I do not own Seven Deadly Sins or any of their characters. As of now, I've started the manga, and am about halfway through the fight with Hendrickson.
Allies
Oswald slowed to a stop as he entered a side street where Holy Knights were waiting for something, probably one of the Sins. They all turned toward Oswald as he stepped into the street.
"Who the hell are you?" one of them demanded.
Oswald's eyes scanned over the ranks of the Holy Knights. There were a lot. Probably thirty or forty.
"I'm just a blacksmith," Oswald said.
Just then, the ground over where Diane had gone all but exploded, massive tree roots erupting out of the ground and smashing down on something like tentacles. Oswald swallowed hard.
"I don't have time for this," Oswald growled, sprinting forward.
He slashed his way past five of the Holy Knights before one of them blocked his blade. However, he spun around the Holy Knight and slashed him up the back before drilling a punch into the next, sending him exploding backward through three more. Then, he jumped, holding his left hand out and forming Heaven's Shield, landing on it and then jumping again, reaching a rooftop before letting the shield fade and beginning to run. He headed toward the castle, deciding that should be the first place he look. However, before he could get there, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and hurled himself tot he side, an arrow hitting the roof ahead of him and exploding, throwing him backward. He crashed into the edge of a roof, grunting as the air was knocked out of him, then fell to the street, landing in a heap and slowly beginning to push himself back up. As he did, three Holy Knights landed around him, his skin coming alive with needle pricks.
"That was easy," one with a bow grinned, an arrow aimed at the back of Oswald's head.
"I really was expecting a little more of a challenge against someone working alongside the Seven Deadly Sins," another, this one with a broadsword that had a rectangular blade with all three exposed sides sharpened, chuckled, the sword resting on his shoulder.
"Well," Oswald sighed. "I suppose I'd better not disappoint you three."
He grit his teeth, groaning. Then, in a massive thundering crash, the three Second Generation Holy Knights' blood splattered across the alleyway they were in. Oswald pushed himself up to his feet, sighing and dusting himself off, picking up the broadsword as he walked out of the alleyway toward the castle again. However, before he had gotten far, he stopped as a Holy Knight that stood about seven feet tall and was solid muscle appeared, brandishing a great sword in one hand. He slashed downward at Oswald and Oswald swung the broad sword, the Holy Knight's sword smashing against the much larger blade, but also snapping it off. Then, Oswald stepped forward, drilling a punch into the Holy Knight and sending him crashing backward into a wall. He pushed out of it, grinning wickedly and cracking his knuckles, beginning to grow even more.
"Impressive ability," Oswald noted. "What's it called?"
"It's called Mass," the Holy Knight said.
"I like it," Oswald nodded. "It's useful. I'm definitely not strong enough for this fight."
The Holy Knight grinned victoriously, swinging a punch down at Oswald, only for the bones of his hand to shatter against Oswald's Heaven's Shield. The Holy Knight shouted in pain, staggering backward and shrinking, stopping as he reached an unimpressive four feet tall and his muscle evaporated, leaving him scrawny and pathetic.
"What gives!?" the Holy Knight demands in a high, wavering voice. "I thought you said you weren't strong enough to beat me!"
"Strength isn't everything," Oswald said. "My shield can block a lot worse than your fist." He strode forward, the Holy Knight stepping into the way only for Oswald to shove him aside. "I won't kill you, but in exchange I suggest you stay out of my way."
Then, he walked away, leaving the Holy Knight behind. He walked through the streets in silence. The other Holy Knights didn't seem to have followed him, and he seemed to be in an evacuated area. As the rounded the next corner, he saw why. Up ahead, there was a young man with red hair and shining gold armor attacking Hendrickson from behind with a sword that had a small cross on the pommel and both ends of the golden guard. He was moving in a blur, but Hendrickson was easily blocking it. Then, he turned, slashing and slamming his tanto into the stranger's sword, sending him blasting into the riverbank below the bridge they were fighting on. As the man began to stand, Hendrickson kicked him, sending him blasting backward. Both said something, though Oswald was still too far away to hear, before Hendrickson raised his tanto, black flames rolling along it, then growing, swarming up into the air and forming a fireball, which flew at Hendrickson's opponent.
As Oswald watched the attack, his skin all but screamed at him. There was something very wrong. However, before he could reach Hendrickson's opponent, and not for lack of trying, the spell suddenly reversed direction, crashing into Hendrickson instead. Hendrickson flew backward, exploding into the side of the bridge, the dust sweeping out to fill the area.
"Well, you've learned some pretty troubling magic since I last saw you," Meliodas's voice said from ahead of Oswald, who slowed to a stop beside Meliodas and the stranger, handing the stranger his sword before drawing his own.
"I know that voice," Hendrickson said. "Could it be?"
"It's me alright," Meliodas said as the dust finished settling. "And I'm not going to leave without Elizabeth."
"Don't waste your energy, Meliodas," Oswald said. "Leave Hendrickson to us. You go and find your princess."
"You sure?" Meliodas asked.
"Yeah," Oswald nodded. "With my shield and this guy's skill with a blade, we'll be fine."
"I'm Arthur," the stranger said.
"Oswald," Oswald said. "And we're about to have company."
