Slayers - Volume 5 - Chapter 2

2: Life Is a Series of Meetings and Partings

I turned around to see a priest of modest height and build standing there. He looked about twenty years old, give or take, with dark hair. He was wearing a rather typical set of black vestments and carrying the kind of pewter staff you could buy anywhere. I suppose he was good-looking enough, but there was a very out-of-place smile on his otherwise unremarkable face.

“Who is he?” Balgumon asked Feltis, which told me the new arrival wasn’t part of their gang.

“Someone I met earlier, as it happens... someone I’ve been wanting to cut to pieces,” Feltis hissed as he loped forward, his eyes alight with hatred.

I wasn’t sure what was going on here, but I didn’t like the idea of getting dragged into it. I decided I’d back off and give the boys some room to play.

“I didn’t come here to kill you, Master Feltis. Why don’t we both endeavor to keep it that way?” petitioned the priest.

“No deal. I wanna kill you so bad I can taste it. Let me warn you, you wretched monk... it’s going to take a damned powerful spell to work on me!”

“Ah, then I suppose you leave me no choice. In that case...” His bright smile unflinching, the priest began chanting.

Huh? That spell...

“Not a chance!” Feltis cried as he took off in a dash.

He closed the gap in an instant, bringing his longsword down on the priest! Whoom! There was a howl, but... it was the werebeast who was sent flying back!

“What?!” I shouted in surprise.

What had knocked the guy back was a barrier—the kind of magical forcefield that protected a caster during their chant. Generally, the more powerful a spell was, the more powerful the barrier it produced... but even the strongest known attack spell, Dragon Slave, only created a field that could just barely block a Fireball from a third-rate sorcerer or slow the attack of a first-rate warrior. I’d never seen one that could completely repel someone rushing you like that.

Yet the barrier from this spell had utterly blown the werebeast back. And when I listened closely to the words the priest was chanting... No way! I quickly took my distance from Feltis.

“Wh... What was that?!” the werebeast howled as he managed to sit up.

But by then, the priest was already pointing at him. Next, he incanted the words of power...

“Blast Bomb!”

Vreeeeeeee! The air itself seemed to shriek as several dozen balls of light appeared around the priest, then tore through the air in the direction he was pointing. Two things happened simultaneously: I threw myself to the ground, and the light of the Blast Bomb rained down on the werebeast.

Pfwosssssh! An audible shockwave rang out, followed by a blast of heat. If I hadn’t covered my ears, it would have obliterated my eardrums.

“Ngh...”

After a moment, I slowly picked myself up. Feltis was nowhere to be seen now—just a molten crater in the ground where he’d been standing. Dude must’ve been vaporized instantly. Jeez, man, overkill much?

Hey, wait a minute!

As soon as I recalled Balgumon and Amelia, I quickly looked around for them too. They were nowhere in sight. Since the spell hadn’t been aimed at them, however, I doubted they were harmed. Probably blown away, at worst.

“Dear, oh dear... It seems the other one escaped,” piped up a scatterbrained sort of voice.

I turned and saw the priest standing there, scratching his head and looking mildly distressed.

“Oh well...” he whispered indifferently, then turned his gaze on me. “Ah, pardon the imposition, but might you happen to know the dwelling place of the gang those men belonged to?”

His manner was entirely unguarded and totally free of malice... which somehow made it creepier.

“You...” I said, staring straight at him. “You’re Lei Magnus, aren’t you?!”

The priest faceplanted.

“What on earth would make you say that?!” he said as he propped himself back up on his staff.

“Hah! It’s simple. There’s only one person I know of who can use the Blast Bomb, and that’s Lei Magnus!”

“I beg your pardon! The sorcerer Lei Magnus lived over a thousand years ago!”

“Oh, please! What’s a millennia or two between friends? You could power through that, easy!”

“Power through how, praytell?! Moreover, I do have a name of my own. It’s Xellos.”

“Okay, fine... So, who are you, exactly?”

“A mysterious priest,” he responded simply.

Well... I had to give him that one. The nerve it takes to straight-up call yourself mysterious was indeed a mystery to me.

“And... who were those other guys?” I asked next.

“Enemies,” he answered casually. When I said nothing in response this time, he prompted, “You don’t believe me?”

“The enemy of my enemy isn’t necessarily my friend, y’know?”

“Ah, too true!”

“More importantly, I decided a while back never to trust priests or the overly-polite type.”

“I see... What an aberrant life you must have lived.”

Shut up, you!

“Now, all joking aside,” I offered, “why don’t you tell me all about those amulets—or rather, those talismans you’ve got there?”

“To what are you referring, exactly?” Xellos said, gazing innocently into the distance.

“Those talismans! Right there! The ones attached to the pendant dangling from your neck, your belt buckle, and the bracelets on both of your wrists! The ones you’re using to enhance your magic capacity!”

“Oh? You could tell that, could you?” he conceded readily enough this time.

Enhancing one’s magic capacity was a field of research that many a sorcerer had tackled throughout the ages, though I’d never heard of anyone actually succeeding. I’d dabbled in it myself once, but I’d come to the conclusion that it was impossible to accomplish with spells and gestures alone. This priest, however, had apparently managed to do it somehow with ease.

“I scrutinized the gestures and the short chant you performed before unleashing that Blast Bomb. The chant sounded like it was for enhancement... But if that was all it took to increase one’s capacity, researchers would’ve discovered it ages ago. There must be something else at play here.”

“And you believe it to be the talismans?”

“You betcha! So what are they, exactly? They can’t be ordinary gemstones.”

