Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A streak of blue dashed across the tops of buildings, revealing huge paws of some form of animal as a short haired blonde woman darted through the air, riding segments of ice while a pure white cat clung onto her shoulders. She aimed at the creature ahead of her, trying to block its path with sheets of ice as she dashed forward. She would fire a bullet near the creature to make it turn to where they want it to go. Coming from the other side was a panther, darting head on to force the creature into an alley way down below. As they jumped down into the alley, both the blonde and the panther slowly approached the cornered creature. It raised its hackles at them, baring its fangs. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be a mix between a lion and a type of bird, a sort of chimera. Before it could strike them, an orb of light encased it and their third companion appeared from above, floating downwards, her long pink hair flowing around her. She landed with a flourish, her magician suit seemingly unruffled from the whole chase. A small drone flew above, recording the incident, taking the stills.

The blonde sighed in relief while the panther shifted form into a woman with black curly hair tied in pigtails. She patted herself down, making sure nothing was amiss in her shifting. The white cat hopped off its perch and started sniffing at the creature, as if gaining information from the air.

“Finally.” The blonde muttered, running a hand through her short hair before keeping her guns. She stared at the creature. She touched her stud earring, a small communicator. “Ben, have you managed to get anything from our catch?”

“Hmm” came the sound through some static. “I'm guessing it could be related to Togenkyo, maybe an errant experiment or something? I can't get an energy reading like this. I'd need to see it for myself. We haven't really encountered anything related to Togenkyo in a while. Most seemed to have been remnants when the guys left. But this seems to be a new entity entirely.”

“That's not very comforting.” The curly haired woman muttered, going to one side of the creature to get a better look, warranting a threatening strike from the trapped creature, but she didn’t flinch.

“Mili, don't provoke it!” The pink haired woman berated, adding strength to the barrier she made. Her scowl was met by a sheepish grin from the other woman. She looked back at the creature, its red eyes glaring at them. “But we'd have to put it away somewhere until we figure out more ab-”

Without warning, a cackling male voice came through the creature, prowling inside the orb. “Did it ever occur to you that you were the ones trapped here with me!?” A blinding bright light enveloped the alleyway and when the light faded, it was as if no one had been there at all. The only remaining figure was that of the drone that flew off on its own, going through a specific pattern and into a window of a tall building. The man inside caught the drone, propping it on his table before scratching his head vigorously in frustration. “ARRGH! Why the heck didn't I tell them it might have been a trap!? It was obviously too convenient. Now they're somewhere god knows where with Mayo and who knows what the hell is happening AND I'M STUCK HERE ON MY OWN.” He went off walking back and forth across his apartment, glancing at his computer then back to pacing, folding his arms tightly into himself. His shoulder-length blue hair flipping around as he walked. He knew being frustrated solved nothing but his thoughts were for nothing without someone to bounce them off to.

“Goddamnit Ben..” he muttered to himself, finally settling his emotions and tying back his blue hair away from his face. He took a deep breath and went through the footage from the encounter through his computer. “I do hope the girls are safe, but how the fuck do I help them get back!?” He sighed, biting the tip of his thumb. He glanced at his phone, reaching for it and dialing the only number he knew could help him.

You've reached The King! Sorry I can't answer the phone right now, but leave a message, I'll get back to you.

Ben quietly cursed his luck and went back to pacing. He waited for the tone. “Hey King, it's me, Ben. There's been a situation and the girls are missing. I'm gonna need your help. Please call me as soon as you get this.” Ending the call, Ben tossed his phone off to the sofa. He stared at it for a while before he decided to lay down on it and grumbled himself into a nap.

Mayumi regained consciousness while they seemed to be freefalling from the sky and quickly reaching the ground. Without a moment's hesitation, she formed her orb, catching Mili in it. She looked around quickly, seeing the blonde still unconscious with Mayo clinging onto her for dear life. “Sophie!!” She yelled, extending her magic to make an orb and bring the woman closer to them. Her magic couldn't levitate all of them to break their fall. The one named Sophie slowly opened her eyes and was instantly alert once she realized their predicament. She helped strengthen the orb with her ice. They hit the first barrier she had formed, jostling them about, but allowed Mayumi to make a parachute. But they were already too close to the ground.

“This isn't going to be smooth.” She declared, as Mayumi attempted to add cushioning to their orb. She looked around, seeing a vast expanse of rocky terrain. Sophie proceeded to make more ice slabs as they fell downwards. Mili started to stir and was soon awake and jostled by the next barrier that Sophie had placed. The woman yelped in panic, making their parachute contraption sway precariously, shoving them onto the side of a cliff before landing roughly along a small patch of trees. Having been jostled about, the three lay still for a few minutes, grumbling in all sorts of pain from the impact. Mayo was the first out of the pile of chaos, sitting on top of them and grooming himself, as if falling from an unnatural height was just another day in his life.

Releasing them from the ball, Mayumi dissipated the parachute and orb while they got their bearings, nursing her right arm that had somehow taken the brunt of their fall. It was the middle of the night, SOMEwhere, and there seemed to be no one around. Mili touched her ring, trying to call for Ben. She only received static in return.

“Well, wherever we are, we might be a little too far away from home..” Mili concluded. Before they could start walking, they soon found themselves faced with the blue creature again, but this time it was accompanied by a green haired man who seemed to be a magician of sorts, with his amulet and dark cloak garb. His ears were pointed, and he had a wavy line birthmark on the left side of his cheek, signs of his heritage as a demon. He smirked at them. 

“Well well, this is quite unexpected.” He said, his voice breaking the silence. “My little creature here was only meant to bring Fukuo's daughter back. But. We might as well extend our hospitality.” The women looked at each other, focusing on their pink haired friend.

“An uncle of yours?” Mili ventured, eyeing the green haired demon. “He doesn't seem to look anything like your dad.” She commented. Mayumi shook her head.

“Yeah, I don't think they're related at all, Mili..” Sophie muttered, taking on a defensive stance. “And I don't think he's here to make friends.” The demon cackled at them, summoning others from the darkness.

“You've got quite the friends, heiress.” The demon continued. Mayumi prepared to fight as well. “Unfortunately, none of you will see the break of dawn. And by the end of it all, I, Saiken, will be hailed the strongest magician in all of Togenkyo!” the demon laughed maniacally into the darkness, garnering awkward stares from the women.

“Really? Narcissism is probably the reason why you're still not the greatest.” Mili chided, earning a withering look from the demon.

He raised his hand, signalling the others to attack. Mili and Sophie were quick to defend Mayumi as their friend prepared her chi blast, sending demons back from them, helping them gain fighting space. Mili turned into a panther again, trampling everyone she could while Sophie made quick work of the others with her guns. Mayo stuck by Mayumi's side, acting as her guardian as she prepared another circular blast. The demons that tried to approach were soon met with a flurry of claws as Mayo jumped on their faces, scurrying to the next demon before they could figure out what was happening. With another blast, most of the demons that were attacking them had been defeated.

Saiken seemed to curse his luck as he prepared a spell, aiming for Mayumi. The others were quick to act, and Sophie lunged towards Mayumi, the spell striking her instead of her friend. She seemed to have been trapped in an orb of light and as quickly as it happened, Mayo jumped into the orb before they were whisked away into the night.

“SOPHIIE!!” Mili transformed into a hawk in an attempt to pursue them but was blocked by the blue beast. Turning into a jaguar, she charged at her new target and rolled onto the ground clawing at the creature. Saiken was also striking at Mili, without any regard for the blue creature.

Meanwhile, Mayumi spotted Sophie's paraphernalia strewn on the ground and was quick to materialize a pouch and retrieve them. Knowing they were at a disadvantage, Mayumi threw off the remaining enemies with a smoke bomb. Mili transformed into a squirrel and clambered onto Mayumi. Securing their escape, she chose a direction and proceeded to fly.

A blast of chi came from behind them, hitting Mayumi on the shoulder but she didn't falter. They could hear Saiken commanding the remaining demons to chase after them, and there was no time for them to slow down. They'd have to regroup later on to find Sophie.

Chapter Text

The moon’s silver glow spilled over the rocky expanse, its light a dim guide into the vastness of the night. The view seemed spotless, except for a small green jeep speeding along through it, dust billowing behind it. On board the vehicle were four men, quietly looking on ahead, appearing to be tired having been on the road for quite some time.

“Dammit, if Goku didn’t take so long eating back at the last town, we would have made it to an inn by now..” the red haired man complained from the back seat, earning a glare from the brown-haired youth beside him.

“You’re one to complain, Gojyo! You also took your time taking a shit!” Goku retorted, shoving the tall man angrily, picking a fight in their cramped mobile space. The two continued bickering as the black-haired driver calmly tried to placate them while looking ahead.

“Neither of you will make it to the next town if you don’t fucking shut up!!” this time it was the blond in the front seat, brandishing a paper fan and hitting the two men at the back, silencing them immediately. Content with his handiwork, the paper fan disappeared into his monk robes as he seated himself back in the front seat. As the jeep drove on, a bright light from behind them caught their attention, seeming like a shooting star speeding past and crashing into the nearby woods.

“What the hell was that??” Gojyo stood up, holding onto the driver’s seat and peering ahead. The driver slowed down, turning to the blond beside him, his silence a consultation of their next course of action.

“What should we do, Sanzo?” the brunette finally uttered, eyeing the direction as well, adjusting the monocle over his right eye. He spotted some demons running towards the area where the object had landed. “It seems it might be something important if demons are trying to get it.” He heard a click of a lighter, and soon enough, cigarette smoke wafted into the night air.

The blond tsked. “Do whatever you want.”

“Alright! You heard our boss, Hakkai!” Gojyo said excitedly, pointing forward as if leading the charge. “Let’s go!” He held on as soon as Hakkai stepped on the gas.

Nearing the woods, Gojyo and Goku immediately went ahead through the trees as it became more difficult to drive. As the other two alighted, Hakkai turned back to the jeep. “Please stay here for now, Hakuryu, we’ll come back in a bit.” The lights of the jeep blinked a few times, and there was an audible “kyu kyu” from it like a horn. “Now, let’s see what’s going on up ahead, shall we?”

Reaching the clearing, Goku and Gojyo were greeted with a spectacle, where the demons were trying to get close to a tree where a little girl was stuck dangling on it from her long dark brown hair. The girl seemed roughly around seven years old and was thrashing and screaming, holding on to her hair to get loose from her predicament. Her clothes indicated that she seemed to be from the area with a plain blue qi pao shirt and pants. On the ground was a white cat, hissing at them and striking at whoever dared to approach. But there was only so much the cat could do, with the sheer amount of demons surrounding them. Without a second thought, Goku charged into the fray, hitting the demons left and right while Gojyo made quick work of cutting the girl’s hair free from the branches. The moment the girl was free, she picked up the cat and ran off deeper into the woods, followed by the remaining demons.

“Hey! Wait up!!” Goku immediately ran after them, leaving Gojyo to deal with the ones left behind.

“Stupid monkey running off!” Gojyo muttered, finishing off the remaining demons and running after Goku. Catching up, he was surprised to find dead demons along the way, impaled with icicles or encased in ice. “This is..” he muttered to himself, slowing down to walk.

“Come on, it’s okay! I’m not a bad guy..” he heard Goku say to the girl up ahead, cornered at a cliff’s side. He looked on as it seemed that the girl and her cat were cornered wild animals and were distrusting anyone else but each other. He could tell that the girl was injured, and Hakkai would need to check on the wounds.

“Goku..” Gojyo said gently. “Give them some space.” he proceeded to sit down where he had been standing, lighting his own cigarette as Goku carefully backed away from the girl and her cat. “Did she do all this?” he asked the boy, gesturing to the ice around them.

Goku nodded. “I was running after them. I barely avoided the icicles myself.” he said. They were quiet for a while, still watching the guarded duo from a distance. “But isn’t this power familiar?” he asked, sniffing the air. “Something smells familiar to me..”

“There you are!” Hakkai exclaimed from behind, surprising them. Sanzo was also close behind. He seemed to be studying the damage with the ice and the dead demons at its wake.

“Hakkai, read the room, dammit!” Gojyo yelled, glaring at the man then glanced back at the girl who seemed to have become more guarded. Hakkai took the hint, looking at the girl. He paused, realizing the girl had fierce sapphire blue eyes.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry, young lady, I didn’t mean to scare you..” the man started to say, slowly walking closer and kneeling in front of the girl. The girl physically curled into herself, the white cat hissing at them. Her hair seemed wilder where Gojyo had haphazardly cut it earlier. “It’s okay.. we’re not here to hurt you.. see?” Hakkai offered out his hand, summoning some of his chi to form a healing light on his palm. He waited patiently as the cat slowly inched closer, sniffing the light, then pawing at it. His hackles lowered as he sat down near his hand. He turned to the girl, meowing as if to signal that it was safe.

The girl crawled forward, looking at the light from the hand and gingerly batted it as if it were hot. Slowly, she sat near enough for Hakkai to slowly heal the scratches on the kid’s face and hands. She looked up at him curiously, showing her legs that had multiple cuts from running earlier. She didn't even have shoes.

“Ah, yes, I can heal those too.” Hakkai said gently, increasing the chi from his palms and studying the injuries, thankful they weren’t too deep except for one. “I’m sorry but we’ll have to bandage this gash..” he pointed to the girl, revealing the cut on her calf. “I’ll have to take you with us, I hope you don’t mind.”

The girl shook her head. “I don’t mind..” she said, her voice raspy from her ordeal that night. She let him carry her with them, walking back out of the forest with the cat following them close by. Sanzo led the way back to their green jeep while Goku brought the rear. She was trying her best to fight off the tiredness, but she soon gave in, falling asleep in Hakkai’s arms.

“We might as well pitch a tent nearby at this rate..” Gojyo suggested, taking another stick to smoke as they walked. Goku ran ahead after hearing this suggestion, saying something about starting building the camp site. The white cat ran after him.

The ice around them started to thin out as they neared the exit of the forest. “Hey.. this ice..” he muttered, unsure how to express what he was thinking.

“Yeah..” Hakkai answered back, his expression still neutral.

“We’re dropping her in the next town.” Sanzo cut in, not looking back at them. “If that goddamned kid is from the sky or whatever godforsaken shit, Kanzeon knows we aren’t playing errand boys for her again.”

“Sanzo…” Hakkai said, incredulous, but his voice also indicated that he wasn’t surprised.

“Hey, can you decide a little less brashly, you stinky monk?” Gojyo countered, jogging up to the monk to look at his face. “She’s a defenseless little girl!”

“She just killed a bunch of demons on her own, she’ll be fine.”

“Sanzo..” he paused, considering his theories on the matter. “I think this child might be Sophie.”

The monk stopped in his tracks, turning to Hakkai, and to the sleeping girl. He considered this for a few moments, then continued walking. “If it is her, whatever brought her here is none of our business. Nothing changes. We’ll leave her in the next town.”

Gojyo and Hakkai were silent, knowing that there was no use further reasoning with Sanzo about the issue. Reaching the clearing, they found that Goku had set up their tents and even had a fire started in the middle. Thanking the boy, Hakkai settled the child in the smaller tent and went about bandaging the injured leg. His mind was buzzing with possibilities of how Sophie could have been brought here, and the additional question would be, if she remembered them, if at all. If it was a case of time traveling, like they did in their world, then, it would have been a time that she hadn’t met them yet.

Finishing up with taking care of her injuries, he busied himself with making them breakfast before they headed out for the next town. Based on their map, they should make it to the town by noon. He figured ot was best to start off the trip without people hungry and irate from a long night.

Gojyo settled by the fire, stoking it until Hakkai was ready to cook. He watched the man quietly working on ingredients with his makeshift kitchen on a tree stump. “Hey Hakkai.. do you really think she could be Sophie?” He glanced at Sanzo who was smoking his own cigarette nearby.

“The probability is quite high.” The other man said, opening a pack of rice and washing it before putting it over the flame in their pot. “What are the odds that a girl with sapphire blue eyes and ice powers would suddenly be here? Although..”

“Although?”

“If it was time traveling, and at her current age, she'd be Linlin, not Sophie.” Hakkai finished up with some sausages, setting them on sticks to cook them directly from the fire’s heat.

Gojyo chuckled. “It would be hard to explain anything, if that were the case. I have questions about the brown hair though..”

“Stay away from me!” The two men turned to Sanzo who was waving his paper fan at the cat who seemed to be trying to get his attention. He was covering his nose, as if preparing to sneeze. With each attempt to shoo the cat, the closer it seemed to want to get to him.

Taking pity on the cat, Goku coaxed it to him instead. “Come here.. Sanzo doesn't do well with cats.” He explained, and the cat seemed to understand, hopping into the boy's arms instead. “I wonder what your name is?” He said, thinking aloud. “We can't just go around calling you Sir Cat..” the cat seemed to twitch its ear in disgust. “I was kidding!” He chuckled, walking over to the fire with Gojyo. Hakuryu transformed from their jeep into his dragon form, settling near Hakkai, making “kyu” sounds at the cat, as if talking to him. The cat meowed back, as if reaching an understanding.

“Let's leave the name for when the girl wakes up.” Hakkai suggested, offering tea to start off the meal, sitting with them and staring into the fire. The cat had settled into Goku's lap, sound asleep, comforted by the fire. “If she is Sophie, do you think the others are here too?”

Gojyo chuckled. “It's possible. But where would they be?” He mused, lifting the pot lid to let the boiling rice simmer. He glanced at the entrance of the tent, seeing that the child was awake and sniffing the smell of cooking food in the air. Looking closer, it seemed that her eye color had changed to green. “Oh, you're awake! Are ya hungry?” The others turned to the kid, inviting her to sit with them. He handed her a stick of sausage. “The rice might take a while, but you can snack on this for now.”

“T-thank you..” the girl muttered, sitting near Goku, beckoning to the cat, but he seemed content on the boy's lap. She blew at the “barbecue” and gave a tentative chew before practically devouring it in a few large chomps. She eyed the tiny white dragon.

“Ah, this is Hakuryu, he’s our jeep.” Hakkai introduced. When the girl gave him a confused look, he figured an additional explanation was necessary. “Hmmm, it’s a little hard to explain, but he can transform into our transportation.” The girl seemed to accept this explanation and continued to eat.

“Ueh, seems like Goku would have a run for his money with her appetite..” Gojyo commented while Hakkai proceeded to skewer a few more sausages to add near the fire. “So what's your name? Where'd you come from?” He watched the girl chuck her emptied skewer into the fire and seemed to give it some thought.

“I actually don't remember…” she said simply, looking at the cat. “All I remember is that Mayo and I were in that ball of light, and we crashed into that tree and you found us like that..”

“So the cat's Mayo?” Goku asked, surprised that the child was able to remember the cat's name.

“And your name?” Hakkai ventured. The girl shook her head. “Oh dear, this seems quite the predicament. Perhaps we can call you a name for now?” Sanzo flicked his spent cigarette and sat down by the fire, getting himself a sausage while Hakkai provided him with a bowl of rice. He watched the girl silently.

“I never really thought about it..” the girl said, accepting the rice and another sausage.

“What about Linlin, or Sophie?” Gojyo offered, hoping it would help jog some memories.

“Geh, what kind of names are those?” The girl retorted, snarfing down on her food, making the guys look on, stupefied.

“.. I don't think Sophie would frown at a name she chose herself.” Gojyo muttered, watching her childish features and messy hair. “This one's more of an imp.”

“Hey! I may not remember things, but I know what an imp is and I'm not one.” She retorted, glaring at Gojyo.

“Fff, what's up with that, Gojyo, picking a fight with a child!” Goku poked fun at the situation, grabbing another sausage and more rice.

“Can it, you stupid monkey! I dare you to have a better name for her.” Gojyo said, stealing the boy's meal and eating it immediately. The two began to bicker while Sanzo began to aim his gun at them.

“Both of you are children but I have no qualms in ending either of you!” The two immediately simmered down, quietly eating in fear for their lives. The girl watched this spectacle, handing a chunk of her skewer to Mayo who thankfully ate it. Hakkai saw this and laughed sheepishly.

“They're always like this, I'm afraid, sorry.” He said, handing some tea to the girl.

“None of you have to bother for a name for me.” She said, holding the cup to her lap. “I'll be sure to find my own name in the next town you'll leave me in.” The guys looked apologetic, glancing at Sanzo who looked guilty for his ultimatum but said nothing.

“I am grateful for your help, and you're right, whatever I'm here for, it's none of your business.” She smiled at them. “It’s enough help that I can get to a safe place to figure things out.”

Sanzo could feel the pleading eyes of the other three on him, and the overwhelming guilt they were pressing on him with the situation. “Goddamnit, I am NOT taking in an additional companion.”

“But you said it yourself, she can fend for herself, so she wouldn't be a burden to us!” Goku reasoned, his puppy-dog eyes making Sanzo waver. He looked away from the boy.

“I won't even offer prayers for her if she dies.” He muttered, standing up for another smoke.

The others cheered quietly as they packed up to get to the next town.

“Devy.” they looked at Sanzo who was just looking at the girl.

“...yes?”

“Let's call you Devy until we find your name.”

The girl thought about it and beamed.

Chapter Text

It was just before noon when they reached the next town. Goku took charge of carrying the kid on his back as the group immediately looked around asking if anyone knew Devy, but so far, no one seemed to recognize her. In the least, they managed to get her a pair of shoes. At a loss, they decided to find an inn and settle for two rooms, with Gojyo and Hakkai together and a bed for Devy. Sanzo was quick to settle into his room with Goku, opening his newspaper and lighting a cigarette.

The four proceeded to go out for groceries, and to ask around some more. Devy had quickly warmed up to Hakkai as they walked together while Mayo trotted alongside them. Meanwhile Goku and Gojyo were following with the purchased items. Watching them from the back, it looked like a father and daughter tandem and they were their lackeys.

“I can't say I expected less.” Gojyo noted. “Hakkai always had a knack for being a teacher ever since.” he glanced at Goku who seemed to be bothered by something. “What's up with the face?”

“I still can't shake off the feeling that Devy feels familiar…” Goku muttered, shifting the weight of the groceries in his arms. “But it feels like the more I try to reach the memory, the farther it goes away..” 

Gojyo nodded. “I somehow understand what you mean..” following Hakkai, they went into a tailoring shop. Hakkai had mentioned that the girl will need some clothes to at least get her by until things were sorted out. The shop keep welcomed them warmly.

“Good afternoon, we'd like to get some clothes for our little companion here..” Hakkai began, ushering Devy forward. “If you have anything in stock, that would be great since we're not staying too long in town.”

“It's no problem.” Said the shop keep, beckoning Devy to her so she could get her measurements. “Your niece?” posing the question to Hakkai.

“Actually, we were hoping to get some leads. We found her lost in the forest near here from the previous town east.” He explained to the woman who looked curiously at Devy grinning at her.

“I have no memories!” She said cheerfully. Mayo sat beside her meowing.

“Hey, I don't think that's something you should be happy about..” Gojyo commented, scratching his head. The girl pouted at him.

“But I really don't, and that's all I have.” 

“You cheeky little-”

“Now now..” Hakkai tempered, looking back at the woman who continued with her measurements.

“We have a few pieces that will fit her after a few adjustments.” She declared, going to the store room and bringing out two qipaos, one powder blue and the other red and gold. Devy's eyes sparkled.

“Can you make it so the skirt part is wider? And I'd like to have leggings please.” 

“No problem little girl!” The shop keep said, bemused with the girl's choices. “Now, these are a little too big for you, so I'll adjust them. You can come back for these in the morning.”

“Yey!!”

“We'll leave it to you then.” Hakkai bowed, herding the others out of the shop. Upon exiting, an elderly woman hurriedly approached them, looking at Devy.

“You must be the child they've been talking about!” She said, kneeling to get a better look at her. Surprised, Devy stepped back, worry in her eye. Mayo sat calmly, watching the interaction.

“W-what is it?” She asked, wary. The woman reached for her hand and she tried to move it away but the woman caught it and held it firmly, holding her gaze. “Hey!”

“Excuse me, but you're making the child very uncomfortable..” Hakkai interjected, about to grab the woman's hand, but she let go before he could touch her. The woman shook her head and addressed him.

“I'm from the town you folks came from,” she explained. She regarded Devy. “You've been cursed. I know you weren't a child before you were found in that forest. I don't know how to help you, but I do hope you find your way home.” With this, the woman walked away.

“Hey! Don't just walk away after dropping shit like that!” Gojyo yelled after the old woman with Goku trying to give chase, but she was soon gone, lost in the afternoon crowd. He scratched his head. “What a weirdo..”

“Hey Hakkai, let's head back, I'm hungry.” Goku declared, leading the way back to the inn. The others followed behind him, Devy silently holding onto Hakkai's hand. The man watched her expression, noticing she seemed pensive and scared. He gripped her hand gently.

“We'll help you, don't worry..” he assured her. The child smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. Mayo trotted nearby, watching them before running ahead to catch up with Goku.

Reaching the inn, they had Goku settle their supplies upstairs while Hakkai ordered up their food at the restaurant area of the inn. Gojyo sat with them at the table, lighting a cigarette, watching the child with her cat on her lap. Devy looked at him with a small rebuke.

“It's bad for your health if you smoke too much..” she commented but shrugged.

“Eh, you didn't seem to care back in the forest.” Gojyo commented, amused.

“I didn't realize it was this much.”

“Well it is.” Gojyo responded, but after a few puffs, he decided to put it out. “You know what, it makes me feel bad knowing I'm setting some sort of terrible example. I'll smoke away from you when I can instead.” He scratched his head. “Then I can smoke all I want once we've settled your shit.”

Devy giggled. “I guess that's okay.. thank you Gojyo.”

Hakkai came back to the table with some hot tea. “The meat buns will take a while, but I ordered other things for now.” He said, handing the tea just in time for Goku and Sanzo's arrival. The monk regarded the girl and her cat.

“Did you find anything in the town?” He asked, settling in a chair. He brought out his pack of cigarettes, noticed Gojyo not smoking and decided to put down the pack on the table instead.

“Not really anything that helpful.” Gojyo commented. “Except for that weird old lady.”

“Old lady?”

“Yeah. She just went on sayin’ Devy was cursed an' stuff.” Goku eagerly added tripping on his words.

“The woman said that Devy wasn't a child before entering the forest.” Hakkai added, settling down in his own chair as the food started to arrive. “She didn't say anything else and disappeared.”

“Ch. Another troublesome situation.” Sanzo mumbled, starting to eat from the served meals. He looked at Devy again, her cat sound asleep on her lap.

“But what do we do, Sanzo? Should we go back to the previous village or check out the forest again?” Hakkai asked, weighing their options. But before Sanzo could answer, a group of demons sauntered into the inn, seeming to be looking for them. Gojyo chuckled and was about to stand up when the leader yelled and pointed at Devy.

“That cat! It's that woman's cat!!” He yelled marching to their table, glaring at Devy who moved back into her chair. “Are you her daughter!? That fucking woman owes us big time for what she did to our group!!”

Devy just quietly looked at the demon, completely perplexed.

“Now now,” Hakkai said, trying to get them to settle down. “I'm afraid that's a little too much. Whatever business you may have, you must be mistaken.”

“Oh we're not. That cat is a menace.” The demon snarled. At this point, Mayo had woken up, watching them guardedly. The demon tried to grab him but he quickly jumped onto Gojyo's shoulders and the demons tried to attack him instead, overturning their table and their dinner. Pissed, he grabbed the demon and threw him back outside. Goku was quick to follow with the chaos, taking the fight to the street with them.

“This is for ruining a good meal!” He declared, taking out his Nyoibo and charged at them. Gojyo, with Mayo on his shoulder, decided his fists were enough in the meantime. Devy ran to the door to watch the commotion, worried. Hakkai joined her, along with other spectators.

“I think it's best if you stay back, Devy.” Hakkai said helpfully, noticing that the demons were more focused on getting to the white cat who was dodging them by moving around on Gojyo.

“Hey! Mayo, can you get off me?? This is making things harder!” Mayo obliged and hopped off, making his way back to Devy, but as he ran, a demon tried to strike him with his sword. Before Hakkai could move, the girl had run off, sliding on the ground and kicking the demon off his feet while Mayo ran for cover under Sanzo's chair.

“Devy that's dangerous!” Gojyo yelled, summoning his shakujo and striking demons left and right. The girl ignored them and dusted herself off, jumping onto the demon's gut to knock him out. She dodged another attacker and ran, stepping on the man's leg, pushing her momentum upwards and kicking the man on the face and landing on a flip. “Hey yo, what the fuck..” Gojyo muttered in disbelief.

“Uoh that's cool! Devy can fight!” Goku cheered, finishing off the last of the demons. He ran to the kid to give her a high five. “Easy peasy!” He declared, keeping his nyoibo. For a brief moment, he noticed Devy's eye color fade from blue to green. He paused, but his stomach grumbled and remembered he was hungry. “Let's go back inside to eat!” He ran back inside to where Sanzo had been sitting, smoking a cigarette. Gojyo walked over to Devy who was looking at her hands, seemingly confused. Hakkai knelt beside her.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” He asked. The girl shook her head.

“You didn't know you could do those moves, did you?” Gojyo offered, lighting a cigarette while they were still outside. He studied the kid. Knowing what they do now, it's better to keep the kid with them until they could find more clues to who she was.

“It felt so normal.” Devy finally said. “My body felt like it moved on its own.” Hakkai led them back to the table that was righted and new food served. Mayo had found a home on Sanzo's lap. He looked perplexed.

“Oh, Sanzo, I haven't heard you sneeze yet..” Hakkai noted, knowing how terribly allergic he was to cats.

“Yeah, I know.” The monk commented, venturing to pet the cat. “I'm not pushing my luck too far.” He glanced at Devy who sat back with them. She wasn't touching her food. “You'll die if you don't eat.” Surprised by the statement, the girl gave him an embarrassed look before picking out a meat bun and eating it slowly. Hakkai gave the monk a knowing smile that expressed his gratitude for looking out for the child. Sanzo looked away, grumbling to himself.

After dinner, the men settled in their respective rooms. Mayo decided to settle into the end of Goku's bed for the night. Hakkai helped Devy with trimming her hair to make it look better after Gojyo lopped it off the day before. The kid then ran off to take a bath while the two fixed up their futon on the floor. Hakuryu chose to settle into their room and was at the end of Devy’s bed.

“I hope we figure out her deal soon.” Gojyo commented, watching Hakkai fluff up the kid's pillow.

“Hm? Why is that?” Hakkai asked, settling on his futon while waiting for Devy to get back. The red head shook his head.

“I'm fine with traveling with kids, it's just that, our journey's been getting more dangerous, and I'd rather not have her exposed too much in things that don't concern her.”

“I know what you mean, Gojyo..” Hakkai agreed. “But the mere fact that she can fight like it's second to breathing, I don't think we can discount what she's seen herself.”

“I know that..” Gojyo muttered, annoyed. “In the least let me have this, hoping to at least spare her any more grief.” The door to their room opened, and Devy was looking at them as if she was waiting for them to continue. She walked in with a towel on her head, unraveling it to continue drying her hair. There was a few moments of tense silence.

“Thank you for your concern for me, Gojyo..” she said, looking at the red head. “But whatever I was, or whoever I was, I'm almost certain I've had enough of my share of grief.” She smiled. “I think what I need is people who understand what it feels like, not what it shouldn't feel like.”

Gojyo chuckled apologetically. “My bad..” he said, watching the kid settle into her bed, lying down. It was his own wish, with the childhood he had himself. He got up to turn off the lights. “We might as well get some rest, we'll be on the road again in the morning. Goodnight you two.”

“Good night!” Hakkai and Devy said in unison as the lights went out.

Devy awoke in the darkness, hearing Gojyo’s snoring. It felt like such a peaceful night, that nothing else could be wrong. She turned her right, looking at the two men sound asleep on the floor. There was a nagging feeling in her heart that she knew them quite well, and the thought was greatly comforting. She closed her eyes again, and was drifting off to sleep when Hakkai and Gojyo jolted wide awake. A crash exploded in the other room where Goku and Sanzo were sleeping and the two men were quick on their feet and out the door. Disoriented, Devy followed and saw a giant bug of sorts, making clicking noises as it scanned the room. Mayo was hissing at it when it moved towards him.

“Look out!” Sanzo instinctively dove to protect Mayo and was grabbed by the creature instead and it ran away into the night. Without a word, Goku had run off after it, leaving the three looking through the hole of the building. Hakkai and Gojyo glanced at Devy, automatically instructing her to stay put with Mayo. They ran out and drove off with Hakuryu to chase after the creature that took Sanzo.

Suddenly alone, Devy sat on the bed, comforting Mayo who was still shaking from the encounter. The innkeeper was soon there, staring at the gaping hole in the room, then looking at the child. Realizing who had been in the room, he held a hand to his head then turned to Devy. “Are you hurt? What happened?”

“A monster crashed into the room and took Sanzo away.” Devy stated, wondering how the man would take this information.

“What did it look like?”

“It looked like a giant bug.” She explained. “It was making clicking noises. Maybe it was a giant cricket?” She ventured.

“There's a demon here that specializes in magnifying creatures like that.” The innkeeper explained. “We thought he had left for a different town, but it seems like he had been lying in wait. I do hope your companions are okay.”

Devy nodded. “I'm sure they will be.”

“Anyway, you better stay downstairs for now so I can keep an eye on you. They should know better than to leave a child on their own.” The man complained, motioning her to follow him downstairs. Reaching the kitchen, she found the man had been preparing breakfast for the staff before the morning saw customers for the day. He handed her some soup. “You might as well have something to eat while waiting.” He also put a bowl on the floor with some trimmed fish bits for Mayo.

“Thank you for your kindness.” Devy said quietly, slurping the soup. “It feels like you're taking this situation quite well.” She commented, noting the man's mostly calm demeanor. The innkeeper laughed.

“Ever since the spread of the negative wave, violence from demons increased greatly.” He explained, stirring a pot before placing soups in bowls, then moving on to preparing the rice and chopsuey. There were five servings in total. “They'd break things, run off, or cause some sort of havoc.” He shrugged. “We're lucky to keep ourselves alive, and I'd rather be able to do something for others rather than worry all the time. Things can be fixed.” He went off to call his staff, and soon the kitchen had two women and another man who took their seats in the kitchen and started eating. They smiled at her kindly and urged her to eat with them.

“The room that was destroyed will take a day or two to fix.” the other man commented. “I do hope our guests are safe,” he said, glancing at Devy. “Were you scared?”

Devy shook her head. “I’m more worried that you people seem to see this as another day, more than anything else.” She didn’t sense any danger from them, but the behavior felt severely odd.

“We’ve been affected by the negative wave for more than two years now, so we’ve been doing our best to survive.” the innkeeper explained. “There are problems, and there are inconveniences. Not having food or shelter is a problem, but having something we can fix is merely an inconvenience. Right now, it’s inconvenient to have a broken room, but it can be fixed. It’ll be a problem if I’d be forced to shut down, but I’m not, so life goes on.”

Devy nodded, thanking the man for the food. “I think I’d better go back upstairs and look into their things. I want to be able to help too.” Bowing in thanks, she went back upstairs with Mayo trotting behind her. Going back to her room with the two, she decided to fix the bedsheets, and fold the blankets. Since they travel a lot, there wasn’t much to really sort out. She walked to the room where Goku and Sanzo had been. There was only the newspaper, ash tray, and Sanzo’s cigarettes. She dusted off the debris from the beds and fixed up the room. Despite knowing that the innkeeper will let them stay in a different room, it would still be nice to have a clean room to go back to.

Soon, she decided to go back to the kitchen, asking the innkeeper and cook to let her help prepare food. She was sure the team, or at least Goku would need to refuel with food. It wasn’t long when they heard Hakuryu’s engine, and the men alight. Devy quickly ran to see them, to be met by all four men drenched from head to toe. Sanzo was unconscious with a number of cuts and bruises, along with everyone else. The innkeeper quickly ushered them upstairs, situationing Sanzo in a different room. Devy looked on as the adults fussed about to tend to the men. The atmosphere felt mostly serious, but it seemed due to the tiredness from the battle. Goku was quick to shimmy out of his wet clothes, down to his underwear. He helped the others get Sanzo out of his clothing and settled him into the bed.

Goku spotted Devy and was quick to go up to her with an easy smile. “Sanzo’s gonna be okay.” he assured her, as if reading her mind. She looked into the room, looking at the other men who gave her gentle smiles.

“But, what happened?” she asked, confused how they ended up drenched. “Were you all dragged underwater?”

“About that..” Hakkai scratched his head sheepishly, looking at Gojyo who looked away with a “tsk”.

“Well you see, the monster had wings and started to fly off, and Gojyo extended his sickle to drag it back down.” Goku explained, grabbing a towel and drying himself off. He handed towels to the others while Hakkai tended to Sanzo. Goku made a big gesture to explain how the bug was flying. “But you see, it was too strong, so we helped pull it back down, but Sanzo shot it the moment he pried his hand free.”

“Apparently, crickets drown easily, so it sank fast. Gojyo couldn’t release his weapon since Sanzo was still trapped with it so we all ended up in the water.” Hakkai continued, laughing.

“Ch, it was such a stupid situation, Sanzo would have beat us up if he wasn’t trapped under the bug.” Gojyo muttered, glancing at the unconscious monk. He stood up and went to their room to change.

Devy sighed in relief. “I’m glad you’re all safe.” she said, then added. “I was helping the innkeeper make some food, you guys can go eat after you’ve changed. I made most of the spring rolls!” she beamed, and Goku was quick on his feet to the kitchen. Devy followed him.

Gojyo was soon back, wearing his backup long sleeve shirt and house pants. Hakkai also went off to change and was soon back beside Sanzo. “My apologies, sir, where can I hang our clothes?” He gestured at their wet pile.

“Ah, out back, we have a space for laundry. Come, let me help you.” The man helped with the clothes and Gojyo went with the man to get their clothes situation sorted out. While Gojyo was out with the innkeeper, Devy came back to the room with a bowl of soup for Hakkai and some spring rolls. She quietly handed them to the man.

“Oh, thank you so much Devy..” Hakkai said gladly. “I hope we didn’t make you worry too much.” the girl shrugged.

“I honestly felt helpless.” she admitted. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to help much, but I couldn’t help but feel that I could.” She got a spring roll. “But the folks here were super nice, and they helped me feel at ease by letting me do something for you guys in the kitchen.”

“Ah, I’m sorry for just leaving like that.. we really shouldn’t leave kids behind on their own.” Hakkai gave a sad smile. The girl seemed to have a neutral expression. “Is something the matter?”

“I know it sounds weird, but just now, there was this bitter feeling, that being left alone is something I’m used to.”

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

Mayumi and Mili found themselves still heading into an unknown area, and without any means of transportation, they had to keep flying until they could find some shelter. Unfortunately, the ragged mountainous terrain had little to offer, and Mayumi's right arm was badly in need of treatment. Mili had shifted into the form of a giant eagle, but they needed to land soon. Mayumi's energy for flight would soon run out. Gleaning the distance, there appeared to be a small town up ahead. The structures looked like packed earth made into houses, little squares and rectangles beaten down by the weather.

“Look, Mayumi!” Mili communicated. “It seems a little abandoned, but maybe we can rest for a bit and I'll fly off to find another town.” Looking at Mayumi, she knew she would last on air for very long. “Let's land nearby, I'll carry you on my back to the town.”

“No, I can still manage..” the pink haired woman said firmly. “We'll make it.” Not soon after she said this, her flight gave out and Mili had to dive down and break their fall by rolling as a bear, and eventually as a human.

“Dammit Mayumi, this is not the time to be stubborn!” Mili berated, picking both themselves up and limping into the town a few meters away. The place looked barren, like villages in the desert that one would see in books or documentaries.

“Sorry..” Mayumi muttered, keeping pace with Mili as they walked forward. Reaching the town, it felt like no one was there at all, but Mili could smell recent activity, cooked food and burned wood.

“Is anyone here!?” Mili called out, looking around. “I know this is sudden, but we're injured and we just need shelter for the night..” she said, letting Mayumi down to rest on one side of the house. She checked on her right arm, the wound wasn't doing too well. The chi blast that hit it had cut through her clothes and burned it. It needed immediate attention and Mayumi couldn't heal herself at that moment. She knelt in front of her. “We’ll get through this.” She assured her, standing up to look around, but one of the house doors opened, revealing an old woman wearing a hat covering her ears, looking at them worriedly. “Oh, I'm sorry for the trouble, but if you could spare some clean water and bandages? It would really help my partner..” Mili said. The woman looked at them with pity and nodded, ushering them inside her house.

Mili followed, helping Mayumi into the woman's house. She closed the rickety wooden door behind them and motioned them to rest. Quietly, she worked on boiling some water and prepared some tea. Mili watched her while Mayumi was on a simple couch, her eyes closed while resting.

“My name is Parvati.” the woman introduced. “I'm sorry but I can only help clean and dress the wound. You'd have to go to Sanzo-sama’s fortress for their doctor to treat it.” The woman said. Mili found it odd that the woman had not taken off her hat, but she was more concerned about what she had just said.

“I’m Mili, she’s Mayumi.” Mili introduced as well. “Sanzo has a fortress here?” She didn't remember any mention of this. As far as she knew, Sanzo was a head priest in a big temple in China, not here.

“Oh, you know about Sanzo-sama?” Parvati said, curious. She handed Mili a cup of tea while sitting on the table. “I don't think she's ever mentioned knowing a shapeshifter before.” This statement made Mili realize that the woman had seen them as they crashed earlier.

“She?” Mili was confused. “Isn't Sanzo a guy?” Her mind wandered off to wild imaginings of Sanzo just being a flat as a board woman of some sort.

“Sharak Sanzo-sama is definitely female.” The woman said also confused. “But a few weeks ago another Sanzo was here.. perhaps he's the one you know?”

“Most likely. Did he have three companions with him?”

“Yes, that's correct.” The woman confirmed. “We can have someone signal for the Kouten Corps to send a carriage over so their doctor can help heal your companion. But before that, let me help you with cleaning and dressing the wounds now.” The two got to work helping Mayumi with her wounded arm, cleaning and wrapping it in bandages. As a safety measure, they had it in a sling. The woman also helped in patching up some of Mili's wounds.

Parvati then instructed them to stay put while she went out to get someone to signal to the Kouten Corps she had mentioned. Mayumi had fallen asleep and Mili was left to her thoughts, looking around the house they were in, the hearth and the smell of different spices hung in the air. The silence made her sleepy and eventually drifted off to sleep. She wasn't sure how long they had been there, but eventually, the woman came back, bringing with her a tall woman with dark violet hair in monk garb, and a man with a furry hat in orange clothing. They eyed them warily as the woman who helped them looked on.

Mili immediately recognized the garb as it was the same as Genjo Sanzo‘s clothing, but the woman wore it with the left part off her shoulder, but the sutra was unmistakable. She couldn’t help but notice the large scars on her face and shoulder. “A female Sanzo…” she uttered, staring in awe. The woman's expression didn't change, but she approached her.

“It seems you're familiar with my status. Who are you?” The woman said, eyeing her and then Mayumi who was still asleep.

“Mili Ortega. I'm a shapeshifter.” Mili stated, uncertain how they'd take that. She glanced over at Mayumi. “She's Mayumi Englewood. She's a magician.”

“I heard you know of Genjo’s party. Are you their friends?” This woman was straight to the point.

“Yes.” Mili answered. “It's a long story, but we're not from here. Well- Mayumi is on her father's side. We were transported here, and Mayumi discovered enemy demons who were after her father.” She glanced at Mayumi. “There were three of us, but we got separated after that encounter with the demon. If you could help us with medicine and a map, we'd be on our way as soon as we recover.”

The woman seemed to weigh her options with the information given. “We can't really disturb the balance of protection in this village, so it's best you two come with us. We'll discuss your situation further at the Fortress.” With that, they left the village with the man in the orange uniform carrying Mayumi's unconscious figure into the carriage. Mili couldn't shape shift at the moment and appreciated the ride to their destination.

After 30 minutes in the wagon, they arrived at the Fortress which was as intimidating as it sounded. It was several storeys high and was shaped like a round maze. Some parts were still under repair. The men took Mayumi out on a stretcher and had her moved to their medical bay. Mili was led to the woman's space where she received guests. The room seemed to be under repair from some sort of explosion or attack, but she didn't ask further and sat herself on the floor in front of the low table.

“I haven't formally introduced myself: I'm Sharak Sanzo, 28th of Arhat.” The woman said, lighting a cigarette and offering one to Mili who waved it off.

“No thanks. Tried it, and didn't like it.“ Mili said, watching the older woman shrug and puff out her smoke, studying her. “My apologies for having practically barged into your territory, but we had nowhere else to go.”

“Don't mention it. Although I am curious about this enemy you mentioned.” Sharak said, watching Mili. “Did you get any information?”

“He said his name was Saiken.” Mili recalled. “He was determined to defeat Mayumi, something about an ascension where he should be the ruling magician.”

“Saiken, huh? I don't think I've come across someone like him before, not even in literature. It must be a recent development amongst demon disputes.” Sharak mused. “I do have some books on demon lore that you can look into in my library once you two are well.”

“How certain are you that it's a dispute amongst demons?” Mili asked. “As far as we know, we're humans, from Earth. Well, Mayumi is from here, but she doesn't have the telltale demon markings.”

“But your skills are not commonly found in your world.”

Mili tried to disagree, but realized that they might not know much about themselves to begin with, and being there could shed better light. Not to mention, it would also help them figure out how to defeat Saiken. “That's true..” Sharak smirked, knowing she was right.

“We'll have you settled in a bedroom after your wounds are treated.” Sharak said. “Hassan, take her to the medic bay and then escort them to their room for the next few days.” Mili assumed this as the end of their conversation at this time and stood up to follow the man named Hassan. They were quiet for a few minutes until Hassan decided to speak.

“We met a shapeshifter when Genjo's party was here.” He said, glancing towards her. “They said he was a messenger of the gods of some sort, and he was some form of a god. Maybe you're a god too?”

Mili shook her head. “I doubt it.” she said. “I've always been human. I think I'd know if I were any form more than human.”

“Would you, really?” Hassan challenged, knocking on the door of the medical bay. Upon entering, they found Mayumi was awake and smiled at them weakly.

“Mayumi!!” Mili exclaimed, rushing to her girlfriend's side and holding her good hand. “How are you feeling?”

“Better..” Mayumi said quietly, glancing at Hassan.

“We're at Sharak Sanzo’s fortress.” Mili explained. “This man is Hassan, and this is their medical bay.” Before she could make any further explanations, she was dragged to a chair to also have her wounds treated, much to her dismay. Hassan smiled at Mayumi and sat down on a chair near the bed.

“Sharak has granted you two permission to stay with us until you recover.” He said. “But please do satisfy my curiosity at how you two ended up here.”

Mayumi nodded. “We're not too sure on how, but I suspect that it was a trap to get us to this world. I was the real target, but our friend, Sophie, got in the way. We're also not sure of her whereabouts as of this time. It's been a few days since the incident. We've been fighting and running away since.” she clenched her fist. “We can only hope that our friend is safe.”

Hassan put a comforting hand on her good shoulder. “I'm sure she's safe. For now, just focus on your recovery.”

“He's right.” Mili interjected while being treated by the doctor. “We can't really go off and find Sophie if we can't take care of ourselves first.”

Mayumi nodded, slowly standing up from the bed. As instructed, Hassan led them to their room, informed them of the meal time later that evening and was left on their own.

“Sharak said we could read some literature she might have related to demon power disputes, and maybe some information on Saiken.” Mili said, lying down on her bed.

“Demon disputes?” Mayumi asked, touching her arm. “But.. I don't think my dad is a demon.. and if I were a demon..” Mayumi gasped at her own realization. Mili sat up almost immediately.

“You're a hybrid!”

Mayumi touched her pink hair, remembering its original red color. “But my eyes aren't red like Gojyo's.”

“Maybe it was different for you since your dad was a magician? Does this mean your dad's some powerful demon and escaped his responsibilities in the dispute?” Mili watched Mayumi touch her head, a gesture she makes when she could feel the information overloading her brain. “Did your mom know..?”

“Most likely.. neither of them had red hair.”

“Maybe that's why she was so rigid with you when you were a kid.” Mili pointed out. “Man.. this whole thing is getting weirder.”

“Maybe, instead of being weirder, it's all falling into place.”

“But what about Sophie though?” Mili mused. “She had ice powers.”

“Still possibly related to the “curse” her family touted. We really can't tell any of that anymore, what with such muddled information.” Mayumi pondered. “It's probably like how some people have magical affinity, and was amplified by the intersecting of worlds.”

“I do hope she's in good hands. The sooner we can recover, the faster we'll find her.”

Chapter Text

After the men had settled letting Sanzo rest, Devy had gone off into the town on her own with her thoughts. The sun still held its sharp heat from noon, though the light of the afternoon was slowly turned golden. Goku found Devy on the ledge of the bridge in the middle of the town where the shallow stream flowed past. She seemed lost in her own thoughts. Mayo ran over, hopping to her side on the ledge. Devy looked over to Goku, realizing that the cat had brought him along.

“Hey..” she acknowledged, looking back at her reflection in the water. Goku soon joined her beside Mayo, leaning on the railing, looking at her eyes in the reflection. They were quiet for a while, the sound of the bustling town and the water enveloping them.

“After that old lady said I was most likely cursed, I haven't been able to stop thinking about who I could really be..” the girl finally said, petting Mayo. “And those demons too. They knew Mayo, which means, possibly my form before I was Devy. When Hakkai apologized for leaving me alone earlier today, I told him that I had this feeling that I was so used to being alone. What if I wasn't a nice person?”

Goku thought about this for a while, staring at the water. “Y'know, I understand how you feel, coz I was stuck in a mountain for 500 years.” He began, seeing the subtle surprised look on the girl's face. “I couldn't remember anything but my name. But sometimes I'd get this feeling of sadness when I'd get a glimpse of a memory, but it’s gone before I can grasp anything…”

“How did you even begin?” Devy asked. “I can't even imagine being stuck in such a world for so long.. with nothing.”

He shrugged. “The world just felt more full the moment Sanzo found me. I don't really understand complicated things, but I do know, with every day, I have more memories than what I started with.” He grinned at the girl. “Now I have so many stories I can share about Sanzo, Hakkai, Gojyo, and even Hakuryu. We've met so many people too! I can say for sure that today is better than what I had yesterday. And today, I have memories shared with you too!” He could see the girl smile and relax her posture a little bit, the sadness lifting from her eyes. “I know it ain't much right now, but I promise, it'll feel more full soon.”

“Thank you, Goku.. I really appreciate you sharing your story.” Devy said, touching his arm. “The world does feel a little less lonely.”

“Whatchasay we race back to the inn? Hakkai's making dinner!”

“Ehhh? I don't think it's fair, you're way bigger than me!” Devy said, hopping off the ledge back to the bridge.

“Come on, I won't run that fas- hey!” Before Goku could finish, Devy had already sprinted towards the inn, cat fast on her heels. “Well I have no choice then!” he ran after her until he caught up, laughing along the way.

Hakkai spotted them coming while he was setting down bowls of ramen on their table. “Oh! Welcome back, you two!” He said warmly, his expression changing to surprise seeing the two sweaty from their race. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah.” Devy panted, catching her breath, strands of her brown hair plastered on her face due to the sweat. “Goku challenged me to race back here!” she pointed at Goku who was also sweaty from the run. Mayo sauntered under the table, flopping on the floor to express his tiredness.

“But she broke into a run before I could even start!” Goku countered, making his way to the table and glugging some water. “Oh, RAMEN!!” he immediately sat down and began to eat his share.

Devy soon followed to the table. She accepted a towel from Hakkai to help wipe down her sweat.

“Oh dear, you're soaked in your own sweat..” Hakkai muttered to himself. “I'll make a quick run to the tailoring shop and check on your clothes.” Removing his apron, he was off to the shop.

Sanzo and Gojyo soon joined the two at the table, looking around for Hakkai. The monk was looking better, but his left arm was still in a sling, strictly placed by Hakkai so he would recover faster in the next day or so. The giant bug had done a number on him while having run away with him and ending up in the lake, but he seemed to be recovering well.

“He went off to the tailor's to get the clothes for Devy.” Goku explained, having seconds from the main bowl, receiving a thwack of the fan on his head. “Ow! What the hell was that for!?”

