"Little girl huh? Little girl this!"
"Lina-san is quite sensitive about her appearance isn't she?" Xelloss noted, sipping his hot milk.
"You think I'm smaller than a pixie?!"
"What do you mean, Xelloss-san? All girls are sensitive about their appearance," Amelia objected.
"Thin as a stick?!"
"But if she's sensitive, then that means she cares about how other people perceive her, ne Zelgadiss-san," Sylphiel turned to the exceedingly quiet prince.
"Worse manners than a ogre?!"
"It's probably only an excuse to vent her internal frustration on socially acceptable targets."
"So ugly that even rocks leak water?!"
"Is that possible?" Gourry asked. Everyone else shook their heads. "Hey, Lina! You done yet?"
She repeatedly stomped on the back of a thug whose jaw she just dislocated. "Looks like all of them."
All of them being the unfortunate group of bandits who thought it would be easy money to ambush this certain group of travelers. Someone must have cursed the fates.
"Lovely weather we're having." That senseless comment was courtesy of the resident mysterious priest.
"Hey, give me the rope!" Lina ordered, standing on the pile of bandits. "I need to tie these guys up and bring them to the next town for a reward!"
"Is there anything in her head other than money?" Zelgadiss asked the rock next to him.
"The wrath of Saint Ajura will punish you infidels!!"
"Dill Brando!" Lina waited for him to come to a very painful down-to-earth experience. "Tie him up separately. I want to question him."
"Lina. You need to leave him alive to give to the authorities."
"Don't worry," Lina grinned evilly, dark fires aflame in her eyes. "He'll still be breathing."
"That isn't very reassuring."
"Lina-san is scary!"
"Thank you Very much!!" Lina smiled cutely.
Gourry could feel the goosebumps rising.
"Our people have their own hands full dealing with the normal troubles but the recent flood of religious fanatics has swamped us."
"Iie, say nothing of it."
"Thanks to you, the people of our town can rest easier in their feather-down beds."
"You're embarrassing me."
"But what else could I expect from the fame of Lina Inverse?"
"You mean Dra-mata, someone even a dragon wouldn't cross? She certainly seems to be on the same level," Gourry laughed.
Lina beat him into a lump of bumps and bruises. She cleared her throat. "That is to say, you have heard of the undefeatable beautiful genius young sorceress Lina Inverse?"
"Oh no, not that one. The one I heard was that you were destruction incarnate. But that just goes to show you can't trust rumors," laughed the deputy. "Um, what's that?"
The room exploded.
On street level and in a cafe across the street, everyone else minus Lina and Gourry were sitting and chatting. Pieces of plaster and wood fell around them. Xelloss picked a sliver of wood and a button from his mug of hot milk.
"Do you think some criminals escaped?"
"We must go and aid the untiring troops of justice!" Amelia cried, running out of the cafe and into the local branch of the law.
"Isn't she a healthy girl."
Another explosion rocked the building.
"Amelia-san?"
"No, Lina," corrected the prince.
Gourry crashed in a heap on what used to be Amelia's chair.
"What set her off this time?" Zel asked.
"Her reputation."
"This certainly didn't help to improve it."
"...if no one wants those slices of coffee cake can I have them?"
"What the hell is wrong with the people?" Lina fumed, ripping the meat from the drumstick. "How dare he say those things about me!"
"Lina-san, you still shouldn't have blown up the building," Amelia reprimanded. "And you can't keep using my rank to get your way!"
"Like you didn't do the same to get the best room in the best inn in town," Lina snorted.
"That's different!"
"How so?"
While they were distracted, Gourry took the opportunity to steal their plates and devour the food before they noticed.
"Gourry!"
"Gourry-san, that wasn't nice!"
"Didn't look like you two were going to miss them."
"Give it back!"
Lina and Amelia pounced Gourry, another tavern room free-for-all ensuing again. Everything within arm reach was considered a weapon for whomever needed it. That would be chairs, waitresses, trays, tables, and unfortunate patrons. Fortunately, Xelloss, Sylphiel, and Zelgadiss were seated just beyond the ravenous combatants' range.
