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Slayers - Volume 3 - Chapter 2




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2: The Road to Sairaag Is Long, But...

“You seem well, kid,” said a grinning werewolf with a heavy scimitar slung on his back.

To be fair, “werewolf” generally implied someone was part human, but the non-lupine part of this particular werewolf was troll. That meant he had not only the agility of a wolf, but also (and more importantly) the regenerative powers of a troll. Any slashes I inflicted on him would literally close right up before my eyes.

“And I can’t believe you’re still alive, you all-bark-and-no-bite sorry excuse for a werewolf.”

My cutting remark caught him off-guard.

“Hey, that’s mean...”

“It hurts because it’s true, I’m sure,” Vrumugun murmured.

“Shut up!”

While they argued among themselves, Gourry poked me in the shoulder and asked, “Do you know that werewolf?”

You see what I go through? I swear, this guy...

“Are you kidding me? You met him at least twice during that little ordeal of ours a couple of months ago. That’s Dilgear, man! Dilgear!”

“Huh...” he mused while scratching his head. “I just can’t tell animals apart.”

Wow, that was even meaner than what I said...

Anyway, it looked like Dilgear was getting depressed, so I figured we’d lay off of him for a while. Instead, I turned my gaze to the second familiar figure that had emerged from the woods. Granted, his wasn’t a face I cared to examine too closely...

He was what you would call a fishman... though “fishoid” might better describe him. He was basically a fish blown up to the size of a person with human arms and legs tacked on. He looked like he’d stepped out of one of those children’s books they sell in big cities... but seeing one of these guys in real life would probably make most kids cry.

“Guess we finally get to throw down, eh, Master Nunsa?” I said, reticently attempting to look at him directly.

He met my gaze blankly with his glassy, hollow eyes.

Hey, don’t stare at me. Seriously. It’s creepin’ me out!

“Did you just call me... Nunsa?” the fishman whispered languidly after a few moments, his mouth flapping.

Wait... did I get the wrong guy? (Fish? Fishguy?) Not to sound like Gourry here, but it was pretty hard to tell them apart...

“You mean... you know that prettyboy?”

P-P-Prettyboy?!

Just so we’re on the same page, the fishman Nunsa I’d met before looked exactly—and I mean exactly—like the one I was talking to now. I know different species have different standards of beauty and all, but... wow. Prettyboy?

“I wonder how you could mistake me for the handsome Nunsa...”

H-Handsome? You gotta be kidding me...

“My name is Rahannim... and you’d best not judge me by my missing kinsman. Lord Rezo gave me the power to swim through the sky...”

I had no idea what he was mumbling about. But this whole conversation was giving me a headache and we were gonna have to fight sooner or later regardless, so...

“That’s right. Don’t underestimate us,” Dilgear interrupted, suddenly straightening up. “I’ve also grown tougher since—”

“Surprise Fireball!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, I popped a fireball at the enemy trio. Always strike while the iron is hot! I knew it wasn’t enough to take them out, but it would at least net me the initiative.

“Tch! Aggressive little...!” Vrumugun shouted as he flew backward a ways.

Rahannim also drew back into the wheat field. And as for Dilgear... Oh, he was a burnt husk now. Lucky shot!

“Hey! What’s wrong with you?” the sorcerer shouted at his werewolf companion, who stood stock still as fragrant smoke wafted up from his body.

It was a pretty lame sight, honestly...

“Come, Rahannim!” cried the sorcerer.

“Okay...”

Almost instantly, the fishman straightened up.

Wait a minute...

His feet lifted off the ground. In other words, he was now hovering in the air. His body twisted to the side, and then... he floated over to Vrumugun like he really was swimming through the sky!

“Go. Cut her to ribbons,” the sorcerer commanded, reaching out with his right hand and lightly touching the fishman’s stomach.

“Okay...”

The fishman twisted midair again in preparation...

I figured we were in for an attack, but not one so fast that Gourry and I couldn’t track it. Vrumugun still seemed like he was underestimating us, and we could milk that overconfidence for our own gain.

“Lina!” Gourry called out the instant Rahannim disappeared from sight.

I let out a wordless exclamation, and my body reacted before I could think. A sharp gust of wind passed me on the right. I completely lost my balance and dove into the wheat field off the road.

I quickly righted myself. I thought I’d felt the grass cut my cheek as I tumbled, but I had bigger things to worry about right now. The great turtle shell pauldron on my right shoulder, right along with the ruby decorating it, had been cut clean in half.

“Missed the head, huh...?” Rahannim whispered as he stopped and turned around in midair after his strange yet surprising attack.

He was circling us now, like a carnivorous fish stalking its prey. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that he hit like a lightning strike. He was literally faster than my eyes could follow.

I was guessing he couldn’t normally move at such speeds. Vrumugun had probably cast a wind barrier of some kind on him when he floated over to him earlier. That was the only way he could possibly move so unthinkably fast. Guess this means it was us who underestimated them, huh?

“Did you see that?” I asked Gourry while keeping my attention on Rahannim.

“Just the afterimage... What incredible speed,” he replied to my dismay.

For the record, Gourry’s a master swordsman. So if this fishman was moving so fast that even he couldn’t track him... The only way to hit him was probably an indiscriminate barrage of attacks over a wide area, but even then, there was no guarantee. That left us with but one recourse...

Rahannim suddenly vanished from sight again.

“Dah!” Gourry and I both exclaimed as we hit the deck.

Our plan? Keep dodging! I know, right? Pathetic.

