"I can't believe you and Merlin just ditched me like that." I said as I pulled back.
He was about to reply when a large presence smashed into the ground, filling the area with smoke.
-
As the smoke cleared up, I was able to see what it was that had landed in front of us.
"Hmm I thought it would take me seventy steps to get here... I guess I'm a little rusty after 3000 years." He said to himself.
Despite it having been multiple centuries, I recognised that cocky voice.
"Galand of Truth." I murmured at the same time Meliodas said "you're Galand of the Ten Commandments."
"It's been a while Meliodas." He mused. "And Ashe too, what a surprise."
Galand let out a laugh as he walked forward.
Looking back, I don't know why I chose him of all the commandments to be one of my friends. Sure he was good at mind games but we didn't click like I did with Monspeet and Derieri, or even Zeldris.
"To think that after all this time, the two of you look like that." He scoffed.
Diane was trembling, which was a given considering the situation she was in. It wasn't everyday one of the Demon King's elite faced you.
"Merlin." Hawk began. "It seems like my Magical Eye is broken. I mean, this can't be right, can it? A power level of 26,000?"
It was sad that they might die now. Galand looked really bored and was probably looking for a bit of entertainment after being sealed for so long.
Of course, against him, I'd help the Sins without hesitation. After all, it was always a competition between me and Galand.
"His power level is much higher than we'd expect, but something seems off. What's his magic?"
"Umm.. it's zero?! What's going on? The magic eye must really be broken!"
"No. It's the effect of the seal. It's left all of them with none of their magic so while the gap between power levels is vast... this is the best chance you have.
Though theoretically speaking, all of you Sins would stand equally with him if you worked together. At the moment you're at 11,330 which is less than half, that's without counting me, Arthur and the Holy Knights. This isn't going to go well." I summed up.
Despite what it seemed, I was actually smart. Just a little bit. Creede was the better strategist though, if only he'd take things more seriously.
"Quite a lot had changed since I've been gone. But one thing that's stayed the same is human's annoying habit of flocking together." The demon expressed as he took his weapon and levelled the area.
"Now things are so much airier." Galand sighed in bliss. "Meliodas, I've been wanting to have a nice, long sparring match with you! Ashe, maybe after I win we can play a game of chess while you explain to me why you chose to stay with this deceitful traitor."
"I mean, why not." I shrugged.
Meliodas suddenly jumped up and slashed at Galand, managing to cut a part of his neck.
Galand reacted quickly, not hesitating to strike back.
"It's been how long... three years, centuries maybe?" A familiar voice joked.
"You absolute bastard." I said softly, turning around to see a familiar mop of messy hair and amber eyes.
He walked up to me and enveloped me in a hug. "I've missed you sis." He sighed.
"Ashe what are you doing, he's with them!" Diane exclaimed as she tried to fight against Galand.
"Diane sweetie you're ruining a perfectly good sibling reunion. Mind your own." I huffed.
"You still have a bit of a temper huh?" Creede scoffed.
I punched him in the arm, lacing my fist with mana and causing his arm to burst off which coated me in his dark blood.
"Wow- I thought you'd at least let me get up to date with what's going on before you try decapitate me again." He laughed, but there was no humour on my face.
"You had one job Creede. One fucking job. To stay by my side when everyone else is gone. Didn't we make a promise that no matter what shit we go through we won't let it ruin anything?" My emotions had taken a full 180-maybe I was on my period.
His arm was slowly healing due to his complete lack of magic when I took a dagger and threw it at him, watching as it lodged into his thigh.
"Fuck." He muttered in pain as he struggled to pull it out.
The ripped skin and flesh was slowly healing around the stab wound when I pulled out the other dagger and threw that too.
This time, it landed in his chest. Anymore to the left and it would've hit his heart but I didn't want to kill him. That wasn't what I was aiming for.
"Listen Ashe, let's just talk about this." He tried to speak but his words were broken as he grit his teeth through the pain.
"I am talking. I'm talking about how you swore that you'd never let me cry and yet for the first few hundred years, I cried because of you!"
I punched him in the face and damn did it feel good.
The sensation rushing over my fist, the bruise that was fading away as quickly as it appeared and the adrenaline that rushed through my body.
I punched him again and again until the tears leaving my eyes blurred my vision and I collapsed into his arms.
"Shh, I got you. I'm back now and I don't plan to leave anytime soon." He rubbed soothing circles on my back and I would've laughed at the fact that we were being sentimental while the rest of the people around us were fighting for their lives.
"We need to go somewhere and talk, there's so much you've missed." I murmured.
"You two should hurry and get to the rest of the Commandments." Galand spoke up as he left the scene.
I turned my head to look at the condition of the Sins and saw a laughing Gowther while the rest of them were battered.
Merlin had been turned to stone which sparked a flicker of concern in me.
Some kind of illusion perhaps? There was no way Galand would leave his victims alive unless he was toying with them but this didn't seem like that kind of situation.
"Let's go, your friends will be able to handle themselves." Creede said as he helped me up from the ground where I'd actually gotten quite comfortable.
Looking back at them one more time, I teleported myself and Creede to the Boar Hat.
-
"Why are you getting comfortable?" I asked as I came out of the bathroom after changing and saw Creede laying on my bed with his shoes still on.
"Your home is my home no?" Creede grinned.
"Well too bad this isn't my home."
I pushed him off the soft mattress and sat down, covering myself with the soft sheets.
It was satisfying to watch him yelp as he hit the hard floor.
