Slayers! Vol. 1
by Yuu-chan

Chapter 1: Beware! Harassing bandits, and a night at an inn...

	I was being chased by bandits.... don't say, "Well, so what?!" Being chased isn't so uncommon in everyday life, and in my life, it's an everyday occurrence, but stories have to be told in such a way as to build up to a climax. Well, leaving that aside, my pursuers were nearby. They're bandits. I hadn’t been able to find any jobs and my purse was getting light, so I secretly took a small portion (about the same as the amount of dirt under the tip of a pixie’s nail) of treasure from a group of bandits. That was my mistake. It was a really insignificant amount, not even so much as that. They've been chasing me stubbornly, the selfish jerks. Well, I've never heard of generous bandits. it isn't as if I can't see them behind me, but being a petite girl, there’s no way I can outrun a bunch of sweaty men. It's only a matter of time before they catch up. What will be the fate of sweet Lina Inverse! ...yeah, that's me!
	I stop walking at a spot where trees are growing on both sides of the path, like a canopy. Nothing looks different from before, but the birds are no longer chirping. There are people in the woods. I’m surrounded -- the enemy seems to have circled ahead of me. I thought of saying something to tip them off that I knew they were there, but I couldn't think of anything to say, so I stood there and waited. The path through the woods is wide enough for fighting, and sure enough, after I wait a while, a man steps out of the woods.
	"Finally caught up, little lady." The bald man with an eye-patch said the overused and ancient phrase. With a bare upper torso and a scimitar, it was as if he'd just come out and said "I’m the bandit leader." His most attractive feature was his oily skin (ugggh).
	"Thanks a lot for making fools of us." I felt sick and tired. Generally, the vocabulary of these people is limited to only about a hundred words, but I wish he’d have been more creative.
	"'You’re gonna pay for this...'" Hey... "... is what I’d like to say, but to tell you the truth, we don’t want to fight. The way you attacked us without warning, burning everything down, killing our leader, and then stealing our bountiful treasure while we panicked -- it was the work of a professional. Even we wouldn't go that far!" Err... maybe something like that happened, I wouldn't know, but it's okay, because I live my life by the motto, "Evildoers have no rights!" so I guess they just got what was coming to them.
	"What would be proper would be to say, 'For the death of our leader!' and chase you around until either you or we are all dead, but neither one of us is going to enjoy that, so why don't you join us?" Never! I don't like doing wrongs. ... it's true!
	"If you return the treasure and join us, I’d be willing to forgive you for the death of our leader and comrades. It isn’t such a bad deal; all you’d have to do is listen to what I say and it'll be fun. What do you say?" He smirks. Now I get it -- until recently, he was the second in command. However, because of what I'd done the other day, the leader's position just fell into his hands. Rather than avenging the death of his leader, though, he'd just come after me for the treasure, and now he wants other things: my strength, and me. I’m not dirty enough to join bandits. In any case, I don't want to get married to a bandit like him and end up saying "How was work today, honey?" every day!
	"You'd better answer fast. There’s no point in standing here doing nothing. We’ve also gotta go and find a new hideout." The bandit was getting talkative; he's feeling pressured. I'd remained silent the whole time. I've got a cute, girlish voice, and if I spoke, it might make the bandit feel better, but I have no reason to speak. The banditcontinues blabbing for a while, getting impatient.
	"... Hey, what do you think?!"
	I say bluntly, "I refuse."
	"Wha..." his jaw hangs open and the color of his face changes, "You..You bitch! All right, that’s the way you wanna play?! I’ll have you cut to ribbons! Hey, guys!" About a dozen bandits walk out of the woods, surrounding me.
	"This is it?" I state my honest opinion. Seeing that I’m not frightened, the 
bandit panics.
	"Th...This isn’t it! My men in the forest have arrows aimed at you. At my command they’ll turn you into a pincushion. If you beg, I’ll let you live. So?" An obvious lie. Any warrior or sorcerer with enough skill can sense whether or not there are any more men in the forest. I guess this means I’ll have to fight my way out...
	But at that very moment, a voice is heard. "That’s enough!" Everyone turns; standing there is a single man -- a traveling mercenary. His long-sword glimmers in the sunlight; his breast-plate is made of the scales of an iron-serpent. Slim and tall... a typical light-fighter with speed and skill... long, blonde hair... rather good-looking.
	"Villains! Withdraw and I shall spare your life," says the mercenary. The 
bandit-leader’s face turns crimson.
	"Shut up! What are you doing here?! Who are you anyway?!"
	"I have no name to tell the likes of you." I grimace. When somebody’s in trouble, guys like this appear out of thin air. Usually, for some reason, they’re handsome and reasonably strong.
	"All right, then we’ll start with you! Attack!" The expected sword-fight begins. I thought of aiding the mercenary, but I have to make sure he doesn’t lose face. Instead, I play the part of the damsel in distress, running around and screaming. I was so intent on screaming that I hadn’t realized what had happened, but the battle had already ended. Obviously, the mercenary is victorious.
	"Are you all right?" The mercenary faces me and loses his voice. It’s nothing but boasting, but I’m fairly confident of my looks. Large eyes, a cute face, a petite body; the type of girl that guys just wanna protect. The mercenary sighs heavily, hopelessly in love.
	"Oh... a kid," whispers the mercenary. GUSA!* ...I was a little hurt. The mercenary continues, "In a situation like this I expected an attractive woman... All that work and this is what I get... a short, big-eyed, flat-chested, kid."  ZAKU! ...I’ll admit I’m slightly shorter and my chest is flatter than girls my age. I do look younger than I really am... Damn him, saying all the things I'm worried about! He probably thinks he's whispering so that I can't hear, but I have exceptionally good hearing; some people've said that it's as good as an elf's. Anyway, even though I wasn't really in danger, he did save me, so I guess I should thank him.

[*Note:  GUSA, ZAKU, and MUKA are Japanese sound-effect words, usually just meaning  that the speaker, in this case Lina, is suddenly frustrated or upset. PIKU is the sound of an eye blinking.]

	"Th...thank you very much," I force a smile.
	"No need to thank me -- it was nothing," the mercenary smiles weakly. "Anyway are you all right, little girl?" Now it’s "little girl."
	"It’s dangerous for a little girl to be alone. Or is your father or somebody 
else with you?" Muka...
	"Oh no, I’m alone --" Piku piku piku...
	"That isn’t safe..., tell you what, I’ll take you back home." Hey, hold on a... 
	"Where do you live?" Muka muka muka...
	"Uh... I’m traveling alone -- it’s not like I have a reason or anything... I’m just thinking of maybe going to Atlus City..."
	"Oh I see... So... Things have been hard for you."
	"Wha?..."
	"No, I understand."
	"Uh... I’m just..."
	"There’s no need to explain anything. I understand." Apparently, because I lowered my eyes in an effort to hold my temper, the guy thinks it’s a reaction to being asked something I don’t want to talk about. He probably thinks I’m some girl who, for some reason, is fleeing from her hometown.
	"No, I just want to see the world," I reply, honestly.
	"It’s all right, you don’t have to make a story up. I won’t ask you anything," says the mercenary as if he were comforting a child. He’s so hopeless...
	"All right, then I’ll accompany you to Atlus City." No way. It’s ten days to Atlus. If I have to be around with this guy, all the stress will create enough acid to melt my stomach.
	"N...no, that would be too much..."
	"No. I know, you’re in need of friends."
	"No, that's not it -- but --" We continued talking. In the end, after a while the two of us were walking down the road together. He convinced me. My head hurt.
	"-- Oh yeah, I forgot. I’m Gourry. As you can see, I’m a traveling mercenary. Your name is...?"
	"I’m Lina, just a plain traveler." I tell him my real name, and it’s obvious I’m not a plain traveler. But Gourry doesn’t ask anything. He probably thinks I’m lying for some reason. This is how he managed to convince me; he’s a good person. If he had had any dirty thoughts then I would have simply whooped him on the spot. But Gourry appears genuinely concerned for me so I couldn’t refuse his offer. ...But...
	Gourry mutters, "Baby-sitting all the way to Atlus. Oh well..."
	... But he still gets on my nerves...
	It wasn't until that night that I was finally able to relax. We stopped at a town and took rooms at an inn, and after eating dinner, we went to our own rooms. Gourry is in the next room. My room is small, with a single bed and table. On the table, there’s an oil lamp. I enter the room, lock the door, and take off my cloak. My cloak jingles as it falls to the floor; that was heavy! On the inside of my cloak are hanging sacks, filled with the bandits’ treasure. I hadn’t had a chance to take a look at what I had taken because things were kind of hectic. I had tried to take expensive things that didn’t take room, but for some reason the sacks became really heavy.
	I sit down on my cloak, and start pulling things out of the sacks. I start chanting softly, clapping my hands together in front of my chest. A ball of light appears as I spread my hands, and I let it glide towards the ceiling, lighting up the room. I used Lighting to examine the goods, since the oil lamp's not bright enough.
	Two to three hundred large gemstones, an orihalcon statue (pretty expensive!), and a large knife. The knife's a magic item, but it also appears to be cursed. "I guess I can just sell it at some magic-item shop for a reasonable price. Next is..." About a dozen antique gold pieces from the Kingdom of Letidius, which had dissolved about 500 years ago. I whistle. "Yay! I can sell these to collectors for a high price."
	It isn’t worth much, but... well, with a band of robbers of that level, I guess this is it. I said it isn’t worth much, but that’s just my opinion. Even if the goods were to be sold at their lowest price, it would turn into enough money for one person to never have to worry about food.
	"Ok, now the gemstones..." I separate the gemstones based on type and condition. The damaged gemstones wouldn't bring in too much money, so I take out something like a crystal orb, about the size of a child’s fist, and place it gently on the floor. The orb starts spinning; when it stops, the rune within it faces the window. "That’s north, so..."
 	I spread a large sheet of paper with a magic circle drawn in the center. The sheet, about as long and wide as my outspread arms, feels and looks like the skin of a female elf. I've been saying "like" because the spells and tools are secrets of the trade. I spread a special kind of ink on a piece of wood, stamping a magic circle on a smaller sheet of paper. I place an unblemished ruby in the center of the circle. Then I place the smaller sheet on top of that. I cast a fire spell, turning the small sheet to ash; this spell's used to seal the magic circle into the ruby. I take one of the damaged rubies and place my hand above the ruby with the magic-circle and cast a wind spell. The ruby in my hand turns to dust. By the time I finish with the damaged rubies, there’s a mound of powdered ruby dust.
	After that, I sprinkle some liquid from a small vial onto the mound and place the palm of my hand above the mound. I chant a water spell and earth spell in a certain pattern. My palm heats up, and the mound emits a bright light. The ruby is now the size of an adult’s fist.
	I repeat the process with the other gems. Now I can sell these as magic items for much higher prices. The amulets can either serve as wards or can be used to increase damage dealt by weapons. I have the same kind of amulets on my shoulder-guards, bandanna, and shortsword. Functional and stylish, and they can now be found in any average home! Wouldn't you like a jeweled amulet? ......Aaack!! I just advertised! ...well, I do come from a family of merchants, 
so...
	Go Lina, only nine more days to Atlus! Right now, it's afternoon, the next day, and the two of us are walking together down the road. The weather is nice; I can hear the sound of trickling water. The leaves dance, responding to the gentle touch of the wind, the sunlight leaks through the trees; it was such a beautiful afternoon. I murmur, "...I’m hungry..." Hey, you, no throwing stones, I can’t help being hungry!
	We'd left the town at dawn and walked for about a day. It was past noon before we realized that there were no rest stops or diners along the way.
	"...Don’t say that, little girl..." says Gourry tiredly, without even turning around. "There are times when a man’s just gotta take it."
	"I’m not a man," I rebuff.
	Gourry is at a loss of what to say, for a moment, but soon turns around. "There are times when even women have to take it."
	"Then, is traveling aimlessly and getting hungry one of those times?" He pauses. We look into each others eyes; there is only the sound of trickling water. We decided that fish would be our lunch.
	The river, large enough to go swimming in, was running parallel to the path, a little off to the side. The water is clear, and the sandy riverbank provided perfect spots for sitting down. "Little fishies, little fishies, little fishies," I sing to myself as I look for a branch of the right size and bring out a fishing hook. I pull out some strands of my brown hair and tie them together, making a fishing line. I then tie the hook, branch, and line together. "Finished!" A fishing pole.
	Gourry looks impressed. "You're pretty self-sufficient, aren't you?"
	"Here, hold this, willya?" I hand the pole to Gourry. I walk over to the river, lift a rock, and catch several gross bugs. I hook one of the bugs, and lower the pole into the river.
	After a while, I'd managed to catch several fish. We salt and cook the fish, and start eating. Mmm, very tasty! Since the fish are small, I eat them whole.
	"I can’t believe you can do that..." Gourry nibbles at the white meat of the fish.
	"What a waste. I won’t tell you to eat the head, but at least eat the stomach."
	"Yuck, I don’t want to eat the stomach..."
	"It’s the best part," I reach for a second fish and bite into the fish’s stomach.
	"Those are intestines... right...?" Gourry says, a sick look on his face.
	"Of course."
	"...those bugs you used are inside..."
	Bbbthpht!? I spit out the fish. He...hey... "That’s true...but..."
	"Right."
	"Right, but..." There was no need to say that while I was eating! While thinking such thoughts, we easily finish off the fish. I’ll say this just in case, he ate more than I did.
	"I’d like a little more..."
	"Same here. I’ll go fish some more." I get up and reach for the fishing pole, pausing just a bit...
	"Goblins..." Gourry whispers, "I just saw about a dozen of them." Apparently this is goblin territory, which explains why there weren’t any diners along the road. Goblins are humanoid beings, only as tall as the chest of a human adult. They roam around at night, have a bit of intelligence, and are on the savage side. They’re also cowards. In small villages and towns far from cities, they steal livestock. Extra information -- teasing them is fun. I take the fishing hook in my hand and chant a fishing spell: my original! Just as I finish casting a spell, the goblins step out of the forest with a battle-cry. They are armed with rusty swords and makeshift spears -- goblin brigands.
	"Shhhh! Quiet!" I say in goblin-tongue. They halt. Now! I throw the fishing line into the water. The looks the goblins give me are saying, "What is she?" But the goblins, being curious, wait before attacking.
	I feel a tug. "He’s big!" I lift the fish out of the water and whip the pole, making the fish land in front of the goblins. It’s easier said than done. Make sure you’re awed.
	"Catch him!" I tell the goblins.
	"Gii!"
	"Gyagya, gugii!"
	"Gyuge!"
	By the time the goblins manage to catch the fish, I'd already caught another one. By the time I'd finished catching about ten fish, the goblins were crowding around me. It's about time!
	"Here," I hand the pole to a nearby goblin. "Gi?"
	"There’s a lot of fish. Why don’t you try?"
	"Giii...?" The goblin tilts its head and lowers the pole into the water. Soon there's a tug on the line. "Gigii!" While the goblins are engrossed in fishing, Gourry and I leave.
	"That was an interesting spell," says Gourry. That same night, we finally managed to reach the next town and are eating at the first floor of the inn. I blink. I take a bit out of the chicken in my left hand. Chew. Swallow. Tastes okay. Hmmm... I swallow a mouthful of juice.
	I finally remember. "You mean the spell I used at the river?" Gourry falls onto the table. I wasn’t playing dumb. It’s just the fishing-spell wasn’t a real spell for me. ...It’s true... "It’s a simple spell; doesn’t require much skill."
	"Sooo... you're a sorceress or something?" This time I fall onto the table.
	"What'd you think I was?! Couldn’t you tell from the way I look?!" I’ve been dressed the same since I first met Gourry; pants and long-boots, a loose robe tied with a leather belt, soft leather gloves, a bandanna around my forehead. My cloak, which nearly touches the ground, hangs from my shoulder-guards made from the shell of a giant-turtle. Everything is black. There are silver threads sewn in here and there in the form of runes. The clothing I wear serves as a ward. My short-sword is hanging from my hip. If somebody saw the way I’m dressed and thought I was a waitress or fishmonger, I'd probably kill myself!
	"...Now that you mention it... I just assumed you were a waitress or fishmonger." My face lands in a bowl full of soup.
	"...I was only kidding." Pause. "Boy, you overreact..."
	"...It wasn’t as if I wanted to..." I say, wiping soup from my face.
	"Well, how good are you? Can you at least cast Fireball? Judging from the way you’re dressed, I’d say you mainly use black magic."
	Okay, let me explain a bit. There's three basic categories of spells: white magic, black magic, and shamanism. Shamanism uses earth, water, fire, wind -- the four basic elements -- and spirits. I’m most proficient at black magic, but don’t get me wrong, there are two types of black magic, too: curses, and offensive spells which don’t fit into shamanism. I use the latter type. The spell which Gourry just mentioned, Fireball, falls into the fire type of shamanism. People believe black magic only means the offensive spells, but that’s a mistake.
	Now, to get back to my answer: "Do you think a sorceress would tell other people her tricks?"
	"You seemed like the talkative type." Hey, now... "Anyways, it doesn’t matter. It’ll soon be time for you to show what you can do." Why? Before I could voice my thoughts the door to the inn was kicked open.
 	"That’s her!" I turn around and face the man who had shouted. Ack! The man’s finger is pointing in my direction. There’s one more person in the same direction, but Gourry doesn’t look like a woman. There were several trolls, led by a mummy-man (at least, that's what I thought at first glance, but he seems to be a male sorcerer wrapped up in bandages).
	I put on my cutest face and say, "Oh, my name's Sofia, the person you’re looking for is probably..."
	"Shut up! I don’t care about your name! You... you’re the one who stole treasure from some bandits a little while ago!" Oops.
	"Hey hey hey..." Gourry glares at me.
	"I’ll explain later. I have to do something about these guys first..." I turned to face the trolls. About twice as large as humans, they have the strength and endurance to match, and are kinda quick for their size. But their main advantage is their supernatural ability to regenerate. A simple sword slash will heal while you watch. In other words, if you want to kill a troll, do it with a single hit. However, I can’t use any destructive spells in the inn because the customers would be affected too!
	I stand up. "All right, let's take it outside."
	"No." Damn. I started thinking of another plan, but: "If you return everything you stole, then I’d be satisfied."
	"No way! What are you thinking, trying to get other people’s belongings for free, you thieving sorcerer?!"
	"You’re a thief, too..." says Gourry from the side.
	"Shut up, I only steal from bad people, so it’s okay!" I prepare for battle.
	"Attack!" The mummy-man orders the attack and the trolls start moving... and so do I. Trolls use their claws and strength as weapons; a hit by either one would be sufficient to kill me. However, I have no intention of losing. The first troll swings widely at me with its arm. I dodge the blow, place my right hand on the troll’s waist, and get past it, heading for the next troll. As I slide between the legs of the waiting troll I grab one of its legs. The troll didn’t fall over, but temporarily lost its balance. Using that time, I stood up and went for the next troll.
	I sense something angry behind me; the next instant, the claws of a different troll pierce my cloak! Just the cloak, thankfully -- an instant earlier, I had loosened my shoulder-guard and the cloak. Wrapped up in my cloak, the troll loses its balance, and falls to the ground. I hit the troll lightly on the head. And the next target -- After a while, I returned to where Gourry was.
	"Heeey, welcome back."
	"Hi honey, I'm home!" Gourry'd just sat and watched the battle while a delicate girl (that’s me) was fighting! None of the trolls are dead yet.
	"You little runt, moving around all over the place." The mummy man appears impatient.
	"Gourry! Can you wound the trolls?"
	"Wound... Don’t you know that trolls can regenerate?"
	"I know that, just hurry up!"
	"I won’t be able to deal much damage..."
	"That’s fine, just go!" The trolls have come closer.
	"Okay." Gourry brings his right hand out of his pocket. On the palm of his hand are small nuts -- the small, hard kind that squirrels eat. The next instant, it seemed as if Gourry’s hand moved. The trolls grunt in pain -- some holding an arm, others their stomach, and others their forehead. Gourry had flicked the nuts with his fingers, piercing into the hard skin of the trolls. The nuts had been shot with enough force to kill a human with several shots.
	"An interesting trick, but do you think you can kill trolls with --" The mummy man is about to say more when the trolls start screaming. The wounds created by Gourry were spreading.
	"Wha... what’s... going on?" The mummy-man falters. Gourry just stares. The wounds continue to spread; soon, about half the trolls become chunks of flesh. Even though I did it, I can’t say it’s a pretty sight. At least it wasn’t before dinner. There are only four trolls and the mummy-man remaining. Most of them lost the will to fight any more.
	They are afraid of the unknown spell I'd just cast. When I had touched the trolls, I'd cast a certain spell. Think of it as the opposite of the white magic spell, Recovery, which maximizes the target’s ability to regenerate, speeding up the healing process. What I had done was the opposite; I had reversed the flow of the power to heal -- which anyone has -- to the opposite limit. Since trolls have an exceptionally high healing power, when I reversed that flow, the small wound lead to their deaths. By the way, this is my original spell which I had never used before; I’ll make sure I never use it ever again. Spells which make their caster have nightmares shouldn’t be cast.
	I thought all of them would flee, but one of the trolls charges me. I draw my short-sword as I chant a spell. Blade and claw clash; for an instant, the troll is exposed.
	"Now!" I bury my sword deeply into the troll’s ribs. The troll grins. This was what it wanted. Seeing it couldn’t beat me with skill, it had let me stab itself, and thought to kill me while in the instant I couldn’t move. The moment the troll was sure of victory, I moved.
	"Mono Volt!" I shouted! The electricity from my spell, using my sword as a conductor, traveled into the troll’s body. The troll shudders, and dies without raising a cry. "It was an interesting trick, but I was one step ahead." The troll falls to the ground.
	"Now... I’ll show you what I can really do..." I clap my hands together in front of my chest, beginning the chant for a spell. The resultant blue-white ball of light steadily increases in size as I spread my hands further apart.
	"Gyeh! Fireball!" The mummy-man’s eyes open wide. "Retreat! Retreat!" The trolls and mummy-man tumble out of the inn. Ha~... I sigh deeply, still holding the ball of light.
 	"Hey! What're you going to do with that Fireball?" says Gourry as he distances himself from me. Even he knows enough to fear a Fireball. Fireball is a fairly popular offensive fire spell. The ball of light is thrown, and explodes upon contact, spreading fire everywhere. It’s used against groups. It depends on the spellcaster’s ability, but a human hit directly by a Fireball will usually be cooked rare.
	"Hmm...?" I throw the ball of light into the air.
	"Hey!!!" Everyone yells and then quiets down. Gourry slowly raises his face.
	"It isn’t a Fireball," I smile impishly as I point at the floating ball of light. "It’s Lighting."
	"What are you going to do about this mess?!" The innkeeper was ticked off; can’t blame him. Tables and chairs are broken, the corpses of trolls lie on the floor, and the strong smell of blood is in the air... That Lighting spell was a mistake; now the chunks of troll can be seen clearly. The son of a butcher, or anyone who’s seen an animal run over by a wagon can understand a small percentage of this sick sight. As a result, the inside of the inn wasn’t the place to say "Let's enjoy dinner." Besides that, half the guests staying at the inn have left. If the innkeeper could still smile after what had happened, he should quit his job and become a saint. However, I have no intention of listening to his complaints. I don a chastised, cute girl expression.
	"I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused, but..." I look directly into the innkeeper’s eyes as I take off one of my gloves behind my back, "if I hadn’t done that we would have been killed..." Just as planned the innkeeper wears a perplexed expression.
	I stick my right hand into my pocket and take out about three gemstones, my fist still closed. "This is... a sign of my apology..." I lift the innkeeper’s right hand with my left, and press the gems into the palm of his hand. I don’t show what’s inside yet. But he should be able to figure out what’s in his palm. I continue to look into the innkeeper’s eyes. With a cute girl looking intently at him, holding his hand and with gems it’s obvious how he should feel.
	"I know it isn’t proper to apologize this way, but it’s the best I can do." I remove my hands. The innkeeper glances briefly at his palm, and seeing what he expected, closes his hands.
	"After what you said, there’s no way I can be harsh with you... I’ll have somebody else clean this mess, so you can just go to your rooms." I repeatedly bow to the innkeeper and I returned to my room with Gourry. Whenever I cause trouble at an inn, sometimes the innkeeper says "Get out!" but most of the time, this is what happens. At the point when they feel the gems, the innkeepers probably think, "This customer is worth some money." If they tell me to get out, then I do just that; there’s no point in trying to stay.
	"Boy, you’re a good actress..." says Gourry, standing next to me as I sit on the bed. Very perceptive -- seeing through my acting.
	I play dumb. "What're you talking about?" .......... "Why are you in my room, Gourry?!"
	"You said you’d explain everything later."
	"Did I?"
	"You did."
	Oh well. I wanted to ask him something too. "All right. I’ll explain, but before that I want you to answer my question."
	"Sure. What is it, little girl?"
	"...That `little girl'... Anyway have a seat."
	Gourry sits down on a chair, facing me, "Okay, now I'm sitting."
	"Okay, then I’ll ask..." I look into Gourry’s face. "What do you think of me?" 
	Gourry freezes. This is fun -- but I can’t leave him the way he is. "Just kidding."
	Hearing those words, Gourry sighs. "That was a bad joke. I thought I was going to die..."
	"Hey... what’s that supposed to mean...?"
	"Uh... well... What’s the real question? Don’t ask me for my three sizes...*" 
	What a sick joke.

