Hello my glorious readers!

We have a new record of reviews! As of the time of writing this, six reviews for the last chapter, woohoo! I just wish to say thank you to everyone who left a review but also thank you to all my followers and people who have liked this story and to all my silent readers. I couldn't do this without you.

Enjoy. xXx

Ban found himself stood in a circle of light within a darkened space. He immediately left the light and found a rock to sit on. He hunched his body over, with an elbow propped on a raised knee and his chin supported by his fist.

He waited. And waited.

"Well? When's my test supposed to start?" He eventually drawled.

A disapproving voice floated down to him. "You were supposed to stay within the light.

"Eh. Didn't feel like it." Ban shrugged it off.

"Very well. Then how about we play a game?" The space lightened.

Ban found himself in a vast cave. So vast he couldn't see the sides and the ceiling was far above him. There were stalagmites growing upwards and stalactites clinging to the ceiling above dotted all over the cavern. The rock upon which he was sitting was a stalagmite with the point broken off.

"What kind of game?" the tall man asked leerily.

"You are known as Ban the undead, is that correct?"

Ban stretched lazily and grinned. "The one and only."

"Then I propose you spin the wheel and choose a way to die." The voice was very calm and matter of fact.

Ban leapt to his feet. "What?! No way!" He grinned and tugged at his jacket. "Don't wanna ruin the threads after all." He looked about him. "What wheel?"

"Silly me. I had forgotten." The voice let out a laugh and with a puff of smoke a large wooden wheel appeared, hanging in mid air.

Ban sauntered over to have a look. The wheel had twelve different symbols carved into it, Ban didn't recognise them. An arrow was floating above the disc, just touching the tops of the symbols.

"Lay your hand on the wheel and spin it. Choose your fate."

"Ha! My fate. Don't know much about me do you?"

"The longer you stall, the longer your friend is in danger. She is your friend is she not?" The voice was curious.

Ban was still for a minute. "Yeah, she's my friend," he grudgingly admitted. "Plus the captain wouldn't be happy if he knew she was in danger because of me."

"Then lay your hand on the wheel and spin."

Ban stretched out his arm and rested his hand on the wood. "You said to choose my death... You know I can't actually die right? And that I'll resist?"

"Of course. In fact, I'm counting on it."

"Excellent!" Ban grinned and spun the wheel as hard as he could. He watched the disc spin, perversely excited for the outcome.

Meliodas slowly opened his eyes then blinked. He was alone in a dark space. A spot of light shone solely on him.

"Hello?"

"Hello." A disembodied voice returned.

"So is this my turn to be tested?"

"It is. Do you have any questions before we begin?"

"Do you know where Elizabeth is? Is she still alive?!" Meliodas turned in a circle, looking for movement. He saw nothing.

"Such devotion. That should make this test easier for you." The voice paused and then continued. "I know where your princess is. She is alive for the moment. But whether she is whole, I cannot say."

"Whole? You mean she could be injured?!" Meliodas tightened his hands into fists. "Let's do this."

"Very well." The area surrounding Meliodas lightened and thousands of coloured ribbons appeared. "Choose your princess."

Meliodas frowned. "I don't understand." He reached out a hand and let a few ribbons run through his fingers.

Each ribbon was a different colour, some wide, some thin, some coarse like burlap, others of cotton, silk or velvet. Still more with fine threads of metal woven through.

"Do I get a hint?"

After a slight pause, the voice answered. "Very well. Each ribbon symbolises a life. You must choose your princess. But be careful. You only get one chance."

"That wasn't exactly a hint. And there's thousands here. Elizabeth is in danger!"

"Then I suggest you hurry."

Meliodas frowned but began to examine the ribbons without further argument.

Some of the ribbons changed colour, some were frayed, others were twisted around each other.

He studied blue ones like her eyes, silver ones like her hair. Silk and satin ribbons that matched the softness of her skin, ribbons threaded through with gold and silver for her royal upbringing.

Nothing seemed right.

In frustration he grabbed a handful of the ribbons and threw them. They fluttered gracefully to the floor. "This is impossible!" The blond man yelled. "What happens if I choose wrong?"

