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"Xelloss, Xelloss, Xelloss. It would appear that you really do care for this little witch, I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my very own eyes." Faroh taunted, watching as Xelloss handed the possibly-already-dead-Lina to Hiyo and Zelgadiss. He gave them a smile before motioning for them to leave. "Take care of Lina-san for me, I'll handle this."

Zelgadiss hurried Hiyo ahead before giving Xelloss final annoyed glance. "Don't die, you damned fruitcake. Despite what she says Lina cares about you, don't screw it up this time." He ran down the foyer after Hiyo, and Xelloss just shook his head grinning before shutting the door soundly. "So, Faroh is it? I've heard of you, but never would I have imagined you'd look so weak."

Faroh snarled, for the first time showing any other emotion besides giddiness. Xelloss chuckled at how easily this man was provoked and even wondered why Lina hadn't managed to do it herself. "Would you like to continue this outside? I think it would be best if I didn't completely destroy your little home."

Xelloss smirked, and his eyes opened to increase the terrifying image of him beginning to lose his temper. "No? Then have it your way." He flexed his body inwards, a sphere of light incasing his body, and he straightened out like a spring sending a yellow-white light crashing through the walls, breaking Faroh's barrier.

He hovered in the air, not even bothering to look down to make sure Lina and the others were alright. Whilst she lay in his arms he had cast a barrier spell onto her earring, wisely knowing what was to become of this flimsy building. He spotted Faroh amidst the smoke, suspended into the air as well, and he didn't look too happy. He roared as if he was the Dragon King Ceifeed himself and unleashed a red flare of energy towards Xelloss, which he dodged with his usual ease, but he was quicker then Xelloss had imagined him to be. Faroh had anticipated his moves and was suddenly behind him, unleashing another red cosmic wave.

Xelloss groaned as the shot hit him straight through his body, sending him into the ground below. He recovered just in time as Faroh teleported downwards to strike down on him with his staff, but Xelloss blocked it with his own staff, struggling against the knight's power. In a desperate attempt to get away, he exploited the Knight's most obvious weakness. While they sparred he taunted softly. "Oh, come now Faroh, I know you can do better then that. Didn't you say this was going to be my last day on earth? You might as well stop holding back on my account." He teleported around and around with him, appearing at every possibile angle. And yet it seemed impossbile to catch him off guard, for everywhere Xelloss went Faroh was prepared with a rebound attack that he could barely keep dodging.

Faroh jumped back, smiling greedily. "You want me to stop holding back mazoku? Then as you command, Xelloss." He raised his staff over his head, his eyes glowing a dark blue. "I call upon you, oh great lord of the shinzoku, grant me the full extent of your powers and together we shall punish those who oppose us! Dragon Lord Ceifeed become my guide and liege in my quest for power!"

Xelloss cursed himself; it would seem that his plan had backfired. Despite his powers as a mazoku he doubted that whatever the Knight had in mind could be easily deflected, but then there was always other ways of stopping it. A whirlwind of red and black energy encircled the Knight, his staff glowing in an obvious preparation for attack. "Xelloss you fool!" The tornado took form of a huge dragon, growling and snarling as Faroh completed his spell. It detached itself from his staff, closing in on Xelloss with great speed.

A black orb formed in his hands, he expanded his hand outward while the black orb grew as his arms widened. The spell sank itself into the black sphere forcefully being sucked into its dark depth within Xelloss's hands. When the end had been devoured by his energy, Xelloss reversed it using up his powers to their near limit, sending the dragon right back at Faroh with twice as much impact.

The collision of the two brought an immense explosion, and even Xelloss was thrown back by the force. He smacked into one of the only left standing boards still attached to the old mansion, the wood howling as the wind blew through them. Faroh's form appeared amongst all of the chaos, his body laying limp on the ground. Xelloss winced while limping towards him, staring down at him feeling no mercy at all.

"You bastard Xelloss, even while I lay here dying I pity you the most. You'll only end up being thwarted by your own pitiful feelings for a human, and you know it. Lina Inverse will be the death of you, mazoku." Xelloss grinned evilly down at him, bending down close to his face. "Ah, such an impetuous man you are. What you say may be the truth, but since I will be the only one living another day you'll never know, now will you?" He crushed his foot onto Faroh's hand, his face twisting into a look of enjoyment to his pain. So many negative emotions just flowing off this human's body, it was like a Christmas feast and it was all his.