“Really, I wish I knew...” he said, scratching his head awkwardly. “They were a gift, you see.”

It didn’t seem he’d given it any thought beyond that. (Speaking of airheads, I found myself hoping Gourry was okay.)

“All I know is that they’re called Demon’s Blood, and they represent, respectively, Ruby-Eye, Dark Star, Chaotic Blue, and Death Fog—our own Dark Lord, and three from other worlds.”

“Dark Lords of other worlds?!” I parroted in shock. “H-Hang on! That’s, like, a lot! Are you serious?”

“Well, that’s what I was told.”

“By... whom?”

“Obviously, that’s a secret,” he said with a coy waggle of his finger.

Boy, it’s creepy when grown men do that...

“Whoever it was, they must be pretty impressive... Oh, I know! Sell those puppies to me, will ya?!”

“What?! Why would I do that?!” Xellos shouted in response to my stroke of genius.

“Because I want them, duh! I’ll give you five-fifty. Isn’t that generous of me? You could buy a nice rapier with money like that!”

But my boy Xellos replied with a little grin, “Multiply that by ten thousand and we have a deal.”

“Okay, sold!”

“Excuse me...?” he stammered, seemingly stunned by my eager acceptance.

“Five-fifty times ten thousand is five and half million, right?” With that, I dropped my bag and began rifling through it, pulling out magical items as I went. “Let’s see. One bundle of claura root, one pack of meltia herbs, a ladeline ring, and a lemtite rock... five bags of mustal powder... Oh, and it’s your lucky day! I’ll throw in a bonus of three kulfa medicine balls! Head to the nearest large city and sell these off. Even if you get lowballed all to hell, you should net five and a half million—easy. Now, I believe we have ourselves a deal!”

“Ah... er... well...”

“You can’t set the price and then say you don’t want to sell! C’mon!” I declared after catching the hesitant look in Xellos’s eye.

“But... well...” He continued to falter, but I wasn’t going to let him off the hook.

“I said you can’t.”

...

“Very well...”

Good boy!

“I did say we’d have a deal, so... here you are...” With an expression of resignation, he removed the four talismans and begrudged them to me. “You must arrange them in a cross formation on your body and recite the amplification chant before the spell you wish to use. It goes like this—”

“Don’t worry. I memorized it when you recited it before.”

“Aha,” Xellos said with appreciation. “That’s quite impressive. It is a short chant, but difficult to memorize with just one recitation.”

“No big deal. I studied this kind of stuff myself long ago,” I explained as I put on the talismans. They weren’t exactly my style, but hey.

“You studied it yourself, did you? I see. Are you a sorcerer, then?”

“What did you think I was?!”

“A wandering eccentric.”

“Excuse me?!”

“Pardon, but if you are a sorcerer... then why spare the use of magic in that fight before?”

“Geh!” Damn, going right for the jugular? I wrestled for a minute over whether or not to tell him, but ultimately decided that hiding my lack of magic wouldn’t change anything. “You see, my magic’s been... sealed.”

“Oho. Is there someone truly capable of doing such things?”

“Yeah. A member of their gang. A lady by the name of Mazenda—”

“Whaaaaat?!” he shouted suddenly. “Miss Mazenda? She’s working with them?!”

“Wait, what?!” I shouted in turn, leaning forward. “Y-You mean you know her?!”

“Well, you could say that,” he confessed, scratching his head. “Though I fear we’re enemies at present.”

“Hmm... this all seems pretty complicated.”

“Indeed. We really mustn’t stand around here talking all day. Would you accompany me to the nearest village before we continue this little discussion?”

“Good idea. I am pretty hungry,” I said, agreeing readily enough.

“I see... what a terrible predicament,” Xellos said, nodding as he sipped his hot soup—visibly less concerned than I would have cared for.

I’d explained how I ended up in this situation while we took a late lunch at a small eatery in a nearby village. The establishment was practically deserted, perhaps given the off hour.

“But now I’m forced to wonder...” Xellos continued. “If your magic is sealed, why did you bother to buy my talismans?”

“Well, I’ve been testing my magic every day since this started and it seems like, slowly but surely, the seal is weakening. I tried casting a Lighting spell the day it happened and got nothing. But I tried again yesterday and got a candle’s worth of light. Of course, it went out right away, which meant attack magic was still off the table, but... With these talismans, I might be able to swing some novice spells.”

“I see. Still, I wonder why the seal is weakening. Could it be that Miss Mazenda’s spell was shoddy, or is your magic capacity simply that remarkable?”

“Either way, I need every trick I can get my hands on. Until I can reunite with Gourry, at least,” I whispered, my eyes focused on the empty bowl before me. “I mean, knowing him, he’s probably getting along just fine... I’m more worried about Amelia.”

“I’m sure she’s all right.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“Let’s see... How should I put this?” he pondered, now taking a sip of his hot milk. “Given the situation as I happened to stumble upon it, it certainly seemed they could have killed her on the spot with ease. That man had a knife to her throat, did he not? The fact that he took her with him despite the burden she represented suggests he has bigger plans for her.”

“You mean as bait?”

“Precisely,” he replied with a firm nod.

I sighed.

“Look, I’d figured that much out already. What I’m really concerned about is... even if she’s alive, she might not be okay, if you catch my drift,” I said, reaching for the after-meal tea the server had finally brought us.

“I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about in that regard,” he said airily enough. “Miss Mazenda can simply seal the girl’s magic, so they’re unlikely to feel obliged to crush her voice box or anything along those lines. Now, if I were the enemy, I wouldn’t dispose of her until after I used her as bait to get rid of the rest of you... And if their end goal is to kill her, the best way to do so would be as part of a ritual.”

