The Slayers: Reward
Chapter 11: Mazoku. They're Nothing But Trouble!
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.
-------------------*
Such a fine day to be a mazoku.
The buildings were burning with an unholy might. People screamed for salvation,
but found none, and instead were slaughtered mercilessly. Those that could do
something about this either didn't care or were frozen with indecision.
The funny things was, last week it would've described what these bandits did to
a small village. As they had come like an unimaginable force and raped, murdered
and pillaged the town to nothingness, they now faced and even greater force--
Lina Inverse-Gabriev: the Slayer, the Dragon Spooker, the Pink.
No 'bandit' wasn't accidentally left off the slayer part of the title. Lina has
racked quite a few mazoku, dragons, werewolves, et cetera kills as well. Suffice
it to say, she's simply a slayer of all things that get in her way.
Of course, calling Lina by that title would be a bad idea. Even though some
people like pain, that would be a capital offense worthy of Laguna Blade. Lina
was touchy like that.
After all, Lina's wrath on the bandits wouldn't have been this fierce if a
certain rumor of Lina Inverse being married hadn't reached them. When she was
about to start her attack and pillage scheme, she overheard some of the bandits
talking about the marriage. One of them commented, 'only an idiot would marry
Lina Inverse.' Well, Gourry heard that as well and announced, 'I'm that idiot.'
Needless to say, Gourry was blasted off into the distance by his beloved bride
and the onslaught commenced.
Now one has to wonder how that rumor started.
Anyway, beyond the screaming, the fear and in some of the foolish: bloodlust,
anger and vengeance-- there were other morsels for a mazoku to enjoy. Lina's own
bloodlust aside, there was seemingly stoic Zelgadis. His anger at this
'unreasonable' delay was quite amusing.
Then there was poor little Amelia. On one hand she wanted to help Lina destroy
these bandits to right the injustice they did to so many hapless people. On the
other hand, however, she wanted to stop Lina from enacting the injustice of this
butchering on the bandits. While her thoughts weren't truly dark or fearful, her
conflicting emotions were rather simply a light spice to this grand meal.
Gourry was still out cold, so his thoughts amounted to simple lustful dreams of
a newlywed. Best not to go there, though, too much love.
Then there was the new member of Lina's little group. He was neither a bystander
nor an active participant in the execution of bandits. His thoughts were filled
with greed, vengeance and longing. They also contained an interesting taint to
them.
-------------------*
"A runt like you can't be doing this to my bandits," growled the six foot,
armored like a tank leader holding an oddly shaped two-handed sword.
"Wish I could say I was, but that's Lina Inverse's work. I'm just here for your
sword." Ravven brandished his own weapon.
The armored leader laughed. "You can try, but you'll die." The battle began as
he swung down.
Ravven blocked with his sword and strained to remain standing from the leader's
great strength. He wasn't about to lose to some back-watered bandit this close
to part of his objective after he had worked so hard to trick Lina in this
direction. He really HAD slept with a mayor's daughter and unless the girl
bragged, no one would know.
With a heavy grunt, Ravven knocked away the bandit leader, who recovered
quickly.
"You'll have to do better than that, whelp," the bandit leader sneered. He
raised his sword to attack again, but then froze.
The giant sword slipped through his boneless fingers and clattered to the
ground. Then with a mighty crash the bandit leader also fell.
Ravven blinked. "Why did you do that?"
Xellos pulled the staff away from where he stabbed the bandit leader and
shrugged. "Looked like you needed help."
Ravven sheathed his sword picked up the two-handed sword and studied it,
noticing how the top of the blade was unnaturally smooth and oddly cut. "I
didn't need any help."
"I see." Xellos chuckled. "So you are his boy after all."
"What's that to you?" Ravven sneered.
Xellos smiled. "How'd you like-"
"No," Ravven interrupted firmly.
"Think of what you can gain?" Xellos insisted.
"How about what I'd lose?" Ravven retorted.
Xellos shrugged. "Suit yourself." He vanished with a puff of darkness.
-------------------*
Lina giggled like a schoolgirl as she let the gold coins trickle through her
fingers.
Amelia looked away. "Hey, Ravven. Where'd you go?"
"Had a score to settle with the leader. Took his sword as a prize," Ravven
replied.
"So, that's why you had us go this way." Lina shrugged and then eyed the sword.
"Can I see that?"
"Let him keep it, Lina," Gourry commented.
Lina blinked. "You sure?"
Gourry nodded.