"I don't know the beliefs or practices of the cult of Saint Ajura but from what records we did have, it was only a private gathering of several families. Since they did nothing harmful, it was enough to leave them be."
"However, current news indicates otherwise." Xelloss paused to order another mug of hot milk. "They now called themselves the Western Church of Saint Ajura and, if those lost sheep that Lina-san struck down earlier today are any indication, they most certainly number more than a few families."
"This must have happened recently."
Xelloss sipped his mug. "I'm not very sure. But I believe within the last two years is a reasonable assumption. Still, to have gathered such a large following as is suspected, they must have some very enticing philosophy."
"It isn't a very good philosophy, seeing as how they are encouraging people to steal and commit other terrible deeds."
"And they are gathering all of these manuscripts for something. Do you have anything to contribute?" Xelloss looked at Zelgadiss sitting directly across from him. The prince only looked at him coldly.
"I wonder who this Saint Ajura person is that the cult worships," Sylphiel mused.
"I've heard it was supposed to be a young man who was the savior of the families. He defeated ten demons and locked them away into gem stones. The families were given these to guard until his return."
"Really?"
"No."
"Xelloss-san..."
Several veins popped on Zelgadiss's face.
"There's also the other story that Ajura is really female, a succubus to be exact."
"A succubus?"
"But that's merely rumor as well."
"Xelloss-san, do you really know anything about this Saint Ajura?"
"Not a thing. But we need to sift through the seeds to find the bad ones that won't give us crops. Oh, and watch out."
Gourry fell into their table, tipping all of its contents except Xelloss's mug onto the floor and himself. Lina and Amelia were oblivious to his plight, currently going against each other with twin batons and iron fan respectively.
"Are they always like this?" Xelloss asked, holding his mug.
Sylphiel nodded with a sweatdrop trailing down her face.
"Hey, I couldn't help overhearing what you were talking about," Gourry began, still decorated with food. "What's so important about a colt?"
"That's C-U-L-T cult!!" Lina yelled, throwing one of the batons at Gourry's head. "Hey, Xelloss. Do you know exactly where this cult is?"
"Actually, Lina-san, one of the cells, a branch of a cult so to speak, is located within several hours walk from here."
"So that's why we ran into those heretic cultists today, right Xelloss-san?" Amelia asked.
"And just how did you know one of the cells was near here?" Zelgadiss asked coolly.
"Yeah, who is this source that keeps getting you the information?" Lina added.
"My source? Why that..." Xelloss winked, shaking a finger. "That is a secret."
"What do you mean a secret?!" Lina demanded.
"So you're not going to tell us?"
"I'm afraid not." Xelloss smiled blandly at the emotionless prince who hadn't said over twenty words since they met.
"I see." Zelgadiss said flatly before grabbing the 'priest' by the cape and jerking him across the new table. "I don't know what game you're - "
"Zel! Calm down!" Lain quickly got between the two, keeping a restraining hand on the prince.
For a moment, his stone mask melted away before a burning hatred and fear that she had only seen directed before toward Rezo. Then self-possession took control again, the icy exterior firmly in place again. Deliberately, Zelgadiss slowly let go of Xelloss.
"Now isn't the time for a break up. You aren't off the hook, Xelloss. I'm picking up at the same place tomorrow morning, bright and early. Until then, whatever anyone has to say, sleep in it!" Lina ordered.
"Sleep on what?"
Lina threw her other baton at him.
After a long day of walking, a nice uninterrupted sleep in a soft bed was just what anyone could have wanted. You know, the one where you can snuggle into the pillow and wrap yourself in the sheets and believe everything is right in the world. Don't you hate it when something happens?
Take for example the inn everyone was staying at. By now, everyone was off in their rooms, not all of them sleeping. However, they certainly weren't expecting any trouble. So trouble felt obliged to come.
BOOM!
The inn shook to its foundations as one of the rooms became instantly ventilated and gained a very good view of the night sky. Only the dead wouldn't have been awakened by that. As Lina was quite far from that being in that eternal sleep, she was quite awake.
