As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

63- Breaking the Ice

"Xellos, would you be a dear and hold my coat for me? It's warmer up here than I expected."

"Yes, Lord Beastmaster."

"And Lorelei, could you tilt the umbrella just a hair to the left? The glare on that ice is- oh, perfect. Thank you."

"Of course, Lord Beastmaster."

"Ah, where are they?" She pulled out a pocket-watch and tapped on it with a fingernail. "It's fifteen minutes prior to our arranged meeting time. Either those imbeciles don't know anything about etiquette, or they can't keep time in general."

"You can't expect them to be held to the same standards as you, Lord Beastmaster. You're a cut above." Lorelei assured her.

"This is true." Zelas murmured with some satisfaction.

Xellos took a step away from them and surveyed the view. The glacier's surface was covered in a layer of powdery snow, and it reflected the sunlight in all directions. It would be easy to get lost in this icy expanse of land if not for the trail markers set up by locals for the purposes of leading tours for adventure-seekers. Zelas had earlier taken pleasure in knocking one over, muttering "tourists" under her breath like she was laying a curse upon them. Perhaps she wastrying to curse anyone who would tread casually over what the Mazoku would consider holy ground.

"Are we going the right way?" "How should I know? I can't see a thing." "Look at that pool over there! The water is so blue!" "Yes, yes, we noticed." "It looks like every other one we've seen so far…" "Don't be so negative. Each one has its own special charm." "Special charm? Now I've heard everything."

Ah, yes. Holy ground.

"Welcome, Lord Pathosmaster… and, uh, guests." Zelas took a step forward and greeted them with a respectful nod. "Miss Lina, it's a pleasure to see you."

"The pleasure is all mine." Lina responded with strained cordiality. "You're the one who took such good care of Luke earlier, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you kept him safe and returned him to Imia. That was kind of you to worry about him."

Zelas kept her stern expression. "He may be useful to me later," was the only reply that she gave.

"Of course." Lina smiled through gritted teeth. She knew that it wouldn't do her any good to speak out against such a powerful Mazoku in this situation.

"It's a great honour to be in your presence once again, Lord Beastmaster!" Pestis bowed dramatically. "How long has it been since we last worked together- several centuries? You're looking just as beautiful and deadly as ever. Have you done something new with your hair? It has such a lovely shine to it. You simply must tell me your secret-"

"Lord Pathosmaster, it would do you some good not to pretend you're not here to fight me."

Professor Nisery flinched. "Fight? Come on now… that's such a harsh word."

"I assure you, I used that word because I meant it." Zelas responded curtly. "I already know all your little games and quirky mannerisms for- Lorelei! How many times must I tell you, no flirting with the enemy general?"

"Oops. Sorry." Lorelei had approached Enrique and Zara and begun talking playfully with them, but at the sound of her master's voice she quickly took her spot beside Xellos again. "Let's have cake together after the battle, okay you two?"

"Okay!" Zara called back with a smile, while Enrique was too flustered to do much besides wave.

Xellos cleared his throat. "Permission to speak, Lord Beastmaster?"

"Permission granted."

"If I may ask- Lord Pathosmaster, why have you brought your whole entourage with you today? We agreed on only one or two subordinates at most, and they were only for morale purposes-"

"Oh, them?" Pestis motioned toward Lina and the others. "They're not with me. Well, Enrique is with me. But not the others. They're on their own."

"We've come as an independent cohort to represent the needs of the human and dragon races." Lina explained.

"Y-yeah." Pestis nodded. "What she said."

"That's fine, I suppose. It's not like they're going to be a bother." Zelas sighed. "Just have them stay out of our way."

"Don't worry." Lina held her hands up innocently. "We'll just watch."

The Mazoku seemed to be satisfied with that, but Lyos pulled Lina aside for a moment. "What are you talking about?" he hissed, holding up the Banisher. "When am I supposed to do the thing?"

"Not yet." Lina whispered back. "Azarel isn't here yet."

"What are you so graciously talking about behind our backs?" Xellos appeared suddenly by Lina and Lyos' side. Lyos flinched and Lina jumped back a few steps.

