When everyone was able to see again, there were two still bodies lying the dust. Amelia let out a shriek, while Gourry gripped the rail, his hands turning white. Zienna turned her head away. Zelgadis' face was pale, although he showed no outward sign of grief. The crowd roared in approval as Mutor stood up and raised his hand. The barriers vanished.
"You may take them," Mutor said, and several Mazoku appeared next to the bodies.
"...!! What do you think you are doing!!" Luna screamed, straining against her soldiers that were holding her back.
"I'm sorry, Luna-sama, but things have changed," Mutor smiled coldly. "The Mazoku wanted Dera Tajied and Lina Inverse out of the way before they planned a full attack on the Gods. And you as well. I must admit I had to use my head to figure out how to kill such powerful sorceresses."
"Do you think that my family will let you live!" Persephone cried out through the crystal tears that the gods shed. "I tell you you shall not walk this earth as a living man before the sun sets this day!"
"What are they doing!" Gourry shouted hoarsely as the Mazoku surrounded the girls. He grabbed his sword and was about to jump over the railing when Zelgadis stopped him.
"What?!" Gourry was near to hysteria. "Are you going to let them take Lina and Dera away?!"
"There is nothing we can do now!" Zelgadis retorted, his eyes full of rage. "The only thing we can do is to take revenge, and we can't do that if are dead!"
"Mother!!" Persephone's voice, full of despair and grief, filled the stadium with its echoes. Zienna blocked her ears.
"We have no use for you now," Marc spoke in his rasping voice. "Kill them."
"You DAMN BASTARDS!!!" Zienna snarled in rage. Amelia wiped her eyes and aimed for the balcony. "Not as long as we live."
"..." Zienna also raised her hands. The crowd noticed the group and began to close in on them. Zelgadis and Gourry drew their swords.
Suddenly a green energy field filled the stadium, and all the Mazoku screamed in agony as they dissolved. Before anyone could figure out what had happened, a clear voice rang out. "Raw Tilt!!!!"
A huge flash of light rushed toward the balcony and filled it, killing the Mazoku that were around Luna and Persephone. Luna took the opportunity and kicked the soldiers around them right where it would hurt them most. Then Persephone grabbed Luna's hand and both of them disappeared, to reappear in the field.
Demeter stood up, her staff glowing a faint green, tattered and wounded but very much alive. And next to her, her talismans shining as if they had just been used, stood Lina.
"Lina!!" Gourry shouted, while Amelia swiftly hopped over the railing and raced towards the two girls. The rest of them were right behind her, and for a moment everything was confusion as the friends embraced each other.
"Sister..." Lina looked timidly at Luna, who looked rather stern. Then she smiled and put a hand on Lina's hair. "You did well, little sister."
"Mother," Persephone buried her head in Demeter's shoulder, who held her tight. Her eyes met Zelgadis', and he smiled. "Your slyness hasn't changed one it, Dera."
"Lina.." Gourry looked down at Lina, who blushed and smiled. "You didn't really think we were dead, did you?"
"Do you mean... you did all that... on purpose?!" Zienna shouted.
"If we didn't, I must say our skills need quite some polishing," Demeter laughed as she held her staff high. "But look out. We're about to become Mazoku food."
Indeed, the people in the stand were glowering at them with inhuman eyes. Amelia's jaw dropped. "Oh my God... do you mean all of them.. are..?!"
"Mazoku?" a rather amused voice finished from above.
"Xelloss!!!!" everyone shouted. Luna blinked as the purple-haired Mazoku came down. "Hello, everyone."
"Were you here ALL this time?!" Demeter snapped.
"Yes, it was most fun!" Xelloss grinned. "But we are in quite a fix, aren't we? They are planning the resurrection of Garv."
"They?!" Lina pointed to the balcony.
"Uh, let's chat later you guys!!!" Gourry flashed his sword. "Hikari O!"
"I've had enough of this," Demeter fumed, her hand going to her band and wrenching it off. The air around her swirled as she stood back to back with Xelloss. "Aaaa!" they cried as their energy fields swirled to become one. A huge dome surrounded them, and every Mazoku caught within was made into nothingness. Luna, after finally ridding herself of the collar, stood in front of Persephone and called upon the power of Cehpid. The forcefield grew larger, although, her eyes were enough to send many Mazoku fleeing in fear.
