Gourry shook his head in response. "I'm not her comrade. I'm her guardian."

"Feh. Whatever you wish...you and I are enemies, right?"

Gourry nodded an affirmative. "That's how it's going to be, old man."

"Then I'll defeat you first," the Mazoku replied.

"Can you do it?" Gourry taunted, and then charged.

"Ha!" The Mazoku attacked Gourry with his fire whips and a storm of silver needles, but Gourry easily avoided the attacks and closed the distance. His sword flashed...very fast! Even though I was nearby, I couldn't see his swing. It was the first time I'd ever really seen Gourry's true skill with a sword, and I had no idea he was that good. I'm also better than the average fighter with a sword, but Gourry was far above me. In less than an instant he'd cloven the Mazoku in two. But...

"Hyah!" Gourry deflected the silver needles that came flying at him from behind.

The Mazoku laughed lowly. "Ho...despite your youth, you're very good." His tone was flat, as if nothing had happened...and he didn't appear to be injured at all.

"Ah...a Mazoku," Gourry said with the same flat tone, as if it made no difference. I was amazed...did he really understand the situation? Honestly...

"Yes...but you can't cut me with that sword," the Mazoku replied shortly. That was certainly true...if it had been a half-mazoku like a Lesser Demon or a Bra.s.s Demon it wouldn't matter. Pure Mazoku live closer to the Astral Plane, though...there's no way to physically destroy them. If you had a magical sword with several anti-mazoku talismans, then you could hurt Zorom. Gourry's sword was well made, but it wasn't magical. My sword had a talisman, but it wouldn't be enough, and that was what Zorom had pointed out. I knew I'd have to show him some of my true power, then... "Oh, I can cut you," Gourry said without hesitation. I blinked...did he REALLY understand?

"Hoho..." Zorom said derisively, taunting Gourry. "Then cut me, if you can."

"I'll take you up on that offer," Gourry said, sheathing his sword and taking out...a needle.

"Don't tell me you're going to try and defeat me with that?"

"Of course not," Gourry replied, putting his left hand on the hilt of his sword.

"You can't cut anything with a needle."

Zorom laughed again. "I see...that's logical. Then what are you going to do?"

"This is what I'm going to do," Gourry said, and took the needle in his right hand, then poked the hilt of his sword near where the blade connects to the hilt with some sort of latch. Was he trying to seperate the blade from the hilt? He put the needle away. "Do you understand?" I was furious...of course he doesn't! How COULD he know?! Gourry was so calm, it meant he was either really confident...or really STUPID.

"Young man...I don't have any idea what you are saying."

"Then how about...this?" Gourry placed his hand on the empty hilt and chagred...That idiot!

"I understand very well...that you are a fool!" Zorom shouted, tossing a dozen flaming arrows at Gourry.

"Ha! Too easy!" I was amazed...Gourry had dodged every fire arrow. But just because you can dodge every attack doesn't mean you can defeat your enemy. He closed the distance, then shouted, "Light, come forth!" I stared, and even Zorom froze...and while he was frozen, Gourry easily cut him in half. The Mazoku didn't even have time to cry out; this time, he was truly destroyed. In Gourry's hand, where there was no blade before, was a blade of pure light.

"The Sword...of Light...?!" Yes, the object in front of my eyes, shining in Gourry's hand, really was the legendary Sword of Light. Zorom's body crumpled. The blade Gourry had unlatched has served as a scabbard for the Sword of Light. "G...Gourry...." I managed to stammer. My throat felt dry.

"Hi!" Gourry said cheerfully, turning and smiling at me. "We meet again. How've you been, little girl?"

"Gourry!" I started running, full speed, toward Gourry. He replaced the Sword of Light back in its "scabbard" and stood there quietly. I stopped in front of him and looked up at his face. "Gourry..."

"Lina..."

"Give me that sword!" I shouted, and Gourry spectacularly fell to the ground. I didn't care one bit. "Hey, please! Give it to me! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"

"H...hey!" Gourry said, rising and scratching his head. "I thought you were happy to see me and were going to hug me or something..."

"I'll be happy later, but for now, give me the sword!" I blinked, then hmmed. Nah, I won't be that stingy. "500! I'll buy it for 500!"

"Hey!" Gourry said, voice getting louder. "You can't even buy a rapier for 500!"

I frowned. "Alright, then, 550! Thief."

Gourry blinked. "YOU'RE the thief! In what world would there be someone stupid enough to sell the Sword of Light for 550 pieces of gold..."

I quirked an eyebrow. "In this world?"

"Hey!" he retorted. I muttered; as long as it's money I' spending, even a copper piece is a lot of money. I guess I truly am a merchant's daughter. "In the first place, this sword is a family heirloom, and it's been in the family for generations. No matter how much you offer, I'm not going to sell it!"

"Then I'll make it my family heirloom, and pa.s.s it down from generation to generation, so please, give it to me for free! That'll work won't it? Huh?"