[*Note: In Japan, as you may know, the "three sizes" are the bust, waist, and hip measurements, which usually accompany vital statistics. People that ask someone for these measurements are usually pretty hopeless.]

	"You jerk! Well then, I’ll ask seriously, how did you know they were after me?"
	"I didn’t."
	"But you said,  ‘It’ll soon be time for you to show what you can do,’ before they came into the inn."
	"Oh, that. It’s because I sensed that something with a murderous intent was surrounding the inn, so it was obvious that they were after somebody in the inn. If it were burglars, they’d have waited till later."
	"Then why did you think it was me -- are you on their side --"
	"-- Listen. No matter who they were after, I figured you would stick your head in. You seem like a kind person and you seem to enjoy sticking your nose into things --"
	I couldn’t say anything. It was the truth. I’ll leave it to other people to judge whether or not I’m a kind person, but I know I like sticking my nose into things. I remember Sis back home saying the same thing.
	"-- that should adequately explain everything, right?" Gourry continues.
	"...I guess..."
	"Any other questions?"
	"...None."
	"Then could you start explaining what you did and why they’re coming after you?"
	"All right, I’ll talk..." I briefly explain what’s been going on. I told him how I came across some villagers being troubled by bandits; how seeing the villager’s plight, I decided to help them; how when I retrieved the treasure, I took a small portion as a fee; and how because of what I had done they’re still coming after me. ... What? Are you saying I attacked the bandits because I was bored? Shhhh!
	Gourry nods, once I finish my tale.
	"Leaving out the part about ‘helping the villagers,’ I basically understand what happened." 	Oops... Really perceptive.
	I change the subject back. "Well, now I’m satisfied."
	"About what?"
	"When I attacked the bandits, I’m pretty sure my face wasn’t seen. However, they still came after me. It seems they had a sorcerer with them."
	"That mummy-man?"
	"Yes. Probably, he was wounded when I attacked the bandits and hadn’t been able to come after me until today."
	"So they used magic to track you?"
	"Yup."
	"Guess you can do just about anything with magic."
	"Not `anything...' There are limits to what magic can do. For example, the mummy-man probably placed a ‘mark’ on one or all of the items in my possession and using that as a guide, was able to find me. No matter how good a sorcerer or sorceress you are, it’s impossible to find somebody without some kind of clue."
	"... so that’s what magic is like..." says Gourry with a puzzled look.
	"That’s what it’s like. Any other questions?"
	"None, teacher."
	"That ends today’s lesson --" I was interrupted when somebody knocked on the door.
	The two of us moved at the same time to the sides of the door. "Who is it?" I ask.
	"I would like to make a deal with you. I will buy certain items in your possession at whatever price you name," said the person on the other side of the door.
	"You’re pretty untrustworthy."
	"Of course. Saying it makes me think I’m untrustworthy, myself. Normally I wouldn’t let a guy like myself in a room." Hey hey...
	"Well then, I’ll heed your warning and not let you inside."
	"Wait. I am untrustworthy, but right now I have no intention of harming you." What’s that supposed to mean?
	"You won't change your intention the moment you enter the room, will you?!"
	"Don’t worry... You’ll probably still be worried, but you have a bodyguard." We look at each other.
	"If you try anything funny, I’ll blast you with every spell I’ve got."
	"You’re letting him in?!" panics Gourry.
	"I’ll be all right. I have a bodyguard," I reply with a wink. Then I move to the back of the room. "The door will be opened now. Come in quietly." I then address my bodyguard: "All right, Gourry, open the door."
	After hesitating briefly, Gourry slowly opens the door. There he was.

Chapter 2: Villains Appear, even if you're prepared...