A gust of wind sailed above our heads. It didn’t seem like Rahannim had maneuverability to match his speed, so he couldn’t move to compensate when we dodged. Unthinking brute charges against two people doing nothing but dodging... Anyone who saw us would find this a ridiculously elementary fight.

“You evaded me again. I wish you’d stand still...” Rahannim begged.

It was an absurd request, though it was true we’d be at this all day if someone didn’t do something. That being the case...

I started incanting a spell.

“Stupid... You think you can catch me with a spell? Well, you’re free to try...” he said before vanishing a third time.

I finished my chant at the exact same time, and not a moment later...

Vwwsshh!

There was a loud roar followed by a crash. I was just able to keep my footing, but the impact still knocked me back a few steps. Fortunately, the fishman got the worse of the deal—he went flying into the wheat field.

See, I’d erected a wind barrier of my own, which he’d proceeded to crash into at top speed... The two barriers canceled each other out, preventing damage to me. Now was my chance!

Without hesitation, I began another incantation. Gourry took off toward the fishman, who was currently struggling to right himself. I saw a flash of steel, but all Gourry cut down was a swatch of wheat.

“Impressive technique... Very clever...” Rahannim muttered, his eyes flickering slightly as he ascended.

He’d taken to the air a split second before Gourry’s strike landed. His beady, unfocused eyes made it hard to tell exactly what the fishman was looking at, but it now seemed his attention had shifted from me to Gourry.

Fortunately, I’d just finished my next spell.

“Bram Gash!” I cried, releasing an arrow of compressed air.

This baby exploded with deadly force when it struck its target. It was a single-target deal, but it was powerful enough to blast through a brick wall... and I was aiming it at Vrumugun, who was watching the fight unconcernedly from a high point in the forest. He never saw it coming!

To spare anyone who’s reading while eating, I won’t describe the result in detail...

“Master Vrumugun...!”

Rahannim flew toward the sorcerer in a panic, and I wasted no time moving on to my next spell.

“Lei Wing!”

My feet promptly lifted off the ground. This spell, you see, created a bubble of wind around the caster, allowing them to fly swiftly through the air. It was harder to control than Levitation, but if flying solo, it was fast enough to give your average bird a run for its money.

“Grab on, Gourry!” I called as my bubble flickered for a moment, allowing me to pluck my blond companion out of the field.

“What are we doing?!”

“Running!” I replied without hesitation.

“Curse you...”

When Rahannim realized what we were doing, he turned toward us once again. He then vanished, and a second later, my wind bubble bucked.

“Gwuh!”

I couldn’t afford to drop the spell now. The fact that Rahannim could keep up that speed even after Vrumugun’s untimely death suggested his barrier was on a timer. Once it finally faded, we should have no problem kicking his tail... The trouble was that we had no idea how long the spell would last, and we had no choice but to wait it out.

Gourry and I sailed over the hill. The old man at the inn had been right; as we crested the summit, we could see a small city beyond.

Rahannim tore after us and slammed into us again.

“We can’t shake him!” Gourry cried, looking rather pitiful as he clung to my waist.

The max speed, altitude, and carrying capacity of Lei Wing varied based on the caster’s capacity. And while carrying Gourry, I just couldn’t go fast enough to lose the fishman. But if I could just make it to town...

“Don’t worry! I have a plan! Once we get to town, we’ll come up with some disguises and have ourselves a little talk with the fishguy! When we do, say as little as possible! And whatever you do, don’t use my real name! Just play along with everything I say!”

My wind spell was currently preventing Rahannim from overhearing our conversation. I took advantage of that to explain my simple strategy to Gourry.

...

“A-Are you sure about this, Lina?”

“Of course I am! But while the plan’s in motion, no drawing your sword! And keep any hostile feelings to a minimum! Got it?!”

The fishman slammed us a few more times while I was giving Gourry the rundown, but he couldn’t stop us from making it to the town. The wind we generated knocked over an old lady selling produce by the gate as we charged our way inside.

“Sorry!” I cried as we sailed through the streets, bowling over an orange stand and knocking down several passers-by along the way.

“Hey, hey! Lina!”

“I’ll field all complaints later!”

Flying down the main thoroughfare, I cast glances left and right...

Perfect! That’ll do the trick!

Rahannim closed in on us again, but this time, I smashed into him. The fishman lost his balance and slammed into a stall. I immediately doubled back the way we’d come, turned down the side street I’d spotted earlier, and dismissed my Lei Wing spell.

We were now in a lumber yard. Squared timber, planks, and freshly cut logs were stacked up on the ground and rested against the stone walls of the property.

“Gourry! Take off your armor and sit on that woodpile! And don’t forget what I told you earlier! No time to explain! Just hurry!”

As I barked orders at Gourry, I was removing my own pauldrons, cape, sword, and gloves. I slapped my cape on Gourry’s shoulders and stashed everything else behind a lumber pile. Lastly, I took off my bandanna, jammed my hands into my pants pockets, and plopped down next to him.

“Remember: say as little as possible,” I cautioned him, and not a second too soon...

Rahannim appeared from the end of the street. There was a long pause as he looked us over.

“I’ve got you now...” he finally said in his sluggish, monotone voice.

I stared at him in puzzlement for a minute, then spoke up in a tone of slight aggrievement, “Excuse me? Who are you, exactly?”

As expected, Rahannim fell silent. He seemed to be thinking something over.

“You can’t fool me, Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev...!”

“Uh, who?” I asked, blinking a few times.

“You’re not them...? Then might I ask... did a brown-haired sorceress and a yellow-haired warrior come this way?” the fishman inquired, looking around wildly.

“Dunno... Hey, Leon, you think that was them?” I asked, turning to Gourry.

