AN: It's very irritating how some assorted characters on just don't seem to understand the fact that just because they love a particular anime, it does not give them the right to diss other people who like that same anime—and who write Original Character fanfictions. Granted, some are slightly below average, but flaming people who actually write good stories just show a total lack of common sense.
And for those people who profess to hate OCs and Mary Sues; there is already a warning on the summary, so why bother reading it if you hate it? There ARE people out there who like OCs, and those people definitely don't go around and flame shounen-ai or yaoi stories. It just goes to show how infantile those flamers are.
So I write OC stories and I LIKE doing it, what's the problem with that? So maybe I like to read self-insert fics, so? Isn't that what is about?
"Unleash your imagination and free your soul". Obviously some people just don't get that. The anime does not belong to you, nor does it belong to me, I don't have the right to flame anyone, and neither do you. Constructive criticism I can take, but flamers just waste my time.
And flamers, here's a note. I'm not taking shit from anyone. If I am, rest assured that I will squeeze your head for it.
Cheers.
.Jess.
…
SetineHello again! I hope you liked the story!
Catarina-chanYes, it's good how it's just a story by a fan, huh? Amazing how some people don't even have the intelligence and/or the maturity level to understand that and just give decent fanfiction writers their due.
…
…
Meanwhile, Lirin was eagerly antagonizing the Sanzo-ikkou, who were still stunned that someone like her had taken that thing down in a single punch.
"Sanzo-ikkou! I found you!" The pint-sized child demon crowed happily. "I'm Lirin! I came to get rid of you guys!" she dropped into her defensive stance. "Come at me from wherever you want!"
They just stared blankly at her. It wasn't often that they saw a tiny, cute little girl person beating the daylights out of something that was easily a thousand times her size, then charging up to them with that megawatt smile and telling them that she was going to kill them.
"From wherever?" Gojyo finally spoke, for once not knowing what to say. He'd skipped on all the flirtatious lines. Sure, the girl was well-developed—very well-developed—for her age, but she was definitely jailbait and he wasn't a pedophile, no matter what people said about him and his obsession for anything with breasts and a pair of gorgeous legs. "But uh…"
Hakkai seemed to be at a loss for words too. "Well…let's see now…"
Lirin scowled impatiently at them. "Hey, you guys can't be hesitating just because I'm small, are you?"
That had pretty much been the point.
"Uh…"
She leapt at Gojyo, whose lightning quick reflexes stopped him from being mincemeat. The spot where the kappa had been standing a second ago had a large, smoking hole.
"Whoa," Qing muttered, wide-eyed.
"Goku, go!" Gojyo pointed frantically. "You're the same size as she is!"
"Why me? I thought handling girls went to Hakkai!"
"No!" Hakkai protested, ever the gentleman. "It should go to Qing, shouldn't it? I mean, Qing's a girl…"
All eyes turned to said girl, who backed away immediately and glared at them. "Hey, no. NO. I am NOT going near her. Did you see how she pulverized that Godzilla-mutant-crab-demon thingy? I am not going to deal with a GMCD-thingy killer!" She paused for a moment and peered distractedly at the kid, who was listening to every word. "And besides, she's kind of cute in a monstery, weirdish way…"
That, apparently, was the wrong thing to say. Lirin exploded. "Shit, quit making fun of me like I'm a kid!" She pounced again, intent on doing some damage to the annoying bitch who just said she was cute, of all things. But before she could land, someone grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, stopping her onward trajectory.
It was Sanzo, who held her up high from the ground.
"Wha—?" She was momentarily stunned before she started to struggle to get out of his grip. "Damn it, PUT ME DOWN! Droopy-eyes! Baldy!"
A vein was throbbing dangerously on Sanzo's forehead, and he gritted his teeth at the insult. BALDY! In what damn way am I bald! "Let me go!" she ranted, flailing around wildly. Sanzo had to duck a little to keep from getting a boot in the face. "I'm getting pissed! You won't get me so easil—"
"Do you want a meatbun?" He cut in, holding out a bun to her. The girl stared, wide-eyed for a moment before she grabbed it eagerly. "Gimmegimme!"
