I do not own Seven Deadly Sins or any of their characters.
Choice
Oswald slid his sword into its sheath just as he and Jericho stepped into the armory, Jericho guiding him through it to an armor rack at the back. He stopped, staring at it in awe. It was all gleaming silver plate mail with the front being in the design of the flower from his Heaven's Shield with the mark on his shoulder, the one identifying him as a Nephilim, proudly displayed in the center. On the back were a pair of holes positioned perfectly for his wings. The armor was staggered in plates below his ribs for mobility. It had a pair of pauldrons made from double-stacked plates that stood about three inches high, and there were a pair of greaves and gauntlets. On the elbows and knees were Triskelia, and Oswald's personal favorite part of the armor was that there was a half-cape of pure white feathers that hung from its left pauldrons to waist-height.
"This is mine?" Oswald asked.
"Yes," Jericho nodded. "I designed it myself. Do you like it?"
He reached out, resting a hand on the Nephilim crest. "I love it."
She smiled and he handed her his sword as he began to change into the armor, starting with the black bodysuit with it. Once he was done, he turned toward her and she smiled, handing him the sword, which he slung across his back, adjusting the strap so that it fit right and didn't cover the Nephilim crest. Jericho smiled and nodded, slipping her hand into his as they walked out of the armory and toward the exit. As they stepped outside, Oswald grunted in pain, a pair of wings bursting from his back in a spray of blood. Jericho winced sympathetically.
"I wish there were an easier way to do that," she said.
"That would be to never need to regrow them," Oswald said. "Normal Angels and Goddesses don't have the ability to regrow them if lost."
"I see," Jericho nodded as he picked her up. "Are you ready?"
"I think so," Oswald nodded. "Are you?"
"I think so," Jericho said.
Oswald nodded and took off, flying them both away from the city, to where he, Derieri, and Monspeet had been staying. As he landed, he and Jericho took in the damage. The farm was completely destroyed, and nothing had survived. The house was a crater, the barn had burned down, but had long since stopped smoking, the cattle and other various animals were rotting corpses, the crops were all rotted, and craters dotted the land. However, sitting amongst the burnt remains of the barn were the two demons they were looking for.
"Derieri!" Oswald called out, her head snapping around instantly before a pair of wings formed from her back and she shot forward, grabbing him in a hug and lifting him into the air, spinning and kissing him before sobbing into his chest, paying his new armor no attention. "I was so worried about you."
"Me?" she asked. "You're the one that got captured. Are you okay? Did Meliodas hurt you?"
"Nothing permanent, or unexpected," Oswald said. "But what about you? Are you really fully healed?"
"Yes," Derieri nodded as they landed lightly on the ground, holding up her left hand. "I even have my arm back. I don't know how, but you managed to give me back my arm as well as save my life. I can't thank you enough."
Oswald smiled, reaching up and wiping away the stray tears on her face, Derieri smiling and kissing him again, Oswald kissing her back, hands dropping to settle at the small of her back. After a few seconds, however, he pulled away. Her brow furrowed with worry before she looked down at his armor for the first time.
"You're going to fight, aren't you?" Derieri asked.
"I have to," Oswald said. "If I don't, they'll come after you. And Jericho."
Derieri's eyes narrowed slightly as her eyes shifted to the woman in question. "Speaking of, what's she doing here?"
"She's...here to hear your answer," Oswald said.
"My answer?" Derieri asked, raising an eyebrow. "If you're worried I'm going to go back to the demons, you don't have to worry. I'm not."
"Not that," Oswald said. "It's...something else."
Derieri watched him suspiciously. "What's going on? What aren't you telling me?"
Oswald took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he knew her reaction would be. "I love you, Derieri. But, I also love Jericho. I tried to choose between you, but I couldn't. I love you both, and I want to be with you both. But I obviously can't force you to. She's here because...she already agreed to try, if you're willing."
Derieri quirked an eyebrow, studying him for a moment before her right hand flashed up, drilling a punch into his jaw and launching him to the side. He bounced once before she crashed down on top of him.
"Are you fucking serious right now!?" Derieri seethed. "That's what this is about!? You went and fucked some whore and now you come back here and tell me you want to be allowed to fuck both of us? Are you fucking kidding me!? You're a fucking idiot! I told you, I don't have feelings for you!"
Oswald raised an eyebrow this time, the corner of his mouth rising. Derieri huffed, rolling her eyes before leaning down, capturing his lips with her own. After a few seconds, she pulled back, sighing heavily.
"Fine," Derieri sighed. "I'll go along with it. After all, I still get to be with you, and as an added bonus I get to piss off the Goddesses. Plus it'll be fun to make your side chick jealous. I am the main girlfriend, right?"
