Lina glanced around the room and shuddered. She knew that Hellmaster's lair wouldn't be pleasant, but this... This was wrong. She frowned, noting the large number of children woven into the tapestry. Her gaze finally settled on Phibrizzo once again and she muttered, "You bastard," under her breath.
Hellmaster cocked his head and grinned. "Now, now," he said waggling a finger disapprovingly, "It's not polite to insult your host in his home."
"That's a lie!" Amelia yelled angrily. She pointed at Hellmaster accusingly and said, "This isn't your home! You don't belong here!" A moment before, she had been hiding behind Zelgadis, but Hellmaster's words had ignited something within her. The way he had said it, as if this monstrous room was supposed to exist, had infuriated the young acrobat. "Nobody should ever suffer like this!" she yelled as she took a step towards Phibrizzo.
Hellmaster blinked at Amelia's verbal onslaught and took a small step back in spite of himself.
Zelgadis quickly wrapped an arm around Amelia's waist to keep her from charging at Hellmaster. "Amelia," he yelled, trying to be heard over the singing of the dead, "Calm down! This won't help anything!"
Amelia looked at Zelgadis, unshed tears sparkling in her blue eyes. Didn't he understand how wrong the whole situation was? Hellmaster, this room, the chaos in Sairaag, it was all so wrong.
"I know," Zelgadis said reassuringly, almost as if hearing Amelia's thoughts. "We're going to make it right though." He gazed into her eyes and asked, "Do you believe me?"
Amelia nodded slowly, feeling a wave of euphoria wash over her as she looked into Zelgadis's eyes. The sadness and anger she had felt moments ago was gone.
Hellmaster sneered at Zelgadis. "Planning to make a meal out of her, are you Zelgadis?"
Zelgadis was startled out of his rapport with Amelia by Hellmaster's words. "That's… that's not true," he stammered defensively. He put an arm around Amelia's shoulders and pulled her closer to himself.
Lina scrutinized Zelgadis while he was focused on Hellmaster. He had the power of suggestion she suddenly realized. The way he had calmed her down back in the apartment building and now with Amelia. She'd heard stories about vampires with that kind of power, but had never seen it until now. That would definitely be something to look out for assuming they survived the next couple minutes.
"Lina look," Gourry said, pointing at something on the far wall.
Lina looked up to see Sylphiel hanging a few feet off the ground, supported by the poor creatures stitched around her. "She's alive," Lina said. "I'm sure of it. Go get her. I'll distract Hellmaster." She stepped away from Gourry and advanced on Hellmaster. "Hey," she called out, "Are you ready to finish this Hellmaster?"
Hellmaster chuckled and said, "Simple girl. Don't you know that it's already finished? The dead live again and as soon as I finish off Sylphiel the portal between this world and Hell will finally be opened." He pointed at the vortex that consumed most of the floor and smirked.
Lina took a hesitant step forward and looked over the edge into oblivion. Shadows seemed to swirl in the darkness and there was the sound of a high wind, but other than that, nothing. "What am I seeing here?" she wondered aloud while giving Hellmaster an inquisitive look.
Hellmaster shrugged and said, "Your pitiful little mind can't comprehend the splendor of my realm. I'll send you there presently though. You'll get an insider's view." He muttered a few dark words and Phibrizzo's body was suddenly wracked with horrible spasms. He hissed at Lina through clenched teeth, "You'll see soon enough. Mark my words, Inverse. The darkness has teeth."
Lina gazed into the vortex. There was something seductive about the darkness. Hell really didn't look that bad. Overcome by curiosity, she actually found herself toying with the idea of stepping through it.
A strong hand on Lina's shoulder brought her back to reality and she turned to see Zelgadis standing next to her. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked while looking at her as if she had gone mad.
"I… I don't know," she muttered, tearing her eyes away from the portal. "Hellmaster," she said forcefully. She had to focus on the task at hand. Not that darkness. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, not really caring, but wanting something to concentrate on.
"To bring our worlds together in a joyous union," Hellmaster said. "It's only a matter of time now."
"But why?" Lina asked, now genuinely curious. "Why would you want to conquer our world?"
"Conquer?" Hellmaster said, a look of surprise on his face. "My purpose in your world is not conquest. I'm here to take back what is rightfully ours."
Now it was Lina's turn to look surprised. "What do you mean by that?"
