The Deadly Seven, Episode 1 : Love or Lust?

[Dr. Ni Jianyi]

The thought that this was the start of their fun gave Ni the faint illusion of excitement. His employer had given the go ahead to kick off the grand event and the strange scientist felt he had to be there in person to see it come to life among other things. There would be a grand party that the whole city would be invited to enjoy. There would be drinks and orgies all around hopefully.

That last thought made him chuckle.

There would also be oodles of wonderful data for him to collect. If he missed that, both he and his benefactor would be disappointed. Besides, with him there, the strife would reach untold heights and she would be all the more happy.

"...You know, they say Pride is the origin of all sin. But I think it may go hand in hand with Lust. Lust is a more sensual and less disgusting form of Gluttony, Lust for another had by another can give birth to Envy, Lust can be fueled by Wrath and vice verse, Lust can be considered another form of Greed as well, I suppose..." Shedding his laboratory attire, he worked on slipping into something much more refined and decadent. He wanted to look good for the party after all. His bottom lip pouted out as he tied the sash around his waist, "I haven't figured out how Sloth works into that equation."

Once his holy robes were in place, he took up the bunny he always had at his side and proceeded to tear it asunder. Off went the head, the legs, split him down the middle...and two tightly bound scrolls clattered out. The Seiten and Muten sutras. The good doctor knelt down and picked them both up, one in each hand and he took a moment to stare at the Seiten scripture. It was woefully tempting to bring along the second item Koumyou had intended for his pupil, if only so Ni could dangle it in front of him like a tempting fish. However, having his way with little Kouryuu's sweetheart on top of the big surprise gift would be satisfying enough for now. Ni licked his lips. He was getting hungry, and not for a piece of steak by any means.

Tossing the Seiten scripture like it was nothing more than some run of the mill remote into his swivel chair, the heretical Sanzo priest stood up and let the Muten scripture rest on his shoulders. Now, he was dressed to kill. Or pitch some woo, not that he would have to work hard in order to entice Lust. If he opted to go that route instead of the other that is.

"Am I forgetting anything...?" Ni, now done up as his priestly identity as Ukoku Sanzo, looked at the tattered remains of Bunny. He pat a hand on his chest, then his hip, thinking if there was anything missing. He had his cigarettes, he had his scripture, but...Well, there would be no party without the guest of honor and no guest of honor without the trigger device. The dark man smiled wistfully, reaching over and picking up the small black box that fit in his palm. As he picked up the device, he looked at the monitors to see how the cameras were.

It was nightfall in East City, the healer was working, the monk and his pet were at the temple, and his own soon to be pet was showering and getting ready to do a little prowling on his night off. Ukoku purred to himself a little, oh, he too would be doing some prowling soon enough though he made sure to keep in mind he also had to collect some delectable data. But he could do that once Lust was active. "All work and no play makes me a dull boy. Thankfully I can do both at the same time." Waggling his brows at the screens, he turned away to head off.

"Silly me...I can't forget to make sure he's ready. Well, I will be off and returning shortly with my date...Don't wait up." Ukoku smiled at his torn up friend before he gave him a shrewd wink, then disappear from the laboratory altogether.

---

A short time later, Ukoku materialized just a short distance outside the city limits. While he could have initiated the device from his lab, he wanted to be up close to the action. He wanted to see the torment on his pet while the demonic energy finally exploded and took full control. According to the demon who had commissioned the work, the energy would corrupt and just slightly alter the affected person physically. It would also give them carefully constructed abilities that were made to suit each devilish Sin. Their former personality may leak through the corruption from time to time, but they listened unquestionably to the person who possessed the controller.

Which was Ukoku at the moment.

Oh rapture!

With a wicked smile, Ukoku moved slowly towards the outskirts of town. There weren't many people about to question why a monk decked from head to toe in black was wandering around.

Near the outskirts was a modest little house which he recognized from his surveillance. From what his information told him, it was the kappa's house. Won it on a bet, much to his amusement. Approaching the door, the dark monk could tell the redhead was still inside and most likely in the process of wrapping up his shower to get dressed. Smiling still, he reached down and opened the door, highly amused in the fact that it was unlocked. Well, wasn't that dandy? Since he was free to, the heretic monk let himself in. 'Not that it would have stopped me for anything, but such neglect should be punished...'

As he came to stand in the living room, Ukoku decided he had not felt so excited in ages.

[Sha Gojyo]

For the first time in days he was feeling much, much better. Most of the soreness had gone away and if anything, he felt a lot stronger than before. He wasn't sure why though. Still, with such a nice night off and nothing much else to do, Gojyo figured he would stud it up and go find a nice filly for the night. The pickings were bound to be pretty good, the usual girls he tended to have on his arm would be biting at the bit after close to a week of no shows.

