Slayers Special - Volume 1 - Chapter 2

Avenger 

It was the definition of suddenness. 

“Lina Inverse, brace yoursellllf!” 

“Ehhhh?!” 

As my body lurched backwards, the tip of a spear was pointing at my nose. 

“Wh-wha…wha…” 

I barely saved myself from falling over, regained my balance, and rose from my chair to face my opponent. 

I was in a small eatery in the trading community of Talis City. A potential client had brought me there to discuss the job over lunch, but when I gave my name, I was suddenly attacked. Looking up, I saw that it was a girl who had been sitting to the right of me. If you’re wondering what happened to the man that was with me, by the way, he scuffled out of his chair and bolted out the door – not wanting to get caught up in a possibly deadly brawl. 

“What the hell is your problem, girl!” 

“Be silent!” Her blue eyes glared at me. 

And I could have sworn I could see little balls of fire in her pupils…It didn’t look like I was in much of a position to try to reason with her… 

“I do this to avenge my brother!” 

“Wait…what?!” 

While dodging her flying attacks, I ran out of the shop. Damn it! I was only halfway through my lunch!... Is what I cursed under my breath until I realized that I at least had got to skip out on paying. Putting it that way, I’m luckyyyy. 

…. But I got the feeling that no matter how I looked at things, this was not exactly a “lucky” situation. I was on a big street under the midday sun. I was in clear sight of many people. I don’t suppose witnessing a street fight was that unusual for the villagers, but to see a young girl with a raised spear chase such a beautiful young lady (yours truly, of course…in case there was any confusion)  down the street was probably a rare occurrence.  

Naturally, an accomplished warrior and sorceress such as myself could put down such a girl in a flash with little to no effort. And to be realistic, there have been several people I’ve encountered who wanted to defeat me just to raise their own name values. 

But not many of them lasted in battle any longer than it takes to make a piece of toast. (Braaaag!) 

These are not the words of just any sorceress, but, “I’m gonna kill all the bad guys with attack spells!!”…yeah, kind of like that feeling. 

….Hey, I see you, humanitarians. Stop making that face. Just FYI, there’s no such thing as basic human rights if you’re a criminal! 

Like devious old men who take innocent people or possessions through force, or devious men who get off more from the sight of blood than from having three meals a day, the robbers, the berserkers – why, it’s not even beneath them to team up with the filthy goblins and kobolds. What more proof do you need! 

However, this time was different. We were in an open space in view of people, and this girl seemed to have a virtuous task of “avenging her brother.” My mind was stuck on my beloved attack spells that I wished I could use, but couldn’t. I was surprised by my good will power! 

Any ordinary sorceress, once barely missing an attack to her nose, would panic and send a counter-attack spell. She would probably even send a wild Fire Ball flying. 

…..Or maybe she wouldn’t do that after all. 

But anyway, since I wasn’t fighting back, the girl kept cockily jabbing at me. 

“Stop running and meet your doom!” 

“That’s crazy talk!” 

I ran. She followed. The tip of her spear cut the air, old men fell in shock, cows bucked and panicked – I suppose to a third party, this was a very amusing spectacle, the likes of which they weren’t likely to see again. 

However, unfortunately, I was the cause of this panic. I was in no place to enjoy it. 

In front of an antiques shop, I murmured an incantation. Gripping the little knife in my pack, I headed for the next corner to the right! When the girl chased after me around the corner, her feet stopped suddenly. That was because I was there waiting for her. My right hand was raised, ready to take the opportunity! 

I aimed my knife carefully towards its intended target…so as not to misfire. I did not want to hit her. 

What my knife actually struck was her shadow on the ground. And in that instant, her body was stuck. 

“Nff!” Her muscles filled with tension and beats of sweat began to form on her forehead. But try as she might, she could not move. 

“Don’t even try,” I said with an over-cool voice. “I used a Shadow Snap on you… It’s a trick that stops your opponent’s moves from the spirit world. It’s not my best trick, but I didn’t want to use force on you.” 

It was unlike the big spells I usually used. Rather than being flashy, it was a rather understated spell… Just as the name “shadow,” it only works against shadows. So if the clouds suddenly came out, it would immediately wear off…Which is admittedly a rather pathetic weakness. 