“A ritual?!” I exclaimed with my teacup halfway to my mouth.

“Yes. They are a cult, after all, and cultists really are so very fond of rituals. More importantly, this cult is one of the Dark Lord, meaning their ritual of choice is...”

“Human sacrifice?!” I found myself shouting.

“Precisely. Typically, one wants their human sacrifice to be as pure and unsullied as possible. That means they’re unlikely to harm your friend unnecessarily. But, you know...” he said, the smile on his face taking a troubled tinge. “I have to wonder if they really think demons do the bidding of humans just because they worship them.”

“Well, a lot of people just want freedom from restraints and consequences, and they need a higher power to get them there,” I said with another sigh. “God-worship tends to frown on the whole ‘do whatever you want’ ethos, so I’m sure they figure, why not try the Dark Lord?”

“Ah, I suppose...” Xellos said with a sober expression.

“But... what if they haven’t thought about using her as a hostage before the sacrifice?”

“Unlikely. Klotz is a thoroughly scrupulous type.”

“Klotz?”

Where had I heard that name before?

“He’s the head of their organization... the cult leader, if you will.”

Aha, of course. The guy Balgumon had mentioned at the rally.

“So, how are you involved with these people again?” I asked.

“Well, I had a minor scuffle with them over a certain item back in Lyzeille. It’s much too long a story to recount here, but in brief, Klotz and the others managed to make off with said item and have since hidden it away in their base.”

“I don’t think you had to be that brief... but okay. What was the thing you were fighting over?”

“Ahahaha, well... let’s just say it’s nothing serious,” he claimed, averting his eyes while he took another sip of hot milk.

“Okay, look. For someone like you to get into it with people like them, it’s gonna be something pretty dang serious. Just spill the beans already.”

“Er, well, it was, you see...” Xellos mumbled before eventually whispering to me, “A certain manuscript.”

“A manuscript?”

Wait a minute—

“Hold it right there!” I said, bolting to my feet.

“Miss Lina, please! Keep your voice down!” Xellos urged, quickly trying to calm me.

I took my seat once more. I could see the old man who ran the eatery staring at us suspiciously, so I lowered my voice before saying anything else.

“You don’t just mean any manuscript, do you?” I asked quietly.

“It is indeed... a certain manuscript, yes.”

“The Claire Bible...” I whispered. He nodded firmly in response.

The Claire Bible was a legend among sorcerers. It was said to be a tome from another world that held the secrets of magic and demons. The original was somewhere out there, as were multiple “manuscripts,” each a partial, incomplete copy.

So when sorcerers spoke of “certain manuscripts,” that was usually what they were referring to—copies of parts of the Claire Bible. But while it was generally believed that the Claire Bible was real, there was no concrete proof it existed. Some people still alleged it was merely a legend.

I personally knew, however... that the Claire Bible was quite real.

I’d once visited the Kingdom of Dils with my older sister. The courtiers in the palace there told an interesting tale. They said they’d had a manuscript in their possession at one point, but that it was burned long ago. Nevertheless, they said, the contents of the manuscript were passed down from generation to generation among the royal sages... And guess who was lucky enough to hear a recitation?

I found the whole story pretty fishy though, so for kicks, I decided to cobble together two spells based on what I’d heard, and... one of them actually worked. That was Giga Slave, which called upon the greatest of all dark lords, the Lord of Nightmares, to bring forth the void into this world. It was even more powerful than Dragon Slave, which itself was said to be the most destructive spell known to humanity.

If what I’d heard in Dils—and consequently, the existence of the Claire Bible itself—was pure fabrication, then my Giga Slave never should have worked. The fact that it had proved the book was real. That said, I never reported this to the sorcerers’ council. A spell that could potentially destroy the world felt far too powerful to be known.

Still, just because the Claire Bible was real didn’t mean any and every alleged manuscript was. The document Xellos and the others were fighting over could easily be a fraud.

“So... is this manuscript of yours the real deal?” I asked Xellos, my gaze performatively skeptical. “Maybe it’s just a ploy by the village to drum up tourism.”

“Ah, yes, that kind of ploy is rather common,” he responded, seemingly unfazed. “Write down a few made-up spells, call it a legendary grimoire, and sell it to a collector for a high price... However, I assure you that’s not what this is. Part of my certainty comes from... let’s call it a sort of instinct. But most importantly, Master Klotz diverted a great number of his cultists to its theft. He even went so far as to attend the matter himself... which suggests a high degree of confidence on his part. Thus, I find it very likely that that article is genuine.”

That all sounded pretty circumstantial to me... But there was more at play here than just the book’s authenticity.

“So,” I said, staring straight into Xellos’s eyes, “just what’s in this manuscript? And more importantly, what do you intend to do with it?”

“Hmm...” Xellos seemed to think hard for a minute. “My situation is... complicated, so I’m afraid I cannot disclose everything. But I can promise you this much: I will not use the manuscript for evil.”

Yeah, I know. I’d have to be a real dum-dum to take a promise like that at face value. That said, Xellos and Klotz’s gang did seem pretty dead set against each other... And without Gourry or my magic, I needed as many allies I could get right now.

“Okay. I won’t pry any more, then. Now... what do they intend to do with the manuscript?” I asked.

There, the smile on Xellos’s face weakened.

“I’m afraid I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I doubt it’s their goal to bring joy to all of humanity.”

“Probably not. Say... I’ve got a proposal.”

