Chapter 14
"No turning back"
Daiki led Lillya into the small room without a word, then carefully sat her down on the edge of the bed. The exhausted girl didn't even protest and immediately nestled into the crumpled sheets. The boy closed the door behind them and, with a swift movement, dragged one of the chairs under it before collapsing onto it, shutting his eyes in exhaustion.
The room was barely a few square metres. Aside from the bed positioned opposite the entrance, it contained two chairs and a small dresser, its broken drawers scattered haphazardly. The place looked as if someone had ransacked it long ago, turning everything upside down in search of something valuable. Well, that was probably exactly what had happened.
"Daiki?" A soft call pulled him back to reality.
"Hmm?" he murmured in response, lazily cracking one eye open to glance at the girl through half-lidded eyes.
Lillya had a small, bony frame, wrapped tightly in layers of black fabric. Her long, dark hair was now tangled in disarray, and her doe-like eyes watched him intently.
"Nothing... I was just wondering if you had fallen asleep," she replied, resting her head on the bed again.
With Lillya, however... things had been even worse. As Maya herself had said, the girl's life aura had already been severely damaged, and her body and mind were barely holding up under the darkness sealed within her. It was only after she had found their group that Daiki had been able to ease some of her pain with his healing abilities. That was why he had been assigned to look after her.
They had waited a long time for the fifth priest to reveal themselves. At first, Kirei had stubbornly insisted that Amelia was the last one, claiming that her abilities had to be connected to the astonishing fact that she had survived the Manor of Death. Kirei had managed to convince everyone that Amelia's powers were sealed until she regained her memories. But in the end, he had been very wrong.
For Daiki, too many things hadn't added up from the very beginning. After a year with them, Amelia had not shown the slightest sign of proof. There was also the matter of the mark. All four of them bore a runic symbol, but Amelia did not... But in the end, what did it matter now? Amelia wasn't even from this pillar. They had never even considered the possibility that someone could cross between worlds. Besides, Kirei, who was obsessed with Amelia, probably just wanted her to be a part of his destiny.
Well... in the end, it was Lillya who turned out to be the fifth priest, possessing extraordinarily dark abilities of summoning. Now, however, with Lillya's help and Lina's group, they might finally have a chance to find the Mother of Nightmares' Tear and restore the power of the Divine Ruler. Daiki quietly dreamed that one day the passage between his world and the other Pillars would finally open and normalcy would return.
"You really are lost in thought," Lillya said suddenly, her head buried in the sheets.
Daiki looked up, a faint smile flickering across his face.
"Actually, I was just wondering if you know any colours other than black," he lied on the spot - though, in truth, he had wondered about that before.
"It's for practical reasons," the girl murmured softly, hiding her face in the fabric.
Daiki rose from his chair in silence and walked over to the bed. He was about to reply when his attention was drawn to a few colourful scraps scattered on the floor. Bending down, he carefully picked up a blue ribbon. Without a word, he sat on the bed and took Lillya's hand, making her flinch in surprise.
"I think blue suits you. It would be a shame to give it up just for practical reasons," he said quietly, tying the ribbon around her wrist.
Lillya stared at him in surprise, but after a moment, she examined the new adornment more closely and nodded with a faint smile.
"Daiki..." she began hesitantly. "What will happen to us when we find the Tear?"
"I suppose we won't know until we do," he said, though in truth, he already had his suspicions - and, worst of all, he was often right. "I'm just glad you're here with us," he added after a moment.
(…)
"Kirei! Are you even listening to me?!" Maya shouted.
Kirei glanced at her, looking offended, and scoffed.
"Honestly, it's hard not to hear all that shouting..." Tamaki interjected, stepping between them.
They were in the largest room on the upper floor. The place looked as miserable as the rest of the building, but it was safe enough for them to spend the night. The room was cluttered with various objects and looked as if it had once been occupied by children. Scattered on the floor between the two beds was an assortment of wooden toys.
"Tamaki, I didn't ask for your opinion," Maya growled, pushing him aside with a firm motion. "Kirei, you just have to understand that our mission is too important. You can't let your emotions guide you!"
