throat pointedly and continuing. “A powerful demon aura has been detected near our border. It’s quite close to a human settlement.”

The four archangels seemed to freeze in shock. And me. But I was in a weird middle between “lowly foot soldier’ and ‘powerful archangel’, so I didn’t even know how to describe myself.

Well, okay, everyone except for Ludociel, who looked so smug I wondered if that expression was permanently etched on his face.

“Ludociel… when was this? And who is the demon?” I asked, fatigue forgotten. If I left now, could I stop the demon?

Common sense told me that Ludociel didn’t know the name of the demon, seeing that he hadn’t mentioned… but then again, this was Ludociel we were talking about, so he might have held off on telling us just to make the eventual reveal more dramatic.

“How am I to know? A soldier reported this soon after my battle with Derieri and Monspeet of The Ten Commandments!” Ludociel’s voice was indignant, and I sighed in disappointment, knowing I wasn’t going to get any more out of him.

But I did have something to work with. Ludociel’s battle was today, so he must have been told just a couple hours ago.

Should I try scouting the area? I wasn’t anywhere near full power yet -still recovering after healing all my soldiers after the battle two days ago- so if the demon really was as powerful as they said and we were forced to engage, I could lose my life. Losing a commander at a time like this could really weaken goddess forces…

But if I didn’t go, wouldn’t that mean that I was leaving the outlying human territories to be annihilated by a demon? I was leaving people to suffer while full knowing that I could have helped!

Also, most demons with somewhat of a sentience were thought of as ‘powerful’ for a lowly foot soldier. It could just be a mid-ranking demon, and I could take care of it and come right back.

Or maybe the demon was just a normal civilian type and it wouldn’t try to kill me. Unlikely, but I didn’t think I could fly another mile without that kind of wishful thinking.

“What do we plan to do?” Mael asked.

"I… I’ll check it out, I have a little magic left, and I’m the least exhausted of us five as of the moment. If it’s a higher ranking demon, I’ll signal you, okay?” I turned to Mael, pleading with him with my eyes. If Mael agreed, Ludociel would have to, and I knew Tarmiel and Sariel were on my side anyway.

“I could come with you? What if the demon tries to-” Mael was cut off as I interrupted.

“I’m probably not going to be fighting, that’s just the worse case scenario. Besides, you’ve worked so hard today, get some rest!” I told Mael.

I had to be the one to go. Mael was gentler than the others, but he still thought my affection for humans was misplaced. He just didn’t understand that just because they were as powerful as the goddesses or demons, it didn’t mean that the humans were any less deserving of life.

Mael reluctantly nodded, and I gave him a quick nod to convey my thanks. Ludociel just sighed.

“Very well, Lady Elizabeth. But please do signal us if there is any trouble.”

War was sacrifice, blood, and tears. It was a seemingly eternal nightmare. But if I could make even one living thing just a little happier, or a little safer… it was worth all of it. So, with a little wave, I jumped off the platform where the most powerful of my race had convened, and flew off into the unknown, toward a demon that might or might not be the end of me.

Chapter Text

Meliodas

I let the darkness -my darkness- melt away.

There was a presence heading toward me, but what did I care? I did not bother to wonder why I couldn’t quite determine the power of the presence. No one in this world could challenge me, after all.

So I stood there, my weapons hidden away, my power scattered. Maybe this stranger would make me feel something.

I’d just returned from Purgatory -had felt the vengeful winds claw at my flesh, felt the horrid chill and sudden blaze of heat. Now all I felt was an odd emptiness. I was… numb.

I prepared to feel the rush of battle. I prepared to feel the blaze of my wrath. I prepared to feel.

Instead, the creature that landed in front of me fell far short of the mark.

In any other situation, I may have found her lovely. Oh, she was… but pretty faces were common. Power wasn’t.

But her wings betrayed her to be of goddess blood. Perhaps she would entertain me, if only for a moment.

The goddess stepped softly toward me, and I turned pitch-black eyes on her. I heard her gasp of surprise, her wide golden eyes taking in my form. I smirked.

The goddess’ hands immediately filled with light, and I felt one brow lift in surprise. The girl was stronger than I thought she’d be, and my smirk widened ever so slightly as she advanced on me.

And then I turned the full force of my Commandment on her.

The girl just took another step. Then another.

She stopped just in front of me, and I wondered how she hid the effort it took to stand so close to me. My Commandment must be sapping her strength, stopping her from coming any closer.

She gave me a tired smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “ Hello, child, are you lost? I can help you return to your village.” Then she hovered her glowing hands over me, and all my aches and pains melted away. Grabbing my hand, she led me away.“ Come, your village awaits!”

She… thought I was a human boy? It wasn’t out of the question, I had none of my darkness, my weapons and power were veiled. Even my demon mark was hidden. As for my eyes… well, humans had dark eyes too, didn’t they? It was already night, so it wasn’t like the girl could see them clearly. She probably thought they were just dark brown.

That gave me the answer as to how the goddess had avoided the effects of my Commandment of Love: why would she feel any measure of hatred for a human? But I was unused to touch that didn’t bring pain, and I offered no resistance as the goddess pulled me toward ‘my’ village.

“It looks like I’ll be staying here for a while.” The goddess forced a kind smile and continued,“We can stay together for the night, and then we can find your parents tomorrow. Deal?”

I could ask the goddess certain things while she believed I was human… or at least that would be the excuse. It would be a pain to pretend to be human, but it was better than having Zeldris find me. Knowing him, he’d find me by sniffing after my magic like some bloodhound. Then I’d have to listen to his nagging again.

I wasn’t in any mood to have an all out fight with my brother either. This goddess seemed more amiable, and, even if she blew my cover, it wasn’t like she would full-on attack me in the middle of a human settlement. Not that it would do much damage. Besides, this goddess seemed like the sentimental type.

So I only nodded mutely.

“So what’s your name? Just calling you ‘child’ seems kind of patronizing.” The goddess gave me another tight -likely fake- smile, and I dearly wished she’d stop doing that. It was annoying, these goddesses. They were never truly genuine, so how was anyone supposed to get along with them?

As for the ‘patronizing’ comment, if she’d known how obnoxious it was, why’d she do it? Goddesses and their backward logic. Then again, it was better than ‘lowly human’, so I could at least live with it.

“My name is…” obviously giving a goddess my real name was out of the question, but lying felt wrong somehow. “ … Mel.” That was okay, right? Maybe she’d assume my full name was Meli-oaf-as, or something.

“Oh, how pretty! I’m Ellie!” There she went with her false cheer. Again. But today I was fine with that. Maybe I’d kill her for it tomorrow; I had done so for far less, after all. But for today, even false cheer made me feel like life was a little less terrible.

So I gave her my sweetest, most innocent smile -something I thought I’d forgotten how to do in Purgatory- and held out a hand for her to shake.

The goddess looked a little surprised, and this time, when she smiled, I could see it was genuine. She really was quite the beauty, and seeing her smile for real only cemented that in my mind. I even briefly considered letting her live. Right up until she ignored my hand and went right over to ruffle my stupid blond hair like I was an adorable child.

“Aw, you’ll make a great young man one day!” she said, affectionately.

I felt my demon hissing, but to my surprise, it felt more like an annoyed pet than a ferocious beast.

I’m probably a couple centuries older than you, you foolish goddess, so if you treat me like a child one more time… actually, no, I won’t kill you. Not this night. Not now.

“Anyway, are there any nice places you know? This is my first time in this village, so I don’t really know.” Ellie watched me expectantly, and I gave her a deadpan stare. Why would she ask a child where he thought they should go? Even if she thought he lived here, human children were just as young as they appeared. If a child couldn’t find the way back home, how would he know a nice tavern?

I wanted to write Ellie off for a fool, but there was something there in her eyes, a spark of something… “ Well, I’m sure there’s a cheap place somewhere.” My voice came out deeper than any child’s should be, and I caught the goddess’ knowing eyes, the flash of cunning.

She… she knew!

I instantly threw the girl into a nearby shadow, a little patch of darkness where hopefully no one would notice the goddess’ death. No, actually, since Ellie was covering her wings with a traveling cloak, they’d just assume she was human.

I wrapped my hands around her throat, choking her, but I couldn't bring myself to break her neck. It made me feel... vaguely ill. Perhaps my ribs were still broken. So I pinned her to the ground, cutting off her air and hoping she'd pass out quickly. Besides, I had to keep relatively quiet, or the humans would act up, and I didn’t want to waste my time smacking them away one by one. And using enough power to wipe them all out at once would attract Zeldris’s attention.

But the goddess didn’t go down so easily. She grabbed my right wrist, and a searing pain made me grit my teeth. It was likely her Purge ability, but I had never had that harm me like this… I stared at my wrist, which was a bloody mess. Who could even cast a Purge like this anyway? I had heard no incantation, no spell… Purge was an effective magic, but it was still quite slow. How had she-

I was tossed off her as she bucked, and I grunted as I felt my back hit the ground. I slid to my feet almost immediately, but it was surprise more than pain that slowed my mind and reflexes.

And in that two second window where she could have landed a hit-

Throwing out her arms like that pitiful gesture was supposed to ward me off, the goddess gasped out, “Listen to me, I don’t want to fight, but if you keep attacking, this village will be destroyed! I’ll have to signal the others!”

Others… so there were more? No matter. This girl wasn’t anything too special, certainly any reinforcements she might bring were mere soldiers with no true power.

“I have no reason to let you live.” I prowled ever closer, each movement almost animalistic in its liquid grace.

“ I-I can help end the Holy War!” The goddess backed away, and I allowed a cruel smile to contort my face.

“ I can end the Holy war too. By killing all of the goddesses.” I should kill her now. This was the perfect moment. But I couldn’t. It was like she had her own Commandment of Love, except it preyed on hesitance instead of hate.

Besides, I found that I did not wish to kill this… Ellie. The last couple decades had been spent being battered by my father in Purgatory, and I felt an overwhelming spite toward the creature that had broken my body over and over and over again.

I met the girl’s golden eyes. My demon should be disgusted by them, but instead it felt curious. She had known. From the very first moment she’d seen me, she knew of my demonic heritage. So why? Why had my Commandment failed to cripple her power? How had she come close enough to touch me? And… what did that mean?

Chapter Text

~Elizabeth~

I stood watching as The Prince of Demons turned and smoothly glided away.

There was a strange grace to him, an odd, otherworldly strength that could never belong to a creature of this world.

But he felt human. He felt mortal. He felt alive.

I stared down at my traitorous right hand in morbid curiosity, the events of this night flashing through my mind once more.

I had just… reached out. Held a demon’s hand. Ruffled his hair. Yanked him around the village like he was a mere human.

And it had felt so natural.

Since I was a young child just learning how to cast an ark, I had been told that demons were brutish savages that were far below us. I had been told of their leaders, Meliodas of Love and Zeldris, monstrous creatures who should be slain at the first opportunity presented. That was how I had recognized Meliodas today.

Delicate features befitting a fairy. Overwhelming power. And the dreaded mark of the demons, displayed proudly for all to see.

When he was a mere name on a page, it was easy to imagine ending him… of making my mother proud of me. But when faced with the living creature, when faced with flesh and blood and a sort of dark sarcasm I thought equated humor in his mind… I couldn’t.

Because a question plagued me still.

From the moment I identified Meliodas’s dark aura, I had rushed to evacuate a large part of the village -Meliodas wouldn’t have noticed the lack of activity, as humans were prone to sleep at night- and had signalled to the archangels before landing to try to stall the demon for as long as I could.

I knew I had no chance against him, drained of magic as I was. The part of me that was Elizabeth -the one who liked flowers and dancing and had cried at the sight of blood- wanted to run, to hide and wait for the archangels to come help. But the part that was Bloodstained Ellie, the part that had been honed to a sharp edge by horrors no one deserved to know… that part was utterly unafraid as she approached one of the most powerful creatures in this realm.

But neither Elizabeth nor Bloodstained Ellie expected an innocent looking boy, content to play along with her foolish game.

That was the question that plagued me.

If demons desire blood and pain and suffering above all else, how was I whole and uninjured? Yes, he had tried to… actually, not really. ‘Choking’ implies that he was trying to kill me, but looking back, it felt more half-hearted than anything else. As horrible as it may sound, I knew from past experiences that I had more than enough strength to snap a demon’s neck. If Meliodas was physically stronger than me… well, it should have been easy for him to end me in that tiny window of time when he’d had me pinned.

But I had no more time to dwell on the debatable morals of a demon.

“Ellie! Are you alright?” Mael’s voice was panicked, and I looked over in that direction to see him landing gracefully on the ceramic shingles of one of the village houses.

“Yeah, I’m okay!”

Mael’s face darkened. “Ellie, did you kill the demon? I don’t sense any demonic aura here now-” he gasped in surprise, and I winced as Mael came to the same realization I had come to hours earlier. “Meliodas? You faced the demon prince of Love? Why isn’t there a crater here?”

“I don’t… I don’t know.”

At least I thought I didn’t. There were a thousand possible reasons, but none seemed to be quite right. And the ones that did were treasonous.

Mael nodded gravely. “Well, we know that Meliodas was here, so I’ll adjust the patrols to focus more heavily on this village. For now, let’s get back and report to the others.”

That sounded about right, but something told me that Meliodas wasn’t here to scout or plan an attack. For one, why would he come in person? He had to have had better things to do than that! Besides, wouldn’t a scouting mission be a better fit for a low-level demon much less likely to be detected? What Meliodas was planning… what the demons were planning… could be far worse.

