I do not own Seven Deadly Sins or any of their characters.
Rematch
Oswald landed in front of the gate, staring out at the Red and Grey Demons assaulting the gate. Dozens of them. However, not too many. He focused, inhaling slowly, then flapped his wings, the feathers all exploded off them, shining white and scattering, tearing through the demons around and before him, slaughtering the vast majority of them. Out of the two or three dozen that were there, maybe five survived, however, Ban, Gilthunder, and Howzer slaughtered the rest of them in moments. Oswald drove one of his bow's blades into the ground and left it there, drawing his sword as he locked his gaze with Derieri's, watching the hate blossom in her eyes. He did a quick survey of their group. Derieri, Monspeet, and Greyroad were in front of him, Fraudrin and Zeldris were off tot he right a ways away, Fraudrin fighting against Arthur and Zeldris struggling to avoid Merlin's spells. Then, in the distance behind Derieri's group, stood Estarossa, far enough away to keep Derieri's hatred of Oswald from activating his Commandment and leaving her helpless.
Behind Oswald, standing atop the wall, were Ban, Gilthunder, Vivian, Howzer, Slader, and the Roars of Dawn Holy Knight with the katana. It wasn't the dream crew. More than half the Sins were missing. However, it was what they had, and he would deal with it.
"Ban," Oswald said. "You need to be the one to kill Greyroad. The commandment of Pacifism steals people's time."
"Which makes me immune," Ban nodded. "Got it."
"The rest of you, don't go anywhere near Estarossa," Oswald said. "I'll handle him. Help Arthur if you can, but stay away from Zeldris. Monspeet needs to be all of your first priority, though. I need you to keep him away from me while I deal with Derieri."
"Are you going to kill her this time?" Gilthunder asked.
"I don't...I don't know," Oswald said. "But I can't do anything with Monspeet in the way."
"Then we'll handle him," Gilthunder said. "Ban, take Greyroad."
Ban nodded and took off, exploding into Greyroad, launching him away instantly. As he did, Oswald hurled Gilthunder at Monspeet, his sword crashing into the darkness on Monspeet's hand, though it did force Monspeet back, Gilthunder following. Oswald walked forward calmly, sword in his hand as darkness spread over his body from his shoulder.
"What can you do with your wings like that?" Derieri asked.
Oswald swung his right arm back, slicing off both of his wings. Derieri stared at him in surprise for several long seconds before exploding forward. However before he could reach her, he streaked past her, leaping and falling toward Estarossa, his sword shining as he slashed. Estarossa leapt backward, beginning to form a sword, only for Oswald to swipe a hand, a barrage of white magic blasts appearing around Estarossa and flashing down at him. Estarossa avoided them, and landed in front of Oswald, slashing downward at him, only for Oswald to dodge around it, slashing at him. Estarossa's sword flashed between them instantly.
"Full Counter," Estarossa said, a gash ripping itself open across Oswald's chest, even through his armor.
Oswald staggered backward, then stopped, staring at his chest before nodding slowly. "Your Full Counter is against physical strikes while Meliodas's is against magical ones. Good to know."
He leapt backward, slashing and sending an arc of light flashing across the distance at Estarossa, who flipped over it, only for a vertical arc to flash toward him. he spun int he air, forming darkness into a set of wings behind himself, only for his arm to spin away as the arc passed. He flipped, landing on his feet and darkness shot out, driving itself into the arm and pulling it back, stitching it into place, though it failed to heal.
"My turn," Estarossa said.
He shot forward, grabbing his fallen blade before reaching Oswald, slashing at him. Oswald spun around it, focusing magic into a sphere over his free hand before driving it into Estarossa's gut. It exploded and sent Estarossa flying. However, Estarossa flipped, the darkness that had defended him fading before he smirked. Then, Oswald hurled himself to the side, barely avoiding Derieri's fist, which cratered the ground. As Oswald landed on his feet, Estarossa's arm finally healed itself just in time for Escanor to land in front of him. Then, Oswald was avoiding Derieri's strikes, slashing back when he could, his sword blade flickering each time he slashed, sparking off of her darkness rather than failing to cut through. Finally, Derieri flipped, kicking him in the chest and sent him flying backward, his already damaged armor cracking. Oswald landed on his feet, skidding backward before sprinting forward again, ducking under Derieri's left fist and slashing at her abdomen as he passed. however, his sword dipped, sparking across the strip of darkness seeming to form the strap of a set of panties on her left hip. Then, her right elbow exploded into his back before she turned, her darkness-coated right foot flashing around and exploding into his cuirass, shattering it and hurling him away.
