I'm not losing this baby! Sylphiel thought as she laid on the floor beside the desk and put her hands over her stomach and started chanting a Resurrection spell. She'd lost her hometown, her friends, her vocation, her family, and then her kingdom. Life had seemed determine to take as much from her as it could. Well, it wasn't taking this baby!
She ignored the cramping as she focused on her chant and not on her worries over if the wetness in her pants was due to the water from the spell or from bleeding. And despite her efforts, the reprimands running through her mind would not quiet. How could she have done nothing? She'd not even defended herself when the woman, who she was now sure was the Demon Lord Deep Sea Dolphin, attacked. As soon as she saw her she should have been ready to defend herself!
But then she watched as Marcus cast, "Ra Tilt!"
He was not the first student to cast it. Several had been lobbed at Dolphin since she attacked Sylphiel. The Mazoku Lord merely turned around and smiled as one by one they encased her in a radiant blue light that shattered to pieces, not even so much as scratching her. And Sylphiel's stomach sank as she realized that even if she had been prepared, it likely would not have changed anything.
Marcus exchanged a petrified glance with Susan, and Sylphiel could sense that the students were becoming rattled. Nothing really prepares you for facing a Mazoku Lord. Sylphiel hadn't really understood herself until she'd faced down Hellmaster with Lina. And not even the double Dragon Slave she had cast with Lina had destroyed him. But it had caught him off guard. What if enough students could cast a combined Ra Tilt and hit Dolphin with it?
Dare she stop chanting to lead a group of students in a combined Ra Tilt? She felt another cramp, and she didn't want to risk it. How would she even do it unobtrusively when she didn't even think she could walk? And then, how could she be so arrogant to think that, even if she did save this pregnancy, that any of them would survive Deep Sea Dolphin?
A battle cry tore through the classroom, and then Sylphiel saw Owen, who had not yet left for the Elmekian Empire, charge at Dolphin, his sword raised. She was aware that several of the kids had magical swords. Would it be strong enough to give them a chance against Dolphin?
But Dolphin didn't even bother to defend herself as Owen brought the sword down upon her shoulder where it bounced off harmlessly. She smiled at him as he grunted with frustration and brought his arms back and attempted to drive the sword directly into her stomach. Sylphiel closed her eyes as despair welled up within her, and when she opened them her eyes fell upon Maeve motioning for Jean Luc to join her in a huddle with several other students. Hope lit within Sylphiel again as she wondered if they were working on a combined spell, and she looked back at Dolphin and Owen.
Owen stepped back and wiped the sweat from his brow, his face set and stony. Dolphin didn't have a scratch on her. Owen lunged forward again, and this time when he struck, Adora and Adam launched surprise attacks from her right and her left with their magic swords as Kara called, "Ra Tilt!"
Sylphiel's eyes widened as she leaned forward and prayed that it worked as blue light encompassed Dolphin once more. But then Dolphin's laughter filled the room, and it was obvious that she still did not have so much as a scratch on her, "Oh, I could do this all day! But I promised Greater Beast that I would make this quick."
And then she lifted her arms, and a large ball of water formed and sprouted forth in a perfect circle all around her. Owen, Adora and Adam had been preparing for another lunge, but they all found themselves being forced to the ground under the flow of the water. Owen's head hit a desk as he fell, and he did not get up. Adora was slammed against the wall, and she laid against it, stunned, as Adam was flung close to Sylphiel, splashing her with warm water in the process.
Sylphiel felt compelled to check all of them for injuries. The pain from the cramps was starting to subside, but she still didn't dare move yet. She still needed more time to heal herself. But then she realized that the water was not receding as it started lapping around her face. Already a foot of it covered the floor, and it was rising quickly!
She's going to fill this room with water! Sylphiel thought as she scrambled to sit up. She took a deep, calming breath and resumed her chanting as Adam put a hand on her shoulder, whether to comfort her or himself she wasn't sure.
