Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.
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Ayie: Sk8er boi… Gojyo would like to say something to you…. Go on Gojyo, say it! nudged Gojyo's side with an elbow
Gojyo: Hai…hai… Gomen nasai Sk8er boi for spelling out your name wrong… Please forgive me! looked at sk8er boi with dreary eyes Gomenn….!!!! wailed out loud with tears showering like a fountain
Ayie: Oi oi! Don't be too OOC… this is not yourself…Oi!! smacked Gojyo's head with a pillow Gojyo: ceased crying and sobbed faintly I was just saying sooorryyy…
Hakkai: Sh…sh… don't cry anymore patted Gojyo's hair as the latter cried on his laps
Aiko: Yare…yare…everyone was being down these few days…especially Ayie-san, what else can we do? Thanks Sk8er boi for your help…ayie will surely consult to you. It's killing us when Sanzo and Ayie behaved like this…sweat dropped
Goku: Yameru kudasai! I can't stand this… so I'll take my turn to thank all the reviewers and the readers. Arigatou minna!! giggled frantically and bowed Kazo: Hai!! bowed with Goku
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Chapter 20 – The Hour
Goku's golden orbs rolled upon the sight of the magnificent mansion that towered upon them. He hung his mouth opened as he stared at the mansion that stood before their very eyes. "Sugoi!!" he exclaimed as he gulped saliva down to his throat. There's nothing else to say, as he was totally astounded by the size of the mansion.
Gojyo whistled and shook his head with amaze.
"Yare…yare…what a waste?" Aiko blinked her eyes several times, trying not to believe what she was seeing. "Life is so twisted…bad guys always happened to be the one with lots and lots of money" she grumbled.
"That's life" Hakkai claimed as he hopped out the jeep and followed by the rest of the people on board. Immediately the jeep transformed into its biological form. Harkuryu flew up and perched on Hakkai's shoulder. Nimmiku, who had stayed dutifully on jippu's hud, took its place on Aiko's shoulder.
Aiko smiled nervously. "Nimmi, I'm not sure about letting you coming with us" she rubbed Nimmiku's neck but the latter cried alarmingly as a sign of refusal. The she-dragon nuzzled Aiko's face and let out a pleading coo.
"Demo…" Aiko still rather worried about Nimmiku coming with them into the battle. She feared that the dragon would get hurt.
Nimmiku stretched its neck and pointed her triangular head toward Harkuryu. Aiko followed Nimmiku's gaze and smiled at seeing Harkuryu cooing lovingly to Nimmiku. Aiko turned her gaze at Nimmiku. "You want to be with him don't you?" Nimmiku nodded once and licked Aiko's cheek. That's a yes! "Hai hai!" Aiko surrendered. She chuckled in glee and patted the she-dragon's head adoringly.
Hakkai smiled. 'I guess even Harkuryu and Nimmiku knew about protecting their loved ones'. He rubbed his pet and made Harkuryu looked at him "Harkuryu… you must look after Nimmiku and protect her… I won't be able to help you because I myself have someone I need to protect" Hakkai reminded his little dragon as he glanced at Aiko from the corner of his eyes.
"Kyu!!" Harkuryu blew off tiny flame as if he wanted to show that he was able to protect himself and Nimmiku.
Hakkai smiled. "Yuka idesu!" he chirped merrily.
Gojyo bewildered at the sight in front of his eyes. 'Life is such a wonder, love always make you strong'. He stepped in between Aiko and Hakkai and flung his shaku jou above his shoulder. He brushed the crimson locks that stuck to his sweaty forehead and pushed it to the back. "Anyone got any plan before we enter the dragon's lair?"
"Kyu?" Harkuryu and Nimmiku cooed at the words 'dragon's lair' mentioned by Gojyo.
"Hai hai! Gomen!" Gojyo apologized as he realized that his statement might have insulted the little dragons. Hakkai and Aiko chuckled in glee.
Sanzo slammed a new barrel of bullets into his Smith and Wessons and cocked his weapon at instant. He was ready to kill.
