"Sylphiel, you can't sense anything at all?" Lina asked, exasperated. It felt like they had been wandering in circles for hours, though it probably was only one hour. Everything looked the same in there.
"No. It all feels the same," frowned the priestess, opening her eyes after concentrating. Theoretically, she should have been able to sense where either Amelia or Gourry even if the entire building was made from Fibrizo. Of course, in that case, it was likely that he could block all divining attempts. "This place, is probably like the city..."
"Wow, I'm walking inside Fibrizo's innards," Lina muttered sarcastically. She kicked the wall, dimly hoping somewhere Fibrizo just got a punt in the rear, or at least a Mazoku's version of indigestion.
"Have you tried a compass?"
Lina silently held out the device whose needle was spinning like crazy. "Don't ask me how he's doing it. Looks like all methods of figuring out a direction are useless in here. Does he want us to keep walking until we die of old age?"
"We did walk into here willingly," Sylphiel reminded as Lina began walking in a random direction that they hopefully haven't gone down before. "To save everyone remember?"
"Yes. They're going to owe me big time for this."
Sylphiel winced. "You're still talking like that, Lina-san. Perhaps you should be more honest with yourself? Do you understand why Hellmaster took Gourry-sama, Amelia-san, and Zelgadiss-san?"
"I am being myself," Lina snorted. "He took them because he wanted to lure me in. Amelia especially because she was dying. Gourry was just for his Sword of Light, or Gorun Nova as all the Mazoku keep calling it. I really need to ask Hellmaster about that later. And then Zel... well, he said it himself, for Zel's power."
"But why? You've killed people in the past. Why does it matter if Amelia-san dies?"
"What do you 'what does it matter'??" Lina yelled, snapping her head around at the usually gentle priestess. "Contrary to the rumor mill, I am not some heartless demon that lives on destruction! You should know that, Sylphiel! What's gotten into you?"
Sylphiel only looked seriously at Lina, sorrow touching her green eyes as she stood silently before Lina's fury. "So why do you want to rescue her? Out of guilt? Out of pride? Out of greed? Or perhaps, because you care for her despite everything you say?"
"If you know the answer than why bother asking?" Lina grumbled gruffly, storming down the hall. This time though, Sylphiel had no trouble keeping up with her.
"And what about Gourry-sama? Are you still only after his sword?"
"Hey, you're the one who likes him. Let's just say you're here for him, and I'm helping you out since we both know there's no way you can beat Fibrizo. And why are you asking these kinds of question all of a sudden?"
"What reason do you have for rescuing Zelgadiss-san?"
Lina choked.
"He's been cold, rude, secretive, and he nearly killed Gourry-sama. He isn't even the same person anymore it seems. Why are you always so concerned for him?"
"Be-Because...I want to beat the crap out of him!" Lina said hotly.
"Is that really what you want? Lina-san." Sylphiel lay a hand on the younger sorceress's shoulder. "Answer yourself, if not to me, truthfully. I'm sure that your feelings toward him aren't as violent or negative as that."
"Just what are you getting at?"
"Before, you said that Hellmaster must have a reason for not taking you directly to Sairaag when he had the opportunity. I've been thinking about that, and about why he wanted you."
"Really." Lina's voice was dead and her eyes turned away.
"He's using your emotions against you, Lina-san. The Mazoku feed on negative emotions do they not? The more you fall into anger and fear, the farther you fall into Hellmaster's plan. When you become angry or fearful, you become less careful. He may use everyone, myself included, against you to force you to cast the Giga Slave."
"I'll keep that in mind," Lina said roughly, brushing away Sylphiel's hand. That would be Hellmaster's plan. But what else could they do but go on?
"And the game continues," Fibrizo murmured, turning his attention away from the two women. A few more twists and turns and Lina Inverse should be annoyed just enough to be ready to start the first round.
A crackle of energy and a wave of frustration brought a smile to his lips. With less than a thought, he appeared before the crystal prison of his special guest. There were less shadows than usual and the mongrel appeared not as unfocused as usual.
"You really don't know when to give up do you?"
The reply came out in some garbled language but with such venom that Hellmaster was sure it wasn't anything to be said in polite company. Yes, there were definitely less shadows with less substance. Perhaps their control over the mongrel wasn't as strong as they tried to get him to believe. Either they were very weak, the mongrel was very strong, or both.
"What do you really want? Your freedom? Revenge?"
Everything.
