Everyone had now gathered, staring at Fishlegs' awakened power.

"Is that Fishlegs?" Toothless stared.

"What a magical power, like a deep and calm lake," said Ruby.

"Looks like the Fairy King has finally awakened, unleashing his true magical power," said Skull.

Heather just stared at him. 'It's not just his magical power; he's got a completely different air to him. Is he really the Fishlegs we know?'

Fishlegs looked back at her and smiled. "Don't worry, Heather; I assure you that I'm still me."

"What?" Heather stared. "Hold on to you, just read my mind?"

Fishlegs then turned to Mael. "That's enough, Mael. It's time to bring this battle to an end."

Mael there emerged from the clouds, and Fishlegs could hear a number of voices speaking all at once, all using Mael's voice.

"The hex, it's pouring out of his body endlessly," Fishlegs noted. "Which makes him quite chatty."

"Ruby, did you catch that?" Heather frowned.

"I didn't," she admitted.

"I did," said Skull. "I suspect you can only hear it if you have telepathic abilities. I think it's the Commandments that are starting to eat away at his mind. If we don't do something quickly, we could lose Mael forever."

Mael then started to use the Commandment of Love to attack them just like before.

'Ruby will die, and when that happens, her corpse and saw will become mine,' said Mael.

"I won't let you do that," said Fishlegs.

Heather and the other suddenly found themselves in some sort of protective cage.

"W-what is this? What happened?" Heather asked.

Both Toothless and Skull had managed to fly outside of the blast radius and quickly rejoined them.

"True Spirit Spear Chastiefol! Form Eight: Pollen Garden!" Fishlegs announced.

"Fishlegs, you can't do this!" Heather cried. "You can't use your Spirit Spear to protect us!"

Mael saw this opportunity and charged towards Fishlegs, but suddenly he was hit by a giant green fist. Chastiefol Guardian Form had appeared out of nowhere, but now it was twice as big and had four pairs of arms which were now used to pummel Mael. What was even more spectacular was the fact that Pollen Garden was still in effect.

"True Spirit Spear Chastiefol! Form Two: Guardian!" Fishlegs announced.

"Multiple Spirit Spears at once?" Heather stared.

Mael then quickly summoned the scythe he used earlier to seal their magic, but before he had a chance to use it, several long swords appeared to have no when sliced into pieces. They then quickly formed around Fishlegs.

"True Spirit Spear Chastiefol! Form Five: Increase!" Fishlegs announced.

Fishlegs looked at Mael. "Mael, you and I aren't well acquainted. However, we do seem to have things in common." He then began moving his hands and had Chastiefol's Increase Form attack Mael, constantly. "We both lost precious time as well as those important to us. We even lost the ones we love to another. What we lost will never be the same. Even so, we were able to go on living for those important to us in the present. There must be someone, someone around now who holds you in their heart."

Mael managed to fly out of the tornado of blades for the first time, completely worn out. 'No! Get out of my way!'

Mael then unleashed his Arrows of Salvation at Fishlegs.

"True Spirit Spear Chastiefol! Form One: Chastiefol!" Fishlegs yelled as Chastiefol appeared before them but much bigger and now resembled a flower with a razor-sharp point sticking out of it.

He then said, flying towards Mael cutting through his attack and striking him, cutting off one of his horns.

"Revenge only has one use, a nutrient that fosters hatred. That's why I'm not going to kill you as if you're still not satisfied, I will face you again and again. I am the Fairy King Anthurium!"

Mael managed to stop his dissent and was now clutching his head and crying out in anguish.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked.

"As I feared," said Fishlegs.

"So, what's going on?" Toothless asked as he flew around Mael.

"The Commandments are starting to devour him from the inside out," said Skull as he flew next to him. "To be honest, I'm surprised he lasted this long. The only ones who could truly harness the power of all Ten Commandments of the sons of the Demon King, anyone else would be driven mad absorbing more than one."

"So I use a that Mael is dying?"

