Disclaimer : Saiyuki will never be mine… Oh god!!!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!
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-Chapter 2-
Cataclysm
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"You summoned me your Empress?"
"Ah, Ni." Gyokomen said looking down at her favourite scientist from the throne she had been sitting on. "I was just wondering, where Kougaiji is?"
The scientist smiled guiltily and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "My apologies, Gyokomen Koushu." He repented playfully. "I'm afraid he is on an errand for me."
"Errand?"
"Err…yes your empress. I send him earlier today to attain the Maten Kyomen and …to capture Genjo Sanzo." He paused slightly. "But it seems as if the prince had not yet returned."
"I see…" Gyokomen said, sitting back on her throne and crossing her legs. "But don't you mean kill the priest."
Ni gave an awkward chuckle. "No, Gyokumen Koushu. We need him alive."
"We need him alive?" The Empress eyed him confusedly. "What do you mean by 'we need him alive'?"
Ni broke into a roguish smile and hugs his bunny doll tighter in his arm. "Well, you see your empress… something has turned up in the revival project that is quite vital to the plan… It turns out that the negative energy in this place is just too strong…"
"What's wrong with that?"
"Well, everything, your empress… the insufficient influence of the negative energy would destroy Master Gyumou's mind before he is revived… As a result, it will kill him… As you know; a body cannot live without a mind and vice versa… Therefore we need something to neutralize the negative energy just a little bit… That is where Genjo Sanzo…"
"Why does it have to be him?"
"Well holy people have always had high yen… so I thought that if Sanzo is the highest rank monk in the Buddhist scripture…"
"I mean, why can't it be some other priest?" Gyokomen reiterated her question, slightly annoyed.
Ni considered thoughtfully before answering. "Well… I thought that, since we are going to get the Maten Sutra from him… why don't we just take him too while we're at it… Besides…" he smirks happily. "I just thought that it would more interesting just to use him… Don't you agree, Gyokomen Koushu?"
A sinister smile slowly grew on Gyokomen's face as the information sink in her head. "Yes… that would be very… interesting."
***
Silent…
The pale moon shone ethereally in the dark heavens.
Silent…
Rusted leaves on bony branches rustled softly.
Silent…
Soft breeze whistled faintly in the cold air.
Silent…
Wine red hair lashes out in the dark like a whip.
Silent…
Sanzo cursed the damn wind as he trained his gun on Kougaji's forehead – the spot between the eyes… purple eyes that are now void of any emotion… an exception, maybe, for a thirst for the sight of blood spilling.
He could see that the youkai prince had changed - somehow. Not just the new white clothes that Kougaiji wore, but something else entirely… something that felt as if this youkai prince that was standing before him was not the Kougaiji he had known…
That is not even impossible… his mind bit out viciously. Concentrate damn it!
Kougaiji took a step forward. Immediately a silver bullet ran pass Kougaiji, narrowly missing only by a few inches.
"The next bullet won't miss." he warned, coldly. "What do you want?"
"The Maten Kyomen and you…"Kougaiji answered impassively, his cold gaze never leaving the priest.
Me? He grips the revolver tighter. "Me? What the damn hell do you want with me for?"
Kougaiji smirk maliciously and prepared to attack.
***
The thunderous sound of footsteps crashed through the entire inn as a fuming Goku ran up the empty staircase screaming vile curses that was almost equally contemptible to a certain corrupt monk cursing.
He rushed toward the last door at the end of the hall and slammed it opened.
"SANZO!!"
Hakkai looked up innocently at Goku, stunned by the sudden rude intrusion. Then slowly his face broke into a sheepish smile. "Yes?"
"Where's Sanzo?" Goku demand, closing the door behind him, none too gentle.
"He went out."
The young youkai abruptly gave another scream that made Hakkai jumped backwards. "Goku what is the matter?"
"Goyjo!" he shouted the name with a vengeance. "He stole my dinner! And it was it was such a delicious dinner as well! The best I had in a very long time! And that Kappa stole it!!! I'll never forgive him!!!! I'll have my revenge - "
Hakkai smiled understandingly at the youngest member of the Sanzo-ikkou. To Goku food is everything. The world – to Goku at least – evolves around the food. To have your food stolen is to have apart of you stolen. Hakkai laughed mentally at the thought.
"The dumpling!!!" Goku eyes had somehow crystallized and were unfocused. "Oh, it was the tastiest dumpling I had ever taste! There was such a rare taste to it that I've never felt before! I never knew a dumpling could taste so good!!!"
" - And the noodles… there was such a tenderness that I've never felt before… it was so springy too! It was so tasty!!! And he ate half of my plate!!! - "
Hakkai didn't understand how a noodle can be tender but he just kept quiet and continues to smile amusingly.
"The pork bun..." Goku looked as if he was in tears. "It was so great! It was so soft! And the stuffing was spicy just as I like it! The cook really knows how to cook it! But I didn't have any chance to taste it since Goyjo stole all of it!"
