Chapter 24

Of Gods, Of Demons, Of Men

A/N: So, the boys aren't in this one oddly enough. But hey, it does alright without them...i hope.

"Is the view anymore beautiful from up there?"

Nai looked down from her perch in the cherry tree, as she moved blossoms fell about the man below her. He didn't look up to acknowledge her so she could only see his striking head of blonde hair and wisps of smoke floating about his head. She shrugged, "It's a different perspective."

"Things viewed differently are refreshing especially in a place that never changes." The man sighed and a puff of smoke raised to Nai in the tree, "You should come down and tell me of some things that have changed. I would love to hear it."

This man was odd, even to a woman who had lived with four odd men for as long as she had. "You're not going to introduce yourself to me first?"

The man laughed, "How rude of me." He looked up into the tree with a handsome smile, "Koumyo or Houmei if you like..."

Nai landed on her feet next to him. Her gold eyes were wide in wonder as she said, "So you're the great Koumyo Sanzo."

His laugh was a pleasant sound and it made her warm. "If I am great you are greater. I don't think I was ever able to make Kouryu smile as often as he has with you."

Nai smiled, "You've between watching him..."

"Of course. He still needs guidance." Koumyo regarded her with his caring gaze, "It's a shame you had to leave his side so soon." he held his pipe between his teeth, "How cruel fate is..."

"Koumyo-"

"Call me Houmei, please. Long ago a woman much like you called me by my true name and it gave me joy. But of course that is another story, how rude of me to interrupt. Go on dear."

"Houmei, why did you come to talk to me?"

"I know of your uncertainty. I know you worry about what it is you have to do." He shrugged and puffed his pipe, "Both gods and men have their uncertainties and doubts. But both can overcome with courage."

Nai scoffed, "Gods put themselves above men; above each other. I've witnessed that mess for myself."

Koumyo chuckled, "Gods are higher to observe and guide, not to rule."

"Try telling them that."

"You understand where gods should stand, that is what will help you."

She sighed, "It doesn't change that I don't want to do this."

Koumyo only smiled at her.

"Sir, it's time."

Nai turned to Kyo and regarded him with a nod, "Ok." Koumyo put a gentle hand on her back and pushed a little. It was all the encouragement she needed.

"Toushin Nai Taishi, I have been informed of your decision to only take this band of insubordinate traitors with you to earth."

"Hey old man, these traitors are loyal to the right people. They're better soldiers than the whole lot of your pampered wannabes."

The Jade Emporer bristled in his seat, "You'd be advised to watch your tongue!"

"We wouldn't have this problem if you let me do what you brought me here to do! I understand fully why they hated it here!"

"Nai Taishi!"

Nai rose a manicured brow at the elder god p, she was tired of yelling so her voice became even, "What?"

"You will be locked away for your insolence."

She rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, "We can play that game later." Her men parted to let her through, "Let's go."

"Yes sir!"

"I will have all four of them killed if you continue this-!"

An arrow wipped rough the gap in her men and bore itself into the Emporers thrown, leaving a singed hole in his sleeve where his arm was slightly above the path of the enchanted arrow. When he looked up Nai was glaring at him, "Let's hope you decide against that."

The god sat and said nothing else. He'd had one war god after him and heaven already and that hadn't been pretty.

"Dr. Nii, are we ready?"

Nii's creepy smile spread across his face as his hair covered his dark, bespectacled, eyes. "Of course my lady." his voice dripped like the sweetest poison and he bowed to the demon queen, "Would you like to flip the switch or should I?"

"I'll do it!" Lady Gyokumen Koushu hefted up her kimono and stormed over to him, "I've waited long enough for this."

She yanked the switch so hard it was amazing the lever didn't snap off. Sparks jumped and sizzled across the wires in the floor and raced to the massive body behind rusting scaffolds. Everyone was still as, for a moment, everything was quiet.

Lady Koushu's knuckles were white with anticipation then she heard Dr. Nii chuckle, "Vitals are at eighty percent and stabilizing. He's up."

The rest demon reared in his seat and toppled the scaffoldings. His mistress approached him, "I have done this for you my love! Make me your queen!"

"Queen?" he glared down his nose at her, squinting to sharpen her figure, "You are not my queen."

A guard ran in with shock on his features, "Intruders my lady!"

She was in too much shock tersely to answer him. All she had done and sacrificed and the demon who had used her, impregnated her, refused her and recognition. Everything shattered and became clear at once. The vials of her daughters blood, being quickly drained for the sake of him, glistened mockingly. What had she done?

"My Lady, two sets of intruders! One in the tunnels and the other in the main hall!"

Nii brought up the feeds for those locations. In one screen Sanzo shot a bullet at the camera, in another the woman he recognized as the deceased female member of the Sanzo party sunk and arrow into another. But not before Nii took notice of the chakra on her forehead and her golden eyes. "A god?" he was amused, "That's unexpected."

"Dr. Nii!" Dr. Wang yelled at him in her lady's absence of mind, "What are you doing?"

Dr Nii had pulled a black robe from the drawer in his desk and was now pulling the scriptures out of their generator and neatly stalking them in a briefcase. "I'm finished here." he threw one of the scriptures around his shoulders, "I believe I'll go back to my old job."

The room shook in the wake of an explosion on the floor below them. Gyumaoh stood and roared angrily. It shook Koushu from her silence and she shouted, "Bring him his weapon!"

He was awake now she figured, no turning back. A large axe was hauled in by half a dozen demons. They were almost crushed as the king plucked it from their grasps.

"Where is my son?" he demanded.

Koushu stepped into his view again, "Kougaji is a traitor! He fights against you!"

There was another razor followed promptly by and explosion and the demon stormed out into the hall.

Nii chuckled before disappearing, "Have fun."