“I'm just sure whatever happened is your fault.” Sanzo reasoned, automatically reaching for the small cup of mayonnaise that Hakkai had set on the table for him, dumping it into his ramen. Devy had watched this happen and wrinkled her nose.

“You'd really eat that?” She asked, watching with morbid fascination.

“Yes. This way, none of you bastards would steal my food.”

“He's just sayin' that but he really likes putting mayo on everything.” Gojyo offered as an explanation, getting an offended stare from the cat. “Not you, actual mayo, food mayo!” Sanzo ignored them and proceeded to clumsily eat his ramen with his right hand. He seemed to be enjoying it without any change in his expression despite struggling with eating it.

“Ohhh let me try!” Devy went off to the counter and came back with some bit of mayonnaise and gingerly put a dollop on the side of her bowl.

“Hey hey you can't be serious.” Gojyo muttered, watching as the girl mixed some of the mayo with her noodles and slurping it. Her expression was more of a discovery of something that was potentially good. “Don't tell me you actually like it??”

Devy nodded, continuing to slurp her noodles tentatively. “I don't think I'd enjoy too much of it.” She admitted, but grinned at Sanzo. “Thanks for this, it's actually delicious!” Sanzo made a grunting noise but said nothing.

Hakkai soon returned with Devy's new clothes. “I'm back! The seamstress also added some pajamas!”

“Thanks Hakkai!” Devy chirped, mixing another batch of noodles into some mayo. “I'll take a bath and change after eating.”

“Oh, I see you have taken a liking to Sanzo's style of eating ramen!”

“Uhuh, it's surprisingly good!” The girl offered some.

“I'm sorry, I must decline. I'm afraid it's not up to my taste.” Hakkai said politely, settling down and helping himself to his own bowl. While they ate, Devy excused herself and ran upstairs with her new clothes. Hakkai turned to the guys at the table. “We'll have to leave early tomorrow as per usual to make some headway to the next town. They say it might take us two days to get through the terrain, so there might be some camping in between if we don't make it.”

“It can't be helped..” Sanzo muttered, finishing his meal and lighting a cigarette. “We'll manage. The kid won't be a burden anyway.”

“Is it because of the way she fought?” Gojyo asked, also lighting his own cigarette.

“Look, the qipao fits me perfectly!” Devy exclaimed, wearing the blue and white one. She tied her hair away from her face, showing both her green eyes. She did a little twirl. “I love it!”

Goku nodded. “It does look good! Perfect for fighting too.”

“You wanna go and spar!?” Devy invited, jumping up and down. But before Goku could answer, he could feel Sanzo daring him to just try and see what happened. The girl just had her new clothes, she just had a bath and it was almost time to go to bed.

“Uhhh, maybe tomorrow before we leave?” Goku suggested carefully watching Sanzo's reaction.

Devy stopped jumping and looked sadly at Goku who backed away, seeing big round pleading eyes. It was a first that someone else was using his same technique on him. He slowly turned to look for help from Gojyo and Hakkai. The brunette laughed sheepishly and the redhead declared it was time to sleep and went ahead to their room.

“How about this, Devy: you can do the honors to wake Goku in the morning and you can spar until I have breakfast ready?” Hakkai suggested, clearing their table. “That way you can have a good appetite!” The girl seemed to like the idea and proceeded to help with the dishes.

“Alright, I'll do that!”

Finishing up for the night, the two men let Devy change into her pajamas before entering the room. She had tucked herself into bed and was smiling at Hakkai. “Thank you again for my clothes, I really love them!” She beamed, watching the two settle on the futons on the floor. “Also having a bed to sleep on again tonight!” Hakuryu flew over, settling at the foot of her bed with Mayo with a “kyu”. 

Gojyo chuckled while lying down. “Yes, roughing it most of the time, a roof over our heads and a square meal is quite the treat.”

“He’s right..” Hakkai said, sitting on his futon and looking at Devy. “Sometimes we end up taking it for granted. Thanks for reminding us, Devy.” The girl seemed pleased, yawning. “Good night, see you in the morning.”

As everyone drifted off to sleep, the quiet of the night was disrupted by Devy turning in her sleep. At first it wasn't noticeable until she started mumbling and thrashing in the bed. “LOOK OUT!!” she suddenly yelled, sitting up wide awake, sweating profusely, heaving in panic. The lights went on as Hakkai sat up and offered to hold the child's hand without saying anything. Shaken, the girl took the hand, making sense of the room, Gojyo scratching his nape by the light switch and watching her confused face.

“It was a bad dream.” Hakkai assured her. “It's okay, you're awake now.” She tried to piece together what she saw in her dream, holding on to her head as she felt a headache.

“I was in a dark place somewhere… like a cave.” she tried to think harder but the details were foggy. “There was a demon with green hair, and, someone with red hair and.. someone else.”

“Friends?” Gojyo asked, sitting back on his futon Devy shook her head.

“The demon.. he tried to hurt those other people.. and I ran towards them.. I don't remember much of it.”

“You don't have to force yourself to remember.” Hakkai said comfortingly. He looked at Gojyo. “Could you get some water from the kitchen?” Gojyo was soon out the door, his footsteps fading down the hallway. He turned back to the girl. “Do you think you can manage to go back to sleep?” The girl nodded. 

“I think so..” she touched her chest. “There's this feeling of urgency that I have to know who I am faster… I think there are some people who might need the person I somehow lost.”

“I understand..” Hakkai said, patting her hand. “But we can only move one day at a time, and we also need energy to do that.” The door opened again with Gojyo with a pitcher of water and a glass, giving the water to the kid. “We'll be here to help you too.”

“Trust me: when we give our word, we don't turn back on it.” Gojyo assured her, watching the girl drink the water, taking the glass back and setting it back on the table in the room. The girl smiled in gratitude, settling back in her bed while Hakkai tucked her in. He turned off the lights.

“I know it might be hard, but please get some sleep, we'll be up early so we can head off to the next town and find more answers.”

“Goodnight.”

Chapter Text

Devy got out of bed at the same time as Hakkai, who went down to the kitchen to prepare their travel meal before the sun was even up. As agreed, Devy went to Goku’s and Sanzo’s room to spar with Goku before they had their breakfast. Knocking timidly, she gently opened the door, peeking through the crack. She saw that Goku was still sleeping and found Sanzo already up, and trying to clean his revolver despite his injured arm. He was cussing quietly as he would drop parts of the gun and the cleaning materials. Based on the assembly, Devy surmised he didn’t have the cleaning oil and went off to look for a quick alternative and was soon back at the door. Quietly, she went up to Sanzo and pulled a chair to the table and put the tea tree oil she had found from the nearby shop. She found that Sanzo already had cotton swabs, patches, and the cleaning rod. He also had the standard bore snake, a specialized rope that had copper wires, and an aglet, specifically used for cleaning out dirt for the revolver. There were also small brushes to get rid of some possible dirt clinging on the metal. The only odd thing on the table was a conch shell but she ignored it, focusing on the task at hand.

She looked at the monk and began to pick up where he left off, methodically putting a small cotton patch through the cleaning rod and soaking it with the oil. She started with the barrel, passing the cloth a few times, then through the chambers, slowly and thoroughly. Afterwards, she let it down on a piece of cloth to let the cleaning oil sit on the metal.

She put her hands on her lap and smiled at Sanzo. The man just stared at her, and she couldn’t read what he was thinking. Eyeing the conch shell again, she picked it up and put it to her ear, hearing the whispers of the sea, making her smile to herself. Watching her, Sanzo seemed to have made a decision and took out his glasses and newspaper, proceeding to read.

After some time, Devy picked up the gun again and ran the bore snake through the chambers and the barrel, as carefully and as thoroughly as she did with the cleaning rod. After ensuring the areas were clean, she closed the cylinder to get to the hammer area with a small brush and a little bit more of the oil. She made sure to get the cleaner on every surface possible, including the extractor of the gun. She peeked at the area of the hammer, finding some slime in it, possibly from the giant bug he shot the other day. Taking a swab, she picked at it until it was completely clean. She made some final wipes on the gun and put it down again before she returned all the pieces together.

Sanzo glanced at her the moment she stopped fiddling with the gun. The cleaning materials were also sorted out and the kid had thrown away the used materials in the bin. She picked up the gun and solemnly handed it to him, like a formal ceremony. The monk accepted it, examining the sheen of his weapon, then looked at the kid. “Thank you.” he said simply, reloading it and the gun disappeared into his robes. He paused when Devy also handed him the shell, looking at him curiously. "It's from a friend." He said, taking it and putting it to his ear. His expression told Devy that it was the first time he'd heard the ocean from it despite having it with him all this time.

"I never figured you to be sentimental.." the kid commented. Sanzo didn't comment. Eventually he nodded to Goku, as if giving her permission to bother the boy.

Beaming, she hopped off the chair and shook Goku. “GOKUUUUUUU COME ON LET’S SPAR!!” she yelled, alerting the boy and waking him off the bed.

“Huh? Wha??” Goku was dumbfounded but recovered quickly upon realizing that it was Devy waking him. “Is it time for breakfast?”

“Not yet, it’s time to spar!!” she said, hopping up and down. The boy caught on to her excitement and the two were soon out at the back of the inn, with Goku letting Devy charge first and him catching her strikes.

“Not bad!” he commented, striking back to see how fast the girl could dodge. Seeing that she was quick, he adjusted his fighting to complement the kid’s attacks. “Ya gotta pivot a bit more to make that kick hurt!” They went on for a while exchanging and blocking blows while Gojyo and Sanzo watched from the window.

“Ya really gotta wonder what her deal is, no?” Gojyo commented, puffing out smoke from his cigarette. Sanzo had his back turned to the window with his own cigarette, looking at the conch shell in his free hand.

“Hn.” he turned to the sparring scene, his eyes fixed on Devy. “We need to keep a better eye on her.”

“Oh? A change of heart?” Gojyo mused, studying the monk’s face.

“The monster from yesterday, it was targeting Mayo, specifically.” Sanzo commented, finally keeping the shell. “If anything, the enemy knows who she is, and we’re still low on leads.” Gojyo turned serious as well, looking for the cat nearby, watching his owner exchanging blows.

“Sanzo’s right..” Hakkai interjected, walking towards them. “It’s unfortunate that we can’t find better leads so far, but if anything, we can start with the demon who magnified that bug. The innkeeper explained earlier that there used to be a demon around here that had that as his specialty. It seems like he became active after we arrived.” The other men narrowed their eyes. It seemed like they were going to go out of their way to find this demon.

“He seems cunning enough to not let his presence be felt, but there’s always a way to draw such scum out in the open..” Sanzo muttered, turning back outside. “GOKU! It’s time to eat, get your asses back in here!” The two immediately stopped playing around and ran back inside, followed by Mayo.

They enjoyed their meal of chicken curry, spring rolls, some pita bread and a number of other dishes from the restaurant. After their breakfast, they set up their luggage on Hakuryu, bade the staff goodbye and were soon off westward.

The group was silent for a while and Hakkai felt it was unnatural. Glancing back through the rear view mirror, he realized that the rambunctious duo couldn't really argue like they used to with Devy and Mayo in the middle. “Are you guys okay back there?”

The two guys laughed hesitantly. “Well it's kind of awkward..” Gojyo admitted. “We're not used to having new members in the jeep.”

Devy considered this information for a bit, and shrugged. “I guess it is what it is for now!” she grinned, petting Mayo. Driving for a full day, the group arrived at a patch of trees where they were able to set up camp for the night. Devy was quick to gather the firewood for their campfire and soon, Hakkai was preparing their meal. Goku and Gojyo had pitched up their tents and an extra sleeping bag. Gojyo was the unlucky one to have to sleep outside of the tent after losing jack en pon.

Devy had gone off to one of the tall trees to watch the sun set. She breathed the dusk air, smiling to herself. Mayo clambered onto the branch, sitting beside her, his tail swishing idly. “It’s like a fun camping trip!” she commented, waving at the horizon. “I wish we could have more fun days like these!”

Hakkai and Gojyo chuckled.

“It has been a really long picnic.” Hakkai commented, alluding to their trip worth two years so far. He watched Devy sitting on the tree and felt that sense of familiarity. Shaking it off, he scooped up soup for everyone, calling people to come to the campfire for some dinner. The girl was soon off the tree and sharing some meat with Mayo while eating her food. A thought seemed to have occurred to her and turned to Gojyo.

“By the way, why HAVE you guys been traveling west?” the men stared at her in disbelief, as if it was some cruel joke.

“EHHHH? You never even explained to her, Gojyo, Hakkai??” Goku said, incredulous, forgetting his bowl had food and spilled it on the ground, making him more upset and asking Hakkai for seconds to which the man gladly provided. He kept quiet while the others were looking at how to explain to the kid.

“I didn’t think she’d be coming with!!” Gojyo said defensively. “And for some reason I didn’t think there’d be a need for an explanation.” he scratched his cheek curiously. “It just felt like something we just do at this point.” Hakkai laughed at this sentiment.

“I'm sorry we haven't really explained, and a lot always seems to happen around us all the time..” Hakkai said, then continued. “Do you know about the negative wave?” The girl nodded.

“The innkeeper told me.”

“Ah, that makes things a bit easier.” Hakkai nodded. “Well you see, we were tasked by the gods-”

“Formerly tasked.” Gojyo corrected.

“Formerly?”

“It's complicated.” Hakkai admitted. “Anyway, we're off to the west to stop the source of the negative wave. And retrieve something important to Sanzo.”

“So the source of the wave is from the west, and it's very dangerous.” Devy surmised, returning her bowl to Hakkai. “It sounds like fun!”

“No, danger and fun are not two things you put together!” Gojyo interjected. “Do you have fighting brain cells just like Goku!?” Devy shrugged at this, grinning.

“But it sounds like an adventure.” Devy retorted, sticking her tongue out at Gojyo, then remembered what Gojyo said. “So what makes it so dangerous that you didn’t want me to come with you?”

“Demons, just day in and day out.” Sanzo said plainly, lighting a cigarette he glanced at her. “But like I’ve been saying, I don’t think there’s much of a concern since you know how to fight.” Gojyo glanced at the monk as if he’d lost his mind.

“You were the one against her going from the beginning! She’s still a kid.” Gojyo muttered, earning a glare from Devy. “Sorry.”

Without warning, the sound of buzzing suddenly grew louder and bigger, and soon they were surrounded by several large wasps, flying threateningly at them, as if they had disturbed their nest.

They were all on the alert, including Mayo who posed a protective stance near Devy, hackles raised.

“I suggest you don’t make any sudden movements!” the voice announced from the shadows, coming towards them. The figure soon revealed himself to be a demon with silver hair and teal eyes, smirking at them, proud of his handiwork. “As you can see, these are wasps, and with their size, one sting can kill you.” He glanced at the group, eyeing Mayo. “Just hand over the cat and we’ll let you go.”

“Sorry, that’s not happening.” Devy declared, getting ready to fight.

“Ch.” Sanzo tossed off his cigarette into the fire. “Whatever their size, they’re still bugs.” With quick succession, he shot three of the wasps near them, prompting Hakkai to put up a shield around them to prevent the remaining ones from getting to them immediately. Taking their cue, Gojyo and Goku jumped off to strike the remaining four. With them out of the way, Devy immediately ran for the demon, kicking him down with her practiced roundhouse kick, and with Mayo quick to scratch the demon’s face. Once down, Devy wrestled to get the enemy on his stomach. Gojyo followed through with chaining his legs then up to his arms the moment Devy moved out of the way.

The kid ran gleefully back to Hakkai, happy to have helped. The demon seemed flabbergasted with the turn of events, struggling with his binds.

“How did you even manage to do that??” he uttered. “Weren’t you even scared of dying?”

“We are.” Goku stated. “We just make sure we don’t.”

Sanzo pointed his gun at the demon. “We know you have some answers for us. Why are you trying to get to this cat? Who’s your master?” The demon turned his head away from Sanzo.

“It’s none of your business.” he answered, as if daring the monk to do his worst. Sanzo decided to aim a hair’s width at the demon’s face, making him sweat. “Fine, fine, we were told the cat was important. He said it’s a weapon.”

“There’s no way a sentient cotton can be a weapon.” Gojyo commented, glancing at Mayo who simply sat and stared at the turn of events, grooming himself.

“We don’t know either, but that’s what he told us.”

“Who’s “he”?” Hakkai asked, folding his arms in front of him, studying the sorry state of the demon. When he stopped talking, Hakkai smiled threateningly, making the demon cower. “Saiken. His name’s Saiken. He’s a really powerful magician around here.”

“It doesn't make sense…” Gojyo muttered.

“Would you know where the others are?” Devy asked, stepping forward, basing the description from her dream. “One of them has red hair.”

The demon shook his head. “Saiken never mentioned anyone like that. He knows there are others but our orders were only to find the cat.” He grinned, sitting up then let out a gurgling noise, spitting out something that embedded into Devy's arm, making the girl collapse to the ground. Sanzo immediately shot him in the chest. The demon laughed while in obvious pain. “At least let me have this win.” He muttered, falling down dead.

Hakkai quickly checked on Devy, identifying the wound and starting to heal it. “It's poisoned..” he muttered, worry etched on his face. They needed to move fast before the poison spread, and they didn't have an antidote. Gojyo quickly rummaged through the dead demon's body but was unable to find anything that resembled an antidote.

“Damned bastard, he knew he was gonna die and made that last ditch effort.”

Mayo was meowing hysterically, trying to scratch Hakkai off of Devy. “Mayo, we need to secure her! Please.” Hakkai said, but the cat wouldn't let up, as if pushing him away. The man relented, letting the cat toward the child. They watched as he put his front paws on the wound, and his body glowing a white light. After a few minutes, he stepped off, showing the wound had closed without any signs of the poison. But Devy was still unconscious. He calmly sat beside the girl, meowing calmly at the guys.

Witnessing this, Sanzo lit a cigarette, puffing out smoke as he watched Hakkai settle the kid into their tent with the cat following close behind. The more they went through the motions of this predicament, the more questions they ended up having.

x-x-x-x-

Chapter Text

“Mayumi, where should we put these?” One of the Kouten Corps asked, carrying some planks of wood to finish the repairs on the inner wall of the fortress. It had been a few days since they found themselves in Sharak’s territory and they have made great progress with their recovery and reading materials from the library. Mayumi had recovered well enough to be able to heal herself and Mili, going about nosing around the temple.

They had learned that this was the point in the journey where Kougaiji and Dokugakuji had tried to take the Kouten Sutra from Sharak, where Dokugakuji lost his life. It was no wonder that Kougaiji had been distant enough when he had been with them. The situation they had just left had been terribly grim. Aside from this, there was also the encounter with the one called Nataku, the War God. Based on the descriptions, he seemed to be a young man, but he acted as if he was just simply following someone's orders like a puppet. Since Genjo’s team left, there had not been a peep about this, but the Corps was not willing to take any chances with their own losses.

Today, it was time for them to help and finish the repairs. Mayumi had managed to gather most of the Kouten Corps who had been curious enough with what she was up to.

“Oh, thank you! You can put them over there.” Mayumi said, pointing at the assembly of things they have gathered. “I'll have to ask you to step back a few feet, I wouldn't want to hit any of you by accident.” The men didn't look too convinced, but they did as they were told. She materialized her wand, then tapped it on herself to change into her performance garb, a black tux coat, black miniskirt and pink leggings then black platform shoes. The men involuntarily made a few steps back in surprise. The woman cleared her throat. “Now, to accomplish this, I'll need your cooperation.” She grinned. “We will finish fixing the Fortress in a few minutes!”

 The men looked at her, as if she had gone crazy. Mili, Sharak and Hassan had walked up to the balcony from the second floor, hearing the commotion downstairs. She grinned at them, materializing her top hat then tapping on it. The hat brought out an hourglass. “This counts to a full two minutes, and once I start it, I want you guys to focus on thinking what the Fortress looks like completed!” She announced. “Do you have the image in your mind?” The men hesitated. “This won't work if you don't believe in it happening!” She urged, getting reluctant nods. “Now…” she turned the hourglass and the sands slowly began to trickle down. “Imagine how strong it will be, how easily you can walk through the Fortress and to sleep peacefully at night knowing everything is as it should be..” she went on to describe the Fortress while the three at the balcony looked on.

“A very interesting way to get cooperation.” Sharak commented. “I thought magic was just tricks and diversion.”

“Yeah, it is that..” Mili assured her. “But Mayumi's more than that.” She said proudly.

“Alright, we're at the halfway mark!” Mayumi announced. “Now close your eyes and let's all chant: “Fortress fixed!”

“Ehhh!?”

“Time’s ticking!!” Mayumi reminded, raising her hat upside down in front of her where it started glowing gently. “Fortress fixed! Fortress fixed!”

The men started to chant with her with their eyes closed. Mayumi waited, watching the hat slowly glow brighter. She let go of it and let it float up in the middle of the Fortress.

“Fortress fixed! Fortress fixed!” Mili had joined in, along with Hassan. Sharak smirked, watching on.

“Aaaand ONE LAST TIME! FORTRESS FIXED!!”

The top hat glowed its brightest, spreading its light surrounding everyone, the wind seeming to gust around them with a clatter of materials that were being swept away. They covered their faces with their arms or hands until the light diminished. Silence enveloped them for a few moments until someone dared look and gasp in surprise. The others uncovered their eyes and saw the materials gone, and the Fortress looking brand new.

Yelps of amazement rippled through the crowd.

“How is this possible!?” Hassan exclaimed, looking around and running off to the reconstructed parts.

Sharak was also amazed, then her demeanor changed to a relaxed pose. She looked over to Mili who was proudly grinning at what her girlfriend had accomplished. “I see what you mean..” she stated. “Not only does she have the power to manipulate materials at will, but she allows everyone else to experience the process by involving them with their energy and wishes.”

Mili nodded. “Yep. That makes her one of the best in her craft back in our world.” Mayumi turned to them on the balcony and waved. “Show-off!” Mili teased.

Sensing something approaching, Mili instinctively turned into a jaguar and jumped over beside Mayumi. The crowd dispersed in surprise and in the space created, a beast like a dragon or lion mascot used for parades of sorts appeared, with a small woman riding on it. She was wearing ceremonial garbs and her hair tied up in fluffy white ox buns on either sides of her head. She had a stoic expression on her face while spinning a device in her hand, something that resembled an item for prayers at a temple. She had a telltale demon mark on the left side of her temple, but her ears were not pointy.

“Kumari Talchie!” Sharak exclaimed, calling out to the woman that just arrived. The woman named Talchie walked up to Mayumi and Mili. Despite the recognition Sharak gave, the shapeshifter had not backed down. “Mili! It's okay! She's not an enemy.” Sharak left the balcony, making her way down to the first floor. Hearing this, Mili reverted to her human form, curiously looking at the newcomers.

“Oh, another shapeshifter!” The creature sounded, also turning into a different form, a demon with blond hair, an aviator hat and tinted glasses. He gave them a small salute.

“I've never met anyone like me before..” Mili said, eyeing the demon.

“Likewise.” The man said, offering a handshake. “The name's Sai Tai Sai.” Mili took the hand and shook it gingerly.

“Mili Ortega.”

“You’ve got a very good handle on your shapeshifting.” Sai Tai Sai commended, folding his arms in front of him, as if measuring her up. “You also a messenger of the heavens from your world?”

Mili shook her head. “I'm just a normal girl.”

“Hahahaha. I highly doubt that. Heh.” 

“Sai Tai Sai told me a few days ago that you had guests.” Talchie said, addressing Sharak, then turned to Mayumi. “I sensed a very powerful burst of energy a while ago.” Talchie looked up at Mayumi. “And I couldn't ignore it.” The pink haired woman gave a small wave.

“Was my performance too much?” She ventured asking. “Did I break any rules here?”

Talchie shook her head. “No.. you shouldn't be here. You're in the wrong direction.”

“What do you mean?”

“The blonde one that came with you..” she said, spinning her instrument. “She's further west.”

“What?? You know where Sophie is??” Mili said, unable to keep her voice down, warranting a hit on the head from Sharak.

“Show some respect to the Living Goddess!!” Sharak rebuked, forcing Mili to bow in the presence of Talchie.

“I don’t mind.” Talchie said plainly, nodding to Sharak to let go of the shapeshifter who was frowning for being manhandled. “To answer your question, I don’t know where she is specifically, just that she is where the sun is.”

“Wow, that’s so transparent..” Mili muttered, receiving a knock on the head from Sharak. “Ow!”

“Is that a prophecy?” Sharak tried to confirm from the small woman’s face, but her expression did not betray anything.

The woman shook her head. “You can say it was a random vision.” she looked at Mayumi again. “You.”

“...yes?” Mayumi said, her smile plastered on her face, uncertain how to proceed with the conversation.

“There’s no point hiding your legacy. You’re home afterall.”

“Hm? Do you mean my hair?” she said questioningly.

“More than that.” Talchie said, turning her back to them as Sai Tai Sai transformed back into the dragon-like creature. “There’s no shame in being a demon.” She hopped on the dragon and regarded the group once more. “I suggest you leave here as soon as possible. You have a lot of catching up to do.” With that, the woman and dragon were off and soon gone from view.

“Man, what the hell was that about..” Mili muttered, glancing at Mayumi who seemed to be deep in thought. Mayumi moved away from her and waved her wand, changing her appearance back to regular clothes, a plain brown blouse, and loose dark blue jeans and rubber shoes. She also changed her hair back to its original red shade. “Mayumi..” Mili muttered, taking in her new or rather, old look. The woman shrugged at her.

“It really isn’t much, when I think about it, but I kept saying I went with pink because it was easy, but maybe it was because I wasn't ever truly comfortable in my own skin.” Mili walked to her, embracing her quietly. She returned the embrace and soon broke away from it.

Sharak approached them, her stare betraying nothing. “We owe you much for your help with our fortress. We don't know how far Genjo and his group have gone, but it would be best if you try to catch up with them. More than anyone, they attract the worst of trouble.” She smirked. “And I wish I was joking.”

The two laughed. “Yeah, we're not surprised.” Mili said, looking at the sky. It was still early in the afternoon. “Is there a time to best leave around here?”

“Not really, but if you want to avoid the heat, I suggest you leave at dusk later. I'll have Hassan provide your map and some supplies.” Sharak said and started to walk off.

“Oh, Sharak, would it be okay if we went around the area?” Mayumi asked, gesturing to fly over and around the Fortress. “We just want to make sure the repairs went according to plan.”

Sharak stopped. “I don't doubt your ability one bit, but if it gives you peace of mind, be my guest.” she continued walking, waving to them to do as they please.

Soon, the two were off, flying around the fortress walls, then higher to check on the surroundings. They spotted an area that seemed to have a slab of black stone. Gliding closer, they discovered that it was a monument, in memory of those who have passed on. Deciding to land, the two paid respects, even if they couldn't read all the names inscribed.

“The incense here are recent.” Mili commented, indicating the mild scent wafting in the air. “The last name inscribed looks like it was placed here not too long ago..”

“We never really asked the guys about this part of their journey, but maybe we can ask them when we find them.” Mayumi said, using a bit of her chi to light the incense, paying their own respects. She felt Mili take her hand in hers. She looked at her, warming up at the assurance she saw on her face. “Let's go find Hassan so we can be on our way.”

Time flew by and the girls were soon ready to take flight. Hassan procured some food items and medicine, instructing them with their direction and what to expect. Sharak was nearby, watching them prepare, and nodded to them when they waved their farewells.

“Take care of yourselves out there.” Hassan bade, backing a few steps away as Mayumi set her magic orb and Mili turning into a giant owl.

“We will!” Mayumi said, slowly floating away and was off behind Mili, flying towards the sunset. The air still felt a bit warm from the day, slowly blowing in gusts of colder air as they moved forward. Hassan had detailed the mountain route as much as he could, and as predicted, some areas had warped differently, possibly due to the effects of the negative wave. The next town was estimated to be two days away by carriage, but they can possibly reach it sooner.

“I never thought in my wildest dreams we'd be able to travel like this through India in a different world..” Mili mused, catching an air current and gliding along next to Mayumi. “Too bad there's no one to write home about it - except Ben. I do hope he's not too worried about us.”

Mayumi had to laugh at her last statement. “He probably is. He's probably even trying to figure out how to get us home.” The sun was almost gone from the horizon so Mayumi set up a virtual compass, a white orb a few meters ahead of them to keep their direction west. “There aren't that many trees in this area either. In the least we should find some place to land and rest later when your wings get tired.”

“The air currents are pretty convenient so far. I'll let you know when I'm tired.” Mili replied, glancing at Mayumi with her red hair gently swaying with the wind. “I wonder what Sophie's been doing tho.. I'm willing to bet she's picked fights by now. Haha.” She clipped her wings to her body and made a small dive and flapped her wings open again, floating with the wind current. Mayumi didn't speak. “Something on your mind?”

“We did enter this world immediately into a fight..” Mayumi stated. “And it seems like I was the target. If anything, you and Sophie were just collateral. I'd feel bad if you two would get seriously hurt because of me…”

“Hey hey…” Mili muttered. “We've been through shit since highschool. And if you felt you could do whatever you wanted to save any of us back then, we feel the same way about you.”

Mayumi smiled at her. “Thank you, Mili.”

The shapeshifter changed into a smaller bird, a falcon. “Maybe we can pick up the pace for a few hours? Then we can take a nap.” she wasn't really waiting for an answer, darting off ahead, guided by their western light.

“Hey!” Wait up!!” Mayumi called after her, changing her orb and position to be more aerodynamic and speeding off into the night.

Chapter Text

Goku and Hakkai took turns looking after Devy who had started running a fever after the encounter with the demon's poison. She was not in any danger, but the shock of the poison in her system was taking a toll. By Hakkai's estimate, she'd just need to ride out the fever, meaning they would have to stay put until she was better. They may have to stay another night in the area. According to their map, it would be easy enough to get to the next town afterwards. Mayo sat beside Devy, with his form folded similar to a loaf, legs tucked into his body and his tail clipped to his side. He was wide awake, just watching her.

“She'll be alright, Mayo. Thanks to you..” Goku assured the cat, gently patting its head. “You really are her guardian.”

“I can see why the demons would want to get him.” Hakkai mused, changing the cold towel on the girl's head. “His powers are indeed unusual, but I am curious how they plan to use it for their benefit, granted that he's loyal to his human.”

“It's possible they just want to isolate the power to get rid of Devy.” Sanzo interjected from outside the tent smoking his cigarette. “Their underhanded measures are pissing me off.”

Hakkai glanced at Devy's sleeping figure. “Just who the heck is she?”

As morning broke on the horizon, Devy opened her eyes, figuring out for a few minutes where she was and seeing Goku asleep next to her and Mayo on top of his belly. She giggled quietly, slowly sitting up.

“Oh, ya feelin’ better?” It was Gojyo, peeking through the tent opening with his cigarette between his lips. “Hey, Hakkai! She's awake!” The announcement also stirred Goku awake who immediately got up, dislodging the cat from his person. Offended, the feline glared at him then immediately started grooming himself.

“Devy! You're awake!” Goku exclaimed, grabbing Mayo. “He was so worried about you!” The cat wriggled free from the annoying boy and hopped onto Devy’s lap, mewling at her. The girl reciprocated by patting his head.

“Hey, you were too!” Gojyo retorted. “And pipe down!”

“Devy! I'm glad you're awake!” Hakkai greeted, coming into the tent and checking her temperature. She could feel the genuine relief from them as they have undoubtedly stayed up all night to watch over her. “I'm glad your fever's down..” he said, moving back outside. “Let me get you some food.”

“It's okay Hakkai, I can get up..” Devy said, moving her legs and slowly getting up out of the tent. Greeted by the chilly morning air, and the warmth of the sun slowly rising. Sanzo was nearby, having some coffee and reading his paper. She bowed to Hakkai and the others. “Thank you for looking after me, and I’m sorry to cause such trouble to all of you.” The men waved it off, knowing it was just another day in the life, and it was no trouble.

Hakkai procured some rice and some corned beef from the prepped meals and gave it to the girl. “Here, it isn’t much, but we’ll get better food once we reach the next town.” Devy took the food thankfully, eating it slowly, her mouth watering upon tasting the saltiness of the preserved meat, tempered by the warm rice. She couldn’t help but smile a little with the treat of a meal. She heard Hakkai chuckle. “Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying it!”

Devy nodded. “Mm-hm!” she mumbled. “Ish pretty good.” She quietly snarfed down the rest of her food, watching the others pack up to head out to the next town.

“Based on the map, we’ll be able to make it to the town by afternoon.” Hakkai said, mostly to himself. “Quite frankly, I feel uneasy, like something is bound to go wrong somehow..”

“Hey, hey, don’t be like that, Hakkai.” Gojyo said, packing their tent at the back with the rest of their things. “You and your gut feelings are sometimes fucking scary and accurate.”

Goku hopped onto Hakuryu and beckoned Devy to hop in as well. “But, even if you say that, we’ve been alive this long because of those gut feelings too!” the youth commented, grinning at the kid as she jumped in. “You’re getting the hang of it!”

The group was soon off, the rising sun on their backs as they traversed the dry land that slowly gave way to lush meadows. The tall trees were still sparse, but the rolling hills now showed them green grass as far as the eye could see. Taken by surprise with the transition, Goku stood up, holding onto the back of Sanzo’s seat. Devy did the same, looking around with Gojyo gently having a hand on her back to make sure she doesn’t tumble over.

“LOOK! Sheep!” the child exclaimed, pointing at a whole flock, slowly making their way in a line while a dog could be seen running back and forth guiding them through back to their farm in the distance. Hakkai stopped the jeep engine since the sheep were slowly crossing a few meters ahead. Their bleating and the rumbling of their feet was almost a cadence in the quiet morning. “They’re so fluffy like clouds!” Devy commented, looking this way and that, eyes shining at the rare sight. Mayo wasn’t too impressed, hopping onto Gojyo’s shoulder and hissing at the animals, possibly offending his nose. Eventually, the sheep had managed to cross the road and Hakkai started the engine again, slowly passing alongside the sheep who continued their route ahead. Getting ahead of the flock, Devy and Goku waved farewell at the sheep until they were almost out of sight.

Sitting back down, Mayo hopped back onto Devy’s lap, content that they have distanced themselves from the offending animals. The girl patted the cat to calm him down.

“This is quite the nice change of scenery from all that desert view for weeks.” Hakkai commented, driving along.

“Yeah, it was fucking tiring with nothing but dust everywhere. It was almost as dry as how I feel…” Gojyo stated flatly, lighting a cigarette.

“What do you mean by dry?” Devy asked, looking at Gojyo curiously. Mayo seemed to know what he meant, judging him with a squint of his blue eyes.

“Yeah, perverted water sprite, what DO you mean by that?” Sanzo challenged, looking at the rear view mirror, daring the redhead to continue with his comment. He watched the man squirm.

“A-ah, y’know…” Gojyo trailed off, a thin sheen of sweat visible on his face. “Your skin kinda gets really dry when you’re exposed to too much dirt.”

“I see.” Devy said, tilting her head to one side. She turned to Sanzo. “Then, why do you have to be so mean if it’s as simple as that?” she rebuked, defending Gojyo. The monk was taken aback by this, having been used to not having anyone retort like that.

“Ch! Don’t take everything he says at face value.” Sanzo suggested, folding his arms inside his robe, closing his eyes for a nap. Gojyo glared daggers at the back of his head.

“Why you-”

The kid was quiet, thinking about it for a bit, but then shrugged her shoulders. “I guess it’s one of those things I’ll figure out when I’m older!” she decided, grinning at Gojyo who just nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.

Following the meadows, they eventually reached a medium-sized town surrounded by grasslands and a few trees. The houses were farther apart from each other, and there was a prominent church to one side. Hakkai hummed to himself. “Seems like a Catholic church.” He said. They noticed a gathering of people at the church to the left. The bell tolled, signifying the start of the mass. Sanzo looked on, seeing a familiar flutter of a black and white robe. His gaze followed the church while Hakkai parked in front of a Bed and Breakfast.

“Can we look around the church later, Hakkai?” Devy asked, seemingly curious about the structure.

“Of course!” Turning off the engine, Hakuryu was instructed to stay put.

“What's wrong, Sanzo?” Goku asked, following his gaze to the church. The people around seem to have entered as the mass began. The monk said nothing, but handed the credit card to Hakkai and began walking towards the church. “Hey, wait up!” Goku hopped off Hakuryu and ran after the monk.

Seeing the commotion, Devy followed with Mayo right behind her.

“Well, it can't be helped, I guess..” Gojyo muttered, following Hakkai into the building.

“Excuse me, we’d like to ask about available rooms!”

“Yes, yes, I’m coming over.” The voice was that of an old lady, and her footsteps were soon heard shuffling towards the counter. She smiled at them, her garb revealing her to be a nun, possibly from the nearby church.

“Oh, pardon us, sister!” Hakkai said, giving a small bow. The nun waved off the gesture, her eyes following his movement. “We were just hoping to have a few rooms to rent for a night or two..”

“Please, no need to be so formal with me!” the nun said, opening the ledger. “My name’s Grace. I’m just standing in for my brother who had to tend to his sheep that’s due to give birth today. I’ll be back at the church later in the afternoon.” The woman read through the ledger, seeing the available rooms. “Ah, yes, we have four rooms available.”

“I see.” Hakkai gave it some thought. “Well, there’s five of us, but one is my niece, so I can stay in the same room with her as she gets scared sleeping on her own sometimes. Oh, and she has a pet cat, I hope that’s okay.” he reasoned. Gojyo said nothing.

“That’s fine.” Sister Grace said, marking the rooms and giving them their keys. Gojyo was soon off to their respective rooms, bringing their things with them. “Just please write the names here and the occupants. I’ll have someone bring in the extra mattress to your room later.” She handed the ledger to Hakkai who filled it out diligently. “There are some shops and restaurants nearby, but I’m afraid there isn’t much in terms of souvenirs and such.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that, we’re just passing through.” Hakkai said politely. “I’ll drop by the church later once we’ve settled in.”

“Interested in architecture?”

“Yeah, something of the sort.” he answered with a smile. “I guess, for me in a way, I’d like to pay respects to the ones protecting this place.” The nun smiled approvingly.

“I must admit, it’s refreshing to see such youngsters who still believe in the faith. Our current bishop is a young man as well.” she said, closing the ledger. “I’m sorry but I think I didn’t catch your name.”

“It’s Cho Hakkai. It was nice meeting you, Sister Grace.'' The man stated, giving a small wave and headed for their own room. Settling their things, he decided to go back outside to find the others to tell them of the setup for the night.

Reaching the church, they could hear people settling down into the pews, while the commentator spoke. “We are gathered here today in memory of our beloved Desmond who has joined our Lord too soon a year to this day.” Devy moseyed over to the basin for holy water and did the sign of the cross before going back to the two.

Goku looked on, and they were soon approached by an old lady, ushering them to sit on some empty seats nearby. Sensing it would be rude to turn away, the three followed, with Mayo sauntering near Devy.

“Our presider for this mass… is Bishop Hazel Grouse.”

“EHHHH!?” Goku exclaimed, warranting several glares from the congregation. Seeing that he was silenced by Devy, the crowd put their focus back to the altar, with the commentator proceeding and the mass officially beginning.

Sanzo focused on the presider and he was certain that it was indeed Hazel, with his slicked back silver hair, and white cape over his black robe. He signaled the congregation to stand, his hands covered with his white gloves. The only thing different with his usual garb is the fact that he had a patterned brown scarf tied to his left arm, the scarf that belonged to Gat.

The three followed the motions of the mass, as instructed by the commentator, listening to the Liturgy for the memorial mass. A woman stepped up to the podium to the side as the congregation looked on solemnly.

“ The First Reading. A reading from the book of Wisdom, chapter 3, verses 1 through 9.”

Goku looked on, turning to Sanzo. “This is way different than what you do at the temple.” he whispered as quietly as he could. Sanzo gave him a stern look.

“It’s a different religion altogether.” he obliged. “Now keep your mouth shut.”

“But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace.

For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself.

Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones, and he watches over his elect. ”

The woman then ended the reading, stepping down from the podium, bowing to Hazel and moving to her seat. Another person walked up to the podium, searching the passage he would read from. He looked at the congregation, motioning them to stand. “Please stand for the Responsorial Psalm.”

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.

He revives my soul and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.”

The congregation then followed with the response: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me.” The two looked over to Devy who recited the same passage and were embarrassed when the kid pointed at the booklet they had available on the pew.

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil;

for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me.”

“You spread a table before me in front of my enemies;

you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup overflows.”

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me.”

“Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me.”

Silence followed as the reader returned to his seat and the commentator addressed the congregation to be seated for the second reading.

“The Second Reading: a reading from the book of Revelation, Chapter 21: verses 2 through 7. 

I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

"See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away."

And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." 

Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.”

After a while and some songs, the commentator spoke and directed them for the next part.

“Let us now be seated for the Homily”

Sitting back down, the congregation looked on as Hazel stood back up to address the crowd at the podium. As the shuffling of people sitting subsided, he regarded them, glancing briefly at Sanzo and his companions.

He opened the book and read through the passage:

“Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away-- and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd."

He took the book and raised it up. “This is the Gospel of the Lord.” The congregation then responded with. “Praise to you O Lord Jesus Christ.” After the people have seated, Hazel addressed the crowd once more.

“We are gathered here today in memory of our brother Desmond. Our Liturgy for the day reflects such loss and acceptance of such fate, and how we all come together under one flock. As Psalm 23 teaches us, the Lord is our shepherd. I find this apt for someone like Desmond, who was dedicated to his farm and his flock.”

He glanced at one of the window panes, depicting Jesus with his sheep before returning his gaze to the crowd.

“He was also devoted to the church, a simple, and humble man.” Hazel paused again, and looked thoughtfully at the man’s family who were seated near the podium. “It has been a year, but his memory lives on with us, those who stay on this earth, guided by the Lord, as Desmond has been with us in life. As the passage goes: “ Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. ”

This went on, while the three at the back looked on respectfully. There came a point where Hazel beckoned the family to share a few words in memory of Desmond and proceeded with the rest of the celebration.

At the end of the mass, Hazel called all the children to the front, blessing them as a group with some holy water with an aspergillum, an object with a handle and a perforated metal ball on one end that would fill with the holy water from the the designated container. After which, he personally said a little prayer to those who asked for them with their babies. As the crowd dispersed, Hazel walked to the back of the church to approach the three. He had an easy smile, as if meeting old friends.

“Hello, Sanzo and Goku, long time no see!” he greeted. “I never expected to meet you guys here, of all people.”

“Same with you.” Sanzo stated, studying him. The bishop shifted his gaze towards Devy who was watching the exchange. He knelt down to meet her at eye level.

“And who might you be? I’m Hazel.” he said, surprised with Mayo who suddenly had his hackles raised, growling deeply. “Oh my, I’m not here to hurt anyone..” he raised his arms gently as a sign of surrender.

Devy was staring at him in awe. “My name’s Devy!” the girl chirped, offering a handshake which the man took gladly, shaking it gently. “You’re very pretty!” Hazel had to chuckle at the compliment from the brown-haired child. But something seemed to happen as Hazel’s expression changed to mild surprise, but he covered it up by standing up. Mayo remained guarded.

“My apologies, it seems I’m not quite cut out with kneeling too long, I suddenly felt dizzy.” he said, still smiling at the girl. “Devy, was it? I never figured Sanzo's party would be traveling with such a young companion. Their journey is super dangerous!”

Sanzo sighed, looking at Hazel. “It’s a long story.” He turned to the door and spotted a bench nearby, bringing out his pack of cigarettes and lighter. The rest followed, with Devy and Mayo looking around church grounds, studying the statues and the flowers. Lighting his cigarette, he was silent for a few minutes, watching Devy. Goku stood nearby, just studying Hazel’s features before moving his gaze towards the church.

“You got yourself into some complicated trouble again, haven’t you?” Hazel surmised, folding his arms in front of him. Sanzo chuckled at this comment.

“Well you can say that.” Sanzo responded, puffing out smoke. “What about you, how’d you get yourself here?” He was farther west than they’d last seen him, but he seemed to be doing well for himself.

“After our encounter with Ukoku, a kindly villager had found me and helped me recover from my injuries and memories.” He absently touched the brown scarf on his arm. “Ever since that battle, I’ve been having… issues trying to keep my own monster at bay.” He paused, reminded of their loss on that mountain against a foe that could delete existence at a whim. “After I reached this place, I decided to stay longer to remind myself of my own faith.” He looked at the child and her cat. “Perhaps the cat could sense Vaharal close to the surface.”

“Isn’t that bad?” Goku commented, squatting on the ground, hands cupping his face while looking up at Hazel. “Aren’t you afraid something might happen?”

“Then, that would be a test of my own strength.” Hazel said. “I’m not afraid, nor would I dare lose again.”

Sanzo chuckled at this declaration. “Good to know you have a better backbone now..” he commented, standing up. Hazel only made a face at Sanzo's remark. He watched Devy run back to them, carrying a ring of flowers she had made from what she gathered.

“Hazel, this is for you!” the girl said, hopping onto the bench to better place it on the man’s head. Hazel obliged, bending forward a little to receive the gift on his head. “Now you look like an angel!”

Hazel’s eyes widened a little at the comment, but said nothing. Sanzo gave him a knowing look. Ukoku was the only other person who enjoyed using that term with the bishop, a pet name, a mockery. Devy noticed the change and peered at Hazel’s face.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.. I just happened to remember someone who used to say that to me..” Hazel admitted. “It wasn’t from a nice person such as yourself.”

Goku watched this exchange and remembered something. “Think of it as a new memory!” he quipped. “Now when you see flowers in the garden, you’ll remember Devy calling you an angel.”

“Oh, that is true, Goku..” he smiled at the boy. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

“So this is where you’ve all been!” Hakkai greeted, waving at the unlikely group in front of the church, followed by Gojyo who was just as surprised to see the bishop. “Long time no see, Hazel! I trust that you’ve been well?”

“Oh, I could be better.” the other man admitted. “I was just having a chat with Sanzo, and this thoughtful little girl you have with you.” There was an awkward silence, and Gojyo decided he didn’t want any of the tense atmosphere.

“Anyway, we looked for you guys coz it’s getting late and we found this great curry place!” the redhead said, pointing back at the middle of the town. “You’re welcome to join us, Hazel.” The bishop shook his head.

“As much as I want to oblige, this day has been quite tiring for me. I may have to rest soon after evening prayers.” Hazel waved to them and began to walk back inside the church, then paused. “Oh, but I would like to give my blessings to the girl before you leave, please do drop by tomorrow morning, I’ll be here to meet you.”

With that, he was off to the church and the men went back to the town proper, with Devy holding on to Hakkai’s hand. Mayo decided it was the perfect time to regain his spot on Gojyo’s shoulder, hopping onto the tall man without warning.

“You could at least tell me before clambering!!” Gojyo complained, letting the cat settle on his shoulders.

“I never expected to run into him here.” Goku commented, glancing back at the church as the setting sun painted it in red hues.

Somehow, seeing him makes me feel a little uneasy.

“Let’s go, Goku!” Gojyo called to him, waving him to catch up to them. Goku waved back to them and ran after them, shrugging off the feeling.

Chapter Text

The group found themselves in a tiny restaurant that served mutton curry along with samosas and roti. Goku and Gojyo were bickering over the samosas while Devy enjoyed dipping her roti in the curry sauce. It was a different meal than their usual and it was a welcome change. While the “kids” of the group were busy, Hakkai brought up the encounter with Hazel and what had transpired at the church.

“I figured we'd bump into him again sooner or later.” Sanzo said, lighting a cigarette. “It would have been a disappointment if he died from that last fight.” he paused. “I am a little concerned about his handle on his demon..”

“Why's that?”

“He said he felt that it was closer to the surface. Which means he's worried it might take over.”

“I’ll go and drop by the church with Devy tomorrow.” Hakkai said, implying to be able to check on the man. “He said something like a blessing for Devy, right?” He glanced at the kid who listened in upon the mention of her name.

“Really? He’s such a strange man, but he does seem nice…” she commented, grabbing a large piece of mutton and rolling it in roti, happily chewing on the curry-softened meat. Goku and Gojyo had stopped fighting since it was a piece of meat they had been arguing about, and now it’s gone.

“Maaaan, looking at her eating so happily makes me feel guilty for fighting over food..” Goku mumbled, settling for a different piece from the pot and following what the kid did. Gojyo settled down as well, taking a swig from his beer.

“Aside from that, did you ask how he’s been? It must have been hard for him having lost Gat.” Gojyo said, remembering the towering bodyguard that Hazel had with him who carried two powerful revolvers, an efficient killer. His physical strength had also been unmatched. Sanzo shook his head. “I see. He’d probably try to brush it off with that cocky attitude of his..”

The next day, Hakkai and Devy were up early and were soon walking inside the church, waiting for Hazel to show up. Devy proceeded to skip along the pews, her little footsteps echoing, Mayo perched on a pew, watching her. She stopped at a beam of sunlight filtering through the stained glass windows, making a pattern on the floor, her wonder of simple things making her smile. Hakkai watched this, feeling a little at ease seeing the child being a child despite their journey. It wasn't long before Hazel showed up, coming from the back of the church. He waved at the two as he made his way towards them.

“Good morning!” He greeted, eyeing the cat who had decided to keep his distance. “I see he still doesn't like me..”

Hakkai laughed awkwardly. “I'm afraid there's nothing you can do about that..”

“Say, where’d you find the girl?” Hazel asked, not taking his eyes away from the child.

“Hm? I’m pretty sure your level of interest in minors is illegal.” Hakkai commented off-handedly.

“Still as snide as ever, Hakkai.” the bishop sighed. “I know you already know she isn’t what she should be.” he said bluntly. “I can sense a curse over her, and I can tell it’s by a demon.”

“Are you also after this demon?”

“I’m afraid not, not this time.” Hazel admitted, revealing the weak glow of his power from his hand. “I'm sure Sanzo has told you about my current predicament. Hakkai nodded. “It even took me some time to regain my memories. Gat's scarf was what grounded me back. I'm determined not to lose.” He waved to the girl who skipped towards them upon seeing his gesture.

He knelt in front of Devy, reaching into his pocket to reveal a silver pendant shaped like an angel, the wings were silver while its supposed dress was an inlaid blue crystal, the head with a small pearl. It reflected the refracted light from the stained glass windows. “It’s a small sapphire, a symbol of protection.” He unfastened the lock, wearing it on the girl. “I hope it’s enough to keep you safe, and that you may find your journey home.”

“Hm? You know I’m not from here?” Devy tilted her head curiously at the bishop, then at Hakkai who smiled sheepishly.

“I’m well aware that none of Sanzo’s party has a child, and God-forbid that Sanzo, of all people, would have one.” Hazel said standing up. “I’m not saying Sanzo could not have a child, it’s just highly unlikely.” He turned towards Hakkai. “Will you be leaving today?”

“Not yet. Sanzo said he’d like to talk to you about something later.”

“Oh, that’s rare, for the great Sanzo to need something from me.” Hazel commented, visibly pleased. “I’ll be here later this afternoon. I just have a few things I have to attend to.”

Waving goodbye, the two left the church and decided to take a walk around the town. Devy was quietly humming to herself, admiring the pendant from Hazel, the cuts on the stone refracting light when she tilted it. She stopped, realizing something. “Oh, I forgot to thank him!” She let go of Hakkai’s hand, immediately running back to the church.

“Devy, wait!” Hakkai called out and was soon chasing after the child who was surprisingly fast. Mayo ran off into the other direction, towards the inn. Hakkai paused to make sure where Mayo was headed before running off to follow Devy.

Reaching the church, Devy saw that there wasn’t anyone left in the vicinity. Slowing down, she grabbed a yellow flower along her way then peeked through the main entrance and saw Hazel kneeling in front of the altar. She started walking towards him, but he didn’t seem to notice her. “Hazel!” she called out. “I forgot to thank you for the pendant!” she said, hesitating when she realized that he seemed to be in pain. “Are you okay?”

“Stay back!” Hazel ordered, as if barely holding on. Devy stopped in her tracks, aghast, watching as his back seemed to convulse. Eventually, the back of his clothing ripped, revealing sharp, black wings. The man turned towards her, a twisted grin on his face. Slowly, he walked towards her. There was something in his eyes that said that he wasn't Hazel.

