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"ɪ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴜɴʀɪꜱᴇ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇʏᴇꜱ."
ᴋᴀᴛʏ ᴘᴇʀʀʏ
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"The cause of this is most likely my mentor, Gowther," I hear the Daughter of Belaluin speak up as I slowly tug at my hair, hissing loudly in pain. "A forbidden spell that alters one's memories. This would impact anyone who knew either Mael the Archangel or the second eldest daughter of the Demon Queen, Princess Lenora. Which includes the Demon Queen."
Both Cusack and Chandler walk over to me and stand on either side of me, their faces twisted in discomfort. It seems they have been affected too. But I'm not handling it as well as they are.
"Ah incredible," my teacher says once we finally realise what the Boar Sin of Gluttony is saying. "That crafty Gowther used a forbidden spell to confuse all of us about who exactly killed these two powerful warriors. When in truth, neither of them was killed. This forced the Goddess clan to activate the Coffin of Eternal Darkness. But for some reason, the alteration was broken, creating an aftershock which impacts those who were under the spell to their very souls."
"The deeper the connection, the stronger the impact is," I grit out. "Ludociel and I seem to be the ones who are struggling the most. It feels like my head's going to split in half any second."
"So Mael the Archangel is still alive," the Lion Sin of Pride notes while one of the other Humans says, "And the second eldest child of the Demon Queen was alive this whole time as well?"
"You know where your other sister is right now, don't you?" Merlin directs the question at me.
"I can't believe that damn maid was Lady Lenora this whole time!" Chandler blurts out, clearly embarrassed and ashamed. "That Gowther was cruel for changing our Princess like that!"
"A maid?" Merlin says, surprised. "So your sister was with you this whole time but you had no clue it was her. How very intriguing. I'm shocked that the alteration wasn't broken sooner—"
"Shut the hell up," I snarl and I know I'm only mad because I wasn't able to figure it out sooner.
All that time spent in the Demon Realm while we were sealed away, all that time spent on my duties instead of my sister. I can't believe I wasted so much time when she was right there.
"We're not done here," I say coldly as I point my sword in the direction of my enemies.
"Please leave this to us, Princess (Y/n)," Cusack says quickly and I look over at him in confusion, lowering my sword slightly. "Strategically speaking, I feel you should conserve your energy as the remainder of the Seven Deadly Sins will undoubtedly come to attack."
"I'm afraid this can't be helped," Chandler speaks up and I frown at this abrupt statement.
"Doing so is our duty," Cusack states with a massive grin before shooting me a reassuring look.
"Alji," the two high-ranked Demons cry out at the same time before they start to merge with one another, their large bodies quickly bleeding into each other as bright light shines everywhere.
"Once to serve his retainer," Chandler speaks up, "the Demon King created a Demon, one more powerful than any other. This infamous creation came to be known as the Original Demon."
"The Original Demon?" I breathe in astonishment as my eyes widen in shock at the spectacle.
My sisters and I were always told tales and stories about the Original Demon, a powerful Demon that lived years before we were born. Who would have thought it was our two teachers all along?
"This retainer was obedient at first," my teacher continues, "but grew to be overly confident and lusted for power. And that lust led it to begin a rebellion against the Demon King."
"Of course, it was weak at its own game and received punishment," Elizabeth's teacher goes on. "He was divided both in body and soul into two and was given a serious duty; to raise the eldest and youngest Princesses as proper candidates, candidates to be the next Demon Queen. Two halves would also serve individually as the Princesses' mentors. The second eldest Princess was also trained but believed to already be a worthy candidate. She needed no more training."
My jaw drops slightly at this because only now do I remember that Lenora was only trained once in a while by Chandler and Cusack. Because she was already perfect in every way which made her the ideal warrior thus the perfect candidate. Lenora was the golden child of our family.
"Princess (Y/n)," Cusack speaks up with a strained voice as he slowly glances over at me, his dark eyes watching me. "It is my wish that you become the next Demon Queen."
"Princess Elizabeth," Chandler chokes. "Please fulfil your destiny to become the Demon Queen."
