A/N: This took me a bit because the original way I'd written the end of Part 2 was annoying me so I decided to change it up with a bit more action. Enjoy! 

Leraj's POV 

I took a shuddering breath, staring out over the top of her head. "Keep talking," I whispered, urging her onwards.

The words tumbled out of her like a broken damn. "Back in Vaizel, none of the Sins tried to kill me. They attempted to protect me by not putting me in harm's way. And then Guila and Jericho turned on Princess Veronica and her guard. They'd only been in Vaizel to get to Elizabeth before them. I couldn't – I couldn't save her. I tried but it wasn't enough. Then Meliodas, he appeared, demonic as hell. He- he- oh fucking hell, I can't even say it." She took a breath and squeezed me tighter. "Ban took me back to the others. He kept me safe even though he had no obligation to."

The moment of truth. "Why?" I asked.

"Because- because." A strangled groan left her throat.

I grabbed her face, held it tight in my hands as I tilted it up to mine. "Why, Estra, why? Tell me why you think that." My eyes flicked over her face as it scrunched up, terrified confusion in her features.

"Because I think I'm the Sin of Greed."

"Tein ish qualpo."

Her face went slack and her eyes rolled into the back of her. She sagged forward and I caught her quickly under the armpits.

It was time. I hadn't suspected I'd run out of time. I thought I'd have time to prefer for this moment but it seemed I had miscalculated the rate of decline of the spells on her. The festival and Rose Cottage must have triggered old, possibly ancient, memories I never knew about, ones that hadn't been torn to shreds nor taken by me to keep safe.

I slung her over Myra's back gently and walked the horses towards a grove of trees I could faintly distinguish against the night sky. It wasn't big but it was sheltered in all directions. I set up a quick camp, a fire in the centre and a bed made from the horse's saddle blankets nestled on dead pine leaves. The horses I tied to a fallen tree before I crouched down beside Estra's head, stroking her cheek.

She didn't shift. She wouldn't until I gave the command for her to awaken. Hopefully she was having good dreams – she didn't deserve any more nightmares. Her life had basically become one and it was my fault.

Even though she'll probably wake from this hating my guts, at least I would have done the right thing by her finally.

A branch cracked. My head snapped up. My eyes met with the eerie green glow of eyes. I stood slowly, never taking my eyes off the green globes hiding in the dark patches of the pines. My left hand went to the waistband of my pants at the back, where my dagger was hidden.

It bolted just as I whipped the blade out at it. I heard the blade thunk into a tree but I was already off and running, giving chase to the demon who'd been spying on us. It crashed through the grove without thought and I followed it easily out and back onto the stretches of open plain.

There!

It was slim-built, six muscular legs pounding over the grass. I growled as I put on a burst of speed, channelling magic into my fingertips, fashioning them into two inch claws. It leapt over a gully and I leapt too, rolling back to my feet alongside it.

I grabbed it's long, sinuous tail and wrenched it back, burying my left set of claws into it's back. It screeched, a sound pulse knocking me back. Thoughts jumbled, I spent precious seconds on my back staring at the starry night sky. In the distance, fireworks crackled in the air, bathing the land in faint, ominous glows.

There came the sound of ripping and when I sat up, the demon had sprouted long wings. The wing-bone twitched and squelched as protrusions grew downwards, a thin, see-through membrane unfurling between them.

"No!" I roared, reaching for it. I missed by a hand-width and was left staring in disbelief as it sailed into the sky and back towards Liones.

My breath came in short gasps. If that demon made it back to Hendrickson before me, then we couldn't go back to Liones. I had to assume it heard everything and if that was true, Hendrickson would personally be waiting at the front gates to escort Estra back underground. And I would be next. Failing to alert Hendrickson about changes in Estra were a breach of contract, even if the wording had been off for me to find a loophole.

Without me, Estra would perish as a Holy Knight fighting her real comrades.

I ran back and forth, scavenging for a long stick. I slid down into a dark gully, stumbling down upon an old tree. I broke off a branch and climbed out of the gully. On the ground, I drew a large oval then traced a reversed pentagram within the lines. I stood in the centre of the star and pressed my fists together.

I hadn't done this in a long time. Not since my days as a member of the Demon King's elite soldiers. I wasn't even sure I had the Mana to conjure this spell but I couldn't sit around doing nothing. If – no, when – this worked, I'd be ahead of the demon. From there, all I had to do was grab our gear and spirit myself away again, back to Estra.

I thought of my room back in Liones, concentrating hard on the floor space beside the bed. Then I felt for my magic, tracing it back to the base of my skull. At first, it was nothing more than a feebly, dying ember. I fanned it as much as I could but all it did was pulse.

This was wasting precious time.

Come on, damn you! Come back to me one more time!

A flash then it glowed brilliant crimson behind my lids. There was no time for relief or joy. It pushed it down towards my feet and greedily it snaked down my spine and down through the soles of my feet. The ground hummed and vibrated beneath my boots so I knew it was working. When the sound reached a crescendo, I opened my mouth.

