Finally! We've Figured it Out! ...Haven't We?
"Eeeeeeh?! Lina-san, you think Sonjia-san is a Mazoku?" Amelia trotted up beside Lina, who was walking at a more-or-less casual pace through the forest that Sonjia had disappeared into. Although Lina didn't have any real desire to see that girl again, her curiosity had started to get the best of her. Plus, her women's intuition told her that if she just left this alone, a Very Bad Thing would eventually happen.
"It looks like a definite possibility," replied Lina. "Jadarin obviously knew her pretty well, and there really aren't too many ways to become that acquainted with a Mazoku without being one yourself."
Zelgadis smirked. "However, you've come into acquaintance with a fair number of Mazoku yourself in recent times," said Zelgadis. Receiving a stern look from Lina, he added, "Not that I'm implying anything. I was just making an observation."
Lina shook her head and sighed. "Our main problem is that the enemy has a couple of pretty nasty spells up his sleeve, and Sonjia knows more about them than she's letting on."
"What spells were those again?" asked Gourry. Lina stumbled a little, but didn't completely fall over.
"Your power of total lack of observation never ceases to amaze me," said Lina. She grabbed him by the front of the shirt and said, "Now, look. That guy's got the ability to wipe out an entire town, or maybe more. Plus, he's got some sort of shield that'll absorb pretty much every spell. Now, if he's a Mazoku, and he can cause that much damage, and nothing can touch him, that makes him a big problem!"
"And if Sonjia is a Mazoku as well, what makes you think she'll tell you anything?" asked Zelgadis.
Lina lowered her head. She really had no logical reason to think that girl would be anything useful. It was mostly gut instinct. But, she knew her comrades wouldn't be satisfied without some sort of explanation for her actions. "The way she blew up at me back there when I asked her about the spells..." Lina began. "I don't think she would have reacted like that unless..." She looked back up and saw the others expectantly awaiting her thoughts. "Unless she was really scared... of what they were capable of."
"But why would a Mazoku be scared of them?" wondered Amelia. "If that one spell can kill a whole bunch of people, wouldn't a Mazoku want that?" She paused on that thought. "Unless... Sonjia-san has decided to leave the path of evil and follow the Light of Justice!" she exclaimed, as a multicolored backdrop suddenly sprang out of nowhere behind her.
"I wouldn't go quite so far in saying that," said Lina, sweatdropping and waving her hand. That Sonjia girl really didn't seem to have a drop of justice in her.
Meanwhile, Gourry was still trying to contemplate Lina's initial response to his question, and had completely missed the rest of the conversation. "So... that Mazoku guy has some really bad spells besides the Dragon Slave?" he finally half-concluded. Leave it to Gourry to always remember a Dragon Slave, if nothing else.
"The Dragon Slave?" said Zelgadis. "What does he mean, Lina?"
"Well, that's what destroyed Sairaag," said Lina, fidgeting. "It wasn't ALL my fault, after all. But, that's actually another good point. Jadarin can use Shamanist and Black magic, which, from what I've seen in the past, normal Mazoku aren't capable of. Which could in turn mean..." she trailed off.
Amelia blinked at Lina's unfinished thought. But then, "Well, we can get this all cleared up when we find Sonjia-san and tell her she doesn't have to be afraid of us!" Amelia then happily skipped farther into the forest before tripping over a leaf.
"I don't care what happens to that girl, just as long as we get this resolved promptly," said Zelgadis, ambling on ahead.
"That's the spirit, Zel!" Gourry called after him.
Lina slouched over and continued after them. Talking to Sonjia was not exactly her idea of an exciting time, but such was the tragic life of the Beautiful Sorcery Genius, Lina Inverse.
Jadarin kept the chopstick pressed against Xellos's throat. "So you see, my friend, it's two against one. You're not getting out of this one alive."
"Excuse me," said Sonjia. "I'm not against him. Don't get me wrong, I'm not his ally, but I still don't see how you think I'm your ally, either."
"If he dies, you'll be the one to kill him," Jadarin explained. "You already killed all the people in that pathetic little town. And soon, you will cause the demise of all life in this world."