"Not asking for much are you? Unfortunately, my current plans call for nothing. Opposing goals can hardly lead to amicable relations." Fibrizo's mind went over the hundreds of possibilities in which he could use them and their blind desires. "What to do with such naughty children? She wouldn't look favorable on me if I aided you in anyway."
Sniveling coward.
"Compliments won't get you anywhere. I was wondering. Why did you use this particular mongrel? True the world isn't overflowing with the half-breeds and not all of them know about Lina Inverse, but I'll assume you already knew about her before digging your claws in him. Why hasn't he burned up from all of that power you three are running through him?"
Wouldn't you like to know.
"Yes, seeing as there isn't much else to do than talk to you while I wait for Lina Inverse to make her way down here. You don't have much else to do either, other than take more pot shots at the prison."
...he was the only one.
"Only one what? Son of a Mazoku Lord?" Fibrizo asked skeptically. There never had been any interest in seeing whether mongrels with powerful parents would also be a degree more powerful than other ones. Still, that would not explain the ease in which these shadows used Nightmare energy through their host.
The shadows chortled. Just as you can't sense us, you can't sense him. It would be useless to explain it to you.
"Thank you for your vagueness. I'm sure you have your entire audience confused," Fibrizo said sharply, not liking the shadows' amusement. Keeping his displeasure hidden, Hellmaster studied his prisoner, seeking some weakness to exploit. From their own words, he deduced that they were imprisoned and probably only a tendril of their power and mind was able to roam the world to control their pawn. The power was limited, either by their own prison or by the limits of the body they possessed. He needed to lure the shadows into talking too much again.
"Lina Inverse, that key you keep talking about it, is here. In my little home away from home."
The shadows froze and their host seemed to register Fibrizo's voice. Interesting. Could it be that the shadows did not have complete control over the mongrel as Fibrizo had assumed? He could use that.
"Seems that between her and her priestess friend, they've figured out what my plan is. Not that it matters. Confused emotions are good for manipulation, yet hidden ones work just as well. I wonder how that Lina Inverse is going to prepare herself to face me. After all, she does have to come down here to get to you." Fibrizo noted with glee when the mongrel's eyes lost their glazed look and the golden hue. The shadows were less pleased and seeped further in to reassert their control. "It sounded like she was really angry at you but...she did ask where you were. 'Zel' isn't it? A term of endearment perhaps? A pet name?"
Hellmaster received no answer, as the possessors and the possessed were no longer paying any attention to him. Oh well, to everyone their own pleasure. He may need to keep a better eye on Lina Inverse after she frees her first friend which should be right about...
"Finally! Something other than hallways as far as the eye can see." Lina dashed down the staircase, the first they had found. Of course, Fibrizo had said they would need to go down to find him. Still, seeing how big the temple was on the outside, why would Hellmaster need to build down?
"Lina-san! Over there!" Sylphiel pointed as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Floating in the middle of the room was Amelia encased in blue crystal, just as Lina last saw her. It was the first time for Sylphiel though. "Is she..."
"I don't know," Lina admitted, her eyes scanning the room for traps or threats. "Fibrizo said the crystal would keep her alive but she'd still die slowly. I hope we came in time. Where the hell is that champion we're supposed to defeat? On a lunchbreak?"
"Who dares to challenge the Star of Justice!"
Lina and Sylphiel fell back as the chamber became filled with light. The blinding brightness coalesced into a many-pointed star that floated protectively before Amelia. It hovered there, appearing to study the two intruders as if it had eyes to do so. But then, justice is blind.
"Star of Justice?" Sylphiel whispered to Lina. "That doesn't sound like something Hellmaster, or any Mazoku, would make."
"Maybe it's something he drew from Amelia's mind?" shrugged Lina. "I think it's somewhat scary anyway, blind justice and all that. Maybe he's looking for some irony. Defeating justice to save Amelia?"
"Talking about me behind my back! That is not just!" Several lances of light shot forth from the star, forcing Lina and Sylphiel to dodge to opposites of the room.
"It might be impolite but I hardly think it's unjust," Lina muttered, wishing she had something to block out the bright star thing. "Besides, we weren't even talking behind your back. And you can't go around being judge and executioner - "
"Contempt of court!" Something resembling a gavel made of light appeared above Lina and tried to hammer her down. "You have the right to remain silent, I recommend you use it."
