Chapter 10 – Death
Before Arcadia could reach Meliodas, he'd already poked holes through Fraudrin, much to the shock of everyone there. Fraudrin then shrunk and then fell to the ground. Arcadia instantly put herself in between Meliodas and Fraudrin.
"Enough! I won't let you do this!" Arcadia growled, pointing her sword at Meliodas. He slowly turned around to face her.
"Oh? You really think you, of all people, can stop me?" Meliodas threatened as he glared at his child.
"What are you going to do? Kill your only daughter?"
"Arc... Don't do this..." Fraudrin didn't want the girl to get hurt again, but before anyone could say anything else, Meliodas stabbed Arcadia, right in one of her hearts. She coughed up blood but just smiled at the man.
"You think I won't? You got with a demon, one I told you to not get with. You defied me."
"Damn right I did. I guess I take after you, considering how you defied your father." Meliodas couldn't help but chuckle at that. Even so, he then smacked Arcadia sending her flying to the side.
"Arcadia!" Fraudrin choked out as he watched his former lover crash into a wall. The demon then stood up in fury. "Zaratras was kind enough to provide me... an inspiration of sorts. So don't expect me to roll over and die quietly. Nor will I watch you kill Arcadia over me!"
"Forcefully drawing out all of this energy at once to self-destruct..." Merlin mused as she watched the demon. Hendrickson and Howzer snapped their heads to her and repeated her last word. "There's no need to fret... It won't be able to penetrate my 'perfect cube'."
"Th...That's not what I'm worried about!" Howzer yelled out, horrified.
"Of course, it won't be enough to destroy the captain either. It might kill Arcadia though, I'm not sure."
"How much longer will you be able to keep up that smug smile I wonder. After all, even if you somehow manage to survive this... I'll certainly be able to wipe Liones off the face of the map, and thanks to you, every last human in this pathetic kingdom will perish! Now then... How about you count down together with me... For the grand finale! 10!"
"If you wanna kick the bucket, then hurry up and just do it. You're putting me to sleep over here..."
"Dreyfus! Griamore! Arcadia!" Hendrickson yelled out, terrified for his friends.
"Dreyfus... prepare yourself... I'll be bringing you along with me to the other world... Unfortunately, your son will be joining us as well." Fraudrin stated, sounding slightly sad about the child.
"It's okay Griamore, your father will be right here with you... until the very end!" Griamore was crying now, but he still shoved out of his father's arms.
"NO!"
"Griamore!" The little boy grabbed a hold of Fraudrin and put up a wall around them in the form of a ball.
"What?!" Fraudrin yelled out, horrified at the child's actions.
"Don't kill daddy! Don't kill everyone!" Griamore cried out. Arcadia was there in an instant next to Dreyfus.
"Griamore put down this wall, now!" The girl yelled out as Dreyfus yelled out as well.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Dreyfus began to bang on the wall, trying to break it as Arcadia kept yelling at the boy. "No! I order you to stop! Release your magic this instant, Griamore!"
"Let me go! Dispel your magic now, Griamore!" Fraudrin yelled out at the child. The little bot just shook his head as tears flowed from his eyes. "Please, be a good boy!" Griamore just shook his head again. As Dreyfus kept screaming loudly. "So be it. I will not kill your father... or anyone else for that matter."
"Do you... promise?"
"Yes... You have my word, so take down this barrier, and return to your father's side." Griamore wiped his eyes and released his barrier. He then instantly returned to his father and threw himself into Dreyfus's arms. "Apparently, the one caught up in silly sweet dreams... was me... That's the thing... I never wished to understand or comprehend it... Kill me."
"No!" Both Griamore and Arcadia yelled at the same time. She instantly moved between the two demons and put her arms up protectively. "Don't you dare touch Fraudrin!"
"Get out of the way, Arcadia," Meliodas spoke with a smile on his face. He was all too ready to kill Fraudrin.
"I won't!" Tears were now streaming down Arcadia's face. "Please father... Don't take him from me..."
"Don't be ridiculous, you have Hendrickson now. Would you really risk your life to save this demon?"
"If you're going to kill him, kill me first."
"Arc!" Griamore cried out, as tears began to flow from his eyes.
"Very well. I will do as you ask." Meliodas lifted his sword to kill Arcadia, while both Griamore and Hendrickson yelled out her name in fear. Just as his sword was coming down, Fraudrin wrapped his hand around her protectively.
"I won't let you take her from this world." The giant demon spoke as he took the damage Arcadia would have taken. "Here, Dreyfus take the girl." Fraudrin had picked up Arcadia and literally tossed her to the other man. With Griamore on one side, Dreyfus caught the girl and held her tightly as she struggled against him.
"Let me go!"
"I cannot."
"Please father! Don't kill him!"