Sonjia raised an eyebrow. And then started laughing. "Oh, man, and here I thought you actually knew who I was. If you did know," she said, pointing at him, "you'd also know that I can't kill him. Or anyone for that matter. Well, I could probably step on an insect, but insects are just insects, you know."
"You sound like you have a lot of experience stepping on insects," Jadarin said thoughtfully. He then jabbed Xellos in the throat a little harder. "But this thing here is just another insect. I'm sure you could find some way to step on him as well." He smirked, his eyes becoming dark. "You know of a way. If you think hard enough, I know you know a way."
"So what if there was a way I might conceivably kill him?" said Sonjia, while Jadarin beamed at the desired response. "Doesn't mean there's any way in hell I would or even could use it. If you want that guy dead so badly, just kill him yourself or something. I couldn't really care one way or another."
"Sonjia-chan, words like that hurt," teased Xellos. He couldn't see her around Jadarin's body, so... wait a minute. Xellos looked back at Jadarin, and noticed some changes. For some reason, he suddenly looked different. He wasn't nearly so gangly-looking, and his hair was quite a bit neater. And his wings were no longer black and bat-like, but... brown and feathered? But Jadarin hadn't looked like that when he first appeared in the tree, Xellos was sure of that.
"So what makes this fellow Mazoku of yours so high on your 'To Kill' list, anyway?" Sonjia asked.
"Simple!" said Jadarin, removing the chopstick and holding Xellos up by the collar. "For the past thousand years, he's beaten on me and acted oh-so-superior just because I couldn't think for myself. But once the shield blocking my mind was released, my first order of business was to exact revenge on my dear Zelas and Xellos."
"Oh, so this is just one of those macho rivalry things?" said Sonjia, not exactly thrilled.
Xellos struggled slightly and looked down. Wait, now Jadarin looked like he usually did. What was going on here? Xellos also realized that he once again had his powers back. Okay, time to blow Mister Insubordinate to little pieces. He placed a hand on Jadarin's arm and cast a spell to electrocute him. But, as seemed was always the case, nothing happened. Xellos checked himself and found that his powers were indeed still functioning. If he couldn't hurt Jadarin whether he had his powers or not, what was the point of taking them away in the first place?
"What's wrong?" taunted Jadarin, tapping Xellos on the nose with his chopstick. "Can't even kill a little underling like me?"
"Would you just kill him or let him go already?" said Sonjia, leaning against a tree. "But if you're just going to sit there and play with him all day, I see no point in my sticking around." She waved absently and started wandering away.
"Why don't you kill him?" Jadarin offered.
"I already said 'no'." said Sonjia, not even turning around. "And asking me isn't going to change anything, because I still can't. But if you wanna kill him, I'm not gonna stop you."
Jadarin scratched the back of his head with his chopstick. "Well, I guess it's your very nature to not want to kill anything. But you are completely content to sit back and watch someone die, when it's practically the same thing."
Sonjia shrugged. "Again, what could I do?" She lowered her voice and muttered, "It's annoying, you know? To always be sought after when you can't do a thing."
Jadarin ignored her complaints and smirked. "You're afraid of this, aren't you?" he said, holding up the chopstick. Sonjia was about to ask why in the world she'd be afraid of a chopstick, when he tilted it slightly, letting it glint. Glint silver, to be precise. "Now do you see? You may think this is no longer an option, but you are quite mistaken."
"Good for you," said Sonjia, halfheartedly. "You found yourself a chopstick that had that cast on it. At least that explains why you could keep everyone at bay for so long."
"Ah, the chopsticks," he said, almost nostalgically. "Yes, I got them from a little restaurant in the first town I ever destroyed of my own will. However, I needed to give them a little..." he snapped his fingers, "personal touch."
Sonjia smacked her forehead and shook her head. "You really expect me to believe that you cast that thing yourself? I already told you, it can't be done anymore. All spells--even that one--need a higher being to draw power from, whether it be a Dark Lord or an earth spirit, or..."
"That was your sister, wasn't it?" Jadarin interrupted. "The being from whom its power is drawn. Quite sad, what happened to her. Killed by the Gold Dragons. Such a shame."
Sonjia looked almost... relieved to hear that. "I knew she was killed. I was starting to fear that it was you who killed her, because then I'd actually have to worry you were telling the truth." She looked at the sky and brushed her hair out of her face. "So those stupid Dragons finally gave in and killed her. They could have at least been courteous and granted me the same favor."