I said as much to Mael, and he thought about it for a moment.

“I suppose… but this also fits in perfectly with the renowned arrogance of demons. Whatever it is, I think it’s better to be safe than regret it later, so I suggest leaving a small group of goddesses here, but I’ll leave the decision to Ludociel.”

“But Ludociel will just say that one human settlement isn’t worth weakening our defenses for!” I said.

Then what would have been the point of risking my life? Although I was willing to do whatever it took to help save lives, I didn’t think lightly of death. Having The Supreme Deity’s daughter in the mortal world -preferably alive- evened out the balance of power between demons and goddesses.

Mael cringed ever so slightly, but said, “My brother couldn’t be that cruel. But still, if he refuses to strengthen defenses here-”

“If he refuses, you’ll agree with letting me take my own legion to patrol in this area.” I interrupted smoothly. 

I had Mael nicely pinned. If he refused, he’d have to admit that his brother wasn’t nearly as great as he thought. If he agreed, then I’d have what I wanted: the chance to protect people. For the first time in my long centuries of living in the mortal world, I thanked Ludociel for his mind games. They were annoying, but at least they made me stronger.

“Fine, but if my brother does agree, you owe me your dessert for a week.” Mael gave me a playful smile, and the horrible heaviness of the subject dissipated. “Prepare to suffer!”

I doubted it.

 
* * *

I walked along the long, pristine white corridors of the goddess base, resisting the urge to sigh in frustration.

Ludociel had -as I had suspected- refused to send a large enough fighting force, and had promptly given me the ‘you are the daughter of The Supreme Deity and lada lala’ speech. In the end, however, that had worked out well enough, because -after my pleading and demanding and generally acting like a little nuisance- Ludociel had finally agreed to free up a little unit.

That made me wonder, however, did I technically owe Mael some dessert? Ludociel had refused at first, just like I'd said, after all. Then again, he'd also eventually given in...

But that was not the most pressing matter. Apparently, the unit was led by a newly promoted Divine Lance Corporal.

I shuddered at the thought.

After all, who else could it be but Nerobasta? I knew it, Ludociel did hate me.

I couldn’t say Nerobasta was a bad person -I didn’t know her well enough to say that, and I didn’t like to think of people as good or bad- but I could say that she wasn’t a kind one.

From the first moment I had met her, only two things had stood out to me. Her obsession with Ludociel… and her disdain of humans. Actually, make that disdain and hatred for all races besides the goddesses.

Understandably, neither of those two traits had made me want to know her any better.

And now I would be forced to.

I knew how hard this would be for her -as I understood it, Nerobasta thought anything that didn’t involve Ludociel was misery incarnate- but it was just… well, I didn’t want to worry about Nerobasta being mean and grouchy to everyone while I was trying to protect a village-

“Ay! Wait up, my legs aren’t as long as yours!”

I whipped around, pasting a fake smile on my face… and came face to face with a petite little girl who looked just a little younger than me.

“Oh, um, do I know you?” I asked, trying not to let my dreadful mood bleed into my voice.

“Nah, but I do hope we can be friends! If you want to. Do you want to?” The girl asked, big amber eyes locked on me.

 Sure? I’m Elizabeth.” I fidgeted nervously with my hair, tucking it behind my ear to give my hands something to do.

I wasn’t used to having female friends.

As the Supreme Deity’s daughter, I was used to being treated with perfect reverence… or the guise of reverence. No one was unkind, but… well, I wanted more than ‘not unkind’ in someone I considered a friend.

That particular standard was quite difficult to meet when everyone thought my mother or Mael would strike them dead for so much as bumping into me.

My mother… she didn’t care at all. As long as I could perform my duties… what did it matter to The Supreme Deity whether one goddess lived or died? Mael… well, I could kind of see how others might think him intimidating.

So, my only friends ended up being three of the archangels… who were all male.

“Great! I’m… well, you can call me Jelamet, and I lead the unit that you'll be working with. The grumpy old veterans screw up their faces and call me ‘Divine Lance Corporal’ but the title’s kinda hard to spell, and I can barely write my own name, so…”

Part of me wanted to jump for joy, and the other part wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.

For one, this Divine Lance Corporal seemed amazing, in the way that her presence meant I didn't have to deal with Nerobasta… but because of this horrible war, she’d never even learned to write properly. How many others like her were out there? Here I was, complaining about having no female friends, when some people never learned to write, and others were dying?

I had to end this war, but how would I-

The demons.

Meliodas had proven that demons could reason, and if that were true… then could a treaty really have a chance of success?

When I’d first brought it up to The Council and the archangels, they had all scoffed at me, telling me -in the kindest way possible- that demons were dumb brutes and that my idea was a waste of time. Well, all but Mael, who just gave me an apologetic smile.

But they weren’t dumb brutes, and a treaty was possible.

So how would I get into contact with Meliodas without giving him an opportunity to kill me before hearing me out?

I couldn't just try to fight him into submission, that was too risky. There had to be another way...

A crafty smile crossed my face as an idea came to me. It was a bit of a gamble, yes, but if it worked… Britannia would be at peace for the first time in its long, bloody history.

Chapter Text

~Meliodas~

I stared at all the reports from the Commandments, growing more disturbed with each sloppily written nightmare.

How had we lost so much in the short time I’d been away at Purgatory?

Derieri and Monspeet? Loss.

Galant and Melascula? Loss.

Aranak and Zeno? Loss. 

The only pair that had achieved a victory was Calmadios and Gowther, but it was likely Gowther was the one being useful, and Calmadios had just full-on charged like he always had. 

We couldn’t afford to lose anymore important fights. 

At least there was no way Zeldris could have lost with Grayroad as his partner. 

Speaking of the demons… I flicked my eyes toward the entrance, where a furious Zeldris stormed in. Alone.

That couldn’t possibly be good.

“Meliodas! You need to see the state of my army! The goddesses have done something to them!”

I sighed, briefly debating punching Zeldris through the hard stone wall. After all, what could possibly be worse than them just dying? If Zeldris was just being dramatic…

“Fine. Show me. Now.” I stood, crossing my arms and staring expectantly at my brother. I was not at all looking forward to laying eyes on his most recent military disgrace.

 He brought me to where his army was gathered… and the sight that greeted me was truly far worse than death. 

* * * 

“What is the meaning of this?” I demanded, expecting the demons shrink back or prostrate themselves at my feet. They did neither. 

“Peace! We must have peace! Peace with the Goddess Clan! A treaty must be written… ” There was a nearly fanatical gleam in the eyes of these demons, making them look slightly deranged. 

“Who? Who did this?” I grabbed Zeldris by the throat, holding him up with one hand.

“A-a silver haired goddess…” he gasped out. 

“Zeldris! You have to give me more to work with!” I tossed Zeldris away like a broken doll, hissing in disgust. 

“H-how about… curvy, of medium height, and she was shiny and all that.” Zeldris said, somehow managing to gasp for breath and sound sarcastic at the same time.

Great. He had basically described half of the Goddess Clan, down to how ridiculously shiny they were. 

“You shouldn’t have trouble figuring out who she is, though… s-she was powerful. Very much so… maybe even more than Sariel or Tarmiel of the archangels.” He added on, noticing my murderous expression.

A regular goddess more powerful than archangels… was she the daughter of the Supreme Deity? 

If that was true… this could not end well. 

“ Zeldris, contact Grayroad, we’re going to kill that goddess.” 

The rest of the Commandments were still recovering, and would just get in the way… and I had no idea how long the goddess’ spell would last. I had to act now. 

So, with the calls for peace piercing the night sky, I flew off. 

* * *

By the time we arrived at the location Zeldris had indicated, it was nearly dawn. The goddess’ camp was instantly recognizable by all the lush vegetation surrounding it -a side effect of their powers. 

Strangely enough… it wasn’t guarded- huh?

A female goddess flew above us all, looking down at us as if we were exactly where she wanted us to be. 

Long silver hair hung down to her waist, and four creamy wings held her aloft. But those weren’t her most remarkable features. 

Golden eyes, filled with a burning passion, locked onto my own. 

It was her. The goddess from days ago… why was she… was she Elizabeth, daughter of The Supreme Deity? 

Ellie… Elizabeth. Oh. That nickname made sense. 

Before I could speak, however, her voice rang out, clear and strong. 

“Demons, welcome. I have brought you here today to propose something that I believe will be to the benefit of us all.” 

Of course she did. How very foolish of her. 

But… as I stared into those golden eyes I started to feel a little- wait. What? 

Was she… was she using that odd ability on me? 

I glanced over at Zeldris and Grayroad, who, seeing as they hadn’t attacked her yet, must be similarly afflicted.

I couldn’t reprimand them, however. The voice in my head was… so tempting. 

It seemed to whisper that if I just listened, I could finally wash my hands of blood and sheath my sword. It whispered of peace, and hope, and a meadow full of sunlight and laughter. 

It whispered lies. 

“For so many long, horrible years, our clans have warred. I, however, believe that we must call a truce… if only for a short period of time. If we do not, both our clans will be destroyed.” 

I knew I was being tricked. I knew this was a trap. 

But I had to listen. I had to- no. I had to resist. 

“Goddess, if you wish to acknowledge your clan’s weakness, do it before our blades lop off your head!” I growled, feeling my darkness fill the air around me, pulsing with power and dark, deadly promise. 

But I had made a fatal mistake. 

After the thrashing by my father, I still wasn’t back to full power... but the goddess was. 

For a single moment, she unleashed that blinding light inside of her, and the air around her crackled and distorted in the wake of her magic. 

I might survive the impending blast, but Zeldris wouldn’t. And I knew for certain that this would be the end for Grayroad; she had no chance of survival.

And then what? Even if this goddess died by Grayroad’s Commandment, the Goddess Clan still had the archangels. We’d go back to war, with the demons just a little bit weaker than we were before. 

“Very well, goddess.” I said. Zeldris looked at me like I’d grown an extra pair of arms, but an angry Zeldris was far easier to deal with than a dead one. And so I continued on, “We will listen to what you have to say.”

“Great!’ The goddess -Elizabeth?- clapped her hands together, and her face momentarily brightened in a genuine smile before a mask of blank coldness settled over her features. This time, when she spoke, her voice came out cool and unruffled. Composed. “ But you must swear not to spill blood this night.” 

The worth of a king is the worth of his word. 

I remembered Chandler’s many teachings. I had thought them foolish back then -I still did- but in this instance, breaking this promise would spell the end for my brother and one of my Commandments. Maybe even for me. 

I gritted my teeth as I pushed the need to kill something -preferably the smug goddess- into the dark part of my soul where my demon lived. 

“I swear. For as long as no goddess attacks a demon, we shall not initiate violence.”  There, that sounded uselessly fancy enough. Chandler would be pleased. 

Chandler would be more pleased if I had killed the goddess, however. 

The goddess nodded, and her magic faded away. 

How could such powerful magic reside in such a fragile vessel? I knew that the goddess was breakable, dangerously so... but if that really was the case, how was she brave enough to challenge all of us alone? It was brave… and very foolish to bait a demon.

However, since it seemed like she’d won this little game of ours, questioning her intelligence wasn't a good idea.

But it wouldn't stay her victory... I was the prince of demons, and I never lost.

Chapter Text

~Elizabeth~

The pieces of my plan had fallen together so flawlessly, that -for just a moment- I could almost forget the sheer magnitude of what I was attempting. 

I had gotten The Council to agree to give me a chance, though they knew not how I would deliver on my promises. I’d pressured Meliodas into making a move, leaving him with few reinforcements. I’d somehow even persuaded him to listen without a drop of blood shed.  

This was the most crucial moment… and I didn’t have a clue how I should be acting. 

Should I keep smiling, or did that make me look fake and deranged? Where should I put my arms? And how in the goddess’ name should I position my wings so I didn’t accidentally smack anyone with them? 

No. I had to focus . 

My plan had seemed so simple -easy, almost- when it was just an idea in my head. 

I would speak to the demons. We would talk of our grievances and pains, and we would try to reconcile everything. It might not be perfect, but at least we wouldn’t be at open war.

That had sounded a great deal less idiotic when it wasn’t actually being put into motion. 

After all, I couldn’t possibly be the only one who had tried to end this war. I could have been the only one who wished to see an end to this pointless bloodshed. 

Warriors of old, and kings and queens of legends now told… they must have all  tried their hand at peace at one point or another. Seeing as the war was still going on, they must have all failed. 

Hundreds, no, maybe even thousands of people -from all the races- who were stronger, more experienced, and far more skilled at the political games we were all forced to play had tried. 

So how could I ever expect to succeed where they had fallen far short of the mark? 

The answer was simple… and very depressing: I couldn’t. 

But… I had gotten this far, hadn’t I? None of those great people were here, and I was the only one willing to try for peace right now. Maybe I couldn’t expect success, and hope was all I had. But so what? Hope was what had kept my dreams of peace alive all these years. Maybe hope could help me achieve them. 

Not that, of course, that made me any less terrified. Or nervous.

I’d spent my younger years being told scary stories about demons and how I was one day going to be a warrior that fought against them. How I would lead my entire clan into a brighter future -but no pressure, of course .

Part of me was tempted to draw on that cold, apathetic part of me that was Bloodstained Ellie. The girl who’d had no qualms about slitting throats and slaying demons as long as her friends were safe. 