“Well then… How about you slowly and carefully explain to me exactly what is going on.” 

“You think explaining will accomplish anything?!” she yelled. The girl…was actually a young woman, probably around seventeen or eighteen. Perhaps a little     older     than me, or the same age as my sister back home. Her hair was short and blond and she was too beautiful to be a fighter. With a white and gold breast plate, and a long spear, she was dressed formally for battle. 

“What happened half a year ago…don’t tell me you’ve forgotten!” 

Even though her body couldn’t move, her mouth could. That’s only expected, since this spell was originally developed for interrogations. 

“Half a year ago…you say…” I tried to draw up old memories. 

Indiscriminately crushing down on bandit groups, getting bored, blaming Blue Dragon, missing my hometown and casting Dragon Slave for no reason to make me feel better…All I could remember were peaceful, monotonous days… 

But someone wanting to avenge me? I could see no…well, it’s not that I could see NO reason for it… 

But I doubt that I’d ever harmed anyone who would have a respectable person who would want to avenge him. 

“Ah, wait, was this brother of yours a bandit or something?” 

“No, he wasn’t! He’s a farmer!” 

“…Well    then, this must be some misunderstanding…” 

“It is most certainly not a misunderstanding! It was very clear what…” 

“Move it, move it, move it!” without even a pause, the sound of the yelling voice clamored through the square along with a lot of clinking and clunking. Looking around me, I saw numerous soldiers on horse-carriages coming for me. Perhaps they were carrying precious cargo. 

“Don’t loiter in the middle of the village square! You’re in the way, you’re in the way! open a path!” 

Now that he’d mentioned it, I realized we were indeed right in the middle of a big road. And just as I was noticing this, the carriages flew past me with incredible speed. Boy, they sure were in a hurry. 

“Just a minute!” The girl yelled at the same time. 

Ohhh, that reminds me, did I still have Shadow Snap on her? In a panic I turned and looked at her. 

…But I guess my timing wasn’t quick enough. 

WHACK!! 

Yep, just as I thought. I got whacked. 

                               *** 

“Ngh…nnnn….” 

By the time she finally woke up, it was night. I ordered a room for two at the lodge, carried her in, and dressed her wounds. Naturally, I didn’t want to risk her waking up and going berserk on me again, so even though it was a bit redundant, I had turned the lamp light up and cast Shadow Snap on her again. 

“So you’re awake, I see,” I said, in as gentle a voice as I could manage. As much as I wanted to be more like, “ohhhh, so the mighty widdle warrior awakes from her nappy-wappy? mwahahaha,”…but that would make me no better than those evil sorceresses out there. 

For an instant it seemed as though she would cry out, but perhaps she got wise and realized the situation she was in. She merely glared at me in response. 

“So about what happened earlier today… I think you’re somehow mistaken. And I think we can come to an understanding it we just talk…so please. Trust me and tell me what exactly happened.” 

I looked firmly into her eyes. A strong gaze was the best way to put significance into what one was saying. No matter how important the contents, if you look down, whatever you say ends up seeming very insignificant. 

A straight expression and a strong gaze… that is the very way to make someone listen to you! 

“Ohhhhh.” 

However, she responded with cold eyes. 

“You tie a person up, hang her from the ceiling, then put some crazy spell on her…and then you dare ask her to ‘trust’ you?” Ah. 

…She had a point there. No matter how virtuous my intentions, treating her like this did make me lose some credibility. 

“Don’t worry about all of the fighting,” I said. “It didn’t bother me…” 

“Ohhhh.” 

For some reason, her face looked evil when I tried to cover myself. 

               *** 

According to her side of the story, one half year ago,    the sorceress who killed her older brother used my name. Naturally, I’d never remembered doing such a thing. I mean, the scene of the crime, for starters – her village. I’d never even been there. I’d never even heard her name before. 

It was a SET UP. 

If someone with my name ever does something, it’s usually someone who’s A, not me, and B, up to no good. 

The “revenge” that she wanted was probably yet another case of identity theft. 

….This was perfectly clear to me, but it was not so easy explaining to her. 