And to their shock, she stopped struggling and happily chomped on her bun.
Gojyo, Hakkai, and Qing just stared.
"I say, Sanzo," Hakkai began awkwardly, not knowing whether to laugh or be relieved. It was a comical sight, the monk was holding up a currently eating Lirin, and Goku was beside him, equally happy with his own meatbun. The look on Sanzo's face was priceless, and he suddenly wished that he had a camera with him. This was definitely one of those moments. "You sure are good with animals."
Before Sanzo could say anything, though, a loud voice cut through the air. "That is enough!"
The group turned, surprised. "What?"
And at the top of the rubble, they saw him. "We meet again." Kougaiji gritted, barely keeping in his extreme annoyance. What the hell were they doing with his sister!
"Again?" Qing asked, unable to take her eyes off him. She'd never seen him before, but he was cute. Very cute. Wait, scratch cute. The man was gorgeous. And those eyes… Hello, exciting new taste sensation, she thought happily.
"Kougaiji." Sanzo said in recognition, ignoring her.
"I came to get my sister back!" the irate prince continued.
"Please, by all means, take her back!" Hakkai shouted, smiling. Sure, she was pretty entertaining and all, but they all had work to do.
Lirin waved, quite content to stay under Sanzo's arm. "Hello, Big Brother!"
Kougaiji smacked his forehead, very much beyond exasperation. What the hell was she doing? He could feel the beginning of a big headache coming on. Gods, why him? Why? "You IDIOT! Get back here AT ONCE!"
Qing, for one, was admiring him. Okay, so his dress sense was a little strange, but she could work around it, considering how hot he was.
"Hello there." Qing sashayed forward, fixing him with one of her most seductive looks. Inwardly, she was glad that she had worn a dress today. Nothing flaunted the goods more than a short dress would. She flicked back her hair casually. "It's not often I see guys caring so much for their little sisters, you must be a very good big brother."
He stared at her, momentarily derailed. "Who are you?"
A smile curved on her sensuous lips. "Hello, I'm Qing. What's your story?" Before the prince could respond, she added—almost as an afterthought, "Hey, how about we go somewhere and grab a coffee or something, then you can tell me all about yourself?" Her smile turned flirtatious. "I'll bet you are as intriguing as you look." Any place would be better than this dumping ground.
What?
All the air was beaten out of his sails as Kougaiji stared at the young woman, wide-eyed. Having a beautiful—and very shapely, he had to add—young woman coming onto him like that in the midst of a battle was something he'd never encountered before. And obviously, none of the Sanzo group had, too, considering the bug-eyed way they were looking at her now.
He really didn't know what to say. And did she just ask him out on a date?
"I—" it was not often that one saw a bewildered Kougaiji, and even his henchmen stared at him in amazement.
Lirin rolled her eyes. This was pathetic. For all his tough talks and glares, her brother really didn't know how to resist females. Especially if they were exceedingly easy on the eyes. Just look at the number of times sister Yaone got what she asked for.
Clearing his throat, he tried again, getting his marbles back. Jeez, this was so unnerving. He decided, instead, to direct his next question to the group. Gruffly. "Is she in your group?"
"Yes," Hakkai said the same time Sanzo growled "no".
"So that's what I have to do to get some action with her?" Gojyo muttered half-heartedly. "Be all evil and scowling?"
On the other hand, maybe it was better that the girl had her eye on the evil bugger. She was one seriously high-maintenance chick; and he wasn't sure if he could handle it, especially when she had a sharp tongue on top of everything. So not his type.
"In case you haven't noticed, miss. We're on different sides here." Kougaiji muttered.
Qing shrugged. "So? I'd leave you my cellphone number, but I don't think there are phones here, so nevermind."
They all stared at her, uncomprehending.
She sighed, a long-suffering sigh. "Forget it. Jeez, all you guys know how to do is fight." She shook her head and sniffed distastefully. "Boys."
Dismissing them, she went to sit down on an outcropping of rock.
Kougaiji didn't know what to make of that.
"Don't worry, she's normally stranger than this." Sanzo shrugged.