But Bloodstained Ellie was a creation of my mother’s, a doll who possessed a faint shadow of The Supreme Deity’s own ruthless resolve. 

Deep inside, I knew I couldn’t end a war with the same callous cruelty that had heralded its beginning. 

But I was still afraid. I was afraid of the unknown, of failure. I had so much to lose if I failed, how could I not be? To step beyond what this world told me was safe , was right , that was terrifying-

So what? 

Everyone was afraid, this was war . Fear should motivate me, not break me into a thousand little cowardly pieces. 

So, clenching my sweat-soaked palms in my flowy white dress, I turned to face the demons, hoping that none of them took notice of how scared I really was. 

“Demons, we have gathered here today to see an end to this war. We know this has been devastating for both sides. We know that if this war were to continue, both our clans shall fall.” I paused, taking a deep breath to settle my nerves. “So hear me now. We cannot continue this way, and things must change. And that change-” 

“Yes, yes. How lovely. Now, can all of this be condensed to ‘I’m weak and don’t like death, so let’s stop killing?’” Meliodas asked, looking bored and annoyed as he propped his chin up on his palm. We were sitting at one of the decadent oak tables the compound had to offer, and I took the time to pry my fingers away from my dress so that I could dig my nails into the wood. 

Once I’d somewhat composed myself, I speared him with an incredulous stare, suddenly wondering if Ludociel was right and demons were just dumb brutes. “I don’t know. Can the death of friends and family and all the pain everyone had to suffer through be reduced to that?” I asked.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t help the sarcastic undertone seeping into my tone, and I only quelled the sudden stab of anger by reminding myself that deep inside, Meliodas had to have been at least a little sad for the losses on both sides. Or for at least the losses on his side. At least I hoped.

If Meliodas really felt nothing at all, this entire ploy was pointless. 

“Now, shall we continue? We have to hammer out some sort of truce so that we can both recover. Your side has sustained heavy losses these last few days, and-” 

“And now I’m back, and my clan can go back to winning this war.” Meliodas interrupted smoothly. 

I couldn’t help the near maniacal laughter that escaped me. 

I didn’t know when that laughter melted into sobs, but I quickly wiped the tears away.

“Not really. The last time you were here, the Goddess Clan still had the edge. Even if you’ve greatly improved in Purgatory, our clans will be perfectly matched. That’s just how the balance between us works. Then the Goddess Clan will gain some new power, and you’ll train even harder… until the day the last goddess and demon die at each others’ blades.” Why could none of them see that this war was pointless? Why couldn’t they see that-

I met Meliodas’s eyes… and saw that he did understand. But there was also a weary acceptance there, a long-ingrained belief that this was just the way things had to be. His eyes… they belonged to someone who had given up a long time ago. 

I wanted to ask him why. I wanted to ask him when that little ember of hope for a better future had gone out. But before I could, a resounding BOOM shook the compound.

And then the screams started. 

Never in a thousand years could I do justice to how terrible those screams were. They seemed to echo in my head, intermingling into a cacophony that belonged in nightmares, not in reality. 

But as I threw open that door and ran out… the sight that greeted me told me that the nightmare was reality now. 

A large force of demons had gathered, and they were mercilessly raining attacks down on us from the sky. The goddesses -unprepared for a fight, with their guards down- were completely at their mercy. 

A goddess cried out as she was pierced through by a demon’s darkness, and I gasped as she fell to the floor, unmoving. And then another. And another. Again and again and again, the goddesses -my comrades- fell to the floor, beautiful snowy wings splattered crimson with their own blood. 

The demons… had broken their vow. They had betrayed us. 

But I couldn’t really pin all the blame on the demons. 

It was my fault, too. If only I’d just been a little more careful, if only I’d been a little more wary, a little more prudent. If only I wasn’t so arrogant as to think that I could protect these goddesses… for that foolishness, for my own pride… I would pay the price. 

But right now, I couldn’t let the guilt crush me. I had now and I had to act.  And I had to do something… something that didn’t end in my death by Grayroad’s commandment. 

Could I do it? Would it even work on so many demons? 

Whatever the answer, I had to at least try. 

This gift was something I’d only discovered a few years ago, but hadn’t really found a use for it until a few days ago, when I used it to lure Meliodas here. 

After all, what use did a warrior have of a gift that was the very epitome of mercy? Using it in small skirmishes -when killing was easier and much less risky- was borderline treason. 

Grayroad, however, had given me the perfect excuse to use it. 

I took a deep breath, letting all my fear and uncertainty melt away… and opened my mind to the demons. 

I had always been able to hear the ‘voices’ of demons when I wished it. To hear… I just had to be willing to listen. 

Kill. Destroy. We must. We must. We must.  The voices of the demons -deep, deep inside, in the very essence of their beings- rang in my mind. 

You don’t have to… I whispered back. 

Our dark prince… give him back. He is ours. 

We have never taken Meliodas, he came freely. 

LIES! You are lying. Your kind are nothing but liars. Your kind are nothing but murders! You kill and kill and kill, and we must kill too, or we die and die and die. 

I don’t want to kill anymore. What about you? 

We… but we must. There has been too much blood. Too much pain. We must… 

Not anymore. 

With that, the will of the demons faltered, and a chance, small and improbable, appeared. 

If I said I wished to create a world where demons and goddesses can live in peace… would you wish to live in that world? 

Such a world cannot exist. 

Not yet… but we can create it. Together. You and I. 

You are foolish, goddess. 

Alone, I am a fool. Together, we are heroes. So lay down your sword… and join me. 

We are both fools. 

With that, I was snapped back into reality, and I watched triumphantly as the demon forces faltered, their attacks slowing. I’d done it! No more of my people had to die this day! 

“Goddesses, attack!” Jelamet shouted, yelling over the clanging of steel on steel and deafening booms of magic.

Wait, no ! Grayroad was still here, if they attacked-

Demons and goddesses fell, their blood splattering against the marble floor and staining it a horrible crimson. Some withered away, their time stolen by a cruel curse. Others fell to metal and magic, their bodies too mangled and broken to host their souls.

But even that wasn’t my biggest concern as of the moment. 

A dark, oppressive aura flared to life behind me, and I whirled, coming chest to face with Zeldris. 

Oh, no, no, no, no. If he joined the fight, this would be unsalvageable-

I gathered my power as quickly as I could, and the air around me grew uncomfortably warm, warping and echoing with the magic that condensed at my command. 

What should I do? What was the smartest course of action? Should I attack, ignoring the consequences and just keep Zeldris busy so that he couldn’t kill more of my people? Or-

I watched more of my people fall, my heart breaking anew at every fallen goddess. 

My decision was already made, then, wasn’t it? I would give my life for those who’d believed in me -misplaced as that faith was. I would become a cold-blooded killer -I had done that already, actually- if it meant protecting my friends. 

One last time. I needed Bloodstained Ellie one last time. Then… then I would die by Grayroad’s Commandment.

“Jelamet, take your forces and retreat!” I shouted. I had to give them a chance to run. A chance to live.

“I can’t just leave you here-” Jelamet kicked a demon in the face, and summoned a ball of light, “ -you’re my friend, which means I won’t let you die!” 

I didn’t know if I was really touched or awed at my bad luck. Not that I didn’t appreciate it, but couldn’t Jelamet have gone all sappy on me when I wasn’t trying to save her life? 

“Please, just go... bring reinforcements if you must!” I trembled under the weight of holding my magic back not letting even a drop of it out of my control-

“No. If I go now, it’ll be the last time I ever see you.” Jelamet slammed her fist into a demon’s stomach, smirking proudly as it dropped to the ground, gasping. 

“You. Will. Die. If. You. Don’t. Go. Right. Now.” I ground out, counting myself lucky that no demons were able to approach -much less attack- me because of the force of the magic that I was conjuring. “ I promise we’ll see each other again. But you have to go. Now.”

Jelamet hesitated, but with a simple nod -eyes full of trust- she called her unit over. 

When the last goddess lifted off the ground and the demons tried to shoot them from the sky, I let the light around me intensify to be blinding, distracting them. Even Zeldris took a quick step back, gathering his own dark, malevolent shadows against me. 

My ears were ringing with the force of the magic that hummed under my skin, and I tasted blood in my mouth. But that was fine. 

Just a little more-

I screamed -in pain or relief, I did not know- as I released the maelstrom of magic inside of me. “Ark!”

Someone shoved Zeldris out of the way a second before my attack would have killed him. At first I suspected Grayroad, as she was closest, but then… that shock of blond hair, magic far greater than anything Grayroad should ever be able to summon… 

Meliodas. 

The demon prince was thrown back, and as my whirling thoughts calmed enough for me to form coherent thoughts, I saw what I had done. A crater had appeared around me, but no lives were claimed… if they were, I’d be dead, my time stolen. 

But that didn’t mean no one was hurt. 

Meliodas stumbled to his feet, burns ravaging tanned flesh and leaving it a patchwork of raw, bleeding wounds. He’d… contained it. But there was only so much even someone like him could do, especially with no time to prepare a defense of his own. 

All around, demons were gasping in pain, broken bodies laboring to keep themselves alive.

Zeldris stepped in front of his brother, but Meliodas shoved him aside. 

“Go away. Now.” 

“What? No, I’ll help-”

“You’ll be a bother to me if you stay. Go away so I don’t have to keep saving you!” Meliodas’s voice was a low hiss, and I could see the effort it took him to conceal his pain. 

But his words had the desired effect, and Zeldris took a quick step back, hurt flashing in his dark eyes. 

“B-but Meliodas-”

“Don’t make me repeat myself. Take Grayroad and run.” Meliodas’s voice rang with cold finality, and Zeldris hopped back, grabbing Grayroad before flying away on wings of shadow. 

I watched impassively, deciding to let them go. This was better for me, actually. It meant this fight would be just a little easier-

I snapped my attention back to Meliodas as he rushed me, shadows gathering around his form to obey their master. 

I leaped to the side, twisting away and summoning my own magic.

But Meliodas was there, waiting. It was like he knew where my every blow would come from, like he knew-

Of course not. But he was a better combatant than I was, so I had to put some space between us. 

Use every advantage you have. I remembered what little Mael had taught me about fighting all those years ago. So I would use my advantages, however few there were. 

I unfurled my wings and took to the sky, and Meliodas pursued.

It took more time to create wings than to fly with pre existing ones, so he lagged behind a second… and one second was all I needed. 

I threw a small orb of my magic -not even an actual skill, just a blob of floating light- to distract him.

I couldn’t take a chance that Meliodas would avoid the next attack. Already, my strength was flagging and I knew I didn’t have near the amount of endurance necessary to truly continue this fight. 

Meliodas was a warrior, trained by the Demon King himself in the land of darkness and endless horrors that was Purgatory.

I… I only fought when I had no other choice, so my physical offensive capabilities were… diminutive, at best. 

So, this was my last shot. I knew of Meliodas’s Full Counter, and I puzzled over why he hadn’t used it before, but whatever the case, I had to be absolutely sure he couldn’t use it now.

I knew there was some lag time between each use of the ability, so if he used it on my shiny little distraction-

But he didn’t, choosing to narrowly avoid the orb of light, and-

I threw the rest of my power against him… and shocked black eyes met mine. 

At the last second Meliodas summoned every drop of his power he could… and where my magic collided with his, the world around us seemed to fall away. All I knew was light and darkness, goddess and demon, two enemies, vying for supremacy-

And then my vision went dark. And I fell and fell and fell. 

***

When I at last cracked my eyes open, my first thought was how cold it was. My next was to wonder if I had died.

Surely if I was in this much pain I had to have died-

But no. I was still somehow clinging to life. So did that mean I had succeeded in killing Meliodas? Or could he have survived? Perhaps Meliodas had seen my unconscious form and assumed that I was dead-

There. A body lay among the rubble, the blond hair matted with blood. 

I hurried over, tripping on trembling legs that protested against every wobbly step. 

It was odd, seeing him in this state. With all his power and strength and authority, Meliodas had seemed… indomitable. Invincible. 

But now… he just looked so -I had never thought I’d use this word on him- fragile. Vulnerable.

And those vicious wounds… I noted with growing concern that not all of them were inflicted by me. 

I’d read about this somewhere, when I was studying back in the other realm. That Meliodas occasionally trained at-

Purgatory.

He must not have recovered from his training. How had he mustered the strength to fight me? He wasn’t anywhere near all healed!

I gently rested a hand against his chest, feeling the rush of sorrow that followed every kill. But this time it was different somehow. Heavier. 

I was so close to peace, why did he have to die now? If only things went just a little differently today…

Wait. Was that-

I pressed two fingers to his neck, astounded to feel a pulse. It was weak, barely there… but he was still alive! 

I scurried back, skittish and a little unsure. 

I should kill him -this time for good- and eliminate the greatest threat from the demons right this instant. I should rip out each of his seven hearts and laugh as his blood stained my hands. 

I prepared to do it, closed my eyes against what was to come-

“ Take Grayroad and run!” 

My eyes shot open as his phantom voice seemed to ring in my ears. 

No. He’d killed my people. It didn’t matter if he had emotions of some kind. It didn’t matter that he felt just like any goddess would. This was justice for all the crimes he’d committed. For betraying the goddess race after he made a promise-

Wait… but did he? Meliodas had only joined the fight after I had made an attempt of Zeldris’s life… not when the demons attacked. 

Every report I’d ever received about Meliodas spoke of what an active leader he was for his forces. He wouldn’t sit back and let his army do the work. 