"Xelloss, just what the hell are you doing?!?" Lina screamed at the top of lungs.
Xelloss blinked. "I wasn't the one who blew up your room, Lina-san."
"I meant right now!" Lina continued screaming.
"Standing on the roof of the building adjoined to the inn and carrying you in my arms?"
"If you know that, then put me down!"
"Good evening."
"Eh?"
A large form landed with tile crunching underfoot. "So here you are."
"Have we met?" Xelloss asked politely.
"And now I will claim my 300th kill," grinned Gilga, his black blade forming in his hands.
"I think I'll need to hands for this."
"What?" Lina squeaked as Xelloss dropped her and she slid partway down the sloping roof.
Griping to the tiles, Lina kept low as Gilga swung widely at the flipping taunting priest. She could see why Gilga didn't move, it was amazing that the roof was still supporting his weight. But Xelloss must have been one hell of an acrobat to keep his dodging.
"Xelloss, where are you going!" Lina demanded as the priest flipped off of the roof to the courtyard below.
"Good luck, Lina-san!"
"Damn you!" Lina cursed his scurrying hide.
"No one is going to save you now," growled Gilga.
"I want time to change my clothes!"
"I'll have my revenge against you!!"
"What's wrong with changing my clothes?" she demanded, getting unsteadily onto her feet.
"You will die!"
"You already said that! Or words to that effect at least."
"Don't play with me!"
"How about you teach me that spell?"
"Be silent!"
Gilga swung his blade and Lina quickly tried to get out of the way. She tried because the instant the black blade touched the roof, it collapsed, bringing itself and everything on it down into the common room below.
Lina came crashing down on something somewhat soft that broke her fall. There weren't any couches or chairs in the common room. She looked down.
"Zel?!"
"You will..." growled Gilga as he also landed heavily on his feet. The boards underneath bent and broke, and the tall heavy man fell through to the wine cellar below.
Lina blinked and then shrugged. Whatever floated her boat. Instead, she tried to shake Zelgadiss awake.
"Wake up! That Gilga guy is back!"
He didn't respond.
"Wake up! Gilga is, what is this?" Lina was distracted by a stone tablet partly buried under some of the fallen rafters and near the edge of the whole in the floor. She snatched it up. "You look important. Why don't you come home with Mommy Lina?"
Then she proceeded to shake Zelgadiss again, though much harder this time. "This is no time to be sleeping! What are you even sleeping down here anyway? Come on, Zel!"
Lina caught a whiff of something. Leaning a bit closer to the prince, she sniffed again.
"You've been drinking?!"
Zelgadiss, having consumed too much alcohol once again, was in no condition to answer her question.
"Why the hell would you - "
Gilga broke through the trapdoor leading to the wine cellar, liberally covered with pieces of broken glass and stained with wines.
"I will kill both of you!!"
"We know!" Lina snapped, drawing her hands together with a spell. Damn it, great time to be utterly useless Zel.
"Not so fast!" Gourry's Sword of Light parried Gilga's black blade.
"Slow learner aren't you?" sneered the giant of a man.
"At least I learn."
"You don't have anyone to save you this time."
"You're the one who is going to need saving."
Lina sighed at the trade of macho dialogue. Great, all of the males present were either unconscious, not present, or engaging in cliché phrases. Just goes to show you can't depend on any of them. Let's see, blast Gilga to oblivion and beyond or move Zel out of the way? Like there was even a choice?
She started chanting.
She ducked under a flying Gourry.
Okay, now this guy was going to pay for all of her embarrassment.
"Val Flare!" What appeared to be a giant Flare Arrow flew toward Gilga. He only stood there as the spell struck him full in the chest. And as the smoke cleared, he still stood there among his scorched wooden surroundings.
"Hehehe. I am the Immortal Warrior! Nothing can kill me! Neither blade nor spell can touch me!" laughed Gilga. "I have sworn on the sacred stone and achieved unification with my other self! None can stop me!"