"I heard that, Monk Boy."
"Shut up."
Apparently, Goku thought the conversation had gone on for long enough, and it was time for some fun. Grinning up at his nemesis, he hefted his staff. "Hey, you're not going to take your sister and run again, are you, Kougaiji?"
Okay, now THIS was more in his element. Besides, he had been waiting for this for a long time now. "Hmph, hardly!" He vanished from sight the same time as Goku did, and a second later, only two red and yellow blurs could be seen in the sky.
And below them, their own battles were beginning.
Shyly, Yaone approached Hakkai, getting his attention. "Um…excuse me?"
"Yes?" he asked politely. It was the girl from before!
"May I challenge you to a duel?" her tone was equally courteous and respectful. After all, one can never be too polite. "I'd like to live for Lord Kougaiji's sake from now on, and be of use to him."
Hakkai was genuinely pleased that she'd abandoned all thoughts of taking her life just because she failed. She was such a pleasant young woman, and it would be a big waste if she died. "Such wonderful resolve. I'm happy for you."
They both bowed, and their battle began.
Sanzo, for one, was stuck with a happily chewing Lirin and an annoyed Qing, and was currently playing babysitter to the former, who was treating him as if he was no more dangerous than a bowl of mashed potatoes. I can't believe I've been reduced to this…
The crescent blade of Gojyo's shakujou was stopped, and Gojyo scowled up at the man who was standing on the ledge above him. "So my opponent's you, Pops."
The man looked mildly surprised. "Sha Gojyo?"
"Huh?"
The guy smiled, looking pleased. "I thought so! I wasn't sure until I met you in person."
And suddenly, gazing at him, Gojyo knew. He recoiled in shock. "It can't be…!"
He grinned. "Yo!"
"Brother!"
And he was back in his memories once more, his mother towering over him, her clawed hands ready to strike, to inflict the killing blow…her tears…and suddenly he saw his brother's face, the tears running down from his eyes, his pained eyes…Brother.
Gojyo laughed bitterly, unable to believe it. But it was him, the face…the resemblance was unmistakable. Fate sure had a way of screwing people around, all right. All this time he'd spent wondering where his brother was, if he was all right, if he was dead…and he had been under Kougaiji all this time… "Is this for real? What the…what the hell are you doing here!"
He regarded him for a moment, the look in his eyes unreadable. "I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? I'm one of Kougaiji's direct subordinates. Name's Dokugakuji." A large blade materialized in his hand. "I can't hack at the lifestyle you chose. Sorry."
Gojyo narrowed his eyes, his resolve strengthening. He definitely wasn't going to sit around and mope that Fate was a bitch. He had more important things to do right now. And besides, he didn't want to show his brother how pathetic he was; there was plenty of time to think about it later. Hefting his shakujou, he grinned darkly. "I'm with it. And the same goes for me, too!" He leapt, and the fight was on.
…
Goku moved like quicksilver; a split second faster than Kougaiji was.
"Over here, Kougaiji!" he taunted merrily, already on the opposite side of the demon prince.
Cursing under his breath, he spun around and roared. "You impudent little brat, quit scurrying around!" The damn boy seemed to think that this was just a game, and it was beginning to really piss him off. A fireball formed in his hand, rapidly gaining power even as he slammed it down, blowing apart everything in it's wake.
That should show him, he thought angrily, watching from his airborne position. When the smoke cleared, he struggled to see. Did I get him?
The boy's voice rang out, strong as ever. "Let's do this for real, then!"
"What?" He stared up at the sky, but was too slow to move even as Goku slammed down onto him, knocking him onto his back.
For real? Kougaiji thought, surprised. Has he been…toying with me all along? This was simply too infuriating. But before he was able to get his bearings back, the punch came from out of nowhere. It took all he had to narrowly miss it, and in that instant, there was only one thought in his mind.
He's gotten stronger. But…He grinned. This was going to be a real challenge. "This is going to be fascinating."
"Isn't it, though?" Goku turned, a challenging gleam in his golden eyes.
