"Fuck fuck fuck…" Gojyo whistled between his teeth as shock waves rocketed up his body. He'd a ripped piece of Goku's shirt fastened around his wounded thy, however the blood refused to stop.

Goku looked at him seriously, this wasn't like Gojyo, he was near panicking here and yet all he looked for was the top of the stair well with a mad sort of expression shinning is his eye.

"What's the rush Gojyo, you're just loosin' blood this way," Goku, who'd found Gojyo halfway to the stair well minutes later was extremly worried for the half-demon. Though he feared what was causing Gojyo to act so panicked even more.

"Shut up and keep moving Monkey!" Gojyo snapped, using Goku as a crotch as he hobbled up the stairs. He could barely utter a sentence without biting his tongue.

"What happened…?" Goku looked up, he heard a few gun shots where the energy radiating down from the top landing was suffocating almost "What th' heck's goin' on?"

Gojyo was quiet for a bit "It's Hakkai,"

Sanzo skidded backwards, saw a flash of green and shot wildly to his right. Hakkai was so damn fast; it was hard keeping track of him. That and… he glanced to the sprawled blood splotched individual at the centre of the room. There was no way this Hakkai was letting Sanzo any where near Ryu, chances are she was dead.

'Come on…' Sanzo waited for it...

He jumped to the side as he felt the swing of claws slice the air, before the ground exploded into shreds. However upon landing he was slower to react and received a scratching on the arms, his gun rung loudly with the clash of claws.

Sanzo backed up sucking in great gulps of air whenever he could. His gun was chipped here and there, but the rattle it made was his own wrist filled with adrenalin. His feelings were a mixture but they were coated in ice, he had no place for them, they'd sooner get in his way.

BANG BANG!

Hakkai skidded to a stop in front of him and punched into the ground, immediately black ribbons of leaves rippled over the cracked gravel and snaked towards Sanzo.

That's what he was waiting for.

Sanzo stopped and stood still lowering his gun and sure enough the leaves wound instantly up his body. Sanzo however didn't take his eyes from the cruel smile under the green eyes. Vines crept up his legs and cut into them, his waist and rubbed the skin raw, over his chest and Sanzo felt his air being squeezed out. Finally they reached his scripture…

Suddenly the scripture burst up like a violent cobra's and struck at Hakkai, just as it'd done the Monster before. Hakkai slashed at them but they won over and caught his limbs, smoking where they touched him.

Sanzo closed his eyes as the vines pulled tighter in an instant. It was as if this Hakkai was challenging who'd break first, whose bones would crush, who'd pass out and be devoured. Sanzo knew of course, human bones couldn't outperform demons; he raised his gun. Violet eyes caught the green and gold with an electric pulse of power.

'…I'd do it,' Sanzo's own words echoed through his head as his gun quivered, under both the crushing vines and something else '…never to care for someone so much I couldn't bare to loose them'

"H-Hakkai…" Sanzo narrowed his eyes critically, something was…wrong with him "S-Snap out of it or else...!"

Though as Sanzo battled so did...

'Ryu…' a wise yet cocky voice echoed '…what do want to do in the world below?'

A pair of bright red eyes snapped open.

Suddenly a second scripture coiled around Sanzo's own, around Hakkai and snaking under the Maten scripture almost like a protective shield against it.

'Show me…!'

"What the—," Sanzo looked around, as did Hakkai as the second scripture scissored off his vines attacking Sanzo.

"Hck…ngh…" at Hakkai's feet Ryu's bright red head was lifting from the ground, the one good arm supporting her whole weight whilst the blood poured from the same body that the Uten scripture did.

"Ryu!" Sanzo yelled, he couldn't believe it, she was alive, but she'd kill herself for the chi needed for the sutra! Sanzo felt oddly a sense of panic and shock, he found his voice chocked as he yelled "STOP!"

Ryu lifted her head up, her face was scrunched with writhing pain, her eyes were rolled back white and blood shot. Her body fell again as she reached up for Hakkai's foot.

Sploosh…

"IDIOT!" Sanzo roared shotting close to her hand. She ignored it, or she hadn't seen it and latched onto Hakkai's leg. Hakkai glared, flinching and then there was a sudden stiffness about him. His eyes rolled into the back of his head too as he tried slashing at Ryu. However her scripture suddenly grew bright red and Sanzo was forced to look away. She was sucking away the wounds… or rather Hakkai's berserk?