“Huh? Wha?!” Gourry exclaimed, flustered over being put on the spot.

But before he could let the cat out of the bag, Rahannim cut in, “You saw them?!”

“Yeah. They just zoomed by that-a-way.” I indicated across the yard opposite where the fish had come in. “Then I think they... hmm, yeah, they took a left at the second intersection.”

“Thank you for your help...”

Not bothering to hear the rest of my explanation, Rahannim shot off at top speed in the direction I’d pointed.

Mwahaha! A triumphant grin broke out on my face.

“What the heck was that all about?” Gourry asked in confusion some seconds after the fishman took off.

“He can’t tell humans apart,” I said.

“What?”

“Remember earlier, at the bottom of the hill, when you said you couldn’t tell animals apart? It’s the same thing. Our species are so different that, to a fishman, the only way to distinguish us is by hair color and clothing. So when he saw us here, he had a conundrum. We weren’t wearing the right clothes, but our hair was the right color and he knew we’d come this way...

“Yet if it really was us, surely we wouldn’t have the audacity to sit around so nonchalantly, right? That’s what got him so confused and why he tried to trick us into confessing by saying, ‘I’ve got you now.’ But boy did I turn that one around on him, and he totally bought it.”

“Hmm...” Gourry scratched his head, still seeming a bit skeptical. “Are we really that hard to identify? If I had two cats of the same pattern in front of me, even I could probably tell them apart.”

“If you only had two, maybe. There’d be slight differences in size, markings, color, et cetera... but if you caught a glimpse of a cat the next day, could you tell if it was one of those two or a completely different cat? I’d bet not.”

“Well... I guess you’re right...”

“I hear werewolves can still tell us apart by smell, though—”

“Hush!” Gourry exclaimed, suddenly silencing me as I rattled on.

I could immediately tell why. Rahannim’s fishy silhouette had just appeared at the end of the road! Was he on to us already?!

“Pardon...” the fishman ventured as he floated over to us. “Are you sure it was a left at the second intersection?”

Whew. False alarm.

“Come to think of it... I wasn’t watching that closely. It could’ve been the third one,” I lied through my teeth.

“Oh... Excuse me, then...”

With that, the fishman disappeared down the alley again. After watching him go, I grinned at Gourry.

“See?”

“Honestly, sorcerers’ capes are pretty annoying,” Gourry muttered to himself as we scarfed down our lunch.

“Quit complaining. It’s a small price to pay to keep the goon squads off us, isn’t it?”

After giving Rahannim the slip, Gourry and I went to a tailor to put the finishing touches on our disguises. I was now dressed in a priest’s white robe, my lovely hair pulled back into a ponytail over my bandanna. Unfortunately I’d had to ditch my pauldrons after Rahannim cut one through. I’d stowed my cape and gloves in my knapsack, and secured my sword on my back. You couldn’t see it under my vestments unless you knew what you were looking for.

Gourry, meanwhile, was dressed as a sorcerer clinking with carved rings and amulets. He was wearing a large cape over his usual iron serpent scale breastplate and we’d done his hair up in a slightly different style, but the sword on his belt definitely stuck out. He’d begged me just to let him keep it, and I’d relented out of sympathy.

He made for an exceptionally brawny sorcerer, but we lived in an age of warrior-maidens weaker than children and strong-as-balls pacifists. So, why not? He fit right in.

“But still...” Gourry whined, fiddling with the cape hanging from his shoulders even as he continued to eat. “These are more like costumes than real disguises. It would only take one look to see right through us.”

“If they really look at us, maybe,” I said as I took a sip of my prann soda. “All the vigilantes coming after us have only ever seen our likenesses on those wanted posters. Just changing our getup and hairstyles should render us unrecognizable to that lot. You’d have to know us personally to pick us out of a crowd.”

I spoke with confidence, completely sure of myself. It was just then that I heard a man address me.

“Hey there, Lina. Lookin’ good, babe.”

I froze.

I turned around to see a mercenary standing there. At least he didn’t seem hostile. He looked about the same age as Gourry. He had flaming red hair and his face would be pretty easy on the eyes... if not for his ridiculous beard that was way too long for a guy his age. I’m telling you, so many people lack basic self-awareness about... Wait, huh?

“Hey, it’s been a while!” Gourry called out with a wave.

“Thanks again for savin’ my hide,” the man responded, returning the gesture.

I was somehow out of the loop here, and vaguely annoyed about it.

I leaned over the table and asked Gourry in a quiet voice, “Uh, who is this?”

“What are you talking about? It’s Lantz!”

“Wha?!” I whipped around and took a closer look at the guy. “Oh... you grew a beard.”

Lantz was a traveling mercenary we’d met a while back during a certain ordeal (not the one involving the Red Priest). He wasn’t exactly a master swordsman, but he was first-rate for sure. He was clean-shaven the last time I saw him, however, which was why I hadn’t recognized him just now.

“It grew out while I was healin’ up. Thought about shavin’ it off, but then I thought... nah.”

“Boy, talk about crappy taste.”

“Hey, lay off. Anyway... guess you guys’ve been through some rough times lately, huh?” Lantz said as he pulled up a chair (uninvited) and started digging into our array of food.

Can you believe this guy?! What a freaking asshole!

“Hold it, you...”

When he realized I was eyeballing him, he said between bites, “Don’t worry. I’ve been makin’ good money lately. I’ll pick up the tab.”

Ooh! A big spender! I always liked that Lantz guy!

I raised my hand and called out abruptly, “Mistress! Two more hors d’oeuvre plates, please!”