"That was a very nice move," Kougaiji drawled, bending down to pick up the stone bracelet Goku had broken when he slammed down onto him earlier. "But I'm gonna give it back to you double." He straightened, ready for whatever came next. He had been itching for a good fight in a very long while, and finally, a worthy opponent. "Got it?"
"That's the spirit. Let's go!" Goku dropped into a battle position, unable to keep a pleased grin on his face. Finally!
"Bring it on!" Kougaiji did likewise, the smile on his handsome face identical to the one on Goku's.
And the battle raged on.
…
Unbeknownst to the combatants on the ground, Chin Iisou stared down at them, dark amusement in his eyes. His plan was going oh-so-well indeed. It would not be long before he launched into his final, master plan. Cho Gono was definitely going to pay for all his crimes.
…
This time, Kougaiji landed lightly on the ground, while Goku stared down at him, his Nyoyi staff at the ready. His smile had long been gone even as he scowled up at his opponent, struggling to regain his power. That brat has definitely gotten stronger since the last time we met. His jaw ached where the brat had punched him in the face earlier, and he thought he tasted a slight tang of blood.
"Hey!" An impatient Goku called, cutting rudely into his thoughts. "Didn't you say that you were going to give it back to me double?"
"Damn you!" Kougaiji snarled, leaping back up to where he was. Goku took a step back at the sheer speed of his attack, and vanished a mere moment before his punch landed. Appearing beside him, he raised his Nyoyi staff, spotting one weakness everyone would have when they were in the act of punching someone.
His back.
"It ain't fun if you don't get serious!"
The demon prince fell heavily to the floor, stunned by the force of the blow. As he struggled to get to his feet, Goku mercilessly advanced, knocking him to his back again and sending him flying several feet.
"What the hell are you doing?" Goku demanded, swinging another heavy blow into the stunned prince.
And another.
And another.
Dropping hard onto his back, a wild thought ran through his mind. What am I doing? Every bone in his body hurt, and his muscles were now warring with his brain, who was busy telling them to move, to get up and fight.
"Quit screwing around, all right?" Goku yelled. So far the fight had been pretty disappointing. Where was the confident, powerful Kougaiji he'd seen before? Did he get soft so fast?
'Quit screwing around,' he says? Kougaiji thought as Goku charged, feeling his temper rise once more. But besides that temper, there was something else. There was curiosity…and the beginnings of a grudging respect. The Sanzo-ikkou had so far defeated all of the demons he'd sent without even breaking a sweat, and now Goku was wiping the floor with him without much effort at all. And he… Just what is it that you all possess? You, who are all just traipsing along on a journey…
In that instant, he remembered his mother, sealed in stone. He had vowed to fight to free her, no matter what happened. And even as he saw Goku prepare to pounce, he was filled with a fresh, deadly resolve. Leaping up to dodge the blow and to inflict a heavy one on Goku, he snarled. "No matter who my enemy is, I will not lose!"
This time, his punch landed square on Goku's face.
He felt it, the solid, meaty thump of fist connecting with face. But the boy…
The boy was actually grinning.
Kougaiji's eyes widened in shock at that realization even as Goku fell away from him.
The results were immediate.
"Goku!" Hakkai exclaimed, at the same time a pleased and vastly relieved Yaone said Kougaiji's name.
Even a stunned Gojyo stopped in the middle of his battle and stared. "Goku!"
Qing's eyes were wide, but she said nothing this time. She'd seen Goku fight demons, and he had never really sustained a real hit until now…was the battle over? She shot a quick glance at Sanzo, who was watching the scene impassively. He looked as calm and relaxed as usual, and for a second, she wondered what he was thinking about.
Kougaiji stared at the place where Goku had once been. Had it killed him? It was too easy…
And out of the smoke, Goku stood, his staff still in his hand.
What? Kougaiji recoiled in disbelief. He was still standing!
"What the hell are you doing?" An irate Goku snapped. There was blood by the side of his mouth, but other than that, he looked relatively unhurt. In fact, he looked pretty much pissed off. "That didn't do shit!"
…
Sanzo watched the scene, chewing on his meatbun slowly. The show had been interesting so far. Lirin, for one, had finished hers and was looking around for more.