	The man who stood before me certainly did not look trustworthy. He wore a white robe and cloak, and had covered everything except for his eyes. However, he also had a companion, and I could tell my expression was quickly changing: it was the mummy man! Both of them walked into the room, though the mummy man was limping somewhat. He shivered as Gourry shut the door and turned toward us, though the man in white showed no reaction at all. He and his companion stepped into the center of the room, between Gourry and I.
	I turned to the man in white, looking for answers. "Do you know that mummy man?"
	"Mu....mummy man?!" the man in bandages began, shocked, before the man in white cut him off with a gesture, before turning to me.
	"I apologize for his earlier actions," the mysterious man began, pointing to his mummified companion. "He is Zolf. He is a very loyal servant with a strong sense of responsibility, but sometimes it makes him rash. Please forgive him."
	This made me smile a little bit, and I shrugged it off, turning a bit. "It's all right. I'll just raise the price." This act gave me some time to examine the mysterious man, and I realized he couldn't truly be human. It had been hard to tell at first glance because of the dim lamplight, but after closer inspection I was certain. The skin around his eyes was not flesh...although I couldn't tell without touching it, it appeared to be stone. My first thought was that he might be a golem, but his eyes were different than that. Golems existed onyl to serve; this man had a soul behind his eyes...
	I slipped that into the back of my mind as he coughed, then spoke. "All right then...let us begin business, shall we?"
	I kept my cool, keeping up the grin and trying to act disinterested. "There was something you wanted to buy from me, wasn't there?"
	The man with the stony skin nodded. "It was an item you stole from the bandits..."
	This was an interesting development, for certain. "And which 'item' would this be?" I inquired innocently.
	Although it was impossible to tell behind his clothing, I almost thought he cracked a grin. "I can't tell you."
	I laughed a bit at that, not quite believing what I'd heard. "You can't tell me?" He nodded a reply, and I smirked. "Then there's no way we can do business, is there?" I made as if preparing for the pair to leave.
	The man coughed. "Wait. If I tell you which item it is, then you'll either try to rip me off, or get curious and try to keep it for yourself. That's my reasoning." I grinned and shrugged; he had me there. "Name your price for all the items. Once you've done that, I'll choose the one I want."
	Inwardly I allowed myself a small smile; he was a shrewd man. "Alright, I understand..." I paused. "You don't seem like you're in with the bandits..." I stated dryly, probing for info.
	The man in white nodded, taking the bait. "I've been looking for a particular item, using Zolf and a group of other followers of mine. Zolf had found it by infiltrating those bandits, and one day the group stumbled on it. He convinced them to steal it, then was going to deliver it to me, when..." He trailed off.
	I grinned. "Then I appeared, right?" He nodded again; not big on spoken conversation. I shook a finger in the air. "Using bandits to get what you want and then stealing it from them is a dirty way of doing things!"
	The man looked at me speculatively. "You are hardly one to talk about other people."
	I couldn't resist a slight grin, but hmphed and then nodded. "Anyway, now that I understand your situation, let's start. There was a knife, a statue, and some antique coins." I paused, then turned somewhat away. "There were gems too, but they look perfectly normal and I plan to keep them." I smiled faintly. "Besides, you'd never buy them at the price I'd name." This earned me another nod from the man in white.
	I gave this some thought, then turned back to the group. "First, there's the knife." After appearing to think about that for a moment, I turned and named my price: a rather steep one.
The reaction was not quite what I expected it to be! The man in white took a step or two backward, Zolf's eyes widened, and even Gourry's mouth hung open in surprise. I blinked. Wimps! "What's with that reaction? You said to name my price, so I did! It's only a hundred times street cost! Pay up!"
	The man in white managed to pull himself out of his stunned disposition long enough to respond. "That's enough to buy an entire castle! I thought you'd charge two, maybe three times street value at best!"
	I giggled, then put a hand behind my head. "Yeah, I guess that is a bit steep. Alright, I'll halve the cost!" That got much the same reaction, thought Zolf looked somewhat angry now.
"Half?" the mummified man shouted. "You impudent brat!"
	That caught me by surprise, and I got a bit angry...I have a short temper, after all. The man in white hastily silenced his companion. "Be quiet, Zolf! I bet you won't let me buy on credit, either, will you...?"
	My temper got the best of me, and I replied angrily, "Out of the question! I've been called a brat by a third-rate sorcerer who can't even tell the difference between a Lighting spell and a Fireball! Why should I make a deal with you?"
	"Wh...what?!" The widening of Zolf's eyes satisfied me a little bit; apparently he hadn't realized the spell was really Lighting. Infuriated by his own stupidity, he lashed out at me verbally. "I called you a brat because that's what you are! In the first place..."
	However, the mummy man was cut off by his companion in white. "Zolf, enough!" He turned to me with a stern look in his eyes. "This is my last offer...will you join me? In a year...no, maybe even six months, I can pay double, no, TRIPLE your asking price."
	I blinked. He was serious...and desperate. "I guess since you're so desperate, if I refuse it will make us enemies, won't it?" That elicited nothing more than a raised eyebrow from the man in white, and I continued. "I personally would like to avoid that... call it woman's intuition."
	I paused, then turned a bit to the side again, glancing at the pair with a quirked grin. "But my intuition tells me...that I'd rather die than join forces with you." Zolf seemed about to act, but soon backed away when the air between the man in white and myself crackled with aggression. We glared at each other for a moment or too, and I knew by the look in his eyes that he could be a dangerous man, but he backed down first.
	He sighed heavily. "I guess this means no deal."
	I nodded. "A shame."
	The man in white turned his dark eyes toward me and spoke in a grave tone of voice. "As I promised, I'll leave you alone for today. But that item will be mine, even if I have to use force. When you leave this inn tomorrow morning, you and I shall be enemies!" I couldn't do more than nod before he turned to his companion and made to leave. "Let's go, Zolf."
	Zolf looked surprised, and started to protest. "B...but..." However, the man in white ignored him and turned to go as Gourry opened the door. Zolf looked confused a moment, then huffed and followed his companion toward the door.
	As he stepped into the hallway, then man in white turned to me. "I forgot to mention my name." His eyes flashed slightly, as he spoke. "I am Zelgadis."
	I tried to remain as calm as possible. "I'll remember that."
	Gourry then shut the door, and turned to me. He listened for a while, then turned to me. "It looks like they've left." He shook his head, then looked at me, confused. "Why did you name such an outrageous price?"
	I blinked, then smirked. "Would you have respected me if I'd named a reasonable price and sold it to them?" Gourry blinked, then shook his head no...
	I sighed dreamily. "Ahhhh! The sun feels great! It's so warm..." I was sitting and looking at the sky; it seemed like such a great place to do it. Weather was warm, we'd cleared the forest and were in an open area, the birds were singing in the blue sky...and the air smelled of blood.
	Gourry didn't seem to enjoy it was much as I did. He kneeled down on the ground, taking deep, shoulder-heaving breaths. "What's with you? Making me do all the fighting, and you just sit there all lazy..." I glanced over at the area behind him, covered in the corpses of berserkers.
	I at least managed a slight giggle. "Sorry, sorry...but hey, I fought a little too."
	Gourry frowned. "Only in the beginning! You coulda cast a spell or something, but you just wandered off..."
	I blinked, then laid back and said, with a hint of defensiveness, "Something bad might have happened!"
	Gourry scoffed. "Not like it did." Using his sword to prop himself up, he rose and dusted himself off.
	"You'd better rest a bit more."
	The swordsman sighed and shook his head no. "If we don't reach the next town by nightfall, we're just going to get attacked...let's go." He sounded irritated, but I can't blame him, I guess; he was mad that I hadn't helped and the fatigue made him kind of agitated.
	I didn't make a sound; instead I simply rolled over and tried to enjoy some more of the day.
	"Lina..." Gourry said in a scolding, parental tone, before walking to my side and glaring down at me in annoyance.
	I moan like a child wanting to stay in bed before school. "Just a little bit more. The sunlight feels so good..."
	"Cut it out!" he yells, and before I could do anything, Gourry had grabbed my arm by the rest and started to pull me upright! I cried out in pain, clutching my midsection. Gourry blinked in confusion, setting me down.
	I grimaced; I'm not very good about handling pain. Annoyed, I gathered magical power once again in my hand, recasting the healing spell that Gourry's grab had interrupted. I placed my hand on the wound and finished the spell, the magic making the pain subside a little bit. Normally, a wound like that would be very easy to heal, but for some reason that one took somewhat longer...which meant...
	Gourry's voice cut into my thoughts. "...Lina?"
	"Mmmm...?" I tried to sound normal and nonchalant, but I realized I couldn't keep him fooled much longer.
	"Are you hurt?"
	I nodded, trying a smile. "I just ate a little too much..." I murmured, then blinked as Gourry sat down in front of me. We stared at each other a moment, before I moaned again in pain, realizing he had put his hand inside my cloak, touching the wound on the right side of my stomach. He quickly withdrew his hand.
	"You're bleeding!" he said, intensely but in a hoarse voice.
	I frowned, having been hoping to avoid his reaction. "I'm all right." I wasn't lying to him; the pain was beginning to go away.
	Gourry, however, didn't seem to buy that. "What do you mean, you're all right? You're..."
	I cut him off, annoyed. "I'm telling you I'm all right! I'm casting Recovery now; the wound should close in a little bit."
	"But..." he protested.
	I sighed. "I pretended to be lazy because I didn't want to hear 'Are you all right? Are you all right?'"
	Gourry's face fell. "I'm so sorry."
	"It's all right, I said. In a little while the wound will heal, so why don't you just rest until then?" I grimaced inside as he took a seat in front of me and looked at me protectively, with maybe a bit of pity. I wished he would stop looking at me like that...
	He bit his lip. "You were wounded early on in the battle..."
	I sighed. "I underestimated them..."
	Gourry continued as if I'd not even spoken. "...You were busy healing yourself...I'm sorry, I didn't understand..."
	Finally getting a bit sick of the mothering, I snapped, "I said it's all right!" Gourry seemed placated by this, or worrying...for a while, only time passed as the wind blew.
	Inwardly, the silence began to bother me, so I decided to change the subject. "About what they're after...last night, when I was alone, I did a little investigating."
	"Investigating?"
	I nodded. "Yes. Yesterday I told you the mummy man probably marked one of the items..."
	Gourry blinked. "Did you find anything?"
	I shook my head no. "The items we have are an orihalcon statue, a large knife which was enchanted to make it sharper, and a dozen antique coins." I sighed. "None of them were marked."
	Gourry nodded. "Then..."
	"The coins are obviously out of the picture, because there's no way to mark them all. That only leaves the knife and the statue."
	"Is it all right for you to be talking?"
	I sighed. "I'm nearly fully healed."
	Gourry looked worried. "Nearly..."
	"I'm fine!" I snapped, though not so harshly as before. "About the other two. The knife is enchanted to increase its sharpness, but the enchantment has some negative side-effects." I glanced at the sky a moment. "It's possible to use that as a mark. The statue is made of orihalcon, a metal which has the ability to seal magic to a certain degree..."
	"Then it won't serve as a mark," Gourry added.
	I shook my head. "But it can. When you search from the astral plane, a spiritual wave heading toward the metal..." I blinked, glancing over at my companion. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"
	Gourry gave that a moment of thought, then answered decisively: "Not a bit."
	I sighed. "The POINT is, it's possible to use it as a mark."
	Gourry blinked, then nodded. "That means they're after one of the two items. But is either one worth what they're going through to get it?"
	"That's what I can't figure out. Orihalcon is far more valuable than gold and the knife is beautifully crafted...but it doesn't make sense that they'd want either of these things THAT badly..." 
	"They said, 'triple in six months'..." Gourry mused, putting a hand to his chin, "...so that must mean to them the item is worth more than the actual value. Maybe they need it to find a bigger hidden treasure or something." I blinked at that. Although it sounded more like a fairy-tale, it certainly was possible...
	That sparked an idea in my head. "Or maybe it's some sort of key..."
	"Key?"
	I nodded. "Using magic, it's possible. I heard of a noble with something like it...whenever a young woman enters a pool in a certain place, a treasure room somewhere opens up. In this case, the young woman is the 'key'..."
	"So the key itself has no magic..." Gourry said.
	"Right."
	He hmmmed. "Then if the knife or the statue is used somewhere..."
	"...something might happen," I said, finishing the thought. I stood up; a bit wobbly, but I'd be able to walk. "There just aren't enough clues."
	Gourry blinked when I rose, putting out an arm. "Hey now..."
	I shook my head, fighting off the dizziness. "I'm all right. Just a bit tired, but there's not much I can do about it...hey!" I had little time to say much else, as Gourry lifted me into his arms. I felt a blush cover my face and furiously cried out, "Wha...what are you DOING?!"
	"I'll carry you for a while," Gourry replied. "Walking seems like it's still kind of hard for you."
	The blush was only getting worse, I could feel it. "I'm telling you, I'm fine! You're tired, too..."
	Gourry shook his head, wandering off - with me in his arms - toward the next town. "It was my grandmother's wish. She told me to be kind to women and children," he said, winking.
	When we reached the town, Gourry and I checked into an inn and made ourselves at home. I was tired, but I had a lot to think about and couldn't really get to sleep very well. As I laid up awake, I heard footsteps in the hallway...deliberate footsteps, not those of a drunk finding his way to his room. There was a group, trying to be quiet...and that worried me. I got up and got ready in case it was me they were after...I didn't know for sure, but no sense taking chances.
	The footsteps started getting closer as I snuck across the room to get my cloak, since I'd fallen asleep with my clothes on. As I got myself ready, I waited for the footsteps to stop, and they did...right in front of my room, as I'd expected them to. I hid myself near the doorway just as the door was kicked open.
	Several shadows I couldn't make out stormed into the room, but they seemed alarmed when they found out I wasn't in bed asleep. "Where is she?!" one cried out.
	I wanted to just scream "Right here!", but I thought that being cautious was more important. Although I'd been hiding near the door, I wasn't just sitting idle! I dashed into the open doorway, spreading my hands wide and forming a ball of light. This is no Lighting...it's a real Fireball this time! One of the shadows noticed me and turned around quickly, but it was too late. I threw the Fireball into the room, dashed into the hall and slammed the door behind me.
	I allowed myself a moment to grin as I pressed my back to the door. A Fireball cast into a closed room has twice the effect of a normal Fireball. There was a loud BOOM! as the spell detonated, and I stepped back from the door. I sighed at myself, though, once it was over. When I'm in top condition, Fireball spell can melt solid metal. But now...
	I turned to see Gourry hurrying out of his room, in full armor and carrying his sword. "What? What happened?"
	"Assassins!"
	"Did you get them?"
	I shrugged and gave him the most honest answer I could: "I'm not sure." If it had been the previous day, I would have just nodded, but I'd been worried since. Of course, the second I said that, several of the shadows, still burnt, rushed out of the room. Gourry immediately cut one down, and in the light of the hall I could finally see what they really were: trolls wearing simple armor and carrying swords.
	Gourry took another swing at one, but even hurt and burned as he was he managed to entirely block Gourry's attack with his own blade. Any normal person couldn't do that...he must be a veteran.
	"You must be the girl's comrade," the veteran says. Once he was in action I could get a better look at him...human, middle-aged but solidly built.
	Gourry grinned. "You're good, old man."
	"It's the experience that comes with old age." Both warriors jumped apart at the same time. The troll Gourry had cut down first slowly started to get up, and I got nervous...the situation looked bad. Gourry had his hands full with the old man, leaving the trolls for me. Gourry's good, but so's the veteran; he can't fight them both. In the state I was in, though, I wouldn't have been able to kill trolls. My magic power was extremely weak.
	I sighed. Ideally, when Gourry came out of his room the fight would have been over. He'd have asked, "Did you get them?" and I would have nodded, saying "Piece of cake!" and winking. The only thing left would have been dousing the fire...but the thing is, other than being somewhat burned, the assassins were still in good shape. I wouldn't be able to take them down with spells, but I couldn't kill trolls with a sword either. I'm not as good as Gourry but I know what I'm doing with a blade, but that's against HUMAN opponents. The only way to kill a troll is to behead it or something...I may be skilled, but I don't have the strength to behead a troll.
	I sighed and got ready. My only option was to help Gourry by blinding the trolls with cheap spells. Since the hallway wasn't that wide, they couldn't rush us, so we could have defeated them one at a time. I took a deep breath...it was going to be tiring, but we didn't have any other choice!
	"All right...!" I got myself ready and was about to join in, when all of a sudden the trolls and the old man just...stopped moving. Their eyes took on a very blank look, and suddenly I understood what had stopped them. It was a spell called "Control." Not a hard spell; it's effective against beings with low intelligence like trolls. That didn't explain the old man, though. The spellcaster must have had tremendous skill. You see, normally "Control" works against a single target, and takes time and certain materials to cast. But to control so many targets at once, and almost instantaneously? It was probably an original version, one I'd have to look into when I had the time...
	Gourry, not having my knowledge of magic, was confused however. "What's the 
matter with them?"
	"I just cast a simple spell..." came a voice from almost all around. "I don't know who is to blame, but this commotion is disturbing the other guests..." I looked over the fallen trolls, and say who was speaking: a priest was standing in that direction, near the exit. He had a kindly, pale face but it was hard to tell his age...he looked old and young at the same time. His eyes were shut tight...he was probably blind. The most disturbing thing, however, were his robes. The style was certainly that of a priest, but the colors were all wrong. Normally priests wear white, or sometimes purple or green in some areas...but his robes were blood red.
	I coughed. "Thanks for the help. You are?"
	The priest turned toward me. "No thanks are necessary. I'm simply a guest who saw some suspicious individuals sneaking around, so I stuck my head in."
	"He's just like you," Gourry mused. I glared at him, trying to keep him quiet. It was a very serious scene.
	I turned back to the red priest. "Then you must have been the one to cast Sleeping on the guests?"
