"Sword!" I shouted. "Consume this darkness and become a blade!"

"What...?" The darkness created by the Giga Slave started gathering toward the sword. It was just as I thought, and the Sword was just as I imagined...it amplified willpower and materialized it. Normally it took the understandable form of "Light." I was sure of this when Gourry, who has strong will but no magic power, could not materialize as much of the Sword as I could, as I was more experienced controlling my will. Even knowing that, though, I wasn't 100% confident. Something else...

"What a foolish gesture of resistance!" The Demon Lord took a stance with his staff. A low mumble...words I'd never heard before...came to mind. He was chanting a spell...d.a.m.n! The sword needed more time to absorb the Giga Slave's darkness.

When a spellcaster uses magic, he or she is surrounded by a magical shield which can be strong or weak. While I was casting the Giga Slave, it was possible to block even a fairly strong energy ball. However, I wasn't sure the shield could take the full blow of the Demon Lord's spell...I didn't want to even risk it. Even worse, the Giga Slave's energy was being poured into the sword, so I wasn't sure if the shield was even present. Red light shone at the tip of the staff...he was fast! However, if I rushed it, our chances would be lost. This was...

"Stop!" a voice shouted, reverberating in our ears. Zelgadis. "Just stop! This is the world you wanted so much to see...why are you saying you wish to destroy it? Rezo!" He was confused, and probably had no idea what he was saying...but the spell stopped. The red light vanished. Shabranigdu, in Rezo's body, looked at Zelgadis, who was lying on the ground. That was it! The thing I'd been missing...

"Foolish words," Shabranigdu said, mocking Zelgadis. But as he said so, the blade in my hands became complete.

"Rezo, Priest of Red!" I shouted as I raised the blade of darkness over my head.

"Choose! Do you want to have your soul devoured by Shabranigdu? Or will you avenge yourself upon him?"

"Ohh..." It was a happy, quiet voice.

"Impossible...!" shouted a voice of alarm, all at the same time as the happy moan.

"Sword...vanquish this crimson darkness!" I swung down the sword. Black light...there is no other way to describe it...flowed toward the Demon Lord.

"What an impotent attack...I'll have no trouble deflecting this!" He took a stance with his staff, and an energy ball of darkness approached. There was a loud KABOOM, and a black pillar of fiery light streaked toward the heavens.

"Ah..." I murmured softly, I didn't bother trying to wipe off the sweat dripping down my face. Inside the flame pillar, I could see a writhing figure...

...eventually, it subsided. "Kahhh..." I fell to my knees right on the spot.

"Mwaha...mwahaha....mwahahahahaha!" The Demon Lord's laughter echoed through the forest. "Admirable. I never thought a mere human could perform such a trick." There was a slight, odd sound.

"I like you...little girl. You are truly a genius." I was happy to be praised, but it was hardly the time to be happy. With that one spell I'd used up most of my strength. I didn't even have the power to create a ball of fire the size of a fingertip. I just kneeled on the ground, breathing raggedly, shoulders heaving.

"But it's unfortunate...we can never meet again. No matter how talented a sorceress you are, you're only human..." I heard the odd sound again...what was it?

"Though you may use magic, you will live only a few hundred years. I don't know how this world will progress, but while you still have life, there's a small chance that one of my counterparts will reawaken." Eh? What does that...then I raised my face, and saw. There were cracks covering the Demon Lord's body...

"In the far, far future, I would like to be resurrected again and fight you...but that wish cannot be granted. As a sign of respect for you, I will be destroyed. At last, I can rest..." The two voices spoke simultaneously, both Shabranigdu and Rezo. The mask's cheek portion cracked and fell, but before it hit the ground, the wind crumbled it to dust.

"It was fun, little girl..." Shabranigdu.

"I am sorry. Truly...truly..." Rezo.

There was the sound of laughing and crying together, as the Demon Lord's body faded away, leaving the sound in the wind all that remained of him.

Epilogue.

"Is it over?" Gourry mumbled, a considerable time after the demon king had disappeared.

"Yeah," I said clearly. "Thanks to Rezo."

"Rezo?" As if he was still having trouble believing he had died, Zelgadis spoke, staring at the spot where the Demon Lord had stood.

"Rezo's soul was still left inside. Over time, even while the Demon Lord was devouring it, the small piece of Rezo's goodness that remained latched onto the anger he felt at Shabrangidu deceiving him, and let the darkness I'd created get through."

"But still, you pulled it off..." Gourry looked at me, and was struck speechless. Zelgadis did as well, once he saw my hair...silver hair. It was an aftereffect of using too much lifeforce. "Lina! Your hair..."

"It's alright. I just used a bit too much power." I smiled. "Though I'm tired. How about you two?"

"I'm alright," Gourry said, getting up, though he wobbled a bit.

"At least I'm not dead," Zelgadis said, a bit more firmly.

"I see...good." I smiled and said, then spread-eagled on the ground, falling asleep.

Several days later, the three of us were near enough to see Atlas City. "At last! Tonight I can eat good food, and sleep comfortably on a soft bed." I looked at the faraway city as I spoke. My hair still hadn't returned to its original color, but the fatigue was gone.

"It became a long journey," Gourry mused.

"Then, I'll be leaving now," Zelgadis said, suddenly.

"Eh?" Gourry and I spoke in tandem.

"I've been active lately, my face is still known...big cities will be dangerous for me. I also stand out a lot."

"I see..." I replied. "What are you going to do?"

"Well...I'll do as I wish -- alone. I've caused you both a lot of trouble. But..." As if he were embara.s.sed, Zelgadis scratched the tip of his nose. "If we're still alive, I'd like to see you two again sometime. It might mean trouble for you, but..."

I extended my right hand with a smile. "Someday, then."

"Someday," Zelgadis echoed, grasping my hand. The stone skin felt oddly warm.

"Stay well," Gourry said, casually waving his hand.

"Yeah. You too." After saying that, Zelgadis turned away.

"Lina," Gourry said, watching Zelgadis walk in the opposite direction. Ever since the battle with the Demon Lord, he'd been calling me Lina instead of "little girl". "He just shook your hand with his sword arm. Maybe that means he likes you?"

"Don't say such a stupid thing!" I countered.

"By the way...What are you going to do in Atlas City?"

"Huh...what will I do..." I thought for a while. "Oh right! Gourry, didn't you say you were going to give me the Sword of Light?"

"Who said that? Who?"

"Ah! You're not giving it to me?"

"Of course not!"

I sighed. "That's too bad. If I had it I'd be nearly invulnerable, and it'd help my research into magic."

Gourry hmphed. "You can't have what you can't have."

"Oh, alright," I agreed, lightly.

"...Eh?" Gourry was caught off guard by that.

"I've decided where I'll go."

"Where?" Gourry asked, obviously not understanding.

"Wherever you go."

"...What?"

"Until you agree to give me the Sword of Light, I'll just follow you around." I winked at him. "Anyhow...let's go!" I said, and started walking toward Atlas City.