His eyes flicked up at the air over them where a storm cloud was forming. Meliodas nodded just as a bolt of lightning shot down, transforming into Gilthunder just in time for Meliodas to block the blade. At the same time, Arthur and Oswald lunged forward, both slashing rapidly, Hendrickson backpedaling as he fended them off. After a moment, Hendrickson stabbed at Oswald and Oswald spun, ducking under the blade and slashing upward at Hendrickson. He jumped backward, then stepped forward, slashing again, only for Arthur to block it. Oswald flipped over Hendrickson and slashed downward at him, only for Hendrickson to shove Arthur's blade up into Oswald's blocking the strike before jumping and slamming a kick into Oswald, launching him away. Oswald bounced off the ground once before flipping and driving his sword down into the ground, skidding to a stop. He raised his head slowly, glaring at Hendrickson just before Arthur and Meliodas also skidded to a stop beside him.
"No matter what you do, you cannot change your situation," Hendrickson said. "You attacked the kingdom with only a handful of allies, and with no plan. No matter how you look at it, you cannot defeat us, and you cannot save Princess Eliz-"
He was cut off by Meliodas's sword crashing into his own, seemingly at the same time as Gilthunder's, sending both Holy knights skidding backward, a shallow cut on their cheeks.
"Don't waste your breath," Meliodas snarled. "I'd happily give my life to defend Elizabeth."
"And this is why you were always my hero," Oswald said, walking past Meliodas. "No one can stop you when it's for Elizabeth. They never could."
"Wait...what?" Meliodas blinked.
"My turn," Oswald said, streaking forward, sword held in both hands. "Allow me to show you something I picked up in Vaizel. Godspeed Ten Slashes!"
He slashed in a blur, Hendrickson blocking eight of the strikes before the last two tore through the armor on his torso, hurling him backward in a spray of blood. Gilthunder moved to slash Oswald, but Oswald spun, forming Heaven's Shield in the path of Gilthunder's sword, blocking the slash before Meliodas slammed a kick into the side of Gilthunder's head, launching him away from Oswald. Off to the side, Hendrickson began to stand, spitting blood out and glaring at Oswald.
"You're holding back," Hendrickson accused.
"So are you," Oswald returned, raising his sword to point it at Hendrickson. "Maybe you should take this a little more seriously."
Murder painted itself across Hendrickson's features and his hand clenched his tanto so hard it shook, the blade rattling in the grip. Oswald smirked. Shoddy workmanship. Oswald sped forward, Hendrickson moving to meet him, and their swords began to clash rapidly, ringing almost musically as they did, both stepping and spinning around each other in a sort of dance.
"His skill's on a whole other level now!" Arthur gaped as he watched the two fight.
As Oswald was spinning around Hendrickson, his skin was suddenly flooded by pins and needles so bad it nearly made him drop his sword. He caught a glimpse of Meliodas, with darkness coating his fingers, holding the tip of Gilthunder's sword, a black crest on his forehead. Then, Oswald's spin finished and his battle continued, his skin settling back down a moment later. After a couple more seconds, he was flipping over Hendrickson and saw Gilthunder and Meliodas flashing around the area, their blades clashing rapidly. Then, he finished his flip and blocked several slashes and stabs from Hendrickson before smirking and slamming his blade into the side of the base of Hendrickson's. There was a deafening crack and Hendrickson grunted in pain, releasing his weapon as he leapt backward. The hilt of his sword fell away in two pieces and the blade clattered to the ground, followed by the bracket holding it in place, and finally the anchor.
"Your blade was a lot more fragile than I expected," Oswald said. "Clearly even a Holy Knight Grand Master can't get a decent blade."
"Impressive," Hendrickson said. "You're quite good. However..." he held out a hand and a sword appeared beside him, his hand closing around the hilt. It was a fairly basic longsword, with an oval guard and a spike pommel, the whole thing about four feet long. "I am not restricted to a single blade."
"I didn't believe you were," Oswald said. "But it bought just enough time."
"It what?" Hendrickson growled.
He spun toward Meliodas just as Meliodas flipped over Gilthunder, black flames rolling along his sword's blade.
"One Thousand Divine Cuts!" Meliodas shouted, spinning toward the castle and slashing.
A massive arc of black flames shot out from his sword, tearing across the ground and expanding as it flew. Oswald's eyes swept down the road, seeing Princess Margaret. Then, just as he spotted her, Meliodas's attack flashed past her, catching a creature Oswald hadn't seen and obliterating it. Instantly, Gilthunder appeared beside Hendrickson just as Hendrickson began to move to attack Meliodas. Gilthunder's sword removed Hendrickson's sword arm, then slashed back upward, hurling Hendrickson into the air.
"Allow me to finish this," Gilthunder said. "I can finally avenge the death of my father. You have no idea ho long I've been waiting for this day!"
He shot forward, reaching Hendrickson just as he was about to hit the ground, only for Gilthunder to tear into him once again, this time in a continuous barrage of slashes. Finally, Hendrickson flipped, leaping high into the air and hurled several black fireballs at Gilthunder, but Gilthunder was enveloped in lightning, streaking forward and driving his sword into Hendrickson's abdomen.
"Feel my wrath!" Gilthunder roared, lightning exploding out of his sword, taking Hendrickson with it and expanding until it was almost as big around as Diane was tall.
Then, it exploded into the ground, leaving Hendrickson lying in the debris, bleeding profusely, badly burned, and with smoke curling off of him.
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