"LIGHT COME FORTH!!!" Gourry roared, slashing with the energy blade. "You hurt Lina, killed Ameria, and who knows what the hell is wrong with Xellos now! I won't, no, can't forgive you Zelgadis!"

"Well, that's fairly interesting." Shabranigdo chuckled. "But you cant hurt me with it. No matter how good you are, I'm still faster." To prove his point, he lifted Lina off her feet and dashed behind him. He drove his knee into the small of the mercenary's back, and sent him sprawling.

"Girl, do you see what pathetic defense you pose as?" He growled. "Even his Sword of Light can't harm me, in this form.

"You've destroyed my life, my friends..." Lina murmured as the Dark Lord in the chimera's body leaned closer to her. "You... MONSTER!"

Deep inside the swirling mixtures of powers that made up the Shamanist, Zelgadis Greywers thrashed at Shabranigdo's control.

I'm not a monster! He thought as he lashed out. I'm not! Lina, help me fight him! But the essence of the Dark Lord wrapped around his throat and choked him.

Zelgadis... wherever you are inside that body... I know you're there... Let me in. Lina thought as Shabranigdo wrapped his arms around her slender form. Blindly, she groped for the hilt of Gourry's sword, and nearly smiled as she found her prize.

"Little girl, human, mortal, you're pain and fear shall be..." he paused, using Zelgadis' tongue to trace the delicate bones of her face, "delicious."

"Stop!" a girl's voice cried out. "In... In the name of justice... I command you to stop!"

"Ameria!" Lina gasped in relief as she saw the scorched princess slowly rise.

"Are you threatening me, child?" Shabranigdo seemed insulted by her attempts. "You have no chance against me."

"Maybe... Maybe not." Gourry grumbled as he got to his feet. "But we sure as hell can give you a run for your money!"

"That's right." Xellos stated, eyes narrow and face cool, despite the bloody hole in his shirt. "We Mazoku are VERY territorial, defending what's ours to the very end; and you've just crossed the line."

"You think you can beat me?" Shabranigdo laughed. "Even your precious GIGASLAVE can't help you. In this body, I'm invincible.

"I'm sorry, Zelgadis..." Lina whispered over the GIGASLAVE incantation. "I..."

Go on, Lina. Zelgadis thought weakly. Destroy Shabranigdo, don't let him use my body to hurt you anymore. Please, Lina. I don't want to let him hurt you ever again!

"I loved you, Zel." She said quietly, taking the sword and plunging it straight through the chimera's chest at the same moment the GIGASLAVE kicked in.

The resulting explosion blinded everyone, and blew Xellos off his feet. But the Dark Lord was still standing when the aftermath came about, his red eye calling for blood and black eye calling for death.

"I told you, you couldn't defeat me, even with your Nightmare magics." He growled. "Even though there were a great number of superficial wounds, no true damage had been done, save for the bloody laceration where the sword had entered.

"I'm sorry Zel... It wasn't enough..." Lina whispered as the ground rushed up to meet her. She had failed him, couldn't stop the Dark Lord from destroying her life... and killing the man she had loved.

"I'll tear you all limb from limb!" Shabranigdo roared, charging at the fallen sorceress with the chimera's demon speed.

From deep within, something in Zelgadis Greywers snapped.

And time stood still...