There was the slap of boots hitting water, and Sylphiel turned to see Pippi running to the door, but before she could open it, Deep Sea Dolphin grinned and threw an ice spell at it, completely enclosing it in a thick slab of ice and sealing them inside. Pippi cried out of some of it hit her and she fell face forward onto the rapidly flooding floor. Bruce ran and struggled to pick her up. She was alarmingly limp like a rag doll. Finally he managed lay her on a desk where she could breath and was safe from the waters. For now.
The casting of "Bram Gush!" rang through the room like an echoing cry as several students aimed it at the stone walls, windows, and in Ace's case, the floor. But Dolphin laughed once more as, with the flick of her finger, she encased the entire room in ice as the water reached their knees.
"Ra Tilt!" Maeve cast, and as soon as she finished, Susan echoed, "Ra Tilt!" And then she was echoed by Jean Luc, who was echoed by Nerys.
Dolphin's eyes widened, but before she could retreat to the astral plane, Adam lunged and pierced her dress, pinning it to the ground. "What?" she cried as another blue field encompassed her.
"Can't retreat to the astral plane now!" he said as the double Ra Tilt became a triple, and then a quadruple.
The class seemed to collectively hold their breath as everyone wondered if it would work. But Dolphin made a high pitched keening sound as she stepped backwards and removed Adam's sword and threw it to the ground as she retreated to the astral plane, the warning "oh, you will pay!" echoing ominously through the room.
"No!" several of the students cried in despair as someone cried plaintively, "It didn't work?"
"We had her on the ropes for a moment. We can do it again!" Maeve said commandingly.
"The water's still rising!" Dave pointed out, and he was right. Dolphin was no longer in the room, but the water was still filling it. "Only, faster."
Indeed, soon Adam was tugging on Sylphiel's shoulder as the water reached her neck, and she managed to get to her feet as she moved to sitting on top of the desk as Danielle said, "If it gets much higher we won't be able to do the arm movements to cast a spell."
"Hate to break it to you, sweetie, but that won't be the worst of our problems, we won't be able to breath!" Betty said.
"You're wrong about that. Aqua Breath!" Danielle cast, and those who could cast spells started following suit. It was a sensible precaution, but Sylphiel felt that Dolphin had something else in mind once the room was flooded.
"Ray Wing!" Bruce cast, and he let the spell encase him and Pippi, and Adora managed to get up and hobble over to them while Nerys cast one around her and Owen.
Dolphin laughed as she materialized again, or at least a glimmering black dolphin did, lightning crackling warningly around her. Sylphiel's stomach knotted as she realized they were seeing her beast form, and she suddenly had an idea of what she intended to do once the room was submerged. Sylphiel felt sick. It was a shame. The kids had done well. They hadn't panicked and they'd continued fighting as long as they could. Yet it was starting to feel as though despite their efforts, none of them were going to leave the classroom alive. Dolphin was simply too powerful.
I am going to see my wife and daughter again, Zelgadis told himself as he tightened his grip on his sword. While he was fairly sure that the babies crying upstairs were Midas and Aurelia, that all of them were in trouble was apparent. And while it would have been easy to succumb to the pessimism that came so naturally to him, it wouldn't help him to see his family again. And he wanted to see them again.
There was the urge to turn around and run up the stairs to see what was happening and who was hurt. Zelgadis knew if he did that Xellos would waste no time in spearing him with those horrible black tornados. So he did his best to ignore the crying from upstairs and focus on Xellos, who charged at him with his staff.
Zelgadis knew that Xellos wasn't even hitting him with the full force of what he was capable of, but the fury of his attack was such that Zelgadis was having to struggle to keep up to defend himself. He couldn't even think of attacking! And besides, what good would his sword do? He did his best not to look at Han and Rick and give away their position. Hopefully one of them would find an opening soon.
"Elmekia Lance!" Han called.
Xellos turned and looked at him as though he were an annoying insect as he absorbed the spell effortlessly, "Please."