“You can say whatever you want! But you already told me your message quite clearly! While you were standing over my brother’s dead body! You said, ‘my name is Lina Inverse. If you wish to avenge your brother then chase after me. Or else you may suffer the same fate as he!’ – you said that.” 

“Again, I never said that! It wasn’t me! … Wait, if you say ‘I’I told you all of that directly, didn’t you see the person who killed your brother?!” 

“Of course I did!” 

She glared at me from directly across. 

“She had long, black hair.” 

Yes, my hair is long…but it’s also brown. 

“She wore a black cloak…” 

Well, all sorcerers wear black cloaks… 

“And she had a ram’s skull on her head…” 

Yeah, that’s totally not me. Though I do wear a bandana. 

“She was also a really big man…” 

“….Wait a minute, sweetie,” I stared at her hard. 

“Wait, now that I think about it…” she stared back. 

“You don’t resemble him at all!” 

“What the hell were you thinking! Seriously!” 

“….I was thinking various things…” she murmured. 

I clutched my head in my hands. “Arrrrrrgh!... First that strange peace-loving dude and now you. Why do I always attract these sorts of whackos?!” 

“Birds of a feather…” 

“Shut up!... Jeez… Anyway! Things should be cleared up now. I’m not the one who killed your brother!” 

“…Yeah, guess not…sorry.” 

Her apology was surprisingly vulnerable. 

               *** 

“Come to think of it…” 

Now that she solved the mysteries, she flopped onto what could not be called much of a luxurious bed, and made perplexed clicking noises with her tongue while waving around her wrists. 

“I actually saw a sorcerer with a ram skull helmet in this very town. I saw him yesterday.” 

“In this very town?!” 

“Yes. I thought it was a little strange – what was his name again?...Rown… or something like that. Oh, wait, I’m probably wrong again… but thinking about it now that I know what I know, that man certainly was suspicious.” 

Even without knowing what you know now, that man would have still been plenty suspicious! (…is what I wanted to scream at her.) 

Especially that “ram skull helmet” crap! What’s up with that?! 

Hmmm, thinking about famous people who wear ram skulls as helmets, the evil High Priest of legend is the only person who comes to mind… Dressing like that is basically the same thing as standing on a podium and yelling, “Suspicious guy right here, folks!” 

“Anyway…” I said, clutching my throbbing head. “Let’s leave searching for him to tomorrow. Let’s turn in for the night.” 

“Good idea.” 

However… 

At that time I stupidly didn’t notice…that I’d gotten completely wrapped up in something…. Please don’t laugh. 

              *** 

The next day… 

I found the man in question right away. 

After asking around with the question, “Hey, did you see a strange looking guy with a ram’s skull helmet wandering around?” the second person I asked had an answer. 

“Looks like you’ll finally be able to avenge your brother. Let’s see… wait, what was your name again?” 

We walked along a rundown path with white stone, dusty houses as I asked her. Yesterday things were a little hectic and I’d forgotten to get her name. 

“I’m Canny,” she said, automatically stretching out her right hand. 

Wait, isn’t she supposed to be a Fighter? 

While wondering this, I still shook her hand. 

Even a beginner Fighter wouldn’t easily offer her dominant hand to a potential enemy…. Or does she just really trust me or something? 

Even though I’m technically a “Fighter-Sorcerer,” I would have to say that I lean more towards the sorcerer side – so I don’t feel threatened much by a simple handshake. 

“There he is! It’s him!” Canny suddenly raised her voice. 

Glancing over, I saw our man in question round the corner and disappear. 

“We’re going in!” Even before I said this, she had already rushed ahead of me. 

“Hold it right there! You strange man!” 

He stopped at the sound of her voice and turned around. He looked a bit familiar to me. 

He was in his early thirties, perhaps. And while he certainly did look strange, he was thin with dark eyebrows – a rather handsome fellow. 

“…Are you talking to me?” 

“…Do you see any other strange men in this village?” 

It was then that I finally caught up to them. The man looked a little untrustworthy. 

“Never mind that, you!” Canny said as she poked her finger at the man. 

“You! You’re Lina Inverse, aren’t you?!” Smack! 

I toppled over on the spot. 

This chick isn’t thinking at all! 

