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

[Arc5] - 29. Entrusted Wishes

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"I am now a fish, with only a three-second memory. I must quickly forget what just happened, or I'll end up as a fish pie."

Zaratras tried to hypnotize himself into becoming a fish to forget Meliodas' explosive revelations, but it didn't work. Meliodas kept on dropping bombshells, each sentence hitting Zaratras' fragile heart like a missile.

A thousand years ago, the Demon King's eldest son led the Ten Commandments and then betrayed them for a goddess, leading both of them to be cursed.

It's such a cliché, yet effective story. At least, Diana, who had been uneasy earlier, now seemed determined to help Meliodas no matter what he planned. Haven't you all heard Meliodas say that the Ten Commandments are far stronger than you?

And then Meliodas said he wanted to kill his father, the Demon King.

The leap from one point to the next was huge—like going from a street brawl to intergalactic warfare in an instant!

"I want to defeat the Ten Commandments, seize their commandments, and use that power to break the curse."

Anyone would question Meliodas' true motive in this situation since he had once betrayed his own race. But when everyone heard the curse he spoke of, they all fell silent.

"A person who dies loses part of their emotions and is reborn."

"If she regains her memories, she will die in front of Meliodas within three days."

It was the most vicious curse placed on two people who deeply loved each other.

One could never die, but each time he did, he lost the ability to love that person.

The other could never remember the one who loved her deeply. Even if she did, she would die within three days of doing so.

Endless reincarnations, endless separations—there might be no greater torture in this world.

Meliodas smiled calmly, not because he was numb, but because he could see the dawn of the end of this cycle.

No one could doubt him seeing that expression. Cyd didn't even use his blessing to guarantee it. It was better to trust one's judgment at such moments.

Even Ban hesitated about the looming Holy War that could engulf the world, let alone Diana and King. Escanor, however, remained indifferent.

Meliodas asked everyone to take their time to digest his words. Though he held veto power as Captain, he said it jokingly. If most of them chose to avoid the Holy War, he would agree. After all, the one he loved would not want him to break the curse in such a way.

Sitting alone by the campfire, drinking, no one knew whether Meliodas was savoring the wine or the loneliness no one could understand.

Smack! Cyd suddenly slapped the back of Meliodas' head.

"For a kid, you sure have a lot on your mind."

"Sigh… Cyd, didn't you hear what I just said? I'm a Demon Clan member who was active two thousand years ago, not a kid," Meliodas sighed helplessly, complaining to Cyd, who was ruffling his hair.

"Don't be fooled by my kind appearance. Two thousand years ago, I was known as the fiercest demon."

"Is two thousand years a long time? I fought with a guy to the end of his immortality. In my eyes, you and I are barely the same age."

"Oh~ a battle that would even exhaust an immortal body? Seems like you and your enemy must have hated each other deeply," Meliodas chuckled as he poured Cyd a drink.

"Not really. That was actually the first time we met. He wanted to overthrow the world, while I just wanted to live peacefully, so I took him down." Cyd tilted his head in thought and added, "Yeah, I guess it was a pretty even match. Looking back, I was really fearless to jump in like that."

"What an unlucky guy." Meliodas stared into the fire, falling silent for a long time before speaking again. "Cyd, I want to ask you for a favor."

"Let me guess—it has something to do with what you didn't finish saying, right?" Cyd sighed, placing his glass on the ground and crossing his arms, waiting for Meliodas to continue.

"Every time I'm reborn, I lose a part of my emotions. Bit by bit, I'm turning back into the fiercest demon I once was. When that happens, I'll probably lose all my love for her. But to break the curse, I have to become that demon again."

"Huh? What a cliché development, Captain." A hand reached out from behind and took Meliodas' cup.

"Ban, you should be asleep by now," Meliodas turned around to see Ban standing behind them, shaking the cup with a blank expression.

