Disclaimer: Slayers in not mine, and I did not get permission from its creator/owner/producers to use their characters, etc. However, since I am writing this for my own please (and hopefully the pleasure of others), and not for profit, I'm sure they won't mind.

Note: In my view, since there aren't any fanfics, or maybe just ever few, that can stay by the rules of the Slayers universe. Thus, it is my opinion that all fanfics take place in a sort of parallel reality. Basically, some of the personalities may change (Or the personalities stay that same and the looks of the characters change, what they do.), events may change, characters may or may not be there. It's the same world, but with different possibilities. Thus, there are infinite possibilities out there. This is one of them.

This is what may happen in 369 years into the Slayers future, but who is to be certain. Heehee Well, that's what fanfics are for, ne? Basically, all character personalities are exactly like they are in Slayers, minus a few modifications with Xellos. Well... considering what's happening to him...

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Slayers PHANTOM

By Lady Geuna

Rated: PG for now (Some language.), some chapters may get violent.

Couples: X/F understanding/possible romance in future, L/G friendship/romance, L/X friendship/romance, A/Z friendship/romance. (All types of relationships are developing, you shall see.)

Summary: 369 years after the death of the last living Slayer, a new order, the Hall of Races punishes Xellos Metallium is punished for an act ordered by Zellas. Now he's thrown into a world that no one would've been prepared for.

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Slayers PHANTOM

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Prologue: Beginning of the end? Or the end of the beginning?

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Have you known true punishment? True suffering, alone? Hm... No. I don't mean imprisonment where you're trapped in a stone box, trapped in darkness, without a soul to talk to (I happen to like the darkness, anyway.). I mean imprisonment where you are set free into the world, with certain things given to you, and certain things taken away. And your soul is worn on your sleeve so that everyone can see who you really are inside.

And they are terrified.

Know this, and know true suffering. For a world that gives no grief. I wonder how it would be if I were able to "feed" as I used to, but now, I can't... No longer...

You're wondering about there people that did this to me...? What has happened? Hm, that's the first time anyone has asked me for so long... All right.

For one, it would appear that Golds, Ancients and Mazoku are more intelligent than I together when put in the same room.... More sadistically creative.

You want to know, do you...? Well.... Here it is...

First, I had to wait... As a group of petty fools determined my fate in counsel. I wouldn't expect them to go easy on me. Would you? After all, I took pleasure in such things... But I would enjoy it more it I could execute punishment first hand...

I wish killing gave as much pleasure...

This is my story...

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Present date, 369 years after the (natural) deaths of the last living "Slayer", King Zelgadis Greywards de Sailoon. The last of the Golden and Ancient Dragons form Katahto Mountains have found each other and created a small but growing race, and have reasserted themselves as defenders of light in the world. The court of the Hall of Races is in session.

Break session is in order.

Final decision to be had in fifteen minutes...

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The main hall was a glorious sight for the group which walked forward. They would be the last to give there decision...

The room seemed without walls, endless in all directions (Probably like some pocket dimension.). Three separate areas had been built, each with a shrine. To the left where the Golden elders, with their shrine to Flare Dragon, which shown bright gold. To the right were the Mazoku elders, with their shrine to Ruby Eye, which was almost so black you couldn't see any detail besides it's horrible ruby colored eyes. And in the middle, sharing jointly with the two other shrines, were the Ancient elders, who stood completely neutral compared to the others. A large pentagram (A magic circle.) was the only thing that marred the perfect blackness of the marble floor. All of them starred at the group as they hesitantly walked forward.

There was one and only one empty seat, which still stood behind the Goldens table. 'That Gold had been the one Xellos... The one Zellas...' The bang of a gavel startled him back to reality and the booming voice of an Ancient elder filled his pointy ears.

"Have you made a decision?"

A member if the group, Malagei (An Ancient), regarded the others one last time. Then he nodded. "Yes. We have decided..."

"And what have you decided," a female member of the Mazoku council demanded impatiently.

"Guilty, my Lords."

As they were asked to leave, all elders lowered there heads in a silent bow of prayer: no one could be certain as to which God that beseeched. Not now... Now that those old times were passing quickly. They looked back one more time to see the anger in the Mazoku elders, the quiet satisfaction of the Golds, and the dignified indifference of the Ancients.

But no one said anything. None would dare.

The counsel all looked toward the pentagram in the middle on the floor. A burst of blue light came forth, and in an instant it was occupied by a crouching figure who had been forcibly teleported there. He did not raise his head from what seemed like a bow, and his hands were chained loosely to the circle. He didn't speak. He didn't move...