“My, my.. what do we have here.. such a precocious little girl..” the voice uttered using Hazel's body. “If I take your soul, it would lead me to the demon who cursed you and I'd finally be rid of this weak body. Hahahaha!” 

Devy stepped back, sweat trickling down her chin. She felt angry. This.. thing, just coming out of nowhere, messing with the angel. She clenched her fist on the stem of the flower she had picked. “No. No one's taking anything else from anyone.” She declared, pointing the flower at the demon. “You should leave Hazel alone!”

The thing smirked. “Trust me, I would if I could, I'd have left this weak and pathetic mortal a long time ago.”

“He's not weak, he's not pathetic!” Devy countered. “He's an angel! Angels are strong, loving and brave!”

“Hahaha! That's enough of that, you brat..” the thing said, walking towards her again, raising its wings and striking with his chi.

“Devy!” It was Hakkai, running towards the chaos. Grabbing the child, he put up a barrier between them and the monster. The attacks were deflected, destroying the line of pews on either side of them. Some of the energy got through, cutting into Hakkai's arms. As the dust settled, the two looked on as Varahal walked closer. Hakkai stood up, assessing their options. “We're in quite a predicament..” he paused, looking into Hazel's eyes. “Hazel, I thought you said you weren't gonna lose anymore?”

“He can't hear you.” Varahal said, cocky with his soon victory. He struck again with his wings, barely deflected by Hakkai’s chi. “Now hand over that child.”

Hakkai instinctively held out an arm to shield Devy. He couldn't attack Hazel, but leaving him alone would be dangerous as well. As the demon slowly moved towards them, Gojyo’s shakujo extended, wrapping Varahal’s wings towards Hazel to buy them some time. Goku followed up with the attack, striking from above. The demon had managed to break through Gojyo’s chains, barely dodging Goku’s attack. Hakkai had secured Devy's exit while the two kept the possessed bishop occupied. On their way out, Sanzo walked in, glaring at the predicament in the church.

He spat out some blood, smirking at Goku who ran again for another charge, aiming for Hazel's body. As soon as Goku made contact, Varahal deflected with a burst of energy, throwing the boy off onto another line of pews. Gojyo charged in with his shakujo attempting for another hit but failed as well.

“Ch!” Gojyo summoned his blade back. “So much for his resolve not to lose again!” Gojyo backed away as Varahal tried to strike him with his wings. “Hey Goku! Are you alright!?” The brown haired man stood up from the splinters of the pews, grunting that he was okay. Before Varahal could hit them again, Sanzo fired his bullets at him to get his attention.

“You’re still all talk after all this time!” The monk bellowed, shooting at Varahal indiscriminately. “We didn't come here to babysit you, you fucking weak shit.”

“HAZEL! THE ANGEL HAS TO WIN!!” Devy yelled, making the demon falter. The demon snarled again, dodging as the bullets came, forgetting that Goku and Gojyo were also near him, managing to pin him down with their weapons.

Before any further chaos could ensue, the demon's hold seemed to have slackened, and the body seemed to convulse.

“You fucking monster, stop trying to take over my body! Once was enough!!” Hazel finally yelled, holding onto his arms, as if holding himself back. He fell down to his knees, gasping.

“NOO! I will not fail again!!” Varahal was still trying to counter the possession of the body, but he was losing. Slowly, the wings that had appeared rescinded into his body, as if it never existed. Soon, Hazel slackened his grip and fell forward on the church floor unconscious. Devy broke away from Hakkai's hold and ran towards the unmoving figure.

“Hazel!” Devy exclaimed, struggling to turn him over. Hakkai helped her, using his white cloth to serve as a makeshift pillow. He also checked the man for other injuries.

“It seems like his chi is just low.. he'll just need to rest a bit to recover.” Hakkai declared, sitting down on the floor with Devy, sighing in relief. The girl seemed worried. He patted the girl's head. “You did well standing your ground like that.”

The girl nodded, but her expression didn't change. “I was mad..” she admitted. “I didn't like seeing Hazel like that. That monster was such a meanie.”

“I think you fighting for Hazel like that is what saved him.” Hakkai said seriously. “Having someone who believes in you can help you in the toughest of times.”

“Our concern now is, saving his reputation..” As he said this, some members of the congregation who happened to be nearby started showing up, seeing the damage to their church. “Hazel can't lose this place, not now.”

“Ch, noseybodies..” Gojyo muttered, watching a man run towards them. Mayo was soon at Devy's side, rubbing himself against her in concern.

“What happened here? Is Bishop Hazel okay!?” The man said, kneeling to look at him.

Hakkai had to think fast. “Yes.. he's fine. I'm sorry but it seems to have been brought about by us being here, a demon followed us and tried to attack him. He helped us get rid of it, but it had done damage to your church.” He fibbed.

“How terrible!” Another churchgoer uttered, listening to Hakkai.

“The demon’s been exorcized, but it took a lot out of Hazel.” Hakkai continued. “Could you lead us to his room so we can better take care of him?”

“S-sure.” The two said, leading the way to the back of the church. Gojyo and Hakkai took to either side of the unconscious man and eventually managed to get him to his bed. Devy followed behind them, with Mayo beside her. Hakkai followed the men outside, discussing how to go about managing the damages for the next few days.

Gojyo sighed, watching the unconscious foreigner. “Ch. Still as troublesome, it seems.”

“Gojyo..” Devy muttered, not turning away from the unconscious man. “What happened earlier exactly?” She stepped closer to the bed, studying his face. “Is he really that dangerous?”

The redhead scratched his head. “You could say that he is..” he answered. “From what I understand, he’s possessed by a very powerful demon, and it’s something he had no knowledge of until recently. And he’s been learning how to keep it in control.”

“The demon seemed to have wanted to take me to find the one who cursed me.” She put down the flower on the bedside table. It had slightly wilted from all the commotion, but it was still in good condition. Devy faced Gojyo with a form of determination. “I have something to ask of you..”

Chapter Text

Sister Grace had heard the news from the townsfolk and had made her way to the church as fast as she could. It was already mid afternoon, and the sun's glow was slowly turning gold. The outside looked normal, but upon entering, she could see the rubble and the broken pews in the middle. Making a sign of the cross to herself at the sight of the mess, she slowly made her way to see Hazel. Nearing the door, it opened and a streak of powder blue and brown rushed past.

“Oops, sorry sister!” It was the niece of one of the visitors. She was carrying the bishop’s robe with her and was running off somewhere. The nun knew better than to try to catch up. She turned back to the doorway, seeing the guests from the inn smiling apologetically at her. The redhead had the white cat on his shoulder.

“She said she was off to the tailor’s to have his robes fixed.” Hakkai explained, moving out of the way to let her pass.

“Thank you for looking after the bishop..” she nodded to them, going to Hazel’s room. She found the man sitting up from his bed, his clothes changed to his bedroom shirt and pants. He was absently staring at the yellow flower in his hand. He looked at her upon her entry. “Bishop! I heard from the townsfolk! How are you feeling?”

Hazel’s expression was a mix of pain and an expression of irony. “It is as you see it, Sister Grace. Haha” he muttered, wincing from the effort. He gently placed the flower back on the table.

“I’ll be sure to have people take care of you until you’re better.” Sister Grace said, already making a mental note of the arrangements for the next few days.

“You don’t have to worry yourself too much, sister..” said the man. “I would do well to just receive three square meals. Other than that, I will just need rest.”

“Nonsense, bishop-” the nun stopped, seeing the stern gaze from the man. She decided to bow out from her insistence and left.

“Seems a little high-handed there, Hazel.” Gojyo commented as the man laid back down. “They’re just looking out for you.”

“Yes, yes..” Hazel covered his face. 

“Anyway.. We’ll stay for a few more days to sort out the mess in the church.” Hakkai stated. “We’ve already discussed with some parishioners and will deal with getting the necessary materials."

“...thank you, and sorry for the trouble.” Hazel muttered, peeking with one eye.

“Well, we'll leave you to rest.” With that, the men left the room and met up with Sanzo who was standing near the main door. “Huh? Goku's not with you?” The monk nodded to the middle of the room where the brown haired boy was helping sort out the pews that could still be used. “I see..” Hakkai couldn't help but smile.

“To think that monkey's learning some nice things in life despite hanging out with such a terrible monk.” Gojyo quipped, dodging an attempted fan strike.

“I'm back!” Devy announced, bouncing up to the three men. She seemed pleased with her errand. “Where's Goku?” Gojyo just jabbed a thumb in the direction of the altar. “Oh! I'll go help too!”

“Well she seems to be in such a good mood..” Gojyo commented. Then a thought occurred to him. “Don't tell me she had his robes modded!?”

Hakkai laughed uneasily. “That's possible, but I don't think she'd do that, since it's Hazel's special robes. Maybe she's just happy to help.”

Sanzo hmped, walking back outside to the bench, lighting a cigarette. They could tell he was thinking of their next steps. Knowing his train of thought, Hakkai walked over.

“Based on our map, the next town is just a day's worth of driving. We can leave early tomorrow if you want.” Hakkai offered.

Sanzo gave it some thought. “Varahal is out to get Devy. But we can't leave too soon either.” He looked to the west, the sun still a little high from the horizon. “Hakkai, make sure to coordinate with the parishioners on where to get the carpentry materials. Make the work as easy as possible for them. We can leave this place the day after tomorrow.”

Surprised, the men said nothing but left him alone to get things sorted out inside. The wind blew a mild breeze, rustling the trees and flowers in the churchyard, making Sanzo glance at the blue sky. “Hn. Such troublesome shit..”

Mili and Mayumi sat on their hammock high above the trees, watching the sun set in the distance. Tonight will be the third night of them traveling from Sharak's Fortress. If they keep their pace, they'll be able to catch up within a total of one week. Granted that they keep their pace. But once they reach a town, they have agreed to rest for a day or risk running themselves to the ground otherwise.

“How are you feeling?” Mili asked Mayumi, seeing her stretch preparing for their travel.

“I feel a little bit more tired..” she admitted. “Maybe we can take it easy tonight. We're near a town anyway, so we can also recharge there once we make it.” Mili nodded in agreement.

“Sounds like a good plan. We can also stock up on supplies.“ Mayumi summoned her chi, levitating off the hammock. Mili sorted out their blanket before shifting into a starling to get out of the way of the packing. With their things wrapped up, Mayumi set their guide light ahead and they were off flying towards the sunset.

“What if the next town isn't there?” Mili asked, shifting into an owl. “What if the map changed so much it's actually not in our way anymore?”

Mayumi shrugged, floating nearby, sitting down cross-legged in her orb. “We can always spot a river and some trees along the way, fill up our canisters, gather some fruits.. if it comes down to it, we can hunt small animals, get a small camp going..”

Mili studied her face before looking back at the horizon. “Sometimes I forget that you and Sophie went through the same survival training for the special forces…”

“It wasn't exactly the life for me, either.” Mayumi admitted. “Sophie had to deal with the survivalist stuff since she was six or seven, I think.”

“Oh. Right. Coz Seth was a dick.” Mili recalled, clucking her tongue at the memory. “Kids that age should only be thinking about warm beds, having fun, and being children.” She made an equivalent of shaking her head in owl form.

“It's nothing we can change or do anything about.” Mayumi stated. “In the least we can take comfort in knowing she's surviving out there right now. And she can rest easy knowing we're the same.”

“Haha. Maybe with you.” Mili countered. “If I was on my own, I don't think I'd be able to..”

“You wouldn't try to eat small animals as a predator?”

“Like hell I would. The bloodlust of being a predator scares me. It can be overwhelming sometimes..”

“So you have tried.”

Mili was silent for a while, diving down on a wind current and gliding back up. She sighed, an odd sound from an owl. “It was one of those times that you and Sophie had been in training and I was bored, so I'd flown off to see where I could go. Someone had tried to shoot me down, clipped my wing a little.” Her big round owl eyes seemed to be seeing a distant memory. “I could still shift into other forms, but I couldn't fly… and, I couldn't really tell where home was at that point, being so low to the ground.”

Mayumi was silent. “...how come you never told us?”

“It felt embarrassing.” Mili stated. “There were fruits and other things, but, I couldn't really start a fire, nor build a decent camp. All I could do was turn into a small animal and hide in the shelter of big trees.” The sun in the distance had already set, and the two were now guided by Mayumi's light. “But I was soon too hungry, so I had to venture out and find SOMEthing to eat. I guess my mistake was shifting into a panther. Or maybe it was just bad luck that there was an injured animal nearby.” Her tone turned somber. “The scent of fresh, raw meat. Some other predators had gotten to that deer, and maybe my presence had them running. But I can’t deny that it was a very satisfying meal.” The air current she had been following had veered off, making her flap her wings to get back to altitude, finding a different current. She glanced at Mayumi who seemed to have a conflicted expression on her face, eyebrows furrowed. She continued. “Eventually the hunter who had tried to shoot me down had come looking for the bird he had shot. But I was no longer a bird, and I felt protective of my found food.”

“What happened?”

Mili shook her head. “I attacked the man, growled at his face before I caught myself in the middle of it. After that, I ran away and hid. It took me a day to find my way back out and flew home.”

“Oh Mili…” Mayumi said. “I’d hug you if we weren’t flying..”

“It’s fine…” Mili said dismissively, flying a little ahead.

Mayumi decided to leave her be for a while as they coasted through the area, the scenery changing from barren rocky mountains to more trees. The dry land was still prominent, but at least there was more space for shelter in case they needed it. She decided to catch up.

“I didn’t tell you guys coz I didn’t want you to be disappointed or to poke fun at me for not knowing what to do.” Mili said quietly. “I was always the one who fumbled a lot. I've always been afraid of being laughed at or pitied. That experience hit hard for me.. I've always been the happy-go-lucky friend, but sometimes it makes me feel like no one could ever take me seriously.”

“Well, thank you for feeling safe enough now to talk about it, Mili..” Mayumi said softly, watching Mili's owl form just staring ahead. “Maybe there's a way for me to help you find comfortable moments to talk about these things? Like, if you'd ask for a specific drink or a specific place, maybe we can go and talk there..”

“Yeah.. I think I like that idea..” Mili said. “Maybe we can start with that special sunset place we go to..”

Devy found herself suddenly awake in the middle of the night, hearing distant sounds of bugs outside. She just had a dream, and she was with three other people, laughing while watching the sunset. But she couldn't recall their faces. The harder she tried, the further the memory felt. She slowly sat up, watching the sky from the window of their room.

“Did you have a bad dream?”

She turned to Hakkai who was still lying down on his futon, eyes closed and hands clasped over his torso. He slightly tilted his head towards her, opening one eye.

“No.” Devy replied. “It felt like a memory. But I couldn't grasp it fast enough. I was watching the sunset with some people.. we were having a good time. But I can't remember their faces.” She gave out a sad sigh. “There's just this feeling that I miss them so much..”

“I understand..” Hakkai said softly, turning back to facing the ceiling, closing his eyes. “And it's okay to know you miss them. It means you hold them in your heart, and imagine how glad it will be when we do find them again.”

Devy touched the pendant Hazel gave. “Thank you..”

“Please try to get more sleep, we'll be busy again tomorrow..”

She nodded. “Thank you Hakkai.”

Chapter Text

Mayumi and Mili landed a short distance away from the town ahead, dusting themselves off from their flight. They had changed into more common clothes in the area they had received from Sharak's area to help them blend in a little. Mayumi donned a pastel green loose-fitting cheongsam dress while Mili had on a blue cheongsam blouse and black leggings.

“Not bad.. though it feels more like we actually came from the east and are chasing after four hot men..” Mili commented, making Mayumi giggle.

“I'm pretty sure two women traveling west are not any of their concern..” Mayumi stated, starting to walk ahead. She materialized her backpacks to look more believable as regular travelers.

It was a fairly large town, and upon entering, they were met by the general bustle of people on the street.

“Whoa, never expected there'd be so many people..” Mili mused, stepping forward, looking around. Not too far away, they spotted an inn with a construction cloth covering an area, seemingly under repair. They walked closer. “Demon attack?” If the place had a room, they might as well ask around.

“Possibly..” Mayumi agreed.

“Welcome!” It was a man, possibly in his late forties, who seemed to be the owner of the place. “Travelers looking for a room?”

“A-ah, yes, yes we are.” Mili said, looking away from the hole in the wall. She pointed at it. “Uhm, may we know what happened?”

“Oh.. that.. hahaha.” The man laughed sheepishly, ushering them in to the register. “We had some guests last week and a demon transformed a cricket into a giant, took away one of the guests.”

“EHHHHHH!? WHAT THE FUCK!?” Mili exclaimed, louder than she meant, Mayumi ending up slapping her on the back. “Sorry! It's just that.. is that a daily occurrence around here!?”

The innkeeper waved his hands to hurriedly say no. “Not at all!” He explained. “I'm sorry if I seem so casual in explaining, but you see, our guests took care of it as if it was nothing, so forgive me if I seem casual about it.”

“What kind of guests could-”

“Was it a group of four guys?” Mayumi interjected. The innkeeper was taken aback.

“Why yes, yes they were. Do you know them?” He asked, taking out the ledger and checking room vacancies.

“Yes, we're friends.” Mili explained. “They were here just last week?”

“Yes, they were with a young girl who was probably around 6 or so.” The man said absently, checking the room. “Here you go, room 8. It's at the end of the hall.”

“Sanzo's party traveling with a kid? That highly seems unlikely..” Mayumi said, signing on the ledger and receiving the key. “What did the kid look like?”

The man thought back for a bit. “You know, it's the darndest thing.. I actually can't remember.”

After getting a meal from the inn's restaurant, the two settled into their room. Mayumi was deep in thought with the exchange with the innkeeper. It wasn't like the group to take in a kid, and it was strange that none of the people who interacted with the kid could seem to have a grasp of who she was anymore.

“Still thinking about the mystery kid?” Mili came in from the bath, pointing to it. “You can think about it all you want while cleaning up.” She teased. The other woman relented, standing up to take her turn. Mili followed her movement. “But it is weird. Maybe it was just someone they were escorting to another village? I doubt they'd take a kid with them for too long..”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.” Mayumi agreed, closing the door behind her.

Mili had an idea, changing into her outdoor clothes. “Hey, I'll go have a quick check around town and maybe they know something.”

“Okay! But come back soon to sleep!”

Mili was soon back at the register. “Hey uncle! Would you know where they went while they were here?”

“Hmm, I know they did some groceries. They even used my kitchen to cook a meal.” The innkeeper thought. “Ah, they went to get the kid new clothes at the tailoring shop. Maybe you can ask there.” He said helpfully.

“Alright, thanks uncle!” Mili went off outside, then back in. “Uhm-”

“Just go left.”

“Thanks again!”

Pocketing her hands, she let her eyes wander, noting how the town seems to be just going about their business as usual, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening in their world. She thought about it, maybe it's just how it looks. No one can really tell what people are feeling or thinking, not their deepest worries or sentiments.

Finding the shop, Mili parted the curtain. “Is anyone here?” Slowly, she stepped in. The quaint little shop smelled of new cloth with a little bit of dust. The scent of fabric was in the air, indicating that some cloth was just unraveled for an order.

“Yes?” A woman from the back room walked towards her, greeting her. “How can I help you?”

“Oh, we're just passing through this town, we're looking for more information about a girl. The innkeeper said you made clothes for her?”

“Ah yes, I believe that was last week.” She looked through her orders for the past week, landing on the name. “Her name was Devy.” She seemed troubled after seeing the name.

“Huh, I can't seem to remember what she looked like. That's so strange..” She looked at the measurements. “The measurements are here.. but I can't seem to put a face to the name.” She looked apologetically at Mili. “I could remember she seemed to be a really nice kid. I do remember her companions, a tall redhead with a white cat, a brown haired boy and the man with the monocle. He was the one who picked up the clothes.”

“Was there something significant about the cat?” Mili ventured to ask.

“Well, I mean, it was a white cat with blue eyes..” the lady said. “I didn't think much of it because it seemed to be a normal cat. She explained. Mili kept the thought of the cat being Mayo to herself.

“Maybe there's something else?” Mili asked, hopeful.

“Ah yes, I did note the type of clothing, it was an adjustment of our qipao for children. I had to make it smaller to fit her and I also added pajamas. Here.” She showed the sketches to Mili. “It was a red and gold one and a powder blue one. She had specifically asked for the skirt to be made wider and leggings added. Which I found oddly specific, but maybe because she's an active child.”

“Hmmm, that is very interesting.” Mili agreed. “Anyway, thank you for the information, auntie. How long ago  was this again?”

“It was last week.” The lady said. “There aren't that many towns in between from here, so you might have a long way to go.. they also had a jeep.”

“Yeah, a week can be a great distance already.” Mili thanked the woman again and went back to the inn. Mayumi was still up, drying her hair with air from her hands.

“How'd it go?”

“It seems like people who had encountered the kid can only vaguely remember her for some reason.” Mili relayed. “She had some red and blue qipaos made, according to the lady . Based on her description, the kid is athletic. But other than that, she couldn't remember much. It seems that Mayo is with them though, which is good.”

“What if the kid is some sort of enemy, pretending to be a kid?” Mayumi mused.

“Then that'd be super dangerous for the guys.”

“I doubt they wouldn't notice.” Mili said, lying down on her own bed. Soon enough, the tiredness of their travel and feeling a warm bed on their backs had them asleep for the rest of the day.

Waking up at sunset, Mili found that Mayumi wasn't in the room. She assumed that it was her turn to look through the town. Stretching out the aches, she got up, took the key and locked their room. She might as well look around for any unique snacks in the area.

Mayumi had found a short bridge situated above a small creek. She stopped her walk, deciding to hop and sit on its ledge, watching the water below. The creek reflected her features. It was the first time they had a break from traveling for days, and it finally gave her time to catch up with their situation. With what they know from Saiken, and what they gathered from Sharak's library, the ascension must be succeeded by someone by blood. If her father was indeed next in line and he declined it, she was automatically next before anyone else. In order for someone else to succeed, it was to defeat her in a magic duel. She shook her head. If only someone else fought for it, not some scum like Saiken, she'd actually let the ceremonial battle happen and let that demon win. At this rate, she'd have to be the one to win. But, she has her whole life in their own world. And, she had her world with her.. there was no way on earth she'd imagine a life without Mili, and the life she had made for herself.

The smell of spices soon caught her attention and Mili was beside her with a box of snacks. It looked like deep fried shells, stuffed with potatoes, onions and other spices. She looked at her girlfriend in askance. “The seller told me it's called dahi puri. They make the dough and deep fry them until they puff up. Then they crush it in the middle and put all that yummy stuff inside. I got one with yogurt and pomegranates!”

“Ooooh.” Mayumi ventured on one, biting into it and relishing the flavors of spices and the sweetness of the yogurt. “Oh my this is delicious!” She said, getting another one.

“I know right!?” Mili said, proud of her find. “It's just a snack though, I'd need more fuel than this to travel. Hahaha.”

Mayumi had to laugh. “We still have time to roam around. Being able to lie down on an actual bed after a few nights on our hammock made me realize I've taken my bed for granted at home.” She hopped down from the ledge, taking the box of dahi puri from Mili, taking another piece. “Let's spend the night here and set off tomorrow afternoon. Tonight, we can decide on what things we need and maybe things we can leave behind.”

“Alright..” Mili stretching her arms. “My wings thank you.”

“My back thanks me. Hehehe” Mayumi stated. “Our flights for me feel like airplane trips, except I can stretch when I want or curl up when I want, but I can't move as much.”

As they moved to walk back to the inn, the water from the creek started to bubble and rise, controlled by someone's chi. In the middle of the water appeared a demon with a staff. The orb on it seemed to control the water at will.

“Fukuo’s daughter! You will be defeated!!”

Mili was torn between laughing and sighing. “Sophie's ice would be so useful right now..” she quipped, quickly shifting into a falcon. As she took flight, the demon struck towards Mayumi, their box of snacks falling onto the wooden bridge.

Chapter Text

Devy had been watching the men working inside the church file out for the day. They still needed a few more bits of log to continue constructing the remaining pews which Goku and Gojyo have gladly assisted with felling the best logs for the construction. For a moment, she felt as if the wind had called her name, making her turn around.

“Is something the matter, Devy?” Hakkai asked, looking in the same direction. The kid shook her head.

“I don't think so..” she said, turning back to the church. “I just felt like someone was calling me..” after a few more moments, she shrugged it off and took Hakkai's hand, slowly tugging him to come with her. “Come on, let's go, I'm starving!”

“Oh my, it seems like hanging out with Goku is rubbing off on you! Hahaha.” Hakkai quipped, waving to Goku and Gojyo who had just left the church as well. “Hm? Where's Sanzo?”

“He and Hazel went off somewhere.” Gojyo said. “Most likely about Ukoku or the recent turn of events. We all know Hazel would be such a fanboy over this opportunity.”

“Fanboy?” Goku asked, unsure of the term.

“A fan, or someone who looks up to Sanzo.” Hakkai explained. “Did he say to wait for him?” The two shook their heads. “Then it's best we are on our way, Devy's going to be as hungry as Goku if we don't feed her soon.”

“I mildly resent that, “ Goku said, looking at Devy. “And besides, Devy's a growing kid, she can eat as much as me.”

“No one can eat as much as you, you stupid monkey!” Gojyo retorted, ruffling the boy's hair then running ahead.

Hakkai laughed as he and Devy followed behind the chaotic duo. “They're so lively, it makes you wonder where they get it.”

“Yeah..” Devy said, watching them run off. “Makes me feel nostalgic.”

“Hmm? Nostalgic with?”

Devy touched her pendant. “I don't know, it's just a warm feeling. It must be a similar memory.”

“Maybe.. it sounds like a place to look forward to going home to.”

Sanzo and Hazel stood outside at the back of the church, watching some fireflies appear amongst the grass nearby. Hazel was still in his plain long sleeve shirt and brown pants. His usual garb had still not been returned to him.

“As much as you have promised to see to the church repairs, I don't think it's wise for you to stay here longer than you already have.” Hazel said, looking at Sanzo. “I'm concerned for Devy's safety being near me and Varahal.”

Sanzo smirked. “Ukoku would have a field day if he found out you lost control again.” Sanzo commented, watching the smoke from his cigarette.

“That's the least of our worries..” Hazel pointed out, sitting down on the stairs of the back entrance. “The longer you stay here, the more determined Varahal would be to get to your companion. This would also delay you, would it not?”

“Hmp. We could just leave the kid here and have you deal with it.”

“Surely you don't mean that, Sanzo?” Hazel said, incredulous.

“Tch! Of course not.” He took another drag from his cigarette.

“Oh, that is quite rare, Sanzo joking about a situation.” The bishop commented, chuckling to himself. “It seems like you're loosening up a bit on your journey.”

“Hn.” Sanzo uttered, snuffing his cigarette. “But I have a favor to ask of you.” The bishop looked at him curiously.

“Others might try to look for Devy. We don't know if they would be enemies or friends, but we're counting on you to discern her friends for us.”

“That's quite the tall order, Sanzo..” Hazel commented. “But I'm sure I can find them.”

Mili and Mayumi dragged their feet back to the inn, covered in gelatin. “Uuugh. I hate this. I feel sticky and gross. The water won't even rinse this off completely..” Mili whined, looking at the jello stuck in her curls. I'd have to comb this.”

Mayumi laughed sheepishly. “I'm sorry, it was the first thing that came to mind to stop him from attacking.”

“You could have just frozen him.” Mili pointed out.

“I know, but, jello is more unexpected.”

“Yes, and seemingly more cruel.” Mili pointed out. “Imagine the afterlife where he tells the story of how he died, and it was trying to attack someone who turned his weapon into jello so he broke free using heat, and ended up melting himself to death.”

“I mean, if you put it that way… it does seem much worse.”

“Because it is!”

“No one told him to get loose from jello increasing the heat of the liquid!”

Grumbling at themselves, the two made their way up to their room, bumping into the innkeeper at the hallway.

“What happened!?” the man's unfiltered expression showed a hint of amusement, along with horrified disgust.

“Long story, uncle..” Mili waved it off. “It's nothing to worry about. We'll be downstairs for some dinner later.”

Deciding to share the shower space, the two took off all their clothes in a pile before washing off the goo. Mayumi took to the shower first while Mili tried to rinse the gelatin off their clothes.

“I think I might need to soak these overnight..” Mili noted, trying to scrub off some of the goo. “And maybe a little hot water.”

Mayumi automatically made the water in the basin hotter for Mili to try.

“Yeah, that works.. just needs to set.” Mili stood up and joined Mayumi in the shower. She sighed, finally lathering shampoo into her hair. “It's too bad they don't have the usual conditioners I use.. and it's not really an urgent thing. But this'll dry out my hair.” she felt Mayumi come close, hugging her from behind, her face -and breasts- pressing against her back. “Hey.. it's okay..” Mili assured her, patting the hand on her waist.

Mayumi let go, continuing to rinse herself. She then helped Mili rub her back clean. “I make such simple mistakes.. I'm afraid of so many things, Mili.. what if I can't fight against Saiken? What if Sophie's gone? Where's Mayo? What if we're stuck here forever?”

Mili turned around, cupping Mayumi's face in her hands, giving her a gentle kiss. “Forever with you is all I'd ever want, but maybe not sopping wet in the shower.” She joked, hugging her. Come on, let's get ourselves dry.”

Settling back into the room, the two changed into their pajamas. Mili went back to check on their clothes and rinsed off the gelatin that had come off. Mayumi was drying her hair again and later on helped Mili with hers.

“We've taken so many things for granted back home..” Mayumi said. “I never thought I'd miss that big contraption of a hairdryer you have.”

“Cold air helps keep the curls intact.” Mili explained. “It takes longer, but that's how it is. Should we cut my hair shorter? It would help while we're traveling. As long as I can still tie it, we should be fine.”

“Are you sure?” Mayumi asked, holding onto Mili's hair that ran down the middle of her back. The other woman nodded. She touched the length just on her shoulders. Would this be okay?”

“Yeah, that seems good.” Mili said. “Now snip.”

“You make it sound so easy.” Mayumi muttered, materializing scissors and cutting without hesitation. Dissipating the scissors, she gave Mili a small mirror while she materialized a bigger one at the back.

“Hmm, maybe layer it a bit here in the front?” Mili asked, jokingly. “It's fine, it's great!”

Mayumi sighed, dissipating the mirrors and sitting on the bed. She watched Mili tie her hair in low pigtails, then walk over to her on the bed, slowly pushing her back and leaning on top of her. She had a mischievous grin on her face. She felt her heart beat faster.

“Shall I repay you with manual labor?” Mili teased, brushing off a strand of hair from her face and propping herself on her elbows to approach with a kiss. Mayumi reciprocated, pulling her in, their bodies pressed together. She slid her hands down to Mili's waist while pushing her tongue to deepen their kiss. She moaned, feeling herself getting hot. She slipped her hands under Mili's shirt, groping her breasts, playing with her nipples, making her kiss harder. Grinding against her, Mili slid a hand to her crotch, touching her clit over her panty.

“Oh~ Mili~” she clung to her tighter, open her legs wider. She felt her tilt her head to her neck, gently biting her shoulder as she moved her hand inside the underwear slowly testing her wetness before sliding a finger, making her whimper.

“My hands have missed your body, too.” Mili chuckled, teasing the clit with her thumb as pushed and pulled her fingers in. She enjoyed the feeling of making Mayumi writhe, gasp and moan. She kept up with motions, until she felt her cum in her hands, relishing the juices from her fingers. She propped herself up, making sure Mayumi could see her smell her fingers and lick them.

“You're nasty..” Mayumi joked, pulling her in for more kisses, settling in the bed for a while before deciding to go down for a meal.

Gojyo came out of the shower, feeling his body ache from the day's work. Glancing along the hallway, he noticed Hakkai having just entered his room with Devy. Not having anything else to do, he decided to drop by.

“Yo, Hakkai.”

“Oh, Gojyo! Come in!” He heard Hakkai say, prompting him to open the door and finding Hakkai having his hair being tied into small pigtails. He was sitting on his futon, back leaning on Devy's bed. “She said she wanted to practice braids, but my hair's too short. Maybe you're a better practice doll?”

“Doll, my ass..” muttered Gojyo. He sat beside Hakkai and waving the girl over. “Come on, my hair length is closer to yours.” the girl beamed, almost immediately freeing Hakkai from the pigtails.

“Yay! Thanks Gojyo!” Devy exclaimed, grabbing the comb and slowly working on the red head’s hair. Parting it in the middle, she tied the right half and began to braid the left side. She looked over to Hakkai and beckoned him to mimic how she was braiding. “It’s called a fishtail braid.” she said. “Try to follow how I make it so you can braid my hair!”

“Hey, hey, this feels like some monkey line or something..” Gojyo chuckled, letting the girl go through the motions of braiding his hair.

“The group’s travel has admittedly been more entertaining recently, wouldn’t you say?” Hakkai commented, diligently following the movements from the girl, successfully finishing one side, moving to the other half of her brown hair.

“I guess, you could say that..” Gojyo muttered. “Ignoring the fact that you and Devy almost got obliterated by Hazel’s demon, yeah, I’d say everything’s suuuper chill.” he joked, making Hakkai chuckle.

“Oh, what's this tattoo?” Devy asked, pointing at Gojyo's demon mark, then spotting the metal earcuff on his right ear. “I feel like I've never noticed these before.”

“That's coz you're a shrimp.” Gojyo said jokingly, covering his nape for a while. “It's a demon mark.. and for the earcuff, it makes sure that I don't eat anyone in their sleep.”

“Ehh..” Devy muttered, giving it some thought. “I don't think you would at all. We'd just have to stop you if you do!” She said confidently, grinning while finishing the braid. Hakkai also finished with her hair.

“Oh my, how lovely, like father and daughter.” Hakkai commented, clapping his hands together, pleased with himself.

“Shut up Hakkai, she's more of your daughter!”

“Ah, but don't parental figures usually match their children?”

“Can it!” Gojyo ran a finger through his braids, his expression sullen. “I'd rather not be in that state again..” he remembered the moment the change happened, when Sophie almost died with that gunshot by her own uncle.

Devy was looking at his face intently. “It must have been pretty bad…”

“What was?”

“Your thoughts. You're making a scary face..” 

Gojyo scoffed. “You could say that.. but everything turned out okay in the end.” He ruffled the kid's hair. “Well, thanks for the quiet time, imma go to my room.

“Oh, okay Gojyo, goodnight!”

The two waved him off as the door closed behind him.

Devy turned to Hakkai. “What happened to that person? Did he eat them?” She asked curiously. Hakkai had sat back down on his futon, thinking of how to answer.

“Well he didn't eat anyone, but it was a terrible time.” Hakkai said, looking at her. “Even if that dear friend of ours did manage to survive, it changed all of us.”

“Where's your friend now?”

“Hmm, she's saving lives as usual, probably.”

“Is she a doctor?”

“Well, no.. but she does fight and manages to convince people to do the right thing.”

Devy gave this some thought. “She does sound cool. Can I meet her?”

“I'm afraid not..” Hakkai said, standing up. “She's in a different world.” He said sadly. “It's a long story.” The man seemed somber at the memory. He took out a rectangular tag which had the characters of “Absolute Victory” on it, the light of the room making it gleam. “I loved her so much that it hurt to leave.” He clutched the tag and held it to his chest. “What I'd give to see her again..”

The girl seemed to feel this longing and hugged the man's side. Hakkai was mildly surprised with the gesture, holding an arm over the child, smiling gently. “I'm sure she misses you too!”

“Thank you, Devy.” he responded, getting choked up. Shaking off the feeling, he stood up. “It's best we try to get some rest, we'll have to leave in the morning after we see Hazel. You have to get his robes back for him too.”

The girl nodded, tucking herself into her bed as Hakkai turned off the lights. “Goodnight, Hakkai..”

“Goodnight, Devy.”

Chapter Text

Hakuryu parked in front of the church with Mayo on his hood, napping in a sunbeam. The men were standing in wait by the passage as they looked for Hazel. Devy held on to the repaired robes, looking expectant. Spotting Hazel walking through the ongoing construction, she waved eagerly at him and the man smiled, waving back.

“Everyone's ready to leave, I see..” he commented, spotting Hakuryu outside.

“Hazel, here's your robe back!” Devy said excitedly, extending her arms at the bishop. The man knelt down and received it gratefully, standing up to unravel it. “Turn it around!”

The man did as he was told, his eyes widening slightly at the stitches at the back where two small white wings were embroidered where Varahal’s wings had materialized. “This is-!”

Devy grinned. “That's coz you'll always be an angel!” She chirped, proud of her handiwork and absolutely beaming at the silver-haired man.

The others saw this and smiled to themselves, admiring the little girl's thoughtfulness.

“Thank you, Devy.” said Hazel, donning the robes and turning his back so the girl could see the design. He looked back at her, kneeling again. “I will treasure this gift.” He held her hands into his. “Safe travels, to you,” he glanced at everyone else. “And you guys as well.”

“Make sure to best hold on to your word not to lose again!” Hakkai couldn't help but take the jab, smiling politely, making Gojyo grin.

“See you around Hazel!” Goku waved, jogging off.

Sanzo nodded and turned around. “Let's go.”

Waving their goodbyes, the group was soon on Hakuryu and off to the west once more.

“I thought we'd never get away from all that manual labor.” Gojyo complained, lighting a cigarette, letting it waft on the his side of the jeep. Devy was humming to herself, happy to be on the road again.

“Oh? I thought for once you'd have wanted to put your muscles to good use.” Sanzo commented, glancing at the rear view mirror. “Who was it who said that women of the world would weep if you didn't keep your body fit?”

“Geh. Voluntarily keeping myself tone is different from being worked like a mule.” Gojyo retorted. He glanced at Hakkai. “By the way, what about the next town, will we be able to reach it within the day, or are we gonna rough it tonight?” Hakkai looked at the rear view mirror, seeming apologetic.

“I’m actually not sure.. the innkeeper gave me an updated map, and it actually says we’ll get there by noon, but the man said that there had been changes recently.” the brunette admitted. “Also, he made mention of the fact that they haven’t met people from that town in a while.”

“What does that mean?” Goku interjected while allowing Mayo to sit on his lap and giving the cat chin scritches. “Could it be that the town is abandoned?”

“Hn, it might have been attacked, and the innkeeper was simply hinting to expect the worst.” Sanzo stated, watching the somber expressions of the group at the back of the jeep. “This isn’t new to us.”

“Yeah, but.. it doesn’t make it any less sad.” Goku stated, stroking Mayo who was content on his lap. 

“No, it doesn’t.”

Hakkai decided to change the topic, bringing back the conversation to Hazel. “Anyway, it was really sweet of you to make that repair for Hazel, Devy.”

“Ah, thank you, Hakkai.” the girl beamed. “The seamstress was confused at first, but she let me doodle what I wanted it to look like and she obliged. I just thought, it would be nice to always be reminded of the good things other people think of you.”

“Hm? Why is that?” Hakkai prompted the girl to continue. She shrugged.

“I think, coz the nice things we see in someone is who they really are.”

Goku grinned at this. “Yeah, even if Hazel can be obnoxious, I don’t see him as a bad guy. I can’t agree with everything he says, but, sometimes, that’s just how things are.”

“I wonder if he’d still be as determined to eliminate all the demons?” Gojyo mused, mostly to himself.

“He wants to kill demons?” Devy looked challenged to wrap her mind around this idea, seeing as the man had his own demon within him.

“It’s a long story, maybe if it was an anime it would take 12 episodes to tell.” Hakkai said off-handedly, the others staring at him as if he had lost his mind, Gojyo was the first to wave it off.

“You and your weird analogies..” he muttered, looking back at Devy. “Hazel’s not from Togenkyo, so his perspective of demons is very different from ours. To him, demons don’t deserve to live amongst humans, that they’re pests. Remembering his shit makes me sick, honestly.”

“Then why did we help him?” Devy tilted her head, getting more confused.

“Nothing is set in stone, not ideals, not destiny or fate.” Sanzo answered, watching the scenery of meadows ahead of them. “He’s met this dilemma when we last encountered him, and even if we don’t agree, we keep our word. Gat had asked me to look after him, and I’ve done just that. However he wishes to proceed with his life, if he gets in our way again in the future, we’ll simply just have to deal with him.”

Ben had gone back through the footage of the chase from the night the girls disappeared. He had managed to get some energy reading tools from King, but the results they found only indicated that it was a pocket of energy that allowed the portal to work. After that night, the energy dwindled back to nothing after a few days. It was also impossible for them to recreate the portal they made at the fifth beacon last year as it required the girls' energies to make it materialize. And they were the ones who needed to get home. He didn't even know what was happening to them out there and he could only hope that they were safe. He hated to admit it, but the days without their chaos felt agonizingly slow. Despite him complaining about being busy when they ask him to do things, his level of busyness seemed boring without them. He leaned back on his chair, heaving a deep sigh.

A knock came on his door and he quickly checked his hidden camera at the picture frame across the hall. He'd learned his lesson from his previous apartment where he had almost been blown to smithereens if it wasn't for Mayumi. Seeing it was a brown haired woman in a sharp suit, he realized it was Lottie and hopped off to the front door. He checked the viewer and saw the woman waving a lunch box wrapped in a handkerchief.

Unlocking the door, he greeted her with a smile.

“Hey Lottie!”

“Hey kid,” the woman replied, handing over the lunch box. “Just checking on you since I know you're probably too worried and I don't want the girls to come back finding you in the hospital dying of starvation.”

Ben gratefully took the lunch box and sheepishly scratched his head. “That's a bit too extreme of a worry, don't you think?” He commented, offering to let the woman in, but she shook her head.

“It's the least I could do, Ben. I'm worried for them too, but this way at least I can take care of you.” said the woman, turning to leave. “I'm off to a hearing, but I'll check in on you again later. And do let me know if you find anything and if I can help.” She waved off and started walking for the elevators.

“This is a big help already Lottie!” Ben called after her, waving the box. “Thank you! Bye!” Closing the door, he went back to his computer desk, opening the bento and finding an assortment of rice, meatballs, some salad and fruits. He shook his head. “Really, such a mom figure..” he ate the meal quietly, glancing up at the blue sky, wondering about his friends.

Mili fiddled with her phone, sighing. There was no point having it charged when there was no reception. She'd bring it out to take pictures at times, but it just made her miss home more. Mayumi watched her as she sorted their things before they took flight that afternoon. “I hope Ben's doing alright…” she muttered. “I wonder how much time has passed for him.”

“I hope he's eating alright.” Mayumi added, finalizing their pack. “Although I'm sure Lottie has that covered.”

Mili agreed. Even if the lawyer was busy, she had always been there for them in their times of need.

“I'm wondering, maybe we can use some sort of enchantment to disguise ourselves.” Mayumi suggested, referring to their encounter the day before. “At least we can move about without being recognized by enemies. It would make our lives so much easier.”

Mili seemed to think this through. “Yeah, it would help, I guess. But wouldn't they detect the enchantment?”

“We'll never really know until we try..” Mayumi shrugged. “It's better than being open targets. It's odd though, I thought we'd at least hear about Sophie. Aside from Kumari Talchie, we're only getting leads about this little girl.”

“But.. what if the little girl was Sophie?” Mili suggested.

Mayumi shook her head. “I don't think that would have been Saiken’s goal.. his aim was me, so maybe he had planned to separate us and take me on one on one.” Mili seemed to agree. “But, the kid with the Sanzo party is still a mystery. Maybe Mayo was also separated from Sophie.”

“At least we know Mayo is in good hands. That's one less party member to worry about.”

 Ensuring that they had everything, the two checked out. The innkeeper smiled at them, checked that everything was in order before waving them off. They bid farewell and started off walking westwards out of the town. They walked a good distance before taking flight. The mood felt somber as Mili glided along as a hawk and with Mayumi nearby. Their westward compass lit their path ahead.

“I actually never really knew my parents..” Mili said while gliding on an air current. Mayumi gave her an incredulous look. “For as long as I can remember, I've been moving through relatives’ houses through the years. I never really knew a place I could really call home, until I met you guys.” She glanced at Mayumi who looked at her with a pained expression, as if communicating her own sadness from this revelation. She let out a sigh, making it sound like a random bird sound instead. “They were all nice to me, and they'd tell me stories of parents I don't remember. They provided for me as much as they could, but at the end of the day, I was the extra that no one asked for.”

“Oh Mili…” Mayumi had no words for such a conversation. She just let their flight take them as the night drew on.

Mili dipped down for a bit, then flew back up beside Mayumi. “That time at the rooftop, fighting over how she was trying to train us, I know I said she was just being a spoiled rich kid, it came from my own insecurities, my own jealousy. You guys seemed to have everything, and then there was me, the child no one really owned. So I decided early on that I had to be my own person, take care of myself coz no one else would look after me nor care for me if I didn’t look out for myself.”

Mayumi thought back on the times that they had asked about her family, and how they had actually never visited her house, not even once. Whenever asked about her parents, she always mentioned one guardian or another, but never spoke of her parents. When they were of age, she moved out on her own, and that’s where they had been able to visit her and hang out with her. “A part of me honestly feels betrayed by not knowing this about you..” Mayumi uttered, looking onwards. “But, it’s your life’s story, and a bigger part of me feels honored to be trusted with this truth.” she admitted. “Is there something about our journey so far that is allowing you to be open like this with me?”

Mili glanced at her before flapping her wings with a few steady beats. “I guess, I can hear my mind more..” she said simply. “There’s so much that allows me to be distracted back in our world. But now, there’s nothing, just the open sky, you, and making it back home. But it’s also making me think, what is home, really? You guys are my home, and you guys are not something I’d want to lose, ever.”

“I feel the same way..” Mayumi said finally. “No matter what happens with this journey, you are my world, Mili. Earth is where we should be.”

“But what if we end up needing to stay here for good?” Mili asked, venturing on this possibility. “What about Sophie and Ben?”

“I don't think that's something we can decide for them.” Mayumi answered. “Whatever we decide is something for ourselves at the end of the day.”

“Ever since meeting Sai Tai Sai, it's made me wonder about what he said. What if I was some sort of god? What if there's also a different purpose to me and I'm actually more than what I've known all this time?” Mili made a quick transform of different birds as she kept on flying. “It's as easy as blinking to me now. It's as if this world has me more attuned to things. Maybe we were meant to learn more with this journey. And maybe we just need it to go back home.”

“Maybe.. I hope Sophie is also learning the same, wherever she is.”

x-x-x-x-x-x-x 

Chapter Text

The team reached the next town, surprised by the lavishness it displayed, with a sculpted golden calf atop a pedestal in the middle of the town. Everyone in the town seemed to own some sort of golden ornament, and everyone seemed to be quite affluent. It did not escape their attention that offerings were laid down in front of that statue.

“This is pretty unusual for a town this far west..” Gojyo commented cautiously. “I don't sense any animosity or ill will either.”

“Gojyo's right, everything actually feels pretty normal here.”

“Ah, but it's in such calm that chaos might be wrought.” Hakkai said as he slowed down, spotting a hotel that had a sign for available rooms. Upon reaching the entrance, they were greeted by a man who offered to park Hakuryu somewhere. Hakkai hesitated but figured Hakuryu would be fine. Goku and Gojyo balked at the red carpet rolled towards the hotel entrance as they carried their supplies and waited in the lobby with Devy while Sanzo and Hakkai talked to the woman at the reception. The hotel was the most luxurious they have seen this far west, and they couldn't help but gawk. There was even a fountain in the middle of the waiting area, its waters trickling down then back up through the mechanism. Devy decided to run around the fountain area, marveling at it.

“Man, this makes me feel super out of place.” Gojyo muttered, leaning back on the velvet couch following the kid with his eyes and was soon running to stop the kid from falling into the water. “Dammit when did you get to be such a handful!?”

“But it's so pretty and shiny!”

“What are you, some magpie!?” Gojyo muttered, dumping the kid back on the lobby couch beside Goku. “I suddenly felt a white hair grow on my head..”

“Where?” Goku asked, ready to look.

“It's a figure of speech!”

“Yes, we have vacant rooms. You can each have a room of your own if you'd like. We also have rooms with two beds and connecting doors if you choose.” The receptionist offered, providing the price lists for their options. Gojyo had walked toward them, declaring that he wanted his own room so he can “do whatever he wanted without messing anyone‘s day.” Sanzo obliged this for once, to get the water sprite off his back.

“Score for me!!” Gojyo celebrated, carrying his things to the promised room.

Hakkai watched his best friend practically hop away with glee before turning to the monk. “It’s beyond me how you seem to be very lax about this situation, Sanzo.” The monk turned away, mumbling about the gods having to pay for it anyway. Sure enough, their credit card was accepted this time, much to Hakkai’s surprise, and mild dismay since this was definitely the most they have spent on accommodations and it did not settle well with him. “In that case, I’ll have to settle for another two rooms with connecting doors, one for you and Goku, and one for me and Devy. We still have to manage our finances even if the gods have allowed us to continue using their issued card.”

Before long, they had settled into their rooms and had convened in Sanzo's and Goku's room. Each bed had its own canopy and heavy curtains on all sides, parted to the sides with giant velvet ribbons.

“Man, this is too fancy..” Goku commented, taking in the view of the room, with its vanity, study table, bathroom with tub and tall windows.

“There's definitely something strange abut this town..” Gojyo began, lighting a cigarette and standing by the open window while Devy and Mayo were sprawled on her belly on one of the beds watching them. Goku joined them, flopping their legs up and down as if waiting for something.

“It's unusual to have a town unaffected by the negative wave.” Sanzo added. “Even at Sharak's area of protection, we could very well sense the influence of the negative wave. Here, it's even as if no trace of it existed, if at all.”

“And there's the worshiping aspect as well.” Hakkai commented. “It's reminiscent of this Christian bible passage I've read through before..”

“Is it a religion, like Hazel's?” Goku asked, tilting his head curiously which Devy mimicked, watching Hakkai.

“Yeah, something of the sort..” the brunette began. “But in the bible, it's stated as a sin, a form of idolatry. Humans should not worship any other form as if it was God. In the bible, those who worshiped something like that would be punished should they not repent.” Hakkai paused. “I personally have qualms with this passage, since it resulted in the massacre of those people who “strayed away from the right path”. But these things could have been exaggerated, like how old and big stories are.”

“Whatever the truth of the story is, we can leave them to it.” Sanzo stated. “We aren't staying here for long anyway.” as if to conclude the discussion, he opened his newspaper and ignored everyone else.

“Sanzo does have a point.” Hakkai agreed, moving towards the door. “Anyway, we might as well restock from this town before we move on. It seems like we might be able to get good supplies here.” he turned to Goku, realizing that the youth had fallen asleep with their discussion.

“Ch, his monkey brain couldn't even handle that much information..” Gojyo said, looking at Devy. “Come on, let's go with Hakkai and get us some supplies and snacks.”

“Yey!” Hopping off the bed, Devy followed the two out the hotel, trailed by Mayo. It wasn't long before they were followed by Hakuryu who had been bored from the parking space.

They soon found themselves in the market part of the town, with Hakkai finding some food for the road. With just the three of them, Gojyo was the default supply carrier and Devy helping with the smaller bags. Taking a break, they seated themselves near the central area where the golden calf was situated. It also appeared to be some sort of fountain, the water pooling in front of the statue. Observing the surroundings, they could tell that people there would pass by, bow, offer some fruits or other objects as an exchange for the wishes or prayers that they had. No one else would take the items offered. Looking on, they spotted a young woman going around the statue, slowly picking up the offerings in a wicker basket, making sure to get everything that was possible to carry. She was wearing a red and brown flowing garb, tied to the waist with a simple cream colored sash. She seemed to pay no heed to anyone.

“She's Risha..” they turned to look at a boy who was around ten or eleven years old. He had cropped sandy brown hair under a messenger hat and he was holding a half-eaten apple as he looked at the trio then back at the woman. They noted that the boy did not have anything gold on him. “They say she's a priestess of sorts, but no one really knows for sure. She's mostly living in that temple above that hill.” The boy pointed to the rectangular structure a few blocks away, overlooking the town. “I've tried following her before, and I know that temple is empty.”

“Empty like no one else lives there?” Gojyo asked, lighting a cigarette, following the lady with his eyes as she made her way to the structure.

The boy shook his head. “No, empty like no one lives there at all.. it would even seem haunted.”

“Must be pretty lonely..” Devy commented, standing up, appearing to move in the same direction but was quickly stopped by Gojyo by tugging on her brown hair.

