Last One Standing (On Hold)

༄1.11༄

Diane tries to stomp Meliodas while the blonde evades her attacks. "You're small, Holy Knight but you're actually pretty tough!" Diane says. "Yeah, and you're huge, but you're fast on your feet." Meliodas replies. Meliodas hits Diane with his sword and kicks her arms, which she holds up in front of her. He lands on a hill, and Diane stumbles back. "Each one of them seems to think that the other one is a Holy Knight." Hawk says. "No way. You two stop it! Enough of this!" Seraphina shouts and the spell gets broken. Meliodas and Diane turn to the group confused. "Princess? Waitress? What are you doing here?" Diane asks the girls. "We should be asking you that!" Hawk tells her. "Captain, you're here? Where's that Holy Knight?" Diane asks the blonde. "Uh, hey, you're right." Meliodas replies. "Poor big lady, are you all right?" The young shepherd runs up to Diane. "Yeah. You okay? You're still here." Diane leans to get closer to him. "Yeah." The boy nods and the bell dings again. "Everybody's gone again." Diane comments, getting put back in the trance. "That Holy Knight!" Meliodas says. "Meliodas, no." Seraphina says, running over to the boy.

"It's dangerous here." She tells him. "You're hiding everyone from me again!" Diane yells, slamming Meliodas into the ground. "I'm so scared! I don't wanna die, please!" The boy runs to the older shepherd who seems scared. "We'll protect you. I swear, I'll trade my life for yours!" Elizabeth tells him. "You... you'd do that?" The shepherd asks. "But how can we do that," Seraphina brings a hand up to her chest and stares at Meliodas and Diane with wide eyes. "if we can't fight?" She asks. "We'll find a way!" Elizabeth tells Seraphina. "Touching to see a princess who actually cares." A feminine voice says from behind them making the group turn to see a female Holy Knight in bug-looking armor wielding a whip. "Oh my, Golgius was right, you really do have a clone. Nevertheless is that truly what you would do or an empty promise?" She asks. She raises her whip and a swarm of insects flies out of the trees. "I don't believe it. Another Holy Knight." Hawk comments, watching the woman wave her whip around.

A bug flies onto Hawk's nose and bites him making him yelp in pain. "Storm Rondo. Now, my little beetles, their flesh is yours to pierce with your sharp wings and horns!" The knight says. "No, I'm scared. Don't let it get me." The boy shouts and runs away. "That kid's whining is really annoying me. You die first." The knight sends the beetles at the kid and he screams as the bugs cut him all over. Seraphina and Elizabeth gasp at the sight. "Let me see, 'Even if I must trade my life for yours.' Was that the phrase?" The knight asks. "For all your brave platitudes, you never believed you'd actually have to follow through with it, did you? " She taunts. "Oh, that's sick." Hawk comments. "Elizabeth?" Seraphina reaches a hand out to the princess, who begins walking to the boy. "Elizabeth, come back!" Seraphina calls. "What, really?" The female knight asks. Elizabeth bravely walks into the swarm of bugs, getting cuts all over her body. "I promised. I gave my word to you. Even if you die along the way...I would do it. Even if I were left all alone..." Elizabeth reaches out to the boy.

"I would still protect the kingdom and all its people from the Holy Knights." Elizabeth wraps her arms around the boy. "Oh, Lady!" He cries, wrapping his arms around her. "Elizabeth, no!" Hawk whispers. With a swing of her whip, the bugs disperse, and Hawk screeches. Elizabeth sighs and falls to her hands and knees. "Are you okay?" Seraphina asks. "I'm fine." Elizabeth replies. "You're okay? You're not hurt, are you?" She asks the boy. "So, you would risk your life to save a poor boy like this one?" The boy asks. "That's quite commendable of you." He says and the bell dings again. "However..." The boy turns into a Holy Knight. Images of the Knight hitting Elizabeth in various ways flash through Seraphina's mind. "Oh, no." She gasps. "Reality can be rather cruel." The Knight tells her. "That Holy Knight was the boy? We're the victims of illusions?" Hawk asks, rubbing his eye with his ear. "Come to me, Divine Scythe." Seraphina mumbles. "What are you mumbling about?" The female Knight asks her. "Come to me." Seraphina holds her hand up. "Seraphina?" Hawk looks at the girl confused.