"Can we get going?" Zelgadis growled. "The longer we wait, the more trouble we
have."
"He does need his cure so I can marry him," Amelia added.
Zelgadis jerked as if hit.
-------------------*
Yawn. After that lovely bit of entertainment, the remainder of the journey was
rather boring.
The only bright spot was Ravven taking a turn at pounding on Towermere. Ravven
had foolishly tried to outdo Zelgadis, but didn't have nearly as much skill.
Now their long trek had come to an end, but I wonder if they remembered that
they forgot to ask how to get into the library.
Oh, this will be so much fun to watch.
-------------------*
Lina and crew stared up the mountain at its base and asked, "Do any of you see a
way in?"
Zelgadis palmed his face. "We forgot to ask Xellos how to get inside. You know
it's not going to have a visible entrance since no one even knows the mountain
is really hollow."
Lina grabbed her hair. "Why didn't someone think about that before?"
"At least I didn't ask any stupid questions," Ravven said defensively.
"Yes you did, you asked him what type of mazoku he was," Lina shot back.
"Was it stupid when you didn't even know?" Ravven returned.
Lina growled and stomped to the side of the mountain. She cried out, "Bephis
Bring!" Magic flowed through Lina's hands pushing aside the Earth forming a
tunnel.
Gourry scratched his head. "Every time I think I've seen all her spells, out
pops a new one."
Lina glared over at him. "Like you can remember every spell I've cast. Remember
how we made the trench before blowing up the mansion?"
Gourry shrugged. "Ah, no."
Lina massaged her forehead.
"I doubt this will get us all the way in," Zelgadis grumbled.
"We'll just have to go with the bigger stuff when that happens," Lina retorted.
-------------------*
Xellos looked up as an explosion rocked the table which held his tea. Through
the hole in the side of an enormous library stood Lina and crew.
Xellos sighed. "I was hoping you'd have a few problems getting in, but I
should've known you'd make your own door."
"Where's Zander?" Lina questioned.
"Eager for a fight?" Xellos returned.
"No. I just don't want any surprises," Lina said flatly.
"He's on a fool's errand claiming a Claire Bible Manuscript. It should keep him
occupied for a while. However, it's best you hurry as he can sense if the
library has been damaged if he checks," Xellos explained.
"Where're the manuscripts we need?" Zelgadis asked.
"That you'll have to find out yourself, but I will explain this: the library is
divided into books, scrolls, and tablets and each section is sorted
alphabetically," Xellos answered.
"You heard him, let's go hunting!" Lina called out and ran into the see of
magical books.
"This must contain every portion of the Claire Bible," Ravven said in slight
awe.
"Hardly, this isn't even one percent of the true bible that was the Water Dragon
King, but that one was infinite," Xellos said simply.
"Why are you being so giving with information, Mr. Xellos," Amelia asked from a
nearby row of scrolls.
"I have my reasons," Xellos smiled at her.
"Which are?" Amelia pressed.
"Now that's a secret." Xellos winked.
Amelia crashed to the floor. "Should have seen that coming."
"Why that son of a...." Lina growled holding a tablet with the bottom left
corner broken off.
"What's wrong?" Gourry asked.
"Nothing much besides finding Rezo's legacy here," Lina grumbled.
"Rezo?" Gourry scratched his head. "Where did I hear that name before?"
Lina used the tablet to bat Gourry away for saying something that stupid.
Xellos slurped his tea as Gourry crashed into the wall behind him. "Interesting
effect," the mazoku commented.
Lina pocketed the tablet in her cloak of holding and kept looking... er looting
tablets. They didn't really have to do anything with chimera. They were all
magical and highly powerful.
After several minutes of watching them ransack the library, Xellos stood up as
he sensed something. "Lina, Gourry, Ravven... Zander is coming. Why don't you
three go outside to give Zelgadis and Amelia more time."
"You going to help?" Lina asked.
"Fight Zander? I'm not allowed to," Xellos replied.
"Some help you are," Lina groused.
"I can offer you this. Gourry's sword, Dragon Cleaver, is great for filleting
dragons, but not much more. Against a mazoku it's almost useless save for the
lowest level ones. I'd suggest you use one of Ravven's swords. Both can be
effective on a mazoku. I better leave before Zander notices me. See ya." Xellos
vanished in swirl of blackness.
Ravven glanced at the sword strapped to his hip. With a sigh he removed it from
his belt and tossed it at Gourry. "That's Demon Claw, supposedly made from a
demon's claw. I can vouch that it is effective against mazoku."
