The Demon Prince

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑

The only reason my knees never collided with the ground was because Zeldris stopped me, supporting me until I could find the strength to stand up myself. I had always claimed that I did not have any prejudices, but I had believed this Demon had taken my life. Just because he was supposed to be my enemy, despite seeing his hand reach out to me. But why? Seeing his memories, feeling exactly how he felt, it only made me more confused. Why had the merciless Executioner, the one they claimed was even more heartless than Meliodas, had felt so strongly seeing me die? He had no reason to feel that way, he didn't even know me. Why hadn't Victor told me that it was Zeldris that gave him the order - no, begged him to save me. It wasn't until today that I had spoken with the youngest son of the Demon King, yet I felt like he had just shown me the darkest parts of his soul. All of these things were more shocking then finding out Nerobasta was the one that killed me. She and I had never been friends. I had everything she wanted, she had been jealous. I had seen her for the snake she was a long time ago, and one day she would get what was coming to her. Even with me out of the picture, Ludociel wouldn't want her. Nerobasta was . . . Too easy. He wanted someone he had to conquer. Nerobasta would never be more than his mistress, available whenever he needed a quick fuck. Even I, Ludociel's previous lover, knew what happened between the two of them behind closed doors.

The sound of iron clanging together as Zeldris strapped on his armour again. ❛ Why did you feel that way? How - why did you safe me? Did you know I was going to turn into a Vampire, did you just not care about what I wanted? ❜ He sighed deeply, turning away from me before he answered: ❛ Seeing you out there - part of you reminded me of myself. As I do, you follow orders blindly without thinking of the consequences. Despite having so much natural battle skills, you are cast in the shadows of other Goddesses. Just as I stood in Meliodas' shadow for such a long time. You and I, we're two sides of the same coin. You a Goddess, I a Demon. I just - I couldn't stand the idea of your potential going to waste. Not before you had the time to shine. And I never intended for you to become a Vampire. Victor was supposed to heal your wounds, another Goddess could try to heal your wings. Until you, the effects of Vampire blood were never tested on a Goddess. Maybe it is only natural for a Goddess to immediately become a Vampire, maybe it affects the Grace you were blessed with. I'm sorry that things turned out this way. ❜ He turned to face me again, sorrows clouding his green eyes. I didn't know what to say, everything I had been holding on to this past days . . . Everything had just slipped away from me.

❛ I can offer you the revenge you crave. ❜ His words came as a surprise to me, but as he uttered them I could see his eyes lightening up again. Revenge . . . It had been the one feeling that kept me from falling apart, mourning the life I lost. It gave me a purpose. ❛ I'm listening. ❜ ❛ There are only seven of the Commandments that are alive, the rest have been killed by the Goddess Clan and Meliodas. Now, I need to take away the Commandment of Selflessness from Gowther. He is a fugitive that escaped prison, ignoring the orders of the Demon King. With Gloxinia and Drole joining our ranks, there is only one more available spot. If you want, the Commandment of Selflessness is yours. If you accept my offer, I will help you kill Nerobasta, and everyone that wronged you. ❜ My gaze wandered to Drole, still lying unconscious on the ground. From time to time his eyes twitched, as if he was still experiencing a great amount of pain. Drole and Gloxinia had accepted the offer . . . Of course they did, where one went, the other followed. Both of them were the last I'd expect to join the Demon Race. Whatever happened to Gloxinia, it must have made him temporarily insane. And Drole . . . I knew that Drole would follow Gloxinia to the end of the world, they had been by each other's side for so long. Even if he hadn't known about Gloxinia, I understood his decision. It had been his wish to die fighting for what he believed in, the one thing the Giant Race took pride in. With Zeldris sealing away his powers, there was no honour in dying. His death would've been in vain. If he took Zeldris' offer, he would get a second chance. The same one as I was offered right now.

Only days ago, I would have turned down this offer in an instant. I wanted freedom, away from the Holy War. A life made of my own. But revenge was tucking at my soul. To be completely free from the Holy War, the Holy War had to end. With Ludociel's demise, that end was almost in sight. After all, it was he that fueled the others with hatred against the Demon Race. If someone like Elizabeth were to take his place, if Meliodas would take up his old place to become the Demon King; all races could live in peace. I knew all of us were craving this.

❛ I need to think about this, Zeldris. I can't just say yes - or no, without thinking this through. ❜ His eyes flickered back to the onyx colour, the Demon Mark appearing above his eye once again. ❛ Fine. I understand. I need to find Gowther anyway, otherwise there will be no Commandment to give. Meet me here by midnight, if you're not here the Commandment will go to someone else. ❜ He turned away from me again, taking a few steps before stopping in his tracks. ❛ Illyria, I hope you take the Commandment. I would hate for us to be enemies again. ❜ I closed the distance between the two of us again, not hesitating when I took his hand into my own, forcing him to look me in the eye. ❛ We stopped being enemies the moment you decided to save my life, even if I did not realize it until today. ❜ A soft smile appeared on the Demons face, squeezing my hand lightly. ❛ Right. Well, if that is so, even if you refuse, we will not be enemies. ❜ Those were the last words he spoke to me before he disappeared into thin air, leaving me alone with the unconscious body of Drole.