"I wouldn't expect a pitiful mortal like you to understand," Hellmaster sneered. "Blinded by your loyalty to that decrepit old Flare Dragon, I doubt that you would hear me out, let alone believe me." He crouched down and hands and knees and bellowed, "Enough talk Lina! You hurt me before. Few have ever done so. So, now I will bestow a great honor upon you." He looked up at the Slayer and grinned wickedly. "Behold my true form!"
Before Lina's eyes, the child became something more.
The child's body grew in stature until he was a few feet taller than Lina. His skin stretched, struggling to contain the changing form. It tore in several places exposing raw muscle. Jagged talons tore through the flesh of the boy's fingers and cruel fangs far too large for his mouth split his lips. Wicked protrusions jutted painfully from Phibrizzo's forehead for a moment before splitting the skin with an audible rip and springing free. At that exact moment, a long barbed tail erupted from his lower back. His eyes grew wide and seemed to swell momentarily before popping in a spray of fluid. Cruel red light flickered in the child's ruined sockets.
"Oh god," Lina whispered. She thought that somehow she'd be able to save Phibrizzo, but all vestiges of that poor child had been swept away in an instant. Instinctively, she clutched her medallion, actually cutting her fingertips open on Ceiphied's sharp wings. It was another small pain compared to the others she had experienced that day and she didn't even notice.
Hellmaster laughed cruelly, his voice no longer even remotely resembling that of a child. He took a step towards Lina, sending a small tremor through the floor and growled, "I'm going to gobble you up Lina." He ran an obscenely long forked tongue over the bloody remains of his lips. A thick strand of black saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth. It landed on the floor with a disgusting splat and immediately began to eat through the stone.
Lina's wounded shoulder shifted painfully as she placed both hands on the hilt of her sword. She defiantly walked forward into the Hellmaster's shadow and raised her blade until it was pointed at the demon's throat. "You think you're going to eat me?" Lina said in a quivering voice. "I think you've bitten off a lot more than you can chew, pal." Even if she couldn't save Phibrizzo, she could still try to make Hellmaster pay.
"So what's the plan Lina?" Zelgadis growled as he assumed a defensive stance beside the redhead.
Lina chuckled nervously. "You know I didn't really think that far ahead. I was pretty much focused on finding Hellmaster and, well," she said pointing at the demon with a stupid grin on her face, "There he is! Mission accomplished, huh?"
Zelgadis smacked his forehead in frustration. "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered darkly.
"Well, it's not like I do this every day you know!" Lina snapped. "This is the Hellmaster! The most powerful demon ever created! Besides, I don't hear you making any suggestions, stupid!"
"Stupid?" Zelgadis repeated incredulously. His eye twitched as he yelled, "Did you just call me stupid?!"
Amelia cautiously inserted herself between Zelgadis and Lina. "Guys, I don't really think that this is the best time to be discussing this," she suggested with a nervous chuckle. "Um, guys?"
"That's right! Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Lina yelled, drowning out Amelia's feeble attempts at making peace. She stuck out her tongue at Zelgadis.
"What are you, six?!" Zelgadis retorted. "No, scratch that. I've seen six year olds with more sense than you!" he sneered.
"Look out!" Amelia screeched, finally getting the others' attention.
Lina and Zelgadis looked up just in time to see the Hellmaster's barbed tail whipping towards them at waist level.
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Vrumugun was just finishing up a report in his office when he first sensed that something was amiss. There was the grating sound of shuffling footsteps in the hallway just outside his door. He sighed and put his quill back in the inkwell. Slayers prided themselves on their ability to move like shadows in the night. Whoever was out in the hall was making enough noise to wake the dead. Disciplinary action was in order.
Fixing a scowl upon his face, Vrumugun abruptly pulled the office door open, intending to startle the intruder. He gasped when the rotted corpse of a long dead priest flung itself through the doorway, knocking him forcefully onto his back.
Vrumugun gagged at the stench of the man as he struggled to fend the creature off. Barely holding it at bay, he glanced at his desk. His sword lay against the chair, a few feet away from his position.
Elbowing the thing in the jaw, Vrumugun bought himself enough time to turn over onto his stomach. He quickly scrabbled over towards the blade but was halted by the creature's weight landing on his back.