"Dimwit, what kind of logic is that! I said I won't give it to you, so I won't give it to you!"

"How cruel! Treating a girl so coldly...it's too much! I'm going to cry!" I whimpered, faking some crying noises.

"Cry, then!" Gourry said humorlessly.

"Well, enough kidding around..." Gourry, unable to handle the sudden return to seriousness, once again fell to the ground. "Wh..what are you talking about?"

"Just listen...I don't have time for give a detailed explanation, so here's the brief. The person who helped me escape is in trouble right now. I owe him, so can you save him too?"

Gourry blinked. "Eh? Ah...well, all right."

"Alright, we're set then! Follow me," I shouted, then started running...to rescue Zelgadis, this time.

Fighting against so many opponents even made a battle difficult for someone as skilled as Zelgadis. Worse yet, most of the ogres and bersekrers were taken care of, but that still left Dilgear, the weremantises, and the durahans. At that point was when we came running. Gourry smoothly and silently cut down a nearby durahan with the Sword of Light. "Hey there!" I called out cheerfully. "We've come to help!"

A murmur rippled through the crowd as everyone turned to stare at us...we had turned the tide. Rezo's forces were slowly pushed back. The remaining orges and berserkers died, one by one, as we attacked.

"Feh!" Dilgear grunted. Just then...

"Eh?" That time it was Zelgadis who grunted. The three of us stopped moving. Dilgear turned around, then grinned with a smile of delight.

"Rodimus!" the werewolf cried, and there stood the middle-aged swordsman, armed with a halberd, and a new face...an extremely handsome middle-aged man. No time for stuff like that. "Thanks for coming! We could use the help..." echoes the voice of a random weremantis.

However, just as that was said and without any warning , Rodimus clubbed Dilgear with the haft of the halberd. The werewolf flew from the impact, slamming into a tree with a loud *CRACK*...he didn't move again.

"Ro...Rodimus! What are you doing?" The weremantis who had spoken before shouted, panicking. "Are you mad?"

"I am not mad!" he retorted, advancing. "I swore fealty to Sir Zelgadis, not to the Red Priest...I have no duty to him!"

"Y...you!" The weremantis, enraged, charged.

Rodimus let out a great war cry, and from that moment forward the fight was over. The weremantis' chest was split horizontally along the chest...the lower half continued to charge before hitting a tree and falling. The upper half quivered briefly, then stopped moving as well. It goes without saying that the rest of the enemy fled.

"Well," Zelgadis said, smiling faintly, "Thanks for the help."

"I don't know what's going on...but, I guess it's alright." Gourry smiles, but he was obviously confused.

"But, you two..is this really alright?" Zelgadis asked, turning his attention to Rodimus and the other man.

"No problem," the handsome, middle-aged man replied. That voice...it sounded so familiar...

"I'm sorry, Rodimus, Zolf...I didn't want to involve you in something so trivial." Z...Z...ZOLF?! Then that mummy man was the same as the handsome middle-aged man...?! I couldn't believe it. For the guy in all those bandages to actually be so handsome...

Zolf briefly glanced at me. "Hi, little girl...you're still alive." Grrr...for a second, I thought about forgiving him because he is handsome, but what he said changed my mind. However, we had a common enemy in the Red Priest, so there wasn't any point in bickering."

"Well, there's no harm in having more companions, so I'll forget what's happened in the past," I said, thinking myself very admirable for doing so. "No matter how much you've hindered our progress, even though you're a hopelessly third-rate wizard, even though you an odious s.a.d.i.s.t, a companion is a companion. Even a dead tree is part of a mountain...we'll help you out, and not think about revenge."

"You're still angry at me."

"Oh, you're just imagining things! You only think that because of your perversion and your complex, twisted, groundless pride."

"Hey, girl..." Zolf retorted.

"Wait a minute, Lina," Gourry interrupted. "Instead of going on like this, couldn't you explain the situation? I still don't understand what's going on..." I blinked, then realized I still hadn't explained anything to Gourry. I offered a brief explanation of what was going on....

"... and that's it. Understand?" It was sunset by the time I finished explaining. Gourry didn't respond, so I repeated again, "Understand?" Again he didn't respond. He was sitting with a blank look and watching...no, sleepily staring at me! The others were sitting on the ground. The fight had worn them out...how pitiful. I'm a woman, and I was fine.

"Boy...you really do talk a lot," Rodimus said tiredly.

"Really?" I asked, and all nodded their heads. I didn't think I talked a lot.

"Anyhow, you understand the basics, right?"

"Leaving out the personal feelings and interpretations, I got the gist of it," Gourry responded, getting up.

"I'd like to ask...do you have any intention of giving me the stone?" Zelgadis asked, getting up as well.

"No," Gourry said without hesitation.

"I thought so." There was enmity in Zelgadis' voice.