So what if Meliodas hadn’t called the demons at all? 

Hadn’t I heard something in the minds of those demons? Something about…  ‘Our dark prince… give him back. He is ours.’  Those weren’t the words of someone who was called to fight. They were just demons trying to rescue their prince. 

Back then I had just given the first answer that had come to mind, not giving what the demons were actually saying much thought… but… 

If Meliodas didn’t bring many reinforcements, it must have been a purely impulsive decision, so it was likely that he hadn’t told anyone. 

The demons had only attacked because they thought the goddesses had taken Meliodas prisoner. 

I could be wrong, going off to concoct my foolish fantasies, as Ludociel would say… but on the off chance I was right…  

Killing Meliodas now would only make the war worse than it ever was before. There would be no chance of peace… ever. Right now, Zeldris’s motivations weren’t personal -at least from what I knew. But after Meliodas’s death? Zeldris would lead the demons… and he’d never stop killing, if only to avenge his brother. 

But what should I do now? Where could I take him? Weak and drained as I was, delivering him to the demons would only result in my death. And then there was no guarantee that the demons would be able to heal Meliodas, which would mean he might die anyway. 

But if I went back to the goddesses, they’d kill Meliodas on the spot without ever listening to what I had to say. 

I bit my lip as an idea came to me. 

It wasn’t a great idea, per say, and it could lead to disastrous consequences, but it was the only idea I had. There was one place no goddess nor demon would ever set foot in, a place where we’d be safe. 

Heaven’s Theater. 

So, even as my battered wings screamed complaints at me, I scooped up the demon prince’s limp body and began the long, tumultuous flight.

Chapter Text

~Zeldris~

I only landed in a dank cave once the sounds of battle had faded away, Meliodas’s words still ringing in my head. 

I had thought I was strong enough, that I had improved enough. Lately, my brother’s rough corrections and hissed commands had come less often, so I had begun to think that perhaps I could fight by his side. 

Today had proven that such thoughts were no more than folly. 

But… if Meliodas was so strong, surely he would triumph over a mere goddess… 

So, I waited. And waited and waited and waited. But as dawn gave way to day, and day gave way to night, doubt clawed my fracturing certainty into pieces. 

If Meliodas had won, why hadn’t he tracked me down by now? Or at least have sent up a signal? Perhaps I had missed it? 

“Grayroad, we’re going back for him.” I said, my voice a low growl. 

Grayroad just stared at me. At least I thought she did; I was never quite sure, with the sheer number of faces she had. 

“Lord Meliodas told us to leave. He would not appreciate us interrupting his fight-” 

“Grayroad, did I ask for your opinion?” I tried to emulate my brother the best I could, down to the cutting glare and cold, absolute authority. 

Grayroad seemed to stare at me through slitted eyes, but she finally sighed. “Very well, Zeldris.” 

***

When we arrived at the sanctuary-turned-battlefield, what I saw was horrifying.

There had been a battle here, so why wasn’t the land pitted and broken? 

In fact, the landscape was peaceful -beautiful, almost. Besides for the small indent of a crater and the ruins of the goddess compound, this battlefield could have just as easily been a meadow. 

A meadow with an ancient, broken temple to some forest god… that’s what this place looked like.

It was unnatural. 

Far more alarming than that, I couldn’t sense even a hint of my brother’s presence. 

The goddess… was gone as well. 

Of course, Meliodas could have rendered her body to cinders with his hellblaze, but if he had won, he should be here somewhere.

There were no corpses nor magic. So what could have possibly happened-

Could the goddess have won? Had she… killed Meliodas?

That was ridiculous, but that was the only viable conclusion. No Meliodas. No goddess. Just a disgusting sea of green grass dotted with pink and orange flowers. 

The goddess had probably destroyed Meliodas’s broken body with her ark, and then flew off to report to her superiors. 

“Goddess… you will regret the day you killed him…” And she would. Every last one of these wretched creatures would fall at my blade. 

***

~Elizabeth~

I stared around at the dusty, desecrated place that was my sanctuary. 

Heaven’s Theater didn’t seem very divine right now, but I still remembered what it was like to come here as a child. Mael had come… and with a little whining -and lots of guilt tripping- Ludociel would accompany us. 

I still came here often. This was the place where I went when I couldn’t bear to tell even Mael of the conflict that raged inside of me.

I would never admit it, but when the war got particularly bad, I’d used to imagine that my mother would be here, waiting for me. That for the first time ever, she’d be proud of me. That she’d make me cookies, brush my hair, and tell me ridiculous, made up tales like all the other parents did. 

That was years ago.

Now, instead of even a fantasy of a beautiful deity, I sat here in this dusty, broken place with a demon at my side. 

I glanced over at said demon, wondering if I had recovered enough magic to give his injuries another shot. 

No. I had to muster up the magic somehow, no matter what. If Meliodas died here, the hard flight here and all the sacrifices made would be for nothing. 

I called on the little bead of light I could feel within my soul, bringing it out and letting my palms fill with light. 

Bringing my hands to Meliodas’s wounds, I slowly imagined every injury closing, the strain on his face melting away, and his pain fading away like stars come morning. 

It worked. Well, kind of. 

His body did continue to stitch together, ravaged flesh and fractured bones coming together once more. But just like the last three days I had constantly tried, he refused to open his eyes, stubbornly stuck in an unconscious state. 

Every day I healed him just a little more, and every day it wasn’t enough. 

"Please don’t die…” I whispered, looking down at the demon. 

I rested a hand over his heart, reassured by that steady rhythm. To the rest of my clan, Meliodas was the enemy… but right now, he was the very symbol of all the hope I had for the future. He was all the hope I had for a treaty.

I wanted to kick myself for still wanting such a thing after what had happened because of that very naivete, but… this time I had something no one had ever had before.

This time I had a bargaining chip. 

I squirmed a little, uncomfortable at referring to a helpless creature as a ‘bargaining chip’. But if it were necessary for peace, if it meant no more of the people I loved would die… 

I quickly shook my head, realizing how much I sounded like Ludociel. 

Okay, then… how about I thought about this as a learning experience instead? Mostly so it felt a little less like betraying my clan or my morals, but still! 

For example, demons had more than one heart, so surely things worked a bit differently-

More than one heart. Seven hearts. 

I gasped, mind whirling with all the possibilities.

I had vaguely noticed the other hearts when I’d healed him, but since I’d been so busy trying to stabilize Meliodas, I’d never really had the chance to feel for them.

I scooted even closer, bringing my hands to rest on his chest, fascinated by the multiple heartbeats. 

The most interesting part was that not all of them were in his upper chest! Some were closer to his lower stomach, while others were-

“If you’re planning to grope me, go ahead, I don’t particularly mind.” 

I squeaked at the sudden voice, yanking my hands back. 

Meliodas had cracked his eyes open ever so slightly, and was now attempting to sit up. After his arms gave out on him twice, he gave up and relaxed, closing his eyes again. 

“Um… p-pardon me? W-what do you-” 

“Considering you were doing all of the touching, it’s a bit late for that.”  A small smirk twisted up one side of his mouth as the words left him. 

“N-no! That wasn’t what I was doing! I’d n-never really healed a demon before, so I’m unfamiliar with how your bodies work. I was just curious.” Well, not really. I had done some healing from the sky many times, sharing my gift with the entire battlefield and passing it off as a lack of control. But never had I really had the chance to sit with a demon and heal anything complicated.

“Oh? I could teach you much more if you’d like?” Meliodas said, practically purring. 

“Really? I’d never heard about demons healing themselves! Is there a technique for it, or is it only for higher ranking demons? What does the magic feel like? Is it painless-” I cut myself off as I caught the flicker of amusement in Meliodas’s eyes. I was missing something, but what-

Oh. Oh, my. 

With the realization came crushing embarrassment, and I could feel blood rush to my cheeks. 

“Well, well, well… I can’t teach you much healing, but I can teach you something else?” Meliodas said, elaborating. That would have been more helpful a couple seconds ago. 

“No! No, t-thank you. I’ll be f-fine.” I paused for a bit, composing myself before plowing on. “Why aren’t you trying to kill me?”

Meliodas’s brows flicked up, and he cast a cursory glance over his prone form.

“Well… let’s see. You wouldn’t have wasted all that magic if you were going to kill me now; my brother and the commandments are all alive; and I couldn’t move to kill you even if I wanted to. There seems to be no point in making threats.” 

“B-but why-”

“I mean, if you want to smack talk for a couple hours, that’s fine, but it seems like a waste of time to me.” 

I was so confused right now. 

Meliodas didn’t want to kill me? Then why had he spent the time we had to make a treaty being unnecessarily obnoxious? His personality had practically taken a one-eighty turn! 

But he’d asked for ‘smack talk’, so I’d happily oblige. I was pretty sure I could manage something decent. 

Blinking wide eyes at him, I managed to choke out, “Uh… um… there are children taller than you?” 

Apparently, I couldn’ t think of anything decent. 

“Oh, sure . You definitely see me that way. Definitely .” Meliodas rolled his eyes, stretching. Which, by the way, showed off every muscle of his bare chest. “I know I should probably take my turn now, but with how bad that was, I think I’ll pass. You’re not very experienced with this, are you?” 

I took a deep breath. “Please don’t make the dirty joke I know you’re thinking of.” 

Deep eyes blinked innocently up at me, and for the first time -through all the embarrassment, I might add- they were a luminous emerald green. 

Gasping, I grabbed his cheeks, peering closer and realizing that they had indeed changed color. 

“You get to yell at me about my ‘jokes’ when you get to pull stunts like this?” Meliodas asked, and I realized how close our faces were. 

Quickly scuttling away, I continued to look into those bright green eyes, searching for a hint of the cold demon underneath. 

Then I realized what he had just said and how my staring could be interpreted. 

This was going to be a long few days, wasn’t it?

***

~Mael~

“So, Mael, about what we were discussing earlier…” Ludociel trailed off, and I felt heat rush to my cheeks.

“No! No, no, no, no! I don’t want to hear! LALALALA!” I shrieked, clamping my palms over my ears. 

“You’re old enough, so why not? The Supreme Deity-”

“Please, no!” I whimpered, interrupting. 

“Mael, you’re going to marry Elizabeth one day! It’s just a little sooner than you anticipated, is all. Besides, I told you I would help you two out.” My brother’s voice was matter-of-fact, as if he were discussing the weather instead of life-changing m-marri-

“I-I meant that when we were older! Not now!” I liked those innocent hugs and touches, and it would be so awkward if they weren’t so innocent anymore. 

Besides, it wasn’t like I needed signed papers to stay her friend. I could do that -and I hopefully would- by just being there. More could come later. A long time later when she was actually in the room for this discussion. 

“You said that a century ago. You’re plenty older now.” Ludociel said, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Besides, some humans marry before their second decade.” 

Wait… what? B-but… aren’t they still children at that point?

“Last time I checked, I wasn’t human!” I said, smacking Ludociel with one of my feathery wings. 

My older brother opened his mouth to retort, and I realized I had to change the subject. Preferably right now, before my brother thought up a brilliant comeback. Maybe I’d finally have the last word this time. 

“S-so, h-how’s it going with Nerobasta?” I stuttered.

Ludociel’s face immediately darkened. “She does not understand what the term ‘personal space’ means. If only she were half as sharp socially as on the battlefield, I think she’d finally get a date.” 

“Huh… so you did think about taking her out on a date, did you-” I was cut off as a commotion from outside reached me.

Throwing open the door to my brother’s study, I came face-to-face with a blood-spattered little goddess, who was being restrained by some guards. 

“Please, we have to send reinforcements over! L-lady Elizabeth-” 

I grabbed the goddess by the arms, yanking her away from the soldiers that held her. “Where if she? Tell me! Now!” 

“B-by the goddess compound, where she left to make a treaty with the demons…?” 

Wait. WHAT?

Why in the goddess’ name didn’t Ludociel tell me? What was going on here-

I whirled to my brother, but he looked unconcerned. “Now do you see why I was telling you to marry her? Then you’d be sent together on missions, and she’d be safer.” 

He was turning this situation into that ? 

Fury boiled within me, but I clamped down on it, shoving it into a corner to be dealt with later. 

“Tell me the exact coordinates, I’ll go there right now!” I could infer what happened just fine. Ellie had probably wanted to achieve peace, and the demons had betrayed her. 

“B-but Meliodas was there, and Zeldris… a-and Grayroad.” The little goddess trembled, and tears fell down her cheeks, mixing with the blood splattered across her face. 

Two commandments… and the younger demon prince. I knew I was a possible match for Meliodas, but that would be a narrow victory at best . And that was only when I was facing him and him alone. 

But I had to at least retrieve her body! Maybe if I were quick enough, I could revive her, even if it were as a mere reincarnation. 

“Is this what you wanted, Ludociel? What is wrong with you?” I paused, considering. “You’re coming with me. Fix your mess!” 

“This isn’t my mess! Besides, then the goddess base will be undefended! This might be exactly what the demons wanted-” 

I shook my head, disgusted. “Fine, I’ll go alone.” 

“No, you won’t. I’m sorry, but you’ll forgive me for this one day.” Ludociel whispered. Then he projected his voice out so all could hear. “Guards, lock him up!” 

I could blast them away, but -with the exception of Ludociel- that would immediately kill everyone here. Not to mention the damage that would do to the palace and all the people hurt… the clever monster, he’d pinned me down perfectly. 

Elizabeth or the people she was willing to die for… how could I choose?  

