EP02 (Slayers NEXT)

'''Trickster Priest! His Name is Xelloss! (Japanese: ふざけた神官プリースト! その名はゼロス!', lit. Fuzaketa Purīsuto! Sono Na wa Zerosu!'') is the second episode of Slayers NEXT. It was first broadcast in Japan on April 12, 1996.

= Synopsis = Lina Inverse starts off the episode with a quick rundown of the events of the previous episode and we see scenes of the aftermath, namely, Amelia changing back into her traveling clothes, and the group eating a fireside dinner. We also get a glimpse of a mysterious figure in the trees before the title flashes.

At present, Lina, Gourry Gabriev, and Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune are lying in the grass, enjoying their reunion and the pleasant weather. The moment is interrupted when they realize Zelgadiss Graywords has wandered off alone again. At dinner that night at an inn, Zel tells them that he wants to continue searching for the Claire Bible in order to change back into a human, and is frustrated that the others don't seem to take him seriously. He seems to think this should be a personal effort on his part, but the others insist on helping. In an effort to cheer him up, Lina (intentionally) and Amelia (unintentionally) tease him into leaving the table and turning in early.

Before bed, Lina takes a moment to contemplate the Claire Bible and decides to start a search for information. For Lina, this entails terrorizing a bandit gang on the outskirts of town, and the explosions from this activity wake the others at the inn. They manage to find her just as she ascertains that the bandit gang she just decimated actually knows nothing about the Claire Bible.

She explains to her stunned friends that bandit gangs can be a very reliable source of information, and all are surprised to hear a round of applause. We see the unfamiliar figure that has been tailing the four friends, balanced precariously on a high wooden pole. It is a man with purple hair, eyes hidden in shadow, carrying a staff, dressed in priest's robes. He leaps from his perch and gets up in Lina's face, then explains that he is on the trail of a Claire Bible manuscript currently being held by another bandit gang. He asks for their help before introducing himself as Xelloss, the "Trickster Priest," and we see for the first time that his eyes are actually closed and happy.

The group then retreats to a cabin where Xelloss sits back while Lina, Amelia, and Gourry debate on his trustworthiness. When asked questions, Xelloss makes various suspicious comments, including "That is a secret." Zel gets fed up and leaves, declaring his distrust of the priest. Lina agrees to sneak into the bandits' hideout and locate the manuscript, but clearly does not trust Xelloss either. Xelloss seems perfectly happy.

Lina and Gourry approach the hideout of the dragon's blood Macho Battlers dressed as bounty hunters. Amelia is tied up as a gift for the bandit gang. The ruse gets Lina and Gourry an audience with the bandits' leader, while Amelia gets thrown into a jail cell. When Lina asks the bandit leader for the manuscript, we discover that he had been tipped off to their arrival, and they are attacked. In the ensuing fight, the bandit leader flees and Lina follows only to be joined unexpectedly by Xelloss. He admits that he was the one who gave the leader the tip, to trick him into running straight to his most prized possession-- the manuscript. While Lina and Xelloss discuss the matter, however, Zelgadiss attacks the bandit leader and walks off with the manuscript. Witnessing that, Xelloss vanishes, leaving a very confused Lina. He reappears in Zel's path, and takes the manuscript. Xelloss deflects Zel's Flare Arrow with no effort at all. Lina arrives on the scene in time to get caught in Zel's Bomb Di Wind. The spell destroys the rest of the hideout, crushing Amelia, Gourry, and Lina in the process. Zel reclaims the manuscript from the rubble but barely gets to look at it before it combusts, with Xelloss's voice echoing in the background. Xelloss says that the manuscript was of no use to Zel anyway, and that they would surely meet again on a future task.

Later, the four are walking into the sunrise and discussing the outcome. Amelia and Lina want Zel to explain how he was able to find the hideout on his own, to which he responds, "That is a secret!"

Lastly, elsewhere, rooting through garbage cans, is a presumably homeless Martina Zoana Mel Navratilova, smudged in dirt and miserable. Seems like we haven't seen the last of her!

= Major events =

Debuts
= Characters = = Spells = = Trivia =
 * Xelloss
 * Lina Inverse
 * Gourry Gabriev
 * Zelgadiss Graywords
 * Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune
 * Xelloss
 * Martina Zoana Mel Navratilova
 * Flare Arrow (Lina, Zelgadiss)
 * Fireball (Lina)
 * Bomb Di Wind (Zelgadiss)