"I'll refuse the right," Lina snapped, pulling her hands back for a spell. If this thing was made out of light, then let's see how it went against darkness. "Blast Ash!"
The darkness from her hands flew toward the star who didn't move. Instead of being consumed by the Black Magic, the star remained still as the spell struck a magical shield and split off. One of those splits went straight for Sylphiel. Lina winced as the spell struck the other side of the room, relieved when she saw Sylphiel crawling out of the smoke.
"Sorry about that."
"Attacking your own friends is not just!" The Star of Justice fired another shot at Lina.
"I am getting really sick and tired of your justice garbage!" Lina blocked it and gave back the same. The spell splattered against the star's shield. Lina and Sylphiel ducked the wildly flying spell energies. "Besides which, it's your shield that's sending around the magic grenades."
"You must learn to take responsibility for your actions!" lectured the Star of Justice, returning to the center of the room.
"Can't use any real big spells because I might hit Amelia, its shield deflects any other spell, and it won't stop lecturing about justice this and justice that," Lina grumbled. "Any ideas, Sylphiel?"
"If it's patterned after Amelia's idea of justice, perhaps it can be reasoned with? Or maybe the key is to not fight it."
"Not fight?! It attacked first!" Lina pointed at the star.
"Pointing is impolite!"
Lina was slightly toasted by a miniature lightning bolt.
"I suppose the punishment depends on the size of the perceived crime."
"Okay, that star thingy is going down!" Lina growled, rolling back imaginary sleeves. "I don't have time to waste around here. I'm taking Amelia back and that's final! Flare Bit!"
"Justice cannot be clouded with indecision!" proclaimed the star, ignoring the dark clouds of smoke exploding around it from each of Lina's blasts.
"Then take this!" Lina suddenly rose up behind the star, having used the smokescreen to sneak up to the star. She balled up her fist and punched the star for all her worth.
The star exploded.
When Sylphiel was able to see again after the explosion and smoke, she saw Amelia laying on the ground and Lina cradling a severely burned hand. There were several more burns up her arm and on her face. "What happened?"
"Well, magical attacks didn't work so I figured to give physical ones a try." Lina grimaced, resolutely not looking at the burnt flesh of her right hand. "Felt like shoving my hand through a fire but it worked. Painful as it is. Better check on Amelia first."
Sylphiel nodded and moved over to Amelia who began to stir. The princess slowly got up, as if waking from a deep sleep. The mortal wound was now only a scar on her fair skin, visible through the tear in her tunic.
"How...Sylphiel-san, did you heal me?"
Lina and Sylphiel stared at the scar.
"I never got to finish the healing..."
"Hellmaster couldn't have done this," Lina murmured. She looked to Sylphiel for agreement but the priestess was as puzzled as she was.
"Where is this?" Amelia asked, taking in the surroundings for the first time.
"Fibrizo's temple in Sairaag. I'll explain later. We've got to find Gourry first and then go on to Hellmaster," Lina said grimly as Sylphiel cast the spell to weave the blackened flesh whole again.
Amelia blinked.
Zelas grinded her teeth. She really didn't need to be here. In fact, she shouldn't have taken a step out of Wolf Pack Island. For Ruby Eye's sake, she could have pulled in a favor with Dynast and have him do it. Besides being closer, he didn't have a conflict of interest.
Of course, Grausherra wasn't the one feeling the insistent urge to come here and confront the Emperor of the North Republic. She was Zelas Metallium, the Greater Beast and direct servant of the Demon King Ruby Eye Shabranigdo. What, other than the need to destroy the world, did a Mazoku ever have to do? This was ridiculous. But at least it was something easily taken care of. With a flick of her wrist, she sealed all of the windows and doors. There weren't going to be an unexpected interruptions to this discussion. Taking a deep breath, Zelas shifted into the office of the Emperor right below her. If it was just some insignificant human then she'd scare him and leave. If he was who she feared, well...
"Good day, Emperor," she purred, sauntering up to the desk, a strap of her white sundress slipping off her shoulder.
"Who??" stammered the Emperor, slipping off the very smooth lining of his chair in surprise. There wasn't supposed to be anyone in there. A flurry of flying papers marked his crash onto the carpet.
Alright, the man she knew would have never acted like that. In fact, he would have even expected her. Zelas never figured out how he always knew where she was. It was only after she married him that she finally admitted that he wasn't a normal human but he was definitely mortal. She saw him die.