Hakkai wondered why goku had searched for Sanzo in the first place. He seriously doubted that the monk would not waste his time listening to Goku's problem.
"ohhh!!!! It was all so delicious! And I am still hun-"
Goku's voice trailed off as a warning went of at the back of his mind. Intuitively, Hakkai ducks away from the windows, a ki ball glowing readily in his palm. Moments later his instinct was proved accurate as the spot he had been standing seconds ago was showered with jagged pieces of sharp glasses. Instantly, youkai poured out of the shattered window frame lounging forward toward him and Goku.
Hakkai smoothly step out of the path of the incoming youkai, a ki ball gleaming readily in his hand. He smiled sweetly at his goon… In the next second the youkai was nothing more but just another mass of particles in the air. Forming another ki ball he threw it toward a bunch of youkai. "Oh dear, this…" he duck just in time to evade a punch… In the next second he had nailed the youkai right in the middle of the chess with a ki ball. The youkai screamed. "… is really getting tiresome. Don't you think so, Goku?"
His question was answered by a variety of agonizing and terrified screams. He glanced toward where goku had been fighting; a number of bodies were already laid sprawling on the floor, moaning pathetically in pain. In the centre of the mess, was goku swinging his Nyoibu with deadly speed and accuracy. "DAMN YOU GOYJO!!!"
My, my, someone's in a very bad mood.
***
Sanzo dived away from the kick that was meant for him. Turning around, he evaded a punch and strikes Kougaiji with a crushing blow to the gut that sends the youkai prince to plunge backwards.
But just seconds before hitting the ground, Kougaiji spun smoothly around and landed on his legs instead on his back. He glared at the priest with a malicious stare, wiping away the blood that was seeping from his broken lip.
Sanzo cocked his revolver threateningly at Kougaiji. "You still haven't answered my question. I repeat; what the hell do you want with me for?"
Slowly, the spiteful scowl on the tan face turns into a menacing smile.
***
Hakkai leaned against the now crimson wall, breathing heavily. It had been an exhausting battle - and an interesting one too in his point of view. It had seemed that in the beginning that the other side had thrown everything they had got into the fight. But, for some strange reason the youkai had decided to retreat just as they were winning the fight. Weird… Cho Hakkai was no tactician but he knew enough that no one just retreat when they were just about to win. Something is wrong here…
A pair of footstep rumbled up the steps urgently. A few moments later, an anxious Goyjo appeared in the middle of the broken doorway, looked around the havoc room and cursed fiercely.
A sense of dread washed over Hakkai as he watched Goyjo's behaviour. The anxious look on his friend's face was not anxiety for what state that the room was in, nor was it for the fact that they had just been attacked by a bunch of bloodthirsty youkais' but for something else entirely.
Goku who had been sprawling on the bed, fatigued, rose to greet the half-breed. "Where ha-"
"Where's Sanzo?!" Goyjo almost shouted the question.
"He went out. What's wrong?"
"We need to find him. Quick."
***
Dust and dirt clouded the scene as something slammed into a giant boulder – hard.
Kougaiji stood a few metres away clutching his wounded shoulder where he had been shot. A satisfied feeling crept all over him as the dust clears to reveal the priest Genjo Sanzo lay motionless still at the foot of the boulder, a small puddle of blood had already begun to form under the unconscious priest.
He smiled, pleased.
Stronger… stronger… A voice in his head bit out ferociously. Stronger…
He did not recognize the voice… but he knew it was not his own…
You must become stronger… Stronger…
It sounded so strong and so persistent… too strong and too persistent for him just to ignore the voice…
Stronger… stronger… become stronger… stronger… become the strongest…
He could not distinguish it from his mind. He suddenly caught sight of the blood on his hands… deep red blood that was slowly oozing down his fingertips… the sweet tasty metallic taste of blood flood his mouth as he licked his hands clean…
Stronger…
He slowly made his way toward the unconscious priest. The voice in his head never ceases to stop…
Stronger… Stronger… Stronger…
***
To be continue
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Author's Note:
Ahehehe… I am really sorry that it took me such a long time to update this chap… You see I just finished my exams… and my results are not too excellent… and another exam is coming up in one month time… So I really hope that you understand if the next chapter is not gonna be anytime soon…
Sorry if this chap was just crap… cause when I wrote this I was on a hurry to finish it… and… Ahahaha… I just realized something… romance in this fic is inevitable… so that means romance will be coming up in later chapters… (Blushing…) Aii…
And to all the readers that read this fic. Thanks for giving me a chance. And to all those readers who reviewed me. Thank you very much for your reviews. You have no idea how happy I am to be criticized. I don't even care if you flame me, cause that will only improve my writing skill… hopefully…
Well last of all … please don't forget to read and review me… Onegai.