Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ The Slayers: Reward ❯ Battle! The Fight for Knowledge! ( Chapter 13 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The Slayers: Reward

Chapter 13: Battle! The Fight for Knowledge!

By: Lord Archive

The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.

Lime Warning: The reason why this warning is here is very evident in this chapter. Sexual comments WILL be made in this part, but no sexual acts directly described.

Reminder: This series is mostly anime based. I can use things that go against novel or manga cannon as long as it doesn't contradict the anime.

-------------------*

Shortly after sunrise, a black tornado signaled Xellos's appearance as it formed in the hallway of Sairaag's only standing inn. The mazoku blinked curiously. While the lack of noise was a good indication that Lina and crew were no longer there, his inhuman senses also failed to pick up the band of adventures. Xellos could only tell that they were somewhere in Sairaag, since if they were any distance away from this town he could pick up their presence. However, thanks to Fibrizo being ruined here, along with remnant energies of kopi-Rezo's spell that destroyed the city, the holy tree and the demon beast Zanaffar, it made tracking anyone in this area difficult even for a mazoku of his level.

Xellos shrugged. Lina and her friends were a group of rather unique individuals. They'd stick up like a sore thumb anywhere they go. He walked down the stairs and greeted the burly-looking owner of the establishment. "Excuse me, but I believe you had a band of adventures staying here last night. I was wondering if you knew where they went?"

"They went to the alchemist's shop on the north side of Lake Flagoon," replied the owner.

"Oh, really?" Xellos nodded. "Lina must be trying to make some of that mana restoration potion." He then turned to leave.

The owner grabbed Xellos by the shoulder. "Now you kindly tell me where YOU slept last night. You went up to those rooms last night, but didn't come down until just now."

Xellos sweat-dropped, torn between scaring the man shitless or keeping what he was a secret. If he pretended to be a mage casting a spell, the locals would try to go after him-- which would lead them to Lina. If things went as planned, Lina would fight Zander today and the locals would be an unwelcomed interference.

Xellos then smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, but I stayed with that shrine 'maiden' last night. Please keep quite about it. She's in line to become a high priestess, and such an affair could be damaging to her." He then quickly left while the inn-keeper processed Xellos's little story.

-------------------*

Zander strolled into the small Ceiphied's temple that currently housed Towermere.

"I'm sorry, sir, but the old man has yet to awaken," a young priestess said with a frown. "We fear he'll never wake."

"He should be awake in a few minutes," Zander replied tersely, walking past the priestess.

The priestess blinked in surprise as she followed him to Towermere's bed.

The first thing High Priest Towermere saw when he woke up was an elderly man who looked to be a sorcerer and a cute-looking priestess of Ciephied. He groggily sat up. "What happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," replied Zander. "Did Lina Inverse, or should I say Lina Gabriev, do this to you?"

Towermere scowled darkly. "That blasphemer is in league with a mazoku! That foul creature she summoned was without mercy."

Zander blinked. "Lina summoned a mazoku? Do you know his name?"

"Xellos, I believe." Towermere shakily got to his feet. "I must stop that foul dark sorceress."

"Grande Restorium," Zander said, casting a healing spell on the priest which briefly caused them to glow in golden light.

Towermere was caught off-guard with that spell. "You know holy magic?!"

"Among other spheres. That Xellos was the one to place you into that deep sleep would explain why I could not use magic to counter it." Zander frowned. "I suggest we work together. That witch stole some of my spell books, some of which she could use to cause untold damage-- including resurrecting the demon beast Zanaffar."

Towermere shivered in horror. "I would gladly accept help from a holy mage. We must go now, before her trail gets cold."

"Do you know where she might be?" Zander asked.

"Xellos said he would meet them in Sairaag," Towermere replied.

"I see. Our magic will have difficulties tracking her there," Zander said. "We should go once you get your stuff that this priestess has been guarding for you."