And then Han charged, the magical sword that Memphis had given them drawn, and Xellos brought his staff up and deflected as Rick charged from the hallway. For a moment Zelgadis hoped that Rick could catch him off guard and that the might of both Han and Rick's enchanted swords would be enough to do him in. But Xellos moved impossibly fast and met Rick's attack head on, grinning as though it was all child's play.
Zelgadis met the eyes of both Han and Rick briefly as each of them thought about the next move, when the sounds of spell casting started to carry down the hallway from the classroom. Zel shouldn't have been surprised. Of course if they were attacking the rest of the manor they would attack the students. The Mazoku had wanted to destroy this school since they'd heard about it. Zelgadis felt the weight of responsibility for the students bear down on him as Rick went pale and whispered, "Sylphiel."
Then he broke formation and took off down the hallway to the classroom. Zelgadis and Han looked at each other, but neither or them dared to run from Xellos. The Mazoku smiled, "This has been fun. But I have orders to keep this short."
And the next thing Zelgadis knew, those horrifying black tornados were forming right before him, ready to pierce through his weak body of flesh and bone.
Fear tasted like acid and bile in Rick's mouth as he reached the classroom. The door was shut and he grabbed the handle, and then he cried out and jerked it back as it burned his hand. Only it wasn't the burn that came with heat. But if metal gets cold enough, it can burn just as badly.
There was a sudden series of explosions, and Rick knelt down as the hallway exploded in debris, and he looked to see that a series of large holes had formed in the walls. He started to run to get inside, or at least get a glimpse of what was happening, but they were instantly encased in ice so thick that all he could see was black shadowy figures within.
"Dammit!" he swore as Nimitz, Honor's golden tabby, came up and sat on his hunches beside him. Rick grabbed a handkerchief and wrapped it around his hand, and then grabbed his sword and stared at the wall of ice before him as he took a moment to think about all of the reasons that he needed to get into that room. And then he lunged, plunging his sword into the ice. It broke through, and for a moment he hoped that it would pulverize it.
But nothing dramatic happened. All he had was a sword stuck in ice. He swore again as he pulled it out, surprised that it left a hole wide enough to stick his arm through. While he couldn't get in through it, he could at least peep inside and get some idea of what was happening, but before he could Nimitz howled and then jumped into it and walked into the classroom. Rick shook his head, "Well I'll be…"
Rick glanced inside. From where he was he couldn't see the front of the classroom where Sylphiel was. But he could see it was fast filling with water! He stepped back and positioned himself once more for another lunge at the wall, but before he could move, the spell was recast and it was replaced once more with solid ice.
Arnold sulked as he washed the dishes and didn't bother to turn to look at Nelly as she ran into the room until she yelled, "We're under attack!"
"What?" Arnold asked as he dropped the plate he was holding into the soapy water.
"We'd better hide." Nelly said she opened a door that lead to the cellar.
"Forget hiding!" Arnold said, and then he raced to the door and ran out into the hallway, crying out as he saw a sinister look man with black hair hit Han and Zelgadis with a barrage of inky black tornadoes.
Arnold turned and started to run to the front door and flung it open, only to find his way blocked by a large golden dog that he nearly tripped over in his haste to get as far away from Maninstit as quickly as possible. "Run!" he told the dog, but the dog rushed past him into the manor.
Arnold shook his head, "Stupid mangy beast!" he said, and then he took off across the grounds.
Moe charged at Huraker with his sword as Amelia cast, "Ra Tilt!"
Huraker raised her staff and let it dispel the Ra Tilt. Amelia felt her heart rise into her throat as she realized that whoever this Mazoku was, she was powerful enough to not be defeated easily. And here she was in the room with Justina!
Amelia wasn't sure how she managed to remain standing at the same spot. She wanted to grab Justina and run off with her until she could hide her somewhere safe. But would Huraker let them leave? From somewhere deep within her, the knowledge that panicking, presenting her back to Huraker and fleeing with a baby would be a fatal move for them both, overriding her urgency to get out of there as quickly as possible.
