Third person POV-

It had all happened so fast...only 3 days after Meliodas got the message from Zeldris Liones castle was attacked...

It had been when dinner time was only beginning, and Meliodas hadn't made it to the dining hall yet when the attack began.

But when he felt the entire foundation of the castle shake he knew something was terribly wrong.

And then he heard the screaming, and the explosions.

He didn't even have time to think before his legs carried him with light-speed to the dining hall.

Shattered glass and rubble laid everywhere, a small fire was burning in one half of the room.

Warriors were bravely trying to fight off the demons who had attacked, which were only colored demons, which meant they weren't high ranked, but those trying to fend them off still had a hard time.

Meliodas should probably go and help immediately, but fear had gripped his heart, and taken over his brain, so he he could do was scan the room for Elizabeth.

Then he saw her.

"Elizabeth!" He shouted out, panicked as he saw her unconscious on the ground, bleeding from the head.

As he got closer, and held her in his arms he could see that she had probably been knocked out by a piece of flying rubble just when the fighting begun, but her life wasn't in danger as the wound in her head was relatively shallow.

Those not fighting was trying their best to rescue others, so knowing that Elizabeth would be fine he handed her to a knight who would be able to get her out safely.

With Elizabeth safe, he could stop this...

His clothes ripped as he let his darkness leak out, the overwhelming presence alerting the attacking demons.

'Do they really think they have a chance against me?' Meliodas thought darkly.

While high ranking demons like Meliodas controlled the darkness, the lower ranked demons such as the red, grey and copper demons are controlled by the darkness.

In other words Meliodas had the power to control the demons that was not attacking. At least to a certain degree...

It wasn't something he normally liked to do, as it reminded him too much of the way his father had ruled.

But just this once, he would do it.

"Stand down!!" Meliodas's booming and demanding voice echoed through the room.

And some of the demons immediately stooped their assault to whimper like hurt puppies, while other demons fought against his control and continued I fight, though without nearly as much drive as they had just a few seconds ago.

Meliodas wrath grew, and he began to think if rebels such as these...anyone who would hurt Elizabeth, deserved his mercy.

"Fine...everyone out of the way!" Meliodas shouted to alert everyone else currently fighting the demons.

Everyone followed his instructions, not quite sure of what he was gonna do, but sure that they didn't want to feel it.

Meliodas quickly spin around and took a sword out of a knights grip, whereas he swung the sword towards the horde of demons.

"One thousand Devine cuts!!" He shouted the name of his attack as purple flames from the depth of purgatory followed the trajectory of the swords swing.

Roars of pain sounded from the demons who felt the direct hit, but some had been sheltered by others and was still up fit a fight.

Seeing this meliodas ran forward, easily avoiding every attack sent his way, while simultaneously dealing the finishing blows to the remaining rebels.

The other guests, such as king, ban, and Diane was trying to help out, but also not be in Meliodas's way, so they tried to help, only using long distance attacks.

The battle didn't last long...

In fact it only lasted a couple more minutes.

Obviously the demon rebels never stood a chance...

"Sorry...you're sword got a little dirty" Meliodas said and handed the bloody sword to its original owner.

Nobody could tell what Meliodas was thinking...his bangs covered his eyes, hiding any emotions that might reside there.

His stance was tense, but that was also to be expected after the battle he had just fought.

"Yo...thanks for your help...never imagine we'd be that useless...here I was thinking I was actually pretty strong..." Ban came up and put a hand on Meliodas's shoulder.

He didn't react for a while, but when he did it was only a quiet "you're welcome..."

And so he walked away to help the injured people still laying about.

The chais of the situation hadn't defused completely.

The fire was still burning, the walls and ceiling continued to crumble from its own weight, and people were injured...obviously some more than others.

"Shit!! Shitshitshitshitshit!!" Distressed shouts suddenly sounded, and everyone looked over to see a knight holding a bloodied body.

Those who stood further away couldn't make out who it was, but those who stood closer gasped and feel to their knees.

Without an explanation people quickly cleared way for the knight to carry the body out to get the help they needed.

But who knows...maybe it was already too late.

"Who was that?" People began asking those who had obviously seen.

Meliodas heard the answer...

"It was the princess...Veronica!"

The lump it Meliodas's throat dislodged itself and feel deep into his stomach.

He felt sick.

Veronica might not have like him, but she was Elizabeth's older sister, and despite their recent arguments they loved each other very deeply.

'What if she's dead' Meliodas thought horrified.

'If a demon has killed her sister...how will she look at me?' He continued to think, and had to put a hand to his mouth to not gag.

Elizabeth was so kind, so he knew she probably wouldn't hate him, but would she be reminded of the pain of loosing her sister every time she looked at him?

