Don't own the Sanzo-ikkou. If I did, this wouldn't be called fanfiction.
"We'll be arriving at a town soon, Goku," Hakkai said reassuringly, his eyes still trained on the path in front of them. "Just two days more."
"Two days!" The boy clutched the top of the front seat, incredulous. "But I haven't eaten since early this morning! I'm starving~!"
"Urusai, stomach-brained saru." Gojyo muttered lazily. "After eating all our rations you could at least have the decency to be satisfied."
"Don't call me a saru, kono ero kappa!"
"Chibi saru! Stomach-brained saru! Bakasaru!"
"Aka gokiburi kappa! Ero ero kappa!"
"URUSEE!!"
THWACK!THWACK! went the infamous harisen.
"Itai!"
"If you won't shut the fuck up I'll leave you two behind!"
"Demo Sanzo, we haven't eaten since morning! I feel like there's an empty hole in my stomach-"
The boy shut his mouth when the muzzle of the gun suddenly pressed against his abdomen. Sanzo's violet eyes glinted dangerously. "Then you probably wouldn't mind if I added another hole."
As if on cue, Goku's stomach chose that moment to growl.
"Maa maa, Goku," Hakkai said cheerfully. "We need to save what we have left or we'll all starve before we reach the town."
"Hai." came the reluctant assent.
"You spoil him too much." Sanzo grumpily shifted back in his seat.
The green-eyed youkai simply laughed in reply. It had been three days since they last stopped in a village to replenish their supplies, half of which ended up in Goku's stomach just to keep him from whining - and Gojyo from teasing him and Sanzo from expending energy in dealing out punishment - before Hakkai decided that the remaining half would have to be partitioned among them. His efforts though, didn't stop the quarrels altogether.
They had been arguing like that for any number of times on the journey, and none of them seemed to tire of it. Especially him, when the liveliness kept him from thinking too much on how the thick canopy overhead let in enough light to illumine the forest trail and yet keep enough of its darkness that shadows played at the edges of his vision. They were too furtive to see properly, showing as brief blots of black at the corner of his eyes. It was almost as if-
Something whizzed past Sanzo's ear at that moment, making the monk jerk his head away. "-the fuck?"
"It's an ambush!" "No shit, genius!" "Hakuryuu!"
Whatever Hakkai was about to command got stuck in his throat as they all heard the thuds. Five figures were suddenly in front of them, their eyes staring intently and their clothing ragged. One glance was all it took for Hakkai to recognize their youkai features before the jeep screeched to a halt - just as the youkai sprung towards them. He pulled Hakuryuu into reverse and let the youkai land at the spot where they had been. But three more youkai were suddenly behind them, effectively cutting off their escape.
"Yare yare," Hakkai sighed as the jeep skidded to a stop. "Looks like we'll have a bit of exercise today."
"They're not normal." Sanzo remarked and aimed at the nearest youkai. "For one thing, they're not giving off any youryoku."
Startled, the others glanced at the youkai, meeting the calculating gazes in inhuman eyes. There was a sickly sweet smell that hung in the air, but no chill menace. "Sou da ne."
"And they smell dead." Goku added, jumping out of the jeep before anyone could question him. "Nyoibo~!"
"Oi-oi!" Then Gojyo was leaping after the boy. "Don't take them all by yourself!"
"Looks like they're full of energy today." Hakkai cheerfully formed a ki ball in his hand.
"Tch. Just kill them and get it over with." Sanzo shot at the nearest youkai as Hakkai chuckled in response. But the youkai Sanzo was targeting dove to one side before the bullet reached its goal, suddenly leaping at the monk.
Hakkai threw the ki ball in his hand - but this was also evaded. Fortunately, it forced the youkai to Sanzo's left and gave him enough time to shoot it. The bullet went straight into its temple.
But the youkai was still standing.
"Nandato-?"
It was all he could say as the youkai charged at them again. A hastily built barrier was the only thing that saved them.
"What is it with these bastards!" Gojyo cursed behind them as the leaping youkai bounced off the shimmering ki. Hakkai spared a glance at the halfbreed. He and Goku were pressed back to back in a defensive stance, surrounded by the first five youkai. Their ragged clothing showed tears and jagged holes where the two had managed to score hits, but the youkai stood calmly as though they felt no pain.