“No…My name is Dilth…” 

“Oh…my mistake…or is it…?!” 

“Are you an idiot?!.... Hey, didn’t you duel this girl’s big brother half a year ago?!” 

“In the northern village of Vorune!” 

“Ohhhh…” 

His handsome black eyes narrowed to slits under his ram skull helmet. 

“…Now I remember. I see. So you’re the girl from back then. I didn’t recognize you dressed as a Fighter.” 

“So it WAS you – I knew it!” Canny yelled… (“She knew it,” my ass!) 

“So you chased after me to avenge him, just like I’d suggested. If only you’d stayed home and cried like a good girl – then maybe you’d have survived… I never thought that you would dare find me, the great Sart Prazer…” 

“…Wait a minute, didn’t you just say your name was ‘Dilth’?” 

“Ridiculous!” the confusing sorcerer What’s-his-name said with a laugh and a puffed out chest. 

“Only I, the great Balf Luquas would know that is just a pseudonym.” 

…Wait, now he’s forgetting his own name?... 

But I really wish he’d stop boasting over stuff that didn’t amount to anything and made no sense. I started to feel sorry for myself – taking him on seriously in battle. 

And what’s more, we had started to attract a crowd of people who were whispering, “Oh, look, it’s those girls from yesterday,” and “Oh, dear. It’s like this every day…” 

“Anyway, I’m here to avenge my brother! Prepare to die!” Canny howled. 

The sorcerer…moved! 

SLAP! 

The sole of the man’s shoe easily made direct contact with her face. 

The crowd exploded in laughter. I pretended to be a tree. But Canny still tried to fight him. 

“Ahh! Tahhh!” 

Whoosh, whoosh! Kick! Fall! Step, step! 

“Eeeep! Eeeep!” 

…Maybe she should have stayed home crying? Just sayin’… 

“Be careful!” Canny said, suddenly becoming serious. “He’s really strong!” 

“You’re really weak!” 

“Please don’t remind me!” 

As the two of us squabbled, the sorcerer forced a carriage to stop in the road. 

“Hey! I don’t really care what’s going on – just let me get on and step on it! If you do my bidding I will give you money! And if you refuse I’ll kill you on the spot!” 

The terrified carriage driver let out a whimper and whipped his horse. 

“Mwhahahaha! If you wish to defeat me, come catch me!” The sorcerer yelled from the top of the carriage, standing tall with his hands on his hips. Naturally, he didn’t exactly look cool. 

“We’re not letting you escape!” Canny dashed off after the carriage, not stopping to consider how she compared to a horse. 

I chased after her while muttering an incantation under my breath. 

That sorcerer, while he realized Canny was no threat, probably realized that I did have some powers even if I was just a helper. Otherwise he would not have sped away like that. His plan was probably to run the carriage through the village several times to tire me sufficiently and then defeat me in combat… But I won’t let him! 

I took Canny’s hand. 

“Let’s go!” 

“…Huh?” 

“Ray Wing!” 

And then we both flew into the sky! 

               *** 

“Yarrrrrgh!” The sorcerer on the cart cried out. The people in the crowd also began to gasp and yelp as he passed. And I don’t blame them for that. It’s not every day you see a sorcerer and a soldier flying by at top speed hand in hand. 

Not many use Raywing anymore these days – it’s a dying magic. When taking the difficulty of acquiring the skill into account, it’s just not worth using. Except in  emergencies, like for example, if you’re falling from a high place.

It’s not as fast as a teleportation spell, but the easy to perform and adequately powerful “Levitation” spell is more than sufficient. After all, you don’t hear many stories of a sorcerer casting a high level flying spell to have a mid-air brawl with a griffon. 

But in all honesty, I learned this spell for a much simpler reason. I wanted my big sis back at home to be impressed. 

And she was impressed. ImPRESSED right into a food seller’s cart in the market square when I messed up the incantation. Two days of washing dishes to pay him back caused a lot of grief for everyone. Ever since then, I haven’t used the spell… 

“Yahhh!” The sorcerer yelled at the cart driver, making him go 

faster. 