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Again the Ancients, being the voice of total neutrality, spoke for them all.

"Do you have anything to say?"

Silence.

No, he would not answer them...

"Do you wish any final requests before punishment is cast?"

Silence, but the figure stirred slightly. The movement cause the energy around him to crackle with blue sparks.

"Do you wish to say any last regards to anyone?"

The Mazoku finally raised his head, a smile that had been there unknowingly the whole time greeted them. "Iya. No one."

"Are you sure?"

He opened his eyes, glaring only for the sack of ripping just a little bit of fear from these fools before he was to be killed, or exiled, or whatever they were planning. "If I were to name anyone, they would be hunted, ne?" He grinned when they stiffened. "You are fools," he said, something in his voice made it sound like it was supposed to be funny, a joke. "You can't go against the law of our Mother, though you have tried. Just for that you are all doomed. No one has ever listened to you willingly. How you got this far us beyond me..."

"It is proof that what we are doing is L-sama's will. We would be glade if she struck us down if it were needed, but it's obvious that she thinks that we're doing something just." He smirked. "You won't understand, would you?"

"You obviously don't understand, either. Mazoku do not know "justice". If you think they do... than you're the fool." He narrowed his eyes a little bit more, his smile widening cunningly. "And L-sama is probably humoring you. She does have a marvelous sense of humor, doesn't she? Very enigmatical, I would say. For when the moment you all are struck down the sweeter your humiliation and damnation."

The elders were outraged, but they held in their anger the best they could (Though it was impossible to hide it for him.). It was true, they were risking it all. Their cause was separate from all others, and in a sense (At least to them "only in a sense".) they were using force and fear against others. But the elders were too deluded in their sense of superiority to think of any other way.

All eyes except the prisoner turned toward the grand door to the hall as they swung open with great force. There was a lot of screaming and yelling, and the sound of stone cracking. The two doors swung as far as they could before slamming into the walls with a thunderous crash, drowning out all other noise for several seconds, and making web-like cracks all along the length of the walls.

Through the doors stormed a blond women, obviously a Golden, her angry red face contrasting her other pale feature completely. She had gripped in her gloved hands a large mace, which had obviously been used recently judging by the way she was panting in exhaustion.

"How dare you not allow me to enter in these proceedings," she screamed, letting her mace fall to the floor, creating a semi-huge creator. "And you call yourself people of justice and light!? How dear you!"

The elders were not phased. "You are Filia Ul Copt, aren't you?"

"You couldn't have possibly forgotten me already," she snapped. "Even you people would remember."

"I remember," a Mazoku elder said, standing. "You are the one who defended this creature." He gestured to the kneeling form before them.

Filia seemed to notice the figure in the center of the floor for the first time. He had blended into the dark marble so that she hadn't seen him. "Xellos…"

Xellos didn't look up at her, still bowing, his bangs covering his glaring eyes, his smile never wavering. "Filia-san, you shouldn't make such a ruckus now. They might punish you, too..."

A Golden elder stood. "We never judge unfairly. You have committed the murder of one of our fellow elders, and that is an unforgivable crime! He has been given a proper trial. All have decided "guilt"--"

"--Of course they, would, they would be too afraid to say otherwise--"

"--AND," the Gold elder screamed, outraged my Filia's interruption, "he will be sentenced with a punishment fit for his crime!!"

Filia stomped her foot, enraged. "He was following orders! You know that very well, all of you! His is a general and priest of a Mazoku Lord, and you know she has more authority over you!"

The other Golds eyes bore into Filia's, her features set like cold stone. "And you're saying that his actions were just?"

Filia faltered. "I… I-NO, I...!" She bowed her head, taking one deep, shuttering breath. "Never…. But don't you see? He is Mazoku, it is his nature… He's…" She seemed at a lose of words.

She had come in here, demanding to defend him, but had nothing to actually say. 'How like you, Filia-san...'

"He has helped save this world before," she said tightly. "He faced the true, and helped Lina Inverse and the others to save the world from Dark Star. Don't that mean anything!? And you have no right to claim that the death of one is superior all those you have killed to fulfill this insane system of your! You Tyrants!"

"Don't make us punish you along with him," an Ancient threatened, his voice dripping with venom. "You will learn it is best to hold your tongue."

A Mazoku glared at her with blood red eyes. "We pass judgment now."

Filia looked panicked, and she tried to touch Xellos' back, but got shocked viscously. "Xellos-san, just plead innocence, please..."