The priestess smiled sheepishly. "I was able to protect most of it, but somehow your book disappeared."

"Book?" Towermere questioned.

"Don't worry. It was one of my books, I merely reclaimed it. I suspect Xellos planted it on you to lure me away from Sairaag," Zander explained.

-------------------*

"What's with them?" a shriveled old man asked, pointing at Ravven and Gourry who were doing stretching exercises.

Zelgadis ignored him as he sat in the Zen position meditating.

"We expect to be in a fight against a man named Zander," Amelia answered.

"You don't mean the mazoku librarian, do you?" the old man questioned uncertainly.

Lina blinked as she looked up from the potion she was making. "How do you know about that?"

"I specialized in mazoku lore at the mage's guild. Unfortunately, that lore doesn't help much to put food on the table, so I set up an alchemy shop instead," the old man replied. "You don't really think you can take a mazoku of his level? It'd be like fighting Beastmaster Xellos the Dragon Slayer with his full powers unsealed."

"I hate that title," came from behind the old man.

"Full powers unsealed?" Lina questioned. "Care to explain that one?"

The old man was staring at the man behind him in absolute terror.

"Lina... take a guess," Xellos clipped and then looked at the old man. "And you best forget about what you know."

"S-s-sure...." the old man trembled. "Excuse me. I've got somewhere to be. BYE!" The old man ran away as fast as his legs could carry him.

"You're not planning to kill him, are you?" Lina asked with a warning glare.

Xellos merely smiled. "Not at this time. If we become enemies for some reason, then I'll kill him. But for now you have no reason to know anything more about me, and killing him would be a pointless waste of energy."

Syphiel frowned. "You're a strange mazoku, Mr. Xellos."

-------------------*

The inn-keeper looked up expectantly as a priest and mage entered his inn. As much as his cook hated this type of people, they did wonders to bring income through their bottomless stomachs.

"Have you seen a short, fiery-haired woman with short temper, raging sex drive, and dressed as a sorceress?" Towermere questioned.

The inn-keeper looked at the two men questioningly. "Why do you want to know?"

"She has stolen spell books from me," Zander informed.

"And she has blasphemed against Ciephied!" Towermere added.

The inn-keeper looked skeptical.

Zander tossed the inn-keeper a gold coin.

"Lina Inverse-Gabriev and her six friends stayed here until last night. She's went to the alchemist shop on the other side of the lake first thing this morning."

"Six?" Towermere questioned. "But she was only with four others."

"Five with Xellos," Zander corrected. "Who was the sixth?"

The inn-keeper looked puzzled. "I guess Xellos would be the guy who showed up after the Lina arrived with her husband, Gourry, along with Zelgadis and his lover, plus Ravven tagging along."

Towermere stared. "Zelgadis and his lover? You don't meant a girl with black hair--"

"And some really blessed melons," the inn-keeper confirmed.

"You must be mistaken. Princess Amelia wil Tesla Sailoon would NOT sleep with a monster!" Towermere protested.

"You mean she really is Princess Amelia? I thought she always used that as an alias." The inn-keeper shrugged. "Anyway, it's hard to mistake a girl commenting about a painful first time. Apparently Zelgadis was a bit TOO hard."

Towermere looked faint.

"What about the other person?" Zander reminded.

"That would be little Syphiel. Though I guess I can't call her little anymore. The poor dear had a crush on Lina's husband, and slept with that Xellos fellow on the rebound." The inn-keeper shook his head.

Towermere gawked. "You don't mean Syphiel the Lavender of Sairaag?"

"That's her." The inn-keeper paled, forgetting that the guy was a priest. "I shouldn't have said that. Don't hold her having sex against her, she was distraught and drunk! It was just a one-night stand!"

Towermere fainted.

Zander paid a passing glance at the fallen priest and then looked back at the inn-keeper. "You seemed well informed."

