Sacred Sin

Elizabeth's Resolve

"Still, you really gave me a start. That lovely face, that soft voice all so like her as well. I thought Liz had come back to life! If that girl were still alive, she'd be a woman in her prime by now."

"Is she your daughter, Mr. Cain?"

"Liz was her nickname, you see," Barzard explained. "She had the same name as you, Princess—Elizabeth. She was Meliodas' girlfriend."

Elizabeth gasped at the statement. I tried to remain stoically against the wall but the reminder of just how much Liz meant and has always meant to Meliodas stung. Not out of jealousy, but out of guilt. I hadn't even tried to save her. That guilt has eaten me alive for years.

"Liz was a female knight from an enemy nation, see, much like your friend against the wall—"

"Minerva, you knew Liz? You were with her?!"

"Of course," I answered easily. "That's how it's always been. Liz shows up first and I always follow."

Elizabeth would hopefully never know how true that statement was.

"When they were foiled in a night raid on Danafor, Liz and Minerva were captured and sentenced to death. And the one who came to their rescue was none other than Meliodas, who was the captain of Danafor's Holy Knights at the time. Naturally, everyone shouted out their objections as one."

I chuckled. I could hear the memory in my mind.

"Then that makes you all my enemy, right?"

"So, it's been quite a while. I'd never thought I'd see you again if you weren't by my side, but with her showing up again, I should have known, huh?"

"You would think you would have learned by now, yes."

"It seems that both Liz and Minerva had been sold as slaves to that enemy nation. She didn't trust anyone but Minerva. But perhaps it was what you'd call a fateful encounter. Even as she railed against him for being a deluded man, Liz gradually found herself attracted to Meliodas. Liz was a girl with uncommon charm, herself, and the rest of us began opening up to her."

"And Minerva?"

"She became the best friend that anyone could ever ask for. She fully supported Meliodas and Liz as a couple every step of the way and always made sure they had their space when they needed it. Those are all scenes from a distant past."

"I can't believe she thought he was deluded," Elizabeth sighed. "Sir Meliodas is very... he's very kind, that's all."

My eyes softened. Yes, he was kind. Perhaps too kind at times, but his kindness had saved me just as many times.

"Do you know the reason why Meliodas won't carry a decent sword?" Barzard suddenly asked.

Elizabeth shook her head.

"Because he's too powerful," Barzard and I answered in tandem.

Elizabeth looked at me in surprise.

"No one has crossed swords with him seriously and lived to tell the tale except for me. That's why he won't carry a sword."

"Right, at the same time, he's just too kind." Barzard sighed and set a very familiar weapon on the table.

"What's that?"

I gasped. That was where it had gone! Meliodas' voice rang in my head.

"No need for a sword! I don't want to kill anybody!"

"It's something Liz once gave to Meliodas as a gift. And so I've been keeping if for him all this time. Unfortunately, I never did find Minerva's sword. For that, Minerva, I am sorry."

I pulled out the sword attached to my belt and set it before him.

"No need to apologize. It's right where it belongs."

I picked up Meliodas' weapon and reattached mine before shaking Barzard's hand.

"And now, this is going back to where it belongs!"

A roar suddenly shook the tavern. Barzard and Elizabeth looked up tentatively.

"What is this extraordinary magical power?" Barzard asked. "I'm going to take a look! You wait here young miss!"

"Yeah, definitely not happening," I muttered.

I snatched Elizabeth's wrist and ran out the door. Elizabeth let out a squeak of shock. In the midst of our dash through the forest I tossed her Meliodas's sword.

"You need to be the one to give him this, got it?" I demanded.

She mutely nodded.

"He'll listen to you. He's over there. Now go!" I pointed her in the direction of the roar and the voices I could hear.

"Sir Meliodas!" Elizabeth shouted, finding him beneath a rise.

She was breathing heavily. I quietly made my way down the rise and stood amongst the Sins. Like I told her, Meliodas would only listen to Elizabeth when it came to fighting. He wouldn't listen to me unless I was the only one there.

"Elizabeth!"

"Take this!" She tossed him the sword. "It wasn't that Liz wanted you to fight! It was because she wanted you to live. I feel the same way! For you—a man who fights for the people... If that's your sin... Then I'll carry it with you!"

I smirked in satisfaction. Atta' girl.

"Are you really okay with making a woman say all—"

Ban was cut off by Meliodas running and grabbing the sword. He muttered a plea of forgiveness before ending the demon.

"So," I began. "Was no one here going to wake me up to go demon hunting—?"

Ban wandered over to the felled demon and tore some weird wriggling bulb from the body.

"But a human transforming into a demon...is that really possible?" King mused.

"A curse? Or maybe some kind of experiment or spell..." the Captain added.

"Don't tell me it's possible to create a man-made demon?" King exclaimed.

"Possible, and probable," I said flatly, my joking mood extinguished by the thoughts running through all of our minds.

"Not only that but using a Holy Knight of Liones—"

"But there's no way someone could pull that off behind the backs of two grandmasters..." King gasped. "Could it be?"

"Yeah," the Captain confirmed. "It's highly likely that a grandmaster is involved."

"Meaning Dreyfus...or..."

"Hendrickson..." A boy spoke up.

"Did you figure out something?" Meliodas asked.

"Yes. The person likely to be involved in this incident is...Grand Master Hendrickson."

"Hang on, is that Gowther?" I asked in surprise.

Ban laughed as he killed the wriggling bulb. "Yep. All right, I'm getting hungry, so wanna head back?"

"Sure," King was the first to reply. "Diane must be worried, too."

"Yeah, about the Captain."

"Annoying!" King retorted.

Elizabeth came down from the rise and stopped in front of Meliodas.

"Thanks to you, I had some kind of breakthrough!" Meliodas said gratefully. "Let's go! There's a fight to the death up ahead!"

"Here's to the four of us, tonight there'll be more of us!" I cheered and high-fived the Sins.

"Seriously, Minerva? You were asleep for the entire fight!" King exclaimed.

"Yeah, but I would've fought if I had the chance!" I defended hotly.

Meliodas and Elizabeth chuckled as we made our way back to the tavern.