“You’d like to partner up?”

“Bingo. I don’t know where the enemies’ hideout is, but I can take you to a meeting place of theirs nearby. And in the meantime, I’d feel better having someone on my side.”

“Very well. Knowing that Miss Mazenda is working with them, I really must get involved.”

“What makes you say that, exactly?”

“That’s a secret,” Xellos said, pressing a finger over his lips.

And that’s how Xellos and I teamed up.

What the...?! I bolted upright in bed.

It was later that night. I’d reserved a room on the second floor of the inn under a fake name, and was fast asleep... until I was rudely awakened by a powerful sense of rage directed my way. I snatched up the sword I’d stashed under my pillow and reached for my cape hanging off the edge of the bed. Just then...

Bwooom! A powerful explosion shook the place.

“What?!” I threw on my cape and opened the door. The smell of burning wood and heat assaulted my face. “Ngh!”

Another explosion rocked the building. The heat intensified in a flash, and the stairway was awash in orange light. Someone’s attacking the inn! I realized. Long story short... they were probably after me and Xellos.

I ran back to my room, chanting a Levitation spell as I opened the window and jumped out—

Crash!

“Ow, ow, ow...”

Oh, right... In my haste to get away, I’d forgotten that I couldn’t use my magic like usual. The Levitation I’d cast had given me a momentary floating sensation as I jumped, but that was all she wrote. Fortunately the bushes below cushioned my fall. I might’ve broken a leg otherwise.

Damn. I should’ve used those talismans, I lamented as I excavated myself from the brush.

And when I looked up... there she was, right in front of me.

“It’s been quite a while,” she said, her red lips curled into a slight smile. “Balgumon told me everything. You are the Lina Inverse, aren’t you?”

A hungry sort of light appeared in her eyes, and she took a quiet step closer to me.

“Amelia... Are Amelia and Gourry okay?” I asked, taking an uncertain step back.

I was a little intimidated by the pressure she was giving off. Let’s say it wasn’t just the tongues of fire licking their way up the inn that put sweat on my brow.

“The girl is fine,” she replied. “I assume she is, at least... I don’t know about the other.”

“Those werebeasts, Vedul and his buddies... They didn’t say anything?”

“Not that I’ve heard.” Mazenda took another step closer, her hair streaming behind her in the blazing wind. “I haven’t spoken to them... only Balgumon. But I was surprised when he mentioned your name. If I’d known that you were that Lina Inverse... rather than toying with you, I would have killed you on the spot.”

“Even so... setting the inn on fire isn’t exactly the most subtle MO,” I said, stopping in place.

At that comment, a puzzled expression crossed Mazenda’s face.

“That’s right...” she murmured. “Balgumon mentioned that there was a strange priest with you. Did he perish in the fire?”

“No,” I said with a slow shake of my head. “He’s right there behind you.”

“Heh,” she scoffed with a low laugh. “What a ridiculous trick...”

“I fear it’s no trick, Miss Mazenda.”

“I-It can’t be...” she muttered in disbelief.

She slowly turned around, her face nearly frozen, until her eyes fell upon the priest clad in a black robe.

“Xellos!” she exclaimed in a voice close to a shriek. “What... What are you doing here?!”

“Oh dear, shouldn’t I be the one asking that? Heading up a Dark Lord cult, of all things... Honestly,” Xellos said with an abashed smile. “You should have at least tried to learn what that cult leader of yours was trying to accomplish...”

“You mean, what Klotz brought back with him was—?!” she exclaimed... apparently having lost her cool so badly that she’d forgotten to speak politely of her own boss.

Xellos nodded firmly, then pronounced with his chipper smile, “A Claire Bible manuscript, yes. Which puts the two of us on opposing sides. But even if that weren’t the case, I can think of other reasons I can’t allow you to remain on the loose.”

“What are you going to do?” Mazenda asked hoarsely, staggering backward. The absolute confidence she’d projected with me was completely absent with Xellos.

He smiled at the obviously terrified woman and said, “I think we both know the answer to that.”

There, Mazenda let out a quiet yelp... then whipped around and hurled herself into the blaze that had swallowed the inn!

“Wait!” I cried out, but Xellos gently put a hand on my shoulder. “H-Hey, Xellos! What’s going on here?!”

Rather than answer my question, he simply replied, “I’ll take care of her.”

“Huh?” I said, feeling very dumb in that moment.

“I mean to pursue Miss Mazenda.”

“Pursue her? Are you nuts?! She’s inside that inferno!”

“It will take more than that to kill me. Don’t worry.”

How am I not supposed to worry, exactly?!

“What matters is that I will pursue her and work something out.”

“For... what?”

“Reenabling your magic,” he said unflappably. “I’m sorry to be going so soon after our partnership agreement, but never fear. I will find her. Can you tell me where their meeting spot was?”

“Near... Near Mayin,” I found myself answering honestly.

“Very well. Now, I really must be going. I’m sure we’ll meet again quite soon.”

And with that, just as promised, Xellos plunged into the flames after Mazenda. Once both were out of sight, I was left standing alone in front of the blazing inn.

“What in the world is going on here?” I asked myself.

All I could do was gaze blankly up at the burning building. I hate to admit that the main thought on my mind was how funny it would be if I found their charred corpses pulled out of the ash the next day.

I set out the following morning after spending the night under the stars. It was a little after noon now, and I was casually walking down the road on my way to Mayin...