Vrumugun's fingers brushed against the blade, knocking it to the floor, just out of reach again.
The priest hissed and began to rake Vrumugun's back with its bony fingers, slicing the Slayer's cloak to tatters and leaving long bloody gashes in his flesh.
Vrumugun quietly grunted in pain and dragged himself another few inches towards his blade. He grasped it tightly and was about to turn when he felt the creature's teeth sink into the side of his neck.
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Gourry watched Lina and the others apprehensively. He desperately wanted to be fighting beside her, but at the moment Sylphiel needed his help more. Besides, he begrudgingly admitted as he watched her nimbly leap over a swing of Hellmaster's tail, she could take care of herself when she needed to.
Cautiously, Gourry crept around the edge of the chamber, trying to stay in the shadows while avoiding the hands of the people woven to the wall. He looked at them briefly, wondering if they were even aware anymore. He hoped not. Another few feet and he finally reached Sylphiel.
Sensing danger, the corpse that was closest to her turned to face Gourry and hissed at him. An instant after Gourry drew the Sword of Light, it was missing both its arms and its head.
Gourry quickly sheathed the Sword of Light and worked to untangle Sylphiel from the wall. He grimaced when he saw that the Hellmaster had punctured her hand to bind her to the wall. He briefly wondered why anyone would want to do something like that to good-hearted Sylphiel, but quickly decided that was a question for another time.
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Deep within the recesses of the Hellmaster's mind was a dirty little room with rusty bars on the doors and window. The quiet sound of a weeping child echoed through the darkness.
Phibrizzo was curled up in the corner of the cell that the Hellmaster had created for him He sobbed quietly, afraid that he'd never see Sylphy again. It was sad. She was a nice lady. All the others that Hellmaster had killed had been too scared to talk to Phibrizzo.
Sylphy was different though. When Hellmaster had gone into her mind and told her that she was alone and no one cared about her, Phibrizzo had talked to her. He sniffed, recalling the first time they had talked.
Phibrizzo had been watching the pretty lady cry for a few minutes from behind a large rock. She'd been sitting alone in the middle of a desolate wasteland. There hadn't been a living thing for miles around. The Hellmaster had left her there in total isolation.
Deciding that Hellmaster wasn't going to be back for a little while, Phibrizzo hesitantly came out from his hiding place. He quietly cleared his throat and said, "Hello."
Sylphiel had been frightened when she saw Phibrizzo and cowered. "Please," she had pleaded, "I don't want to see anything else." She stood and was about to run when he called out.
"Please Miss, don't go!" Phibrizzo had said, raw desperation in his voice. Sylphiel had been the first person he'd seen in so long and he didn't think he could stand for her to leave.
Sylphiel had stopped in her tracks and turned back to look at him. "You're not him are you?" she asked while taking a tentative step towards him.
Phibrizzo shook his head and said, "No Miss." He paused for a moment before continuing. "He showed you bad things, didn't he? He does that to me a lot."
Sylphiel knelt down in front of Phibrizzo and looked into his eyes. "You know what he is, don't you?"
Phibrizzo nodded and said, "He's the Hellmaster. He tells me that that a lot."
Sylphiel's eyes widened in horror and she clapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh god," she whispered. The Hellmaster. The greatest and vilest of Shabranigdo's servants. What did a demon like that want with her?
Phibrizzo looked around apprehensively, seeing black storm clouds brewing on the horizon. Hellmaster was coming back. He grabbed Sylphiel's hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come on Miss," he said as he watched the storm approach. "He'll hurt you if he finds you again."
That was how it had begun. Phibrizzo had taken Sylphiel back into the recesses of his own mind, right under the Hellmaster's nose. There, they had planned.
Phibrizzo was startled back to the present by the sound of knocking on the bars of the cell. He looked up and grinned when he saw a familiar face standing outside the cell. "Sylphy!"
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Hellmaster laughed as he toyed with Lina and the others. He whipped his tail around just over their heads and growled, "Pitiful! Is that really the best you can do Inverse?"
Lina nimbly leapt back out of Hellmaster's range and frowned. He was toying with them and there was nothing that they could do about it. "Damn it," she muttered, "We've got to get close to him if we want to beat him."