“AND WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING!?” Gojyo berated, pulling her back, making her fall on her butt.

“That hurt!!” The kid snarled at the man, getting up as if ready to throw hands. “I was just gonna see if what the boy said was true!!”

The boy laughed at the spectacle. “I can go with you, we can have a look if you want.” The boy tossed away his apple core and started off ahead. Devy was quick to move out of Gojyo's reach, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Go ahead and check it out with Devy..” Hakkai suggested, staying put in his seat. “I can wait for you here, just don't take too long.” He then proceeded to bring out a book from somewhere and began to read. Hakuryu curled up beside him while Mayo trotted off and clambered onto Gojyo's shoulder.

“Hey hey, what's your name?” Devy asked the boy as they walked. “I'm Devy!”

“Rakesh.” The boy said, folding his arms behind his head, grinning at the girl before turning back to their path, the woman called Risha just in view. “What about you, uncle?” He asked Gojyo.

“Just Gojyo, you damned brat. Stop making me seem old.”

“But you do look old.” the boy commented offhandedly, making the redhead twitch in anger but tempered himself.

“Anyway, what's up with you, you don't seem to have the same accessories as everyone else in this town.” He commented, keeping an eye on their priestess quarry.

“Hm? Oh, you mean the gold?” He smirked. “That's only for people who believe in that cow.” Before Gojyo could ask more, the kid ushered them to hide as the woman turned around to see if she was being followed. Not seeing them, she proceeded to walk towards the temple. After waiting a few minutes, the trio proceeded to follow and were soon in front of the temple. The kids immediately ran inside with Gojyo following behind, looking at the Hindu designs, reminding him of Talchie’s temple with the different gods. But this place indeed look run down as Rakesh had mentioned.

Mayo had decided to alight from his perch, trotting after Devy as they looked through the space that seemed to not have seen any human activity in a long time. Parts of the wall had been covered in moss, and some statues had been crumbling as well. Someone living here would have had a lot to deal with than just a draft. Moving to the end of the space, there was a simple table with the recent offerings neatly arranged. There were apples, oranges, peaches, pastries and even some meat items. 

Confused, they looked around the room but saw no signs of Risha. The kids had run off to check the left side of the temple while Gojyo had decided to amble to the right, sneaking a stick to smoke. As he walked, he heard running water and proceeded to look for the source. The splashes made in the water made him aware that someone was possibly taking a bath. Before he could reconcile this thought, he had unintentionally wandered into the area, meeting eye to eye with the woman submerged in the water from the shoulders down, her long black hair flowing around her.

The woman seemed to recognize him and immediately stood up from the water, barely covering her figure with the towel she had. “Hey, you look familiar!” She exclaimed, rushing up to Gojyo and staring at his face too closely that the man was forced to back away.

“I'm pretty sure we've never met before, madam!” Gojyo stated, still moving backwards. The woman kept following until she slipped, ending up on top of Gojyo. The commotion attracted the kids who came running into the area and yelped in surprise at the sight of a naked woman on Gojyo.

“Gojyo what are you doing!?” Devy exclaimed, staring unabashedly with a giggle. “I'm gonna tell on you!!” She teased, but didn't move from their spot. Mayo, seeming to have better sense, hissed at the kids threateningly and shooed them away for the adults to compose themselves. Gojyo averted his gaze and closed his eyes. It wasn't helping that he could feel her breasts on his belly.

“Please, lady, get off me and wear some clothes!” He felt the woman get up and the rustling of cloth had assured him that she was getting dressed. Once the big movements of cloth stopped, he tilted his head. “Please tell me you're fully clothed now.”

“Yes, yes I am..” with this assurance, the man opened his eyes again and stood up. He was finally getting a better look at the woman, regarding her in her long red and brown outfit, her long black wavy hair trailing down to her waist. “I think I do know you, you're Kenren, aren't you?” The woman asked.

Gojyo shook his head. “I'm sorry, you have the wrong person. My name is Sha Gojyo.”

The woman shook her head. “No. I'm sure it's really you, Kenren.”

The man scratched his head. “Look, woman, I don't know what your deal is, and obviously we were in the wrong for barging into your place, so Imma go ahead and take my leave.” With this, he turned around and started to walk away but the woman grabbed him by the arm. “Look, woman, you're pretty and all, but this is very, very awkward.” He looked back at the woman who was staring at him with very large pleading eyes. He tsked to himself and gently pried off her grip but paused before walking off. “I do hope you find the one you were looking for though.” He walked over to the hallway, finding the kids sitting on a nearby ledge, guarded by Mayo. “Let's go, you guys. And thanks Mayo..” the trio were soon out of the temple and back at the center where Hakkai greeted them and finally closed his book.

“Oh, you're back!” He greeted, smiling at them. “Did you find anything?”

“Yeah! Gojyo was getting intimate with the priestess!!” Devy exclaimed excitedly. “She was on top of him and everything-” Gojyo was quick to cover her mouth and looked around.

“Stop saying such scandalous things, you!!” Gojyo whispered angrily. Thankfully no one seemed to care.

Hakkai put a hand to his mouth. “Oh my~”

“And you're not helping!!” Gojyo clenched a fist at his friend's direction before calming down and letting go of the girl. Rakesh was beside himself with laughter. “Anyway, that woman, Risha, seems to be strange indeed…” he began, recalling her features and the unusual things she said. “I sensed no malicious energy from her, but…”

“Rakesh!” The group looked at the distance and saw the kid's guardian waving to him. The boy was quick to wave at them and leave. With the boy gone, Gojyo decided to carry the supplies and motioned them to return to the hotel.

“...I couldn't shake off the feeling that she might be a god.” He continued, glancing over at Hakkai who gave a surprised expression. “She doesn't seem anything like Kanzeon Bosatsu, nor Homura and his crew, but… she might be the reason this town is prospering as it is.”

Hakkai folded his arms while walking, glancing at Hakuryu. “It's highly possible. But this also means that this is a very dangerous situation.”

“Why dangerous?” Devy piped in, hoisting her own share of groceries as they walked. They were nearing the hotel.

“It means that demons might attack this place, what with us here too.” Hakkai explained. “This place might be spared if we leave as soon as possible..” Hakkai led the way to Sanzo's and Goku's room. “We're back!” Goku was in the shower.

Sanzo looked up from the book he was reading, removing his glasses. “You took your time.. did something happen?”

Gojyo recounted the events of the afternoon, omitting the incident with Risha at the temple. Hakkai supplemented his own observations and suggestions while settling their purchases in one corner. Devy followed suit before running off into their connecting room for a shower. Mayo stayed behind, settling onto Goku's bed with Hakuryu.

“Hn. Then it's best for us to get moving first thing in the morning.”

“We're leaving so soon!?” Goku interjected, coming out of the bath and seeing the group assembled in the room. “Did something happen?”

“It's more of, something shouldn't happen.” Hakkai clarified, procuring some hot water from an electric kettle and making tea for everyone. “No matter what their faith is in this town, it's what's helping them survive right now.”

“But, can't we stay a little longer?” Goku pleaded. “We haven't been in such a nice town in such a long time..”

Hakkai sipped his tea. “I'm afraid it's non-negotiable, Goku..”

“Mmm. Okay..” Goku seemed dejected. “Anyway, can we go outside and try their food here? I'm starving. We might as well eat all their yummy food!”

“You mean, YOU'LL eat EVERYTHING they have to offer.” Gojyo corrected, grabbing the youth's towel, twisting it a few times and whipping the boy with it. “Bahh. Let's get going..” he declared, leading the way out with Goku fast on his heels, arguing for hitting him. Sanzo stood up and followed them, tailed by Mayo and Hakuryu.

“Ah, I'll go get Devy and be right with you.” Hakkai said, going into the connecting room, finding Devy wearing her red and gold qipao, looking at her reflection in the mirror and the pendant that Hazel had given her. She seemed to have a pensive look on her face.

“Is everything alright?” Hakkai asked, staying where he was by the door.

“Yeah.” Devy answered, turning to him. “I just felt a memory come up, but it was gone again.” She walked over to the man. “Is it time for dinner?”

“Ah, yeah. We're off to a restaurant. The others just went a little bit ahead, we can catch up.” Hakkai said, taking the girl's hand and walking out with her into the lobby. The moment they were outside, Hakuryu flew to them to point them the way. “Thank you Hakuryu!” The two followed into the restaurant a few blocks off, finding the trio sitting in front of a full table with Goku gorging himself enthusiastically with fried noodles and spring rolls. The two took their seats and were soon lost in dinner chatter. Devy shared the meeting with Rakesh and exploring the temple, and describing the interior from her point of view. As the dinner wound down to a close, a flurry of red and gold cloth approached them, surprising the group.

“Kenren!” It was Risha again, absolutely beaming at the sight of Gojyo. Realizing she was with others, she regarded them as well. “Konzen, Tenpou, and Goku! You're all here!”

“I already told you, my name is Gojyo, not that name you’s spouting!” the redhead snapped at her, stopping for a moment realizing that she managed to get Goku’s name right. “Wait a minute..”

“So this is the woman you’ve been talking about..” Sanzo interjected, glaring at the woman, as if daring her to say any more nonsense.

“You haven’t changed one bit, Konzen.” Risha greeted, bowing respectfully then glanced back at the team arranged in front of her. Before she could proceed with talking further with the group, a couple of devout followers approached her, requesting for some information related to their worship the next day.

Without being able to protest further, the woman was dragged away to attend to this matter. The men sighed in relief, managing their escape back to their hotel as they prepared to rest for the evening.

“We have to leave as early as possible to avoid trouble.” Sanzo commented, lighting a cigarette and watching the scenery outside. At the top of the hill was the temple Gojyo and Devy had been to earlier that day. A whistling sound suddenly became apparent, growing louder and louder. In a few moments, a nearby building was hit by an explosion, followed by another, directly hitting the temple.

“Oh no, Risha!” Devy cried, running out of the room without a second thought.

“Devy, wait!!” Hakkai had begun to run after the kid, stopped by another sudden explosion near the hotel.

The townsfolk could be heard yelling down below, rushing to the areas that were hit. Surveying the damage from their room, Sanzo was quick to order them to move out.

“Gojyo, since you know the temple, run after Devy. Hakkai, Goku: We're going off right to those damned attackers. There won't be a town left in the morning if we don't.”

Chapter Text

Avoiding the chaos, Devy ran through the streets as fast as she could, with her goal set in reaching the temple, and hoping for Risha’s safety. She hardly knows anything about the woman, but she did know how it was to be alone. Overestimating her strength, she found herself out of breath just as she was about to go uphill. She felt that her lungs heaving and her leg muscles were on fire. While catching her breath, she felt two large hands pick her up from the ground and onto wide shoulders. Recognizing the red hair, she held on as Gojyo kept running up the hill.

“DON'T GO RUNNING OFF ON YOUR OWN YOU STUPID KID!” he berated. “We'll have more problems if you were injured!”

Devy managed to wheeze out an apology as they reached the temple. The barrage of explosions were dwindling down.

The entrance was reduced to rubble, complicating their trek to check on Risha. Summoning his weapon, Gojyo managed to destroy part of the entrance to get them to the main hall. Running through the debris, they found Risha pinned under a part of the fallen ceiling. She was unconscious.

“Risha!” Devy alighted from Gojyo and checked the woman for breathing. She was still alive, but she had a nasty cut on her head. Gojyo was able to wedge off the debris, and gently turned the woman on her back. The bleeding was still a problem. Thinking quickly, Devy excused herself and removed Gojyo's bandanna and ran off to the bath area they saw earlier that day. She drenched the blue cloth in water and focused on freezing it enough to use as first aid. Running back to Gojyo and Risha, she gently wrapped the cut with the wet cloth and slowly froze it more to keep it in place.

“Nice quick thinking, kid..” Gojyo complimented. It didn't escape his attention that the kid's eyes slowly changed to sapphire blue while using her powers, then reverted to green. He gently hoisted the woman on his back and soon, they slowly made their way back to the hotel. The barrage had fully stopped, and they can only surmise that the three had settled the chaos on their end. Devy would look up at Risha once in a while, her silent concern making Gojyo chuckle. “She'll be fine.. Hakkai will be able to help her, don't worry.”

The sound of shouting was still in the air while the smell of burning houses was palpable as they walked on.

“I'm sorry..”

Gojyo looked back at the kid. “Hm?”

“For running off on my own.”

“Heh.” the man smirked. “I am proud of you for doing the right thing.” he clumsily reached for the child's head, ruffling her hair. “Just don't do it again.”

The kid nodded as they walked on.

Arriving at the hotel, they were greeted by quite the commotion at the lobby where it had been made into a makeshift infirmary for the people who had been injured. Seeing as they were on their own, Gojyo and Devy had settled the woman in his room while the girl busied herself in cleaning up Risha's injuries until Hakkai was able to check in on her. This also allowed the woman to be able to rest without too many people fussing on her. Gojyo left the room to help assist the injured downstairs. Mayo snuck into the room as Gojyo left, meowing his complaints at Devy for having been left behind during the commotion. The girl lifted the cat and cuddled him on a couch near the bed while they waited for the woman to come to, and for Hakkai to drop by.

Gojyo found Hakkai in the middle of healing a man who had a nasty gash on his arm after having been hit by a beam when a part of his house collapsed in the fire. The hybrid immediately went to help wrap the injury on the man's leg. Finishing up, he gave Hakkai a look that said he shouldn't overdo it.

“Don't worry Gojyo..” Hakkai assured him, nodding at the injured man he had just healed. “How were things on your end?”

“Well, Risha has a nasty head wound I need you to look at.” Gojyo said as the next person in line sat in front of Hakkai. It was a broken bone. Helping with the splint, the two worked on stabilizing the person's arm to help it heal faster. “Devy was a great help with the first aid.”

“She really seems to know a lot.” Hakkai commented.

Gojyo nodded. “And.. I thought you should know, Devy's eyes changed to blue for a moment when she used her ice.” The other man's eyes widened.

“That more than confirms things, I think. Did she say anything about her memories?”

He shook his head and watched Hakkai applying some healing to the man's arm. “Please know your bone will need a lot of time to recover, please make sure to take it easy.” He advised, waving off the man. He turned to Gojyo. “I’ll see to Risha as soon as we finish with the townsfolk here.”

Devy had just been on the couch with Mayo, waiting for the grown-ups to tend to the woman. It didn’t take long before Risha came to, turning to her side and vomiting from the nausea she must have been feeling. The girl looked on with concern and disgust painted in both her's and Mayo’s face. She let Mayo off her lap and got a pail from the bathroom. She handed it to the woman and proceeded to wipe the floor clean. The woman vomited a few more times, thankfully all in the pail.

Realizing her predicament, Risha gently touched her head, feeling the cool cloth and the pain of the wound. “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused all of you…” Looking closely at the kid, she could sense that the child had a darkness over her, like chains pulling her down. She decided not to mention it for now as she might be imagining things.

The kid shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. It was a good thing we found you in time.”

“Why did you help me?” she asked, studying the child who had returned to the couch with her cat on her lap. “I’m pretty sure I was very annoying to your companion.”

“I had this feeling that you felt lonely, and I have that with me all the time.” she looked down at her cat. “I don’t know the memories related to the feeling, but I know that it’s the kind of loneliness that stops you from asking for help.”

Risha’s eyes widened for a bit, taken aback from the sentiment behind her rescue. It confirmed her understanding of the kid’s situation. Lying back down, she stared at the ceiling, praying that she wouldn't feel the need to throw up again.

Footsteps were soon heard approaching from the hallway, and a knock came on the door. It opened and Hakkai and Gojyo shuffled into the room. Risha opened her eyes, looking at the green-eyed man she knew to be Tenpou. He smiled gently at her.

“Sorry it took us a while to get to you.” he said, moving to the bedside with a chair.

“Ah, Hakkai, she just threw up a while ago after waking up, I think she might be dizzy from the injury.” the girl informed the man, like a nurse reporting to the doctor.

“Thank you, Devy..” Hakkai said, peering at the makeshift bandage. “I'll take it from here…”

Risha winced a little when the man peeled off the cloth, revealing the big cut on her head. Thankfully, the cold cloth had  helped the bleeding stop.

“Great job in using your ice powers for this.” Hakkai complimented. 

Ice powers? The woman thought to herself. The girl visibly beamed at the praise.

“Sorry but you have to sit up so I can get a better look.” With Gojyo's assistance, she was seated with pillows behind her for extra support. Assessing the injury, Hakkai proceeded to clean the wound before moving to heal it with his chi, the light reflecting on his face. “It's a good thing the first aid managed to stop the bleeding. Otherwise we’d have more trouble with anemia.” he commented, finishing up and wrapping the area with a bandage that went around her head.

“Thank you, Tenpou..” Risha said, looking at the man with the monocle, then corrected herself. “I mean, Hakkai.”

The man just smiled kindly. “How are you feeling now, do you think you can drink some water, at least?” She nodded and accepted the glass of water that Devy had provided for her. “I appreciate everyone’s kindness, despite having been a nuisance earlier today.”

“Don’t mention it… it is what it is.” Hakkai shrugged while checking the woman for other minor injuries and helped heal some bruises and scratches as well.

  “Hey, Hakkai, so what happened in the mountains? Who was attacking the town?” Devy remembered to ask, looking at the men as she settled back into the couch with Mayo.

“It was a group of demons.” Hakkai answered, standing up and cleaning up after himself, setting aside the medical supplies. “We tried interrogating them, but they seemed to have just been hired by someone else. With their weapons destroyed, I don’t think they will proceed with such an attack again any time soon, but I don’t think we can keep protecting the town, I’m afraid.” Hakkai moved to give the woman another glass of water.

Gojyo proceeded to stand by the window, looking at the damage he could see. All of the fires had been put out at this point, but they will have a better view of the damages in the morning. He looked back at Hakkai. “Still, I’m surprised that this place has survived attacks for this long, and seems to have only encountered this type of damage now.”

“That would be because of me..” Risha said, looking at them apologetically. “I have let my guard down, and being knocked unconscious dispelled the barrier I have over the town.” She looked at them with a serious expression. “My real name is Lakshmi.”

Hakkai’s eyes widened. “The Goddess?” he looked astounded, and at the same time, as if things fell into place. When the woman nodded, he folded his arms, hand on chin, as if calculating. “That explains why the town had been prosperous and protected from harm all this time. The golden calf isn’t what they’re worshiping, simply a symbol of the prosperity and protection that they have been receiving.”

Devy tilted her head to one side. “But, shouldn't gods be in heaven, or something?” she asked, regarding Risha in a new light, but her face expressed more confusion with their current predicament.

“Gods here pretty much do what they want.” Gojyo retorted, alluding to previous encounters. “Based on this one war god we encountered before, he’d rather die than live in heaven.” he shrugged. “I guess it must be stifling and boring there.”

Devy was trying to reconcile this thought and they could tell that she just gave up thinking about it further. Her stomach grumbled, receiving a chuckle from the adults. Embarrassed, the girl walked up to Hakkai, holding his hand. “Can we borrow their kitchen and cook something? I want some congee.”

“Oh sure.” Hakkai responded gently, leading her to the door. “Let’s see what we can do.”

Gojyo watched the two leave with Mayo, looking back at Risha. “You’re a runaway, aren’t you?” he asked pointedly, studying the woman’s guilty face.

“Y-yes, yes I am..” Risha admitted, bowing, looking at her hands.

“Heaven can’t be that bad, now can it?” Gojyo ventured to ask, holding out a hand so he could put the glass of water on the room table.

“It is.” the woman said plainly. “It had become worse when Kenren- I mean, my friends had gone.”

“I see.” Gojyo decided not to push the topic further. “Well, anyway, whatever your deal is, you can do whatever you want here, I suppose. Looks like I’m bunking in with the monkey for now.” He moved to leave the room, but was stopped by Risha.

“Uhm,” she muttered, looking sheepish. “Can you help me lie back down?”

Sighing, Gojyo obliged, leaning over, having the woman hold on to his neck so he can move her lower into the bed. As he adjusted her form and tried to get up, the woman held on to him, pulling him in for a kiss. Taken by surprise, Gojyo jerked his head back, jostling the woman, making her reach for the bucket again to throw up. The man scratched his head awkwardly, watching the woman wipe her lips with the back of her hand. He helped her sit back up again and gave her a bit of water. Receiving the emptied glass, he chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Risha asked, embarrassed with what happened.

“It’s nothing,” Gojyo assured her. “I guess I just didn’t expect you to be so forward. If you really want me that badly, you’d have to wait until you actually feel better. I play rowdy.” The woman turned red, making him laugh a little. He helped the woman lie down again, this time, successfully. He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Risha watched him turn off the light and exit the room. Sighing to herself, she allowed herself to remember her time with Kenren, 500 years ago.

Lakshmi felt her body go limp after Kenren finished, cumming in her asshole while she fingered herself, still feeling aroused from the experience. She heard him wash up, and then soon enough, felt the man turn her over, grinning at her, undoubtedly proud of himself being able to pleasure her this much. “Let me take care of that for you..” he said, kissing her lips and slowly moving her hands away from her clit and inserting his own fingers into her vagina, making her moan loudly.

“Oh, K-Kenren~” she whispered, holding onto his black crew cut hair and pulling as his kisses slowly made his way down to her crotch. He made sure to spread her legs apart to better enjoy her wetness. He paused to glance at her before muttering what she swore she could have heard as “ittadakimasu”. She was soon unable to process anything else, lost in the sensation of his tongue inside her. With the help of his fingers still on her clit, she shuddered in ecstasy, wrapping her legs around his head, as if willing him to go deeper. “Let me eat you too~” she whimpered, begging.

“Oh, you say such music to my ears, Lakshmi.” he said, changing their positions, allowing the woman to be on top of him, giving her access to his penis that had become erect once more from the excitement of her arousal. He winced a little at the feeling of teeth on his shaft and waited for the woman to adjust before continuing where he left off in pleasuring her as he too felt himself lost in the sensations of her mouth sucking his tip, down his shaft, as much as she could take in her mouth. He found himself grunting and groaning as they both kept at their pace, slowly speeding up until he came again, this time in her mouth, and her juices flowing. He made sure to lick her clean, gently and methodically, letting her know that he was still relishing the moment with her. He felt his dick soften, but it was still sensitive and allowed Lakshmi to “clean it up” until she was satisfied.

Panting, they both settled back into the bed, snuggling in their sweat and chaos. The woman giggled, content. She gave Kenren’s chest a small kiss.

“It’s always fun with you.” Kenren whispered mischievously, clearing the woman’s face of stray locks of her long black hair. “Although I’d get into all sorts of trouble if Vishnu finds out.”

Lakshmi grinned. “Well I’m glad you’re having as much fun as I do.” she said, settling into his arms. “Too bad you can’t stay longer today.”

Kenren sighed. “I’d rather not have a good thing end just coz I couldn’t stop myself on time.” he reasoned, getting up and putting on his East Army uniform, a dark brown coat and similar pants and black boots. Upon completing his outfit, he glanced back at Lakshmi who had been watching him. She was still in all her naked glory. He walked over and gave her one last kiss before he stepped out of the room, greeted by an angry, bluish fist. Thrown back into the room, his vision blurred from the punch that was followed by another. He barely registered people yelling in the hallway and Lakshmi yelling for Vishnu to stop. Finding his bearings, he caught the next fist and hit back, throwing the other god off of him and back into the hallway. He closed the door behind him, smirking at the rightfully angered husband of the goddess.

“I trusted you with my life, General.” Vishnu spat, wiping blood off his cheek. “It turns out that I can’t trust you with anything else.”

“Maybe if you performed as well as I do, this wouldn’t be an issue.” Kenren remarked, preparing to brawl. To his surprise, the god with the blue skin stood down, but continued to glare at him.

“That may be so, but I refuse to further deal with the likes of you.” He pointed the way out of the premises. “Leave. I’ll make sure we’ll never cross paths ever again.”

Kenren heard the door behind him open, with Lakshmi looking worriedly at him. He shrugged nonchalantly, pocketed his hands and left.

x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

Risha awoke with the gentle rays of the early morning sun filtering into the room. A mewl from the cat caught her attention, seeing the pure white cat with blue eyes watching her from the foot of the bed. Turning to the couch, she found Devy curled up asleep with her blanket. The cat purred, sauntering over to her for pets which the woman obliged. Looking more closely at the cat, she realized that he was familiar. “You’re that kid that used to be under Kanzeon Bosatsu’s charge, aren’t you?”

“Mrreeow~” Mayo exclaimed, rubbing his tiny head onto Risha’s hand. She looked over to Devy again, the situation dawning on her a little bit more. “You’re a little too far away from home, aren’t you.”

Testing her own constitution, she slowly sat up and made her way to the couch, sitting on the floor. Focusing her power, she hovered her hand over the child’s head, enveloping her in a warm, soft light. This lingered over Devy for a few moments before dissipating, as if becoming part of the morning light.

“It isn’t much, but it will help you fight off your curse sooner.” she said, watching Mayo hop onto the couch with Devy. “It’d be a shame on my name as Lakshmi with Eight Forms if I couldn’t grant this simple gift.”

 Footsteps were soon heard in the hallway and Hakkai opened the door with a bowl of congee for her on a tray. “Oh, you’re already awake!” He smiled at her, mildly surprised at the sight of Devy sleeping in the room with Mayo beside her. “So this is where she’s been! I was mildly confused to find Gojyo in our room earlier, but I couldn’t ask anyone where she had gone.” he said quietly, setting the tray on the table and helping Risha back on the bed. “How are you feeling this morning?” he handed her the bed tray.

“Much better, thanks to your help.” the woman admitted, gratefully taking the tray of food and slowly eating the warm meal. 

“May I ask you a question?”

Risha looked at the man, curious. “Of course.”

“It’s rare to be in the presence of a god, and admittedly, I am a little curious.” Hakkai began, and thought of his question for a moment. “Is there anything you cannot do that you wish you could do for your own happiness?”

Risha smiled sadly at the man, setting back the empty bowl of congee on the tray. "I am Lakshmi, and mortals pray for wealth, victory, enlightenment, children, prosperity, and yet, all these things mean nothing to me. I cannot bring back time, nor bring back to life those dear to me." She looked at her palms. “With these divine powers, I cannot even decide on how I wish to die. My eternity is with Vishnu, and forever we shall remain, watching over all that happens on earth. My wish is to die, but even that, I cannot have."

Hakkai was surprised with this answer, but said nothing. Before he could say something, they sensed Devy stir into wakefulness. Seeing Risha sitting down, she jolted upright. “Oh! You’re already awake! Are you feeling better?” she asked immediately, her green eyes wide with eagerness.

“Yes, yes I am, thank you.” Risha said, touching the child’s head. “I’m afraid I won’t be walking around yet today, but that shouldn’t stop you from eating or anything you have to do.”

“Yeah, you should go downstairs and look for Goku and the rest, they should still be eating at the restaurant area. Hakkai said, handing the tray for Devy to take back to the kitchen.

“What about you, have you already eaten, Hakkai?” the kid asked, accepting the tray.

“Yes, I have.” he assured her. “Thank you for your concern. I’ll just help heal Risha some more and I’ll also head downstairs. I won’t take long.”

“Okay!” Once Devy and Mayo were soon out the door, Hakkai turned back to Risha and stood up. “I'll start with the concussion and we'll figure out the rest from there.” Slowly, he unraveled the bandage, gently putting it to one side. Peering at the wound, he was assured that it was healing nicely. “The physical injury is healing well…” he commented, nodding to himself. He summoned his chi, healing it further until the cut could barely be seen. Redressing the wound, he eyed Risha's expression. “I hope you're not in any pain?”

“No.. it's fine.. thank you.” The woman looked at her hands again. “What hurts right now for me are the memories I have.”

“Gojyo did mention that briefly, that you seem to have mistaken him for someone you knew.” Hakkai affirmed, checking on the woman's arms, then hands. He caught a glimpse of the woman smiling sadly.

“They're my dear friends..” the woman said somberly. “They've been long gone, but, how I envy where they are.”

The man couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy for the woman. He set aside the medical materials and sat down on the bed and gently patted her hand. “I too have wished something similar, but, sometimes I just find myself thinking of moments when I feel most alive, and hold on to it with all my might. Even if you say you cannot die, I'm sure there is something where you can say, I can't not live.” He stood up to leave. “Please get some more rest today, Risha. I'll check on you again later.”

Before the man could open the door, Goku had run in and barged into the room, carrying Devy with him.

“Goku! This is a sick room, please settle down.“ Hakkai reminded, curious of the commotion as well.

“HAKKAI!! SHE JUST REMEMBERED SOMETHIN’!!”

“It's not a big deal, Goku!!” Devy growled, kicking Goku on the shin and chasing him out of the room. As the dust of their chaos settled, Hakkai looked back at Risha apologetically and left the room. Following the sound of the banter, he had found them at the lobby area of the hotel, practically disappearing in a cloud of dust as they tried to settle the score of who offended who first. Sanzo was soon on the scene, deftly grabbing both “children” at arms’ length from each other. Spotting Hakkai, he tossed Devy off in his direction and walked off with Goku, giving him an earful for being the rowdy monkey that he was.

Laughing awkwardly, Hakkai settled the ruffled girl back on the ground and kneeling in front of her to make sense of what happened. “So, what was that all about?”

Devy huffed. “I was eating breakfast and a memory popped into my head. I was at this huge dining table, and there were twin boys older than me. There was a woman, my mother, maybe? Everyone was laughing, but I felt super sad.. “

Hakkai felt a twinge in his heart, knowing she was remembering a lifetime ago, and he couldn't tell her more. He offered a hug, which the child accepted gladly. “We'll slowly make better sense of things as we go.” She nodded.

“I'm scared..”

“Hmm?”

“What if I don't like who I was?”

The man hugged her tighter. “We hardly recognize who we've been, but who we are always changes. The important thing is liking who you are, where you are in the present.”

“After all the sandy and rocky terrain, this meadow area is like a pop-up book dream.” Mayumi commented, landing just outside the next town. It was still early in the morning, and they could hear sheep bleating, and a general peaceful atmosphere in the area. She took a deep breath, enchanting their appearance to blend in with the local attire. Their method so far has proven effective in keeping any enemies from detecting them. They heard the bell of a nearby church ring for the morning.

“I hope they don't find weary travelers who just sleep through the day too suspicious..” Mili muttered, slinging their bag over her shoulders to keep up with the appearance.

“Nah, I don't think they'd care much. We are literally weary travelers.” Mayumi replied looking around, they found a two storey building with a signage that said “Bed and Breakfast”. She pointed at it. “I hope they have at least one room available.” Making their way, they entered the building and were greeted by a man in his late forties. He seemed to have just been in the garden or farm.

“Hello, would you have a vacant room good for two by any chance?” Mili greeted. Her nose wrinkled a bit at the stench coming from the man's clothing who laughed sheepishly.

“I'm sorry for my current state, I had chased a sheep and got trampled on instead.” He said. “I'll have you registered in our ledger and your key to your room and I'll head for a bath.”

The girls waved it off to say it was fine. “No worries.” Mayumi assured him. “We're not ones to tout hygiene either. We just came from a few days of traveling ourselves.”

“I see..” the man said, opening their ledger. “I can put you in room three, here's your key. Just write your names here. If you want to go around and check the town, you can leave the key with us, or take it with you.”

Mili took the pen and was about to write their names when the previously registered names caught her attention. “OMG!! MAYUMI LOOK!!” both the man and Mayumi practically jumped out of their skins with the sudden outburst. Mili pointed urgently at the ledger. “It's them!!”

Mayumi took a look and sure enough, Sanzo's name and the rest of the group were there. “That's Hakkai's handwriting too!”

“Oh? You know our previous guests?” The man said, curiously watching their sudden elation and surprise. “They were here for a few days, I think it was just last week.”

Mili groaned. “Another week of catching up? Good God Hakkai can drive..” the man seemed to realize his mistake and waved his hand as if erasing his statement .

“I mean, today's Monday, they left last Friday. The week starts with Sunday.”

The two looked at each other, clasping each other's hands. “We're almost there!!” they stopped, both realizing that only meant they were catching up with the gang, but what about Sophie?

“By any chance, were they with a blonde woman with short hair and a white cat?” Mili ventured to ask. The man furrowed his brow.

“They did have a white cat with them, but that cat was always with the tall redhead.” The man said. The two looked crestfallen. “But they did have a little girl with them, I think her name was Devy.” The man checked the logs. “Yep. Her name's here, see. Devy. Niece of Cho Hakkai.” The man was getting a headache watching their expressions on a rollercoaster. “Look, here's your key, finish logging in. I'll have to see about that bath. If you have questions later, you can find me again.” Waving off, the two were left on their own. They logged their names and hurriedly settled in their room.

Mayumi was pacing while Mili had gone off to take a quick bath. They were with Mayo, but the kid was a strange occurrence. They wouldn't simply continue their journey west unless the girl was related to their journey. They forgot to ask about the features of the kid. Things were not adding up. Mili was soon out of the bath and before Mayumi could protest, she had been shoved into the bathroom for her turn.

“Worry about details later, wash up first.” Mili urged. She went back to the room, plopping on the bed. She had begun to think of possibilities of where Sophie could be, but the tiredness of their flight had gotten the best of her, drifting off to sleep.

Mayumi returned to their room, refreshed. But her mind was still buzzing with the earlier information. She knew she was tired, but she couldn’t get herself to relax and lie down, unlike Mili. Taking the key with her, she locked the room and went downstairs to ask the man for more information, but he wasn't around. Tapping her foot, she glanced outside, seeing some men cart off large planks of wood. Curious of the construction, she stepped outside and saw two more wagons with the same pieces of wood. She followed them, seeing their “procession” to the church. Getting to the structure, the men slowly brought out the materials and took them inside. Mayumi slowly became more aware of the hammers and saws at work inside the building.

No one seemed to mind her as she went through the side door. Inside, she found that they were almost finished replacing some pews that have somehow been destroyed recently. Based on the recent guests, she could surmise that a battle had happened there. Finally feeling her brain grow tired of all the information, she decided to sit down on a nearby pew. She rubbed her face with her hands. She felt her frustration rising.

“Excuse me, are you here for a mass or requesting a blessing?” It was a nun.

“Oh, I'm sorry.. I'm just passing through this town, I'm staying at the bed and breakfast nearby, and I saw all this construction..” she rambled.

“Ohh I see.” The nun seemed to understand. “I'm sorry. But you are welcome to look around the church. It's just messy right now due to the recent exorcism.”

“Exorcism??” Mayumi felt alarmed.

“Oh, don't worry, our bishop here is an exorcist. So he took care of it.” The nun said proudly. “I wasn't here, but the guests who were here saw what happened. They even helped bring us the supplies to fix the damages.”

“I- I see.” Mayumi had more questions, but a foreign-looking man approached them.

“Bishop Hazel!” The nun greeted, giving a small bow.

“Greetings. I see that you seem new to town.” He said. Then regarded the nun. “I'll take it from here, Sister Grace.” He then turned to address Mayumi. “You seem troubled. Perhaps the inside of the church is not the best place for conversation right now, shall we take a walk outside?” he motioned for her to take a walk with him. With nothing else to do, she stood up and followed him. She noticed that the back of the bishop's attire had two little white wings embroidered into it, just where his shoulder blades were. It seemed fitting, yet out of place for holy garb.

“I do apologize for Sister Grace's eagerness, she gets excited when there are new people in town..” he offered a seat on a bench under the shade of a tree, a little ways off from the entrance of the church.

“I'm Mayumi Englewood.” She finally introduced, sitting down and taking in the features of the man under better lighting. He had silver hair and cold blue eyes. Sophie's were a warmer shade.

“Hazel Grouse.” The man returned, looking at her. “You don't need to hide your appearance from me. I can tell you've just enchanted your features to misdirect common folk.”

Mayumi felt a little alarmed. What if he was an enemy?

“Don't worry, I'm acquainted with Sanzo and his group. A friend of theirs is a friend of mine.” Said Hazel, glancing at her. “Unless, of course, you're out to hurt them, then we'd have a problem.”

Mayumi shook her head. “We're not from here, but we're looking for our friend. We were hoping to find her with them.”

“You're Devy's friends?”

“Devy?” Mayumi asked. Why do they keep mentioning that kid?

“I thought she might have been the one you were looking for.” Hazel said, also seemingly confused.

“What did she look like?”

Hazel seemed to think back. “Hmm, she seems to be around 6 or 7 years old, about this tall.” He gestured his height estimate of the girl. “Long brown hair, green eyes. Very nice little girl.” He seemed to have made good friends with this child.

Mayumi shook her head. “We're looking for a woman, about our age. Short blonde hair, shorter than Hakkai's hair. She's almost as tall as me, and she has a white cat named Mayo.” she watched the bishop furrowed his brows.

“Yes, Mayo, definitely I remember. He would always clamber on Gojyo's shoulder.” He confirmed. He glanced at Mayumi again. “He seemed extremely protective of Devy.”

Mayumi's thoughts clicked in her head, making her gasp. The kid was Sophie. The trap, the fight! Sophie must have been cursed! As if reading her realization, Hazel spoke up.

“I sensed the curse on that child when I first met her.” He confided. “I couldn't tell the extent of the curse, but with the information you've provided, it seems that Devy had lost all her memories. Should you find her, I suggest it would be wise not to overwhelm her with what you know.”

“Oh no.. Sophie's in this mess because of me…” Mayumi was starting to feel the panic rise up in her throat. Without a second thought, she teleported herself back to their room, waking up Mili in the process. She curled herself up next to her, refusing to speak. Confused, but aware of her girlfriend's current mental state, she embraced her and let her ride through her feelings.

x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

Back at the church yard, Hazel was still staring at the spot where Mayumi had been, uncertain of what had just happened. Figuring she'd come back and find him, he stood up, dusted off his garb and started to walk to the church. Before he could take another step, a bright light crashed nearby. Sensing the power coming from it, Hazel immediately ran away from the town to divert the enemy, if it was an enemy.

As the light dissipated, he became aware that he was faced with a holy being in the form of a child. He could feel his fear at the sight of his cold, calculating golden eyes, and knowing that he might as well die right then and there. The boy that appeared before him had black garb with golden trimmings, and most of his long hair was kept in a bun on his head, but wisps of them flowed around him. Had he not known better, he would not have had his guard up at all.

The boy materialized a sword, not taking his eyes away from him. “Unidentified life form.” he said, as if he was analyzing him right then and there. “Perceived as human but sensors indicate demon activity. Demon dormant, class SS.”

He can sense Varahal ??

“Identification, demon possession. Conclusion, extermination.”

“Extermination, he says like crushing a bug..” Hazel muttered to himself, holding onto Gat’s scarf. Running away was not an option. “Even a worm will turn..” he muttered, preparing every fiber of his being for the assault. “Just, who are you?”

“That is irrelevant.” the boy flicked his sword, striking at Hazel, with the man barely dodging with the speed of the attack. A deep crack on the earth formed from where he once stood. He cursed under his breath, knowing full well how he could disappear in an instant. Orbs of light appeared around him, materializing into what he identified as similar to shikigami and attacked him all at once. The puppets appeared to have a similar garb to the boy, but in white. They had masks on, and lifeless expressions on all of them.

“Oh this is quite the predicament..” Hazel muttered to himself, releasing his light whips from his chi, enough to destroy the ones surrounding him. But it seemed that there was no end to them and new ones were created as soon as he was able to dispatch the last ones. Summoning his own power, he began his verses.

In the beginning, there was only darkness, until God said let there be light and made it so..

He continued, muttering to himself as he channeled his energy towards his assailants, destroying more of them as he went on. He could feel Varahal itching to come out to fight this god, but he refused to let him come out, no matter what happened. 

No one was going to die tonight.

His distracted thought allowed a misstep, making way for a shikigami to strike him, forcing him to block. Being knocked down, he was aware of his disadvantage. Before getting attacked further, a barrier similar to Hakkai’s appeared around him, deflecting the advancing puppets.

“Are you okay??” it was the woman from earlier, appearing within the barrier created.

“A-ah, yes, thank you..” he muttered, registering that a panther was also fighting back, knocking the puppets out. Getting up, he recovered and prepared with a defensive stance. “I owe you..”

“I think it’s only safe to say that once we get out of this alive.” Mayumi responded, focusing her chi to blast through the barrage. “That’s the War God, Nataku, Sanzo and his companions have encountered him before, and he’s out to get every single demon on the face of Togenkyo.”

“A god??” Hazel said surprised, looking back at the boy who had summoned more shikigami, but seemed to focus on them.

“Less talk, more fighting!” the voice was coming from the panther that just managed to pummel through another group of shikigami.

“The panther is speaking?” Hazel was having a hard time reconciling everything he was hearing. Before he could process things further, a blast from the boy’s sword obliterated their barrier, throwing them off and not allowing them to stand from the shock and pain.

“I.D. of new arrival: confirmed, descendant of Pratham otherwise known as Fukuo, taboo, hybrid, Class S. Objective updated: Two demons for extermination.” Nataku raised his sword once again, summoning more orbs of light.

The shikigami surrounded them, but the panther was quick to shift into an elephant, trampling the puppets and throwing them away as if they were nothing. The form then shifted to a woman with black hair, blocking the two from Nataku.

The boy appeared to stand down, staring at Mili. “Query unidentified. Not human, not demon.” Nataku seemed to be doing some analysis, or waiting for a command. “Results confirmed. Query not for extermination. You have sixty seconds to state your purpose for protecting those demons.”

“Ehh? He really does speak as weird as they say.” Mili commented.

“Thirty seconds.”

Mili sighed. “I’m protecting my world.” Mili stated simply, glancing at Mayumi. “I’ll even stand against a god not to lose my home. Don’t you have something you wish to protect with your life?”

Nataku appeared to have stopped, unmoving from the information received. Despite this, Mili did not budge. “Query does not quantify. Pursuit canceled.” With this, the same bright light that brought the boy had taken him away, and they could only guess that it was back to heaven.

Sighing in relief, Mili quickly ran towards Mayumi, checking her injuries. “Can you sit?” she turned to Hazel who was already trying to get up. “What about you, do you have any serious injuries?”

The man shook his head. “I think my main injury right now is a whiplash from everything that just happened.” Mili had to laugh at this as she helped Mayumi sit up. Even the redhead managed a chuckle. “You really are friends with Sanzo and his companions.” He commented. “I don't think I know anyone else who can laugh at such an experience.”

Mayumi smirked. “Par for the course at this point.” She seemed to grimace at an injury. “I may have a fractured rib.” She focused a bit of her chi on herself, appearing to have healed the area. “Well, that just allowed it to be a bruised rib for now..”

“Impressive.” Hazel nodded. “Based on your skill, you share the same healing as Hakkai.”

“Ah, no, no one can match that guy.” Mayumi said sheepishly. “Anyway, bishop, if it's not much, we can help heal your injuries if you want. And possibly discuss this turn of events in private.” The girls turned to the villagers that were slowly gathering at the edge of the field.

“Man, it's not even lunch time and we've already almost died. Haha” Mili quipped, standing up and waving to indicate they were alright. “I hope either of you have a good explanation for this, coz I don't think saying we fought off a god will work in this town..”

One of the townsfolk ran towards them to check if they needed help. “Was it another exorcism, bishop?” He asked, offering to help Hazel stand.

“No, no, it was me, I was showing a magic trick I was working on, and it got out of hand.” Mayumi interjected, standing up with Mili's assistance. “I'm sorry for the commotion. We'll take responsibility for the damage here today, we'll just need time to recover..”

Hazel caught on and added. “My apologies as well for insisting on your demonstration. Let's discuss this further at the infirmary.”

Mayumi followed with Mili, remembering Nataku's words on his "analysis" of her.

"descendant of Pratham otherwise known as Fukuo, taboo, hybrid, Class S."

It was one thing to realize it on their own, and another to hear a confirmation of her connection to this world. Pratham was her father's real name.

Sanzo watched the townsfolk busy with repairs while he smoked by the window of their room. It was mid afternoon, and Goku had not even come back for a snack. He eyed the brown-haired youth, carrying heavy supplies and setting them on a pulley for lifting on top of a building. Their travel has been postponed in light of the attack that happened. Based on the information from Hakkai and Gojyo, they're in the presence of the actual goddess with eight forms, Lakshmi.

“She's not our problem. No matter what issues she may have, it isn't related to our journey. And she's not an enemy either.”

“I know Sanzo, but maybe there's something we can do about the demons attacking this area at least.”

“We’re delayed as it is. Meddling with shit here will not benefit us in any way.” Sanzo said firmly.

“Ah, but this happens to us all the time, Sanzo.” Hakkai reasoned. “I don’t think it will make much of a difference to actually deal with it. And you can’t argue with me that this will deplete any of our resources, because staying here is the best place so far to have ample supply.”

Sanzo hated to admit it, but he was indeed beaten soundly with reason, and being able to recuperate was something they all needed. They were no longer on a schedule, just a goal. “Ch! Do as you wish.”

Focusing back on the present, he noticed Goku waving at him, which he acknowledged with a nod. Devy was also running around helping with whatever she could, running errands, bringing meals for the workers. It felt like they were being charity workers at this point, and it slightly pissed him off as unnecessary. A gentle knock came on the door, and he heard the voice of the woman named Risha asking to enter. “What do you want?” the monk asked, not in any mood to deal with small talk.

The woman took this as her prompt to enter and did so, closing the door behind her. She still had a bandage over her head, but basing on her demeanor, she seemed to be getting better. She gave a small bow, the afternoon light glowing on her features.

“I just wanted to extend my thanks for saving me and this town..” she began, walking a little closer, to get a better look at him. “It may not seem much, and the people don’t really look to one leader, but they have learned to live like this even before I came here. And it is my hope and wish that they are able to remain so.”

“Hn. Protecting them up to this extent only isolates them from how the real world is now, especially this far west.” Sanzo commented.

“This is why I don’t plan to leave them.” Risha stated, sitting down on the couch in the room. “If the demons who attacked recently are indeed after you, then, I would like to request if you are able to deal with it before leaving.”

“You should know by now that we don’t take kindly to any requests from gods.” Sanzo stated, lighting another cigarette, and feeling his temper rising. “You have no business in wishing what could be better for humans at all.”

“What do you mean?” Risha asked. He could sense that he had offended her.

“You're so proud to claim what mortals have, what you've brought to them. Stability, prosperity, protection, and dare I say, peace.” Sanzo took a long drag from his cigarette, holding it before letting the smoke out. “It’s true that it may be the case, but you know what else stability brings? Complacency. This “peace” that you have created for this town is as good as a fake life.” He took another puff. “You told Hakkai that death was something you wished you could have. Now why would you want that? Because your life is boring. Can you even call it a life with such a listless existence?”

“How dare you-” Risha snapped, clenching her fist. Sanzo went on.

“I dare because I'm a mortal. I know what my blood smells like. I know what it means to keep losing and getting back up every time. I dare to say “not yet” because this damn life is too short not to keep going.” He could see the woman shaking. “I dare because I'm alive. You dared to leave heaven, but it seems like you brought your boring life with you anyway.” He snuffed out his cigarette on his ashtray, folding his arms inside his robe. “Go ahead and keep protecting this town for all I care, but you have to dare to live if you want to be here with them.”

He glanced at the door, motioning that the conversation was over. “If that's all, you can leave.” He held his ground until she stepped out and closed the door. Touching his forehead, he moved back to his table, lit another cigarette and opened a book to read.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

“And that's how it is.” Mili concluded as Mayumi finished up healing the bishop's injuries who nodded at the summary.

“Based on your story, it would seem that Sanzo has surmised your presence here as well due to Devy's appearance.”

“How'd she end up with that name anyway?” Mayumi asked looking at Hazel checking if there were still some injuries left for healing.

“I'm willing to bet it's from Gojyo.” Mili quipped.

“I'm betting on Sanzo.” Mayumi countered, grinning back. Hazel watched the couple grin at each other, appearing to have agreed on the bet.

“Anyway, how did you get separated from Devy?” he asked, leading the way out of the infirmary and out into the back garden of the church. It was mid afternoon, and the sleepy breeze was blowing past. Mili was quick to clamber onto a nearby tree, watching Mayumi take a seat and Hazel looking around cautiously as if expecting another god to drop from the sky.

“We were transported into this world by a demon called Saiken, and they tried to get rid of me, but Sophie got in the way. The magic trap he fired had sent her further west, but we couldn’t follow because of the demons attacking us. We ended up running east without meaning to.” Mayumi explained. “Based on what we've gathered so far, the spell was meant to get rid of my powers or at least diminish them, so Saiken would have an easy win for the highest ranking magician in Togenkyo.” Hazel nodded, but he wasn’t sure he quite understood the dispute, and the logic. “With Sophie's current state, it's possible that he wanted to fight me before I discovered my powers. That would have reverted me into a fourteen year old.”

“What kind of powers does Devy have?” Hazel asked, piecing things together with their story. He finally decided to settle down on the other side of the bench from Mayumi.

“Ice. She controls ice.” Mili said. “Based on her age now, it means she discovered her powers when she was that young..”

“Yeah.. imagine what her family had her go through..” Mayumi said, leaning back and looking at the leaves on the tree above her. “She never really talked about it, but we heard that their uncle would leave her and her brothers in the middle of a forest for days to see how they can survive on their own.”

“That's insane!” Hazel exclaimed, surprised. “No wonder she seemed so fearless..” he commented, recalling how the kid had defended him against his own demon.

“Yeah.. imagine though if it was the thing that broke her.” Mili commented, but Mayumi’s face looked at her reproachfully as if saying “I'd rather not.”

“What about her brothers?” Hazel inquired. The two were quiet, and he picked up on it as a sensitive topic. “My apologies.”

“Shun killed Alex, and their uncle killed Shun..” Mili said matter-of-factly.

“My goodness!”

“Yeaaaah..” Mili uttered. “We're simplifying shit, but that should be enough backstory.

“I'm afraid there's a need for a little bit more information.” Hazel confessed. “Why would they kill each other?”

Mili scratched her head, hopping off the tree. “Well.. even we don't know how Shun happened to be with the family, but they claimed it was a curse that a demon child was born into their family.” Hazel said nothing. “From what we learned, they forced Shun to be human. And to add to this, the parents showed obvious favor of Sophie and Alex. We can only guess the amount of resentment he had for living such a lie. He orchestrated the seeming accident that killed Alex, and ALMOST killed Sophie too. That time was insane.”

“I would imagine so..” Hazel finally said, as if remembering something for himself.

“Anyway, what’s up with your robes?” Mili asked, pointing at the embroidered wings at the back. “Is it a standard fashion for bishop robes around here? The thread smells newer than the rest of the outfit.”

“You do have such a keen nose..” Hazel commented. “When Sanzo’s team was here, the demon within this body attempted to attack and take Devy. It almost got a hold of me too if it wasn’t for her.”

“Why would the demon want to take Devy?”

“Something about finding the one who cursed her.”

“Then, why isn’t the demon acting up now if he wants to get to them?”

“Because I had managed to fight it back down. Or maybe it’s also afraid to get disintegrated by the war god.” the bishop shrugged. “Or biding its time to get back out when my guard is down.”

“I see… I guess it’s something like keeping the beast in check.” Mili compared, remembering her own struggle when she started out shapeshifting. “But that didn’t explain the wings.”

Hazel had to laugh. “Well, the demon I have has wings. When he tries to take over, wings come out my back. It ripped my robes, so when we managed to subdue it, my robe was damaged. Devy ran off with it to the seamstress and had the wings embroidered. She said that it would serve as a reminder that I wasn’t a weak angel.” he looked at them sheepishly. “Oh dear, I actually feel embarrassed talking about it.” The two women had to laugh.

“Well, she does have her impulsive tendencies..” Mayumi commented. “But maybe it’s a character she’s had more as a younger person than she is at our age. Too many things had changed her, and I’m glad, in a way, that she’s having this time to be a child somehow.”

“No journey keeps people unchanged..” Hazel said, chuckling to himself before standing up. “Well, I have to check back in with the work they’re doing inside. You’re welcome to check around the town. When do you plan to leave, by the way?”

“Knowing that Sophie and Mayo are so close to us now, I think it’s best for us to leave as soon as possible.” Mayumi said, looking at the sun setting in the distance then back at the bishop. ”We’ll rest for a few hours and head out at dusk. We’ll be sure to drop by before we leave.”