"I am an inn-keeper, so I tend to hear stories from all around. I was lucky enough to be out getting supplies when Sairaag blew up both times. I already met Lina and her friends before, so their false names were pointless."

Zander nodded. "Indeed."

-------------------*

"Let me get this straight, Towermere and Zander are coming here together?" Lina questioned, while she placed stoppers on a couple flasks containing her new mana potion.

"Precisely," Xellos replied. "I suspect Zander has 'failed' to tell Towermere that he's a mazoku, and that they'll work together to try to defeat you."

Lina shook her head. "Wonderful. Towermere is an annoyance, but he still can be dangerous if I let my guard down."

"High Priest Towermere is too pious for his own good," Syphiel said with a dainty sigh. She had met him a few times during her work as a shrine maiden, and knew he took his role as a high priest far too seriously.

"Where should we go?" Amelia questioned.

"Staying right here to fight him would be best. Zander's mazoku senses are dampened here," Xellos suggested. "If you run now, you won't know when or where he'll strike."

"Doesn't matter. They're here," Gourry warned.

"Kami-sama no Ken!" Zander's voice echoed and a blinding golden light shot from his palm.

Xellos only had enough time to turn around. He cursed his own dampened senses as the beam of light struck him in the chest and formed into a golden sword. He let out a gut retching scream as he fell to his knees.

Syphiel rushed to aid the fallen mazoku, but had no idea of how to heal him... or even decide if she should heal him.

"That was a cheap shot," Lina commented, glaring at Zander.

"For a mazoku of his caliber, a cheap shot is what you need to win," Zander retorted.

"Lina Inverse! Return this mage's spell books and end your blasphemous marriage!" Towermere ordered, trying to ignore what Syphiel was doing.

"And why should I return Claire Bible Manuscripts to a mazoku who stole them in the first place?!" Lina retorted.

"Mazoku?" Towermere laughed. "What a blatant lie. No mazoku can cast magic, let alone HOLY magic."

"Xellos can cast spells, and so can the mazoku librarian," Lina corrected.

"Bah! You won't listen to reason. I'm afraid I must destroy you. Elmekia Flame!" Towermere fired off his attack.

Lina dodged the spell as Ravven and Gourry moved to strike at Zander, but the librarian was ready for them. "Glorium Defendous!"

Two golden knights appeared and instantly moved to protect their summoner.

Lina, Amelia and Zelgadis laid down a barrage of fiery attacks, but none of them did any damage.

"Gourry, Ravven, take out Towermere. Leave Zander to us!" Lina ordered.

Gourry bisected the golden knight in front of him. "Sure thing, dear!"

"Fireball!" Zander said calmly, blowing Gourry across the field.

"Gourry!" Syphiel cried out. Her hands twitched.

Ravven grunted as he knocked the helmet off his attacker, and saw that his opponent was an empty suit of armor. Unfortunately, the knight didn't care for the loss of his head.

"Ra Tilt!" Zelgadis and Amelia stereoed.

Zander almost noticed too late. He didn't have time to cast a spell, rather he grabbed hold of Towermere's arm.

The blazing bluish light erupted around Zander, but it subsided leaving no obvious trace of injury.

"You cheating son a bitch," Lina cursed, figuring out that Towermere's amulet could protect Zander if he was touching the priest.

"That would be Xellos, not me," Zander 'corrected.' "Now prepare to die." He began to speak with holy chaos words, but ended with an, "Urk?!"

"No one hurts Lina while I'm around!" Gourry snarled, before ripping the sword he implanted in Zander out of the mazoku's body.

Darkness seemed to ooze from the gash Gourry had made. "You insolent fool! Chaotic Disintegrate!" Zander spat literally, as golden energy fired from his mouth.

Gourry screamed in pain as he once again bounced and flopped across the field.

"Gourry!" Syphiel cried out again. She then glanced at Lina who didn't seem bothered that Gourry had been hurt again.

Lina noticed. "What? That always happens in battle. He's still not hurt."