"Nyibou!" Goku summoned his almighty staff. The staff emerged from nowhere and appeared in between his grip. The young itan twirled the nyibou around before his face, trying to get the proper balance for his grip and when he finally gained it, Goku stop twirling his nyibou and gripped it tightly in his fists. His knuckles turned pale white as he put his full effort to hold nyibou. "I'm still hungry though" he mumbled.
"Me too!" Kazo echoed soon after. The elders' sweat dropped. The young hanyou took out a pair of katana out from his shirt. The men including Goku gawked at him with surprise when he took out the deadly weapon in the open. "Nanda?" Kazo asked, petrified by the stares. The men looked as if they wanted to gobble him up in a single gulp.
"Where do you get that?" Gojyo asked, pointing one finger to the katana. The edge of the blades looked so sharp it could pierce and slice anything that it made contact with. Gojyo never remembered Kazo using any weapon in any fights before.
Kazo studied his katana. The blades gleamed under the sun. "This? Otochan gave it to me after I completed my first training in martial arts" He held the katana tight in his grips. He swirled the katana several times, absorbing the comfort and the light feeling in it while he did that. "I never used it until I desperately need it" he whispered. That katana was something for him. His father gave it to him and the one who taught him how to use the weapon was Leon, his best friend.
Sanzo snorted at the remark. 'Desperate huh?' He threw his cigarette butt to the ground. "Here's a great plan" he said. "Just enter the damn house, eliminate the enemies, save the mother and her baby, and get out"
"As simple as that?" Gojyo lit a cigarette and placed it in between his lips. He looked at Sanzo and smirked. "I can live with that" he said at last, as a sign of approval of Sanzo's 'great plan'.
Hakkai laughed slightly. 'Only if it can be as simple as that'. He looked at Aiko, checking on the girl's condition. Aiko still looked a little weary. She wasn't completely recovered from her last wound. "Have you regained your power?" Hakkai asked. Losing Aiko is a risk he's not willing to take.
By the time Hakkai finished uttering his last word, Aiko had already released a ki-blast toward the door of the mansion. The ki-ball blasted the mahogany door and shattered it into pieces. A big hole was made through it.
Aiko swung her fist in the air. "Yukata!!" she chirped in triumph and then turned to Hakkai. "Unh… you were saying something Hakkai?" she asked.
Hakkai's sweat dropped. "Nande monai…" he replied as he waved his hand frantically in front of his face. Aiko raised her shoulders slightly.
"Oki!" Aiko smiled childishly liked.
Hakkai slapped his forehead as he chuckled edgily. 'Yare…yare… there's no need for me to worry about her' But later he finds out that he would never be able to stop worrying over Aiko, even when he knew very well that Aiko can protect herself. Aiko's physical strength might be in stable condition but her mind was totally tangling up.
"Ikkuzo!" Sanzo ordered as he marched into the mansion through the shattered door. Hakkai, Gojyo, Goku, Aiko and Kazo tailed him as he entered the huge main hall.
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They halted as they reached the center of the main hall. They stood bewilderedly at the thing they are looking at right now. A big hourglass, as big as Goku and Kazo, was placed in the center of the hall.
"Nani?" Gojyo was perplexed. He never saw such a big hourglass like the one he's looking at right before his two eyes.
Goku kicked the hourglass and later hopped around on one toe, yelping with pain. The hourglass didn't moved a bit. It didn't crack either. The glass that made the gadget was definitely solid glass.
"Why is it here?" Sanzo watched the sand as it passed through the narrow gap and filled the lower section, bit by bit.
"You got an hour" suddenly a man appeared from behind the hourglass. The ikkou jerked back, astonished by the appearance. When they finally recognized the white haired man as Xiang, the ikkou positioned themselves in fighting modes. Ready for a counter measure.
"One hour for what?" Hakkai asked as he formed a ki-ball between his fingers. He let the energy from his body flowed down to his hand. The image of Xiang strangling Aiko to close call of death made his blood boiled. It's pay back time. He's ready to let go of the ki-ball any second now.
Xiang smirked. "One hour to carry out your great plan before Baron get his revenge" he glanced at Sanzo and laughed menacingly.
"K'so!" Sanzo fumed. He could not stand being ridiculed by his own opponent. He pulled the trigger and sent out a bullet dashing toward Xiang. When the bullet was about to reach his face, Xiang made a hand gesture before him and created an energy barrier. Like before, the bullet was absorbed by the barrier and never did reach its target.
