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Chapter 14 – No Time To Die
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They had been walking on the Necropolis in the dreadful silence.
Escanor contemplated with a deep frown on his face, thinking how Merlin must have felt all along this time. To think not only the Captain and Elizabeth but even her mother and Lucifer were cursed by two Gods with such cruel curses "is this the reason why your eyes always look so sad, Merlin?".
Ban stared pointedly to Lucifer as he walking behind him which Lucifer realized it but totally ignoring it. Diane fidgeted with her fingers, brushing the tail of her hair to her cheek. King still felt guilty to Ban and Lucifer, thinking he had to do something for them (although both deliberately ignored his attempt to apologize properly and make up something for them). Isolde and Tristan walked side by side, holding hands, trailing behind Lucifer. Hawk silently trotted right beside Meliodas and Elizabeth. Meliodas had had enough with the silence, he whispered to Elizabeth about what they were talking about. Elizabeth hesitantly told him about her brief conversation with Lucifer previously.
After Elizabeth explained everything and Lucifer screamed out loud, Lucifer had to take a deep breath, exhaled and inhaled, before he smiled down to Elizabeth which Elizabeth felt it was far scarier rather than he was upset or simply mad.
"come to think of it, Ellie, in the secret room of Liones Castle, there's a Kingdom's Treasure, the ritual relic to communicate with Goddess Clan, called The Horn Of Cernunnos. Am I right?".
Elizabeth gulped and nodded her head "uh-huh. And? What are you gonna do? Do you want to talk with mother?".
"yup, so I can ask her to meet me. Not to have a friendly and warm reunion, though", he said with a friendly and gentle smile but when his smile disappeared from his face, it was replaced by a thrilled, wicked grin with cold eyes "I've gotta kill her".
Elizabeth gasped, horrified "brother! She's our mother!".
"for you, not for me", Lucifer pointedly stated "after everything she's done, I do not think of her as our mother. Not anymore".
"she even promised me that she will try to help you, regards Faust".
"Ellie, I trust you and Meliodas, but that old hag is the least person in this world you can believe, ever", Lucifer squeezed Elizabeth's shoulders "and don't lie to me just for protecting her. She doesn't deserve your protection and forgiveness".
"But what if mother really regretted everything and she really tried to fix—".
Lucifer scoffed and waved it off mockingly "oh, I don't think so, and I don't care. I don't think she's the type of someone who can regret her deeds, especially when it's something she does 'for the sake of Goddess Clan', she said".
Elizabeth groaned in frustration before she shouted "at least, give her a chance!".
"it's too late! Even if she regrets it, it's too late, which I think impossible. There's no way she's gonna regret it", Lucifer snapped back, hovering above her "answer me, little sister, has she ever apologized or regretted it, for the evil deeds she's committed to us, her children? Never".
"that's...", Elizabeth thought back of when she had created the pact with her mother. Supreme Deity did apologize to her, but to Lucifer? Even if she told him, she had no proof to convince Lucifer "I'm so—".
"Ellie, please... I'm getting tired of listening to your apologies. Do not apologize for something out of your control or you never wanted to happen. It isn't your fault, okay?", Lucifer sighed loudly and turned his back, walking away "anyway, we have to go back".
Meliodas turned his head to Lucifer and frowned. Before Meliodas had a chance to say something, Ban and King ran past him, yelling in unison "I won't let you get away!".
Tristan clarified as they ran following Ban and King "it seems they see something, or rather, someone. A ghost of Fairy girl".
Meliodas ran past him carrying Elizabeth bridal style "here I always wonder about how to do you able to see something far better than us even when you close your eyes like that, son".
Lucifer deadpanned, running beside them "and you never failed to take advantage of feeling up my sister, didn't you?".
When they arrived on where Ban and King stopped, they saw the floating fairy girl wore a white dress, no one other than Elaine, King Harlequin's little sister, and Ban's lover.
Ban smiled sadly "yo, Elaine~".
King sobbed violently, already crying mess "Elaine... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry, I was...".
"brother, you're still a crybaby like usual", Elaine chuckled before giving a reassuring, yet sad smile with those understanding on her eyes "don't apologize, please. I've been watching over you all this time and I know what happened. It must have been tough, for you two".
Iseult moved forward "but you can stay with them from now on, no need to watch over them from here anymore".
