Author's note : Perhaps you can say that this chapter is the biggest cliffhanger I will create of all cliffhangers u all hate, lol. To make it short, this is the second last chapter. Yes, I finally finished it isn't that wonderful? Actually, to tell the truth, I am kinda asking myself if the last chapters are not so good or sort of. Even if I am disappointed because I got no review, it is okay. Just go on with the story, and I will publish the last one in exactly twoo weeks from now, due to correction and so on.
Summary : Last fight in this story. One death, but I am sure you won't kill me for that... I mean, after you read the last of course.
"I feel a bit guilty..." murmurs Goku, his mouth full with foods.
"I have tricked Hakkai out of this place to eat some of the foods. What do you guys think about it?"
Goku turns to his fellows—the guards—who gobbles down their foods without mercy.
"But it is not true, Goku-sama!" A guard manages to says something while eating. "Sanzo-sama has been very cruel to you. He exactly knows that you can't stand foods without eating them. Then it is his problem when you can trick Cho Hakkai and be able to eat these foods."
Goku nods his head with every sentence. "That's true, Sanzo deserves it! I will eat his portion, too!" He reaches after a tray with "Sanzo-sama, leader of the Goldfish Clan" note on it.
"Gokuuu! Gokuu!"
Goku nearly dies from choking. Onee-chan!
Shi Wei rushes inside the tent, hugging Goku tightly. She hardly notices the mess around and the two guards who hurrily clean their clothes from food rests.
"Goku, hurry. Kougaiji-troops are attacking. I bring you your nyoibou."
Sanzo and Hakkai runs back to their main region and arrives there at the same time like Kougaiji and his soldiers. The fight begins as soon as both sides notice each other's presence. Automatically each one looks for their usual fighting opponent. Lirin, for example, jumps and runs around in her search after Goku. Hakkai doesn't see Gojyo. When these people pass the place where Gojyo is supposed to guard, then must he be fighting with Dokugakuji right now. In the meanwhile, Sanzo is already out of sight.
A soft clang sound draws Hakkai's attention and he sees Yaone in front of him. The girl has the same shy expression she always shows when they meet. Hakkai just has to smile at her. Yaone also gives him a smile.
And they start with their fight without any word exchange.
Goku can't concentrate on his fight. He keeps thinking about Hakkai. When he only knew that Kougaiji would attack, he wouldn't let Hakkai out of the tent. But Hakkai is strong, he says to himself. He has saved you last time. Without him, you must be dead now.
Goku grins. Hakkai will be allright. He just needs to fight well here. And then, when they are lucky, they will sit together on a feast tonight with Kougaiji and his people in prison.
"Watch out!" screams Lirin.
Goku is awake from his daydreaming. But it is too late. His body is pushed forward with a massive power. Goku feels as if his skull falls apart. His eyes widen in shock. Lirin stares at him in terror. Goku falls on the ground with opened eyes. But there is no more sign of life in him. Son Goku is dead.
Lirin falls on her knees.
"No," she whispers. "No, I don't mean it! Goku, wake up, Goku, wake up!"
The man who attacks Goku lights up a cigarette.
"Oops, perhaps I am too rough on the boy. Sorry, Miss. I have to leave now."
Lirin looks up to Nii Jyeni, who looks down at her with an amused expression.
This man has killed Goku. And yet Lirin doesn't do anything. Goku is on the opponent side. Lirin forces herself to stand up and goes away, but she can't. At least she has to take Goku out of the fighting area. Otherwise his corpse will be destroyed.
Hakkai has a bad premonition. Something bad has happened. Can it be Sanzo?
Yaone's weapon cuts him on his cheek, his blood runs down his cheek. That brings Hakkai back to his fight with Yaone. Hakkai pants, but Yaone is nearly out of energy.
Something pulls Hakkai from behind. It's Gojyo.
"Hakkai, it is bad, it is really bad." He says in hurry.
"Aaah..! Doku!" yells Yaone in horror."There is nothing wrong with that guy," Gojyo answers, bad-tempered. "I miss him somewhere in the fight after he throws me 3 meters away. But there is something serious," Gojyo turns back to Hakkai.