He flipped, bouncing once before blood sprayed out of his back as he formed a new set of wings. He looked around, seeing his sword stabbed into the ground by the gate just as one of the Holy Knights there hurled his bow at him. He caught it and turned back to the front just in time for Derieri's fist to explode into his gut, launching him skyward. She formed a pair of wings, chasing him, and he stopped himself, separating his blades then flew back down, slashing at her only for her to flip out of the way, then punch him in the back, sending him exploding into the ground. As he stood, Estarossa went flying away, Escanor chasing after him. Then, Sir Denzel stepped up beside Oscar, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll take it from here," Denzel said. "Please look after the King."
"I'm not letting you fight alone," Oswald said. "Besides, she's mine. You're welcome to the rest of them."
Denzel ignored him, turning to Derieri first, only for Monspeet to land beside her. Oswald glanced off to the side where Gilthunder's group were all struggling to their feet. Off to the other side, Merlin and Arthur were still going at it with Zeldris and Fraudrin, although Zeldris was the one on the offensive between himself and Merlin now, Merlin using her spells to stay ahead of him. Oswald turned back to Denzel as he drew his sword.
"Rugitsu yori rode, Nerobasta," Denzel chanted, Oswald grabbing his arm.
"You're out of your goddamn mind," Oswald said. "Are you trying to get me killed?"
Denzel shoved Oswald away, continuing his incantation before slashing the back of his own hand and flinging blood into a circle around himself. "Manifest thyself!"
His blood shown, the light forming into the air over them, forming a massive silhouette of a Goddess with two wings, a pure white dress that hung low on her enormous breasts, and her eyes instantly locked on Oswald, who allowed the darkness to fade from his body, swallowing hard. Then, the silhouette shot downward, flooding into Denzel and leaving him with a Goddess's eyes, like Oswald's own currently were. Nerobasta turned on Oswald, pointing the katana she held at him.
"Nephilim," Nerobasta spat. "You have tainted the world long enough. You die today."
"Dammit Denzel," Oswald snarled. "Not only did you sacrifice yourself for nothing, but now I've got to go and kill the thing you tried to get to help us!"
"Nerobasta!" Derieri shouted, Nerobasta turning toward her, eyes widening.
"The ten Commandments!?" Nerobasta panicked. "But they should be sealed away in the Coffin of Everlasting Darkness! Was the seal released!?"
"That's right!" Deathpierce said from off to the side. "So please, help us fight them!"
"I refuse!" Nerobasta said, a pair of wings forming on her back from light. "You survive today Nephilim. But I will see you again."
Then, she exploded off of the ground, soaring higher by the second. However, a Red and Grey demon moved to stop her, only for her to hold out her free hand.
"Arc!" Nerobasta shouted, a sphere of white light forming around the two demons, glowing white crosses extending from the sphere in a ring.
After a second, the sphere shone then faded, the demons beginning to crumble into dust as Nerobasta shot past. Derieri leapt off of the ground, reaching Nerobasta in an instant, only for her to spin, a second sphere appearing around her. Before it could kill her, however, she screamed, her darkness exploding outward and smashing the sphere, leaving the only part of her to disintegrate as her hair from just above her shoulders. Nerobasta shot forward, slashing at Derieri's neck, but darkness reached up, wrapping around her neck and Nerobasta's sword smashed against it, the end of it falling away as Nerobasta floated backward slowly.
"Now now," Nerobasta said nervously, paling. "Let us refrain from doing anything which we might regret later. Diplomacy and reason may be our best recourse, wouldn't you agree? Now, I fully understand why someone such as yourself would have anger to direct toward we Goddesses. Yes, we violated the pact we made with you by going back on our word. And yes, we may have overstepped our bounds when we decided to massacre all the children we held captive. But those hasty decisions were made by our leaders. We were simply acting under-"
Derieri's left hand swiped her from the right, obliterating her upper body, leaving only her legs and right hand to fall to the earth. Derieri dropped, landing beside Monspeet again and Oswald sighed, looking back at the others. Ban was with them now, though Greyroad was still alive. However, none of them looked like they could keep fighting. Oswald sighed.
"Go," Oswald said. "Get the King and princesses out of here. Evacuate the castle."
"What about you?" Ban asked.
"I'm not done fighting yet," Oswald said. "Merlin!"
Merlin and Arthur appeared beside the others instantly.
"Help the others evacuate," Oswald said. "I'll signal when I'm ready to join you, or you could just pull me out at some point before I die. And take my sword with you."
Ban grabbed it and they all ran toward the castle. Oswald turned back to Derieri as she cracked her neck. Oswald sighed heavily as Greyroad and Fraudrin chased them.
"Did I say you could leave!?" Oswald shouted, spinning and leaping into the air, narrowly avoiding Derieri's left arm, though losing both wings in place of his legs, and fired a pair of arrows.
Greyroad avoided hers, but Fraudrin was too slow and it tore a gash in Dreyfus's arm. Both stopped however as Oswald sprouted a new pair of wings and shot forward, getting between them and the castle, panting but holding his two blades at the ready.