In disguise, of course. Taking a cue from one I’d used before, I’d improvised something simple. I changed into an ordinary village girl’s outfit and braided my hair behind me. Obviously the werebeasts or Balgumon would peg me instantly, but the vast majority of my pursuers had never seen me before. All they had to go on was “a sorcerer about fifteen or sixteen years old with chestnut hair.” This should be plenty to throw them off.

Still, I wasn’t really a skirt sort of gal, and this getup left me feeling kinda naked...

Ideally from here, I’d meet up with Gourry, get my magic back thanks to Xellos’s behind-the-scenes operations, then catch up with him again in Mayin... all while staying off the enemy’s radar. I knew good and well, however, that things were never that easy. I’d cautiously tested out my new talismans after the hubbub last night and discovered I could manage a Fireball with their help. It was only as powerful as what a third-rate amateur could pull off, but still!

“You there!” a voice suddenly called from behind, interrupting my thoughts.

“Okay, here we go...” I sighed.

“What do you mean, ‘here we go?’”

I turned and, just as I expected, found a group of five or so masked men staring me down. Even without my magic, I could probably take ’em... but if I brought the pain on these jokers, the werebeasts wouldn’t be far behind, and they’d be a much tougher fight. I was hoping I could just talk my way out of this one instead.

“Identify yourself. Where are you going and why?” one of them asked, flashing a glimpse of his longsword.

“M-My name is Lily,” I answered with a frightened look. “I’m delivering a package to Saillune...”

“That so?” the man hummed, looking me up and down with interest.

“Wait a minute. This girl looks familiar...” one of the other guys behind him piped up.

Urk! My stomach did a somersault. Could this be one of the bandits I’d beaten up before?

“Maybe I should give her a pat-down to be sure,” he continued with a lecherous grin.

Oh, okay, he didn’t recognize me. He was just some pervert who wanted an excuse to feel me up. Not that that was a promising turn of events... I had my usual outfit and cape, plus various magical items, stowed away in my backpack. My shortsword, in its scabbard, was strapped to my person underneath. Removing my backpack would make it plain as day that I was hiding something under my clothes.

Ugh, in that case...

I snorted with laughter.

“What’s with her? Why the attitude?” the man said aggressively.

I replied curtly, my manner now icy, “Really... if you’re the best she has serving her, I can see why Mazenda called for my help.”

“Wh-What?!” the masked men panicked upon hearing that name. “What are you talking about?”

“We’re old friends, you see... She said she was in a bit of trouble and wanted my help.”

The men warily exchanged glances.

“Is... Is that true?”

“I guess I can’t make you believe me,” I said, then turned around and started striding back the way I came. As I passed by the masked men, I added, “I’ll be going home, then. That’s all right with you, I presume. Just be sure to let Mazenda know you sent me back.”

“W-Wait a minute, please!” the man begged, quickly stopping me. Seeing him and his goons flip instantly into deferential little toadies was pretty hilarious. “If you’re telling the truth, she’ll kill us! But you could just be bluffing, so...”

“Let’s go ask Mazenda herself, then. Where is she?”

“Well... we don’t really...” the masked man stammered.

I let out a big sigh. “Quite a conundrum. Listen, here’s what we’ll do. I’ll go to Mayin and get a room at an inn. And the next time you see Mazenda, you tell her Melty’s waiting for her there.”

“Wait a minute,” one of the men said, eyeing me suspiciously. “You just said your name was Lily...”

Erk!

“And that you had a package...”

“You idiot. You bought such an obvious lie?” I blustered, keeping my voice even despite my internal mortification. “I was just trying to take your measure.”

“I... I see...”

The men seemed to accept that explanation easily enough. Gotta love third-rate goons!

“Shall we escort you to Mayin, then?” one of the masked men offered.

“I’m really kind of a loner,” I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. “Now stop wasting my time and get back to patrolling. And don’t forget to pass my message to Mazenda.”

And so, I resumed my journey.

Finally, I made it to Mayin. I was glad to be back in enemy territory, but I still didn’t have anything I needed for a proper counterstrike. I never did run into Gourry, and not only had I not met back up with Xellos, I hadn’t recovered any of my magic. That meant Mazenda was still alive, and possibly worse, that Xellos was a dead man for his troubles...

Granted, the great Lina Inverse wasn’t about to sit around doing nothing in the face of hardship! Nuh-uh! Instead...

“Welcome, my comrades!” a man’s voice resonated in the darkness.

I’d once again infiltrated the cultists’ meeting place in the mountains near town. It was now five days after I’d first arrived in Mayin. I’d come here every night, hoping to catch another meeting, and I’d at last struck paydirt. I’d snuck into the place the same way I had with Gourry and Amelia. Thankfully, with the talismans’ amplification, I was able to get a Levitation spell working.

And my reason for doing all this, you ask? To find the enemies’ real base of operations.

A new man was standing where Balgumon had been last time. He was on the young side, slender, and raven-haired. I guess he was more handsome than not... but the glint in his eyes was what really set him apart. I couldn’t deny the dude had charisma. His sonorous voice, his smooth gestures, and his graceful mannerisms... All of it seemed calculated to win hearts and minds. Definitely an upgrade, cult-leader-wise, from Balgumon.

Clad in a black robe, he spread his arms out with a flourish and thundered, “Rejoice, my friends! I have found what we were seeking!”

“Raaaaah!” A joyous cry from the crowd echoed into the night.

“Yes! I have at last acquired a means to wield true power, true fear! We can now show those who serve the foolish gods, those who dismiss us as an evil cult, that we are the true masters of this world!”

“Raaaaah!” An even louder cheer rang out through the arena.