Of course, she also thought her son had died. But he was alive, for now at least, but not in any stable state of mind. It wasn't through any action on Hellmaster's part, nor any other Mazoku. If it was because of the man before her, husband or not, he was going to pay dearly.
"I have some business with you. Obey me and you may live through it." Zelas narrowly watched the human, terribly familiar human, recover from his initial shock. He looked rather disheveled and confused.
"Could I take the option of cowering, then run screaming for the doorway?" he asked hesitantly, trying to gather the scattered papers again. "I hope I didn't lose any, or I'll never get all the papers through for the dissolution."
Alright, this wasn't her dead husband. He was never this much of a simpering coward. But that meant he was going to answer to using her son for whatever game it is humans like to play with each other.
"You don't know me?" Zelas asked pleasantly, grabbing the human by his tailored silk shirt.
"Er, no?" He began to stammer at Zelas's glower. "Um, one of those concubines the courtiers are always pushing on me?"
"Have a seat, your imperial highness." Zelas dropped the human back in his chair. There was no faking that fear, a delicious taste she never got from her husband. Damn, this would be so much easier if this Emperor didn't look exactly like him! "I believe you have listed as the Imperial Prince a certain Zelgadiss Graywords."
"Well, yes. He is my son."
"Really," Zelas snarled. How was her son tricked by this charlatan? "I suppose then you claim to be his father."
"My dear er, lady, what else would I be?" The Emperor nervously straightened his velvet overcoat. "You don't make just anyone an Imperial Prince."
"And his mother?"
"Oh, she was just an old crone. Probably even a tramp in her younger days if she ever had any."
As if she was any other female member of the human race, excluding Lina Inverse for various reasons, Zelas reacted predictably to that remark. She slapped the Emperor hard across the face, the kind that leave bright red hand prints for several hours. Of course, being a Mazoku Lord, she had a bit more going into that slap and the Emperor flew into the opposite wall. Ignoring the fact that he could have died from that, the Greater Beast stormed up to the human and hauled him up by the neck.
"What did you do to him?" Zelas growled, her nails growing into claws as her canines lengthened. "What else did you add to him when you undid his chimera transformation?"
"Wh-What..." choked the human.
"Answer!" ordered the Greater Beast, tightening her grip around his throat. "Or you're going to experience first hand how much pain a human can go through before dying."
"Th...that's..." he whimpered.
"Speak up!"
"A...secret," smiled the human thinly as all pain was erased from his features. The claws digging into his skin and drawing blood didn't even bother him. And how did he know that phrase, saying it exactly the way Xelloss did. "Do you mind removing your hand from my neck?"
Zelas bared her teeth in a snarl, feeling her human guise shifting to match her increasingly hostile state of mind. There was no more pain, no more fear radiating from him but he was still only a human to her senses! "What are you!"
"If I told you," smiled the Emperor. "I'd have to kill you."
"The only one dying here will be you." Zelas grabbed his arm with her other hand, feeling the pop of the bone socket as she ripped it out. "Once I've gotten what I've come for."
"Are you done yet?" he asked calmly. Zelas stared at his two arms. The one she pulled was still in her hand. "And no, before you ask, I don't need the first one back. A souvenir perhaps. You always did have gruesome taste."
Damn it, *now* he seemed more like her husband. Zelas tossed the dismembered arm away. But that didn't explain his previous behavior, Zelgadiss's current behavior, or why the hell she felt she had to come here! "Who are you?"
"Look up the royal registry," he answered flippantly. Tapping a finger on the arm connected to the hand that was half-crushing his windpipe, he asked, "About this?"
"Not until you answer my questions." A confused Mazoku was not a (relatively) happy Mazoku. Zelas was only more so because of the conflicting thoughts flying through her head about being a Mazoku and all of these other things that were very unMazoku. "Number one, who are you? Number two, what did you do to Zelgadiss? And number three, what the hell am I do here?"
"I take it this might take awhile. It's a good thing I told the scribes not to return until after the afternoon tea hour."
Zelas blinked, suddenly finding herself seated across a garden table set with tea and cookies from that blasted Emperor. What the hell was this? What the hell was this...this...whatever! Only a Shinzoku could hide itself from her and there was no way a Shinzoku could have crossed the barrier at the time this impostor set up the North Republic. She glared at the light violet haired man.
"Such angry eyes," he noted. Of course, those angry eyes were about hot enough to melt metal. "What are you so angry about?"