"Perhaps," he replied in a calm tone, "but I still don't see any reason for Amelia to come with us in search of the Tear." He met her gaze defiantly.
"You're right, mate," Tamaki chimed in. "But you can't forget that we need them. Now that they've regained their powers, they'll help us when we have to face the demons. That Zelgadis guy killed a demon all by himself! Have any of us ever done that before? Until we find the Tear, our abilities will remain limited. Besides, you don't really think I'd let anything happen to Amelia, do you?" The redhead gave his friend a pleading look, waiting for understanding.
"You might not allow it, but I know someone in this room who couldn't care less," he snapped angrily in Maya's direction.
"You know me, I'll do what needs to be done," she replied coolly. "And so will you."
"Damn it, Maya!" Kirei slammed his fist into the wall. "When did you become so indifferent to human life?"
Maya turned sharply away from them to face the window, biting her lip to keep the tears at bay. She didn't want them to see how much his words had hurt her. She wasn't indifferent to human life but out of all of them, she carried the heaviest burden.
Memory.
She alone knew how this journey would truly end, what their destiny was, and that there was no escaping it. There was nothing more they could do. A metallic taste filled her mouth as she bit her lip. Taking a deep breath, she looked down at the abandoned toys at her feet.
"We have no choice. Ever since Lillya joined us, the only path left to take is the one leading to our destiny. You're not the only one who's lost loved ones. Consider yourself lucky, at least the one you love is still alive and has a chance to make it through. I believe she will. And remember, each of us has had to give up our own desires because we're doing this for..." She trailed off for a moment. "We're doing this for everyone," she finished, turning back to her companions. With relief, she saw traces of understanding on their faces.
(…)
A sudden pain shot through Amelia's temples, nearly knocking her unconscious. She pulled away from Zelgadis and looked at him in fear. The same fear flickered in his eyes.
"Amelia... I..." he began, startled and lost in the moment.
"Zelgadis, I... I saw something," she said feverishly, moving closer and studying his face intently.
The sensation she had just experienced was so shocking and intense that it almost made her forget what had happened between them just moments ago. Zelgadis seemed to notice the shift in her, and his expression immediately turned serious.
"What happened, Amelia?"
"I... I saw you," she whispered. "You were reaching out to a girl," she continued cautiously. "It was Acedia, wasn't it? I saw you swear a blood oath."
Zelgadis tensed at once. It wasn't possible for Amelia to know about this, and yet… How? That was the first question that shot through his mind.
"Tell me… Tell me what happened down in the tunnels. Is it true? I'm sorry, but it felt so real... Almost like I was there. But these fragments… I don't understand…" she explained quickly, her voice laced with confusion.
"Amelia, you must have imagined it. Maybe it's some kind of... shock?" he started slowly, but she cut him off, her voice urgent.
"Don't lie to me! I know what I saw!" she shouted, then hesitated before adding in a softer voice, "Please… just don't lie to me…" She lowered her head, biting her lip, her shoulders trembling.
It took Zelgadis a moment to grasp the meaning of her last sentence. Recent events must have deeply shaken Amelia. She had just learned that the companions she trusted and the world she believed in were not what she thought they were.
"Amelia..." he began, pulling the trembling girl into his arms. "I don't understand what you saw, but it couldn't have been real. I told you what happened," he whispered into her hair.
He lied.
"Have I gone mad?" she finally asked after a long silence.
Zelgadis held her tighter, feeling his heart break in two.
"No, Amelia. Everything is going to be all right, I promise."
(…)
A sharp slap nearly knocked her off her feet. She staggered back slightly, putting a hand to her face and glaring at her master with hatred.
"I am truly sorry that you forced me to do this, Nirali," he said with feigned sorrow, though a smirk soon twisted his face again.
"Forgive me, my lord," she replied quietly, hiding all the hatred boiling inside her behind a facade of indifference.
"I asked you for a simple task. I'm truly disappointed in you. All you had to do was bring me the girl, and yet here we are. You've forced me to dirty my own hands." He let out a mock sigh. "You know, I wonder how much longer keeping you alive will be of any use to me. What do you think?" he mused, his tone both serious and amused - the tone of someone who kept her alive for his own amusement.