Amelia mulled over Lina's words for a moment before formulating a brilliant plan. She yelled, "Don't worry, Miss Lina! I'll take care of this!" as she sprang into action. She darted to the side and leapt high into the air. A moment later, she'd braced her feet against one of the bodies bound to the wall. A cocky grin on her face, she pushed off, flipping in midair before coming to rest on Hellmaster's tail. Quickly she dropped to all fours and wrapped her arms and legs around the thrashing appendage. "Go get him, Miss Lina!" she called out triumphantly. "I've got his tail!" She looked at the bewildered expressions on Lina and Zelgadis's faces and realized what she had done. "Why have I got his tail?!" she shrieked.
Hellmaster chuckled and casually flicked the annoying acrobat off, launching her across the chamber. There was a loud thud as she slammed into the far wall face first. He glanced at Zelgadis and smirked before saying, "Tear her apart."
Hellmaster's tapestry immediately responded.
"Ow," Amelia whimpered as she massaged the rapidly growing knot on her head. She yelped in surprise as she felt a half dozen hands yank her off the ground. A pair of arms snaked around her throat and began to twist her head painfully to the side. Another hand grabbed a clump of her hair and started to tug on it violently shaking her head back and forth. More hands ensnared her flailing limbs and began to pull her every which way. "Mr. Zelgadis," she hissed pleadingly, unable to draw enough breath to yell out loud.
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"Sylphy!" Phibrizzo repeated enthusiastically. He jumped to his feet and ran to the door of the cell. He hugged Sylphiel as best he could through the rusty bars. "How'd you get back here?" he asked a moment later.
"I think Hellmaster's distracted," Sylphiel said while looking around the chamber. It had become a lot darker and dirtier since the last time she had been here.
"Yeah," Phibrizzo said, noticing Sylphiel's attention to the chamber. "He's been changing things around since you left."
Sylphiel frowned as she looked around. Phibrizzo's mind had been bright and vibrant before. Now the colors had become dull. The corners of the chamber were a nightmare of impossible angles and darkness. What was Hellmaster doing to the boy? She looked back at Phibrizzo and smiled. "We have to get you out of here."
Phibrizzo shook his head and said, "I can't get the door open. He locked it this time."
There was a loud click and the cell door swung slowly open.
"How?" Phibrizzo asked, looking to Sylphiel for answers.
"He doesn't have time to watch you right now," Sylphiel answered. She cocked her head, as if hearing a voice and smiled at Phibrizzo apologetically. "I have to go," she said sadly.
"No!" Phibrizzo yelled. He quickly stepped out of the cell and tried to hug Sylphiel. To his shock, he passed right through her. Without having anything to grab onto, he overbalanced and fell to his hands and knees. "Huh?"
Sylphiel knelt beside Phibrizzo, looking more and more intangible by the second. "I don't have much time, so listen to me. The others can't stop Hellmaster by themselves. You have to help."
Phibrizzo shook his head vehemently. "I can't do it by myself Sylphy! Stay with me!" His words echoed through the empty chamber. Sylphiel was gone and he was alone again.
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"Amelia!" Zelgadis yelled as he bolted across the chamber, leaving an exhausted Lina to face the Hellmaster alone.
"Lovely," Lina growled as she looked up at the demon looming over her. She scowled and said, "Well, are you ready to give up yet?" She leapt back as Hellmaster lunged at her, imbedding his talons in the floor where she'd been standing a moment before. "I guess that's a no."
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Xellos set down his quill and sighed. "How very dull," he muttered to himself. The priest's superior had told him in no uncertain terms that he was forbidden to interfere in the events that were unfolding. Quite dull indeed. Just watching couldn't really be construed as interference, could it? Of course it couldn't, he decided after a moment of consideration. Besides, it wasn't every day that one had the opportunity to witness the end of the world.
His decision made, Xellos turned to his crimson haired guest and winked at her mischievously. "I'm sorry Anna, but I've just recalled a previous engagement. See you." He stood and made a show of leaning heavily on his staff while he made his way towards the door.
"A previous engagement?" Anna repeated, on the verge of hysterics. "Out there?!" she asked, pointing at the door. The sound of screaming could be faintly heard through the wood.
"Well, of course," Xellos said as if going out into the maelstrom of death was the most natural thing in the world. "Oh," he said while scratching his head, "Did you want to come too?"
Anna shook her head slowly.