“We’ll begin with Saillune!”

Huh? My brow unwittingly furrowed at the mention of that name.

“They fancy themselves ‘the holy city,’ those white-magic-using Ceipheed-worshipers! Destroying them shall be our first show of power to the world!”

Hey, hey, hey, man! I think you’re biting off more than you can chew here! I know evil cults basically run on empty promises, but if you have to backpedal on that one later, it’s gonna royally piss some people off! Wait...

Crap. That’s what they wanted the manuscript for. Good grief... Not that it needed saying, but trying to destroy Saillune was some pretty serious big baddery. Not like their antics had all been family-friendly before now, of course.

As I processed all of this, Klotz moved to another subject.

“Several days ago, a group of heretics interrupted our meeting. Fear not! My dear friend Bishop Balgumon has apprehended one of the interlopers, and the other two will fall into our hands soon enough!”

It sounded like Gourry was still at large, safe and sound. That was a relief.

Klotz’s speech then went on to cover the meaninglessness of the labels good and evil, human potential, and all kinds of other stuff I didn’t give a damn about. He eventually wound down, however, and the congregation moved into a hymn beseeching protection from Ruby-Eye. After that, the meeting adjourned. Klotz and his retainers left the central arena. As the torches began to go out, one by one, the followers meandered toward the exit.

Now!

I quickly cast another Levitation spell and, under cover of darkness, seamlessly joined the swarm of cultists. Of course, I’d come disguised for the occasion. I was dressed like a male villager, complete with a sack-mask over my head. There wasn’t much I could do about my voice, but if someone stopped to question me, my plan was to play the role of “boy who came with his parents and got separated.”

Hah! Who says being short and flat-chested doesn’t pay? Okay, yeah, not really worth celebrating...

Anyhoo, I mingled with the mob and made my way toward the exit in hopes of finding Klotz’s crew outside.

I was basically unarmed right now. I would’ve stood out too much with my sword on my hip, so I’d stashed it in town with the rest of my stuff. I’d kept the talismans on, though, mostly hidden under my other clothing. As for the bracelets on both wrists, I’d wrapped those with bandages. It wasn’t the most convincing outfit in the world, but it was the best I could manage.

Given all that, I couldn’t exactly try anything reckless. The plan was just to shadow Klotz and company back to their hideout and confirm its location.

Once I slipped into the arena, I realized they didn’t have much in the way of security, but... I was stymied once we got outside. It seemed the cultists had a specific route they used to return to the village, and everyone started to walk off en masse. The road branched here and there, but there were guards in red masks keeping watch along the way.

I didn’t have much choice but to follow the herd. Several of the cultists were holding torches as they headed for the village. I walked along with them until I had the chance to steal away in some nearby bushes. Then I slowly made my way back to the arena.

I found a good place to hide in the brush and watched things for a time before I saw movement. A number of shadows emerged from a small exit, different from the ones the other cultists had used. There were about ten figures all told. Several carried lights, essentially just staffs with a low-powered Lighting cast upon them. I recognized one of them as Klotz.

After a while, the group slowly began heading deeper into the mountains, in the opposite direction from the village.

Okay! I psyched myself up, waited for them to get a bit ahead, then followed their lights.

I couldn’t use a light myself, which meant I only had the moonlight see by. It was slow going, but there was a narrow path, at least, so I stuck to that. Cutting through the underbrush would make it way harder to explain myself if they happened to notice me, after all.

After a good bit of walking, I noticed someone had stopped on the path up ahead of me. I’d been spotted for sure, but turning back now would be like shouting, “Yup! I’m a spy!” So I kept on walking as if I hadn’t noticed the guy. Naturally, I was still wearing my baghead mask.

And eventually...

“Hey! You, there!”

When I heard him call out to me, I flinched as if surprised.

“Y-Yes?” I asked, turning to face the guy.

It was one of the men in red. He was quite tall, standing maybe a head taller than Gourry. Since I didn’t recognize his voice, I assumed he hadn’t recognized me either.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked.

“I... I got separated from my father... and then I saw the light, so I just...” I said haltingly.

“Just a lost kid, huh?” he replied with a sigh. Sounded like he bought it. “This is the wrong way, though. The village is back there. But I can’t send a kid down a dark mountain road alone... Hey, whose kid are you, anyway?”

“Huh?!” was all I could say in response to the unexpected question.

“Don’t squeal like that, son. I’m asking you where you live. I’ll walk you home.”

Wait, what? Since when did evil cultists walk lost little kids home?! Your compassion is touching, buddy, but really inconvenient for me right now! I shouted internally.

“Please, sir... If you can just give me a torch or something, I can make it back on my own... I’m not a kid anymore, you know?”

“Anyone who claims to ‘not be a kid anymore’ is definitely still a kid. Your voice hasn’t even changed yet, boy. It’d be one thing any other night... but you heard what he said at the rally. I can’t let you go back on your own. There’ve been suspicious characters roaming around lately.”

Suspicious characters, huh?! This kettle has a few things to call you, Mr. Pot!

While we were talking, the lights from Klotz’s cohort moved down the road and out of sight.

Not good... I have to get out of this somehow... A plan along the lines of “screw it, bowl the guy over, steal his outfit, and follow after Klotz & Co.,” crossed my mind, but I didn’t have a good read on how tough this dude was. Moreover, even if I did manage to find the enemy base that way, I’d be making things harder for myself in the long run. Conclusion: just keep playing along for now.

“Sure thing, sir. Just to the village gate, then. I’m sure you’ve got lots to do anyway.”

