I Will Eventually Embark On The Path Of No Return Called A Hero

[Arc5] - 25. [Seven Deadly Sins] Attack the Royal Capital

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Apart from Merlin, who was absent, and Escanor, who barely made his presence felt, the only one who hadn't introduced his magic yet was Cyd. Including Meliodas, everyone was looking at him, their eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"Vice-Captain, it's your turn now, don't be shy," Ban urged playfully. Although he seemed the most eager, his curiosity was actually the smallest, as he had already fought Cyd before. Anyone who could block an attack combining both his and Meliodas' strength must possess magic that was simple but overwhelmingly powerful.

"Cyd's magic should be similar to Escanor's—power that charges up. While his strength might not peak as high as Escanor's, it lasts until the sun sets," Meliodas speculated, unusually serious.

"Huh? So that means the Vice-Captain is weak right now, just like Escanor, huh?" Ban grinned mischievously, raising his massive fist toward the back of Cyd's head. "Just one punch, Vice-Captain, let me defeat you this time!"

Bam!

Ban was slammed into the ground, his legs twitching.

"Sorry, but I also power up when the moon rises. Though it's not continuous like during the day, it's a fixed level of enhancement," Cyd said, blowing on his smoking fist as he glanced at Ban, who was struggling to pull himself out of the ground. "So you might as well give up on trying to beat me."

"That's just unfair," Ban grumbled as he finally managed to pull himself free, smiling in a way that made it clear he hadn't learned his lesson.

"So, the Vice-Captain's magic gives him different levels of enhancement during the day and night, and his body is ridiculously durable too, right?"

"Wait, isn't Mr. Cyd immortal?" Escanor, who had been nearly invisible the whole time, suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. Feeling the weight of their stares, he stammered, "Because when Mr. Cyd brought me back, I nearly cut him in half during the day, but he healed instantly."

"What did you say? You almost killed the Vice-Captain!?" Ban grabbed Escanor by the collar, his scarlet eyes flaring with anger. He was especially sensitive, having already experienced loss.

"Well, it's just…" Escanor, completely intimidated by Ban's wrath, instinctively looked toward Cyd for help.

"Alright, Ban, I'm really immortal," Cyd stepped forward and separated the two, placing his arms around their shoulders. In a calm, gentle voice, he explained, "I was blessed by a kind god, so death is no longer something that concerns me. In fact, because I'm so strong, I almost forget that I'm immortal. Escanor just reminded me."

"Geez, Vice-Captain, take care of your life a little better," Ban muttered under his breath, feeling somewhat awkward, "Don't forget, you have someone to reclaim as well."

"I know, I know. But I'm not bragging when I say my body is truly indestructible." Cyd released Escanor and Ban, casually grabbing a knight's sword and tapping it against his arm. The sword's edge chipped, but Cyd's skin didn't even have a scratch.

"So, the Vice-Captain is the strongest among us, right?" Diane asked curiously, raising her hand like a child. King, who had been about to say something, swallowed his words, remembering that Cyd had overpowered daytime Escanor and brought him back. His whole body seemed to deflate.

"Well, I certainly can't beat noon Escanor," Ban took a swig of alcohol and pointed his thumb at himself, "So I guess that makes me the second strongest here."

"Huh?" Meliodas set down his drink and walked up to Ban, his youthful face dead serious. "I'm clearly the second strongest."

"Oh? The Captain may be small, but you've got a big temper," Ban leaned down, his face close to Meliodas, eyes narrowing dangerously, "Wanna test it?"

Cyd tensed up immediately, remembering how Meliodas once split a mountain with a punch, and how Ban, after draining Meliodas' strength, had destroyed a prison with a gust of wind.

This was the royal capital! If these two started fighting, the damage would be catastrophic!

"How about arm wrestling?" Meliodas challenged, motioning for Ban to step up.

Cyd relaxed a little. Arm wrestling wouldn't cause too much destruction, right?

When Meliodas and Ban got into position on the ground, Cyd still felt it was fine, even shouting out to start the match. Then...

Boom!

The earth began to shake, and cracks spread from where the two were, the ground sinking with each movement of their arms, as if struck by heavy hammers.