	He nodded, but had a somewhat impressed expression. "How did you know?"
	I smiled faintly. "Even though there was a lot of noise, no one came out to check...I assumed they'd been put to sleep."
	"It wouldn't be good to have ignorant people coming out and making a big deal of things," the priest replied.
	I raised an eyebrow. "Then are you saying you're somehow involved in this whole thing?"
	The priest snapped his fingers, and suddenly the trolls and the middle-aged man got up and, as if in a trance, started walking slowly toward the exit. "It seems they are followers of Zelgadis..." the priest said quietly.
	That name again... "Do you know him?" I asked.
	The priest nodded. "Indeed I do. He plans on using an item you possess to resurrect the Dark Lord Shabranigdu. He is...my enemy."
	That news hit me like a ton of bricks. Dark Lord Shabranigdu...oh boy. Gourry, however, looked as confused as ever. "What's that? Sha...Shara...Shabrawhatsis..."
	"I'll explain later!" I snapped, brushing him aside coldly. I turned back to the priest. "Is that true?"
	"It's most probably true. Zelgadis was born as a chimera, a cross between a golem and a blow-demon. He plans to resurrect the demon king and gain awesome power to sink the world into chaos."
	I was astounded by that. It was...insane! "Why would he want to do something so stupid...?"
	The priest shook his head. "Even I do not know. But I am certain, however, that he is our common enemy."
	I raised an eyebrow. "Even if you say he's a common enemy, why are you opposing him?"
"I am a priest," he answered. "I cannot let an attempt to resurrect the Demon King succeed."
	I shook my head. It sounded...sort of suspicious. "So are you offering to fight together?" I folded my arms over my chest, while Gourry had little more to do than just stand there.
	The priest shook his head. "No, absolutely not. I'm assuming the two of you happened to get ahold of the 'key' necessary for the resurrection, and as a result became enemies with Zelgadis."
	I nodded. "You're right."
	"Let me have the 'key'. That way the two of you won't have to be involved any longer."
	I shrugged. "Wouldn't it just be easier to destroy the key?"
	The priest panicked at that, which surprised me a little. "Don't do such a thing! That is the way to resurrect the Demon King!"
	"But if I hand it over to you, that means you'll have to fight them alone!"
	The priest offered a slight smile. "Do not worry. They may be powerful but I, the Red Priest, do not intend to lose."
	The evening was certainly full of surprises...Red Priest? As he said that, I finally figured out the priest's identity. "Are you Rezo, the Red Priest?"
	"I have been called that," he replies, smiling wryly. Rezo the Red Priest...he's said to always wear red. He had the same innate power as the chief priest of Saillune, but he served no kingdom. Instead, he wandered the land, helping those in need. Along with the white magic of priests, he also knew black magic and shamanist magic, and is counted as one of the Five Great Sages. His only flaws were that he was born blind...and his name sounds like a villain's name. Even little kids know of him.
	I was snapped out of my reverie by someone tugging on my cloak from behind...by Gourry, who looked at me, confused. "Is he someone famous?" I almost fell over from shock, then snapped angrily, "I'll explain later!" I turned and continued speaking with the Red Priest. "We will fight with you!" I blinked when he did not seem to take to the idea. "After hearing that, we can't turn our backs on you and just walk away..."
	Rezo looked somewhat uncomfortable. "I thank you, but..."
	I refused to be denied. "It isn't that we don't have faith in you, but should the Demon King be resurrected it's not something anyone can ignore. I know I may only be a little help, but I would like to be of some use."
	The Red Priest's expression grew more troubled. "However..."
	"Please, there's no need to worry! I have some knowledge of spellcasting, and this man, Gourry, is a skilled swordsman. We promise not to get in your way."
	"Alright, if you say so," the priest replied with a sigh.
	I smiled. "Then let us fight together!" Gourry was tugging on my cloak from behind again but I did my best to ignore him.
	"Let me safeguard the key," the priest offers, but I shook my head. His expression became somewhat unpleasant, so I explained myself.
	"They don't know we have allied. We can be the bait, and you can secretly support us."
	"But then you two will be in danger. I can be the bait..."
	I shook my head. "No. If you take the 'key', then they will know that we've come into contact. If that happens, they'll start plotting and the whole purpose of having 'bait' will be gone."
	"That may be true, but..."
	"Sir priest, please have some faith in me!" Most people couldn't resist something like that and say "No", but I had a feeling Gourry might have.
	The priest sighed. "All right. Then I shall leave the 'key' in your hands." After saying that, he walked over toward my room. What was he doing...? He took a small round object, and threw it into my room, shutting the door after it. The Red Priest started to chant...it sounded like the Resurrection spell, only a bit different. After a moment or two, he stops, although nothing seems to have happened. He turned toward me. "I shall return to my room now. Starting tomorrow, I will support you in secret. Goodnight." After saying that, he walked away into the shadows.
	Gourry peered into the room, confused. "There's nothing wrong with the room. What did he just do?"
	"Let me take a look..." I peered into the room as well, and was speechless when I saw what had happened. As Gourry had said, there was nothing wrong with the room. The bed was slightly ruffled and the window was covered in cheap white drape. NOTHING had changed! The room was exactly as it had been before I tossed a Fireball into it. If the room had stayed burned, the innkeeper would not have been happy. I couldn't think of anything to do. I didn't know how he did it, but Rezo the Red Priest had fixed the room. "What an unbelievable guy..." I murmured.
	"What's unbelievable?"
	I sighed. "I'll explain it to you tomorrow. Let's get to bed. Lack of sleep is bad for your health and your looks." I shut the door to my room, walked into Gourry's, and laid down in a corner.
	"Hey, little girl!" Gourry called out. "That's my room!"
	"I know that."
	Gourry was stunned speechless. "..."
	I sighed. "There might be another attack if I'm in my room."
	"But even if you're in THIS room..."
	"It'll be safer with two people than one."
	Gourry sighed. "Alright, then use the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."
	"I can't do that! I'm the one who barged into the room."
	"Okay," Gourry said, seeing I couldn't be persuaded. He walked to the other side of the room and laid down, sleeping on the floor.
	"Why aren't you sleeping on the bed?" I asked.
	"Fool. How can I let a girl sleep on the floor while I sleep in a bed?"
	I smiled wryly at the chivalry. "Do as you like. Goodnight, Gourry."
	"Goodnight, little girl." I sighed. If he'd stop treating me like a kid, he might be tolerable...
	The next day we left, heading toward Atlas City once again. For days we traveled through annoyingly similar-looking forests, and I was getting bore of seeing just trees. As we traveled, I decided to bite the bullet and ask Gourry the question I dreaded. "Are you serious about not knowing about Dark Lord Shabranigdu?"
	"Hmmm..." Gourry said, then gave that a few minutes of thought. "Nope. I don't really know at all."
	I couldn't believe it. The legend of Shabranigdu; not just to sorcerers and priests, but also normal people too. I sighed. "Fine. I'll explain it to you. Try to think of it like listening to a story."
	Gourry nodded. "Okay."
	I sighed again...would he really understand even if I tell him? I tried not to focus on doubts and started in on the story. "Apart from the world we live in, there are several other worlds. Each one lies on top of a sraff, which is stuck into the Sea of Chaos. Each world is round and flat...think of it like a pie placed on top of a stick stuck into the ground." I pointed at the ground as well to emphasize the point. "One of them is where we live."
	That explanation is what most sorcerers and sorceresses believe in, but I don't necessarily agree with it. However, that didn't seem like a subject Gourry would really understand anyhow, so I didn't go into it. "On each of these worlds, for ages, there have been two forces fighting for control. One is the Gods, the other is the Mazoku. The Gods are trying to defend the world; the Mazoku want to destroy the worlds and gain control of the staff that holds them up.
	"On some worlds, the Gods have won and there is peace. On others, the Mazoku have won and those worlds have been destroyed. On our world the battle is still going on. Ruby Eye Shabranigdu and Flare Dragon Ceipheed have battled for control of our world. Their war lasted for hundreds of thousands of years, until finally Ceipheed split Shabranigdu into seven pieces, then sealed them in places across our world."
	Gourry nodded, saying rbgihtly, "Then the Gods were victorious?"
	I shook my head. "Only sealed...not destroyed."
	"But if his body was split up into seven parts..."
	"If that was all it took to kill him, he wouldn't be called a Demon King. After the Light Dragon sealed Shabranigdu away, he ran out of strength and sank into the Sea of Chaos."
	Gourry made a face. "Not very responsible of him."
	I couldn't hide a smile at that. "Don't worry. He feared the resurrection of the Demon King, so before he ran out of strength, Ceipheed created four counterparts of himself: the Earth, Sky, Water, and Fire Dragon Kings. Each was responsible for the defense of the northern, eastern, souther, or western regions of our world. The legends say that was about 5000 years ago. About 1000 years ago, what the Light Dragon feared came to pass. One of the seven pieces of Shabranigdu possessed a human being and was revive. The Demon King trapped the Water Dragon King of the north, fought, and managed to defeat him. In the process, though, the Demon King was chained to the earth and unable to move.
	Gourry blinked. "That was a senseless battle."
	I shook my head again. "It just means that's how much weaker the two of them were. Anyway, as a result, the balance of the world was disturbed, and what we call the 'Beasts of Darkness' appeared."
	Gourry whistled, and I could tell he was impressed. "Well, not counting the matter of whether this is right or not, in the past there was certainly some power in the north strong enough to be called the Demon King."
	Gourry glanced at me. "So this Zel-whatsis guy, the one in white, is trying to resurrect the second of the seven parts of Shabranigdu?"
	I nodded. "Exactly. Well, that is, if what Rezo the Red Priest is true."
	"Which reminds me," Gourry muttered. "Even though you were polite towards him, it didn't look like you trusted Rezo."
	I blinked at that. Pretty perceptive coming from Gourry. "There's no guarantee he's the real Rezo," I explained. "He's almost a legend, and there haven't been any reports of him being seen for the past ten years."
	"So he might be one of 'them' using Rezo's name?"
	"Right."
	Gourry raised an eyebrow. "If you think like that, it's a surprise you trusted me at all."
	I grinned impishly. "I still might not trust you."
	Gourry flinched. "That's harsh."
	"I'm kidding. Contrary to appearances, I have a good eye for judging people."
	"Thanks, little girl," Gourry joked, patting my head.
	"Don't treat me like a child!" I snapped almost automatically...but I'd become so used to that treatment that it wasn't as infuriating as before.
	Gourry grinned. "You say that, but how old are you?"
	"25."
	Gourry froze, and I laughed. "Just kidding. I'm 15."
	"You surprised me there," Gourry replied. "That makes a lot more sense. At 15 you're still just a child."
	"Hey! I may not be able to say I'm an adult, but I'm not a kid!"
	"That's a hard age."
	I blinked and turned toward him. "What are you saying?" I muttered, then blinked again. "I forgot to tell you this," I whispered, lowering my voice. "For the next few days I won't be able to use most of my magic. You'll have to do the majority of the fighting."
	"Can't use your magic?" Gourry looked surprised, but didn't seem alarmed. I nodded, then he began to look pensive, thinking, before he apparently reached a conclusion. "It's 'that day'..."
	I flushed crimson. "Nee, Gourry!"
	"Mmm?" Gourry blinked and looked at me with complete innocence, totally unaware that something was the matter. I can't even look him in the eye.
	"What would YOU know...about 'that day'...?" I asked, gritting my teeth. Since females are the ones who bear children, there comes a time once a month when they have to suffer a little bit. During that 2 or 3 day period before and after that day, the magic power of sorceresses and priestesses drops dramatically. The public thinks during this time that women lose their 'purity' and become normal women, but that isn't right. I think it's a matter of not being able to concentrate. For the past few days my magic power had been dropping. I feared that this was the reason and found out I was right. That wasn't the issue, though. What I wanted to know was, how did someone with the strength of an ogre and the intelligence of a slime make the connection that 'no spells' equals 'that day'?!
	"It's not such a big deal!" Gourry said defensively. "When I was a kid about 5 years old, there was a lady fortune-teller in my town, and each month around a certain time she'd close up shop for a few days. I once asked her 'Why?' and she laughed and said 'It's just that day'. I thought 'that day' meant 'that day when spells can't be cast', but there seems to be some other meaning. Tell me, Lina-chan...I don't get it!"
	"Hey!" I snapped. It was obvious that he was enjoying teasing me.
	"Well...enough fooling around," Gourry said, suddenly stopping, and I glanced at him in surprise. "It looks like we're going to have to get serious, little girl." I also stopped, and glanced around. On the right were trees. On the left was open field. However, right in the middle of the road, a man stood block our path. Wearing something like a coat...he looked to be about 20, and kind of handsome. He had blue-black skin, though, that appeared to be made of a stone-like material, and his silver hair appeared to be threads of metal. In his hands he held a broadsword, and I instantly recognized him.
	"Ooooh..." Gourry said. "Finally showed yourself, eh? Zegaldis!"
	I nudged Gourry. "Oi, oi. It's Zeldigas."
	"It's Zelgadis!" the chimera snapped.
	Gourry blinked, and the area fell very silent. "Uh, right! That's what I said!"
	"Me too!" I added, not liking where the situation was headed.
	"...My name doesn't matter," Zelgadis said curtly, fed-up. "I want you to hand over the 'item'. If you refuse, then I shall take it from you myself. now choose, Sophia-san!" I blinked, and Gourry and I stared at each other for a moment.
	Suddenly, the light dawned, and Gourry and I clapped our hands in unison. I wasn't sure who he was talking about, but I'd remembered...he must have believed the false name I gave Zolf.
	"It's 'Lina,'" I said flatly.
	I was somewhat bemused by Zelgadis' confused reaction. "Huh?"
	I groaned, and said it again very slowly, like speaking to a child. "Li. Na. The name I gave Zolf was a fake."
	Zelgadis was stunned, not sure how to react. My plan to take the fight out of him had apparently worked. Well...some would call that my nature, but it's not really fair to discuss that.
	However, while we stood there yet another element entered the scene. "Names aren't important," came a voice from the opposite direction....behind us. I turned and looked, and standing there was a werewolf. More precisely, half troll and half werewolf...I suppose beast man would be a more accurate term. I even allowed myself a little laugh: he was mostly humanoid, with a werewolf's head...but wearing leather armor, for some reason. A large scimitar was slung on his shoulder. "All we have to do is take the statue from her, right, Zel?"
	Zelgadis' face twisted in annoyance. "Dilgear!" he rebuked with a hiss.
	The werewolf's face went blank for a moment, then he grinned. "Oh right...they didn't know what the 'item' is, did they? Well, no difference. You're going to die here anyway."
I stepped forward with a grin. "You're assuming too much! I don't know how good you are, but I know you're not that big a threat."
	"Oh ho?" the werewolf said, narrowing his eyes. "You talk a lot, girl. Now let's see some action!"
	I grimaced internally, then ahemed. "Alright! But it'll be over too quick, two on two..." I pushed Gourry forward. "Go, Gourry!"
	Gourry blinked and cried out, stumbling. "Whoaaaaaaaah!" He turned back and looked at me in confusion. "Hey, little girl..."
	"What?"
"Wait! There's no need to argue..." Yet another mysterious voice, but this one I recognized...just as I expected, the middle-aged man from the night at the inn stepped out of the woods near Zelgadis. Since we were outdoors, he carried a halberd instead of a sword...probably his weapon of choice.
	"Hey!" I yelled, defensively. "Three on one is unfair!"
	"Hey hey hey hey HEY!" Gourry rants, completely lost.
	The middle-aged man advanced a step. "Before I lost because of a strange spell, but things wouldn't be that easy today!" I grimaced again; things were looking pretty bad. I want to just run, but...
	Zelgadis stepped forward. "It doesn't matter...here we come!" He held out his palm, and a cluster of Flare Arrows appeared in it, which he hurled at Gourry and I!
	"Watch it!" Gourry shouted, as he and I jumped out of the way. The Flare Arrows struck the ground where we were standing, raising a large cloud of smoke.
	I cursed. Gourry and I had been seperated. On the other side of the smoke cloud, the sound of clashing metal rose...Gourry must have been fighting one of the enemies.
	"Gourry!" I yelled, concerned, but at that very moment a blade flashed near me. "Hey!" I shouted, jumping back and drawing my own sword.
	"I will test your skill!" A figure in white emerged from the smoke, immediately recognizable.
	"Zelgadis!"
	With a yell, Zelgadis swung at me with his blade. I brought my sword up to parry, and grunted in surprise. It was so heavy! I almost dropped my sword, and grimaced. He was good...too good. There was a lot of force and speed in his swing. Had I kept up my parrying, my arm wouldn't have lasted very long. I realized that in that state I couldn't beat him, and I esaped into the forest. I knew it was me they wanted; Zelgadis will follow me. I could lose him in the 
forest, then return and help Gourry.
	That was the plan, anyhow. I had underestimated Zelgadis, though. He followed me into the forest just as I had planned. However, in a mere instant he had caught up with me, planting his knee into my stomach. I swung a counterattack but it sliced thin air as I was thrown back into a tree, breath knocked out of me.
	I breathed deeply; it wasn't enough to knock me out, but it hurt. "You should...cough...treat girls more gently..."
	Zelgadis stood over me, and said dispassionately, "I have no intention of harming you as long as you hand over the 'item'."
	I scrambled back slowly, and Zelgadis followed me with his eyes. We remained at that standstill for a moment, before I had recovered enough to make a break for it at full speed. As I expected, Zelgadis dashed after me, and I knew that was my one opportunity. "Lighting!" I shouted, throwing the ball of blinding light right in front of him.
	"Gaaaaaaah!" Zelgadis shouted, blinded. I knew I couldn't defeat him with that spell, but it would be enough to distract him, even in the condition I was in. Had it been a Fireball, I wouldn't even have been able to make smoke.
	While Zelgadis was distracted, I didn't even consider countering; I wasn't sure how effective my sword would be against his stony skin, so I kept running. The problem was, the forest suddenly ended at a lake, which spread out before me...no place to hide! I turned and was about to head back into the forest, when I saw Zelgadis standing right there. With no options left, I ran along the lake shore.
	"I won't let you escape!" Zelgadis shouted, before throwing something. I dodged to the left, not even bothering to turn around...but my body wouldn't move? I turned my head to look down and saw a small knife pinning my shadow to the ground. A Shadow Snap! A minor spell that paralyzes the target from the Astral plane, but takes skill to use.
	"Heh. No problem!" I said, grinning. The weakness of the Shadow Snap is light...I chanted Lighting and directed the ball toward my shadow, which disappeared, freeing me. However, as soon as I turned around, I knew it was too late. Zelgadis was standing right in front of me...