"Make them go into the forcefield!" Zelgadis shouted to the others as he threw an "Elemekia Lance!" at the nearest Mazoku. It stumbled and fell into the area that Xelloss and Dera had made, and quickly disappeared.
"Flame Braiser!" Amelia shouted along with Zienna, making several Mazoku fly back.
"Hyaaaaa!" Gourry yelled, swinging his sword. One Mazoku swirled into the air then and there, while several more, in an attempt to avoid the blade, stumbled into the forcefield by themselves.
"Let's get out of here!" Lina shouted as she roasted her share. The thick crowd had thinned out. "Ray Wing!!"
The friends flew above the kingdom, Marc and Mutor cursing them as they escaped. Demeter made a motion with her hand. "Make a forcefield around the kingdom so that the destruction stays here. Lina, you make sure that nothing is left standing."
"Leave it to me!" Lina rolled up her sleeves. "The punishment for making Lina Inverse mad is great!"
The sorcerers formed a wide circle and concentrated, as a clear bubble appeared and grew to enclose the kingdom. It was a forcefield that let spells in but nothing else in or out. Lina gathered her hands. "Lord that commands the four realms of Darkness, shards of scattered souls! Gather all thy power here and bestow that power on me!"
The talismans glowed as she began to recite the spell for Dragon Slave. The others firmly held the forcefield. But suddenly the Mazoku appeared and began to attack it.
"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows. I swear by your name buried beneath the sands of time..."
"Liiiiiiiinaaaaaaa!" Demeter shouted. Even with her, Xelloss and Luna, holding a forcefield against a horde of Mazoku was no piece of cake. "Will you please cut the formalities and get to the point!"
"... - -; Dragon Slaaaaaaaaave!!!"
The light filled the clear globe , and the forcefield visibly shook. Lina quickly joined the friends, and they were just able to keep the huge spell within bounds as it exploded, reducing the kingdom to dust, literally.
"You mean you knew what was going to happen, and you just SAT there and watched?!" Lina shouted, tackling Xelloss and nearly choking him to death. "You ugly short-haired Mazoku!"
"Liiina-s, saaan!" Xelloss managed to cough out as she shook him. "Everything turned out well, didn't it?"
"That's why I'm letting you off so easily!" she growled, letting him go.
"That was why I had called you," Luna said calmly. Lina instantly fell silent. Her friends glanced at each other, somewhat amused. "I sensed something like this would happen."
"They are dead, right?" Persephone shivered. Demeter hugged her. "You're the queen of the underworld, remember? Their punishment is up to you."
"Oh yes!" Persephone recalled, her eyes lighting up. She let out a rather chilling laugh - "Oh- hohohohoho~! They will regret the day they died!"
"- -; Geez, that laugh sounds familiar," Lina muttered. "But anyway, all's well that ends well!"
"I really thought both of you were dead," Gourry commented brightly. everyone stared at him "^^!"
"There's still something I don't get," Amelia spoke up. "What exactly happened when Lina-san and Dera-san cast the spells? I thought they both clashed and that.."
"We canceled the spells as we clashed. Of course, we were dazed for a few moments, but nothing serious," Lina grinned.
"That was dangerous," Zelgadis remarked darkly. "If one of you hadn't, or even hesitated a moment, one of you wouldn't be standing here."
"But... both of us knew," Demeter smiled at Lina. "We trusted each other, and here we are now."
"You are brave," Zienna said softly. "Both of you."
"Well, not really." Lina shrugged. "Dera may be ugly and bad-tempered, but I knew she would know."
"..." Dera grinned with bared teeth. "And Lina may be flat-chested and a dragon spooker, but I trusted her anyways. Call me insane, but I did."
"Dera...." Lina glared at her. "I can kill you right now if you wish."
"Do, if you can!" Demeter laughed and zipped out of the way as Lina lunged. The friends stared after the two as the air was filled with smoke. "Fireball!" "Dera, you stop right there, do you hear me!!"