"Captain, is that all you've got?" Ban taunted.

"Hehe, Ban, I haven't even started yet," Meliodas grinned.

"Wow, watching boys fight is so cool!" Diane cheered them on like a fan admiring her rebellious seniors.

After five seconds of stunned silence, Cyd rushed toward them, shouting in frustration, "What the hell do you think you two are doing!?"

"Isn't it obvious, Vice-Captain?" Ban's smiling face was at odds with the veins bulging on his arm, as he gripped with a strength capable of crushing steel.

"Cyd, I know what you're worried about. So as the Captain..." Meliodas' eyes sharpened, and with a powerful elbow, he pushed Ban's hand down with unstoppable force.

"I'll defeat Ban now!"

"Ahhhhh! I haven't lost yet!" Ban roared like a typical hot-blooded protagonist, but it was no use. His arm was being slowly overpowered.

"I won't fall here for nothing!"

"Your speech may sound epic, but you two idiots are causing a huge mess for the kingdom!"

The situation had spiraled out of control. Their arm wrestling was wreaking havoc, as if dozens of dinosaurs were dancing in one spot. If the [Seven Deadly Sins] hadn't been situated in a corner of the capital, nationwide panic would have ensued.

No, it already had.

"What should I do? I can't exactly say we captured dozens of dinosaurs and made them dance for fun to celebrate the formation of the [Seven Deadly Sins], can I?"

"Vice-Captain, that would definitely cause a panic. Leave it to me." Gowther, who had finally climbed out of his dirt pit, raised his hands. His magic, [Invasion], spread in waves. "Blackout."

Cyd didn't feel anything, but the capital certainly quieted down.

Feeling relieved, Cyd patted Gowther's armor. "Good job. What was that ability?"

"I made anyone below a certain power level lose consciousness."

"Oh…" Cyd nodded, then realized something was off. "Wait, didn't you just knock out every civilian in the capital?"

"From a process standpoint, yes, but my goal was to calm them down," Gowther answered seriously, "I brought peace to their panic. I didn't do anything wrong. And now it's bedtime—good children should be sleeping, according to books."

"What about the poor kids who fell asleep in the street? I could have covered up by saying we had dinosaurs dancing, but now it looks like we've attacked the capital!"

On the first day of the [Seven Deadly Sins'] formation, they not only wrecked the capital but also knocked out every citizen. These actions were enough to have Bartra throw them back into prison for rehabilitation.

"Don't worry, Vice-Captain, I can also brainwash them." Gowther raised his hand again, looking all too willing to help, despite his seven-meter-tall armored body not looking particularly innocent.

"But the precision for brainwashing is higher, so I'd have to do it one by one. Some of the stronger Holy Knights are still conscious, so we'd need to defeat them first to erase the evidence."

"We are not a criminal organization! We just became the Holy Knights protecting the capital today!"

Cyd rubbed his temples, staring at the destruction.

"Ha! Ban, you're about to lose!"

"Damn it, Captain, I won't let you win so easily!"

Those two were still lost in their heated arm-wrestling match, oblivious to everything else.

"Vice-Captain, let's go brainwash them one by one."

And Gowther was still offering terrible suggestions.

Cyd sighed deeply, feeling utterly defeated. "Fine, let's do this."

"You've decided to help me with the brainwashing?" Gowther asked, hopeful.

"No." Cyd dragged his massive [Reforged Pandora] sword over to where Meliodas and Ban were.

"Huh?" Meliodas and Ban looked up at him in confusion, but they didn't see his face—only a massive shadow looming over them.

"Bam! Bam!"

"I've decided to take the culprits to apologize to His Majesty."

Cyd, hefting his heavy sword, marched toward Gowther, leaving Meliodas and Ban's legs sticking out of the ground behind him.

"You're next, Gowther! If you keep trying to cover for them, I'm going to get a stomach ulcer from all this stress!"

Later, because the commotion was too loud, it attracted Merlin from the laboratory. This woman, who claimed to be the greatest magician on the continent of Britannia, resolved Cyd's troubles.

Mass hypnosis and restoration of the land, and then the [Seven Deadly Sins] were solidly charged with the crime of attacking the royal capital.