So I let them chain and pull me along, testing the strength of the bindings as I did so; I’d break out when they weren’t watching.

I’m sorry, Elizabeth. Just wait a little longer… please…

Chapter Text

~Meliodas~

Even from my disgraceful position on the floor, the goddess’s gaze seemed to pierce right through me.

It was a heavy thing, full of the quiet wisdom of a creature twice her years. It felt like it saw too much of me. Well… not my body -I wouldn’t mind that so much- but instead, the hesitation, the fierce war that raged within my own mind. 

Though I did wonder… if she saw all that, what did she think? Did she judge me to be the danger she had undoubtedly been told I was? 

Either way, I’d be a danger to this broken place if someone didn’t do something to quell my boredom.

After somewhere around five minutes of conversation, Elizabeth had retreated over to one of the many audience seats, realizing that staying anywhere near me meant a near constant stream of vaguely suggestive comments.

And now she was staring warily down on me from a nest she’d built out of an obscene number of quilts and cushions. It was a theater, after all, and like most goddess-made things, it seemed to focus more heavily on aesthetics instead of functionality.  

Even the goddesses themselves seemed to be built for beauty above nearly all else. 

Or perhaps that little bit was less of a goddess thing, and more of an Elizabeth thing.

Now that my demon had been shoved into its designated corner, I seemed to notice a lot more. Yes, my reflexes and mind were faster when I was in that more concentrated state, but I didn’t really… feel much. It felt more like all those things were happening to someone else, and it was easy to quell any reaction before it became anything worth noting. Now that I really looked, however-

No. Stop. This was a goddess. I could flirt and jest all I wished, but that wouldn’t change the fact that I would have to kill her later. 

I was hoping ‘later’ was the key word here. My demon, on the other hand, insisted on using the word ‘never’. 

It didn’t feel… lazy, per say, but it did feel despicably content. Like some mutant breed of oversized house cat.

How was that fair? It had yanked on my strings all it wanted before, driving me to destroy and pillage to its heart’s content. Now, when I needed that cold-blooded killer the most, it decided to go off and relax? 

But it remembered the goddess’s warmth, and, self-serving as it was, it didn’t want to kill the source-

No, no, no, no, no !

From that moment when The Mother Of Chaos had spat out The Sacred Tree, The Demon King, and The Supreme Deity… my darkness -the very essence of my being- had always warred with Elizabeth’s light. 

This was the natural order of things. I fight Elizabeth, one of us dies, and the other one keeps fighting. 

But when we had fought, when we had battled it out on that battlefield that should never have been a battlefield in the first place… neither of us had perished. 

That left me drowning in the endless pit that was confusion.

Which was slightly problematic, seeing as I had to convince my demon that it should go right back to being perfectly alright with normal things like violence and death. 

Oh, there was another problem. 

As easy as it was to think of the demon as a separate entity, it was just another part of me. Like if you rolled all my anger, hatred, and occasional blatant disregard into one creature and gave it overwhelming power. And blind obedience to my father… or not anymore, I guess. 

So I had to convince myself that I was supposed to murder someone… while I couldn’t even do much moving in the first place. 

I had lied when I had told her I couldn’t move at all , but I doubted I could do much in this state. Maybe slap her with my darkness? A very weak, pitiful slap at that. 

Nothing truly… hurt -at least anymore- but everything was miserably sore, and I felt like one big bruise. 

To add the final brushstroke to one heck of an ugly painting, neither my demon, nor my magic, even bothered to cooperate. 

Okay… if a regular demand for my demon to get a move on -the murdery version and not the significantly more pleasant kind- didn’t work, I’d try a logical appeal instead. 

I had always been very easily bored. Perhaps if I engaged in a little mind numbing conversation, my demon would realize how utterly uninteresting Elizabeth was, and go back to being relatively normal. 

I wasn’t quite dumb enough to think so, but it was worth a try. 

“Ey, Elizabeth!” I remembered to keep my voice dark and low, the kind that had brought a flush to her cheeks earlier.

Elizabeth warily met my gaze, pulling herself into a sitting position. 

“What do you want, Meliodas?” Her voice was melodious, and held a strange, lilting accent.

My answer to her question was quick, leaping to my tongue as effortlessly as such responses always had. “Hmm… are you sure you want to know?”

I stared at her expectantly, more comebacks of the naughtier variety coming together in my mind. 

It seemed like this was the only thing that ever drew a genuine reaction from her. Most of the time, she was cool, professional to the degree that I wondered if she had her own demon hidden underneath. My regular poker-face was passable, but nowhere near that perfect. 

Luckily, my little comment seemed to draw a tiny reaction from the goddess, leaving her flushed a faint pink. It faded quickly, but it was there, sure as the sun. 

“M-Meliodas… if there is something you seriously need, then please, go ahead. If it’s just something perverted, then I would ask you to refrain.”

“Who’s to say that they can’t be one and the same?” I asked, perhaps a little too innocently. 

Keeping my eyes green seemed to have a calming effect on the goddess, and she seemed to take to innocence -even the guise of innocence- rather well. 

“Me. I say they can’t be the same. Now, if all you want to do is keep me from sleep, please stop. I would like to recover my magic as quickly as I can, now that I know you won’t die.” Elizabeth said. 

“If I wanted to keep you from sleeping, we wouldn’t be talking .” 

There was a moment of silence as Elizabeth slowly processed just what I’d meant. A scalding blush erupted on her face, and she quickly turned away, yanking the quilt right back over herself and pretending to go to sleep. 

I wasn’t fooled for a second. 

“Wait.” I paused for just a second, debating just how far to take this.“Tell me something about the goddesses. You wanted a treaty, right? Well, then we need to trust you. And to trust you, we need to know you.” 

I could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to piece together what she thought was alright for her to say. 

Then she finally turned to face me. 

“What do you want to know?”

“Hmm… your history of lovers? Or do goddesses get all stuffy and antiquated and call it ‘courting’?” 

“I-I don’t see how that helps with peace. Now, please let me sleep-”

“No! Fine, tell me whatever you think is important for me to know so that I don’t want to kill any more of your people. All I know of you is that goddesses are egotistical, slightly more evolved birds with severe parental issues. Yes, Galand came up with that one, and yes, I toned down the language. Significantly.” 

It was slightly surprising how utterly unoffended Elizabeth was, but then again, this was the madwoman -mad goddess didn’t quite have the same ring- who’d proposed a treaty between the two races that had been warring for centuries. 

However, I was surprised to find that her story began very… pure. Almost to a child-like degree. 

“There used to be… a festival at the end of the year. Everyone’s happy, and we all eat and drink much more than we all should. That’s when me and Mael could be as mischievous as we wanted and get off relatively easy.” 

“Oh?” 

This would be boring. What could they have possibly done? Surely nothing would trump the messes Zeldris had made when he was younger. He’d been mischief incarnate and then some-

“We… um…”

The hesitation should have tipped me off before anything else.

“What? Created a big scandal ? Maybe a secret lover’s rendezvous?” I asked, truthfully expecting her to talk about fluffy bunnies... or whatever else goddesses liked. 

“Stop being such a- you know what? Fine. We went behind Ludociel’s back and got drunk. Is that enough for you?” 

I choked in shock, but quickly recovered. “N-no. Not even close. But what might happen next could be.” Telling Elizabeth how entertained I was would mean that she’d stop talking, and I was far too invested in this story for her to stop now. 

“W-what do you mean ‘what happens next’? Mael grabbed Ludociel and the other archangels, and sobbed the whole night about how much he loved us all. I think Ludociel might have been drunk too, since he hugged him back.” 

“That’s… disturbing. But nothing more interesting? No dirty secrets between the archangels?” 

“The only ‘dirty’ thing I found was when Mael and I had to clean the public bathhouses as punishment.” 

“ My definition of ‘dirty’?” I asked, voice a dark purr. I sincerely doubted it, but it was still worth asking-

Elizabeth blinked wide golden eyes at me before a dark flush spread over her pale skin. “Ah… um… we didn’t know it at the t-time.” 

By The Demon King’s name… 

“I’m sure it wasn’t too bad.” I said, quickly getting over the startling revelation. Surely it couldn’t possibly be that bad. 

“It was.”

“Oh, really? Just what did you find-”

“N-no! We are not talking about this. N-next topic.” Elizabeth said, cutting right over me. 

I blinked at her, not quite knowing how to react. No one of the demon race dared to interrupt me anymore. Not my brother, who held fear and respect for me in equal measure. Not my comrades in The Commandments, warriors sworn to obey my father’s -and therefore my - will. 

But even more surprising, I felt no fury from my demon… he felt just as content to laze around as he’d been for the past couple days. 

“Fine. What was it like to grow up in the goddess realm? And please, don’t mention all the flowers .” 

Elizabeth tilted her head to the side, thinking. “It was beautiful and heartbreakingly competitive. But I… I never felt the need to compete. What was the point of hurting your own people just to win? Winning means nothing if everyone you care for is gone and dead.” 

I struggled to sit up, dead serious for once.“Goddess, winning means surviving. When you lose a fight, you die. You of all people should know that.” 

“Okay… maybe sometimes. But if that’s always true, then how are you still alive?” She asked.

The answer came to me almost immediately. “Because you weren’t playing by the rules. You’re supposed to kill me, and I’m supposed to kill you.” 

“Yes, I’m not playing by the rules. That means winning doesn’t always mean living, and losing doesn’t always mean dying. So then… what does fighting mean, other than senseless murder?” 

“B-but you’re the only one not killing. Your rebellion means nothing if you die… and you will die eventually.” I said, rather grimly. 

“Exactly! That’s why I want a treaty. So… help me.” Elizabeth said. Or, more accurately, demanded. 

My breath caught at the sudden flicker of passion in her eyes. And for a second I almost believed-

“Are you using that weird power of yours right now?” I asked, shattering the rather sentimental moment.

But Elizabeth just gave me a maddeningly mysterious smile. “Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t?” 

~Zeldris~

I stood silently, letting my single-minded thirst for vengeance blot out the hurt that clawed at me. Meliodas was… gone . I had to do this alone now. 

This war was slowly leaning towards a demon victory, but if that goddess didn’t make an appearance, what was the point? 

Once, I’d lived to make my family proud of me… now I lived to kill that goddess.

Which was why I was here, in this musty compound, about to sit in a meeting with the vampire race.

More specifically, vampire royalty. 

The herald announced the presence of ‘Prince Zeldris of the Demon Clan’ and I slammed the heavy oak doors open, striding in.

My eyes met King Izraf’s first, and he gave me an unnecessary introduction, waving his hands over at Ganne, Mod, and-

“By the gods, Ren, where is Gelda?” King Izraf hissed, furious for some unknown reason.

“I don’t know-”

I whirled at the powerful presence, on guard against any attack. And came face to face -or was it face to chest?- with the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. 

“My apologies for the belated arrival. I am called Gelda of The Vampire Race.”

Chapter Text

~Ludociel~

The Goddess Clan was losing the war.

But that was perfectly within my estimates. Although I was making sacrifices that I’d rather not make, this much was to be expected. 

No war was won by taking no risks.

Though, even I had to admit that things at least appeared grim. 

Lady Elizabeth -by far, our most skilled healer- was presumed dead, Tarmiel and Sariel were running themselves ragged, and I was effectively chained here, unable to leave for fear that the Demon Clan would attack.

Oh, and my brother was still stuck in prison.

I could feel his fury and fiery magic even from here. His power had melted stone and iron, only barely restrained by the might of Belialuin’s finest sorcerers. 

Indeed, it was true that Belialuin chose no sides… at least, not officially . But even the wisest of humans - Wisemen , they called themselves- could fall to temptation. 

They thirsted for knowledge, and there was much to be learned from goddess blood and collected demon corpses. So much to learn, in fact, that over the years, Belialuin had become a useful -though far from faithful- trading partner. 

Although I carefully selected relatively harmless samples to trade, I  took no real interest in the lives of mortals so as long as they did not stand against The Goddess Clan. They were beneath us. 

As long as we benefited, who cared if they lived, died, or drank themselves into oblivion?

Speaking of benefits to the clan… my brother was -no, would be - one of our greatest warriors. 

His Sunshine Grace grew more powerful by the day, as his fury eclipsed all else. It was fighting humanity’s greatest magic, and it was… it was winning . 

Logically speaking, that was simply the way of things. Of course, the power of a member of The Goddess Race should be able to defeat that of a human’s. Yet for many, that wasn’t the case. Their magic was simply not enough to stand against the admittedly formidable ingenuity of the humans. 

Mael’s was more than enough. 

The thought sent a thrill through me, and I smiled for the first time in what felt like ages. Just as I’d thought, Elizabeth’s demise was the perfect catalyst for Mael’s rise as the greatest of the archangels. 

In fact, that was why I had even approved her request.

I had known she would fail from the moment she suggested the treaty, and yet… if she survived, Mael would know of the danger and wed her. From that match, the future of The Goddess Clan would be assured. 

And If she died? Well, then I’d get this result. 

Because frankly? I didn’t care if I or a couple others died, or lived… or even if the world itself burned to a pile of ashes. 

Long ago, on a battlefield littered with bodies, and stained in blood, I had promised a dying comrade -my dearest, most foolish friend- that I would win this war for The Goddess Clan. That I would make his sacrifice worth it.

And I intended to keep my word… even if it cost me everything. 

~Meliodas~

The goddess was a pain, a pleasure, and a thousand other things that I would never admit to. 