"To each their own, I suppose." Xellos nodded amicably as he continued past her. He paused at the threshold of the cathedral and called over his shoulder, "You really are safe in here. And I doubt that you'll have to wait for very long. I expect things will be over soon, one way or the other. Bye!" Saying that, he pushed the doors open and calmly walked out into the chaos.
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"Sylphiel?" Gourry whispered. He gently lowered the dark haired girl to the floor, out of reach of the grasping hands of the wall. "Sylphiel?" he repeated, lightly slapping her cheek.
Sylphiel moaned and slowly opened her eyes. "Phibrizzo?" she muttered while looking around for the young boy. He'd been with her a moment ago. She finally saw Gourry kneeling beside her and gasped in surprise. "Is it… is it really you, Gourry dear?" she asked cautiously. She reached out with her injured hand and tentatively touched his face. "It is you," she said, a smile forming on her face. She flung her arms around his neck and held him tightly. "I was so scared!"
"It's okay," Gourry muttered embarrassedly. Sylphiel was a little closer than he was used too and quite naked on top of that. He tried to look her over for injuries but found the situation to be a little too awkward. He ended up staring at the floor as he muttered, "Are you alright, Sylphiel?"
Sylphiel nodded shyly, her face quickly turning a bright shade of red. "I'm fine, Gourry dear." She smiled up at him. Hellmaster had been lying to her after all. Here was her Gourry, her knight in shining armor, risking his life to save her. Despite the horrible situation and the fact that it was far from over, she felt strangely happy. Impulsively, she leaned forward and kissed Gourry. Her eyes slid closed as she savored the moment.
After a moment, Sylphiel sensed something was amiss. Shouldn't Gourry have been kissing her in return? She opened her eyes to see him looking at something across the room. She turned to see Lina fighting a desperate battle against a huge demon. She turned back to Gourry, painful comprehension finally dawning on her. He didn't love her.
"Sylphiel?"
Sylphiel looked up at Gourry and forced herself to smile.
"Will you be okay?" Gourry asked. "Lina needs my help against Hellmaster."
"Hellmaster?" Sylphiel muttered quizzically. She took another look at the demon and got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She grabbed Gourry by the collar and asked, "Where's Phibrizzo?!"
Gourry was taken aback by Sylphiel's sudden display of aggressiveness and said, "Phibrizzo?"
"He's a sweet little boy," Sylphiel explained patiently. "Hellmaster's been using him to carry out his plan."
Gourry wordlessly pointed at the demon. "Well, that guy was a little boy a few minutes ago."
"Oh no," Sylphiel whispered before turning back to the swordsman. "Please listen carefully. You can't let Lina hurt him! Phibrizzo is in there somewhere. I have to save him." She looked at Gourry pleadingly. "I promised him that I'd save him."
"Oh boy, Lina's not going to like this," Gourry said apprehensively while shaking his head. He stood and, drawing the Sword of Light, charged into the fray.
Sylphiel watched Gourry leave with a concerned look on her face. He didn't love her, but that didn't mean that she didn't care for him. Shaking her head, she turned to the task at hand. Despite the fact that she couldn't fight Hellmaster directly, she couldn't just sit idly by. She must be able to help in some capacity. "A demon. Hellmaster is a demon," she whispered, the beginnings of a plan forming in her mind. She scrambled to her feet and ran over to where her clothes were piled on the floor.
"It has to be here somewhere," Sylphiel said almost pleadingly as she rummaged through the pile. She momentarily worried that Hellmaster had taken it away, when she heard the sound of something metallic hitting the floor behind her. Her face lit up as she turned to see a shiny medallion of Ceiphied sticking out of a crack between two stones.
Sylphiel quickly snatched it up wondering how it had gotten there. She examined it for a moment. It was definitely the medallion that her father had given her. Made from steel, it wasn't as shiny as Lina's, but the craftsmanship was unequalled.
Sylphiel clasped her hands together around the medallion, smearing it with her blood. Ignoring the pain, she began to quietly recite a prayer for purity. "Oh great and noble Ceiphied. Come before me and deliver us from evil…"
Unseen by the dark haired girl, a certain purple haired priest stepped back into the shadows of the chamber. He cocked his head and grinned mischievously. "Oh, not at all," he said with a waggle of his finger. "I'm afraid that I must respectfully disagree. I'm not interfering. I prefer to think of it as giving them a nudge in the right direction."
