This is a tale of humans and beings from other worlds. It is a story of ancient times. Countless conflicts have been repeated throughout Britannia's history. No longer is there anyone who knows how it all began and how to bring everything to a stop. However, there is one man who does know and the order of knights that man commands is...

...The Legendary Seven Deadly Sins!

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https://youtu.be/8UbS2pKIyOQ

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Chapter V
A Deal With the Devil

"Your foot... It's healed..." Elizabeth finally noticed as the duo entered the campsite. The location looked almost the same as when Victoria had left it, the only difference being in that a few more leaves were now on the ground than before.

"Perks of being a goddess," Victoria shrugged, "That's one of the reasons why I said to leave it," Slicing the bark of a fallen tree, the brunette formed another makeshift chair, rolling it to the opposite side of the blazing fire. Standing, she gestured to the seat.

"It may not be a royal throne or even a bar stool, but you'll have to make do with this, Princess," she stated, arms on her waist.

Elizabeth shook her head, "No, no. It's fine," she stated, sitting down.

"Alright," she sat down opposite her, observing her actions carefully.

Elizabeth felt awkward, "...So Victoria..."

"Yes?"

"How exactly did you get the title of the Devil's Sin?" she initiated the conversation.

"How old do you think I am Elizabeth? I'm interested," Victoria asked nonchalantly.

"Are you changing the-"

"I'm not," she stated seriously, "You'll see why I asked soon."

"Um, seventeen maybe?" the silverette guessed.

"Wrong."

"Nineteen?"

"Nope."

"Sixteen?"

"I'm not below that."

"In your early twenties, maybe?" Elizabeth asked.

"Not even close."

The princess was interested, "So how old are you?"

"Over 3000," she stated bluntly.

"Eh?!" she exclaimed in shock.

"Yep. And what did you hear me yell that I was to Meliodas?"

"That you were dead?"

"Well yes but..."

"That you are a criminal?" she didn't know what she was getting at.

"In between," she leaned on her arm.

"You're the traitor of a holy war?" she thought back.

"Precisely."

"So what do you mean?" Elizabeth asked, puzzled.

"Think about it," Victoria said cryptically.

Over three thousand and the traitor of a holy war... It can't be... Elizabeth thought. 

"You don't mean that you're a traitor of that holy war, right?! The one between the Demon Clan and the other four clans, do you?" the princess exclaimed in shock.

"Exactly. Now tell me... What do you think about that so far? Does it make you believe that I deserve to be free?" she asked, seemingly with no real purpose.

"I... I am surprised to be honest, to think that you did that back then. However, I still would like to know the circumstances of this betrayal..." Elizabeth revealed, "Who did you betray?" she wondered.

"All four clans."

"T- to whom?"

"Who else? The Demon Clan," Victoria stated, watching her expression, "Have your thoughts changed?"

Elizabeth didn't want to believe it, "Are you telling me the truth? Is this a joke?" she questioned unsurely.

Victoria's face became deadly serious. Clenching her hands together, she interlocked them in a bridge before leaning over them to meet her gaze. "Everything I say here, right now, will be the undeniable truth. For your sake, please do the same. Now, what do you think about this revelation?"

"It's... It's hard to believe."

She smiled bitterly, "I must imagine so. Our conversation will end here-"

"-However, I still want to know exactly what happened," she declared stubbornly.

"Elizabeth..." she was shocked.

"I'm tired of being useless in situations with Lord Meliodas, Diane and the others," she continued on, "Therefore if there is anything I can do to help, I will. Please stop stalling, I want to know exactly what happened that made you betray them!" Elizabeth stood up in determination.

Victoria was surprised, "You really are exactly like her... No wonder..." she muttered under her breath, "Alright Elizabeth, I'll honour your request. I'll tell you just how I betrayed the giants, fairies, goddesses and humans," she nodded firmly.

"Thank you... Also, I'm sorry if I'm making this hard for you," she bowed in apology.

"You aren't. I've been needing to tell someone this anyway," the goddess shook her head, "Remember, how I said my father was killed by a prince of the demon clan?"

Elizabeth nodded. "After learning who did this I wanted to take revenge," she continued, clenching her fist angrily, "At the time I had hardly any power at all within me. I was so weak- I hated it. So I did the worst thing I could have done to get power."

"What did you do?"

"I made a deal with the devil."

She gasped, "I was approached by the Demon King and begged him to grant me the power to get my vengeance. Looking back on it, I was stupid. Of all people, a goddess shouldn't ever ask a demon for help- much less their king. To kill one of his sons of all things! I was asking to be destroyed without even knowing it."

"But still, I was torn. The godly part of me wanted to turn and walk away from that encounter and forget that my father had ever existed. The pain was unnecessary- humans felt that. But at the same time, my human side just wanted to find and destroy whoever it was who had the audacity to take him away from me. My dad was everything to me after my mother died, he was all I had left. My siblings looked down on me for not actually being born a full goddess, I was a piece of garbage that became a part of their family. I couldn't stand the thought of it so I went through with it. I shouldn't have."

