Morning came, and the two readers of the Claire Bible glared at each other with bloodshot eyes.
"We stayed up the whole night - " Zelgadis growled.
" - For a bunch of spells we can't even use?!" Lina finished.
Indeed, the two most intelligent members of the Slayers had found nothing of use in the Claire Bible manuscript. All the ancient document contained was information about a kind of magic that was disbanded with Nightmare. To their credit, they now knew the history of Runic magic, a chaotic variation on Nightmare and Shamanism powers. Unfortunately, Runic magic required a set of Runestones, and the manuscript didn't give them any information on how to make one. All other sets had disappeared into history without a trace.
"As promised, here are the scrolls with the recipes." He shoved said artifacts into her hands, and ushered her out the door. "Now go away and let me sleep."
"Sheesh." Lina muttered, rubbing her eyes as the door slammed in her face. "Cranky."
Sometime before dinner, after Lina and Zelgadis slept off their exhaustion and Gourry was fried for 'wondering' where the red-head was, the city was attacked. This in itself was nothing new, but for an entire metropolis to be ravaged by three people... well, even Lina was impressed.
"And here I thought we did a good job of property destruction ourselves." Zelgadis muttered sarcastically as he, Lina, and Gourry faced the three intruders. Lina's aura flared around her at his comment.
"Shut up and help, Zel!" She snapped. "FLARE ARROW!" Her opponent, a man in a forest-green outfit with short blond hair and dusty red eyes, rolled aside.
"DISFANG!" He countered. Before Lina could cast Lighting, the shadowy dragon had buried it's fangs deep into her shadow's right shoulder. Blood spouted from the wound, even as the words to Fireball died on her lips. The dark serpent moved to rip apart her other arm, thereby disabling her, but was struck down by the blinding flash created by Zelgadis' condensed Lighting.
Gourry locked swords with a woman who was almost as tall as him. Her long ebony hair and scarlet eyes were complimented by her crimson garb. She smiled ruthlessly as she attacked, giving neither openings nor pauses in her onslaught.
"You're pretty good." Gourry grunted, striving to break free.
"Die!" She snarled, pressing harder.
"No way!" The blonde huffed. "Hate to do this, but..." He twisted out of the stalemate, spinning to bring down his blade, but was met by her sword. There wasn't a chance that any normal human could have righted their balance so quickly and still been able to block.
She managed to graze his side while he pondered this, not taking him out, but thoroughly slowing him down.
Zelgadis was also having difficulties with his opponent, who happened to be a squat, brown-haired man with red eyes and black clothes.
"BALUS ROD!" The ruby-eyed aggressor cried, the whip created by this spell lashing out at Zelgadis and slashing his arms and face. The chimera yelled in pain, frantically trying to gather the power to retaliate or defend. A well placed blow to the head sent him reeling, and blinded him with his own blood temporarily. This distraction gave the short man an opportunity to attack with;
"DARK CLAW!"
Unable to see correctly, all Zel could was curl up as tightly as the blurs shot towards him.
"Zel!" Lina screamed.
"GUUMUEON!" He roared at the last minute, a mystic shield slamming up to intercept the insect-like spell. In the center of the barrier, a golden vertical line flared up and caught the offensive spell.
"Isa!" The little man growled, stepping back, and cringing as the Dark Claw was components fell to the ground and dissipated.
"What?" The chimera's eyes glittered dangerously as he advanced on his challenger. Attack after attack assaulted the wall, but each was frozen in place by the aureate glow.
"Isa..."
"What is Isa?!" Zelgadis caught the sorcerer by the collar, lifting him to his eye level.
"HELL BLAST!" The spear froze as it struck the blockade, clattering to the floor uselessly.
"What is Isa?!" His voice was now almost as cold as his infinitely glacial eyes.
The stout man wouldn't answer; he spat in Zelgadis' face.
For a long, silent moment, no one moved. All life came to a halt to see what the blue-skinned would do next. Lina sensed the power Zelgadis was radiating, and apparently so did the others. The stocky mage in the chimera's grasp started to squirm, then struggled to escape as if his life depended on it.
Noticed only by the captive, a golden line shot vertically across Zel's violent cerulean eyes.
"VICE FREEZE." His lips barely moved as he passed judgement, turning his prisoner to ice and then shattering him with a flick of the wrist. Shards of ice fell to the ground like a million tiny crystals.