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"Amelia!" Zelgadis shouted as he hewed at the myriad limbs pulling the acrobat every which way.
All that could be seen of Amelia were her terrified blue eyes. The tapestry had almost engulfed her completely.
"Damn you!" he snarled as a grasping hand yanked his sword free of his hand and flung it away. "Let her go!" he demanded. He began to tear at the bodies with his bare hands, pulling large chunks of rotten flesh and bone away from the bodies.
Ever so slowly, Zelgadis began to make headway in his attempt to reach Amelia.
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Gaav laughed as another wave of dead criminals poured through the doorway of the station. "Fresh meat! Let's go!" he called out to less than enthusiastic guards huddling behind him. "What's the matter, ladies? Do you want to live forever?!"
"Well, now that you mention it…" Zangulus mumbled under his breath.
Gaav grinned and grabbed the back of Zangulus's cloak with one huge hand. "Come on, Zangladus! Those bastards aren't going to kill themselves you know! Get in there!" He effortlessly lifted the swordsman off the ground.
"You… You wouldn't!" Zangulus stammered. A jovial laugh was his answer and he suddenly found himself flying through the air towards the throng of zombies. He looked over his shoulder and shouted, "You ass!" before being swallowed by the crowd.
Gaav laughed again as he waded into the melee, broadsword swinging. "That's the spirit Zangladus! We'll make a warrior out of you yet!"
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"She said what?!" Lina said as she narrowly avoided another swing of Hellmaster's tail.
"She said not to hurt him," Gourry repeated as he deflected a swipe of Hellmaster's talons with the Sword of Light.
"Well, how the hell am I supposed to beat him then?!" Lina demanded. "Harsh language?!"
Gourry shrugged apologetically and grinned. "She said that the boy was still alive, so you probably shouldn't kill him."
"Still alive?" Lina muttered, hardly daring to hope. She looked at Hellmaster. Could Phibrizzo really still be alive, hidden behind that monstrous visage? She thought that he'd been killed when Hellmaster assumed that form, but maybe… She felt a twinge of hope and smiled. There was still a chance then.
"So," Gourry said nervously, "If we're not going to hurt him, how are we going to beat him?"
Lina turned to Gourry and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her mind had suddenly become a complete blank. "Well, uh, yeah," she stammered, nodding as if she had said something quite profound.
Gourry raised a questioning eyebrow and was about to ask Lina to elaborate on her brilliant strategy when Hellmaster lunged towards her.
Gourry darted forward, shoving Lina out of the way. An instant later, he was snatched off the ground by a fist the size of his torso. The Sword of Light was knocked from his grasp and fell at Lina's feet.
Hellmaster chuckled wickedly and began to squeeze.
Gourry groaned in pain. The pressure on his chest was making it hard to breathe and he was seeing black spots. He looked down to see Lina staring up at him, totally motionless. Why was she just standing there? He gritted his teeth and spat out a single word wit the last of his air. "Run!"
Lina trembled at the raw fury in Gourry's voice. "I… I won't leave you!" she stammered, only to receive a furious glare from the swordsman. She took a hesitant step backwards, before shaking her head determinedly. She grabbed the Sword of Light and prepared to charge the Hellmaster, who was watching the exchange with an amused expression on his face. "Light come forth!" she commanded.
The blade sprang into existence, bathing the chamber in its holy light, and making the mighty Hellmaster hesitate. In that brief moment, Lina thought that there was hope. Then, her mind was flooded with self-doubt. She hadn't been able to use the sword before so why would it be any different now?
Sensing her confusion, the blade flickered and disappeared, leaving the exhausted Lina defenseless.
Hellmaster laughed and brought Gourry up to his mouth. "Down the hatch," he snickered wickedly before opening his mouth. There was a loud crack, and his jaw unhinged like a snake's to reveal row upon row of bloody misshapen teeth.
"Stupid!" Gourry wheezed. He spat up a small amount of blood and sucked in a shallow breath. "Run away," he said, imploring Lina to obey him with his eyes. "Please," he mouthed inaudibly.
"Gourry," Lina whispered, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. She was about to turn and obey his command when Hellmaster called out to her.
