Hauser and Diane stood in the ring, staring each other down intensely. Hauser had an eerie smile on his face, like he was enjoying this a little too much. Diane looked serious. She just wanted to win and get this over with.

The Holy Knight she was facing looked to be contemplating something. He had said before that this was the first time in a while he had been able to get serious in a fight against someone- which doesn't sound great, but I'm sure Diane can handle him pretty easily.

"Move if you don't want to die," he said suddenly, before extending his arm towards the Serpent Sin. She barely had time to widen her eyes when a large whirlwind ejected from his palm and surged in her direction, flying toward her in a hypnotic spiral. "Whirl Shock!"

Diane shrieked as it hit her, most likely in shock, the crowd gasping and cheering. When the smoke cleared, Diane was standing there, her hair sticking out every which way and her cheeks puffed out. The entire lower half of Ellie's shirt had been demolished, and the skirt was half gone.

"That scared me..." she muttered, smoothing out her hair, seeming annoyed.

Hauser shoved him hands into the ground, grinning wildly. It seemed that he had lost all sense of reason- not a good thing for a Holy Knight to do, especially at a fighting festival where civilians could get injured. Winds started to whirl, and I could feel it strongly, even from the audience. I raised my hand to my face, protecting my eyes from my whirling hair and cloak, so that I could still see the battle.

"Super Cyclone!" Hauser shouted as the tornado- or cyclone, as more accurately said- formed fully. It encompassed the entirety of the ring, raising so far upward I couldn't see its end. Debris from Meli and Ban's fight was brought up, and I could barely make out Diane struggling to stay on the ground. I could hear Diane scream as she flew off the ground, and Hauser shouted victoriously. "It's my win!!"

"Heavy Metal!" Diane shouted, but her voice was somewhat quiet because of the roaring winds. Hauser looked at her in shock, but I couldn't make out his features exactly. Diane's now metallic body fell with incredible speed, easily resisting the winds of Hauser's attack. She slammed downward knees first, landing on Hauser's torso.

The cyclone instantaneously halted, all the winds ceasing. Diane stood, panting over Hauser's fallen form. He looked like he was in a lot of pain.

"WOW! HAUSER IS COMPLETELY DOWN! THE WINNER OF THE FIRST ROUND OF THE SEMI FINALS IS MATRONA!" The announcer shouted, after Diane immediately rushed to Hauser's side.

"Oh, my god, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" She asked, worried. "I lost my self control and got serious for a minute... god, I'm so stupid!"

They exchanged a few words I couldn't hear, and I had to reach forward to halt King. I held the hood of his clothes as he scrambled forward, face beet-red.

"DIANE! GET AWAY FROM HIM RIGHT NOW!" He shouted in anger, and I smacked him lightly upside the head. It still snapped to the side viciously.

"You're not supposed to say her name, jackass!" I hissed, seeing Diane stand up and retreated from Hauser's form. She turned around and said something quietly before rejoining our group again.

"Sorry, Elizabeth..." Diane muttered once reached us. "I totally ruined your clothes."

"Oh, no! It's fine!" Elizabeth's small form said. That's right- I had completely forgotten. Meli was holding onto her because she had shrank, just as Diane had. "Are you okay looking like that?"

"Me?" Diane asked, looking down at the clothes before waving her off. "It's fine."

I practically tackled Diane in a hug, grinning widely. "You're awesome!" I cheered, "I had almost forgotten how cool it is to watch you fight!"

"Oh! Thanks, (y/n)!" Diane smiled, causing me to grin wider in return. I looked to the ring, where the announcer had suddenly began talking again.

"NEXT UP, SEMI-FINALS: FIGHT TWO!! MELIODAZ VS CAIN!!!"

The blonde began vigorously stretching his arms, rolling them in circles and touching his hands behind his back repeatedly.

"Good luck, captain!" Diane smiled, now being the person holding Ellie.

"Thanks," he responded.

"Avenge me!" King added.

"Do it yourself," Meli snorted.

"You better not lose to a grandpa," I laughed.

"I've lost to you," He said finally, then hopped up onto the stage. I rolled my eyes, sticking my tongue out at him. The two faced each other, meeting so that they were about 10 feet away from each other in the middle.

The crowd began shouting, placing bets on who they thought would win. A man behind me spoke.

"Two gold coins the old man wins," he grinned, looking around. "Any takers."

I smiled, turning to face him. "Sure! I'll through in twenty that Meliodaz wins."

His eyes widened, his face riddled with shock momentarily, before his smug smirk returned. "Deal."

I turned back to face the fight, but it seemed that the two men were just exchanging words. The announcer looked around awkwardly, then shouted, "SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU TWO, BUT LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!!"

They talked for a few more moments, before the old man jumped up, hitting Meli with a barrage of kicks. The blonde quickly blocked all of them, not having very much trouble. After blocking a knee to the face, he knocked the old man backwards. He skid across the floor, stopping himself.

"The kingdom that you swore to protect... the people... the person important to you!" The old man announced, removing the olive green coat he was wearing. My eyes widened at the crest on the chest of his shirt. "I will not forgive someone like you, who betrayed everything he stood for!"

