Title: Unorthodox Method
Theme: #3 Jolt
Fandom: Nanatsu no Taizai/Seven Deadly Sins
Pairing: KingxDiane
Note: Spoilers for recent manga updates. This idea forms as an AU where King and Diane meet before the festival and King challenges her to a fight. Might be OOC.
Disclaimer: I don't own Nanatsu no Taizai or Kiane. I do own a hamster however that I had to practically throw myself off a roof for while I tried so hard not to name him King.
Unorthodox Method:
He positioned himself several hundred yards across from her, just within her weapon's reach. He raised his hand in an arc to the side, pointing at the others who had followed them. Meliodas was at the head of the group, lips dipped down in a furrowed frown. Elizabeth and Ban flanked him, the former calling out to them with worry-fueled panic in her voice. The air crackled around King as he boldly ordered everyone to stay out of the fight. He felt the pull of Elaine's concern, Elizabeth's pleas, and the disapproval that radiated off the Captain but he made himself mute to them. Clearing his mind, diving into the vast pool of magic that was his essence he closed himself off from all surrounding distractions. A single spark of light in his mind was her, standing tall, her expression troubled with confusion and irritation, her fingers wrapped around the long war-hammer. Creating a single tunnel that directed itself in her direction King opened eyes that had shut without concious effort, piercing her, blind to everything but her.
He was taking a risk. As much as he loved her, not even his own feelings would matter if she didn't understand on her own without outside influence what her own feelings meant.
He faced her as he truly was. The Fairy King, with the command over life, wielder of the holy instrument Chastiefol, charged protector of all Fairy-kind, and a fellow member of the Seven Deadly Sins. The fearsome power that he was famous for manipulating was felt rolling off him in a steady pulse. The fierce gleam of his gaze never faltered, the stubborn set of his mouth enhanced by the heavy draw of his thin brows.
Fairy King Harlequin was demanding a fight.
She matched the intensity of his glare with her violet own, her cheeks lightly flushed with anticipation. Her stance was solid against the ground, gloved hand gripping Gideon in an iron clutch, positioning it in a ready stance just behind her. Her reputation was not as widely lauded as his, the stigma of her race primary concern for most who knew of her, yet there were many who had witnessed the intensity of her skills and were humbled by it. A cloak of power radiated from her skin, enveloping the area.
In places where their aura's met sparks cracked.
As the issuer of the challenge he proffered her the first move, never letting even a glimmer of the wailing agony in his heart to be revealed on his face. His features were schooled into cool stoicism, the point of his attention never straying from her. Diane took his offer for what it was, a genuine gesture of true honor rather than a slight and she responded by raising a hand in the air.
The hand dropped and King easily dodged the swipe of her hammer, flying up and over when she followed the initial blow with a rapid set of kicks from her fit legs. The sheer pressure from the air around her pulled him in and he blocked her Gideon with his spear-form Chastiefol, gliding back to a safe distance as he countered her strikes with his own. She bounced back, dancing away from a rapid multi-strike from Chastiefol's fifth form, Increase. The small knives ricocheted off her hammer or embedded themselves in the spots where her feet had been prior. The Fairy King hummed in approval, or grudging admiration, before snapping his fingers and revealing with a scream from the earth the fourth configuration.
"Sunflower!" He calmly stated as the bright bloom opened and began to glow brilliantly.
Diane gasped, feeling the weight of power and instincts screaming for her legs to drive her in the opposite direction. She dove out of the way, falling into a roll as the whining beam burned across the plains, destroying everything in it's path. The resulting aftershock threw debris rocketing through the air to scratch at her, creating dozens of minute scrapes and cuts over her exposed skin. She bore it, gritting her teeth and digging fingers in the earth under her. Behind him a jagged pillar of rock and stone shot up to sharply pierce at him.
Sunflower disappeared and the large form of a bear instantly appeared at his back to take the brunt of the assault. Allowing no chances to slip past her she swung and slammed Gideon from over her shoulder to smash into the ground. Dozens of rock lances filled the air and pelted for HarleQuin. He deflected them with a timely summon of Increase before he dropped altitude to propel himself at her. She responded by kicking off and speeding directly for him, face twisted in fierce determination. As she neared she drew her free hand back and jabbed straight. He just managed to dodge the punch but missed the knee that rose to slam him soundly in the gut. Air broke from his lungs and his eyes bugged in pain as he was sent careening into the sky. Diane roared with adrenaline and a sharp whistle was heard as Gideon streamed effortlessly through the air. The flat end hit with a resounding clang and Diane growled to see her opponent protected by the rectangular shape of Chastiefol in it's pillow form, just managing to stop the attack.