"Ch!" Sanzo snorted, again he wasted his bullet on silly effort.
Hakkai paired up Sanzo's bullet with his ki-ball. The ki-ball penetrated the energy barrier and hit Xiang on the chest. The impact sent Xiang flying to the wall and slammed hard against it. But the white haired man rose up to his feet, staggering to stand upright. He regained his balance and looked up to the ikkou.
"Damn! The blow didn't affected him a bit" Gojyo hung his mouth opened. The last blow from Hakkai didn't seem to hurt Xiang or even gave him a scar. He swung his shaku jou and sent the scythe dashing toward the white haired man. The scythe almost cut the man's gut if he didn't vaporized in thin air and reappeared on top of the hourglass.
Xiang crossed his arms before his chest and guffawed hysterically. "Dream on… you would never win over me" he mocked the ikkou, making the latter hissed with anger. Goku fumed over that remark, he jumped up in the air and swiped his nyibou on top of Xiang's head.
Goku's eyes widened as Xiang blocked his nyibou with his bare arm. Goku caught a glimpse of Xiang smiling devilishly at him. Before he could even blink, Xiang had punched him right on his stomach. Goku jerked several feet away and fell off to the ground. He almost stumbled fiercely to the floor if Gojyo had not caught him.
Goku jerked away from Gojyo's cradle and wiped the thin crimson line trickling from his mouth. Again, he stood in a fighting position, ready to strike back. When he was about to dash toward Xiang, a tender pat landed on his shoulder. Goku looked up. Aiko stared down at his face with a smile upon her face.
"Aiko?"
Aiko shook her head, not allowing Goku to step any further. "Goku, can you see that any physical weapon wouldn't harm him?" Aiko exclaimed. Goku was taken aback. He turned his head and studied Xiang. Aiko was right, neither of the blow from him, Sanzo and Gojyo seemed to affect Xiang. The only weapon that inflicted him was Hakkai's ki-blast. Goku looked at Aiko, waiting for the explanation.
"The only thing that can harm him is ki energy" Aiko looked up to Xiang. "That's mean you, Sanzo, Gojyo and Kazo can't do anything to outlast him" she reached out a hand and ruffled Goku's hair. Aiko looked at Sanzo.
"Sanzo, let me deal with him… I alone is enough" she suggested. Goku and Gojyo protested but were stopped abruptly by Aiko's deadly glare. Aiko glanced back to Sanzo. "Sanzo?" she waited for the respond.
"Stop her Kazo" Goku clung to Kazo's arm.
Kazo shook his head. "No, she made her decision"
Sanzo grunted. He knew well that Aiko was not in perfect condition to fight in one to one duel. "No" he replied then he glanced at Hakkai. "Not without Hakkai!" Sanzo made a wise decision.
Aiko turned toward Hakkai. The latter gave a thumb's up. She looked down to her feet and raised her face along with smile on her rosy lips. "Very well then" she agreed. Aiko realized that she alone wouldn't promise victory on their side. Xiang was a better fighter than she is. "You guys better move and save Dai and his mother… we don't have much time left"
"Wakarimashita" Sanzo muttered. "Ikkuzo!" he ran toward the stairs with Gojyo and Kazo tailing behind him. Goku's pace was a little slow as he was not sure of letting Hakkai and Aiko fighting Xiang by themselves. Kazo turned back and dragged Goku with him.
"They'll be fine" Kazo reassured as he glanced at Aiko and Hakkai from the corner of his eyes. After a moment, he looked up to Gojyo and Sanzo, who were up ahead of them. He quickened his gait as he pulled Goku with him. Goku, who soon realized that he was worrying for nothing, hastened his pace and kept up with Kazo. They ran side by side to the next floor, leaving behind them the pair of brunettes.
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Aiko walked toward Hakkai and stood next to the emerald-eyed youkai. "Are you sure about this Hakkai?" Aiko wanted confirmation.
Hakkai smiled. He shoved Harkuryu and Nimmiku away and ordered them to follow Sanzo and the rest to the top floor… or is it the second? Hakkai looked at Aiko. "Unh… you were saying?" Hakkai returned the same words uttered by Aiko before they entered the mansion.