"Wait a moment, Lina. I'd hate for you to miss this. How far do you think I can spit his head?" Hellmaster snickered wickedly and tried to bite down on Gourry's head. His mouth began to close, but stopped short just before reaching his meal. The cruel glee on his face was quickly replaced by a look of consternation and he muttered, "What the hell? I can't kill him." Changing tactics, he tried to crush the life out of the swordsman, but found himself loosening his grip instead. "Phibrizzo!" he bellowed. "I'll skin you alive you little bastard!"
Lina looked incredibly bewildered at the events unfolding in front of her. "Phibrizzo?" she whispered. Then, something incredibly strange happened.
Hellmaster began to shrink.
"What the hell is happening to me?" Hellmaster demanded. He glared at Lina who could only shrug in confusion. The Slayer apparently had nothing to do with this alarming development.
Hellmaster's massive frame was quickly dwindling. His tail dropped off his body and thrashed about on the ground for a moment before laying still. He screamed in agony, as the process of turning into a demon seemed to run in reverse. His skin mended itself as his stature receded. His horns retracted into his skull and a mess of unruly black hair sprung from his scalp. The red light in his eye sockets faded only to be replaced by renewed amber colored eyes.
Gourry fell to the floor in a heap. He wasn't moving.
Lina ran over to the swordsman and knelt down beside him. She gingerly cradled his head in her lap and breathed a sigh of relief. Praise Ceiphied. He was still breathing. She chuckled quietly and began to cry. Without realizing what she was doing, she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. "Don't ever do that again," she gently admonished. "Do you hear me, you… you jellyfish? I'm not worth it."
Gourry didn't respond.
"What happened?" Hellmaster asked nobody in particular. He was crouched on his hands and knees, now fully back in the form of Phibrizzo. "What the hell happened?" he growled looking around the room. Lina? No, she had been just as confused as he was. Zelgadis? He was busy pulling that stupid acrobat of his collapsing tapestry. Collapsing?
Before Hellmaster's horrified eyes, the tapestry of blood was coming undone. The rusty wire that had bound the bodies together in a disturbing union was melting. Innumerable corpses rained down upon the chamber floor, exposing the bare walls behind them.
"No," Hellmaster whispered, his eyes as big as saucers. His beautiful work was being ruined. The voices of the dead had been silenced. "No," he repeated, raw desperation in his voice. It was coming apart. Everything was collapsing. His eyes focused on the portal in the center of the room. "NO!" he shrieked, noting that it was rapidly closing. "My plan! My beautiful plan! Who?" he demanded letting the question trail off.
A woman's voice answered Hellmaster's query. "Let all things be infused with your holy light…"
Hellmaster, a murderous expression on his face, turned to see Sylphiel kneeling, her hands clasped in prayer. "You…" he snarled taking a step towards the healer. "You… YOU WHORE!" he bellowed, breaking into a run. He'd pluck her eyes out and make her eat them for this. Followed by her fingers. And then he would make her suffer. Oh, yes indeed.
"…and dispel the Shadow wherever it- hmm?" Sylphiel said, startled out of her prayer by Hellmaster's yell. She looked up just in time to see the furious child fling himself at her.
Hellmaster bowled Sylphiel over and straddled her chest. He grabbed two fistfuls of her hair and began to savagely smash her head against the floor. He snarled, "Bleed you stupid bitch! Do you know what you've done?! A millennium of work down the drain! Do you have any idea of how long a thousand years is?! It's a long damn time! Do you think I did all this for fun?! Well, do you?!"
In the corner of the room Xellos had a hand clapped over his mouth, desperately struggling to contain his mirth. It seemed that the world would keep turning for a little longer. And it was incredibly fulfilling to see the Hellmaster lose his temper.
Hellmaster found himself lifted from atop Sylphiel by the back of his shirt and ended up face to face with an incredibly unhappy Zelgadis. "Oh, hello," he said, a big fake smile plastered on his face. "Don't mind us. We were just discussing-"
Zelgadis slammed his fist into Hellmaster's nose, turning it into a bloody mess. He flung the boy away from himself in disgust.
Hellmaster landed roughly on his butt a few feet away. "Damn it!" he yelled, cupping his ruined nose. "What is it with you people and breaking my nose?"
Zelgadis stepped towards Hellmaster with his sword raised.
"Don't hurt him," Sylphiel pleaded, wrapping her arms around Zelgadis's ankle. "Please."