Gourry hopped back up to his feet.

"Go after Towermere!" Lina reminded.

Towermere didn't notice Gourry's advance, he was staring at Zander's healing wound. "You're a mazoku?!"

Zander blasted Gourry away again. "Yes. But we have a common goal, do we not? Lina has offended BOTH of our lords," Zander reminded.

"But you hurt another mazoku. How can you do that?" Towermere questioned.

Zander didn't reply, rather he grabbed Towermere's arm to shield himself from another magical barrage.

"We've got to get Zander away from Towermere," Lina stated the obvious. "But how?" She was thankful the old priest seemed to be frozen in indecision.

"I'm going in," Zelgadis stated, drawing his sword.

"Be careful," Amelia called out with concern.

Ravven finally defeated his golden foe and moved to strike Towermere in the back.

Zander smirked as he summoned five earth golems, complete with controlled spirits to give them intelligence.

"He fought my sister, didn't he?" Amelia questioned.

Lina smiled sheepishly. "We were both after the Giga Slav manuscript." She tried to think of what to do. She wanted to cast a big spell and be done with this battle, but Dragon Slav would hurt her friends more and Laguna Blade cost too much to cast and had too great a chance of failure. The situation hadn't degraded to the point where she needed to use Giga Slav.

Gourry and Zelgadis made short work of the golems they were facing. So Zander summoned a pair of Earth dragons for them to play with. When Gabriev only scratched one with the Demon Claw sword, he somehow remembered his other sword was called Dragon Cleaver, and quickly switched them and resumed his attack.

Ravven, however, was still playing dodge as the one golem after him tried to turn him into paste. He seemed to freeze for a moment as the rocky punch screamed toward, but he leapt out of the way at the last second.

Zander lurched forward as the golem had struck him in the back of the head. Amelia and Lina wasted no time firing spirit attacks at the mazoku. The mazoku cast a quick spell and with a flash of golden light, it was Ravven standing where the Zander had been. Ravven screamed as the spirit energies ripped at his being.

Zander grabbed Ravven. "You're pathetic for a half-breed mazoku. Not surprising considering how pathetic Gaav was. Digu Volt!"

Ravven screamed as electricity surged through his body.

"Should I care if Ravven's in the line of fire?" Lina questioned. "Nah. Elmekia Lance!"

The spirit blast hit its mark, and forced Zander to let go of Ravven.

"No one insults my father," Ravven snarled, trying to strike Zander, only to be kicked away by the golem he had been fighting.

"Gaav was his father?" Lina wondered, but shrugged as it didn't really matter.

Gourry sliced through the golem that was attacking Ravven before it could strike again, having already dealt with his own opponent.

Zander noticed that Zelgadis had also dispatched the other Earth dragon. With a quick spell, he sent three bolts of energy at the swordsmen. Ravven collapsed and moaned in pain. Gourry went flying only to immediately get back up. Zelgadis only grunted as he continued to advance.

"Laphas Seed," Zander called out, trying to ensnare the chimera.

Zelgadis merely leapt out of the way only to find that the mazoku had anticipated that reaction with a second Laphas Seed which succeeding in wrapping around his legs.

Zander then cast a blinding flash of light which blinded Gourry as he approached. "Sometimes the simplest spells are the most effective ones."

"Ra Tilt!" Amelia cried out.

Zander let out a grunt of pain as the attack hit him unprepared. He moved back toward Towermere, deciding just how to end this game.

Amelia stared. A direct hit with Ra Tilt and he only grunted in pain?! Why is it that she couldn't end up fighting weak mazoku like Mr. Chicken?

Zander spread his arms out wide. "You, who are more blue than the sunny sky! You, who are more chaotic than the weather! I call out to you! I pledge myself to you!"

Lina stared. 'Blue?' 'Chaotic?' Being cast like Dragon Slav?! "That's the spell for Chaotic Blue?!" she surmised, unable to move as she watched every detail of his movements, listened intently on every word he said.