"I'm not some obedient kid who goes to bed on time. All the good kids are already asleep," Ban downed the drink in one gulp before squeezing onto the already tight bench with the two of them, wrapping an arm around Meliodas' shoulder. "Captain, your story is too over-the-top. Protecting the woman you love by becoming unable to love her is just too cruel."

"Ban, if the Holy War starts, you won't have the energy to rescue your woman."

"Well, I'm immortal, so I've got time. Plus, I don't want to live in a world where people are terrified because of a prophecy."

Whether he was the thief Ban, the immortal Ban, or the Sin of Greed Ban, what he owned was always so little. Stealing from others never filled the void inside him because his most precious thing had already been taken. No matter how much he grabbed, that empty space could never be filled.

So, he would never again let go of what he could hold in his hands.

"I don't care who the Captain is. As long as the Captain is still the Captain, I will always be the Sin of Greed from the Seven Deadly Sins."

"Wow… I'm so moved," Meliodas said with a playful smile, showing no sign of being moved at all. "You're not just saying that because everyone's trying to save their woman, are you?"

"…Maybe a little," Ban turned his head awkwardly.

"Love-struck fool," Meliodas muttered before steering the conversation back. "But, I'm not just doing this to protect her. If turning back into the fiercest demon could protect her, I'd have done it long ago. Have you ever wondered where my lost emotions go?"

"To your father, the Demon King," Cyd said, stroking the crystal on his wrist.

"Exactly. Rather than calling them emotions, it's more accurate to describe them as fragments of my soul, though they're probably useless to the Demon King." Meliodas shrugged, showing no affection for his father.

"I will at some point revert to the fiercest demon and steal all the commandments. When my emotions try to escape from the Demon King, that's when I need your help, Cyd. My father, trapped in Purgatory, is eyeing my body. Once I collect all the commandments, he'll likely try to take over my body."

"Hey, Captain, isn't that really dangerous?" Ban furrowed his brow. "The Demon King sounds dangerous enough, but wouldn't the Vice-Captain be in danger too?"

"As long as my emotions escape from the Demon King, it'll be fine. Time in Purgatory flows quickly. Maybe a thousand years will pass in the blink of an eye." Meliodas spoke lightly, but the success rate of this plan was far from matching his casual tone.

Ban stared at the calm and collected Meliodas for a long time before scratching his head and sighing. "So, the Vice-Captain will handle the Demon King-controlled Captain, and I'll be responsible for finding the Captain's emotions, right?"

"Ban, are you serious?" Meliodas' expression turned serious as he spoke. "The winds of Purgatory are poisonous, the air burns like fire. It's a place where humans can't survive."

"Well, I'm immortal, aren't I?" Ban replied, smiling casually as he leaned back on the bench and stretched lazily. "If I can't find a way to revive Elaine in this world, I might as well go to Purgatory and search."

"Then I'll leave it to you, Ban."

"At least try to talk me out of it. Even if I can't die, it'll hurt a lot."

"You'll get used to it."

Watching Meliodas and Ban, who had begun their usual playful banter, Cyd smiled helplessly.

"You two, have you considered how I'll have to fight Demon King Meliodas? I'm not exactly confident about that."

Cyd wasn't joking. He truly wasn't confident. Even with his blessing reaching divine levels, he still felt unsure. The Demon King could very well be as powerful as Escanor at noon. If it came to that…

"Don't worry, Cyd. The Seven Deadly Sins has eight members, after all."

Meliodas raised his fist and lightly tapped Cyd on the chest.

"Aren't we companions?"

That's true… It seemed he no longer had to move forward alone. How embarrassing, he was actually a bit nervous.

Cyd touched the corner of his mouth. Maybe he wouldn't achieve the same great feats that people once sang about, but he smiled with ease, because now, even if he got hurt or failed, there would be someone to support him.

"Hmph~ Meliodas, if you stop smiling like that, I might have to pinch your face and punch you hard."

"Well, make sure to go easy on me when the time comes."