“It was fun hanging out here for a bit.” Mili quipped, folding her arms behind her head. “Too bad we couldn’t stay longer, and too bad we couldn’t meet under better circumstances.”

“Such is life.” Hazel said, waving them off and retreated back into the church. The two went off in their own direction, looking into the shops in the town before they prepared to head out.

Goku fanned himself with the edge of his shirt after handing off the final supplies on the building they were helping. It was almost late afternoon and he was beginning to feel hungry. Since Devy was with him on this side of town, he decided to look for her, and became mildly concerned when he couldn't sense the child nearby.

“Mrreow!”

Looking down, he spotted Mayo, rubbing himself against his leg then walking off, trying to show him somewhere. Following his instinct, he walked on with the cat, down the street to a narrow alley where Devy was sitting with her back against the wall, her face to her knees. He felt that something was wrong with how the girl seemed to hug herself tight, making him approach quietly.

“Hey Devy..” he said calmly, sitting beside the girl. “Is something the matter?” The girl didn't respond. He decided to wait, turning his head to the crowd passing by.

A few minutes later, the kid raised her head, leaning onto his arm. She seemed lost in thought. “...a memory came back to me earlier..”

“Hm? What was it about?”

The girl hesitated. “It was the back yard of a big house, and, I was hugging this person, he looked like a demon from here, and he smiled then stabbed me with a knife… it's so confusing..”

Goku tensed at the mention of this memory. He knew exactly that it was that time when Linlin believed that she could still save her brother, and he betrayed her one last time. He reached an arm over the girl's shoulders, holding her closer to him.

“It's okay Devy… it's just a memory, it can't hurt you now.” He said. He wasn't even sure if he was saying the right thing.

“But what does the memory mean? Who was he? Why did he do that?” Devy said, shaking in some form of frustration. Goku was torn. He knew he couldn't do the memory justice, and seeing Devy now, adding more to it would make things worse. What would Hakkai do? What would Sanzo say? He thought. But neither of them were here, and he shouldn't wait for them to be there to help him help this kid. Inhaling with resolve, he answered.

“I was there when it happened, Devy..” he started. He felt the child stop shaking and looked at the side of his face. “I'm not really good at explainin’, but that guy you remembered, he's your brother, Shun. It probably won't make sense for now, but I want you to at least have a better understanding of the memory. “ He felt the girl nod. “You loved him dearly, but sometimes, feelings an’ things get complicated.”

“It is complicated..” the girl said sadly. “That memory makes my heart ache so much..” she held a hand to her chest, as if physically clutching her heart. Goku gave her arm a gentle pat. “But… how do you know this about me, Goku?”

The boy froze, uncertain how to proceed. “W-well, it's a long story, but, you mentioning the memory confirmed that you are someone we've met years ago.” He decided to go with the truth. “We were there when it happened. But I don't think it's best to tell you everything all at once.”

The girl seemed to process this information for a few minutes. “So what's my real name?”

“Sophie. I mean, Linlin.” His head was starting to hurt with the dualities of the situation.

“Which is it?”

“Which name do you like better?”

The kid thought of it for a while. “I think I like Devy better for now..”

Goku grinned then stood up. “Come on, it's about time for us to go back to the hotel. Let's not race this time.” He extended his hand, helping the kid up and holding onto her hand as they walked back with Mayo leading the way.

Chapter Text

Hakkai waved at Goku and Devy who had returned from their day's work, motioning them to their table at the restaurant area of the hotel. Gojyo and Sanzo were already there, smoking their cigarettes while waiting for their food. They had questioning looks at the quiet child. As they got closer, the kid went up to Hakkai, asking for a hug. Hakkai obliged, kneeling down and giving a warm embrace. “Did something happen?” He asked, looking at Goku for answers. The kid was still quiet.

Goku scratched his head. “Uhm.. she had another memory come back to her, and.. it was that time Shun stabbed her so…”

“Damn.. of all the memories to come back..” Gojyo commented.

“It seems like the return of memories is non-linear, so she might remember something recent or something older.” Sanzo commented, snuffing his cigarette.

“Did something happen that made you remember?” Hakkai asked, talking to the kid's head. He felt her move back to think it over.

“I think it was from watching kids playing earlier.” She said, seeming unsure, holding her head. “I don't feel so good. I think I'll go lie down..” Devy excused herself and made her way to their room, followed by Mayo. The guys watched her leave, just as the food arrived. The smell of curry and other dishes immediately had Goku seated and starting on the roti and sauce before gradually devouring everything in sight. Everyone else was eating quietly, the noise of the restaurant just enveloping them. Soon, Hakkai set aside some samosas and sauce and made his way to their room.

Despite the room being their shared room, Hakkai knocked. “Hey Devy, I'm coming in.” He said, opening the door, he found the kid under her blankets, curled into a ball. Mayo was sitting outside the blanket, sitting like a loaf of bread. He slowly made his way to the bed, pulling in the small table beside it so he could settle the samosa and sauce. He turned back to Devy. “Hey..” he muttered gently. “I know it's upsetting, but no one should go to bed hungry after a long day..” he urged, earning a small nod from the ball of blanket. Slowly, she emerged from the blanket, her brown hair all mussed up. She looked like she had been crying. Seeing the samosa, she crawled forward, reached for a triangle, dipped it in sauce and took a small nibble. Mayo, smelling the sauce, unfurled from his loaf form and tried to bat at the triangle of food.

“No Mayo, this is mine.” She stuck her tongue out at the cat who twitched his ear in annoyance. He eyed a different samosa, nicked it and ran out of the room.

Hakkai said laughed. “It must be pretty good samosa if even Mayo wants it..” turning back to Devy, the girl was nursing the triangle, nibbling it slowly. She still had that distant look in her eyes.

“Goku said you guys were there when it happened.” She said. He nodded. “Did I do something bad for him to do that?”

Hakkai paused, thinking of how to answer. He decided to sit on the bed, hand on chin. “Hmm, maybe it's best if I tell it like a story:

There was a cat family that lived in a huge forest. They were twin brothers, Noah and Seth, cats with white fur, an unusual color in the forest. They ruled the forest together, and were best of friends, keeping order in the forest with their wits and strength. Eventually they encountered another cat, her name was Juniper. Noah fell in love with Juniper and were soon expecting twins. But the forest was changing and Noah and Seth had to keep protecting it, and they encountered a sorcerer, telling them that returning to their home will have them faced with challenges they've never seen before. And the sorcerer disappeared. Rushing back to Juniper, they got back in time to witness the birth of Noah's sons. The first one came out with white fur, like their father, but the other came out pure black, with orange eyes. But as they grew, the other somehow turned white as well, like the first born. Seth remembered the sorcerer and was convinced that this was the challenge they needed to overcome. The black cat should not show his true colors or they would shun him since he was not like the rest of them. Convinced with this belief, they kept this truth from the first born, and the kitten of the next season, who was also white.”

“That's terrible..” Devy said sadly, starting on the next samosa. “What happened?”

Hakkai took a breath. “Well. How do you think the black cat felt, not being able to be himself?”

“I'd be super mad. Or maybe sad..” Devy said, thinking to herself. “I'd try to still be me.”

Hakkai nodded. “But the black cat didn't know how to be himself.. it's hard growing up different. He thought he was happiest when he could be himself. But he couldn't and he was mad. Mad at himself for being different, mad at his parents and uncle. But he was small and weak, what could he do? He began also being mad at his brother, and his sister. He found himself slowly thinking of ways to hurt the others without their parents knowing it was him.”

“But why would he want to hurt his own siblings?” Devy asked, hugging her legs. “It doesn't make sense.”

“Sometimes, when you can't see hope, despair becomes more familiar. If the black cat couldn't be happy, then no one should be. One day while they were out hunting, the black cat saw a chance, and pushed the younger sibling into the lake, almost drowning her.” He paused and watched Devy look aghast at this story.

“I don't think I like this story very much..” Devy said, getting the third and last samosa. “Can you skip to the ending?”

“Kind of.. the younger sibling still showed her love to the black cat even if they found out the truth about him being a black cat. She told him they were still siblings. But the black cat knew there was no turning back with who he had become, and, death was the only way for him to finally find peace. Seth fought him off after trying to kill the youngest and that fight killed the black cat.”

Devy returned the half-eaten samosa on the plate. “So I didn't do anything bad, but that's so sad… I wish the black cat didn't have to die..”

Hakkai nodded. He wished the same thing too.

“Let me ask you this, was the sorcerer at the start of the story evil?”

Devy seemed to give this some thought and shook her head. “No. He just told them they would have challenges. That's neither good nor bad..”

“Exactly. It was their choice to see it as bad. It was their choice to see the challenge as bad.” Hakkai said, glancing out the window. “Good and bad is so hard to distinguish.”

“I still think Hazel is a good person. The demons who attack us are bad.” Devy said, returning to the half-eaten samosa.

“What makes you think that?”

“Because Hazel's an angel.” She shrugged, making Hakkai chuckle. “He's not different from you guys.”

“So you think we're angels too?”

“No.. but I know you are good, and kind, and know the right thing.”

“I suppose so..” Hakkai thought. “The right thing isn't always the easiest thing either. We fight off demons so we don't die. But killing is still bad.”

Devy nodded, finishing off the samosa. “Thank you Hakkai..”

The man moved to get the plate. “I'll return this to the kitchen. You can go ahead and sleep if you want. Good night Devy.”

Returning to the restaurant area, Hakkai was surprised to see that Risha was up and about discussing with some followers. There appears to be some unrest with the recent turn of events, with concerns over their safety and going up on arms to defend themselves. The woman was visibly put off by this suggestion, and she couldn't quite explain to them that they were safe with her around. He decided to go off to return the plate and sit back down with the others who had been listening in and discussing the events.

“Oh dear, there seems to be quite a fuss.” He commented, glancing at Sanzo.

“Hn.” Sanzo took a sip from his tea, glancing at the woman. “Now, what will she do?”

“Like we said, we have experienced a life of peace here in this town, and we can’t thank the gods enough for this protection and prosperity.” an elderly man was adamant with his point at Risha, who was seated at a table surrounded by some followers. “The attack that just happened proves that we need to be able to defend ourselves.”

Hakkai and the rest could only glance from their table and look on. Knowing what they do about Risha, they could only empathize with not being able to say more regarding the situation. The woman looked distressed, and stood up to excuse herself.

“I'll need time to think this through, but I will be giving you an answer soon.” Standing up, she left the crowd and headed for what was supposed to be Gojyo's room. With Risha gone, the crowd talked amongst themselves about further plans on how to defend their town. Eventually, they too dispersed and the restaurant was soon quiet.

“The townsfolk do have a point..” Hakkai began, folding his hands in front of him on the table. “Having been identified as a prospering town, they will attract attention from demons who would want to take over. Even if Risha is a powerful god of her own right, there's only so much she can do herself.”

“But aren't gods super powerful? Like Homura and his companions.” Goku commented. “It's just one town.”

Gojyo stood up. “Idiot monkey, of course you'd think of straight up fists and power.. not everyone has your brain and constitution.” He ruffled the boy's hair then shrugged, making a beeline for their room. “I'll go and take a shower. If you take too long eating here, you're sleeping on the floor.”

“Like hell I'd let you!” Goku retorted but was swiftly silenced by Sanzo with his paper fan. “What was that for!?”

“Since the bath is occupied, go help bring this mountain of plates to the kitchen!” The monk ordered, pointing to their table that seemed to have been consumed entirely of used plates. “It's not my fault I got hungry!”

“It’s okay Sanzo, let me help Goku. It shouldn't take that long.” Hakkai volunteered and the two were soon off to talk to the staff in sorting out the pile of plates. Sanzo was still at the table when the two returned with a trolley to slowly bring the plates into the kitchen. After a few more trips, the table had been cleared and the monk settled to smoke while reading his paper.

Chapter Text

Gojyo had stepped out of the bath, rummaging in his bag for his extra shirt, but realized he had left his duffel in his original room. Cursing his luck, he decided to borrow a shirt from Hakkai instead. The other man was still downstairs and Devy was asleep, so he figured to just do a quick grab and return to the shared room with Goku and Sanzo. He put on his jogging pants and went about the task in mind.

Upon opening the connecting door, he was surprised to find Risha sitting by Devy's bed in the darkness, her hands hovering over the child. He had no idea what she was doing but he had immediately tried to yell for the woman to step away, but a hand was soon over his mouth and the moment he blinked, he was back in his original bedroom. The warm hand was removed from his person while he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

“What the hell was that!?” Gojyo demanded, clenching the towel in his hand, becoming aware of his half nakedness in her presence. “If I find out you hurt Devy-”

“Please keep your voice down, Gojyo!” Risha pleaded, signaling him to shush. “Hurting the child would be the last thing on my mind, believe me.” She said, eyeing him in the dimly lit room.

Gojyo tsked, remembering his duffel, rummaging for his shirt and wearing it. “And? What were you doing then?” He demanded more quietly.

“I heard that she was starting to recover her memories.” She explained. “I was trying to see if I can at least alleviate the intensity of the recall. I'd feel terrible if she'd feel more traumatized by what she's remembering.”

The redhead narrowed his eyes at the goddess. “How did you know this about her?” The woman sighed, impatient.

“I already told you, I'm Lakshmi. I have eight forms and grant wishes of those who ask. With Devy, I had granted a gradual release of her curse, in exchange for saving my life. It was Mayo's wish.”

Gojyo had to chuckle. “As far fetched that might sound, I actually believe you.” The man walked off to the bed, sitting down. “We heard the commotion earlier with the townsfolk.” He began. “What do you plan to do?”

The woman's eyes were suddenly filled with sadness, sitting on the other end of the bed, keeping a respectful distance. “I want to tell them to just have faith in me, I'll make things work for them. No one has to worry as long as I'm around..”

“But you don't know that.” Gojyo countered. “You'd as soon as feed yourself to the wolves the moment you tell them you're an actual heavenly being rather than a messenger.”

“I can and want to keep them prospering.”

Gojyo grunted. “That’s the funny thing about being alive, wanting to keep on living is messy. The more you put living in a box, the more life wants to break free. There's no point in being safe when you don't feel alive.” Gojyo turned to the goddess on the other side of the bed, surprised she had moved closer to him. He grinned, turning towards her. “Oh? Is the goddess breaking out of her box?”

“Don't misunderstand me, Gojyo.” She said, her hand pressing on Gojyo's leg. “I've always wanted you.” Closing the gap, she leaned into a kiss, and the man reciprocated by pulling her in closer. She pressed forward, pushing him onto the bed with her on top of him. Slowly, he slid his hands up her robes, feeling her legs and making her moan a little. They paused, her long hair becoming a curtain around his face. Her expression seemed to be angry.

He chuckled. “I'm flattered, truly, I am.” he moved a hand tracing her cheek. “But maybe we should settle this properly on the bed.” Risha moved off of him and let him get on the bed, making a surprised yelp when he firmly moved her into the middle of the bed and was soon kissing again with him pressed on her body. He could feel her tense as he moved his hand to play with her breast, fiddling with her nipple. Slowly, he unraveled her robes, gradually exposing her body to his hands and mouth. Breaking off from the kiss, he moved to kissing her neck and sucking her nipples. His hand moved down to her belly, tickling her inner thigh.

“Oh~ Gojyo..” she whispered, holding his hand and pushing it towards her clit which he gladly obliged, making her moan.

“Nothing more lovely than hearing a woman want more…” he commented, gently touching her clit and gradually rubbing her off until he felt her nails dig into his shoulders. She was trying to kick his pants off his hips, making him stop for a few moments to get it off. He was already getting hard from the interaction. The instant the pants were off, Risha made a quick movement, holding his penis and moving him on his back again. Before any protests could escape him, her mouth was already starting to suck on his tip, making him groan in surprise. He reached out for her hair to get it out of the way, letting her make him harder. She'd pause to suck on his balls then lick his shaft. He could feel with her movements that she meant to get fucked, and he was going to deliver. He could feel her fluids on her leg as she slowly began to grind on him, signaling him she wanted him inside her. When she paused, she slid up and moved her crotch onto his hard dick, rocking herself on top of him for a bit, slowly moving back and forth until he could feel himself slowly penetrate her.

“Ah~” she leaned forward as they adjusted to get him fully inside her. Kissing him again, they started off slowly, gradually building up speed. The sounds she let out made him feel a little crazy, his fingers digging into her legs, and her teeth clamping down on his shoulder. If anything, it also made him feel a bit feral, pushing deeper and harder.

“Ah, fuck.” Goiyo muttered, grunting and panting along with her. Risha eventually sat up, riding the sensations, controlling the movements. He let her gyrate while he would shift from touching her nipples and fiddling with her clit. He could feel he was close, pulling her toward him pushing faster and faster until he could feel her tighten for her own release. Moving along the motions, they both let out a moan of satisfaction, Risha collapsing on him, still slowly moving her body. He could feel his penis slowly flop out, making them laugh. He patted her ass, staying in their position for a while until they both managed to calm down.

Risha's hair was plastered to her sweat on her face, trailing down her body. He regarded her, admiring her skin and shape in the darkness of the room.

“What is it?” She asked, getting off him and resting beside him instead.

He laughed. “Nothing, just thinking how I can't boast about having sex with a god to anyone else, but, it’s a star on my belt hahahaha.” This comment received a warning slap. “If it's all the same to you, since I'm here anyway, I'd like to be able to sleep next to a god as well, if she plans to let me sleep at all…”

Mili and Mayumi found themselves in a predicament, faced off with the familiar blue creature they had encountered on Earth. The only difference this time is that it had more demons with it and it seemed to have been imbued with more strength by its creator. They had barely even left the previous town.

“It's a good thing we're further off the town.” Mili quipped. “Imagine if we'd have to explain what kind of magic trick this was..” she transformed into a puma, going into the offensive. “Come on Bluey, let's dance.” Snarling, she struck and rolled with the creature while Mayumi performed her chi blasts around her. Brandishing her marching baton, she went on hitting demons physically and with a mix of her magic to keep them down.

Soon enough, Hazel flew in to help, using his own ability to “borrow” Varahal’s wings, landing in with his light whips disintegrating demons in his wake.

“You didn’t have to join us, bishop.” Mayumi said in way of greeting. “But the help is appreciated.”

Mili had managed to strike with a claw on the blue creature’s chest, making it shriek and retaliate. She was feeling the rush of the skirmish within her, relishing the moment. It wasn't like a chase. She was actively engaging the fight and there would only be one winner. She could feel the blood through her veins, the excitement to defeat the enemy. She could only think of dodging and striking harder each time. She was getting tired of their back and forth but so was the creature.

Avoiding the creature’s strikes, she charged in for an opening, fatally wounding the enemy on the throat and gut, spilling its blood on the ground. The creature collapsed, convulsing as life slowly drained out of it. She could feel the hunger from the scent of the creature waft in the air, its body now fresh carcass. Licking her chops, she approached it slowly, practically drooling in excitement. Some demons tried to attack her and she fought them off indiscriminately, instantly injuring or killing them. Snarling at them to step back, she stepped on her kill, tearing off meat from the carcass with her fangs, relishing the blood, the warm meat, the thrill in her ears. She was about to take another bite off it when a bright white orb floated her away from the creature.

“Stop, Mili! The enemy’s dead and it’s not your food!” Mayumi tried to reason, but Mili in her giant feline form just snarled angrily at her. Hazel was quick to act, disintegrating the fresh kill to possibly knock Mili back to her senses. Seeing the turn of events, the remaining demons fled, fearing for their lives. Hazel was on their heels, making sure that none would escape.

While the bishop was after the stragglers, Mayumi landed Mili back down, securing her in the dome while the shapeshifter struggled to get away despite the target of bloodlust having been removed. “Mili! Snap out of it!” Mayumi yelled at the snarling puma that seemed to refuse to see reason. “I promised I wouldn’t intrude in your mind again since the last time so I won’t do it! So please, come back!” The puma was crashing on the barrier angrily, slowly making it crack. Deciding against her better judgment, Mayumi released the barrier and let Mili come at her, gambling reason. As Mili closed in, Mayumi dared herself to look her in the eyes, of what could be her last breath and second.

As time slowed down, a blast of wind threw off the puma, and between them appeared the dragon that had carried Kumari Talchie. It huffed at Mayumi before charging towards Mili, hopping a paw on top of her head, the motion letting out a ripple of a ringing bell emanating from the movement - immobilizing her, but she was still conscious. The dragon figure changed forms, back into his demon self as Sai Tai Sai. He smirked at Mili's form. “Huh, you’re actually still quite untamed.” he said to the shaking feline who was growling at him.

“Sai Tai Sai!” Mayumi exclaimed, paused then ran towards Mili.

“Don’t come near her!” the god commanded sternly, making Mayumi stop in her tracks immediately. “She has to be able to get out of it herself. You won’t always be there for her should this happen again.” Sai Tai Sai tilted his head upon Hazel’s arrival, and he waved at him.

“What’s going on, Mayumi?” Hazel directed the question at the woman, uncertain of the safety of the situation with the unknown being that appeared to be a demon.

“It’s okay, Hazel, he’s not an enemy.” Mayumi stated plainly, assuring the bishop. “He’s a god of sorts, a messenger.”

The man sighed. “The more I’m here in Togenkyo, the stranger things seem to become..” he muttered, shifting his focus to Mili who was on her side. Seeing as they have things under control, he decided to take a breather and sat down by a nearby tree.

Mili felt lost and confused, walking through an endless dark hallway. Her memory was hazy of what had happened. She knew she was fighting with Mayumi, and she was in front of that blue chimera. And then, and then…

“There was blood, a lot of fresh blood.” The voice came from the void, and Mili looked around, recognizing the spirit of the lioness she had seen when she had first tried to summon her powers, almost a decade ago. The lioness seemed to be prowling, taunting. It was swishing its tail as it eyed her.

“Huh?” Things were making less sense.

“You were hungry for that blood. You know you deserved that kill more than anything else. ”

“No, I’m human, I don’t need such.” Mili said, determined. “I’ve lived without it, and I can continue that way.”

“ You don’t understand .” the lioness said, sauntering around her. “ The sooner that you can accept what you are capable of, the more that you can be in control of who you are. Accept sooner that you’re not human to liberate yourself from your own limitations. ”

“I’m not a monster!” Mili responded angrily. “I refuse to succumb!”

“ You’re not a monster, but neither are you human. ”

“Then what am I?”

“ A unique existence. ” the lioness said, sitting on its haunches, eyeing her. “ Your earliest childhood memories never had your parents in them, because you had no parents. The first family who adopted you, just said your parents died early since you didn’t look quite like them, and they kept you within their clan. Because everyone needs someone. ”

“But that doesn’t justify me needing to be an animal to accept all of this!”

“ Ah, but it is part of who you are. You are an animal, you are all beings. You are more than you allow yourself to be .”

 

The darkness around them started to change, showing memories of Mili in flight, shifting into different forms, the thrill of the chase, flight, agility, all flowing through her. She started walking onward, realizing that being able to change into any form she wanted, was also the moment that she felt most alive. Slowly, the memories funneled into the recent events, back to the creature she had killed, Mayumi’s face looking at her with pure determination and acceptance. Her soul felt warm at the sight of her strength despite the danger she was in.

“Oh Mayumi..” she whispered, glancing back at the lioness who simply twitched an ear. Mili walked over to the lioness and gave it a warm embrace. If it could purr, it probably did. The lioness said nothing more, fading back into her consciousness.

Slowly, she began to feel herself becoming conscious, her sensations back to her form as a puma. She let herself change back into her human form, feeling the fatigue of the earlier battle.

Seeing this happen, Sai Tai Sai smirked and looked on as the red haired magician ran to the shapeshifter.

“Mili!” she helped her sit up and began healing her visible wounds.

“Good job, shapeshifter.” Sai Tai Sai commented, nodding approvingly with the turn of events. “I hope you keep in mind what you learned today, because this won’t be the last time you’d be faced with such choices.” The woman just nodded, her expression still dazed. “Well. I’ve intervened a little too much already.” the messenger gave a small salute before turning into an eagle and was soon off into the night.

Watching the eagle leave, Hazel walked towards them, assessing the situation. “Perhaps it’s best you come back to the town with me to recuperate for another day.” he suggested.

Mili shook her head. “Thank you, Hazel, it’s much appreciated, but we’re so close to getting to Sophie, and I think we can push on.”

“I think it’s best we listen to Hazel with this one, Mili..” Mayumi urged. “You are in no condition to fly right now.” The shapeshifter scoffed at this, quickly growing black wings from her back and darted off into the night. “MILI!!”

“Oh dear~” Hazel muttered, putting a hand over his eyes, squinting at the direction Mili went. “That’s not the right way…”

Mayumi touched the bridge of her nose. “She’s terrible at directions.” she muttered exasperatedly. “Thanks for your help earlier, and I’m sorry for the abrupt goodbye, but I have a shapeshifter to catch.” With a flourish of her baton, she floated off in an orb and was soon a speck in the sky.

Hazel sighed at the turn of events and shrugged to himself. “I guess things can be quiet for a while after this. I can’t believe I’m saying that I’ll miss it.”

Devy awoke that morning with a mild headache, but with a sense of comfort. She had pleasant dreams in the form of some of her own memories. She had a warm recollection of a big dog named Sniper, and the times they spent in a grassy backyard, possibly her own home. There were still unclear things, but she felt nice about what she had learned from her dreams. She parted her bed’s curtain and saw that Hakkai was already gone for the morning. Changing out of her pajamas and into her red quipao, she decided to check on Risha since she hadn’t seen her for a while. Heading towards the room, she heard panting, moaning and some other sounds that she wasn’t sure at that point, but registering what it could actually be, she felt her ears turn red. She bolted for the restaurant, looking for Hakkai. Not finding him, she went for the next place, the kitchen.

“Devy!” the man greeted. “Good morning!” seeing her flushed face, he stopped in mid chop of some white onions. “Is something wrong?”

“G-G-gojyo!” she uttered, running in front of Hakkai, and realized there were other people in the room looking at her. Stopping herself, she signaled Hakkai that she had something to whisper. Obliging, the man leaned over. “I think Gojyo and Risha are doing it.” she whispered as quietly as she could, watching Hakkai’s face. The man simply looked at her, covering his mouth with a hand.

“Oh my~”

“What do you mean “oh my”?? Aren’t you mad??” Devy exclaimed, fuming at the calm brunette.

“Well.. Gojyo is just really like that.” Hakkai explained, returning to his chopping. He smiled apologetically at the child. “I’m sorry if it surprised you, but there’s nothing inherently wrong with such activities.” Devy felt that the conversation was over, making her simmer down, but she was still annoyed. Deciding there was no point pursuing the issue further, she got herself a chair and helped Hakkai finish their breakfast preparations instead. He was making some sort of breakfast curry that one of the chefs had taught him and was giving it a try, along with some of the guys’ favorite rolls and fried noodles.

“Anyway, you look like you’re feeling better.” Hakkai commented. “Did you sleep well?”

Devy nodded as she helped clear out the kitchen table. “I had a nice dream about this big dog, and he was playing with me and my friends in some backyard.”

“Oh, that's Sniper..” Hakkai said knowingly. “I do believe he was a mix of a Belgian Malinois and a Great Dane, giving him a distinct gray coat. He was the perfect guard dog for your family.”

“Hey Hakkai..” Devy began, washing her hands.

“Hmm?”

“How much do you know about me?”

“Well, that's a tough one..” the man gave it some thought, then prepared the trolley to place the food for their table. “I know a lot of things about you, but I'd rather you remember them on your own.” The girl looked disappointed. “But I do know that you're a great friend, a righteous person, and a brave one too.”

“That doesn't seem to answer anything..” Devy complained, following Hakkai out of the kitchen with their trolley. Spotting Sanzo and Goku, she waved to them.

Hakkai glanced at her. “It does, it answers the important things you need to hold on to.” 

x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

“Yayyy! Thank you for making these, Hakkai, Devy!!” Goku exclaimed, helping himself to the fried noodles before the plate even landed on the table. Sanzo nodded as Hakkai provided him with his tea. They all settled at the table, quietly eating until Gojyo showed up a few moments later.

Yawning, he accepted the coffee from Hakkai and began to fill his plate with his choices.

“Good morning, Gojyo.” Hakkai greeted simply, watching the sleepy expression on the man's face. “Not enough sleep?”

The tiredness suddenly lifted from the man's face as he grinned from ear to ear. “Yeah, I was kept up all night. But with good reason.”

“I'm pretty sure it's not something anyone would want to hear the details of.” Sanzo said dryly, flipping his newspaper and ignoring them.

“Of course you wouldn't know anything about it you baldie..” Goiyo retorted, chewing on some rice. He glanced over Devy who had turned red again. “Are you alright kid?”

Hakkai saw the glance and smiled awkwardly at Gojyo and said. “She went to check on Risha earlier but…” realizing what happened, he balked, sipping his coffee quietly. The group went on, quietly eating their breakfast, with the occasional banter from Goku and Gojyo.

“Risha-sama!” Hearing this exclamation, their table looked on as some followers approached Risha who had been on her way to meet them. “Have you made your decision?” The elder who spoke up the night before asked expectantly. The goddess nodded, then asked them to follow her into the town. Without hesitation, Devy followed the folks who had started to walk with Risha.

“Well, I might as well keep an eye on Devy.” Hakkai volunteered and was soon out with the group. The news gathered a good amount of people in front of the golden bull in the middle of the town. Hopping onto the nearby bench, Devy made her way to a lamp post so she could see above the heads of people.

Risha raised her hand, signalling that she was about to speak, and the murmurs gradually died down,  their eyes on her. “Our town's elder has informed me of your decision to prepare arms in case any attack would happen to our town in the future. Although I do not fully agree with this stance,” she paused, weighing her words. “I do believe it's a sound decision to make. Despite our town being peaceful, this kind of life needs to be protected at all costs, with our own hands. I will not force anyone to do this, but anyone who is willing to volunteer for this task shall have my blessing, and the protection of the gods.”

The murmurs of the gathered people started up again.

“Does this mean we are going to fight against demons!?” someone asked in the crowd and the others sounded their agreement.

Risha shook her head. “No, we will actively defend our peace when it is threatened.” She said. “We are not equipped right now, but I believe we will be able to do this.”

While the people discussed, Devy looked on. As she glanced around she spotted a blue creature sauntering somewhere behind Risha, it was sniffing around before disappearing in the alley. Triggered by a memory, she immediately bolted in the direction of the creature.

“Devy!” Hakkai called after her, but the kid was quickly lost in the crowd.

“I'm on it!” Gojyo ran past Hakkai, through the large market with Mayo on his shoulder, sniffing the air for any hint of Devy. “Damnit, where could that kid have gone??” looking around, he continued to ask from stalls and passersby. “Have you seen a little girl in a red and gold qipao??”

“I saw her!” Rakesh exclaimed, waving to Gojyo. “She ran off into the woods!”

“Ehh? Are you sure??” Gojyo stopped from running, catching his breath. Mayo took this chance to take a whiff of the air, hopping off from Gojyo and running into the direction pointed by the boy. “Mayo!”

“I’m sure! She was chasing after something, but I didn’t get a good look at it.” the boy said, worried. “No one really goes into that forest, I hope she’s okay.”

“Thanks, kid.” Gojyo said, then paused. “If you see any of my companions, tell them.” with that, he ran after the cat into the woods. “There’s something about always running off and getting lost in the woods with these towns..” The farther he ran into the forest, the more he felt a sense of foreboding. He hoped he was wrong, but whatever was there, they were going to get into a serious fight. Mayo stopped right before the clearing ahead, and they could hear blasts of energy being thrown in different directions. Summoning his shakujo, he assessed the fight and his eyes grew wide at the sight of Devy protecting herself with a shield of ice, her eyes sapphire blue.

“That's!” Running forward, he cut up boulders being thrown at Devy. Mayo was quick to provide cover, scratching the enemy’s face before running away.

“Oh, I see you've got yourself a backup!” The green-haired demon declared, waving his arms, manipulating the air, forming thin webs. Mayo hissed, dodging the strings and getting out of the way. The way they twanged in the air made Gojyo alert. They were metal strings that could very well slice them into pieces if they as much as made a wrong move. He ventured to cut some with his sickle, hearing the strings release, flailing into the air like wispy blades and cutting through anything it recoiled into. It was definitely a disadvantage. The pause helped him get a better look at the demon, confirming the descriptions they’d been hearing about Saiken. He was wearing a dark cloak and had a sickly green amulet hanging on his chest. It glowed of whatever power was imbued with it.

“It’s great to finally meet you.” Gojyo quipped. “We’ve heard things about you, but not about your terrible fashion sense.”

The demon smirked. “I am the greatest magician in Togenkyo, I don’t care what you think!”

Devy decided to charge forward, running straight for the enemy, landing a kick and a hit with her ice on the demon's amulet. The demon pushed her off, making her land on the metal web, cutting into her hand. She didn't even wince from the blood trickling down her arm. Gojyo struck back at the strings, removing as much obstacles as he could, also receiving whiplash from the strings breaking. “This is fucking annoying.” Gojyo muttered, keeping at the strings until at some point Hakkai's chi blast charged through, nearly hitting the demon. Goku had charged in as well, hitting the demon directly but was thrown back by a force field he had created.

“I didn't expect such a large number of company to join us today, little girl!” the demon replenished the strings. “What a marvelous day!!”

Gojyo nicked his arm on a few strings, making him curse out loud and holding the bleeding arm. “What a fucking troublesome enemy.”

Devy didn’t stop attacking despite her wounds, targeting the amulet over and over. The green-haired enemy managed to keep his distance, throwing off several strings, striking into all five of them, trapping the men in a web of metal strings. Goku managed to get himself loose, helping Sanzo off the strings with a few strikes of his nyoibo. They had cuts on their bodies through their clothes, but it wasn’t as troublesome as avoiding getting stuck in the metal web again. They were additionally causing damage to themselves.

Sanzo decided to take a step further by shooting directly at the demon once Devy was out of range. This prompted the demon to direct his attacks towards them, materializing small portals that redirected their attacks back to them. Hakkai scratched his head, almost hitting Gojyo with an energy ball that reappeared beside them.

“Watch it, Hakkai!”

“Sorry, but I was wondering how it worked.” Hakkai said, eyeing the  portals. Since it was shielding him, if they fire through a different portal, it will redirect to them. He turned to Goku and Gojyo. “Aim for him directly, get as close as possible.”

“You don't have to say that twice.” Gojyo said, running on ahead and hitting the demon straight on with Goku following up with a kick to the head, making him back away. With their offensive, Sanzo managed to aim for him without the portals getting in the way. The enemy was quick to dodge, but the pressure of not being shot increased the stakes of the battle.

“I see little tricks don't faze you..” the man said, managing to summon the blue chimera into the battle, but his amulet started to crack. Cursing to himself, he decided to throw off big chunks of rocks through the portals, striking all of them down. With the blue creature in the way and adding to his offensive, the group was at a disadvantage. He was about to strike a giant ball of energy with his staff, but a blinding light flashed in the middle of the battle field. Fire struck through, hitting the demon and the blue creature together, crashing through a tree. 

When the light subsided, it revealed two demons. One with long red hair and the other with purple hair. It was the demon prince, Kougaiji with his pharmacist, Yaone, both taking fighting stances defending the others.

“Kougaiji!” Goku greeted, smiling happily despite being bloody. The demon prince nodded to him.

“A little bit worse for wear I see.” He commented, turning his attention back to the enemy. “You're way out of bounds with this battle, Saiken. Gyokumen demands you report back to her.”

Saiken laughed, standing up, holding his burned shoulder. ”I never expected Gyokumen’s puppet to show up. Tell her to fuck off. Our business is our own, it doesn't concern her project.” The demon disappeared into the woods, leaving the blue chimera to cover his escape. It immediately lunged for Yaone who slashed back at it with her spear, followed up with a fire blast from Kougaiji. The creature showed no signs of stopping and kept attacking at them until it could no longer stand.

The two demons stopped, watching the creature fall to its side, heaving from its injuries. It was dying. Shuddering its final breath, the chimera was still. Despite the skirmish, Kougaiji decided to make a quick grave for the creature.

Sighing in relief, Yaone immediately checked on Hakkai, assessing his injuries. 

“Our apologies for this mess.” Kougaiji stated after burying the creature, addressing Sanzo who was bleeding from his head and scowling at him. “This was an internal matter that got out of hand.” He turned to the brown haired little girl who seemed to be the worst in terms of injuries but she was still standing. He sensed some form of familiarity from the kid. “Who are you?”

“Devy.” She said flatly, limping towards Hakkai.

“Stop walking, Devy!” Hakkai said, trying to get up to help the kid, but he couldn't move himself.

“Hakkai, please don't move.” Yaone scolded, but Devy fell forward before she could walk any further. Goku ran over, turning the girl and lifting her up. She was unconscious.

Kougaiji tsked, looking at their predicament. “We'll get you guys back to the town you came from, and I'll have Yaone to look after the girl until she is well. Consider it as an apology for the mess made by one of our own.”

Sanzo nodded. “That's generous of you, and we are not in any position to decline.”

Yaone watched over Devy as she rode off her fever from all her injuries. They had settled her in the solo room in the hotel, which, in her opinion, could house four more people if they needed to. She heard that this room was occupied by a priestess before they came back, but the woman seemed to have returned to her temple. She had healed her wounds up to possible, but something unusual was happening to her body. After they had beaten back Saiken a few days ago, it was as if the spell broke and she was slowly returning to her original self. She was still a child, but at the same time, she didn’t seem to be. The Sanzo party was also quite beaten so she was the only one who could look after her. Mayo had been staying watch with her, and after some few good stretches, he was back on the bed, curling up near his owner's arm.

Devy stirred in her sleep, slowly opening her eyes and looking at her. The demon was surprised, seeing that the girl's eyes were now sapphire blue. She vaguely remembered her eyes had been green.

“Oh, good afternoon, Devy-san..” Yaone greeted, smiling at her charge as she tried to make sense of the world. “Do you remember anything?” The youth shook her head gently.

“It's a little hazy..” she held a bandaged hand to her head, perplexed with the pain and the injuries. “Where am I?”

“You're at the hotel where the Sanzo party took you after that battle we had with Saiken.”

“Sai..ken? Sanzo?” She seemed to struggle with the information. She looked back at her as if only realizing that she wasn't human. This made her try to sit up, but realized she couldn't. Mayo mewled gently.

“Hey, take it easy.” Yaone warned, urging her to stay still. “Are you starting to remember?” The child nodded. “I'm sorry, you must think it's strange that a demon is taking care of you..”

Devy shook her head. “No, not at all..” she appeared to be still dazed then looked back at her. “You’re Yaone, Kougaiji’s Pharmacist.”

The demon’s eyes grew wide with surprise. This information was not shared with the kid during the battle. “How do you know this information?” she asked warily.

“Kougaiji had mentioned you to us before.” the girl said simply. Something about her current demeanor seemed odd for a child from Yaone’s point of view. She touched her long brown hair, then looked at her. ”If you don't mind, could you help me up and cut my hair?”

Taken aback by the odd request, Yaone helped her up onto a chair and let her settle in while she got some scissors. Returning, she looked at the hair, slightly concerned as she held onto some brown locks. “How short?” 

“Chop the whole length off.” Devy instructed.

“Ehh? Are you sure??” She was astounded. “But it's so beautiful.”

“Trust me, it'll make me feel better.”

After an hour or so, with a mirror and Devy's guidance, her hair was in a short pixie cut. She grinned at herself in the mirror and looked at the pharmacist. “Thank you. Now I think I need to lie back down.”

Settling her back on the bed, Yaone took care of the discarded hair and prepared some tea. Devy was just staring at the ceiling seeming to piece things together, sapphire blue eyes fixated on a spot. She helped her sit up and relax on the headrest, giving her the tea. Yaone took her own cup of tea and offered a start. “What's your real name? Where are you from?”

“For now, I’d just like to be called Devy. I'm from a place called Earth.” she was struggling with some information and seemed saddened by something. She turned back to Yaone. “What happened after that fight? Where are the others?”

“Oh, Goku-san has been helping repair the damaged building nearby. Gojyo-san said he's been like this recently, doing whatever he can to ease people's burdens.” There was silence after this and Yaone was uncertain what to do.

“I should go tell the guys you're awake.. they've been worried about you.” Yaone said, standing up. Devy grabbed her by the arm. “Hm? Would you rather I don't tell them?”

“You can tell them, but please just tell them Devy's awake, but she doesn't want to see anyone right now.” She said. “I'll visit them myself tomorrow.” The demon nodded in agreement and was off.

Devy finished her tea, moving back to lie down on the bed. Her memory was still hazy, but she could sense most of the feelings of who she had been before this whole mess. She touched the pendant from Hazel, suddenly remembering Alex whom she had lost. And in her current state, the memory and pain of losing him felt too recent that her body seemed to be in agony. She also remembered Rikku, Gab, and Blue, and the loss of their gifts to her. There was so much loss in her memories that it felt too heavy.  She let herself cry, grieving as if it just happened that day. Mayo bumped his head against her body, settling in her arm to comfort her. 

“Devy's awake??” Hakkai exclaimed, looking at Yaone who had brought them the news while he was redressing one of Gojyo's cuts on his arm and torso.

“Yes, but she requested to be left alone until tomorrow, she will be the one to visit you guys.” Yaone confirmed.

“I'm back!” The voice came from the door, it was Goku with some snacks from helping in the town. “Oh hey Yaone! How's Devy!?” He exclaimed and had a slipper thrown at him by Gojyo for being too loud. “HEY THAT HURT!!”

”PIPE DOWN WILL YA!?” Gojyo yelled back. “You'll wake Sanzo!”

“You're both too loud!!” Sanzo joined in, hitting the two with his fan. He had come through the connecting door of their rooms.

“God damnit Sanzo. Are you really wounded with how you hit that shit!?” Gojyo complained while holding his head.

“You might be anemic coz it wasn't that strong.” Sanzo retorted, lighting a cigarette.

“Well I'm just glad you're all lively.” Yaone said, giggling. “Excuse me while I go ahead and prepare food for Devy.” She bowed and left the room.

“How are you feeling, Sanzo?” Hakkai asked, assessing the monk who still had a bandage around his head.

“Better.” He responded simply. “I'm glad we managed to get something out of it but it still sucks that it was barely a win. The next instance will be the last so we can fucking be on our way.”

Yaone was soon back in the room with Devy whose eyes seemed tired from crying. She decided not to notice it. “I've brought you some food.” She said, setting it down on the table to help the kid sit up on the bed. “I've put some medicinal herbs into it to help you recover faster.” She explained, handing her the plate.

“Thanks, Yaone. I appreciate this.” The girl said, eating a spoonful of the dish. She seemed to recognize the flavor. “Is this dried mushroom powder and chicken stock you used for the vegetables?”

“Yes, that's very keen of you!” She commended, clasping her hands together. “It's a pretty good mix for vegetable meals like this one. And chicken has a pretty good healing effect.” Devy was watching her explain, her expression amused. “Did I say something wrong?”

“I can see why Kou made you his pharmacist, you really know your stuff.” This made Yaone blush.

“T-thank you, Devy..” she mumbled, looking at her hands. She heard the girl chuckle.

“He'd talk so fondly of you back then.” She continued. “He even organized my medicine cabinet and first aid kit coz that's how you would arrange them. Hehe.” this made Yaone turn red.

“That's too much of a praise. I don't think he'd say those things.”

“Antiseptics to the left, numbing agents, burn ointments, gauze, bandaids, bandages, you have to have the expiry dates checked so you have first in first out arranged.” Devy enumerated, continuing to eat, then paused again. “Items not needed immediately can be at the bottom of the kit. If there is an item in low supply, restock immediately. Antidotes, tablets or pills should be together with their correct labels.” Yaone was silent. Those were, indeed, how she arranged her kit. Devy quietly ate the rest of her food. She didn't know what to say. She never expected anything like that, especially not from Kougaiji -sama.

“You should give Kou more credit. Despite him not showing it, he'd as soon as die for all of you he holds dear to him.” Sophie continued. “Also thanks for the food.”

“You're welcome, Devy.” Yaone said sincerely , taking the plate and setting it aside. “I wish we could have met under better circumstances. I would have loved to be your friend.”

Devy smiled at this. “I feel the same way.”

Chapter Text

The four were having breakfast at the restaurant when Mayo trotted into the room, jumping onto Gojyo's shoulders.

“Hey there sentient cotton, where's Devy?” He asked the cat, scritching its chin.

“Yeah, Devy's a cute nickname, I think I'll use it for now.” the girl stepped around the corner, sporting her brown hair in a pixie cut, her sapphire blue eyes gleaming. There was a moment of silence before Goku and Gojyo erupted into chaos, running towards the girl, gawking at her new look.

“Devy!?” The look and the demeanor definitely showed someone else, not the same kid they had traveled with so far.

Gojyo and Goku kept going around her as if she was an alien and trying to reconcile her appearance from Devy.

“Who are you, really?” Gojyo asked, seeming to fear his question being answered.

The kid shrugged. “It hardly seems appropriate to mess with you right now, so I won’t.” she smirked. “You gotta be my proper Coolest Older Brother Sha Gojyo until we have this sorted out.”

The redhead gawked. “It’s really Sophie..” he muttered, disbelieving the words that came out of his mouth.

“EHHHHH?” Goku was yelling so loud that the other people on the same floor turned their heads before going about their own business. Unable to help himself, he lifted the kid up, checking every angle to see a resemblance, warranting a warning slap from the kid to be put back down. Gently putting her back on the ground, he gave her a tentative sniff. “You don’t smell that strongly of snow..” he commented.

“That’s because this is my age right before I fully recognized my powers.” Devy explained, shrugging. “Juniper’s hair is actually brown, and her eye color is green. She just always hid it. Probably didn’t want to be an outcast in the Kazuya family.”

“It’s really Sophie..” Gojyo muttered, still staring at the rapport the two had already made despite the weird situation. Hakkai eventually walked over to usher them to their table.

Devy proceeded to take a seat with the group at the table, giving a small smile at Sanzo.

“Welcome back,” Sanzo greeted, nodding at her. “I figured it was really you when you helped clean my gun. There wasn't much doubt after that.”

“Is that why you decided to push through in helping me?” Devy asked, accepting the plate of eggs, rice and fish from Hakkai. 

“Yeah, partly. And it's still westward.” Sanzo said, declaring the practicality of the situation. “So, is there anything else we should know about Saiken?” She nodded.

“He's Mayumi's enemy, not mine..” she began. “He was only aiming to take Mayumi back here, but ended up dragging me and Mili as well. In the scuffle, I ended up in the spell and was teleported away into the forest. Based on what happened, it's possible he had planned to defeat Mayumi who did not know her powers yet. They were fifteen when they discovered their powers, but with the miscalculation, I was the one imprisoned instead.”

“So where are the two girls now?” Gojyo asked, concerned in the realization that there were two others out there that might need help. Devy shook her head.

“In the least I hope they've tried to regroup after. But since the results were unexpected, I don't know where to start to find them.”

Hakkai crossed his arms, deep in thought. “Considering we found you along our own route to the West, it's highly possible that going forward west will allow us to find them.” Devy nodded. “But maybe we need to update your wardrobe since the qipao you had was practically destroyed with the skirmish..”

Hakkai and Devy spent the morning at the tailor's getting her new outfits ready while the rest meandered about for supplies for them to continue west. Mayo had chosen to go with Gojyo this time. Taking a break, the two found themselves under a tree with a bench watching the townsfolk pass by.

“How long has it been for you since we left from that beacon?” Hakkai asked curiously. From their experience, time had not been quite as linear as one would think it would be. Devy seemed to think back a bit.

“Hmm, I think it's been around a year.” She seemed unsure. “A little over a year, coz we made that day Mayo's birthday.”

“Oh that's right, how did you come across Mayo? He doesn't seem to be an ordinary cat based on how he is with you..” Hakkai commented.

“Oh.. we think he's Alex' reincarnation.” Devy said plainly. “He just came out of the light as the beacon closed. “We don't have solid proof it's him though. We just probably like to believe it's him, finally getting a good life being a domestic cat. Haha!”

Hakkai had to chuckle, remembering their conversation about this before. “Did you know Sanzo's allergic to cats?”

“No way!”

“Uhuh, but he's not allergic to Mayo.” he shrugged. “Either way it's a lucky thing.”

“I suppose so..” Devy mumbled, leaning on Hakkai's side. She sighed.

“Is something the matter?”

“Somehow it feels like a cruel game by Fate to have us meet like this again and again..” she closed her eyes. “Don't get me wrong, I'm happy, but there's only so much my heart could take being with you, and not being with you.” She felt Hakkai take her hand and squeeze it softly. They were quiet for a while.

“I understand..” Hakkai finally said. “It's even more unfair that time seems to always pass by faster for you, and for us, it hasn't been that long since we were last with you.” He turned to her. “Maybe we can ask the gods to at least match your world's timeline with ours after this, so if you do come back, then there's not much time lost.”

Devy had to laugh. “That's the stupidest thing you've ever suggested.” she squeezed back the hand. “But thank you, Hakkai. Maybe in the next life we could exist in the same world.”

Returning to the hotel by late afternoon, Hakkai had gone off to prepare a special meal for them, while Gojyo hung outside, smoking his hi lites. Goku had run off to pester Sanzo over something he wanted to get. Devy approached the red head with a wave and a smile. Mayo bounded off to her, rubbing his body against her legs.

“Hey there Devy.” Gojyo grinned, happy to see her. “How's the new clothes? You don't want to wear them yet?” She shook her head.

“Maybe after a good night’s rest.” she leaned on the ledge where Gojyo had his ashtray. “Catching up on your sticks for the days you chose not to smoke?”

“Hahaha! Yeah, something like that..” Gojyo admitted. “I'm glad you're back. It was so weird having a little girl running around with us fighting like a monster. Though you're still kinda the same kid, but with more memories this time.”

“Heh. Seth trained us too well..” Sophie muttered. “He'd leave us to fend for ourselves in forests a lot back then. And the fighting we had to do.. there was no room for error. He made sure none of us were that badly injured, but it was still bad. Fucking childhood trauma. In a way, it helped us survive. But it's not something I'd wish on anyone else.”

Gojyo puffed out some smoke. “I hear ya.” he remembered something. “Have all your memories returned?”

Devy looked out to the street, thinking. “I don't think so.. there seems to be patches that are unclear. I got glimpses of trips with Lottie, finding out Jei was gay..” she shrugged. “I feel like I'm missing some important bits. There was even you with black hair at some point.”

Gojyo chuckled. “Ah yes, that trip to Ravioli Island. I can’t believe I let you guys do that to my hair..” he said, shaking his head at the fond memory. “I do hope you get back to your real form soon.”

“Yeah, same, but it isn’t so bad being this small. It’s actually kinda fun the second time around.”

The man smirked. “I don’t think you’d think it’s much fun when you realize I can just throw you at enemies like some bomb.”

The kid had to laugh. “Maybe, but it still sounds like a good time. They’ll never see it coming. Then it's bam, ice on their face!”

Gojyo chuckled, ruffling the kid's hair. “Glad to have ya back, Sophie..”

“Don't celebrate yet.” Devy said. “We still have some ways to go.”

“Wait up!!” The magician floated after the shapeshifter in the darkness of the night, with barely any hints of Mili's flight pattern. They were terribly in the wrong direction, going northwest of their intended path. She had no idea where Mili thought she was headed, but it was frustrating her, just when they were so close to Sophie. Part of her regretted immediately healing the woman. If she was still injured, she would have listened to better reason. They've been flying nonstop for over a day. She was able to eat while flying, but Mili was definitely running on fumes. Shaking her head, she spotted Mili shifting into a falcon, appearing to nosedive to the forest below, alerting her that Mili may have lost consciousness from fatigue. Boosting her speed, she managed to catch the falcon with her orb, landing them both safely atop a huge tree.

Sighing in relief, she materialized a comfortable pet bed for Mili as she settled onto the tree branch. Securing their perimeter, she looked around. They seem to have flown quite a ways off to the town where Sanzo's party was, but they'll have to just teleport back to Hazel's town and start over from there. Before she could plan further in her mind, the beating of huge wings alerted her to someone's presence, making her fortify the initial barrier she made. The squawk of a dragon was clear in the night. Soon, there was a figure that approached a few trees away, eyeing them. She decided not to say anything, but warily eyed the figure.

