“You want to WHAT?” Lina raged at Vrumugun. “No way! Forget it! I’m not letting that you abuse that much power!”
        The tiny sorceress was standing on her toes, eyes lit with an angry fire, hands in fists and arms straight. A tangible aura was coalescing around her, and those in the room who knew her knew that any target she put half a thought to would be fried. Including them.
        Vrumugun put his hand out towards the crystal. “What do you say, Lina Inverse? The way I see it… you have very little choice in the matter… unless you just don’t care about your friend.” Magic began to gather in his hand, dark and oppressive.

        What Vrumugun didn’t see and Lina did see was Eris clasping her hands and closing her eyes. Not two seconds after, Sylphiel did the same. Zelgadis and Gourry watched Lina in concern, and Lina looked at Vrumugun. I have to stall him… I have to buy Eris and Sylphiel enough time… “What’s in it for me, Vrumugun? I mean, it’s me that you want a copy of… there has to be some sort of compensation involved.”
        Amelia’s mouth fell open, but before she could say a thing, Zelgadis clamped his hand over her mouth. There was no use trying to bite him, and with his stone hand in the way, nothing she said would be heard, so she resigned herself to shooting him a dirty look, which he ignored.
        Vrumugun, unaware of what was going on behind him, was completely fixed on Lina. “The only compensation that I have for you is that I might let you live.”
        Lina smirked. “Well, in that case…” She saw the protection spell lock in place and smiled darkly. “I’ll just have to refuse you.” She brought her own hands together, spell silently weaving as she spoke.
        Vrumugun’s expression didn’t change. “Pity, that.” The magic that he had been holding fired off towards the crystal.
        The flare of red and black magic impacted with the protection spell and dissipated along it with a glorious pfft. Lina grinned darkly. “Yes, a pity, isn’t it? But now that it’s just you and us… maybe you want to rethink your demands.” Between her hands began the unmistakable glow of a spell. But there wasn’t any telling which one it was until she released it. “Gray Bomb!”
        The explosion underneath Vrumugun should have been enough to severely injure him. However, he laughed it off, reaching out to pick a rock shard out of his cloak. “Fool. You can’t harm me, Lina Inverse. Not that way. You see, you’ve overlooked one important thing…”
        It struck Lina at the same time the ball of magic did. The magic had the same feeling to it as Halciform’s. Mazoku! He’s made the pact! He’s becoming Mazoku! She fell backwards and winced in anticipation as another bolt of magic fired her way, but it dissipated on another form entirely.

        Xellos Metallium was standing between Vrumugun and the crumpled form of Lina Inverse. Intense violet eyes shot through with obsidian opened to glare at Vrumugun with more emotion than a Mazoku should have. His cloak flared out around him, the sphere at the top of his raised staff glowed with a brilliant red fire, and for a moment, the observers realized that they were looking at Xellos in a fit of anger. Anger that none of them had ever seen him so clearly display.
        Vrumugun stepped back, human surprise etched across his face. “Xellos! What is the meaning of this?! Mazoku do not interfere with one another’s actions!”
        Xellos’ voice was a low hiss when he spoke, dropping his staff into a fighter’s position. “Mazoku interfere when the directives are ignored. By Her order, that one is not to be harmed!” A free hand pointed backwards to the extremely startled redheaded sorceress. “You defy Her order, so I am here.”
        Eris and Sylphiel looked to the others, alarm on Sylphiel’s face and confusion on Eris’. Eris did not know this person who had appeared in seeming defense of Lina, but she could tell that he was far more powerful than she was. Sylphiel didn’t particularly like the implications of Xellos appearing. Generally speaking, the Trickster Priest didn’t do anything of his own volition for the good of anyone. There would be some form of payment that he would ultimately want. Was it Lina?
        Amelia lowered Zelgadis’ hand and peered over his arm to look at Vrumugun and Xellos. “Mister Zelgadis… if they start to fight here… we’re all in trouble…”
        Zelgadis nodded, moving away from Amelia, gathering a spell silently in his hand. Xellos’ focus shifted over Vrumugun’s shoulder, spotting Zelgadis and the spell. Violet lips thinned, and before Vrumugun could so much as blink, Xellos phased out from in front of Vrumugun, caught Lina up in his arms, phased out again, and reappeared beside Sylphiel, safely out of range.
        Before Vrumugun could react, Zelgadis opened his hand, calling the spell. “Elmekia Flame!”
        The brilliant pillar of light shot out from his extended palm, cutting into Vrumugun without resistance.