“You’re not getting away!” I cried out, also accelerating. He lowered slightly. He had a barrier of wind set around him – this is how the spell worked to move its subjects along. The weight, altitude, and speed of the subject all required synchronization by the magic user to maintain balance. Unable to remove his “baggage” called Canny, if he wished to increase his speed, his altitude would need to lower. The delicate balance of the spell would threaten to be thrown off. 

And now we were flying at the height of a person. Raising altitude was just too dangerous. 

…Now that I thought about it, I’d been hearing all sorts of interesting crashing, smashing, and dragging noises coming from my hand that had been dragging Canny along… I hope she’s still alive… 

“Damn youuuuu!” While rustling around in the bag with his right hand, the sorcerer started to mumble an incantation under his breath. Due to the wind barrier, the wind was whistling in my ears – well, not exactly – it’s just that the winds were extra strong and loud where the barrier was so it was difficult to hear the incantation. The mysteriously unnamed evil sorcerer didn’t seem inconsiderate enough that he would simply cause a violent spell to happen in the middle of a town square. 

Or so I thought… 

The earth began to shake. 

The “something” that the sorcerer had been summoning was the cause of the quakes. It looked like a large human. 

… A Mud Golem?! 

What an amusing spell he used. He probably used it reasoning that my hands were tied as long as I was using my Raywing spell. If I couldn’t dodge the golem, I’d be on a fast collision course with it. 

However… 

Smack! 

The golem crumbled to dust by my spell. 

“How is that possible?!” The sorcerer let out an in indignant cry. 

It’s true, as long as I’m using the Ray Wing spell, I am unable to concentrate enough spiritually to use an attack spell. 

But there’s always a “but”. 

I could always manage to pull out a “Befhisu Bring.”  

Befisu Bring is exactly how it sounds – it’s a spell that gets an earth spirit to work for you. In layman’s terms, it’s a hole digging spell. 

In other words, the Mud Golem that our little enemy made instantly without permission from the Befimos (earth spirit) meddles with the earth spirit, it’s true creator, you might say, and the earth spirit can open holes in the Mud Golem. 

Naturally, if his magic points – if his ability to intervene   

with the earth spirit had surpassed mine, the results would have been different. 

A sorcerer’s worth is all in his or her application. Even the most seemingly ineffective spell can be very powerful if used correctly. There are instances in which a sorcerer armed with the highest of attack spells is overthrown by a sorcerer who doesn’t even know a single attack spell. And this is why. 

“Yahhhh!” The sorcerer cried, stopping the cart and jumping off. If running wasn’t going to work, facing off head on was his only course of action. 

The nearby man at the fruit stand and old lady at the dried goods store noticed what was happening and ran for it. 

But as much as the sorcerer wanted to fight me, he was still technically Canny’s target to avenge her brother. 

“Canny! I’m gonna make you fly!” 

“Sure!” she answered sharply, understanding my meaning. 

While summoning my energy and raising altitude, I faced the sorcerer and got closer and closer… 

And sending “wind” to Canny, I let go of her hand. 

I swished my black cloak like a raven flaps his wings, and fell quietly to the earth. 

Canny continued to fly. Spear in hand. It looked more like a solitary unleashed arrow. 

She faced off against the sorcerer! “Prepare to die. For my brotherrrr!” 

In that instant! 

The sorcerer dodged quickly sideways. 

Damn it!! That’s right, he can dodge things! 

“Ahhhhh!” Canny screamed! 

Calm down! Go for it, you can do it, Canny! Move forward on sheer willpower! 

CRUNCHHHHHHYYYYAAAAAA!! 

….Oh. Guess it was a lost cause. 

She unromantically fell headfirst into the pile of fruit. Her bottom half was wiggling from within the oranges. 

I glared at the sorcerer. 

“How utterly cruel of you!” 

“YOU were the one who did it, not me!” 

“It’s all in the past! Anyway!” 

I like to use the word “anyway” to nullify all problems so I can move on. 

“Looks like I’ll have to avenge Canny’s brother for her!” 

Just when I thought he’d butt in with a, “don’t kill unprovoked!” he started to chant a spell. 

And that spell was… Fireball! 

