EP03 (Slayers TRY)

Where'd That Arrogant Guy Go? (Japanese: なアイツはどこへ?) is the third episode of Slayers TRY. It was first broadcast in Japan on April 18, 1997. In this episode, Xelloss reappears, leading Lina and co. to believe that there's Mazoku involvement in the prophecy of destruction.

= Synopsis = The episode opens with the party (presumably at the town in the previous episode) eating, with Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev guzzling down food as usual, Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune staring out at the calm open sea wonderingly, Zelgadiss Graywords drinking tea calmly, and Filia Ul Copt getting shocked and disgusted at the party's nonchalant attitude and reluctance to make a move to the Flarelord temple. On the party's request for more information regarding the prophecy, Filia replies that she doesn't know more, as prophecies aren't weather forecasts. The party is clearly still slightly sceptical about the prophecy. Zelgadiss then proceeds to leave the party on his own mission, followed by Lina who runs off with Gourry in search of the kingdom's specialty dishes, infuriating Filia further, with Amelia still off in a world of her own.

Meanwhile, somewhere else, an explosion can be seen. A tribe of Sand People are being attacked by Grabos Maunttop, Jiras Jiros Jires and their lizardmen retainers in their search for "the final one". The elder of the village falls into Grabos's hands, and he forces him to reveal the location of the legendary Holy Sword of the Sand People. While Grabos threatens the elder, Xelloss can be seen in the background, appearing for a while on a rooftop observing the chaos before disappearing again.

Back at the town, Amelia is singing on top of the town's weather vane. The townspeople begin to gather and fear for her. An old lady is complaining about "youths these days" when Xelloss plants a frog on her, causing her to jump around, trip, and bang her forehead. Amelia, seeing the ruckus below, flies down using Levitation. She then heals the bump on the old lady's forehead. Seeing this, the townspeople, unused to the sight of magic, proclaims her to be an angel.

Zelgadiss, meanwhile, exploring the town, comes by a sorcerer with some children. The children seem awed at the sorcerer's skill at casting Lighting. He then sees a temple and tries the locked iron gate. The sorcerer explains that the unopenable temple has been locked off for centuries. Zelgadiss ignores his warning and blasts the gate with Dam Brass. Upon finding nothing in the temple, he uses the sorcerer's fear to find and blast the gates of the other temples in the town. When the town guards arrive at the last temple, they're pointed in the right direction by Xelloss.

Amelia is now reveling in her new role as the town's guardian angel, as she extols on the wonder of love and justice to a rapt audience. Just as she ends her speech, someone cries out that there's a demon attacking the town. Amelia immediately offers to "vanquish the threat". Lina and Gourry, an armful of food with each, are musing the lack of specialty dishes when they hear about the battle of the century between the angel and the devil... which turns out to be Amelia vs. Zelgadiss. Before anything happens, Filia reappears, totally angry and frustrated, and uses her mace on Zelgadiss, who proceeds to ricochet between buildings to the opposite side of town. On a rooftop, Xelloss is laughing so hard at the scene that he falls off it.

The party finally reunited, Filia angrily demands to know when they'll take this seriously and set off for the temple. The party tries to placate her while chiding her for hitting Zelgadiss (with Amelia now holding an ice pack on his forehead). When Gourry asks how they got into such a ruckus by simply walking around town, Zelgadiss and Amelia mused that the townspeople seem to be surprised by magic. Filia replies that of course they are, since the high concentration of magic within the Mazoku barrier doesn't happen without; the sorcerers in the outer world can only cast Lighting and Sleeping spells at most. Zelgadiss, now tired of being treated like a monster, suggest that they all leave town as soon as possible, leading a rejuvenated Filia to drag Lina out.

On their way to exit town, Filia feels the presence of evil (caused by Xelloss's presence, as he can be seen tiptoeing behind and around her). In her agitation, her tail shows, as if to sense the evil. The other four tries to hide it by forming a circle around her, when Lina sees the familiar back of Xelloss running off into the crowd. She follows him, leaving the others to catch up with her, only to see him disappear into thin air. She remarks to her comrades that a true demon have shown up, one that they haven't seen in a while.

At the Sand People's temple, Grabos attempts to pull the Holy Sword from its stone pedestal with his brute strength. Elsewhere, Valgarv and Armace discusses the Holy Sword and the Gorun Nova. Armace tells Valgarv that there is now no reason to hold back and allows him to go and reclaim the Gorun Nova.

Now out of town, the party quizzes Lina about her sighting of Xelloss, and connects Filia's prophecy with Xelloss's reappearance. Now that the Mazoku race appears to be involved, the party is more inclined to believe the prophecy of doom. When they turn to ask Filia's opinion, her extreme reaction at the mention of the Mazoku's possible involvement concentrates into a blast of energy, blasting the others and rendering her unconscious.

Just then, Valgarv walks out and says he's been waiting to meet Lina Inverse. He then wonders aloud how a sorceress like her was able to defeat Chaos Dragon Garv (in actuality, it was Hellmaster Fibrizo who dealt the killing blow, but perhaps Valgarv neither know nor care, and no one ever attempted to set the record straight with him). He then sends a powerful spell at the group before introducing himself as Garv's loyal servant. He then throws another spell, which Lina, Zelgadiss and Amelia counters with a Protection Barrier. But even with all three holding it up, Valgarv's spell is powerful, and Filia is still knocked out. Just as Lina screams "Where is Xelloss when we need him?" he appears in mid-air, and muses that all the players are now in place.

= Major events =
 * Lina and co. meets Valgarv for the first time.
 * Xelloss's first appearance in Slayers TRY.

= Characters =
 * Lina Inverse
 * Gourry Gabriev
 * Zelgadiss Graywords
 * Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune
 * Filia Ul Copt
 * Xelloss
 * Valgarv
 * Jiras Jiros Jires
 * Grabos Maunttop
 * Armace
 * Lizardmen

= Spells =
 * Levitation (Amelia)
 * Recovery (Amelia)
 * Lighting (Town Sorcerer)
 * Dam Brass (Zelgadiss)
 * Bōgyo Kekkai (Lina, Zelgadiss, Amelia)

= Trivia =