SailorStar9: After uploading Chapter 6, I present Chapter 7 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.
Chapter 7: Be Careful! The Plan Has Begun
"Who are you?" the Supreme Leader demanded.
"My name is Armace." Armace replied. "I have come from the Overworld."
"Overworld?" Gourry echoed, only to be met by a kick from Lina.
"Don't you dare!" Lina fumed. "I know what you do when you hear new words. Overworld means a world of a plane above this one: as in he came from a different world than here."'
"Someone from the Overworld..." Zelgadis turned to the problem at hand. "You came from the Overworld?"
"And why have you come to this world?" the Supreme Leader questioned. "Why have you entered this temple?"
"We seek five weapons of power for our world." Armace replied. "I have come for one of them, the sword Gorun Nova, which this man possesses."
"Like hell!" Gourry snapped. "The Sword of Light is mine!"
"And what do you wish to do with the Sword of Light, Overworlder?" the Supreme Elder inquired.
"Why do you ask me that?" Armace returned with a question.
"If we give you the Sword of Light, and you leave at once, there is no problem." the Supreme Elder offered. "What we desire is to protect this world. For that, we will even sacrifice the Sword of Light. Now, Overworlder, what will you do with the Sword of Light?"
"I shall tell you then." Armace answered. "What I desire is to summon the Dark Lord Darkstar to this world.
"You've got to be kidding." Lina retorted. "Why do you have to summon a guy like that to our world?"
"The 'dark star' mentioned in the prophecy of destruction?" Filia breathed.
"You probably want to take over this world using Darkstar's power." Amelia declared. "In the name of Justice, I Amelia, shall never allow it."
"My objective is not world domination." Armace corrected.
"Overworlder, I don't know what you seek to gain by summoning Darkstar." the Supreme Elder remarked. "But can't you do it in a place outside of this world? If you are speaking the truth and this world is not your objective, then we will give you the Sword of Light if you then leave this world. If we fight here, I imagine both sides will suffer." he reminded Filia. "If we should lose and the Sword of Light is stolen, then Darkstar will be summoned to this world. And that must not be allowed to happen."
"Wait a minute." Amelia protested. "Are you saying you don't care about him summoning Darkstar as long as he does it on another world?"
"Elder, you can't!" Filia gaped.
"Silence, Filia." the Supreme Elder barked.
"That wouldn't be just." Amelia objected. "Is this how servants of God do things?"
"What do you say, Overworlder?" the Supreme Elder ignored all protestations.
"You of this world are not so different from us, are you?" Armace noted. "I, too, do not desire an useless struggle. I'll accept your proposal. Once I possess Gorun Nova and one other weapon, I shall have no further need of this world. I promise not to summon Darkstar to this world."
"Understood." the Supreme Elder accepted. "And we will assist you in finding the other weapon. Once you have it, you must leave this world at once."
"Now, wait a darn minute here." Lina retorted. "Quit speaking for us, especially when we don't agree."
"We must prevent any disaster from coming to this world." the Supreme Elder defended. "Give him the Sword of Light."
"Like hell I will!" Gourry retorted.
"No matter how sad his story is, there's no way we're gonna just give that away for free." Lina agreed.
"If you refuse, then you leave me with no choice." the Supreme Elder stated.
"Wait, please Elder." Filia cut in.
"Stand aside, Filia." the Supreme Elder ordered. "This is our only choice to saving this world. Anaku, Rakusu, Ozuru, Namu, Izuru, Nakusu, Orumu." he started the incarnation for the 'Freeze Ray' spell. "Now then." he proceeded to retrieve the dropped Sword of Light after paralyzing the group. "I shall take the Sword of Light. This is what we do to save this world. Take it." he handed the Sword of Light over when Valgarv shot in through the roof.
"Armace, what are you doing?" Valgarv demanded. "You're betraying me?"
"Forgive me, but I have no time to compromise." Armace replied. "My time grows short."
"Die with the rest." Valgarv snarled, tossing an energy sphere at Armace who blocked the attack with his armor. "Gods, Mazoku, humans." he spat. "All stand in my way. Then I shall strike all of you down."
"Give me Gorun Nova!" Armace ordered, blocking off Valgarv's next attack.
"Sorry." Lina claimed back the weapon. "But there's no way we're giving this to you. This looks bad." she urged the group out. "Let's get out of here."
Outside the temple...
"Give me Gorun Nova." Armace chased the group outside. "If you do, I promise I won't summon Darkstar to this world."
"Notice that he didn't promise that any backlash from him summoning Darkstar in another world won't affect this world." Aria stated.
"I agree." Zelgadis concurred. "If you insist on doing this, then you're now our enemies."
"Aria-sama, I'm with you all the way." Filia drew her mace. "Forgive me, Lord Elder." she addressed her grandfather. "In this case, I believe Aria-sama and the others are correct."
"Xellos." Lina heard the sudden applause from said Mazoku Priest.
"Xellos." the Supreme Elder stammered. "That detested Xellos?"