"I truly did love you, Arcadia..." With those final words from the large demon, Meliodas punched Fraudrin so hard, half his body was blown away, killing him instantly, much to the horror of everyone.
"No!" Arcadia screamed out as tears began to flow from her eyes. Pain shot through her as it felt like a small piece of her, just died along with Fraudrin. "He didn't deserve to die like that Meliodas!" Even Griamore was now crying with the girl. He left his father's arms and snuggled up against the girl, holding onto her as he cried over the demons death.
"What is going on?" Dreyfus questioned, a little concerned over the two crying people in his arms. He stood up, allowing Arcadia to stand on her own, but she collapsed to the ground, with Griamore still in her arms.
"Arcadia!" Hendrickson was at her side as soon as Merlin released her perfect cube. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around the girl and the little boy, allowing her to lean against him and cling onto him.
It took some time, but eventually, Arcadia stopped crying. She just sadly looked up at Hendrickson.
"You almost didn't make it back to me this time." The white-haired man pointed out sadly.
"I'm so sorry. I had to try to save him, even if it meant dying. I know I shouldn't have because of what he's done to you and everyone else, but I... I loved him once and I just..." She trailed off as tears began to fill her eyes.
"I understand," Hendrickson spoke softly. It hurt his heart to watch the girl crying like that, especially over another man.
"Hendrickson, Dreyfus..." It was the king of Liones, Bartra who'd approached the five of them.
"Yes, sire?" Dreyfus responded, a little confused and hesitant.
"Come to the funeral we're having tonight."
"Of course, we'll be there."
"You girl, Arcadia, I believe? Come as well."
"...Of course..." Arcadia spoke as she sniffled and fought back more tears. "Griamore, I think there's someone who wants to be with you right now."
"Huh?" The little boy looked up to see one of the princesses approaching them. It was Veronica.
"Hi, Griamore. Want to come with me?" She questioned softly as she reached out for the boy. Instantly, the little boy was out of Arcadia's arms and in Veronica's. The two quickly left the adults to themselves.
"Are you alright now?" Hendrickson questioned the now calm girl in his arms.
"I will be." Hendrickson then put his forehead against the girl's.
"Good... Don't ever do that again... I thought I was about... I thought you were going to die..." Hendrickson had his own tears filling his eyes now.
"I'm so sorry, Hendy. I promise I won't do that again!" The girl hugged the man tightly, and he wrapped his arms around her back in return. Dreyfus just smiled over the two and put a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Come, we shouldn't stay here. It's getting late, the funeral will be at dusk." Dreyfus spoke, interrupting their moment.
"You're right." Arcadia then detached herself from Hendrickson and stood up. "Oh, I think I owe you an apology..."
"Why?"
"Well, Fraudrin, he used your body to kiss me. I'm sure you didn't appreciate that."
"It's alright, I was more concerned with you."
"Ha, that's exactly what Hendrickson said you'd say." Arcadia couldn't help but chuckle at that. Hendrickson was now standing as well by her side.
"Let's get cleaned up before we meet with the others." Suddenly, a shock went through Arcadia.
"Oh my god, your shoulder! I forgot! Let me try to heal you!" Arcadia instantly swung around and put her hands over Hendrickson's shoulder. Dreyfus couldn't help but chuckle at the panic the girl showed towards Hendrickson. His chuckle caused both, Hendrickson and Arcadia to look over at him.
"What's so funny, Dreyfus?"
"She shows much panic over you. She must care about you a lot." Dreyfus's words caused Arcadia to blush.
"Yeah, well... I do care about him a lot." Arcadia admitted surprisingly. She was still trying to heal the wounded man, but it wasn't working well.
"Here, let me help." Hendrickson put his hand over the girl's hand and began to heal himself with her help.
"So... Hendy, do you care about her as well?" Dreyfus was now intensely curious. His friend had never shown true interest in a woman before, so he wanted to know all about it.
"We can talk about this further, later," Hendrickson spoke, putting an end to that conversation.
Eventually, with Arcadia's help, Hendrickson's shoulder got to be fully healed. After he was fine, Hendrickson, Dreyfus, and Arcadia all made their way to where the funeral was being held. By now, it was dark and raining.
"This is where the souls of the four noble holy knights shall be laid to rest. From the depths of my heart, I offer blessings for these brave men who sacrificed their lives for their kingdom and its people." The little priest spoke over the graves.
"Marmas... You left us far too soon..." Howzer mumbled as others were fully sobbing over their lost friends.
"Denzel... Why didn't you say something to us? Why didn't you let us know?!" Deldry cried out as she clings to Deathpierce.
"Dogedo... may you find peace with your fellow comrades..." Waillo muttered as he also cried a few tears for his fallen friend.
