Slayers: Knightfall
Chapter Thirty-Five
"Oooh! Neat sword! Where'd you get that?" asked a wide-eyed Lantz not long after the Zephillian main force regrouped and rendezvoused with the Elmekian, Ralteegan, Beastman brigades and the few locals from the Kalmart Militia. Things were starting to look pretty rough for us; we were happily killing roughly ten enemy for everyone of us killed but that isn't much comfort when the enemy may outnumber you by as much as FIFTY to one.
"A parting gift from Nehel," I gruffly explained. "The bastard saved my life." I still wasn't quite sure how I felt about that.
Nobody got a chance to respond as a freakin' meteor of all things streaked far to close overhead and impacted only fifty yards away, shooting up fire, dirt and dust and knocking everyone in the vicinity to their knees. I quickly stood up, not sure if there any other missiles headed our way and wanting to get the hell away if that was the fact.
But after scanning the sky I discerned that nothing more dangerous than the constant barrage of Flare Arrows and I already had a wind shield up so not even those could get through.
"What the hell!?" cried Lantz. I followed his gaze to the impact crater and watched as a person nonchalantly jumped out and landed a few feet away from it. It was quite the entrance.
"Man, and I thought that I'd calculated the landing perfectly, too," the person mumbled.
Ah crap! That isn't who I think it is, is it?
Of course it was: I was silly to even ask.
"Everyone! Get out of here now!" The soldiers accompanying us did not need to be told twice. Anyone who appears on the battlefield streaking from the sky and hitting with an enormous explosion and walking it off probably was not someone to be taken lightly. But that's just playing it on the safe-ish side.
"Lina Inverse!" Greeted Riksfalto, sounding as chipper as a schoolgirl. "Enjoying the party?"
"Who the hell is she?" asked Lantz who unwisely opted to ignore my order. I ignored him in reply but, unfortunately, the demon did not.
Riksfalto pointed her sword at Lantz and before he could react, she fired a beam of plasma. Luckily, I did react fast enough, and swatted the beam away before it could reach the bewildered mercenary. The Flare Dragon Sword wasn't even warmed by the attack.
"A demon!?" Lantz cried the obvious. He nervously brandish his woefully-ineffectual-against-demons- bastard sword, the poor thing trying to be of some use for once.
"Not just any demon!" I warned, mentally preparing a flurry of spells to use against the monster. I still didn't want to use any Nightmare abilities just yet, not unless absolutely necessary; there was still a war going on and I wanted to try out this new toy in the form of the Flare Dragon Sword. "That's Deep Sea Dolphin's General; Riksfalto!" Lantz blanched at the name and took an involuntary step back, not that I blamed him; she was much more than a match for nearly everyone present today.
"Please! You're embarrassing me!" The demon did blush, oddly enough. Green hair and pink cheeks clash horribly by the way. "You guys hid yourselves pretty well up until you decided to launch a pointless attack against this place. Now all that you'll accomplish is adding to our already impressive collection of lawn ornaments."
"Could say the same thing about you!" I blasted a Val Flare at the demon to distract her from my true attack; a high thrust, downward slash combo that should've cut her from collarbone to navel if the demon had still been there. Luckily, I tend to plan ahead and I quickly and consciously dodged to the right and launched a Elmekia Lance just as Riksfalto was reappearing from the Astral Plane.
She caught the spell full on the abdomen, eliciting a pained grunt but little else.
"Not bad," she commended. "Looks like I'll have to take you a bit more seriously than I did last time."
"Magnitudes more," I growled and launched into a low jab/mid to high slash routine; one of the many sword drills Gourry had taught me over the years. It was designed to get your opponent to raise her guard so you could quickly attack from the unguarded lower body but Riks was too skilled to fall for that. Instead of raising her blade she used her off hand's gauntlet to parry my blows in conjunction with her blade. On the plus side though, I was gouging out substantial chunks of her armor and blade with every connection.
This is the sword that is said to have cut Shabranigdo into seven pieces . . .
Legendary blade or no, in order to wield its full power it would take someone more in tune with the god who created it. Needless to say, I wasn't about to do what Nehel did with the blade any time soon. Still, it was a formidable weapon in my hands, and certainly a lot better than my selection of oft-broken enchanted short swords I usually use.