"Allow me to help you, Filia." Xellos jumped in. "At the very least, my duty is to finish off Valgarv. No, you don't." he blocked off Valgarv's attack on the group. "Valgarv, I'll be your opponent this time." he took to the skies to engage Valgarv.
"Goz Vu Row!" Zelgadis made the first move, his shadow streak was dispelled by a strike from Armace's Ragudo Mezegis. "Damnit." he cursed. "Spells really don't work on him."
"Is this all we have left?" Gourry gestured to the Sword of Light.
"Gourry, take a good look at his weapon." Aria reminded. "The light blade isn't lit. He must be afraid what happened the last time will happen again."
"Anyway, Gourry, don't use the Sword of Light." Lina instructed.
"Then, we have a chance." Zelgadis nodded. "If a direct attack doesn't work..."
"Lightning!" Amelia tossed a light ball at Armace.
"Bephis Bring!" Zelgadis' tunneling spell was once again blocked out by the Ragudo Mezegis. "Use this, Gourry!" he tossed his sword to the other swordsman.
"What do any of you know about my peoples' suffering?" Armace snarled, clashing with Gourry.
Amelia cut in, throwing Armace over her shoulder after Gourry was blasted against a stone slab.
"Ex-quip: Sedna's Sage Armor!" Aria wasted no time in summoning her default battle armor. "Azure Dragon Tail!"
"Anaku, Ra, Zuomu, Ranaku, Soramu, Izupeku, Naomu." Filia chanted. "Flame Breath!"
Armace deflected both magic spells with his weapon.
"IceFall Guardian Armor!" Aria shifted into one of her higher-tiered ice elemental armors. "Avalanche Defense!" she slammed the curved Frostval Guardian Staff on the ground, instantly erecting a compact snow wall that withstood Armace's energy blast. "Dragon Hail Flower!" she changed out the Frostval Guardian Staff to the Shattered Frostshard blade and fired a powerful ice blast at Armace.
"Lord of the Dreams that Terrify," Lina started her spell. "Sword of Cold and Darkness, free yourself from the heaven´s bonds, become one with my power, one with my body and let us walk the path of destruction together! Power that can smash even the souls of Gods, Ragna Blade!" she struck down at the frozen Armace, managing to overpower him and made a crack on the Overworlder's armor.
"How can this be?" Armace knelt on one knee. "No time left... I was so close to getting it."
"Looks like your friend's at the end of his rope." Xellos broke off from his fight. "Are you ready to accept your defeat as well?"
"I carry on in Gaav-sama's name." Valgarv growled. "I won't die until I've had my revenge." he swore and morphed into his half Ancient Dragon form.
"That form..." Aria recognized the black wings. "An Ancient Dragon..."
"Just one of them had the power of thousands of our kind and because of their violent nature was so detestable to us, the Dragon race hunted them down and exterminated them." the Supreme Elder gasped, realizing that there was still one last survivor of the massacre.
Cutting himself out from his fight against Xellos, Valgarv shot downwards and snatched the Ragudo Mezegis from Armace. "Hear me, Golden Dragon." the sole survivor of the extermination sneered. "Is that the reason you give for why you hunted us down? You lie! The truth is you Golden Dragons feared our power: feared that we would topple you from your rule of the Dragon race. And for that reason, you hunted us down and slaughtered us. This hateful and detestable dragon's power will destroy you all." he promised as he stalked towards the group.
"What's happening?" Lina gaped when Valgarv's Mazoku recreated arm counteracted with his Ancient Dragon blood and causing him immense pain.
"Now I see." Aria realized what was happening to Valgarv and stepped forward, activating the Ragradia Sapphire as she wrapped her arms around the withering half-Mazoku.
What is this? Valgarv winced, as his Ancient Dragon blood reacted to the presence of of the Water Dragon King, his Mazoku recreated arm retracting due to the outflow of shinzoku power. It feels like my blood is flowing backwards. You now carry on our will. A booming voice echoed in Valgarv's head. You will serve Ragradia as your master, protecting him with your life. You will love him, and never betray him. Now I see... Valgarv mused. This person... she's the Ancient Dragons' Master. His thoughts now conflicted, he teleported off.
"Where's Armace?" Filia gaped, turning to see the Overworlder had also vanished.
After the fight...
"So, you're as powerful as this, are you?" the Supreme Elder was impressed. "Filia may have judged you well."
"I wonder about that." Lina snorted. "Anyway, we've come this far on this mission. Can't just let a bunch of strangers take over the job now, right? We'll fight them, for now, at least."
"I'm sure they'll be back to steal the Sword of Light." Zelgadis concluded.
"No need to go looking for a fight, huh?" Gourry sighed. "What a pain."
"They're after the Sword of Light, along with the other weapons Darkstar created." Lina agreed.
"Lina-san, let me come with you." Filia made her decision. "I want to see for myself if the prophecy of destruction is really true and whether what Valgarv said was true as well."
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.