Saiyuki

Return To Life ~sympathy~ (3x16)

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After the catch-up flashback: we see the guys pelting into the forest. They come to a halt, and Hakkai observes that the forest is full of youki (youkai's ki=demon energy); Gojyo reckons that'll make it harder to track the thief. Hakkai asks the blackly angry Sanzo "who would take your gun?"; he looks as if he's got a good idea who... And there's Fumika, still holding the shoreijuu trained on the scar-faced youkai; he and his cronies are much amused. She cries that she'd still be with Taisho if not for the demons, and they're even more amused, jeering that her man had cried like a baby and begged for his life; his last word was her name. Not too manly, huh? the scarred one taunts her. Fumika says they're unforgivable, but still doesn't pull the damn trigger because she has to make her speech. Taisho only begged for his life because he knew she was pregnant, she says; the baby died, so I've lost everything, but you demons wouldn't understand how that feels--The scarred youkai, as sick of her as we are, says "then why don't you die too?" and delivers a wicked slash with his claws. She drops the gun and falls. The demons are guffawing heartily when-- who should come walking through the woods but a grim-looking Hazel and Gat. Hazel unleashes the big guy, who fires at will. The gunfire draws the attention of the SI, who head for it at a run. Gat drops the last youkai, and Hazel spots Fumika's body lying among the fallen... When the ikkou comes running up, they find the clearing full of youkai corpses (I count 27) but no one else. (Specifically: though they of course don't realize it, Fumika's body is gone.) They were shot, but it can't have been with Sanzo's gun, as the shoreijuu only holds five rounds. It must have been them then, says Gojyo darkly [literally: "Hazel-tachi da"], and Hakkai agrees. --Goku finds the banishing gun lying on the ground, and returns it to its owner, who's not much appeased. Next morning: the ikkou heads down to the inn's dining room