"We were just wondering where Azarel is!" she replied. "It's just… surprising that they wouldn't be here yet. Isn't that right, Lyos?"

"Y-yeah." Lyos stammered.

"Hm." Xellos nodded, but he kept a sceptical frown on his face. "Speaking of absentees, where are the twins and Val today?"

"Why does that matter to you?" Filia asked pointedly. "Perhaps it'd be better if you left them alone."

"They're at the Lin Estate. Miss Lin is caring for them." Zelgadis spoke to Xellos, but placed his hand on Filia's arm in attempt to keep her from protesting.

"How nice. And you've just come from the Lin Estate, am I correct?"

"Yes. Professor Nisery gave us passage over the Astral Plane."

"And I thought he said that you weren't with him." Zelas spoke, sending a glare towards the professor.

"Just because I help facilitate peaceful relations between the races doesn't make me a traitor. Lighten up, will you?" Pestis defended himself weakly.

Zelas scrutinized him for a moment, but finally shrugged. "I suppose it's not fair of me to-"

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. There was a scream, and then an explosion from a quickly thrown spell. A cloud of steam enveloped a small area where the spell had hit the snow.

"What the-" Zelgadis' field of vision was suddenly blurred. Amelia grabbed his arm and pulled him several steps back.

"I think Azarel finally showed up." she murmured.

"No kidding." Zelgadis coughed.

The steam cleared after a few moments. Lina stood with her hands outstretched between Azarel and Lyos, who were staring one another down. Azarel was posed in a defensive position, but it was obvious who had thrown the first attack. Lyos clutched the Banisher tightly, but was prepared to strike back if necessary.

"You're not getting this sword!" he spat.

Azarel slowly relaxed, dropping their arms and straightening their posture. "Were my intentions so obvious?"

"You've been trying to get your hands on this from the start!"

"So?"

"Lord Hellmaster." Zelas appeared beside Lina, and the sorceress jumped to attention, taking a step back to let the Mazoku lords converse. "I understand that our agreement for a peaceful meeting before delving into battle did not forbid the attack of any visiting parties, but the sentiment of your attack is distasteful and downright rude. I would expect a retainer of Shabranigdo to have better manners."

Azarel responded with an eye-roll. "Thanks, mom. I'll remember that later."

To Lina's surprise, Zelas kept a cool composure. "Fair enough. However, so long as you are in my presence, you will be expected to conduct yourself in an honourable fashion."

"Fine, fine."

"Answer me in a serious tone."

"Fine."

There was a moment of silence. Zelas turned around and motioned for Azarel to follow. "Come on, then. Lord Pathosmaster is waiting for us."

Azarel scowled, but followed anyway.

Lina tugged on Lyos' sleeve. "Hey. What did Azarel do to you? I heard you yell and I threw a spell by instinct, but I couldn't quite see what was going on."

"Gee, thanks." Lyos grumbled. "Azarel grabbed me from behind. I couldn't see them, but there's a weird aura…"

"Lina, what do we do?" Zara grabbed tightly onto Lina's coat. "What's gonna happen to Mister Pestis and Enrique?"

"Don't worry. We've got everything under control." Lina gave him a comforting pat on the head and glanced over to where the three Mazoku lords and their entourages were talking. "Lyos, are you ready?" she asked, sending a glance back at him.

"Is there an option to back out?" Gourry raised his hand. "I'm starting to think this is not such a good idea."

"I'm not turning back. Not now." Lyos shook his head.

"We made a commitment." Shizuri agreed. "So where is this barrier?"

There was a pause. The low murmur of the Mazoku's conversation filled the background, but no one could quite make out what they were discussing.

"Well… I mean… the Demon King is… in the ice, right?" Lina ventured.

"There's ice everywhere, Lina." Amelia replied.

"Should we look for a visible barrier?" Zelgadis glanced around. "I don't see any indication of one nearby."

Lina groaned. "I thought we'd be able to see the Demon King from here, but there's no-"

"Hey, uh, this-" "D'you think maybe-" Gourry and Zara realized that they'd both spoken at the same time and cut off their sentences, not wanting to interrupt each other. There was a moment where they both waited for the other to speak, but eventually Zara was the one who continued his sentence first.