"I'm done with mine," she chirped expectantly.
He handed one to her. "There are some more here. Want some?"
She grabbed it eagerly and beamed. "Thanks!"
Qing glanced over at the two of them and raised an eyebrow. "You're a good babysitter, Monk Boy." She observed—with fascination—that a vein had started throbbing near his forehead, and egged him on shamelessly. Watching people fight each other got boring after awhile. "You'll make a good father someday, you know?" She looked him over. "But you're a monk, right? You're kind of like a eunuch or something."
He scowled. It was one thing to insult him, another to assume that he was actually celibate, and what the hell was that eunuch thing about! Hell, he broke every damn law in the book, why not the one that didn't involve jumping in the sack with a woman?
But that was beside the point. The point—the very SORE point—was that she actually thought that he was a eunuch.
"I am not a fucking eunuch." he snapped icily, his male pride seriously stung.
"You mean you can actually…" she trailed off, then grimaced. "I don't know which is more disturbing, you being eunuch-like or…" Once again, she just couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence, although she had always made it a point to just spit out what was on her mind. She just couldn't imagine someone as deranged and gun-happy as he was just…urgh. She made a face.
Ewwwww. Information overload much?
"Stuff it, wench." He growled, pointing his gun at her, and his fingers just itching to pull the damn trigger if she continued on that utterly aggravating vein. If she as much as thought the word 'eunuch' in the vaguest relation to him, he really was going to KILL her.
"With pleasure. It's not like I don't have enough trauma in my life to deal with."
She was already on to more important ones—ergo, herself—and had turned back to watch the individual fights, hoping very much that they'll get this done soon so she could get out of here. The dust from the debris was wreaking havoc with her pores, and she wanted to take a long, long bath to wash the filth away. And to, once more, relish the wonder of what being squeaky clean felt like.
I hope there's a decent inn somewhere.
A meatbun suddenly filled her vision, and she stared at it for a moment. Huh?
"Take it," he snapped, fast losing his patience. The wench hadn't eaten anything much the whole day, and she'd been looking under the weather for awhile now. If she didn't eat anything, she was probably going to do something stupid—like faint—and a conscious Qing was already annoying enough without passing out and causing them even more trouble.
She peered at him. "Where do you keep all those buns?" It seemed like he kept materializing them out of nowhere.
"Shut up and eat it. It's not poisoned."
She paused, and decided to take it. She was hungry, anyway. "…Thanks."
Upon further reflection, a thought struck Qing. Did they just have a halfway decent conversation without reaching new heights of creative contempt for each other? She mulled over it for a grand total of one-and-a-half seconds before going back to her meatbun. There were some things that were better off not dwelled on.
…
"Bastard," Kougaiji growled, mincing forward in short, deadly steps. The latest display of strength from the monkey had deeply impressed him, above all things. "What are you fighting for!"
Goku did not respond; he was still relatively relaxed, and that same infuriating little smile was on his face. The smile that spoke volumes of his unshakeable confidence. Kougaiji, for one, had never met anyone quite like him before, and it both impressed and annoyed him. Breaking into a run, he growled. "You don't have anything to protect!"
Goku didn't even flinch.
Why is he so strong? He thought furiously—and with more than a little hint of envy and confusion. But to hell with that, he was going to pound this little bastard's face in, then ask questions, because he was beyond pissed now. No one had ever even laid a finger on him, and this brat had just as good as wiped the floor with him. What were they fighting for? What was it that made them so strong, so sure of themselves? "You don't have anything to protect," he snarled, launching into yet another punch designed to crush Goku's face. "Well, I damn well do!"
Kougaiji did not even see him move; one second he was right in front of him, and the other, he was already airborne.
"Look, I have no idea what you're babbling about! What am I fighting for?"
Goku landed in a crouching position, his eyes gleaming with fresh challenge. "I fight for myself, of course!"
The strike from his Nyoyi staff was yet another thing he never saw coming.
Fighting for yourself? Kougaiji thought as he fell backward, dazed in more ways than one. Is that all?
