Chongming beat his wings and left the Sacred Tree's canopy, with Charles and the other three riding on his back.
Even Elaine couldn't accept Gerheade's behavior; all she could do was urge Ban to leave this place.
Before the Red Demon's attack, Elaine had already wanted to leave the Fairy King's Forest and see the outside world, but she couldn't go with Ban because of her duty as saint.
Now, she could finally make up her mind.
On Chongming's back, Stella suddenly said, "Are we forgetting something?"
Charles thought for a moment. "Weren't we here just to help Ban bring Miss Elaine back? What else would we forget?"
Ban added, "Probably nothing important!"
In a corner of the Fairy King's Forest, King—busy sulking—looked up just in time to see Chongming streak across the sky like a tongue of flame, and his jaw dropped.
Wait… they just left? They ditched me! What am I supposed to do?
King felt he was far too well-mannered; otherwise he would've started cussing.
Charles nodded in agreement. "If it's not important, we can let it go. That upheaval just now should've been the Demon Clan's seal breaking. The Ten Commandments have likely escaped by now.
Things aren't looking great. We should hurry to the Kingdom of Camelot and link up with the boss and the others!"
Because the original plotline where the Goddess Clan demanded Ban kill Meliodas to resurrect Elaine never happened, Ban didn't turn on his one and only friend this time, and he certainly didn't have to self-exile.
Hearing how serious things were, he had no objections.
Chongming let out a cry and flew in the direction Charles indicated.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of a colossal thing walking and smashing the earth was so loud that even flying in midair they could hear it clearly.
"What's that sound?" Ban frowned.
Elaine said, "I can feel an ominous magic, too."
Charles patted Chongming, who got the hint and dropped lower. They all saw what was making such a racket just by walking.
It was a massive humanoid; even giants would look like children next to it.
Just from the face, it did resemble a Red Demon a bit, only with a much slimmer build.
Two long arms hung at its sides, swinging as it walked.
Its surface didn't look biological at all—more like chalky gray rock with green, moss-like streaks.
But no one would mistake it for something natural. Never mind the face, which screamed Demon Clan; the thing's body was brimming with their savage magic.
Ban drew his three-section staff. "What's going on—is that one of the Ten Commandments?"
Charles shook his head. "If only the Commandments were this weak. That should be a magically made golem, but unlike the human-made golems, this thing was built purely for war."
He had recognized it: Albion, a Demon Clan war weapon—just as he said, a demon-made golem.
Three thousand years ago, all demons were sealed into the Coffin of Eternal Darkness, but a few Albions were left outside.
They were only weapons of war. With no one to command them, they fell into slumber.
When the Coffin was opened and the Commandments were freed, they awakened these sleeping engines.
The Demon Clan really did live up to their reputation as a race that could fight the other four put together—not only were their individuals powerful, their tech was top-tier.
Even after slumbering for three millennia, the Albions still functioned—and were still strong.
Fresh out of the seal, the Commandments had zero magic in their bodies, so their top priority had to be restoring their power.
Not everyone was as reckless as Galand, bold enough to go pick a fight with Meliodas at zero magic.
So they woke the Albions—one reason was to use them as pathfinders and test the state of Britannia now.
That's why two Albions showed up in the original events—one attacked the human Kingdom of Camelot, and the other attacked the Fairy King's Forest.
If Charles remembered right, the one below was the Albion that would attack the forest. He just hadn't expected it to appear right in front of him.
Elaine noticed something off first. "No, it's headed straight for the forest. We have to stop it."
Although Stella had wanted to punt Gerheade into the stratosphere earlier, the kindhearted girl couldn't bear to watch the forest be destroyed by the thing below.
She summoned the Consort-Dragon Sinblade. "Charles, let's just take it down!"
Charles thought it over. "We could—but I think we should leave this one to someone else."
Question marks practically popped over everyone's heads. Elaine grew anxious, thinking Charles was still angry about Gerheade. "Gerheade did wrong, but the others in the forest are innocent."
Charles waved a hand. "It's not that. Haven't you noticed someone's missing?"
At that, the others suddenly realized it too.
"Where did Mr. King go?" Stella asked.
"Who knows where he's hiding," Ban said with a curl of his lip.
"My brother came too? Why haven't I seen him at all?" Elaine asked.
"Doesn't matter," Ban deflected. "So you want King to handle this thing, Charles?"
Charles nodded. "As scary as it looks, if King unleashes his full power he can take it down.
And it's important for him. If he wants to regain the other fairies' trust and become a Fairy King in fact as well as name, nothing beats a battle that embodies his resolve."
Ban fell silent for a moment, then looked to Elaine.
Elaine thought it through and looked up. "You're right! I'm still a little worried, though."
Ban hugged her. "Then let's go keep an eye on that idiot together."
He turned to Charles. "Things are probably even more urgent with the captain. Let's split up here.
You two go support the captain. Elaine and I will watch over King. Once we're done, we'll catch up with you."
"Works for me. I'll have Chongming take you back," Charles said.
He summoned wings of flame and took off; Stella's own dragon wings unfurled and she followed him off Chongming's back.
Ban waved to Charles, and Charles nodded back before flying on with Stella toward Camelot.
Chongming cried once and carried Ban and Elaine back to the Fairy King's Forest.
Meanwhile, in Camelot's royal capital, a huge, bloated Albion was pounding at the walls beneath a magical shield.
On the horizon, a giant green pig was flying in, a pointed-roof house on its back.
Decorated in the Kingdom of Liones, the Seven Deadly Sins were en route to the first battlefield of the Holy War.
(End of Chapter)
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