"That appears to be the case, but I fear that the Commandment will consume his body and then who knows what will happen. The only way to fully remove the Commandments is if he does it willingly, but I don't have the power to penetrate his mind."

"So what do we do?"

Skull looked at the unconscious Astrid on his back. "We're going to need Astrid's help."

Astrid was still in a dream state, looking at her daughter Zephyr. "Zephyr, please let me go. Right now, my friends are in danger. All because I hurt Mael deeply."

"Sorry, but I can't let you go, mum," she said regretfully.

"What?"

"Mum, you are all the one that got me killed and has become a heavy burden, and it will continue to bind you forever."

"I know," Astrid nodded.

"It's too late to feel regret."

Astrid then sat up and then heard, much to her surprise. "I know, but that doesn't mean I'll not stop loving you. For a long time, I was angry at your father for bringing me back, but in truth, I was angry at myself for getting myself killed. I lost him once, and I'm not going to lose him a second time, especially after all the pain he has suffered for the past 3,000 years. You're the one that reminded me just how important family is."

"Thank you, mum," said Zephyr.

Astrid then awoke and found himself resting on Toothless' back.

"Astrid, your back," said Skull.

Astrid sat up and saw Mael in a great deal of pain. "What did I miss?"

"Quite a lot, but what is important right now is that Mael is about to be devoured by the Commandments. If we don't do something and soon, there will be nothing left of him to save."

Astrid looked at Skull. "What do I need to do?"

The others could only watch as Mael cried out in pain.

"So what now, Fishlegs? What going to happen to Mael?" Heather asked.

"He's at his limit," said Fishlegs as Mael's body looked as if it was about to rupture. "He most likely can't be saved anymore. He may be one of the Four Archangels, but he took on board the conflicting powers of the Commandments. With his strength and magic drained, he will be devoured by those Commandments."

Both Ruby and Heather just looked down at Mael in horror, feeling completely helpless.

"Mael, please! I need you to hear me!" Ruby cried. "Wake up!"

Toothless positions himself so that he was right above Mael. "We're right above him, but now what? What's the plan?"

Astrid then got to her feet. 'Mael, please grant me one more chance to save you.'

Astrid then dived down and was quickly followed by Skull. Astrid then immediately grabbed Mael when she was close enough, and Skull landed on her shoulder.

"Invasion!" said Skull.

Using his powers, Skull was able to allow Astrid to penetrate Mael's mind. She found herself on a grassy plain in the sky. She then found Mael sitting on the grassy meadow, looking out towards the horizon.

"What a beautiful place," said Astrid as she approached Mael.

"This was the hill that I would go to when I was troubled," said Mael. "When I needed silence or solitude, Ruby would find me here and do her best to gently comforts me. I know the end is near; this view is the last thing that I want to see."

"I can assure you that Ruby does not want such a thing."

"I don't have the right to live. These hands are responsible for ending so many lives; I've even attempted to kill the woman I love. Now I suggest you return; this world will be vanishing shortly."

"I came all this way to save you."

"I believe you're alone on that feeling. There's not a single soul that's waiting for my return, not anyone, not anywhere. I'm the one who held the pure power of darkness within myself and showed content and abandoned my they even migrate."

"Mael's exactly right about that!" said a voice.

"Begone, wretched doll!" said a second voice.

Astrid then suddenly found herself in some kind of ooze. Whatever it was was also surrounding Mael.

"Foreign substances can leave!"

"Mael!" Astrid yelled, trying to reach out to him, but he refused to move an inch. She then spun around and saw four creatures, each bearing the symbols of the Commandments that Mael had absorbed. "So that's who's talking, the four Commandments."

"If you don't leave, we'll devour you! Devour you!"

"You can't; you can't exercise your powers without a vessel," Astrid reminded them. "There's no way you can stop me." She then turned her gaze towards Mael. "Mael, there's one thing that can drive the Commandments out, and that is your own will. You can still make it; concentrate on your desire to live."