All of them stared at Iseult before Elizabeth joined her and explained "Iseult here is the Priestess who has earned the title 'Holy Maiden'. She has the ability to heal people, she also can bring the dead back to life through the ritual and with several conditions, of course. The conditions we have to fulfill in order to bring back someone from the dead to life, we need someone who shared a strong bond with the dead like Ban or King, and I, as a member of Goddess Clan, can help them to bring the dead. We can do it as long as we're on the Necropolis, so we can revive her now".
Iseult ushered them, waving her hands "now, if you may, please give us space".
With Elaine on the center, Elizabeth and Iseult stood face-to-face and reached their hands out. Iseult moved her hands before lifting her hand in a stance to create the magic circle on the ground beneath Elaine and Ban.
Iseult's piercing golden eyes showed the triskelion marks on both eyes and it looked like she had a pair of white wings from her back "in the name of Holy Maiden, Priestess Iseult. I summon Thee one soul from the dead back to life with the dead's lover as her soulmate to bind her soul back to life".
"in the name of Goddesses", Elizabeth closed her eyes and triskelion marks of goddess clan member on her pristine gold eyes shot forward in the blinding light "I bless Thee".
Elaine's body was glowing in yellow-greenish sparks before her body grew up. She looked more like a mature woman with her blonde hair reached her hips and large, beautiful butterfly wings with orange and white colors. Her white dress fluttered around her knees. Looking down at her palms, she blinked away her tears before she looking with a broad smile to Ban and King.
Shakily, King reached out his hands and patted Elaine's cheeks before he exclaimed "warm! Smooth! Soft! You're alive! Not a ghost or soul!".
Ban even had the chance to give the snarky remarks "you even have wings on your back, unlike your older brother!".
"BAN! You're so mean!", King swung his hands up and down aggravatedly "we're practically brother-in-law, now you're in a relationship with my sister, right? I won't give my sister to you if you keep acting rude like that!".
"How troublesome", after scratching the back of his nape, Ban sighed and mumbled something about it couldn't be helped at all. With sparkles coming from his eyes, Ban said with all seriousness "forgive me, older brother".
King sputtered at that "...at the second thought, don't call me older brother. I'm not ready yet and it's... kinda weird to hear it from you, yeah".
Diane, Elaine, Iseult, and Elizabeth still had the heart to stifle their laughter, covering their mouth and giggling madly. Meliodas, Hawk, Tristan, and Lucifer openly burst out into mad laughter while Escanor openly gawked in shock to Ban because this was the first time they saw Ban could be so polite like this, to King even, of all people. Of course, not forget, Elaine, King, and Ban truly felt grateful to Elizabeth and Iseult for helping them to revive Elaine. Iseult blushed furiously when both Tristan and Lucifer patted her head and praised her for her good job.
"well, well, well, now, all jokes aside", lowering his hand after he patting Elizabeth's head, turning to Lucifer, Meliodas said with all seriousness "Lucifer, we need to talk. Clear everything with your sister and don't swat it away instead".
Looking behind with annoyance, Lucifer grumbled "what else? Still want to talk about it?".
"oh, yes. What else? Why did you even try to avoid it, and simply swat away the idea that mother might regret it and want to make up everything with us?".
"and helping us to break the curse? I don't think so. For your question, because I don't get it at all, why should she regret it and try to fix everything now, after she made us, her children, suffering for these past 3.000 years? Why now, after everything that has been happened between us?", Lucifer shrugged, thinking they should be careful with their words "you don't think it's weird, Ellie? Instead of using such a roundabout way, why doesn't she just break the curses on us instantly? Why should she postpone it, promising us that she would do it after we prevent the revival of Demon Clan? No offense, but what if she just wants to take advantage of us, Ellie? And once she reaches her purpose, it's done, she has no need to fulfill her promises".
Elizabeth was rather taken aback by the sorrow on her brother's eyes "that low you think of mother—".
"because it's just the kind of a woman she has been that I know as long as I live. Am I right?", Lucifer cut her off before looking straight to Meliodas past Elizabeth's shoulder, tilting his head "what do you think, Meliodas? I believe you're on the same ship with me and even thinking the same thing with me, though... considering how deep your love to my sister, you decided to just shut your mouth and keep all your Demons just to yourself".
