To the end

Ramon: our new fic. Another Lina and Gourry fic, which many will enjoy.

Sunny: The Slayers and all its characters don't belong to us, it belongs to Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Arazumi.

Alandra: we hope that you people can enjoy this new fic.

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Chapter 1

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We find Gourry practicing some swings on a new sword since he lost his sword of light during their fight against the Dark Star, and now Gourry needs a new sword if he wants to keep up protecting Lina.

"Ah yes, you are a magnificent swordsman, there is no question that that sword was made for you to buy dear customer." Said the blacksmith a little impassion because Gourry has been almost two hours trying to chose a sword.

"Actually it is too light, which means that the sword is too delicate and it would break easily, don't you have anything much heavier?" asked Gourry examining the sword, because swords are indeed his specialty.

"You got to be kidding me……." the Blacksmith wined.

"Damn it Gourry!" complained Lina who was more tire of waiting than the blacksmith. "Does it take so long to pick up a new sword?"

"Give me a break Lina. I was always passion when ever you were on buying some magical stuff, so don't you dare complain." Replied Gourry remembering all the times he had to wait for Lina.

"Damn, I'm surprise that you remember that Gourry!"

"Honestly Lina, what do you think I am? A Dummy?"

Lina did not respond, it would be too easy. But then she let out a deep sad sigh. "I'm really going to miss all this……." Said Lina in her mind.

"What's wrong Lina?" asked Gourry when he heard Lina's sigh.

"Oh nothing Gourry…….I'll……I'll wait for you outside." Said Lina as she left the store.

Gourry just watched her leave, but he could tell that she's been really strange, and kind of depress as well. She's been like this since their victory over the Dark Star. Gourry knows Lina very well and he can tell that there is something that is troubling her very much, but of course she won't tell him, she never tells her problems to any one, not even to him. "Lina…..what is wrong with you?"

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Lina sited near a fountain, waiting for Gourry, and with a heavy heart because she has made the most difficult decision of her life. "How much every thing changed. It has been six weeks since we defeated the Dark Star in the new world, Filia is taking care of Valgarv, Amelia returned to Seilune and Zelgadiss accompanied her, it seems that he will try to find his cure there." Lina then looks up at the sky. "And I'll still traveling with Gourry, and with out his sword of Light. Funny there were once a time when Gourry lost his sword of Light and it was against the Helmaster, and I didn't care if he didn't had it anymore, after all that has happen to us back then I wanted to continue traveling with Gourry, but thanks to Xellos he got his sword back. But now….." Lina looks back down and hold up her knees. "But now things are different. Back then I didn't know that I would face the Dark star who was indeed much more powerful that Helmaster and we needed the sword back then, but now we don't have it and what will happen if we end up facing someone much more powerful than the Dark star? And will Gourry manage to survive if he doesn't have a powerful object like the sword of light with him? And worst of all I'm been having terrible nightmares about all this, seeing Gourry dying right in front of me……and it is possible that this might happen, after all I'm the one who's always attacked by Mazokus, so……so I have made this difficult decision……I'm going to separate myself from Gourry." Lina let out some tears when she said those words. "That is why we are going on this last adventure together, we are off to track down a bandit that has a height price on his head, an amazing one in fact. But don't plan of keeping that prize money to myself, which will probably surprise every one who knows me, but I'm going to give that money to Gourry. It's the least I can do for him after he put up with me and all these dangerous adventures; I'm giving it to him so that he might start a new life with out me." Lina's hands start to shake because of the difficult decision she has ever made in her life, she is going to leave the man who became a big part of her life, and she is going to leave him for his own good but with a big sacrifice in her heart.

"Lina!" called Gourry leaving the blacksmiths store and reaching for Lina.

"Gourry?" Lina got up and cleaned up her face so that Gourry could not see her tears. The last thing she wants is Gourry to see her this weak. "So you finally buy up a sword, you jelly fish?"

"Yeah, I manage to get one, but the blacksmith gave it to me free. I don't know why."

Lina sweet drooped, it seems that the blacksmith was just to tire of Gourry. "Never mind that, so lets go off going hunting on that bandit I talked about."

"What bandit?"

Lina almost fall down. "You idiot! Can't you remember anything? We are going to find a bandit that has an enormous prize on his head!"

"So we are going to be bounty hunter this time? I thought that you hated bounty hunters, Lina."

"No we are not going to be bounty hunters!" said Lina almost shouting, remembering the trouble she had in the past with bounty hunter because of Eries. "We are just going to find a bandit that has the prize of six hundred million gold coins on his head."

This was enough for Gourry to lose his balance and fall to the ground. "S-six hundred million? You got to e joking, I never thought that there was anyone with such a bounty on his head."

"But there is Gourry, and the best of all it is our old friend Prince Phill who is offering this reward."

"Prince Phill? But why?"

"I don't know Gourry, but that doesn't matter, we are off bandit hunting!"

"Wait Lina!" called Gourry with a worry voice. "If this bandit has an enormous bounty on him, don't you think that it also means that he's very dangerous?"