Feeling pretty confident that he would get laid tonight, Gojyo took a long, steamy shower before he would get ready to go out on the town. Once he was done, he lazily toweled off and set about blow drying his long crimson hair. He'd go to the bar, play a few hands, win some big bucks, get a nice buzz then bring home a babe. They'd be done and out by the time Hakkai came home from work hopefully. Thinking about his friend made him feel a little guilty, what with Sanzo's pain in the ass mission and the fact that the poor guy was probably dealing with a handful of bitch at the restaurant. But since dealing with the whole Keishoumaru incident as well as constant nagging about his coming along for the trip, there had been the usual working grievances. Coupling all of that with his constant soreness, he needed a damn day to himself and he finally had it.

Still, the more he thought about it, his mind was quickly leaving the prospect of finding a hot babe to lay with and more onto spending a little time with the three morons before they took off. Without him, damn it. Sighing, Gojyo left the bathroom to step into his room and tried to determine what he'd put on for tonight. He wasn't...really feeling sexy at all now. The confidence in getting laid had faltered. Casual kept coming to mind, which was not the route he went for chick hunting. God damn it. Oh well...He supposed he couldn't argue with it now that his mind had rolled into that lane and was boxed in.

"Pizza sounds pretty good." Maybe he could call the monk and the monkey down from their temple and convince Hakkai to ditch work early. Why not? Yanma and Wu Tai did it now and then too. Then again, for all he knew, they were already there eating. He could sneak in the back without the wench knowing and see. He slipped on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. Halfway through pulling on the shirt he faltered, getting an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. And when he glanced to the side towards the door leading into the main room, he could have sworn he saw something black flutter by. His breathing grew slow and shallow, leaning back slightly as if he could see who or what it was but whatever it was had wandered well out of the viewing range of the door. Gojyo frowned, hearing the sounds of the city outside a little more, the door was open?

'Just my luck, some dicklick decided to waltz right into the house.'

Cursing his mistake in not locking the door a good while ago, he ignored the uneasy feeling in his gut as he stomped out of his room to confront the intruder. What he saw had not exactly been expected. A man in long black robes...and was that a sutra? Wait, another Sanzo was in their house? Gojyo blinked. He hadn't met any other Sanzos besides Genjo so it was a little disarming to see one in his house of all places. But he did know one thing : This guy had about as much manners as fucking Sanzo did, which made the water sprite certain that it must be some holy Buddhist requirement. To be a Sanzo, you had to be an ass. "Dude, who the hell are you and what the fuck're you doin' in my house?"

[Dr. Ni Jianyi]

It was mildly disappointing that the half-breed was dressed. But Ukoku expected that to change very soon.

"Sha Gojyo, half brother to Sha Jien. Son of Sha Zou and a one miss Mian, both of whom each committed their own respective acts of suicide. Hers came after the demon took their half-breed son and she was convinced that he had abandoned her. And he killed himself after he found her dead, returning from dumping said cursed half-breed child on his unstable wife who was later killed by her own son in order to protect the half-breed child." The darkly clad Sanzo prattled off a little bit of personal history, not turning to face the kappa until he was done. When he turned, he gave the redhead a coy smile, "And said child, unlike most of his kind, somehow managed to make it on his own into adulthood. That is quite the feat and I commend you for it. Most of you die in the gutter by twelve."

Or worse.

But Ukoku applauded the achievement with a round of claps, smiling in that eerily calm manner that he was frighteningly good at. Now that they were looking at one another face to face, he could admire the quality view that was never quite done a bit of justice with the photos and videos. His dark eyes admired the curtain of blood red that trailed all the way down to the shoulders, the crimson orbs glaring holes into him by this point, the sun kissed tan skin. Very nice. Again he commended Kouryuu on his taste.

"I would be Ukoku Sanzo." The sneaky man craned his head to the side, continuing to admire the water sprite. "Genjo had me come down to let you know that he's no longer concerned with whether you join them for the mission, and that I'll be taking your place instead. I believe his words ran along the sort suggesting I would be much more useful than you. If I had to roughly translate anyway."

There was little reason for him to really make up some silly story, but from what he observed, the pair had a very strained relationship and before he converted the puppet, he was going to give him every reason to not turn back. Besides, it was amusing this way.

"He said a much...more colorful array of things. Comments about how having a whore in the group would wind up getting them in trouble at the settlements along the way. All the fighting, particularly between you and Goku. Mm, he expressed a great deal of dislike for you, it was quite shocking."