"I don't have a main one," Oswald said. "I care about you both equally."
Derieri rolled her eyes. "Of course you do. Just don't expect any lesbian shit. She's not my type."
Oswald nodded and Derieri pulled him up, slipping her hand into his as they walked back, Jericho walking over to meet them.
"She agreed," Oswald said.
"I can't say I'm not disappointed," Jericho sighed. "Alright, so...what now?"
Oswald looked toward Liones for a moment before turning to Derieri. "Will you come back with us? Will you help us fight?"
"Well if I didn't, that would mean Flatty there would have you all to herself," Derieri shrugged.
"I'm not flat!" Jericho shouted, crossing her arms over her chest and blushing.
"Derieri, try to be nice," Oswald said. "Please? For me?"
Derieri leaned forward, kissing him before pulling back and smiling. "No promises. Monspeet, we're going with them."
Monspeet glared at Oswald for a moment before nodding, both extending wings of darkness. Oswald picked up Jericho and they flew back. Except, as they neared the wall, something fell off of the top of the castle.
"What was that?" Oswald asked extending his senses.
"It looked like someone jumped off the castle," Jericho said.
"I think it was Gowther," Oswald said. "Shit it was. What's he up to now?"
"Drop me off," Jericho said. "You can deal with him faster."
Oswald nodded and swooped low, dropping Jericho on her feet before taking off again, Derieri and Monspeet having stayed back outside the city, keeping themselves hidden for the moment. After a few moments of flying, Oswald dropped to the road beside Diane and King, who were racing through the streets. He hadn't realized they were back, but he ran alongside them instantly, Diane being in her shrunken state, though in a miniature version of her normal outfit, and King being shirtless with his helmet resting on his head and a pair of tiny butterfly wings like Gloxinia's on his back.
"What's going on?" Oswald asked.
"The king found Gowther's magical heart which he threw away to forget feelings, but Gowther took off because he's starting to remember his past, and why he threw it away in the first place," Diane said.
"He's...okay then," Oswald said. "King, there's going to be an bridge up ahead, cut him off."
King took off instantly and Oswald glanced at Diane. Something was different.
"Something's different about you two," Oswald said.
"Long story," Diane said. "We'll fill you in later."
Oswald nodded just as Gowther came into view, hands raised and his magical energy coating them.
"Lost World," Gowther said, only for Diane to streak past Oswald, jumping and slamming her feet into his side, launching him. He flipped, landing on his feet and skidding a ways before slamming his hands into the wall behind himself. "What are you doing Diane?"
"You were about to use the same spell you once erased Zeal's memories with weren't you?" Diane asked. "In that case, that means you've begun to remember something, haven't you?"
Gowther was silent for a moment. "I simply tried to quiet the sudden outbreak of noise in my head."
"Those are memories, and emotions," Oswald said, walking over to stand beside Diane, spreading his wings to block that path. "Give up Gowther. We're going to help you whether you want it or not." He began to spike his power, Gowther watching him silently for a moment before muttering to himself.
Then, Gowther took off, sprinting toward the castle rapidly.
"Excellent choice Gowther," Oswald smirked. "Let's go. We have to drive him to King so that we can end this peacefully."
Diane nodded and they took off after Gowther. After a few minutes, they reached an underpass and Gowther skidded to a stop as King and Chastiefol blocked his path, Chastiefol in its true second configuration, King's power more than ten times what it normally was as a result.
"King, not you too," Gowther said. "Power level, forty one thousand six hundred!? probability of successful escape has dropped to zero percent."
"It's over Gowther," Oswald said. "I'm not chasing you anymore. Try to run again and I take your legs off."
"Hey guys, what's all the commotion out here!?" Veronica demanded, walking toward them with a sword on her shoulder.
"Stay back, it's dangerous here!" King shouted, but it was too late.
Gowther shot toward her, reaching out to grab her. "Sorry, but in order to escape, I need to make you my hostage."
Except, he froze as he reached her.
"Gowther...of the Seven Deadly Sins?" Veronica asked. "What are you doing here?"
Gowther's eyes slowly widened, clearly seeing a memory, then he staggered backward, magical energy flying from his hands again. "No!"
Oswald appeared behind him instantly, grabbing his forearms and holding them out to the sides, keeping him from wiping his memory. "lady Veronica, please head back inside for now. We'll take care of this. It's nothing to worry about."
Veronica turned, sprinting back inside instantly.
"How can you so easily just decide to erase your own memories like that?" Diane demanded from behind Gowther.
"I must...once more...erase this noise...again!" Gowther said, struggling to break free, only to stop as he finished speaking, eyes widening.
"What did you just say?" Diane asked.
