A/n: Ugh. Dad messed up my update schedule.

He knows that I have to use his phone to write, and he's like: can't you just give the phone a break?

And I told him: I'm an author.

In waiting for that phone I somehow fell asleep and woke up at 2:50 am.

Thanks Dad. Note the sarcasm.

***

This is a world in which humans and beings have yet to be divided. A tale of ancient times. Before the battle of Liones, the Kingdom of Camelot was soundly beaten and conquered. However, a spark of hope remains in the heroes that soon draw near. Hooray, the sins are here...

...The Eight Deadly Sins are here!

***

***

Chapter XVIII
The Star Crossed Lovers

"You again?" Victoria noted, caging the princess behind her and crouching threateningly towards the gold haired assailant.

A cruel smirk made its way along Alma's face as she tilted her head knowingly, well aware of the princess' imminent peril.

Behind her, two small white wings had arisen on her back, merging naturally from her form.

She took a step towards the cart.

Summoning her scythes, Victoria resumed her position, shielding her from any sneak attacks.

Alma spoke calmly.

"Why yes, Victoria dear. It is me," she affirmed her suspicions as she took another step towards the wooden carriage.

Escanor watched the confrontation in worry.

"What did you do to her?" the brunette glared at the smug deity who seemed pleased with herself.

"Now, now. I didn't do anything," the Goddess Queen pondered sickeningly, glancing away with a finger leaned on her chin.

She turned back suddenly.

"Oh wait. I did," she smiled in satisfaction, a thin line without real emotion behind it.

She continued on.

"This is unquestionably and unequivocally my fault," she nodded thoughtfully, "Well, it honestly was to be expected."

Victoria gripped her scythes in anger.

"Victoria? What is she talking about?" Elizabeth asked in confusion, completely unaware of her current predicament.

A throb of pain pulsed through her skull.

"Ah...!" she gripped her head painfully, stumbling back and knocking over some barrels of beer behind her.

"Elizabeth!" Victoria glanced at her worriedly.

However, it seemed like Escanor had yelled the same.

The supreme goddess whirled on him suddenly as he flinched at his own mistake.

"How do you know her name?" she demanded suspiciously, a horrible aura of superiority exuding from her incomplete form.

Escanor stuttered, playing the part of an innocent.

"I- I merely overheard these two talking while you were gone, Miss!" he explained, shaking slightly.

"-What did you do?" Victoria urged in anger, redirecting her attention to the duo.

She had a plan, and it wouldn't work if Escanor was discovered.

However, it would work at high noon.

Narrowing her eyes, Alma turned back to face Victoria.

"I had a little talk with the princess, it would seem," she started coldly.

The brunette's eyes narrowed.

"About what?"

"About certain futures to be seen."

"...I don't understand," she shook her head, "You were gone just a while ago... So how did you-?"

Suddenly it all became clear.

"It was while she was healing you from the effects of the curse," the blonde continued on, oblivious.

"A trivial discussion about the happenings of our world," she laughed humorlessly, "Would you believe the girl had the audacity to threaten me? The Goddess Queen?"

"Elizabeth did...?" Victoria processed, exchanging glances with the strongest sin.

It didn't seem far-fetched that she would.

The goddess seemed to be lost in her own superior world.

"She said The Eight Deadly Sins are coming for me, so I should beware," she continued her emotionless laugh, arms outstretched at her sides as she looked up at the clear blue skies.

"Eight...?" Victoria noticed, "Wh... why eight?"

She stopped her chuckle.

"Oh that's right, you don't know the purpose of your arrival, do you?"

"What are you talking about?" she ordered coldly, her eyes narrowed in fury.

She didn't like being made a fool of.

"Congratulations, Delizah," she smiled fakely, "Your Devil's sin, is now one of The Eight Deadly Sins."

"They... it was successful?" she muttered in thought.

"So successful you got kidnapped for it," she snide remarked.

"That can't be the reason why-"

"-Of course not," the woman spat out, "Honestly, I'm ashamed to think of a human as one of my kind," she glared frigidly at the smaller girl.

Victoria faltered slightly, feeling the curse take over again. Sweat trickled down her face smoothly as she steadied herself, notable nausea taking over.

Elizabeth gripped her hand suddenly, in support, through her migraine.

Shaking it off, the brunette recalled what they had been talking about before the subject was changed, the queen, having closed a five-step distance with ease.

"Elizabeth," she pointed out, "What's wrong with Elizabeth?"

"Surely, you're aware of the even graver sin at stake here. Far graver than your simple treachery and manipulation," she dictated stoically.

"You don't mean-?" her eyes widened.

"I do," the goddess smirked knowingly, "The curse of the star crossed lovers; Eternal Life and Perpetual Reincarnation."

"Is... Does Meliodas have eternal life?" she interrogated, finally understanding the truth of what her friends had gone through.

"Tyrannus' work," she affirmed, "He will never age nor stay dead."

"And perpetual reincarnation?"

"My finest curse. Elizabeth will never live past sixteen. She will remember each time, who she was and how she died, dying three days later," she explained in earnest.

"And the star crossed lovers part?"

"Meliodas will constantly fall in love with each Elizabeth, and he will never be able to avoid it," she stated, "Unfortunate for you."

The brunette looked down in acceptance, forcing a smile.

"I... I see," she observed, "But why did you tell me this when Elizabeth's right here?" she stressed angrily.

"Because there's no point in hiding it. She is starting to remember," Alma blunted, "In three days after she is done, Elizabeth Liones will unavoidably die, the effects of the curse being sped up to make it worse."

"Sped up...?" Victoria was in the depths of despair.

"Well, she did want to remember, didn't she?"

The brunette shot up instantly in a burst of rage, tears in her eyes.

"How could you do this?" she yelled, "How could you be so cruel?"

"And what if I told you to die right now, would you do it?"

Victoria's pupils dilated in shock.

"What?"

"See. Your humanity is dulling your goddess rationality. A product of that accursed Guinevere and one of my finest, Lancelot, amplified by this filthy thing," she gestured to Elizabeth, "The fact is, goddesses and demons are not bound by emotions and silly moralistic ways of thinking. There is no such word as cruel. Only order and chaos, in our way of thinking."

"...thing."

"Honestly, if there wasn't a prophecy happening, I'd have drilled that into you myself," she paused, "Ah, did you say something?"

"Elizabeth isn't a filthy thing," she spoke determinedly.

"She corrupted the minds of both an inferior and superior race, did she not? In fact, if it wasn't for her, you two wouldn't even be thinking of defying me, right now," she stated a cold truth.

"That may be so, but I don't regret letting her in. Regardless of however I may feel that Meliodas will never recognize me in the way he does to her, I still, don't regret it," she revealed, clenching her scythes at her side.

"And that's why I'll take you out right here before you can return. Reset!" she called, aiming her sacred treasure right at her neck.

***

The truth has been revealed!

Can Elizabeth and Victoria ever manage to escape the wrath of their god? Or will another one bite the dust?

Remember to vote, comment and tell me what you think!

~Nia 😏