"H-hey!" Sanzo turned at the sound of Goku's whine. He clambered through the door with Gojyo slung over his shoulder, pale from blood loss. Goku looked up innocently with a slightly triumphant grin "Hey Sanzo what's…"

Sanzo knew what he saw when his voice loss its strength.

Sploosh, splatter.

Sanzo was forced to turn back, a churn of his stomach told him otherwise. Black batlike wings erected high above the devil mask with the cruel fanged smile. Amongst the black draping cloth that shielded its lopsided body with a missing shoulder, a single arm held up Hakkai's passed out form propped against it as The Monster sat.

"Thanks for releasing me…" the snakiest voice hissed, and cuffed Hakkai's face turning it hungrily "You did a number on her body,"

Gojyo was relieved Hakkai was unharmed, he was human-ish again, but there was still so much blood. Ryu… The Monster, what happened?

Gojyo glared at Sanzo suspiciously, though Sanzo was staring, just staring at Ryu "This is messed--," the kappa was suddenly dropped.

"You nasty ol' demon! Let go of Hakkai an'get out of Ryu!" Goku roared. The demon laughed but got choked halfway, coughing up blood and clasping a hand to Ryu's missing shoulder.

"Damn it!" it roared. Sanzo noticed something being pushed out, a cylinder.

"S-Sanzo…" Ryu's voice pleaded through the twisted smile "G-grab it…"

"Ryu," Gojyo gapped seeing the spillage around her.

"Grab—," choke "Shut up bitch!" Gyumaoh snapped, grabbing to push it back in. Goku took a step back a curdling fear acting immediately, this was simply too gorey.

"Goku…" Sanzo demanded his attention in a eeriely hollow voice. Goku looked at Sanzo wide eyed, pleading him to do something or say something more "Grab Hakkai…" and he stood and began walking towards Ryu.

"S-Sanzo…" Goku trotted up close behind him "What's that? What happened?"

"…" Sanzo walked faster.

"Stay back!" Gyumaoh said drawing a twitching, shaking claw over Hakkai. Sanzo seized the arm. "Y-you…"

"Tell the skinny shit…" Sanzo grabbed the end of the object hanging out her shoulder as Goku grabbed Hakkai "…Thanks,"

"Noo!" The mask jaw jammed as Sanzo yanked the black cylinder out. And in that instant the mask shattered and Ryu slumped forward into Sanzo. Sanzo held her tight against him shielding the view of her from the others. Leaning his head in close over her he heard a soft mechanical clicking. Gojyo saw some of the slime slide off the tethered green paper end as Sanzo held it white knuckled.

"Geeze Sanzo!" Gojyo snapped a terrible pull on his chest acting upon his voice. Goku, with Hakkai in his arms jumped back with a shock; falling with Hakkai's weight he woke the healer.

"Goku…?" Hakkai washed his hand over his face. Goku's frightened eyes looked down at Hakkai's wary questioning orbs.

"Ryu's…" Goku looked close to tears and Hakkai lolled his head over to see where the kid's eyes loomed towards. Sanzo held Ryu tight in his arms; he stood cradling her and pulling her cloak tight over her missing shoulder, her arm just hanging by the skin was sickly propped against him. This chill in his chest, fuelled with bile, was no longer able to be enforced and Sanzo clutched to her cold form. The second time… he couldn't let this be the second time someone important die.

"She's alive…" Sanzo muttered turning sharply. Gojyo stared simply at Ryu; her eyes were glazed over, unfocused as they past him, it made him numb yet he felt terribly for Hakkai. How would he handle this?

Hakkai saw the water roll down Sanzo's check as he clutched crumpled old scroll tighter. He couldn't remember what happened, or why Ryu was on the brink of dieing but he knew the guilt in his gut wasn't there for no reason.

"We have to move quickly if we want to keep her that way," Sanzo said uneasily, as if it had come from the lips of a living corpse.

Author: I'm back! Sorry for the huge delay, I got dragged off to the coast for a break, I hope you all didn't mind too much. And despite that thanks for all the hits guys!
Frankly I was going to make this chpt a little more gory but my mum got to reading it and I got a few comments from others saying I was a 'masochist'? Oh boy… Anyway, I have to give the greatest thanks to Youko579 and xxBoredwithRealityxx for reviewing, 39.Falling.Grace for being a constant fan and suta-17 for adding me to her fav list!