[Sha Gojyo]

When the monk, who introduced himself as Ukoku Sanzo, rambled that information off like it had been sitting on the top of his head for years, Gojyo felt...He felt dazed. He wasn't sure whether to believe it, though it would explain a few things and seemed rather believable. But did he want to fall for it? He wondered what would be better, to take that information and accept it or call him on it and ask him how he came to all that. After a moment of debate, he decided none of it really mattered. They had never been a part of his life and whether they were dead didn't really mean anything to him. The same conclusion he had come to since he was young was still there : They hadn't wanted him.

Gojyo smoothed a hand over his face, scowling as Ukoku explained why he was there. So, it was like that was it? It was pretty insulting that Sanzo would send the replacement down to break the news to him that he had been, well, replaced. He knew the monk was pissed at his refusal to go, but that was kind of a low blow. It wasn't enough that he felt kind of bad leaving them out to dry? But...Part of him pointed out that it was an awfully low blow for even Sanzo and he wasn't entirely sure if that was right.

'I've had people say worse actually...Then again they always seem to have that special sting to them when they come from Sanzo...' The kappa wasn't sure why that was, but that was how it was. Doubt still lingered. Maybe when he went to go see them, he'd just straight up ask to confirm it all. There was a small sliver of hope that maybe this guy was full of shit.

Sighing in frustration, Gojyo shook his head and glowered at the monk. He wasn't sure if he could believe this guy, facts or not. Something about him did not sit well with the redhead. He wanted him gone and in a big bad way. "Look, whatever. If that's really the case then you can tell his high and mighty to go fuck himself if he really did send you. Because I don't give a crap. Now get out of my house, you creepy fucker or I'll throw out myself!" As if to illustrate, Gojyo's hand shot up and grabbed Ukoku's collar while he pointed out the open door with his other hand. "There's the door, make sure it doesn't hit you on the way out."

[Dr. Ni Jianyi]

The information seemed to have thrown Gojyo for a loop but he recovered admirably. If pushing it away and trying to pretend that some part of him didn't believe it when it most certainly did was considered recovery anyway. That was how a lot of people were. When they were hit with a few truths that they knew deep down were real, they tried to deny it vehemently, only to cause themselves later suffering. Banishing Ukoku's words would not really hurt Gojyo, as that last bit had been fabricated, but he would be left wondering about it all the same. Was it true? Was it not?

"As much fun as it is to tease you with words..." There was no more smiling, at least for the moment as he reached up and gripped the hand on his collar. With an effective twist he not only had the kappa letting go, but he was bound to let out a yelp of pain afterward as the monk gripped his arm with bruising force. "I'm more interested in teasing you with other means."

Ukoku's leg swung out, sweeping the halfbreed's feet out from under him and forced him to drop down hard on his knees as he kept the water sprite's arm pinned against his back painfully. In the compromising position with the redhead's face practically eating the floor and his tail in the air, there was a plethora of possible activities that surged through the questionable monk's mind. He certainly was not above enjoying himself in all sorts of ways at someone's expense and certainly without consent. They might say no, but he usually heard yes. In a way. Sort of. It would certainly be a painful salt to Kouryuu's wounds later which was a delightful bonus.

She would certainly approve. Torment and broken spirits were her bread and butter after all. With that in mind, Ukoku made sure to tighten his grip and apply pressure to the seized arm if Gojyo tried to fight his way up. His free hand glided over the half-breed's backside for a moment before he leaned down, smirking at him. "Now then...I think it's time to have a little bit of fun."

[Sha Gojyo]

Sanzo priests were a surprising bunch to him. This however was not a pleasant surprise, just like the rest tended to be. Caught off guard with the sudden, skilled movement, Gojyo gasped when his arm was twisted back at a painful angle. To add further injury, he found himself knocked forward, knees hitting the ground hard as well as his face and shoulder. Pain flared in his back when the bastard applied pressure and leaned down on him. His face heated up, not liking the position in the least.

Gojyo gasped, trying to push up only to get pushed back down. He clawed at the floor with his untrapped hand. Summoning the shakujo sounded like a good idea, but the position was awkward for the weapon. He wouldn't have the needed room for maneuvering or striking out. There was always the chance he could jab the monk but with all the advantage and apparent skill, Ukoku would be very likely to disarm him quickly.

At first, the kappa was certain the dark man was put off with the cold reception and the fact that he put his hands on him, and he was prepared to grumble an apology when he felt that wayward hand. Gojyo suddenly started up a spastic struggle. He didn't like the sound of that at all and he wasn't interested in what the fucker would consider fun. "Get the hell off!" He cried, his voice coming out panicked. Every time he tried to thrash, it felt like the pressure increased and he screwed his eyes shut with a teary eyed grimace. "Get off! Get off!"

[Dr. Ni Jianyi]

"I intend to, but not in the manner you're hoping for." Ukoku answered with a hint of amusement. The house sat perfectly on the outskirts and there were no souls wandering about for a good distance. All things considered, they would go uninterrupted for a good while...

