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Chapter 8 – The Beast Man
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After Merlin stopped the flying electric magic-imbued spear that Gilthunder directed to Bernia village with her Magic Cancel, Elizabeth and Meliodas told everything to Merlin and Escanor, they discussed their further plan. Elizabeth talked with Merlin as they sat on the fence of the tavern. Meliodas talked with Escanor on the edge of the cliff as they observed the Bernia village below. Hawk sometimes said something to Meliodas and Escanor.
Elizabeth asked, dangling her legs "Merlin, have you been communicating with my brother?".
Merlin caressed her chin "my father? unfortunately not for these 10 years. Last time I heard the news from them, they're still looking for my mother. My sister, Iseult and her husband, Tristan came with father".
"I see... Hopefully, I can meet them. I'm kind of in need of his advice", Elizabeth intertwined her fingers with a slightly cute pout before she sighed when remembering she still had to explain her complicated conditions to her brother "and I really hope his mood is good when I tell him about this".
Merlin shrugged before she smirked bemusedly "just try. Who knows how he will react? One thing for sure I can tell as his daughter, Sis-Sis, knowing father, he will not be pleased at all with this".
Elizabeth closed her eyes and shook her head. She chuckled, leaning her chin on her palm "yes, you're right".
Meliodas hummed as he inspected the spear in his hand "do you think you know who is the main culprit, Escanor?".
"from your story, I bet the one who embedded the magic-imbued sword and threw the magic-imbued spear tonight is the very same Knight. However, when we're speaking about the Holy Knights with the electric or thunder as their magic power...", Escanor glanced sideways to Merlin and Elizabeth before he exchanged glances with Meliodas "...I believe Merlin also realized it, Captain".
Hawk blinked and tilted his head "you mean you know who is this Knight?".
Meliodas narrowed his eyes, looking straight longingly to Elizabeth "probably, he's someone we knew from the past".
If their suspicion was right, how Elizabeth would react?
"we've decided to leave this village immediately because we don't want to bring harm to the villagers again. Then, what are you planning with this spear?", Hawk huffed "why don't just throw it away back to its wielder? That jerk deserved for it!".
"good idea, but I don't think Elizabeth will want it", Meliodas chuckled at his antics before embedding the spear on the ground "let's just leave this spear here. The Holy Knights probably will come here to check the village tomorrow. They will not find us because, at that time, we have—".
Suddenly, again, Meliodas felt like his hearts lurched out of its places. The sensation was like when he collapsed and lost consciousness before Elizabeth barged into his tavern. Hawk and Escanor yelped in horror when Meliodas suddenly collapsed and fell from the edge of the cliff.
Escanor reached out his hand "Captain!".
Hawk shrieked "oh no, he lost consciousness again in the wrong time and place!?".
Elizabeth leaped "Meliodas!".
Two pairs of white-feathered wings came out of Elizabeth's back. She successfully caught Meliodas, flying on the air.
Escanor gawked, looking down as Merlin wrapped her arms around his shoulders "the princess... she... has wings?".
Merlin smirked darkly, whispering near Escanor's ear "yes, and next time, be careful. If you were in your day version, I wouldn't need to worry about you but you are in your night version, for heaven's sake. You couldn't possibly jump with your night version".
"I don't think this is the right time to be lovey-dovey, you two, seriously...", Hawk deadpanned as he looking straight to Merlin and Escanor, Looking down, he saw Elizabeth floating upward "wow, she really is a Goddess. Her wings are really handy", Hawk mumbled and sighed in relief before he trotted to her "is he alright?".
Elizabeth landed on the ground, hugging Meliodas who had lost consciousness, feeling his sweating body shuddered. She touched his forehead after she saw the perspiration started to cover his face. She yelped and immediately pulled her hand back as she felt his body burning up "Merlin, please check on him! Something's wrong with him!".
"understood", Merlin snapped her fingers to use teleport and they moved to the empty room of the tavern on the attic "we will have to take off his clothes, Sis-Sis. I feel something strange from his body. It feels like... Light and Darkness struggles against each other within his body".
After Escanor helped to put Meliodas down on the bed, Elizabeth took off his shirt and they sucked in a deep breath. The markings on Meliodas' body shifted, it looked like his throbbing veins bulging and ready to explode. Meliodas fisted the fabric of the blanket, his body started thrashing around, screaming in pain.
Helped by Escanor, Elizabeth held him down "Merlin, he's in pain! What happened to him?".
Merlin lifted her Aldan to scan his body using her best diagnostic spells "this is... It seems someone planting the 'Purification' Spell to him. From your story, I suspect this is your mother's doing to get rid of the Demon King's immortality curse on Meliodas, Sis-Sis. However, this 'Purification' Spell also can hurt him. An ordinary Demon usually would die but Meliodas isn't an ordinary Demon. He's high-rank Demon, that's why his body tried to reject the Light magic power of Goddess Clan's member and in the result—".
