Last One Standing (On Hold)

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Meliodas pushes the princesses behind him. "Hendrickson." He says. "Hendrickson?" Howzer repeats, confused. "He seems different from before." Elizabeth points out. "It looks like he's got the demon blood in him, too." Meliodas states, glaring at the man. "What an incredible blessing. When one is truly compatible with Demon blood, it augments their strength and amplifies their magical powers. All that research and experimentation was worth it." Hendrickson claims. "Now hand over Elizabeth or Seraphina." He points at them. "Do so, and as one demon to another, I'll let you live."

"I'm not like you. See, you're not a human or a Demon. You're nothing but a fool." Meliodas insults him. "I can't say I wasn't expecting that." Hendrickson says with a smirk on his face. "Were you expecting this, too?" King asks, pointing multiple daggers at Hendrickson. "Naturally." Hendrickson replies. King is pushed away from the man. "Backup?" He wonders, but his eyes widen when he sees who did that. "But how? I just watched you die! Helbram!" In front of King was a bloodied fairy with a sword pointed at him.

"There's no use talking to him. He's been dead for quite a long time now. If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who killed him, right?" Hendrickson asks King while providing the group with new information. "What did... What did you do to my friend Helbram?" King asks the silver-haired man. "King, no!" Diane shouts, but she is still busy with the Demon. "I hear the bodies of fairies don't rot even after death. For nearly two hundred years, his corpse had been a veritable gold on the black market. One day, it fell into my possession, and I gave it temporary life. A forbidden technique of the Druids, Enslavement of the Dead." Hendrickson explains.

"But I'm sorry to say that one can only be revived twice. With each resurrection, the soul deteriorates further, and his functions greatly diminish." "No way. That's cruel. How could you?" King asks and lets out a mournful cry. Hendrickson smirks at this. "Come now, don't weep for him. What we have before us is the most glorious opportunity. A third occasion to kill your friend." He tells the fairy. Helbram flies at King and headbutts him. "It appears the show's about to begin." Hendrickson holds his arms out.

Howzer points his lance at Hendrickson. "Come on!" He shouts, but is elbowed by the man into a building. "Hendrickson!" Meliodas shouts as he and Gilthunder lunge at the man. Hendrickson smiles. "Nicely done, Vivian." The men look back to see the women being held by Vivian. "Meliodas!" "Sir Meliodas!" "Gilthunder!" All three women call out to the men. "Vivian! Curse you!" Gilthunder shouts at the mage. "You belong to me and me alone, sweet Gil. Have you any idea how my heart aches for you?" Vivian asks him.

Seraphina gasps and clutches her shirt when she feels her heart skip a beat. Her eyes widen when she looks up, only to see Meliodas being stabbed through the chest. Gilthunder falls over, slashed in the back. Hendrickson pulls his sword out of Meliodas' chest, leaving him to fall. "Gil!" Both Margaret and Vivian call to the fallen knight. "Meliodas! No!" Seraphina shouts. "Sir Meliodas, you can't be..." Elizabeth says quietly. "Why'd you attack him? That was never our plan." Vivian asks, releasing the women.

"Was it not? Now this man is entirely in your possession. Reduced to a corpse, he won't be able to run from you ever again." Hendrickson tells her. "But that's..." Tears stream down Vivian's face. "Now then," Hendrickson raises his hand, black fire blazing in his palm. "I'm gonna make certain both of you are finished off for good." Meliodas glares up at Hendrickson. "That's enough." Elizabeth's voice cuts through the area. "As you wish. I'll agree to go with you. And in return, don't harm them anymore." She tells Hendrickson.

"Elizabeth, no." Meliodas looks at her in disbelief. "Elizabeth! Wait! What are you doing?" Margaret calls to her sister, who is walking towards Hendrickson. "Come back here!" Seraphina shouts. "There's a good girl. Honestly, I was only planning to let Meliodas survive, but I'll throw in Gilthunder too." Hendrickson says, holding a hand out to her. "You can't. No. Please don't go. Elizabeth." Meliodas begs her. Elizabeth pauses beside him. "Sir Meliodas, Seraphina." She turns to look at them with a smile. "For once, let me protect you instead." Meliodas and Seraphina look at the girl with wide eyes.