Little less than an hour later, if one were to ask the dark robed monk, Ukoku would say he was not entirely satisfied. About halfway through the fun, his playmate had decided to turn off the lights upstairs. Without the squirming, the pleading or the crying, it just wasn't exciting and his buzz had started to die out. So without finishing things, Ukoku fixed his robes after letting the redhead flop over onto his side. The only perk besides having something to rub Kouryuu's nose in was that this would see to it that there was no will in the shell that would hold the Sin back.

"Well..."

Ukoku held up the small black device to study it for a moment before he looked down at his pet. Perhaps later on once they had sufficiently ravaged the rest of the Sanzo party and hopefully a good portion of East City, he would have Lust properly entertain him. With that in mind, he hit the little red button and let the DSL do it's stuff.

[Sha Gojyo]

Halfway through Ukoku's little torture session, Gojyo wound up deciding to figuratively retreat to the attic and shut down. He didn't even register when the monk was finished with him while he was unconscious, so he just laid there, unresponsive to anything until the small bug that had been stowed away inside his rib cage was finally given it's chance to fully activate.

The demonic energy that had been steadily corrupting the kappa from the inside out was no longer masked as the bug deactivated the cloaking mechanism. The aura's energy exploded and was now fully detectable and bound to be one hell of a beacon, it's strength countering what the others had likely sensed from the demoness of a few days ago, if not stronger.

Gojyo involuntarily jerked himself forward into a fetal position as he hugged himself, the agony of undergoing the physical change washing over his previous pain in one heady wave. His skin started to become discolored and went from the lightly tanned skin tone to that of a rich blue. His long crimson hair darkened into a shade of purple and grew several feet in length. His nails grew into long, frightening claws and his ears also grew to become long and pointed like a typical demon. As a pair of large, wicked horns sprouted from his head, a tail manifested out of his back, a third clawed hand at the tip, hidden among the tail hair at the end. After the physical transformation finished, the water sprite laid there for another moment before he moved.

Slowly, the altered half-breed climbed to his feet, swaying weakly. His strength started to come to him and he slowly turned his head to look toward the monk through the ankle-length violet locks. The white of his eye had gone black and the only thing that looked remotely Gojyo in color were the blood red irises that stared at Ukoku. But even those seemed dead. With Gojyo's mind still somewhat out of commission, the Sin itself was entirely free to do as it wanted.

"You're lucky I enjoyed that." Lust hissed. Even when laced with fury and irritation, his voice was a sensual purr. His voice was still the same, but it was slightly augmented with an echo from the corruption. Kicking off the jeans that had slipped away after the whole incident, the Sin tore off the white shirt. Clothing was an unnecessary interference when he had a hunger to satisfy anyway. From where he stood, he could sense the masses just beyond in the city and he wanted to feast. But the temple, that came to mind as being especially tasty. Corrupting and torturing chaste monks would be a fun way to start off his night. He made his way to the door with a pronounced swagger, tail swishing, "I want to go to Orin Temple..."

[Dr. Ni Jianyi]

As the half-breed underwent the transformation, Ukoku stood by and watched in observation. He took note of all the changes that went on, the spike and elevation in the demonic aura, the rather unique signature that made up the energy of Lust. And was that lavender he smelled? He wondered if Lust gave off a scent to both sexes that was meant for enticing targets since lavender tended to work on men and funny as it was, cucumbers were the olfactory turn on for women. How ironic. A kappa demon of lust, and the olfactory smell to entice women was cucumbers. That was amusing.

It was interesting, that Lust recalled what he did to Gojyo just before, but the fact that he was not vengeful about it and had even admitted that he himself liked it told him that Lust itself was a separate entity from the redhead whose body was no longer his to control for now. Now if Gojyo came to mentally, that might put the monk at some sort of risk. The trauma would probably incite Lust to act against him somehow. But so long as he had the controller in hand, at least according to the benefactor, he should be fine. Ukoku wasn't really worried, a flick of the Muten sutra would have Lust wiped from existence.

The possibility of Lust attacking aside, he let his dark eyes wander over the nude form, brow twitching appreciatively. It was tempting to suggest some manner of attire, but that would ruin the view. Besides, the waves of purple majesty that fell around the shoulders and around his long, lithe frame would do just fine for the time being. It was a much more...enticing look and suited the Sin perfectly.

"Apologies, my pet. I couldn't help myself." He smiled as Lust voiced his desired location. It was likely they would be met with opposition along the way but he hoped that was the case. If not, there was bound to be a handful of people along the way that they would come across and he was certain Lust would not pass up free snacks before they made it to the temple.