Xellos, who was still hanging by his collar from Jadarin's hand, put all that together. "Ah, so there is a spell which drew its power from your sister? And if the Gold Dragons killed her, that means she was probably a Mazoku. And if she was Mazoku, then that naturally makes you...."
He was cut off by a fireball that blasted into the grove, incinerating the grass and trees. "Ah, Lina-san! So glad you could make it!" Xellos called out.
"She certainly likes to make her presence known," said Jadarin, tossing Xellos to the ground.
Lina appeared and pointed a finger at Jadarin. "I was almost hoping you'd show up here, too. I needed someone to blow up!"
Jadarin shrugged. "Thanks for the warning." Lina let loose an Elmekia Lance on him, but it... oh, by now you should get the gist of it.
"Drat. Stupid shield," cursed Lina. "Sonjia, be useful and give us a hint about getting through that shield of his!"
"Um, you can't?" Sonjia offered.
Lina sulked. "Oh, that really helps. No choice then. I didn't want to use this, but if normal spells won't work on him, then I'll just have to use something that can cut through a subspace barrier," she said, holding her arms to her side.
"I ask that you give it a try, then," said Jadarin, bowing and leaving himself completely open.
Lina clenched her right hand. "Lord of dreams that terrify," she began. "Sword of cold and darkness, free yourself from the heavens' bonds."
Zelgadis immediately recognized the spell. "We'd better move back," he instructed the other two. Amelia and Gourry nodded and retreated a ways behind the trees.
"Become one with my power, one with my body, and let us walk the path of destruction together. RAGNA BLADE!" Lina called, holding her hands in front of her and clutching a lance of Nightmare energy.
"That spell!" gasped Sonjia, surprised at Lina's abilities for the first time. "That's a spell to call power from... from the Golden Dark Lord! Could it possibly work?" She watched intently. "Could the power of the Lord of Nightmares actually work?"
"That's a pretty impressive shield you've got there," Lina said. "However, no power in this world can stand against the power of the Lord of Nightmares."
Jadarin looked up and smiled confidently. "I don't care if it's the power of the Lord of Nightmares or the power of a sand flea. Power is power. And power means nothing to this."
"We'll see about that!" said Lina, slashing the Ragna Blade down onto his head. When it contacted the Mazoku's body, it stopped momentarily...
... Before fizzling out. "Um...?" was Lina's observation of this.
"Even the Ragna Blade is ineffective?" said Zelgadis in shock from behind a tree. "That shield must have practically infinite energy!"
"Or zero," commented Sonjia.
Zelgadis looked at her. "Pardon?"
Sonjia ignored Zelgadis's query and marched up to Lina. "Now hold everything! You can call on the power of the Lord of Nightmares? Jeez, how reckless can you get?!"
"Hey, it's not like I go flinging it around whenever I feel like it!" retorted Lina. "I know how dangerous it is! That's why I only use it when there's absolutely no other option! Because I certainly don't want the thing I'm trying to save the world with becoming the thing that ends it."
Sonjia backed away, eyes wide. Lina was almost as surprised as she was to see such an expression on that girl's face. "Lina..." Sonjia gasped. "You're..." She then finished dryly, "...being attacked."
Jadarin already had Lina by the shoulder, squeezing it roughly. "Impressive spell you've got there, Miss Inverse. But, you see, I've got one too." He then lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered, "Although, Sonjia doesn't believe that I can cast it. Shall we prove her wrong?"
Gourry put his hand on his sword. "What do you think you're going to do to her?"
"Not a whole lot," said Jadarin, looking up. "Just... this." He snapped his fingers again. Everyone minus Sonjia dropped their heads when this action once again seemed to do absolutely nothing.
However... "Isn't it wonderful?" said Jadarin, holding his fingers pinched in front of Lina's face. Lina blew air through her bangs, getting tired of his bluffing, but the breath caused something dangling from his from his fingers to sway and glint slightly. She suddenly noticed a very tiny, thin thread, no thicker than a hair clutched between his fingers.