Chapter 3: Big trouble... I've been caught! How pitiful...

	When I awoke, I was in a place I didn't recognize. It appeared to be the main room of an old abandoned church. There was a stained glass window, but it was broken. Over against one wall leaned the statue of a saint from some forgotten age. There was a dull ache in the left side of my head. Apparently I hadn't been killed... obviously a result of my daily good deeds! Errr...not really the time to say things like that. I was bound and hanging from the ceiling, and before me stood Zelgadis, Zolf the mummy man, the werewolf Dilgear, and a new face...a merman. No, a fish man! Normal mermen look human but have a fish's lower body.  The one that stood in front of me, however, was just...a fish with human arms and legs. His body was flat with a large flat face and wide-open fish eyes on both sides, wet, glittering scales, and a slightly open mouth...in other words, the face of a fish. The type of face that shouldn't be shown close up to people with heart problems. I noticed, though, that the middle-aged fighter wasn't present...
	"You weren't as good as you said you were, girl," Zelgadis said flatly. I muttered to myself, wishing he'd leave me alone. "You should thank Zolf. I didn't kill you because he asked me to bring you here alive."
	I grinned caustically. "Gee...thanks."
	"Heh. You seem to be pretty confident." The voice was Zolf's.
	A thought crossed my mind. "What did you do with my companion?"
	"Him? He ran away and left you all alone. You've been dumped, little girl." This voice was the werewolf's, Dilgear.
	"What a pity," I said flatly.
	"Indeed," Zelgadis said with a sigh. "I never thought you would hand the item to him instead. It was a good thing you're still alive. He might come to save you."
	Dilgear looked confused. "Hey, hey...what's this about?"
	"She doesn't have the statue," Zelgadis responded coolly.
	Everyone except Zelgadis and I looked shocked. "Whaaaaaaat?"
	"Did you look carefully?" the werewolf asked.
	Zelgadis seemed slightly angered by that question. "Do you see anywhere she could hide the statue?" Now, don't misread this. I wasn't hanging stark naked, but dressed as usual, minus my cloak and my sword. The statue wasn't that big, but Zel was right: if I were carrying it, it would be pretty obvious. Dilgear circled around me, inspecting.
	"That's true..." he mutters, then grins faintly. "Wait a minute, she is female. She could be hiding it inside her." He paused, then grinned wider. "Nah, that's not possible. If she had something like that inside, her 'thing' would rip apart!" Amused by his dirty joke, Dilgear guffawed loudly as I blushed furiously.
	"We haven't been able to sense the location of the statue he's got. Why?" Zelgadis asks pointedly, ignoring Dilgear.
	"When handing him the items, I cast 'Protect', on all the ones you might be looking for," I replied simply.
	"Protect?"
	I nodded, as best as I could. "Yes. I made it impossible to search for the statue from the Astral plane."
	Zelgadis looked somewhat impressed. "You can do that?"
	I grinned, bragging. "Yup."
	"When you fought me, though, you only used cheap spells."
	"You weren't fighting at full strength, either," I shot back.
	Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you could tell?"
	"Of course."
	"...You don't seem like an idiot," Zelgadis mused. "But the spells you used were cheap, so..." He thought about it for a moment, then clapped his hands solemnly. "It's 'that day'."
	I blushed again. "Shut up!"
	"Anyhow, until that man comes, we need you alive." He turned to the mummy man. "Zolf, I don't know what you plan to do, but don't kill her." His voice had a very ominous tone.
	Zolf chuckled. "I understand." He turned to me. "Now, little girl...I would like to pay you back for what you've done! What would you like to have done to you?"
	Oh lord, he was a freak! Whenever I see people like him... grr! "Zolf-san..." I whispered.
	"What is it?" he asked, full of confidence.
	"There's something...I would like to say..."
	"I won't listen to any pleas for mercy."
	"That's not it..." I said softly.
	Zolf sounded impatient, leaning forward. "What, then? Say it!"
	"Third-rate!" I said loudly, to a round of explosive laughter...everyone except Zolf was laughing. Even Zelgadis had his head turned the other way politely, but his shoulders were shaking. I just have that kind of personality. I couldn't laugh, though. I thought Zolf would lose his temper and start screaming, but instead he just STARED at me...it was kinda creepy.
	Once the laughter stopped, Zolf opened his mouth. "Dilgear..." he said quietly.
	"Eh? What is it?" the werewolf replied.
	"Rape her."
	"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh?" Everyone's attention was centered on the source of the voice. Not me; Dilgear. Before I could say anything, the werewolf cried out.
	"...You're kidding, right?" he manages to squeak out.
	"Eh? No, I meant it," Zolf said flatly.
	"Hey, hey! Don't ask me to do something like that. Well...if she were a glamorous goblin or a petite cyclops I would...but why of ALL things would I sleep with a human? In the first place, with HER as a partner what turns hard won't..." I blinked. Hey!
	"He has a different sense of beauty," Zelgadis explained. "For Dilgear, humans aren't even objects of lust." It's the same thing as why a human male isn't turned on by a female goblin. Well, there may be some men who like that kind of thing... but he makes it sound as if I'm less attractive than a goblin or a cyclops! For a minute I thought of objecting, but I realized if he said 'Well, if you say so!' I would be in trouble, so I stayed quiet.
	"Alright, then. Noonsa!" Zolf cried, turning to the fish man...the really grotesque one. "You rape her!"
	"Ra...pe?" Noonsa replied slowly.
	"Yes!"
	"Does that mean...you're telling me...to procreate with her?"
	Zolf doesn't sound like he expects a lot from Noonsa. "Well...yes."
	But... "Well...alright," the fishman replied.
	"Nooo!" This time, I was the one who screamed. I would rather kiss the first random stranger to walk by me than to even shake HANDS with this fishman. To...to...to do it with him? I'd rather die!
	"Great, you'll do it! That's the way it ought to be! You're a real man!" Zolf got very excited as Noonsa stepped closer, each footstep the sound of wet cloth sliding across the floor.
	"Stop! Don't do it, you idiot! Don't come any closer!"
	"You are very fortunate," Noonsa said. "To be human, yet you will have children by me, the most handsome one in my school..."
	I panicked. "Who's handsome, huh? Who? Don't come any closer! Waaaaaaaah! I'll cry! Hey!"
	"Cry! Scream! Tremble with fear! Know, with your body, the foolishness of going against us!" Zolf was VERY excited, and I was very scared. Noonsa stopped, right in front of me!
	"Now..." Noonsa said, slowly. I couldn't even cry out, I was so afraid. "Now...lay eggs." There was a long moment of dead silence. "What's the matter?" Noonsa asked.
	"Oi," Dilgear interrupted, from the side. "Noonsa, what's this eggs thing about?" Noonsa looked at Dilgear with a bit of surprise, or what he must have thought was a look of surprise...
	"Without eggs, there is no way to procreate," the fishman replied bluntly.
	Zelgadis clapped his hands together again. "Ah. They procreate differently."
	Zolf looked confused. "Huh? I don't get it." I understood, though...
	"Noonsa, when your race has children, how do they do it?" Zelgadis asked calmly.
	"The female lays eggs...the male showers those with semen. Once the eggs are placed somewhere wet, children are born in about 50 days..." he explained slowly. It was just as I thought. Even the way they have children is more like a fish.
	Zolf, furious, berated Noonsa. "Why didn't you say that before?!"
"I didn't know that the way we have children is different from your way," he replied simply.
	"Hey!"
	"Wait a minute, Zolf," Dilgear piped up. "Instead of telling others to do it, why don't you or Rodimus do it? You're all humans."
	"Rodimus used to be a knight. He's still obssessed with the code of chivalry and said 'I don't like seeing women and children being mistreated', so he didn't even come here. There's no way he'd do it, even if I begged." Rodimus must be the middle-aged swordsman, I mused. "On the other hand, I'm injured...if I tried it, I'd get hurt."
	"Then you should give up," the werewolf said simply.
	"No! There's still..." Zolf replied, eyes turning to Zelgadis.
	The chimera looked kind of startled. "I don't want to do it! I'm not interested in sleeping with crying women!"
	Zolf looked as if he was going to cry. He shouldn't have been such a crybaby! He wasn't a child! The moment I feel safe, I start to get aggressive. I don't have any choice, it's just my nature. "I have no choice," the mummy man said. He produced a piece of cloth the size of a handkerchief.
	"Wh...what are you going to do?!" Zolf ignored me and walked behind me. "Say something, you mmph!" I got cut off as the cloth was tied around my mouth!
	"Now... you can't talk, can you?" Zolf said, turning around and facing me. What was he planning...? He laughed an ugly laugh, and then said, clearly, "Runt!"
	"Nnnn...?!"
	"Ugly."
	"Mmmph!"
	"Brat! Flat chested, tomboyish, arrogant..." Zolf ranted on, and the teasing seemed to continue forever. Damn, he got on my nerves! If only I could have spoken, I'd have given him a good tongue-lashing: "Your legs are short and bowlegged! You've got an awful personality! Underneath those bandages you're probably hideous!" But instead he was taking it all out on me!
	"It seems to be effective," Zelgadis observed, although he sounded annoyed. "But this isn't some fight between kids. Can't you...you know..."
	"I'm paying her back for calling me third-rate!" Zolf shrieked, and apparently all the blood was rushing to his head. I was only getting angrier.
	I shouted out a long list of swear words that would likely have gotten me killed, but because of the cloth it only comes out as "Ffmmmffffmm!"
	"How do you feel? Why don't you try to say something back?!" he continued to taunt. I seethed in anger.
	"Nnn...uuu..nnn...mmn!" I wasn't ever gonna forgive him! I swore someday I'd get back at him...
	Darkness fell. There was some light shining on the statue of the saint, coming in from a small window high up. Time passed. Soon after, even the little light was gone also, and darkness ruled the room I was in. Once Zolf was finished, without doing anything they each returned to their rooms. I was alone, with no lamp, the only light coming from the stars. My wrists hurt, and I couldn't sleep while I was just hanging there. However, the day had been long so I kept nodding off slightly. I don't remember how much time went by like that. Eventually, the door opened soundlessly and I instantly snapped awake. Somebody stepped into the room.
	"Be quiet," the figured whispered....Zelgadis. But why should I have been quiet? He appeared to be holding something, though I couldn't tell what it was in the dark. A blade flashed.
	I landed on the floor with a muffled cry of surprise.
	"Here's your sword and cloak."
	"...Eh?" Once I had removed the cloth around my mouth, I took the items. They were really mine. "Why?" I asked.
	"There's no time to explain. Do you want to escape or not?" was the curt reply. When he put it that way, there was really only one answer, and I nodded. "Follow me." I walked quietly after Zelgadis. I knew it must be a trap, but any trap is better than hanging from a ceiling...I think. Soon we moved outside, and the moonlight shone on a dark forest and an old church. A single path lead into the forest. "Go," Zelgadis said.
	I hesitate. The deal was too good. "But..."
	"The situation has changed," he said irritably. "I don't care what your problem is, just go!"
	"Alright." If it's a trap, then it's a trap. I ran along the path heading for the forest...but then my legs gave out on me part of the way. There was a crimson-shaded darkness in front of the entrance to the forest, and I heard Zelgadis click his tongue from behind me. The man who called himself Rezo the Red Priest stood before us.
	"What is this about, Zelgadis? Are you letting that woman go?" Rezo said languidly. "You have never been truly open with me, but this is outright betrayal."
	"Shut up!" Zelgadis cried, with a bit of desperation in his voice...he's obviously afraid. "I'm sick of working for you!"
	"Ohhhh? I see..." Rezo said quietly. His expression hadn't changed a bit from the time we met, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. "You'd disregard the debt you owe me for giving you your 'strength', and would stand against me, your creator? Is that what you are saying?"
	"What do you mean by debt?! I did say I wanted strength...but I never asked you to make me into a chimera!"
	"... That was the quickest way to your 'strength'. But no matter. Neither nor reason nor the result is important. This is the result, and it must end now..." the Red Priest replied.
	"Damn...!" Zelgadis muttered, before rushing to my side and grabbing me from behind.
	"Wh...wha?!" I sputtered, as Zelgadis inched forward.
	Rezo laughed, somewhat nasally. "Are you going to use her as a shield? How foolish. Do you think that's going to stay my hand?"
	"I don't think that at all!" Zelgadis shouted, desperate...probably to control the fear he was feeling. I wished he wouldn't yell so close to my ear... "There's no way to escape using her as a shield. That is, if I used her as a shield, escape would be impossible," Zelgadis said calmly, and as he did I felt myself being lifted into the air! Hey! It couldn't be...
	"Aaaaaaaaah!" I knew it. I was flying...Zelgadis had THROWN me at Rezo! That surprised even the Red Priest, who moved out of the way in a hurry. However, there was a tree right in front of me! I swung my arms wildly, screaming. I thought I managed to right myself but was apparently mistaken, and with a loud THWAP I slammed into the tree, reflexively wrapping my arms and legs around it. It hurt a lot. "Koala." I made a stupid joke to take mind off the pain.
	"This isn't the time to be saying stupid jokes!" Zelgadis snapped. Without hestiating, he grabbed me, having run straight by Rezo right after throwing me. As he grabbed me, he hurled a Fireball in order to deter pursuit.
	"Don't do such crazy things!" I shouted!
	"I'll listen to your complaints later!" He tossed a few more Fireballs, still holding me in his arm, and ran into the darkness.
	"I think we've lost him." Zelgadis finally took a break near dawn by a small river that ran through the forest. There is a pond away from the road and a waterfall nearby as well, so there wasn't much worry about being heard. Boy, did he have endurance...he'd been running all night, carrying me. During that time I'd been rubbing the tip of my nose and my wrists.
	"...My nose hurts," I complained.
	"What's wrong?" Zelgadis asked nonchalantly.
	"... Hey..." I sat down, and the cold stone felt good. It would have been nice to be able to lie down and get some rest. I hadn't slept the night before and it was starting to catch up. Being slightly smaller than most people, I'm confident in my speed. On the other hand, I don't have as much endurance as a normal fighter.
	"I think sleep would be a good idea. Even I'm tired." Zelgadis said, as if speaking to himself. I cheered inside. "Don't think of running away while I'm asleep," he warned.
	"I wouldn't think of such a thing. I'm tired myself, and only a little of my magic power has come back."
	"Ho..." He sounded impressed. "But that means a little bit has come back..."
	"At any rate, I won't run. But before you sleep, wouldn't it be proper for you to explain yourself?"
	Zelgadis smiled wryly. "That's true. You're already invovled, so I suppose you have a right to know. I'll explain...where should I start?"
	"For starters, tell me about that man back there. He calls himself Rezo the Red Priest, but..."
	"Heh. So he's already contacted you?"
	I nodded. "What is he?"
	Zelgadis shrugged. "He is who he claims to be...he's the real Rezo the Red Priest. People treat him like a saint, but that's not what he's really like. I've heard he wasn't always this way, but I doubt it..."
	I blinked. "What do you mean, 'this way'? What's he been doing behind the scenes?"
"You don't know? He's looking for the 'item."
	"Then he's the one trying to resurrect Shabranigdu, and not you?" I was surprised to see that Zelgadis looked as confused as I was sure I did.
	"Shabranigdu? What are you talking about? What he was making us look for was the famous 'Philosopher's Stone.'"
	I made a small choking noise, struck speechless. "Then...then..."
	"Yes. The Philosopher's Stone is inside the statue."
	The Philosopher's Stone...there was probably no magic-user who hasn't heard of it. Some say it's an artifact from an ancient civilization; others say it's part of the staff that supports the world. The one thing that is certain is that it is an artifact that increses magical power, and a seriously powerful artifact at that. The Philospher's Stone has only appeared a few times in history. That means it's very rare, but each time it has appeared, history has been altered. Really, an apprentice sorcerer once used the stone to destroy an entire kingdom. Even though it was near-legendary, I knew it existed...I knew, but I never thought I'd get to see it...
	I was awestruck. "Bu...but what does he plan to do with it once he gets it...?" If Rezo was as strong as the rumors said, then he had a considerable degree of power. Why would he want the stone on top of that? "Don't tell me he's going to try and conquer the world..."
	Zelgadis shook his head. "He said, 'All I want to do is see the world'."
	I raised an eyebrow. "See...the world?" That didn't make sense.
	"Yes," Zelgadis replied, explaining. "As the rumors say, Rezo was born blind. He started learning White Magic so he could learn to cure his blindness. He mastered White Magic and wandered the land, healing people. He was using them as experiments to cure his own condition, however. Even though he could cure the blindness of others, he could not open his own eyes. He thought something must be missing. He started practicing Shamanism and Black Magic. By combining them with White Magic he tried to create a lot of high level spells. He showed extreme talent and skill with the magic, but he still couldn't cure his own blindness. So now he's after..."
	"...the Philospher's Stone," I finished for him, and Zelgadis nodded. "But then, why do you want to prevent him from getting it? Even if he regains his sight, it's not as if he'll be causing trouble."