Striding across the room and back to the open door, Ukoku made a grand gesture to bow as he permitted Lust to exit first. "You go on ahead...I'll be sure to catch up with you shortly. Just make sure you don't get into too much trouble..." Once the demon was outside, he would follow, locking and shutting the door on his way. Why? Because only an idiot would leave the door unlocked for anyone to wander in.

[Sha Gojyo]

Prior to setting off for the Orin temple, Lust took a moment to enjoy and then eviserate the city scene. He paid no attention to where Ukoku skulked off to, as the deranged priest was the least of his concerns. As he set about attacking targets at random, rending them with the wicked claws he now had, a faint azure mist clouded the vicinity wherever he went. Those that weren't close enough to cut down in close range wound up breathing in the fumes and drunkenly stumbling towards the source, effectively getting within range to be mauled at the demon's discretion.

There were a few candidates that Lust opted not to tear limb from limb initially, instead putting his namesake to use as he gleaned some pleasure out of them. Only when he was done did he then rip them apart.

The common sheep was not all that satisfying though, no matter the number. He had his sights set on bigger game anyway. The more chaste the individual he corrupted, the sweeter the pay off. Which was why he was eyeing the Orin temple and it's plethora of priests. Genjo Sanzo in particular would be quite the treat, he would just have to be mindful of that gun, as even when he picked Gojyo's brain, he couldn't tell if the volatile blond would shoot him for real or not.

Oh well! There was only one way to find out.

"Priest, have a little priest. Oh, it's too good, at least. Then again they don't come with sins of the flesh, so they're pretty fresh." Lust sang to himself, scaling the steps of the temple lazily. He could be there with much better time, but he was feeling lazy and indulgent. When he reached the top, he succeeded in startling a pair of monks who looked at him in horror. Actually, one of them seemed to recognize him.

"Is that...the hanyou, Sha Gojyo?"

"I've no clue, and I don't care...Begone, de-!" Lust's violet hair wrapped around the man's head before he could finish his order and the horned demon whipped his head back, taking the monk's off with the motion. The other one who succeeded in recognizing him stumbled through the gate door and ran for it, most likely to find the Sanzo priest. The Sin watched him go, not bothering to stop him since that only worked in his favor. In the meantime, he was going to dine on a few of the other monks.

Stepping over the decapitated monk, Lust pushed the doors open and started scoping out the area. The runner had disappeared and a few brave souls had come out, possibly holding onto some dismal hope that they would be able to deter him. In their dreams more like it. He exhaled lightly, the mist building up around the temple grounds now. It spread out, hovering waist high at least. Due to the fact he had it washing out over the entire complex, it was not particularly thick nor strong, but it was potent enough to put the monks in a swaying daze that left them completely vulnerable. Lust lightly ran a blood soaked claw against his bottom lip, "Which one should I start with..."

~+~

"Master Sanzo, sir!" The monk who had run from the demon's entrance to make his way for the priest's quarters. The mist had barely caught up to him and thankfully had yet to start seeping inside. He hoped the irritable man was there at least. Throwing the door open, not bothering to knock let alone excuse himself if he was interrupting anything. For once, he was relieved to see the monkey boy around at least. "M-Master Sanzo, I think Sha Gojyo is here...But...I don't understand what is going on. But he killed Qang!"

[Genjo Sanzo]

Peace was becoming a bit hard to find, and it had only been a few damn days.

Just as he had predicted, sleep was scarce. About the only rest the blonde priest was finding himself getting was during his meditation, and even then, it wasn't even all that perfect. It only being allowed to eat broth after having a great feast. A strange metaphor, but he didn't care. He just chalked it up to being around the ever-hungry monkey too much.

The matters of the 'earthquakes' and the events that had followed had sent several monks into a hissy fit, and Sanzo was all but kicking them out of his quarters with his boot up their asses in order to get them to shut the fuck up. He had more important matters to take care of, such as the westward journey about to begin. Which, after the nightmares had begun, he had begun to prepare more earnestly.

At the very least, the death of Gojyo had just been a part of the nightmare. He berated himself for letting the nightmare get to him that much and cloud his good senses. He should have known that it was just a trick. Still, it was a relief to know he was alive, even if it was almost humiliating how much he had panicked and sent the monk running as fast as he could.

Ha. And the idiot kappa thinks I hate him. Wait. I basically do. Where did that come from?

Smoke left his lips as he paced in his room. It wasn't often that the priest opened up to anyone, but the details of the nightmare, he had shared with Goku, though he omitted a few things. He was fairly certain that there were clues in the dream that they could use, it was just finding them. And the presence of Koumyo in the dream... It ate at him, dug at him. It couldn't be true, and yet, some part of him knew it probably was. At least Goku wouldn't go blabbing about this to Hakkai or Gojyo. When it came to matters like this, the runt held his tongue.