"Sworn on sacred stone?" Lina muttered. "No way. You couldn't have..."
"So hah!" Gilga gave Lina the salute. Yes, that salute. And for those who still don't understand it, he gave her the finger.
"Lina-san! Get down!"
Lina whipped around to see Amelia and Sylphiel chanting a spell in synch. Didn't he just say no spell would hurt him?
"Amelia! Sylphiel! Don't!"
"Ra..."
Lina dropped over Zel's prone body and covered her head.
"...Tilt!"
The white energy struck and enveloped Gilga. And as Lina had feared, he was completely unfazed by the spell. Yep, that had to be it.
"No way! Why didn't the Ra Tilt work?" Amelia wailed.
Gilga cocked his head to one side as if listening to something. He shrugged and face everyone again. "Looks like someone has plans for you. Be seeing you," he smirked before escaping out the backway.
"Follow him!"
"No! Amelia." Lina held the young girl back by the command of her voice. "Right now, we have no way of confidently beating him. Just leave it for now."
"Eh? But justice can overcome anything!"
Lina sighed. "I'll explain later."
"I'd like to hear it too."
Sylphiel and Amelia both shrieked. Apparently, Xelloss had snuck behind them without anyone noticing.
"You coward!" Lina threw part of the rafter at the priest. "Leaving a poor helpless maiden to fend for herself!"
"Poor helpless maiden? Where?"
Gourry was the recipient of the next piece of the rafters.
"What is wrong with Zelgadiss-san?" Sylphiel knelt across from Lina, wrapping her night robe more securely around herself.
"He's drunk," Lina shrugged disdainfully. Placing a hand over his brow, Lina softly chanted. "That which muddles the senses and bewitches the mind, begone."
A soft light blue glow spread from Zelgadiss's brow throughout his body.
"What was that? It seemed like a White spell."
Zelgadiss groaned, getting up as he placed a hand on his head. "What is going on?"
And the first thing he saw was Lina's fist on a one-way collision course with his jaw. Disoriented as he was, he didn't dodge.
"Why in the world were you drinking enough to make you a dead drunk?!"
He rubbed his bruised jaw. What was she...Oh gods, she didn't see him completely plastered did she?
"Lina-san," Sylphiel frowned reprovingly. "He's still suffering from a hangover."
"Oh, he'll be suffering alright," Lina growled, pushing up her sleeves. "But it won't be from a hangover."
Zelgadiss shook his head experimentally. She was right. There was no headache, none of the negative aftereffects of his usual alcohol binge.
"You know a spell to remove hangover effects?" Sylphiel asked interested.
"Who cares about that? I want to know why Zel was drinking in the first place!"
"What does it matter to you?" Zel countered defensively. "And just what did you do this time to the building?"
"What automatically makes it my fault?"
"It wasn't really Lina-san's fault," Xelloss cut in on Lina's behalf. "Someone attacked her and destroyed her room."
Lina could almost feel the distant coldness radiating from Zel. Why was he always like this around Xelloss? True, Lina wasn't too crazy about this self-proclaimed mysterious priest but Zel was acting like this was his mortal nemesis.
"And how come you know that?"
The temperature in the room lowered several degrees.
Xelloss scratched the back of his head and laughed. "I couldn't sleep so I was going to go downstairs to get a cup of hot milk."
"It's alright, Zel," Lina reassured. Wait, why did she bother? After all, she was still angry at Xelloss for leaving her to face Gilga alone. "That's right!"
"What is it, Lina-san?"
Lina grabbed his arm, twisted it around, and then flipped him over her shoulder and into the floor. Everyone else stared.
"How dare you run away and abandon me like that!"
"But I thought you didn't want my help..."
"That's not the point!" Lina stomped on him several times.
"You did seem acquainted with your attacker."
"Just what happened?" Zel asked testily.
"That Gilga appeared again."
"Gilga? So he's still alive."
"Quite," Lina scowled. "And he may really be impossible to kill. Seems that he might have made a pact with a Mazoku."
She got suitably surprised reactions from everyone except Zelgadiss.