"No, wait," I call out desperately as the two high-ranked Demons finally merge into one another.
"The halves of the sinners are reunited," they speak as one once the shining light dies away and their true form is revealed to all of us. "I am the Original Demon."
I startle when the barrier around us suddenly disappears and I hear the Boar Sin of Gluttony say, "No way. He ousted the field of darkness created by Elizabeth and the Commandments. So what we're seeing is...their true form? We're done for. There's no way we can win now."
I blink in shock when I hear these words because I never expected them to leave Merlin's lips.
"Damn it," I cry out when the agonising pain suddenly returns to my mind once again, memories tearing into my sanity as I stumble back towards the white cocoon. "No, no, not now. Damn it."
We have an eternity to prove to all of the races that we are just the same. Right, little sister?
Aren't you just tired of following our mother's orders? Don't you just want to be set free, (Y/n)?
I can't wait till we are all free from our responsibilities and duties. Freedom is what I truly want.
Let's travel through every single realm, (Y/n). We can discover and learn so many things!
I hope you're not scared of me, (Y/n). Who I am on the battlefield...that isn't who I truly am.
"We have an eternity," I growl through gritted teeth when I remember what my older sister once told me all those years ago, "to show our true selves to everyone and to heal one another."
From the corner of my eye, I see an enormous flower suddenly erupt from the stone ground and the large petals open up to reveal a radiant light. Knowing what's about to happen, I spread my wings and quickly lift myself off the ground, keeping a distance between myself and the flower.
Once the flower destroys the majority of the kingdom, I say to my comrade, "Original Demon, I'll handle this damn plant. Keep your focus on the Boar Sin of Gluttony and the Lion Sin of Pride."
And with that, the Original Demon swiftly carries out my order and starts attacking the two Sins while I distract the flower that keeps changing its form. My head is still throbbing and aching but I have no choice but to ignore the discomfort and continue the fight with our enemies.
"They're coming," I say quietly to myself when I detect the Commandment of Reticence and the Commandment of Purity heading in our direction. "But how? Did Monspeet and Derieri willingly give up their Commandments? Or were they killed? Wait. There's another Commandment—"
My eyes widen in surprise when I realise that the Commandment of Benevolence is also heading towards us. Did Lenora release the Commandment? Does that mean she's on our side right now?
Up ahead on the battlefield, I see the Commandment of Faith combine itself with the rest of the Commandments that are heading straight for the white cocoon, straight for my older sister.
"Bear witness to our new Demon Queen," I hear the Original Demon cry out this declaration.
Once the four missing Commandments enter the cocoon, I let out a sigh of relief, smiling softly.
"What the hell is this?" I snarl when a large symbol appears in the area where my enemies are.
That symbol—Why the hell does it look so familiar to me? Wait a second. Is this the spell that—
"She's trying to suspend the cocoon in time," I say in realisation, panicking. "Damn it, not now!"
Along with the Original Demon, I rush forward to the Daughter of Belialuin, my sword drawn. Just when the two of us strike, the Lion Sin of Pride and the Grizzly Sin of Sloth get in our way.
"Escanor, King," Merlin cries out to her fellow Sins with a single finger raised in the air, her eyes full of determination. "I need you. Help me. Please just keep me guarded for twelve minutes."
Enraged, I strike at the Fairy King's weapon and yell, "Get out of my way, you damn fools!"
For the next couple of minutes, I try to hold off the weapon of the Grizzly Sin of Sloth. During this time, the Orginal Demon manages to get rid of Escanor from the battlefield but the leader of the Four Archangels joins the battle. And I feel wrath spread through my whole body when I see this.
"I swear, if I could kill all of you, I would," I mutter under my breath as I block another attack.
Damn it. Ludociel the Archangel no longer possesses his Human vessel and is fighting with his true form at the moment. But that doesn't mean he's any weaker.
We're running out of time here. I need Elizabeth to absorb the rest of the Commandments.
"Light?" I say in confusion when a ray of sunshine suddenly breaks through the dark barrier.
