Last One Standing

༄1.10༄

Meliodas, Hawk, and Seraphina made their way to Baste Prison. "Well, guess we should head out to Baste." Meliodas says. "Do you really plan on leaving Elizabeth behind? She hasn't come out since you carried that quack to his clinic." Hawk asks. "It's best if she was out of harm's way." Seraphina replies. "I still think you should've stayed too." Meliodas tells the girl. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Seraphina says, offended. "I know but since you two look similar they might mistake you for her and try to get you." Meliodas reminds her. "But I can take care of myself." Seraphina reminds him. "Yeah, but you don't have any weapon." Meliodas points out. "I have a scythe." Seraphina reminds him. "Where is it anyway?" Hawk chimes in. "It's in my room." Seraphina answers. "Why?" Hawk asks. "Obviously because she can't walk around wielding a scythe, stupid." Meliodas answers for her. "You called me stupid twice! People who call people stupid are stupid." Hawk tells him. "Sorry about that, Porky!" Meliodas says, twirling his sword in his hand. "That's twice you called me 'Porky,' you bastard!" Hawk shouts.

"Hawk, language." Seraphina points at him. Meliodas grabs Hawk by his cheek and grins. "Ow! You're stretching my pork loins out." Hawk says, defeated. "Sir Meliodas! Lady Seraphina!" Elizabeth calls from behind them. They look back and find Elizabeth. "Why did you run out here like that for?" Meliodas asks. "For this." She holds out Meliodas' scabbard. "Lady Seraphina started mending your scabbard while you were asleep but didn't finish it so I took over. My stitching's not as good as hers though." Elizabeth shares. "You're such thoughtful friends!" Hawk says with teary eyes. Meliodas twirls his sword and places it in the scabbard. "Thanks, it looks like it's holding." Meliodas replies. "Oh good." Seraphina sighs. "And on that note, let's get going now!" Elizabeth fist pumps the air and walks ahead. "I'm not a knight. But I'm gonna keep on fighting too. So I can keep protecting the kingdom and its people, even if you two were to die now, that still wouldn't change things at all." Elizabeth tells Meliodas and Seraphina. "You're killing me off so soon?" Seraphina feigns being hurt and puts a hand on her chest.

"That's not what I meant!" The princess shrieks, embarrassed. "Elizabeth! How would you handle it if I was the one who died?" Hawk asks. "Well honestly, I'd try to move on." Elizabeth replies. "Elizabeth, that was like night and day." Hawk tells her and Seraphina leans on Meliodas, smiling at them. "Uh... I'm sorry, Hawk!" Elizabeth apologizes. "You can rest easy, Hawk." Meliodas wraps an arm around Seraphina's waist and walks over to them. "If you end up dying, we'll make sure that your meat doesn't go to waste! Isn't that right, Sera?" Meliodas asks, the white-haired girl. "Right!" Seraphina agrees. "Wait a minute, what about what I want?" Hawk asks. "Let's get going." Meliodas tells the princess, walking past her. "R-Right! Let's save Sir Ban!" Elizabeth says. "Not him." Meliodas says. "Huh?" Seraphina looks down at him confused. "I think her name was Sennett, wasn't it? We've got to make sure that we save the doctor's daughter first." Meliodas explains. "Sir Meliodas!" Elizabeth beams and runs to catch up with them.

"What about Sir Ban?" Seraphina asks. "As soon as he finds out we're all headed his way, I think he'll probably bust himself out." Meliodas replies. "Oh, you really think so?" Elizabeth asks. Someone stomps on the ground in front of them making Meliodas push the girls back and grab his sword. "Are they attacking us?" Hawk asks and they all gasp seeing Diane. "Diane!" Meliodas says, confused. "What the heck are you doing way over here?" He asks. "She went ahead while you were healing." Seraphina replies, staring at the girl whose eyes were dull. "What are you doing here?" Diane asks, her eyes going back to normal. "You should still be in bed and trying to get a little rest! You know you shouldn't be outdoors like this." She tells him. "Forget about me for a sec. Are you doing okay?" Meliodas asks her. "What are you talking about? I feel fine." Diane answers. "After you squashed all the bugs over in Dalmally, you charged full speed ahead to Baste Prison!" Hawk tells her. "Wait. I did?" Diane looks to the side, confused. "What's wrong, Lady Diane?" Elizabeth asks.