“What is wrong with you?” Lantz glared at me sidelong. “Seriously, Bro, it must be rough traveling with someone like her.”

Ever since witnessing Gourry’s skill with a blade, Lantz had fallen head-over-heels for the man and started referring to him as his brother.

“Well... she does eat a lot, and she’s always sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong, and her mouth usually gets us into trouble...”

“Hey, hang on a minute! You pack it in even more than me! And you, Lantz! Don’t just nod along like you believe everything he says!”

“Now, setting all that aside... I want to ask you a question, Lantz.”

“What is it, Bro?”

“When you first saw us here, did you recognize us right away? We’re supposed to be in disguise, so...”

Lantz paused, then let out a lamentative sigh.

“Bro... come on, man. Those aren’t disguises, they’re costumes. A stray cat could see right through you.”

“See?” Gourry remarked with a dirty look my way.

Ugh...

“B-But if you didn’t know us, you’d have nooo idea who we were, right?” I asked.

Lantz cracked a playful smile and lowered his voice.

“Ahhh... This is about those wanted posters, ain’t it?”

“You—! You know about those?” I squeaked, raising my voice a little before forcing it back down into a whisper.

“’Course I do. You’re the talk of the whole region. No one’s ever seen a bounty that size, so everyone wants to know what the hell you did. I mean, I know you’re good guys, but to have a bounty like on your heads... You must’ve pissed off someone reeeally important. So, what did you do?” he asked—like this was all our fault, I might add!

“Y’know... stuff,” I equivocated.

“I get it, I get it... So you’re running away from whoever put the bounty on you, are you?” he asked.

“Actually, we’re on our way to meet him in Sairaag,” Gourry admitted, much to my vexation. Like, maybe don’t get other people mixed up in this mess? Just maybe?

“Oh, taking the fight to him, huh? Gotcha. Then how’s about I come with, Bro? I could help you fool potential bounty hunters on the way there.”

I was a little surprised by Lantz’s enthusiasm. During our last adventure together, he turned tail and ran the moment demons entered the picture.

“Look, buddy. You make it sound like it’s no big deal, but we’re probably staring down a serious big bad here. We don’t know the full extent of the situation yet ourselves, but...”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lantz said, still sounding breezy. “But I owe you guys one. And I’m not saying I’m gonna join in the fight against whoever’s got it out for you... I just happen to be on my way to Sairaag myself.”

“Wait... You’re not on your way back?” I asked, stunned.

When we last parted ways, Lantz had said he was going sightseeing in Sairaag. That was about a week before we left Atlas City ourselves, so I figured he’d already had his fun and was on his way home.

“What in the world slowed you down so much?” Gourry asked.

“You, uh, could say I hit a snag along the way...” Lantz laughed, scratching his head awkwardly.

Sounded more like he’d gotten obsessed with some woman... But whatever.

“But are you serious? Like, for real? Not to repeat myself or anything, but this guy could seriously kill you,” I cautioned.

Lantz was abjectly silent for a few minutes. He was the kind of guy who wore his heart on his sleeve.

“W-Well... if things get too dangerous, I’ll make a run for the hills before I screw things up for you guys,” he finally said with an awkward laugh.

“Okay... If you’re sure you want to tag along, I don’t mind. And I’m sorry to be so blunt about this, but if it comes down to it, I really do want you to run, okay? I can’t guarantee we’ll have a moment to spare to bail you out.”

Lantz gulped hard, but nodded in agreement.

The sky had been clear since we left town that morning. The journey had since gone so smoothly that I was pretty sure we’d reach Sairaag by noon today. Disguises and an extra traveling companion seemed to have done the trick; it was almost hilarious how quickly the bounty hunters and so-called heroes disappeared. We hadn’t seen any more of Rezo’s flunkies either.

“Hey, wouldja look at that? Seems like we’ll make it there safe and sound after all,” said Lantz cheerfully.

“Yeah, seems like it,” I replied with a light nod. “But it’s dangerous to get overconfident.”

“I know, okay?”

“We’ll be coming to a forest soon,” Gourry whispered out of nowhere. Lantz and I looked over at him. “I think it’s called the Miasma Forest. It’s got this weird aura that’s just there all the time, so it’s impossible to detect enemies when you’re inside it. If anyone’s going to attack us, it’ll probably be there.”

“Hmm...” I tensed for a moment before a question struck me. “Say, Gourry, how do you know about the Miasma Forest?”

I knew the legend of the Miasma Forest myself. Long ago when the beast Zanaffar, destroyer of Sairaag, was slain by a warrior wielding the Sword of Light, its blood soaked into the ground nearby. Ever since, a fiendish presence was said to linger about the place. And, though no one knew for sure if the two things were connected, the frequency of disappearances and violent crimes in the area made even the slums of the notorious harbor town Flowave look like an ideal vacation spot.

The legend frequently did the rounds among sorcerers, but even if he was the descendant of the warrior of the Sword of Light, I was surprised a perpetual ignoramus like Gourry knew it. When I inquired about that, however, he went silent with a curious expression on his face.

“W-Well... I’ve been in the area once before, so...”

“Uh-huhhh...”

“Likely story!”

Lantz and I both fixed him with a glare.

“Wh-Why are you two looking at me like that?!”

“Come to think of it, you seemed pretty put-off about coming to Sairaag in the first place. I wonder why, huh?” I suggested.

“You did some tomcatting ’round here, didn’t you, Bro?” Lantz said, catching my drift.

“Are we gonna waltz into town to find a buncha little Gourrys running around?”

“A dozen of ’em’ll come running, crying ‘Papa, you came to see me!’ and ‘No, he’s my papa!’”