Something nagged in Hakkai's memory. An image of a battered but painless youkai they had fought in the past. The almost-there stench of death. It was.
"Chin Issou," he whispered to himself.
"Hn. Damn shikigami." Sanzo grunted impassively.
"You sure they're shikigami?" Gojyo asked pointedly.
"What else can they be? Kami?"
"Whatever they are, they still smell dead!" Goku parried as one of the youkai swung at him. The boy quickly shoved one end of his Nyoibo through the fleshy middle and flung the impaled youkai back towards its fellows. The others gave way, letting their comrade fall to the ground in a heap - and get back up.
"How do you kill them?!" Goku stepped back, golden eyes wide.
"The same way I did with Chin Issou." Hakkai suggested.
Sanzo snorted. "No way to tell where any bastard's hidden the charm needed to make them."
"Then what? Butcher them to bits before they even realize they're butchered?" Gojyo retorted.
"Now, that's not a bad idea." Hakkai would've touched a finger to his jaw in his customary gesture but he was too busy keeping the ki barrier up. And doing so was quite taxing on his energy.
"That won't be easy," there was suddenly a figure amongst the copse of trees to their left, exuding the menace they all recognized as youryoku. "These aren't normal shikigami, if you will. These are stronger, faster, not the usual shikigamis you're used to." His voice was deep, with a quality that could easily shift to booming commands.
"I take it you're the one who made them." Hakkai said calmly, keeping the drain out of his voice.
"Of course. Took me months but I made them." The figure stepped closer where sunlight penetrated the thick canopy overhead. "It's a trifle difficult to settle into being a youkai."
"Settle.?"
"I killed a thousand youkai to become one, yes." The man's leather armor did nothing to hide his musculature. His bull neck fit well enough with the thick chest, the broad shoulders. Clearly a man used to hard work. He rested a hand on the hilt of the sword at his side, the leather wrapping as worn as the armor. "It was what I had to become."
"You are-"
"General Li." Sanzo muttered suddenly, interrupting Hakkai. He was staring at the youkai leader, stunned recognition all too apparent in his violet eyes.
A/N: I did say I was going to be long in succeeding chapters. Thanks for bearing with me.
Thankees to the fantastic and robust sf-sama for beta reading and editing ^_^
"We'll be arriving at a town soon, Goku," Hakkai said reassuringly, his eyes still trained on the path in front of them. "Just two days more."
"Two days!" The boy clutched the top of the front seat, incredulous. "But I haven't eaten since early this morning! I'm starving~!"
"Urusai, stomach-brained saru." Gojyo muttered lazily. "After eating all our rations you could at least have the decency to be satisfied."
"Don't call me a saru, kono ero kappa!"
"Chibi saru! Stomach-brained saru! Bakasaru!"
"Aka gokiburi kappa! Ero ero kappa!"
"URUSEE!!"
THWACK!THWACK! went the infamous harisen.
"Itai!"
"If you won't shut the fuck up I'll leave you two behind!"
"Demo Sanzo, we haven't eaten since morning! I feel like there's an empty hole in my stomach-"
The boy shut his mouth when the muzzle of the gun suddenly pressed against his abdomen. Sanzo's violet eyes glinted dangerously. "Then you probably wouldn't mind if I added another hole."
As if on cue, Goku's stomach chose that moment to growl.
"Maa maa, Goku," Hakkai said cheerfully. "We need to save what we have left or we'll all starve before we reach the town."
"Hai." came the reluctant assent.
"You spoil him too much." Sanzo grumpily shifted back in his seat.
The green-eyed youkai simply laughed in reply. It had been three days since they last stopped in a village to replenish their supplies, half of which ended up in Goku's stomach just to keep him from whining - and Gojyo from teasing him and Sanzo from expending energy in dealing out punishment - before Hakkai decided that the remaining half would have to be partitioned among them. His efforts though, didn't stop the quarrels altogether.
They had been arguing like that for any number of times on the journey, and none of them seemed to tire of it. Especially him, when the liveliness kept him from thinking too much on how the thick canopy overhead let in enough light to illumine the forest trail and yet keep enough of its darkness that shadows played at the edges of his vision. They were too furtive to see properly, showing as brief blots of black at the corner of his eyes. It was almost as if-
Something whizzed past Sanzo's ear at that moment, making the monk jerk his head away. "-the fuck?"