	"That's true. But I'm not out to stop him; I'm out to kill him. And if I want to do that, I'll need the Philosopher's Stone. As it is now, I'm not powerful enough to beat him." Judging from the expression on his face, he wasn't kidding.
	"Is he...is Rezo really that powerful?" Zelgadis nodded. If even someone as strong as Zelgadis was saying he couldn't defeat Rezo, it must mean Rezo really was extremely powerful. "You said you want to defeat him...is it because of what he did to your body?"
	"Yeah. One day he said to me, 'If you help look for the Philosopher's Stone, then I shall grant you strength.' I nodded and agreed, not knowing what it would mean..." His voice was filled with hatred.
	"When did you first meet him?" I had asked the question in an effort to change the mood, and in response Zelgadis wore a slightly mocking smile, and answered after a short pause.
	"...From the day I was born. He's supposed to be either my grandfather or great-grandfather. I don't know him well, and don't want to, either."
	"Eh?!" I was shocked.
	"Contrary to appearances, he's been alive for around a hundred years. Anyway, it just means that the cursed blood of that false altruist, Rezo, runs in my veins."
	I scratched the tip of my nose with my finger, sighing. "I shouldn't have asked."
	"It's fine, it doesn't matter..." Zelgadis replied, with a hint of sadness in his voice.
	"Anyway, now I understand the basics," I said, forcing a brighter tone into my voice. "So now I'll sleep a little." I lay down on my side. Aaaaah, it felt good. "Why don't you rest a little? You're tired too, right?"
	"Yeah, but if we're attacked while we're both asleep, that'll be it. I'll take first watch...after a while, I'll wake you up, and you can take over."
	"Okay, then. Goodnight," I said simply, and closed my eyes. It didn't take long before I was swallowed into sleep.
	I woke up not long after I'd fallen asleep. I could tell that much by checking the angle of the sun and how much I'd healed. Some kind of murderous intent was around, and it had woken me up, and it wasn't from just one or two individuals. Without the use of magic, I could sense exactly how many individuals there are, up to about 10, but right then I couldn't do that... meaning that there were more than 10 individuals.
	"We're surrounded," Zelgadis stated. He didn't try to lower his voice... the enemy already knew our location, so that would be pointless. "The enemy?"
	"About 20 or 30 trolls. Rezo's not with them, so we should be all right," he says casually, but I wondered if that was really the case...
	"Come on out! It's not as though you think you've not been noticed! Let's end this now, Zel." It was a voice I've heard somewhere before, and I stood. Just as Zelgadis has said, trolls could be seen between the trees.
	I purposefully raised my voice. "Hello, Dilgear-san! It must have been tiring, having to march all the way here." As I expected, the werewolf stepped out of the shadow of a nearby tree in response.
	"You remembered my name...I'm honored."
	"How could I forget?" I said, glowering at Dilgear. "The things you said to me...you said I was more unattractive than a goblin, said a cyclops was still better, said my skin was rougher than a golem's, and I was smaller than a pixie!"
	"...Nobody said that much."
	I coughed. "Anyway! In my place, Zelgadis will make you pay! Now, go, Zelgadis! The world is waiting for you! You're the man! Go for it!"
	"...Can't you do something... about that personality?" Zelgadis asked, glaring at me.
	"No!" I said. It's not like I was doing it for fun; I was only trying to dull the enemy's will to fight. Really!
	"Dilgear, did you not swear to be loyal to me?" Zelgadis asked, though his voice has a hard and threatening undertone.
	Dilgear laughed and blew Zel off. "I swore loyalty to the berserker created by the Red Priest, not to Zelgadis. Since you betrayed Rezo-sama, you're nothing but another enemy!"
	"Oh?" Zelgadis said quietly, eyes narrowing. His expression was the same as a demonic warrior. "Don't tell me you, a mere beast-man, are thinking of defeating me?"
	"Mere beast-man? Then, let me show you the power of a mere beast-man! Attack!" 	Dilgear roared. The armed trolls closed the distance.
 	Zelgadis smiled a bit. "Idiot!" He raised his right arm high, and made a motion as if he were holding an invisible object in the palm of his hand, before slamming it into the ground. "Dug Haut!"
	I blinked, and screamed, hurriedly moving next to Zelgadis. The ground vibrated, rippling and flowing like the surface of water. The trolls completely panicked, but Zelgadis was smiling madly as he swung his right arm back up again. "Earth, obey my will!" Rocks and soil answered Zelgadis' call. The ground flowed and in an instant, turned into numerous spears which thrust up from beneath the trolls, impaling them. The fight was over as quick as that. Dozens of trolls were impaled by the spears, hanging in the air. Many were still alive, but with the spears in them they couldn't regenerate. Their strength would eventually fade and they'd die...like being tortured to death. I thought of saying something, but decided not to because I wasn't one to talk, really. Only the other day, I'd defeated Zolf's trolls with a reversed version of Recovery.
	"Now..." Zelgadis said, still smiling that icy smile. "Hurry up and show me your so-called power...or are you too afraid to fight now?"
	Dilgear took in a sharp breath, stepping out of the shadow of a stone spear. "Your strength proves you're Rezo's berserker. As long as you've got your Shamanism, I can't win..."
	"Heh..." Zelgadis smirked, as if making fun of Dilgear. "It sounds like you're saying you can beat me with a sword."
	Dilgear smirked in return. "That's exactly what I'm saying."
	"Then why don't you try?!" Zelgadis drew his sword.
	Dilgear did not draw his sword. "Once things look bad, you'll just use spells, won't you?"
	"I won't."
	"Really?"
	Zelgadis nodded.
	"Then you'll come to regret it." The werewolf drew his sword from across his back. The evilly curved blade glimmered in the light... a pretty long scimitar. I knew if I just stood there, I'd get caught up in the fight, so I moved back. With a great, bestial war cry, Dilgear charged. Zelgadis leapt to meet him, and their swords clashed, sparking. Zelgadis started to push the werewolf back.
	"Heh...what's wrong, Dilgear? Aren't you supposed to be able to beat me with a sword?"
"This is the only the beginning, Zel..." Dilgear twisted his scimitar slightly, changing the direction of Zelgadis' broadsword. Zel slipped a bit, and Dilgear ran by, his sword flashing. Zelgadis dodged the chest high swing at the last minute.
	"That was pretty good."
	"I'm glad you think so!" As far as I could see, their skill with swords was equal, but Dilgear wasn't as confident as Zelgadis. He probably thought that when things got bad, Zelgadis would use spells. It didn't matter much to me whoever won; I'd either become Zelgadis' hostage or Rezo's hostage, just a tool to get the Philosopher's Stone. The two of them gradually closed the distance. I could have tried to run, but if Zel had seen me, he'd have attacked with spells.
	"Hah!" Dilgear jumped to the side, right next to a stone pillar, and swung his scimitar at it. Since it was created by magic, the pillar was unstable. It broke easily, raining sand and dirt on Zelgadis.
	"Ack!" I hurriedly moved away as a second, then a third pillar was cut down, turning into more smoke and dust. Dilgear continued cutting down more pillars. Zelgadis was hidden by the sand and smoke, and Dilgear charged the dust cloud.
	I coughed a bit; being an observer, I inhaled dust. I held my breath and covered my nose and mouth with a handkerchief. Aaagh, my eyes hurt too. While I was doing that, the two of them jumped out of the smoke, and the dust cloud started to settle. It seemed that Dilgear's attempt to hide himself using the dust cloud wasn't much use. All show, no brains. How common.
	"That was ridiculous..." Zelgadis said, voice heavy with disdain. "I can't believe you're so confident of yourself. It's admirable."
	"Shut up!" Dilgear charged again, but Zelgadis, who had been laughing haughtily, appeared to stumble. The two of them clashed, and Zelgadis' sword struck Dilgear's shoulder. I figured it out... when Zelgadis had appeared to stumble, using the fact that his lower half was hidden in smoke, he had kicked a stone or something at Dilgear. Of course it didn't do any damage, but it was enough to throw the charging werewolf off balace.
	"What's the matter, aren't you going to make me regret it?" Zelgadis gibed at the beast-man, who was bleeding from his left shoulder.
	"...Then should I do just that?" Dilgear asked with a smile. Zelgadis and I stared as the werewolf's wound closed as we watched. In the time that we're staring, the fairly deep wound was soon completely closed...not much time at all. "You had forgotten I'm half troll and half werewolf, hadn't you? If you plan to defeat me with a sword like you promised, then cut off my head...though that's probably impossible." Since he had a troll's ability to regenerate that probably IS the only way to defeat him with a sword.
	"I had completely forgotten," Zelgadis said, though he showed no sign of alarm as he took a stance with his blade, and attacked with a yell. He raised his broadsword high and swung it downward. Damn! That left his stomach wide open, and Dilgear wasn't one to let such an opening pass by...
	"Kyah!" The scimitar cut completely across Zelgadis' stomach. Blood flies.
	...Or not. There was only a hard, scraping sound.
	Zelgadis stood there, smiling. "You also seem to have forgotten that I'm one third golem. If you want to defeat me with a sword, it had better be the Sword of Light...no matter how hard you try, you can't defeat me." Dilgear's face was colored with despair. "What will you do? Continue fighting and die, or go back to Rezo and whine? The choice is yours."
	"Damn!" As the werewolf moved back he took out something, and threw it at Zelgadis. However, Zelgadis moved a half step to the side to avoid the object, which fell in the river. "Remember!" Dilgear said, and disappeared into the forest.
	Zelgadis didn't even try to give chase. "...How ridiculous..." he said, brushing a lock of hair idly.
	I welcomed the winner with applause. "Master Zelgadis, that was good!"
	Obviously, Zelgadis didn't look too pleased. "You are so..."
	"I'm complimenting you."
	"Oh." He gave up on arguing, and walked toward the river.
	"Where are you going?"
	"To get a drink of water."
	"Aaaah! I think I'll wash my face." I jogged after Zelgadis. As a result of the spell, the ground is all bumpy and hard to walk on, but I still managed to reach the river, take off my gloves, and place both my hands in the water. It felt cold and good...but...hey! This was... "Don't drink it! It's poisoned!"
	Surprised at that, Zelgadis spit out the water in his mouth. "Wh...what?!"
	"It's poisoned. Poisoned! Look!" I pointed a little way from the shore. Floating down the river are several fish. They definitely did not look like they were swimming.
	"But who?"
	"It was probably Dilgear. The small object he threw at you was probably a vial of poison or something, knowing you'd drink the water."
	"Oh?" He sounded impressed. "Dilgear's appearently smarter than I thought."
	"What are you thinking, being impressed by that?" I retorted sharply. "Anyhow, this means that Rezo knows where we are now. Do you have anywhere to run?"
	"No," was the blunt reply.
	"Alright, then...come with me," I said simply and started walking. The destination was Atlas City, the goal was to meet Gourry. Maybe then our situation would change. At first what was talk of 'amazing treasure' and the 'resurrection of a demon-king', in fact just about healing someone's eyes and revenge. Things were much smaller than I expected.
	Rezo and his followers' pursuit was relentless. They came twice in the morning...they came during lunch...they came twice in the afternoon...they came during dinner...and obviously, they came after bed. Just cut it out already! I can't believe how so many of them could just keep coming and coming. It was the neck of a hydra. There was plenty of variety too. Trolls, goblins, cyclopses, berserkers, ogres, and more. It was more like a parade than a pursuit.
	Right that moment, there were the hunters as usual, led as always by Dilgear. There were several new faces, though. One of them was obviously a Mazoku. There were also warmanitses and durahans. There were about a total of 50 ogres and berserkers.
	"This is a grand welcome," Zelgadis said, but his tone lacked its usual confidence. That must mean that the force before us was pretty powerful.
	"Yo, Zel." Dilgear stepped forward. "Thanks a lot for last time. I've come to pay you back." He was one of the types that gets cocky in groups. When I see guys like that I usually feel like blasting them with a Fireball.
	"You're strong, but can you fight and win against this many opponents?" the werewolf taunted.
	"Wait a minute!" I shouted, stepping forward. "Haven't you forgotten somebody?"
	Dilgear looked confused. "...Who?"
	Th....that JERK! "Me! ME!"
	"What difference are you going to make?" He was completely belittling me. I guessed I'd have to show him what I could do!
	"Hey, don't use all your strength," Zelgadis said, as if reading my thoughts.
	"Why?"
	"If you've used up all you strength when another force comes, or if Rezo comes, then that'll be the end of us."
	"...All right, I understand." Then I guessed it was going to be a slow battle. Aaaah, how stressful! Oh well. I drew the sword at my hip. "But, how did they know where we are?" I voiced the thoughts that came into my head. We were heading in the general direction of Atlas City, but so they couldn't figure it out, we'd been changing our course often. Yet, they still managed to find us.
	"It's...because of me," Zelgadis said, as if that were obvious.
	"Eh?" I asked, looking back at him.
	"I told you, this body was constructed by Rezo." Oh, right...Zelgadis' body itself served as a magical mark. I could cast spells which would have prevented searching by magical means, but in order to do that I need to know how the target's magic works. Basically, to have hidden Zel from Rezo, I would have needed to know how he was put together. But I was certain the spell was an original one by the red priest. Even though I AM the beautiful girl genius, there was no way for me to understand the spell.
	I grimaced internally. "Then no matter what, sooner or later we'll have to fight the Red Priest."
	"Correct." Oh, great. Circumstances forced me to follow that guy around, but maybe that was a mistake...well, it was better than hanging from the ceiling of a church...I think. Oh well, there was no use regretting what had come to pass. I'd do it!
	I started softly chanting a spell. "Fireball!" My attack signaled the start of the battle. I'd omitted the action of placing my hands in front of my chest...as a result, the power fell a bit, but it served as a surprise attack, burning several ogres. The monsters started to attack.
	"Digu Volt!" I cast my next spell, aiming for the Mazoku at the front of the group, but he dodged. Instead I killed a berserker, but that only served to draw the Mazoku's attention to me. Just as I had feared, the Mazoku changed its direction to turn toward me. All right, then! Come if you're gonna!
	"Flare Arrow!" As I shouted out, nearly ten arrows of fire appeared in front of me. "Go!" From the front, left, right, and above, the arrows fly toward the Mazoku. Escape should have been impossible, but the Mazoku accelerated.
	"Kyah!" With the palm of its hand, the Mazoku stopped the arrows of flame heading towards him. The follow-up arrows cut only air as the distance between us shortened. The others were all going after Zelgadis...he was in for trouble. Well, so was I! Even though he was low level, he was still a pure Mazoku, and they are fearsome opponents. He looked like a bald old man with a long beard and green robes, but his eyes were pupilless and he had no mouth or nose.
	He let out a cry, and a fire whip formed and extended from the palm of his hand. I quickly cast an ice spell on my sword and deflected the whip in mid-air. We distanced ourselves and faced each other. "You're a very energetic little girl to attack me, Zorom!" I couldn't tell where the words were coming from, but that was what he said.
	"You're a reckless Mazoku to fight me, Lina!" I retorted. Zorom chuckled. I placed my hands in front of my chest, and chanted as I stepped back.
	"A Fireball? What a futile act!" Zorom taunted, charging.
	"Whether it's pointless or not..." I held the ball of light that had formed with both hands, "I'll do it anyway!" I hurled the Fireball at Zorom.
	Fuha! Like a bird, Zorom jumps up into the air, easily avoiding the ball of light. "I told you it was pointless." As I said before, a Fireball comes into contact and then bursts. A miss would mean the spell is a total waste. But: Kun! I raise my right thumb and point at myself. There’s a thin smile on my face.
	"Hm?" Zorom lands on the ground and the Fireball strikes him from behind! Guwaha! It bursts.
	"I never said it was just a plain Fireball!" I shouted into the burning flames. When I was just learning magic, for fun, I had made several variations of spells. That was one of them. "As the saying goes, 'Never underestimate your opponent.' All right...now to go help Zelgadis..." 	However, just when I turned around and started running for the other battle, a sense of danger ran through my body. I reflexively jumped to the left, but it was a bit late, and I screamed. 	A severe, sharp pain ran through my right arm, and several silver needles had buried themselves in my left side. I hurriedly turned around to see Zorom standing there.
	"Nobody said I had died. 'Never underestimate your opponent', little girl." Zorom said, sounding as if he were mocking me. No, scratch that...he probably was making fun of me. "A valiant effort, but you can't defeat me with ordinary Shamanism like that." Damn...I didn't like it, but I was the one doing the underestimating. My right arm would hardly move. "Now it's my turn!" A fire whip formed from each hand...the left went for my head, the right for my legs.
	"Eh?" I blinked, then switched my sword to my left hand, parrying the head blow, and jumped over the whip heading for my legs. I used to be called "Jump-Roping Lina-chan," which was a pathetic name. But the moment I jumped up, Zorom's forehead opened up, and from within it several silver lights flew at me. I couldn't avoid them!
	With a clink, the silver needles fell to the ground. Eh?
	The person who had come had done so with the timing of a hero in a fairy tale. 
	"Hi! We meet again, little girl." He winked.
	"Gourry!" I shouted!