"Can't put my finger on it but something's not adding up. You really sure you're all right, Diane?" Meliodas asks. "Uh, yeah. My head's just a little fuzzy." Diane replies, squeezing her pigtail. A bell rings and Diane's eyes go dull again. "There's a Holy Knight here! Captain, you take care of the princess and the waitress!" Diane instructs. "Captain? Wait, where did everybody go?" Diane asks, looking around confused. "Miss Diane, are you okay?" Seraphina asks, concerned. "Give the captain back right now!" Diane yells, attempting to stomp on Meliodas, who leaps away to dodge, and Diane punches him, sending him hurtling into the ground. "Sir Meliodas!" Elizabeth yells, running to him, with Seraphina and a squealing Hawk. "Meliodas, are you hurt?" Seraphina asks. Meliodas flips upright and pats himself down. "What the heck made you go berserk out of the blue like that?" Meliodas asks. "Lady Diane! Sir Meliodas is right in front of you!" Elizabeth tells the giant who doesn't seem to hear them. "What are you spacing out for, mountain woman?" Hawk asks. "Hawk that's--" Seraphina's cut off when she gets a vision of Diane attacking them in various ways.

"You okay?" Meliodas asks the girl who had a hand over her eye. "I'm fine." Seraphina mumbles. "Those eyes." Meliodas observes the Sin. "She can't see us even if she wanted to." Meliodas says. "What are we supposed to do now?" Hawk asks. "We run for starters." Meliodas throws Elizabeth over his shoulder and runs away. "I had a feeling you were gonna say that!" Hawk says. Knowing what was going to happen next, Seraphina wrapped an arm around Meliodas and Hawk and dodged Diane's attacks. Once they were far enough Seraphina placed them back on the ground and they continued running. "How'd you know what she was gonna do?" Meliodas asks, the girl confused. "I saw it before it happened." Seraphina shares. "So you have foresight now? Cool!" Hawk beams. Seraphina hums and focuses on getting away from Diane. They enter a wooded area and spot a shepherd and a boy. "Crap! There are people around!" Hawk points out. "Hey! If you don't wanna die, you better start running!" Meliodas warns them. Meliodas grabs the boy and they hide on the side of a cliff.

"You can't hide forever, Holy Knight. And when I find you, I'm gonna twist, tear open, and pulverize your armor, right along with you!" Diane threatens. "Help us, please!" The shepherd says, shaking. "What's going on here? Did something happen to Lady Diane when she went to Baste Prison?" Elizabeth asks. Seraphina peeks out to look at Diane. "She seems mind controlled." Seraphina notes. Meliodas pulls Seraphina back down and hands the child to her. "Look after this kid for a sec, okay?" He tells her. "Okay." Seraphina agrees and Meliodas runs out. "What were you doing out here?" She asks, wiping the kid's tears. "We both work as shepherds in the area, and we were on the way home from the pasture. Please, I don't want anything bad to happen." The boy shares. "Everything's going to be okay. He'll fix this." Seraphina reassures him, looking at Meliodas, who is heading in Diane's direction. A bell rings again and Meliodas looks at Diane. "Hey, tall and gruesome! You're the one who cast that weird spell on Diane, aren't you?" Meliodas asks.

"You know that is Diane, right?" Hawk asks, as the peak over to look at them. Diane tries punching Meliodas, who dodges making her punch the ground causing debris to fly around. Meliodas lands on a rock and lunges at Diane. "Now turn her... back to normal!" He shouts, punching Diane, which she blocks. "This is hard to believe but I think that Meliodas is caught in the same illusion as Diane right now." Hawk notes, watching them fight. "We should go." Seraphina says, putting the child on Hawk's back and grabbing Elizabeth's hand leaving the area as spikes emerge from the ground. "Hurry up, it's almost on top of us!" Hawk shouts. They reach a safe distance away from battle and look down at them. "What do we do now, Seraphina?" Hawk asks the girl. "I don't know. They'll die if they continue fighting. But how are we supposed to stop them?" Seraphina asks, distressed.