Meliodas?

"Let's end this, Fraudrin. What do you say?" Meliodas asked, his voice becoming a low growl, but all the while retaining the smirk on his face.

Damn. I forgot how scary he could be sometimes.

"This time, I'll make sure to obliterate you from this world."

"Meliodas," Fraudrin said, and I saw beads of sweat begin to form on his face. "It seems your magical power is just like...like it used to be!"

Fraudrin roared, pulling his arm back and launching it at Meliodas. My brother, in turn, launched himself from the floor and straight at the arm that was headed his way.

He seared a hole through Fraudrin's arm with ease, and flew like a rocket in the air, changing course and heading for Fraudrin again. He tore through Fraudrin again and again and again at lightning speed, before landing hard on the ground again.

Everyone's mouth hung open, but I sat down and watched with amusement.

The holes he'd made in Fraudrin still steamed with heat. He coughed out blood.

"You-you bastard!" Fraudrin's Full Size transformation was undone and he returned to his normal size with a weak groan, dropping to his hands and knees.

"He just took down that Commandment like it was nothing!" Howzer yelled.

"Of course he did," Merlin said. "While Fraudrin's power level is 31,000, the captain's is double that. And now that he's in his Demon form, that number is even higher."

Meliodas shot a wicked glare behind him towards Fraudrin that sent exhilarating chills down my back. Not saying this was in any way good, but just seeing the power my brother possessed was the most exciting thing ever.

"Our hatred has been festering for 3,000 years! While you were wallowing in your sentimental dreams, we waited in the dark, opting for revenge against the Goddess race, against you and your sister," Fraudrin wheezed.

Meliodas walked to him casually. He tapped Fraudrin on the cheek.

"It was the same for me, honestly," he said.

Then he quite literally bitch-slapped Fraudrin so hard he flew to the side and fell with a crash.

He lay in a mangled heap on the ground, his strength sapped.

Meliodas walked over to him. "Easy, don't die yet."

My smile dropped. That definitely wasn't a Meliodas-like thing to say. He used to have this bad habit of 'playing with his food' - we both did - but that was so long ago. Why would he-

"Wait," Ban said. "That's not how the Captain usually does things."

If it was possible, Meliodas had an even eviller smirk on his face then.

What the hell had happened to him in Purgatory?

Fraudrin grunted, and got to his knees with great difficulty, then managed to stand. "I am a member of the Demon King's elite troops, the Ten Commandments. Fraudrin of Selflessness!"

Oh, please. I scoffed lightly despite myself.

"Actually, you never received a Commandment from the Demon King. You're nothing but a substitute," Meliodas said.

"Shut up, you traitor! I carry the pride of the Demon race. The very pride you have lost!" Fraudrin yelled. Then he crouched down and roared. "Zaratras truly opened up my eyes. I don't intend to die so easily."

Oh no. A black shape appeared in the center of his chest, and it shook rapidly. Red lightning, the one that formed when we Demons over exerted ourselves, started to spark from him. My guess is that it was a self-destruct button designed to end everyone here.

I wasn't worried about myself, or Ban, and I certainly wasn't worried about my brother, who still wore that evil smile on his face, and only scoffed at Fraudrin's threat.

It was everyone else who was the problem.

"I wonder just how long you'll keep that mocking smile," Fraudrin said confidently.

"What's he doing?" Howzer asked.

"It seems that Fraudrin has opted for self-destruction," Merlin said.

"Self-destruction?!" Howzer repeated.

A Perfect Cube formed around all of them, and it floated into the air.

I opted out, standing there and watching, now that I knew they were safe.

"Don't worry. As powerful as he is, he can't destroy a Perfect Cube," Merlin assured them.

"That's not what we're worried about," Howzer said.

"Naturally, neither can the captain, or Prelialduis."

Fraudrin laughed. "Even if I can't take you out, I'll still wipe this entire kingdom right off the map!"

Oh shit. The people we'd left at the castle. The other citizens.

"Soon the few humans who managed to survive in hiding will be annihilated, and their blood will be on your hands."

Meliodas didn't give a flying fuck, ironically. His smile had dropped, and he looked at Fraudrin with an irritated expression. 

"Would you just die already? I'm starting to get sleepy."

"Seriously?" I called to him in aggravation, but he didn't even bother turning, even though I know he heard me.

"Dreyfus, looks like we'll be together in the next world as well. It's a shame about your boy, though," Fraudrin said.

"He can't!" Griamore yelled, pushing away from his father and running towards Fraudrin.

He clung to the Demon's leg and created a Wall with his magical power.

"Oh no, Griamore!" I called, running over.

His father was already there, pounding frantically on the barrier. "You have to stop this! Release that spell now, Griamore!"

I couldn't do anything; I hadn't been invited to strike any offensive magic.

Meliodas stood there, looking slightly irritated at the detour.

"Are you going to just stand there, Meliodas? What the fuck is wrong with you, help us!" I screamed.

He glared at me, then turned back to Fraudrin, like this was all inconveniencing his perfectly planned murder.

"Let go of me! Release the spell, you brat!" he hissed down at the child.

Griamore shook his head fervently.

Then Fraudrin's eyes softened. "Please. Be a good boy."

Did he just show...feelings?

Dreyfus screamed in agony, terrified of losing his boy.

But he didn't have to worry, because Fraudrin placed his hand on Griamore's head comfortingly.

"I won't kill your father, or anyone else."

Griamore looked up at him with wide eyes. "Do you promise?"

"I promise. So take down this wall and go to him," Fraudrin said gently.

I stared at Fraudrin, my jaw dropped. Love made people do crazy things, huh? It got my brother and me out of the allegiance with the Demon race, and now it had affected Fraudrin.

I was sure that Meliodas would see it that way too, and garner some sympathy for him for breaking away just like we did.

Griamore's Wall disappeared and he jumped on his father, and they held each other in a tearful embrace.

I almost shed a tear myself.

Fraudrin walked over to Meliodas.

"Kill me," he said.

Meliodas looked at him blankly.

He wasn't going to do it. He wouldn't. He'd had his fun, and now that Fraudrin had surrendered, there was no need.

But then Meliodas smiled, and his fist shot up at lightning speed, coated in his dark miasma, and in a flash all that remained was Fraudrin's legs, as the rest of him disintegrated away into dust.

I was too shocked to speak. My mouth closed and opened, but no words came out. Who was this I was looking at? Had dying literally turned him back into the Meliodas we'd tried so desperately to escape from?

Screw the Demon King. He was the cause of this. I didn't even know whether to evacuate everyone before he decided to turn on them. Even I was scared now.

I watched him as all these thoughts swirled in my head, and he stood frozen, with a victorious smile on his face.

I noticed from the corner of my eye someone approaching. I turned, and saw Elizabeth standing there, a mix of shock and sadness on her face.