"Can we please get back to the conversation." Val spoke again, managing to calm down his anger and his blushing.
"::Ahem:: Umm...but we also felt that he became weaker than he appears to be..." Sylphiel decided to talk to relieve the slight annoyance that her three inhuman friends were displaying towards each other. She got their attention and continues....
"....due to Lina's Dragon Slave and Zelgadiss' Gark Ruhaad, getting hit with one black magic attack right before another one but of shamanist, made him a vulnerable."
They looked at the now-wide-apart golden dragon and mazuko for a response.
"Hai!" the two said it in union.
"Zelgadiss...what gave you the idea to cast the Gark Ruhaad?" Amelia questioned once Sylphiel brought it up. He shrugged his shoulders...
"I didn't have enough power or time to cast a Ra Tilt, besides, I think he was expecting me to do so."
"Can't you guys combined that Ra Tilt spell?"
"They have already tried and there's also a possibility that they might cancel each other out." Val answered Gourry's question.
"Oh."
"Xellos, can you do something about it ?" Aez's turn to question.
The General/Priest's eyes and smile have downcasted and shook his head sadly.
"The cursed dagger sealed away most of his mazuko powers, and before you ask any of us two, Aez, Val and I couldn't cast any of holy spells because most of our energy went to save Xellos as well as ourselves." the pretty golden dragon replied.
"Damn! If we only have Gourry's Sword of Light...."
"....it would help us cast and amplify a stronger Ra Tilt." Amelia finishing her brother's conclusion, remembering the battle against Koppi Rezo.
A moment of silence as their disappointment reflected thru their eyes, except for Xellos, his eyes are closed (as usual) and his face is smiling again, this time they're more of a sign for his usual hinting games...
"How about casting the strongest Ra Tilt?"
"......?"
Everybody's faces wore different expressions when they look at Xellos. Some were confused, some were thinking, and one is thinking harder and looked more confused then the others. His smile became assuring.
"You need magic amplificators for very strong Ra Tilt, correct?...And since Lina-chan is unconscious...." his chibi self appeared with a professor's gown and hat, with his staff converted into a teachers' pointing stick, (a/n: sorry, I can't remember the proper name for it.) and indicating the A + B = C mathematical terms.
Zel have already guessed what the purple-hair mazuko was getting to. He knelt back down next to his love and starts to take off her Demon's Blood Talismans and clasping one by one.
"I'm sorry Lina, I need to borrow these." his melancholy, smooth voice whispers to her as he clasped the last one on his black belt as a buckle.
The others caught on when they observed what he was doing, and yes...even Gourry. He didn't want to take advantage of Lina's handicap, so he lifted her bangs and gave her a sweet, gentle kiss on her forehead instead. He then raised himself up and face the others.
"We need a plan." Aez spoke after witnessing the first move, well...a slight first move, it would have been more meaningful if she was awake.
"Right....give me enough distractions, but I need Xellos, Filia, and Sylphiel to stay and cover Lina, agreed?"
"Hai!" all in union.
"Are you sure you're strong enough, cousin?" Aez's dismal and concerned teal blue eyes looked into his only family's visible diamond blues, finding truth in it.
"I have to be. I have to do this for Lina and f....." Zel stopped as both cousins felt something coming towards them.
There was a loud explosion that came between the two new-founded cousins. They jumped to either sides. Xellos, ever ready on guard, quickly raised his staff, while Syphiel put up a Protection spell, and Filia covering Lina's sleeping form from any debris that may have gone thru before the shield. Amelia, Val, and Gourry put up their defenses. Aez and Zelgadiss regained themselves with diligent and brief progress. Hallis appeared, floating before them. All are in a steady fighting stance.
"I will not be defeated by humans, dragons, mazukos, nor any non-human beings! and I will kill anybody who is in my way of getting what I want!" His face distorted into one of pure and intent malice. He hurled a large Fireball, Amelia quickly extended her arms....
"BALUS WALL!"
It was a hard hit, the princess lost control and had her knocked out, she fell to the ground, unconscious.
"AMELIAAAA!!!!" everybody screamed.
Aez rushed to her side and immediately started a Recovery on any serious injuries she has. Gourry started to attack him.
"YOU BASTARD!" he unsheathed his golden blade and managed to cut the unsuspected attacker's arm before he moved out of the way, unfortunately, it was only a scratch. He laughed evilly at him.
"Did you even think that you can defeat me with that toy sword of yours, you blonde idiot?! If it was the Gora Nova, I should be dead by now, but since it isn't...." With that he grabbed Gourry's blade and attacked him, cutting downward on his left shoulder with his own sword. The poor paladin screamed out in pain.
"GOOUURRRYY!" his knees dropped to the floor as his hand grabbed his shoulder, trying to slow down the flowing blood.
Val and Zel moved towards them as senses kicked in.
"Well.....I'm going to have to let you and that prissy princess live long enough to retestify the marriage ceremony, so you're lucky....for now." he tossed the golden sword next to its badly injured master. Gourry glared at him with abhoration and something else....
"Yyyoou....I..pity you.....L..Lina will...will never love anyone..but Zelgadiss..." his eyes softened in compassion for a little while until pain hit him again.