But then again, that's what I get for only paying 500 copper pieces per sword.
I parried a few blows and quickly realized, to my horror, that she was aiming for my lower belly. I frantically tried to work the demon's sword farther up but Riksfalto was far too strong for my wiry arms. With an unholy grin smeared on her face, the demon batted my sword wide to the right and then quickly thrust her sword.
I spun to my left and the demon's blade slid into my right flank, gouging the top of my hip in the process, luckily she missed any vital organs though I think I saw a bit of what I ate for breakfast on her sword. It stung, sure, but nowhere near as badly as it would've if I had been but a split second too slow. The world briefly flashed gold and I slashed at Riksfalto with a dagger of darkness, creasing her armor and causing black miasma to spurt. I quickly regained enough of my senses in order to raise up my sword to defend against the inevitable counterattack.
"That HURTS!" Riks landed a viciously powerful blow against my sword wrenching it from my hands. After a ridiculously long time spinning end over end until it landed, unhelpfully, TOO FAR away from me to run over and grab it before my opponent sticks the pointy end of her sword into a crevice of her choosing! And THAT, my friends, was NOT something I intended to happen in the near or distant future.
Riks prepared another swing, a killing blow by the looks of it. A brief glance with my Knightmare Sight told me that no one was within range of my intended counterattack. Lantz was busy fending off some Lesser Demons that appeared out of nowhere some yards behind me and all that was in front was bad things with sharp teeth.
I let it loose, the demon's swords barely an inch from its target.
"DRAGON SLAVE!"
I was swinging myself away even before I launched my spell, something was wrong. I didn't feel the power of Ruby Eye merge with mine, in fact: I could've sworn I heard mocking laughter. Rik's sword gouged heavily into my right shoulder guard, nearly cleaving it in half. It would've been a lot worse if she hadn't had pulled back in fright at the sound of me calling the words of power.
"Don't scare me like that!" Riksfalto berated. "It isn't good for my heart! But this does go to show that Lord Ruby Eye is looking out for me!" With that she renewed her attack, launching a plasma wave from her sword, which I barely dodged the worst of.
Sort of.
"GAH!" Something hit my left leg, HARD. It was numb from just above the knee and down. I tried to stand but promptly fell over. I wouldn't have thought TOO much of it if I hadn't had felt not even the slightest bit of support from that leg. I looked down and saw only a blackened stump where the limb used to be.
But . . . I needed that!
I began blinking away tears and trying to breathe in a controlled manner. Shock was not something we needed just then. Luckily, if you can call it lucky, the attack cauterized my wound, so I wouldn't be bleeding much. My belly wound on the other hand was still trickling out a bit but nothing to worry about.
I swear, once you pop out, that you'll never be jerked around like this again!
I sat myself up, preparing a spell to fend off the demon's next attack. But it never came, Reg was keeping the her busy, his skill with his war hammer proving to be an even match for Rik's swordsmanship.
When did he show up, anyways? Not that I'm complaining or anything.
"Well, this is actually kinda fun!" Grinned the General, who did actually seem to be enjoying herself . . . good for her. "Not every day a human proves to be my match in skill."
"You won't harm her anymore," Reg promised, his voice nothing but grim certainty.
Give her a show to remember Reg . . ., one she'll remember until her death.
I dragged myself to the lip of the crater born from Riksfalto's vainglorious entrance, and propped myself up to a vaguely comfortable sitting position against the dirt. I prepped a spell in case I had a shot presented to me but it didn't seem likely; Regald was all over Riks, and vice-versa. Neither was presenting any openings in their defenses. I cast a recovery spell while I had the chance; it wouldn't regenerate the lost limb by any means but it would help stave off pain and infection until I could get to Amelia or another high-ranking Priest for a Resurrection spell or three.
Forget owing her a beer; I'll be owing her an entire damned bar before this is all through!
Lantz, finally done putting down the Lesser Demons, rushed to my side, eyes wide with shock.
"Are you okay?" He asked in a bit brilliant stupidity, eying my stump with a pronounced wince. Oh, like he never had his bad days.
"Oh, I'm fine, I just got hungry. IDIOT!"
"Well, sorry for being worried!"
"Don't worry about me, go help Reg!"
"Right!"