"Forgive me, my lord. I will make it right. I will bring you the girl," she said hurriedly, but he cut her off immediately.
"Oh no, my dear. I won't wait any longer. Time is running out for us, and the situation is getting more complicated." He shook his head angrily. "We're doing this now, and you will do exactly as I tell you. Understand?"
Terrified, Nirali looked at Ira, whose blood-red eyes showed no mercy, no compromise - as if she were staring into the eyes of death itself. Immediately, her thoughts turned to Zelgadis, and a shiver ran down her spine. She couldn't let them attack him, but what could she do? Panic gripped her, but she forced it down.
"Come on, let's go!" Ira shouted as he walked out of the room, making it clear that any further discussion was over.
Shaking with fear, she followed him in silence, desperately trying to think of a solution.
(…)
Zelgadis felt terrible about lying to Amelia, but he knew he couldn't tell her the truth. At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder how the girl had found out. Just as he was about to ask Amelia to try to get some sleep, a sudden explosion outside brutally broke the silence.
"Knock, knock!" someone called from outside.
Zelgadis and Amelia quickly got up from the floor and ran out into the corridor, where the others were already gathered. Kirei gave them a look of shock, which quickly turned to one of hatred, and Zelgadis only now realised that he still wasn't wearing a shirt and that his clothes, as well as Amelia's, were soaked.
"This is impossible..." Maya began feverishly.
Tamaki was the first to react. Skipping past everyone standing in the narrow corridor, he hurried down to the lower floor.
"It was impossible for someone to attack them like that while they were under Kirei's protective barrier," Tamaki thought as he ran down the stairs.
Equally impossible was the idea that someone could have found them while they were under the illusion he himself had created, but still... Tamaki reached the first window overlooking the main street in a single bound. At first, he could barely make out the figure standing in the road through the surrounding darkness, but then, holding his breath, he managed to say:
"Xellos?!"
Before he realised it, the others were already pushing towards the windows.
"Xellos?! You must be joking!" Lina screamed. "I'll kill that bastard if he tries anything again!"
"Hey, Lina! Calm down, I'm sure there's a way to explain this," Gourry said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder, although his posture also showed signs of nervousness.
"You two know each other?!" Maya gasped, looking at Lina and Gourry.
Zelgadis immediately felt his anger boil. The sound of the name instantly reminded him of their last meeting, just before the journey to the Fifth Pillar, when Xellos had expressed the hope that it would be best for everyone if Amelia were to die. He clenched his fist and thumped his thigh.
"Yes, but the real question is, how do you know him?" he asked, gritting his teeth and giving Maya a cold, piercing look.
"Ah! Hello, Lina!" Xellos suddenly interrupted, loud enough for them to hear him from the street, and, as if nothing had happened, he waved cheerfully at the group. "I hate to interrupt your lovely conversation, but we don't have much time, so maybe you'll let me in?"
"Kirei, the barrier," Maya said briefly, and, seeing Zelgadis' reaction, Kirei hesitated slightly before removing the protective barrier around them.
Lina silently gritted her teeth and raised her head proudly, waiting. Zelgadis was in no mood for patience; he no longer cared that he was still bleeding and soaked. At that moment, all he really wanted to do was punch him in the face. Unexpectedly, it was Amelia who gently took his arm. He was still angry, but this small gesture helped him control himself. Meanwhile, Xellos entered the room without ceremony.
"Before you begin to question me, or - as some of you here would like to do - kill me, I must give you a warning," he began seriously, quickly scanning the people in the room with a sharp gaze.
"What do you mean?" Lina asked.
"I mean that ever since you regained your magical powers, you've become an easy source of energy to track, Lina Inverse," Xellos replied seriously.
"How do you know that I...?" the sorceress started in surprise, but then stopped and just sneered. "Well, what else could I expect?" she finished sarcastically.
"So, Lina's power is so great that she can break through my barrier?" Kirei replied, surprised.
"Actually, not just Lina. Zelgadis and Amelia have also regained their powers, but yes, Lina is well known in our world for her abilities."
"Oh, don't think flattery will improve your situation, Xellos," the redhead replied, though a faint smile told Zelgadis that her ego was doing just fine.