"I'm not letting you...kill anyone else today," Oswald said, regretting having had to regrow so many wings. "You all die he-"
He spun, crossing the blades in time for Derieri's left hand to crash into them, sending him crashing into the city, his new wings being crushed beyond repair and also breaking his arms and back. the building above him groaned before falling, only for him to suddenly find himself on a wooden floor, Hawk staring down at him in blankly for a moment before screaming. After a second, Elizabeth dropped to her knees beside him, beginning to heal him, and another person appeared behind her. He looked familiar. he wore silver armor with gold and blue highlights, and had long silver hair. Oswald groaned as he felt his wings' bones reset themselves before his wounds began to heal. Finally, it finished and he sat up, smiling up at Elizabeth.
"Thanks," he smiled. "Where are we?"
"We're on our way to Liones," Elizabeth said. "We heard it was under attack."
"It is," Oswald nodded. "Derieri, Monspeet, Greyroad, and Fraudrin are there. Zeldris and Estarossa were too, but Escanor beat Estarossa and Zeldris disappeared. He may have gone to help Estarossa."
"We'll be there soon," Elizabeth said.
Oswald nodded, standing and picking up his blades, connecting them into a bow and walking outside, seeing Red and Grey demons heading for him. He pulled his bow back and fired, dropping a Red Demon. Another appeared off to the side but the man with them leapt onto it, stabbing it in the head.
"Purge!" he shouted, the demon's life force vanishing instantly as the body fell, the man landing on Hawk's Mom again.
"Who are you?" Oswald asked.
"My name is Zaratros," the man said.
"Oh, of course the former Grand Master Holy Knight is here," Oswald said.
"You know me?" Zaratros asked just as all of the demons in front of them, another half-dozen or so, began to charge a barrage of Purgatory Fire, only for Hawk's Mom to plow through them, obliterating them.
"Hell yeah!" Oswald grinned.
"There you are!" Derieri's voice shouted from above.
Oswald spun as she landed in front of him, left arm cocked back, only to freeze, head turning slowly to stare incredulously at Elizabeth.
"You!" Derieri snarled. "What the hell are you doing here?"
She stormed over to stand directly in front of Elizabeth, mere inches from her, glaring at her.
"Derieri," Oswald said. "Are you going to let me speak this time?"
"No," Derieri said, turning to him. "You don't get to speak. You're just going to die."
Just then, Zaratros leapt at Derieri, raising his shield, only for Derieri's left hand to smash through it. As she moved to finish him, however, an Arc appeared around her hand, light particles flowing from Elizabeth's hands, her hair blowing from the force of her spell and revealing her Goddess right eye.
"I fucking knew it was you!" Derieri snarled.
"How can you just take people's lives so callously?" Elizabeth demanded.
Then, the spell flashed and the skin on her hand was obliterated, leaving her bones, covered in blood due to the spell not being strong enough to vaporize her skin properly.
"No mistake about it," Derieri snarled. "I found you both."
She shot forward, the flesh of her right hand already regenerated. Oswald moved to stop her from attacking Elizabeth, but Monspeet caught his arms and drilled his knee into his gut. Then, Derieri reached Elizabeth, swiping her left hand's caws at her, only for Meliodas to appear below her, fist drilling into her ribcage and shattering it, broken pieces bursting out of the opposite side as Derieri screamed, sailing away from them all.
"Derieri!" Monspeet shouted, flying after her instantly and catching her.
"It's about time," Oswald said. "I was afraid your curse might have lifted."
"Sorry to keep you waiting Elizabeth," Meliodas smiled.
"It's alright," Elizabeth said, tears flooding down her face. "I never doubted you'd come back to me Meliodas."
She held him tight and he smiled. Oswald reached over his shoulder and pulled Meliodas's sword out, tossing it to him, Meliodas catching it, both eyebrows shooting into his hairline instantly as the blade shone.
"You upgraded it," Meliodas said.
"Couldn't let a gift stay broken," Oswald said. "Now, I'll handle Derieri from here.
"No," Meliodas said, Oswald turning to stare at him, eyes widening slightly at the almost sadistic darkness in Meliodas's eyes. "She's down for the count."
"Sir Meliodas, are you sure you're alright?" Elizabeth asked.
"Never better," Meliodas said.
Oswald turned away from them, taking off into the air and flying up high, looking down into the trees, scanning them for Derieri. After several seconds, he heard Elizabeth begin to shout about misspeaking, and about being happy to feel the warmth of Meliodas's skin, then again about misspeaking, and he sighed. Meliodas really needed to lay off. Eventually she wouldn't be embarrassed anymore, and then he'd be out of a hobby. Oswald floated back down onto Hawk's Mom just as Hawk ran over, holding Lostvayne between his ears.