“Hah. I guess you’re not such a kid after all,” the man said, then quietly began casting a spell. A small light appeared at the tip of his staff, dimly illuminating the mountain road.

“Wow... You can use magic?” I asked with a tone of overt awe.

“Sure can,” he responded, puffing out his chest with pride. “Okay, then let’s go. Oh, wait... You should probably take off your mask first.”

“Huh?” I froze up unconsciously.

“You heard me. Take off your mask. Even if we do have a light, that thing’s got to make it hard to see. You’ll end up tripping over a tree root or something.”

“Y-You’re not gonna take off your mask, sir?” I said, trying to change the subject.

“Oh... me?” he said rather forlornly. “You don’t wanna see my face.”

A werebeast, perhaps? Now that I got a good look at him, the shape of the face behind his mask did seem a little unusual...

“All right. Come on now. Take it off,” he said, and reached toward me.

Okay, Lina, what’s the plan? But just as I was thinking that...

Bwooom! A far-off explosion shook the night sky.

“What was that?!” the man shouted, whipping around.

Off in the distance—in the direction I assumed Klotz’s cohort had gone—came a flash of fire. I had no idea what was happening, but that had to be their base!

“Sorry, kid!” the man said, pressing the lighted staff into my hand. “No time to walk you back now! Just follow the path back to the village! There’ll be a few forks in the road, but don’t take them! Got it?”

“Wait!” I found myself calling out to the man as he turned to run.

“What?”

“Er... what’s your name?”

“Duclis. See you again!” he said, then disappeared into the night.

He was my enemy, for sure... but not one I was especially eager to fight. Still, I couldn’t just sit around here! I hid the staff he’d given me in the nearby underbrush, then took off running in the direction of the fiery flash.

At last, I arrived. I could make out what looked like bits of a structure dotting the slope here and there... I wasn’t sure if it was built into the mountain, or a building buried by a mudslide that had been found and repurposed.

Come to think of it... this was old Principality of Letidius territory. The country had collapsed five hundred years ago, but you could still find its remains here and there from time to time.

There was one proper entrance to this place, and I didn’t see much in the way of lookouts. Some distance away from it was a gaping hole in the wall, from which poured magical light. It seemed like this was a residence for the cult’s higher-ups, meaning there probably weren’t all that many people here—especially relative to the buried building’s size.

Now’s my chance to get inside... Of course, a reckless charge into an enemy stronghold wasn’t gonna be a cakewalk... but that explosion earlier told me they already had an enemy in their midst. Xellos, maybe? Had he chased Mazenda here? There was also a chance Gourry had infiltrated their fortress, been discovered, and was now under magical fire.

Ugh! This is no time to be measuring out probabilities! I scolded myself. Still, if whoever caused that explosion was one of my people, I couldn’t afford to just sit back and see what happened next.

I leaped out of the brush I’d been hiding in and made a beeline for the entrance. I avoided the hole in the wall with the magical light coming from it... That whole setup had “trap” written all over it. And from what I could tell, there wasn’t anyone stationed around the entrance proper.

Masking my footsteps, I headed inside. The entryway seemed designed to welcome visitors with marble pillars on either side, now half buried in the dirt. Beyond them was an open square portal, which had probably held a door back before the building’s fall.

I passed through it and entered a large, round hall. On either side of me stood frames with no doors. There was a faint light streaming from the one to my right. Was that the way, then? Just as I took a step forward—Bwoosh!—I heard another explosion from deep within the building.

There’s definitely a fight going on! I thought, dashing straight for the lit entrance. I couldn’t sense anyone inside, but the path ahead split in two, branching out in a fashion that suggested it surrounded the main hall. One way followed a bend after a short distance, and the other way led to a staircase. There was light coming from both, but... Ugh! Just follow your gut, Lina! In the end, I headed for the bend.

When I rounded it, I saw a straight hallway ahead. Doors flanked the corridor, with another corridor jutting out to my right. Aesthetically speaking, the building’s interior was quite old and worn, but finely crafted. Made to house some all-too-rich noble, perhaps.

While keeping an ear out for any sign of life in the rooms I approached, I headed down the new hall. It was perfectly quiet. The scenery was repetitious too, with doors lining it the entire way until...

“Hmm... Is this the place?”

I arrived at the last room in the corridor. This door alone was broken in, and still had wisps of smoke streaming out of it—a clear sign fire magic had been used. There wasn’t anyone inside, but someone had blasted through the exterior wall, revealing the outdoor scenery beyond. This was probably the site of the first explosion I’d seen. A flash of fire magic here, and it would be plenty visible from afar.

I wanted to search all the other rooms personally, but I didn’t have time for that kind of thoroughness. I decided instead to check out the other hallway. But as I was doubling back... I ran right into someone turning the corner!

“What are you doing?” he asked.

I knew this guy—it was the werebeast Vedul.

“Wh-What am I doing...?” I stammered.

The greatsword hanging at his side glinted in the light. I was still wearing my mask, but I was worried he might recognize my voice.

I switched into little boy mode and said, “I... I went to the meeting and got separated from my dad... I... I was wandering around when I heard a big boom... so I got curious and came to investigate...”

It was a pretty forced excuse, but...

“Take off your mask,” Vedul said quietly.

Not good... Really not good! I was gonna have to test my luck against him... The corridor was rather wide, but not wide enough for him to swing that greatsword freely. My best bet was probably feinting to get him to swing at me, then making a break for it! I didn’t know who else was running wild in the building, but maybe I could at least take a little heat off of them by diverting some of the enemy’s forces.