"I don't... I don't understand why my brother had to die..." Jericho mumbled in shock. "Was it... to protect me? How are you going to protect me now that you're dead?! You could've at least given me the chance to say a proper goodbye...We were... just always... at each other's throats..." Jericho then burst out into tears as she clung to Ban. Suddenly, a rock was thrown and hit Hendrickson right above one of his eyes.
"Why the fuck are you still alive?! Getting possessed by a demon and letting it run roughshod all over the place sure worked out well for you, huh!" Deldry screamed out after she threw the rock at Hendrickson. Arcadia gasped and just watched, shocked at the scene unfolded around her. "You still get to live and breathe while Denzel and all the others died horrible deaths!" Deldry then grabbed another rock and threw it at Dreyfus. "You con of a bitch!" Howzer instantly then stood in front of the two men.
"That's enough! It's not like he asked to be possessed!" Howzer yelled out protectively.
"Move it!"
"It's fine Howzer," Dreyfus spoke as a rock hit Howzer in the head.
"No, it really isn't... Ow!" Howzer responded in pain.
"Everyone, please... if you could somehow find it in your hearts... I, as king... with to see off the brave souls of those who have died with at least a moment of silence." Bartra spoke gently, trying to soothe the situation. "What I wish for the most, is everyone's assistance in returning the morale and livelihood of this once bustling kingdom that has been ravaged and destroyed by the demons. In order to accomplish this in a timely manner, all of our hearts must be one and we cannot stand divided!" The king's words caused Hendrickson and Dreyfus to look at each other.
After the funeral, Dreyfus offered to have the two stay at his home, while Griamore stayed with the princess. The brown-haired man had a lot of questions for his friend and the girl. However, their talk first started with Hendrickson explaining how Griamore ended up a child once again.
"I see. Well, tomorrow we should talk to Lady Merlin about how to turn him back to normal." Dreyfus spoke once Hendrickson was done with his story. "Now, explain this." He waved his hand between Arcadia and Hendrickson. That caused Arcadia's face to instantly go red.
"Well, to start, you know about who and what I am, correct?" Arcadia began hesitantly.
"I believe I know more about you than you'd want me to. Fraudrin shared some... information about you while I was possessed by him." Dreyfus's face had a slight blush, causing the girl to full-on panic and freak out.
"What the fuck did he tell or show you from his memories?! Wait don't answer that please..." Arcadia then took a deep breath and regained her composure. "Anyway... in Istar, I met Hendrickson and that's where everything started. Griamore chose him and me to be his temporary parents and we grew closer due to him. Now... I care about Hendy deeply and would do anything to keep him safe."
"And you, how do you feel about her?"
"I would give my life to keep her safe."
"So... you two... are in love then, correct?" Dreyfus added everything up and gave it a name. Both of the other adults looked over at each other and instantly blushed. Arcadia had already realized her feelings for him, but Hendrickson hadn't put a name to his for her quite yet. However, the word love seemed to resonate with him.
"I've never been in love before... but I always imagined it would feel like this..." Hendrickson finally admitted after a few moments of silent thought.
"And you, Arcadia?"
"I haven't felt this strongly for someone before, and it's slightly scary, but yes, I'd say it's love..." Arcadia admitted with a smile on her face as she looked over at Hendrickson.
"I'm glad for you, Hendrickson," Dreyfus spoke as he strongly patted the white-haired man on his back.
"Thank you, Dreyfus."
"Well, it's about time we go to sleep, right? I'll stay on the couch and Arcadia can take my bed." Both Arcadia and Hendrickson just looked at each other, not wanting to be the one who explained their sleeping arrangements, but eventually, Arcadia spoke up.
"Actually, Hendrickson and I stay together. We sleep better next to each other and it keeps the nightmares away." Arcadia explained with a slight blush on her face.
"Oh... I see." Dreyfus wasn't sure how to respond to that. He never expected Hendrickson would sleep with a woman so easily. Even if nothing inappropriate went on. "Well, you two take my bed, I'll sleep in Griamore's."
"Alright. Thank you." With that, the three adults went to different rooms and began to get ready for bed. The men had to take off all their armor and Arcadia just took her cloak off. Once they were all ready, they all climbed into their own beds and Dreyfus slipped off to sleep. The other two remained awake for a few minutes to chat with each other. "So... Hendy?"
"Yes?" Hendrickson looked down at the girl in his arms hesitantly.
"Are we... a thing now?"
"I would say so."
"Good..." Arcadia then surprised the man, be sitting up a bit to kiss him on the side of his face. "Goodnight then." The then lied back down and snuggled into Hendrickson's arms. She fell asleep almost instantly, while Hendrickson just remained awake in shock. He'd never been kissed by a woman before, even if it was just on the cheek. He wasn't sure how to react, so he remained still, and eventually sleep overtook him and he joined Arcadia in dreamland.