"Divine Scythe Solar!" She says a little louder. "What?" The female knight looks at her confused. "Come to me, Divine Scythe Solar!" Seraphina shouts. "Are you going crazy? I'll finish you off now!" The female knight says, when Seraphina's scythe flies into her hand. "Aerokinetic Swirl!" Seraphina shouts, swiping her scythe in the female knight's direction, trapping her inside a cyclone infused with luminous particles. "Wow!" Hawk beams. "Freisia!" The male knight calls hearing the female knight's screams. In an instant Seraphina appears in front of him, the wind blowing through her hair. "Lady Seraphina?" Elizabeth looks at the girl with wide eyes. "Zephyr Blade!" Seraphina shouts, infusing her scythe with wind and going to attack Ruin but he dodges causing the trees behind him to get cut clean through, leaving everyone stunned. Seraphina spins her scythe, infusing it with unknown magic, and goes to attack Ruin again but he blocks it with his staff. Unfortunately for him, the power from the scythe causes his staff to break, and the spell the Sins are broken. "What the? Waitress?" Diane looks at Seraphina in amazement at her power and the girl gets distracted for a second.

"You stupid bitch!" Ruin uses a piece of his staff to knock Seraphina's scythe out of her hand and he kicks her to the ground. "I'll make you pay for this!" He yells, going in to punch the girl but someone stops him. Ruin looks back and sees Meliodas holding his arm. "Not a chance, you're the one who's going to pay now." Meliodas tells him. "The spell's been broken?" Ruin asks, breaking away from Meliodas' grip and leaping back. "Meliodas? Is it actually you?" Seraphina asks, staring up at the blonde. "It is. You did amazing out there." Meliodas cups her cheek and holds her hand. "Are you ignoring me?" Ruin asks. Meliodas places a kiss on the back of Seraphina's hand and looks at Elizabeth, who is lying unconscious behind her. "Keep her safe." Meliodas tells Seraphina only for Ruin to hit him with the broken staff and follow after him. Ruin slams hit staff against Meliodas' head creating a crater around them. "Meliodas!" Hawk calls. "Pathetic. The kingdom actually felt threatened by this insignificant child?" Ruin asks, lifting Meliodas by the face.

Meliodas opens his eyes, scaring Ruin and he punches the knight all the way to Baste Prison. Hawk screams as the land beside him split and dirt rose. The vortex containing Freisia finally releases the knight who held her head, now dizzy. "To think a child could deal such damage to a Holy Knight." She says. She hears footsteps behind her making her gasp and looks back at Diane who is cracking her knuckles, glaring down at her. "Elizabeth." Seraphina looks back at the girl and crawls over to her. The ground rumbles, making Seraphina look back at Diane who squashed Freisia beneath her foot. Diane dusted off her hands and turned to the girls. "Elizabeth, forgive me for not helping sooner." Seraphina whispers, cradling the girl closer to her. "She's pretty messed up. We've got to get her back to town." Diane informs them, walking over. "Hold on. Would you please... I want you to take me along with you. I wanna be there with you, Lady Seraphina, Sir Meliodas, and Sir Ban." Elizabeth tells the giant. "You can't do that. Not like this." Hawk tells her. "You know, I made a promise... that I would never stop fighting to protect the kingdom and its people." Elizabeth shares in a weak voice.

"That can't happen now, sorry to say." Diane says. "Why not, Lady Diane?" Elizabeth asks. "It's Baste Prison, and the enemy is lined up there waiting for us now. You won't be able to do anything in the shape you're in." Diane shares. "I suppose not. I admit I don't have any great power. I can't go sword to sword with a Holy Knight or handle myself well in a battle like Seraphina can. I know... but even so, I've made up my mind to at least be there for Sir Meliodas and you all. Because I must keep my promise." Elizabeth says. "You're not gonna cry?" Diane asks. "No." Elizabeth replies. "Then I think my backpack is the best idea. But it'll be bumpy." Diane informs her, taking off her bag and opening it. "And it might affect your injuries in a bad way. You sure about this?" She checks again with the princess. "I am, Lady Diane. Yes!" Elizabeth replies. "Huh?" Hawk looks back at the man, who tries sneaking away. "Hey, you!" He calls and runs in front of him.

 "You're a soldier from Baste Prison, right?" He asks. "Uh, no, that Holy Knight forced me to come here." The man replies. "But you know where they're holding the Sin and the doctor's daughter. You better tell me before I have to get rough!" Hawk warns him. "No, wait! Those Holy Knights mean business. If I tell you what you want, you have no idea what they could..." The man's cut off by Diane's footsteps behind him. He looks back to see the giant holding the beat-up female knight in one hand and Seraphina in the other. "Here's a question for you... Would you rather have this done to you by the hands of the Holy Knights, or by us?" Diane asks, in a sickly sweet tone with a smile on her face. Seraphina holds her hand out and her scythe flies into her hand as she smiles at the man also. The man looks at them, scared, holding his hat.