"So now, after you've given me this cruel fate, you want me to live on in shame?" Mael retorted.

"I just want you to keep on living!" Astrid snapped. "The only thing I've ever wanted was to end the Holy War once and for all, and we will stand a much better chance with you on our side."

"Then tell me why?" said Mael. "For what reason was I chosen?"

"I believe I only explained myself."

Mael looked at her. "You said that I was selected as the warrior to replace Meliodas in joining the Demon Clan. However, there were other warriors with equal power to choose from… Ruby… as well as my own brother Ludociel, but despite that, you and Gowther still chose me. Also, you mentioned the last time we spoke, but we didn't speak the first time we met."

"I can show you my memories since our minds are linked," said Astrid.

Mael then suddenly began seeing images it showed him clashing with a demon, which resembled a birdlike dragon. She had beautiful blue scales and horns sticking out of her head like a crown. They were currently clashing sword against axe.

"Mael, these demons pose no threat to anyone! Stop this!" she yelled with Astrid's voice.

"I am merely doing you all a favour by freeing your souls from your impure bodies," said Mael.

"I'm not a—"

She, however, didn't get to finish her sentence as Mael had just plunged his sword into her stomach. He then pulled the blade out and watched as she fell towards the ground, where there were a number of helpless demons.

Mael then floated down towards the demons, who looked at him terrifyingly. "Don't be scared; it's okay." He then swung his sword, cutting down a number of demons. "I am the merciful one who releases you from your impure cages. I will pray for you, pray that you will have the good fortune to be reborn as virtuous souls."

He then aimed his bloodied blade at the woman with batlike wings, lifting her chin so that she would look into his face. "Do you have any last words?"

"Gowther, I-I wanted to see you one last time," she cried.

Mael then raised his sword and swung it down.

The image suddenly changed, and Mael and his soldiers were gone, but Hiccup in his Dragonborn form had arrived. Upon seeing the massacre, his eyes turned to horror, and he began looking through the corpses. There he found the Demon that Mael had battled with and killed, but amazingly she was still clinging to life.

"Astrid," he said with tears in his eyes.

The Demon then suddenly transformed into a human or, more precisely, turned into Astrid.

"Hiccup, I'm so sorry," she said, placing her hand on his cheek. "I failed you."

Tears were in Hiccup's eyes. "You failed no one."

"I will always love you," said Astrid as she slowly closed her eyes.

Hiccup then felt her hand became limp. "Astrid? Astrid!"

Astrid did not respond, and Hiccup cried out in anguish.

Mael immediately shot up and looked at Astrid in shock. "What did I just see? Astrid, that Demon I killed was actually you?"

Astrid shook her head. "No, like Hiccup, I was Dragonborn; I was never a demon. Hiccup got wind that the Angels were attacking a harmless demon settlement that wanted nothing to do with the Holy War and sent me to save them. However, in your crusade to wipe out the demons, you failed to notice that I was not a demon and killed me. Among those you killed was a woman named Glariza, who so happened to be Gowther's lover."

Mael entered a complete state of shock when he realised that he had committed the unforgivable sin. In his crusade against the Demon Clan, he never stopped to think he might have killed someone's loved one, and to make matters worse, he had caused Hiccup a great deal of pain, which he had been suffering for the past 3,000 years.

The entire place shook as the Commandments began to swallow him.

"The limit is getting near," Astrid noted and looked back at Mael. "Quickly, Mael! You need to drive out the Commandments! If you don't, you're going to—"

Mael just sat there in utter silence, showing no signs of movement.

"Don't just—" Astrid pleaded and then disappeared.

"She's finally gone."

"Serves him right!"

"The pest disappeared."

"We will all remain with together until Mael dies."

"Give me your body when you die, okay."

The Commandments were now slowly consuming Mael.

"There are limitations of being foolish," said Mael. "It was me all along."

"If you give me your body, I will give you more power."

"Let me use it as I want."

"The unforgivable one was…" said Mael clenching his fist.

"…Mael."