But more than all of that… I was just very, very confused. 

She’d asked for peace and mercy , two things I was duty bound to deny my enemies. Deny anyone and everyone, to be honest. 

So, how could I answer when she asked me -so very casually, like it was nothing at all- to help her end a war that had been my life’s work? 

Become a traitor to my father, my clan? But… was this really even a true betrayal? Surely it would be to the benefit of the Demon Clan if we called a ceasefire -even just for a couple months- so that we could recover? 

I had seen a taste of the goddess’s power, and it had left me in a world of pain. Almost anyone else -even a Commandment- did not stand a chance. 

I wasn’t afraid for my own life, however. She’d said that she ‘wasn’t playing by the rules,’ so I doubted she would kill me. 

Why would she waste her magic to heal me, if she was just going to kill me later? 

And then there was the matter of what my demon wanted. It was still not back to normal, and lately I wondered if it just fought me for the sake of making my life even harder. Did it think we had a deal of some sort? As in, I use it to fight, and in return, it rips my already poor decision-making to pieces?

On one issue, however, we agreed.

We did not mind battle. Sometimes, when the stakes weren’t our very lives and the lives of out entire race, we enjoyed training. We enjoyed the rush of strength, and just the feeling of being alive as we fought. 

The demon, however, had begun to wonder why . 

 It wondered why it fought at all. It wondered for what purpose I risked my life and soul. 

Once, the answer would have been obvious. I fought to please my father. I fought to become the perfect heir. I fought to prove that I was the strongest once and for all .

But under Elizabeth’s near-blinding light, ensnared by passionate golden eyes… those reasons seemed to fade away by the hour, and I, too, began to wonder why . 

~Elizabeth~

After my offer, Meliodas had grown terribly still, cracking not a single risqué joke, nor slipping in a single suggestive comment.  

He was perfectly focused, and yet on what, I wasn’t sure. 

It was because of my intense focus on him, that when his mind came back to the ‘ now’ from the ‘ there’ , the small shift seemed so much more dramatic. 

He didn’t really feel different. His eyes didn’t darken into ebony orbs. His magic didn’t feel cruel, nor malignant in any way -or at least, not more than usual.

But as Meliodas nodded to himself, the way he held himself changed. 

No longer did he appear blank and cold. Instead, a grin -perhaps a little extra for the situation at hand- settled on his features, his slumped shoulders straightened, and his stance took on its usual air of confidence.

He looked like someone who’d been freed of some of his burdens. 

“So, what’s the plan? Are we going to sit in awkward silence for another hour, or can we do something more fun? Do goddesses even have games, or do you spend all your time preening in front of a mirror?” 

I deliberately ignored the insult, focusing more on my surprise.

Although I had heard him speak before, he had remained still -and utterly silent- for so long, that I had expected his voice to sound… I don’t know, harsher? More guttural? Anyway, the sudden lightness was shocking, to put it lightly. 

But it was a pleasant shift, so I was happy to go along with it for the moment. 

“Certainly. I just… um… I don’t think you’d like them very much.” I said. 

“Why? How do I play? Just look at the humans, I think they’re annoying, but I still like their ale. Maybe I’ll like the games, even if I don’ t like the goddesses.” 

“Humans are not annoying, they’re perfectly nice- you know what? Fine, let’s play. But if I win, you have to do something for me.” 

“And if I win?”

“Then you can ask anything of me ,” I said, summoning what courage I had.

A slow grin spread over Meliodas’s features, but his eyes remained wary. “Tell me the rules of this game.” 

“Simple!” I briefly got up to dig for the Divici board I knew was somewhere around here. It had to be buried in the rubble, but where-

Oh!

It looked like a typical board game with sixteen spaces, a die, and a host of options that players could choose from when picking their game piece. 

“This game’s a bit weird, because your progression in the game depends heavily on how ruthless your opponent is willing to be.” I paused, catching the glint in Meliodas’s eyes before continuing. “If you roll even, you have to answer a question from the other player. Now, obviously, this has some limits. You can’t ask questions that would be impossible for the other player to answer, such as Goddess Clan trivia for you. Questions with no answer are also prohibited. You are not allowed to ask the other person something like, ‘what is the meaning of life’? Do you understand?” 

“Uh huh. ”

“Okay, well, there are a couple other restrictions as well. You must always be completely honest. If you lie, evade, or fail to answer within thirty seconds, then you immediately lose the points. If all regulations are met, you get to move however many spaces the die indicates.”

“What if you roll odd?” Meliodas asked, suspiciously. It was it like he was waiting for the trap to close around him. 

“Oh! Well… this was originally a drinking game for goddesses, so usually you would take however many drinks the die indicates if you roll an odd number. I personally played it most when I was a child, so Mael and I would play to steal each other’s candy. Winner gets all, and all that… but that won’t work here, will it?” 

“Hm… well, the demons have something similar, except it’s different depending on who you’re playing. Zeldris practically forces tea down our throats -when he can manage it, that is- and Calmadios gets us to undress… can we do it like Calmadios?” 

“You’ve regained that much mobility? That’s excellent- wait . NO! No, that’s not happening!” I shrieked. For a second, my inner healer had taken over, happy to know that he was still recovering -even if he was sitting up and looking fine- and needed no more treatment. 

That could have still ended horribly. 

Meliodas groaned in obvious disappointment, and for a second he pushed out his bottom lip ever so slightly and I could swear that he was… pouting? 

But of course not. No demon -and certainly not their prince- would ever do something like that!

Then, an idea occurred to me, and despite knowing how disastrous it could be, I couldn’t help but suggest it. 

But I also knew I’d have to be a little clever to get Meliodas to accept.

“Okay, how about this- actually? Ah... no, that’s a bit too personal…” I said, trailing off. 

Others doing that to me drove me half-mad, but doing it now was so fun that I no longer wondered why people did it. 

I snuck a glance at Meliodas, fighting back a victorious smile as I saw his clenched hands, the temptation to just ask-

Three.

Two.

One-

“Whatever it is, we’re doing it.” 

That was an even better answer than I’d expected. 

“If you say so. I guess I just have to comply. If either of us rolls odd, we have to tell a secret. The greater the roll, the worse the secret.”

Instantly, Meliodas’s face smoothed over, reflecting none of whatever emotion he felt inside. 

I knew Meliodas didn’t like the situation, and I didn’t like pushing people into corners, but considering that he could ask me to do anything he wanted me to if I lost, I thought being a little mean was okay.

I felt a wave of disgust at myself as I saw just how much like Ludociel I was becoming, but I shoved it away.

While I’d been drifting in my own thoughts, Meliodas had managed a reluctant nod, and now I had to focus.

I had a game to win. 

“Ready?” I asked, feeling almost giddy at the thought of playing my favorite game for the first time in… Goddess, had it been half a century? More? 

“You know, I thought I’d be the one to ask that question, but sure.” Meliodas said. 

I felt blood rush to my face at that, and I wondered if Meliodas had intended it to sound suggestive, or if that was purely my imagination. 

Either way, I should probably start crafting my act for this game. 

This time, I wanted to play like an arrogant queen, so I gave Meliodas a flippant flip of my hand -indicating that he could go first. 

An act could be useful, especially if it gave you insight into an opponent’s style, and proved helpful in the execution of your overall strategy. Or if it took the opponent off guard.

Meliodas’s widening eyes proved that I’d succeeded in at least the last objective. 

It was true that I didn’t usually enjoy competition. But that was only because competitions were usually between me and those I wished to consider friends. I didn’t want to hurt them!

But this… if I lost here, I could endanger lives. If I won, I could save just as many. It was… a risk I absolutely had to take, if I ever wanted another chance at peace. 

Besides, I didn’t want to lose to Meliodas. Ever . He made me feel… weirdly competitive. 

Maybe it was because I knew he wouldn’t die if I went a little too far. 

Regardless, Meliodas had gotten over his surprise and had picked up the die, weighing it in his left hand -was that his dominant hand?- before tossing the die to the floor. 

It bounced cheerfully on the tile floor.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

When the die finally landed-

The ancient symbol for ‘two’, stared up at me, and my lips twitched up even as I tried to redon my mask of complete apathy.

As long as I didn’t roll a ‘one’, or fail to answer Meliodas’s question, I would be ahead. 

On that note, what should I ask him ? 

Despite this looking like a game of chance, there was actually a huge component of strategy involved as well. 

As you couldn’t move the number of spaces the die indicated if you failed to answer the question, the higher the roll, the more difficult the question you should ask. 

And, as there were only a set number of questions that you could be relatively certain that the other party couldn’t answer within the time limit, you had to use relatively easier questions when your opponent rolled a lower number. 

So, I asked a set, easy question. The kind that everyone can answer easily. 

“What’s your favorite color?”

This was an opinionated question, he couldn’t possibly-

Wide, horrified eyes met mine, and with a sinking feeling, I realized that I’d been proven wrong.

Meliodas just stared at me, gaping, as if I’d asked him about his purpose in life, instead of which color he was most fond of. 

His thirty seconds quickly ticked away. 

“You just… uh… lost your turn.” I said. 

“What?”

“Yeah. For the questions, you don’t get the points if you don’t answer completely, fail to answer in thirty seconds, or if you lie. It’s been almost sixty years since I’ve seen someone penalized for the thirty second rule, though.” 

“Since when was that even a- fine. Fine . Your turn.” 

I scooped up the discard die from where it rested on the ground, rolling it around of my palm before tossing it to the floor.

A ‘four’ stared back at me. 

This game was looking like a victory. In fact, I was even having fun!

“Oh, so I get to ask a question? Sate, sate, sate… I want your history of lovers.”

This was so not going to be fun. I guess that’s what I got for celebrating too early. 

I felt blood rush to my cheeks, and I clenched my fists, looking anywhere but at him. 

“That’s not… i-it’s not… not applicable,” I managed to stutter out, blood rushing to my cheeks, yet again. 

If I’d received a gold piece every time I’d blushed today, I’d likely be richer than a king.

“Did I win the round- oh. Oh . Not a single lover? Poor goddess… even Zeldris has had one or two, and I thought that was sad.”

The only consolation I could offer myself after that statement, was to choose a piece -I chose a miniature, golden crown- and move it four spaces up the board. 

Who cared about my battered dignity? I was winning, and I only had to go twelve more spaces before I’d take the win!

Or so I told myself.  

Well, at least it was his turn now! 

I held my breath, hoping he’d get a-

Yes! A ‘one’!

It should be just a small thing, but still, it was a step in the right direction!

“Hmm… do you get to give me a prompt, or is anything okay?” Meliodas asked. 

“Anything.” I answered, a little bit nervous. What would his ‘secrets’ even be like?

“Monspeet of Reticence is in love with Derieri of Purity, so I purposely put them on patrols together.” 

Demon gossip? 

I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped me, but I smothered it quickly. It was my turn next, and I had to focus. 

As soon as Meliodas moved his chosen avatar -a tiny red dragon- one space on the board, I rolled my die. 

Yes! A six! 

Wait, no, that was bad! What if-

“Tell me… do you honestly think you can end The Holy War?”

Hmm… that was a weird question. It made sense to ask, especially since it was pretty easy to guess what my request would be if I won. But it was… odd, that he’d taken such an interest. 

It was like Meliodas alternated between playing the cunning prince, and the perverted -and ironically kinder- demon completely on a whim. I wondered which one was the act, and which part was genuine.

But first, I had to answer. And quickly. 

“Yes, and no. I think you’re asking if I think the war can be ended at all. In which case, yes. If you’re honestly asking if I think I can end this war alone… then no, I don’t.”

Meliodas nodded, expression somber. Though, to be honest, I wasn’t sure if that was in reaction to my answer, or if it was because I had moved six spaces forward.

I just needed to roll another six if I wanted to win the whole game.

But it was his turn, so waited patiently as Meliodas rolled, ending up with another four. 

A question… what could I ask him? I had my trump card ready, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to use it quite yet. I’d use it if Meliodas rolled a six. 

Instead, I asked something very, very stupid. 

I didn’t know why I would ask him such a ‘ridiculous’ thing, but I guess it mattered more to me than even I ever thought it would. 

“Do you… um… do you believe in the Holy War?” 

If I’d been smarter, I’d have asked about his age, something I knew for certain he would be unable to answer, because his… visits to Purgatory skewed his perception of time.

Then again, if I’d been smarter, I’d never have dared propose a treaty between two warring races. But I just… if I didn’t know, then what was the point of all of this? If he said he believed that the war was completely necessary, if he had no regrets…

With a flash of understanding, I realized that I just wanted someone - anyone - to understand why I was doing this. Why I was trying to do the impossible. Why I was doing things that everyone else thought was dumb and suicidal.

 If he said he didn’t believe in the war… then I could justify myself, couldn’t I? 

“… it is pointless, but at the same time, it’s everything to so many demons. Too many were killed, and we can’t stop it now.” Meliodas said.

I felt an equal measure of hope and disappointment at the same time. He knew it was wrong… but he did it anyway?  

“But then, what better time to end it but now? More blood will be spilled in the future, not less ! Ending it now is the best chance we have of ever ending it.”

When Meliodas’s green gaze met my eyes, they were almost as tired as his voice. “And what? ‘Set aside our differences’? It worked out so well the last time you tried, didn’t it?” 

I flinched, thinking of all the goddesses who’d died because of my mistakes, my weakness. But I was sick of blaming myself, and my guilt expressed itself as anger instead. 