Karina came out then, and Amelia was glad for more backup as she struggled to think of a spell to cast that wouldn't be too destructive. But before she could give it much thought, she watched incredibly as a shockwave rippled from Moe's sword through the hardwood floors. Huraker tried to dodge, but the ripple followed her, just like a Blade Haut spell, but stronger!
Huraker retreated to the astral plane, and Moe swore as he lowered his sword and the shockwave faded away, not even so much as scratching the wall. Moe lunged for the door and pulled it open as the crying from the hallway grew louder, and he stopped only to say, "I'm hired to protect the twins."
He was right. Amelia nodded, "I understand."
He fled the room, almost the instant that Huraker materialized back into it. "Astral Break!" Karina cast as Penelope rushed into one of the bedrooms with Justina and the wet nurse's children. Amelia felt relief that there was a wall of stone and mortar between Justina and Huraker now, even as she realized that it was a flimsy protection at best.
Karina's spell didn't seem to harm Huraker one bit, and the Mazoku charged at her as an idea came to Amelia, "Huraker!" she yelled, as she released a Blast Ash spell.
Huraker cut through it, and then lunged at Amelia, who jumped back to a window which she quickly threw open. All Amelia could think about was getting her as far away from the babies as possible! But before Amelia could climb onto the ledge Huraker laughed as she flung her hand out and a gust of wind rushed through the room that slammed the window back shut. The wind continued to grow, picking up the cribs, rocking chairs, and other furniture and hurling them through the air. It was almost as though a mini tornado had sprouted in the nursery!
Amelia grabbed the wall and held on tight to prevent herself from being tossed around like a rag doll as one of the rocking chairs hit the wall and shattered into debris, one of them being a long rail which, to Amelia's horror, sped right to her.
"Bomb Di Wind!" Amelia yelled, shielding herself in a protective wind shield from the debris as Huraker charged as her, landing a blow straight to her head.
A golem swung at Zelas, knocking her off of Leia and throwing her into the wall before hovering over her protectively. "Where did you come from?" Zelas asked with a throaty growl as she sat on her haunches, taunt and ready to pounce.
Naga laughed as she made her appearance known, grateful both for the fact that the golem was obeying her commands and that it was blocking her view of Leia and the likely bloody mess that she had been left in after Greater Beast's attack. "It is I, Naga the Serpent!" she declared as Greater Beast and the green haired woman stared at her, "And you will return those babies!"
"Or what?" Greater Beast asked as she cocked her head in disbelief.
Two more golems ambled down the hallway, and the two Mazoku looked at them as if to wonder if Naga really thought that they could seriously harm them. "I'll destroy these golems, and they will release a toxin into the air that will kill them instantly! It works so fast you won't have enough time to retreat to the astral plane even. They'll be dead!"
"You're lying!" the green haired woman said.
"The Ceiphied Knight would rather they die than that they fall into your hands." Naga bluffed, "Are you really wanting to risk it?"
Greater Beast lowered her head, and the green haired woman exclaimed, "She's lying! There's no way!"
"Know your place, Riksfalto." Greater Beast snapped. "We can't risk it!"
"Put them down!" Naga commanded.
Riksfalto made a face, and then put the basket down. "Move away!" Naga ordered, and Riksfalto grimaced but complied as she stared at Naga contemptuously. Naga took a deep breath, and then took a step forward to grab the basket, but she stopped when she heard someone call her name down the hallway. She turned just in time to see a man standing there release a spell. She didn't have time to cast a spell, she barely had time to jump, and even then it wasn't enough time as it tore through her.
Pain exploded everywhere as she absorbed the hit and fell the ground, crying out as she did, her head turning to where the twins where. She would recover somehow, she always did. But not in time to grab them!
"You missed her throat, Stover!" Greater Beast admonished. "She must be silenced."
"Then I'll try again!" Stover said as Rikfalto moved back towards the basket again.
But before she could reclaim it, Moe swept in and grabbed it and fell into a defensive stance, holding his sword before him with one hand and the basket with the twins behind him in the other as he stared at Greater Beast, Riksfalto and Stover.
"Damn," Naga murmured even as she admired his bravery, "He's in over his head."