"A Pledge?"
"So you about that?"
"I suspected."
"What is this pledge thing?" Gourry asked.
"Whatever it is, it must be evil because it is tied to Mazoku and all Mazoku are evil!"
"Well, everyone has their own opinion," Lina sighed at Amelia's outburst. "Basically a human is granted immortality by entering a contract with a Mazoku called a Pledge. The power of the contract is bound to some sort of durable physical material, commonly a stone of some sort. As long as the oath stone exists, the human contractee can't be killed."
"Eh? But there must be a way to defeat Gilga! Justice decrees it so!"
"It is possible," Zel picked up. "If you destroy the contract stone. Or if you kill the Mazoku that is bound in the contract."
"A Dragu Slave may work on the human. 'May' being the operative word," Lina shrugged. "It calls on a higher power but its effectiveness on something like this..."
"That person who attacked you is called Gilga?"
"What about it, Xelloss?"
"Oh, just something I remembered, Lina-san. I thought I remembered that name being connected with this church of Saint Ajura."
Lina frowned. "It just maybe we'll be walking into a huge trap tomorrow. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained."
"Only you would be so calm about it," Gourry complained.
"By the way, Lina-san," Xelloss grinned, leaning close to Lina. "Very adorable pajamas."
She was wearing a light blue flannel set with little white bunnies hopping all over it.
"Shut up!"
Gourry yawned.
Amelia yawned.
Sylphiel yawned.
Zelgadiss looked to one side as if to check for any enemies but was actually covering a yawn. Then he went back to glaring at Xelloss who was walking ahead with Lina.
"Why did we have to go so early?" Amelia complained. "We didn't even have a good night's sleep last night."
"That's because you aren't used to the adventuring life," Lina lectured. "Once you are, you learn to get by with only several hours of sleep."
"I can't do that," Gourry grumbled.
"It was probably a bit too early," Sylphiel added. "We left just at sunrise."
"Haven't you heard it's the early bird that catches the worm?"
"I don't want to eat a worm!"
"Don't bring up that old discussion, Gourry!"
"I think what Lina-san wants to say is that since we're already expected, we shouldn't disappoint our hosts."
"Why are you saying that with a smile? Xelloss."
"Is there something wrong with smiling?"
"You look like a smug cat with a bird in its mouth."
"Are we there yet?"
"Almost, Lina-san." Xelloss paused at the split in the trail they were following. "I believe it is the left path."
"Right. Come on, everyone! Treasure awaits us!"
"And justice!"
"You two..."
"But it is like them."
"Why isn't Xelloss - "
"What the!"
"What is this?!"
"A net trap?"
"Oh dear."
"Xelloss, you set us up!"
Xelloss walked up the path and stopped before the net bag that held everyone else. That smile was still on his face.
"What are you talking about? This is the fastest way to get to the cultists' base of operations. Since you all took up that trap, I'll go look for another one to get caught in. See you later, everyone."
"Bye," Gourry waved.
"Don't wave at him!" Lina snapped, arm striking air as she tried to hit him in her awkward position. "He's the one that got us stuck in here!"
"But Lina-san," Amelia reproached. "You were the one who ran first and didn't check for traps so Xelloss-san isn't completely to blame."
"Didn't see you stopping me Amelia."
"Why not try something productive like say, getting out of this?"
"Of course, your highness. Your wish is my command," Lina replied sardonically. "Flare..."
"Lina!"
"Arrow!" She let it fly at the clasp of the net at the top of their rope prison. Lots of smoke.
Zelgadiss coughed. "Are you trying to kill all of us before the cultists?"
"You wanted me to do something!"
"Yeah, like use your head and think."
"Why you, Mono..."
"Lina/Lina-san, don't!" shouted Gourry, Sylphiel, and Amelia this time with the same results as before.
"Volt!"
So when the cultists on patrol finally did make their perimeter rounds, they found five somewhat burnt and fried adventurers in one of the net traps.