Lantz may not be as powerful as the rest of the gang but he should be enough to help tip the scales in Reg's favor. Lantz strode into the fray, looking quite unsure as to where, exactly, he should interject his sword, as the two combatants were going at it at rapid pace.
"Well," Lantz nervously laughed. "Look at you guys. Let me know if you need any help. I'll just be, uh, standing here, um, watching. Yeah."
That's some good tipping there Lantz . . . real good tipping.
It continued like this for a little while longer until Riksfalto, like a cheater, decided to cheat.
She suddenly vanished, causing Reg's swing at her to overextend but he quickly recovered, bringing up his guard just as the demon reappeared, her sword connecting with the head of his hammer with a resounding CLANG!
This wasn't good; if Riksfalto decided that teleportation was fair play then Reg might be in for a rough time. I called out to Lantz, who was still just standing there twiddling his thumbs.
"What is it?" he asked, remembering that, yes, I was still alive. Prick.
I meaningfully glanced at the Flare Dragon Sword, still sitting useless in the dirt. Lantz looked at it for a second and comprehension dawned on his not so fair features. He ran to go grab it and I continued to watch the match of the century. It was an oddly hypnotic dance, accentuated by the still ever-raining Flare Arrows, many of which bounced harmlessly of off Reg's armor and Riks' body, making every movement a whirlwind of steel and flame; As beautiful as it as deadly.
Just like me . . . a few minutes ago at least.
My heart lurched as I saw for the first time rivulets of blood, glittering from the fires, ran here and there from the gaps in the seams of my father's friend's armor. The disappearing demon trick was beginning to take its toll. Reg was swinging slower and attacking less often while Riksfalto was still running on full, probably feeding off the pain and anguish of the massive battle all around us like a massive all you can eat meal at the Country Breakfast Buffet.
I again prepared a spell; one that I knew would work, and probably with an added punch thanks to a certain poochie I knew.
Riksfalto slammed the pommel of her sword into Reg's gut, crumpling his armor and causing him to throw up blood.
The world flashed gold.
"Zellas Brid!" my spell zoomed unerringly towards the demon but she disappeared just as it was about to hit. I looped the ribbon of magical energy around Reg, protecting him from further attack. He straightened, and stretched outwards, testing his mobility in his compromised armor, probably enjoying the reprieve.
"Hey!" A voice yelled right in my ear.
"WHA!?" Riksfalto appeared right in front of me, nearly causing me jump up, and subsequently, fall flat unto my face in hilarious, grievously injured fashion.
"That wasn't very nice of you! Getting in the way of my kill! That's the equivalent of cock-blocking to you mortals!"
"Well, I, uh . . .don't approve of Reg hunting, they're an endangered species" I lamely stammered, not really sure how I was gonna get out of this one.
Perhaps use my one good leg as a pogo-stick?
"Too bad, you just went and made yourself a target now didn't you?" sneered the demon. "Well, not really; now I shall have the honor of being the one to finally kill Lina Inverse."
Riksfalto raised her sword. She could've easily blasted me into oblivion quicker than I'd realize but instead she chose to savor the moment by making me watch with excruciating slowness how I was about to die.
SOMEBODY HURRY UP AND INVENT THE FASTFORWARD BUTTON!
Then Riks was gone. Not vanished into the Astral Plane, but knocked from my field of vision by the Greatest Hammer Throw in the History of the Universe Times Infinity Plus One!
"Reg!" I yelled appreciatively . . . and became a silent scream as a wave of black light enveloped Reg. I saw his silhouette, shining white within the burning miasma slowly fade to nothing and then I saw nothing . . . my eyes were squeezed shut. I didn't want to see anything anymore.
"About time-! ARRRRRGH!" Riksfalto screamed and I found myself watching with morbid pleasure as the Flare Dragon Sword's blade poked through the demon scum's chest, black miasma and silver light spewed like a geyser from the wound and her mouth.
"Heh, and to think you're only the second demon I've ever killed," Lantz grunted as he tore the sword out of the fiend's back. He violently whipped the sword in a decapitating swipe, Riksfalto's head dissolving even as it made its decent to the ground, gave me a stare of utter disbelief before she was taken by the eternity of nothingness.
The spectacle was over and I found myself doubling over in pain, my macabre glee lasting only as long as Riksfalto's death. Not physical pain, I would've taken the worst torture Xellos could come up with than feel what I was feeling just then.