"Oh fake night lieu me below," a familiar voice I have not heard for a very long time speaks into the shocked silence. "You will hereby dissipate and vanish before my grace."
"No," I whisper in horror when the ray of sunshine grows bigger. "No, no, no. Anything but this."
Mael of the Four Archangels, the younger brother of Ludociel, the Archangel who I thought killed the second eldest daughter of the Demon Queen. He's here. And he's going to stop everything.
I immediately whip my head around when I see the Serpent Sin of Envy, the Goat Sin of Lust, the Lion Sin of Pride, and the eldest son of the Supreme Deity enter the battlefield, smiles on all of their faces. My seven hearts start to race in panic when my eyes are greeted with this sight.
How the hell will the Original Demon and I hold all of them off? We're not outnumbered now—
My body freezes when I feel two powerful presences appear near next to me. Breathing ragged, both hands trembling, I slowly turn my head to my side and everything becomes blurry when I see the youngest son of the Supreme Deity and the second eldest child of the Demon Queen.
"Darling," the love of my life whispers with a worried expression on his face. "You look so tired."
"You shouldn't be here," I blurt out and he shakes his head at this, a soft grin taking over his lips.
"Little sister, it seems you have sparked a war for someone you truly love," a gentle voice speaks to me and I try to not look over at the other being. "Face me now, Princess (Y/n), my little sister."
Slowly, I look up and the breath is instantly knocked out of me when I finally face my older sister; my sister who was removed from every single one of my memories; my sister who was cruelly robbed from me; my sister who sacrificed everything for Elizabeth and me over 3,000 years ago.
"Lenora," I choke out her name weakly. "I can't stop now. Please, get Zeldris out of here."
Cobalt blue eyes flashing, tilting her head to the side, Lenora's dark blonde hair falls across her shoulder as she says, "You can stop this, (Y/n). You can stop all of this. All you need to do is say the word and everyone will stand down. We can end this right now. We will find another way—"
We quickly turn our heads when a blinding light fills the area and my jaw drops in shock when I see the Original Demon get launched to the other side of the kingdom by a flaming ball of fire.
"I can't stop," I say as I draw my sword from my sheath. "Elizabeth and I will end all of this."
"(Y/n), I don't want to fight you," Lenora says slowly, drawing out her own sword. "But if you do not stand down, I will have no choice. Please, (Y/n). We will find another way to end the curse."
"This is the only chance Elizabeth and I have," I snap as I point my sword in Lenora's direction. "I cannot wait again if Meliodas and Zeldris lose their lives now. I...no longer have the strength."
To spend another few years without Zeldris...I don't think I could take it. It would be too much.
"Then it seems I have no choice," Lenora whispers while darkness starts to form in her free hand. "Understand that I have to do this in order to protect you, (Y/n). Please forgive me, little sister."
When my older sister aims the dark blast at me, a white shield suddenly appears in front of me and deflects the blast. I let out a gasp when I feel a familiar arm envelop me around my waist.
"I'm afraid I can't agree with you there, Lenora," I hear my lover say from beside me with a firm voice. "I'm not exactly sure how to feel about Elizabeth and (Y/n)'s plan to break the curse, but I will support (Y/n) in whatever she decides to do. And if she believes that your older sister has to become the Demon Queen, then so be it; I will fight by (Y/n)'s side to ensure this happens."
With my seven hearts fluttering beneath my chest, my older sister says quietly in shock, "You would go against your own brother's wishes, Zeldris? Against Meliodas?"
As Zeldris focuses his gaze on me, he answers, "I finally understand what my older brother felt the moment he laid his eyes on Elizabeth all those years ago. I finally understand that this is all worth fighting for. So yes, if it means I have to fight my brother as well, I will do it. For (Y/n)."
Unable to look away from his gorgeous orange eyes, I helplessly stare into them, grinning.
Being a Demon doesn't define who you truly are.
Shaking my head, I bring my attention back to the present and focus on what I have to do now.
"Forgive me, Lenora," I say and then raise a hand to send a wave of darkness in her direction.