"Out!" Mael roared. "Get out of me!"

The Commandments were then suddenly shot backwards as Mael freed himself.

Fishlegs and the others were chasing after Astrid and Mael as they plummeted towards the ground.

"What in the world is Astrid doing?" Heather asked.

"She wants to save Mael," Fishlegs explained.

"Skull has linked her mind with Mael?" said Toothless.

"Lady Astrid, I beg of you," Ruby pleaded.

"We can't just grab them; we might end up breaking the magic," said Fishlegs. "Beyond that, Mael's body is on the verge of collapsing. Let's leave this to Astrid."

"What's happening to his body?" Heather asked.

There was suddenly a bright light that was emitting from Mael's body so bright that it blinded them.

"Now, what's going on?" Toothless yelled.

"Damnit, did it fail?" Fishlegs asked.

When the light faded, they saw Astrid plummeting towards the ground.

"Astrid!" Fishlegs cried, reaching out to her.

Heather closed her eyes, not wanting to see this.

However, completely out of nowhere, Mael appeared and grabbed Astrid's hand. He now returned back to normal, free of the Commandments' influence. Everyone gave a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

"Thank goodness," said Ruby.

"Thanks for that," said Astrid smiling at Mael.

When they landed on the ground, Mael began casting the spell over Dereri, and Balder's bodies began chanting. Light exited from his hand and began to cover their bodies.

"What's this spell?" Astrid asked.

"Invitation to Reincarnation," said Mael as their bodies began to glow. "A technique that can be used once upon a soul to reincarnate them while preserving the memories of their past life. It is possible they would wish to punish me after they reincarnate; if that comes to pass, I will accept it."

"You don't have to shoulder that burden alone; I'm responsible for this as well," said Astrid as their bodies disintegrated, she then looked at him. "Mael, come with us. Join our efforts at Xeovell."

Mael sighed. "You want me to defeat the Demon Clan as part of the Angel Clan next? Who would wish for such a thing? My brother or Ruby? Sariel and Tarmiel, who I killed my own hands along with many of my brethren? Not one of them would wish for that!"

"I wish for it," said Ruby approaching him. "So, please help us. Then to me, your power."

Mael looked at her. "Ruby?"

"The Angel and Demon Clans, this wouldn't be for anyone's victory just to end the Holy War once and for all."

Mael looked at both Ruby and Astrid. "Before I make my decision, I still have one wrong that needs correcting."

Heather and the others were waiting for the others to return.

"I'm worried, Fishlegs," said Heather. "Ragnar, Eret and the others are safe, aren't they?"

Suddenly a tree grew out of nowhere next to her.

"I admit, I'm just as concerned as you are," said Fishlegs.

A gust of wind blew every single leaf of the tree they began to spin around Fishlegs. A split second later, they disappeared, and Fishlegs floated there in a new suit and shoes, which made him look quite regal.

"So, let's hurry," said Fishelgs.

"I couldn't agree more," said a voice.

They looked up the starch to find Astrid floating above them in her Dragonborn form.

"Astrid, is that you?" Toothless asked.

"It's me; Mael restores my body. I'm now fresh and blood like the rest of you," she smiled.

"That's great, but what about Mael?" Heather asked.

She then saw some feathers falling right in front of her; she looked up and saw Mael floating there with Ruby.

"With that sorted, both me and Meatlug had better return to the front lines to inform everyone of the situation," said Skull.

Fishlegs nodded and then turned in the direction of Xeovell. "I hope Ragnar, Eret and the others are doing okay."

At Xeovell, Alvin was tending to Gilthunder's wound, using quite a bit of magic power. Once he was done, Gilthunder began to move and opened his eyes, and Alvin nearly collapsed with exhaustion.

"Thank you, Alvin," said Gilthunder and then noticed the wound on his shoulder. "Wait? Why would you treat me first? Your injuries are—"

Alvin gave a small smile. "It's okay, don't worry about it."