“You never even bothered to listen! You never even tried! The entire thing was a joke to you, wasn’t it?” I asked, voice rising with my growing temper. My power built around us, leaving a distinctly charred scent in the air. 

I took a deep breath to calm down, to dispel my magic. My tutors had told me that yelling at people solved nothing, that it only made problems worse.

So, why was I losing my cool now? As The Supreme Deity’s daughter, I knew I was expected to stay perfectly composed and calm at all times. I was never to lose my temper. Ever . 

But I was angry, and it just… poured out. 

This time -actually, this was pretty normal when I got worked up- it poured out in the form of embarrassing tears, which I quickly rubbed away. 

Meliodas’s response didn’t help at all.

“I had no reason to-”

My temper flared again, and I yanked the die away from him, slamming it down to the ground as a six.

“Ask. Ask your stupid question, and let’s finish this game!” I said, barely keeping myself from throwing something from him. 

A long pause greeted me, during which I thought Meliodas would refuse.

“… why do you want to end the war?” he asked, warily.

I grabbed his shoulders, not letting go even when my magic gathered at my fingertips, and singed his skin.

“Because you’re right. I don’t like death, I don’t like people being hurt, and I will die myself before I sit still and just follow orders like I’ve been told to do! And guess what? The people giving those orders are the same people who’ve dragged out this war for centuries! Their way is broken, and something needs to change. Right now ! Does that satisfy you?” I said, panting for air. 

Meliodas had barely nodded, before I slammed my piece on the final square of the game board.

“Well, then I’ve won, haven’t I? For my prize, I want you to sign and abide by the temporary peace treaty. We will meet at a gathering with the rest of the races to negotiate for peace, and you will listen, or goddess help me-” I took a deep breath, letting it out in a whoosh . “-or goddess help me, I will hunt you down, and drag you back!” 

Meliodas’s demon mark flared, and when his eyes turned into deep black pits,  I expected a blow, braced for it-

It never came.

Instead, a soft voice answered, “Fine.”

“W-wait… what?” I asked, not expecting agreement. 

“I said ‘fine’. We’ll meet. I’ll even bring Zeldris, Chandler, and… Cuscack will insist on coming anyway.” Then, as if he couldn’t resist, Meliodas continued, voice significantly less dire, as his eyes faded back to green. “You should yell more often, it’s really-”

But I tuned out whatever else he said, staring blankly at the side wall.

It’d… worked? I had actually… been given another chance to fight for peace? 

***

2 days later

~Zeldris~

The days stretched on slowly, and the only time they felt the slightest bit exciting was when Gelda was around. 

She wasn’t… bad. She liked tea and tarts and-

What the heck?

No, no, no, no, no, no !

My mind was a jumbled mess, and the vampire princess must have done something to me. I was sure of it. 

Or… was I-

Yes. Yes, she most definitely had. 

I shoved those thoughts out of my head, but that brought some unwanted side-effects.

I usually kept myself  active at all times, but now -sitting here with this pile of paperwork- my mind wandered a little too much.

Right to the events leading up to Meliodas’s death. 

It dredged up a mess of emotions I wasn’t supposed to be feeling in the first place.

Meliodas had died fighting, because he hadn’t been strong enough-

He’d died saving me , because I was useless-

But father would say that what I was thinking was utterly pathetic. That I should move on as quickly as possible. He was dead, I was not, so I should shut up, and go back to being useful-

“Young Master! Young Master!”

I snapped up to my full height -which was admittedly not much- and waited for my mentor to inform me of the news.

“There has been a freak attack by the eastern demon settlements! Archangel Mael is attacking, but he… he’s nothing like we know him to be. I would say that he’s even more vicious than Ludociel himself.” Cusack said. 

What? Mael? He was known for killing demons, but he wasn’t known for cruelty. What could have possibly changed-

“We’re leaving for the Eastern villages right this moment! Gather as many Commandments as we can on short notice!” I said, gathering my darkness to prepare to leave.

If he was worse than Ludociel, this could just be my final battle. 

I found, reflecting upon the death of my brother, that I didn't particularly fear my end.  

No one would care anyway-

Gelda’s face flicked through my mind’s eye, but I shook it away. We’d spent time together because we had time to kill, and that was that. 

We couldn’t mean more than that to each other. We just… couldn’t. 

But secretly, I knew I would always wonder. 

What if?

Chapter Text

Unknown Coastline in Demon Territory

~Mael~

I grit my teeth against the next wave of pain.

And power. Endless, raging power that begged to be used. That begged to be unleashed upon my enemies.

As my magic filled me, certainty and confidence accompanied it.

For a single moment, I knew my place within the world. I knew where I fit. I knew who I was, and what I should do.

I was Archangel Mael of The Sunshine Grace. I was The Supreme Deity’s champion, her blade and voice in this world of humans, giants, and faeries.

I was Mael, and I was unafraid.

Not of any demon, nor of the consequences I knew to be looming over me, casting their heavy shadows on my light. Not even of my own impending death.

A death that was very quickly approaching, if nothing was done.

This was the reason I so rarely tapped into my Grace. The mental toll was one thing -me, a member of The Goddess Clan, and yet still so very mortal, juggling the power of a God- but physically, I was just too young and inexperienced to carry the weight the power brought with it. 

And so The Sunshine Grace was destroying its host along with the demons, and I doubted I had much time.

But that time I still had was enough.

Enough to avenge her. Enough to make them pay. Enough to make them regret ever-

I poured my anguish and pain into my voice as I screamed. Screamed as the power tore through me, burning ever brighter, ever stronger with every heartbeat. My ears had begun ringing, and I pulled every thread of my frayed will together as I prepared one final attack. One blow to the Demon Clan that they could never forget, one blow to carve myself into their memories before I died.

I could do it. I knew I could.

And then-

Zeldris.

And he wasn’t alone. At first I hoped that it would be Meliodas. That I could reduce him to ashes and laugh, and then die with the knowledge that Ellie was avenged.

The Gods weren’t that kind.

The second presence was Calmadios, a towering blue demon wielding a double-handed axe.

And yet… their dark demonic magic was nothing next to my God-given power. Calmadios and Zeldris… one of them was one of the weakest Commandments, and the other wasn’t a Commandment at all.

Well, that was a pity, but if I killed his younger brother, Meliodas was sure to reveal himself. Ludociel would finish him, for cruel as my brother could be, he was still a brilliant tactician.

Besides, Zeldris’s death would still be plenty satisfying. If the information that Jelamet had given me was to be believed, Zeldris had been there when the elder prince had killed Ellie. If I killed him, at least one name off my kill-list could be soundly crossed off.

Calmadios was just collateral.

So I kept gathering magic, my magic, feeling the corners of my lips tip up in a cold, humorless smile as blood dripped down my chin.

The demons prepared for battle, but from the tenseness of their stances, and the fear in their faces, I knew they didn’t expect to make it out alive.

Just a little more. I just needed to hold on until they were all dead-

A powerful presence appeared a short distance away, and my command over my own magic wavered.

“Please, stop!”

~Elizabeth~

I didn’t know which emotion was stronger: relief, or embarrassment.

It was more than true that shrieking at one of the most powerful creatures in this realm to ‘stop’, while he did battle was far from... wise… but it had just slipped out.

From the moment I’d gotten close enough, I had tried to wrest some control away from Mael, hoping that the natural gifts my mother had given me would be enough.

I didn’t really need to take over all his magic or disperse that monstrous attack. I only needed to weaken it, or slow it down enough that the demons could escape.

But even a weakened attack from Mael had a small chance of killing Zeldris and Calmadios, so I was more than thankful that Mael had stopped in time.

Though whether that was a product of his broken focus, his surprise, or my interference… that was debatable.

But still. I’d managed to avoid the worst outcome.

No one was dead.

That would destroy all the progress I’d made with Meliodas as we continued to recover and hammer out the details of a way to gather all the races at one location.

Speaking of the demon, Meliodas had suddenly appeared behind his brother, scooping him up by the collar and effortlessly crushing his building magic with his free hand.

Even though Zeldris was a great deal weaker than Mael -especially considering how close to noon it was- and Meliodas had been a lot closer to Zeldris than I’d been to Mael, the casual display of power still sent a shiver down my spine.

But I had no time to worry about that.

Though Zeldris had struggled and flailed around in Meliodas’s iron grip, he seemed to calm slightly after his brother hissed something at him. Mael, on the other hand, had begun to gather his magic again, looking furious enough to tear into the demons again.

“How dare you? Is murder not enough? Must you tarnish her memory as well? What demonic magic is this, the creation of illusions?” Mael’s voice rose to a roar as he glared at the three demons.

It was uncomfortable to get so close to Mael while he was like this, but it was nowhere near deadly for me, so I jogged closer and tugged gently on his wings.

Mael didn’t budge.

Giving up, I sighed. “Mael… I’ll explain, but please, stop trying to kill them.”

“Get your hands off me, you demonic- huh? Ellie… you’re… real?” Mael’s magic faded as his brow furrowed. “B-but… I thought… I thought you were dead.”

“It was… closer than I’d like to admit-” I cut myself off as I watched Mael’s expression darken as he broke eye contact to continue glaring at the demons. “No! We worked it out!”

I turned to look at the demons as well, hoping that they wouldn’t get riled up enough to start another fight-

It didn’t look like Zeldris would be fighting anytime soon.

Zeldris had craned his head to the side, staring at his brother with something akin to awe… but that wasn’t the only emotion I found. There was something else there, something a little darker.

Either way, he looked nothing like the fearsome warrior I had briefly engaged a few days ago.

In fact, as Zeldris hung limply in Meliodas’s one-handed grip on his collar, he just looked very… lost.

And a little like a beaten puppy. Just a bit.

Calmadios, on the other hand, looked far too happy. It was a little weird to see a humongous demon grinning like a kid on… what was that human holiday again? Oh, right, Christmas. Calmadios was grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.

It was the kind of look that said that he knew he was about to get to do something fun, and he was revelling in the knowledge.

“Lord Meliodas! I knew you wouldn’t have fallen to the likes of these goddesses! I knew it!” Calmadios said, hopping around in place and giving his massive axe a few test swings. “So, how shall we destroy them? At your command, sir!”

Meliodas stared blankly down at him, as if debating if he was even worth talking to.

“We have reached an agreement with the goddess clan. As of the moment, we shall not attack.” he said.

Though his voice was far from loud, his every word held a surprising amount of authority. As if his word was now law, and Calmadios had no choice but to obey.

It seemed that this Meliodas had yet another facet. I’d seen the ruthless warrior. I’d seen the cheeky, sometimes downright scandalous demon.

Now I saw the indomitable leader of The Ten Commandments.

The thought sent a tingle through me, but I wasn’t sure if it was fear or… excitement -the thrill of danger and adventure- that fueled it.

Calmadios obviously felt only confusion, as he quickly objected. “B-but my lord! These are goddesses! W-why would we-”

That was a mistake.

Meliodas seemed to give nothing more than a light flick of his wrist, but his darkness was quickly prompted into motion.

It wrapped around Calmadios’s throat… and squeezed.

It kept squeezing, choking him, stealing the air from his lungs and leaving him gasping, face turning bluer than it already was-

“Stop! There will be no more violence today!”

Part of me wanted to call my magic to the surface, to have it dance along my skin and prove to these demons just how serious I was.

But I knew I couldn’t. The situation was tense enough as it was without my magic being thrown into the mix. What if the demons thought that I was trying to attack?

Zeldris stared down his nose at me, brows flicking up as though he’d only just noticed my presence.

Meliodas, on the other hand, had apparently always been very aware.

He paused and leveled me with a cold stare… and it was just vacant. Empty. That was the worst part, like there wasn’t even a hint of the living, laughing creature I’d gotten to know over the last few days. For a heartbeat that seemed to stretch on to eternity, I didn’t know if he could hear me. I didn’t even know if he was really there.

But then he tipped his head to the side and gave another glib flick of his wrist, releasing Calmadios from his punishment.

I was stone certain that Meliodas wouldn’t have killed his own comrade… but from the expression of utter shock of Calmadios’s face, I could say with confidence that the blue demon had expected it to go on for a while longer. Or perhaps he was merely surprised that Meliodas had done as I -a goddess- had asked.

Either way, that brief moment of silence was enough for me to get the situation under some semblance of control.

“For now, I ask that you leave in peace. We shall gather under the full moon with all races to discuss the terms and conditions for ending this war. I will take it upon myself to send messages to The Giant and Faerie Clans, and I trust that you will bring the Vampires and all others allied with The Demon Clan.” I said.

Meliodas gave a silent nod, eyes remaining cold and untouchable.

We’d worked this out over the last two days, before I’d deemed Meliodas to be back in fighting condition, so this was largely for the benefit of the others.

What we hadn’t intended, however, was for us to meet again so soon, especially on a battlefield. We’d thought that if we parted ways for the moment and met with our respective clans independently, it would be much easier to convince our allies.

We had intended to meet days later, but still… I liked seeing him again. It reminded me that I was no longer alone in fighting for peace.

Even if Meliodas wasn’t much of a stereotypical warrior of justice.

So, as I dragged Mael away from the would-be battlefield, I met Meliodas’s eyes and gave a slight inclination of my head, acknowledging what he’d done for me.

He returned it.

***

A few hours later

The Vampire Palace

~Gelda~

I snarled at the mirror as I watched my fangs lengthen and my eyes turn crimson red. I was tempted to shatter the looking glass, watch the pieces clatter to the ground and laugh maniacally as they did so.