“Oh, scandalous!”

“Would you two please stop...?”

The forest was eerily quiet, smothered by a strange chill and a raw smell of greenery so strong that it was almost overpowering. The leaves of the trees were so richly colored they were almost black.

“Kind of a... weird place, huh?” Lantz whispered to no one in particular with a full-body tremble.

“Yeah... it’s weird.”

I could feel a peculiar presence around me. It seemed to permeate the entire place like a slightly diluted version of miasma.


The forest itself was perfectly silent. There were no birds singing, no insects chirping. It was like the haunted woods straight out of a nightmare.

And yet there was that presence. It came drifting down from the treetops, wafting over from the underbrush, and bubbling up from the grass at my feet. It was coming from the forest itself.

“It’s just like the rumors said. The forest itself emits so much of that bizarre presence that you’d never know if there were enemies lurking nearby...”

Just as I said that, there was a rustling in the underbrush.

“What?!”

“I-Is someone there?!”

Gourry and Lantz both reached for their swords. I, however, turned my attention to the underbrush on the other side of the path in the event that the rustling was a diversion. If we knew for certain an enemy was hiding there, I wouldn’t hesitate to nail them with an attack spell. But I couldn’t act just yet on the chance it was an innocent person.

The brush remained still. So did we.

“What now?” Gourry asked.

“You think... it was a rabbit or something running from a predator?” Lantz asked in turn.

Not being able to detect the presence of others through the miasma really was a pain in the ass. Still... we couldn’t just stand around here...

But just then...

“Ngh... hnn...”

A soft moan came from where the brush had rustled. It sounded like a young woman.

“Oh, look, it’s just a woman,” Lantz said, immediately letting his guard down as he strode guilelessly toward the sound.

“Wait, Lantz!”

By the time Gourry screamed, Lantz was already deep in the brush. Assuming someone wasn’t a threat just because they were female was, sadly, a common tendency in men.

“Hey, it’s okay. Looks like she just collapsed,” he called back casually enough.

Gourry and I shared a glance, then followed after him.

There was indeed a woman collapsed in the brush. Actually, saying “girl” was probably more appropriate. She couldn’t have been much older than me.

She was wearing a short sleeveless jacket and even shorter shorts. Her otherwise bare arms and legs were covered by soft gloves up to her biceps and long socks up to her thighs, but I was sure she was cold in this weather, what with that exposed midriff and all. She also had a bright red bandanna over her short brown hair and a large knife on her hip.

She looked sort of like an aspiring bandit, but the boyish getup was cute on her. And dammit... Her chest was a bit bigger than mine, too.

Anyhoo, the three of us took a moment to stare at the collapsed girl.

“What should we do?” Gourry asked.

“What else? Our worst! Heh heh heh...” Lantz leered.

“Don’t even think about it, pervert,” I hissed. “This could be a trap, but if it’s not, we can’t just leave her here...”

“Well, I say it’s obvious. We gotta help her. She’s cute, so she can’t be evil.”

Lantz... you freaking idiot...

“I agree,” Gourry said with unusual gusto.

Men, am I right? Go figure...

“Hey, wake up, miss. What happened to you?” Lantz cooed, taking the girl in his arms and shaking her a little.

True to form, of course, he used the opportunity to touch her in some questionable places.

“Mm... ah...”

The girl’s eyes at last opened slightly, and she stretched like a kitten. She didn’t seem especially distressed.

“Mm... Huh?” She stared briefly at Lantz in disbelief and looked around in confusion. Then she snapped her fingers. “He got me... Zelgadis, you cur!”

“Z-Zelgadis?!” Gourry and I chimed at once.

“You know Zel?” I asked, drawing in close to her.

“You bet I... Ahhh! Lina Inverse?! What—” She quickly clamped a hand over her own mouth, then went fishing around in the pockets of her shorts. She produced a copy of the wanted poster and studied us as she looked at it. “I knew it! Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev! And some guy!”

“Hey now...” Lantz scowled.

“Mistaken identity. It happens a lot, but we’re not them,” I lied brazenly with an indulgent smile.

But she continued to jab at the poster and insisted, “No, I’m sure of it! You might pull one over on someone else, but you can’t fool Eris the famous bounty hunter!”

“Famous bounty hunter? I’ve never even heard of you...”

“Yeah...”

“Me neither...”

“W-Well... I’ll be famous someday! The point is that this is the end of the line for you! Give yourselves up this instant!” she declared, drawing her knife and lunging at me.

Fat chance, honey... I grabbed her wrist and gave it a twist.

“Ow, ow, ow! H-Hey! Let go, you coward!” Eris floundered as I held her in a joint lock.

“I don’t think the person who draws a knife out of nowhere should be calling anyone a coward.”

“Whoever loses the fight gets to call the winner a coward! That’s how it works!”

“Is it just me, or is this girl a lot like Lina?”

“Don’t you start, Lantz! And don’t nod along, Gourry! Now, Mistress Eris... we have a few questions for you.”

“I’d rather die than consort with criminals,” she replied with a haughty snort.

“That can be arranged.”

“P-Please! I’ll tell you anything!”

Smart girl, this one.

“That Zelgadis guy you mentioned earlier... Is he around here?”

“Yeah. Ever since the posters came out, I’ve been chasing him— Ow, not so tight! He made it to Sairaag about five days ago and was asking about the Red Priest who levied the bounty...”

“Wait a minute! You’re telling me Rezo the Red Priest is really in Sairaag?!” I shouted, interrupting her.

