#zelgadis

Alas, Book 13, Presages of Incarnation gets things rolling with some very heavy, old-school spellcasting. Milgazia, the dragon elder, and Memphys Rhinesword, his young traveling companion, a prim elf, join up with Lina and Gourry when it becomes clear that a spate of regional demon spawnings might not be so accidental.

The end of the previous volume saw the heroes fighting off Sherra, General of the Dynast, out in Gyria City, the capital of the Kingdom of Dils. Sherra is dead, but if that's the case, why is Gyria City still the locus for mysterious weather patterns and assorted demon appearances? Sherra may be toast, but the Dynast's plot probably isn't.

"The way that Sherra had smiled in the moment of her defeat . . . Perhaps it was satisfaction knowing that she'd played her part perfectly" (Lina, page 105).

This installment produces a good bit of lore and old magegraft. Milgazia wields a bevy of fancy draconic magic that Lina's never seen before, while Mephy wields what she terms Ritual Armor, called Zanafa Armor (apparently produced by the knowledge of the Claire Bible and capable of establishing a connection to the astral plane). Both Milgazia and Mephy's skills are much-needed round these parts, since most of Lina and Gourry's foes are pure demons. If King Wells Xeno Gyria is so dangerous and corrupt that he must be taken down by tools of such a high caliber, then perhaps Gyria City is more doomed than the heroes realize.

Hatred in Selentia represents a substantial emotional shift. Lina searches for an old friend, treasure hunters Luke and Mileena return to the fold, and readers witness a major character death. Slayers has generally done well to keep pace with episodic villains whose danger largely do themselves in, but in this instance, someone finally falls.

Lina and Gourry find themselves in Selentia City, called the "city of temples" in the Kingdom of Ralteague. Apart from being a worship center of Flare Dragon Ceifeed, Selentia is home to numerous subordinate faiths, each of which is constantly feuding and vying for power. The problem? All that jockeying for position is leaving head priests dead. In terms of worldbuilding, this volume grants readers an incredible, incisive view into the political dynamics (balance) between regional clerical regimes and local sorcerers' councils. Lina's not above acknowledging any one of the two might be more rotten than the other, but she draws the line when outside forces corrupt them both to their individual benefit.

In the end, Selentia burns at the hands of a few sad, chaotic individuals. Lina and Gourry struggle to strike down a seemingly benign ally.

And when the battle turns grisly, a quiet moment in an abandoned chapel leaves one whispering for calmer times: "Just . . . Just one worthless little demon did all this…" (page 214).

Those strange weather patterns? Those recurring demon spawnings? Those unlucky towns prone to chaos sown at the hands of a few reckless demons? Volume 15, The Demon Slayers! pulls together a few intriguing threads, exposing for readers a horrible but very compelling "what if" scenarios concerning powerful spellcasters who might one day lose their way. Following a few rogue encounters with pure demons terrorizing random villages, Lina and Gourry find themselves on the road back to Sairaag ("the world's unluckiest town," page 251), in Empire of Lyzeille. Fortunately, they've reunited with Milgazia and Mephy, who could help in a pinch. And, wait, is that Xellos? For yet another highly questionable reason, the priest of Greater Beast Zellas Metallium briefly reappears (and apparently still owes Lina two coppers), pledging his trademarked non-involvement style of involvement.

The final volume checks all of the boxes in terms of producing excellent tag-team action, as Lina is thrown into a subdimension infused with magic (i.e., zero spellcasting lag) and Gourry can finally let loose the full power of The Blast Sword (i.e., no more power limiters). The result is bittersweet, though. On the one hand, the duo must confront an old ally, belay known weaknesses, and sacrifice something they hold dear. On the other hand, if the demons have succeeded in completing a "ritual" to locate the next host of the Dark Lord, then by all means, anything goes.

By the book's end, Lina shows remarkable maturity: she weeps for lost allies, she demands clarity from overpowered foes, and she refuses to be taken advantage of by those with too much time to spare (e.g., amazingly, backtalking Xellos never felt so good).

Similarly, Gourry steps up: he knows when to leap in to protect Lina and when to hold back and let her take the lead, and he never permits the darkness of humanity shade his hope and opportunism for what the future may bring (Gourry: "No matter how heavy the burdens we carry, being human means we have to keep moving forward," page 314).

SLAYERS Omnibus v5 produces some fine character development, some of which feels slightly overwrought in the moment but eventually plays well as the narrative unfolds. Lina learns (and casts) a handful of new spells, and doesn't hide her surprise when things go slightly awry (e.g., in a magical subdimension, she casts ra tilt for the first time). Importantly, she finds an epic use for those demon blood talismans she conned off of Xellos way back when. And who could shrug their shoulders at Gourry's level-up? Milgazia initially claims Gourry's new blade isn't good enough against pure demons, so the old-timer inscribes dragonic magic, in dragon's blood, on the blade (and that was before they realized it was the infamously sharp Blast Sword). Combined, Lina and Gourry's boost in maturity and battle presence make them a fearsome duo, particularly when combined with draconic magic and astral magic, as backup.

The omnibus's author notes articulate why Zelgadis and Amelia never reappear in the novel series, but one's heart breaks for the numerous opportunities that certainly would have been appropriate. Zel and Amelia, after all, specialize in shamanistic magic, which is highly affective against demons. Lina and Gourry face almost nothing but demonoids, demidemons, and pure demons for the series' final five volumes.

And while the story arc focusing Luke and Mileena reaches a fair conclusion, the open-ended ending, insofar as how Lina and Gourry move on from the emotional tumult of that encounter, feels a bit off. Not bad. Just off.

Did Lina and Gourry really stave off another Incarnation War? Did these two adventurers truly quell the rage of Dynast Graushera on the mortal plane? Could they really partner with the hunting parties, holy knights, and special forces of neighboring nations to slay demons writ large (including aiding Lina's sister, the so-called Knight of Ceifeed)? A lot has happened in the last two years "and change," according to Lina, but one feels this non-conclusion conclusion is a considerably rough landing. Even a brief cameo from Greater Beast Zellas Metallium and Deep Sea Dolphin, the final two of the Demon Lord's five lieutenants, can't quite clear up the sideways smile and heartwarming finale that sees Lina and Gourry off on a miniature vacation by the time the credits roll.