"I immediately realized just what it was that I had done and tried to escape... but it was too late. I had been cursed with the power of the Demon Clan. At first, I thought it didn't seem that bad. I had power, I could get used to it. But then he told me..."

"What did he say?" Elizabeth pressed.

"He... He told me that as a consequence of my plea, I had been bestowed with the Infinity Commandment of Subservience... I couldn't run from him, I couldn't deny him, I was forced to serve him for all of eternity."

The silverette gasped, "I'm so sorry," she said, walking around the fire and hugging her, tears coming to her eyes.

"I didn't want this," she claimed, tears forming in her eyes also, leaning into the princess' hug, "And I couldn't even be free of it. Unless the Demon King himself was destroyed or he revoked the commandment, I would forever be forced to do as he says. The worst thing about it is, if I die I wouldn't even be freed, my soul would be trapped inside of my rotting body, serving him as the living dead all the same. So he gave me my first order," she stopped suddenly.

"What was it?" she soothed the distraught girl.

"To destroy the Goddess Clan from the inside out. I tried to deny him but I couldn't unless I wanted to be a living puppet. All I could do was nod and do what he wanted. I couldn't even blame him, I had subjected myself to this. If I didn't my life would have been free."

"I don't remember how long it was that I helped him from the inside, but eventually I was found out. It was when he gave me an order that was too unrealistic for me."

"What was the order?"

"To kill all four Archangels of the Goddess Clan," she stopped crying, wiping her tears, "I was found at the first."

"And then what?"

"I was tried and exiled from the Goddess Clan. I didn't even have a family anymore. I was just a fallen goddess victimized by the Demon King... That was when I met Meliodas," she stated.

"What happened?"

"I was nearly murdered."

"EH?!"

"Back then, Lord Meliodas was known as the vilest thing on the planet. Unfortunately, this was when I met him. After he realized that I wasn't being affected by his commandment, he dragged me straight over to the Demon King and demanded to know why. The King explained the situation to him and I was introduced to him and the Ten Commandments... I think Meliodas found my presence more amusing than anything. He laughed at me more than when I first met him and he seemed more sociable," she commented.

"Maybe you affected him?" Elizabeth suggested.

"They thought so too. Since I clearly had no idea how to use my power, Meliodas trained me so that I wouldn't keel over and become the walking dead on missions. At one point I was severely injured and that was when we met someone who reminds me of you. She healed me once Meliodas finally let her. She was a goddess also but her attitude was somehow different from the other goddesses, it was like yours actually."

"Mine?" she was surprised.

"Yes. Meliodas with his pride collapsed soon after and she took us to her cottage where she took care of us. I was thankful to her, but at the same time I think Meliodas was interested in her. He kept disappearing when he was supposed to have sparring lessons with me to observe her and protect her. I eventually found out where he was and kept it secret. Once, the Demon King asked me where he went and I lied to him- I wanted Meliodas to stay happy. I nearly dropped down dead. Luckily or not, I became seriously ill and had to stay bedridden for weeks. Meliodas was shaken, he thanked me for keeping his secret but at the same time said I should never do it again or I would die basically. Things went on like that for a while and I eventually got better. However, things would soon get worse."

"How much worse?" Elizabeth wondered.

"Well, the war started. One day, when we were on a mission, Meliodas discovered that she was being attacked by two of the Ten Commandments. He also learned that I was being attacked at the same time. Torn up, he eventually decided to save her, believing that I could handle myself. I couldn't. I would have died, had Zeldris not saved me. He was furious at Meliodas for betraying them and abandoning me. I overheard a conversation later that he left because he loved her. I had figured but I was still heartbroken. Burying my feelings, I continued on with life, stuck with the very beings I hated- demons. I was furious... He knew I didn't want to be there."

"I did see him once more after though. He had joined a group allying all four races with her while I had basically betrayed them all. I found them again during the war. She was dying and he had asked me to protect her. I agreed. Things didn't go well, however. He had to sacrifice himself to save us. Unfortunately, she still died right by his side. By the time, he came back I was 'dead', sealed within the coffin of eternal darkness. I was released with the other Ten Commandments by Freudrin or Dreyfus as you knew him. Eventually I was found and tried for my crimes and given the title of the Devil's Sin of Treachery. Then I escaped and met you guys," Victoria finally finished, "If I had one regret... it would be that I didn't get to know her."

"What was her name? You haven't said it even once," Elizabeth wondered.

"Her name? Why her name was Elizabeth, just like yours," Victoria revealed, smiling.

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Finally, their past is revealed! But can Elizabeth really manage to save Victoria from execution or will the goddess be no more? Find out.

~Nia