Author's note : Hmmm... actually I got absolutely nothing to tell today... but I just want to upload the new chapter. Does that make sense? Whatever. It is one of my favourite chapter, I hope u all like it.
Summary : End of the battle, and somebody is very angry at this moment. Two feel bad, and one seems rather perplex. The rest of them dream of nothing particular. On the other side, a couple of people might celebrate a big party....
Sanzo has never been so angry. He is really angry right now. He should have known from the first time that something is just strange. And why has noone notice it but him??
Kougaiji attacks Sanzo more aggressively now, since Sanzo has recognized his plan.
"Move away!!" yells the cranky Sanzo, but Kougaiji only smirks. That's enough answer for Sanzo. He won't let him go.
Sanzo has no other choice.
"Gojyo, go! Why are you standing there??"
"Ehh? Where?"
"You idiot, they are going to free that guy!!"
"Guy? Which guy? Can't you speak even clearlier?"
Sanzo glares deadly at Gojyo, Kougaiji nicely decides to let them quarrel a bit and not to attack Sanzo from behind.
"We-have-only-ONE-guy-held-captive."
Goyjo turns pale. Now he understands. But it is really too late anyway. As he turns to the prison's direction, Dokugakuji stands right in front of him. Yaone stands right behind him.
"I did it, Kougaiji-sama!!" she says happily.
"We are going back!!" shouts Kougaiji.
"Do you really think that I will let you go so easily?"
Sanzo blocks his way.
"Don't worry, Sanzo. I will be back. And the next time, I will go back home with the sutra in my hands."
"Hey, we are going back!!"
"Okay."
The man holding the lance puts down his lance and goes away. He doesn't even pay any other look at Hakkai, let alonekill him, and that is really strange since he just has to plunge the lance and Hakkai is dead.
The other men also leave without paying any other attention to Goku and Hakkai. In a few minutes Hakkai and Goku are alone again.
Hakkai doesn't understand why they suddenly retreat, but that is a big relieve to him. He can't fight and protect Goku at the same time. Strangely he has a bad feeling about it.
"Uuuh…" Goku groans again, reminding Hakkai that there is a nearly dead person there waiting for help.
"Let's go, Goku. Hang on…!"
"Fools!!!!"
Goku and Gojyo wince.
"How can you let him escape!!!" Sanzo screams angrily.
"Sorry, Sanzo, but.. we really don't know that their purpose this time is to free Dokugakuji, so.."
"So, what? A prison is supposed to be guarded, don't you think so? And isn't it clear that they will come to free him? Or are you trying to say that that's unexpected??"
"But we have done our best!" yells Goku aloud.
Everyone keeps silent as Sanzo and Goku glare at each other. Then Sanzo strides out of the tent angrily.
Hakkai can't remember when he last saw Sanzo so angry. The situation is really tense.
"It is not our fault." says Goku, rubbing his bandaged arms. "Why do we have to take all the responsibilities to this mess?"
No one answers. Shi Wei takes care of Gojyo's injuries silently, and other people whose injuries are not yet being treated stare at the top of the tent absent-mindedly. Hakkai ponders if he has to go after Sanzo, but then he decides to stay there. Sanzo won't need him, anyway. He needs time for his own.
"Kougaiji and his packs have been our biggest enemy along our history." explains Gojyo. "It begins with a plan to resurrect Gyumao, a very notorious person well known as the cruelest and most dangerous one ever. Since his death long time ago, we all have been living in peace. But then this peace is destroyed as Kougaiji, bringing along his people, starts many wars against many tribes in search of the so-called sutras to resurrect his dad."
Hakkai drinks his tea while listening to Gojyo.
"One of this sutras belongs to Sanzo. It is an heirloom in his family. So Kougaiji are fighting us to get this sutra. But of course Sanzo won't leave the sutra to him."
"I understand." says Hakkai.
"Oouch…." groans Goku.
Hakkai and Gojyo look at Goku, who winces continually.
"Does it still hurt, Goku? Usually you get well very quickly, is it this time so serious?"
Goku gapes at him surprisedly. Then Hakkai remembers that he has "never" seen Goku injured before.
"Anyway," he mutters impatiently, "..you look just like a normal human being with this wounds all over your body. What…"
"But we are normal human being!!" Goku cuts him off.
"What..?"
It rains quite heavily outside, but Hakkai can't hear the sound well. His mind is fulfilled with Goku's words just now.
"We are normal human being." says Goku again.
"What is it, Hakkai? Something wrong?" asks Gojyo.
"But… but we are youkai!!" shouts Hakkai.
"Youkai? What is that?" asks Gojyo, frowning.
"Sounds delicious. Don't you think so, Gojyo?"
"Heh, have you never thought about anything other than foods?!!" snaps Gojyo.
Hakkai retreats back to his privat thinking room --- in his own head, surely. That's it. That's why he can't bring out any ki-balls or use his healing power. He is a normal human being too! Just like Goku and Gojyo now. Apparently the word 'youkai' doesn't even exist here.
"That hurts! Don't hit me on that spot!!"
"Heheeh, then don't talk like that to me!"
"Are… are Kougaiji and his packs normal human being too?" Hakkai forces himself to ask.
Goku and Gojyo stop quarreling and look at him in awe.
"Yes of course!" they answer in unison.
Then they begin again with their quarrel.
Hakkai steps to the opening of the tent, watching the rain silently. So he is no youkai here. He is just a normal human being. Then… his hand moves to his ear cuffs slowly.
As one of his fingers unintentionally touches the ear cuffs, he puts his hand down again abruptly. Better not to take any risk….
Hakkai is not the only person who is watching the rain at that time. Outside, Sanzo sits on a big rock in the rain. He is all wet and his cigarette too. But apparently he is not aware of the rain. The soaked cigarette hangs from his mouth, dripping some water that is nothing in compare to the downpour.
The two persons are looking at the rain at the same moment, one inside a tent and one outside the tent. And none of them are thinking about something. They just look at the waterdrops falling from the sky. In Sanzo's case, he isn't only looking at the rain. He feels it himself, feels the iciness of the rainwater on his skin. And it is really cold outside.
Sanzo doesn't go back to his tent till late at night. And everyone knows when he returns back. He doesn't make serious efforts to keep the silent peace of the night, anyway.
Hakkai listens to Sanzo's language abuse from under the blanket. It is really funny.
"Damn! What a rocky place!!"
"Why is it so dark here!"
"Where the hell do they put the light?!!"
Hakkai yawns. It is better to take some sleep, he still has to think about the meal tomorrow. And the ingredients needed….
A shaft of moonlight falls on a piece ground inside the tent near to where Hakkai is sleeping. The moon has finally shown up from behind the clouds. Sanzo has stopped cursing around. Hakkai smiles gently.
I wish you a good night, Sanzo.. when you ever find your way back to your tent…
Then he falls asleep.
And Sanzo finds indeed his tent, and still spends some more time to smoke some pipes of tobacco before he goes to sleep. It has been a long, long day.
