The fight moved quickly and viciously as Meliodas turned relentless. He struck anywhere he could and only survived the counters because his fury and adrenaline kept him fast enough to avoid it. An impressive feat as those who watched were terrified by the results of this. Why was the boy trying so hard to fight the Demon King on his own? He may have been blinded by wrath, but he wasn't dumb. Surely, he knew he couldn't win, not with those wounds. Even at his best it would still be an unfair fight, so now... It was surprising that it wasn't a slaughter.
Yet even with the guaranteed results of fighting someone so much stronger than Meliodas, the battle was still showing signs of working in the blond's favor as his zealous action and quick thinking did more than just keep him alive, it began wearing down his counterpart in this fight. Thoroughly shocking both brothers watching as they held their breaths in concern.
Dodge, slash, dodge, slash. It was a consistent but effective cycle as the demon prayed it would be enough to do what he needed to. His adrenaline could only last so long, and his legs ached and shook from the strain he was putting on them now with his quick defenses. It was honestly a miracle that he hadn't passed out yet. But that was the advantage of having so much to protect but nothing left to lose all at once, because it gave him a reason to keep fighting; and also, a lack of fear about the consequences of protecting what he wanted to save. He'd be willing to die right here if he needed to. In fact, a large part of him was hoping for that outcome.
For as many humans as he had been able to save, the people lost in this ridiculous war stuck with Meliodas much more. Sara wasn't the only beloved human slaughtered. Thousands of others had died long before the blond took a stand. Given a fate worse than death as Meliodas lived in ignorant bliss. And then even after he started doing as much as he could to give humans the safety he promised them, there were still so many casualties that one-man alone couldn't stop. Men and women of all ages killed or devoured, even children weren't off limits. It was sickening, and Meliodas felt each he failed to protect weigh on him as heavily as if he had murdered them himself. The more he spent his life atoning for all of the sins that he had acquired, the more he seemed to collect. It truly was a never-ending cycle that he was eager to break. And this war ending would be the excuse for that. He'd be able to let himself die and finally stop fighting as long as he saw to it that the war ended first. His guilty conscious could be laid to rest in the afterlife as long as he could end this. He HAD to end this.
Meliodas was snapped from his thoughts as his pace had slowed slightly, leading to a burn sizzling bright on his arm from a roll done too slowly. He had lost his sharp edge as his mournful thoughts came bubbling back up in a way they did so often now. It was consuming the demon, changing him more and more as his light dimmed and his soul was starting to drown in his regrets and depression. Something the Demon King took advantage of swiftly as the one attack was followed by an onslaught of others that slowly added to Meliodas's collections of wounds.
Burns that left skin peeling, bubbling, and purple, gashes deep enough to reveal the slightest bit of bone to the dark air of the outside world, and bruises that already left the blond's skin turning black as swelling threated to appear in important places; including but not limited to the demon's left eye.
Yet still, the boy staggered to his feet clumsily like a puppet on strings as his regrets and haunted conscious wouldn't allow him to stay down. He ignored the burns sizzling on his skin, wrapped the weeping gashes with his remaining darkness, and used his thin knife to cut the pockets of blood settling in his hand and eye to reduce swelling enough for his coordination to return. Before he stiffly returned to his battle position as he and his father circled one another like two wild animals testing to see what the other would do. The battle had been silent until now, both parties understanding their own missions to end the life of the other. However, it seemed the Demon King was done toying with his prey, and he was displeased that the blond didn't seem to understand that yet.
"Look at you, pathetic, weak, and foolish. You've embarrassed me enough. Do us both a favor and go ahead and die. At least in death you will be worth something. I will consume your soul and become stronger for it. Strong enough to end this war myself as I won't let such an immense power be wasted as you have. You know you cannot win against me, unless I give your stupid mind too much credit. Truly, what do you hope to accomplish by fighting me? You've seen the power I wield, the power I gave your brothers and comrades. Which means you know that alone you have no chance. Are you merely acting out of anger? A desperate but wasteful last stand to try your hardest to buy the humans time? Such a terrible excuse for offspring. I should have killed you when you were an infant like I originally planned, but your pathetic sibling's pleas swayed me. In fact, I think I should dispose of that one back there, now. You've already nearly killed him, and he has failed too often to do what I ask of him. He used to be such a perfect soldier, but after your little attempts at a rebellion, he started failing me more and more. You infected him, and I intend to kill such a horrid disease before it spreads to any others. As I've said, the strong thrive for every weak fool that doesn't survive..."