"Shall we both take our leave then?" Hendrickson asks her. "Elizabeth. Please, wait!" Seraphina calls after her. "Seraphina. Sir Meliodas, that promise between us, please don't ever forget it." Elizabeth tells her with a smile. Seraphina stares at the younger princess with wide eyes. "I made up my mind to search for the Seven Deadly Sins with you and to stop the Holy Knights, even if either of you dies along the way, I'll make sure to keep the promise I made to you." Meliodas' voice rings through her head.

"No, but I made you a promise." Seraphina reminds her. "Elizabeth, please!" She calls after her, seeing Hendrickson form a wing made of darkness. "Elizabeth!" Both Meliodas and Seraphina shout, watching as she's taken away. "Seraphina." Meliodas looks back at the white-haired girl. "On it." Seraphina nods, taking off in a sprint to find Elizabeth. On the way, she passes Ban and Hawk. "Hi, Ban! Bye, Ban!" She waves as she runs past him. "Wait, Seraphina! Where are you going?" Hawk asks her, but she's already gone.

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Seraphina follows Hendrickson to a destroyed building. As she arrives, she witnesses a fight between Hendrickson and Dreyfus. Despite her confusion, Seraphina makes her way over to the princess. "Elizabeth." She grabs the princess' arm. Elizabeth is startled but calms down when she sees Seraphina. "Seraphina!" She gasps. "Come on, let's go." Seraphina yanks the princess away.

While the men were fighting, Dreyfus launched an attack at Hendrickson, which went past him. Seraphina spots the attack heading towards herself and Elizabeth, so she pushes the princess out of the way to prevent her from getting hit. "Seraphina?" Elizabeth stares into the dust, trying to find the girl. When the dust around them clears, she sees Seraphina standing. The white-haired girl touches her side before collapsing, barely clinging to consciousness.

After the attack had hit, Seraphina felt immense pain at her side, followed by hot liquid, and then she collapsed. "Seraphina!" Elizabeth rushes to her friend's side. "Seraphina, answer me!" Dreyfus stares at the scene in complete shock. He rushes over and presses a cloth to her side. "She's running out of time." "My, what a pity. I'd better take her away before that blood dries up, huh?" Hendrickson says from behind Dreyfus. "It's over, Hendrickson!" Dreyfus turns to his former friend and slashes him multiple times.

"Seraphina. Seraphina!" Elizabeth cradles the fallen girl. Above them, the two men were still in battle with Hendrickson, ultimately winning. Hawk had just arrived with Meliodas lying on his back. Hendrickson spots them and smiles. "Well, Meliodas. Just as I thought, my acid has no effect on the sinister power of Demons." Meliodas climbs off Hawk's back and spots the sizzling armor on the ground. "Dreyfus." His eyes trail up and widen when he sees Seraphina lying motionless on the floor.

"Sir Meliodas." Elizabeth runs over to him. "Seraphina!" Hawk shouts, spotting the girl as well. Meliodas wordlessly walks towards Hendrickson. The silver-haired man hums and does the same. "I was once born a sage of the forest, a Druid who worships nature and the Goddesses. A Druid who despised the Demons. From the moment I laid eyes upon you, I vaguely sensed it. There was an intense, ominous magical power writhing deep inside you. I admired that great power and feared it, but now, I have the same abilities that you have." Hendrickson shares.

In an instant, Meliodas was behind Hendrickson with Seraphina in his arms. Hendrickson turns to look at Meliodas, but the blonde is no longer behind him. "Seraphina, I'll end this fast. When it's all over, we can run the tavern again. Okay?" He tells her softly, not knowing whether or not she heard him. Meliodas walks over to the pig. "Hawk, can you take them with you?" "Right, I'll be as speedy and safe as possible." Hawk replies. Elizabeth climbs onto Hawk's back, and Meliodas hands Seraphina to her. "What are you planning?" Hendrickson asks. "Now get going." Meliodas tells him. Hawk yelps and runs away. That was the last thing Seraphina heard before slipping away.