As the light faded in the room, Lina started to kick and beat on the Trickster Priest, who was still holding her. “Let me go, I can stand on my own, thank you very much! Xellos, you idiot, let GO!” The sound of a fist meeting a solid shoulder echoed, and as everyone’s eyes adjusted to the lack of light again, they saw Lina standing on her own feet, Xellos rubbing his shoulder.
        “Lina… you’re so violent at times. You could have at least thanked me…” Xellos complained, all signs of fury gone.
        As Lina began to form a response, Eris walked over to look at the collapsed form of Vrumugun. “There’s a problem,” she announced, holding up the fabric of a cloak. “He’s not here.”

        Eris’ words echoed through the room, and Lina promptly forgot about beating on Xellos. “Hey, Zel… an Elmekia Flame wouldn’t destroy him if he were still partially human, right?” At the shake of Zelgadis’ head, she frowned. “Which means that he’s Mazoku enough to be able to phase in and out like Xellos. Given that… he could be anywhere. We’ve got to get him out of the way before he makes any more trouble.”
        Xellos collected himself, straightening his clothing and looking to Lina. “In which case, I think I’ll stick around for a little while…”
        At Xellos’ words, Eris allowed the cloak to fall and turned to look at the purple-haired priest. “You are Mazoku, aren’t you? Why are you protecting Lina?” Her blue eyes glinted in the light, and Lina felt a spell being woven, but couldn’t identify it.
        Xellos blinked. Why in the Name of the Greater Beast did he suddenly want to tell her? He blinked again. Magic. There was a spell about, and he’d been careless. She’d focused her magic on one of his stones, and was trying to manipulate him with it. Casually, he reached up and touched the center stone in his cloak clasp, negating her efforts. “That’s an interesting spell. You almost had me with it. You’ll have to show me how it works.”
        Eris was miffed that he could toss the spell off so easily. Lifting her chin in a perfectly haughty maneuver, she sniffed at him. “Sorry, it’s a secret.”
        Xellos collapsed.
        Gourry slid up to Xellos, a stick in his hand and began poking at the Trickster Priest. “Oi, Xellos…”
        Lina turned away in irritation. “Fruitcake,” she muttered under her breath and looked at the crystal. It took her several seconds to realize what she saw, and when she did, she knew there was more to worry about than just Vrumugun.
        The crystal was cracked.

        “Oh, hell.” Lina whispered, walking past Xellos and Gourry, looking intently at the crack. She touched it with two gloved fingers and sighed, looking back to Zelgadis. “It must have happened with the impact of the Gray Bomb…”
        Zelgadis shrugged, even though a thousand emotions were racing through him. He put them aside, in favor of the more practical thought that maybe this other self could reveal some answers at long last.
        With the same level of determination as before, Zelgadis cast the Astral Vine on his sword. But just before he struck the crystal, he heard that inner voice again. Don’t hold back... just kill it. He hissed, stopping the blade as it touched the crystal. Pulling himself forcibly back, he released the Astral Vine spell and looked at Lina. “You do it. I…” he searched for a plausible excuse. “The Elmekia Flame…” He let his voice trail off and looked away.
        Lina put up an eyebrow. Zelgadis, the consummate actor. He’s lying and I don’t know what he wants to say… “Good idea, Zel. If Vrumugun comes back…” She tilted her head at him for a moment, and saw that he knew that she knew. Turning her gaze on the crystal, she narrowed her eyes for a moment. “Blade Haut!” Her minor sword took on a strange glow, and she swung the sword, not even coming close to the crystal.
        Nothing happened.
        Amelia looked at Lina. “Um… Miss Lina…? I think you were supposed to hit the crystal…” Her words were cut off by the crystal giving a shudder, and then splitting completely in half, falling to each side of the human figure.
        “Wow,” was all that Amelia could manage as Sylphiel and Eris moved to catch the youth as he fell, unsupported.
        As both girls made contact with the human, shock played across their faces. Both quickly began various spells, and the others moved towards them. Only Xellos hovered in the background, interested, but not so interested that he had to be on top of it all.
        “Sylphiel?” Lina prompted when the cleric’s eyes opened.
        “There’s nothing here, Miss Lina… no Astral presence… it’s like he’s dead!”