From that day forward, Meliodas found himself noticing things he hadn't before. He saw how Elizabeth lingered near the mother and, later, the child she had saved. She would watch them quietly, never interfering, simply observing the life she had fought to protect.
Eventually, Meliodas joined her. Together, they watched from the sidelines as that fragile human life grew. They saw its struggles, its laughter, its fleeting joys. And in that simple act—watching a life unfold—they began to understand something deeper.
How short a human life was… And how much it could still hold.
It had been an eye-opening moment for them both. Why couldn't demons or members of the Goddess Clan experience something so simple… yet so profound? Without even realizing it, the two had fallen in love—not through grand gestures or declarations, but through quiet moments spent watching a life they had once overlooked. In that stillness, they found something new. Something called humanity.
And with that newfound understanding, they made plans—together—to end the war. No longer weapons forged by their clans, they had become something else entirely.
So now, watching Meliodas with Albedo… Elizabeth felt something inside her quietly break. And then she looked at Rex.
He sat there, that usual smile faded, replaced by something deeper. Disappointment, yes—but also warmth, care, and an aching sadness. A look that held so much emotion, it was impossible to ignore. It was the look of someone who loved her… someone who placed her above everything else.
And for the first time, Elizabeth wondered—had she fallen in love with Meliodas simply because they had broken free together? Because they had shared that single bond of rebellion against the expectations placed on them? Was that all it had been?
"No, I'm single," she said lightly. She didn't even know why she said it. The words left her lips before her mind could catch up. But she wasn't thinking—she was just acting, caught in the moment. And honestly, if Meliodas didn't value their relationship enough to hold onto it, then why should she?
"…I can't do this," Meliodas muttered, tearing himself away from Albedo. His eyes darted around, searching—searching for the only woman he had ever truly cared about.
Then he froze. There she was… Elizabeth, looking at Rex. And it wasn't just a glance. It was a gaze filled with softness, depth—something he thought only he would ever see from her.
The war raged on. Sure, there had been a brief moment of unity—enemies turned companions around a fire, thanks to Rex's music—but the Demon King and the Supreme Goddess had no interest in such sentiment. They didn't care for fleeting peace or shared songs. So, the war resumed without pause… and without mercy.
But now, the demon clan was losing. They had already been in a weakened state, thanks in large part to Meliodas. And now, with betrayal in the air and a three-way battlefield forming around them, their position grew even worse.
"I will take your offer." The words echoed through the grand throne room of Nazarick, where the Demon King now stood before Ainz, whose glowing gaze studied him from atop his throne.
What was the Demon King doing there? Simple—after Rex had met with him, the two had spoken at length. That conversation was about making a deal.
Rex had come to strike a bargain. But loyalty from someone like the demon king didn't come cheap. Of course, there had been a clash—a brief one—where the Demon King had learned something crucial:
Just because Rex was in a weakened state… Didn't mean he was weaker than him.
"Oh? And what do you want in exchange for your loyalty?" Ainz asked, his voice calm but edged with interest as the twin red glows in his sockets flared brighter.
The throne room was silent, vast, and echoing. No guards, no onlookers—just the two of them, as the Demon King had requested.
"Power," the Demon King said without hesitation. "I shall forever be loyal to Nazarick… in exchange for the strength to stand above even Chaos itself."
His voice was firm, steady, commanding, not pleading.
"But let it be known," he continued, raising a gauntleted hand to his helmet. "My loyalty does not mean I will be your slave. I demand respect."
With a slow motion, he removed his helmet, revealing the face beneath—a bald, ancient man with a long white beard. His eyes burned with pride, wisdom, and an ambition that had not dulled with age. He was no mere ruler begging for survival. He was a king making a pact on equal terms.
The aura around Ainz grew dense, pressing down like a weight as he glared at the Demon King. The air itself seemed to chill under the pressure of his gaze.
***
No one knew how the deal between Ainz and the Demon King had ended. But the aftermath made things painfully clear.
The demon clan army had launched a full-scale assault on Nazarick, throwing everything they had into the attack. It wasn't a strategic move—it was desperation. They wanted to drag Nazarick down with them, and from that alone, it was obvious the meeting had gone poorly. The alliance had failed… and the Demon King had chosen war.
"Do you still refuse?" The voice rang out like a whisper carried by light itself.