My encounter with Zeldris had gone nothing like I had been imagining for the last couple of days. The Demon himself hadn't been like I had expected, or what the rumours had said about him. Before our first encounter on the battlefield, I had been told that he was merciless, a cold-hearted killer. That he was the most loyal servant to the Demon King, hoping to be his successor now that Meliodas was out of the way. Those things couldn't be true - not when he saved my life. If Nerobasta hadn't blasted him in the face with one of her Arcs, he would've saved me. I would still be a Goddess. He could've even killed Drole but offered him a Commandment instead. Yes, Drole would spend the rest of his life as a Demon. But he would still be alive, with Gloxinia by his side.

I jumped on top of the Giant's chest, made my way to his face and tapped against his cheeks gently. ❛ Drole, Drole wake up. It's Illyria. ❜ It took 20 more minutes before the sapphire-coloured Giant opened his eyes, revealing the same onyx colour as Zeldris' eyes had been. ❛ Illyria, what are you doing here? ❜ His voice was sharp as steel, lacking any of the kindness he had spoken with before. ❛ You were dead . . . Ludociel said that you were dead . . . ❜ He paused, until he burst out laughing, shaking his head wildly. ❛ It was all a lie, wasn't it. He lied because he knew we would blame grief for his actions. God, that bastard needs to be taken down. ❜ The way he talked about death so casually, the transformation had also changed his personality. This was no longer the gentle, loving Drole I once knew. No, this was Drole of the Ten Commandments. I flew up until our eyes met, the amused expression immediately fading away from his features. ❛ So, you're a vampire. I see. How did this happen? ❜ I hesitated. Everything Zeldris had just told me felt quite confidential. Especially if I remember the way he felt. Now that Drole was part of the Ten Commandments, he could use this information against his leader in the future. ❛ How it happened doesn't matter. I wanted to talk with you. Zeldris made me the same offer as he did with you. He offered me the Commandment of Selflessness. Why did you say yes, Drole? ❜ The former Giant King pushed himself from the ground, towering above me as he usual did. I soared higher into the sky, until we were once again on the same level. ❛ We Giants take pride in our combat skills. Dying an honorable death is what we desire. If I could've managed to land at least one blow to Zeldris after he had me pinned down, I would've gladly faced death. But not like this. Coming face to face with the Executioner made me realize that I still have so much left to live for. Just like you, I have been a pawn in this Holy War my entire life. I want to survive this. ❜ I nodded my head. These were all reasons I could relate too, none of us had lived a day for themselves. Since the day we started walking, we were trained in combat. ❛ What about our friends? ❜ For the first time now, his eyes showed signs of sadness. ❛ Gloxinia joined the Ten Commandments as well. I could feel his rage from the other side of the Forest. His power changed, not even an hour later Zeldris was making me this offer. Deep down I knew Gloxinia made the same decision. ❜ ❛ And Meliodas and Elizabeth? ❜ Those were the two people closest to me, the ones I would die for. There was not a scenario that I could think of where I would fight against them, where they would fight against me. ❛ The other Commandments, everyone else in the Demon Race has a grudge against them. Taking them down will never be my burden, just as it will never be yours Illyria. I hope you accept the Commandment of Selflessness, it would be nice to see another friendly face. ❜ A sigh escaped my lips, but I nodded my head. ❛ Whatever I decide, we are both members of the Demon Race now. We will never be enemies. ❜ Drole chuckled softly, offering his giant hand to me. ❛ It would be nice to have you by our side. But if you decline his offer, it was a pleasure to fight side by side with you. ❜ It had been only three days, but it felt like a lifetime ago. I bowed my head at him, placing a kiss on his hand. ❛ We had a good time Drole, my comrade in arms. May we meet again soon. ❜