Aiko chuckled nervously. "Yare…yare…" she could actually understand what Hakkai was trying to do, and it worked.
"I just wanted to be sure that you'll keep your promise" Hakkai said as he formed a ki-ball in between his palms. He raised a brow and winked. Aiko sighed with disbelief. 'Now I have to live with a weird boyfriend' Aiko shook the thought away and get ready to release a ki-blast.
"Hai hai! What a wise decision of splitting up into groups to save time" Xiang sneered at the two brunettes. "But gomen… you won't be able to join them in the top floor because you'll die in my hand"
"Not even in your dreams" Hakkai released the ki-ball right toward Xiang. Xiang smirked as he dodged the blast and darted to Hakkai with another ki-blast. He fired the ki and it hit the ground where Hakkai once stood. He looked up as Hakkai appeared from above him and landed a punch on his back. Xiang flinched and landed on both feet on the floor. Before he could even gained his balance, a forceful ki-blast from Aiko hit him right at his back. The blast threw him away from his last standing position.
Xiang flipped around on the floor and halted right before he slammed to the wall. He kneeled and looked up to the pair with a smile. Hakkai had landed on his feet next to Aiko. The pair once again stood in fighting positions.
Xiang saw something in the brunettes. There was an image of another pair of brunette standing in the very same position. The girl was indeed the same person but the man next to him had a shoulder length but still the same dark hair. "Leon...? Reika…?" he whispered beneath his breath.
Aiko happened to hear that whispers. She stood at ease and stared at Xiang. "Liamm?" she called softly and waited for the respond. Hakkai looked at Aiko with wonders. Then he looked at Xiang. That man sure looked different from he was before. "Hakkai… it's him" Aiko told him and grabbed his hand. Her hand trembled slightly and her skin was icy cold.
Hakkai was taken aback when Aiko let go off his hand and headed for the white haired man. "Aiko!" Hakkai tried to stop the girl from going any closer toward their opponent. He darted toward Aiko and blocked her. "We're still not sure if he's Liamm" Hakkai grabbed Aiko by her shoulder.
"Hakkai! Look out!!" Aiko screamed as she realized that Xiang had finally stood up and released a ki-blast toward them. Her eyes widened at the sight of the deadly blow that was about to hit Hakkai's back. She forcefully shoved Hakkai away and received the blow.
Hakkai stumbled to the ground. He watched Aiko being jerked several feet away to the back and fell down hard on the floor with a loud thump after the blow hit her slender body. "Aiko!!" he called out as the girl coughed out blood. Aiko lost her consciousness soon after.
The dark haired man dashed toward Aiko and lifted the girl's head to his lap. He quickly healed Aiko with his ki. The girl's wound was not really serious but he had to heal her quick or she would die of shock. The blast knocked her senseless and it would take some time for her to regain consciousness. Hakkai carefully placed Aiko's head to the floor and rose up to his feet.
Hakkai glared at Xiang as the latter smirked devilishly at him. "She was too soft at heart… one single trick and she had already fallen into the trap" Xiang sneered.
Hakkai laughed slightly, making the white haired man before him stood dumbfounded. "A trick or is it really you Liamm?" Hakkai jeered at his opponent. "Face it Xiang… that Liamm that you thought was dead still lived inside you and he's emerging to the surface" Hakkai pointed to Xiang's face.
Xiang smiled, but his smile faded away in a matter of a second.
"Aiko was never wrong about loving someone… and she knew the brother she always loved still there somewhere trying to get free from your body" Hakkai's turn to smile. "And believe it or not, Liamm is winning against you Xiang" he released a ki-blast as the latter was temporarily off guard.
The ki-blast almost hit Xiang but he dodged the attack by jumping up over the hourglass. From the top of his head, Xiang fired a ki-ball toward Hakkai. Hakkai swerved to the right and darted to the air. Xiang's ki-ball hit the ground instead. The dark haired youkai dashed toward Xiang with a punch that later hit the white haired mutant hard on the jaw. The punch made Xiang jerked back and landed on the ground. Due to his disability to hold back the force of gravity, Hakkai retreat to the ground and stood in his fighting pose.