Eris made a sour face but obediently answered my question, “Yes, he is. I hope you’re not on your way there to kill a great man like him too!”

It felt a little weird to hear her call him “a great man,” but I reminded myself that he did appear as a saint to those who didn’t know his true character. We didn’t have time to give Eris the whole “real Rezo” rundown, and I doubted she’d believe me even if we told her the truth. So to make things simple, I decided to choose my words wisely.

“This is all just a big misunderstanding. Someone set the Red Priest up to put that bounty on our heads. We’re heading for Sairaag to clear things up... though you probably won’t believe that.” (It was a lie, after all.) “Zelgadis isn’t with us, of course, so I don’t know what he’s up to. He might actually be after the Red Priest... but either way, we need to find him and talk to him. So can you please tell us what’s going on in Sairaag?”

“Hmm...” Eris used her free arm to scratch her head, then began, “I’m not sure where to start... Everything I know is just rumor, but they say the Red Priest arrived in Sairaag about a month ago, that he’s staying with the high priest there, and that he put out the bounty on you three. I saw those posters in another city, tracked Zelgadis down, and ended up pursuing him all the way here. He’s been working with the daughter of the high priest of Sairaag to kill the Red Priest.”

“W-Wait a minute,” I interrupted again. “I get Zel, but... why is the high priest’s daughter trying to off the Red Priest?”

“How should I know? This is just what I’ve heard... Anyway, their plot was foiled and everyone in the city’s talking about it.”

“I’ll bet...”

Darn it, Zelgadis, tying my hands again... I’d have to give him an earful the next time I saw him.

“Obviously, they couldn’t hide out in the city anymore. I saw the two of them enter the Miasma Forest and...”

“You followed them on your own?” I said with a sigh. “You didn’t even try to get help?”

“If I had help, I’d have had to split the bounty, stupid. So I went after them myself, but I guess they noticed me following them, because they got the drop on me. Someone hit me from behind and I was out like a light.”

“That’s too bad... Shoulda seen that one coming.”

“Hey! I didn’t ask for your input!”

“Anyway, I think that gets us up to speed. So, what do you think, Gourry?”

“Er, sorry. I wasn’t listening.”

“Argh... Argh... Argh...” I was seething. “Okay, listen up! I’m gonna put this so plainly that even a dog could understand it, which should hopefully do it for you, too. Zelgadis! Is! In! This! Forest! Right! Now!”

“Great, we can find him then,” Gourry said guilelessly.

Seriously?

“And how, pray tell, are we gonna do that?!”

“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be struggling.”

“You don’t look like you’re struggling at all!”

Pant... Pant...

“Lina, you shouldn’t get so worked up. You’ll sprain something,” Lantz said, looking vaguely astonished as he watched us. “Though I gotta say... you guys make for quite a show.”

“A-Anyhoo, instead of heading to Sairaag while it’s on high alert, we should find Zel and get the lowdown from him,” I suggested.

Gourry and Lantz both nodded.

“What’ll we do with her?” Lantz then asked, indicating Eris with his chin.

“Ah... aha... well...” A strained smile appeared on her face. “I was thinking I’d just be going now...”

“If we let her go,” Lantz began, completely ignoring her suggestion, “she might go back to Sairaag and sic the townfolk on us. And if we take her along, she’ll be dead weight. But she’s a neutral party, so we can’t just kill her... Maybe we oughta knock her out again, leave her here, and let the rest work itself out.”

“I’m sold.”

“W-Wait a minute!” Eris panicked. “I don’t want that... Please, I—”

Before she could finish, there came a rustling in the underbrush. Gourry and Lantz both twisted away. An object like a white spear impaled where they’d just been standing, then retracted.

I released Eris’s arm and quickly stood up. The two warriors drew their swords in a flash. Gourry threw off the black cape he’d found such a nuisance.

“Oho... you’re quite quick...” A man appeared out of the brush.

Eris clapped her hands to her mouth to smother a scream. “Wh-What is...”

It was an understandable reaction. The man was dressed in black clothing so tight you could see the contours of his body. He was chillingly handsome, but only the left half of his face was visible. The right side of his face was...

Blank. No eyebrow, no hair, no eye nor ear. His mouth seemed to end right at the midpoint of his face, and even the protuberance of his nose disappeared past that line.

All there was instead was a featureless lump of white flesh.

“A demon...” I whispered.

He bowed deeply in response. “A servant to Lord Rezo. My name is Vizea. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Can’t say I’m thrilled myself...” Gourry said sarcastically, one eyebrow twitching upward.

“Well...” Vizea’s one-sided mouth quirked up in a facsimile of a smile. “I must admit that I don’t think we’ll know each other long.”

Eris tugged on my sleeve.

“What?” I asked, without looking back at her.

“Did you just say... that’s a demon?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Yeah.”

“B-But... I met a lesser demon once and it didn’t look anything like that...”

“This is a pretty high-ranking demon. He’s much tougher than any lesser demon.”

“Exactly... how much tougher?”

“Think a tiger to a kitten.”

“I’m out!” Eris shouted and ran off in a panic.

Obviously, I wasn’t going to stop her. I wasn’t going to have time to guard a novice while facing an opponent like this. But...

“Eek!” she let out a small shriek behind me.

I turned around reflexively to see a large spider blocking her escape.

“No running now, little miss,” the arachnid said in our language as it licked its chops.

Eight legs and a giant abdomen... Its general silhouette was that of a giant spider, but it had a human’s skin and head. I couldn’t help but wonder, then, did it still shoot thread out of its... you know? The mere thought made this a very upsetting enemy. Try not to picture what I just said, okay? I mean, if you want to have an appetite ever again.