Meliodas tucked his hands behind his head "well, well, well, can't say that you're wrong on that. Also, speaking about the one who tried to avoid the real issue at hand, it's you, right?".
Lucifer blinked "which issue do you mean? We're speaking about the curses that my mother put on us, right?".
Meliodas stated the matter of fact and nodded his head "yep, and you are the one who is in the utmost danger now, Lucifer".
Lucifer casually said "oi, come on. It's not like I'm gonna die for good, okay? Even if I die, I will come back eventually".
Iseult burst out in pure rage "it doesn't make the pain of losing you any less! Even knowing you're gonna come back to us, it's still hurt to see your death and we're still grieving, you idiot father!".
When Iseult started crying, Tristan glared to Lucifer with a scowl on his face before carrying her away to calm her down.
Meliodas sighed "she's right. Think about how your daughter must have felt, you idiot".
Lowering his head and tilting his head, with disdainful looks on his cold eyes, Lucifer spat "oh, so bold. I don't want to hear that from you of all people, Meliodas".
They were shocked when they saw how Meliodas froze with those unreadable emotions on his eyes. It was so weird. They never considered their Captain as small but now, he looked like a child who was busted and getting scolded by their parents or older brother. Regret and guilt were the most visible of all feelings they saw on their Captain's unguarded eyes before Meliodas regained his composure. He opened his mouth, about to say something but Elizabeth walked passing him by. Next second, Elizabeth slapped Lucifer, hardly.
"you really shouldn't blame Meliodas for it. If anything, I'm at fault for everything", Elizabeth blinked away a single tear before she quickly wiped it away. Turning her back against Lucifer, she grabbed her lover's hand, pulling him away "do as you please. If you really want to die on your lover's hand that badly, I don't care anymore".
Right, Lucifer's words were like the hot water scalded Meliodas's heart. Looking at Meliodas's pained expression with those regrets and guilts on his eyes, Elizabeth felt like she was the one who got scalded. She knew about Meliodas's suicidal tendencies from Merlin, Tristan, and Iseult. She was horrified when she knew it, to think how her repetitive death had turned such a strong person like Meliodas into a lump of depressed man, enough to do the suicide attempts several times in which he had tried everything, he said. Meliodas looked back and forth between Elizabeth and Lucifer, he really didn't mind at all because why should he be mad to Lucifer? He was right.
"Elizabeth—".
Meliodas never finished his words because he was cut off by someone's unexpected arrival "now, it's not good at all, you know?".
They turned their head to the source of the feminine voice.
Meliodas recognized who was she and he wondered why and how she could be here of all places when he had sealed her on the Edinburgh "Gelda?".
Elizabeth knew that name. The Thousand Temptations of the Vampire Clan. Vampire princess, one of the Vampire Royalty, Zeldris's lover.
Gelda looked down at them all and smiled broadly. The corner of her lips twisted upward into a thin smile. She caressed her chin and licked her lips, her eyes gleaming in red "to think we will meet again in this place, I never expected it at all. For now, I'm thirsty, so... you don't mind at all if I drink a little, right?".
They couldn't move their body at all because they were under the spell. Gelda swiftly moved. She leaped to where Meliodas stood and opened her mouth to bit his neck, holding his wrists. Meliodas winced in pain when Gelda sucked his blood and his breath was stuck on his throat as he coughed, spewing blood. Tristan and Elizabeth were the first ones to move, sending their Ark to Gelda who backflipped, carrying Meliodas like a sack before she landed on the top of the crystal.
"oh, my. This is why I hate the unmannered and rude person. Even my mealtime is interrupted", Gelda mumbled coherently before turning to leave "well, I guess I will retreat for now".
Looking to Gelda who left carrying the unconscious Meliodas (blood on his neck), Elizabeth spread her wings and fled to the sky with high speed "hey! Give back my husband!?".
Tristan facepalmed "mom... the irony of these situations seriously makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time".
Iseult laughed nervously "I understand it".
After Ban wrapped his arm around Elaine, Elaine wrapped her arms around Ban, already flying "what are you waiting for, guys? Let's pursue them!".
Ban agreed "get them!".
All of them were about to leave, chasing after the trio who had fled previously, but before all of them left, with a smile on his face, Lucifer said to Escanor who had been the latest to leave "Escanor, I believe Merlin on your care".
