I skidded my way down from the fighting ring, blade drawn and tip squealing as I dug it into the side of the boulder. The wooden bridge – the only way off the rock – had been obliterated by a stray meteor so I had to find a quicker way down. Lucky my sword was made of the strongest steel imaginable.

Hitting the ground running, I scanned the crowds of screaming people. Two energy signatures flared to life; had to be two of the Sins. I opted for the closer one, which felt like it was on the opposite side of town.

Vaizel was in turmoil. Everyone was running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Buildings crumbled and sagged; crater holes marred the land. The wounded were assisted by the healthy as they were directed out of town by authority figures and even a few of the fighters from the ring. Taizo ran past with children on his shoulder.

"Mummy!" wailed a thin voice. Two children sat in the middle of the road, holding each other. They looked no older than eight. I'd regret it if I didn't help them. I sheathed my blade.

Without a word to them, I scooped them up, one under each arm, and continued my run. They started screaming but I think their fear of what happened around them overrode their fear of me because they clutched my arms and clothing with vice-like grips.

A Holy Knight with sandy blonde hair and a hole in his shirt was directing citizens out of town, along with an short, old man in green. I faintly remembered the Holy Knight from Liones but not his name.

"Hey!" I called out before passing the children to him. "Make sure these two get out of town. They're looking for their mother too so keep an eye out."

"Sure," he said, taking the children. Then he gave me a once over. "Are you another Holy Knight from Liones?"

"Estra," I replied. "You?"

"Howzer."

Oh... Yeah, I still didn't remember.

"Keep funnelling the citizens out of town," I said, the pulse of the energy signature working its way through my bones. "I'll see what help I can offer over the other side." I was off before he could reply.

"...my hatred for you has brought me to a new level of strength."

I rounded the corner to see Jericho with Ban underfoot, a smear of blood on her thumb running over her lips lip lipstick.

"You're the one who made a woman of me. You will take responsibility," Jericho uttered then looked up. She saw me standing there and her eyes narrowed. "And don't you always seem to show up at the right time?"

The audacity of this girl to be condescending and arrogant in the middle of a battle against one of the strongest knights in Liones.

"I came to see if you needed assistance," I replied curtly. Better to play at being nice in this situation or Jericho would go chirping into Guila's ear about any supposed insubordination.

Jericho grounded her heel into Ban, eliciting a choking cough of blood. Her eyes held mine though and her lip was curled up in a sneer. "Like I'd need help from you. What was your job again in this mission? I can't quite remember."

I inhaled through my nose and dug my nails into my palms. Don't kill her, don't kill her. "Helbram has me on surveillance."

Jericho tsked and cocked her head to the side. "Aw, that's too bad. Now be a good dog and do what he says. You might be Hendrickson's little pet, Estra, but you're-"

Ban appeared behind her. His thick arms wrapped Jericho in a chokehold and held her steady. I drew my blade and advanced forward. He sent me a look and I stilled, poised, alert and ready. Jericho raised her blade then jabbed backwards, embedding it into his stomach. He didn't flinch and only drew his arms tighter around Jericho's throat. Her nostrils flared but she kept her mouth shut.

"Let her go," I commanded.

"Am I correct in assuming you're Estra?" he asked. His posture was bored but his voice was laced with an undercurrent of hardness. He must have loosened his hold slightly because Jericho wasn't in any extra distress.

"So what if I am?" These people were so insistent with asking my name.

"Oh, so you're the one the others keep yapping about. Estra the Fox Greed, Estra's one of the original sins, Estra's suddenly gone missing. Meliodas, Diane, the princess and piggy have been searching for you, you know?" Crimson eyes locked onto me but mine were on Jericho, who's own eyes had begun to widen.

I could almost see the gears turning in her head with each word he said. Helpless and angered, I said, "I'm not fucking one of you!" Then my left hand came out, fingers clawed. "Thief!"

Ban recoiled, confusion written on his face. His arms slackened. Euphoria crashed over me and my restraint dissolved – his strength was incredible and I sucked it out of him as fast as I could. Jericho bobbed down and out of his arms, spun and sent a roadhouse kick to his face. He flew into a building.

She rounded on, blade pointed in my direction. "You're one of them?"

There was a dull pounding in my head but I chalked it up to the surging power coming from the Sin. It seemed never ending which meant I could get as much as I want. His words frightened me because they mirrored that damn pig's.

