"The time is near m'lady," the black priest sarcastically told his temporary master.

"Cut the crap," his master, the blind woman in black plate mail, commanded.

"Whatever you say," the priest said while shrugging his shoulders.

The two stood in the top chamber of the Tower of Rezo. The blind woman had spent the last few hours drawing a gigantic magic circle and all of its runes and sigils on the floor while the priest had spent the time monitoring their pursuers, dream-walking, and generally annoying his temporary master.

"Remind me why I'm doing this and not you," the woman commanded.

"Simple. You called upon me to find a way to cure your blindness, I told it to you. I'm not really the laboring type so I'm just working out security while you do the procedure yourself, after all, you didn't call upon me to do this for you,"

"Stop saying that I called upon you, our first meeting was not intentional. . .at least not for me. I wonder about you true intentions,"

"My true intentions?" the priest asked innocently, "Why, what reason would I have to deceive you, m'lady?"

"I told you to stop calling me that! You're really starting getting on my nerves. . ."

"Starting?" the priest seemed disappointed, "Damn, I'm only starting to?"

The woman turned to face the direction of the priest's voice, her face showed feral rage at her unwanted partner. "Go make yourself useful somehow!"

A tapping on the woman's shoulder from the opposite direction of the priest's voice caused her to swerve her head (even though she wouldn't be able to see what was tapping, such a reaction was only natural), confusion was in her expressions.

"By the way," the priest began, "did I ever tell you that I'm very good at throwing my voice? I would appreciate it if in the future you look at me when talking to me instead of the opposite direction,"

The woman growled in fury. "STOP TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MY DISABILITY! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

"I am,"

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!"

"Fine, fine," the priest tried as hard as he could to hold back his laughter, "I'll go position the guards, 'kay?"

The woman grumbled an unintelligible response beneath her breath that the priest didn't doubt was a string of vulgar language. He bowed mockingly, then teleported off.

"I swear, as soon as this is over with I'm going to kill him. . ." the woman whispered to herself.

The few remaining members of Greenhell were assembled in the entry hall of the Tower of Rezo. There were four of them left. Any normal band of assassins might be intimidated by the fact that they had lost half their roster, including their leader, but Greenhell was professional and saw this only as something that would make their kills all the sweeter.

The black priest stood in front of the four who were sitting at an old table having a round of beers. "I have instructions for all of you," he commanded.

The new leader of Greenhell, a woman wielding a double-headed spear, replied for the group, "Show us the plan,"

"I want your archer," the black priest indicated the Greenhell archer, he was wearing an odd feathered hat, "to stand position from the battlements. We expect the targets to be coming in the front entrance. Stay concealed until the signal is given, then snipe at them.

"Your berserker," the priest indicated the assassin with large metal blades strapped to his hands who looked as though he was in a permanent state of high, "will encounter them at the front, stay hidden until the signal is given.

"The priestess," he pointed to the delicate woman with long black hair wearing a white and green robe, "will stay hidden and aid the berserker with her magic.

"You," he indicated the leader, "will wait with me in the main hall just in case the enemy manages the enter."

"Alright," the leader confirmed, "but just one more thing. When do we get paid?"

"It's as we agreed with you original leader, we're giving you an 80% bonus on an already expensive operation plus payment for fallen allies, but you get the money only when the targets are eliminated,"

"Very well," the leader grudgingly agreed, she didn't like the old sorcerer's original decision to go along with this, but there was no turning back now.

"I also have a little treat for all of you that should make this a bit easier," the black priest offered.

"And that would be?" the archer asked, not trusting this shady character.

"Orihalcon armor," the black priest plainly stated, but all of the assassins immediately understood the usefulness of this.

"They should be arriving soon," the priest continued, "so get ready. I have some matters to discuss with our all-seeing lady, so I'll join you shortly."

The four assassins got up and left to go to their positions. The black priest stood alone by the table for a minute pondering. The events of a hundred years ago were about to be repeated. He laughed aloud. These opponents were good, almost as good as 'they' had been, but even if the assassins failed, he himself could take care of them. Yes, he could protect Terra until she was finished summoning Lord Ruby-Eye. . .

"Do you wish for me to spare any of them? If so, tell me now. Later it will be too late,"

Terra stood up from the magic circle she was working on. She turned to face the black priest. Terra considered his words for a moment.

"M'lady?" the black priest asked both in mockery and because he was curious of her hesitation.

"No. . ." Terra finally answered, "Kill them all. . ."

"Really?" the black priest asked.

Terra turned around. When she next spoke she wasn't addressing the black priest.

"Sierra. . .forgive me. . ."

Terra quickly walked from the room. All was silent for a moment, and then the black priest heard faint weeping from the hallway outside the room.

The black priest chuckled to himself. "Oh well, even if they survive Greenhell they'll all be killed by Buka-S anyway. . ." he commented wickedly.