flicker ★彡 arthur pendragon

𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙮-𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧

arthur awoke first, taking a minute to observe his surroundings. he wasn't too surprised to see everyone else in the same paralyzed state that he had been moments ago.

upon seeing mira in the same state behind him, he felt his chest tighten as he remembered the nightmare he lived through. he looked back up front, where cath sat watching, a sick grin on his face.

ahead of him, meliodas woke with a gasp.

"that's a surprise," mused cath, his grin growing. meliodas panted as he continued, "i didn't think you'd make it back."

meliodas glanced over his shoulder, looking back at the others still paralyzed with their dreams. "elizabeth! everyone!!"

he turned back to cath, his glare sharp. "what i experienced just now... was that a hallucination? or reality?"

"neither," arthur spoke up. "it's an as of yet uncertain future. like one more take on the world."

meliodas peered back at arthur is slight surprise.

"arthur, you're okay!"

"yeah. but not for long.." he responded, "we have to find some way to defeat him."

"it's futile. absolutely futile. i can't be killed." cath purred, "arthur will be eaten by me.. and then i will become fully unified with chaos..."

cath paused, his grin stretching farther across his face as his gaze met arthur's.

"...and swallow everything."

then, in an instant, everything came together.

"that's it... i've figured it out, cath." arthur gasped as cath sprung forward. "i know how to defeat you!!"

"that's funny, arthur! so you say you figured out how to defeat me?!" cath repeated in amusement. "if cutting me up won't kill me, then are you going to smash me into pieces? maybe burn me? melt me? crush me? try all of the above?! well, i'm going to eat you whole before you get the chance!"

around them, the floor began to swirl, picking up the others with it, meliodas grunting in surprise. the blond jumped back to protect elizabeth as cath grew in size, swallowing the floor before them.

"no." arthur retorted, "the one who's going to be eaten... is you!"

suddenly the tunnel forming around them switch sides. now, cath was being pulled in. teeth lodged in the walls of the tunnel, a long, slick tongue lashing out to try and grab whatever was closest. everyone flew up into the air as the tunnel attempted to swallow them. meliodas held onto elizabeth, arthur still rooted to the ground below them.

cath's eyes bulged in surprise. in that instant, everyone awoke with a gasp.

"what were we just...?!" king exclaimed.

"everyone okay?!" meliodas asked as they landed once more, falling hard to the ground.

diane screamed at the sight of cath. "what's going on here?!"

mira looked around in a frenzy before spotting arthur. "arthur! are you—"

suddenly, from the top of the tunnel, enormous teeth shot out from nothing, their path set on cath. the cat roared in retaliation, trying to send his own spikes of skin to push back the fangs. he cried out, but quicker than he could react, a tongue shot out and wrapped itself around cath.

"if i can't defeat you, then i'll absorb you!!" arthur yelled from his place before them. he pointed the glowing holy sword towards cath, his voice strong, "and while i'm at it, i'll take back all the chaos that you stole!!"