"You said we'd become easy targets. What did you mean by that?" Zelgadis asked, trying to remain calm while still focusing on Amelia, who was standing next to him.
"They're coming for you," Xellos' voice became serious again. "Actually, they're coming for her," he added, pointing a finger at Amelia, who just grimaced in response.
"Let them try! Now that we have our powers back, we'll show them their place. Zelgadis already took care of one of them!" Gourry chimed in enthusiastically.
"Exactly!" Lina supported him.
Xellos looked thoughtfully at Zelgadis and stared at him in silence for a moment, a little longer than expected, before turning back to Lina.
"Appreciate your opponent, Lina. Remember, although your powers have returned, most spells will be weakened by the seals placed on this pillar. The seals prevent the magic from flowing freely from the sources the spells draw from to your hands. You don't have much time before they arrive, so head for the Tear as soon as possible," he finished, directing the last part of his sentence at Maya, who just nodded in response.
"Why are you helping us at all? And how did you even get here?" Gourry asked, his voice full of curiosity.
"Well..." Xellos began with a slight smile, "That's a secret," he finished, and before they could ask any more questions, he disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.
Zelgadis took a deep breath and looked at Lina. He felt sick. If what Xellos had just said about the spells was true, and he had reason to believe it was, then the regaining of their powers was not enough to tip the scales in their favour. Besides, as long as Amelia didn't remember anything, her powers didn't mean much. There was always Gourry's sword, which fortunately still worked perfectly. Zelgadis was sure of one thing: Xellos must have some interest in this, otherwise, he wouldn't have involved himself in this whole situation.
"Let's go!" Maya shouted, snapping everyone out of their thoughts. "If what Xellos said is true, we don't have much time. Kirei, pack your things and set up the strongest barrier you can. It'll buy us some time."
Kirei merely nodded silently, but still didn't move, his gaze fixed on Amelia, specifically her hand resting on Zelgadis' shoulder. Amelia must have noticed, because a moment later she took a step back, her fingers intertwined nervously.
"Sure..." Kirei mumbled briefly and headed upstairs.
"Tamaki, the same for you. Try to cast one of your illusions on us," Maya continued. "Daiki and Lillya, get ready to leave, and Lina and Gourry, help me figure out how to get down," she added to the two friends, referring to the descent into the abyss beneath the floating city. "And you..." she finally turned to Zelgadis and Amelia, "pull yourselves together, please. I can't watch this, you look terrible."
Zelgadis started to say something, but before he could respond, chaos broke out, and no one listened to him. Only Amelia was still standing behind him. When he turned to face her, the girl had her head down and her arms crossed over her chest.
"Come on," he said quietly, holding out his hand. She just glanced at it and walked toward the stairs without a word.
Zelgadis sighed and lowered his outstretched hand. What could he have expected? Without a word, they entered the upstairs bathroom. Zel quickly assessed his injuries and cast a healing spell.
"So this is your power?" Amelia finally spoke, watching as all of Zelgadis' wounds instantly healed.
"It's white magic, Amelia. You were a specialist in it," he replied calmly, and having finished the spell, he began to pick up his still-wet clothes from the floor and put them on.
"White magic?" she asked, and for a moment, Zelgadis found it strange that she could have forgotten that.
"White magic consists mainly of healing spells or spells that only affect demons and can't harm humans."
"Oh, that's probably pretty good, isn't it?"
"No, when your enemy is a human," he replied with a grimace, changing the subject. "Come on, we need to do something about these clothes," he said, standing in front of Amelia. "Reparo," he whispered, and the mending spell enveloped them in a glowing aura. Immediately, their clothes began to look more and more like new.
"This is incredible..." Amelia whispered, gazing at the dancing light. They stood in silence for a long moment.
"Amelia, I... I'm sorry," he said, embarrassed, sighing heavily.
He didn't feel good about lying to her, and worse, he still had no idea how she knew. Her vision, where she had seen him swear the blood oath... He couldn't let anyone find out the truth. Not now.
They stood in silence for a long time, and Zelgadis had the strange feeling that Amelia knew exactly what he was apologising for, even though that was impossible. And yet, she didn't answer.