"Kougaiji!" Dokugakuji yelled, watching as his leader fell.
"Kougaiji-sama!"
But Kougaiji was not listening, as he realized one very, very important thing. That feeling I got the first time we fought…I felt something I lacked…Freedom, confidence, sense of self…Those are all it takes to make them strong. That is absolute power.
It was what made all four of them invincible. That was the answer he had been looking for. It was not magic that made them strong. They made themselves strong.
How stupid I am, he thought as he started to laugh. Why hadn't he discovered this sooner?
"Kougaiji-sama!" Yaone shouted, truly worried about her leader. Why was he laughing? Was he all right?
"Kougaiji, leave this to me!" Dokugakuji was sure that something was very wrong with him. Maybe he'd hit his head too hard or something. That stupid monkey was going to pay for this.
"No," The demon prince replied firmly as he got to his feet, amethyst eyes flashing. "I'm his opponent. I alone will pay him back!"
"Yeah, I'll feel bad if I don't get payback, too!" Came said opponent's cocky reply.
That particular remark rankled on Kougaiji's nerves. "Bastard, quit spouting that shit!"
"That's my line!"
…
On the rooftops above them, Chin Iisou was watching the entire thing, an expression of manic glee on his face. "Oh my, oh my," he giggled to himself, enjoying everything immensely. He had not expected the others to join the Sanzo-ikkou, or these kinds of battles that unfolded as a result of that, but it was far from unpleasant. Besides, the more people killed, the better the show would be.
"How exciting! But since this party's finally started, we've got to make it flashier. Allow me to assist you all, especially you, Cho Hakkai! Or should I say, Cho Gono!" With a swift move, he ripped his earring from his ear and tossed it to the ground, murmuring a short spell.
"To Cho Gono," he announced, his eyes darkening with the malice and the anger he had harbored ever since the bastard had killed off and destroyed everyone he knew and loved. "With all my love!"
The bloodied earring hit the ground.
…
Almost instantly, the sky darkened to an inky, detritus black, gaining the attention of everyone on the ground as they halted in whatever they were doing.
And out of the darkness, two brilliant orbs of yellow emerged, and bits of debris rose to take the form of the shikigami that Lirin had destroyed earlier. Only this time, it was bigger. And obviously much more powerful.
"Goku," Sanzo snapped, on his feet immediately. "Behind you!"
"What?" Kougaiji and Goku spun around, and saw what the others were staring at.
"Now the fun begins." Chin Iisou murmured as he started to laugh. His vengeance would finally be put into motion.
The crab monster advanced, it's gigantic pincers slammed between Goku and Kougaiji, the sheer force of it sending them flying away from each other.
"Goku!" Hakkai shouted, alarmed.
"Kougaiji-sama!" Yaone screamed, very much ready to bolt to his defence.
Another pincer descended swiftly, about to finish the pair off when something blocked it's downward trajectory.
"Gojyo." Goku cried out in relief. The damn pincer thing was just less than two meters away from them, held in place by virtue of the redhead's shakujou.
Before Hakkai or Yaone could move to their rescue, however, Qing screamed. "Hakkai, watch out!"
Another pincer slammed into the spot where the two of them had once been, sending Yaone tumbling to the ground with a cry.
"Are you alright?" Hakkai asked urgently even as the gigantic pincer pulled itself out of the ground once more.
"Yeah." She replied breathlessly, struggling to get her breathing under control. She had fought many demons before, but none as large as this. How were they going to even attack?
…
"What the hell is that thing?" Goku demanded, staring up at where Gojyo was struggling to hold his own against the pincer. The monster was nothing like he'd ever seen before, and he felt the first, and very real twinge of fear. The damn thing was enormous!
Gojyo grunted. "Hurry up and run! I can't hold this forever!"
Goku was offended. "Run, whaddya mean run?"
"What I mean is, you can't take this sucker down head on!" He was about to lose the battle with the giant demon even as the pincer advanced, driving the half-breed down bit by bit.
The sudden appearance of a broadsword joined his shakujou, and threw the pincer off. Dokugakuji.
"Thanks," Gojyo nodded. "Put it on my tab."