Harlequin recovered with a cough, expression unreadable.
Snapping two fingers together Diane suddenly found herself surrounded. Knives darted towards her and she solidified the chemistry of her body to be like metal. Chastiefol repeatedly bounced off her skin and she turned a frown to the Fairy King. Her eyes grew round when they failed to spot him, darting to the sides. 'Where...Where did he go?'
Her focus diverted, Chastiefol whirled into the form of a spear and with a ring in the air sliced through her side. Diane screamed and fell. King appeared at her side in an instant.
"Diane!"
She swiped out, hitting him with the guard on her arm. He hit the ground and Bear-form Chastiefol charged towards her, signaled on by the motions of his fingers. Getting to her feet Diane kicked, hitting the moss-covered weapon solidly. She yelped when it grabbed her foot with it's four limbs, completely unfazed with her attack, before shooting into the air and hanging her upside down. She shrieked and with a clasped fist called to her power. She made herself as heavy as iron, dragging Bear-form to the ground with her. The giantess gave a wrench, dislodging her foot from it's grip and flipping over on the dusty earth. Her head turned up and Harlequin levitated in front of her, his spear lazily spinning in a circle in front of him. He almost looked disinterested but further scrutiny only served to confuse her more. There was a worried set to his lips, the corners turned just slightly down at the corners in an almost pout. Though his eyes appeared blank there was something that was a kind of feverish swirl in them that betrayed him.
Also, though Diane almost didn't want to admit it, she could tell that he was holding back.
Something in her heart twisted a little.
Slowly she rose, leaving Gideon on the ground where she dropped it. Standing tall she faced her opponent. Keeping her arms to the side she opened her mouth to speak. "I don't want to do this anymore." She said and was suddenly struck with how true the statement was. She really didn't want to fight with this fairy any longer. It only hurt her more. Every time she raised a hand to him or his weapon zoned in on her she could feel the ache in her chest. Everything in her body begged for the battle to stop. To keep from feeling the way she did.
"Why?"
His tone was devoid of all emotion and he hadn't made any motion to her other than pulling Chastiefol to his side in it's pillow form. Diane studied him and felt the feeling in her heart swell with every detail she observed; the apricot color of his hair, the childlike features that were flushed pink, the small stature that appeared weightless, and the way the fire-lined amber of his eyes seemed to disregard any and every barrier she had set up around herself as they peered into her soul without opposition.
Feeling surer of herself Diane calmly spoke out, feeling her eyes gloss over. "This isn't what I want. It's not what you want either. I don't like this and I don't want to feel like this anymore."
Harlequin floated down and closer. Despite their fierce battle only minutes prior Diane didn't flinch away. There was an indescribable sense of anticipation coming off him and Diane felt her own emotions pulse in response.
"Then what do you want Diane?" He gently questioned.
The fervor of his gaze made her blush, the ardor of his body language made her pause. The answer was there on the tip of her tongue just waiting to be freed through the spoken word. Diane recognized what stood before her. Here was someone who needed something that she could offer. Someone who had shown a level of emotion for her that made no sense in someone who was a stranger. Someone who looked as if the next thing she did would determine whether they could roar with joy or succumb to despair and while she couldn't find how to understand why that was she could show what it was her heart was begging her to reveal and the Giantess chanced on the clarity that it was something she had been wanting to do for so long she hadn't even realized how much she had been holding within.
A fountain of warm feelings broke through and Diane smiled with sheer delight as she evenly caught the amber gape with her violet smile and said with all the feelings that had sprung from the deepest parts of her heart.
"I want you to keep on loving me Harlequin."
-OWARI-
Unrealistic ending for the win. The idea is that she regains her memories after a battle with him. I'm pretty sure you can tell how much I'm looking forward to that part in the manga. Lol.
So I'm going to apologize for the delay in updates but I'm going to be very clear when I say that it was not for lack of inspiration. Due to a storm in my area I was forced to rewire my home and so was without both my computers for the last few weeks. I've only been able to use my phone and the Playstation 4 which was somehow spared. Luckily nothing died except an extension cord and a power outlet. I will be going back to regular updates and I apologize to anyone who felt that I had given up on my fics. Not happening. I love King and Diane way too much to ever lose interest in them. Thanks for still hanging around everyone.
Only nineteen more to go! I'm looking forward to it!