"—it makes him in pain, and my mother... she should have known this...", Elizabeth finished Merlin's words and gritted her teeth "what are you planning, mother? For how long you and Demon King have planned to torture us? It's far too much".
Looking at the struggle on her big sister's figure, Merlin tapped her shoulder and encouraged "Meliodas is strong. He'll survive it".
Elizabeth wiped her tears with her sleeve and lowered her head further, her bangs masking her face "...I know. He has to".
Merlin nodded and lifted her hand "for now, let's move to the nearest town where we can find the doctor for him".
Meliodas heard someone's crying, walking in the darkness "who is it? Elizabeth, where are you? Why are you crying?".
Elizabeth reached out her hand, tears streaming down her face "stop it, brother!?".
Yes, Meliodas remembered this. When Lucifer was going mad. His sanity was blinded by his rage which triggered his blood-lust and he went all out to kill whoever came in his way. He went to Stigma's main base and tried to enter the Celestial Realm but the Archangels, Divine Lance Corporal, Fairies, Giants, and even Humans tried to block his way. As a result, it turned out into the massacre. No one could stop him until Elizabeth and Meliodas appeared. This happened after Faust passed away and Lucifer went insane.
"I can't stop it... I don't want to, Ellie...", Lucifer reached out his blood-stained hand, more bloody than his sister "Ellie, where's mother?".
Never Elizabeth felt afraid of her brother, but now, even she scared of him "...and what do you want to do?".
"I've gotta tell her something and ask mother to bring her back to my side", Lucifer caressed his chin thoughtfully before he smirked, "but if she refused... then I will kill her".
"I can't let you do it. I beg you to stop, brother. Not for mother, but for yourself", Elizabeth stood in a stance "or I will have to stop you".
"we will have to stop you", Meliodas corrected, looking around. Giants and Fairies under Dolor and Gloxinia were in terrible shape. Humans were even worse. The Divine Lance Corporal and even the Four Archangels couldn't stop him. Meliodas leaned his sword to his shoulder lazily when he sensed the unmistakable certain familiar presence "and your mother's coming. No need to sneak into the base again, Lucy".
A vein popped in his head as Lucifer threw a spear in his hand to Meliodas "don't call me that! I'm not in the mood to joke around, Meliodas!".
"Alright, you can stop slaughtering your brethren because I'm here now, as you wish. What do you want, Lucifer?".
"you said this world needn't an incompetent fool like me? No, you're wrong, mother", Lucifer looked down to his bloodied palms "because, in fact, this world needn't anyone. Why should she die while there are many more fiends who deserve to die rather than her? Why should this world still spin and not shatter into pieces after she died? How is this fair for her? Where is the justice?!".
"have you lost your sanity due to your love for a single woman? You incompetent fool. This is why I said to not continue your relationship with such a low-life like that woman", Supreme Deity spat "very fair, I will let you know. The one who stole her soul away from you... it's not me, unfortunately, because someone did it before I could do it".
Lucifer narrowed his eyes "then who?".
Supreme Deity lifted her thumb pointing Meliodas "his father, the Demon King".
F*ck. Meliodas groaned internally when Lucifer stared to him, only a second before Lucifer lunged to his direction to attack him...
...which never happened, because Elizabeth came in between him and Lucifer.
Lucifer stopped his hand "...move aside, sister".
"no, and you can't attack him", Elizabeth spread her hands to the side "because if you kill him, it's just the same you kill me, brother".
"This has nothing to do with you", Lucifer looked straight over her shoulder to Meliodas, pointing with his chin "it's my business with Meliodas, regards his father's deed".
"Elizabeth, he's right", Meliodas walked passing her by "this is our business".
When Elizabeth grabbed his hand, the scene changed to where Meliodas and Elizabeth were holding hands. They stood on the outskirt of the Belialuin residence. Well, the ruins of Belialuin, to be more precise.
Lucifer came and revealed the little girl he was carrying and hidden under his cloak "I only found one survivor".
Meliodas narrowed his eyes "they've crossed the boundaries. It's too much for her".
Elizabeth reached out her hand, carrying little Merlin when Lucifer handed the little girl to her. When Elizabeth asked her if she was injured or something, little Merlin only cried and apologized, who knew why and what for.
"Forgive me, I should have come here to pick you sooner...", Lucifer blinked away a single tear, cupping her wet cheeks "can I be your father, Merlin?".
Meliodas' eyes snapped open and reached his hands out, arching his back "ARGH!".
"—das...", Elizabeth tapped his cheeks "Meliodas!".