Chapter 4: This time, I'll show you my true power!

	"Hoho...a comrade?"
	Gourry shook his head in response. "I'm not her comrade. I'm her guardian."
	"Feh. Whatever you wish...you and I are enemies, right?"
	Gourry nodded an affirmative. "That's how it's going to be, old man."
	"Then I'll defeat you first," the Mazoku replied.
	"Can you do it?" Gourry taunted, and then charged.
	"Ha!" The Mazoku attacked Gourry with his fire whips and a storm of silver needles, but Gourry easily avoided the attacks and closed the distance. His sword flashed...very fast! Even though I was nearby, I couldn't see his swing. It was the first time I'd ever really seen Gourry's true skill with a sword, and I had no idea he was that good. I'm also better than the average fighter with a sword, but Gourry was far above me. In less than an instant he'd cloven the Mazoku in two. But...
	"Hyah!" Gourry deflected the silver needles that came flying at him from behind.
	The Mazoku laughed lowly. "Ho...despite your youth, you're very good." His tone was flat, as if nothing had happened...and he didn't appear to be injured at all.
	"Ah...a Mazoku," Gourry said with the same flat tone, as if it made no difference. I was amazed...did he really understand the situation? Honestly...
	"Yes...but you can't cut me with that sword," the Mazoku replied shortly. That was certainly true...if it had been a half-mazoku like a Lesser Demon or a Brass Demon it wouldn't matter. Pure Mazoku live closer to the Astral Plane, though...there's no way to physically destroy them. If you had a magical sword with several anti-mazoku talismans, then you could hurt Zorom. Gourry's sword was well made, but it wasn't magical. My sword had a talisman, but it wouldn't be enough, and that was what Zorom had pointed out. I knew I'd have to show him some of my true power, then... "Oh, I can cut you," Gourry said without hesitation. I blinked...did he REALLY understand?
	"Hoho..." Zorom said derisively, taunting Gourry. "Then cut me, if you can."
	"I'll take you up on that offer," Gourry said, sheathing his sword and taking out...a needle.
	"Don't tell me you're going to try and defeat me with that?"
	"Of course not," Gourry replied, putting his left hand on the hilt of his sword. 
	"You can't cut anything with a needle."
	Zorom laughed again. "I see...that's logical. Then what are you going to do?"
	"This is what I'm going to do," Gourry said, and took the needle in his right hand, then poked the hilt of his sword near where the blade connects to the hilt with some sort of latch. Was he trying to seperate the blade from the hilt? He put the needle away. "Do you understand?" I was furious...of course he doesn't! How COULD he know?! Gourry was so calm, it meant he was either really confident...or really STUPID.
	"Young man...I don't have any idea what you are saying."
	"Then how about...this?" Gourry placed his hand on the empty hilt and chagred...That idiot!
	"I understand very well...that you are a fool!" Zorom shouted, tossing a dozen flaming arrows at Gourry.
	"Ha! Too easy!" I was amazed...Gourry had dodged every fire arrow. But just because you can dodge every attack doesn't mean you can defeat your enemy. He closed the distance, then shouted, "Light, come forth!" I stared, and even Zorom froze...and while he was frozen, Gourry easily cut him in half. The Mazoku didn't even have time to cry out; this time, he was truly destroyed. In Gourry's hand, where there was no blade before, was a blade of pure light.
	"The Sword...of Light...?!" Yes, the object in front of my eyes, shining in Gourry's hand, really was the legendary Sword of Light. Zorom's body crumpled. The blade Gourry had unlatched has served as a scabbard for the Sword of Light. "G...Gourry...." I managed to stammer. My throat felt dry.
	"Hi!" Gourry said cheerfully, turning and smiling at me. "We meet again. How've 
you been, little girl?"
 	"Gourry!" I started running, full speed, toward Gourry. He replaced the Sword of Light back in its "scabbard" and stood there quietly. I stopped in front of him and looked up at his face. "Gourry..."
	"Lina..."
	"Give me that sword!" I shouted, and Gourry spectacularly fell to the ground. I didn't care one bit. "Hey, please! Give it to me! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"
	"H...hey!" Gourry said, rising and scratching his head. "I thought you were happy to see me and were going to hug me or something..."
	"I'll be happy later, but for now, give me the sword!" I blinked, then hmmed. Nah, I won't be that stingy. "500! I'll buy it for 500!"
	"Hey!" Gourry said, voice getting louder. "You can't even buy a rapier for 500!"
	I frowned. "Alright, then, 550! Thief."
	Gourry blinked. "YOU'RE the thief! In what world would there be someone stupid enough to sell the Sword of Light for 550 pieces of gold..."
	I quirked an eyebrow. "In this world?"
	"Hey!" he retorted. I muttered; as long as it's money I' spending, even a copper piece is a lot of money. I guess I truly am a merchant's daughter. "In the first place, this sword is a family heirloom, and it's been in the family for generations. No matter how much you offer, I'm not going to sell it!"
	"Then I'll make it my family heirloom, and pass it down from generation to generation, so please, give it to me for free! That'll work won't it? Huh?"
	"Dimwit, what kind of logic is that! I said I won't give it to you, so I won't give it to you!"
	"How cruel! Treating a girl so coldly...it's too much! I'm going to cry!" I whimpered, faking some crying noises.
	"Cry, then!" Gourry said humorlessly.
	"Well, enough kidding around..." Gourry, unable to handle the sudden return to seriousness, once again fell to the ground. "Wh..what are you talking about?"
	"Just listen...I don't have time for give a detailed explanation, so here's the brief. The person who helped me escape is in trouble right now. I owe him, so can you save him too?"
	Gourry blinked. "Eh? Ah...well, all right."
	"Alright, we're set then! Follow me," I shouted, then started running...to rescue Zelgadis, this time.
	Fighting against so many opponents even made a battle difficult for someone as skilled as Zelgadis. Worse yet, most of the ogres and bersekrers were taken care of, but that still left Dilgear, the weremantises, and the durahans. At that point was when we came running. Gourry smoothly and silently cut down a nearby durahan with the Sword of Light. "Hey there!" I called out cheerfully. "We've come to help!"
	A murmur rippled through the crowd as everyone turned to stare at us...we had turned the tide. Rezo's forces were slowly pushed back. The remaining orges and berserkers died, one by one, as we attacked.
	"Feh!" Dilgear grunted. Just then...
	"Eh?" That time it was Zelgadis who grunted. The three of us stopped moving. Dilgear turned around, then grinned with a smile of delight.
	"Rodimus!" the werewolf cried, and there stood the middle-aged swordsman, armed with a halberd, and a new face...an extremely handsome middle-aged man. No time for stuff like that. "Thanks for coming! We could use the help..." echoes the voice of a random weremantis.
	However, just as that was said and without any warning , Rodimus clubbed Dilgear with the haft of the halberd. The werewolf flew from the impact, slamming into a tree with a loud *CRACK*...he didn't move again.
	"Ro...Rodimus! What are you doing?" The weremantis who had spoken before shouted, panicking. "Are you mad?"
	"I am not mad!" he retorted, advancing. "I swore fealty to Sir Zelgadis, not to the Red Priest...I have no duty to him!"
	"Y...you!" The weremantis, enraged, charged.
	Rodimus let out a great war cry, and from that moment forward the fight was over. The weremantis' chest was split horizontally along the chest...the lower half continued to charge before hitting a tree and falling. The upper half quivered briefly, then stopped moving as well. It goes without saying that the rest of the enemy fled.
	"Well," Zelgadis said, smiling faintly, "Thanks for the help."
	"I don't know what's going on...but, I guess it's alright." Gourry smiles, but he was obviously confused.
	"But, you two..is this really alright?" Zelgadis asked, turning his attention to Rodimus and the other man.
	"No problem," the handsome, middle-aged man replied. That voice...it sounded so familiar...
	"I'm sorry, Rodimus, Zolf...I didn't want to involve you in something so trivial." Z...Z...ZOLF?! Then that mummy man was the same as the handsome middle-aged man...?! I couldn't believe it. For the guy in all those bandages to actually be so handsome...
	Zolf briefly glanced at me. "Hi, little girl...you're still alive." Grrr...for a second, I thought about forgiving him because he is handsome, but what he said changed my mind. However, we had a common enemy in the Red Priest, so there wasn't any point in bickering."
	"Well, there's no harm in having more companions, so I'll forget what's happened in the past," I said, thinking myself very admirable for doing so. "No matter how much you've hindered our progress, even though you're a hopelessly third-rate wizard, even though you an odious sadist, a companion is a companion. Even a dead tree is part of a mountain...we'll help you out, and not think about revenge."
	"You're still angry at me."
	"Oh, you're just imagining things! You only think that because of your perversion and your complex, twisted, groundless pride."
	"Hey, girl..." Zolf retorted.
	"Wait a minute, Lina," Gourry interrupted. "Instead of going on like this, couldn't you explain the situation? I still don't understand what's going on..." I blinked, then realized I still hadn't explained anything to Gourry. I offered a brief explanation of what was going on....
	"... and that's it. Understand?" It was sunset by the time I finished explaining. Gourry didn't respond, so I repeated again, "Understand?" Again he didn't respond. He was sitting with a blank look and watching...no, sleepily staring at me! The others were sitting on the ground. The fight had worn them out...how pitiful. I'm a woman, and I was fine.
	"Boy...you really do talk a lot," Rodimus said tiredly.
	"Really?" I asked, and all nodded their heads. I didn't think I talked a lot.
	"Anyhow, you understand the basics, right?"
	"Leaving out the personal feelings and interpretations, I got the gist of it," Gourry responded, getting up.
	"I'd like to ask...do you have any intention of giving me the stone?" Zelgadis asked, getting up as well.
	"No," Gourry said without hesitation.
	"I thought so." There was enmity in Zelgadis' voice.
	"On one hand, healing eyes, and on the other hand, hate. If the Philosopher's Stone were to be used for such egotistical purposes, it's reputation would be sullied."
	"Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" the golem responded.
	"No, I have no intention of that. But I won't give you the Philosopher's Stone...that's all I'm saying. There's still the possibility that this is all a sham planned by you and Rezo."
	"That's what I expected...I thought you'd say something like that." Zelgadis drew his sword. "I guess this is the only solution..."
	"I guess so." Gourry placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Zolf and Rodimus spread out to the left and right of Zelgadis.
	"Both of you, stay back," Zelgadis warned. Rodimus smiled wryly, and took a step back.
	Zolf was confused. "But...but..."
	"Stay back!" Zelgadis warned again. Zolf reluctantly stepped back.
	"Alright...that's enough!" That time, it was me who spoke, but neither of them appeared to even bother looking at me. It was pretty serious. Zolf and Rodimus were also paying close attention to what was going on. The distance between Gourry and Zelgadis was rapidly shrinking, so I raised my voice again. "That's enough! This would be a good match, but there are other things we need to do first!"
	"It is exactly as the lady says." I blinked in surprise, and heard a voice right behind...no, right by my ear! On the back of my head, right along the neck, I felt something cold. I knew if I moved, I'd die. Everyone's eyes but mine are centered on the person behind me, but I knew who it was. I remembered the voice...the person who even Zelgadis feared...
	"Rezo..." Gourry voiced the name.
	"It's been a long time since we met. But let us dispense with the pleasantries. There's no need for me to tell you what I want, because you should already know...Gourry-san, isn't it?"
	"The Philosopher's Stone, right?"
	"Correct. Please, don't do anything rash. If I press the needle into her neck a little harder, I'll become a murderer." I muttered to myself, and knowing the situation I was in made me sweat, and my breath caught in my throat.
	"It's a bluff! Don't give it to him!" Zelgadis said loudly, almost a shout. He didn't want Rezo to get the Philosopher's Stone. Zelgadis knew best whether or not Rezo was the type of person who bluffed. Of course, no one believed him. A bead of sweat ran down my cheek.
	"Why do you need it?" Gourry asked.
	Fearfully, I decided to speak. "Why go to so many lengths?"
	"Even though I could explain it...it would mean nothing to a person who can see." One of those things... "Now, the stone."
	"Alright."
	"Stop! Don't give it to him!" Ignoring Zelgadis, Gourry took out the orihalcon statue.
"Here." The statue arced through the air. Rezo extended his right hand and caught it.
"I have it! Now I have it..." Rezo's tone of voice changed...there was an evil-sounding glee in his words.
	"Let go of Lina!" Gourry cried.
	"Don't be so hasty...I'll let her go soon." The statue broke easily in Rezo's hand with a tinking crack sound, even though orihalcon can seal magic. From inside the statue, a single, small black stone emerged. While it would look like a piece of coal to any normal person, this poor-looking stone was the Philosopher's Stone. It had responded to the call of Rezo's magical powers and had broken a statue which shouldn't have been able to be destroyed by magic. "Ahh...ahh! This is it!" Rezo shoved me from behind.
	"Eeeeeh!" I stumbled a few steps before coming to a halt. I moved my hand to the back of my head and pulled out the long, thin needle. OwowowowowOW! I felt something cold. There wasn't any pain, but a needle the length of a thumb had been thrust into my neck. I was surprised I hadn't been killed, which meant that Rezo had a lot of skill, Zelgadis started chanting a spell, and Gourry drew the Sword of Light. Rezo raised the hand with the stone up to his mouth. I wondered...could it be...
	It was as I feared. Without a moment of hesitation, Rezo swallowed the stone. "Aaaah!" I yelled, as a strong wind began to blow. I covered my face with my mantle, and a sudden wave of nausea rolled over me. It wasn't wind...it was sheer negative emotion, strong enough to manifest physically. In the center of the vortex was Rezo, laughing gleefully.
	"Kyah!" Zelgadis attacked, and a blue pillar of flame enveloped Rezo. I didn't know what spell he'd cast, but it obviously had no effect.
	Rezo was screaming, laughing insanely. "Ahhh...I can SEE! I can see!" For the first time, i saw someone...a person...transform into something completely different. Rezo's eyes slowly opened, and what was behind the eyelids was a kind of crimson-shaded darkness...what was sealed behind his eyes was a pair of ruby-like, blood-red eyes. "Mwahaha...mwahahahahahahaha! They're open! My eyes are open!" The flesh of Rezo's cheek fell off, and underneath was something white.
	"What is that?!" someone yelled, but I didn't know who. That time it was the flesh of his forehead...and then I realized. What we were seeing was WHO was sealed behind Rezo's eyes...his face was a white stone mask with twin rubies for eyes. Then the robe covering his body began changing into something solid.
	"No!" Zelgadis moaned...because he had also reazlied that Ruby-Eye Shabranigdu had returned to the world.
	After a while, silence filled the air. "I shall allow you to choose the path you prefer." The voice boomed from the being that used to be Rezo. The creature opened its mouth. "In return from granting me life again, I will grant you a small gift. If you obey me, you will live and die as normal. However, if you do not, there is no choice, and I will be forced to fight you before freeing my other self, the 'Demon King of the North'. Now choose."
	Wonderful...freeing the Demon King of the North was as bad as bringing oblivion to the world... help me do this, it said. If you don't want to... then you'll have to fight me... even though I am only 1/7 of my original strength, I'm the Demon Lord who fought the Gods for control of this world. Of course, our answer had already been decided. To lead the world into oblivion would mean the same death as not. If I was going to die, I wanted to die clean, which is what any normal man would choose. That was what Shabranigdo was asking... "Which would you choose?"
	A voice snapped me out of that thought. "What ridiculous words!" Zolf said, shouting. I wasn't sure he really understood the gravity of the situation. "Don't be so full of yourself! While you were sealed away, humans have advanced! I, Zolf, shall defeat you, ancient Demon Lord!" I knew it...he didn't understand at all.
	Zolf raised his hands high, and began to chant a spell. "You who are darker than night, crimson beyond the flow of blood, you who are buried in time. In thy great name..." That spell was...the Dragu Slave! It is said to be the strongest Black Magic spell. As the name implies, it was originally created as an anti-dragon spell and it can destroy a small castle with ease. A country who has three or four sorcerers who can cast this spell will have a lot of clout. It's a very powerful spell, but I was wondering why a little man like Zolf was working for someone as great as Zelgadis, and then, finally, I knew the answer to that...
	But it occurred to me that Shabranigdu couldn't be defeated with that spell. 
	"Stop it! This is useless!" I shouted, but Zolf didn't listen.
	"Hoho..." Ruby-Eye sounded impressed...probably at my observation.
	"Ah!" Zelgadis let out a small sound. He had also realized.
	However, before Zelgadis could stop him, Zolf attacked. "Dragu Slave!" The Demon Lord himself caused an explosion...that was the power of the Dragu Slave. There has never been a human who could defend against this spell. "I did it!" Zolf cried elatedly.
	However, at the same time, Rodimus cried out, "Run, Zolf!" He had instinctively sensed that Shabranigdu was still alive.
	"What?" Zolf still didn't understand the situation. He simply looked confused and stood there.
	"Damn..." The swordsman clicked his tongue, then started running toward Zolf...he planned to tackle him out of the way. "It doesn't matter what! Just hurry and...," but at that moment, both of them were enveloped in a ball of flame.
	"Rodimus! Zolf!" Zelgadis cried out. As if in answer to that cry, inside the flames a shadow appeared, a shadow redder than the crimson fire. I thought I heard a voice cry out in the sound of the rushing flame. "Let's escape," Zelgadis whispered.
	"Eh?" I asked back, without thinking.
	"Let's escape!" The words, louder that time, snapped us back into reality, and Zelgadis, Gourry, and I started running.
	I'd been staring at the fire for a while now. Gourry and Zelgadis had been doing the same, staring silently into the flame. Ah, I felt miserable...there was nothing we could do against Shabranigdu. Even though we could run, sooner or later he'd find us, and that possibility wasn't long off. If that happened...
	"I'll do it..." Zelgadis whispered. The fire crackled slowly. "I know there's no way to win, but if I keep running, I won't be able to face Rodimus and Zolf..."
	The fire crackled again, illuminating the face of Gourry, who opened his mouth to speak. "Alright, then, I'll come along. Even though it's useless, we can't just ignore it..."
	"Thanks."
	"No problem. Even for me, this isn't just 'someone else's problem'..." After that was said, the two of them became silent again. I knew what they were waiting for. They wanted me to respond. They didn't actually say it, they weren't watching me attentively, they were just staring at the campfire, silent. Yet the two of them were waiting, waiting for me to open my mouth and say something.
	"I..." I opened my mouth. There was no reaction from either of them; they were just staring at the campfire. "I...don't want to die," I said quietly.
	Gourry looked at me with a soft look in his eyes. "Nobody is forcing you."
	I stood up from where I was sitting. "Is that so? Fighting with the intent and expectation of dying is stupid. If you call that being a man, then forget about it! Dying is the end of it all!"
	"Do as you wish, then," Zelgadis said evenly. "Run around all you like, but don't ally with it. If that happens, we'll have to kill you with our own hands."
	I sighed, putting my hand to my hip. "Hey. Who said I wasn't going to fight?"
	Both of them looked at me at the same time. "Eh?"
	"Don't misunderstand me. I'm saying that I dislike the attitude of 'I know I'm going to lose, but I'll fight anyway', and I'm not saying 'I don't want to fight, because I'll lose'. Get it? Even if you have a one percent chance of victory, if you fight with that kind of attitude, that one percent becomes zero! I don't want to die. So when I fight, I fight to win. You two are going to do the same."
	They looked uncertain, and that was reflected in Zelgadis' tone as he spoke. 
	"You say win, but how...?"
	"There's no way to beat it with my Black Magic, but we have your Shamanism powers, so..."
	"Won't work."
	"Wo...what? Won't work?" I looked at Zelgadis in disbelief.
	He nodded. "No, it won't work. When it was being resurrected, you saw that I attacked it, right?"
	I nodded back. "Yeah...I didn't know what spell you cast, but it didn't seem to have any effect....it couldn't have been..."
	"It was the Ra Tilt."
	"Oh my GOD!" I held my head in my hands...
	"Eh? What?" Gourry asked, who knew nothing about magic. Gah...when he was around, conversations never seemed to go smoothly.
	"Ra Tilt...the strongest Shamanic attack spell. It's magic that destroys the opponent from the Astral Plane. It can be used only against a single target, but the damange it deals against living beings is said to be equal to the Dragu Slave..."
	Gourry blanched. "The Dragu Slave?!"
	AAAaaaagh! He got on my nerves... "The Dragu Slave is said to be the strongest Black Magic a human can use. The creator of this spell was the sage Rei Magnus, who defeated a 1,600 year old Arc Dragon, and hence the name 'Dragon Slayer'...which eventually became 'Dragu Slave'. It's the spell that Zolf attacked the Red Priest with."
	"But what's this about magic not working?"
	Aaaaaaagh! That cut it. "Zelgadis, I pass. Could you explain?"
	Zelgadis nodded. "Shamanism uses the earth, water, fire, and wind...the four elements...plus the Astral Plane. As Lina said, the Ra Tilt is a spell which uses the Astral Plane to attack...but the Demon Lord is closer to a spirit lifeform than us. Its power on the Astral Side is strong, and it can easily deflect a human's Astral power. That means it can't be defeated by Astral-style Shamanism. Of course, even humans can overcome that by using the elements to attack, but the results differ depending on the level of the spellcaster.
	"What all this means is, it can't be defeated by Shamanism. And the reason Black Magic won't work is fairly simple. In this world, the source of Black Magic's power is dark emotions like hatred, fear, and hostility. The one who controls those emotions is none other than Demon Lord Shabranigdu."
	I spoke up. "There were words at the start of Zolf's spell. 'You who are darker than twilight, crimson beyond the flow of blood...' Those words are talking about Shabranigdu."
	"Is that what those were?"
	"Of course! What were you listening to... oh! Right, Gourry, you don't know Chaos Words."
	"Chaos Words?" he asked. Chaos Words are the language used when casting Black Magic, but I didn't feel like explaining them.
	"Anyhow, that's what it means. Trying to defeat him with Black Magic is like asking him, 'Help me kill you!' Even you should know how stupid that is."
	"What do you MEAN, 'even me'?"
	"In addition, there are no offensive White Magic spells. 'Purify' spells can be used against ghosts and zombies, but aren't any use against a Demon Lord. What this all boils down to is that Zelgadis and I can't defeat him."
	"Anyhow," Zelgadis interrupted, turning to Gourry. "Our only hope is your Sword of Light."
	I nodded. "So you'll be the one fighting it. Of course, we'll try to support you as much as we can."
	Gourry sighed. "You make it sound so easy, but..."
	"Since there aren't any other options, this is it. Unless you have any better ideas, which is a different story." Zelgadis commented.
	"No, I don't, but..."
	"Then it's decided." I said.
	"I see...so you've finally decided..." In surprise, the three of us turned our attention to the source of a voice we'd heard before. How did he get there? How long had he been there? In the night shadow of a tree is the crimson darkness, Ruby-Eye Shabranigdu. "Even for me, killing weaklings like Zolf or Rodimus, or fighting fleeing opponents, wouldn't even be a decent warmup. Just think, you were unlucky enough to be at the scene of my resurrection...and take part in training with me. Maybe it's because I've been sealed away so long, I feel kind of rusty. Fear not, though...others will soon follow you."
	"I've had enough!" I slowly stood up. Warmup, and now training?! ...Zolf was a jerk, and Rodimus was ugly, but to say killing them wasn't even a decent warmup?! ...of course, I don't think I had any right to preach humanism. I knew I'd killed people. The same could be said of Gourry and Zelgadis. But I couldn't forgive him for saying that. "You said training? Alright, I'll take part....but you'll come to regret it!"
	"Hoho...that's interesting, little girl. I'd ask you to take part...now you're worth killing."
	"We've got no intention of letting you kill us," Gourry said. Both he and Zelgadis stood up.
	"Intent and results aren't the same. Anyone knows that.
	"Eeeh? Anyone indeed, Shabranigdu-san." I threw his words back at him...and his body trembled slightly. Huh...?
	"Then let us begin." As if nothing had changed, the Demon Lord lightly tapped the ground with his staff. In that instant, the ground moved. No! What was really moving was underneath the ground...the roots of the trees in the forest. Given movement by the Demon Lord, they crawled out of the ground.
	I laughed arrogantly. "A rather boring trick. Hey, Zel!"
	"Got it. Dug Haut!" In an instant, he had deduced what I wanted. When he cast the spell, the ground really did shake. The root snakes were cut off as the Dug Haut caused the layers of earth they were moving through to be displaced."Alright, I'm next! Me me me!"
	"Go ahead, little girl," Zelgadis said wryly.
	"Now...what are you going to show me?" the Demon Lord asked.
	"Oh, just a little trick..." I raised my right hand, where a ball of light appeared.
	The Demon Lord said, warningly, "That's not a Fireball, is it?"
	I blinked. "Well, to tell you the truth, it is..." I lightly tossed the ball at the Demon Lord. It floated right up to him, then stopped.
	He laughed. "It is at least well-cast..." Without any care for the ball of light circling him, the Demon Lord calmly said, "Even a direct hit from this won't have any effect on me, however."
	"Oh, I know. This is only a demonstration."
	"Unfortunately, I don't enjoy such things..." Shabranigdu raised his staff, and in that instant...
	"Break!" I shouted, snapping my fingers. The ball of light split and curved, raining fire around the Demon Lord.
	"Wh...what?!" Even Shabranigdu hadn't expected that, and he raised his voice in surprise. For an instant, he was hidden in fire and smoke.
	"Gourry, it's your turn!"
	"Right!" Gourry charged, holding the Sword of Light.
	"Go, Gourry!" Zelgadis shouted.
	"Demon Lord...die!" Gourry roared, the Sword of Light flashing in an arc...
	Ruby-Eye smiled lightly. "The Sword of Light...the sword which defeated the demon-beast Zanaffar who had turned the Magic City, Sairaag, into the City of the Dead, wasn't it? Even if I am weaker, I am still the Demon Lord...I will not be treated like a mere beast!" Of all things, he had grasped the Sword of Light with his bare hands. "It's hot, but not so hot I can't endure it..." What a monster...
	Gourry grunted, but no matter how hard he was pushing, or was getting pushed, the Sword didn't move at all.
	"Young man, you seem to be skilled with a sword, but your weapon appears to be too weak. But then, that's it for humans..." An explosion then rocked the area.
	"Aaaagh!" Gourry was flung back and slammed into the ground.
	"Gourry!"
	"I'm alright..." Gourry lay on the ground in a position which didn't make him look alright at all...
	"Be at ease," the Demon Lord soothed. "I will not kill him soon." What a bastard...well, if there were a kind Demon Lord, that in itself would be just as scary.
	"Ghh..." Zelgadis took a few steps back, and was instantly wrapped in flames.
	"Zel!"
	"Don't worry...he's made of stone, he won't die from that, But, little girl..." I blinked a few times. "You've claimed a lot, but I'm only disappointed. Now you'll pay for that..." Hey! The Demon Lord stepped forward, and at that moment something flew at me. The hilt of a sword...the Sword of Light!
	"Use that, Lina!" Gourry shouted. "Combine the power of the Sword with the power of your Black Magic!"
	"How foolish," Shabranigdu mocked. "There's no way to combine the power of Light with the power of Darkness." It was true...there was no way to combine the two magics, because the spells of each category would cancel each other out. But...
	"Sword! Grant me strength!" I raised the object in my hand high. A blade of light, normally the size of a long sword in Gourry's hands -- now the size of a bastard sword in mine -- formed. Just as I had expected...
	"Ha! How futile..." the Demon Lord said arrogantly, smiling. But I noticed a small hint of alarm in his voice...
	I started chanting a spell. The form was nearly the same as the Dragu Slave. But instead of offering the spell to the ruler of darkness in this world, Ruby-Eye Shabranigdu, I offered it to the one I had heard of in a distant kingdom, the "Lord of Nightmares." The Lord was the ruler of all Demon Lords, the one who had fallen from heaven, the "Golden Demon Lord."
	There was no way to damage Shabranigdu using spells calling on his own power. But it was potentially possible to damage him by calling on the power of a Demon Lord of higher or equal strength. "You who are darker than darkness itself, you who are deeper than night itself...Golden Lord of Darkness, who dwells in the Sea of Chaos..."
	Shabranigdu started to panic. "G...girl! Why, how do you know the name of the One?"
	I continued, unheeding of him. "I call upon thee! I swear myself to thee! Let all the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess..." Darkness surrounded me on all sides, darkness beyond the blackest night...complete darkness from which nothing can escape. The spell's power tried to escape my control and I desperately tried to restrain it...I knew if I failed, my lifeforce would be drained by the magic, and I would die...
	"Don't you understand? That this is futile?" the Demon Lord bellowed, creating balls of light and hurling them at me...each of the balls could probably destroy a couple houses with ease, but each is swallowed up in the darkness surrounding me.
	"How...?!" This was my trick of tricks, the Giga Slave! When I had first used it, it turned a beach into an inlet. Even now, no fish come close, and no moss will grow in that spot. I was confident that the Giga Slave could damage Shabranigdu. But I also knew it wasn't possible to defeat him with this spell alone...no matter how hard I try, the difference between human and Demon Lord would always be there. The only hope was just as Gourry said, to borrow the power of the Sword of Light. But even the shining blade was about to be sucked into the swirling darkness. The power of Light of the Sword and the power of Darkness from the spell were cancelling each other out. Gourry didn't know that was going to happen, but I did, and more. Shabranigdu did too, and his alarm proved it. But I had to try!
	"Sword!" I shouted. "Consume this darkness and become a blade!"
	"What...?" The darkness created by the Giga Slave started gathering toward the sword. It was just as I thought, and the Sword was just as I imagined...it amplified willpower and materialized it. Normally it took the understandable form of "Light." I was sure of this when Gourry, who has strong will but no magic power, could not materialize as much of the Sword as I could, as I was more experienced controlling my will. Even knowing that, though, I wasn't 100% confident. Something else...
	"What a foolish gesture of resistance!" The Demon Lord took a stance with his staff. A low mumble...words I'd never heard before...came to mind. He was chanting a spell...damn! The sword needed more time to absorb the Giga Slave's darkness.
	When a spellcaster uses magic, he or she is surrounded by a magical shield which can be strong or weak. While I was casting the Giga Slave, it was possible to block even a fairly strong energy ball. However, I wasn't sure the shield could take the full blow of the Demon Lord's spell...I didn't want to even risk it. Even worse, the Giga Slave's energy was being poured into the sword, so I wasn't sure if the shield was even present. Red light shone at the tip of the staff...he was fast! However, if I rushed it, our chances would be lost. This was...
	"Stop!" a voice shouted, reverberating in our ears. Zelgadis. "Just stop! This is the world you wanted so much to see...why are you saying you wish to destroy it? Rezo!" He was confused, and probably had no idea what he was saying...but the spell stopped. The red light vanished. Shabranigdu, in Rezo's body, looked at Zelgadis, who was lying on the ground. That was it! The thing I'd been missing...
	"Foolish words," Shabranigdu said, mocking Zelgadis. But as he said so, the blade in my hands became complete.
	"Rezo, Priest of Red!" I shouted as I raised the blade of darkness over my head. 
	"Choose! Do you want to have your soul devoured by Shabranigdu? Or will you avenge yourself upon him?"
	"Ohh..." It was a happy, quiet voice.
	"Impossible...!" shouted a voice of alarm, all at the same time as the happy moan.
 	"Sword...vanquish this crimson darkness!" I swung down the sword. Black light...there is no other way to describe it...flowed toward the Demon Lord.
	"What an impotent attack...I'll have no trouble deflecting this!" He took a stance with his staff, and an energy ball of darkness approached. There was a loud KABOOM, and a black pillar of fiery light streaked toward the heavens.
	"Ah..." I murmured softly, I didn't bother trying to wipe off the sweat dripping down my face. Inside the flame pillar, I could see a writhing figure...
	...
	...eventually, it subsided. "Kahhh..." I fell to my knees right on the spot.
	"Mwaha...mwahaha....mwahahahahaha!" The Demon Lord's laughter echoed through the forest. "Admirable. I never thought a mere human could perform such a trick." There was a slight, odd sound.
	"I like you...little girl. You are truly a genius." I was happy to be praised, but it was hardly the time to be happy. With that one spell I'd used up most of my strength. I didn't even have the power to create a ball of fire the size of a fingertip. I just kneeled on the ground, breathing raggedly, shoulders heaving.
	"But it's unfortunate...we can never meet again. No matter how talented a sorceress you are, you're only human..." I heard the odd sound again...what was it?
	"Though you may use magic, you will live only a few hundred years. I don't know how this world will progress, but while you still have life, there's a small chance that one of my counterparts will reawaken." Eh? What does that...then I raised my face, and saw. There were cracks covering the Demon Lord's body...
	"In the far, far future, I would like to be resurrected again and fight you...but that wish cannot be granted. As a sign of respect for you, I will be destroyed. At last, I can rest..." The two voices spoke simultaneously, both Shabranigdu and Rezo. The mask's cheek portion cracked and fell, but before it hit the ground, the wind crumbled it to dust.
	"It was fun, little girl..." Shabranigdu.
	"I am sorry. Truly...truly..." Rezo.
	There was the sound of laughing and crying together, as the Demon Lord's body faded away, leaving the sound in the wind all that remained of him.