“Let her go, Barz,” said yet a third voice from a new direction. “These opponents will be enough of a handful. We haven’t the time to toy with an innocent.”

The third member of their posse was a sorcerer dressed in black. His clothing and face were completely unremarkable, apart from the ruby embedded in his forehead.

“Tch...” the spider spat. “You’re too soft, Master Vrumugun.”

“What?!” Gourry and I shouted in the same breath.

“It’s been a while.” The sorcerer in question smiled brightly. “You’ve given me a lot of trouble in the past, but this time, I’ll win for sure.”

“H-Hang on a minute, you!” I found myself shouting. “You can’t be Vrumugun! That dude is dead!”

His smile unwaning, he replied, “Did you think your meager efforts would be enough to destroy the great Vrumugun?”

Meager efforts? Look, buddy...

The day he ambushed us with Rahannim and Dilgear, I’d nailed him head-on with a spell. Gourry and I had both gotten a gruesome eyeful of the aftermath, and if I may be so blunt, the only way to bounce back from something like that was with a dragon’s stamina, a troll’s regenerative powers, and a cockroach’s sheer bloody-mindedness.

“I can’t believe you survived... You’re one crazy guy,” Gourry said, sounding almost impressed.

Not that it was really a matter of sanity, but whatever.

“I guess that makes it three-on-three,” I said with a confident smile. Obviously, I was discounting Eris, who was still standing there petrified under the spider’s stare.

“Are you sure about that?” Vrumugun asked, pointing up above us.

There was a shadow darting about the sun-dappled canopy—Rahannim! I tossed a quick glance back over my shoulder.

“I guess it’s four-on-four, then.”

“Don’t include me!” Eris screamed, terrified.

“You’re outnumbered either way,” came a new, deep voice.

Hang on a minute! Just how many guys do they have?!

The newcomer stepped out from behind Vizea. It was a creature with a troll’s proportions, but squashed shorter and fatter with especially large ears. His hands, too, seemed unusually long. He must have been some kind of troll-based chimera.

“Hey, Master Vizea,” it said.

“That reminds me,” the demon mused, raising his right hand high and snapping his fingers. The miasma of the forest suddenly felt thicker.

Rustle...

There was noise among the trees in every direction. Eris let out a shriek. Gourry and Lantz both froze, and a chill ran up my spine.

Lesser demons had emerged from the forest. Over a dozen of them.

It made sense when I stopped to think about it. The so-called Rezo was here in Sairaag. This was his turf. We should’ve been prepared to fight a force of this magnitude.

They’d probably come here after Zelgadis. And then, Vrumugun—who’d somehow survived his last ordeal—happened to spot us along the way. I was still a little stumped that the guy was still alive, but he and Rahannim were the only two members of his squad who’d seen us before and I knew for a fact that the fishman couldn’t tell humans apart.

After thinking it over, though, I decided that while the most plausible explanation really was that Vrumugun had survived, there were a few other possibilities. Maybe our disguises were less effective than I thought. Maybe “Vrumugun” was actually the name of some race of beings I’d never heard of and this dude just happened to overhear us calling each other Lina and Gourry.

Granted, the more pertinent question now was how to get out of this jam. Our biggest problem was that crowd of lesser demons. I could bust us out of here a few different ways if not for them.

Just so you know, lesser demons are the bottom of the demon family barrel. Nevertheless, they’re well beyond what your run-of-the-mill swordsmen and sorcerers can handle. They’re immune to most elemental shamanistic spells, and while physical attacks can hurt them, their skin’s as hard as dragon scales. They’re typically easy pickings for a world-class genius sorcerer like me, but they could still be a handful in large numbers. So, as for my options...

“Oh, that’s right. I haven’t introduced myself yet,” the trolloid late arrival said, staring straight at us. The man-spider Barz behind me quietly began moving to the side.

Honestly, I didn’t care. I didn’t want to hear his stupid name.

“In human language, they call me Goliath. But the true pronunciation is—”

There, he opened his mouth wide and unleashed a roar that shook the leaves right off the trees.

The violent shockwave that followed slammed into us.

We all let out silent screams in response. It was hardly a fatal blow. But while it hadn’t sent me end-over-end, it still knocked me on my back. I was stunned for a moment, and in that moment... white spears rained down on us! They were made of flesh, lashing out from the formless right side of Vizea’s face.

And so, the battle began.

“Yeeek!” Eris let out a pitiful wail and rolled away. A white spear grazed her side.

Gourry (easily) and Lantz (just barely) deflected the incoming spears with their swords.

I sprung back, vaulted the collapsed Eris, and made a break for the spider behind her. I drew my sword from my back and sliced at Barz while chanting a quiet spell.

“Uwee-hee!” the arachnid cried in delight as it jumped up to a nearby branch. Head down, abdomen up.

He had the high ground on me now. I leaped back to get some distance.

“Hyah!” Barz shouted and lunged.

There was a knife-like claw at the end of each of his eight legs. It would be impossible to block them all with a sword. In that case...

I quickly ducked down and executed a forward roll. I had to abort my spell, but I managed to dodge Barz’s attack. The minute I was back on my feet, I saw a ball of light rushing straight for me.

“Waaaah!”

I instinctively threw myself to the ground again. The light hit a tree some distance behind me, bursting into red flame. It must have been a Fireball courtesy of Vrumugun.

Lantz was currently dealing with Rahannim, who dove down from the treetops. The fishman was having trouble getting to top speed in the cluttered forest setting, however, and was struggling to work up a decent attack.