"Sanzo is on a one-on-one fight over there. Somehow Kougaiji succeeds in tricking him into a remoted area. Perhaps he has more men there and plans to gang up on him."
"Kougaiji-sama won't do such thing!" yells Yaone, who is still there listening to them.
"Whatever. Hakkai, let's go. You are better than any of my best men."
But Hakkai sees something that Gojyo doesn't see : Lirin, who pulls on Goku's body, which lies limply on the sandy ground. His face is full with blood. Lirin looks so pitiful.
"...and at last... Hakkai? Hey, Hakkai, where are you going!"
Hakkai avoids some hits from people around, accidentally hit one of his men on the nose, and rush to Lirin and Goku.
Lirin turns at him, her face full of tears. Hakkai grabs her shoulders.
"What happened? Tell me, what happened?"
"Goku.." whispers Gojyo unbelievingly. He finally realizes what draws Hakkai's attention.
Long before Lirin tells them that Goku is dead, they already know it. Noone will survive from such a serious wound.
Gojyo kneels down and closes Goku's eyes. Then he slings Goku's body on his shoulder.
"They are not yet far away, Hakkai. I count on you. I will come later."
Hakkai, Lirin and Yaone watch Gojyo's back in silence. Even if this Goku is not the Goku he has been together with in their journey, Hakkai feels a big loss on his side. Goku is not here anymore. He is dead. Hakkai can't do anything to save him. But at least he will do his best so that noone will die after Goku.
He is barely aware that Yaone and Lirin follow him as he runs away to look for Sanzo's shadow.
Sanzo... Sanzo... Sanzo, where are you!
Sanzo turns around so quickly that he fails noticing Kougaiji's weapon attacking his side.
"What is it, Sanzo? When you don't take this fight seriously, you can just leave the sutra to me."
"Stop daydreaming," Sanzo scowls at him. "It is nothing."
Hakkai's eyes wander over the fighting people. Yaone, some meters behind him, gasps. Hakkai looks at her direction and spots Sanzo and Kougaiji. But they are alone. And both are slightly wounded. Yaone steps into his way, her weapon raised.
"Your opponent is me," she said. "I won't let you attack Kougaiji-sama from behind!"
Lirin steps aside and watches her brother.
Hakkai nods and prepares himself.
Sanzo would really like to know what Hakkai is doing there, some meters apart from them. But he looks okay. Kougaiji gives him a punch on the face and Sanzo has to spit out blood. And between two hits Sanzo manages to fire a shot at Kougaiji. The bullet scratches his cheek.
At nearly the same time, Hakkai bumps into Sanzo. Both of them are confused about how they can meet each other while having their own fights, but they have no time to express their confusions.
"Everything okay?" Sanzo asks.
"Umm... yes." Hakkai answers, hesitating if he has to tell Sanzo about Goku.
"What the..."
Sanzo's words are cut by a blow from Kougaiji.
"Hiiiiahhh!"
Yaone is still attacking Hakkai. Hakkai suddenly loses his balance and he falls into nothing. Sanzo reacts quickly and pulls after Hakkai's hand before he falls. Hakkai never dreams that he would find a ravine here, in a desert. But that doesn't matter now. Sanzo is panting hard. His grip on Hakkai's hand is getting looser because their hands are sweating.
"Sa... Sanzo!" mutters Hakkai.
Kougaiji's face shows up behind Sanzo.
"Sanzo, let me go!" screams Hakkai in horror.
Sanzo is fully aware of Kougaiji, who raises his weapon calmly behind him.
"No," he says stubbornly.
Hakkai... Hakkai...
Hakkai hears a familar voice in his head. It is... who is it?
Hakkai, Hakkai!
It is... Can't be.. It is...
HAKKAI!
"So nice. Why don't you die together?"
Nii Jyeni shows up out of nowhere and helps Kougaiji to do the last attack. He hits the ground with Kougaiji's massive weapon and Sanzo, together with Hakkai and part of the ground fall into the depth of darkness.
