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

[Arc5] - 30. The Cruel World

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Cyd, Meliodas, and Ban spent the entire night outside drinking. The next morning, when Diane and King went out, they saw Ban passed out on the ground, snoring, while Cyd and Meliodas were still full of energy, brawling with each other.

To avoid disturbing everyone's sleep, Meliodas and Cyd didn't go all out. Under such conditions, Meliodas should have been easily beaten by Cyd, who had honed his strength through endless training at Pankration. But the two were evenly matched.

There was only one reason for this: Meliodas was too small. Despite having the physique of a child, he possessed ferocious strength and seasoned combat skills, making it difficult for Cyd to fight him comfortably.

"Did the Captain and Vice-Captain fight all night?"

"Pretty much. They started to clear their heads, and Ban was the first to go down." Cyd, his body steaming from the exertion, was the first to stop. After flipping Ban over with his foot, he sat down on a wooden stump and waved to Diane and King.

"Have you thought about what we discussed yesterday?"

"Hmm… I don't really understand such things, but if the Captain wants to save someone important to him, then I'll help him." Diane, who longed for "love," still had a somewhat immature personality aside from her massive size. She couldn't think too far ahead, and the complicated stakes were beyond her grasp, so she followed the emotions stirred by Meliodas' story and the overwhelming feeling in her heart.

"Captain, I'll do my best to help you!"

"But Diane, you're still too weak!"

"Wah! Captain, you idiot! You don't understand a girl's feelings!" Diane puffed out her cheeks, tears welling up in her eyes. She grabbed Meliodas and threw him to the ground, then raised her fists to start pounding him into a pancake.

"Was that intentional?" Cyd dragged Ban aside to keep him from being flattened as collateral damage.

"Vice-Captain, while I appreciate the Captain's honesty with us, I still can't agree with his plan," King said awkwardly. "I'm the Fairy King of the Fairy King's Forest. The Holy War will affect the forest, and as its king, I don't want to drag my people into the flames of war."

Ban, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes. Any mention of the fairies was enough to trigger his nerves. He opened his mouth, tempted to mock King, who called himself the Fairy King yet failed to protect anything. But after a moment of thought, he gave up and rolled over, preparing to go back to sleep.

After all, he hadn't protected Elaine. There was no need to vent this emotion on King. Whether it was reviving the Fairy King's Forest or bringing back Elaine, these were just his one-sided desires.

Besides, King didn't know anything yet.

"Haah, King, you misunderstood," said Meliodas, who was covered in injuries as he struggled to escape Diane's iron fists. Panting heavily, he continued, "I don't want to actively break the seal; I just want to be prepared for war before the seal is broken. My goal will be achieved after the Holy War begins."

"So, Meliodas, you think we can't avoid the Holy War?"

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice. There stood Bartra in plain clothes, with a slightly guilty-looking Zaratras behind him.

Noticing the gaze from Cyd and the others, Zaratras awkwardly scratched his cheek.

"Everyone... I hope you can understand the dilemma between duty and promises. After all, I'm still the Great Holy Knight of Liones. Even though you haven't done anything yet, I can't pretend I don't know anything."

Despite his imposing appearance, this Great Holy Knight was surprisingly fragile when it came to human relationships, at least compared to his brother, Dreyfus.

"I understand your predicament. The fact that Bartra only brought you shows he doesn't oppose our plan," Cyd said, pulling Ban to his feet. It would be rude to lie down while speaking to the king.

"Since your goal isn't to start the Holy War but because you believe it's unavoidable, and…" Bartra sat down across from Meliodas and Cyd, arms crossed, with a majestic air. "Elizabeth… she's the one in your story, isn't she?"

"Huh!" Everyone except Meliodas and Cyd gasped, and Ban nearly popped his eyes out.

"Wasn't the Captain just into young girls?"

"That's rude, Ban. Whether Elizabeth is a newborn baby or an elderly woman at the end of her life, I love her," Meliodas said proudly, raising his head. Only Cyd could see the bitterness on his face as he did so.

He had never seen her grow old.

"Elizabeth will eventually remember the memories of being with you, and when that happens, it'll be when she's about to die. How could I accept that!" Bartra said passionately.

For a father, the thought of his daughter being taken away was undoubtedly painful. But if the man in question had loved his daughter through countless lifetimes, it became more acceptable—even if calling him a man felt more appropriate for a child. And if his daughter remembered her past lives, she would surely be happy.

But now he was being told that his daughter would die within three days of attaining that happiness. What kind of joke was this?

"Meliodas, you're my friend, and Elizabeth is my daughter. I don't mind adjusting my views for the two of you," Bartra said, sitting quietly on the stump, his posture resembling a lion ready to pounce.

"Avoiding the Holy War may save the present, but it sacrifices the future. However, I won't choose between protecting my people and the happiness of my friends. I will do everything I can to stop the Holy War and then prepare for it!"

"…That's quite a selfish decision, but you're the king, after all," Meliodas said, surprised by Bartra's choice. Choosing both options had always been the most difficult path.

"Cyd, looks like we've got our work cut out for us."

"Clearing out the remnants of the Demon Clan's war weapons? Searching for traces of the Demon Clan? Or making the Seven Deadly Sins stronger?"

"All of the above," Meliodas said with a grin, resting his hands behind his head. "It's going to be a long fight."

"I've experienced battles that seemed eternal. This is nothing," Cyd said, turning to look at the assembled Seven Deadly Sins. Although they seemed immature now and there were no better words to describe them other than bizarre, he smiled wryly.

"Maybe this carefree group is exactly what I need."

"Well, everyone, it may be a bit early to say this, but I've waited long enough, so let me just say it."

Meliodas raised his right hand high, his childish face filled with fierce determination.

"The time has come to atone for our sins."