"WHAT DO YOU - "
He sipped his tea. "The end of the world is due in at most several hours. The fulfillment of your existence is almost at hand. This should be a joyous time, as joyous as a Mazoku could be that is which isn't very much."
"Don't change the subject. You're the reason I'm here and probably the reason Zelgadiss is out of his mind and in Fibrizo's hands! You are Terim Graywords aren't you!!"
"That's hardly a secret."
Zelas felt her anger almost melt away, that insistent urge embedded in the core of her being silencing in the presence of this...man. He was her vice, that secret of secrets she kept from the world.
"You died," the Mazoku Lord said tightly, her claws digging into the palm of her hands. "I saw you die."
Terim Graywords put down his teacup and leaned back in his chairs. Briefly he closed his eyes. In that silence, Zelas could hear nothing. She had no heartbeat as she wasn't alive despite her appearance. There was no heartbeat from the person before her either.
"Yes," he said finally, looking at her with violet, no gold eyes?! "You did."
"What?!" Zelas stumbled backwards out of her chair, more disturbed by the subtle change she sensed in him than his admission. "You...What the hell are you??"
"I already told you that I can't tell you. You wouldn't want to end up like Deep Sea Dolphin now would you?"
Dolphin? But Dolphin was insane, as nonsensical the idea was for a Mazoku. No one knew how or why it happened.
"I thought it was the secondhand smoke," Zelas muttered.
"That might have helped but the main reason was because she pried a bit too closely into what she shouldn't have. I advise you not to take her path, there's precious little time left as it is."
Something inside Zelas twitched in pain, fear does that to a Mazoku. But she couldn't tell if it was fear of this person that had once been her husband, or for her son and what's happened to him. He must have done something to Zelgadiss, something related to Her.
"Zelgadiss, what did you do to him?" she asked quietly, restraining her anger in a place where the advantage was not hers. She wondered if there even was such a place against someone obviously tied somehow to Her.
"Nothing really," he shrugged, filling up his teacup again. "Undoing the transformation was simple."
"For someone with your power," Zelas muttered. "And you're completely innocent of the possession?"
"Completely. His possessors have know about him for a very long time, since his birth you could say. Naturally, Zelgadiss was previously too young and then later inaccessible because of what Rezo did but..."
"But you let him get possessed by those...those...things?!?" yelled Zelas, the uncomfortable maternal instinct overriding her other common sense. "You knew the danger and you purposely undid the chimera transformation so they could claim him!?!"
"What's wrong with that?" asked the being that used the name Terim Graywords. "It's hastened along the destruction of the world tremendously."
Zelas stared at him. By ruby eyes, she was feeling disgust at the act and worry about her son and she was a trice-cursed Mazoku Lord! What was this creature before her to have absolutely no care whatsoever about the fate of his own son??
"...why?" was all she managed to say.
"Someone has been getting impatient with the Mazoku here. I am here to hurry things along." His distant eyes observed her coldly. "Don't look at me that way. Like you, I'm simply following orders." He stood up. "Perhaps you should return to your island. Your thoughts and loyalties are confused. Such a thing is deadly for a Mazoku is it not?"
"This doesn't end here." Zelas glared at Terim. "I won't let our son be the toy of some - "
"You don't have a choice about that," Terim corrected. "It's all for the destruction of the world. He has his part."
The Greater Beast growled something not fit to be printed.
"Leave now."
"What makes you think you can order me?" Zelas snapped, standing up quickly. "I didn't want to come here in the first place."
"Oh? Then why did you come?"
"I had to. And I don't know why. Perhaps it was you. After all, only Shabranigdo-sama or someone higher can force me to do something," she mocked. "You're as order-bound as the Mazoku once were."
"Were?" Terim arched an eyebrow. "No longer then?"
"If I was, Zelgadiss would never have been born nor would I have ever married you," spat Zelas. "At least when everything ends, I'll know we're more free than you ever were." The Greater Beast vanished, retreating to her place of safety for what little time remained.
That which used the name Terim stood there, the sharp voice of the person that in a previous life had been his wife echoing in his mind. She said she was called here? Currently, he was the only presence capable of doing that but he did not send out any summons. Furthermore, why would he call for her to come? There were no connections between them anymore, just as there were no connections between himself and that which had been his son. Weren't there?
"So you don't remember anything?"
"Not since Gaav..."
"Lina-san," Sylphiel reprimanded. "Amelia-san still needs time to accept that."