"Grant me the power to destroy the fools who stand before you with the power you and I possess! Demon's Wrath!"

Lina paled as Zander pointed right at her. It didn't take a genius to figure out where the spell's epicenter would be. The hair on her neck tingled as she stared dumbly toward the sky as energy streaked toward her from the heavens.

"LINA?!" Gourry screamed, regaining his sense of sight in time to see his wife in danger. He poured every ounce of energy he had to his legs as he rushed toward her. He pushed her with all his might the instant before the giant blast struck the Earth with all the explosive force of Dragon Slav but in only half the radius.

Lina felt the searing energy heat her back as she landed outside the area of effect, followed by an ear-shattering thunderclap as the god of all lightning bolts subsided right next to her. The raging noise in her now useless ears meant nothing to her as she whirled around seeing Gourry burnt, bruised, battered and unmoving as he lay at the center of the blast. "G-Gourry?!" she screamed.

Zander laughed mockingly. "One down."

"You bastard!" Zelgadis snarled, charging at the mazoku after freeing himself from the entrapment spell.

"Sir Gourry?!" Syphiel cried out, abandoning Xellos in favor of aiding her first love. She rolled him over and shuddered at the amount of abuse his body displayed. She let out a small sigh of relief as he wheezed out a breath. "RESURRECTION!" she called, pouring her healing magic into him.

"Lina, are you all right?" Amelia called out as she rushed to aid her friend. At first the princess thought Lina was in shock from Gourry being hurt, but then noticed blood leaking from the sorceress's ears. That lightning bolt Zander summoned must have popped both of Lina's eardrums. "Shit," Amelia cursed before applying a specialized healing spell to repair Mrs. Gabriev's ears. A spell that Towermere had taught the princess years ago.

Despite helping Lina, Amelia felt helpless, and not for the first time in battles such as these. A powerful mazoku, and all she could do is act as support. Her ultimate killer spell was next to useless against Zander, as it only did minor amount of damage. Gourry probably did more damage with the sword he had borrowed from Ravven.

"If we can get Towermere out of the way, I might be able to take Zander with a Dragon Slav," Syphiel said while maintaining most of her attention on healing her first love.

Amelia shook her head. "You'd have to catch him by surprise. He blocked a boosted one from Lina."

Syphiel pouted. "We've got to do something."

Amelia said nothing as she looked over at the battle. Zander would blast away or immobilize either Zelgadis or Ravven, and the other would return to attack. It amazed the princess how much abuse Ravven was taking, but being half-mazoku could help with that. She certainly would be out of it if she had taken half of those hits. Zelgadis was taking more abuse than Ravven was, but his chimeric body weathered the attacks far better as well. If she had their staying power, she wouldn't have to act as support anymore.

"Will you two give it up?" Zander questioned, no trace of injury on his body, though he seemed to be a little winded.

"Never," Zelgadis growled, breathing heavily. "I won't let you get away with hurting my friends."

Ravven coughed, barely standing. "You're good practice. If I can help take you out, then I have a chance to kill Sarah."

Zander laughed. "Why? Because she was ordered to wake up Gaav's soul in that foul human body it had been reincarnated in?"

"Yes," Ravven spat. "She killed my mother and took away my father. I'll never forgive her for that."

"Half-mazoku or not, you're still a weak fool," Zander retorted. "You have no chance of defeating Sarah."

Zelgadis was staring at the half-mazoku.

"What?" Ravven questioned.

"That's Gaav's sword, isn't it?" Zelgadis questioned, only now recognizing the strange cut on the two handed sword as where Lina had cut through it with Laguna Blade.

"Yeah, it's Dad's sword. What about it?" Ravven snarled.

"While Syphiel and Lina are dumping a lovely amount of dark emotions," Xellos called out. "You all do realize that you're all just regenerating from feeding off those emotions."