His cruel yet often repeated message was punctuated by him raising his arm towards the unconscious demon still laying defenseless behind Meliodas. And although it was clear Zeldris wasn't killed if his current status was any indication, his hearts still sped up painfully at the threat. His father had tried to kill him. After he followed his every command, every lesson. He at the very least thought he had been a useful contribution to the demon realm, a good leader who carried out his father's will well, but apparently not. Apparently his all hadn't been enough. And as he watched in horror as the man fired, he had no idea how himself or Meliodas made it out of this... Until he saw that his own survival turned much more likely than that of his brother's by what the blond did in response to the ruthless attack.
With speed the blond should've lost with his injuries, he ran in front of his kin and took his darkness off of his own injuries to create a wall with both the substance and his own body to protect his injured brother from the assault altogether. The affect was blinding as pure, black, inky, darkness settled over the scene as if night itself had appeared and snuffed out the light of the moon and stars. Yet as things settled, the toll it took to shield Zeldris was apparent as Meliodas's mark began to flicker. His magic had been exhausted, the very magic pertinent to the blond's survival at the moment was slowly trickling away as Meliodas finally found his adrenaline crumbling along with his body as he collapsed next to his brother. Still in front as if a last, desperate, notion for protection as the fierceness in his emerald eyes never left.
"A fool to the very end... You spent this whole war content with having him as your enemy, yet you save him now from the end he deserves? Fine, I'll merely kill you both and take both of your souls at once. It will be easier now that you've wasted the last of your energy."
Yet as the king took a booming step towards them, he stopped as Meliodas finally responded to the questions he asked earlier. It was heartbreaking how the boy's voice came in a small, wheezy, trembling, whisper, but he didn't seem to pay any mind. There was a peace about him. An air of confidence around him as if things were finalized beyond either of the battle's participants' control now.
"He...he.... You call me... a fool, yet it is you... that didn't think this through. I never said... that I was alone... in this fight. As you said.... father, I cannot win against you... nor can I... kill you. But I know others who... can do far worse. It was merely... my job t-to stall..."
The boy started laughing, a startling, unhinged, relieved laugh as the realization settled on the man's face when a bright, pure, light replaced the dark clouds from before. It was obviously an enchantment. The strongest ever made as the whole goddess realm worked hard to make it. It would seal away all live demons remaining, while Meliodas and the Demon King both knew quite well that Meliodas wouldn't be on that list. He had intended to die in this fight, and he was getting his wish. Three of his hearts had already stopped now from the strain of upkeep, soon the others would follow, and they both knew it.
"No....NO! YOU FOOLISH BOY! HOW DARE YOU!!! YOU WILL NOT GET THE PEACE YOU CRAVE! I WILL MAKE SURE OF IT! I CURSE YOU! WITH THE LAST OF MY STRENTH I CURSE YOU TO LIVE FOREVER WITH YOUR GUILT! NOTHING CAN KILL YOU NOW! YOU AND THIS CURSE WILL LAST UNTIL THE END OF TIME! ONLY AN EQUAL TO MY POWER WILL BREAK IT!"
The boy's eyes widened, pure agony in the emerald irises as he shook his head desperately.
"No...NO YOU CAN'T, I DON'T WANT TO LIVE LIKE THIS!!! I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS!-"
He couldn't finish as a burst of light flooded and consumed everything. Drowning out his voice as every demon slowly faded away, leaving him alone once the light faded with tears running down his face as every injury slowly pieced itself back together.
As Zeldris and Estarossa watched in stunned silence, they were actually given a moment to grieve and process as for once, the memory didn't repeat itself. It was as if the moment was too painful for the demon to have play more than once in his own mind, leaving the three who saw it in silence for a while; before it seemed that Meliodas processed things as well, because the rumbling from before came back. It started small, but the slight tremors soon turned into shaking that was strong enough to cause cracks in the floors again as one by one, the doors began falling apart.
"W-WHAT IS THIS MERLIN!? ARE WE BEING KICKED FROM HIS MIND AGAIN!?"
"I'm not sure! The doors are falling apart! That either means he's remembering or... or everything is being erased for good."
Her words were punctuated by the three falling back into their own bodies as they all jolted awake at once. Now left with no answers as they had no time to go back into the blond's mind, and no way of knowing if there would be good or bad results when the child woke up. Or if...
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