"I was just trying to see if she might know anything about this place or Fibrizo," Lina complained. "She has been here for nearly two weeks."
Amelia kept quiet, glad that neither Lina nor Sylphiel pried too closely. She wasn't sure how well she could lie to them. Or if she could tell them the truth. Hellmaster was always on the very edges of her senses, he was probably listening through her. Even if she wasn't bound to obey him, the princess didn't think she could admit to her friends that she was now only a puppet to the foulest of evils.
"Doesn't he have any imagination at all?"
Amelia bumped into Lina who had come to an unannounced stop at the foot of the stairs they were descending. Before them was a room similar to the one they had found Amelia, except maybe ten times bigger in volume. In the center floated a blue crystal piece encasing Gourry and before that, standing feet apart with his blade resting point down on the ground was a knight dressed in black armor with a closed face helm.
"Let me guess," Lina said in a bored voice. "You're the best fighter in the world or some other crap. And you're probably using the Sword of Light."
In silent response, the Dark Knight lifted his sword, leaving the blade implanted in the crystal floor.
"The misfortunes of always being right," Lina sighed. "I don't suppose we can just walk by and leave you to your guarding job?"
"Lina-san!" protested Sylphiel and Amelia.
"You can't just leave Gourry-sama in the hands of that Mazoku!"
"It isn't right for a devoted ally of justice to abandon a friend!" Amelia was surprised she could say that without choking or something. It seems Hellmaster had left her personality intact except for that added bit of utterly loyalty to him. She grimaced.
Lina, not knowing the princess's thoughts, took the grimace as distaste for Lina's suggested course of action. "Last time we fought some weird light overly obsessed with justice. Do you really think we can take on whatever this personification of a fighter is?"
"Is Hellmaster trying to break you with this?"
"The only thing I'm likely to get is tired," Lina retorted.
Amelia kept silent, not wanting to say anything when she could feel Hellmaster's interest in the conversation. She didn't know how much control he had over her and she wasn't too eager to find out either.
"Looks like the only good idea is to beat him in one stroke," Lina frowned, tapping a finger on her chin as she thought. "I can do that."
"Oh no. Lina-san, you wouldn't..." Sylphiel moaned, remembering another time but similar place.
"Wait a moment, a Dragu Slave in an enclosed place like this??" Amelia screamed. "But Gourry-san will - "
"Vice Freeze!"
A sphere of ice appeared in the room briefly before it burst, coating all it touched with a layer of ice. The Dark Knight was trapped up to his chest and Gourry's crystal floated untouched above the ice. The three girls stood just outside the edge of the ice.
"One simple spell," Lina nodded, very satisfied. Then she sneezed. "I hate the cold!"
"You should have thought of that before casting the spell," Amelia grumbled, trying to shiver as much as Sylphiel and Lina were. If she didn't look cold, they would be suspicious. Hellmaster couldn't be too happy about how quick Lina took care of this obstacle no matter how bored he was.
"Why is Gourry-sama still trapped in the crystal?" Sylphiel asked, carefully crossing the ice. "The ice couldn't have kept it from breaking could it?"
"What?" Lina looked up, teeth still chattering, to see the area around the Dark Knight begin to glow. "Sylphiel, look out!"
Sylphiel saw the glow and came to the same conclusion. But stepping backwards, her foot slipped on the slick ice and she fell. That turned out to be a blessing as a beam of light suddenly flew by where her head had been. All of the solid ice was blasted away, showering the three with smaller shards that left many small cuts. The Dark Knight's gaze fell on the nearest victim.
"Damn it," Lina swore, setting a foot onto the ice and promptly slipped and fell on her head. There was dead silence, with the necessary sweatdrops for such an inane action, before an 'Itaaaaai' groan passed Lina's lips.
Amelia quietly panicked. The Dark Knight was too close to Sylphiel and Lina just lost her turn for the round. What could she do? Hellmaster wouldn't let her try to save one of her friends. She didn't even know if she could cast spells now.
Only Black, smirked Fibrizo in her mind. And only when I let you. Go ahead.
The princess chewed on her lip, not sure what Hellmaster wanted with all of this. Why did she have to be his pawn in all of this?
"Heavens smite him! Dynast Brass!"
A golden pentagram appeared beneath the warrior as lightning bolts from nowhere rained into the defined area. But he simply absorbed the bolts into the Sword of Light and threw them back at Amelia.
"Gourry-san has never been able to do that!" she complained, scrambling across the slippery ice.