His half-brother grinned. "Don't bother. It's no fun if things get in the way of our battle. This is just a temporary truce."
For the moment, they had reached an understanding. What was between them was forgotten for the time being; it was time to concentrate on a bigger enemy.
The towering demon reared up to its full height and prepared for another attack.
"That's weird," Lirin frowned, crossing her arms and watching the show from her vantage point on Sanzo's shoulders. Qing, who was standing beside Sanzo, was paying them no mind; she was far more interested in the giant demon and if she was going to die. "I just took that thing out."
Of course, said monk was scowling. "Oi."
"What?"
Vein pop. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Whaddya mean?"
"Get off me." It was that kind of deadly calm tone one uses when one really wants to kill something, but unfortunately, Lirin obviously didn't think that he was that dangerous. Or else she was under the impression that he was her playmate.
She pouted, but didn't bother to move. "You're mean."
"You are definitely going to get it." He muttered darkly.
The death threat, however, was lost on the willful little girl.
…
"It's a shikigami…" Yaone said, staring up in a mix of confusion and apprehension. "But why is it so huge?"
"So you guys didn't send it after all." Hakkai realized.
She nodded, biting her lower lip. A frown was etched on her delicate features, and she turned back to look at the approaching demon giant.
Which means that…his eyes hardened. It's really Chin Iisou, the fortune teller…but what is he trying to do?
Gojyo's sudden yelp snapped him out of his thoughts. Rubbing his head, the kappa winced, rubbing his head. "That didn't even scratch that damn thing!"
"Damn, it won't even help even if we chopped off a leg or two." Sanzo swore, glaring up at it. "If we don't blow the whole fucking thing away, it won't mean shit."
"I'll do it." Kougaiji gritted, standing beside Sanzo, not willing to let them handle THIS as well. Getting knocked around by the bastard monkey was already bad enough. He had his pride as a demon prince to think about, damn it.
"I doubt you can do it alone."
"Don't underestimate me."
The monster advanced, knocking against the building that stood in its way and dislodging large chunks of it in the process.
"Kougaiji-sama!" Yaone screamed suddenly, throwing herself in the way of the chunks of rock that was headed straight for the demon prince. There was a heavy thump, and she screamed in pain.
"Yaone!"
But someone else was faster. "Miss Yaone!" Hakkai knelt by the unconscious girl's side. "Miss Yaone!"
Kougaiji gritted his teeth as he saw Yaone's unconscious form. That was it. The bastard was going down. No one hurt what was his and got away with it. "Yaone, I'm sorry." He turned to Hakkai, who was frantically checking to see if she was all right. "Take care of her, please."
At the other man's nod, he turned back to glare at the monster, who was still steadily advancing. His fists were clenched so tightly that it was shaking. Nothing had ever managed to hurt anyone in his group, and the fact that this…thing did made him madder. "Goku."
The boy was still staring up at it, trying to find a way to bring it down. He didn't even register the fact that it was the first time Kougaiji had called him by name. "What?"
"Can you stop the shikigami's movements?"
Goku glanced at him, confused. Stop the shikigami's movements? What was he getting at? "Huh?"
"If you can halt it's movements for a little while, I can call forth a beast from the Infernal Land. That's the only way to defeat that monster."
"Right, I got you." The monkey responded as he leapt up from rooftop to rooftop. He didn't really understand the plan, but as long as it involved killing that damn thing, he was all for it.
"Monkey!" Kougaiji shouted.
Goku turned.
"I'm fighting for my own sake now," he bit out, determination in his gaze. "And I won't forgive anyone who gets in my way."
Goku chuckled, pleased that at least he was guaranteed a good fight somewhere down the line in future. "It ain't no fun unless you do it that way!"
"Listen, keep it from moving, even for an instant. Leave the rest to me!"
He smiled, trusting the other man. "I believe you, Kougaiji."
"Monkey, make sure you get out of the way."
"Right, and don't you screw up either."
He had had quite enough of the touching bonding moment. "Okay, get going already!"
"Nyoyi staff!"