"What about the other sword?" Lina asked.
Ravven unsheathed it. "This is what I'll be using."
Lina scratched her head. The sword looked familiar to her for some reason. She
then shrugged, knowing it would come back to her later. Now was to deal with
Zander. She spotted to gigantic stylized and painted oaken doors. "Let's greet
him outside," Lina suggested.
The two swordsmen nodded and followed Lina.
The trio didn't have to wait long after walking through the door. A bolt of
lightning crashed before them. When the light faded away the mazoku librarian,
Zander, stood before them.
Zander did not look like a terrible creature of destruction. He looked like a
stogy old mage. "Not only do you interfere with my duties, now you rob my
library," the mazoku growled angrily.
"Yeah, well your bosses keep having other plans," Lina retorted.
Zander seemed to gaze deeply into the library. "Ah, you seek the manuscripts
concerning Zelgadis's gift." He paused. "I don't care to fight you. I'd rather
work out a trade."
"A trade?" Lina questioned.
"Yes. I want the manuscript Fibrizo helped you obtain. In exchange, you can have
the manuscripts for your friend," Zander said simply.
"Not a chance in hell am I letting you have that," Lina replied. "Besides, I
don't have it with me."
"I can sense that. You don't have to give it to me. Just tell me where I can
find it," Zander returned.
"Somewhere I don't want to go and safe from you," Lina stated flatly.
Gourry brightened and smashed his fist into his palm. "You gave it to Luna."
Lina crashed heavily into the ground from shock. She snarled angrily, "You're
not supposed to figure it out for him."
Zander frowned. "So the Ceiphied Knight has the Giga Slav manuscript. Very
disconcerting. It would be difficult taking it from her."
Ravven glanced at Lina and asked, "What major powers haven't you met?"
"Dynast, Dolphin, Death Fog, Chaotic Blue, the four greater dragon gods, and oh,
the Earth and Air Dragon Kings. I'm not sure if the large crystal at the Fire
Dragon Shrine was the Fire Dragon King sleeping or just a statue," Lina rattled
off.
Ravven sweat-dropped. "Wait, you didn't mention Dark Star."
"I ruined half of him," Lina chirped.
Ravven remembered the night sky to the south had become the deepest black he had
ever seen then became more brilliant than a bright sunny day a few months back.
He paled at the thought that Lina was an honest to god, God Slayer.
"The power that let you do that no longer exists on this world, so don't think
I'll be intimidated by that," Zander said gruffly.
"You do know of my other abilities, right Zander?" Lina questioned seemingly
innocently.
"You are referring to Laguna Blade which Xellos stupidly let you have," Zander
growled. "Not to mention the boost gems that let you cast them. However, you
should not forget I know Laguna Blade myself and ALL the spells in the library.
Can you possibly compare your talents of one world when I have spells from three
others as well?"
Lina sweat-dropped. Zander certainly had a point about his power level. He did
know literally every spell that was in her spell book that she hadn't made
herself save one. However, she had numbers on her side. "Do you really want to
try your luck against me?" Lina questioned.
"If it must come to that." Zander shifted positions.
Lina smirked. Zander might be able to cast spells, but he didn't have any
special ability in casting them. His stance was indicative of a mage ready to
select one of any number of spells with somatic components, particularly fire
spells. "Get ready," Lina called out.
Zander brought a hand before his lips and began chanting.
Lina didn't want to know what he was casting. "Elmekia Lance!"
Zander grimaced as the blast shot through his shoulder, but he continued to cast
the spell.
Lina stared dumbly as all of them began to glow in golden light. "He's casting a
HOLY spell?!"
"Masse Telepotium!" Zander called out and suddenly Lina, Gourry, and Ravven
found themselves in a grassy field along with Amelia, Zelgadis and Zander.
"Tricky bastard," Lina sneered.
"Don't want my library further damaged." Zander spread out his arms. "Now to
deal with you. Great Spirit of air, I call out to you to send forth your wrath.
Hail Storm!"
Lina and crew danced around trying to dodge the grapefruit sized hailstones
falling from the cloudless sky.
"Can't this guy use something we've actually seen before?" Ravven sarcastically
asked.
"Fine." Zander raised his hand over his head. "Flare Arrow!" An impossible
number of flaming arrows appeared and launched at them.
"Windy Shield!" Lina called out, creating a barrier of solid air between her
group and Zander. The flaming arrows exploded harmless against it while Lina
glared at Ravven.