Meliodas blinked, the perspiration covered his face and torso. He realized his shirt was gone and they were no longer in the Boar Hat because wherever this was, this place had an herbs-like scent like the clinic. Looking straight to Elizabeth who still stared down to him, Meliodas realized that her hair had turned back to its original color, silver hair.
"yo, Elizabeth. Good morning", as usual, Meliodas squeezed her breasts before she hugged him tightly "whoa!".
Elizabeth sighed in content, tears on the edge of her eyes "I'm relieved you're awake... you moron... you scared me...".
"I just wanted to yell at you, but considering Elizabeth's reaction, you're saved now", Hawk shook its head before its ears stood "but seriously... is it really your first inclination every morning?!".
Meliodas sat up and scratched the back of his head "what happened? Where are we?".
"in the town named Dalmary. Merlin moved us here with her teleportation spell. You lost consciousness last night in the most perfectly wrong place and time. Had Elizabeth not been there, you would have fallen off of the cliff", Hawk explained before Elizabeth could say something and yelled "you're having high fever and Elizabeth barely slept for a night, so you better give her a break! Humph!".
"really, Hawk, it's fine, I'm okay", Elizabeth waved her hand before leaning her forehead on his "how do you feel? At least, your fever has broken".
"I'm fine. Guess what, Elizabeth?", Meliodas grabbed her wrist and pulled her down, pushing her to the bed "you should rest now".
Elizabeth scowled and tried to push him back "nope, you should rest".
Meliodas smirked suggestively "should I sleep with you, then?".
"oh, your husband's awake. Looking at what happened, looks like he's okay", a middle-aged man named Dr. Danna came with his daughter, Cenette, carrying the tray with milk and slices of bread on it "Cenette, bring something for our patient to eat".
Meliodas and Elizabeth thanked the doctor and his daughter for their hospitality.
Shoving his new clothes that were prepared by Elizabeth, Meliodas realized the lack of his comrades' presence "speaking of which, where are Merlin and Escanor?".
Elizabeth smiled knowingly, pointing to the veranda where Merlin and Escanor were having fun to talk. Because Escanor overheard about Merlin's father which happened to be Elizabeth's older brother, they talked about Lucifer.
Merlin just told Escanor about why her father, Lucifer adopted her. Because of her mother "because of that massacre where the casualties reached 666 people be it from Giant Clan, Fairy Clan, Human Clan, and Goddess Clan, then my father Lucifer was called the Beast number 666. No matter what people said about him, even if we're not related by blood, I don't care. Although he took me in just because of sympathy or because I'm the daughter of the woman he loved, I don't mind. Deep in my heart, for me, Lucifer is my only father".
Escanor said thoughtfully "I think you're lucky to have him, just like he's lucky to have you. I'm glad you and your father have each other. I'm grateful to him, for saving your life and raising you as his daughter, so I can meet with you".
Merlin smiled broadly, giving a light peck on his cheek "thank you".
Meliodas cleared his throat "a-hem, sorry to disturb you guys, but it's time to lunch~".
Merlin and Escanor immediately broke the hug, scurrying away back to the room. They discussed their next step from here.
Merlin told them that she could feel two different presences of their members "from their magic power, I can tell Diane's from the Forest of White Dreams and King's from the Capital Of The Dead. For Ban and Gowther, I still have no clue but I will investigate. Oh, but about Ban, he's supposed to be captured and stay in the Baste Dungeon, not too far from here. Also, I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, I can sense my father's presence from the Baste Dungeon several days ago, to be more precise, it was before the Baste Dungeon collapsed".
Escanor suggested, "maybe we can ask the doctor and his daughter about it later".
"good idea", Meliodas pointed out "let me guess, Lucifer must have been the one who destroy the Baste Dungeon".
Elizabeth facepalmed after Merlin nodded "brother... what kind of troubles were you doing again this time?".
"Maybe it had something to do with my sister because I could sense Tristan's magic power at the same time as my father's. I bet something happened to Iseult, thus my father and Triss have to activate their magic power to save her, or, something triggered them which in result, invited their wrath and like you know, boom", Merlin analyzed and shrugged "my father and my brother-in-law are just the same, after all. They have no boundaries when it comes to their family's safety".
Meliodas crossed his arms and nodded his head furiously "agreed. I don't think it's bad, but it's better if they have the boundaries. They're really troublemakers sometimes".
Elizabeth pinched Meliodas' cheek with a sweet smile on her face "I don't think my brother and our son would want to hear that from you, Meliodas".
When Escanor and Hawk stared at them, Meliodas blinked "what?".
Merlin clarified "oh, they never told you? Tristan, my sister's husband a.k.a my brother-in-law, he is also my father's, Lucifer's nephew because Tristan is the firstborn son of the Captain and Sis-Sis".
Escanor and Hawk shrieked in unison, too shocked "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!".