"Sir Ragnar, are you okay?" Eret asked, who was now back in his private form thanks to his Secret Treasure.

"Eret, it seems your body turned back," Ragnar observed.

"All thanks to the sunshine I charged in Rhitta," said Eret gesturing to his greatsword. "Never mind that; we have other problems."

Eret was right, as Zeldris and the others apparently had fully recovered.

"Would you look at this? It would appear that look, fortunately, sided with us," said Cusack.

"Already recovered, huh?" Ragnar observed.

"It's not wise to belittle the recovery power of high-ranking Demons!" said Chandler loudly.

However, immediately regretted doing so and clutched his head in pain, as did Cusack.

"Chandler, please don't raise your voice; it rattles the inside of my head," said Cusack.

Ludociel, however, was still in a great deal of pain.

"Look, there seems to be one severely wounded compared to us," Cusack noted gleefully. "Ha, it is to be expected."

"How dare you! What did you do to Sir Ludociel?" Alvin demanded.

"No, this wasn't their doing," said Ragnar. "The cause of this is most likely another. My mentor Gowther. The spell… a forbidden spell that alters one's memories. This would impact anyone who knew Mael, including the Demon King and the Supreme Deity."

"Their memories?" said Alvin confused. "But what for what purpose?"

"Ah, incredible, that crafty Gowther used a forbidden spell to turn Mael into Estarossa to pause the Angel Clan to activate the Coffin of Eternal Darkness," said Cusack. "But for some reason, the alteration was broken, creating an after-shock that impacted those who were under the spell to their very souls. And from the looks of what is happening to Ludociel, it seems that shock is more apparent the deeper your connection to Mael is."

"Estarossa, of the Ten Commandments…" said Eret.

"…was Mael of the Four Archangels?" said Alvin shocked.

Ragnar looked at Zeldris, who apparently appeared to be unaffected by this. "Zeldris, if this is indeed what is causing this pain, then why aren't you—"

"Why am I not deeply affected as you expect me to be?" Zeldris finished. "Well, that would be because, unfortunately, I've never once loved Estarossa as a brother. I'm actually feeling refreshed knowing that he was not my sibling by blood."

He then raised his blade at them. "Now, shall we begin round two?"

"Hold on," said Cusack. "Would you please leave this to us, young master?"

"What?" said Zeldris looking at the two of them.

"Strategically speaking, I feel as if you should conserve your energy as the remaining Seven Deadly Sins will undoubtedly come to attack."

"I'm afraid this can't be helped," Chandler agreed.

"Doing so is our duty."

The two of them then crossed their weapons together, and a bright light of demonic power began to encircle them. It took them a while to have their eyes adjusted to the brightness, and that's when they saw both Cusack and Chandler refusing together.

"Once, to services retain, the Demon King created a Demon one more powerful than any other," said Chandler. "This inverse creation became to be known as the original Demon."

"This retainer was obedient at first but grew to be overly confident and lusted for power," said Cusack. "That last led him to rebel against the Demon King."

"This magical power?" said Ragnar horrified.

"Of course, he was beaten at his own game and received punishment," Chandler continued. "He was divided both in body and soul into two and was given a serious duty. To raise the two princes as proper candidates… candidates to be the next Demon King. The two halves would also serve individually as each of the Princes' mentors."

"What you say?" said Zeldris looking at them in shock. "No way… you mean those two halves are…"

"Young Master Zeldris, it is my wish that you become the Demon King," said Cusack to a shocked Zeldris.

Chandler turned his gaze to the cocoon. "Master Meliodas, please fulfil your destiny to become the Demon King."

A split second later, the two of them finally merged.

Meanwhile, in Purgatory, Hiccup and the others were now face-to-face with the Demon King.

"Ah yes, I see," said the Demon King as his eyes fell upon Luna. "That dragon is your guide, and the fact that you ventured to this place means you have come to realise the existence of the gate."

"Let's go. To get to my mate, we will force our way through the Demon King!" Luna roared and took off, charging straight towards the Demon King.