Even with things having come this far, Estarossa wouldn't have gotten away even if Charles and the Seven Deadly Sins hadn't intervened.
Even with three Commandments in hand, fusing all of them still wouldn't make him a match for Chandler.
As a member of the Goddess Clan, fusing a single Commandment was already Estarossa's limit. If he really fused the others he held, he'd only turn into a monster.
A deranged monster beating Chandler? The odds were truly slim.
Letting Chandler take Estarossa down and bring the Commandments back was undoubtedly the best choice, but Gowther insisted they go find Estarossa.
After reclaiming his "heart," Gowther's emotions were richer than those of most humans. He still felt guilty toward Estarossa. This time, he wanted to save him.
Charles actually felt Gowther's emotions were a bit too abundant; there was no need to take this so much to heart.
Still, realizing that twisting another's life was wrong was better than casually tampering with people's memories like before.
Finding Estarossa was smooth; the traces and the magic aura left from his fight with Chandler were obvious.
Following those clues, the group reached the ruins of a fortress the Goddess Clan had built in the sky.
Though Estarossa's memories had all been altered, and his reason warped by the Commandments, he still instinctively found his former stronghold.
When they arrived, they saw Chandler in battle mode grappling with Estarossa.
Estarossa's current appearance clearly imitated Meliodas's Assault Mode, his body wrapped in dark energy, black wings spread wide and thrashing.
But his expression was twisted, and he muttered incoherently.
The magic blade in Chandler's hand hacked Estarossa open again and again, but the dark energy tugged the pieces back together.
"Damn it, Estarossa, even if you're Young Master Meliodas's brother, you can't stand in the way of him becoming the Demon King."
Though his memories said Estarossa was also the Demon King's son, Chandler wouldn't hesitate to cut him down if it meant making Meliodas Demon King.
Earlier, Estarossa had decisively fused the Commandment of Repose; though it sent him into a rampage, it also made him more troublesome. At the very least, despite all of Chandler's strikes, he hadn't truly been hurt much.
Estarossa's bloodshot eyes rolled and stared vacantly at Chandler.
"What are you talking about, Chandler? Aren't I Meliodas?"
Chandler's face grew even darker. There was no way he didn't understand now—Estarossa was completely insane. Talking was pointless.
He bared a cruel smile. That worked too; he hadn't planned to negotiate the Commandments back anyway.
He swung his magic blade to strike again when a figure flashed before him and caught the blade on an arm.
"Yo, old man—at your age, no need to get so hot-headed!"
As Charles stopped Chandler, the other members of the Seven Deadly Sins moved as well.
King shaped the Spirit Spear into its Guardian Beast form and clamped tight around Estarossa.
Diane summoned a cluster of hard stone spikes, crossing them to reinforce the restraints on Estarossa's body.
Gowther dropped from above, hands glowing pink as he pressed them to both sides of Estarossa's forehead, attempting to comb through his shattered mind.
The others didn't join the fight, but they were ready for any surprises.
Chandler eyed Charles coldly. "So it's you! And the Seven Deadly Sins, a thorn in His Majesty the Demon King's eye—are you going to hinder Young Master Meliodas as well?"
"We're going to help Meliodas fulfill his wish, but in the way he wants," Charles replied. "So, old man, how about you stand aside and watch?"
Chandler's needle-like teeth showed in a sneer. "Ridiculous. You're the irrelevant ones Young Master Meliodas doesn't need!"
With that, he lunged, blade slashing at Charles.
Charles tensed to counter when a figure slid in front of him, scarlet hair streaming in his sight.
"Charles, you were hurt before—sit this one out and watch."
With that, Stella triggered Dragon God Possession. The very air wavered under the heat pouring from her body, and the Feilong Sinblade in her hands seemed to grow even more splendid amid the flames.
Charles wanted to say he'd fully healed, but it wasn't so bad to enjoy being protected by his lover for once.
Chandler was a seasoned warrior; he wouldn't underestimate an opponent just because she looked like a delicate girl.
At the very least, seeing how relaxed Charles was made it clear he had confidence in her.
Sure enough, once the girl unleashed that feral magic, he knew this wouldn't be easy.
While keeping an eye on Stella's side, Charles focused on Estarossa—after all, this operation was for him.
Estarossa struggled with all his might, but under King and Diane's combined effort he couldn't break free.
But perched on his shoulders, Gowther wore a strained grimace.
Gowther had indeed invaded Estarossa's mental world with his magic, but the distortion there was worse than he'd imagined.
Forget untangling it—his own mind felt on the verge of being shredded. He was only just managing not to be thrown out.
At that moment, Estarossa caught sight of Elizabeth out of the corner of his eye and suddenly went still.
"E…li…za…beth…!"
Gowther thought he'd found an opening and tried to seize the chance to rouse Estarossa's reason, but in the next instant he felt Estarossa's mind collapsing even further!
"Why… why did you lie to me? Brother!"
By the end, Estarossa's voice had become a wail. The mud-like darkness on his body writhed and began spreading to cover even more.
Charles knew better than Gowther what Estarossa meant.
This was the flaw in Gowther of Selflessness's forbidden spell. In Estarossa's memories, he had told his "brother" he loved Elizabeth.
And his brother had agreed to play matchmaker for them.
But that "brother" was Ludociel, not Meliodas.
To Estarossa, it became: his brother had promised to help him, only to steal his love in the end.
Seeing Elizabeth, remembering the person he respected most who had "stolen" the one he liked—it would have been strange if he hadn't broken down.
Crack!
A fissure suddenly split Gowther's puppet body—that was the shock of a surge of dark magic.
It wasn't just Gowther's body; Diane's stone spikes and King's Guardian Beast were likewise on the verge of shattering.
"Gowther, get clear!" King shouted, pouring more magic into the Guardian Beast.
Ban sprinted in, scooped Gowther up, and bolted.
"You idiot—are you trying to die?" Ban scolded.
The instant Ban carried Gowther away, dark magic exploded, blasting apart the double restraints. Estarossa, body twisting, appeared before them all.
A sphere of light inscribed with black sigils flew out—it was the final Commandment, Patience, that Estarossa had seized but not yet fused.
Gowther reached out a hand. "No! If you fuse another Commandment you'll break completely!"
But Estarossa was in no state to hear anyone. Without hesitation, he pressed the Commandment into his chest.
Dark energy billowed to the heavens, and from within came Estarossa's beastlike roar.
After absorbing a third Commandment, Estarossa went completely berserk.
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