"He has had his time for that--"

"Blame Zellas, she has no right to do this to you!!" She looked around desperately and screamed out only name that came to mind, to the only person close enough to hear her. "Val-chan!!!"

A response can immediately. She jumped when Val teleported to her side. Though he was slightly rough around the edges from battle, he nevertheless fine. "Gomen, Filia-san, they're really strong..." He saw Xellos and the emotional state of his mother. Worried, he placed a hand on her trembling shoulder. "Nani…?"

"Get Zellas," she yelled, pushing his hand away suddenly. "You can teleport there, please! Hurry! She would not listen to me!"

Val shook his head, whispering in Filia's ear so the elders couldn't hear. "You know that Zellas can't come here. Like Xellos... If she does come then the counsel will get both her and Xellos."

"Anno…"

"Xellos wouldn't want his master taken, too," he said quietly, sadly. "He's willing to sacrifice himself for her. And no matter what they do, as long as they don't kill him we have a chance of getting him back, ne?"

"But what if they do kill him--" A voice cut her off.

"Xellos Metallium," the Ancient elder boomed, "your punishment is as spoken." He began to read from a long scroll, speaking slowly. "Your punishment… is exile."

Xellos smirked (Still not making eye contact.) only because he heard Filia sigh in relief.

"However, you will be stripped of all power possible. Because of this, your life will drawn from you until you die in a matter of years, though the length of time depends on your actions on this next world."

"Another dimension will do," a Golden remarked.

A Mazoku smirked, continuing. "There, you will have a second curse upon you, so that whomever lays eyes upon you will see your blackened soul. You won't be able to hide your ugly inner self behind a human face anymore."

"Everyone will see you for what you really are," another Golden said without emotion.

Filia was outraged that this counsel could cast a punishment so cruel (Oh, how little she knew). "This is wrong! Can't you see that!? Stop this!"

Val held her back, holding her by her wrists as she tried to reach for Xellos. "Filia-san, please--"

"Xellos-san no NAMAGOMIIIII!!!"

Xellos sweat dropped, which seemed totally out of place with the situation. But nevertheless, he flashed a two finger victory sign in her direction. He knew it would annoy the counsel to the end of their days. As energy gathered around him, he suppressed any urges he had to yell or make any sound. Though it was hard...

For the first time in his existence.

This feeling...

His power, a small yet significant part of his being, was ripped away viscously. With a burst of light, the circle was empty, and a pair of shattered chained shackles now lay scattered along the floor...

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Filia had collapsed to the floor. There was so much anger pulsing through her that she could hardly believed it herself. She beat her fists on the marble, the sound of she made in the process echoed through the room. Through the silence.

Filia barely felt it as Val, her dear grown son, helped her up. She didn't hear a word from the elders, but she knew they were watching, listening just in case she said something. So she did.

"You will all get what you disserve," she muttered angrily, refusing to looks at them as tears filled her eyes. "Maybe Xellos did deserve this, but you can't fight your own nature, that is what I have learned form him. From everything."

She was being led away by Val, but she didn't protest, continuing to speak, her voice sounding almost broken.

"But you don't even follow your own nature… You don't know what justice is…"

'Again, others die because of a few... because of their belief in their own justice...'

It wasn't right...

With that, she disappeared around the corner with Val, leaving the elders to think to themselves.

They easily dismissed the topic in under a minute…

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Xellos ~

And thus, it had begun for me. I didn't know what was in store for me really. How would a mortal response to the sight of my soul.

Yes, some Mazoku have souls. Everything with a mind has a soul. Though, those souls such as mine aren't considered souls at all, really. Not in the strongest sense. I was one that had a soul so black and twisted that it made all those around me shrink back in terror.

And I couldn't even enjoy that... Couldn't feed anymore... I no longer had the power to kill them in the blink of an eye.

I couldn't do anything as so many came after me, tortured me, hated me...

For years....

And years....

No longer would my smile hide what I truly am...

Oh, you still wonder about me...? Hm, interesting. That is a first... really. I almost feel... 'Happy'. for that...? Maybe that is the word... I don't know what it is like to be happy, as you humans do. Maybe I will find that someday, but not now...

So, you want to know, hm? Than I shall.

My journey was to be long and hard....

... and even I didn't anticipate my meeting with a few.... forgotten souls.... old friends from my past...

No, I didn't anticipate that at all...

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To be continued...?

REVIEW PLEASE!!!

Well, was it what you thought it would be? I know, I know, a lot of pointless stuff in the beginning... but it was to get the point across, okay!?

I there's at least a few people out their who would like me to keeping going. Please review if you can.

Thank you.

Geuna~

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