Zander sweat-dropped. "They're both part mazoku?"

"Bingo," Zelgadis retorted. "Ra Tilt!"

"Too slow," Ravven commented as Zander had jumped back and grabbed Towermere to avoid the damage of that attack.

Zelgadis growled angrily. "Coward."

"You do what works," Zander retorted as he fired off another holy spell.

Towermere could only stand by and watch as Zander, Zelgadis and Ravven continued their attacks. He had never heard of a mazoku working against others of his kind. However, not only had Zander severely wounded Xellos, a highly powerful mazoku, but was in a fight with two who admitted to be lesser mazoku. Had Zander's exposure to holy magic allowed him to break free of the evil ways of his race? Could Zander, despite being a mazoku, be one of the good guys? He had pledged himself to destroy all mazoku he found, but Zander had offered help in the name of Ciephied.

Zelgadis wobbled as he stood up after being struck in the head by a Chaotic Disrupter.

"You all right?" Ravven questioned.

"For now. Don't know how much more I can take," Zelgadis replied.

"How about I help?"

Zelgadis and Ravven turned to see Gourry walking towards them.

"Syphiel fixed me up good as new," Gourry said with a smirk.

"Appreciate the help, but what about the girls?" Ravven questioned.

"Amelia has a plan, but we need to keep him busy," Gourry answered.

"She better not be planning anything foolish," Zelgadis muttered.

With that the three swordsmen once again rushed in to attack, but the old pattern remained the same. The only difference was that with Gourry being at full health, he had to be knocked down twice as often as the other two fighters.

Zander might have been a powerful mazoku, but even he had his limits. The last time he had cast so many spells in a short period of time was during the War of Monsters Fall, and that time he didn't have nearly as many high level spells in his arsenal, let alone holy ones. So when he spotted Amelia in a mad rush straight toward Towermere, he merely sent several fireballs at her.

"Amelia?!" Zelgadis cried out, knowing she couldn't take the intensity of the fireballs Zander had aimed at her.

Zander and Zelgadis both stared as she emerged from the fireballs with only her clothes singed.

Amelia tackled Towermere and pulled the amulet from his neck.

Only then did Towermere react as he cried out in shock. "Amelia, what have you done to yourself?!"

Zelgadis's mouth dropped as Amelia stood up proudly displaying the amulet. He cursed his existence as the bright and perky face he had grown to love was now a dull gray. Her shining raven black hair still shined, but that was because it had become black metallic wire.

"Amelia, you idiot!" were the only words the escaped Zelgadis's lips.

Amelia didn't have time to react to those words as Zander sent a Chaotic Disrupter at her. The princess learned a little late that the amulet wouldn't work for her now. She rolled across the grounds and moaned slightly as she stood up, laughing despite it all. "That wasn't too bad."

"You have gained nothing," Zander growled. "You still can't hope to defeat me."

"Then I guess you'll take this from us as well." Amelia held up the Lina's Dragon Slayer manuscript.

Zander's eyes grew wide in shock. "Where did you get that?!"

"Now that's... a secret!" Amelia chirped before running as fast as she could.

Zander created a sinkhole under the swordsmen to delay them while he began to chase after Amelia. With that book he could have the power to summon Shabranigdo. The precarious position the mazoku race was in would vanish, and his dark god might even give him Gaav's or even Fibrizo's position in the mazoku hierarchy.

Amelia wished she hadn't made the quick glance behind herself to see if Zander was following her. He was flying right behind her and was gaining fast. That wasn't the worst of it. The mazoku's hand glowed with the energy of a spell. While Zander avoided letting Zelgadis getting close enough to use a touch spell, it appeared the mazoku had no such reservation about her. She doubted her new chimeric body could deal with whatever that spell was.

Zander stretched out his hand, a spell to obliterate any type of rock waiting to come in contact with the stone flesh on the princess. The girl might have been able to run fast, but she couldn't out run him. Just another second and the girl would die and the manuscript would be his.

