There were bandits up ahead. Zelgadis sighed, rubbing his forehead. They weren't even trying to hide it.

It was his own fault. He had heard this road was less travelled, particularly in the winter. He should have known it was because everyone that passed had been attacked. But no, he decided to take it because it meant he wouldn't see anyone. And now he would have to deal with a group of bandits that had probably never heard of Lina Inverse and those she would travel with. He lowered his hand from his head, a slight amusement filling him at the idea of teaching them why it was a bad idea to be a bandit. That had always been fun.

His hand dropped to his sword as they stepped out of the bushes, a smile growing on his face. Time to blow some steam off. The bandits surrounded him, smiles growing on their own faces as the leader stepped forward. "Now, now," he drawled, aiming his own sword at Zelgadis. "None of that, boyo. Just hand over your coin and we'll let you live."

"I think you should be the ones worried," he informed them, dropping a hand and letting a Fireball grow in it. Oh, this was going to feel good.

The bandit leader only laughed, the noise too carefree for him to have been leading for long. Or perhaps he wasn't the leader, just the one in charge of this excursion, and rather new at it all since the others went on instant alert. Zelgadis found his grin growing more feral as he heard someone whisper about 'that Fireball crazy sorceress was this jerk related to her?' Oh, if only they knew.

Zelgadis didn't wait to let the leader command his men to attack. He instantly rushed for the leader, the Fireball in his hand going for the men next to him as he struck his target with his sword. The blade sliced easily through the clothing and flesh, blood splattering the light fall of snow on the road. Choking, the leader stumbled back, fear suddenly crossing his face. The emotion ran through the air, plucking something inside Zelgadis as he pressed his advantage. Confusion and panic rang behind him, filling him as the leader managed to block Zelgadis's next blow. "What kind of monster are you?" the leader managed, one hand holding his shoulder, as if that would keep the wound sealed.

"Your worst nightmare," Zelgadis informed him, one hand grabbing the bandit's throat. Slowly, his hand squeezed tighter and tighter, his own breath coming faster and faster as-

Realization hit him hard, chilling his blood as he let the bandit go. He didn't even have to watch the bandit try to pick himself up and have to be dragged off by the rest of the group that hadn't fled yet. Instead, he stared at his hand, horrified at how he had felt, the need to play with the bandit's death, to make the bandit fear-

And he would have done the same to the rest of the group, the ones that remained, slowly-

Zelgadis dropped to his knees, seeing the red against the white, and tried to ignore what had resonated inside him. How his body ached for more, wanted-

He growled, standing. What was happening to him? He had never felt bloodlust like that, not one that nearly bled into actual lust. What was going on?

Until this moment, he hadn't wanted Rezo back for reasons that weren't telling him his cure or, in his darkest thoughts, killing him again for what he did to him. No, this time, he wanted Rezo back to explain what his body was doing. What his mind was doing. Was it because of what he had been turned into? The inhuman parts of him overwhelming the human?

Slowly, he started walking again, his mind whirling. What was he, now?

And he was being watched. Again.

This time when he turned, the form that coalesced out of the snow was obviously inhuman. Another Mazoku, much like the water one that had attacked him back then, only formed from ice crystals. Zelgadis watched as he cast Astral Vine, eyes narrowed.

But, bafflingly, the Mazoku's feet touched the ground, kneeling in front of him, showing him… was that respect? Or-

When the Mazoku spoke, its voice sounded like the whisper of snow rushing across a roof. "My Mistress requests your presence."

"And who's your Mistress?" Zelgadis snapped back, feeling like he should know.

"The Mistress of the Depths, Deep Sea Dolphin."

He wasn't sure he had ever heard Deep Sea Dolphin referred as such, but… "And what does she want?"

"An alliance with the one that still holds the Ruby Eye's blood."

Zelgadis swore he felt his heart stop for a moment. Did that- no. It's couldn't mean- If he was a Shard of Shabranigdo, he would have known already, right? "What-"

"My Mistress wasn't sure at first and entered into talks with the Greater Beast, Zelas Metallium." He was certain if the Mazoku had lips, they would be curled in contempt. "What you have done to the Greater Beast's Priest revealed to my Mistress what the truth had to be."

What he had done to Xellos? "What are you-"

"My, my, you speak too much, Lycria." Xellos's voice sounded behind him. Zelgadis turned slightly, alarm thrumming through him as Xellos's feet touched the ground, the crunching of snow under his boots more threatening than it should be.

"The Blood of the Ruby Eye's Priest." The Mazoku - Lycria? - let disgust fill its voice.

Zelgadis's breath stuttered in his throat as Xellos stepped closer to Lycria. "That's a very interesting title you've given me," Xellos mused, the smile still on his face.

"This chimera is the last remaining Blood of the Ruby Eye," the Mazoku hissed at him. "You can feel it too, can't you, Priest? How it runs through his veins?"

Instead of answering, Xellos only held out his staff, ribbons of power wrapping around the Mazoku and exploding into flames. Zelgadis watched as the smile dropped from Xellos's face, disturb filling the lines. "Well then," Xellos mused, the smile crossing his face again as he turned to Zelgadis. "I suppose this explains a lot!"

"It explains nothing," Zelgadis growled, his arms shaking as he held his sword ready. "What did all that mean? What's going on?"

Xellos sighed. "I had wondered myself," he said, placing a finger to his chin as he looked up to the sky, as if musing to himself. "See, even with your inhuman nature, you never had the same Astral signature as a Mazoku. I would have never guessed that the Shard sealed inside of the Red Priest's eyes had influenced more about him than merely his mind!"

Horror seeped into Zelgadis's bones as he started to follow that line of thought, and starting to reject the answer forming. "What do you-"

"You're not a Mazoku, but I would have never guessed about what Rezo's blood would have done!" Xellos looked back at him, his eyes now open. "Blood holding a Shard of Shabranigdo."

"I'm not-" Zelgadis rushed him suddenly, grabbing Xellos by the throat. "You're lying! Shabranigdo has nothing to do with me! I'm not Rezo!" His hand tightened as he growled at Xellos. "I'm human. I always have been."

"No." The noise came out slightly strangled, which was not surprising. Even if the body he held in his hand wasn't real, compressing a throat, and thus vocal cords, did make a certain sound when the body tried to talk. "You've never been human. At least, not completely. Your blood has always had a thread of inhuman in it. I suppose that's why you didn't perish when you were transformed!" Xellos sighed. "If only I had known this before you forced me to become your Priest."

"Speak clearly!" Zelgadis nearly screamed in his face, shaking him. "I'm not- You're not my Priest! You said it yourself: I'm not a Mazoku. I-"

Xellos waited for him to stop shaking him. "I wish I was wrong," he said, and Zelgadis felt something inside him confirm that he was telling the truth. "But with each passing day, each time you feed off negative emotions, I can feel the call to you, and the presence of Shabranigdo strengthen."

Slowly, Zelgadis let go of him. "I'm not- feeding-"

But he knew that was a lie. He remembered how hungry he could feel… and then how he didn't need to eat when a fight broke out around him. The way he had felt during the storm, when that woman had died…

No… he couldn't-

"Your red eyes are beautiful… Zelgadis-sama."