“I thought it was you!” Came the voice from the figure. He stepped out of the shadows, revealing Kougaiji in his regular garb in Togenkyo, black leather jacket, denim and quite the bare torso. Mayumi realized she was staring and focused back on the prince.

“Kougaiji!!” Mayumi exclaimed, immediately floating towards the demon and hugging him in relief. He was taken aback, but said nothing. “You're a sight for sore eyes!!” She said, taking a good look at him before backing away, still floating. “We've been so lost for the past week! I know Sanzo is your enemy, but have you seen them by any chance?”

“It seems your luck is still intact no matter where you go.” Kougaiji said, smirking. “It just so happens we encountered them in a skirmish. They're in the town nearby with my pharmacist.” Sensing something off, he glanced at the unconscious falcon. “Is Sophie not with you?”

This confused Mayumi. “But I thought you said you know where Sanzo and the others are? You should know that Sophie's with them.”

He shook his head. “Although they were with a little girl with brown hair.”

Realizing that he was unaware, Mayumi explained. “It's a long story, but some demon named Saiken was after me, but Sophie got in the way of his spell and was turned into that little girl.” She could see that Kou had put things together by his expression.

“That makes sense..” he said, then looked at Mayumi's appearance. “Based on the information, then, you're Pratham's descendant who's been missing all these years.” It was Mayumi's turn to be surprised. “We’ve been trying to take down Saiken, and we only found him after he encountered Sanzo's party. He's also injured but I'm afraid I've lost his trail.” he paused. “I think it's best we get you to where Sophie is first so you can recover.”

Without delay, the two were soon off southward, getting them back on track to the town they meant to go. Carrying the unconscious falcon in her arms, Mayumi felt a sense of excitement to be finally reunited with Sophie. Their journey so far was taxing, but the sense of relief was starting to wash over her to at least have everyone in one place. The sky was starting to change hue as the sun was beginning to break from the horizon. She looked to her left, marveling at the scenery of this world. It made her feel warm in her chest that came with the hope in her heart.

Ben felt like he was ahead of schedule with all the debugging he had been doing just because the girls weren't around. His work station was filled with new communicators and a drone that can analyze samples. He wasn't used to having more time to himself. At this point, he and King have surmised that the girls have been teleported to Togenkyo, but any means to get there was impossible. Leaning back on his chair, he checked the CCTV and noticed Lottie approaching his door. He got up and opened the door before she could knock.

“Hey Lottie!” He greeted warmly, offering the woman to come in, which she obliged as she handed him a bento. He watched her go to his work station, eyeing the new communicators. One was a snowflake, the other a top hat, and the last one in the shape of a puma's head. He had gotten the custom enamel shapes for the pins and designed them with the powder of the stones. He just doesn't have anyone to test the range.

“Ohh, new ones! How come you don't have your own?” Lottie asked, seeing there were only three. She eyed the drone curiously.

“Those three are designed to be imbued with their chi. I don't have that kind of skill.” He scratched his head sheepishly. He picked up the drone. “But this one has the same composition. I'm still figuring out if adding a sapphire or anything similar can help it function the same way.”

“You really should try to patent and sell those..” Lottie commented. “I can help with the legal stuff.” The man shook his head.

“Our lives have been some sort of being vigilantes rather than being able to make money off what we do. It seems simpler this way.” Ben gently switched the drone on, letting it fly around the apartment on its own. “It’s like those superhero movies and comics and stuff, and sometimes, it probably is.”

The lawyer chuckled. “I guess so..” she shrugged. The drone slowly landed back on Ben's desk. “I hope you're not feeling too left out being here..”

“Nahh. With what we know of Togenkyo, I'd be more of a sitting duck there without the same level of technology.” He admitted. “I do hope they bring me a cool souvenir.” He joked. “Anyway..” he opened the bento that Lottie had prepared, a simple type of bibimbap with some fruits in one partition. “Thanks again for the food, Lottie. You don't really have to make these for me every time.. I do know how to cook and order food..” she shrugged at him, leading to sit on the small dining area of the apartment. Ben followed, getting a spoon and settling the box on the table before chowing down.

Lottie browsed on her phone, keeping quiet company.

“No hearings or cases today?”

“Not today. I just finished a big case regarding a runaway.” The woman looked up from her phone, then out the window. “The child was around five or six, and they were under the custody of their mother. But somehow, they managed to get away from their house with nothing but an umbrella, the clothes on their back, a tote bag with a lunch box and a blue bear. Thankfully the kid made it to their father's house with no issues, but the mother filed a case for kidnapping, convinced that the kid could not have done it on their own.”

Ben paused from chewing a bit of kimchi, astounded with the amount of detail Lottie was giving him. But he knew better than to open his mouth to anyone else about it. “Since you're not upset and you're freely telling me, I assume the case went well in favor of the kid.” He said, making his own deduction. The woman sighed heavily, indicating he wasn't too far from the truth.

“There were CCTVs in some areas the kid had taken to get to their father. From that alone, we were able to get a good footing that the kid wasn't abducted nor influenced since they had no way to contact the father at that point.” She sighed again. “The sad part is that, it also came to light that the mother was physically and verbally abusing the child, that's why they ran away. The psychiatrist we worked with cried at the medical records when the descriptions had to be read in court.”

“Jesus Christ..” Ben muttered, unable to believe the situation. “That must have been quite rough for all of you to get through..” then the thought came to him. “But why didn't the father get initial custody of the kid?”

“The mother was more financially stable.” Lottie said simply. Ben was quiet. He felt the severity and complexity of the case. The woman then brought out another bento. “Actually… I also made you dinner.” She said sheepishly, changing the topic.

“Lottie…”

A sharp bright light came into the room, and in the next instant, a man or a figure of sorts appeared before them. He had bluish skin and four arms, dressed in Hindu garb, a green vest with red accents and white pants. He was barefoot. He eyed them both before focusing on Ben. “You will come with me.”

The two gawked.

“A friend of yours?” Lottie ventured.

Ben shook his head. “But it seems we are in the presence of the Hindu god, Vishnu.” The god seemed to approve of his knowledge of him. Without hesitation, he went to his desk, packed his prototypes in a ready bag. “Before we go off to Togenkyo, I have a few things I must ask of you in exchange..”

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

It was near noon by the time Kougaiji and Mayumi arrived in the town. The woman was fascinated with the rich structure of the place, and the seeming atmosphere of regality that came with it. The town felt unusually peaceful despite some buildings that were destroyed in the recent attack that Kou had described. She had spotted Gojyo hauling a small cart with boulders, but their focus was to get to the hotel first. They passed a golden calf in the middle of the plaza, making her curious of what kind of crazy beliefs they had in that town. Landing nearby, Kou had secured his white dragon nearby and led the way into the big hotel. Mayumi couldn’t help but gawk, seeing at how enormous it was compared to the previous towns. It felt criminally lavish. Upon entering, she was even more surprised to find a fountain in the lobby.

“You’ll be snacking on flies if you don’t shut your mouth.”

Mayumi looked for the source of the voice, seeing Sanzo on a nearby couch, still looking quite beat up. “SANZOO!!” she exclaimed, running off to get a closer look at him. “I can’t believe it’s you!” The blond man only grunted, lighting a cigarette while eyeing Mili in falcon form. She sat down beside him, settling the unconscious falcon and healing her slowly.

“Kougaiji-sama!” Mayumi looked up, seeing a purple-haired demon approach the prince, her outfit was quite the ensemble with chains holding her top, and denim shorts and a big bow on her back. Her hair was in a high pigtail of sorts, while some were neatly braided on both sides. She surmised this was the pharmacist he had referred to. They seemed to exchange a look that already communicated the bad news that Kou had lost sight of Saiken. “And Lirin-sama?”

“She’s with Ahmed and Kamal. We can go pick her up once we’ve settled the issue with Saiken.” Kou said, glancing at Sanzo. “Glad to see you aren’t bedridden anymore.”

“Hn! It’d take more than that to kill me.” Sanzo retorted, looking back at Mayumi. “What happened to you two when you got separated from Devy?” The demons had excused themselves to continue their discussion elsewhere.

“We ended up east.” the magician said simply, stroking the sleeping falcon. “We didn’t realize we went the wrong way because of the demons that had been after us. We were lucky that the town we crashed into was in Sharak’s territory and we managed to recover for a few days.” she grinned. “She also asked me to relay a message.” She materialized an orb, showing a recording of Sharak, looking at Sanzo.

“ Hey, greenhorn !” the image smirked. “ If you’re viewing this now, it means Mayumi and Mili had finally met up with you and that you’re still alive. I’ve provided some extra altitude medicine for you and the boys, in case you’ll need it. Heh. Anyway, the fortress has been completely repaired, thanks to your friends, and with any luck, you’ll be done in the west soon. Good luck out there, Genjo and the gang.” With this, the message ended, and Mayumi dissipated the orb.

“Good to know she’s doing well.” Sanzo commented, snuffing out his cigarette and lighting another one. “So, aren’t you going to ask about Devy?” the woman shook her head.

“Hazel filled us in on what happened, so we know Sophie’s a little girl right now.. But..” she looked around. “Where is she?”

“She went off to see Risha, the priestess of this town.” it was Hakkai, walking towards them carrying some tea, setting it aside on the table.

“Hakkai!!” Mayumi gently set Mili aside on the couch and ran to Hakkai for a big hug. “I’m so happy to see you!”

“And I you.” Hakkai said, patting the woman’s head. “It’s a relief to finally have all of you together in one place.” he waited for Mayumi to break off from the hug, then offered her some tea as they sat down. “And why is Mili a falcon?”

“Well…” Mayumi trailed off. “She was fighting off her shapeshifting after killing this creature that Saiken sent after us. She had given in to the primal instinct, but Sai Tai Sai managed to help subdue it and she came to, but she refused to rest after and flew off.”

“Oh dear…” Hakkai mumbled. “Oh. And Mili isn't one for directions either..” the red head nodded. “You got lost?”

“We went further northwest until she collapsed and Kou found us.” the man moved to check on the bird, hands glowing.

“There's no other cure for fatigue other than rest, I'm afraid..” Hakkai muttered, gently lifting the falcon onto his lap while Mayumi and Sanzo had tea. “You've been through a lot too. I'm sure you're tired, Mayumi.”

The woman nodded, at first hesitating to divulge her truth. “I didn’t know that I was closer to Togenkyo than I originally imagined.” he looked at Hakkai and Sanzo who were listening to her. “I’m actually a hybrid.” Hakkai showed a bit of surprise on his face, but the monk just stared, unimpressed.

“That explains your affinity to magic, and your red hair.” Hakkai concluded, fascinated. “And, what does Saiken want?”

Mayumi had to laugh. “He wants to be recognized as the strongest magician in Togenkyo. It’s so lame, he can have it.” she said, grinning at them. “Apparently my dad had kept me in the dark of his own role in this whole mess. Since the rule is that the descendant is the direct successor, I have to deal with this.”

“If you ask me, your dad should be the one dealing with Saiken, not you.” Hakkai commented. “It’s quite irresponsible to pass on his obligation to the next generation just like that.”

Mayumi looked down at her tea, drinking the rest of it and gripping the empty cup in her hands. “I’d been so focused about having Mili and Sophie dab-smack in this situation, that I actually haven’t had the time to feel mad at my dad for all of this..”

The men looked at each other, then back at Mayumi. “Well, whatever reason he has, this whole thing has to be sorted out, one way or another.” Hakkai said, standing up. “Let's get you two settled in a room so you can recover and meet up with Devy - I mean Sophie later.”

Setting down her cup, she followed the man to the reception to add a room for her and Mili. Then she remembered their bet. “Who came up with the name Devy, anyway?” Hakkai laughed.

“Believe it or not, it was Sanzo.” He said, turning to receive the key for the new room, ushering her up the stairs to the second floor. “But I believe the term came from Gojyo's nickname for Sophie, “Devil Woman” or something.” He shrugged. “We really don't know for sure. Why do you ask?”

Mayumi shrugged. “Nothing..” She was disappointed that neither of them won, but it was amusing in its own way. Settling into their room, Hakkai let them be for the rest of the afternoon.

Making sure Mili was comfortable in the bed, the magician curled up to the falcon and was soon fast asleep.

Devy sat near the temple altar, watching the grown ups discuss their plans of securing the town based on the types of attack they have encountered. She had decided to leave Mayo in their room earlier since the cat seemed more interested in naps that day.

They had turned the temple into a meeting venue, even if it still looked quite run down. The plan also included having high walls and guard posts. It was ambitious, and as much as Devy wanted to provide her input, she knew that any suggestion she could provide might not work for them. And considering her current physical status, no matter how you looked at it, she was seen as a child.

“We have to keep our goals realistic.” Risha implored, hoping that the townsfolk would listen. “We have to focus on what we can do with what we have. This town has no experience with battle, so we have to make sure we can protect the others who can’t.”

If it were up to Devy, having a defined perimeter would be better than hiding in fear. A reliable patrol and given intervals can help as well. To address Risha's concern for the elderly and children, having bomb shelters can also be beneficial.

“No, Risha.. We have to put walls as high as possible. Those attacks can’t happen again.” one of the men of the town said, growing frustrated with Risha's stance. Despite her agreeing, her idea of protection seemed too naive to them. A few more clamored for having arms and how to be able to procure such. Devy looked on, feeling more and more helpless by the minute.

“We can train the young men of the town, we can procure weapons in nearby villages.” one of the men urged. “It can be done.”

“An ambitious mind is a great thing to have, and it will always surely lead to prosperity.” The assembled group turned to the doorway, finding an ostentatious looking man walk up to them. He was wearing a white turban on his head, blue tinted shades, a loose white tunic covered by a maroon vest. His lower outfit was dyed blue cotton pants and his shoes pointy black. He was also sporting a ridiculous curled mustache.

Devy was unimpressed, but she was intrigued by the turn of events. Something about the man's behavior made her nose scrunch as she sensed how fake he was. But there seemed to be more about him. She decided to look on. Rakesh soon arrived, sitting beside her as they continued to witness the spectacle.

He smirked at them, going towards Risha and bowing in front of her as a gesture of respect. Straightening himself, he looked at the woman. “The name's Will H. Gha-tes. I'm a traveling merchant, jack of all trades and I just so happen to specialize in practical urban defense. You don't have to take my word for it, but for such a prosperous town, I do believe what you need is to focus more on what to do in case of emergencies.”

He glanced at the assembled people and brought out a map of the village. He spread it on the altar, motioning them to look at it as well. “Now, in case of an attack, your priority is to secure the women, children and the elderly. Where do you think underground shelters can be placed?”

“Oh, we can have one near the hotel.” One of them said, pointing at the location.

“And another near the barn.” Another chimed in. Will marked them accordingly, proceeding to ask more questions, gaining the cooperation of the people around them. Devy and Rakesh looked on, amazed at this sudden organization. After an hour or so, the crowd had dispersed, content to have a good plan for the next couple of weeks and months. The temple was left with Risha, Rakesh, Devy, and the eccentric man that appeared out of nowhere. He grinned at them, formally introducing himself to Risha.

“Thank you for helping with the situation, kind sir.” Risha said, embarrassed when the man knelt in front of her, took her hand and kissed it. She quickly pulled her hand away, holding it. “That's not necessary, thank you.”

Unfazed, the man stood up jovially. “Well, someone of your stature deserves much respect.” He reasoned. He glanced at Devy who eyed him cautiously. “I see that you don't like me, little one.”

She shook her head. “I don't know what your deal is, but since you have the town's attention, we might as well make the most of it. She said, walking over to the map and pulling it off the altar, beginning to pore over it on the floor. Will knelt next to her to get a better view of the map. “You missed a few things.” She pointed at the outskirts of the town and the multiple entrances. “These people are civilians and we can't expect them to learn to fight, but they can learn skills to guard their town. It isn't much, but watch towers can be built per entrance, here.” she pointed at the entrance to the west. “There can be people doing rounds at certain times of the day, and this will also allow them to be familiar with the kinds of traps and alert systems that can be made. Flares can be made as well, or even a horn to sound as an alarm when necessary. We can't be sure how much damage an attack can do, but it will definitely save more. The strategy has to come mostly from them, otherwise they won't be as accepting.” she stopped when she realized that the others were just staring at her. “What?”

The eccentric shook his head, grinning. “It's nothing, you just reminded me of someone I know. What's your name?”

“Devy.”

“That's a nice name…well, nice to meet you, Devy.” He took out a marker from his pack and began to note down the details that Devy had indicated. “Thank you for these. I'll be sure to let the townsfolk know later.” He rolled up the map and stood up. “Anyway, by any chance, could you be able to lead me to the hotel where Sanzo and his merry band of friends are? I heard he was in town and I'd love to pay him a visit.” He shrugged. “I hear he ain't the most sociable, but who knows, he might even give this merchant his blessing.”

Devy had to laugh. “I detect a strong sarcasm from you. You'd either make friends with them or they'd detest you quickly.” The man shrugged.

“Whatever they see me as, I just have a few things I need to do.” He moved to lead the way back out. “Everyone's coming with?” As he said this, Gojyo turned up at the temple entrance, eyeing the odd collection of people at the altar.

“Hey Devy!” he waved at the child. “It's about time we head back, Hakkai says there are people he'd like you to meet.” His eyes then landed on Will and his ridiculous garb. “A mascot?”

“A pleasure to meet you, kind sir.” The man greeted, immediately walking over to Gojyo and shaking his hand warmly. “The name's Will H. Gha-tes. A traveling merchant.” Gojyo was taken aback with this friendliness, pulling his hand away.

“Sorry, I don't like people who act too familiar.” He said, glancing at Risha who shrugged helplessly. The woman had then proceeded to clear out things in the hall and excused herself.

“He said he wanted to meet Sanzo.” Devy said looking at Gojyo as if saying she thought the man was crazy. She walked over to Gojyo, taking his hand and beckoning the others.

The tall man shrugged. “Whatever your deal is, Sanzo isn't one to give prayers to anyone. Not even us when we die.”

The group arrived at the hotel, finding Sanzo in his room with Goku. They had Will stay outside until they were sure Sanzo wasn't going to shoot him.

“Hey Sanzo-” Gojyo started upon entering the room, met with his gun pointed at him. “I haven't even said anything yet and you want to shoot me!?”

“Hahaha, of course it must be something you did.” Goku joked, stepping out of the bath and drying himself with a towel.

The monk glared at him, pointing the gun away. “What is it?”

“Anyway. There's this nut job who wants to meet you.” Gojyo said, jabbing a thumb at the closed door. “Kept saying he needed to meet you for your blessing.”

“I don't give blessings.” Sanzo said pointedly, flapping his newspaper open to tune them out.

“I already told him that.” Gojyo said, opening the door to tell the poor sap to leave, but as he did so, Will barged into the room, followed by an exasperated Devy.

“It's the great Sanzo!!” Will exclaimed, bounding into the room, straight in front of Sanzo and his gun's barrel. The man stopped, but was still grinning. He raised his arms up. “Look, it took me this long to get to you, you might as well listen to what I have to say.”

“I don't care who you are or where you've been.” Sanzo said frankly, not moving his gun away. “What do you want?”

The merchant crossed his arms. “I just have a message from a certain god.” He said plainly, unfazed by Sanzo's disdainful glare.

“Whatever your god sent you to do, tell him it landed on deaf ears.” Sanzo stated, lighting a cigarette.

“He wants you to stay put in this town for exactly one week.” Will relayed, pulling one end of his mustache.

“Tell him to fuck off.”

Will crossed his arms in front of him, seeming to have expected this response from the monk. “I can’t say I didn’t try.” he mumbled. “I did tell him you’d say that, so, let me rephrase things: you can’t leave this place for one week.”

“What’s he gonna do, put a barrier over the town?” Gojyo commented, chuckling at the thought.

The eccentric man shrugged. “He didn’t say, but don’t say I didn’t inform you.” Will said, turning around and headed back out the door. He waved at them and was soon gone from sight.

Hakkai soon entered the room from their connecting door and felt the tense atmosphere. “I heard the exchange..” he said, putting his hands on his hips. “Because we've been told what not to do, I'd actually want to try and see it for myself if we are stuck here.”

“Ooh, can I come with?” Devy asked raising her hand.

“Oh me too!” Goku said, mirroring Devy.

“Sure thing!” Hakkai said, beckoning to Hakuryu. “Let's make it a quick field trip!”

“Yayyy!” The “children” said in unison, following the brunette out the door. The other two watched them leave.

Gojyo turned to the monk. “Well, dad, there goes our kids.” He quipped. Sanzo scowled at him.

“Make that kind of remark again and I will shoot your face off.”

The red head stopped, then remembered something. “Ah. I forgot to tell Devy that Mili and Mayumi are already here.”

“Idiot, that was the reason we had you get her in the first place.” Sanzo rebuked.

“Yeah, but ya gotta admit, that Will person was one fucking show stopper.”

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

The three reached the edge of the town, eyeing the threshold. There was a distinct aura a little off the distance, distorting the view ahead. They alighted from Hakuryu and walked the remaining distance. Devy didn't hesitate, creating some shurikens and chucking it at the distance. The barrier absorbed it as if it never existed.

“Well, at least we know it absorbs ice.” Hakkai thought, shooting a bit of his chi, only for it to be absorbed as well. “Well, that doesn't work either.”

Goku ran forward, full speed into the barrier and hit it with a soft thonk. The barrier seemed to wobble and bounced Goku back off onto the ground on his back. “Ow that hurt!” Goku sat back up, rubbing the back of his head, glaring at the barrier.

“That eccentric dude was right, I guess.” Devy shrugged, turning around to find Kougaiji and Yaone looking at them, seeming to have concluded that they were stuck there with them too. She grinned despite herself. “Heyyyy Prince Kougaiji! Fancy bumping into you-” She cut herself short realizing that he probably didn't know it was her, and, she was a child. She waved to Yaone who smiled and waved back. The demon folded his arms in front of him and gave a polite nod.

“Likewise, I suppose.” he regarded her appearance. “It's just a little strange to see you like this. However, I am indebted to you and your friends for helping us return. We'll see to it that the favor is returned.”

“Then I guess sutra-fighting is off the agenda until we get out of here.” Hakkai quipped, heading back to Hakuryu.

“It doesn't have to be if you're so inclined.” Kou smirked in jest, surprising Yaone. The prince coughed to change the subject. “Anyway. I'm surprised you're here inspecting the barrier, Sophie. I would have thought you'd be catching up with Mayumi and Mili at the hotel.”

“WHAAAT!?” Devy yelled, glaring at Hakkai who smiled apologetically. “How come none of you bastards mentioned this!?”

“W-well, we did send Gojyo to the temple to let you know-”

“That red head is so fucking dead.” Devy clenched her fist, summoning her ice and sliding her way back to the hotel. The others watched in awe, finally seeing the bit of Sophie that had been subdued all this time.

“Yup, that's definitely Sophie…” Goku commented, a bit of pity showing on his face, knowing that Gojyo was going to get the brunt of that rage when Devy got to him.

Kougaiji nodded in sympathy. “Anyway, there's something I needed to discuss with you guys.”

Devy raced off, hopping onto rooftops until she managed to find Gojyo at the open window of his room, smoking. Wasting no time, she propelled herself with her ice towards the room yelling. “I’M REVOKING YOUR COOLEST BROTHER CARD YOU ROACH!!” Gojyo was confused at first then found her incoming from outside with a ready punch but he had no time to dodge, just a pitiful surprised sound until her fist connected with his face, sending him flying out the room and onto the hallway balcony. 

Finding his bearing and holding the hit on his face, he immediately got up to yell back at the injustice. “That fucking hurt you devil woman!! What the fuck is wrong with you!?” he raised a fist at her, running back into the room to give her a piece of his mind, but balked at the sight of her cold and threatening aura, remembering that he did forget to tell her something important earlier. It was too late to apologize. He scratched his head instead, thinking of a way to weasel his way out of it.

“What the hell is going on!?” it was Sanzo, coming from their room. Discovering that it was Devy on a rampage, the monk leaned back to watch.

“Don't just stand there you baldie!!” Gojyo implored, to no avail. Soon, Mayumi had run out to them to see the commotion, confused. Looking into the room, she saw Devy with her ice, immediately recognizing it to be Sophie, despite the appearance. The ice also diminished upon sight of her.

“Sophie!?” The magician exclaimed, running towards little girl.

“Mayumi!?” Devy immediately dissipated her ice and ran over to her red haired friend, jumping into a hug. “Oh my god it is you! What happened to your hair!?” She asked, hopping off and looking at her friend’s regular appearance from highschool.

“It's a long story.” Mayumi said, regarding her appearance as well. “It seems like you have your own share of stories.”

Devy nodded. “Yeah… it's been.. a wild ride.” She looked around. “Where's Mili?”

“She's still asleep. She flew herself to fatigue.” Mayumi explained. “We can talk more in our room.” She offered, guiding the way.

“Alright.” Devy followed, catching Gojyo's eye and scowling at him as if to say she wasn't done dealing with him. The man just gulped, surrendering to the idea of his imminent future.

Reaching their room, Devy found Mili on their bed, in the form of a falcon. She looked at Mayumi in askance and the redhead sighed. “She kind of got too eager to fly all the way here after we found out from Hazel that you were so close to us already. And you know how bad she is with directions.” she had to laugh at this, sitting on the couch in the room.

“And? How'd you finally find yourselves here?” She asked, swinging her legs. She felt like she was still too small for her perspective as her usual self.

“Kougaiji found us.” Mayumi said. “I'm thankful he did because otherwise I would have teleported back to Hazel's town and started from there.” She noticed that she was looking at her red hair. “I'm actually part demon.” She began. “We realized this after we figured out why Saiken was after me, and that dad is actually a demon.”

Devy nodded. “So you're a hybrid like Gojyo..” 

“Exactly.” Mayumi decided to magic her hair into a low braid. “And.. for once I'm actually home, if home is what I'd call this place.”

“Sounds pretty cool, if you ask me.” Devy shrugged.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Mayumi materialized a pouch and handed it to her. Curious, she opened it and tears immediately welled in her eyes, seeing her dagger, armlet and guns. She really thought she had lost these for good.

“They somehow fell out after Saiken struck you with the spell." Mayumi sat back on the bed, eyeing Mili.

“Well whatever the reason, I’m glad it did.” Devy said, wearing the armlet again and her gun holsters, but it felt unusual since her body was still small for them. Mayumi helped with this by adjusting it to her current appearance. “Thanks.” she said, sitting back down. “Is there anything else that we know about Saiken? I’d really love to beat him up for all this shit.”

Mayumi shrugged. “I actually don’t know how to deal with him yet, considering that dad somehow opted out of it without considering repercussions and my involvement in it. I’d love to actually also give him a talking to once I see him when we get home. Or, if he ever decides to actually show up here and answer to his shortcomings.”

“Yeah, you really shouldn’t be the one having to deal with this at all.” Devy agreed. “But, we’re already in too deep to actually have him go back and tie these loose ends he left behind.” Noticing movement from the bed, they glanced over at Mili who had unconsciously reverted to her human form. Mayumi fixed the blankets to cover the shapeshifter properly. Devy watched on and hopped off the couch. “I’m pretty sure you’d rather not leave Mili’s side right now, so I’ll go ahead and get you guys some food.”

Walking out of the room, she decided to go off and change into the outfit she had made a few days ago. Mayo twitched his ears at her return, mewling at her curiously. Choosing on a top, she decided to go with the black fitted shirt. For her pants, it was the usual tactical camo type with multiple pockets then black boots. Eyeing herself in the mirror, she took a mental note to ask Mayumi to duplicate this in her original size. Finalizing the outfit, she donned a red and white crop top jacket. She grinned. She almost felt like a main character - more of a kid cosplaying a main character. Shrugging, she went off to the hotel kitchen with Mayo to get some food for the girls.

“There you are, Devy!” Hakkai was waving to her from a distance, carrying a tray with Goku in tow. “I figured the girls hadn't eaten yet and would want something.”

Devy grinned. “I was just about to get some for them. Thanks you guys!” She exclaimed, waiting for them to catch up and lead the way back to the room.

“Your outfit looks cool, Devy!” Goku complimented. “You're beginning to look more an’ more like yourself.”

“Yeah, it's great.. but I still feel too short.” She admitted, opening the door for the guys, finding that Mili had just woken up. She still seemed out of sorts but quickly recognized them.

“Goku! Hakkai!” She greeted with a tired smile. “You guys are a sight for sore eyes..” she then eyed Devy with a squint. “Sophie?”

“Uhuh, that'd be me..” she scratched her head. “Go eat first, we'll talk later.” The group exchanged updates and a few stories while Mayo enjoyed all of Mayumi's attention.

“It feels so surreal to be together like this in Togenkyo.” Mayumi commented, having materialized a stick toy for Mayo and teasing him with it. Despite him not being quite a regular cat, he was a ready victim for easy prey. “Maybe we should have gone back with you immediately back then, settled this sooner with less grief.”

“Yeah, sure, but we wouldn't  have known these things the way they turned out.” Mili pointed out, slurping her soup eagerly. “Man, the food here is actually pretty good. I didn't know what to expect after the last few towns.”

“That's Hakkai's cooking.” Devy chuckled.

“Oh. No wonder it's better.” Mili said, finishing her rice and thanking the man. “So, what happens now?”

“Well, we do have quite the situation at the moment..” Hakkai began, getting the plates and setting them aside. “There's this so called messenger from a god who let us know we're stuck here for a week. I haven't met him in person, but based on the information we have so far, Will seems to be a strategist of some sort. But I'm not sure of what's going to happen, or who the god is.”

“It kinda sucks being played like pawns like this though.” Devy added. “But from the looks of things in this town, the priestess will have to decide if she has to leave them to their own devices.”

“You mentioned the priestess is a goddess..” Mayumi mused. “What kind of god is she?”

“She said she was Lakshmi.” Hakkai said, folding his arms. “The Goddess with 8 forms, known in Hindu religion to be prayed to for prosperity, protection and a few other things. She's also Vishnu's wife.”

“Do gods just go down here and do whatever they want?” Mili asked. “In our world, I don't think I've heard of such a thing aside from Greek Mythology…”

“Yeah, pretty much..” Goku answered, borrowing the cat toy from Mayumi and was coaxing Mayo to play with him, to which the cat obliged. “Kanzeon visits us the most. Then there was Homura, then that war god.”

“Nataku wasn't a visit though, it was more of an extermination. But this one is unusual.” Hakkai admitted. “I get the feeling that Risha isn't telling us the whole story.”

“Well, whatever it is, we have a week.” Devy said, standing up. “Rest up for now, you two. We'll catch up more again later.”

Will spent most of the morning directing a group of men how to go about constructing the watch towers as planned. The others busied themselves with the shelters, while the others still worked on repairs. While Mili still rested, Mayumi had offered her help in fixing houses as well, accelerating their progress.

“It's strange..” said one of the men working on a house. “It's as if we've just received blessings from the gods with these unusual people in the town.” They were watching Mayumi help finalize repairs by having all materials and waving it to completion.

“We did say we're taking matters into our own hands, and this all seems like a test somehow.. they're just passing by, they're not from here. When this is all done, we'll all be left on our own.” said his companion before they were called out for standing around.

Mili and Devy watched the comings and goings of the others from the hotel room while they caught up on things that had happened. Discovering that Mili was recognized as some form of God did not faze her, but it did shed light on her shapeshifting and her early life.

“With all these developments, it actually seems like I'm the most normal one out of all of us.” Devy joked, making fragile jasmine flowers out of her ice.

“Yeah but, even if we have these, you're still one of the most tenacious fighters out there.” Mili commented, yawning. She spotted the ostentatious Will pass by. “But seriously, what is that guy's deal? He can't really be just like that all the time..”

Devy shrugged. “Idunno to be honest, but he reeks of being fake to me. He's doing well in helping but I can't help but feel he has some sort of ulterior motive. I can't keep my guard down around him, but it annoys me that Mayo seems to have taken quite the liking to him.” As if on cue, Mayo came into view, appearing to be meowing incessantly at the man. Despite not seeming to be fond of the cat, Will still recognized and talked to him once in a while.

“Well, Mayo has always known some things we can't perceive yet, so maybe it's a good sign.” Mili suggested with a shrug. She then moved to a whisper. “Hey, can we at least go around nearby? I really wanna try some of their street snacks. Smelling everything is so much torture.” She begged, making her expression that of a pitiful dog.

Devy sighed. “Fine. But if Mayumi or Hakkai finds out, you're on your own.”

x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

It didn't take long for the duo to have paneer frankies in one hand and some cold chai on the other while looking around. They took interest in the paneer frankies since it seemed like pizza rolls but with roti and cream cheese. Mili's eyes were wide with curiosity at the colorful cloth patterns and jewelries. Despite the recent attack in the town, the people have bounced back little by little and it was definitely livelier than when they arrived last week. Mili also took it upon herself to document their trip and had selfies with them eating all sorts of food. She reasoned it would be fun to have memories of Devy the way she was.

“Sophie, look!” Mili exclaimed with a mouthful of roti and cheese. Devy glanced and found Kougaiji and Yaone walking around enjoying some milk tea. They had their limiters on to not attract attention from the locals. Mili squinted. “Are they on a date?” Yaone saw them and waved at them as they approached.

“Ah, Mili. It's good to see you feeling better.” Kougaiji greeted, offering some panipuri which Mili gratefully took.

“Yeah. She shouldn't be going out yet, actually.” Devy rebuked with a side glance. The shapeshifter pretended to hide with her hand. She regarded how casual they were. “It just seems so funny, that we almost always end up cooperating on something instead of fighting you.”

Kou smirked at the observation. “At this point, we're just rolling with the punches as they come. I'd rather keep this peace right now than make things worse and with nothing to gain.” Kougaiji offered them more panipuri which Devy accepted.

“The people who follow you have chosen wisely.” Devy commented, winking at Yaone who smiled back confidently. “Well, we'll go around a bit more before heading back to the hotel. See you!” Devy beckoned to Mili and they were soon at the end of the busy street, and onto the areas still under construction. Goku and Gojyo were in the middle of helping fix the house’s front windows.

“Ah, Mili, Devy!” Goku waved at them cheerfully. Spotting they had some snacks, he immediately made a beeline for them. “Oooh, that looks yummy! Can I try some?” He looked like a puppy dog begging for food. Devy obliged by tossing one panipuri with yogurt, which the boy caught perfectly in his mouth.

“Good boy!” Devy praised, the boy nodding.

“Hey, hey, don't encourage him!!” Gojyo rebuked, tossing a rock at Devy.

“That's something Hakkai would say!” Devy commented with a cheeky grin. “What about you though, wouldn't you like a treat too?” Devy coaxed, bringing out one of the paneer frankies with cream cheese dripping on one side. “Oh.” She decided to lick the cream on the side of the roll, making eye contact with the red head. The man immediately turned red, out of anger and embarrassment, earning a triumphant laugh from the kid.

“Do you have any idea how very inappropriate you look right now!?” Gojyo spat, chasing Devy with a random stick he found. “You're a minor, you're a minor! I don't care how old your brain is, you're a minor!!” Devy laughed, dodging all the strikes thrown her way. Goku and Mili watched this chaos while Mili shared more of the panipuri.

“They have some chicken skewers nearby, wanna get some?” Mili offered. To her surprise, the boy shook his head.

“I can get some later after we're done for the day.” Goku smiled, running back off to the house they were working on. “But thanks for the panipuri! See you guys later!” Mili waved him off, still a bit surprised with Goku's response. Returning her attention to the two. Devy had found a tree and was laughing at Gojyo who was just yelling at her from the ground. Sighing, she walked over to try and distract the redhead.

“Gojyo, are you sure you really have the time to be goofing around?” She asked. “Goku already went back to work.”

“Ah crap.” Gojyo exclaimed, running back to their construction task. Upon ascertaining Gojyo's distance, Devy hopped down from the tree, thanking her. She gave her friend a gentle bonk on the head.

“Please remember your current state before doing things..” Mili rebuked.

“But it was just too entertaining.” Devy justified, holding the bonk on her head. “Anyway, we better head back before-”

“Oh, someone thinks she can do what she wants when I'm not around.” Mayumi floated towards them, glaring at Mili. The shapeshifter flinched and immediately turned into a sparrow, flying off to the hotel. “Get back here!” Mayumi was soon on her trail.

Suddenly being left on her own, Devy took her time finishing her snacks and walking around. Mayo found her, mewling towards her, followed by Will. She quietly tsked, not wanting to deal with the man. The man recognized her, waving to her.

“Devy, wasn't it?” He said, seeming to miss the pizazz that he had the day before. He seemed to be a completely different person. She nodded. He pulled out his map from his pack. “Let me show you something.” He beckoned her over a bench under a large tree. He unrolled the map to show additional plots, possibly from the suggestions of the townsfolk.

“Ooh, the gate would indeed be helpful. But it will take some time to build.” Devy commented, further glancing on the map, feeling a little sadness. “We can only do so much. But maybe this will help them feel alive instead.” She sat down on the bench, looking up to the leaves of the tree.

Will smiled. “I suppose so.” He seemed to be weighing something to tell her. “Can you keep a secret?” Devy looked at him suspiciously. He rolled the map back up, stuffed it in his pack and sat down as well. Mayo clambered on the bench beside him, mewling incessantly.

“We already know you're some messenger of a god.” Devy waved it off. She wasn't really interested.

“Well, I'm not really from here, so I don't really have anyone to talk to.”

“So?”

“You don't seem to be the talkative type. So my secret would be safe with you.” Devy couldn't deny that he was slightly correct, and she could care less. Will seemed to have taken this silence as agreement and proceeded. “The god I'm talking to is Vishnu, Lakshmi's or rather, Risha’s husband.” Devy gave him a quizzical look, trying to piece things together. The man smiled. He knew that she understood.

Devy shrugged. “Sounds like a pretty toxic relationship if you ask me.” She commented.

“It do be like that sometimes.” Will stated. This sentence sank into Devy's consciousness, making her realize what felt off about the man. His mannerisms, gestures and attitude, it reflected someone from Earth.

“And that's not something people here would say.” with a quick gesture, she brought out her gun, aimed point blank at the man. “Who are you really?”

The man froze, sweat shimmering on his forehead. She could tell the genuine panic from him. “I’m just a traveling salesman…” Mayo hissed, hopping onto Will's shoulder and facing Devy’s gun as well.

“Don't give me that shit, poser.” Devy threatened, the sound of the trigger knocking back. “It doesn't mean I look like a kid that I won't hesitate to kill you. Get out of the way, Mayo.” with the mention of the name, a glimmer of recognition sparked in the man's eyes.

“It is you, Sophie..” the man finally said, still fearing for his life. “Can you please put the gun away?”

Surprised by being outed, she pointed it away.

“I'm sorry I don't look like someone you know right now, but I asked Vishnu for a disguise while I'm here. I was afraid of getting taken as a hostage if they knew I was related to you girls.”

Devy put things together but she wasn't believing what she was realizing. “...Ben!?” The man nodded but she was still in disbelief. “Let's say I believe you. Then you have to answer me something only Ben and I would know.”

“Sounds reasonable. Go ahead.”

The kid thought about it for a while. “What items were in that safe and what were they made of?”

“A small blade, an arm band and a bracelet, all melded with sapphire. We were supposed to give it to you but the attack on the treehouse happened and we lost Gab. I had used the bracelet as an amulet when you were shot in the chest.” The man practically answered in one breath, but it was all that Devy needed to know. She sighed while the white cat finally calmed down and sat back on the bench.

“No wonder Mayo took a liking to you immediately.” she said, regarding the man's outfit again. “But why the heck would you wear something so stupid!?”

“Well, I thought if I'd find you guys, I needed to stand out. One of you will eventually know it's me.” he shrugged. “To be honest, I didn't recognize you immediately either, what with you being a kid and all. What happened anyway!?”

“Long story short, Mayumi's an heiress to the magicians here and she needs to settle a duel with that guy who had that blue creature. I got hit with the spell, reverting me to a 7 year old kid with no memories. I was lucky Sanzo's group found me.” Devy returned her gun in its holster and sighed. “And you, how the heck did you end up here?”

“Wellll, I was minding my own business one night and Lottie came over. Then Vishnu literally just dropped into the apartment and told me to come here.” Will scratched his cheek. “It sounds so ridiculous. I'd just been telling Lottie that I was fine back home, bored, but fine.”

“What does Vishnu want exactly?”

“Welllllll, it seems like he wants Lakshmi to come back with him to Tenkai.”

“Yup, toxic shit.” Devy concluded, standing up. “Should I tell the others it's you, or are you gonna hold me up to that promise not to tell anyone else?”

“Please don't tell them, I pretty much enjoy this persona.” Will asked. “If the others know, I don't think I can keep up the facade.”

Devy weighed this information and decided to let things be. She realized the name he was using. “Fucking Bill Gates…” she chuckled, amused. “Pretty witty.”

“Thanks.”

“For all this weirdness is worth, I'm glad you're okay. We've all been worried about you.” Devy said, giving the man's hand a pat. “With Lottie there, I'm sure she has everything under control.”

“Yeah, you better believe it.” Will said. “It's been a few weeks there since you disappeared. Do you remember how long you've been here?”

“It really sucks how time flows differently and arbitrarily. I can say we've been here about the same time.” Devy seemed bothered. “How come time is flowing correctly this time?”

Will shrugged. “Anyway, I better get back to helping those folks.” He said, standing up. “Oh, can we take a selfie together? This'll be fantastic for our records. Hahaha” the man snuck out his phone and took a quick selfie with the disapproving kid before leaving. Waving away, Mayo trotted behind him.

Devy shook her head. They should be able to wrap things up soon.

Hakkai watched from the side door of a small Buddhist temple in the town where Sanzo had been invited to recite scriptures when they discovered that he was a Sanzo. He found it strange that they didn't identify him right away, but he figured that it was due to the fact that the town was generally following Hinduism. Sanzo was definitely not happy about being coerced into this role while being stuck there, but he knew that the monk was also starting to get bored even if he wasn't admitting it.

“Lure him out?” Hakkai asked, wondering how Saiken would even fall for such a trick. The demon prince nodded.

“He would definitely try to evade us, but this will definitely play into his favor.” Kou explained, folding his arms while looking at the barrier.

“Wouldn't it be disadvantageous for you, having to compete with someone for Sanzo's sutra?” Hakkai asked.

“No one else will get the sutra but me.” Kougaiji assured him. “Saiken is nothing more than an obstacle.”

Hakkai shrugged. “If you say so..” he trailed off. “To me it just sounds like you're asking for our cooperation to fight a common enemy.”

“Think of it as you will.” Kou said, shrugging. “At the end of the day, it has to be Mayumi who will face up to Saiken, and win. I'm banking on Saiken acting on desperation and have the Maten Sutra in his possession if he loses to Mayumi. So losing is not an option.”

“Losing can be an option sometimes.” Hakkai disagreed. “But dying isn’t.”

“How troublesome.” Sanzo muttered, walking up to Hakkai after the reading concluded for the day. “They want me to come back again tomorrow with some other request.” he scowled darkly at him. “I don’t appreciate being bait.”

Hakkai laughed. “Think of it as a strategic step instead.”

“Fuck fancy words.” Sanzo muttered, cleaning his ear with his pinky, offending a random devout onlooker. The monk glared at the person who scurried away in fear. Hakkai knew better than to try to ask the man to be nicer to the followers in the area. The monk didn’t even make it to the door before he lit a cigarette while they made their way back to the hotel. It had been a long day, and they still had six days before the promised time that they could leave the town. Time seemed to move slower being in one place. Getting on Hakuryu, the two were soon off to the other side of the town. Going through the central part of the town, they observed that the Calf in the center had been removed. However, it didn’t seem to have been destroyed as they saw some men having made a way to pull the icon towards the temple on top of the hill. Slowing down, they noted that the contraption was a number of logs being set forward as they moved their way with some mules. Leading the process was Will, encouraging the men to keep going.

Spotting Mayumi nearby, Hakkai drove over to get the magician’s attention.

“Hakkai! Sanzo!” she greeted, then looking back at the townsfolk and their task. “I offered to help them. I could just materialize that thing into the temple..” she said, looking confused. “I could even spruce up that temple for them..”

“The butterfly can only recognize its own greatness when it has felt its own struggles out of its cocoon, nothing less.” Sanzo uttered, watching the men keeping at it, their hopefulness evident with every successful movement towards the temple. “Forcing that process will only lead to its own untimely demise.”

“Ah yes, the monk quibbles.” Gojyo commented, walking towards them with Goku. The red head had a cigarette between his lips. “Come on, let’s go have dinner or somethin’.” he invited, motioning to Mayumi. “Where’s Devy and Mili?”

“Mili’s grounded for escaping earlier.” Mayumi stated, pouting as if she had been betrayed. “Devy’s at the temple, she said she wanted to talk to Risha about something.”

“Well, we won’t have a lot of time to hang out together.” Gojyo pointed out. “Come on, let’s share the meals we can while we’re all here.” he coaxed, getting a nod from the woman who disappeared for a few minutes and was soon back with a confused Mili. She was then off again to retrieve the child version of their friend.

“What’s happening?” Mili asked, bewildered with the sudden change in location.

“Dinner, together, let’s.” Gojyo summarized, pointing at a nearby restaurant.

Soon, the reunited group found themselves sharing some local dishes, along with a healthy amount of drinks. Will was also there, but at a separate table, surrounded by some townsfolk that he had made friends with through their day’s work. The atmosphere was lively and everyone was having a good time.

The musicians at the restaurant were up and playing some ensembles, adding to the mood. Devy had even gotten Rakesh to show some dances, hopping to the music and spinning to the tune. The older folks joined in, and soon the floor was filled with laughter and dancing. Goku had joined in the dance, along with Mili while the others sat back, watching the unexpected festivities.

“It's nice to be able to relax like this..” Hakkai commented, smiling at the atmosphere of the dancing.

“Yeah, it's also nice to see Sophie having fun like a normal kid.” Mayumi commented. “She never did have the chance to be a kid.”

“Second chances don't come by so easily..” Sanzo said, looking at Mayumi. “So, is there anything specific that should be happening during the duel with Saiken?”

“Hmm, according to the rules we've read in Sharak's library, and what Kou had mentioned, it has to have a maximum of one magical conduit. Like for me, I can only have my wand. It doesn't amplify my powers but it can help direct it. The opponent must have one as well. So Saiken can't have an amulet or anything of the sort. A neutral party must inspect each party to observe this.”

“What about the area of the battle?” Hakkai joined in. “Is there a specific distance or limit in space? Is there a specific place for it to transpire?’

“According to the records, declaration and agreement of both parties to the duel will manifest a circular arena where no one else can interfere. But if someone falls out of it, it'll be considered the end of the match.”

“What about what you can materialize or summon? We know that he can summon beasts.” Sanzo added. He was watching Devy get a hold of some punch and drink it like a sailor. He felt a sense of unease wash over him, but he wasn't one to stop anyone either.

“Summons are not allowed either.” Mayumi added, spotting Devy making a beeline for her. “But anything goes with what we can materialize.” The kid drooped over her lap as an awkward hug. “Sophie, are you drunk?” She gave her a lopsided grin.

“I wuv yew.” Devy said then went off to take Gojyo to dance.

“Oh dear…”

“I could've sworn Devy could handle her alcohol more..” Hakkai commented with an uneasy laugh.

“Her current body probably doesn't have the tolerance yet.” Mayumi held the bridge of her nose, as if stopping an oncoming headache. Standing up, she bid the group goodbye to take the kid back to the hotel.

“Ah, such a peaceful time..” Hakkai commented, glancing at Sanzo who lit another cigarette. “It feels strange, doesn't it? It's like a celebration where people are expecting the worst, and holding on to life while they still can.”

“Hn. Like summer cicadas.”

x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

“Mayumi you're no fun~” Devy slurred, being forcefully plopped into her bed.

“Tell me that when you can actually hold your alcohol.” Mayumi muttered, changing the girl's clothes into pajamas. “I can't get mad at you, in all honesty. At least like this you actually let us take care of you.” A flutter of wings announced Mili's arrival into the room, shifting back into human form and also looking at Devy with a bemused expression.

“But I dowanna go to sleep yet.” Devy argued, sprawling like a sleepy kid. The two women sighed getting into the bed and cuddling the girl instead. The kid tried to roll around but was kept in place by the older women.

Mili chuckled. “Remember when they managed to sneak out some whiskey from Noah's stash?” Mayumi snorted.

“I'd rather not.” She said, gently coaxing Devy to sleep with gentle pats on her head. Soon enough, the girl was asleep. “Poor Ben, he had so many bruises in his arms back then. This girl can clamp down so much.”

“Yeah..” Mili chuckled. “I'd have thought Ben would have some sort of masochist tendency or was just hiding that he liked Sophie or something, but he's actually quite the plant. Aro-Ace people are quite interesting. I do hope he isn't too bored without us.”

“He probably is.” Mayumi answered, yawning.

“Do you think everything will work out?” Mili asked, looking at her with concern. “What if Saiken wins?” She turned her gaze to the ceiling.

“I don't know. Every fiber of my being is scared.” She admitted. “We've researched the rules of the duel, but I've never been in a magical duel before.”

“I don't think anyone in their lifetime would really be able to say that either.” Mili sighed, yawning as well. “Maybe it's just like any other game.. the goal is not to lose. If we lose, will Sophie stay like this forever?”

“I don't think so.. from what they said, her memories returned a bit after encountering Risha. Her appearance changed after she broke Saiken’s amulet.” She looked at their friend. “Maybe it just needs a little more push…” she glanced at Mili who had already fallen asleep. She touched Sophie's forehead, willing her power into her, focusing on the change she wanted her friend to have, to return to her original form. Her body glowed for a while, but nothing seemed to be different. Mayumi smiled to herself before falling asleep as well.

Sophie felt herself slowly waking up into her body, her position indicating that she was flanked by her friends who were still asleep. She needed to pee. Slowly getting up and making her way to the bathroom, she felt her gait longer, and the floor seeming farther than she remembered. This made her stop and look at her hands. Her childish hands were more slender now, but not quite that of an adult's yet. Realizing that something changed, she rushed to the bathroom to look into the mirror. Her brown hair had turned to blonde. Checking her body, she only found the scar on her abdomen, indicating that her body was back to her highschool age, around 15 or 16. She wasn't sure what to feel more disappointed with. The fact that her new clothes won't fit anymore or that she wasn't quite back yet.

Finally managing to pee, she went up to her friends who were also starting to wake up. “Mayumi, hey, Mayumi.” she said softly, getting her attention. “Could you make my clothes bigger please?”

“Hm? Good morning Sophie…” she mumbled, then suddenly turned wide awake at the sight of their friend who was now bigger than last night. “Oh my gosh!” The sudden exclamation jolted Mili awake who suddenly looked around before landing her eyes on Devy.

“Jesus Christ!” Mili exclaimed, nearly falling off the bed.

“Yeah yeah, so could you?” Devy asked again. “I pretty much like my new clothes.” She said, making her eyes rounder. Mayumi sighed.

“Alright, go get them.” Devy ran to her shared room with Hakkai. The man wasn't there, seeming to have gone off to prepare breakfast. Grabbing the bag of new clothes, she made her way back to the girls' room, bumping into Gojyo along the way.

“Hey! Watch where you're going- Linlin!?” Gojyo yelled in shock. The kid waved back with a grin but didn't stop running.

“Here you gooo~” Devy announced, placing the bag on the bed and spreading out the clothes. Mayumi looked at them and materialized her wand, shifting the sizes into Devy's current features.

“There you go! I also charmed them so they'll grow bigger once you change size again.” Mayumi declared.

“Yey! Thanks Mayumi!” she quickly changed into one of the qipao that was red and with gold trimmings.

“Hey, how come your hair was brown when you were in your younger form?” Mili asked, confused. “I'm pretty sure people don't just change in that sense..”

Devy shrugged. “The spell might have indicated it as me not having powers or something. It's Juniper's original hair color. Her eyes were also green.”

Mili's face scrunched up in disgust. “She hated being too different in the Kazuya household, huh?”

“Probably.”

“But, shouldn't Alex have had some powers, too?” Mayumi mused. “I don't think we ever heard you mention he had powers.”

Devy smiled sadly. “He was clairvoyant.” The others gasped, making the teen nod, sporting back the pendant that Hazel had given. “Yeah. He knew he was gonna die back then. It was harder to reconcile realizing that he knew why Shun did that and what Shun would do after. I couldn't help but detest him in my mind for some time after the whole thing ended. He could have been saved. But it's really just all regret now and wishful thinking.”