"Do you know what this is?" Jadarin asked. "Well, no, I'd suppose you wouldn't. But you, along with everyone else, will get to experience it firsthand."
"What, you're giving me a lock of your hair as a going-away present?" Lina asked. "I'm not exactly flattered," she said, reaching out to absently brush the tiny thread thing away from her.
Jadarin smirked. "Go ahead. Touch it." There was nothing threatening about it. It was just a piece of silver thread. What could it possibly do?
Sonjia suddenly interrupted before Lina's hand could make contact. "That's not possible!" she shouted. "That's just a stupid fake! A look-alike! For all I know, that is just a piece of your hair!" Her hands were clenched at her sides, trembling. "So, it doesn't matter if she touches it, because it won't kill her. Because it's just a fake! That spell isn't possible anymore! Isn't it? ISN'T IT?!"
Lina really only paid attention to that "kill her" part. She knew Sonjia knew something about Jadarin's spells, and she knew she was scared of them. This reaction seemed to be a combination of these. And if Miss Holier-Than-Thou was scared of it, perhaps it really could do some damage.
In a split second, Lina used her other hand to swipe a stick off the ground and swat it at the string. The effect was rather interesting. The string immediately wove itself into the very wood fibers, elongating and multiplying itself. Thousands of threads branched out from the original, covering the stick with a tight web of silver, until the stick itself appeared to be made of silver.
"This," said Lina, dropping the stick. "This has to be the spell you used on that town!"
"Of course!" said Jadarin. "Does Sonjia really believe that the death of that town was simply some leftover artifact from thousands of years ago, too?" he said, looking back at the person he spoke of and grinning.
"What... does this thing do?!" breathed Lina, examining the stick.
Jadarin wagged a finger. "Ah, that's...."
"...a secret," Xellos finished, perched on a branch. "I'd appreciate it if people stopped stealing my line. And I believe I shall end this once and for all." He pointed a finger and a lance of Mazoku power arced out from it. Jadarin put his hands on his hips and shook his head in annoyance... until he realized that he wasn't the one being targeted.
Sonjia didn't even see it coming. And by the time she did, it was far too late. The energy beam ripped a hole right through her chest, throwing her against a tree. She hit the tree with enough force to crack the trunk all the way through, causing the tree to topple forward on top of her once she hit the ground. Everyone else moved out of the way to avoid being hit by the falling tree.
Lina gasped in shock. Although she really had no soft spot for the girl, she also had no desire to see her killed. Lina was human, after all.
"Xellos!" shouted Lina. "Why did you do that?"
"My reason for following her out here has not changed," he stated simply. "Eliminate the traitor and all associates. If the traitor would not go down easily, perhaps the associate would." Xellos grinned as he said this.
Jadarin clenched a fist and growled. "Xellos! That was completely underhanded! She had no way to defend against you! No way to attack you!"
"If she worked alongside someone who could wipe out an entire town and defend against Lina-san's Ragna Blade, how was I supposed to know that?" Xellos asked innocently. "I am a Mazoku after all." He raised his arm. "However, now that I've taken her down, shall I try my luck on you again?"
Jadarin backed away, his confidence wavering. He instinctively checked over his abilities and options, when he realized, "It's still there?" He looked over at the fallen tree and focused on the power signatures more closely. He almost let out a sigh of relief and commented, "That stupid girl had me worried for a moment there. She may not be able to attack or defend worth anything, but she can heal like no one else."
Xellos noted where Jadarin's attention was focused and realized that there indeed was still a life force under the tree. This seemed particularly odd, given what he sensed when he first met her. That being absolutely nothing. Like she didn't even exist. But now, for some reason, there she was. And the energy signature he found now was quite unexpected.
Xellos opened his eyes in shock and lowered his arm. "So... that girl is... This changes everything." Deciding that regrouping would be the best option after this revelation, Xellos vanished from the tree.
Sonjia groaned and pulled herself out from under the tree like its physical force upon her didn't matter at all. When she stood up, everyone could see the hole in her chest. However, it wasn't bleeding at all, and was actually fluctuating and closing in on itself at a rather rapid pace.
"By the gods!" exclaimed Amelia. "She really is a Mazoku!"
"Actually," said Sonjia, clutching her chest, "That first guess hit a little closer to home..."