Hey everyone. Here's a chapter with some action in it! Sorry for the cliffhanger at the end (no I'm not :P). Rate and/or review if you please! Once again, my thanks to AiryAcquarius for being the best beta ever!

Warnings: language

Chapter 9: Confrontation

The youkai group in front of them was not the largest they had faced: only fifteen or so members. The Sanzo Party had certainly dealt with larger. That being said, the demons were not your average bottom of the barrel types either. They were well organized and the youki emanating from them was larger than average.

Several members stood barring their path with claws and melee weapons drawn. A small cluster of them stood slightly away and to the side, almost hidden by the trees at the edge of the decent sized clearing they had been passing through. The assassins had spread themselves out in such a way that the party would be unable to evade them unless they retreated.

The leader seemed to be a large brute of a demon, at least six and a half feet tall and an axe almost as tall as he was resting on his shoulders. The demon was dark skinned with scraggly brown hair. A casual smirk played about his lips as he once again shouted, "Genjo Sanzo! Hand over the Scripture and your death will be a painless one!" It seemed as though their pursuers were upping the ante.

"I refuse." Sanzo returned his usual rebuttal with indifference. Surreptitiously, he reached for his banishing gun.

The youkai leader shook his head, as though disappointed in the answer. But the widened, fanged grin on his face spoke otherwise. "Then die, puny human!" With that, several members of the group of mercenaries ran into the fray while others drew their long ranged weapons. Goku and Gojyo summoned their weapons and the teen ran headfirst into the fray with a triumphant "Hi-Ya!"

"Our pursuers seem less and less willing to negotiate, don't they?" commented Hakkai as he blew away two of their attackers with a shot of his chi.

"It almost seems like they don't like you Sanzo-sama." Of course Gojyo had to get in his two cents. The kappa's shakujo whirled through the air in a graceful arc, causing the demons that had approached him to retreat swiftly and avoid being sawed in half.

"Humph!" was all that Sanzo had to say on the subject. The blonde priest was firing his rounds at the demons that were currently shooting small dart-like projectiles at the group. Goku seemed to be holding his own, even surrounded by five of the demons. However, in stark contrast to their usual bouts, only a few of their adversaries had been felled.

"Oi, looks like you're losing your touch, ya pervy kappa!" the monkey teased as he blocked another attack and extended Nyoi-bo to whack an enemy that was trying to jump down on him from the trees.

"Shut up, you damn monkey! Like you're doing any better!" the redhead predictably retorted. It was true though, the group seemed to be having much more of a problem dealing with these assassins than those that had come before them; with the exception of Kougaiji's group of idiots.

"These demons seem to have some skill, hmm Sanzo?" the human turned demon stated after having narrowly avoided a blow that would have cut off his arm. Apparently he hadn't even fully avoided it, judging by the thin trickle of blood flowed down his arm.

Sanzo didn't reply. He was too busy trying to fend off the attacking demons while reloading his gun. This group did seem to have some level of combat skill if even Hakkai was having a hard time.

"GAH!" The monk swiftly glanced in the direction of the pain filled yell. Goku had been sent flying by the axe-wielding leader and had crashed into a large tree, breaking it in half. This was not good.

"Come now, Priest." the giant oaf said. "Surely you can see you're no match for us. Hand over the Scripture and..." The demon's monologue was interrupted when he had to dodge the attacks of Gojyo and Hakkai as they ran to back up Goku as he regained his feet. Cursing under his breath, Sanzo fired several shots in succession, trying to hit the demons that were trying to surround the group. He managed to banish one of them, but not without an injury for his efforts. The blonde grunted in pain when one of their dart-like projectiles lodged itself in his thigh. Spinning swiftly, Sanzo returned fire and managed to down another demon. The wound bled steadily but was not serious enough for concern. Try telling that to Goku.

"Sanzo!" the teen shouted. "Why you!" The amber eyed young man ran towards the other enemies, intent on destroying them for hurting his sun. "Take that!" Changing Nyoi-bo into its nunchuck form, the heretic jumped in the midst of the demons who were readying another round. Whirling it around with ease, he managed to clobber the five or so Sanzo had been unable to reach with his gun. Leaving his charge to deal with the long range attackers, the monk turned and focused on keeping the lower demons away from Gojyo and Hakkai as they simultaneously attacked the large leader. They were struggling, Gojyo's shakujo was bent nearly in half from when he had blocked the giant's axe. Hakkai was panting with exertion and trying to avoid the sweeping attacks of the axe. The leader seemed unfazed by the few attacks that landed on him, though he seemed to be favoring his right leg. Maybe if they could just...

Sanzo was jerked out of his thoughts when something wrapped around his ankle and tripped him. He swore and turned to try and shoot whatever had grabbed him. To his astonishment and annoyance, it seemed like a tree root had wrapped itself around his ankle. When he went to remove it, three more roots flung out and wrapped themselves around his other limbs. Cursing profusely, the blonde struggled to free himself as he was dragged towards a tall tree. However, it wasn't until he got close that the monk saw that he was actually being dragged down a hole near the bottom of the tree. "Fuck!" Darkness swallowed him as he was rapidly pulled under the earth.

Goku's loud and panicked "Sanzo! was the last thing he heard before he was consumed. Then he was rushing downwards towards only the gods knew what.