"So what did I miss?" Creede asked as he sat on the other side of the bed. His back would end up straining and hurting but did I care? Absolutely not.
"First read this, I haven't finished yet so no spoilers please and thank you." I said as I threw the journal to him.
He caught it just as it was about to hit him on the face and opened it. He raised a brow when he saw the familiar handwriting so I nodded, urging him to read.
As he flipped through the pages, his eyes hardening more and more as he found out everything our mother thought, felt and planned, I read a book about a boy with a demon for a sister.
It reminded me of my relationship with Creede, only I didn't carry him in a box on my back nor would I ever openly show affection to him.
They're relationship was adorable but the hardships that surrounded them tugged on the strings of my cold heart.
Too bad something like that would never be real.
"This is a joke right?" Creede finally asked. "I knew she was a worthless bitch but she's actually this bad?" His voice was quiet as he shut the journal and let it fall into his lap.
"Again, no spoilers. But I know; it's hard to believe that the woman who gave birth to us and took care of us in our infant years was only using us for our power." I sighed.
"No that's not all. You have to read the rest of it Ashe. There's way more to it than that." Creede whispered.
His eyes brimmed with tears that refused to come down as he scooted closer to me and placed his head onto my lap.
"I'm scared Ashe, what if her plans work out?"
Seeing him so vulnerable after reading whatever was in the end of the journal had me internally panicking as my mind made up thousands of possibilities for what it could've been.
"It's okay, as long as we have each other she won't get anything she wants." I tried to soothe him but at my words the tears finally fell.
He shook slightly as silenced sobs escaped him.
The last time I'd seen him like this was when Anra died and it broke me to see him.
"Give me the journal, let me finish reading it."
He didn't reply, only shaking his head 'no' and continuing to let the tears go.
"Creede..." I tried.
"No; I'm not going to let you read it. Your perspective of her is already so warped and I don't want you to feel guilty of killing her." He mumbled.
"Trust me, I won't feel an ounce of guilt when my hands are coated in her blood."
"Can we not talk about her please? The topic gives me a headache. Tell me what's going on with you and Meliodas. And who that clingy silver head was." Creede quickly wiped the tears as he spoke, sitting up and plastering a smile on his flawless face.
"It's...complicated. I don't know what to say about it because I myself don't know what's going on." I huffed.
"I'm pretty sure we've got time."
I got carried away as I described the confusion, hatred, guilt and pain I felt; highlighting the frustration of still having feelings for the blonde bastard.
"It makes no sense, we broke it off all those years ago, he literally moved on and I'm still stuck on him." I sighed.
"Does he still have his tattoo?" Creede asked.
"That's the thing, I always forget to look!" I complained, mentally berating myself.
"Too busy looking at something else huh?" Creede grinned, earning him a dagger in his arm.
Sibling love.
I explained the way that I wandered around the worlds for the most part of the three thousand years, checking on Meliodas every now and then and realising how little impact I'd had on him.
"Don't say that Ashe. The guy was a lovesick fool when it came to you. I'd know considering the time I managed to get him drunk, he told me how he sometimes wants to hurt Zeldris for how close he is to you."
I dramatically sighed, covering my face with the covers.
"ItsnotfairbecauseIcantevenkillmyselfdespitebeingdonewitheverythingbecausethatshitdoesntworkforsomereason. Plusitwouldntmakeadifference." I whined.
"Okay enough of that. And stop trying to kill yourself we established that it wouldn't work after your state when Anra died."
"I don't know what to do. The few times I've tried to talk to him, something interrupts and it's always to do with that girl of his. Elizabeth."
"Like the goddess?"
"It's her reincarnation or some shit. A curse was placed on the both of them by the Supreme deity and Demon King. Meliodas has eternal life while the princess has eternal reincarnation. Tragic, right?"
"Listen, I'll talk to Meliodas and try clear this all up. You've gotten weaker and I can tell just by looking at you. If it's got anything to do with your emotional state I might just kill someone." Creede finalised.
"It might also be because of this." I showed my wrist, letting him see the bracelet with a stone resembling my eyes.
"Hmm?" Creede held the bracelet between his two fingers, sending a weak jolt of magic to it and receiving a spark of response as he pulled his fingers away.
"The work of a powerful mage."
"Merlin. You know, the whole Belialuin drama." I briefly explained.
"So the mage you became friends with decided to limit your power in a time like this?" Creede raised a brow. "I might need to talk to her."
I scrunched my face up in disgust and got comfortable on the bed, accidentally kicking Creede off again.
"Fuck you too." He muttered as he sat up.
"I suggest taking a nap before the Sins return, I feel like you'll need the energy."
Creede shrugged as he placed the journal on my side table, took a blanket from my wardrobe and slept on the edge of my bed.
I had to fight the temptation to kick him off again as I closed my eyes and fell asleep, my dream being filled with emerald forests.
-
A/N: Did I disappear for ages with no reason or explanation? Yes.
Am I feeling guilty af? Yes.
Especially coz I wanted to be finished with the book before 2022.
Sigh.
But I'm so glad Creede's been introduced, coz now we can get to the actual plot.
Think of all of this as the calm before the storm. Creede doesn't give a shit about anyone and that includes Elizabeth- especially when it comes to his older sister who's basically his only family (a dad? What's that).
Anyways.
I have a good idea of how I'm gonna go with the next chapter so I'll write that up real quick (please don't wait on it- you'll be disappointed)
But on another note, I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter and please comment what you thought.
ALSO WERE ALMOST AT 2K READS HOW DID THAT HAPPEN/ YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING.
Jā na.