No reply.

Meliodas drew his sword. Just before he was about to hack his way through the ribbons dangling before him the voice called out.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The captain of the sins lowered his sword. "And why not?"

"Each ribbon is representative of a life. The longer the ribbon, the longer the life. If you slice through the ribbon then you have shortened the natural life span."

Meliodas paled. All these innocent people, and he could have ended them. "Thank you for stopping me."

"Of course. Now please continue."

"You sound like Gowther," grumbled Meliodas, but he continued with his search.

He worked methodically, checking every ribbon in one area before moving on to the next when something, a feeling, stopped him. He made his way to an as of yet unexplored area. The ribbons here were mostly dark coloured and of rough material. One stood out. A pale gold ribbon of the finest silk with two dark coloured ribbons twirled loosely around it. One a rusty blood red and the other, a dark purple black.

"What happens if I choose the wrong ribbon?"

No reply.

"Alright. Some of the ribbons are tangled together. What does that mean?" Meliodas was trying not to let his anger show but this guy was really testing his limits.

A pause, and then... "The tangled ribbons are where two or more people are significantly connected. Have you made your choice?"

Meliodas stepped forward and raised a hand to the gold ribbon. He let it slip over his fingers hoping for a sign that he was right. Nothing happened but it just had to be hers! Something so delicate and light, surrounded by darkness, that was Elizabeth's life since she had found the captain. This had to be the one.

"This one." Meliodas stood tall and lifted the ribbon higher. "This is Elizabeth."

The room went dark.

"Ah shit. Not again."

As the wheel slowed Ban leaned in closer. He tried to focus on the symbols, work out what they could mean. The wheel came to a stop.

"Oh, very interesting."

"What?! Tell me!" The wheel had stopped with the arrow hovering above a symbol that looked almost like a crooked triangle. There were ten unevenly spaced dots joined by a light thin line.

"Do you not recognise the constellations? This is Capricorn." Ban could hear the smirk even if he couldn't see it.

"So what does Capricorn mean?"

"It means my pet is hungry..." The voice trailed off into a laugh.

"It means your pet is dead" muttered the immortal man.

"We shall see."

There was a sound like the clap of thunder followed by the fast clopping of hooves. Ban looked about him confused. There came a blur racing towards him, Ban managed to throw his body out of the way just in time and landed with a crash against a stalagmite.

The creature skidded to a stop and then clopped closer to Ban.

"Ban, I would like to introduce my pet." Before the undead man stood a strange creature. It stood tall like a man with two arms but had the head, legs and tail of a goat. It was horned, heavily muscled, and covered in a short brown fur. Its eyes flashed red and when it snarled, Ban glimpsed sharp teeth. It stood taller and much heavier than the bandit.

Ban pushed to his feet. "Let the games begin then." Before he'd even finished speaking, he attacked. He sprang forward into a flip and planted both feet on the goat-man's chest. The creature staggered back a step but quick as a flash, grabbed Ban's foot and pivoted, using Ban's momentum to throw him to the floor.

Hooking a foot around the ankle of the beast, Ban pulled the leg out from under it and down it went with a crash. The beast bellowed with rage. Ban flipped to his feet and pulled out his three-sectioned-staff. The creature pushed up to its knees, Ban attacked with the speed of lightning with punches, kicks and swings of his staff. The goat-man kept pace easily using its arms to block the attacks.

Just as the undead man made a swing with his arm, the creature caught his wrist, smoothly stood up, spun Ban around so his arm was bent up his back and opened its jaw. Ban heard a laugh and then his world went dark. The beast had swallowed him whole, staff and all.

"Huh. Faster than I expected. Slightly disappointing to be perfectly honest."

Even though he was in the beast's stomach Ban could hear the voice mocking him. Using all his power he punched out. He had no idea of which direction he was facing or which part of the beast he was punching but he had to get out. With a roar he emerged from the beast's body and it dissipated into smoke around him.

"Was that it?" he calmly asked. "Nice warmup."

"I'm glad you think so. Spin again," came the reply.