The three were silent for a bit, then Mili realized something. “Huh, you're remembering recent events. Do you have all your memories back?”

“I actually don't know..” Devy thought hard. “Maybe ask me something?”

“Do you remember what happened at 5th Ave?” Mayumi tried.

“What's that?”

“Oh, right, that bar was made when we were in college.”

“But Sophie remembers Gojyo being the coolest big brother though.” Mili countered.

“Maybe the memories are just jumbled?” Devy shrugged.

“Seems to be the likely case.” While the girls tried a few more scenarios, a soft knock came on their door and Hakkai peeked into the room.

“Hey girls, breakfast is ready!” His eyes landed on Devy, seeing her current form. “Oh! What a pleasant surprise!” She ran to him into a hug. “Congratulations on the level up!” He greeted, patting the teen's head. “Should I call you Linlin now?”

Devy shook her head. “Devy's fine until I can be Sophie again. Anyway, your shirt smells of beef curry! Let's go!” she started pulling Hakkai towards the restaurant area while the others followed.

“Oh, Mili, could you go and wake Goku and Sanzo?” Hakkai asked. “Just be sure to be quick if Sanzo is still asleep, he might shoot.”

The shapeshifter scoffed. “Since when did Sanzo not want to shoot anybody anyway?” She quickly turned into a husky and bounded off down the hallway.

Getting to their table, Gojyo was already seated having his coffee and cigarette. “Good morning!” He looked at Devy, regarding her in her outfit, chuckling. “Reminds me of that time you almost kicked me in the face.”

“It can be a fresher memory if you want.” Devy quipped, accepting the challenge in her mind.

“Let's not be too hasty.” Gojyo said apologetically, realizing the kid had a score to settle with forgetting to tell her the girls' arrival. As they took their seats, Goku and Sanzo arrived with Mili, taking their seats as well.

“Uwoooh! Devy grew up a few years!” Goku greeted, looking at Devy approvingly and was soon distracted by the food in front of them. The breakfast group seemed to have gotten bigger with everyone there. It was another day with tasks and the group were soon off to their different locations. Devy invited Mili and Mayumi to meet Risha, and for her to also see her current appearance.

“What's Risha like?” Mili asked as they made their way through the town, eyeing the temple in the distance. “It's hard to imagine what a god would be like.”

“Well.. she's just like a regular human, I guess.” Devy shrugged. “From what I've seen of her, she's just like any other lonely person.”

“I doubt that..” Mayumi chimed in. “I'm pretty sure she'll have that air of regality around her.”

“Idunno, she looks and sounds like a normal person.” Devy countered. “She makes the same sex sounds any human would make too.”

Mili choked in her own spit with this statement. “Devy!”

“What? It's true, she and Gojyo have sex a lot.” 

“Devy, stop talking about it like that.” Mayumi rebuked.

“Why? I'm just saying it as it is..” Devy stuck out her tongue at their surprise. Soon, they reached the temple, finding their way to the altar area. Unlike the previous day, it was quiet this time, with the golden calf newly situated in the middle.

“Whoa, they did this all by themselves.” Mayumi said, impressed, looking around. They could tell that she was itching to repair the place.

“Some things are best left as they are.” the three turned to see Risha coming from one of the rooms, wearing her usual red and brown robes with the cream sash. She bowed to them in greeting. “Is that you, Devy?” She asked, taking a closer look at the blonde.

“Uhuh.” Devy answered, shrugging. “I guess the curse is slowly coming off.” She grinned. “Oh, by the way, these are my friends from my world, Mayumi, she's a magician. And Mili here is a shapeshifter. And this is Risha, the priestess of this town.” The women bowed back.

“It's okay to let them know I'm Lakshmi.” Risha said, smiling. “I'm more than a priestess. I keep this town safe from the negative wave, but in light of the recent attack on the town, I realize that I can't protect them forever.”

“You were right, Sophie, she does seem like a normal human being.” Mili intruded unintentionally. “Oops sorry.” The priestess gave her a quizzical look.

“My bad..” Devy explained. “They were asking me to describe you and I could only describe you as a normal person..”

Risha had to laugh. “Well, it's true though, we can take a lot of forms, and for humans to be comfortable around us, we have to appear just like them.” she moved to the altar to fix it up a little. “So what brings you here today?”

Devy shrugged. “I actually just wanted to show off that I'm getting back to my normal self, and to see what we could help you with.”

“Could you pleeeeease let me fix up the interior at least!?” Mayumi finally cracked, holding the woman's hands and looking at her with begging eyes. Taken aback, the priestess gave an awkward smile. “It feels so unfair to have you live like this.”

Risha sighed, realizing that there was no way out of this persistence. “Alright, but please keep it to a minimum.” The magician didn't waste time, immediately running to a clear space and materializing her wand. She waved around clockwise, sparks of magic flowing out, slowly and gradually reverting the worn down pillars into their original structure, as if the wear and tear of the years had not happened at all. Even the paintings of the prominent Indian gods were refreshed on the walls. Mayumi finished with a flourish and smiled at the goddess who sighed. “You're actually more powerful than you let on.” She noted. “I hope that satisfied your itch to help.” The magician nodded with a grin.

“Man, now the golden calf kinda looks a lil outta place.” Mili commented, marveling at Mayumi's handiwork.

“Not really.” Devy commented. “Hindus also worship cows…” 

A presence by the entrance called their attention, making them turn to see a blue figure walking towards them. Risha tensed immediately.

“Vishnu.” she said curtly as the god reached them.

“Lakshmi.” the god uttered, attempting to reach out for Risha’s hand, but she gently moved it out of his reach. Regaining his composure, he addressed the others in the room as if hinting them to leave. None of them budged.

“Blue doesn't seem to be as friendly a color I'd thought it was.” Mili commented, smirking to herself.

“Why are you here?” Risha was unexpectedly more guarded.

“What else, but to ask you to come back with me to Tenkai.”

“I'd rather die than go back to that boring place.” Risha stated, glaring at him.

“This is not a place for someone such as yourself.” Vishnu added, folding his arms. “I'm giving you until the end of this week to tell me your answer.”

“You don't need to wait that long, because the answer will still be no.” The goddess still did not relax her stare.

Vishnu sighed, glancing back at the entrance, recognizing two new people in the temple.

Mili waved at Gojyo and Hakkai who were surprised to see the blue-skinned god in their presence. Vishnu seemed to glare at them immediately.

“Oh my, it seems we're in the presence of another god..” Hakkai commented quietly, bowing in respect. Gojyo pocketed  his hands and smirked at Vishnu.

“Great to see you're as civil as ever, West Army Field Marshal.” he said, nodding at Hakkai. He scowled at Gojyo. “I should have known you were here, Kenren..” said the god, seeming to be holding back the urge to punch the red head.

“It'd be easier to talk to you if you actually made sense.” Gojyo retorted, glancing at the women then back at Vishnu. “What's up with gods and mistaking me for someone else? It's really getting old..”

“You were my General in the East Army in your past life.” Vishnu stated plainly. “I hope that's easy enough for you to understand.”

“I still don't understand the animosity.” Gojyo retorted.

“Lakshmi should be able to explain, unless you want me to do the honors?” The god said, glancing at his wife. Risha simply shrugged.

Gojyo put two and two together and laughed. “This is ridiculous. Maybe if you knew how to please your wife with all four hands of yours, maybe she wouldn't have sought me out in the first place. Vishnu clenched his fists. The redhead turned to walk away. “Whatever you two have to settle is none of our business.” He commented, waving goodbye. Hakkai watched his best friend leave before turning back to the spectacle in the temple.

“Maybe we should leave them to talk?” Hakkai said, motioning for the girls to leave but they shook their heads. “Hm?”

“Obviously, Risha doesn't want what Vishnu wants her to do. I don't think it's wise to leave them alone.” Devy supplied in the silence. To their surprise, Risha put a comforting hand on Devy’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, I can manage this time.” Risha signaled them to leave but their body language indicated they weren’t assured. “We can talk after we’re done, give me ten minutes… or less.” she looked back at her husband with a scowl.

The team relented and left the woman with her husband, making their way out of the temple. The familiar scent of hi lites wafted in the air as Gojyo waved to them a short distance away.

“What happened to “none of it is our business?” Hakkai rebuked, leading the way towards him.

“Heh. I figured you guys would get kicked out of the conversation sooner or later.” The redhead confided.

“I still feel uncomfortable leaving her alone with him though.” Mayumi admitted, crossing her arms to her body, comforting herself. 

“If Risha says it's fine then it's fine..” Mili gave her girlfriend an assuring hug. “But more than that.. Vishnu mentioned you were in his army in your past life?”

Gojyo chuckled at this. “We've heard similar things before, but I could care less who I was back then, god or no god. It's up to them to be hung up in some past shit. All I got right now is me.”

A light breeze blew past, with the group just watching the scenery of the afternoon pass. Soon enough, Risha came out of the temple, with Vishnu nowhere in sight. “Thank you for trusting me to talk to him alone.” She said, bowing to them. “We had come to an agreement, but I'll let you know of the final decision after things have been settled.”

“Well that was anticlimactic.” Gojyo stated, tossing his spent cigarette to the ground and stepping on it with his boot.

“I told him not to cause any further trouble.” Risha said, sighing and leaning back on a pillar. The whole situation taking more out of her than she cared to admit. Gojyo casually stepped in front of her, leaning an arm on the pillar above her head and an easy hand on her chin. He propped up her face to look at him.

“What about you and me and my kind of trouble?” He teased the goddess, earning a blush from her, and various states of disgusted and embarrassed reactions from the others.

Devy decided to butt in. “Oh no, our coolest big brother is up to no good, what ever shall we do~?” She whined mischievously.

Gojyo snapped at the blonde for ruining his moment. “Can it devil woman, I am not dealing with you.”

“Coz you'd be dealing with swimming in bed?” Mili chimed in, popping up fox ears to emphasize mischief.

“But what about me, Big Brother Gojyo, aren't I a damsel in distress too?” Mayumi pouted, her stare at Gojyo emphasized with summoned sparkles.

Gojyo physically waved at the ridiculous actual floating glitters and shooed them all off. 

Hakkai chuckled at the girls who relented, laughing their way back down into the town. “That's what you get for openly flirting in front of them.” He chided, waving off as well. “We'll see you!”

x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

The following days went on with the construction and repairs taking form of almost a new routine for everyone. Goku seemed to be the least affected by the manual labor, being up at the break of dawn and out in the town the whole day. The others would find themselves resting more, while Sanzo and Hakkai made it a point to always visit the Buddhist temple as requested by the followers.

On the fourth day, Devy and Mayumi went off to check the barrier, finding Will also there along the path as if able to determine the strength of the barrier. The man saw them approach, but his shades did not betray whatever expression he had on his face. He waved to them.

“Hey there Devy.” He greeted and paused. “I'm pretty sure I haven't been here for long, but you seem older all of a sudden.”

Devy shrugged. “It's a long story. Anyway this is my friend, Mayumi.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Will gestured, taking the red head’s hand and kissing it. Mayumi awkwardly acknowledged it and protectively held her hand after the exchange.

“Nice to meet you too, I think..” Mayumi said hesitantly, redirecting their attention to the barrier. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I was wondering if the barrier is actually diminishing as the days wear on.” He admitted, gingerly poking it. “From what I can tell, it doesn't wear off like how magic spells would.”

“Maybe it's because a god made it?” Devy offered, producing the same ice shurikens that were absorbed by the barrier as it did the first day it appeared.

“Possibly.” Will gave it some more thought then decided to leave the area. “Anyway, gotta get back to my final project. I'll see you around.” He said as a farewell and was soon out of sight.

“You're right about him being eccentric.“ Mayumi finally said with a shiver. “I also see what you mean by him being fake. But he seems quite harmless. It’s weird that he seems to know much more than what he said he does. The technology he's applying with his construction isn't quite something we've seen in the towns we've encountered so far..” Devy shrugged.

“As long as he's helping the town.” She touched the barrier then looked up. “The reason I asked you to come with me here is I want to know if this barrier is like a dome, or if at any height you or Mili could actually escape it.”

Mayumi looked at her curiously. “Why would we want to escape?”

Devy chuckled. “Escape since it's you getting out from inside. If it was Saiken, then that spot is an entry point. A potential weak spot.” Mayumi gave out a gasp. The blonde nodded. “If a gap did exist, the town is a sitting duck.” The magician spared no time to levitate and check the perimeter, flying as high as she could before hitting the field. Materializing a web grid, she slowly raised it up to the sky, confirming the grid bending to the top of the dome without any gaps. Floating back down, she reported the situation to Devy.

“That's good to know..” she nodded. “Even if Vishnu has his own agenda, he ensured the protection of the important people to his wife.” As they were about to leave, a familiar flash of green could be gleaned on the other side of the barrier.

“Your days are numbered, heiress.” Saiken smirked at the red head. Despite his arm still being in a sling from the previous skirmish, he was able to put on a confident air around him. “The moment this protection is gone, our duel will happen and I will rule as the strongest demon!!”

On the other side of the barrier, Devy and Mayumi just looked at each other, confused. They could only make out garbled noises from the demon.

“I can't understand a thing he's saying.” Mayumi said, staring back at Saiken on the other side.

“Willing to bet he's gloating or something.” Devy answered. “Maybe we can spook him?”

Mayumi giggled, summoning a giant circle of light. “I did this for one of my shows. It's a neat party trick, and it's pretty harmless.” Mayumi focused the light into a beam, seeming to fire at Saiken. They could see him balk on the other end. As he scampered off, the light dissipated as if it exploded into a million glittery lights. Saiken was long gone. Devy was clutching her sides in laughter while Mayumi wiped away her tears.

“Well that was definitely entertaining.” Devy finally managed to say, catching her breath and standing up properly. “Well, now we have that sorted out, let's head back.”

Falling into step with Devy, Mayumi quietly observed her friend who was quietly humming to herself looking ahead. The blonde regarded her with a side glance.

“Something on your mind?”

Mayumi shook her head. “You probably don't see it since you're living it, but, knowing how you were at this age years ago, it's like seeing your past being rewritten.”

“I guess…” Devy chuckled. “I don't really think much of it, coz whatever happens, it's still me.” she grinned at her friend. “I got here because of who I was and it’s a waste of time thinking how things could have been instead.”

“I suppose so..” Mayumi said, looking on ahead, seeing how the town is slowly completing their progress. Even the bomb shelters were near completion with Will’s direction and her assistance in making sturdy foundations. None of these are meant to last for good, and they’re just measures to help them survive, but anything else after is a gamble, be it fate or their own tenacity.

“We can only do so much, and we do have to focus on things we’re meant to do here.” she glanced over Devy who had been studying her expression. The blonde grinned at her again. “You gotta save some of the worrying for when you have your duel. Though I know you’ll do well.”

Mayumi had to laugh. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” she scratched her cheek lightly with a finger. “I’m actually thinking more of it as a performance with an end goal of shoving someone off a stage. Hahaha”

“Well that’s one way of putting it.” Devy agreed. “I’m glad you still have your humor despite all this.”

“It's because I have you guys with me now.” She quipped, waving at some women passing by with crops in tow. “Facing Mili’s bloodlust straight in the eye, this whole journey to get here.. It’s changed me in a lot of ways too.” she looked at her hands, as if reading something on it. “I was scared when we found out things and what I have to do.. but.. somehow getting this far has helped me get things into better perspective. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that I have so much already. Whatever happens, I think I can bear it.”

Devy held her hand comfortingly. “We got you.”

The day of the barrier dissipating had come and both sides were ready for the duel. Saiken stood with his followers while Mayumi was flanked by Devy and Mili. The Sanzo party minus Sanzo were a few feet away with Hakuryu. Knowing that no one could interfere in the battle, they could just see them off and wait. Kougaiji and Yaone also kept their distance, waiting for the result of the battle and bring back Saiken. Vishnu soon appeared, acknowledging both sides and removing the barrier.

“ I will serve as the arbiter and will declare the winner as per the rules.” he waved his arms for both contenders to step forward and to perform the necessary scan and ensure that both parties only had their conduits with them, a wand for Mayumi and a staff for Saiken. “You must make the declaration.”

Both sides nodded and announced in unison: “We call forth the Ascension Duel!”

The moment the declaration rang out, the circular arena materialized from the ground, giving a full diameter of 60 meters. From the circumference of the arena rose a barrier to ensure no one could interfere.

“Good luck Mayumi!!” Mili and Devy cheered outside as the arena’s foggy barrier went up. Eventually they stepped back to where the guys were watching.

“I'm surprised Sanzo chose to be at the Buddhist temple instead of watching here.” Mili commented, looking around.

“He says he's sure no one needs him here right now..” Hakkai said sheepishly before suddenly becoming alert. The demon followers on Saiken’s side had dispersed, making their way to the town. “They were biding their time to attack the town!”

“The filthy cheater!!” Devy yelled, immediately firing at the demons within her reach. She turned to Hakkai. “We have to secure Risha and Sanzo!” Devy went off on her ice, firing indiscriminately at all the demons charging into the town. She aimed to the sky, creating an explosive amount of snow to signal the watchtowers. Soon, the alarm bells were tolling as the immediate onslaught of demons could be witnessed.

“Gojyo you're flying with me to Risha!” Mili announced, turning into a giant bird and grabbing Gojyo by the arms without fanfare.

“Hey! Don't manhandle me!!” Gojyo tried to get loose out of surprise but Mili held on tight with her talons.

“Hold still, handsome, I don't want you ruining your good looks!"

Hakkai was soon riding off in Hakuryu with Goku, making a beeline towards the Buddhist temple.

With the duel commencing, Saiken visibly grinned triumphantly at Mayumi, knowing that his plan towards the town had commenced.

“As witness to this duel, once again I speak of the rules: each of you must have one magical conduit. For this match, Mayumi has her wand, and Saiken his staff. At no point in the match will these be used as physical weapons or to be manipulated into other materials for battle. No summons allowed but any element used to attack or defend is allowed. This is an ascension duel, not a death match. Once someone falls off the arena, the duel is over.”

Vishnu regarded both duelists. “Is this clearly understood?”

Both participants nodded.

“Let the Ascension Duel, begin!”

Saiken was quick on the offensive, striking with growing branches from his staff then onto the arena floor. Mayumi evaded, reciprocating the attack with fire wings, engulfing the seeming sentient branches. She glanced at Vishnu, thinking he would call out the seeming summon.

“It's calling on earth energy, not a summon.” the god said simply, continuing to watch. She could tell that Saiken was using these technicalities to gain an upper hand, but she refused to be fazed.

“Hahahahaha!! It just shows how little you know about duels, heiress!!” He proceeded to transform the branches into a huge log, making it into a literal lumbering giant with way too many arms and eerie green beady eyes and legs making it amble forward.

Not wasting time, Mayumi materialized molten boulders, levitating them and hurling them at the “not summon”. As the thing took damage, small portals appeared around it absorbing the rocks and reappearing towards Mayumi. A confusion of dust billowed where Mayumi had been, and Saiken's mad cackling rang through the arena.

“Is that all you've got, heiress!?” He challenged towards the settling dust, and was too late to realize that Mayumi was no longer there. With barely a sound, the demon hardly had time to register Mayumi's face in front of him before he was soon on his back, sliding on ice on the floor. He watched in disbelief as his tree creature crumbled into a heap of charcoal.

“Tired already, Saiken?” Mayumi teased, flicking her wand and donning her magician's pink garb. With a flourish she smiled sweetly. “We're just getting started!”

Mili and Gojyo made it to the temple while Risha was helping usher women and children into the safety of the building while the commotion emanated further in the town. Turning into a puma, the shapeshifter was soon off to secure their perimeter and fan out to catch any demons in the area. With Gojyo guarding Risha and the evacuees, their area was secured. She sorely missed Ben’s communicators and navigation. Shifting into a falcon, she flew above the trees to better spot enemies. Realizing that the demons were more concentrated towards the East where Sanzo was, she knew their trap had worked.

Focusing on larger groups of demons, she would shift into different animals to keep them confused, and eventually keeping only a good number just headed for Sanzo. They just had to make sure that any villager having a hard time getting to a shelter was given a chance. As she ran through the streets, the unmistakable scent of smoke started to reach her nose, signaling that demons had started to spread more chaos through the town. This made the whole ordeal more precarious, but Mili continued to focus on getting people to safety. She only hoped that the rest would fall according to plan.

“Genjo Sanzo surrender the Maten Sutra!!” the demons yelled outside the temple. The fear in the voices of the followers could be heard, but Sanzo only smirked.

“You filthy lowlifes, what even makes you think you can lay a hand on me, much less this sutra?” Lighting a cigarette, he ordered the people to go further into the temple. Loading his gun, he eyed his opponents. “The only thing you're touching is the ground with a bullet in your head.”

The unmistakable ringing sound of bullets from the spirit banishing gun made quick work of the initial wave of demons. Incensed by the turn of events, the other demons charged towards Sanzo, only to be dealt with in the same manner.

“Bunch of dumbasses just coming here to die.” Sanzo muttered, continuing to fire until he had to reload. Thinking this was their opening, the demons attempted to charge, realizing their mistake too late with a fist to the face and broken bones.

“How can you guys let a simple monk beat you!?” One of the demons said, trying to rally the others to keep on charging.

“That's another fatal mistake.” Sanzo muttered, shooting the offending demon. “Sanzos are anything but ordinary.”

As the demons approached again, their advances were literally run over by Hakuryu, charging in from one street with Hakkai and Goku in tow. Hopping off the jeep, the two men were soon on the offensive, hitting back as many demons as they could.

“Thanks for leaving some for us!” Goku quipped, getting hit by the paper fan. “What was that for, Sanzo??” Goku complained, shaking a fist at the monk.

“You're late.”

“Ah, but we'd be earlier than the earliest bird and Sanzo would still think we're late.” Hakkai commented, blasting back a number of demons.

“Shut up and keep busy!” Sanzo ordered, stepping aside to start his chant. The two obliged and hit back as many demons as possible and ran for it the moment they knew the monk was ready.

“MAKAIII TENJOUUUU!!”

With a bright light, all the demons in the area were obliterated with one fell swoop, as if none had even attacked to begin with. Goku sat on the ground, feeling underwhelmed with the amount of fighting he did. Sanzo casually walked back into the awning of the temple just as rain started to pour from the sky. Hakkai, Hakuryu and Goku dashed for shelter beside Sanzo.

“Is this actual rain?” Goku asked, letting the rain touch his palm. “It smells.. different.”

“How so?” Hakkai inquired curiously.

“It smells more like if you threw some water upwards from a lake. It doesn't smell like it came from the sky.” Goku stated, watching it some more.

“Well whatever it is, it's putting out majority of the fires.” Hakkai observed, seeing the wispy smoke rise from the houses nearby. A realization hit him, making him confirm a possible reason for the strange rain. “Ah, this might be Will’s doing.” He declared, his fist hitting down on his upward open palm.

“Ehh? What makes you say that?” Goku asked, confused.

“Remember when they had moved the calf to the temple?”

“Uhuh?”

“The original location of the calf was a spring that was turned into a fountain. It's not an easy thing to build, but applying just the right materials and pressure can make the water burst out with this much force.”

“But this kind of consistency can't be done with just one source.” Sanzo added, lighting another cigarette while observing the “rain”. “Which means that Will had been able to route the water’s passage in such a way that it can deliver water with this much pressure throughout the town.”

“Uoh, that's pretty smart.” Goku commented, watching as the “rain” slowly came to halt. 

“Anyway, with things settled here, maybe we should go check it out?” Hakkai suggested with Hakuryu immediately turning back into his jeep form as the three assumed their spots. The three rode off, following the path towards the eccentric fellow that made it possible to rain.

Chapter Text

Riding off to the fountain area, they found Will proudly discussing with the townsfolk, celebrating the success of their contraption. Seeing them, he waved.

“I'm glad we managed to construct this emergency fire extinguisher for the city!” He exclaimed as soon as the men alighted. “It seems like we're wrapping things up quite nicely around here.”

Hakkai nodded. “Yeah. It's a good thing we never expected anything less from Saiken. It saved us a lot of time and resources getting rid of his lackeys.” He glanced over at the edge of the town where the ascension arena was barely visible. “I hope Mayumi's doing alright.”

“I'm sure she is.” Will said confidently, hands on his hips. He watched as the townsfolk slowly went about sorting things from the damage and putting out some fires the extinguishers didn't get.

“So, until when are you staying here with us, Will?” Hakkai looked intently at the ostentatious man. “Or should I say, Ben?” The man grinned while Goku gawked in disbelief.

“I'm pretty sure Sophie wouldn't have ratted me out.” Will answered, tugging at his mustache. “What gave me away?”

“We've seen our share of unusual folk here, but the way you carried yourself didn't seem to fit Togenkyo.” Hakkai began, crossing his arms in front of him with an easy smile. “I thought maybe you were just too outlandish, but the more I observed you, the more I realized that your mannerisms and surprise at common things meant that you weren't from here. It wasn't that you were from another city or country, but seemed to be from another world.”

Will whistled. “Nothing really gets past you..” he scratched his head sheepishly.

“But how were you able to come here?” Sanzo asked, lighting another cigarette. He looked off towards the arena.

“Vishnu brought me here, convinced that maybe if I helped the town somehow be more independent Lakshmi would go back with him to Tenkai.” He shrugged. “I told him whatever I'd do, there's no guarantee. Lakshmi's her own person. I can only try to help. As long as he grants us safe passage back to Earth no matter the outcome.”

“That's one way to have a deus ex machina in a story..” Hakkai commented, receiving a glare from Sanzo for saying something weird again.

“Right!?” Will said excitedly meeting Hakkai's gaze. “And come on, I've been bored for WEEKS wracking my brain trying to figure out how to get the girls and back home and HE just saunters in my apartment!? Like hell I'd let that chance pass.”

“Why do things have to be so complicated ..” Goku muttered, finally sitting down and letting his stomach rumble. “So what does this mean, you guys leavin’ as soon as Mayumi's done?”

Will shrugged. “Idunno. Depends on what happens, I guess. But I assume this is where we part ways. Vishnu's held you guys hostage in the town for too long already.”

“I'd kill him if he gets in the way again.” Sanzo puffed out smoke. “Gods are nothing but trouble.”

“Speaking of which: Vishnu mentioned I was a field marshal in Tenkai in my past life.” Hakkai commented. “I wonder if you were there too, Sanzo.”

“Like hell I'd be with the likes of you.” The monk muttered. “Risha's so bent on staying here. I doubt I'd have survived in such a boring place.”

“If I were in Tenkai, I don't think it'd be boring if I'm with you, Sanzo.” Goku chimed in, chuckling at the idea. Sanzo stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.

“I'd rather be dead.”

“So mean.”

“Anyway, let's head back to the hotel.” Hakkai interjected. “We should start packing.”

Debris rolled on the ground as the audible panting from the duel echoed in the arena. Mayumi stood silent, her wand pointed at the demon who was on one knee, wiping blood from the side of his mouth.

“There's no way you should be this strong..” Saiken muttered, waving his staff, levitating the debris and charging them at Mayumi who simply transformed them into cherry blossoms. Twirling her wand, the slow falling cherry blossoms turned into sharp projectiles, struck back at the demon.

Saiken barely dodged, catching his breath and striking back with mini tornadoes on the field. Mayumi ran to the edge, catching a wind current and lifted herself up, materializing giant metal rods and charging them towards Saiken who removed the tornadoes in order to deflect the onslaught. Knowing that he was already at a disadvantage, he aimed at Mayumi's hand, knocking off her wand and effectively destroying it. Laughing triumphantly, he charged back with waves of water but Mayumi simply materialized an orb, making her float in the onslaught. “What!? That's cheating! Arbiter! She has no conduit!”

“She's using herself as a conduit.” Vishnu said plainly, watching over with the same stoic expression.

Mayumi took the opportunity to freeze the waves and breaking them into powdery snow around them. Charging towards Saiken, she made quick work of claiming his staff and setting it on fire. She smiled at him. “Now, we're even.” Tossing the sticks, she turned them into confetti and disappeared with it, appearing behind him. “Peek-a-boo!” The demon jumped and regained composure, releasing his metal webs protruding from the ground to keep him from falling at the edge. The main wires were attached to Saiken's hands, like a puppet master.

Mayumi backed away, doing her best to avoid the sharp threads that sprung out, but she was getting nicked the more she tried to dodge. Saiken smirked, having the upper hand.

“Good show, heiress, but you still lack the experience from what I've gone through as this world's magician! Hahahaha! I will be crowned the greatest yet!” He gloated, stepping on the remnants of the waves he had made earlier.

“Has no one ever told you not to claim victory too soon?” Mayumi offered, straightening her posture despite the crowding wires.

“Why shouldn't I? I've seen battles like this before, and I know when the victory is mine.”

Mayumi nodded solemnly. “I'm pretty sure that might have been the case..” she agreed. “...but have you seen my fist!?” She declared, charging forward through the metal strings towards Saiken. Being at the edge of the arena, he braced for impact then blinked when the fist did not reach his face. “Can’t use conduits as direct weapons.” She smirked. “You know what else you should have looked out for?”

“What?”

“Water.” Mayumi opened her fist, summoning a lightning strike that coursed through Saiken's wires and directly onto his person, knocking him unconscious and sliding off the arena in a heap. Looking at Vishnu, the god nodded.

“The Ascension Duel is over! Mayumi Englewood is the champion!”

With this announcement, the arena’s barrier slowly dissipated, along with the arena itself. As the surroundings reverted to normal, Saiken slowly regained consciousness and sat up groaning from the ordeal. Kougaiji and Yaone were quick to subdue him, arms behind his back.

“You’ve given us enough trouble than you're worth.” the demon prince uttered, forcing the green haired demon up on his feet.

He glanced over to Mayumi and the others. “The next time we encounter each other, it'll no longer be on neutral terms.”

“Aren't you being too confident? Aren't you worried about the town!?” Saiken demanded, seeing the smoke coming from the town. “This isn't over!!” he wriggled his way free from Yaone, only to be tripped up by the blonde teen, making him fall on his face.

“Oh it is…” Devy said threateningly, pointing her gun at the fallen demon. “Now, undo this fucking curse or tell me how to do it.” She demanded. The demon only smirked. She fired a shot, grazing his leg and making him yelp.

“Yiii. I'm sorry! I don't know how to reverse it!” Saiken admitted, curling his legs to himself on the ground. “My goal was to defeat the heiress with the curse! I didn't think that far ahead!!” He braced himself as Devy pocketed her gun and cracked her knuckles.

“Then don't blame me for not thinking that far ahead if you die while I beat you up..” moving in, she raised her fist only to be stopped by Mayumi. She scowled at her friend. “Come on, even just one punch?”

“No.”

Devy relented, relaxing her arm but stole a quick and hard kick the moment Mayumi released her. She stuck her tongue out at the demon writhing in pain before walking away. Sighing, the magician looked over at the demon as if trying to decide what to do. The arena had disappeared, even Vishnu had vanished into thin air. She was the official successor and leader of a clan of demons she didn't even know where to find.

“It's all unfair!” Saiken cried. “We've watched you in your world, you weren't supposed to win against me!” Yaone picked him back up and hoisted him up on the back of her hiryu and tied him up with additional ropes.

“Maybe you didn't see past what you saw, whatever it was.” Mayumi said, changing back to ordinary clothes. “I've never fought to win, nor to have what you want, Saiken. I've always fought not to lose.”

With the strong flap of wings, Saiken was taken away by Yaone and Kougaiji and were soon gone in the sky. Mayumi took this time to slump down on the ground in relief. Hakkai quietly stepped in beside her, slowly healing her wounds from the duel. She looked around, assessing the fact that only Sanzo and Goku were on Hakuryu. Gojyo and Mili were nowhere in sight.

“Gojyo and Mili are back at the temple with Risha. They'll follow here as soon as they're done.” Hakkai explained, reading her mind. “Congratulations, it must have quite the show, given how sulky that demon was.” The brunette commented, smiling at her. “Too bad we couldn't watch.”

Mayumi shook her head. “It wasn't that epic.” She admitted. “He was just really full of himself that without his sneaky tactics, he wasn't really that great.”

“I don't think this is any time to be humble and actually recognize your capabilities as a great magician, Mayumi.” They turned to the voice, revealing a cloak floating in mid air. Soon, a man in his late fifties appeared into the cloak, coal black hair and the same green eyes as Mayumi. Recognizing him immediately, Devy walked up to the man.

“There seems something ridiculous about the deja vu I'm getting with a dad showing up when everything is said and done.” She took out her gun again and aimed. “You're a little too late for anything, don't you think?” The man stopped, raising his arms in surrender.

“I assume you're Fukuo, the one everyone's been talking about.” Hakkai greeted politely, standing up from healing Mayumi and firmly holding Devy’s gun, relaying the message to stand down. The man nodded, looking at Mayumi who was getting up to approach him. The man raised his arms in a welcoming embrace towards his daughter. Once she was within reach, Fukuo was too late to dodge the upper cut that Mayumi delivered, knocking him off his feet and out of his senses. The others gawked at the turn of events, just as Mili flew in with Gojyo in tow.

“Geh, that was NOT the fight I was hoping to see..” Gojyo commented, walking over to the other men while Mili ran off to Mayumi to check on the sorry state of the other magician.

Mayumi shook her hand from the punch before acknowledging Mili. The shapeshifter recognized the man and was at a loss for words.

“I'd say congrats for winning, but I'm not sure what to make of your dad being here.” Mili finally said, looking around and not seeing anything amiss, nor the other demons in sight. The man slowly regained consciousness and sitting himself back up. “Yo Mr. Englewood..” she greeted awkwardly. Mayumi still wasn't speaking, and that wasn't a good sign. “I'll tell the others to head on back to the hotel, and we'll see you there.”

After seeing Mayumi nod, the rest of the team made their way back into the town. Fukuo gingerly stood up, dusting off his garb and looked back at Mayumi who was still glaring at him.

“I know you have a lot of questions, Mayumi, and I can help answer all of them.” he began. “We can -”

“You left me in the dark of my own past and lineage!”

“It was -”

“No, it wasn't for my own good!!” Mayumi  could feel herself snowballing in her anger. “You were hardly home, you'd go off wherever you wanted and never even thought of telling me ANYTHING!!”

“I'm sorry but-”

“Out of everything you could have let me know, you'd think the real reason why you left Togenkyo could have come up in conversation AT LEAST ONCE. You could have at least clued me in that there's a chance I could  get kidnapped and thrown in the middle of nowhere fighting for my life - not to mention - ALONG WITH MY FRIENDS WHO ARE JUST AS CLUELESS AS I AM.” Mayumi took a breath then continued. “Not to mention, Sophie got turned into a child! A CHILD BEING CHASED BY DEMONS IN THE WILD!! And you show up NOW when everything’s done!? What the hell dad??”

“I'm really sorry Mayumi..” Fukuo tried again. “But look, you won!”

Mayumi had enough, snapping her fingers and her dad was immediately hanging upside down, tied by the ankles and inches from a pool of water. His cloak had inadvertently flipped over, slowly sinking into the water. “And it's no thanks to you! Where is this clan and what am I supposed to do being the current ascendant?” She lowered the man's head closer to the water. “Start talking!!”

“The clan is further west north west.” Fukuo said calmly, but his face betrayed him by already turning red from the unnatural position. “I haven't seen them in a while so I don't know what kind of reception we would have going there.”

“What!?”

“Well we could just teleport there-”

“No! We are taking the fucking “scenic” route!” Mayumi declared, turning away from the hanged man. “Come look for me after two days. Lead the way to that town by then.” With that, Mayumi released the man into the water and teleported herself back to the hotel, leaving Fukuo to use his powers to get himself righted on the ground with a wet flop.

The magician scratched his head looking at the town ahead of him, the wind billowing dust onto his wet clothes, as if adding salt to injury.

x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

Back in the town, people were cleaning up, helping healing the wounded or taking care of others. It was a mess, but the air was unmistakably lively knowing that they had some form of victory. Will was getting dragged left and right to celebrations to which he mostly declined, just going about his way assessing the damages and giving improvement suggestions. The day wore on and the group found themselves celebrating in the hotel restaurant. With Gojyo leading the drinking games, the others danced while the less inclined watched on just eating with Goku or milling about. Mayumi and Mili were nowhere to be found while Devy enjoyed dancing with the townsfolk. Hakkai and Risha sat nearby, watching the festivities while drinking tea.

Meanwhile, having decided he had had enough, Sanzo snuck out to the garden outside of the hotel, enjoying a stick of Merlboros in the silence of the night. Sighing to himself, he relished the taste of the tobacco on his tongue, and the feeling of the nicotine slowly easing into his system. He was glad that they were moving on to the next town the next day. He clicked his tongue to ebb the frustration he had for all the time they lost because of some petty heavenly drama. He casually pointed his gun ahead of him, glaring at the shadows. “You men and your penchant to sneak around..” he scoffed. “Too ashamed to show yourself to anyone after your daughter beat you up?”

“Well, you could say that..” Fukuo muttered, stepping forward, arms up in surrender. “I really don’t have any excuses for what happened.” He sighed, materializing a simple chair to sit on. “I’m holding on to my promise to meet her after two days.”

“And? Why are you sneaking around here now?”

“I don't know, maybe to catch a glimpse of her unawares. To see something else aside from her fury.” the older magician shrugged.

“Pathetic.” Sanzo responded, snuffing out his cigarette with his boot. He proceeded to light another one, eyeing the man as he did.

“I know.” Came the reply, followed by a long, tired sigh. “After her mother passed away, she was almost never home. We both coped by diving into work -”

“I don’t care for drivel. Look for someone else who would listen to you.” Sanzo interrupted, annoyed. The thought of shooting the man dead crossed his mind just so he could reclaim the silence of the night.

“My apologies.” the man conceded, looking behind Sanzo.

“It doesn’t mean that some of us would be more forgiving that we’d let you skulk around.” it was Mili, arms folded in front of her with an expression that almost pitied the older magician. “I suggest that you leave before she or Sophie finds you..” Her tone carried its own threat, but still with a hint of compassion. “Come back when she told you to come back. There’s nothing to see here until then.” Despite having known her to be the most carefree amongst their group, Sanzo found a new level of respect for the shapeshifter with how she held her ground now.

Fukuo sighed in surrender, dissipating the chair he was sitting on and walking back out onto the street into the town. Mili sighed, glanced at Sanzo apologetically before shifting into a sparrow and up to their room where Mayumi had seen the whole thing. The monk continued to smoke in peace for a while longer before heading off to bed.

“I don’t think either of you would have a pretty good reception in the village.” Mili mused, picking at her food at the table in their room as she eyed Mayumi who had barely eaten anything that morning. She had hardly said anything to her, aside from making sure her dad was not around the area. She knew she was practically calling for a cranky mood, but it was better than being ignored. To her surprise, the magician sighed.

“I know..” she admitted, sitting down and finally grabbing a stale toast and some scrambled egg. “At the end of it all, dad abandoned them like that kids’ show when they needed him the most. And me, I really have no idea what to do with them. They survived this far, and who am I to get in the way of how they’ve lived? I’m practically some random human in their eyes.” She took a sip from her hot choco that had become lukewarm at this point. Making a face, she warmed it up in her palms with her magic. Mili finally finished her food, taking her own cup of hot choco. The magician sighed again. “But.. whatever happens though, dad has to own up to his shortcomings. Both to me, and to them.”

“Let’s see how things play out.”

A low, rumbling sound erupted from outside their room, making them look towards their door, and soon enough, Devy and Goku tumbled in, tripping on each other along with their words.

“Girls girls check this out!” Devy announced, excitedly grabbing Goku and standing back to back with him. She had gotten taller than Goku by an inch or so.

“She’s almost back to her original form!” Goku said, equally as eager as the blonde.

“Whoa, that’s true!” Mayumi stood up and looked closer. “The curse is probably almost lifted at this point..” she glanced at Devy’s chest. “Are all your scars back?”

“The blue thing isn’t back yet..” Devy said, absently touching where it should have been. Goku had gone off back into the hallway, possibly remembering something else to do, or that he had left a plate of food unattended for too long. “The scars from that night at the bar aren’t back either.” She said, poking where they should be. “I can’t say I’m too eager to have them back. They kinda hurt when they show up..” She touched the scar on her abdomen.

“The memories come back clearly too, don’t they?” Mayumi assumed, getting a nod from the other woman.

“Well, it is what it is.” she answered, shrugging and heading back outside. “Any plans today? I’m thinking of going to see Risha at the temple.”

Mayumi shook her head. “I think we’ll stay here..”

The blonde shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Devy left the hotel after she had told the guys of her errand for the day, casually making her way towards the temple. Mayo mewled behind her, trotting to catch up as if complaining why he was being left behind. The two walked on, waving at townsfolk who recognized them. Soon enough, Will joined them on their trek.

“I'm hoping that Vishnu is with her so I can go back to my normal appearance.” He admitted. “This was fun, but people just keep insisting to take me everywhere with them because they see me as outgoing. My social battery can't take any more of this..” 

Devy chuckled. “You method acted too hard.” She rebuked. “But, I am proud of you for getting out of your shell with this one.” She patted the man's arm. “Don't worry, we just have to see to Mayumi's thing and we can go home.”

“I hope soooo.” Will folded his arms behind his back, eyeing the temple in the distance. “It's so easy to get attached to this world.”

“I know right.. “ Devy admitted. She paused to listen in case there was a worship ongoing. Hearing nothing, she continued. “I'm actually gonna miss the people I've met here.”

They spotted Risha along the doorway of the temple, waving at them. They waved back, greeting the woman as soon as they were within earshot.

“Hey Risha, good morning!” Devy greeted, grinning at her. “Is Vishnu around?” The goddess’ face soured at the mention of her husband.

“No, but I could summon him here if you need him.” She said flatly, seemingly disappointed that they were there for her husband.

Devy chuckled. “Will is here for Vishnu, but I'm here for you, Risha.” The woman seemed relieved. “We're leaving tomorrow.” She said, not mincing words. “As much as I hate goodbyes, I want to be able to tell you personally how thankful I am that we met, and all that you've done for me and my friends.”

The goddess smiled. “It's funny that it actually seems like you've helped me and this town more than we were ever of any help to you.”

Devy shook her head. “I guess it has been of mutual benefit. It's not like we were having a transactional relationship.”

“That is true..” Risha reached for Devy’s hand, pulling her in for an embrace. “May the heavens protect you all.”

As she said this, Vishnu manifested nearby, eyeing Will who grinned at the god.

The eccentric man audibly scoffed. “I do think it's time to get off this persona.” He said, hands on hips. “Oh which reminds me.. did you decide on anything, Risha?”

“Yes.” She looked at her husband. “I appreciate all you've done to help this town and to bring me back to Tenkai, but I've decided to stay here for now.”

The god looked crestfallen, but Will grinned as if he had expected this response.

“Once Togenkyo finds peace, I'll resume my duties as Lakshmi.” She continued. Vishnu's eyes sparkled although his demeanor remained neutral.

“That's a good enough compromise than any, methinks.” Will said. Looking back at the god. “I do believe this is the end of our contract. I'm ready to be me again.”

Vishnu nodded. “I suppose it is. Thank you for your help, Ben.” The god said, hovering his hand over the man, dispelling the facade, revealing the lanky blue haired youth in a large shirt and cargo pants. Risha gave out a small gasp.

Ben scratched his head sheepishly. “Reintroductions are in order I suppose.” He said, offering an easy handshake to the goddess. “The name's Ben Whitlock. Sophie's I mean, Devy's friend.” The goddess hesitated, but eventually took the hand for a warm handshake. “I do apologize for my previous interaction. I'm really a chill dude, I just needed to keep the act.” Mayo trotted over, rubbing his body against the man's leg, as if saying he too was glad he was back to his normal self.

“There was really no need.” Risha said. “Besides, you look better as you are.” Ben visibly blushed.

“That's high praise from a goddess, not gonna lie.” He chuckled. Vishnu coughed.

“I will be accompanying you and your friends to the village of mages.” The god declared. “I need to pass on the outcome of the ascension duel and it cannot be relayed by anyone related to the duel.”

“That makes sense.” Devy nodded. “Will you be like, riding with us, or…?”

“I will accompany Mayumi and her father.”

“Which reminds me, Devy..” Ben said concerned. “We don't have your Wrangler here.”

“Oh we have a ride.”

“We do?”

“I'll show you tomorrow.”

Waving the gods goodbye, the two made their way back to the town, and the hotel.

“Maybe we can find some tapestries we can bring home for Lottie.” Devy mused, seeing some shops that sold some woven goods.

“She'd probably be most happy finding us back home in one piece.” Ben joked, approaching a stall and picking out a gray and white patterned purse. Considering it, he asked the lady for it and paid. “But.. a gift wouldn't hurt.” He smiled as they continued walking. “This has been quite an adventure, man, but I honestly can't wait to get back to my desk and get some work done.”

“You know, you don't really have to work.” Devy commented. “You could just be my building surveillance or something and I'd pay you all the same.”

“Yes, Sophie, that's what you call a job. You exert effort and are compensated for it.” He quipped, warranting a punch from his friend. “Ow!” He rubbed his arm, grinning at her.

“I know, I know.. I know you can't sit still without doing what you love to do.” Devy sighed, disappointed. “Working with friends is less complicated and I know I can trust them.”

“But business and friendship is a very hard line to mix.”

“Also true.”

Goiyo lazily walked down the hallway to the kitchen to see if Hakkai needed any help preparing their meal for their trip the next day. It was about time they left. He had gone through all the motions of what they needed, errands and supplies, and he was sure the only thing left was to pack their own things in their rooms. As he sauntered, he saw a familiar blue in his periphery but didn't think much of it. He shrugged it off, just knowing it was someone along the hallway.

The man waved with a comical salute.

“Yo, Gojyo.” The greeting didn’t sink in but he decided to acknowledge him.

“Oh, hey Ben..” The realization made Gojyo stop dead in his tracks, backing up and staring at the blue haired man. He jabbed an index finger in the man’s direction, trying to make sense of what the hell was going on. “WHAT THE FUCK!? What the fuck are you doing here!?”

“You make it sound like I'm not welcome.” Ben laughed, amused at the man’s shock. “I kinda forgot you weren’t around when the others had figured out it was me.” he scratched his cheek sheepishly. The commotion had the girls peeking out of their room, adding to the chaos when Mayumi and Mili came barreling through, throwing Gojyo to the side and the girls now staring and poking Ben as if they were willing him to be a ghost.

“How is this possible??” the two gawked, joined in by Gojyo just staring at Ben. Goku was soon on the scene, blinking at the sight of Ben in his actual form, waving at him.

“Oh hey Ben! You’re finally back to normal!” he exclaimed, walking up to them. The three slowly turned their necks at the brown haired boy as if they had been terribly betrayed.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN NORMAL?? AND YOU ACTUALLY KNOW IT’S HIM!?”

The commotion attracted Sophie who had put two and two together, laughing herself into a guffaw. “Guys guys, Vishnu brought him here. He’s been with us for the past week.” she started, the others seeming more confused with the explanation. “Will H. Gha-tes?” Sophie tried. A few more seconds went by, and the two girls realized the connection.

“Wait, you were that eccentric man??” Mili exclaimed, still in disbelief.

“It’s a long story..” Ben admitted. “But, can we talk about this in someone’s room? All the other guests are starting to stare.” Remembering they were in a hallway, the group ushered themselves into Mayumi’s room.

Settling in, Gojyo was first to probe. “So you mean to say, Vishnu just decided to take you with him to get Risha to go back to Tenkai?”

“Yup.”

“Why the persona?”

“Coz I didn’t want to get caught up and used as a hostage by anyone. At the end of the day, I’m just a man, I don’t have powers to save my ass in this world.” Ben shrugged, running a hand through his hair. “As I’ve told Sophie, having a persona would make me stand out, and maybe any of you would figure it out eventually.”

“...is your name just a play on words with Bill Gates’ name??” Mayumi exclaimed, incredulous.

“Yyyep, yep it is. Hahaha” Ben was more amused than he had expected himself to be. The silence that followed prompted Mili to talk.

“So, now that you’re here, now what?”

Ben shrugged. “Vishnu said he’ll escort Mayumi and Fukuo to the mage village to impart the outcome of the Ascension Duel.” Mayumi bristled at the mention of the event, and her father. “My agreement with Vishnu was help this village, make them more independent, and hope Risha would go back with him. But…” he shrugged helplessly. “It’s not like I can just convince Risha, she’s still her own person. But, Vishnu will grant us safe passage to go back to Earth once Mayumi settles her thing. At least I got him to agree to that.”

“That’s more than enough.” Mili agreed. “At least we don’t have to worry or bother the guys any further so they can continue west.”

“But..” it was Gojyo, studying the group and realizing an issue with the plans. “How do you plan to get to the village? Mayumi hasn’t been there before, so you can’t just teleport there at this time.”

“OH that’s right, Sophie doesn’t have her Wrangler here.” Goku added, finger to his mouth, thinking.

Devy waved it off. “Mayumi and Fukuo will be able to fly alongside Vishnu, Mili can turn into any bird. So it’ll just be me and Ben that needs to travel by land.”

“With what?”

“I’ll show you tomorrow.” 

“When are you gonna stop being cryptic about this?” Ben said, feeling slightly impatient.

“Until it’s time to go.” Devy said, hopping off from the bed and opening the door. “Imma go around the village, anyone wanna come with?”

Goku raised his hand. “I will, I will!” he said enthusiastically, following the blonde out the door. Gojyo looked at the three, then excused himself as well.

The women looked at their friend, as if uncertain on what to do with him.

“I’m glad that you’re safe with us, but damn, way to take us for a spin with that whole show tho.” Mili commented, plopping on the bed. “How’s home? I hope nothing too serious is going on.”

Ben shrugged. “Well, nothing world-ending, I suppose.” the blue haired man said, fishing out the enamel communicators he had made. “Here.” He handed the panther one to Mili and the witch hat design to Mayumi. “I was busy making these while you were gone, and I figured we can get things on a test run. It’s the same mechanics as the previous renditions, and I guess, hoping they will have better range since we’re directly from the source of the beacon’s energy.” The two placed the communicators on their person, securing it. “Of course, everything is theoretical until we get to test them. Sophie already has hers.”

“Did you make anything for the guys?” Mayumi asked, imbuing chi on hers just to say hi to Sophie who just responded with food chewing sounds, making her frown a little.

“I have one extra. I didn’t have enough time for more. I had just finished modding my drone when Vishnu showed up, and I didn’t want to lose the opportunity.” Ben said, opening the program on his phone, confirming the GPS locations for the three women. “I wonder how far the signal would be though. Can I have a map of the area?”

Mili pulled out a map from her backpack and handed it to him. “It’s not THAT accurate, but maybe it would help enough for your reference.”

“Yeah, it’ll do..” Ben furrowed his brows a little. “I just need a bit more time on it.” He stood up to leave to go to his own room. “If anything comes up, just find me in my room, it’s just on the other hallway.”

The two stood up, giving the man a big warm hug before waving him off, watching him get to his room to know the location. Looking at each other, they went to the window to see if the old man was skulking around.

“Looks like we’ll be able to go home soon..” Mili glanced at her girlfriend who seemed to have a pensive expression. “Not sure what you'll expect when you get there?” The woman nodded, prompting her to put a comforting arm over her.

“What if they don't like me?”

“Yeah that's highly possible.”

Mayumi looked at her reproachfully. “You're supposed to be comforting me..” she muttered.

“Yeah I mean..” Mili shrugged. “But you being a hanyou and your dad having had gone off on his own instead of being a proper leader..” she trailed off. “Maybe you'll need time to warm up to them.. maybe.” The red head nodded again, giving out a shaky sigh.

“I've always looked up to dad.” She muttered. “Everything just got so complicated in the past few weeks that.. it's just a lot.”

“I know..” Mili sighed with her. “I'd joke like “dads, am I right?” but, I don't really have a good baseline on good parenting so far.”

Mayumi managed a chuckle. “So far, they do really suck.” She motioned to the older magician milling about the area, looking more suspicious to the stall owners than the opposite of what he was trying to achieve.

“Maybe set him on fire?” Mili offered jokingly.