Zander glanced over seeing a pair of mages casting in concert. "Dark Shroud,"
the mazoku said simply.
"Ra Tilt!" Amelia and Zelgadis chorused.
Zander smirked at them with a faint black aura swirling around him.
"What the?! That's MY spell! I made it! How can you cast it?!" Lina ranted like
an upset four-year old denied her favorite toy. "That does it. YOU ARE TOAST.
Lord of Darkness and the Four Worlds I call upon you. Grant me all the power you
possess!"
Zander brought his hands together and started chanting.
"Oh no you don't," Zelgadis said, not knowing what spell the mazoku was going to
cast, but was sure he had to stop it. "Dynast Breath!"
Zander became frozen in place as he was encased in solid ice, but Zelgadis
cursed noticing a faint golden glow around the mazoku.
"Get down!" Gourry called out.
"...you and I possess. Dragon Slav!"
An Earth shattering kaboom rocked the ground and threatened to rupture their
ear-drums as Lina focused the enhanced Dragon Slave in as tight of blast she
could make it.
There was an unnatural silence that followed as they waited on baited breath to
find out if Lina had managed to kill Zander.
The smoke cleared and Zander hovered above them, his robes slightly burnt but
otherwise looked unharmed.
"How the hell did he live through that?!" Ravven questioned in surprise.
"High level mazoku are annoying that way," Amelia replied. "They hate dying."
"Shall we stop this senseless fighting?" Zander questioned. "All you have to do
is help me obtain the Giga Slav manuscript from the Ceiphied Knight and I'll let
you keep the manuscripts that you've stolen."
"He's hurt more than he's letting on," Gourry commented.
Lina analyzed the mazoku. "Maybe, but I don't know if I have enough power to go
for another enhanced Dragon Slav. And no idea if that'd be enough."
"What's the plan, Mrs. Lina?" Amelia asked.
"COVER our escape," Lina answered.
"Cover?" Amelia questioned. "I don't know if it'll work against him." She
sighed. "Dark Mist!"
Suddenly the entire area was flooded with black fog clouds. Zander scowled and
raised his arms. "Typhoon Blast!"
Unlike Bomb Di Win which sends a high gust of wind in a small area, the entire
field in front of Zander was ravaged by winds from that of the fiercest storm
the region had ever seen.
Zander sweat-dropped after blowing away the black clouds. "Where are they?" he
questioned.
Gourry felt like someone was rolling him down hill in a barrel. The Ray Wing
Lina had cast carried him off with her when the sudden gust of unimaginably
strong winds hurled them away, but it took all of Lina's concentration to hold
on to the wind bubble. Especially with the way they tumbled around in it.
Finally the wind stopped and the group was able to come under control.
"Whoa! Funky trip," Ravven said dizzily while inside Zelgadis's Ray Wing bubble.
"Where to now?" Zelgadis questioned.
"We need to go somewhere that'd make it difficult for Zander to find us," Lina
replied.
"Where could we go that could do that?" Amelia asked.
"About only one place I know that would have enough magical interference that
might blind Zander, Sairaag," Lina answered. "Fortunately, we aren't that far
away from it." She pointed in the distance where the familiar three times
destroyed city lay.
Amelia landed and dispelled her Ray Wing. "We should walk there to conserve our
magic."
Lina nodded. "Good idea." She landed and ended her spell as well.
"I thought I saw you!"
Lina sagged looking over at who called that. "How did you possibly find us
already?"
"I won't stop until you've acceded to the demands placed upon you," was the
angry reply.
"Allow me. I do believe this would be my turn." Xellos said cheerfully as he
appeared from a swirl of blackness. "Now how should I go about 'Pound the
Towermere?'"
"A mazoku?!" Towermere called out in shock. "You ally yourselves with demons?"
"He's useful from time to time," Lina replied. "Go ahead and play with him. Just
don't kill him or do any permanent harm."
Xellos pouted. "Oh, you're no fun." He turned his attention back to Towermere.
"Now what to do first?"
Amelia stared uneasily as Xellos batted Towermere with his staff. "Promise you
won't do anything too bad to him."
Xellos waved her off. "I promise. Now you better hurry to Sairaag."
With that Lina and crew rushed down the road to Sairaag.
-------------------*
Xellos's notes:
Well, as you can see contract negotiations are done and I'm finally more than
some bit player. Archive promises to work on the remainder of this series to
have it completed soon.
I guess I should offer thanks to Michael Chase and Troy Thomas for pre-reading
this while I'm here.
See ya soon.
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