"Come to Vezendi, or someone will die." Looks like there's no choice for Lina, Amelia, Gourry, Zelgadiss and Xelloss but to set off for Vezendi. It's no easy trip for Lina as everywhere they go, there seems to be a trap set for her assassination. Zuuma will stop at nothing to have his revenge on Lina and Gourry. They finally decide that now is the time to confront and finish Zuuma, once and for all...but will their efforts alone be enough?

Lina Inverse
Although not generally heroic, this red-haired, flat-chested teenage sorceress, otherwise known as 'Bandit Killer' is highly determined and motivated to fulfill her personal mission in life: Enriching herself. Lina is not limited to sorcery and has rather decent sword skills. However, she is best known for her powerful Black Magic spells (especially Dragon Slave) and is not afraid to use 'em. Her typical M.O. is to assault bandits, blow them to kingdom come, and ensure that their treasure rests in worthier hands (as in, hers).

Gourry Gabriev
Lina once described him as having 'the strength of a troll and the brains of a jellyfish,' which is a more-than-astute assessment. Gourry, a reasonably good-looking blond swordsman and manly character, is in fact quite dense. Despite Gourry's obtuseness, he becomes a loyal ally and friend with the added redeeming virtue of being an excellent swordsman with great physical strength. He is also the inheritor of the Sword of Light, an ancient magic weapon that Lina instantly covets for herself.

Zelgadis Greywers
Zelgadis, who is one-third human, one-third demon, and one-third golem is extremely durable, yet quite self-loathing. Though often cold, callous, and self-obsessed, he is also brave, strong-willed, and quite resourceful. His main weakness is a stand-alone complex. Zelgadis, whose weapon is a sword, is both a warrior of great skill and a sorcerer of considerable power, specializing in Shamanic Magic.

Rezo, the Red Priest
Rezo, the main villain of the first arc of the story, is a powerful long-lived priest known as one of the five great wise men of the age, renowned for healing the sick and poor. Ironically, this master miracle-maker, who has been blind from birth, is able to cure the blindness of others, yet unable to cure his own. Consequently Rezo, with an over-developed obsession with his own affliction, seeks the raw magical power to overcome the great force behind his blindness.

Hajime Kanzaka
Hajime Kanzaka wrote the original Slayers novel series which gave birth to the runaway manga and anime franchise. The first Slayers text novel material began its serialized run in Japan's Dragon magazine in September, 1989.

He has also been involved with numerous subsequent Slayers and Lost Universe manga- and anime-related projects.