"W-what is that sword?!" Lunar commented with noticeable fear in her voice. Meliodas immediately dashed in towards Hardner. Lunar's eyes widened with shock as she couldn't react to the sudden increase in Meliodas' speed.
Hardner barely took a step back as Meliodas raised Sacrifar up and prepared to swing down.
"You're wide open!" Lunar shouted as she dashed in at Meliodas' left side with her dagger.
"Lunar NO!" Hardner yelled, but it was too late. Lunar's eyes widened as she coughed up a large amount of blood, Sticking out of Meliodas' side was a tendril of darkness that impaled her through the stomach.
"You bastard!" Hardner yelled as Meliodas swung down at him, Hardner's body being split in half diagonally. Behind him, the ship's barrier shattered completely as the entire front part of the ship behind Hardner separated from the rest of the hull.
"Belnika! Take Lunar and get out of here!" Hardner shouted as his split body mended back together. Belnika nodded nervously as she ran towards Lunar. Meliodas raised his right hand holding Neo Mel Force up next to him.
"Enchant: Hellblaze!"
With Neo Mel Force clad in black flames, he slashed downward across Hardner. Hardner's eyes widened as blood gushed from his wound. 'Something's wrong...what is this unbearably searing pain?!'
Hardner fell to the ground, blood continuing to form underneath him in a pool. As Belnika was healing Lunar, she glanced over at Hardner after managing to close Lunar's wound and her eyes turned wide with horror.
'Hardner's not healing?! Why?!'
Meliodas suddenly appeared behind Belnika. Before she had time to react, he slammed the hilt of Neo Mel Force onto the back of her head. Belnika's eyes rolled to the back of her head as she fell forward, collapsing onto the deck.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash as the floating ship had fallen back into the water. Walls of water arose from each side of the ship, swamping the deck as water filled the massive hole caused by the front portion of the ship being destroyed.
'D-damn it!' Hardner grunted as he looked up at his crew. Belnika and Lunar were both unconscious with Meliodas standing over them. At the other side of the deck was Requin who was still restrained by the strange veil of darkness. Meliodas glanced at Hardner, his eyes cold and ruthless. The cold feeling Hardner felt from losing blood turned into a shiver that went down his spine as he looked at Meliodas.
His vision fading, slowly blacking out, he watched as Meliodas walked towards him and the ship began to sink.
'This is really the end of Blue Guardians huh…'
---
"Whew! I'm exhausted!" Meliodas commented, his body drenched in water as he sat on a beach nearby Hargeon Port. He leaned back until he was laying down on the sand and turned his head to the right.
"Why…" Hardner mumbled as he lay sprawled out on the ground. He felt the searing pain of his wound that Meliodas had inflicted. Around the area, Meliodas has wrapped a bandage, stopping the bleeding, yet Hardner's magic still wouldn't close it fully. Hardner looked around and saw Lunar, Belnika, and Requin, all unconscious and breathing.
"Why did you spare us…" Hardner questioned. "You could have easily killed us all, yet you left us alive and even brought us to shore when we could have drowned."
"Oh. Well I felt like you guys could have done something better with your lives. Even though you guys were scum, I couldn't overlook the bond you guys shared with each other, at least compared to those other six guards anyway." Meliodas responded. "Atone for what you've done. I'm not letting you guys get off free with death."
"Hmm...I suppose that's better than dying." Hardner responded. "What is it that I must do then?"
"How about starting with helping those boats coming from Hargeon Port." Meliodas said.
"I guess so…" Hardner replied.
"Meliodas!" Lance's voice called out from a distance. Meliodas jumped up from his position and looked from the direction he heard the voice. There he saw Lance waving and running down the beach, with Captain Seadog and a few other sailors right behind him.
"I'm glad you're alright Meliodas!" Lance shouted enthusiastically as he got closer. "We saw the ship collapse from Hargeon and tried to find where you could have floated off to and-" Lance froze as he saw the bodies that were next to Meliodas.
"T-that's, B-blue Guardians! They're alive?!" Lance shouted.
"Huh? So those are the bastards who have been terrorizing us?" Captain Seadog questioned.
"Look at them all weak on the ground!" One of the sailors shouted out angrily.
"Let's kick their asses!" Another sailor responded. The group of sailors began to make their way towards the four Blue Guardians members on the beach.
"W-wait…" Hardner grunted. "I'm their leader. Don't take out your anger on them. Take it out on me…"
The sailors looked at each other and paused for a bit. They gathered around Hardner and began kicking and stomping him as he was on the ground. Meliodas watched silently as Hardner in his weakened state didn't resist.
'Even in that state, he still has magic. But he's not healing himself and letting himself get beat up.' Meliodas noted.
"Well, well, well. I think that's enough." Meliodas commented a few moments later as he walked up to the angry sailors. The sailors paused what they were doing and looked at Meliodas.