"Erase this noise again?" Gowther repeated. "That's right, I had erased my own memory once before as well."
"But it didn't stick, did it," Oswald said. "Whenever your magic wasn't suppressed, you started to remember, and then your body would go out of control, trying to reject those memories, but all the while trying to recreate them. Like with Guila. You were in love once. But you lost her. Didn't you?"
"Nadja," Gowther breathed before his eyes shot wide open. "No! I don't...need them. Memories...or a heart...I don't need any of them."
"That's not true, Gowther," Oswald said. "You've been trying to learn how to get a heart, remember? You've been trying to learn to love from Guila."
"No," gowther said. "I...didn't want this."
"It would seem you had everything handled," Merlin said, floating down from above with a red heart-shaped crystal wrapped in gold vine-like designs in her hand. "I finally understand why your mind is so unstable. In an attempt to save the life of Nadja, princess of Liones, who had been suffering from an ailing heart, you ripped out your own heart and tried to replace hers with it. But it didn't bring Nadja back to life. Overcome with grief, you threw your heart away and erased your own memories."
"Please, please," Gowther said quietly. "Just break me."
"Get ahold of yourself Gowther!" Diane shouted, spinning him, since he had stopped trying to erase his memory, getting in his face. "If it's ever hard, if you're ever hurting, you've always got us here! All of us Seven Deadly Sins are here for you! Even in the most painful memories, there's sure to be precious moments as well! Remember, Gowther!"
Gowther's head fell forward as tears began to roll down his cheeks.
"I did some examining, and it turns out this little box here was never enchanted with any Heart Magic to begin with," Merlin said. "Or rather, something like Heart Magic never existed in the first place."
"What?" King asked. "So then, where is Gowther's heart now?"
"Exactly where it's always been," Oswald said. "Inside Gowther. Buried deep beneath layers of magic blocks to keep it hidden and fighting desperately to be free again."
"I...have...a heart?" Gowther asked.
"That's right, Gowther," Diane smiled.
"A heart isn't just the organ," Oswald said. "A heart is what you call all of your emotions, your memories, your personality. Everything that makes you who you are. Another word for it is your soul. If you don't believe me, just check your face. If you didn't have a heart, you wouldn't be crying."
Gowther's eyes widened just before Magic Energy began to fly off of him in waves, his power skyrocketing.
"Gowther's power has increased drastically," King said.
"It's his true power," Oswald said. "Your heart is what ultimately controls your power, so with his heart free once again, he's able to return to his true power."
"Gowther, you are the magnum opus of a great magician, the pinnacle achievement of his life," Merlin smiled. "So it wouldn't be that strange to think you have a heart."
"I...closed off my heart...with my own hands," Gowther said. "I tried to forget the pain of losing those who were important to me, and with that, I forgot all about those people. Thank you Diane, for guiding me down the right path."
"So we meet again," Diane smiled.
Oswald stared at her in confusion, before shaking his head. He'd wait for the explanation later. "So, Gowther. Now that you've got a heart, I have a question for you. What are you going to do about Guila?"
Gowther stared at the ground as he considered for a long moment before looking up at Oswald. "I don't know. I will think about it."
"Fair enough," Oswald nodded.
"Guess we didn't need to step in after all," Meliodas's voice said from above them, everyone looking up.
"Captain!" Diane smiled. "Ban!"
"Were you able to find Gowther?" Escanor's frail voice said from behind Oswald, who turned, staring at him in confusion. It was almost noon, and he was as small as he was at night.
"How are you not gigantic?" Oswald asked.
"Oh, my magic glasses," Escanor said. "Merlin gave them to me. They suppress my power so that I can remain in control during the day."
"Impressive," Oswald said. "But you can't find a way for me to form wings without bloodshed."
Merlin shrugged, smiling. "I probably could if I felt like it."
Oswald grumbled then sighed, lifting into the air. "I gotta go. Fair warning, I'm bringing Derieri and Monspeet back with me. They're joining our side."
"What!?" everyone but Meliodas, Gowther, and Merlin shouted, Meliodas glaring at him while Merlin and Gowther watched him curiously.
"You recruited two of the Ten Commandments?" Gowther asked.
"Well done," Merlin smiled. "I'm rather impressed."
"If you think that's impressive..." Oswald said, shaking his head.
"They didn't," Ban gaped.
"They did," Oswald said. "Gotta go. Merlin, I'll meet you at your workshop for an explanation of what I missed and for you to solve my bleeding problem."
Merlin chuckled and nodded. "Alright. Bring your new friends along. I promise I won't hurt them."
Oswald nodded and left, heading to pick up Jericho first, then to get Derieri and Monspeet before heading to Merlin's.
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