"We should go," she said when the spell had finished its work.
"Yes... yes," he replied, less firmly than he had intended, and ended the spell with a clenched fist.
Amelia hurried out of the room, leaving him alone.
This wasn't the time for such conversations or reflections, he finally decided, and went to find Lina. He found her with Gourry and Maya at the entrance of the building.
"Gourry, I'm telling you for the second time, I won't be able to cast Raywing for that many people on my own," Lina said angrily, trying to explain that she wouldn't be able to levitate such a large group into the abyss.
"How else are we going to get down? We don't even know how deep this pit is!"Gourry exclaimed.
"Well..."Lina began, then noticed Zelgadis."Of course! We'll share with Zel!"she declared enthusiastically.
"Er, share what?"the confused wizard asked.
"There are nine of us. I won't be able to carry them all down withRaywing, so you'll have to help me and take half,"the sorceress explained.
"Alright then, let's get started,"he replied, turning toward the building to call for the others when a glowing sphere shattered against the barrier just behind them with a deafening crash.
Too late.
The previously invisible barrier flared to life in an orange glow, as if set ablaze. Kirei doubled over with a pained groan, dropping to his knees as he strained to maintain the protective spell. Another sphere hurtled toward them. With a thunderous impact, the barrier erupted in a shower of glittering shards that dissolved into dust midair.
"It's an illusion..."Tamaki muttered, watching helplessly as the fragments vanished behind the burning barier - their last line of defense.
"Kirei!"Amelia cried, rushing to the white-haired man's side and gripping his shoulder.
Zelgadis felt every muscle in his body coil tight, battle-ready. His eyes scanned the chaos, searching for the attacker beyond the fiery haze.
"Do you really think these pathetic tricks will stop us?"A familiar voice cut through the smoke.
Through the still crackling barrier, Zel finally managed to see the demon hovering in the air on large black wings. It was the same demon that had attacked them during their journey. There was no mistaking its eyes, which burned with a vivid red.
The demon landed gracefully on the ground in front of the barrier, and after a moment, the black wings disappeared. Zelgadis thought it must have been some kind of magic that allowed him to summon the wings whenever he wished. Unfortunately, he couldn't think any further, because a moment later, a familiar silhouette appeared from behind the demon... Nirali. The mage instinctively took a step back, his eyes fixed on the white-haired girl, who stood silently behind her master, her head bowed. Instinctively, he almost called out to her, but then he remembered that he couldn't reveal that the girl had actually defied the demons earlier to help them. With a sense of horror, he thought that since she was here with Ira, she must be in trouble.
Trouble. It was the mildest term he could allow himself, remembering the terrible stories of the Manor of Death. One thing was certain: he couldn't betray her, but did that mean they would have to fight each other?
He quickly glanced at his companions. Pure hatred was clearly visible on each of their faces. He cursed silently and looked back at Nirali, only to meet her gaze this time. She looked at him with a cold expression, giving nothing away. Only her eyes, slightly narrowed and tired, betrayed silent sadness.
No, no, no! Zelgadis repeated like a mantra in his head, wondering how they had ended up in such a hopeless situation. He desperately searched for a way out, but there was none. Meanwhile, Lina seemed to have a completely different perception of the situation, as she suddenly burst into loud laughter:
"Hahaha! You... you really think you're still a challenge to us?" she choked out between fits of laughter. "We've barely regained our strength, and already one of you is dead. What kind of idiot do you have to be to show up after that? Besides, it seems our last meeting didn't end too well for you either," she added mockingly.
The demon didn't even flinch at her words.
"So, that's what happened to Acedia when her energy suddenly vanished," he said. "I admit, it was a mystery to me, but in the end, it worked out well. That creature could hardly use her powers. Even this human spawn," he gestured at Nirali, "has more power than this self-proclaimed witch," he laughed as if telling a great joke, ignoring the sorceress' last remark.
"You think that scares me?" the redhead continued. "I'm Lina Inverse! Dragon and demon slayer, remember that, you bastard, because I'm going to destroy you!" she shouted. "Gourry!" she called, and the swordsman drew his sword without hesitation.