Escanor thought he had mistaken it, so he didn't take it seriously. They just followed the trail of their Captain's magic and when they caught of with the trio, they were shocked to see Gelda wrapped the bandages around Meliodas's neck neatly.
With bored looks, Gelda saw to the upcoming group "oh, finally, they arrive".
Meliodas casually lifted his hand "yo".
All of them fell forward face-flat on the ground before they protested about how could he be so calm to his assaulter and how he made them worried for nothing.
"blame her for it. She quite dramatizes the situation back then", Meliodas lifted his thumb pointing Gelda before turning with a scowl "next time, if you want to drink my blood, just tell me. You may suck my blood from my hand. Don't bite my neck like that again. It was seriously hurt".
Gelda crossed her hands before her chest and pursed her lips "just think of it as a punishment from me. When I asked you to kill me, instead of doing a favor for me, you sealed me away again instead".
"even so...", Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Meliodas and puffed her cheeks "isn't it too much to bite him like that?!".
Ban twitched his eyebrow up and down "I agree. Scold her further, princess".
King dumbfounded "um, Captain. Enlighten us, please. You know each other?".
Meliodas scratched his cheek "well, well, well, you can tell that she's sort-of... my little sister-in-law".
"well, to be more precise, Meliodas's little brother is my lover, so it made me as his little sister-in-law", Gelda clarified and lifted her hands in surrender "before you ask or judge me, I apologize for my sudden appearance with such hostility, but I have to do it, in order to bring you all far away from her, as she has requested to me. It's not like I can say 'no' to her order, considering my status as her familiar".
King asked, still suspicious of her "who?".
"Lady Faust", Gelda narrowed her eyes "I have to admit, even I was scared of her. There was once when we fought against the bandit who used an illusion sight to fool and capture their prey".
The bandits had shown the image of someone they loved. Of course, Gelda saw Zeldris, and Faust saw Lucifer. However, Faust didn't budge and she slashed the bandits without a doubt. When the bandit boss asked in fright about why was she not affected or why did she not see the one she loved, Faust simply said.
"no, I saw him, the one and only man I've ever loved. However, instead, because I love him so much, I want to kill him right away with my own hands".
"I was shocked and entranced at the same time. I never thought there's someone who really wanted to kill the one she loved, badly", Gelda found it was interesting to see the various state of shock from them all "you don't need to ask me about those bandits' fate. I believe you can figure out. She killed them all before she freed the women and children who were captured by the bandits. I've been confused until now. Actually, she's a kind person or an evil person?".
Meliodas tucked his hands behind his head "which one you think she is included as?".
"I don't know. There's a time she's an evil person but there's a time she's a good person", Gelda pursed her lips in deep thought, tapping her chin "although... one thing for sure. Her loneliness, grief, sadness, and guilt that she's always burdened on her shoulders, it's not a lie at all".
They stopped their conversation because they felt someone's presence "someone's coming".
Gelda lifted her dagger "Holy Knight. Clearly a human, but Red Demon's blood mixed with her blood and it gave influence to her magic power level, it seems".
Meanwhile, still in the same place where they encountered with Gelda, being left alone, Lucifer rubbed his stinging cheek where Elizabeth had slapped him. It felt like hot water scalded him, leaving the burns, or just like someone rubbed the salt on the fresh wound. It hurt, but the pain was always a good sign for him because it was the sign that he was still alive.
Lucifer closed his eyes "isn't it too much, to send a vampire just to separate them away from me? You should have known that I will not run away from you, right?".
Faust appeared behind Lucifer. Her silver hair cascaded down her chest and back, swaying on the air. Her red eyes glistening in a dangerous way. Black markings shifted on her torso, legs, and hands, crawling up to her left cheek. She smiled maniacally "hello there, I missed you, Lucifer. I love you. To the point, I want to kill you with my own hands".
Lucifer sighed, it was no use talking to her when her minds had been corrupted like this. Faust lifted the scythe on her hand and spread her dark wings. Lucifer lifted his Sacred Treasure, a katana before he spread his white wings. It looked as if the goddess of death and the goddess of life clashed against each other.
"Meliodas, make sure you fulfill your promise. Make my little sister happy no matter what. Tristan, you have to take care of your wife, Iseult".
Meliodas and Tristan snapped their head, looking behind. Only then, they just realized that Lucifer had been missing from the group after Meliodas said in wonder "where is Lucifer?".