"Probably because he was too dumb to figure it out," Lina snapped, trying to keep from slipping herself. "If it could absorb spells and boost them, then why can't it throw them right back? Let's see if you can absorb this! Diem Wind!"
The Dark Knight leaped aside to avoid her blast of wind, only to be caught by Sylphiel's spell which Lina's casting had masked. He went flying into the crystal containing Gourry and slammed into a wall, breaking the crystal. Sylphiel fainted.
"Gourry!"
"Gourry-san!" Amelia added half-heartedly. She already knew the truth but she couldn't say it. It was a mercy that Sylphiel had already lost consciousness. Lina was probably out for blood now.
The Dark Knight slowly pulled itself away from the wall. Only to be on the receiving end of several red lances of energy courtesy of Lina. She was seeing red even with the smoke billowing from the explosion of the Rune Flare striking the Dark Knight. And she wasn't through yet.
"Dill..." Lina held the spell, waiting for the Dark Knight to appear again. This was going to take perfect timing. As she anticipated, he burst out of the smoke, dashing across the ice toward her. "BRANDO!!"
Everything in the circular area she selected, Dark Knight, floor, ice, were blasted upwards. Even before he slammed into the crystal ceiling, Lina was already chanting the Chaos Words. On his descent, Sylphiel was just waking up again with Amelia's help, Lina's hands were prepared to accept the power her spell summoned and ready to cleave this Dark Knight in two.
"...by our power, our combined might, let us walk as one along the path of destruction!"
She worried that she would be too far to strike him but the Dark Knight had managed to alter his trajectory toward her. It looked like he was ready to attack her as well. Lina prayed that the Sword of Light wouldn't absorb the Laguna Blade as it did the Giga Slave.
"Laguna Blade!"
The two blades clashed, darkness against light in a maelstrom of energy. Lina struggled to hold the spell even as she tried to keep her footing on the rapidly melting ice. Then something exploded, sending anything not bolted down flying.
Amelia was the first to recover since she didn't have any pain to register. Most of the ice was gone, leaving lots of water. Sylphiel stirred next to her before looking up at the devastation in the room. The place where Lina and the Dark Knight met was a large crater and the floor was marked with scorch marks all around it. Lina and her opponent were only now getting up, each on the opposite side of the hole.
Lina couldn't believe that the Dark Knight was still alive. Sure the Laguna Blade hadn't killed Gaav but this wasn't another partial Mazoku Lord here. The only thing that knight suffered were cracks in his armor. Part of the helmet had cracked as well and the knight tried to pull out some parts that were bothering him. Finally, he just unclasped the helmet's fastenings and pulled it off. A line of blood dripped from a gash across his brow.
Lina stared.
Amelia swallowed.
Sylphiel almost fainted again but managed to keep herself together. All she could say though was a breathless "Gourry-sama..."
"What is going on here!" Lina snarled. "Hellmaster!"
"You called?" asked the sardonic voice.
"Of course I did. What kind of trick are you trying to pull here?!"
"Trick? No trick, Lina Inverse. I told you, find the crystals and defeat the guardians to get back your friends. What's so hard to understand about that?"
"Gourry was supposed to be in the crystal so who the hell is this?" Lina waved a hand at the unmasked Dark Knight, standing at guard, wary eyes keeping all three threats in sight.
"Did I ever say that?"
Lina tried to think of some retort but came up blank.
"Not as much of a genius as you'd like to believe, hm?"
"Shut up," she growled. "I suppose now you want me to kill Gourry to go down further?"
"I was thinking about that buuuuut I'll let you off this time. You did draw first blood and that counts as defeat in some circles. See you soon." A faint black mist left Gourry and he stumbled to his knees.
"Gourry-sama?" Sylphiel called hesitantly. Lina had a spell prepped in case Hellmaster went back on his word. Amelia hung back, wondering what Gourry would say now that he was no longer possessed by Hellmaster.
"...what?" he said tiredly, not looking up.
"Gourry-sama, you're alive," Sylphiel cried, rushing over and throwing her arms around him, sobbing in relief.
"What are you doing?" he asked distantly.
"I thought...I thought I killed you..."
"I almost killed all of you."
"But it wasn't you. It was Hellmaster."
"Using me."
Lina frowned, watching the scene. On one hand, she could understand how Sylphiel felt. On the other, she understood what Gourry felt. And on the third hand, she knew there was still the main bad guy to face, no guesses who, and there was no time for this. Walking up to the defected Gourry, she whacked him a good one over the head.