"Bring in the prisoners!" ordered the Parson, head of this local cell of the Western Church of Saint Ajura. They were located in a long forgotten ancient temple that they restored for their own uses. Right now, in the main audience and prayer chamber, they were going to deal with any prisoners.
"Stop pushing!"
"Lina, I don't think you're in any position to be complaining."
"I'll say whatever I want to!"
"So these are the ones that were caught around the perimeter?" demanded the Parson, gazing down at the chained and sufficiently restrained prisoners.
One of the cultists bowed before the cell's leader. "Yes, Parson. We found them all in one of the net traps. From what Brother Gilga has told us, they are the same as the ones that interfered with him and interfered with the collection of that last copy of the Clair Bible several days ago."
Parson turned to Gilga who stood on his right hand side. "For the benefit of the congregation, do you swear that these are the ones?"
"Of course. How could I forget a short-tempered runt kicked too early out of the nest?"
"What was that?!"
"Show respect before the Parson!" ordered one of the guards, whacking a baton across her face.
"They will receive punishment from the divine Ajura presently," gloated the Parson. In his hand, he held a plain canvas bound book. "With this Clair Bible manuscript."
"What is the purpose of this group?" Sylphiel summoned the nerve to ask. "Why have you needed to collect ancient manuscripts for this?"
"What kind of religion allows its congregation to commit crimes in its name? And to consort with Mazoku as well!" Amelia fumed.
Parson quirked an eyebrow. "So you know. That's too bad. Really it is. We were thinking of using you as sacrifices but if you already know of the Mazoku involvement then you will all have to die messy deaths. In the pit of evil that this temple had been originally built to contain!"
He opened the book and turned toward a circular design on the ground. From the book, magic poured forth, opening a large black pit in the center of the circular floor pattern.
"Toss them in."
"What? Hey. Hey! You can't do this!"
The Parson grinned at Lina. "My dear, I already have."
"Damn you!" echoed from the deep pit as the five bound people fell and fell and fell. And they fell and fell and fell and fell and fell and...
"Enough already! They get the picture!" Lina screamed. "Just where the hell is the bottom!"
Ask and you shall receive.
Everyone landed at the bottom into the two foot high level of stagnant water. Light from above made dim lighting this far down. It was enough however for them to see that a giant iron gateway was on the wall.
"Do you...think there is something behind here?" Amelia asked fearfully.
The gateway creaked open on rusty hinges. Stepping by it was a hunched over person with long stringy hair wearing discolored rags. The nose which appeared to be home to several warts was long like a seagull's beak. Her, Lina assumed it was a she, hands were long as well but gnarled with broken nails.
"Humph. I'll just blast it away with a spell." Lina's hands wriggled free in front of her. "Dragon of darkness which - Iyaaaaaaa!"
Electricity shot through her. And everyone else as well since they were all standing in water.
"What was that?" Gourry demanded.
"These metal bands on our heads must react to magical energy! If we try to cast a spell, it'll react and zap us back!" Zelgadiss warned.
"So we can't use any spells?" Amelia gasped.
The hag chuckled as it sloshed through the water toward them.
"No," Lina gritted her teeth. "It just means it's going to be a lot more painful to do the casting."
"Lina-san, you wouldn't!"
"You'll kill all of us first!"
"Shut up! I know what I'm doing!"
From above, blood curdling screams of pain and bone crunching could be heard. Parson and Gilga exchanged evil grins before turning back to face their faithful congregation.
"Witness the fate of those who would defy the great Saint Ajura!" announced Parson. "Their deaths will be long and painful as the hag leaves each only on a thread of life as she slowly sucks the marrow from the bones."
Everyone was smoking. No, not smoking tobacco in any way, shape, or form, but smoking as in smoke was coming out of their bodies. What else would you expect when you just got the (literal) shock of your life?
Lina pulled off that stupid metal circlet, her chains having been broken earlier when she purposely used the circlet to generate enough energy to destroy the metal links. Now there were some people she could think of that deserved a little circlet like this around their heads.
"Can't you let us go?" Gourry moaned.
"Oh, sorry, sorry."