That crest.... no, it can't be.... everyone died.... the demon attack in Danafor killed nearly everyone....

The were murmurs and gasps from the crowd- everyone knew the story of Danafor. I don't doubt that it affected a few people here personally. But that crest was only worn by Holy Knights of the destroyed kingdom- and sometimes aristocratic locals. Those people were supposed to be dead.

"I don't know much about what goes on in the human world," King spoke, "but that man is talking like he knows the captain."

My body shook lightly.

"Hey guys, don't go snooping into the cap's business~" Ban said, speaking for the first time since he rejoined the group. "Remember- the Eight Laws of the Eight Deadly Sins, number three... No sin shall ask about another member's sin. Those are pretty much the only laws we follow nowadays, so it'd do you good to remember 'em."

"I agree," I spoke shortly through gritted teeth. Stop shaking, (y/n).... "Let's drop it."

"If you have the audacity to call yourself Meliodas in front of me, then be prepared to face the consequences," the old man spoke, a ball of bright yellow flame appearing in his hand. I inhaled sharply. I know you. "Why did you destroy the kingdom?!"

Meli's eyes grew wide with shock as he stared at the man.

Keep it together.

Keep it together.

"(Y/N), you good?" The voice was distant.

The ball of flame expanded, shooting toward the captain and hit him directly. King and Diane shouted something. I couldn't hear them. It seemed my hearing had zoned in on the battle.

Keep. It. Together.

"(Y/N)? Hey, (y/n)." Distant. Indecipherable.

"Why did you kill the people?!" The old man's voice rang loudly in my ears. Another direct hit on the captain.

"(Y/N)!"

The announcer said something. So did King and Diane. Their voices were muffled. Gone. I can't hear anything besides the old man.

Shaking.

Why am I so cold?

"(Y/N), hey!"

"Why did you kill your comrades?! Why did you kill Liz?!?" I know her. I know the old man. More direct hits. "The person most important to you!"

"(Y/N)!"

He's so loud. Why is everything so quiet?

God, it's fucking freezing.

"Why did you betray everything you stood for?!?!"

"(Y/N)! Snap the fuck out of it!"

My head shot sideways, where the muffled calling had come from. It shocked me out of my trance. I whirled to find Ban, staring at me with a stoic expression, the only emotion he had was in his eyes- his eyebrows were slightly furrowed and his irises shone with... something. Concern?

"Yo, what the hel..." He started, then narrowed his eyes. "Are you crying?"

My eyes widened as my fingertips shot to my face. Sure enough, it was wet. I quickly wiped away the tears with the sleeve of my cloak. I turned away from him.

"I'm fine. Drop it."

"Hey, I may be cryptic and mysterious, but you can't do that. Now what the hell is wro-"

"I said- drop it." I spoke again, turning away from him. I could feel his eyes on my back. I didn't care.

"OHHH IM SO HAPPY!!!" The old man cried as I turned my head back to the battle. It seemed that I had missed the exchange of a few relatively important words, because he was now hugging Meli and sobbing. "IVE ALWAYS WANTED TO HEAR THOSE WORDS FROM YOU!!!"

I raised an eyebrow, cocking my head to the side. I missed a bunch, apparently.

"What's going on...?" Diane asked, looking at King.

"No idea," the boy shrugged.

"Uhhh, guys... what about the fight?" The announcer spoke in the lowest volume he had all festival while addressing the two men.

"Oh, that's right!" Said the older of the two, releasing Meli from the hug. "It's my loss."

"WHAAAAT?! CAIN ADMITS DEFEAT?!" Back to his normal, obnoxious volume. "THE WINNER OF THE SECOND ROUND OF THE SEMI-FINALS IS MELIODAZZ!"

I turned around, grinning. Ban was staring at me. I felt it, but pretended like I didn't. The guy who had bet against me was grumbling. I spoke, "Pay up, wise guy."

He narrowed his eyes, frowning deeply. It took him a moment to fish the coins out of his pocket, and he looked depressed to leave them, but he eventually tossed me his promised two gold coins to me. I caught them and shove them into the my wallet (which was now particularly heavy), in the pocket within my cloak.

"Pleasure doing business with ya!"

"Fuck you," he muttered back, causing me to grin wider. Ban still glared.

I turned back to face the group. Meli had rejoined us, standing between Diane, who King was next to, and Ban, who I was next to. It looked like the crimson-eyed man was about to say something, but the announcer cut him off.

"WELL, ITS THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! THE BYZEL FIGHTING FESTIVAL'S FINAAALLSS!" He shouted, loud and clear so that it could be heard throughout the entirety of the stadium, and possibly the town. I feel like he has deafened people before. "WE'VE HAD A PARADE OF MONSTROUS CONTESTANTS, BUT ONLY TWO REMAIN! THEIR FIGHT WILL DECIDE WHO THE CHAMPION OF THEM ALL WILL BE! CAN YOU FEEL THE EXCITEMENT?!?!"

I looked over at Diane and Meli, who both were looking at the ring. They were the finalists. For some reason I was really rooting for Diane. I watched as they both approached the arena, curious as to how the battle would turn out.

Ban is still watching me.

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