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hours later the palace still was a wreck, but everyone was told to go and rest.

Meliodas however refused to rest and he went directly into Merlin's room and opened her desk to pull out the bottle containing Gaharch.

"Now...i have a feeling you've been lying to me" Meliodas Said sadly.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry" Gaharch apologized, scared for his life, but Gaharch was deep down also very relieved. He had thought the entire castle would come down with the attack, apparently he was just as stupid as the others and thought that Meliodas could be taken down just like that.

"Why Liones? Why now!?" Meliodas shouted at the terrified white demon in the bottle.

"Because you were here!! If you were to be defeated now, in Liones, it could start another war..." Gaharch says timidly.

Meliodas was now shaking with anger.

'So they attacked me while i was here for political reasons, hoping that if I died my brother, and those standing with me would blame everyone else and start another war...' Meliodas concluded.

"Scum like you is Exacly why I sides with stigma during the last war" Meliodas says and unintentionally unleashed a wave of killing intent.

If you were wondering if demons can pee from fear, then the answer is yes.

Gaharch is living proof.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Meliodas continued to interrogate Gaharch for quite a while, but eventually Meliodas knew...

'It's all my fault...'

He had made up his mind...he was gonna leave liones, and leave Elizabeth to live a good life...a life without him.

He could do it, because due to this he had just been informed that the rest of the activities planned had been canceled.

No wonder...no one wants to sit and have a political debate only days after this...

"There's nothing keeping us Here" Meliodas told Merlin, as he was still in her room.

Up until now she had just been sitting in the corner, observing him.

"There's Elizabeth"

"Don't you get it?!" Meliodas shouted, surprising Merlin a slight bit.

"She's better off without me!" He continued.

Merlin knew Meliodas better than most, so she understood exactly how he was feeling being told that the only reason Elizabeth was hurt was to get to Meliodas...it was too much like the way she died all those years ago...he simply couldn't stand it.

"There's a difference between "being better off without you" and "getting hurt because if you"" Merlin stated.

She really didn't have much to say, she knew he had made up his mind.

Now the question was: will he come to regret it later?

"I'm not willing to have either of those be her future" Meliodas said, the anger that had flared up from inside of him just a few minutes ago was being extinguished.

"Talk to her...make her understand why you're breaking her heart" Merlin said, making Meliodas wince.

Sure, he knew what he was doing would break her heart, but that certainly didn't mean it made it easy to be told o bluntly.

Without another word Meliodas slowly got up from the chair at her desk.

He knew he had to talk to her...one last time.

The walk to Elizabeth's new room, aka the room in which she was being treated for her injuries, was depressing.

Not only did Meliodas had to prepare for a heartbreaking conversation, but what he saw on his way didn't exactly brightens us mood either.

Servants was running up and down the hallways with medical supplies, blood was splattered on the floor and there was even some people walking around, looking like mummies, or with minor injuries.

Meliodas felt a sudden need to dirge his stomach when he came face to face with the door leading to Elizabeth's temporarily new room.

He raised his hand to knock, but hesitated.

"Oh demon lord" someone said from behind him, making him turn around.

It was a simple servant. "Are you here to visit the queen?" She continued and Meliodas answered by simply nodding his head, yes.

"I was just on my way in" she said and opened the door without as much as a beat, making Meliodas stiffen.

"M'lady, the demon king is here, shall I let him in?" The servant asked as she continued to stand in the door opening.

"Yes please"

Meliodas winched and squeezed his eyes closed.

The voice was no doubt, Elizabeth's, but it sounded so tired, and so rough, pointing to the fact that she had been injured.

Without another word the servant lead Meliodas inside the room and followed behind.

"Actually Lira, could I speak with him alone?" Elizabeth asked her servant.

"Oh yes of course, M'lady" the servant said, bowed, and then left, closing the door behind her.

"Meliodas?...please...look at me" Elizabeth pleaded kindly.

Meliodas hadn't had the courage to look at her yet, to take in her injuries, but since she asked her slowly raised his eyes till they met hers...or well...the one she showed.

She was covered in band-aids and bandages, the one that stood out was the bandages wrapped around her head, which had already sucked up some of the blood from her head injury.

She smiled sweetly at him when she saw how much he was hurting.

It was showing in his eyes which was always green when he was with her.

She extended her hand to him, indicating that she wanted him to come closer, as he was out of reach.

'One foot in front of the other' Meliodas had so remind himself. If he hadn't he most likely would've tripped himself.

Slowly he walked over and sat down on a chair next to Elizabeth's bed.

Elizabeth raised her ha d and gently cupped his cheek.

"I'm so glad you're okay" she breathed out, her voice shaking.