Epilogue

	"Is it over?" Gourry mumbled, a considerable time after the demon king had disappeared.
	"Yeah," I said clearly. "Thanks to Rezo."
	"Rezo?" As if he was still having trouble believing he had died, Zelgadis spoke, staring at the spot where the Demon Lord had stood.
	"Rezo's soul was still left inside. Over time, even while the Demon Lord was devouring it, the small piece of Rezo's goodness that remained latched onto the anger he felt at Shabrangidu deceiving him, and let the darkness I'd created get through."
	"But still, you pulled it off..." Gourry looked at me, and was struck speechless. Zelgadis did as well, once he saw my hair...silver hair. It was an aftereffect of using too much lifeforce. 	"Lina! Your hair..."
	"It's alright. I just used a bit too much power." I smiled. "Though I'm tired. How about you two?"
	"I'm alright," Gourry said, getting up, though he wobbled a bit.
	"At least I'm not dead," Zelgadis said, a bit more firmly.
	"I see...good." I smiled and said, then spread-eagled on the ground, falling asleep.
	Several days later, the three of us were near enough to see Atlas City. "At last! Tonight I can eat good food, and sleep comfortably on a soft bed." I looked at the faraway city as I spoke. My hair still hadn't returned to its original color, but the fatigue was gone.
	"It became a long journey," Gourry mused.

	"Then, I'll be leaving now," Zelgadis said, suddenly.
	"Eh?" Gourry and I spoke in tandem.
	"I've been active lately, my face is still known...big cities will be dangerous for me. I also stand out a lot."
	"I see..." I replied. "What are you going to do?"
	"Well...I'll do as I wish -- alone. I've caused you both a lot of trouble. But..." As if he were embarassed, Zelgadis scratched the tip of his nose. "If we're still alive, I'd like to see you two again sometime. It might mean trouble for you, but..."
	I extended my right hand with a smile. "Someday, then."
	"Someday," Zelgadis echoed, grasping my hand. The stone skin felt oddly warm.
	"Stay well," Gourry said, casually waving his hand.
	"Yeah. You too." After saying that, Zelgadis turned away.
	"Lina," Gourry said, watching Zelgadis walk in the opposite direction. Ever since the battle with the Demon Lord, he'd been calling me Lina instead of "little girl". "He just shook your hand with his sword arm. Maybe that means he likes you?"
	"Don't say such a stupid thing!" I countered.
	"By the way...What are you going to do in Atlas City?"
	"Huh...what will I do..." I thought for a while. "Oh right! Gourry, didn't you say you were going to give me the Sword of Light?"
	"Who said that? Who?"
	"Ah! You're not giving it to me?"
	"Of course not!"
	I sighed. "That's too bad. If I had it I'd be nearly invulnerable, and it'd help my research into magic."
	Gourry hmphed. "You can't have what you can't have."
	"Oh, alright," I agreed, lightly.
	"...Eh?" Gourry was caught off guard by that.
	"I've decided where I'll go."
	"Where?" Gourry asked, obviously not understanding.
	"Wherever you go."
	"...What?"
	"Until you agree to give me the Sword of Light, I'll just follow you around." I winked at him. "Anyhow...let's go!" I said, and started walking toward Atlas City.