He'd never admit it, but he trusted Goku just as much as Hakkai trusted Gojyo. It just bothered him that he had lost all control and let the dream get to him like that.

Pulling the cigarette from his lips, he sighed, listening to what the monkey said as he exhaled again, violet eyes gazing at the cieling. In just a little bit, he was going to call Hakkai and tell him to get Hakuryuu ready to go. Then, he'd make another attempt to get the kappa on board. Man, that was a pain in the ass. His eyes narrowed as his thoughts turned to the idiot hanyou yet again. For reasons he couldn't fathom, despite seeing the corpse of Goku, the mutilated Koumyo, and knowing that Hakkai had been ground up for dog meat, it was the kappa that kept coming back to his thoughts. And every single time, that strange feral feeling kept threatening to overwhelm him. He beat it back, but sometimes it was a bitch.

"I-" Whatever Sanzo was about to say was lost as his door was thrown open. His back was to the monk that had barged in as he was facing Goku, who no doubt saw the irritated expression. An irritated expression that said that a monk was about to die.

Until the monk spoke.

".. Gojyo? He.. Wait. What?" The priest turned to him sharply, eyes narrowed before they widened.

The attack at the restaurant. The nightmare.

It just clicked, like the key to the gate of hell.

"Evacuate everyone you can to safety." One of the downsides about living in a temple was that most of the inhabitants were weak little helpless shits. "GO!" Once the monk was running, he turned to the monky. "Goku! Gojyo's been targetted by the Sins." He never knew the kappa to strike out a monk, though he had been sorely tempted to in the past. "That or he's finally lost his hare-brained mind. We're about to find out."

Diving out of the room, the priest began to run down the corridors, following the sounds and his senses. But just before a door to the outside, something off caught his attention:

A faint azure mist that was nothing like fog.

That.. can't be good. Throwing his arm out to stop the monkey, he stared at it before frowning. "Watch yourself. Your nose is too good... I don't trust that. Get above it." A scream tore through the air. Swearing, the priest disregarded his own advice and dove out the doors. A sickeningly sweet scent immediately began to waft upwards. Without missing a beat, he threw his hand over his nose, blocking out the retchingly sweet smell. Taking a quick status of himself, he didn't feel any different.

Must have blocked it before I got more then a whiff then. Good. Have to watch myself th- .... Gojyo?

The monk's violet eyes widened at the... strange sight that was mauling the monks. A strange sight that was blood-splattered and basically naked.

What the fuck?



Bang.

The gunshot cracked through the air, a warning shot that was so close to the demon's nose that he probably felt his nose hairs stirring.

"I always knew you were a pervert, but this is a bit ridiculous."

[Son Goku {Saiyuki}]

It was nice to know Sanzo trusted him enough with information.

Sometimes it was difficult too.

Part of him felt that the others should know about Anesidora and the nightmares, but it was almost like one of those personal battles his sun had to fight on his own. Unless she dragged the rest of them into the nightmares, there wasn't a heck of a whole lot they could do for him really. All he himself could do was simply be there and be his confidant.

"That stupid bitch...I can't wait till we go kick her ass and her stupid Sins' asses too." That was all Goku really had to say, trying not to bombard Sanzo with useless chatter and assorted questions. Unlike him, the monk was a thinker and an analyzer. It left no doubt in his mind that Sanzo was picking apart that horror show she gave him for any clues possible. There was one Goku had picked up on though. As weird of a question as it was, whoever Sanzo said asked it practically told them the first Sin.

Lust.

'Huh, like Gojyo.'

The door being thrown open didn't faze him as he had heard the monk on the way and knew someone must have broken a nail or something. He wanted to snicker at the irritated expression on Sanzo's face but the monk's words suddenly wiped his growing grin right off his face. 'How weird, I was just...But Gojyo wouldn't... No, he wouldn't kill someone in cold blood without either a damn good reason...

Or coercion.

Without a word, the monkey was up and shooting down the hall with Sanzo and almost leapt without looking into the fog before the monk stopped him. He heard the order to get about the mist but then Sanzo himself ran into it after they heard someone cry out. Goku faltered, grimacing. Even if he got above the shit, how was he going to fight from above? Ripping off his cape, he wrapped it around his face and tied it in the back. Breathing wasn't exactly comfortable, so he would make sure to make quick work of the kappa by knocking him the hell out.

Dashing after the blond, he stopped when they found the altered water sprite and his gold eyes stared in wide eyed shock. What the hell happened to him?! As he stuck his hand out, he summoned his nyoi-bo and swung it back as he charged for an attack, not leaving them any room to chit chat. They'd figure out what to do once Gojyo was unconscious.