Lantz put a kind hand on my back, the only warmth I could feel, gods I'm emo. "I'm going to drag you to the Priests, they're out just behind the front lines, that leg of yours isn't looking too good." I was too emotionally strained to acknowledge him. I just listlessly watched the blackened earth where Reg had stood his last, hoping to see him alive, stumbling out from behind a rock he was hiding behind with that bemused expression of his on his face.
Even when Lantz hooked his arms around under mine to drag me away I couldn't stop looking until we began to pass Reg's war hammer. I nearly missed grabbing it, but I did manage to snag it by the pommel. I wrapped it protectively in my arms like a small child. Lantz grunted from the unexpected addition in weight but he didn't complain. I wouldn't somehow found a way to drop kick him to Lyzieel if he did.
All around us I could hear the screams of the dying. Each one cutting a deeper gash into my already torn heart. I couldn't deal with all the death. My countrymen were dying and I couldn't do anything about it. I felt wretchedly pathetic, like some diseased old lady who only got by on the pity of others. I promised that I wouldn't let anyone else important to me die and I failed miserably.
And I thought I was done with this self-deprecating bullshit.
A shadow caught my eye, snapping me out of my depressing thoughts. It wasn't just any shadow though; its herky-jerky movements and lack of a body to cast off of gave it away as a Shade.
. . . A former worshipper of the Lord of Nightmares. And there were dozens of them. . . maybe even hundreds all around us!
"What. Is. This?" Lantz asked, going pale, this being his first time seeing them. He stopped and his hands clenched, digging into my arms uncomfortably but I was too locked inwards to notice that much.
I felt a calling. A plea to command. An appeal to be of some kind of use. . . it was one of the most sickeningly depressing things I had ever felt, these things for who knows how long been without purpose, seemingly cast aside for eons, begging to me like sickly, abandoned dogs.
But a small fire was set within my breasts. I could save the rest of my men and I had Lohi of all people to thank for that. I thought about the wretched possession of my family's charred corpses during my final showdown with the loathsome assassin.
I called out to them with my mind, imparted my wishes and sincerest gratitude. At first they seemed taken aback that I heard them. How long have they tried to reach me but couldn't? But then a joy as profound as I had ever felt washed over me like a cool tide in summer.
They would do as I asked.
One by one the Shades found and entered the bodies of fallen enemy mercenaries and monsters and animated them with their own will. They seemed to be overjoyed at being once again able to feel, to touch, smell, taste anything. And they were going to repay my kindness by slaughtering the enemy with their own fallen. A task they would put their collective all into.
"What is going on?" Lantz asked, completely at a loss, he had left me sitting on the ground as he brandished the Flare Dragon Sword at anything that moved. We were far from the front lines; the only things moving now were the dying wounded and the Shade Zombies stirring everywhere.
"I guess I became a Necromancer while you were dragging me," I said.
"Y-you did this!?" Lantz sputtered, looking at me like I sprouted a beard.
"In a way. I asked the Shades to take over the bodies of our dead enemies and attack the living remainder. Best part is that if a Shade Zombie's body gets trashed beyond usefulness they can go and possess a fresh one." You can't kill a Shade but neither can a Shade harm you, unless something commands them to inhabit something physical.
"I'm sure that makes perfect sense to you but-!" Lantz was cut off by a Demon in our midst. It had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It was female in form; a petite female with a short pleated skirt and stockings. She had her dark hair done in pigtails and a pair of ram-like horns sprouted from above her ears. She looked like a VERY naughty schoolgirl.
"Great," Lantz muttered. "I dunno if I should kill her or ask her out."
"Hello! I'm Fullmace, and you, sitting on the ground there like a toddler must be the great and powerful Inverse," the demon greeted in a gratingly cheery voice. "I saw what you did to Boss Riks. I won't go down as easily as I don't give a damn about fair play in battle . . . ?" She trailed off, cocking her ear to the sky in bewilderment.
We all heard it, too. A horrid sound by the likes of which I have heard many a time before and just as many a time, wish that I would never have to again.
"Oooohohohohoho!" It was her. But where was she? She was getting closer judging by the Doppler effect but she was nowhere in sight.
Fullmace suddenly had a black leather boot on her face from which Naga the Serpent was precariously balanced upon.