She went around blasting off everyone's chains. They didn't really complain, if only because they were still reeling from the electric shocks. Hey, they should be grateful that the beautiful genius young sorceress Lina Inverse saved them all.
"I can't believe how you beat the crap out of that monster." Gourry looked at, but kept a good distance away from, the floating body of the dead hag.
"Hey, I know how to take care of myself without magic."
"But that was mean, Lina-san. Getting us all caught in your electric shock," Amelia frowned.
"Would you rather have the marrow sucked out of your bones?"
Amelia turned green.
"Isn't it rather...quiet up there?" Sylphiel asked, looking up at the circle of light that represented freedom.
"I am going to make them pay big time. Sylphiel, Amelia, you two take Gourry after Zel and I go up first. Those cultists are going to get a big surprise."
But what they found at the top was a totally different scene from any of a number of possible scenarios. Every single cultists lay beaten up over the floor. Sitting atop of the crumpled Parson was the mysterious priest that no one had really been missing reading the book the Parson had used earlier.
"Xelloss?!"
"Xelloss-san is here too?" Amelia asked, coming up behind with Sylphiel and Gourry.
"What happened here, Xelloss?"
"Here?" Xelloss looked around. "I can't say."
"Can't or won't?" Zelgadiss asked quietly.
"My, my, Zelgadiss-san, you certainly are picky about words."
"Forget it. I don't care. Just give me that Clair Bible!"
"Lina-san. Must I remind you that you hired on under my employ?"
"I didn't," Zel said stepping forward.
"My employment agreement didn't include being purposely lead into a trap," Lina snapped. "Consider it canceled."
"This is going to cause problems."
"You have no idea."
"No," Xelloss shook his head and pointed behind them. "You have no idea."
"I'm so glad you survived," grinned the Immortal Warrior that wouldn't just stay dead. He did look rather beaten like the rest of the cultists but being a Pledged, it would heal soon. "Now I can kill you myself."
"Do you have anything else better to do than run around killing people?"
"But it's fun."
"Killing people for fun?" Amelia did a back-flip and landed on Parson's podium. "Such a disregard for human life is a sure sign of evil. Prepare yourself!"
"Umm, Amelia?" Lina tried to shush the overenthusiastic girl. "The Pledge remember? And the oath stone?"
"Don't worry about that," Xelloss reassured, sitting out of the upcoming battle. "I've already destroyed it. But he is still a fearsome opponent."
"Aren't you going to help?"
"But I'm just a priest..."
"Yeah right! I saw you last night!"
"Lina-san, duck low and right."
"What?!" Lina ducked low and right but Gilga's blade still severed several red strands. "How dare you cut a girl's hair! Fireball!"
Gilga rolled away, only to come into the way of Amelia's Diem Wind which blew him across the room. Which wasn't a problem for what Zelgadiss had in mind.
"Blade Haut!"
Energy hummed in his drawn sword which he swung toward Gilga. Shockwaves ripped through the floor, following Gilga no matter where he went. They struck Gilga with enough force for the warrior to feel his teeth almost fall out. Did they think the Immortal Warrior would fall so easily?
Zelgadiss barely saw the rock flying straight for his head and only barely dodged it though it still cut deeply across part of his brow. Forgot that Gilga could move almost as fast as himself. Where was he now?
"Right here," Gilga whispered as he caught Zel's sword arm in a lock. "To repay you for that little trick earlier."
Lina felt sick as the sound of bone cracking echoed through the room. Gilga looked on with glee at the pain written on the prince's face, his sword hanging at an unnatural angle.
"Did you know I can break the bones in your neck just so you can't feel your body anymore?" he grinned hungrily. "You've cost me a lot of trouble and I'm going to enjoy getting it back out of your hide."
"Get away from him!" Lina moved as if she was throwing something. Gilga took it as a feint. It wasn't.
Invisible arrows pierced him, causing him to drop his toy. Impossible. He staggered at the pain of the wounds created by something he couldn't see.
"Bram Blazer!" The blast which struck him both physical and astral selfs, pushing him back even more.
"Draw your sword and fight!"