Behind Rex stood a figure—a stunning beauty whose presence was nearly blinding. Her radiance shimmered, cloaking her in divine light. Even her charm was veiled behind the glow, ensuring no mortal could fully look upon her.
"Supreme Goddess… like I said, as much as I love you, I can't marry into the Goddess Clan," Rex said softly, a pained look etched into his face. "As much as it hurts… I have to put my loyalty to Nazarick above my own desires."
The Supreme Goddess clenched her hands into fists, the glow around her flickering slightly in response to the storm rising inside her.
The day Rex had met with the Demon King, he had also met with her. And unlike his cold dealings with the Demon King, something entirely different had happened when he stood before the Supreme Goddess.
He had fallen for her instantly—love at first sight. Without hesitation, he'd asked her to marry him and join Nazarick. But the Supreme Goddess had refused.
She wanted Rex to marry into the Goddess Clan instead—to become one of them. Of course, he had rejected her laudable offer.
"Join Nazarick," Rex said gently. "The main reason I've stayed out of this war… was because of you. I couldn't bring myself to harm your creations, whom I've come to see as my own children."
He reached out and softly took her hands, his voice carrying a rare tenderness. But after a brief moment of silence, she pulled her hands free and slapped his away.
"If you loved me," she said coldly, "you wouldn't be making this harder than it has to be."
Her voice was calm, but the emotion behind it cut deep. "Why can't you marry into the Goddess Clan and make Nazarick and the Goddess Clan equals? If you truly loved me, you wouldn't have rejected the idea outright. You would've at least tried to find a path forward."
There was no hatred in her eyes—only hurt, disappointment, and something that bordered on betrayal.
"I can't do that," Rex said lightly, though the weight behind his words was anything but.
"Why?" she snapped, her voice rising. "Tell me why! Am I the only one who wants to find a way around this?"
Her tone cracked as she shouted, anger flaring not from hatred, but from heartbreak. The frustration in her eyes burned brighter than her divine glow, as if love itself had betrayed her.
"Because…" Rex's mind scrambled, searching for some BS to say, but he never got the chance.
The Supreme Goddess shot into the sky, her glow trailing behind her like a streak of divine fury. She didn't say another word, only cast him one final, hateful glare before vanishing, returning to her realm without so much as a goodbye.
Rex stood there, momentarily speechless, the air around him still humming with the weight of her departure.
But then he paused, as he felt an incredibly strong spell ripple through the atmosphere. A mass-memory alteration, subtle and wide-reaching. It targeted the topic of Mael. It washed through the world like a quiet wave.
It had no effect on him… but he could feel it trying… but he had too many passive defenses against such things.
But the next day, Rex was left completely speechless. News had spread—Merlin had worked with a giant to create something called the Coffin of Eternal Darkness. It was a powerful seal, one fueled by something unthinkable: the physical sacrifices of the Goddess Clan, who gave up their own bodies to empower the spell. And at the center of it all… the Supreme Goddess herself.
She had personally taken action, thinking it was her move—her final play to seal away Nazarick, the Demon King, and bring an end to the war. She believed it would corner Rex, force him into marrying into the Goddess Clan once there was no other option left.
But she had been tricked. Merlin had manipulated the entire thing. She had known the truth—without the full power of the Goddess Clan, there was no way to seal away all three forces: Nazarick, the Demon King, and the Supreme Goddess.
So, she used her desperation. The Supreme Goddess had unknowingly provided the exact power Merlin needed. And in the end… all three were sealed away. Even the Supreme Goddess herself.
Enraged by the betrayal, the Supreme Goddess attempted to curse Merlin in retaliation. But it was pointless.
Merlin was immune to curses—protected by a divine blessing she had once received from both the Supreme Goddess and the Demon King themselves. A cruel irony, now turned against them. Their own power shielded the very one who had outwitted them.
So, with their wrath left unspent, the two turned their attention elsewhere. Elizabeth and Meliodas.
Their relationship had already begun to crack after what happened that night. There were tensions, unspoken doubts, and wounds neither had fully addressed. But despite it all, they believed they could still work through it—still find a way forward. They were never given the chance.
In a rare moment of unity, the Supreme Goddess and the Demon King unleashed their combined fury upon the two. A curse unlike any other—heavy, cruel, and enduring—struck them both.
And just like that, they were doomed to suffer. Not for days. Not for years. But for lifetimes.