"Oh, my Sacred Treasure," Meliodas said. "Thanks Hawk. And speaking of Sacred Treasures, where'd you get that?"
Oswald glanced at the bow. "It was in Liones Castle. Though, it won't accept me. I'm just using it at its base level."
Meliodas nodded. "Goddess weapons are picky. Here Elizabeth. I want you to have this." He held out the sword she had given him."
"What?" Elizabeth asked. "But, that was a gift to you from Liz."
"Yes, but not only do I have a bladed weapon now, but I think Liz would agree that, under the current circumstances, you should have it. Besides, if a demon manages to get to you, I want you to have a way to protect yourself."
Elizabeth stared at him before smiling and nodding, accepting the blade. Oswald handed her its sheath and belt and she attached it to her hip, looking to them for approval. Meliodas gave her a thumbs up and Oswald nodded. However, just as he did, a Grey Demon appeared beside them, only for Derieri to split it in half, her power far higher than it had been a moment before. Then, she turned, drilling a punch into Hawk's Mom's side, sending her crashing through the trees, rolling and crushing the bar. Oswald dropped tot he ground, releasing the others and charging Derieri. She shot forward, left fist flashing out to meet him, only for darkness to flood out from under his shirt, covering him in sweeping, flame-like markings. When Derieri's fist met Oswald's hand, it halted, blood and bone powder spraying out of the back of Oswald's shoulder, only to be instantly replaced. Derieri's right foot flashed up at him but he ducked, avoiding it, then sidestepped her downward punch, avoiding that as well and resetting her combo. Then, he shot forward, his shoulder slamming into her, hurling her backward. She crashed into a tree before he slashed one of his blades, an arc of light streaking outward at her. She leapt high into the air, avoiding the spell which shattered against the tree harmlessly, not having enough power to actually hurt anything in it.
"Combo reset," Oswald said.
"What...are you?" Zaratros asked.
"Nephilim," Oswald said, flexing his black-feathered wings. "Offspring of a demon and a Goddess Race offshoot." Oswald turned his head, watching as Zaratros gripped his sword, teeth clenched and eyes shining disgust and hate, but he hesitated, knowing he couldn't possibly win. Oswald snorted derisively, turning back tot he front. "It's alright that you hate me. I'm used to it."
He looked up just as Derieri dropped again. As she landed, Hawk charged her, only to be sent flying with a kick. Then, Meliodas was attacking Derieri rapidly. Or, more accurately, he slammed her into the ground once then began to allow her to form a combo before avoiding a strike and resetting it. Oswald moved to try to stop him, to remind him of his claim to fighting her, only for Zaratros to appear in front of him, slashing, Oswald beginning to block his strikes rapidly. Finally, Meliodas moved to slash her, only for her to catch his arm as he caught her left one. Oswald's senses screamed all of a sudden and he looked up, seeing Monspeet fire a massive flaming dragon, aimed directly for Meliodas and Derieri. However, before it could reach them, Meliodas slammed a kick into Derieri, sending her flying at Monspeet, before pulling Lostvayne back.
"Full Counter!" Meliodas smirked, a demon crest different from his last on his forehead, centered. "Rest in pieces."
Oswald shoved Zaratros backward and shot skyward, getting in front of Monspeet and Derieri and holding out both of his hands, his blades together in his right. "Heaven's Shield!"
His shield formed and shone nearly blindingly instantly. The massive blast of fire met it and the two spells began to fight against each other. Then, the first barrier broke. Then the second. The third. The fourth. Oswald shoved harder, forcing more magic into the barrier. The fifth. More. The sixth. Just as the flames reached the flower, Oswald's bow shone blindingly, beginning to change. One side became a long white-feathered wing with the feathers reaching back and out toward the tip of the blade. The handle on that blade became silver with small blue spheres encrusted in it. The other side of the weapon, however, became bat-like wing, with blue along the edge, and in spines that curved from the edge to the back, reaching toward the tip, then red webbing between them. There was a small claw-like point where the edge ended then the blade curved back up and around before heading down to the grip. Where the grip met the blade, there was a blue crystal sphere with a vertical black line in the center, like a blue eye with a slit pupil, which was visible from both sides. Then there was a smooth black grip before it met the other blade's handle.
The flower cracked, suddenly, the cracks spreading outward. However, less than a second before the flower shattered, the flames faded. Oswald sighed, the flower crumbling and falling away, fading as it went, and Oswald turned his eyes to meliodas, who was glaring at him.
"I'm...sorry," Oswald panted. "I couldn't...let...you..."
Then, he fell, darkness swallowing him.
Leave a review. For the new form of his weapon, picture the Winged Sword from Prisoners of the Sky, minus the two back wings, on one side, then Soul Eater from Kingdom Hearts on the other. Oh, and for those who didn't guess, the first form of the bow is the Pulatena Bow that Pit uses in Super Smash Bros.