But I, Princess Gelda of The Thousands Temptations, could not throw silly tantrums and shatter things in my rage.

Not even when a very pretty little demon prince had left without even bothering to inform me. What if he died- no. That wasn’t possible. I wouldn’t ever let him die.

And therein lie the problem.

Zeldris of the Demons was far, far too charming for his own good. In an awkward, boyish way, perhaps, but charming nonetheless.

I took a deep breath to rein in my temper and just happened to catch a whiff of… winter mountains, cloves, the night sky and all of the comforting things I’d always loved.

Zeldris. He’d returned.

Hmmm… I looked into the mirror as I fixed my appearance, forcing my eyes to go back to their natural violet, and suddenly very glad that I had not destroyed the mirror.

Well, I was still angry. Very, very angry. I’d make Zeldris pay… but my wicked little schemes would have to be saved for later.

Now was the time for a very different kind of wicked scheme.

I was, after all, Princess Gelda of The Thousand Temptations, and I was quite aptly named.

Zeldris… we’ll see how long you can resist. If at all.

***

Three Days Later

The Goddess Place

~Jelamet~

I sat in my sparse, undecorated room, staring down at my clenched hands.

They looked so innocent, like a little girl’s… but with these hands, I had slain hundreds of demons at my commanders’ orders.

Even worse, I had freed Mael.

What brand of madness had claimed me back then? Why had I done such a stupid thing?

Commiting treason would leave me a head short. And, even if it wasn’t perfect, I quite liked my head exactly where it was.

I had gone against Ludociel’s orders because of my own desire to avenge my fallen comrades and Lady Elizabeth. I had disobeyed the most terrifying archangel of them all!

No. Ludociel wasn’t the most terrifying.

Archangel Mael had been glorious in his fury. Someone to be feared.

Looking at him, I’d thought I could make some sense of why some humans had decided to worship the goddess race.

I’d always admired him. He’d been… he’d been what I’d wished to be when I was younger. To me, he was what I’d imagined a perfect member of the Goddess Clan would be. Merciful. Proud. Powerful.

And now he was gone -likely dead- all because I couldn’t ignore away my desire for vengeance.

Why had I left them to die? I should have fought till I died myself! It was only right, after all. I was their Divine Lance Corporal. That meant I gave everything to defend them, even if… even if it tore me apart inside.

Even if I was afraid to die.

Oh. There was the real reason why I’d left. I could say that ‘I trusted Lady Elizabeth to take care of herself,’ or that ‘I believed she’d keep her promises,’ but those promises had been impossible to keep anyway.

Defeat Meliodas, Zeldris, and Grayroad at the same time without killing anyone and falling to Grayroad’s Commandment? Impossible-

“Divine Lance Corporal! Divine Lance Corporal!”

I shot to my feet as Jenna’s voice reached me. Finally, something I could actually do-

“Archangel Mael had returned… along with Lady Elizabeth!”

It took me a moment to process the words. Then I exploded into motion, sprinting down the beautifully decorated halls, hoping, just hoping that they'd be there, that they’d be alive-

I saw Archangel Mael first, exhausted and drained, but alive, alive, alive. And then my eyes moved to the goddess next to him, who was-

Not Lady Elizabeth. In fact, I was pretty sure that it was Divine Lance Corporal Nerobasta. And since she always seemed to be hovering around Archangel Ludociel, it was no surprise to see him there as well.

“Um… Archangel Mael, may I-”

“State your name and business,” Nerobasta snapped, sliding possessively in front of Archangel Ludociel as she spoke.

“I am Divine Lance Corporal Jelamet, and I wish to inquire of Lady Elizabeth’s whereabouts.” I said, tipping my shoulders back.

Nerobasta looked down at me, sneering. “What could a mere Divine Lance Corporal want with our lady?”

As if she wasn’t a ‘mere Divine Lance Corporal’ herself.

“I have a report that Lady Elizabeth may wish to hear.” I said, lying through my teeth.

Thankfully, Mael jumped in before Nerobasta could further interrogate me.

“Ellie should be resting in her quarters. Three halls down, take a right.”

I only paused to bow quickly to both Archangels -pointedly not bowing to Nerobasta, who was technically my equal- before scurrying away.

Okay, so Mael had told me… three halls and a right turn?

There was a bit of a problem with that.

Lady Elizabeth had refused the quarters in the archangel wing of the palace, which meant that she was somewhere in the soldier barrack… except that every hall and door in the soldier barracks looked pretty much the same. So… which three halls and which right turn had Mael been referring to?

I sighed, not at all looking forward to the hours of searching-

Flowers.

They were beautiful, a thousand shades of blue and purple and pink and orange, peeking out through the marble tiles of the hall and growing thicker and thicker. Until they abruptly stopped in front of one room.

On a hunch, I stopped in front of the room and knocked, biting my lip.

“Hello? You may enter.” A gentle voice whispered.

Lady Elizabeth!

I pushed the door open, looking through the tiny crack to see Lady Elizabeth propped up on fluffy pillows, and cradling a bowl of soup on her lap.

I ran up to her, throwing my arms around her, and sobbing softly.

“A-are you alright? Are you hurt? I think I have enough magic recovered to help?” Elizabeth asked, wrapping her arms around me, and pulling me even closer. Her kindness snapped me out of it.

What was wrong with me? This was Lady Elizabeth, daughter of my God. She wasn’t here to listen to me whine and cry.

Besides, even though I’d seen her from afar for my entire life, she didn't know me. At least not very well.

So I pulled away.

“N-no, Lady Elizabeth, my sincerest apologies. I-I was simply worried…” I trailed off, casting my gaze at the floor.

“I am sorry for any concern I may have caused, but I have some important news.” Elizabeth paused to push her hair behind her ear, the distinctly human gesture making her seem slightly more approachable. “The demons and I have agreed on a temporary treaty, and we shall reconvene the night of the full moon to discuss more permanent terms. I was thinking of petitioning the Council to allow Archangel Mael and I to leave for the gathering.”

“But Lady Elizabeth! T-the demons attacked us! They are traitors and monsters and-”

Elizabeth looked at me sadly. “But if we turn to violence, they’ll call us the monsters and justify their next attack. I have to end this. Before anyone else is hurt.”

I shook my head, refusing to surrender the point. My own warriors -my sisters and brothers in arms- had died because of the treachery of the demons. I had spent days worrying, and plotting, and preparing… I would not let my lady into mortal danger again.

“What if they attack again? Should we continue to allow ourselves be slaughtered because we ‘can’t stand violence’? What if they had killed you? What if they had killed Mael? Should we step back and let our friends and comrades die because we are too stubborn to accept the simple fact that the demons are just dumb savages?” My voice had risen to a scream, but I refused to be cowed.

Elizabeth just kept smiling.

“You’ll understand. Tomorrow, you'll understand.”

I doubted it, but there was… there was something there. In Elizabeth’s eyes, I could see a flicker of ancient, primordial cunning. And for a second, I could swear that I stood before a queen.

No, not a queen. The next Supreme Deity.

But that second passed, and as Elizabeth took a small sip of soup -the fact that it hadn’t been knocked over by my embrace was a miracle on its own- she appeared to be nothing more than a bandaged, bedridden mortal once more. Well, a bandaged, bedridden mortal with two pairs of huge, snowy white wings.

Surely, Elizabeth had been bluffing! Surely this was just the wishful thinking of a sheltered princess! I almost managed to convince myself.

Almost.

***

The Next Day

The Goddess Palace

~Elizabeth~

I braced a hand against a wall, forcing my trembling legs to hold me up. I had used far too much magic, and that combined with the days of flight to deliver messages to the other clans…

I had reached my limit and then some.

But it wasn’t like the war would solve itself. Someone had to end this, and no one else would end it for me.

Knowing I had to do something didn’t make me any less nervous.

Not of making my speeches and convincing The Council to accept my proposal. Compared to getting Meliodas to agree to abide by that temporary peace treaty, this would be like a stroll through one of the palace gardens.

But the cost to that…

This wasn’t like a battle where I could just blurt out anything that came to mind and hope it was enough. This wasn’t a place where an emotional, desperate attempt would accomplish anything. Begging wouldn’t work. Bargaining wouldn’t work.

This was The Council and I’d have to tread carefully to succeed.

So how much of my act could I afford to drop?

I had always cultivated a sense of naivety and gentleness from childhood, so much so that it had become the default state of existence for me. It made people underestimate me: the soft-hearted daughter of the ruthless Queen. But this matter was too serious to leave to luck.

But first I had to get there, and I most definitely wouldn’t make it on foot.

Ah… well, this would be seen as rude -something I probably couldn’t afford- but this was the only way I could get there. Better rude than absent.

So, with a mighty heave, I pulled myself up with my wings, gliding a few feet up in the air. The massive hall was just barely enough to accommodate my formidable wing-span, but it did, so I flew the rest of the way to the Council Hall.

I slid in through the open window, sending papers flying with my abrupt entrance.

The Council Hall was at the highest point in the palace, and the only word that could possibly describe was, ‘beautiful’. Stained glass windows resulted in brilliant fragments of light filtering in through the window, and the marble floor created the perfect canvas for the colors.

But there were so many people!

Every commander and great warrior, everyone who would have a say had gathered here to hear my case. The archangels were here as well, sitting on a raised podium away from the others.

They were all here to make the decision. If I failed here, all the risks I had taken, and all the sacrifices that were made -by everyone- would be for nothing.

I. Could. Not. Fail.

Even if that meant revealing more cards than I would have preferred.

“As you all may have heard, I have struck a temporary peace treaty with the demons. We will gather once more with all the races to discuss permanent peace.” I said, once everyone had somewhat settled.

Soft muttering broke through the previous silence, and I allowed hope to swell in my heart. Muttering was good. At least no one was trying to attack me, verbally or otherwise.

“We shall gather at the full moon, and I expect Archangel Mael to accompany me. Violence is not expected at this meeting.”

The response was more violent this time.

“What do you mean, my Lady? We will be ambushed and killed! We cannot allow such distinguished members of our clan to just waltz into danger!”

“Yes, we already lost so many to the demons, you have obviously been struck by madness if you want us to believe-”

“Foolish girl, do you intend to get the Archangel killed?”

I closed my eyes and waited patiently for the clatter to die down. I’d heard all of this a thousand times before; no amount of belittling hurt me anymore.

But the deaths of innocents still did. And I knew it always would.

“Members of The Goddess Clan. Do you truly think that I’d have left us vulnerable to ambush? Do you truly think I’d have let more of our blood be spilled? We meet at Megadozer, home of Drole, King of The Giants. They are our allies. We know their territory far better than the demons do.” My voice rang out, clear and cold, as I forced my face into a mask of emotionless detachment.

I’d learned from my mistakes… I’d been too distracted by the promise of peace that I’d…I wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

A moment of silence greeted me, and I realized that I’d gone too far. If anyone thought me a threat, I’d be vulnerable. I’d have to choose my next words carefully.

“Reckless child! What assurances do we have that those ignorant savages shall come in peace? What if they bring an army?”

“Because he promised. Meliodas promised.” I said, blinking wide golden eyes at the woman that had spoken.

The chaos that fell over the entire Hall was so abrupt and complete that I took a step back.

“A demon’s word means nothing! They have no honor, no valor! Child, you are obviously not yet ready to lead us if you propose such ridiculous-”

I knew I should have mumbled something stupid and moved on to my main argument, but I was too pleased that the Council member had fallen into my trap.

Staring at her with all the innocence I could muster, I asked, “But did you not just say they were ‘ignorant savages’? Do you mean to tell me that they can outsmart the goddess race?” I paused to give an overly dramatic gasp, “My mother will be quite furious with you… perhaps you’ll even get demoted. Or… k-killed. That is, after all, blasphemy.” I said, making sure to stutter on the word ‘killed’.

The sudden silence was all-consuming, as everyone stared at the council member.

“A-ah… L-Lady Elizabeth… I only jest…”

I was pretty sure that had to be the quickest promotion in history. All the way from ‘child,’ to ‘lady,’ in a heartbeat.

“B-but, my Lady, the Councilwoman has a point. You must understand that we cannot allow such respected members of the clan to wander into mortal danger. What if the demons bring vampires? And you specifically mentioned that it would be at ‘the full moon’. We will be weakest then.” Another Councilmember said.

I had to really try to not give the man a victorious smile. And to make sure that my response was suitably sugarcoated. “Well, Mael will come with me, right? I’m sure his Sunshine Grace will be more than enough to protect us!”

Mother would be proud.

Now Mael would have to come -there was no socially acceptable way to refuse- and The Council couldn’t argue, or it’d be offensive to Mael.

Besides, it was true. Mael’s Grace was the most effective because of its unique properties, and it would greatly reduce the advantage of the vampires held at night. And it wasn’t like the gathering would be for an hour or two… it would take a week at minimum.

During the first meeting with Meliodas, I had only proposed a ‘temporary truce,’ for that very reason -planning on a second meeting from the beginning, one that involved all the races.

I allowed another moment of silence before I spoke again.

“Now, please cast your votes.” I paused, adding on the next words in a final attempt despite knowing they'd do little good, “Please, I need all of you if we are to have peace.”

This was just the beginning. The real fight would begin at the full moon, which was a mere few days away.

There, my success could change the very path of history. And there, I’d face Meliodas again.

For some strange reason, I flushed at the thought.