"Um, what?" the demon's question was muffled slightly by the size 6 foot.
"Lantz!" I yelled and Ginger Warrior took the hint and sliced the demon clean in two, killing her instantly and stupidly, which had the added benefit of watching Naga loose her footing and fall face first into the dirt.
"And, demon number three," Lantz smirked. "I'm on a roll today!"
"Good for you! You're well on your way to playing me back!" I congratulated
"Paying you back for what?!" Lantz unnecessarily shouted which I completely ignored. If he doesn't know then neither should you.
"Thanks, Naga!" I said as Lantz wrapped my arm around his shoulders. "You're now point zero zero zero one percent on your way to being completely forgiven by me!"
"T-that's . . . super . . .," the hussy slurred as she slipped into unconsciousness.
"You sure we should just leave her?" Lantz asked after we've hobbled a fair distance away.
"If she can survive being put in orbit for over a day then I don't think anything can kill her."
Sylpheed knows I've tried.
Finally, after several more minutes of enduring an unplanned three-legged race, we made it to the back of the front. I spotted a blood-soaked (not her own) Amelia racing to and fro from one bedside of a critically injured soldier to another. Bodies were everywhere and the injured numbered even more, spread like stones on a cobbled road.
"Amelia!" I bit out. The adrenaline from nonstop fighting was finally beginning to wear off and I was beginning to feel the loss of my leg more keenly as well as the hole in my upper right hip. I had lost most of one of my feet before but this was a whole new level of nasty.
"Lina! Did you see all of those Shades . . . ," Amelia turned to greet before trailing off at the sight of my brand new stump, face graying and pupils opening wide. She quickly ran over to me and began chanting Resurrection.
"Well, you're on the ball today," I joked, trying to lighten Amelia's mood. I was sure she'd seen much worse today than my peg holder. "How's the war treating you?"
Finally she smiled, although it was a grim one. "Better than it has you, apparently. What happened?"
I shuddered a bit at the always strange feeling of regenerating flesh. "Ran into Riksfalto . . .," I stifled a sob, I still had a job to do after the healing was over, no time for tears just yet. "Reg didn't make it."
"Oh, no . . . ," Amelia gave me a genuinely sympathetic look. "I know he was special to you."
That he was. Not only the last link to the father I barely knew, but also as a possible surrogate one. He was gone now, though, and I still had a battle to fight. There would be plenty of time to mourn after I'd made every single last demon endure unimaginable, even for them, suffering.
I looked around, thinking to change the subject to something considerably less depressing.
"Where's Zel? I haven't seen him on the battlefield yet." If there was anyone who stood a near one hundred percent chance of survival in this war, it was he and his stone-like skin. I wondered where Gourry was too, but immediately squelched the thought; I wasn't quite ready to let myself openly worry about him just yet.
"He's-!" Amelia was cut off by the sound of an immense explosion. We were all knocked to the ground, the shockwave was that intense from even that far away. Yes, you guessed it! The "Zanaffar Factory", if indeed that's what it really was, was finally destroyed in a triumphant upheaval of dirt, rock, metal and fire!
I tilted my head in the factory's direction, admiring the mushroom cloud billowing from the fresh crater. I looked a lot like the aftermath of a boosted Dragon Slave. I wondered how whoever destroyed the place managed to make it blow up like that.
It's over, I thought, a flood of relief washing over me. Well, there was still Dolphin and probably Val to deal with but for now, it was over.
"ZEL!" Amelia shrieked, her face stricken with absolute horror. My heart stopped and ice ran through my veins.
Don't tell me he was in there!? That he was the one sent to destroy the place during our diversion!?
Amelia ran towards the blast sight, a good mile away, I joined her though my leg wasn't completely healed just then. I managed though, hobbling almost as fast as the Princess could run.
After an eternity of dodging bodies, skirting fires, jumping trenches and plowing through the still numerous skirmishes. Nothing was going to stop Amelia, I could tell that by her grim and determined face. Hell if I was going to abandon Zel as well! There was a chance that he could still be alive; I remember him merely being knocked out from an explosion that had nearly torn Amelia to shreds. His cursed stone skin must've at least provided a little protection.