Faroh screamed, and gave Xelloss such a look of pure hatred that he just had to laugh, this was simply precious. Finally his face became stiff and Xelloss watched as his last breath was taken, his eyes falling down slowly. He turned away from the soon-to-be corpse, his face held no particular emotion; it was just an expression of what he supposed to be guilt or maybe even pain.

Before he could reach Lina and the others, the-mazoku-with-no-name appeared with his face an angry mess. "Damn you! You killed my master!" He raised his sword into the air and charged, while Xelloss just simply watched. He almost welcomed the thought of dying, but the mazoku's body suddenly caught fire and his body exploded on sight.

Zelgadiss stood a couple of feet away, his palm upraised and poised. Xelloss smiled. "Awwh, Zelly-san, does this mean you're finally warming up to me?"

Zelgadiss rolled his eyes, walking up to Xelloss to offer him a shoulder to support him with. "This isn't the time to be a smart ass Xelloss, Hiyo is trying everything she knows about white magic to help Lina but not much is working." He said while he helped Xelloss limp to the others.

"I have to say it was smart of you to cast that spell on Lina, Xelloss, you really saved us all." Xelloss grinned sadly. "Yes I suppose so, but if Lina-san doesn't make it then what was the point of protecting her at all?"

Zelgadiss didn't answer, but just stared ahead. Xelloss followed his gaze, and if he'd had a heart he was sure that it would have stopped beating. Lina's face was white-too white. Her head lay limp in Hiyo's lap, while Hiyo's hands were cupped over the wound a faint glow making them seem transparent. She looked up to them with tears in her eyes, her voice quivering as much as her body was.

"Mr. Xelloss, I don't think she'll make it." She sobbed, looking back down at the wound. "I can't take the knife out because it hit a major artery, so if I remove it"-she bit her lip and choked back another sob-"she'll bleed to death. I'm not experienced enough in white magic to stop that much bleeding. Her heart beat is so slow Mr. Xelloss...her body is getting so cold..." Hiyo trailed off, her voice fading similar to Lina's life span.

Zelgadiss let Xelloss down gently to sit next to Lina, while he walked around her to put a supporting hand on Hiyo's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll save her Hiyo, the wound is already closing." Hiyo offered him a watery smile. "I sure hope so Mr. Zelgadiss, if not I don't know how I could ever expect to call myself a protector of the innocent when I can't even save one noble woman's life."

He nodded, and glanced at Xelloss, who was staring down at Lina's pale face with no emotion at all. He reached out a hand to run his finger down her cheek, and smiled wryly. She was ironically just as cold as he was, maybe even colder. It pained him to see her face so dead, to see her usually over-spunked aura of dominance now dampened out by approaching death. "Lina-san..." He murmured absently, now stroking her hair. Even that seemed to have dimmed as well, resembling a flickering candle he watched as her once brightly burning flame now struggling to hold on to the only fragments of life still lingering within her.

One part of him tried to convince himself that he wanted her alive again so that he could complete his orders, but the other part knew that he just wanted to see her smile again, to see her give him that knowing gleam in her eyes as she told of her plans of victory, he just wanted her to be.

Lina was the one regret he'd ever had in all his years of living. Never had he given a second thought to any of the people he had disappointed or misled, but Lina's trust was the one thing he should have never tampered with. They both knew she hadn't disliked what he'd done, but it was just that the reasons he'd done it were all wrong. She didn't deserve that.

Xelloss could admit to himself at least that he held a strong sort of feeling for her, one that he wasn't sure just what to call. Seeing her die right in front of his eyes did not bring happiness to him at all, and that in an of itself was not normal. Just moments ago he had laughed in Faroh's face as he died under his boot, but with Lina it was tearing him apart in the strangest of ways.

And yet all he could do was watch over her, wishing that her eyes would flutter open and she could smile at them all while asking why they looked so sad. Lina was strong, and Hiyo had enough courage to do what she had to do to save her.

Lina would live through this, he was certain she would.

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...:(...