"Save it for later," I snapped back. I shoved away the tiny part of me concerned with his statement and drew forward the agony the Seven Deadly Sins had caused me, the hatred that burned in my heart. My parents' faces flashed in mind and my grip tightened on my blade. "His words hold no merit."

"Don't make me laugh." She looked down her nose at me. "Before Hendrickson claimed you, you were a nobody no one had even heard of. You could have easily been a conspirator with the seven deadly sins' travelling circus. Perhaps you're a spy for them."

I knocked her blade out of my personal space with the flat of mine. "As much as I loathe you and your foul mouthed accusations, we don't have time for our own spar. Unlike you, I'm going to do my job."

Then I kicked out to the side, my boot colliding with Ban's face. While Jericho's attention had been on me, mine had been on Ban's. Having Thief still connected to him helped too so I knew when he'd come in for an attack.

I must have kicked a lot harder than I thought. That or I'd absorbed way much more power than I'd realised. His face squashed in and when he fell to the ground, he was dead. Well, as much as an undead man could get. I grabbed him by the arm and threw him as far as I could. He sailed on through the sky. Hopefully he landed where I'd aimed. Guila and Meliodas were fighting in that general direction.

My heart thundered against my ribcage, so hard it hurt. My muscles strained under my skin, tight and stiff. With a flick of my hand, I cancelled Thief. Ban's power oozed out into the air around me. The euphoria that had soaked my bones and dispelled my aches went out with a breath. Man, I'd never drained a man with such strength before. Guess I had limits to what I could store in my body.

"Let's go then. The faster we do this, the faster we can get out of here," I said to Jericho and for once, she nodded her head in agreement. We ran after our undead corpse to find Guila standing above both him and Meliodas.

"Well done, you two," Guila appraised. "Oh, what happened to your lips, Jericho?"

Jericho laughed. "He didn't make it passed my warmup exercises."

"No, he just managed to turn you in for an early halftime." Jericho glared at me. I folded my arms over my chest and grinned. "I had to sub in."

"Never mind," Guila said, putting a stop to an inevitable bickering. "Disposing of the Seven Deadly Sins is no more than a side objective for us. Moreover, the enemy who needs the most caution is still at large."

"Hey, Captain!" King floated into view. Guila and Jericho readied themselves. "Looks like everyone's been evacuated."

"You're ordered to stay back, Estra," Guila said then leapt into action, delivering a barrage of explosive orbs into a stunned King.

A chain reaction ensured. I bit my lip. Hard. Seething with rage, I held my ground while Jericho went in for the attack, an unconcerned King surrounded by a swirling mass of little blades. She was knocked to the ground in an instant.

I could prove myself time and time again but it would always end the same way. No recognition, no reward. No acceptance. I planted my sword in the ground just as Jericho was bashed back to earth by a spear.

No matter. I didn't need to be accepted by the others to fight. And besides, if they were out cold, I didn't have to obey anyone. Guila sent off another fireball and King snapped his fingers, his spear changing to blades and attacking her.

Now!

"Enflame!" Fire curled around my fist and with a roar, I punched at King. A resounding explosion rocked the air.

"What the?" King coughed, covered in smoke. Before him was a green bear with a yellow nose. My blast had knocked some stuffing out of him. "Who the hell are you?"

Flames encircled my arm again and I sent another 'Enflame' at him. I had to get him on the ground. If he was in the air, I was at a disadvantage.

King's guardian blocked the attack again with one fist then faster than I could keep up, he dropped in front of me and punched me square in the gut with the other.

I gagged, blood erupting out over my lips. Crack! went my ribs and I crumbled to the ground at the guardian's feet. It raised both hands up overhead for a final attack. I curled my feet underneath me, prepared to meet the downward stroke with a headbutt to the chin.

"Wait!" That voice! "Don't hurt her King! That's Estra!" the pink pig yelled.

That was all the distraction I needed. I sent my head into the guardian. It stumbled back. I grabbed my sword, fighting past the screaming agony of my ribs. Gritting my teeth, I leapt into the air and delivered a slash at King.

A/N: I don't actually hate Jericho. I just really hated her while she was under the influence of demon blood. And that was back when this novel was a Ban x reader idea. A lot of those old connotations that Estra had still exist. Hating Jericho is one of them. 

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I spent a long time writing out the storyline schematics for the coming chapters so stick around because they should all be coming out sooner or later (I'm trying to get the book done before the Wattys arrive). I love when you leave comments so don't be shy, write me something. I'll take criticism as well!