"…do you think maybe it's under our feet? I mean, we're standing on the glacier itself."

"Hmm." Lina dug the toe of her boot down into the snow until she reached the solid ice underneath. A jolt of energy shot up her leg as she came into contact with it, and she jumped back. "The ice! That's it! The ice itself is the barrier!"

Lyos pulled the banisher close to him as though trying to make sure he wouldn't accidentally drop it. "So all I hafta do is strike the ice with the Banisher's blade, and the barrier will be broken?"

"What'll happen to us then?" Filia asked, eyeing the ground below her nervously. "Standing on the ice and all…"

"We just have to trust that everything will be alright." Amelia spoke with an air of determination.

"Let's just stop stalling." Zelgadis interrupted before Amelia could continue. "The longer we wait, the more chance one of the Mazoku will get in our way."

Lyos took a deep breath. "Well. Here goes nothing."

Everyone took a step back. Lina placed a protective arm around Zara. Lyos raised his weapon.

"STOP."

The voice that called out to them was cold and sharp. Zelas had spoken from the spot where she was standing, several paces away. Her exclamation drew the attention of the other Mazoku away from their conversation and over to the group that was nearly ready to do the unthinkable.

"Hey! What do you think you're-" Azarel lunged forward, but Zelas caught them.

"I had a feeling that you weren't simply here to observe." Zelas continued disdainfully, releasing Azarel and approaching the other group. "It's a pity, really, that you've been tricked into doing Lord Pathosmaster's bidding.

Lyos froze. "Huh?"

"Has he persuaded you to release the Demon King because he believes it will stop the fighting? At what price will you be doing so? Did it ever occur to you that this was what Lord Pathosmaster wanted from the beginning?"

There was a pause. Lina whispered something to Lyos and then stepped forward. "Please elaborate. I'm interested in what you have to say."

"L-Lina-" Pestis stammered, but Zelas cut him off.

"It seems that Lord Pathosmaster has done a good job of gaining your trust so far. But with his previous affiliation with Lord Hellmaster, there's always the potential that he was on their side from the start. Befriending you was easier than fighting you outright."

"THAT'S ABSURD!" Pestis yelled. "How dare you insult my intentions?

"She makes a good point, though." Lina strode closer to Pestis and Zelas followed her. "We've put a lot of trust in you for somebody who used to work with our enemy."

"You said you didn't want to risk awakening the Demon King and now you're ordering your comrades to do it for you?" Azarel hissed. "Why would you lie to me?"

"The greatest principle of Black Magic." Lina answered. "If you can fool your friends, you can fool your enemies. Who is who, however, is the real question."

Pestis trembled. "Y-you guys… can't honestly believe… that I…"

"Lyos!"

There was hardly any time to process what happened after Lina called out. Everything happened so fast. Lyos brought down the Banisher onto the ice, creating an almost musical tone. Lina was sure she heard Pestis murmur "concert A" as he listened, wide-eyed. The tone was obscured by a loud cracking noise that grew in intensity until everyone could feel the vibrations in the air as if the entire mass of ice was moving and cracking. Zara latched onto Gourry, and Gourry picked the child up to protect him.

A short distance away, a crack in the ice began to cave in, and a crevasse opened up, beginning to spew fine crystals and large chunks of ice like a geyser. The ice began to fall back down on the group, and they tried their best to avoid the larger pieces.

After what felt like an eternity, the spray of ice finally died down, and the group was able to get a better look at the debris from the eruption. A large amount of ice had now piled up on top of the snow, and in the largest part of the pile a human figure was barely visible, lying on its side. A few last tremors rocked the surface of the ice, and the figure slid off of the pile and onto its side, more clearly visible.

Lina froze- figuratively speaking, of course. She had seen images and paintings of the Great Sage Lei Magnus before, but actually seeing his body in-person was so different. In all the paintings, he'd had a smiling face and an almost rosy complexion. Here, his face was blanched white and his features frozen in a neutral expression. His eyes were open, but clouded over and unresponsive.