"Verda questio come lieto gu wa."

I stiffened as the ground spun away, kept my eyes squeezed shut as fingers tugged at my skin and clothes. It wasn't until I felt solid wood underfoot that I let myself relax. My eyes fluttered open.

A fist flew at my face; I deflected, countering with a punch of my own. The humanoid creature covered in fur danced back, a growl slipping between its protruding fangs.

The wear of the magic rooted me to the floor so I guarded myself as the creature hopped from foot to foot. In the corner, I spied my bag – already packed, armour on top and sword at the ready.

My eyes flicked back to the creature. "Let me guess, you're new to the group," I said which seemed to rile it up. It snorted and unsheathed claws. "Why don't I school you on what happens when you pissers get in my way."

I hi-kicked, faster than it could react. It slammed into the side of its head, the skull caving in around my boot. Blood gushed out and down its squashed nose. It collapsed and I stepped over it to reach the bags. I strapped on the armour and sword quickly, and put on the bag, ears strained for anything – a cry of alarm, the screech of a demon, Hendrickson's boots climbing the steps to my room at the top of the barracks.

Hendrickson's footsteps on the landing to my room!

I jumped out the open window, caught the sill and hunkered down as the door blasted inwards, shards of wood flying out through the window and slicing the tops of my hands. I glanced down quickly and let go, hands scrambling for purchase on the awning above the window below mine. I caught hold in a groove just as Hendrickson's voice boomed out, "Search the premises!"

To my left and down a storey, four rooms over, was Estra's room. I had to make it there before Hendrickson did. Teeth gritted, I crawled along the wall like a spider. It was easier than I imagined – the walls of the barracks were old and full of decent-sized grooves for my hands and feet.

I stepped down onto Estra's window, bracing myself and catching my breath. The minute I would break the window, someone would come running. I estimated I had less than two minutes to grab the bag I'd already packed for her and her sword. Her armour would have to stay but I'd already packed a few bits and pieces from her lightweight gear into the pack.

A insistent bell clanged in the distance and one by one, the lights of the barracks turned on. I kicked once, twice, three times against the glass, heard it crack on the fourth and on the fifth it shattered inwards.

I dropped into her room, crunched over the glass to her bag and scooped it up just as the door began to crack open. I kicked it shut, slid the bolt home and wedged the chair under the door. Frantic pounding sounded on the other side before it shuddered in the doorframe. I strapped Estra's sword so it rested down the other thigh and climbed back out the window.

I crawled my way along the wall, angling downwards slightly as the Holy Knights began turning the place upside-down, screaming themselves hoarse in their attempts to find me. Heart in my throat made it difficult to keep a level-head but I had to plan my next move.

Escaping would be next to impossible now. The minute those bells started ringing, every entry and exit in would be barred and manned by Holy Knight squads.

My feet touched the ground and I was off and running. I didn't have time – I needed to get back to Estra as soon as possible. A group of Holy Knights turned the corner in front of me and I broke through a door to a random house. I sensed no humans so I darted up the stairs two at a time and slid behind the door to an empty bedroom.

No one came. The tramping came and went. With my sword, I traced the same etchings as before. My magic ebbed and flowed like ocean waves as I stood in the centre, fists together. It was dangerous conjuring a spirit portal inside the walls of Liones but I really had no choice.

The magic zipped down my spine and I struggled not to flinch as it lashed itself at the muscles surrounding the vertebrae in its anger. Spirit portals were dangerous even for those who'd mastered them. They also drained a lot of magic; I barely had enough to spare.

I just prayed I had enough reserves to get me at least outside Liones.

The ground hummed and vibrated.

"I hear something!"

I gritted my teeth and forced the magic faster. The air around me warped, the voices faded and again the fingers tugged and pulled at me. My feet sank slightly into the ground and when the wind died, I opened my eyes to find myself a hundred metres from where Estra was.

My legs gave way and I crumpled to all fours, hacking up blood and bile. My entire abdomen felt as if someone had driven a burning hot poker through one side and out the other. I crawled towards Estra, focusing all my attention on a single thought.

You can save her if you just say the words.

Sweat slicked my skin when I finally made it into the circle of light. Nothing looked disturbed; the horses rested calmly side by side and Estra still lay on her side, breathing softly.

"Yetta."

Her eyes flew open, pupils contracting and dilating before settling and widening on me.

"Leraj!" She flew to her feet and jerkily walked to me. Her hands, so soft and cool against my skin, held my face. "Leraj, what happened?"

I reached up and grabbed her chin. I grazed my lips over hers before I whispered against them, "My Greedy Fox, it's time to wake up."

A flicker of recognition passed her eyes then the soft edges hardened, the real Estra fighting her way to the surface.

She shoved me back, reeling onto her feet, hands balled into fists. She growled deep in her throat as I went to one knee, hawking up bloodied saliva.

"What the fuck is going on?"