The second eldest daughter of the Demon Queen gracefully avoids the attack but she's caught off guard when Zeldris aims a blazing strike at her. Startled, Lenora loses control and her wings fail her as she falls. Before any of us can react, someone zips past us and catches my sister.
"Mael," I snarl the name when I see the Archangel. "He's going to cause a lot of trouble for us."
Confused, I narrow my eyebrows slowly when I see Mael smile gently at Lenora as he carefully holds her in his arms and Lenora returns the smile, the blue colour in her eyes fading to black.
"(Y/n), how much of your memories have you regained?" Zeldris asks when he catches my look.
I grit my teeth, growling, "All of them. So I remember my sister's fling with Mael the Archangel."
"It isn't a fling, (Y/n)," Zeldris insists, frustrated. "Mael truly loves Lenora with all of his heart."
I now remember the day Lenora told me about her relationship with one of the Four Archangels. We had just come back from a successful mission, bloody, hungry, tired. And my sister still told me with full confidence that she had fallen for a dangerous soldier who she initially had to kill. And what a huge shock it was for me when she uttered the name of one of the Four Archangels.
Even though my dear sister loves and trusts Mael, I don't trust him. Not one bit.
"We need to stop Merlin," I state, changing the subject. "Will you help me with this, darling?"
"Of course," the cursed Goddess responds and smiles brightly at me. "Anything for you, (Y/n)."
Oh, what that wonderful smile does to me. I still feel a strong flutter in all seven of my hearts.
Dark creatures swiftly escape my sword and then dart towards the Boar Sin of Gluttony who is still chanting the spell. But several other attacks stop these creatures from reaching her.
"Be warned," the eldest son of the Supreme Deity says firmly as he and the others block our way to the Daughter of Belialuin. "Our will and resolve will not falter."
"Damn it," I snarl in great annoyance but then feel an arm suddenly grab me. "What the hell—"
I immediately bare my teeth at my enemy; Mael the Archangel. From the corner of my eye, I see my sister suddenly appear in front of my lover. Before I can do anything, Mael roughly spins me around in the air before letting go of me. With his brutal force, I come crashing to the ground.
Once I quickly get up, I raise my sword in the air, smiling wickedly as I say, "Ominous Nebula."
For now, I know that Zeldris will stay clear, especially since he knows my magical powers.
Mael instantly comes towards me and I swiftly drive my sword right into his chest. I gasp in shock when my sword melts, leaving only the handle. I take a step back as I slowly look up to face Mael.
"If I hold you down for five minutes, the victory is mine," Mael says as he sets himself in a fighting stance, his pale face blank. "If you defeat me within five minutes, the victory is yours, (Y/n)."
Not a second later, the two of us are exchanging lethal blows with one another. And I can't help but smirk madly throughout this whole fight. Although Mael seems to be getting aggravated.
"Forgive me for hating you," I say as I throw a punch at him but he blocks it with his white wings. "But can you really blame me? You and that arrogant brother of yours don't seem to care—"
"Helios Flare," Mael suddenly says with a flaming fist which he aims right at my stomach.
I go flying back and I swear I hear my back crack when it comes into contact with the ground. Grunting quietly in pain, I quickly stand up and then cough out a large mass of blood. But the blood doesn't stop; it just keeps coming. My vision starts to blur as I try to stay standing.
"Why must we do this?" Mael says softly. "Let's put an end to this sad, futile war once and for all. What I say next will most definitely infuriate you but, (Y/n), I truly love your sister. So I would do anything for her and I know that fighting with you hurts her immensely. Please, end this now."
"I'll end this when my Zeldris is safe and sound," I snarl and Mael's blue eyes widen in shock at this assertion. "Keep your damn sympathies to yourself and let Elizabeth and I break this curse."
Trying not to cough up even more blood, I slowly raise my sword's handle in Mael's direction and my dark magic forms a new blade. I spit out blood to my side, tilting my head to crack my neck.