Gilga managed to sneer at the honorable swordsman. "If I was you, I would have cut myself down without bothering with that nonsense."
"Then it's a good thing you aren't."
"You're a fool. Soon to be a dead one."
"Sylphiel."
The priestess nodded. "I'll take care of Zelgadiss-san. You and Amelia-san concentrate on Gilga. I'm afraid I can't be of much help."
"You're always helpful, Sylphiel," Lina smiled, briefly squeezing the priestess's arm before turning back to the battle at hand. Think he could get away with hurting one of her friends?
"Flare Lance!"
Gilga caught the lance of fire that Lina had aimed for his back in one hand.
"Break!"
It exploded in a spray of fireworks, taking with it Gilga's arm beneath the elbow. But the pain was doubled as Gourry used that same distraction to slice through Gilga's other arm. The warrior roared in pain and frustration.
"Flare Bit!" Amelia fired the small balls of lights, each of the striking Gilga with the force of a strong punch. Battered and light-headed from the loss of both arms, the once boastful warrior fell to one knee before the edge of the pit.
"I am...the Immortal Warrior...I will not die by anyone's hand..." he growled before turning and hurling himself into the pit.
"But won't that kill him?" Gourry asked.
"Hopefully. He was becoming a real pain."
"Lina-san," Amelia reproached. "Zelgadiss-san, how is your arm?"
"Better."
"Is it over?" Sylphiel asked, standing up.
That was the cue for the temple to begin shaking as it began to fall apart. Pillars tumbled, stone blocks shook loose and fell to the ground. It was all caving in on itself.
"Lina, what did you do?" Gourry yelled, slicing through a large block of stone that was about to crush Amelia and Sylphiel.
"Stop blaming it on me!"
"We need to make an exit!"
"Gotcha Zel."
Simultaneously they both cast Dam Brass, sending focused vibrations through the same point in the wall to create an escape tunnel.
"Hurry!"
The five ran through the new tunnel all the way until it reached open air. Then they half-skidded and half-fell the rest of the way down the temple's steep outer walls even as the building underneath their feet fell apart. At the last bit, they had to push themselves off of the temple or risk getting trapped among the stone blocks.
"Why did the temple fall apart?"
Lina sighed. "Who knows and who cares, Amelia."
"Aren't we missing someone?"
"What are you talking about, Gourry? There's you, me, Zel, Sylphiel, Amelia, and..."
"Xelloss?!"
The mysterious priest was nowhere in sight.
"You don't think he was still in there?" Amelia worried.
"Even he would have noticed the place falling down around his ears," Lina snorted.
"He got that manuscript!" Zelgadiss swore, striking a tree. His hand came away bloodied.
"You all really do work well together."
"Who is there?"
"Just an old acquaintance." Zeigram appeared before them, black cloak and mask.
"What, come to get back at us for ruining yet another Mazoku conspiracy?" Lina glared at the Mazoku.
"Oh no. I just came to congratulate you on your victory though it doesn't change the fact that you've accomplished nothing."
"Nothing? What do you mean nothing?"
Zeigram merely laughed as he disappeared.
"Answer me!!"
"Ma-Master?"
"What is it?"
The beastman quavered, his master's volatile temper was well known. He swallowed, silently praying that his master would remember to not kill the messenger.
"Master. One of the cells of the Ajura Project was completely destroyed."
His master's head snapped up from the map it was studying. The voice in which he replied was a like a sharp blade at the beastman's throat. "By Hellmaster?"
Licking his dry lips, the beastman shook its head. "No. At least, not directly perhaps."
His aqua-haired master stepped into the light which revealed the scars from long ago that marred his otherwise fair skin.
"The...the scout told me..." stammered the messenger, backing away. "That some adventurers did it even though he apparently was there. But he didn't do anything. Only the humans."
The golden eyes of his master caught him and held him tight. "Their names."
"One of them...is Lina Inverse..."
"Lina Inverse?" He had a vague recollection of hearing that name before. "Give me the other names and tell me everything. Gaav-sama will want to know it all."