Kouryuu stood over his master's body. This wasn't like all those days when Koumyou would stand over his bed smiling and telling the boy to wake up - This was much, much worse. The boy sank down to his knees, and slowly touched his master's face. Cold. In one last attempt to see if there was any life left, he grabbed onto his master's hands. They were not the usual warm hands which greeted him daily, and held him when he was scared. No, these were foreign hands. Death's hands. The very hands which formed the protective barrier which saved him from the demon's claws... at the cost of his master's life.

The boy sighed, and cleaned some of the blood off his master's face. Even if he was dead, couldn't he look like the master Kouryuu once knew? Kouryuu stood motionless staring at the corpse. What more could he do? His master passed on his title - and then died while trying to protect. Kouryuu's, who now carried his old master's name Toua Genjo Sanzo Houshi-sama, proved to him his vulnerability. Muichimotsu - hold nothing. Why protect people... when in the end you end up like this? Kouryuu thought to himself. My master - this wise and kind person, on the ground in a pile of his own blood..

Kouryuu couldn't take it anymore. He fell on all fours over his former master, and let out a tear. "I'm sorry I was too weak to protect myself... I'm sorry you had to--"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door, and then the sound of the door sliding to let someone. Slowly he turned from his master towards the intruder. Shuei- one of the teachers at the temple.

"Dear gods.." He said, walking towards Kouryuu. "What happened?" Kouryuu slowly rose to his feet.

"Demons," He started. "Demons came in and attacked Koumyou for the Sutras. They got one... the other I managed to save. It turned out I was the one who needed to be saved, though, and Koumyou.. he..." Shuei grabbed Kouryuu in his arms

.
"I'm sorry, kid."

"... Don't touch me." Kouryuu shouted, shoving the monk away from him. "Just leave me alone!" Kouryuu took one last look at his former master, and ran out side, towards Koumyou's old room. He placed his head in his arms and sniffled a little - somehow, he couldn't bring himself to cry.

"If I can't have my Sensei... its only fair that you can't have yours." Kouryuu looked up, swearing he heard a voice. After looking around the room, he took his place back on the bed. Nobody was there - he was sure of it.

"Its all just a game, Kouryuu... and you never told me if you wanted to play or not. So, I guess I'm just going to have to make the choice for you." The boy jumped down from the tree he was sitting in outside the temple. "You're going to play with me -- I'm so glad."