I held onto that hope as we finally made it to the smoking crater. Amelia held a dousing pendant out in front of her at arms length, concentrating on Zel's presence no doubt. I was about to slip into Knightmare Sight, to begin searching for him as well but something caught my eye . . . A red blade.
I couldn't move. Everything stood still and everything' color except for that red blade drained away. There was only one sword that I could think of that had a red blade. I couldn't think: my mind set only on replaying that one horrible night I saw him last, the last memory of us together.
Shakily, I tore throw the rubble surrounding the Blast Sword. Gourry couldn't be too far away right? I mean, he got practically disemboweled by Shabranigdo himself and lived to tell the tale! I silly little explosion isn't enough to do him in. NO. FREAKIN. WAY.
Gold flashes of light, tried to distract me from my task, it was as if the Shard could barely contain the power that was begging to be released. I couldn't release it; though it would make my job of digging through all this debris as simple as imagining it all gone, an invisible dam held my power back, frustrating me to the point of tears . . . as if I needed help.
A small quartz-like crystal flickered with a golden light at the corner of my eye. I ignored it; it could wait until I found Gourry and smacked the living daylights out of him for scaring me like this.
Then again, that is one of the things he excels at . . . first disappearing on me in Mane, then Phibrizzo kidnaps him, then he nearly kills himself after nearly killing me . . . Phibrizzo nearly kills him . . . Shabs nearly kills him. . . .
There! A hand! And it wasn't pale yet! He was still alive!
I dug around the hand, exposing a bit of his arm as well, an added bit of heartache decided to move in my already overcrowded heart when I saw that he hadn't removed his of our matching bracelets that we had gotten not long after beating Luke/Ruby Eye. I torn mine off in an angry fit and oh how I wished I hadn't thrown it halfway across the camp just then.
"Gourry! Gourry!" I called, but he didn't answer, the rubble must've been crushing him too much for him to speak.
I pulled on his arm a little, to see if he would respond. The arm came free of the rubble with no Gourry attached.
No. I stared dumbly at the arm, not quite sure at that point what I was looking at anymore.
I was dimly aware that Amelia had found Zel, who seemed intact if cracked and gouged. Good for him.
"Lina! I found Zel . . . G-Gourry!?"
"NO!" I shrieked, my voice shrill and cracking. It ISN'T him! It CAN'T be him! HE was SUPPOSED to PROTECT me! He PROMISED he would! For the rest of his life . . .
Life. Life was born from Chaos. I'm the Knightmare, Knight of the Lord of Nightmares, I am Chaos Incarnate. Up til now I've only been using my powers to send things TO the Sea of Chaos, essentially obliterating them.
The Lord of Nightmares created all of existence. I should be able to bring one person, one infinitely small being in comparison to this universe, back into this world.
Fiercely the world turned Golden Black.
Tom the Mighty's Mighty Notes.
Yeah, yeah, I know; its been a while.
I was busy finishing up school and helping bring unreleased Slayers manga to fully readable to English eyes goodness. .org/ We've got the missing volume 8 of Slayers: Super Explosive Demon Story, Slayers: Knight of the Aqualord, Slayers: Falces' Hourglass, Slayers Revolution and Evolution (Evo, btw, unlike the anime, ACTUALLY kicks MAJOR ass. Probably because Kanzaka supervised the artist's storyboards. Lots of Ame/Zel.), Slayers: Light Magic and we ALSO have several NON-Slayers titles like Evangelion Gakuen Daitenroku, Barajou no Kiss and our FUTURE releases include The Sleepy Residents of Birdhouse Manor, Golden Corridor, Stray Love Hearts, Awai no Mori, Omamori no Kami-sama, and more than likely, but not in the near future, Lost Universe which TEARS THE ANIME APART. Oh, and we have a bunch of Final Fantasy VII doujinshi for some reason. Join the forum. We have fun.
And if you have skill with English grammar, photoshop, and typesetting, try out to be part of the Staff! You'll get to see stuff before its released and help get stuff released faster!
Ok! Enough advertising.
Bet'cha didn't see THAT one coming, did ya? Despite all the hints I dropped with Interlude 3 and the last couple previous chapters. Few things I'm not ENTIRELY happy with in this chapter but I can fix them later. For now enjoy the sheer amount of torture I put these guys through until next time!
P.S. Reviews, good or bad (no flamers), are nice.