"Oi, Lina! What was that for?" Gourry scowled.
"For being an idiot! This is no time for soul-searching reflection or heart-felt confessions! Do that after we win!" She shoved the two onto their feet and toward the exit. "Come on, come on. I don't have all day. I haven't had anything to eat for the longest time either! Not that I would eat anything in here, who knows what Fibrizo put in it. Don't stand there like a statue, Amelia, let's go!"
"Uh, hai!"
"Amelia?" Gourry looked back at the princess, his eyes narrowing. There was something wrong but he couldn't remember what.
"Yeah, Amelia. We found her before you. Didn't have half as much trouble though," Lina shrugged. "Now it's just Zel and he's wherever Hellmaster is."
"Oh."
Amelia let out the breath she had been holding even though she didn't need to breathe. Hellmaster must have kept Gourry-san from remembering what he knew before she did back during the days when it was only her, him, and Hellmaster. She never remembered seeing Zelgadiss-san down there with them.
"She's coming."
Something stirred, surrounded by darkness. It had been sleeping for a long time. Sleeping? Or hiding? It didn't know. It couldn't remember very well. Where was it? What was it? Why was it asking these questions? Too much trouble, too much headache. Sleeping, or hiding, or whatever it was doing was better.
"She'll be here soon."
She who? Who was talking and disturbing it? It didn't like begin disturbed. It wanted to go back, back to the warmth. It didn't like this, where the voice was, where it was cold. There was something, somethings out there and they didn't like him. Fine. It didn't like them either.
"You can't keep me from talking. I'll say all I want. Afraid I'll wake your precious host up?"
...
Another voice, annoying as the first but not as clear. Host? What was that? Was that it? It was already awake, thank you very much. It was annoyed as well because it didn't want to wake up, not here where it was cold, where no one wanted it.
"He's stirring again. How hard can it be to put down a measly mongrel? If you want I could help you."
...
That second voice, or was it voices, said something akin to a place called hell freezing over. It, no, he didn't know what that was. So he was a he and there was a she coming. What is so important? Was he the measly mongrel? Or was it she? Damn it, everything was so confusing.
"You do realize it may be harder to keep him under your control once Lina Inverse and her friends arrive. Human bonds are funny, they apply even to a half-breed like him."
Our control of him is absolute.
Lina...Inverse? Friends? Coming here? He didn't feel as cold anymore. That was good. But what was a half-breed? Half-human, half what? Those two voices don't like each other. He didn't like either of them. That control thing was also annoying. He didn't like being controlled.
"It doesn't matter how absolute your control of him is if you can't get out of my prison. Once Lina Inverse arrives, her Giga Slave will be mine to use."
You will not touch the key to our freedom, Mazoku!
Mazoku? That first voice was Mazoku. But Mazoku seemed familiar for some reason. What was it about Mazoku that lent some warmth? It wasn't from this particular Mazoku. Ma-Zo-Ku. Ma-Zo. Ma. Mama? Mother? Mother, Mazoku? Mother was a Mazoku!
"Whoa, watch it. Looks like your host is beginning to break loose."
He can never break from our grip because he can never understand the truth of his heritage. Without that truth, even if he breaks all of the binds we've set, he cannot be free.
Binds? What...Yes, he could feel them now, all around, all over him. Why didn't he feel them before? So many, like a blanket of darkness. Was that it? He didn't like being bound, he especially didn't like the tone of the second voice. It thinks he can't do it? He'll show it.
"You have a point. If mortal minds were made to truly comprehend Her, we would have been up to our waists in human mages throwing around Nightmare energy spells. One is bad enough."
But one is all that is needed.
Her? Whose is that Her? Sounded like someone important. Nightmare, bad dreams? The power of bad dreams? Scary true, but not as scary as they make it out to be. There was only one, one human mage throwing around Nightmare energy spells. That would be the Giga Slave and the wielder of that was Lina Inverse. How did he know that?
"For you perhaps, I'd like to insure my chances. If Lina Inverse doesn't lose control of the Giga Slave, I'll make her lose control of it."
If you can get to her that is.
He didn't like the sound of that. The Giga Slave was a very bad thing, but it seemed familiar, like something he's always known in his bones. Giga Slave going out of control was bad, for Lina, she would die. And...
...he didn't want her to die.