"Lina! Wait!" Zelgadis tried to stop his friend, but she had no way of knowing that Nirali was actually their ally, and he hadn't killed any demons himself...
"Amelia, get back!" Lina ordered. "Rei, drop the barrier on my signal!"
Everyone nodded in agreement with Lina and stood behind her, except for Gourry and Zelgadis, who stayed where they were.
"You who are darker than twilight..."
The first words of the incantation reached Zelgadis as the glowing fireball began to form in Lina's hands. He could only glance at Nirali before Lina shouted:
"Now! Dragon Slave!"
The glittering barrier instantly vanished, and a powerful column of fire shot from Lina's hands, forming a fiery ball. A spell that could kill dragons.
At the same time, several things happened. Firstly, Zelgadis realised that Xellos had been right, which he reluctantly admitted, and that Lina's spell was at least half as weak as it would have been in their world, although that didn't save the surrounding buildings, which instantly began turning to dust. Before the last of the ashes had drifted away, Nirali lunged at Gourry with her sword drawn, but fortunately, Gourry, with his incredible reflexes as a swordsman, managed to parry the blow, forcing the white-haired woman to take several steps back.
"Did you kill him?" came Kirei's quiet, uncertain question, still dazed and standing with the others behind Lina.
Zelgadis desperately searched the area for Ira, as did the others, when a sudden scream shattered any remaining doubts.
"Let me go!" Amelia screamed, held in mid-air by the towering demon.
"Thank you, Lina Inverse. I knew your vanity would not disappoint me," he said mockingly, still holding the struggling girl.
"No!" Zelgadis jumped to his feet. "Levitation!" he shouted, rising into the air.
Before he could rise more than a few metres, Nirali blocked his path with a grim expression. Before he could react, she kicked him back to the ground.
"I didn't think this would be so much fun!" the demon laughed, watching the entire scene.
"Get lost!" Zelgadis shouted at Nirali as he rose from the ground. Consumed by rage, he lunged at the girl again, but she still silently blocked every attempt to strike.
At the same time, Lina took to the air, but as soon as she tried to approach Ira, he pushed her back with a powerful spell, sending her crashing to the ground. The others watched in horror as the events unfolded in the air.
"Amelia!" Zelgadis shouted, watching the demon slowly retreat, a smug smile still on his face.
"Do something, damn it!" Kirei cried desperately, suddenly appearing beside Zelgadis.
The chimera couldn't use magic—not while Ira was holding Amelia, and he might accidentally hurt her. They all seemed to realise this, as no one even tried to aim at the demon. The only thing they could do was get Nirali out of the way, but she was emitting a powerful aura of magic.
"Elmekia Flame!" Zelgadis shouted, directing a beam of light at Nirali. He had to save Amelia, even if it meant Nirali's death.
But despite the wave of spells, including Lina's, Nirali remained unmoved, blocking every attempt to reach Ira. Were it not for the rage and helplessness spreading through Zelgadis' body, he might have seen a silent plea for him to stop in his former ally's eyes.
"Undead!" Maya suddenly shouted through the roar of spells rushing toward Nirali.
A growing wave of Undead, drawn by the noise of the battle, quickly approached.
"Assha Dist!" Lina cast at the first oncoming wave.
The human bodies fell lifeless to the ground, but that did not stop the approaching horde. With the last of his strength, Kirei managed to create a new barrier, separating them from the Undead. The horde pressed against the shield, desperately trying to break through the magical wall.
Amelia watched in horror as the horde, numbering dozens of Undead, pressed against the magical barrier behind which her companions huddled. Lina used spells to knock down the undead, but with each passing moment, more of them poured out from the dark corners of the city. It was as if the long-dead city had suddenly come back to life in a gruesome form. Zelgadis desperately tried to break through from the air, casting increasingly powerful spells towards the white-haired girl, making no effort to hide the noise he was causing. She was the girl who, it seemed, had last helped Amelia avoid a terrible mistake by urging her to turn back after she had distanced herself from her companions. Amelia didn't understand any of it – why was this girl against them now? It didn't make any sense... The princess tried desperately to free herself from the demon's grip.
"I hope you're having as much fun as I am..." Ira hissed in her ear. "I don't mean to interrupt the show, but it seems your friends are busy, and it's our turn now," he said with amusement.