"Like hell it is! We'll make this guy pay!" One of the sailors retorted.
"He will pay." Meliodas responded. "By helping you guys out."
"WHAT?!" Captain Seadog, and the sailors all exclaimed simultaneously.
"So that's why you left them alive?" Lance questioned. Meliodas nodded his head.
"You have my word. I will give up my ways of being a pirate. As of now, the Blue Guardians Dark Guild is disbanded." Hardner said. "Those who are left of our guild will devote the rest of our lives to helping you all at Hargeon."
"Well I guess things worked out in the end." Lance commented.
"Oh yeah that reminds me!" Meliodas interjected. "You remember stealing a sapphire necklace?"
"You must mean this one." Hardner said as he adjusted himself and pointed to the one around his neck. "It caught my eye as it was an exquisite blue color, quite fitting for the Blue Guardians."
"I'll be taking that to the rightful owner then." Meliodas responded. Hardner nodded in response and handed the necklace over to Meliodas.
"Hey Captain Seadog!" Meliodas shouted. "I say this is the perfect time for a drink!"
---
The group returned back to the port where they relaxed at the Flying Fish Tavern. The cheers of the sailors filled the tavern along as they engorged themselves in alcohol.
"Yo, Duke!" Meliodas greeted. Duke turned away from the other sailors and looked at Meliodas. His eyes immediately lit up as he saw the necklace in Meliodas' hands.
"T-that's...my necklace!" Duke exclaimed, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. Meliodas nodded and handed him the necklace. Duke fell to his knees as he held the necklace tightly to his chest for a few moments. He quickly stood back up and wiped the tears from his eyes.
"Here I got something for you." Duke said. "It's at my house so I'll run there and be back in a few minutes."
"Sure thing!" Meliodas responded. As Meliodas watched Duke leave the tavern, he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"It's been fun Meliodas, but I gotta go back and check on Goodwin!" Lance said.
"Actually, wait there!" Meliodas responded. "I know someone who can help him!"
Meliodas turned his attention to a silent corner of the tavern. The four remaining members of Blue Guardians sat awkwardly at their own table with untouched mugs of ale in front of them. Hardner turned his head as he noticed Meliodas approaching them.
"Is this...really right?" Hardner asked.
"Sure." Meliodas responded. "Also, you think I could borrow Belnika? A friend of mine that you guys hurt needs healing."
"Of course." Belnika said as she stood up. Meliodas gestured over to Lance, prompting Belnika to go over. Meliodas took a seat where she was once sitting and looked at the other group members. There was an awkward silence and tension between them for several moments.
"Are you really just going to let us do what we want here as long as we're helping Hargeon?" Requin asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah!" Meliodas said with a warm smile. "Although...if you guys act up again, there won't be any second chances." Meliodas said coldly.
"Understood." Hardner responded. "And I have a question for you, but you don't have to answer. Your techniques are able to counter and nullify all of our own. In my years sailing the seas, I've never once ran into someone with your "magic" if I can even call it that. I get the feeling you're not human are you?"
Meliodas returned a cheeky grin to Hardner as he got up from his seat. Hardner smiled back but his expression quickly turned serious.
"By the way." Hardner added. "I don't know if this ever will apply to you, but don't sail the waters between Guiltina and Alakatasia. There's things lurking in there that not even you could handle. They've only appeared recently and that's the reason why our group moved here."
"Noted." Meliodas said with a grin before walking away.
Meliodas approached Captain Seadog who was dancing with a group of sailors, their arms locked and all holding mugs of ale.
"Ah there you are Meliodas!" Seadog exclaimed. "What can I help you with?"
"My reward." Meliodas replied.
"Of course! I've already wired the money to your account!" Seadog said gleefully. "Also!"
Seadog separated from the sailors briefly as he walked over to a corner of the tavern. He leaned over behind a table and picked up a massive box. On the box was the word "Troubadour."
"A little something for your travels too!" Seadog added. "And if you ever need to use a boat, feel free to give me a call!"
"I'll keep that in mind! Thanks a lot!" Meliodas responded happily as he took the large box from Seadog. The box suddenly began to glow before disappearing into Meliodas' requip inventory. Meliodas bid the sailors inside farewell and walked out of the tavern.
"Meliodas!" Duke's voice called out from down the street. Meliodas turned his head and saw Duke running full speed towards him. Duke stopped in front of Meliodas, heavily panting as Meliodas waited patiently for him to catch his breath.
"Here!" Duke said as he handed Meliodas a lacrima. Meliodas looked at the lacrima curiously in his hands. It had a black color to it and was dense with magic.
"I found this a couple of weeks ago. I'm not a mage so I can't use it. But I had it appraised and I was told it contains an extremely potent gravity magic. You'll make better use of it than me."
"Thanks!" Meliodas responded with a smile. 'Gravity Magic? I wonder what I could use this for?'