Meanwhile, Gourry drew a pin from his pocket and used it to release the mechanism holding the blade into his sword hilt.

“Hah!”

Then, in one swift motion, he swung his sword at Goliath. He was too far away for a normal sword to reach, but with the blade unfastened, it flew from its handle toward Goliath—and Gourry was right on its heels!

“Gwuh?!”

Goliath dodged the blade in a panic, but Gourry was already upon him.

“Light, come forth!” our swordsman cried out, and from the empty hilt in his hand sprung a shining blade that could even slay demons! This was his ace-in-the-hole, the Sword of Light!

Ha! One down!

Or so I thought, but before he could land the hit, Gourry was forced to leap to the side as a few dozen arrows of flame scorched where he’d just been standing. It was an attack from the lesser demons.

Tch! Ruining our fun! I thought angrily. Lantz must be slacking off...

The spider Barz lunged at me again. I managed to dodge him again and ended up beside Eris, who, ignored by both sides, was trying to sneak away. If only I’d had time to chant a spell...

Barz lunged a third time, sending me leaping to yet another location. I could have used my sword too, but I knew I didn’t stand a chance in a scuffle with a guy who had eight freaking legs.

He landed next to Eris and shot a glance her way. Crap! He was after her again!

“Your presence annoys me,” he said, raising one of his legs toward her.

She froze in place, but just then...

“I told you to let her be, Barz!” Vrumugun scolded in a voice close to a scream.

Barz stopped mid-strike and clicked his tongue in reply: “I’ll be quick about it!”

“Don’t waste any time on her!”

Too bad for them... I wasn’t about to let this momentary lapse in their teamwork slide. Don’t underestimate my fast-talking ability. I’d already finished my spell!

“Blast Ash!”

Vwom!

With a heavy sound, the spell I unleashed immediately turned two lesser demons in the trees and Vrumugun standing in front of them to ash.

“What?!”

It was only then that Barz seemed to realize who he was really up against. He stopped cold, his legs still poised to strike.

Eris, snapping out of her terror, quickly fled.

We were still at a major disadvantage here, but we were turning the tides in our favor.

“Gwaaaah!” Barz reeled back, then leaped at me with a battle cry.

I dodged lithely again and, little by little, edged my way over to Lantz. I was hoping he might buy me enough time to start chanting again, but he was struggling too. It would be one thing if he only had to deal with Rahannim, but he was thrown by the occasional lesser demon casting spells at him from his blind spots.

Gourry too seemed to be having a tough time. Vizea was giving the lesser demons orders in some inhuman language. A few of them, all at once, fired coordinated spells at Gourry. He was able to dodge, but it was a precarious status quo.

“Goliath! Another shockwave!” Vizea called, pointing.

The troll beast, which was no longer in Gourry’s immediate range, nodded once and then took in a deep breath. He was facing Lantz, who already had his hands full with the lesser demons and Rahannim. He didn’t realize what was about to happen!

“Lan—”

I tried to warn our red-haired companion, but Barz took the opportunity to leap at me again. Goliath opened his mouth and—Bwoosh!—his body exploded!

“What?!” Vizea cried just as a lesser demon right in front of him turned to light and disappeared. It must have been a high-level exorcism.

“Sorry we’re late,” a man said as he made his entrance.

Damn, talk about dramatic timing...

It was a silver-haired prettyboy wearing a simple white tunic. He had skin made of dark blue stone, but he wasn’t a rock golem—just a man fused with one and a brow daemon against his will. It was the doing of the Red Priest, which was why he’d turned on the so-called saint.

I turned away from the shocked Barz to shoot the newcomer a smile.

“Been a while,” I said. “You’re definitely late, Zelgadis.”

“Tch!” Barz immediately snapped back into action and attacked while my back was turned.

I snorted with laughter and took a single step to the right. The arachnid rushed past me and fell straight into the ground.

“It can’t be...” he muttered, trembling and immobile.

He hadn’t noticed his other opponent—the cleric casting Raphas Sead. And with that, a quick Monovolt spell from me finished off the spider Barz.

Afterward, a beautiful woman who looked around twenty years old stepped out of the forest. She was dressed in lavender vestments and had long, black hair. I was guessing she must be the head priest’s daughter who’d supposedly teamed up with Zel.

“We can save the introductions for later, I suppose,” she said, smiling at me. If I were a man, I’m sure I would’ve fallen head-over-heels right then and there.

Her and Zelgadis’s arrival had turned the tables instantly.

“It’s over,” he proclaimed with an indomitable smile as he stared down our remaining opponents: one lesser demon, Rahannim, and Vizea. “What will you do now? Of course, I have no intention of letting you escape... I prefer to thin out my enemy’s forces whenever I have the chance.”

“You won’t let us escape?” Vizea said mockingly. “I could say the same to you.”

“Bold words. But it’ll be difficult to regain the upper hand, don’t you think?”

“More like impossible!” I interjected.

The demon nodded in ready agreement, but then said, “If we were the only ones here, perhaps...”

“Are you saying you’ve got reinforcements on the way?” Zelgadis scoffed. “Don’t give me that bluff. I know you’re the only pawns Rezo has left in Sairaag.”

“That’s true. The only pawns...” someone replied from behind us.

Yeek! Gourry, Zelgadis, and I all froze up at once. This new voice was familiar, and hearing it was like having ice water dumped down our backs.

“I’m afraid I’m late,” it continued. “Forgive me, Vizea.”

“Think nothing of it, my lord,” the demon replied with a deep bow.

We all slowly turned back to look, and there he was, a man clad in robes the color of blood...

Rezo the Red Priest.



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