Meliodas followed Charles into the makeshift workshop. Hearing that Charles could help lift his curse, there was no way he'd sit still.
Charles set the magitech device containing the Commandment of Truth on the table and said, "This shouldn't be unfamiliar to you."
As the former leader of the Ten Commandments, Meliodas had once borne a Commandment himself and knew full well what they were at their core.
Charles said, "You know more about Commandments than I do, but there's something you might not know: besides the curse power, each Commandment also holds a shard of the Demon King's consciousness.
When all ten Commandments gather on one person, the Demon King's soul descends."
Meliodas frowned. Collecting all ten Commandments to become the new Demon King and then lifting the curse was a plan he'd considered.
But he'd also feared what tricks the Demon King might pull in the process. In the original course of events, he only made up his mind when Elizabeth fully recovered her memories and was about to die under the curse.
He hadn't expected that "becoming the new Demon King" was actually becoming the sacrifice for the Demon King's descent.
With yet another plan ruled out, Meliodas's expression grew grim. "So what you're saying—this way to break the curse—has to do with this?"
Charles nodded. "Haven't you noticed how much your curse resembles the Commandments' curses?"
Meliodas started, then reacted quickly. "You mean…!"
Charles nodded. "Right. A Commandment is lifted by defeating its bearer. By the same logic, beat the Demon King and your curse breaks.
Which makes the problem simple: gather the Ten, bring the Demon King down—and then beat him!"
Meliodas gave a bitter smile. "It's not as easy as it sounds. The Demon King is too strong. Even with you, I don't see much chance of winning."
Three thousand years ago, Meliodas and Elizabeth had been cursed after losing to the Demon King and the Supreme Deity.
He understood better than anyone how terrifying the power of those two beings—the only ones in this world worthy to be called gods—really was.
Charles said, "I'm not arrogant enough to think I can beat the Demon King at full strength. But the Demon King that descends into Britannia is a different story.
He'll be borrowing someone else's body; even with all ten Commandments he can't fully reproduce his power.
Most importantly, if the person bearing the Ten has a will strong enough, he can drive the Demon King's soul back out. Then beating him isn't so hard."
Meliodas's eyes lit up. If things really unfolded the way Charles described, they might actually have a chance.
Charles looked at him seriously. "Which brings us to the question, Boss—are you ready?"
Meliodas, of course, understood that the best person to gather the Ten and draw the Demon King down was himself.
His father-son relationship with the Demon King ended at the word "related." If it was time to "show some filial piety," Meliodas had no psychological burden about it.
He grinned at Charles. "Of course. I've been ready for three thousand years! But if that's the case, we need to hurry up and take down the Ten."
Charles waved a hand. "No need to rush that much. Like you said, even weakened, the Demon King won't be easy. Before we act, we have to make every preparation we can. Let me talk it over with Merlin—we'll make some tools. Might buy us even more of an edge."
Meliodas sighed in genuine appreciation. "You're as meticulous and reliable as ever."
They settled the plan, but acted no differently than usual. After all, among them was Hawk—an informant for the Demon King who didn't even know he was one himself.
What they had to do hadn't changed anyway. They still had to defeat the Ten.
Charles also set aside his wariness toward Merlin for the moment and truly teamed up with her to craft the magitech they'd need. When it came to taking down the Demon King, everyone's goal aligned.
Merlin's ability, as expected, was not to be underestimated. She'd mastered all knowledge in Britannia and still wasn't satisfied—that's why she'd set her sights on Chaos.
After Charles laid out the plan, Merlin immediately offered several workable approaches—some even better than the contingencies Charles had prepared.
Whatever else you said about her, Merlin was an excellent collaborator in research. Talking with her, Charles could practically feel the EXP for his ability "Mystery" shooting up.
While Charles and Merlin buried themselves in making magitech, plenty was happening outside.
First, King and Diane successfully passed Gloxinia and Drole's trials and returned to Liones.
As in the original events, Gloxinia sent their souls back to the Holy War three thousand years ago so they could see that era with their own eyes.
Charles later realized Gloxinia had used a very powerful forbidden art. What Diane and King experienced wasn't an illusion—their souls truly returned to three thousand years past.
At the key moments that had changed Gloxinia's and Drole's lives, King and Diane made different choices than they had, thus passing the trials.
Their return was actually history's corrective force slinging them back because they'd made divergent choices.
The forbidden art's constraints were heavy, but Charles was very curious about its principles.
Their return stirred up quite a bit, too.
First, Diane met Gowther of Selflessness in the past and promised to guide him onto the right path.
After returning, she went straight to Gowther to help him get his "heart" back.
Diane is a tenacious girl; she actually dug up Gowther's past and obtained his "heart"—removed by himself—from the King of Liones.
Then, keeping her promise, she guided Gowther to accept painful but vital memories and truly reclaim his own feelings.
Whole again, Gowther stabilized, his power level soared, and with his formidable mind-based abilities, he became a reliable fighter.
Their return had another ripple: in the past, they saw Elizabeth of the Goddess Clan with their own eyes.
After Diane told Elizabeth about it, Elizabeth's memories began to awaken.
Even Charles had to marvel at the pull of the plot. Elizabeth hadn't had an eruption of goddess power, nor had Zeldris forcibly unlocked her seals when she healed Merlin.
And yet Diane's words alone were enough to make her start remembering everything.
This also forced Meliodas to move up his timetable.
From the looks of it, Elizabeth recovering all her memories was only a matter of time—and when that happened, her life would start counting down.
Plans can't keep up with changes. Though Charles and Merlin were still a step short of finishing all their planned preparations, they could only move under Meliodas's insistence.
Hawk Mama rumbled to life again, bound for the Ten Commandments' base at Edinburgh.
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