…
"Damn it," Sanzo gritted as Gojyo, who was standing on the other side of him, watched the unfolding scene with casual interest. "Don't they realize that they're enemies?"
Gojyo never looked away. "Then what's that hanging onto you?"
"Pot, meet kettle." Qing remarked, sotto voce. And then she continued, unable to resist. "While the real men are off fighting, he's playing nanny to a GMCD killer thingy."
Sanzo ignored her, refusing to rise to the bait.
Gojyo smirked at her. "You just can't resist not baiting the corrupt monk for a moment, can you?"
She smiled prettily and crossed her arms. "Well duh. I've got to get rid of my boredom somehow."
"Maybe you could explore different ways to keep your damn trap shut." Came the acid response from the irked monk. "You talk too much."
Qing was about to start on a particularly vicious rejoinder when Lirin leaned forward, resting her arms on Sanzo's head—effectively interrupting the other young woman. "Hey, I wanna get in there and play, too! I mean, I got rid of it last time."
"This thing looks totally different from the other one," the redhead kappa noted with interest.
Lirin turned to him. "No, I'm not!"
"Then get down already!" The annoyed monk snapped, but made no move to dislodge her.
"Just leave it to them," Gojyo told her, barely keeping the amusement out of his voice. "Leave it to your brother."
…
Said brother was currently chanting something, in a language that was long dead even before the first man on earth was born.
Chin Iisou watched them with interest. "So you like my little entertainment after all?"
Before him, the monkey—Goku—leapt and slammed onto it with his Nyoyi staff, but the giant creature did not seem fazed in the least. Landing lightly on the ground, he glared up at the creature.
"Oh my, these friends of yours…" he giggled to himself. "They're so lively, Cho Gono!"
At the sound of his old name, Hakkai's head whipped up, eyes wide.
…
Kougaiji was still chanting, and Qing shifted uncomfortably at the gradual surge of dark power that now formed between his hands. A strange kind of light suffused the chanting prince even as he stood directly in front of the approaching giant demon. A little way from him, Goku stood, waiting for his chance to attack. The situation was tense at best, and even Qing was quiet.
Well, not for long. "Hey, look." She tugged at the sleeve of the person closest to her, which just so happened to be Sanzo. "It's Alien Guy on the roof." Her eyes darkened. "He sent that GMCD thingy, didn't he?"
Sanzo shot her a withering look. "What do you think?"
"Enjoy this moment while you can," Chin Iisou announced, unperturbed at being found out and currently having everyone's—with the exception of Goku's and Kougaiji's—attention. "After all, you're all about to die."
Qing rolled her eyes. "Cliched much? I think he watched too much Buffy." She paused for a moment. "Do you think if we shot him that demon thingy will disappear?" She was already reaching for her arrows. The guy with the blue hair just unnerved her too much. And it's not like he was human, anyway.
"You just gave him an idea on what to expect, you idiot." Sanzo replied coldly.
Qing glared at him and stubbornly loaded her bow. In a swift maneuver, she pulled the string taut and released. With a whoosh, the arrow sped towards it's target—
—and the target reached out and gripped it tightly, stopping it inches away from his heart. The arrow's shaft bit viciously into his skin even as he closed his fingers around it, but he felt no pain.
Chin Iisou simply giggled, a mad, high-pitched giggle. "You have spirit, little girl. Such fire. You'll be an amusing addition to the show, if I may add." Faster than the eye could see, he pitched the arrow back towards her. With a short scream, Qing jumped back, the arrow landing with a solid thunk at where she would be a millisecond ago.
"Miss Qing!" Hakkai shouted worriedly. He needn't have worried, because said girl was currently close to hysterical. And pissed.
"Hello, you almost stabbed me in the foot with that, you homicidal maniac!"
But Chin Iisou had already lost all interest in her, and turned back to his chief target, the young man—no, youkai—who was now glaring at him with those icy, brilliant emerald eyes. He could almost see a spark of Cho Hakkai's former, vicious self, and he had to smile. Ah, Cho Gono, it's been awhile, isn't it?
"Say, Cho Gono, wouldn't you agree that the more precious things you have, the more you've got to lose?"
…