"It's an ambush!" "No shit, genius!" "Hakuryuu!"
Whatever Hakkai was about to command got stuck in his throat as they all heard the thuds. Five figures were suddenly in front of them, their eyes staring intently and their clothing ragged. One glance was all it took for Hakkai to recognize their youkai features before the jeep screeched to a halt - just as the youkai sprung towards them. He pulled Hakuryuu into reverse and let the youkai land at the spot where they had been. But three more youkai were suddenly behind them, effectively cutting off their escape.
"Yare yare," Hakkai sighed as the jeep skidded to a stop. "Looks like we'll have a bit of exercise today."
"They're not normal." Sanzo remarked and aimed at the nearest youkai. "For one thing, they're not giving off any youryoku."
Startled, the others glanced at the youkai, meeting the calculating gazes in inhuman eyes. There was a sickly sweet smell that hung in the air, but no chill menace. "Sou da ne."
"And they smell dead." Goku added, jumping out of the jeep before anyone could question him. "Nyoibo~!"
"Oi-oi!" Then Gojyo was leaping after the boy. "Don't take them all by yourself!"
"Looks like they're full of energy today." Hakkai cheerfully formed a ki ball in his hand.
"Tch. Just kill them and get it over with." Sanzo shot at the nearest youkai as Hakkai chuckled in response. But the youkai Sanzo was targeting dove to one side before the bullet reached its goal, suddenly leaping at the monk.
Hakkai threw the ki ball in his hand - but this was also evaded. Fortunately, it forced the youkai to Sanzo's left and gave him enough time to shoot it. The bullet went straight into its temple.
But the youkai was still standing.
"Nandato-?"
It was all he could say as the youkai charged at them again. A hastily built barrier was the only thing that saved them.
"What is it with these bastards!" Gojyo cursed behind them as the leaping youkai bounced off the shimmering ki. Hakkai spared a glance at the halfbreed. He and Goku were pressed back to back in a defensive stance, surrounded by the first five youkai. Their ragged clothing showed tears and jagged holes where the two had managed to score hits, but the youkai stood calmly as though they felt no pain.
Something nagged in Hakkai's memory. An image of a battered but painless youkai they had fought in the past. The almost-there stench of death. It was.
"Chin Issou," he whispered to himself.
"Hn. Damn shikigami." Sanzo grunted impassively.
"You sure they're shikigami?" Gojyo asked pointedly.
"What else can they be? Kami?"
"Whatever they are, they still smell dead!" Goku parried as one of the youkai swung at him. The boy quickly shoved one end of his Nyoibo through the fleshy middle and flung the impaled youkai back towards its fellows. The others gave way, letting their comrade fall to the ground in a heap - and get back up.
"How do you kill them?!" Goku stepped back, golden eyes wide.
"The same way I did with Chin Issou." Hakkai suggested.
Sanzo snorted. "No way to tell where any bastard's hidden the charm needed to make them."
"Then what? Butcher them to bits before they even realize they're butchered?" Gojyo retorted.
"Now, that's not a bad idea." Hakkai would've touched a finger to his jaw in his customary gesture but he was too busy keeping the ki barrier up. And doing so was quite taxing on his energy.
"That won't be easy," there was suddenly a figure amongst the copse of trees to their left, exuding the menace they all recognized as youryoku. "These aren't normal shikigami, if you will. These are stronger, faster, not the usual shikigamis you're used to." His voice was deep, with a quality that could easily shift to booming commands.
"I take it you're the one who made them." Hakkai said calmly, keeping the drain out of his voice.
"Of course. Took me months but I made them." The figure stepped closer where sunlight penetrated the thick canopy overhead. "It's a trifle difficult to settle into being a youkai."
"Settle.?"
"I killed a thousand youkai to become one, yes." The man's leather armor did nothing to hide his musculature. His bull neck fit well enough with the thick chest, the broad shoulders. Clearly a man used to hard work. He rested a hand on the hilt of the sword at his side, the leather wrapping as worn as the armor. "It was what I had to become."
"You are-"
"General Li." Sanzo muttered suddenly, interrupting Hakkai. He was staring at the youkai leader, stunned recognition all too apparent in his violet eyes.
A/N: I did say I was going to be long in succeeding chapters. Thanks for bearing with me.
Thankees to the fantastic and robust sf-sama for beta reading and editing ^_^