"On one hand, healing eyes, and on the other hand, hate. If the Philosopher's Stone were to be used for such egotistical purposes, it's reputation would be sullied."

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" the golem responded.

"No, I have no intention of that. But I won't give you the Philosopher's Stone...that's all I'm saying. There's still the possibility that this is all a sham planned by you and Rezo."

"That's what I expected...I thought you'd say something like that." Zelgadis drew his sword. "I guess this is the only solution..."

"I guess so." Gourry placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Zolf and Rodimus spread out to the left and right of Zelgadis.

"Both of you, stay back," Zelgadis warned. Rodimus smiled wryly, and took a step back.

Zolf was confused. "But...but..."

"Stay back!" Zelgadis warned again. Zolf reluctantly stepped back.

"Alright...that's enough!" That time, it was me who spoke, but neither of them appeared to even bother looking at me. It was pretty serious. Zolf and Rodimus were also paying close attention to what was going on. The distance between Gourry and Zelgadis was rapidly shrinking, so I raised my voice again. "That's enough! This would be a good match, but there are other things we need to do first!"

"It is exactly as the lady says." I blinked in surprise, and heard a voice right behind...no, right by my ear! On the back of my head, right along the neck, I felt something cold. I knew if I moved, I'd die. Everyone's eyes but mine are centered on the person behind me, but I knew who it was. I remembered the voice...the person who even Zelgadis feared...

"Rezo..." Gourry voiced the name.

"It's been a long time since we met. But let us dispense with the pleasantries. There's no need for me to tell you what I want, because you should already know...Gourry-san, isn't it?"

"The Philosopher's Stone, right?"

"Correct. Please, don't do anything rash. If I press the needle into her neck a little harder, I'll become a murderer." I muttered to myself, and knowing the situation I was in made me sweat, and my breath caught in my throat.

"It's a bluff! Don't give it to him!" Zelgadis said loudly, almost a shout. He didn't want Rezo to get the Philosopher's Stone. Zelgadis knew best whether or not Rezo was the type of person who bluffed. Of course, no one believed him. A bead of sweat ran down my cheek.

"Why do you need it?" Gourry asked.

Fearfully, I decided to speak. "Why go to so many lengths?"

"Even though I could explain it...it would mean nothing to a person who can see." One of those things... "Now, the stone."

"Alright."

"Stop! Don't give it to him!" Ignoring Zelgadis, Gourry took out the orihalcon statue.

"Here." The statue arced through the air. Rezo extended his right hand and caught it.

"I have it! Now I have it..." Rezo's tone of voice changed...there was an evil-sounding glee in his words.

"Let go of Lina!" Gourry cried.

"Don't be so hasty...I'll let her go soon." The statue broke easily in Rezo's hand with a tinking crack sound, even though orihalcon can seal magic. From inside the statue, a single, small black stone emerged. While it would look like a piece of coal to any normal person, this poor-looking stone was the Philosopher's Stone. It had responded to the call of Rezo's magical powers and had broken a statue which shouldn't have been able to be destroyed by magic. "Ahh...ahh! This is it!" Rezo shoved me from behind.

"Eeeeeh!" I stumbled a few steps before coming to a halt. I moved my hand to the back of my head and pulled out the long, thin needle. OwowowowowOW! I felt something cold. There wasn't any pain, but a needle the length of a thumb had been thrust into my neck. I was surprised I hadn't been killed, which meant that Rezo had a lot of skill, Zelgadis started chanting a spell, and Gourry drew the Sword of Light. Rezo raised the hand with the stone up to his mouth. I wondered...could it be...

It was as I feared. Without a moment of hesitation, Rezo swallowed the stone. "Aaaah!" I yelled, as a strong wind began to blow. I covered my face with my mantle, and a sudden wave of nausea rolled over me. It wasn't wind...it was sheer negative emotion, strong enough to manifest physically. In the center of the vortex was Rezo, laughing gleefully.

"Kyah!" Zelgadis attacked, and a blue pillar of flame enveloped Rezo. I didn't know what spell he'd cast, but it obviously had no effect.

Rezo was screaming, laughing insanely. "Ahhh...I can SEE! I can see!" For the first time, i saw someone...a person...transform into something completely different. Rezo's eyes slowly opened, and what was behind the eyelids was a kind of crimson-shaded darkness...what was sealed behind his eyes was a pair of ruby-like, blood-red eyes. "Mwahaha...mwahahahahahahaha! They're open! My eyes are open!" The flesh of Rezo's cheek fell off, and underneath was something white.

"What is that?!" someone yelled, but I didn't know who. That time it was the flesh of his forehead...and then I realized. What we were seeing was WHO was sealed behind Rezo's eyes...his face was a white stone mask with twin rubies for eyes. Then the robe covering his body began changing into something solid.

"No!" Zelgadis moaned...because he had also reazlied that Ruby-Eye Shabranigdu had returned to the world.