Despite everything, he felt that this was probably the best opportunity. Although it seemed like Aoko and Gourry had completely wiped out Zelgadiss' forces, in reality, Zelgadiss still had two most trusted subordinates.
One of them was Zolf, a human mage who had always been Zelgadiss' advisor. The other was Rodimus, a human warrior and mercenary, who had been killed by Aoko last night.
Zolf had originally been hiding at a distance, planning to use long-chanting large-scale magic to turn the situation around once Zelgadiss was unable to hold his ground. This was a backup plan that Zelgadiss had arranged in advance.
However, what neither Zelgadiss nor Zolf had anticipated was how quickly Zelgadiss was defeated. Even the usually cowardly werewolf warrior had his head lopped off by the golden-haired swordsman Gourry in a single stroke—so dead he couldn't be deader.
Since his boss had been captured by the other side... surrendering now clearly wasn't a good option. That woman was simply terrifying. The next step would require long-term planning—first, an opportunity to secretly rescue Zelgadiss from that demoness' clutches.
In any case, Zelgadiss' most loyal follower had fled for now.
In a dense forest along the way to Atlas City, within a hidden cave that no one could find, hung a tightly bound and suspended Zelgadiss.
Standing in front of him were Lina, Gourry, and Aoko.
Aoko waved her hand, summoning a stream of cold water that splashed onto Zelgadiss' face. He struggled to move but, being tied up, achieved nothing. He only managed to weakly open his eyes.
"Hmph, looks like I've failed," Zelgadiss mocked himself with a bitter smile. "Since you've captured me, do what you will."
"Are you kidding me? The way you say that makes it sound like we're the villains here," Aoko frowned and said. "You people ambushed us out of nowhere, lost because you're not skilled enough, and now you're acting like some wise hero who's come to terms with life and death? What a joke!"
"...Have all my subordinates been killed by you?" Zelgadiss ignored Aoko's accusations and instead asked his question.
"If you're referring to the ones you brought with you, yes," Aoko replied. "But I didn't see that bandaged guy—he probably ran away?"
Zelgadiss said nothing, but Aoko thought he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"I suggest you spill all the information you know," Lina interjected with a malicious smile. "Otherwise, I can't guarantee what Miss Aoko might do to you… she was pretty brutal when she dealt with your subordinates."
"...What do you want to know?" Zelgadiss unexpectedly didn't put up a fight and decided to cooperate.
Aoko was surprised. "I thought you were a tough guy. I was expecting to have to use some methods."
"There's no need," Zelgadiss said expressionlessly. "I was never really interested in you people, to begin with. I was only after the goddess statue. And... I underestimated your strength."
"Alright then, let's get to it," Aoko cleared her throat and asked, "What's your relationship with the Rezo the Red Priest?"
"I'm his... grandson, or maybe great-grandson. In any case, I'm one of his descendants. That guy's been alive for a long time," Zelgadiss replied bluntly.
"Were you always like this?" Aoko asked curiously. "Did one of your ancestors mix with a monster or something?"
"How could that be?!" Zelgadiss retorted loudly. "It's because of magic experiments, magic experiments!"
"When I was a teenager, Rezo found me," Zelgadiss began to recall. "At the time, I was training hard with my sword, trying to gain strength and make a name for myself."
"Then Rezo asked me a question: 'Do you want power?'"
"And you answered yes?" Gourry asked curiously.
"Of course," Zelgadiss sighed. "I was too naïve... or maybe just too stupid back then. Rezo did grant me great power."
"But not in the way you imagined, right?" Lina chimed in.
"Exactly!" Zelgadiss gritted his teeth. "That guy used a special magic to fuse me with a stone golem and a fairy, turning me into this human-not-human, ghost-not-ghost form you see now."
"And yet you still worked for him?" Aoko crossed her arms and asked.
"It was all for revenge!" Zelgadiss retorted. "And I've already found the secret to defeating him!"
"What exactly is Rezo trying to do?" Aoko frowned. "Or why does he want the Philosopher's Stone inside that statue? Are you trying to resurrect the Demon Lord Shabranigdo?"
"Huh?" Zelgadiss looked confused. "How could that be!"
Aoko thought for a moment and then waved her hand. A blade of wind cut through the rope holding Zelgadiss, dropping him to the ground.
"I suggest you don't do anything reckless," Aoko warned. "I believe the information you've given us is genuine, so for now, it seems we're on the same side—both looking to deal with Rezo the Red Priest."
"Hmph, I understand," Zelgadiss said as he flexed his wrists, which had been tied up for so long. "Let me explain Rezo's objective, at least as far as I know."
"If you've ever seen Rezo, you must've noticed his eyes are always closed, right?" Zelgadiss asked.
"He wants to heal his eyes?" Aoko raised an eyebrow.
"Exactly!" Zelgadiss said. "But his eyes can't be healed with ordinary white magic. Otherwise, as the highest-ranking priest, he would've done it long ago."
"And stored inside the Orichalcum goddess statue is a Philosopher's Stone," Zelgadiss explained. "The Philosopher's Stone is the most powerful magical amplifier. He wants to use it to perform a grand spell to heal his eyes!"
...It sounded like a normal goal for a normal person. But why did it involve so many monsters, bandits, and even talk of apocalyptic demon lords?
"...So your revenge plan is to use the Philosopher's Stone to amplify your strength and defeat him?" Aoko asked.
"Or just destroy the stone right in front of him," Zelgadiss said firmly. "He ruined my life, so he doesn't get what he wants either!"
Aoko, Gourry, and Lina exchanged glances. It seemed they had been dragged into a family feud between a grandfather and his descendant. Truly unlucky.
"Alright, it looks like we can work together to take down Rezo," Aoko said, tossing a shirt to Zelgadiss. "We'll team up and teach your grandfather a lesson. I can't stand people who drag others into their messes without permission!"
Zelgadiss nodded in agreement, feeling a newfound sense of hope. His burning desire for revenge against Rezo, which he had buried deep within himself due to Rezo's overwhelming power, now surged with renewed strength, fueled by Aoko's formidable abilities.
This time, he wouldn't lose.