Amelia clenched her eyes shut as she poured everything into her legs, trying to out run the mazoku. She could feel his presence mere centimeters from her exposed back.

"Laguna Blade!"

Hearing those words, Amelia dropped to the ground. She felt as if electricity was tickling her back.

Zander had a surprised look on his face as Amelia fell to the ground and black energy cut through the air over his intended victim like a sword and sliced him in half. Not a word escaped the mazoku's mouth as his body ripped apart and disappeared.

"That takes care of him," Xellos chirped.

"Any reason you had us kill him?" Lina asked.

Xellos smirked. "Now Lina, that-"

"...is a secret," Lina finished his statement with a glare.

Xellos pouted.

Zelgadis approached the still cowering Amelia and barked, "You can get up now. Zander's dead."

Amelia reluctantly sat up and looked at Zelgadis. "My plan worked."

"Why? Why did you do something so stupid?!" Zelgadis demanded.

Amelia curled up into a ball, unable to reply.

"Relax, Zel. I should be able to return her to normal with a little more research," Lina assured him.

"And assuming Amelia WANTS to be turned back into a human," Xellos added.

Zelgadis gave them a deadly glare. "And why did you two agree to do THAT?"

"You guys wouldn't have been able to last much longer. We needed a plan, and it was a good one," Lina explained.

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for troubled romances," Xellos quipped.

Zelgadis let out a frustrated cry and stomped off toward the lake.

"Where are you going?" Ravven asked as Syphiel was healing him.

"I need to be alone to think," Zelgadis growled before jumping into lake Flagoon.

Ravven and Syphiel blinked.

Lina shook her head. "All right guys. Let's head back to the inn so we can recover."

"Not so fast!" Towermere cried out. "Lina Inverse, you must pay for your crimes against Ciephied."

"High Priest Towermere, I believe you are mistaken. It can't be Ceiphied's will that Sir Gourry marry Princess Alicia," Syphiel voiced.

"Shut up!" Towermere barked. "This isn't just about her marriage. It's about her consorting with demon, letting Xellos have his way with you, and turning Princess Amelia into a monster!"

"You shut up!" Syphiel yelled back. "Lina and Sir Gourry love each other! If their marriage is wrong, then ALL marriages are wrong. And Xellos may be a mazoku, but he has helped save the world. It was because of the aid he gave Lina that she was able to destroy Fibrizo. And what I do in my bed chambers is my own business!"

The Slayers all looked at Syphiel like she had grown a second head.

"Is something wrong, Syphiel?" Gourry asked.

"I thought you said you didn't do anything with her?" Lina questioned Xellos.

The mazoku shrugged. "We didn't. I only lied to the inn-keeper about it."

"Losing Gourry must be really hard on her," Amelia commented quietly.

"What was that?" Gourry asked.

Amelia grinned sheepishly. "Nothing!"

"You don't even realize that dark sorceress has turned you against Ciephied and into a wanton slut," Towermere retorted.

Syphiel punched him in the nose. She watched as he fell to the ground, unconscious. She then blinked. "Oh, dear. I don't know what came over me."

"Repressed dark emotions," Ravven answered.

"Seriously dark," Amelia added, unsure how to deal with the rush of emotions coming from the shrine maiden.

"Deliciously dark." Xellos grinned.

Lina sighed. "Let's just go back now. And Syphiel, I don't want you anywhere near the alcohol."

-------------------*

Xellos's Notes:

After yet another 'long' wait, here's chapter 13 and the end of Zander.

Bet you didn't expect Amelia to turn into a chimera to win it, did you?

Well, you're also not going to believe the rest of the series either.

Anyway, I guess I should thank those who gave grammar advice, even if Archive didn't use all of it. (Jeremy Mullin, Michael Chase, Ragun, Garrison)

Next:
Chapter 14 - Journey! Life Continues On.