But as Goku rushed in to attack, calling out a battle cry, his cry went from furious to agonized as his limbs were suddenly assaulted with what felt like knives. Nothing was there, so he wasn't sure what the hell his him. The brunette yelped and fell mid-stride, gritting his teeth against the pain. Nothing vital had been hit, but the pain was excruciating. "Sh-sh..." His round eyes screwed shut, breathing heavily as he fought the urge to move in order to lessen the pain.

That was probably the worst he ever started a fight at. Damn.

[Sha Gojyo]

"Nngh...These monks are stringier then I thought they would be..."

Digging some chewy sinew out of his fangs with a long elegant claw, Lust dragged about the upper torso of one of the monks he had ripped apart. The man's arm had proved to be less then appetizing so he tossed it over his shoulder. From the time since the monk ran off to find Sanzo to when the ringing gunfire got his attention, Lust had managed to decimate a few dozen monks as well as effectively order a score that had been trying to shoot him from the paraphets to hurl themselves from their high perches. Ribbons torn from some of the more colorful robes had been used as a sort of wrap to make him a little more battle appropriate, though he had used it very sparingly.

As he came up to a dazed monk who was busy soaking his robe with his own drool in a lovestruck daze, the demonized hanyou lifted a hand, getting ready to cut him down when the bullet shot by. His head twitched back just slightly before turning his darkened red eyes towards the source of the projectile.

"You know you like it...Why aren't you stupefied like the rest of them?" Lust arched a delicate brow with that corrupted voice that sounded vaguely like Gojyo's. He noticed the mist hadn't had an immediate affect on Sanzo. Perhaps he had covered his face in time, so he might be forced to remedy that.

His gaze shifted from the priest to the pet monkey who started to charge him. Smirking, Lust dropped his latest victim to shift his footing to get ready for the fight...which never came. His smirk turned down into a frown at the spray of blood from the monkey's wounds knew he had no part in. For a moment, he stared at the kid, pupils dilating to show more of the red. There was a flutter of panic and rage in the recesses of his mind and the pit of his gut. The Sin stomped it out quickly. His mane slithered in agitation as it was denied a real fight and he turned his head to see the figure in black.

"Tch, first you rape and damage this body before I come out, then you take my first fight for the evening. Why not piss on the rest of my whole parade and kill Cherry-chan?" The altered hanyou scowled, baring his teeth with a lip twitch. This had been a reasonably fun evening until every instance that Ukoku Sanzo was involved. He was like a black cloud that turned everything into suck and despair. Maybe the evening could be salvaged, it would be amusing to see Genjo Sanzo fly into a rage and shoot the nuisance in the head. Then he'd be free to do as he pleased...

In the meantime, he sauntered towards Sanzo and Goku, keeping check on Ukoku's movement in case he worked to ruin more of his fun. He turned his long lashed eyes to the blond priest, smirking and looking every bit the predator on the prowl. If the monk was too stunned for action, that would make it entirely too easy. Luckily the prize would make up for that.

[Dr. Ni Jianyi]

"Lord Buzzkillington is one of my many names." Ukoku bowed, proud of his handiwork. Surprisingly, he wore no mask to protect him from the intoxicating aroma. However, he was above the mist and had yet to breath in the sweet scent of lavender. The black haired man adjusted his glasses, making a note on the varying levels of affects the mist had on people and of the means to guard against it. He had almost let Son Goku attack the Sin, to get a real idea of it's fighting capabilities...

But he couldn't pass up the golden opportunity to indirectly hurt Kouryuu.

As Goku went in for the offensive, Ukoku had used the jutsu he learned during his training to render the monkey utterly ineffective as well as putting him in considerable pain without even having to close in on him. It was one of his favorite attacks, especially when the target didn't see it coming. Although there was something to relish, seeing the shock and bewilderment firsthand when your opponent was looking right at you three yards away and you somehow broke their limb. Ah, good times.

"Calling me out, are we?" He chuckled as the Sin more or less told Sanzo what he had done. Oh my, so Lust was still peeved about that. It wasn't like he hurt Gojyo that much. Well, that was a little but of a white lie, did it really matter in the end? He just had to now that it was out in the open as he turned to Sanzo. "And yes, the carpet matches the drapes in that lovely shade of red."

'I believe I hear it cracking. Perhaps another push, a little nudge...?'

Ukoku had wanted to get his precious ring back, but stomach acid might have worn away some of the fine features. Oh well. "He was quite vocal as I took him for a little ride...Hearing someone cry 'stop' can be quite a turn on." The black robed monk gave his younger associate a smug, downright evil smile. "I got bored halfway since he didn't like playing with me unfortunately..."

[Genjo Sanzo]

A feeling of dread was washing over Sanzo, one unlike any he had ever felt before. And he was about to learn why.