With that, he quickly turned away from the battle scene and flew off in the opposite direction with a mighty flap of his wings. And then it happened, as if despair and fear had suddenly helped fill the gaps in her memory. Or was it just the instinct to save her own life?
"Visfarank!" Amelia cried, feeling the power gather in her fists.
Before the demon could react, she managed to land a solid blow directly to his stomach. Surprised, Ira released his grip, allowing Amelia to free herself from his crushing hold. The energy she had suddenly gathered quickly drained from her body, and she began to fall.
"Amelia!" The cries of her friends reached her as she was about to hit the ground, but instead, she was enveloped in darkness...
Amelia wasn't sure if she had closed her eyes, but after a moment, the darkness around her began to materialise into images. She had the feeling that an endless tunnel had formed around her, and on its walls, she could observe unknown situations in which... she had taken part.
She began to walk forward, glancing at the scenes unfolding in her peripheral vision. Most of them involved battles, with her, Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadis - bruised and bloodied - casting more spells at ever-growing demons. One scene showed Zelgadis lying in a pool of blood as she tried to revive him, tears in her eyes. Another showed a huge opening from which a terrible, demonic force emanated. In another, she saw a man covered in blood in a room resembling a castle chamber. Hundreds of scenes filled with blood, darkness, and fear... For a moment, she thought she was dead and would remain in this tunnel for all eternity. One of the last glimpses she caught was of a blade sinking into her wrists. She closed her eyes in disgust and ran forward, not knowing how or when she collided with Zelgadis.
Zelgadis grabbed the terrified Amelia with all his strength and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Thank the gods, thank the gods..." he whispered into her hair, holding her close to his chest.
They were inside the barrier that Kirei had created and that Lina was now helping him magically strengthen. The difference was that the entire barrier was shrouded in a sticky, tar-like darkness. Lillya stood with her hands pressed against the magical wall, concentrating as she poured her power into it. Outside, the horde of Undead still lurked, but no longer pressed against the barrier because of the encroaching darkness. Ira's angry voice could be heard in the distance.
"What happened?" Amelia whispered, still looking at Zelgadis. She still couldn't shake the images she had seen but decided to keep them to herself for now.
"When you fell, Kirei stretched his barrier as far as he could, and Lillya spread the darkness beneath you into which you fell. That way, you disappeared into it for a while, untouchable by others, before you managed to run into the barrier," Maya explained quietly.
"We won't last much longer..." Daiki muttered sadly, and Zelgadis only now noticed that the boy was drawing more runes on Lillya's body, most likely to strengthen her life force. Kirei was also panting heavily, barely maintaining the magical barrier. Without Lina's help, he probably wouldn't be able to maintain it for much longer.
"We have to do something!" Gourry cried, looking around in despair.
"There's nothing more we can do..." Tamaki said, sitting down on the ground in resignation.
"Stop! You're a Divine Priest, how can you say that?" Maya shouted at him, obviously not planning to give up so easily.
"That damned Xellos, he's never around when you need him..." Lina hissed angrily.
Zelgadis pulled Amelia closer and gently rested his chin on the top of her head. The anger he had been feeling began to fade, and only then did he feel the weight of guilt regarding Nirali. He knew that she hadn't done it of her own free will; he knew it because she had trusted him and explained to him why she had to serve the demons... He hadn't suspected she had such power; he hadn't even noticed it before, but... he had no choice.
Zel immediately pushed away the rising feelings of guilt and focused on their current situation.
"I don't think Ira will let us go now. Not when he knows we're all together, that Amelia is here, and most importantly, that we're weakened from the fight," Zelgadis said after a moment of silence. "How long can we hold the barrier?" he asked, casting a spell to strengthen the protection.
"With your help... about fifteen minutes. Unless they find a way to neutralise Lillya's power by then, because she's the main thing holding back the attacks from outside," Kirei explained matter-of-factly.
"We don't stand a chance against all of them outside, a horde of zombies, a hellish demon, and his psychopath," Lina summed up. "We have to find a way out, but how?" She began to think aloud.
"'Down there...'" came Lillya's voice unexpectedly.