The time crept by painfully slow for the rest of the day. After using so much of my strength, I found several forest animals to feed on. So much had happened that I hadn't even realized just how hungry I had been. After feeding, making sure that no red residue was still on my lips, I went to search for Elizabeth and Meliodas. Though they had accepted my new nature as a Vampire, I didn't want to remind them what my main diet was right now. I flew to the edge of the Fairy King's Forest, the place where the Demon army had gathered only a few hours ago. There were signs of a fight, some of the hair I found on the grass belonged to Meliodas. The white strands belonged to Elizabeth . . . They were nowhere to be found. I had to find Elizabeth, somehow. She was the only person that could convince me not to accept Zeldris' offer. By dawn, I had given up my search for the couple. Everything seemed to have . . . Calmed down. An eerie feeling crept over me. Whatever all of this meant, it would not be good. By now, I had made up my mind. In just a few hours I would be one of the Ten Commandments. I just wished that I would have been able to say goodbye to Elizabeth. I knew she wouldn't agree with what I was doing. If the roles were reversed, I would do anything in my power to stop her. But this was my choice, the first choice I made because I wanted to. Every now and then, I was reminded of Zeldris and how he had tried to save me. How he had promised to help me seek vengeance. I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Zeldris and I luring Nerobasta too her death, finally wiping that satisfied smirk from her lips.

By the time midnight arrived, I was eager to accept the Commandment. Hours passed, but Zeldris never showed up. It wasn't until sunrise that I started to worry about what could've happened to the raven-haired Demon. He didn't seem like one to change his mind, he had been so determined to give me the Commandment. Maybe he hadn't found Gowther yet, in that case there wouldn't be a Commandment to give yet. Wherever he was, I was sure that he would come to me. And if he didn't come, I would find him. With each passing minute, my eyes felt heavier. I had been awake for almost 24 hours now. I needed a place to find shelter, I needed to sleep. Just a few hours, and then I would find him. Save him from whatever trouble he had encountered.

I finally found a safe place to nestle against, a place where the sun would not be able to touch me. I may have more control over my powers now, but I had no idea if I was strong enough to control it when I was asleep. My eyes closed, and immediately I fell fast asleep. It didn't take long for Zeldris to show up in my dreams, his eyes emerald, green just as before.

❛ I'm sorry that I never made it to our meeting. The truth is you won't see me for a long time. When you wake up, the Holy War will have ended. You can finally have everything you want, a life on your own. ❜ He softly ran his fingers through my brown hair, his expression softer than I had ever seen before. ❛ There will come a time that we, the Ten Commandments are free again. I hope you will still be alive. It was a pleasure to spend this short amount of time with you, Illyria. I hope you find everything that your heart desires. ❜ He kissed the top of my head, before standing up straight and walking away, never looking back at me.

When I opened my eyes again, orange and pink hues coloured the sky, sunset. I jumped on my feet quickly, glancing around. Why couldn't I sense anyone? Not Meliodas, not Elizabeth or Zeldris - not even Ludociel. Where could they all be? I thought back of my dream; When you wake up, the Holy War will have ended. That just couldn't be true, it must have been a dream. The truth is you won't see me for a long time. No, I had to find out what happened. Surely, he couldn't be gone. I soared up into the sky, looking for any sign of a presence nearby. ❛ ELIZABETH! ❜ I yelled out her name from the top of my lungs, I kept repeating it. No one answered, I felt as if I was sucked into a whole different reality. I wasn't even sure where I was going until I saw the Stigma towers rise above me, but even here, there was not a soul to be found. I ran in, even the door to Ludociel's forbidden quarters where left open. I fell to my knees when I saw the fragments shattered across the floor. The Coffin of Eternal Darkness. So, it was true then, the Goddesses had sacrificed themselves in order to seal up the Demon Race. But that still didn't explain where Elizabeth was, she would never have been part of this ritual.

There was still hope - she couldn't be far away; her and Meliodas were probably still hiding somewhere. I stood on top of the stairs, yelling out her name once again. This time, I felt a presence spark up in the Forest. I flew there as fast as I could; she was save, her and Meliodas.

The closer I got, the more I realized I only felt Meliodas. It wasn't until I finally landed on the floor that I understood why; he was holding the lifeless body of Elizabeth in his arms. ❛ No, Meliodas, no. This can't be happening. ❜ I kneeled down beside him, taking Elizabeth's hand into my own. The tears were streaming down his face, the dark energy of the Demon Race pulsing from him. ❛ The Goddesses, they sacrificed themselves in order to seal away the Demon Race. The Holy War is over. We were - we were trying to stop them, but the Demon King and Supreme Deity appeared before us. ❜ He kept rambling on, I think more to himself than to me. While he was distracted, I pried Elizabeth's body from his arms, placing her on the ground. ❛ We fought them, and for a moment we thought we would win but . . . They were just too strong. I woke up hours ago but Elizabeth she - she never woke up, and I don't think she will ever wake up. ❜ Heavy rain fell on the two of us as we sat there in silence, staring at Elizabeth. The Holy War was over, this was supposed to be a day to celebrate. But how could we celebrate, how could we even be happy again, if Elizabeth was taken away from us. I had no words to comfort him, instead I just pulled him into an embrace. I don't know how long we sat there, both crying, the rain pouring over us. Along with Elizabeth, a part of me had died as well.