Xiang was desperate this time. Hakkai's fighting skill was equaled to the man that last won over him. The man with shoulder length dark haired that fought him several months ago back in Tougenkyo. Xiang balanced himself and forced his inner energy to flow down to his palms. His hands gleamed with white beam. Xiang clasped his hand together and released a ki-blast, which later formed into a dragon-liked form. The fiery beam darted toward Hakkai with full speed.
Hakkai crossed his arms before his face and formed a large ki-blast. He released the ki and it hit the fiery dragon's beam of Xiang's. The forceful beams rammed into each other, resulting in a nuclear-liked explosion that sent Hakkai and Xiang to soar away from the carnage.
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Gojyo slammed his fist on the youkai's nose and broke it into pieces. He yanked his shaku jou that wrapped around the opponent's waist, causing the latter's gut to burst out in the open.
Gojyo rose up to his feet and looked up to his comrades. Each of them had outlasted their opponents. "Any of you get any hint on where they might hid Dai and his mother?" Gojyo called out loud.
Kazo lashed his katana over his opponent's throat and watched him vaporized into black dust. "Mine couldn't talk" he answered cheekily.
"Ch!" Sanzo grunted. His usual sign of no… [Though it could be 'yes' sometimes].
"Yosh!" Goku kicked the youkai and bashed him with nyibou. The youkai shattered into pieces and vanished instantly. "I guess I was lucky to fight a very generous youkai…" he chirped.
Gojyo hissed grimly. He poked Goku hard on the head and the latter yelped in agony. "Spit it out kono baka saru!" Gojyo jeered at the young itan.
"I'm not a saru! Kono ero kappa!!!" Goku kicked the hanyou's leg, making the latter howled painfully. Goku laughed heartily.
"KACHINK!!" they heard the spirit-ascending gun being cocked and at instant they fell silent. Both of the hanyou and the itan turned over to Sanzo and raised their hands up in the air. Sanzo was pointing his Smith and Wesson at their direction and ready to pull the trigger.
Sanzo grumbled something and lowered his shoureijuu. "Goku?!" He called out.
"He told me that Dai was held in Baron's chamber at the West Wing and his mother was kept imprisoned in the dungeon at the basement" Goku spat it all out in one breath. He inhaled a deep breath after that.
"Sou ka!" Sanzo headed for the West Wing and Goku tailed him.
"Oi Sanzo! We're wasting our time here… you go and find that baby and we'll save the damsel" Gojyo arranged the plan. Sanzo replied with a loud humph.
Gojyo smirked. He grasped Kazo's shirt at the neck and dragged the young hanyou with him. "You come with me" he ordered as the young boy flailed his arms frantically in the air, trying to let go off from the older hanyou's grip.
The pairs separated at that point with one mission, to complete Sanzo's 'great idea'.
To be continue…
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Ayie: Wou! Finished one fighting chap and several more to go… phew! What a tiring day…I really enjoyed writing this fic especially on Hakkai and Aiko's scene. ^___^ I'm not good in writing romance and fighting scenes… those two are my weaknesses… gomen ne if you find the scenes were too lame ^o^#…
Sanzo: Ch! Stupid writer… how you end up writing anyway?
Ayie: Nani? dashed toward Sanzo and punched him in the face
Sanzo: Ororo…turned like Himura Kenshee…of Hitokiri Battousai @___@
Ayie: Eh! Azzie-san, you're right about Saito=Sanzo, Himura Kenshee=Hakkai and Sanosuke Sagara=Gojyo….wonder who's Aoshi equal to…? Ah! I know Homura-san!
Homura: escaped from Season in the Sun's fic and whacked Ayie's head that's for comparing me with someone else.
Ayie: Ittai…. Rubbed her head that have serious bump on it
Hakkai: slapped head in disbelief Yare…yare desune… Minna-san, thanks again for reading this fic and double thanks for those who had reviewed. Ayie was feeling a lot better by now… finally. Thanks for all the support ne?
Goku: tugged at Hakkai's sleeve Hata harahetta ne Hakkai….
Gojyo: Ch! Food-brained monkey.