"I'm the demon king...I can handle that kind of thing" Meliodas laughed. It didn't take a genius to figure out that that laugh was as fake as can be.

"Well how was I supposed to know" Elizabeth laughed with a laugh just as fake.

The room then feel into silence until Elizabeth spoke again.

"Who are we trying to fool?...today has been terrible..."

"Mmhmm" Meliodas just nodded, looking down.

"Meliodas...i'm Sorry...today it-" Elizabeth started, but Meliodas stood up, making the chair fall behind him, and he cupped her cheeks gaining eye contact.

He refused to have her apologize for what happened that day.

" no! No this isn't your fault, you hear me? So don't you dare apologize" Meliodas said

When she remained quiet he knew she didn't believe him.

Not that Meliodas could tell but it wasn't so much the attack itself she blamed herself for...but it was Veronica's injuries.

She hadn't died but she was in a coma, and could very likely die...or just never wake up again.

Meliodas took a deep breath. This was it..

"...it's entirely my fault..and mine alone"

"Your fault? How can it be?" Elizabeth asked, her voice not as quivering as it was mere minutes ago.

"The attack...it was by demons..demons I failed to control...as king I take full responsibility" Meliodas said lowering his head to break the eye contact.

"But they were rebels right? You've told me about them...this was out of your hands"

"Maybe...but they attacked because this was where I was. That won't happen again"

Elizabeth didn't like where this was going.

"What do you mean?"

"...I think it's best that we stop whatever is going on between us...right here, right now"

"No...you can't be serious...don't say nonsense like that" Elizabeth scolded.

She had always known he had to leave at one point, but now that he was she couldn't handle it.

"Please don't leave" Elizabeth begged.

Meliodas loosened his grip on her, and was about to walk away.

Elizabeth felt this, so getting bold she grabbed hold of Meliodas's collar and pulled him into a kiss.

Meliodas wanted to pull away quickly to show that it was over.

But he loved her...so much, and he felt his own heart break by doing this. By leaving her...

He wanted to comfort her, tell her that he would stay, that it was all some kind of sick prank.

But he couldn't...

Loving her meant wanting the best for her, which clearly wasn't being with him.

Slowly he pulled away, but when he looked into her eyes he felt himself drawn in again, almost as if he was put in a trance.

He stopped only millimeters from her lips and instead put his head down under her chin with a sigh.

"Please...don't make this harder for me Elizabeth"

"Don't go..." Elizabeth sobbed.

The tears she had been trying to hold back was now flowing down her cheeks like waterfalls.

All the things he wished he could say...all the things he wished he could do to make her stop crying...he knew it would only make things worse.

They had shared their very last kiss.

And he had told her that he loved her for the very last time...

"I wish you well...M'lady" Meliodas says as coldly as he could manage and stood up despite her attempts to hold onto him.

"I wish for your future...to be a bright one...farewell" Meliodas says and quickly walked out, unintentionally slamming the door hard behind him.

He stood outside the door for a few moments, listening to her sobs on the other side.

"I love you...goodbye" he whispered, as one single tear glided down his cheek.

Her hen began walking as fast as he could back to his quarters to pact the few things he had.

He couldn't wait.

They had to leave today..

No.

Right now!

"Merlin! Get ready, we're leaving!" He shouted as he walked past her the doors to her room.

He knew she would be able to hear him, so he walked straight into his own room and started packing.

"You too, eh?" A familiar voice says as the doors to Meliodas's room slowly opened.

"Arthur?" Meliodas said, surprised to see his nephew at this time.

"Yeah...can I come with you?"

"With me? Merlin can just teleport you back home..."

"Nobody's expecting me to come back yet...it's a...good excuse to go to the demon realm...I know you're probably not in the mood for a vacationer, but I need to-"

"I get it..and of course you can come Arthur...after you you could use some relaxation too I guess" Meliodas smiles as brightly as he could, but his nephew could see that something was off, but he guessed that it was just the recent attack.

Meliodas was surprisingly relieved to here that Arthur would come for a week of vacation. It would help him take his mind off of Elizabeth...he hoped.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

A/N

CHAPTER 346 SPOILERS BELOW

*fangirl mode activated*

1) can you believe that NNT is actually done?! I know there'll be a sequel

But that will follow Arthur and not Mel, so I'm saaaadd.

2) TRISTANSTRISTANSTRISTAN!!!!! I can't quite figure out if Tristan is as boy or a girl, cause she/he? looks like a girl, but my pals on tumblr says she/he? Is a boy...HUH?!

But either way I'll love Tristan till my heart no longer beats!!!!!

#ifanyofyoutouchmybabyiwillmurderyou!