There was a moment in which everyone held their breath, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. The figure lay unmoving in the snow, showing no signs of life whatsoever.

"Is… is he supposed to do something?" Gourry finally spoke.

"Lord Shabranigdo!" Azarel yelled. "At last, you've been freed from your icy prison! Your humble subordinates are at your service."

"…speak for yourself…" Pestis muttered.

There was no response to Azarel's outburst.

"Well, this is anti-climactic." Shizuri sighed.

"No kidding." Zelgadis muttered.

Azarel ran to the body's side, still yelling. "Lord Shabranigdo, come on! A-awaken! Arise! Do something!"

Amelia rested her head in one hand as she watched. "How terribly awkward. I guess that body really is dead."

"No sense in reanimating a corpse, I guess. Even for a demon lord." Lina breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lord Shabranigdo! Shabranigdo!" Azarel continued yelling and was on the verge of tears. Pestis approached them, placing a cautious hand on their shoulder. They turned to him in anger. "This is exactly what you wanted, isn't it?"

Pestis frowned. "Did you, uh, miss the chapter that I spent telling you all the reasons why releasing the Demon King was a bad idea for the Mazoku? No matter how you look at it, it's more of an 'I-told-you-so' than a 'this-was-my-plan-all-along."

"So now what?! Does the Demon King just continue on to the next life to be reincarnated? We have to go through all of the war and suffering again to draw him out? Lord Pathosmaster, you-"

"Excuse me."

Zelas' voice interrupted Azarel and they turned to see what she had to say. Pestis also looked up, with a much more timid expression than his companion. He knew that he was in a lot of trouble.

"If you aren't perceptive enough to notice, the Demon King's aura has not disappeared. He still inhabits that body. But why he has chosen not to become active yet is a mystery."

Azarel drew in a sharp breath. "She's right! He must be warming up! That long of a time in ice would make any human body stiff. Lord Shabranigdo! I'm sorry for doubting you! I am still your faithful servant!"

Lyos had sat down already. Small shards of what had once been the Banisher littered the area, and he picked one up and examined it. "What a pain." he grumbled. "Is the Demon King alive or isn't he? If you ask me, we should just destroy the body while it's unconscious, just to be safe."

"He's right. If the Demon King is still warming up, it'd be stupid not to attack now." Zelgadis agreed, unsheathing his sword.

"Hey!" Azarel struck a defensive pose. "We won't let anyone interfere with the Demon King's awakening. If you want to destroy him, you'll have to go through us. Isn't that right, Lord Beastmaster, Lord Pathosmaster?"

"Mm... I think I'll pass for now." Zelas motioned to her subordinates. "Come along Xellos, Lorelei. We're going to take a break."

"Yes, Lord Beastmaster." The two bowed and followed her when she disappeared onto the astral plane.
Azarel was dumbstruck for a moment. "Y-you... well, fine, then! Leave Lord Pathosmaster and me to do all the hard work ourselves! That's so like you!"

"Actually, Azarel..." Pestis approached them with the Pathosmaster's sword clutched firmly in his right hand. "...I'm going to side with the humans on this one."

"I see." Azarel murmured. "That's fine. Then I'll just have to destroy all of you."

Zelas and her subordinates watched from one of the cliffs surrounding the glacier as the area below them began to cloud over from spellfire.

"I almost feel bad for leaving Azarel down there alone. They're highly outnumbered." Xellos commented. "I'd probably feel worse if I didn't hate Azarel so much."

"It's best to stay out of things for now. We must wait to see who is the victor before forging alliances. To do so before the battle would be silly."

"Of course, Lord Beastmaster."

Lorelei shifted her weight nervously. "I hope Zara and Enrique will be alright. They're in the middle of all that too."

"I do have a claim on Zara..." Beastmaster murmured. "If either Hellmaster or Pathosmaster lays a hand on him, I may be tempted to side against them."

"Should I intervene, Lord Beastmaster?" Xellos offered.

"No, don't worry about it. Neither Pathosmaster or Hellmaster has any interest in Zara. I want to watch those two imbeciles kill each other first."

"As you wish, Lord Beastmaster."