True Love (Meliodas x OC/Reader x Zeldris)

Chapter 16

"Gil, why is Margaret with you?" you questioned. Margaret laughed malevolently, you realized the goddess energy was radiating from her. "I can't believe my luck, the two traitorous accursed demons and the leader of the Commandments all
in one place," she said, "Plus four of the other commandments? What a bonus that you've all been fighting each other. Exterminating you will be much easier." You and Meliodas stare at her, "You're Ludociel, aren't you?" Meliodas questioned. "Exactly right," he answered in her voice. You, Meliodas, and Zeldris are now all confused as to why your friends were siding with Ludociel.

"What's going on, Merlin? Ban?" you scanned all of their faces to try to glean why they were in a defensive stance against not just the three Commandments before them, but you and the boys as well. "I informed them about what you three really did in the first Holy War," Ludociel responds. "Which is? Cut the bullshit Ludociel," Meliodas spits out in spite. Despite you and Meliodas aiding Stigma, Ludociel was the sole reason for a mass genocide of the demons as well as treating you two as animals. "Come now Demon Prince, don't feign ignorance to your treachery," he answered scornfully, "Tell them all about how that female demon prevented the goddesses from wiping out the Demon King's Executioner." He paused for what you can only assume was his ridiculous way of building up the drama, "And, how you defended her so she could slaughter countless other goddesses to save him."

"Captain, is that true?" Diane asks, hopeful he'd deny it. Meliodas looked at his friends behind Ludociel, "Yes, but-" he tried to explain before the Archangel cut him off, "You see! He doesn't deny it. We were all fools to trust that demons could be anything other than what they are, monsters." He looked back at your friends, "These three were known as The Triade of Death: The Executioner, The Destroyer, and The Slayer. Raised for the sole purpose of obliterating the rest of us. Their only allegiance has ever been to their disgusting clan and the Demon King." You noticed Merlin was collecting something into a test tube, a tiny snake you can only assume was Melascula.

"Are you really going to believe some Archangel you just met, or two friends you've spent years with?" you call out to them. "How are we supposed to trust you when you were never truthful about who you were in the first place?" King accused you. "Ban?" you look at him imploring him with sadness in your black eyes. "Lil, are we just supposed to believe Captain's brother came back and everyone's just pretending he wasn't planning to conquer Britannia? And that he and the Captain are suddenly fine with each other? Something doesn't add up," he responds. Escanor pipes up as well, "Your allegiance is questionable considering these other demons aren't attacking you, who's to say you haven't been planning to join them from the beginning? Disgraceful."

You hear Estarossa try to move behind you, earning a kick in the head from Zeldris, knocking him out. "Do it, Zeldris," you hear Meliodas tell him, not taking his eyes off your friends in front of you. The group tenses as if Zeldris was going to attack them, but you hear him chanting strange words and two spheres come out of Estarossa's body. He must've been holding onto Fraudrin's commandment as well. Ludociel abruptly grabs Margaret's head, seemingly wracked with pain. "What the-?" you start to ask before you, Meliodas, and Zeldris grab your foreheads as well, not in nearly as much pain as Ludociel. Estarossa's appearance suddenly changed, you three were shocked to find he was actually Mael. You looked at Gowther, knowing exactly what happened. With your and Meliodas' defection from the demon realm, power was heavily skewed in Stigma's favor. He must've cast a spell on, apparently everyone which was pretty impressive to you, to change your memories as if Estarossa had killed Mael, rather than actually being him.

"Humph," you heard Zeldris murmur, "I'm relieved, I never considered him my brother anyway." He placed his sword back at Mael's neck, Meliodas still had his foot pushed into his chest. You looked at Derieri and Monspeet, "Get behind us," you instructed them, earning shock from your friends. Derieri and Monspeet did as they were told. This had solidified in most of the group's minds that what Ludociel had told them was true, you and Meliodas were biding your time to eventually betray them. Merlin was ambivalent and Ban still looked suspicious but not entirely convinced either way. Ludociel finally recovered from the distress he was under learning his brother was still alive.