He realized belatedly that charging out into the mist was probably not the best of ideas ever. The cloth over his nose and mouth was working admirably for the moment, though he knew it left him woefully underhanded. A glance at Goku showed him that the monkey had actually thought ahead, unlike him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could make out the form of a monk that had been inside, and had seen the mist's effects. The bald man had covered his mouth and had made it through the gates, a kerchief over his mouth. With any luck, the idiot was running for help, and not just running. Still, Hakkai should have sensed the demonic aura and would be coming to investigate soon... He was halfway certain about that, anyways, and couldn't keep his mind focused on it.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

"It smells like shit." Was the priest's retort as he kept the gun aimed, eyes narrowed. He was rather reluctant to shoot one of his companions, but he wasn't about to go defenseless. Gojyo, in whatever form he was in, had to know what the gun was. Behind him, he could hear Goku launching up, a battle cry leaving his lips-

Violet eyes widened as Goku was basically bitch-slapped out of the air like a fly.

"GOKU!"

What the fuck had hit him?! Turning his gaze forward again, he stared at the dark-haired man before his eyes narrowed. Keeping his gun up, he took a few steps back, moving towards Goku, trying to see what the hell had hit him. He had a feeling, however, that it could be anything and everything. Under normal circumstances, his mind worked well enough to realize that it was probably a bad idea to try to look him over or retreat while in the middle of an outmatched fight. Unfotunately, he wasn't acting like himself.

And the more these fuckers kept hitting him in the goddamn nuts, the less he acted like his fucking self.

Sanzo actually froze, his violet eyes glittering at the words the Sin-posessed kappa spewed so casually. Something inside of him was... Was...

It was beginning to become hard to breath, like he was fighting something. He was suffocating, though he had never felt that way in his life. No. He had felt like that once, when Koumyo had died in front of him. But this was different. Whatever was choking him was tighter, more irritating, and in his fucking way. His violet gaze, ethereally bright, swung to the black-clad man.

And the bastard didn't even try to deny it.

Rape and damage the body... The words pounded in his ears. Rape and damage... Gojyo... The blood was rushing through his ears.

One hand clenched at the carpet comment as he stared hard at Ukoku Sanzo, unable to speak a damn word, as his fingers tightened hard around the hilt of his gun, trembling in a rage. Though it was nearly unnoticeable in the mist, a thick musk was beginning to rise. Some part of him was still working, though the blood was still pounding in his ears, his gaze beginning to turn red.

"Goku. Keep your mouth covered." Sanzo's voice wasn't... right. It was too thick, too husky, as though he were struggling to control something...

Or struggling to break free.

Rape.... Rape... Rape... A growl tore from his throat as his eyes light up from within.

If he wanted a fucking reaction, then the psychotic little shithead was about to get it. Something inside of him seemed to stretch, trying to hold on.. Then....

Crack.

Sanzo's eyes widened as the fire swept free inside of him. The hand holding the gun convulsed, flexing open, the gun falling to the ground and falling only a few inches from Goku. A strangled gasp escaped the priest as he stumbled, both hands going to his head and curling around his hair, his eyes wide as something happened within him that had never happened before, doubling over. The fingers entangled in those silky blonde locks convulsed again before shifting, his body tensing as he curled into himself, his arms covering his head as his body began to change beyond his control. His hands convulsed like claws- Fucking hell! They were claws! The sweet, sweet smell of fire began to fill the air. Then-

A roar escaped him as the back of his robes burst apart. Flames shot into the air as a pair of wings tore out from is back, blood splattering on the ground as the appendages spread out, mantling in the air. Colors of red, gold, a deep azure like the sky, adorned with longer feathers that fluttered in the air at the joints where the wings extended from his body. The robe, and the shirt beneath it, still hung from his neck, but a gaping hole was now over his back, the bottom half of it falling free beneath the wings. More of the large feathers, almost like a tail, rested just above the small of his back, respledent and beautiful. Long golden hair carelessly fell against his back, like a god's, and not like the priest that was standing there. The wings stayed stretched for a moment before slowly pulling in. They stayed mantled, however, fires dancing around him. Whether or not the mist was being burned off like fog would have remained to be seen. Even then, the priest was still taller then the mist's current levels.

Or... whatever the priest had become.

Panting a bit, the creature slowly lowered his arms, clawed hands flexing as slitted violet eyes stared hard at the black-robed heretic. Long ears twitched briefly, and his teeth were bared in hatred. Those eyes flickered to the Sin-filled kappa, angered and posessive, before his nose twitch.

For a moment, the creature turned his gaze to Goku, staring hard for a long moment. Then, he almost seemed to smell or sense the pack markings on the boy. His state only seemed to anger the creature further, causing him to whip his head back to the cause of all of his ire.

Then, he launched forward, faster then Sanzo could have ever moved, raising his hand to strike at the heretical priest with his claws.