The tiny ball of light that the sorcerer released would explode like a bomb on contact and send walls of flames around its immediate surroundings – it’s a large area death spell. If it came in contact with a human, she’d be fried to rare at least. 

Is he insane?! If he used that spell here, countless townsfolk would die. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt at first, but I stopped when I saw his eyes. There were flames of insanity in them. 

…Defeating him was my only choice. 

I began to chant my own spell. The sorcerer’s lips twisted upward into a slight smile. 

He’s onto me. He knows something about the spell I’m about to cast. 

Dill Brand  – a spell that is the base for Mega Brand. It works around the immediate area of its caster, sending an explosive burst inward to the nucleus above where the sorcerer stands. It’s like releasing the ground from below into a protective dirt barrier. 

It’s easier to control than a Fireball spell and the incantation doesn’t take as long to chant either. However… 

It’s lower than a level 2 attack spell. It’s meant to protect you from an attack spell as long as you’re wearing a decent robe. It’s supposed to be a spell that you’d use against a weak opponent or one whom you didn’t want to kill. While you’re chanting the spell, a weak protective barrier is formed around you, making it easy for an opponent to counter your spell. It really is an amateur sort of spell. 

And I suppose it need not be mentioned that I am an all-powerful sorcerer to whom others cannot compare. I have plenty of magic stock left to unleash another Fireball or two while I’m chanting this spell. 

The day I use it is the day my very magic will fly away. 

Clap! 

The sorcerer clapped his hands loudly in front of his chest. Then he slowly moved them apart to the sides. In between the palms, a glowing ball of light had formed. 

“Go forth, Fireball!” 

“Dill Brand!” 

The ball of light was released. 

Around the same time, the earth split and raised beneath him. With not a very large circumference, with my opponent sorcerer at its center. 

The dirt circle that raised to the sky covered the sorcerer’s body. 

A crashing noise and then a scream. 

The pillar of dirt was dyed in red. 

The witnesses nearby were shocked. 

That was the final moment of the evil sorcerer – whose name I still never caught. 

I’d caused the dirt pillar to shoot into his Fireball spell, trapping him inside with it. 

“Victory!” 

I faced the horizon and made a peace sign. 

“It’s over…at last…” The soft voice sounded in my ear.  

I whirled around in surprise. Canny, who had revived herself at some point, was standing next to me with distant eyes. 

“Nii-san… I have splendidly avenged you...” 

“You didn’t do a stinking thing!” 

“Ah! Don’t say that!” 

               *** 

“I’m sorry… I know you helped me out in so many ways…” 

Canny came to the edge of town to see me off. She said these words of good will as she extended her right hand to me. 

When she did the same thing at first, I was a bit surprised, but it turned out to be nothing.  She was just a perfect amateur. And now, she’s abandoned her weapons and armor and is instead wearing an ordinary dress. I think it suits her much better. 

This job had been done completely for free, but I guess it’s okay to do that sometimes. If I just think of making the world a better place one person and one good deed at a time… 

“What are you going to do now?” 

She smiled peacefully back at my question. “I’m going back home. I think I’ll set up a farm again with my little brothers.” 

I smiled softly. “I guess that way of life isn’t a bad thing either… 

Well, take care…” 

“You too.” 

With a whoosh of my cloak as I turned to walk away, I suddenly remembered something. 

“Pardon me if I’m intruding, but… why did that sorcerer kill your brother to begin with?” 

“Well…” with a sad smile on her face, she answered with distant eyes, “One night, my brother was drunk carrying a club in a dark alley. The sorcerer walked by and…” 

“S-stop it right there!” I broke into her sentence. “I…I think I’d rather not know after all…” 

The girl made a puzzled face at me. 

Ahhhhhhhh, don’t tell me that was a worthy vengeance… 

No! There’s no way that a sorcerer who dresses so strangely could be a good guy! After all, the villagers all decided he was evil! And so did I! Just now! 

“…What are you so troubled over?” 

“Noooo, nothing!” 

“Then, take care, Lina.” 

“Y-you too!...ha…haha… Well, see ya later!” 

Forcing a smile on my face, I left that town behind me in a flash. 

--The world is very deep and meaningful – 

--Lina Inverse 

Let’s try not to judge a book solely by its cover. 

(The end)