"You care for Zeldris," Mael says breathlessly in realisation. "I knew it. All those years ago, Zeldris tried to hide it from all of us but I just knew it. He was always so bad at hiding his true feelings—"
"Enough," I growl at my enemy, my hand gripping tighter on my weapon. "Shut the hell up."
"Now that I think about it," Mael the Archangel says slowly with a sly yet pleased smile, "you and Zeldris fit together perfectly; the rising sun and the shining moon. And though the whole world would be against this relationship, the two of you risked it all. Just to be with one another."
I startle at this sudden declaration. Because I wasn't the only Demon who risked everything to be with the love of their life. Elizabeth, Lenora, I understand you now, my two big sisters.
From the corner of my eye, I can see my older sister still fiercely fighting the youngest son of the Supreme Deity, the two of them darting all over the sky, their magic colliding with each other.
"Save your words for someone who will listen," I say darkly as I turn my attention back to Mael, a frown settling on my face. "Because right now, your words mean absolutely nothing to me. All that matters to me right now is making sure that my older sister becomes the Demon Queen."
I swiftly strike at Mael but he reads my move and dodges the attack, striking back at me. We both continue to exchange blows with one another until I see an opening. I take the chance and slash right through his chest. I immediately hear loud shouts of protest elsewhere but I ignore this.
"No," I hiss angrily when I see that my enemies are sealed up in some sort of green orb. "Zeldris."
My sweet angel is within this massive orb with crimson red blood running down his pale face, his emerald green eyes quivering in frustration. And there's no smile on that gorgeous face of his.
My wings beat harshly on my back as I zip towards them. Body shaking with exhaustion, I still bring down my sword on the barrier. There isn't a single crack even after a minute but I continue to hit the green barrier, my cries of anger growing louder by the second, my eyes growing heavy.
"Darling, please," I hear Zeldris beg quietly as he places both of his hands on the barrier. "Stop."
"No, no, no," I roar and I can hear my enemies gasp when I feel tears roll down my cheeks. "No."
"It's OK," Zeldris whispers, tapping one of his hands against the barrier twice. "It's OK, (Y/n)."
"I failed you," I sob as I weakly place one of my bloody hands against his. "I'm so sorry, angel."
It wasn't supposed to end like this. Not like this.
Opening his mouth to respond, Zeldris's jade-green eyes widen before he yells, "Mael, wait—"
I cry out in shock when I feel a blazing pain spread across my entire back. Eyelids fluttering, I feel my wings disappear from my back as I fall back to the earth. My weary eyes fall shut when I land on the stony ground and I can hear Lenora and Zeldris screaming my name in the distance.
After a few seconds, someone gently lifts the upper half of my body and cradles my head against their warm chest. With my body still trembling terribly, I instinctively lean into the warmth.
"Zeldris, what are you doing?" I hear someone splutter, clearly confused. "Stay away from her—"
"Don't you dare take a single step towards me right now," my lover growls dangerously, his chest rumbling. "Any of you. You think Elizabeth is cold and heartless for trying to become the Demon Queen? No, all of you are the cold and heartless ones for hurting (Y/n) without any remorse."
It's because I think you deserve to be saved, (Y/n).
I don't want your power. I just want you to see yourself in a better light.
You were so bright. And you still are.
"Elizabeth?" I hear the eldest son of the Supreme Deity speak up hesitantly. "Is that really you?"
My drained mind sharpens the moment I feel a powerful presence join us, one that feels so very familiar yet new. My seven hearts beneath my chest are filled with fear but also relief.
"So you did it, huh?" I choke out and I open my eyes, barely. "Look at you, all grand and mighty."
My vision is still quite blurry but I can make out the flowing silver hair, the bright blue eyes, the perfect pale skin. My older sister has done it. Her body has matured a little bit but I know it's her.
"Don't forget...what you promised me, Elizabeth," I say faintly through a cough while everyone on the battlefield stares in horror at my eldest sister's new form. "I gave you...my wrath, my rage, my fury, to fight...this damn battle. Now break Zeldris's curse and free Gelda, Demon Queen."
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