58 Inhuman

"That power of yours…" Zero commented, visibly shaken by Meliodas' transformation. Meliodas' power had surpassed Zero's initial expectations. The sinister aura radiating from Meliodas was even darker than his own. As Meliodas took a step towards him, without realizing his body had moved, Zero took a step back. A nervous smile formed on Zero's face.

"You...that magic...You wouldn't happen to be related to Doryu by any chance?" Zero asked nervously.

"I don't know who that is." Meliodas replied coldly.

"I see...but you know, that power of yours won't change the fact that I will destroy you here!" Zero laughed as he regained his maniacal composure.

"I'll give you one chance to give up here." Meliodas said in a dark tone. Zero regained his composure and a smirk formed on his face.

As Meliodas and Zero stood off, Jellal slowly got up from the ground. He was hurt by dark delete, but was still able to maintain consciousness. He looked at Meliodas and was surprised by his power.

'That power...it feels more sinister than Zero's.Yet even with that darkness you harbor, Meliodas...you're still giving even Zero a chance…' Jellal grasped his chest and looked down at the marking. He turned around and faced the pillar. 'I know what I must do.'

"You're really offering to spare me here? How pitiful! It makes me sick! After I destroy you, I'll destroy everyone you care-" Zero shouted maniacally with a large grin but stopped abruptly and his grin immediately vanished.

"JELLAL WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!' Zero shouted. Meliodas turned around and saw Jellal was standing up next to the large, brightly beaming pillar of black light. Meliodas felt a sense of relief when he saw Jellal no longer had the square of destruction on him as Jellal focused his efforts on Nirvana.

"I'll use the rest of my magic to fast forward the square of destruction's countdown. Meliodas, thank you." Jellal said. He placed his hand on Nirvana and the light instantly stopped, the magic flowing from the ground dispersing into the air. There was a large rumble as the ground shook beneath them into a large earthquake. It continued for several seconds until eventually dying down, with Jellal falling unconscious on the ground. Meliodas turned back to face Zero, who was seething with rage.

"JELLAL! I'LL KILL YOU!" Zero screamed. He raised his arms up as green and orange spiraling whip-like constructs began to form from his hands.

Meliodas shook his head in disappointment as he walked towards Zero.

"You really are that far gone…"

"Dark Capricci-"

Zero saw Meliodas suddenly vanish from his field of vision. He quickly stopped what he was doing and maneuvered his body slightly to the right. Zero's eyes widened as he felt a sharp pain in his left bicep. He slowly turned his head and saw Meliodas there, his blade drawn and out in front of him. Detached from his body, was his left arm, completely cut off. Blood gushed out from the wound.

"This bastard-" Zero grunted in pain. Zero knew if he hadn't moved, Meliodas would have cut him in half down the middle. He jumped backwards to create distance between himself and Meliodas, with blood leaking out of his missing arm.

"You're more dangerous than I thought! You're absolutely worth destroying!" Zero shouted maniacally, ignoring the pain. He raised his right arm and faced his palm towards Meliodas.

"Dark Gravity!"

Meliodas felt a great force push down on his body, even stronger than before when Brain had originally done it. Meliodas' feet sunk into the ground, past his ankles and nearly up to his knees. The surrounding area around Meliodas was also compressed, with the ground sinking around Meliodas. As Meliodas felt the great force weighed on him, he glared at Zero.

"Just try and walk as you are destroyed by my overwhelming force!" Zero yelled. He concentrated more of his magic into the attack, sinking Meliodas even deeper into the ground. Despite this, Meliodas stepped out of the hole his feet were in with little trouble and began walking towards Zero.

"Y-you...why are you still unencumbered by my gravity?!" Zero questioned.

"I left the members of the Oracion Seis that I fought alive, so that one day they may try and atone for what they did. This is your last chance." Meliodas said.

"Haha...HAHAHAHAHA!" Zero laughed maniacally. "You're preaching to me about sparing my life! I don't care about my sins! There is nothing to care about when all there is...is DESTRUCTION!"

With his right hand, Zero pointed all of his fingers at Meliodas. Green colored darkness magic leaked out from his hand. Countless black phantoms emerged from his hand, forming a massive wave that headed towards Meliodas. The desperate moans of the phantoms echoed throughout the area. Soon, Meliodas was surrounded by a seemingly endless wave of phantoms.

"Genesis Zero!"

Meliodas raised Mel Force in front of him. Black flames clad his blade as the wave of phantoms approached him.

"Divine Slayer!"

Meliodas made a wide horizontal slash with his sword. A small wave of black flames was shot out in an arc. As the flames traveled towards the wave of phantoms they grew wider and traveled across the ground until nearly matching the size of the phantoms.

"Your soul and your memories will be devoured by the Nil until nothing is left!" Zero shouted as he poured even more magic into his attack, summoning more phantoms and empowering them with darkness.

The wave of phantoms collided with Meliodas's hellblaze. The phantoms' moans turned into horrified screams of pain as the black flames engulfed them. The phantoms who were trying to devour Meliodas initially were now being devoured instead by the black flames.

"What the hell are those flames?!" Zero exclaimed with a look of horror on his face. His greatest attack was being destroyed by a darkness greater than his own. In the next moments, the phantoms summoned by his attack were now completely engulfed in black flames. Zero squinted his eyes as the heat from the flames kept rising, burning his phantoms until nothing was left. Suddenly, Meliodas emerged from the wall of black flames in front of Zero. As Meliodas approached Zero, Zero looked into Meliodas' pitch black eyes.

"You! You're not human are you?!" Zero exclaimed. He raised his right arm, engulfing it with his darkness magic before throwing a punch at the approaching Meliodas. Meliodas wound his own fist back at Zero, clashing punches with Zero. The instant Zero's fist made contact with Meliodas', Zero's entire arm buckled, bending inwards unnaturally as his fist was crushed.

At that moment, time seemed to have slowed down for Zero. Zero felt despair as he watched Meliodas wind back a punch with his left hand, clad in darkness. The person he was trying to truly destroy, was going to destroy him instead. Behind Meliodas, Zero could see the shadow of a large demonic figure looming over Meliodas.

"I gave you a chance Zero! But I can't let you destroy everything! I'll bring you down right here!"

Meliodas threw the darkness clad punch at Zero's chest. A massive hole formed in Zero's body as the force from the punch knocked down the trees in the forest behind Zero. Zero stared at Meliodas with an empty expression as he fell backwards onto the ground.

Meliodas' demonic features faded as he stood over Zero's lifeless body. He looked down solemnly at the gaping hole in Zero's chest.

"It didn't have to be this way." Meliodas said quietly.