Zelgadis looked down at the healer briefly and his expression softened ever so slightly. "Alright," he whispered as he lowered his sword. "Help her," he said to Amelia while pointing at Sylphiel.
"Lina staggered to her feet and glared down at Hellmaster. "You've lost," she stated flatly.
"Only because the bitch screwed up my spell with her incessant whining to Ceiphied," Hellmaster said while glaring daggers at Sylphiel.
"Don't call her that," Zelgadis said. "She's the reason you're still alive."
"And, oh boy, do I appreciate it," Hellmaster sarcastically retorted. "Do you maggots have the slightest idea of what the boss is going to do to me when I get back home?"
"It's over Hellmaster. Let him go," Lina commanded.
"Who?" Hellmaster asked, his voice dripping with false innocence.
"The little boy!" Amelia yelled from where she was helping Sylphiel to a sitting position.
"Oh!" Hellmaster said, smacking his fist into his palm. "Phibrizzo!"
Suddenly, the entire chamber began to shake as Hellmaster's spell failed. The building was coming apart at the seams.
"Look out!" Zelgadis yelled as he dove out of the way of a falling support beam.
Sensing his opportunity, Hellmaster made a mad dash towards the unstable portal. He yelled over his shoulder, "Sorry kids, I'm afraid that Phibrizzo's coming with me. I'll enjoy flaying his flesh from his bones. Ta ta!" he said, waving cheerfully before disappearing into the vortex.
Zelgadis snorted. "Well at least that's over." He turned to see Lina kneeling next to Gourry. "Oh no. You're not thinking what I think you're thinking are you?"
Lina picked up the Sword of Light. "I need to borrow this," she calmly explained to the unconscious swordsman. She didn't know if she'd be able to use it, but it was worth a try.
Zelgadis protested, "You can't be serious! You know that this is exactly what Hellmaster expects you to do, right? Lina, listen to me for a second! That is Hell!" He jabbed a finger in the direction of the portal to emphasize his point. "Do you know what that means?!"
The redhead gave Zelgadis a devil may care grin as she continued her preparations.
"Amelia, please talk some sense into her!" Zelgadis said desperately, turning to the acrobat.
"I'm going with you," Amelia said, trying to sound determined, but shaking like a leaf all the same.
"No, you're not!" Lina snarled. "You and Zelgadis take care of Gourry. I'll be back in a minute."
"Yeah, a minute's about all you have," Zelgadis said as he eyed the unstable portal. "Even if you find Phibrizzo, do you honestly think that you'll make it back? The portal's not going to stay open forever."
"Well I guess I shouldn't be wasting any more time talking then," Lina said. She looked at Gourry one last time before turning to Amelia. "Take care of him," she repeated. Then she was gone, swallowed by the darkness.
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Next Chapter: Escape
Notes: Sorry about that. This chapter was a devil to write and I've been really busy lately anyway, so that all adds up to the chapter being a week late. On the positive side of things, I'm finally pleased with the way things came out (it went through 3 rewrites). Hope you all enjoyed it.
100 reviews… *sniff* Thanks a bunch everyone! I never thought in a million years that I'd be getting a 100+ reviews. You know, there's this notion that an author writes to satisfy his or her own desire to create. I don't think that's quite true. If I didn't have people like you, people who actually enjoy reading my work, I don't think that the story would have made it past the first couple of chapters. Well, I guess I'll stop boring you with the speech, but thanks again everyone!
Reader Response:
Pogo, didn't Sylphiel have a lovely time in this chapter? No, wait. I guess she didn't.
Thank you kindly, Miss Gabriev. Yep, you were reviewer #100. *throws confetti* I guess you win a prize or something. Um, how about some confetti?
Otaku girl, I hope you aren't really going to attack me with spiders. How will I do 17 if I'm being mauled by horrible arachnids? Sick and demented, you say? Thanks for the compliment!
Dragonet, one of my quotes is going to grace your wall? I'm flattered. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
CT, Xellos didn't really help Lina and the others. He just helped them help themselves. Luna gave the necklace to Lina. As for its powers, it's more about the person than the medallion.
???, let me ask you something. Are you a query or a question? Just for the record, I happen to be a guy. If I were a betting person, I'd guess that you are too. Am I right?
Thanks a bunch for your incredibly quick turnaround Boo! I really appreciate it.