Lina didn't pay to much importance to that question. "Don't be silly Gourry, it hasn't been born yet the bandit that can take down the great and beautiful Lina Inverse!"

"I hope your right……"

"Now lets go Gourry!" after saying that Lina and Gourry started to walk down the streets to an inn. And this isn't any town that Lina has picked to get a new sword for Gourry. This city is just like the city of Sandria, it is full with bounty hunters and many other adventurers, so this is a perfect place to find information about the bandit that she's looking for.

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Once they finally entered to an inn, Lina and Gourry noticed that it is full of swordsman and bounty hunters, some of them look like they have been in a lot of fights.

"How may I help you?" asked the innkeeper.

"We need a place to stay for the night." Said Lina.

"Your in luck young ones, we have a few rooms for today."

"Good, now can you give us some information, we are looking for a bandit."

"I see, you two are bounty hunters, are you not?"

"NO!" snarled Lina, she hates it when people mistake her for a bounty hunter.

"I figure, you two are too young to be bounty hunters. So what is the name of the bandit you seek?" asked the innkeeper in a normal voice, a voice that says that he is used of people asking him for information about bandits

"His name is……Air Jay!"

Every one of the inn gasped in horror when they heard Lina, like if they've saw a monster coming their way.

"Air Jay!" cried one of the bounty hunters.

"Air Jay is coming!" cried another bounty hunter.

And every one in the inn started to run away, like if they were running for their lives.

Only Lina, Gourry and the innkeeper stayed.

"What is their problem?" asked Gourry with a sweet droop, he never saw this kind of reaction before.

"I don't know." Responded Lina also confused herself. The only time she sees this kind of reaction is when bandits hear her name.

The inn keeper finally looks up from his table, a little terrified himself to see that it was all a false alarm. "My dear lady, don't you dare speak that name again!"

Lina looks back at the innkeeper. "Why not? You people know Air Jay?"

"Yes we do, and quite frankly, Air Jay has terrified all of us!"

"Really?" this caught Lina's curiosity. She wonders what kind of man this Air Jay character is for many people to be so afraid of him, even bounty hunters.

"Yes, he has an impressive strength, his heart is as dark as night and his evil killer eyes can even stab you to your soul!"

Lina sweet dropped. "Hold on a minute here, you people are afraid of him because of his looks?"

"No! This city was once very famous because it was over populated with bounty hunters and many adventurers, but after what happen four yeas ago, not so many bounty hunters come here any more."

"What do you mean? What happen?" asked Gourry.

"Air Jay appeared to this city with his little dog four years ago, even with the bounty that he has on his head he walked around very arrogantly like he didn't had a care in the world. So finally a group of 50 bounty hunters decided to attack him, but all 50 of them were defeated."

"All 50 of them?" asked Lina amazed, she never thought that there might be some one strong enough to take down so many men.

"Yes, but the vision of what happen that day is something that I can never get it out of my head. Many of those bounty hunters died with just a simple punch from Air Jay, some got burn alive with some kind of magic that he uses. It was horrible!" said the innkeeper in a horrified voice as he remembers what happen four years ago. "Something that I can not dare to describe it, but all I can say is that ever since that day, Air Jay passes sometimes to this city and all the bounty hunters don't even dare to mess with him, in fact just the mere mention of his name brings them fear. But of course they are acted that way because Air Jay just passed by this city just yesterday."

"He passed to this city just yesterday?" asked Lina with a grin. "Where did he go to?"

"Why do you want to know?" asked the innkeeper, avoiding responding to that question.

"BECAUSE YES!" screamed Lina with a dangerous face.

"There, there!" responded the innkeeper very quickly, pointing to the window which is showing the woods. "The last time I saw him he was walking to that road which leaves you to other cities."

"Good now show us to our rooms!" demanded Lina.

"But….but you two still want to go after Air Jay?" asked the innkeeper, looking at Lina and Gourry like if they are crazy.

"But of course!" replied Lina with her cocky face.

"When Lina gets an idea in her head there's no stopping her." Said Gourry.

"Please, you two listen to me! I beg you, reconsider your plans. Air Jay heartlessly defeated 50 men like if they were nothing but dolls. Why do you two want to risk it? What chances do you two think you have against a monster like Air Jay?"

"Because he never fought some one like Lina Inverse." Responded Lina in a mighty voice.

The Inn keeper gasped. "Lina Inverse? The famous bandit killer?"

"That's me. now show us to our rooms already!"

"Yes, yes of course." After that the innkeeper said nothing more and lead Lina and Gourry to their rooms. "Lina Inverse versus Air Jay, that would be a duel of the titans. Who can win this fight?" thought the innkeeper.

Gourry on the other hand has a concern look on his face. "I don't know why, but I have a real bad feeling about this." He thought to himself.

Lina was also concern as well. "What could have this Air Jay character beat those 50 men? It must have been a terrible show for every so that every one in this is afraid of him. But no matter, I'm going to get that reward for Gourry, and no one will stop me!

To be continued……………

Alandra: Air Jay is here. This character belongs to us has many knows.

Sunny: and don't miss the next chapter.