“But... my mask is...” I fidgeted nervously while muttering under my breath. Obviously, I was reciting the amplification chant.

“Take it off already.”

Vedul took a step forward, and I took a step back. I finished the amplification chant and moved into chanting a Fireball. Almost there...

“If you won’t take it off yourself—” Vedul’s hand tensed on the hilt of his sword. Just then...

“Careful, Vedul! That’s—” came Gilfa’s voice, suddenly, out of nowhere.

“What?!”

In the werebeast’s moment of distraction, I finished my spell.

“Fireball!”

Normally, I wouldn’t ever use something like that indoors. But with my spells currently downsized, it was probably safe.

A strange sense of power surged in the space between my hands.

Huh?! I didn’t know what to make of it, but I didn’t have time to hesitate!

“Get back, Vedul!”

As Gilfa tried to warn his friend, I released the ball of light at the werebeast! Roarrrr! The resulting explosion was far greater than I’d expected.

“What the—?!”

The blast shook the whole building and threw me against the floor. When I finally opened my eyes again, Vedul was gone. I wasn’t sure if the explosion had gotten him, or if he’d escaped in the nick of time. Cracks ran up the walls and along the floor. The hallway ahead had collapsed, rendering it impassable.

Wait, that explosion... Could it be?!

I quickly incanted another spell: “Lighting!”

And sure enough, a dazzling magical light appeared above my head. I hadn’t even used the amplification chant that time.

All right, my magic’s back!

“Yes!” I cheered, stripping off my mask in one clean motion.

It seemed Xellos had come through in fine form. Now that I had my magic back, I was unstoppable!

Still, I figured I should probably hold off on any more amplification until I knew exactly how powerful it was... The huge explosion from that Fireball just now was likely the amplified result of my already superlative magic. I was glad that the strength of the casting barrier increased in proportion to the strength of the spell, since it otherwise probably would have baked me alive the second I released it. The air around us was still pretty toasty, even.

But all that aside, I was ready to let loose! My overpowered spell had sealed the passage, but I could just go out through the hole in the other room and come back in through the entrance. Yet... now that I’d finally recovered my magic and all, it was only natural that I’d want to test what the amplification talismans could do to it, right?

In other words...

I could use an amplified Dam Blas to bust through the wall, simultaneously confirming the power of the talismans and opening a path for myself. Two birds with one stone! Just so you know, this was purely in the interest of science. Not one inkling of “I haven’t been able to use attack magic lately, so I need to blow off some steam.” I mean it! Trust me!

I picked a random room and opened the door.

“The corridor is this way, so...” I whispered, then used the amplification chant before moving into my spell. “Dam Blas!”

With that—Bwoom!—a hole the size of a person opened up in the wall.

“And away we go!”

I dashed for the hole in the wall... then thought better of it. I grabbed a nearby chair and tossed it at the hole instead. There was a flash of silver—Crack!—and the chair clattered to the ground, sliced in twain.

Ah. I knew it.

“You sensed us, did you?” Gilfa’s voice said teasingly from the other side of the hole.

“You survived after all, eh, Vedul and Gilfa?” I called.

As if in answer, the werebeast Vedul stepped up to the hole I’d opened. As usual, Gilfa was nowhere in sight.

“Where should we fight?” Vedul asked casually enough.

“Good question... Somewhere wide open would be best. Let’s go to the great hall,” I replied.

The werebeast drew back to make way for me, but not so far that I lost sight of him. I kept my eyes locked on him as I passed through the hole in the wall. I might have my magic back, but it was still two on one... and I had no idea where one of them even was.

I was confident I could blow them both away simultaneously with an amplified spell, but the amplification chant lengthened my casting time and I still wasn’t quite sure exactly how powerful it was. One errant spell here could bring the whole building down around me. I’d chosen the great hall as our battleground because it would be easy to run around there and it should give me some clearance with bigger spells.

Soon, Vedul and I arrived there.

“Lighting!” Gilfa incanted, conjuring a sparkling magical light at the apex of the room.

“Let’s do this,” Vedul said, taking off in a dash.

He was coming straight at me, his greatsword low at his side. He was fast, too! If I ran right or left, he’d just catch me on the backswing.

While drawing back, I started chanting. I heard Gilfa doing the same.

“Elemekia Lance!”

I unleashed a spell that dealt direct damage to an opponent’s spirit. Even if they had the endurance of a lesser demon, it should have a pronounced effect... Assuming it hit, of course.

Vedul slipped nimbly around it, but that extra effort to dodge reduced the speed of his incoming attack. I shrugged it off and kept moving backward while chanting my next spell. I’d use this one to blind him and then rush outside. If he decided to give chase, I’d nail him with a big spell and finish him off.

But just then... Gilfa finished casting his spell!

“Shadow Web!”

Vedul’s shadow distorted. Spear-like tentacles whipped from it, heading straight for me!

No!

I took a big leap backward. One of the shadow spears grazed my ankle. Vedul continued to pursue, and I... I couldn’t move?! I looked and saw the shadow spear Gilfa caught me with was sticking into my shadow on the floor.

A Shadow Snap... executed by a shadow?!

I realized it all too late. Vedul heaved his greatsword aloft, and...

Something silver flashed through the air! Zing! A cold, hard sound followed as a sword clattered to the ground, deflected. Someone had thrown their own sword at the werebeast in the nick of time to save me, and Vedul had knocked it aside.

“Gourry!” I cried.

“Sorry to disappoint,” replied a different familiar voice. “It’s just me.”

“Zelgadis!”