"SILENCE!!!! I don't need your pity nor of anyone else's and frankly I don't care if she loves me or not.....Lina is Mine and I will make her into Master Dynast's best and most trusted First General!!" he kicked the loving and caring brother's face like he was some kind of mutt. Gourry fell on his back, his face bloodied and bruised.
"So....the entire truth comes out. Mistress Zelas will not be pleased." Xellos muttered silently under his breath.
The two finally reached him.
"Hang on Gourry." Val casted a Recovery spell on his bleeding companion as Zel stood in front of his two comrades, facing the monster.
Hallis chuckled and phased out.
"Zel! Help me carry Gourry back, I don't have enough energy to heal him...I need help!"
"Here, let me....." Zel offers only to have Val nod his head no.
"No, Zel....I overheard you and Aez, you need your energy to destroy him. Now let's go before he comes back."
Val and Zel picked up Gourry and ran back to where Lina, Sylphiel, Filia, and Xellos are at.
"Sylphiel! Quick...I didn't have enough energy to he...."
The impatient, worried, ever watchful shrine maiden didn't need know what she needed to do. Her soon-to-be fiance needs her to heal him, if they all are to win this battle and survive. Aez was soon able to heal and awaken his princess and both were ready to join the others that is, if there wasn't something blocking their way.... Hallis appeared before them.
"ELMEKIA LANCE!" the young couple casted together.
"Would you stop wasting your powers on me already...." his shield deflected the spell.
"It's useless! I begin to wonder if it is even necessary to have the original witnesses alive..." once he finished off his last word, he smirks, he raised his right hand, a sickly green glowing ball formed.
The two were ready to stand against any firepower he readily casting, yet they felt afraid.
"Damn, is he just playing games with all of us?!" the blue young man looked at his injured friend.
"Apparently it seems that he doesn't want to play anymore....Amelia and Aez are confronting him right now!" the priest pointed the direction.
Zelgadiss and Val looked at their far right to see that Hallis did appear to settle the score once and for all.
"AMELIA!!! AEZORL!!!" Zel quickly stood up and saw his family, one, an unrelated sister and one of blood. Val followed his buddy's concern, he starts to run.
"Wait Val! I'm coming too!!" shouting as he follows Val.
"No your not Zel....stay here, you need to think of a plan to kill Hallis." shouts back at him as he ran more rapidly towards to their aide, Zel obeyed and stayed with Gourry, Syphiel, Filia, and a reluctant Xellos. He walks back and forth like an anxious, caged tiger, waiting for any unpleasant surprises.
Most of my powers are sealed away and I don't have enough strong powers, but I refuse to be useless while they're battling for their lives. Xellos decided, he couldn't take it anymore when he saw a worried chimera and his young still inexperienced sorcerers, standing their own grounds for survival. He phased out and reappeared at Amelia's and Aez's sides, making him the first to show up.
"Xellos!" the three said in unison, one of anger and the other two of relief.
"My, my, my......May I join you ::looking towards both young humans:: you see, I was feeling a bit bored...so..." giving his usual happy-go-lucky smile.
The green-claded monster gave an insulting laugh.
"What can you do, Oh Great General Priest? You don't have much powers to use against me."
Xellos tilts his head to the ground, he opened his amethyst eyes, his maliciously smirks and evilly glares at Hallis as he tilts his head back up.
"Well Hallis, I'll just have to do my best, now won't I?"
The couple backed off a bit as they heard their mazuko ally taking up the challenge with the threatening intentions. Xellos raised his wooden staff...
"ZELAS BRID!"
A thin band of light came out of his gloved free hand and strike it against Hallis. All four know that one attack couldn't do much damage, so the teenagers decided to help out.
"DUST CHIP!" Aez casted his attack first....
"FIREBALL!" .....followed by Amelia's spell.
Val comes charging in, the ancient dragon pulled out his sword..
"BLADE HAUT!" the shockwave threw tattered and singed-green-cladded Hallis against a boulder.
"AAARGGHHH! ALL OF YOU SHALL DIE A MISERABLE DEATH!!!" he yelled then grabbed his sides from the forgotten pain.
He raised himself from the ground, feeling pain as he once felt before when he was human as he walk one slow step after another. His body aches from the slashes, the scratches, the scorches, and being flunged like a ragdoll. He wasn't expecting to go thru this much trouble....really, it's more like many nuisances, to the path leading to his fiery wife. Hallis forgets how some humans would react when it comes down to protecting friends and family. He would probably would have done the same thing, except when he was human, he was a coward. He chuckled as he remembered the time when he first met the princess, the swordsman of light, and the beautiful, powerful sorceress. He licked his bloodied lips, and smirk once he faced some of his roadblocks.
"I have quite forgotten how to feel pain, no matter how minor or...irritating they may be, they will cease to be....just like the rest of you!" he laughs. He raised both hands up, the sky above him darkens, black clouds gathered as he summon them at his command.
The conscious group looked at his direction, their eyes widened in horror and in caution, preparing themselves for the coming and still growing battle. Zelgadiss made his decision, he has to act now.