"Isn't it better that way?" Amelia argued. "If they hadn't, then one would have killed the other and lived with the guilt for the rest of their life!"
"And what becomes different if they DO know?" Zelgadis demanded. "The fact that one must die in order for the other to save her loved one is still the same. It would have been more merciful for both of them to keep on fighting without knowing until the end. Now they will suffer twice as much..."
"Damn this barrier!" Zienna cursed. "There's one around the field and one around the balcony! We can do nothing but watch!"
"Will you not fight?" Mutor shouted. The Mazoku around Luna and Persephone moved closer, and one of them grabbed the girls by the shoulder. Black energy crackled, and both of them tried to stifle their cries of pain. Lina stared as if in a trance. Demeter made a fist, and a small stream of blood trickled out of it.
"Lina!" she said harshly. "Attack."
"What?" Lina looked at her with eyes full of pain.
"Attack me, you idiot! Your sister is up there, and only you can save her!" Demeter gripped her sword.
"I can't attack!" Lina shouted. "Even if you are annoying and stuck-up and do nothing but scold at me all the time, I can't attack you. I can't!"
"- -;" Demeter stared, then let a small smile flicker across her face. "Then will you let your sister die?"
Lina fell silent. Demeter took her sword and pointed to Lina with it. "Attack me, Lina Inverse!! I am what you must defeat in order for you to save your sister!!" She let energy gather at the blade. "Diluma Force!"
Lina clenched her teeth. Forgive me, Dera! "Mega Brand!"
"They're still fighting," Gourry noted as the battle raged on.
"They have no other choice," Zelgadis said coldly. Amelia watched with tears in her eyes as the two friends hurled spells at each other with deadly intent. Blood spattered onto the ground. Persephone covered her face while Luna's eyes were snapping with all the rage of Cephid herself.
I know Dera... and I know I can't defeat her with normal spells. Lina blocked a streak of energy and called up another fireball. There is only one spell that I have a chance with..
Demeter paused for a minute, and her eyes were like steel as she summoned her staff. Lina knew what she was about to do, and that the fight had come to a point of no return. She closed her eyes in pain as she began to chant. "Shadow of the Lord of Nightmares, Power that makes the heavens tremble. Sword of Emptiness, colder than ice..."
"Lagner Blade!" Amelia gasped as her eyes darted to Demeter. Demeter was gripping her staff and also murmuring. "Powers that rule all life within nature, I call on the tract vowed by you and I. Bestow on me the strength you posses..."
":Let our bodies become one, you and I, and walk a path of absolute destruction..."
"for as you give all life you bring all death, and so all souls are at your command."
"Blade of darkness that pierces even the souls of the Gods!"
"Let the soul in front of me be returned to whence it came!"
"Lagner Blade and Wuil Judgement..." Zelgadis gripped the rail. "This is the end..."
The two field of energy clashed and brought up a fierce wind that blew up a whirlwind of dust and surround the two. Lina looked into Demeter's eyes and found herself shedding silent tears.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, forgive me Dera!"
"There is nothing to forgive, friend," Demeter smiled. "It is better than dying at the hands of Mutor, is it not?"
"..." Lina bit her lip and smiled through her tears. The two of them looked at each other as their spells twined around each other and let out a searing flash of light.