I have to use the Giga Slave! Lina thought frantically as she listened to her babies cry from the hallway as Gourry drew his sword and charged at Dynast. Hearing them cry, knowing they were in danger and being unable to rush to their side was unendurable. Lina didn't have time to pelter Dynast with a ton of little spells until he wilted. She had to get to them now whatever it took! Even if it meant destroying…
If I cast a Giga Slave inside it will destroy all of Maninstit and kill the twins! Dammit, I have to find some other way!
But how? Her mind kept jumping to the Zelas Brid and the Ragna Blade. But without her magical talisman she couldn't cast either anymore. And while she had been pregnant her magical capacity had been increased to the point where it was possible that she could have cast them, now that they had been born it was likely gone.
Or was it? Would she really know if she didn't try?
Lina started chanting as Dynast threw a ball of black energy at Gourry, who cut through it with the Blast Sword as he continued to charge and then swipe at Dynast, who opened his arms wide and let Gourry hit him with the full force of the Blast Sword. Dynast scowled, "That sword may have gotten more powerful since we last fought, but it is still not enough to defeat me. It's useless!"
Gourry pulled back for another attack, and as he hit Dynast the Mazoku released another ball of black energy, and the swordsman collapsed to the ground as Dynast laughed. "Oh, those baby humans do warp your judgment! You never would have made a mistake like that when we last faced each other."
"Ragna Blade!" Lina cast, and to her amazement the sword of darkness formed within her hands, and she wasted little time in bringing it down on Dynast.
Dynast cried out as it bisected his torso, and Lina felt thrill of victory as she drove it down, desperate to finish this and get to her babies. They were still crying at least, which meant that they were still in Maninstit! And the sooner she got to them, the better.
Suddenly Dynast found the strength to kick her off of him, and she fell to the ground, the spell dying in her hands, and she scrambled to get back up as she surveyed the damage. And Dynast was damaged, with black blood spilling from the cut in his shoulder as he stared at her, the anger radiating in waves. And for a moment hope flared within Lina that he hadn't fully recovered, the he was more hurt than he looked, that they had a chance.
"Your hair." Dynast said.
"Huh?" Lina replied dumbly, and then she looked down and saw that her hair had turned white, and with a shock Lina realized she'd performed a large spell while still recovering from childbirth. Her life energy was low, low enough that casting such a consuming spell was reckless and dangerous. A deep fatigue started to settle in her bones and she collapsed to the floor. She and Dynast looked at each other in acknowledgement that each had left their mark upon the other.
Lina looked at Gourry, but she couldn't get a read on how hurt he was. But at least he was moving. The babies continued to cry from the hallway, and Lina tried to regather her strength. She had to get back to them! A black orb materialized in Dynast's hand once more, but the more Lina tried to think of a way out of this, the more cloudy her head felt, and the more difficult it became to see a way forward.
AN: There's no official word on what Deep Sea Dolphin's beast form is, but given her name, I'd say a dolphin is a reasonable guess.
And since this is novels continuity, the way the Ragna Blade works in the anime and the way it works in the novels is very different. Lina can't cast it without magical amplification in the novels, and it also doesn't wreck the damage on her in the novels that it does in the anime. Life energy as a concern does get brought up in the novels though.
Also, while in the anime Hellmaster says that the double Dragon Slave that Lina and Sylphiel did could have killed him, in the novels Hellmaster was basically, "well that hurt a little." Because of this in the anime you get the impression a double Dragon Slave could be lethal to a Mazoku Lord, and since a Ra Tilt is just as powerful as a Dragon Slave, by extension a double Ra Tilt. This is not the case in the novels. In book 13 Memphis freaks out over the size of Dynast's astral body and says it's too big for a golden dragon and an elf, who have a larger magical capacity than a human, to destroy, so I doubt even that even if the entirety of Luke and Milina's School of Sorcery and Swordplay cast a combined Ra Tilt it would do more than hurt Dolphin a little.
I, um, spent way too much time thinking this through.