“I could make it look like he is, but he’s not.” Mayumi swiftly created the illusion, making the people around her dad panic, quickly covering him in a tapestry and dousing him with any liquid they could find. The man recovered from the commotion, looking around confused on what the heck just happened. The two guffawed, enjoying the mischief that they had managed.

Mili held the magician’s hand. “Whatever happens, I’m here for you, and so are the others. We’ll get through this together.”

Mayumi smiled at her, squeezing her hand in return. “Thank you.”

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

Early the next day, the men hauled their belongings on the back of the jeep, finally ready to get on the road again. The others watched while they said their goodbyes to one another. Ben managed to give the extra communicator to Hakkai, knowing that the man would be able to keep it safe better than the others.

Fukuo had quietly approached them, finally being able to talk to Mayumi, but it was tense and curt, only able to discuss the estimated travel time to get to the village. Based on their map, it was estimated for them to travel for a day or so. Ben had finally cornered Sophie to show him their ride. The blonde scoffed, nodding to the white cat who trotted ahead, glowing a white light and transforming into a red cruiser motorcycle that could carry two people.

The group gawked.

“HAS MAYO ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS!?” Mili and Ben exclaimed, practically strangling Sophie while shaking her. “How come you never told us!?”

Sophie laughed amused, raising her hands in surrender to make them stop jostling her. “It wasn't after a while that he showed it to me..” she began. “I'd sometimes take him off for a spin on the countryside on slow days. I never really brought it up coz I was still waiting for my license to drive motorbikes. Imagine having to register a cat for it. I had to get an actual cruiser to match.” She went on to give hugs to the others before she walked off to the bike, wore her helmet and tossed the extra towards Ben. “You better know to hold on tight, Ben.”

The technician looked at the helmet, still in disbelief. He looked up to find Gojyo and Hakkai giving him jealous glances. Gojyo walked to him and gave him a sharp elbow to his side. “Just know that every mile you're on that ride, I'm dying of envy.” Ben scratched his head sheepishly, wearing his own helmet and riding behind Sophie.

The blonde looked at the westward gang. “Well, this is our goodbye again. Maybe next time we meet it'll all be over.”  Calibrating the directions from Mayumi, she revved up the bike and they were soon off west north west, to the village of magicians.

Shakuntala awoke from her loft, wondering about the dream she just had. A red brown horse was galloping towards the village, carrying a goddess of light and the god of the sea. They were closely followed by a black necked crane, an omen of good luck in their village. They had Vishnu with them, and two mages she had never seen before. One was human, and the other was a demon like her. Hopping off her perch, she patted off the hay on her clothes and glanced at a mirror to check her brown hair and working clothes. The ones who were coming will be here soon, if not today.

Grabbing her knapsack, she filled it with a few snacks and made her way through the living root bridge that isolated the village from the outside world. She told her cousin that she was going to check on the yaks, which she would do, but she was mostly interested in seeing these foreign people. She had learned early on not to speak too much of what she dreams about to grown ups since they had a penchant of either dismissing her or blaming her, depending on the dream she told them. For this one, she believed it would change their village forever, and if she were wrong, they would never let her hear the end of it.

Hopping off the bridge, she looked to the sky, picking the southeast path. She wasn't too sure of the directions, just that they were coming from where the sun was rising. She didn't even know how long she had to wait. But the people from the village never really cared much, as long as the tasks were done and they came home safely. Her aunt told her that years ago, the village was more chaotic with the challenges for leadership. But ever since the one who was supposed to ascend the role ran away and was never seen again, the village had taken on separate roles that proved easier in managing the residents and their day to day lives.

Pulling down her hat, she made sure she hid her ears to avoid attention from any humans that might be on the road. One can never be too careful. Going about the routine for the animals, she still kept thinking about the dream. Why would Vishnu be with them? He wasn't even a god that their village worshipped. Maybe it was just some similar god. But he was the only four armed blue skinned god she knew. Shrugging it off, she continued with her tasks.

It was a little past noon when she finally heard something unusual in the distance, making her drop her pitchfork and run towards the nearby hill. Squinting at the distance, she could see billows of dust approaching coming from what appeared to be a red engine. A motorbike, like she's seen in books. It was the red horse! She was beside herself in excitement, jumping up and down and waving at them as they approached. The bike slowed down towards her, stopping nearby with the billows of dust behind them. 

The woman propped the bike, letting herself and her companion alight. Removing her helmet, she revealed her blonde hair and sapphire eyes, just like the goddess in her dream. The companion was indeed someone with blue hair, like the ocean. She gawked. Her dream was too accurate this time.

The woman looked at her curiously, bemused. “Hey kid, why were you waving at us? Is everything okay?” She asked, kneeling in front of her.

Shakuntala shook her head to get herself together. “I knew you were coming so I was waiting for you!” She said, mustering all seriousness she could in her face.

“An advance party?” The man asked, looking skeptical, bringing out a black slab and looking at it. “She's just a kid tho..”

“I saw you in a dream!” She told them. “I wasn't sure when you'd get here, but my dreams are rarely wrong.” The two grown ups looked at each other, then back at her.

“By any chance, are you from the Monpas village?” The man asked, regarding her with the same seriousness she gave them. “We are actually looking for it.”

Shakuntala nodded. “We moved the village after a while.” She looked back at the road they came from. “But where are the others with you?” She asked, remembering her dream. As she asked this, a black necked crane landed nearby, watching them. She yelped in surprise. “The omen!” She exclaimed, pointing at the bird that tilted its head curiously at her.

The woman stood up, looking back at the sky. “Vishnu, Mayumi and Fukuo should be here soonish.” she looked back at her. “I'm Sophie Callie by the way..” she said, grinning. “This here is my friend, Ben Whitlock.”

She stared, committing the names to memory. “I'm Shakuntala. It's a pleasure to meet you.” She said, brimming in excitement. “Oh I gotta tidy up and make sure the yaks are good for the day before I take you to the village.” She scampered about fixing up while the grown ups moved to the shade nearby with their bike.

It wasn't long before they were joined by a white cat and a woman with black curly hair. She didn't notice them earlier, but they seemed to be friends. Just as she finished up, Vishnu arrived with the mages. The demon looked at her, seeming to recognize her.

“Hey, it's Shakuntala!” He said, surprising her that he knew her and her name. “You've gotten so big already!”

She looked at the man questioningly.

“Ah, that's right, you probably don't remember me.” He said, scratching his head sheepishly. “I'm Fukuo. But the villagers know me as Pratham.” He pointed at the red haired woman beside her. “And this is my daughter, Mayumi.”

Shakuntala was still confused but whatever reason they may have for being here, her role was to lead them to the village. Pratham was not a name she heard often, but if there was anything she remembered, it wasn't a name mentioned with good feelings. She turned her back on them, motioning them to follow.

“I don't know much of anything, but it's best you talk to Elders Drishna and Kiara.” As they walked, she realized that the motorcycle was gone. Confused, she glanced at Sophie who signalled her to stay quiet.

“How come you're alone?” Sophie asked her, falling into step with her as they entered the beginning of the forest, towards the living root bridge.

She shook her head. “The animals look after me and I them.” She explained, walking ahead on the bridge and motioning them to follow. “Nature thrives as we thrive in it.”

As they walked further, other villagers began to see them and giving them looks. The moment they reached the center of the village, two women stood in wait, scowling at her, and the one called Pratham. “Elders, these outsiders wish for an audience with you -” the taller woman, Drishna, who had been eyeing Pratham raised a hand to stop her from saying anything more.  A small crowd had gathered, watching them. Shakuntala disappeared into the crowd, looking on. She caught Sophie's eye and she grinned at her apologetically. She liked her, she seemed to understand her.

“You finally found the courage to come back, Pratham, after all these years?” The woman berated. “I'd have thought you'd have died in your shame by now.”

The man sheepishly scratched his index finger on his cheek. He chose to stay silent.

Elder Kiara eyed the one named Mayumi. “And to even bring a hanyou with you..” she spat, displeased.

“... she's my daughter..” he muttered his way of defending Mayumi. Shakuntala pitied them, but she knew better than to say anything. This revelation garnered gasps from the crowd.

“And to think you couldn’t disappoint us any further..” Elder Drishna uttered, venom dripping from her words. “A hanyou!” A susurrus amongst the demons in the crowd could be heard while Elder Kiara walked up to the towering Vishnu.

“And?” she scowled at the god. “Why is he with you?”

“As arbiter of the ascension duel, I have escorted them to inform the clan that Mayumi Englewood is the recognized successor-”

“We don’t care about the ascension duel.” Elder Kiara interrupted, and this declaration was met with silence from the crowd.

The only sound that followed was Vishnu stepping forward, his face creasing in disbelief. He was offended, but he also looked like he was at a loss for what to do. Perhaps, in his immortal lifetime, it was the first time that someone had actually talked back to him and successfully rendered him speechless.

“.. but our traditions - ” Pratham uttered, confused.

“A tradition that you had blatantly disregarded by running away.” Elder Drishna scowled at the man darkly, then scoffed. “Perhaps, we should actually thank you for having left when you did. Your abandonment gave us peace. Saiken was so obsessed with what power he wanted to have that he left the village, leaving us to handle our affairs on our own, and in turn learned our self sufficiency without that desire for power.”

“We’re sorry, but there’s nothing else we need from the likes of you.” Elder Kiara declared, turning her back on the assembled crowd. Elder Drishna gave them one final disappointed look before following after the other woman. The crowd slowly dispersed, leaving the group in shock, and at a loss for what to do. Eventually, Shakuntala was the only one left with them, and she motioned them to follow her back the way they came.

The elders watched them leave from a distance. Drishna eventually returned to her weaving, while Kiara decided to take her staff.

"I don't think it's wise to further interact with them." the taller demon remarked, not looking away from her loom. "You always had a soft spot for that runaway."

"That may be true, but I think his daughter deserves to know her past." Kiara contended. "Regardless of what Pratham had done, she's innocent, and ignorant of our ways."

Drishna stopped mid weave, looked at her fellow elder. She knew she was correct.

"We managed to move away from traditions once, I see this as no different." Kiara added, waiting for Drishna to argue anything back. To her surprise, the other elder sighed and waved her off, her way of saying to do as she pleased. Laughing softly, she made her way towards the edge of the village.

The group reconvened a ways off, setting up camp to further discuss their next steps. Shakuntala quietly watched them busy themselves while she sat beside the white cat. This was not how she had anticipated things to go, but perhaps there was more to her dream than she was able to glean. She curiously observed them and the interesting items they had with their tent. It made her wonder if the world outside the village was like them and if they needed to catch up. Pratham walked up to her with a kind smile. She felt awkward, but she personally did not have any problems with the demon.

“So, Shakuntala, how old are you now?” He inquired, careful to sit on the other side.

“I'm turning sixteen this year.” She answered, wondering how he knew her in the first place. He seemed to confirm something in his head with that information. “How do you even know who I am?”

Pratham smiled. “Your birthmark.” He motioned a small squiggle on the left side of his own forehead, making her cover her marking. “You were the last demon born into this village before I left for Earth.” He explained. “I figured, if I ever came back here with my daughter, you would be the same age.” He admitted. “I didn't account for the weird timey-wimey thing that happened in between, so here we are.”

“Sorry, but I don't think I can understand what you're trying to say…” she said to the demon, turning back to the group at the tent, who appeared to be discussing something with someone they couldn't see. “I grew up knowing that no one in the village liked you, but I only found out today why.” The man laughed sheepishly.

“I'm afraid I don't have a good impression around here because of my choices.” He said, looking at the one called Mayumi. “But sometimes, love just takes you in directions you never thought possible.”

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

“Oh dear, that is quite the predicament.” Hakkai said through the communicator. It sounded like the guys were still on the road after dark with the rumbling they could hear in the background.

“Yeah.. even Vishnu is still in shock.” Mili answered, glancing at the god who had been staring at the light of the village without seeming to register anything at all. “I can't say we didn't expect this a bit though…”

“Yyyyeah, but I didn't expect it to be this harsh.” Sophie added. “Nothing seems to be up for negotiation. At the same time..” she glanced at Mayumi who was also looking at the village. “It's hardly a journey if we go back empty-handed.”

A rustling of someone approaching caught their attention, making them turn to the path from the village. It was Elder Kiara walking towards them with a walking staff that had its own light at the handle. It seemed like a magical orb. She regarded them with a stern face.

“Elder Kiara!” Shakuntala said, straightening from her seat.

The old woman glared at Fukuo then beckoned to Mayumi. “We have come to the conclusion that the hanyou is innocent in this mess.” She folded an arm behind her back. “It's not your fault that your useless father did not tell you anything about our world.” Fukuo visibly squirmed at this comment. “Despite your… muddled heritage, we've decided to assimilate you into the village so you would know and understand what your good for nothing father left behind. From this time you can see for yourself what Monpas is like, and decide what you want to do as your own person. We won't impose it on you.” She glanced at the others in the group. “You're all welcome to stay in the village.” She eyed Fukuo with a short glance. “Even you, Pratham. You might as well be good for something with your daughter this time.” The man only started, surprised and sheepish.

“Oh my gosh!” Mayumi exclaimed excitedly, rushing over and holding the elder’s hands. “Thank you so much for this opportunity!!” She gushed, smiling from ear to ear, making the older woman visibly uncomfortable. She soon let go and faced the tent they had already set up, waving her arms.

“Just pack up your thi-” Elder Kiara was cut off by the sudden disappearance of the group's camp in what seemed to be a blink of an eye. The old woman stared then looked at Pratham questioningly. The man only shrugged, but with a hint of smugness in his face. She cleared her throat. “Very well, I have tasked the others to settle you into a few of our huts. Do well to listen to Shakuntala regarding our daily ways here. We expect everyone to pull their weight.”

“Yes ma'am.” Sophie said with a little salute. The rest grinned, hauling their remaining things and following the woman back to the village.

Hakkai had been listening to the exchanges with Sophie's group as they continued to drive west. He picked up on someone coming in to take them into the village, which was a good sign. He didn't realize that he had been quiet and the other passengers on the jeep were waiting on him to continue.

“Oh, I'm sorry, I had been thinking everyone had a communicator. Hahahahaha” he said, spotting someone in the distance. “The good news is they're being integrated into the village.” He slowly stepped on the brakes as they neared the figure on the road. “The bad news is, I think we'll be delayed again.”

As the dust settled, a familiar figure of a demon-like being greeted them with a smoking pipe in hand. Sai Tai Sai grinned at them. “It's about time you reached the actual training grounds.” He uttered.

“I guess this is how messengers greet people?” Gojyo commented, flicking his spent cigarette. “We having another warm up from the last chaos we did at the Koten Fortress?”

“No, this is the real deal.” Sai Tai Sai grinned, waving at the area in front of them, revealing a detailed arena that seemed to appear out of nowhere like a mirage. “You're too close to the West and nowhere near able to fight someone like Nataku. As we've mentioned before, you need to defeat me.” He raised a finger. “Just one strike from any of you.” he ushered them forward into the mysterious space. “Here you will be able to strategize and plan how you want to fight me. And to remove any biases on my end, you will be wearing specific mascots once we fight, so do well to train while wearing them.”

“Mascot or no mascot, we will beat the shit out of you..” Gojyo challenged. As he said this, their mascots were suddenly worn on them. Sanzo as a panda, Gojyo as a wolf, Hakkai as a rabbit and Goku as a chipmunk. “What the!?” He looked at his outfit and looked back at Sai Tai Sai who calmly sat on a chair nearby.

The messenger grinned. “Those mascots can have the weight on them increased. Gravity can be pulled ten to twenty times heavier. Go ahead, try moving around with them. Oh, for anyone who falls, the penalty is less dinner!"

"I won't lose!!" Goku declared, fired up with fighting spirit.

"Don't give him a boost, round glasses guy!!" Gojyo yelled, dodging Goku's attacks.

Cornered into action, the four charged at each other, clumsily moving around with lack of visibility and a different sense of spatial awareness. Despite this, they slowly got used to the motions. The messenger smirked, puffing smoke from his pipe. “Impressive. But what if we increase the gravity five times?"

The four suddenly felt it difficult to move but still moved regardless. "Hohh. Not bad." Sai commented. "What about ten times?"

"You've got to be kidding. I can't move my limbs!!" Gojyo complained while the others also struggled the same way. Having had enough, Goku ran towards Sai Tai Sai to try and land a punch and was pushed back by the god with ease.

"Such hot blooded men..." Sai commented, grinning and puffinf a wisp of smoke. "It'll be worth the time to train you. I'll let Kumari Talchie know. Ah just to remind you, my challenge stands. If any of you can strike me once, you'll be ready enough to face Nataku.”

Getting up from their defeat, Hakkai removed the head of his mascot and scratched his cheek. “Well, it seems like there's no way around it but to train as he says..” he laughed. Gojyo shrugged and started walking into the arena, followed by the others.

Sai Tai Sai followed them with his gaze, calmly puffing his pipe then looked back at the sky. “If only Nataku was their only concern to begin with…”

Mayumi awoke with the sound of gentle chimes that rang at dawn, stirring the others awake as well. Getting her bearings, she washed her face and straightened herself up before going out of their shared hut to look for Shakuntala. She didn't have to look far as the girl was already making her way towards her, waving eagerly. Smoke from the hearths of nearby houses could be gleaned from the air. 

“Good morning Miss Mayumi.” The girl greeted quietly. She showed her a basket filled with tiny white flowers and other items. “Since it's the first day of the new moon, we need to take offerings to the sacred tree before we harvest the dew on its branches.” As she was explaining this, the others milled into the area, quietly observing her. 

The mist and the cold air of the morning was palpable on their skin as they made their way to the center of the village. Ben stifled a yawn, unused to being up at dawn. The atmosphere demanded mindfulness, and even if he could feel the itch to make commentaries, he chose to keep his opinions to himself, taking a few pictures instead. Vishnu had chosen to keep his distance, observing their progress. It was as if he was keeping watch in case something happened.

Following Shakuntala’s lead, they each took a handful of flowers and decorated around the sacred tree. Afterwards, Shakuntala had Ben and Sophie each carry a small clay pot for them to funnel the dew drops from the tree's branches. They followed her example on how to bend the branches gently to let the dew drip into the pots. After they had ascertained that enough dew was collected for that morning, the pots were covered with cloth and brought to the healer's hut.

“It's an added ingredient for healing herb concoctions.” The healer explained, smiling at the curious expressions of the group. After leaving the hut, the group was further divided to do other tasks. Ben and Mili were instructed to help Shakuntala with feeding and checking on the yaks while Sophie and Mayumi were tasked in the kitchen for breakfast. Vishnu and Fukuo were nowhere in sight, but Elder Drishna humored them with an answer, saying that she had detailed the two in guarding the village as a whole. She didn’t specify how.

“This dish is called phenang khongba.” the cook explained. “I’ve been boiling this batch since yesterday. It takes a while to cook, but everyone loves it and it sustains us for a day or two. It can be a full meal or a snack. It’s maize and beans. To add to the flavor, I sometimes add cilantro, or other spices depending on what’s available.”

“Ooh,” Mayumi expressed while placing some in bowls. “It does seem pretty filling.”

“It is.” said the cook, putting the bowls on a tray, as much as she could fill. “Bring these to the kids by the river. They have their levitation lessons today and would need the energy.” The red head nodded, heading off to the location. The cook turned to Sophie. “These..” she handed a tray with six bowls. “Take these to your friends and that blue god.”

The blonde chuckled. “Would it hurt to recognize Vishnu for who he is?” she commented.

“Whoever he is, he isn’t someone we pray to.” the cook commented, shooing her off to end the conversation. Sophie shrugged, slowly making her way to the stables. This was the only time she got a good look at the village and its occupants. It felt almost alien to her to see demons cheerfully going about their day, trading goods, fixing things, learning things. She would spot magic users here and there, mending, cooking, creating or divining.

She even spotted a couple of kids levitating picking fruits off a nearby mango tree. And no one batted an eyelash. This was their normal. She sighed to herself, wistfully daydreaming what it would have been like growing up with such a community. Maybe Shun wouldn't have felt so isolated. There was a pang of sorrow at the thought but she pushed it down the moment she saw Mili and Ben waving at her. She smiled back at them, setting down the tray on a stack of squared out hay.

Mili wiped the sweat off her brows and squinted at her. “Penny for your thoughts?” she asked as she got herself a bowl of the phenang khongba.

Sophie shook her head. “I was just thinking maybe it would have been nice to have lived and learned our skills here growing up..”

“Yeah, I thought of that too..” Mili admitted, slurping a bit of the gruel and made an approving noise. “But maybe it'd be nice for other kids in the future.” She chewed at the maize thoughtfully. “Was Shun on your mind?”

“Yeah…” Sophie admitted. “And Alex. Imagine having someone to talk to with the future you see. Or with me being openly able to play with someone else with my ice..”

Mili set down her bowl and gave her a warm hug. “Yeah.. I would have loved that for you too..”

“Oh hey, phenang!” Shakuntala expressed seeing the trays, immediately getting a bowl and sitting on some hay. She sensed the serious atmosphere and chose not to engage. She decided to give out bowls of food to Vishnu and Pratham instead before going back to her own bowl. The women finally settled eating their food when she came back.

“Shakuntala..” Sophie said, eyeing the kid. “You said yesterday that you knew we were coming because of a dream. Does everyone in the village have that kind of skill?” The kid shook her head.

“Not everyone.” She said, chewing. “Some can glean the past, immediate future, distant future. But it also varies with what they want to focus on. For me I'd rather care for animals so I study more on how I can communicate with them so I can feed them or heal them better. I consider the future sight as a bonus.”

“So everyone in the village has some sort of magic skill?”

“Uhuh.”

“Interesting.” the blue haired man muttered. “Can't say I feel any differently about this. I've always been the minority.” He slurped his own bowl of food.

“We're all minorities, Ben.” Mili commented, glancing back at the yaks then saw Vishnu waving to her in the distance. Excusing herself, she hopped off her perch and jogged over to the two men.

Shakuntala turned to the other two. “Where did Miss Mili come from by the way?” she asked, curious. “I don’t remember seeing her arrive with you on the motorcycle, which also disappeared.”

Ben laughed sheepishly, eyeing Sophie to handle the explanations.

“Well, it’s hard to summarize.” the blonde sighed, returning her empty bowl to the tray. “The motorcycle is the cat, Mayo.” when the kid didn’t react, she continued. “He was my brother in his past life. As for Mili, she was the crane you saw yesterday. She shapeshifts.”

“Whoooah! That’s so cool!” Shakuntala exclaimed, looking back where the shapeshifter had gone, as if willing her to change into a different creature. “Are all people from your village like this?”

The two laughed at this statement. “I’m afraid not..” Ben said, standing up to return his bowl and stretching. “We’re from Earth. The amount of regular humans there greatly outweighs any of them who have abilities. That’s why we were saying that we’re the minority.”

The kid gave this some thought, as if deciding on something. “Why not stay with us?” she suggested. “I’m sure we’ll get along here.”

“That would be a dream..” Sophie said, her gaze distant. “Home is still home though.” she looked up to the clouds, as the wind blew past them through the trees and the plains. “Although being here makes me wonder what home truly means..”

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

Mili reached the two men, catching her breath. “What’s up guys?” she asked, curiously looking at the distance they were pointing to. There seemed to be a flock of birds gathered in the distance. They were too far to tell what it was. Without missing a beat, Mili shifted into a falcon, darting off into the direction of the flock with the two men trying to follow. As she got closer, she realized that the birds were all vultures, flying in formation over what she could only assume to be a carcass or a dying animal. Something didn’t add up. Since the stretch of land could be traversed safely from the last village, she assumed it was uncommon for anything to attract vultures in the area. She could feel her nerves growing cold. Keeping her distance, she gleaned a familiar dark garb - Saiken’s mage robes, and his green hair, blank eyes staring at the sky. Her stomach churned.

The demon was dead.

There was a ringing in her mind, and she felt herself go numb with what she was witnessing. She couldn’t make sense of how the man could have died. The body was too mangled to have been a simple and swift death. She knew for a fact that Kougaiji and Yaone would never do such a thing. From the looks of it, Saiken was most likely beaten up and tortured, and if she could hazard a guess, he probably begged for death and it wasn’t even given to him.

She shifted into a vulture, flying near enough to one from the committee. Despite how she felt, she managed to communicate with the vulture.

“Did you see how he died?”

“No.”

“Did someone bring the dead body here?”

“Didn't see.”

“Was he dead for a long time?”

“Fresh meat. Leave.”

Swallowing the rising bile that she could feel in her throat, she made her way back to Fukuo and Vishnu who had been on their way to follow her. She flew past them, back to their spot, transforming back into her human form, looking as pale as a ghost.

The two caught up to her and saw her disturbed state. “Mili..” Fukuo asked, concerned. “What - who was it?”

The shapeshifter shook her head as if trying her best not to throw up. “It was Saiken’s body..” she uttered, warranting an involuntary gasp from the mage. “... it’s horrid.”

Fukuo opened his mouth, closed it, then looked back to the distance where the vultures landed, turning their flock from a committee to a wake in less time than he would have thought. “Did Gyoukumen Koushuu’s men do this?” he managed to ask, a feeling of rage bubbling despite the suffering the man had committed to his daughter and her friends.

“It’s possible that they did, but I don’t think it would have been Kou.” Mili confirmed, standing up properly and watching the vultures in the distance.

“What if he was killed and dropped off here as a warning?” Vishnu asked to no one in particular. “I don’t think anyone would do that kind of deed and let us see it without any specific intent.”

“It doesn’t make sense tho.” Mili found a decent spot, sitting down and leaning back on a tree trunk and closing her eyes as if willing to erase what she had seen. “We’re not here to fight them, we’re not even the ones they should be concerning themselves with. Sanzo’s party is closer to the west than we are.”

“Perhaps, there’s more to this than what we know.” Vishnu walked a little distance off, fanning his four arms out, as if measuring the sky and land. A quick wave of energy seemed to pass through the area within and around the village before dissipating as if it never happened. “There seems to be no malicious entities in this area.” Vishnu commented, concluding his scan. “I don't think there's a need for a protective barrier.” The god then decided to fly off and scout the perimeter despite having scanned it himself. 

The two watched him leave before turning back to the wake of vultures. “But shouldn’t we tell the elders about it?” Mili asked, but she already knew the answer.

“I think it’s best we keep this information to ourselves.” Fukuo suggested. “We can’t incite panic and unrest if they find out that someone had tortured and killed one of their own.”

Mili furrowed her eyebrows and looked at the man questioningly. “I don’t think Mayumi will appreciate this.”

“It’s for her sake too.” Fukuo insisted. “She’s finally happy having a home here. I don’t want this to ruin her experience.”

Mili scowled at him. “No. Mayumi deserves to know.” Standing with her resolve, she moved to make her way back to the village. Before she could take another step, Fukuo waved a hand in her direction, rendering her unconscious.

“I'm sorry Mili that I don't agree. I know this is best for her.”

The days went by as the team took turns with the tasks for the day until they found where they were most comfortable.

Oddly enough, Ben found his niche with the kids with levitation classes, testing his drone with them and racing with them as a game for the end of the day. Meanwhile, Mili and Shakuntala hit it off caring for the village’s animals. Sophie and Mayo would be seen running around doing odd errands here and there and playing with the kids with elemental powers.

Mayumi, on the other hand, was closely mentored by Elder Kiara. Vishnu and Fukuo were monitored by Elder Drishna. Despite the god’s misgivings, he followed the demon’s instructions and watched the village day in and day out.

Shakuntala and Mili had been with the yaks for most of the morning, settling the hay for storage nearby. The young demon noticed that the shapeshifter kept looking at the distance, as if she was trying to remember something.

“Is everything okay, Mili?” she ventured asking, offering the woman some black tea. “You seem to be not your usual self lately.”

“A-ah, I’m sorry if I’ve seemed off.” Mili said sheepishly. “I can’t help but have this nagging feeling that I’m forgetting something.” she admitted, staring off into the distance again. “After that day that Fukuo said I fainted while talking to him and Vishnu, the feeling hasn’t left me.”

Shakuntala nodded thoughtfully. “What kind of feeling is it?”

Mili thought about it for a while. “Hmm, I think it’s like waking up from a nightmare, but then you can’t remember the dream at all. You just wake up with the bad feeling.” she frowned at the thought, looking as if struggling to remember.

Hearing this, Shakuntala brought out some round wooden wheels and handed her one. “Lucky for you, I’ve been planning to make dream catchers.”

“Ooh! I used to try making these from a comic book Mayumi and I used to love in highschool!” she immediately wrapped the rope handed to her with some form of ease. The young demon smiled. Dream catchers were known to ease the spirit of the one having nightmares, but even the act of making it can already help someone through these feelings.

Elder Kiara parted the curtains to one of their wide huts, showing Mayumi the looms that Elder Drishna had created through the years, how each woven creation depicted a story of their people.

“You can see in these fabrics where power had been absolute with the ascension duel. It had gone on for generations, but it wasn’t until your father was next to ascend that he shook our existence by refusing battle.” Kiara sighed, pointing to the fabric that was depicted with jittery and violent lines, speaking volumes of the disparity they had to go through upon Pratham’s flight. “Saiken was still just an ambitious child back then, and we couldn’t have predicted the path he would have chosen for himself later on.”

Mayumi continued to study the collection of fabrics, coming across a pretty swirled pattern of pink and purple. She looked at the elder in askance.

“That’s a prophecy scroll, woven by one of the demons with future sight, predicted as a time of peace and reconciliation.” she shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know if that time has already come to pass, but it brings us hope nonetheless.” She pointed to another weave that showed a different pattern of harmony in hues of green and blue. “This was the time we had managed to establish order without the need of anyone being an absolute leader in the village.” She pointed to the next one, showing jarring greens and blacks, reminiscent of Saiken’s colors. “This, this one depicts the unrest Saiken had laid amongst the villagers for his desire to rule. Drishna was the one who fought him head-on, until she beat him into submission. We had invested too much in our own peace to have someone like him to destroy it. We had our share of losses from fighting him, and we had our own resentments against your father. We wouldn’t have had to deal with Saiken that way had he owned up to his responsibilities.”

“Is that why he went after us on Earth?” Mayumi surmised.

“It’s possible..” Kiara mused. “After getting soundly beaten, he probably thought the easiest way back into the village to rule it and make us pay was to defeat Pratham’s descendant.” she looked into the distant sky. “Honestly, he could have just told us that he didn’t want to continue the tradition. We could have just fought him over it and listened eventually.”

“You know you’re too stubborn to really do that, Elder Kiara..” the two women turned around, seeing Pratham approach them, his expression with a hint of righteous anger. “You know you would have bullied me into doing what has been instilled. Had I not done what I did, you would not have been forced to see differently.” To his surprise, the elder chuckled.

“I suppose you do have a point, Pratham.” she humored. “But you could have at least said something. I still frown upon you denying your daughter her rightful heritage.”

“That was my choice, as it is my choice to let her be here now.” Pratham tried to argue back, but was silenced by a stern glare from his own daughter.

“I’m pretty sure that’s not something you decided, dad..” Mayumi uttered flatly. “You have no right to fight for me here. They chose to accept me, I chose to learn this for myself. Whatever’s left for you to say is useless drivel.” Summoning her magic, she quickly formed a bubble, encasing Pratham inside, and the man was soon floating up and away in the distance.

Kiara shielded her eyes from the sun, watching the speck that was Pratham and had a quiet mirtthful chuckle.

“I should learn that technique.” she complimented, making the redhead blush. “Anyway, it’s about time for lunch. Let’s have some fish soup from the kitchen then I’ll show you our healing hut and remedies under Mahira’s charge.”

Sophie listened to the static coming from her communicator, having received no word from the men in the west. She frowned at it as if it would help in giving her answers. She sighed, watching Ben race his drone with two kids along the river’s path. The cool breeze from the water’s edge helped ease her nerves. Mayo mewled beside her, rubbing his head on her elbow. She regarded the cat, petting him and rubbing his chin.

“Thanks. I'm sure they're probably okay.” She told him. “Maybe they just broke it already or something.”

The young demons made their final lap with Ben and waved him goodbye as they flew off home. The blue haired man searched for Sophie until she waved to him. He waved back, hopping on boulders to get to her.

“No word from the guys?”

She shook her head. “I'm almost sure they just broke it already.” She chuckled. “I think we'd hear some news or another if they'd gotten into some sort of trouble.”

Ben settled beside her with Mayo hopping onto his lap. The man scritched the cat's head. “Yeah, I'd imagine things would suddenly get worse or the negative wave getting stronger if there was worse trouble.”

Sanzo and Gojyo watched Hakkai explain the concept of Qigong and how the energy blasts worked. The monk had a cigarette in one hand while the red head sipped from a can of beer and a cigarette in tow.

“By the way Sanzo-sama, you're being unusually good at listening this time, aren't you?" Gojyo commented, grinning at the monk.

Sanzo glared at him. "Don't make fun of me. No matter what you say, we have to accept the situation we're in."

The hanyou puffed out a smoke and was about to drink from his beer. "Not yet we don't." He countered, feeling the can in his hand grow hot. "–Nnn? Aah!"

The can suddenly burst into flames, along with their cigarettes. They immediately let go with a start, watching their vices turn into cinders on the ground.

“Oh, I think I forgot to mention..” Sai Tai Sai appeared, grinning at them. “This is a training ground. No smoking.”

“Why you..” Sanzo's face contorted into rage, about to hit a god. Sai Tai Sai wagged a finger as a warning. "Those are the most despairing faces I've seen in years. It's a given at a training center."

Gojyo clenched a fist at the god. "I didn't realize we had to be so conscientious and compliant in a place like this, damned round-glasses!!"

"You talk but you’re puffing on a smoking pipe and you always have it out." Sanzo commented dryly.

"Oh– Oh– How noisy. You should put all that energy into your training!" Sai Tai Sai commented with a chuckled. "How about this: I'll go easy on you and use my transformation. If you land one hit on me, you can go back to the surface and drink and smoke as much as you want." He grinned, walking away from them with a wave of his hand. The two watched him leave, simmering in their annoyance.

Gojyo turned to the monk. "It seems like we agree for the first time, Sanzo-chan. Let's destroy him as soon as possible."

Sophie found Shakuntala and Mili still minding the yaks, but with small wooden hoops in their hands, slowly taking the form of dreamcatchers. It was almost dusk and the sun was near setting at the horizon. Mili’s was almost done, with some of the weaves haphazardly strung, but she could tell that the shapeshifter worked diligently on it. She remembered how they tried to make those back in highschool and they enjoyed the designs they made.

“Hey Miss Sophie!” Shakuntala greeted, waving her dreamcatcher at her. “I made this one for you!” She said, hopping off from her perch of hay and handed a small dreamcatcher, barely bigger than her palm. It had black leather wrapped in the hoop, yellow strings and a few blue beads in it. A single black feather dangled at the bottom.

“Oh wow! This is beautiful!” the blonde complimented, raising it towards the sky, peeking at the setting sun through the bead in the middle. She smiled at the kid. “Thanks, Shakuntala, I love it.” She said sincerely, latching it onto her carabiner on her pants.

The kid beamed shyly. “Come on, we have to get back for dinner. Mahira’s performing later at the bonfire, we should watch!” She ushered Mili to start packing their things and they were soon off back to the village.

“What's the performance about?” Mili asked, peering ahead as if trying to make out where the bonfire would be. She glanced up at the moon, showing a perfect half. They had been with the clan for a week.

“A celebration of the moon's growth in the sky, halfway to its full size.” Shakuntala explained. “We don't usually hold it to such a scale, but since we have visitors, they wanted to express gratitude to the spirits, that this period with you will be marked with more positive changes within the clan.”

“I see.” Sophie muttered, leading the way to the living root bridge. “No harm in any kind of celebration, if you ask me..”

Reaching the village, the villagers had already prepared the bonfire and had been handing out food to the folks who had gathered. The atmosphere felt both festive and solemn. A handful of demons with drums and other instruments had gathered, practicing their beats. Two more joined, getting into the rhythm. Mayumi and Ben spotted them, joining them in their spot.

“Can anyone just join the dance?” Mili asked, looking on while popping a panipuri in her mouth.

Shakuntala shook her head. “Not this time. It's Mahira's time tonight.”

As the initial clapping and cheers went on, the healer demon Mahira stepped up to the middle of the gathering. She was wearing a flowy dress with wide sleeves that seemed to ripple with her every move. The drummers slowly quieted their beats until they faded, and nothing but the crackling of the fire could be heard. The woman looked at the crowd to address them, raising her arms.

“Tonight, we celebrate the seventh day from the new moon. This moon's cycle comes to us with guests from afar, and with the sky, may we prosper together in this new time sent by fate.” She nodded to the drummers, who slowly started with a one handed tapping, only gradually increasing in speed before the strings plucked to the rhythm an ethereal melody while Mahira waved her left arm upward and downward, moving her feet to her left, spinning slowly back to her right. She continued the motions, increasing in speed along with the beat. The strings faded, and the drums continued into a slower pace.

TAKATAK!

A pause.

Mahira slowly started stomping her right foot, waving her arms with each stomp. The drums followed her beat.

Stomp. Stomp stomp stomp.

Tak. Taka taka tak.

This went on three more times and the strings picked up the rhythm, a trill picking up speed while Mahira spun around and around the bonfire, and as the song reached its climax, the healer leapt into the flames, garnering gasps from the crowd. The fire went out almost immediately. The atmosphere was tense, but no one spoke. It felt like something went wrong somehow. Slowly, small white orbs floated around them, bringing light to the gathered crowd. As this happened, the harp in the group started a slow, mellow tune. The lights slowly illuminated Mahira in the middle of where the fire had been, revealing her unscathed. The orbs slowly surrounded her, following her movements, as if gravitating towards her and obeying her commands. The lights rose up to the half moon in the sky, disappearing in its silver glow. Mahira stepped out of the charred earth, and as soon as she was safely out of its range, the fire slowly roared again, as if it had never been extinguished. She walked over to Mayumi, taking her hand and bringing her to the center for everyone to see.

“Tonight, we celebrate the magic brought to us by this woman, whom I have learned from and she in turn learned from me.” she raised their clasped hands above their heads. “Mayumi Englewood!”

The crowd cheered, clapping and whistling, with a distinct howling from Mili. The rest of the celebrations continued, with the drums and the flutes taking over as they went on about their night, some proceeding to their huts while others lingered near the fire. Shakuntala looked for Sophie, beckoning her to join her by the reeds near the river, where the fireflies were flickering here and there.

“I like going here on nights like these.” the kid said. “It makes me feel like I’m watching someone’s magic, but it’s nature bringing out its own magic.” she turned back to the blonde, who had been quietly smiling at the lightning bugs. “I don’t think you ever showed any magic all this time. Though the other kids say you had some transparent pebbles.”

Sophie chuckled. “I control ice.” she said simply, raising her hand and focusing her chi on her palm. It didn’t take long for a seemingly transparent dreamcatcher to form in her hand, similar to the one she gave to her earlier that day. She handed it to her, noting how it was cold to the touch, but she could sense that it was slowly melting from the heat of her hands.

“It’s beautiful..” she murmured, admiring the ice until it melted. “You and your friends, you’re from Earth, but you all have magic..” she commented. “Are you also demons?”

Sophie shook her head. “It’s a very long story…” she looked wistful, her eyes glazing over at the memories the thought brought her. She sighed. “But my past, it has always been linked to Togenkyo.” Shakuntala was quiet, unsure if she should let her continue, or assure her it was okay not to. “I lost my brothers because of this whole mess. Although Alex is now a cat, it’s different than actually having my brothers in flesh and blood.” She sighed again, her eyes misting with tears. The young demon decided to reach for the woman, touching her arm comfortingly.

“It’s okay Miss Sophie, you don’t have to relive anything you don’t want to.” she said, hoping it came out as she had hoped. The woman smiled sadly.

“I know.. But more often than not, these things are like shadows to me.” she glanced at the moon. “Even if I see the light, I know what has been behind me.”

Shakuntala gave this some thought, looking back at the river, with the glittering bugs. “... but that’s where your past will always belong: behind you.”

It took some time before Kougaiji and Yaone managed to settle the issues with Saiken at the castle before they managed to head back out east. They quickly headed back to the demon village where they had left Lirin with Ahmad and Kamal. After all of this, they could go about dealing with Sanzo’s party once and for all. Landing near the village, there was an eerie silence that followed making the two immediately alert. The place suddenly felt abandoned and something didn’t feel right. Nodding to the pharmacist, the two proceeded to walk around, finding a nearby house with its door ajar. Gingerly opening the door further, what greeted them was nothing they had expected.

Limbs of demons were strewn about, guts spilled everywhere in inexplicable horror. It was as if someone threw a bomb inside their house. Backing away, Yaone gasped behind him. His heart was in his throat as he searched the other houses seeing similar scenarios. He kept looking until he opened the chieftain’s door where he found Ahmad and Kamal’s heads on pikes, and Lirin unconscious while tied up to a chair, flanked by the grotesque scene.

“Lirin!!” Kougaiji made to run towards his sister, but was immediately halted by the familiar scent of Ni Jyeni’s cigarette smoke wafting in the air.

“I’m afraid that’s as far as you’re going, prince.” The cold, calculating tone of the scientist raked in Kougaiji’s ears. “It’s high time we stopped playing games and got down to business, don’t you think?” Registering the man's features, they realized that his left eye was somehow blind. They hadn't seen him in a while, and the added scar to his face made him properly sinister with the words coming out of his mouth.

“You bastard..” Kougaiji seethed, glaring at the man who stepped out from the darkness, donning his usual lab coat. “Let Lirin go.”

“Oh, I’m afraid you’re in no position to demand things, seeing as I have your precious little sister with me. Those two demons fought valiantly to protect her too.” his tone seemed to mock the demons who stood against him. He knew that there was something sinister about the scientist, but not this level of carnage. And he knew that the man meant business. And he could end all of them right now if he wished. But he knew the man needed something.

The scientist smirked. “I can tell that you know you have no choice.” he puffed out his smoke, flicking the cigarette on the ground in front of Kougaiji. “You’d do well to follow what I say and you and your sister would still live to see your mother alive.”

“Ch. What do you want me to do?”

“Ho? You need your precious pharmacist with you for this task, unless you want to leave her here with me to toy with?” Ni chuckled. “That’s generous of you, but maybe that’s not what you meant.” he drawled. “I may be a terrible person, but I’m not THAT kind of man.” he muttered. “Consider it as my show of mercy.”

A pause.

Cigarette smoke in the air.

“Get me the Koten Sutra.”

“What?” Kougaiji looked at the man as if he had lost his mind. “This is not the time for jokes.”

“Oh but I’m not joking.” Ni lit another cigarette. Kou noticed that he only used his palm, the light coming from his chi. “After so many failed attempts trying to take away the Maten Sutra from Genjo Sanzo, I think it’s only the best option that I take it from him. Those two sutras are the only ones left for me to finish the revival project for Gyoukumen Koushu. With everything that’s happened, you wouldn’t even manage to hit any of them. Much less kill them.” he sighed. “But I, on the other hand, am just one man, but I know I can do more than the both of you combined.”

“Tsk.”

“Now be a good lap dog and fetch the sutra.” Ni said dismissively.

The two demons hesitated, glancing at the unconscious Lirin.

“The longer you stall, the shorter her chances are of staying alive.”

x-x-x-x-x-x 

Chapter Text

Early the next day, Elder Drishna summoned the visitors into the middle of the village. She had a burlap sack with her and an unreadable expression. A crowd had started to gather, murmuring amongst themselves. Mili picked up on the tension, realizing that Drishna’s actions meant that she was enraged. Whatever was happening, someone would be facing the brunt of it.

The Elder raised her hand to silence the susurrus. She looked directly at Mayumi, addressing her as leveled as she could possibly muster. “Mayumi Englewood and your company. You came to our village claiming that you had defeated Saiken in the Ascension Duel. As much as we have done away with the practice and ignored Vishnu's proclamation, we still recognize its rules and respect its outcome. No one dies. But -” she raised the burlap sack upside down, tumbling from it a skull and bones, familiar tattered clothes, and tufts of green hair. A sharp gasp ran through the crowd, sounding confusion, rage, disbelief. Mili was one of them, and she looked at her friends who shared the same expression. Fukuo and Vishnu were silent.

“Saiken and I may have fought bitterly, but it never crossed my mind to kill him.” Drishna spat. “How dare you kill one of our own!?”

If Mili was being honest, she'd love to comment that Saiken deserved it. There was a flicker of a memory, she was talking to a vulture. Why was she talking to a vulture? When was this?

Mayumi stepped forward. “We've told you the truth, we beat him fair and square and that's why Vishnu is here with us as the arbiter!”

“It's true. Mayumi won the Ascension Duel fairly, and the prince of demons took Saiken with them afterwards.” Vishnu answered, then continued. “We have no knowledge of how his body ended up in the desert.”

Drishna narrowed her gaze at the blue god. “You had already seen his body and never told us!?”

“Yes.” Vishnu was only answering factually, but the situation was going awry. There's something wrong, something missing. 

Mili’s head began to ache. She glanced at Fukuo who said nothing. She could tell that her friends were all ready to fight if they had to. Shakuntala was nearby, watching her worriedly. She could tell that the kid understood what was happening. Voices were floating in his mind, garbled words.

“Didn't see.”

“Was he dead … … long time?”

“Fresh meat-”

Her head was beginning to pound, struggling to remember… something. Falling to her knees, her breathing became ragged. She felt faint.

“We can’t incite panic and unrest-”

Fukuo knows the truth and he silenced her memories.

“Look, the shapeshifter!” Someone yelled as she felt herself lose consciousness.

“Mili!!” Mayumi ran towards the shapeshifter, but she had already shifted into a lioness, growling at her with the fear and confusion of a cornered entity. She braced herself. She's faced her before and she will face her again.

“Enough!” Drishna exclaimed, encasing Mili in a white orb. “The village will convene to determine your fate.” She declared. The other mages of the village combined their energies, teleporting the group to their shared hut and locking it down from the outside. Mili was unconscious, reverted to her human form. Vishnu was nowhere in sight.

Without warning, Sophie clocked Fukuo, sending the man falling on his back.

“Sophie!!” Mayumi exclaimed, but Ben had been quick to lock his arms from behind their friend, restraining her from beating the older mage. “What's gotten into you??”

“Let me go!!” Sophie struggled, trying to get free from the man's grip from behind. Seeing that Ben wasn't budging, she relented and simmered down, allowing him to let her go. “Shakuntala mentioned that Mili had been out of sorts since she fainted while out with Vishnu and Fukuo last week. As if she had been forgetting something. I didn't think much of it until Mili lost control earlier.” She glowered at Fukuo who decided that staying down was for his best interest. “Of course you wouldn't know what happens when you meddle with the consciousness of a shapeshifter.” Mayumi caught on, remembering the only time she had used her powers to calm Mili.

“Yeah. Dad wouldn't know..” she waved her hand to materialize a chair to tie him up, but her magic wasn't working. She stared at her hands. Seeing this, Sophie tried to summon her ice to no effect. “A nullifying spell.”

“It's okay..” Sophie muttered, fishing for her handcuffs and cuffing the man with his hands behind his back. “Good thing we have the magic of science, I guess.”

“Look, Mayumi, I'm sorry. I only did this because I thought it was for your best interest not to know.”

The red head snapped. “AND YOU THINK MEDDLING WITH MY GIRLFRIEND'S MEMORIES IS FOR MY BEST INTEREST!?” she yelled, slapping the man out of pure anger. She held her wrist from the pain of the action. “Stop trying to control my life! You don't have any idea how bad I had it with mom growing up! Coz you were never around! If you meddle with my life and hurt my friends again, I'll be sure to be the one to end you!”

Fukuo gulped, recognizing the seriousness of her words.

Ben sighed, moving to get Mili onto a bed. Sophie followed, helping get the shapeshifter comfortable, tucking her in with a blanket. Moving to one of the empty beds, they watched Fukuo.

“So what did Mili see?” Sophie ventured to ask, hoping to get some leads regarding their situation.

“We spotted vultures in the distance on our second day here.” Fukuo started. “Mili flew on ahead and we followed but before we could get to the area, she had flown back the way we came. She said it was Saiken’s body, and we could tell that the vultures had gotten to the body. I had gone back to it to check the status of the body a little after that, and it didn't seem like Saiken had an easy death.”

“Tortured?”

“Seems like it.” Fukuo shrugged. “Whatever Mili saw first hand could not have been pleasant.

“For sure Mili would have wanted to let us know immediately.” Mayumi said dryly, braiding and unbraiding her hair. Fukuo didn't answer.

“Kou and Yaone would not have been able to do something like that, I'm sure of it.” Sophie put a hand to her chin. Something wasn't adding up. “They brought him to Houtou Castle. But why would his body end up this far back?”

“Unless someone is trying to send a message.” Ben added. “It still doesn't make sense since we're not really a threat.”

“You underestimate what you're capable of.” Fukuo sighed. “I may not have been around, but with your group with Sanzo's team, you can end the negative wave together.

“Not our clowns, not our circus.” Sophie said plainly. “At this point we just want to get home.”

“What I've said are the facts of the situation.” Vishnu ended, crossing his four arms to his chest.

“How come you never intervened or informed us?” Drishna asked, weighing what the god had provided.

“It's not of my interest to be involved in mortal matters.”

“But you're the god of preservation.” Elder Kiara pointed out.

“But I am also not a god you worship.” He said plainly. The elders clicked their tongues in frustration. “Regardless, since that incident, I had been patrolling the area and constantly scanning. There's no immediate threat. If anything, you have it to your disadvantage to have Mayumi and her companions locked away.”

Drishna touched her temple, sighing. “What a mess..” she muttered. Before they could adjourn. Shakuntala burst through the door, frantic.

“Elders! Viraj and two others had set fire to the holding hut!” she said urgently, pointing at the smoke in the distance. “I tried to stop them, but they -” before she could finish her statement, the elders had disappeared.

Drishna and some others immediately teleported to the location. Vishnu was quick to apprehend the perpetrators while the elders worked on removing the barrier they placed.

“Mayumi!! Can you hear us??” Elder Kiara yelled, hoping they weren’t too late. The roaring fire was deafening.  “We’re removing the barrier now! Get out as soon as we take it down!”

There was no answer. She searched for the demons responsible, trapped under Vishnu’s barrier. They cowered from her stare. If these kids die, there will be hell to pay. Some of the demons with water affinity had begun to douse the fire, but the blaze was just a little too much.

“The barrier’s gone!” Drishna declared. “Mayumi! Sophie!! Please..” There was nothing but the sound of crackling fire. They tried to peer through the burning hut, hoping to see any movement. “No..” Feeling a sense of distraught, the demons fell silent.

After a few moments, the surrounding area suddenly began to grow cold, and a different sound of crackling emanated from the hut. Slowly but surely, it was as if the fire was being absorbed into a void. It felt like there was a split second of silence before a circular blast of snow came from inside, throwing some of them back from the force. Sophie’s silhouette became visible, and soon her soot-covered self could be seen walking forward with her guns pointed. Without warning she shot a bullet each at the three demons behind Vishnu’s barrier with practiced aim. The bullets froze in front of the demons, a headshot each. The demons had backed as far as they could into the barrier, shivering in distress. Clicking her tongue, she tossed her guns to one side, walked towards one of the water demons and ordered him to douse her with water to get the soot out.

Ben soon came out of the iced and charred wreckage carrying Mili while Pratham was next with Mayumi’s arm slung around his shoulders as they slowly made their way out.

With the immediate crisis addressed, Mahira was quick to assess their injuries, ordering all available healers with wind and nature affinity to take all of them to the healing hut for monitoring and initial first aid. 

Elders Drishna and Kiara were now in front of the errant demons, glowering at them.

“What do you have to say for yourselves?” Drishna demanded calmly, but her blue aura was slowly emanating from her body.

“W-we thought this was best for the village!” Ivaan squeaked shakily. “We didn’t want the shapeshifter to be a danger!”

“Hearing you talk about them killing Saiken made us think what if they killed us too?” said Atharn. The last one stayed silent, but his demeanor was defiant.

“Viraj.” Drishna uttered, motioning the demon to speak.

“Nothing good ever comes from strangers being with our own kind.” he spat. “With what they did to Saiken, they deserved the same fate.”

Elder Kiara sighed. “If you had listened, you would have known that we were still discussing the situation to fully understand what happened.” she explained, sounding more tired than she let on. “They didn’t kill Saiken. They had just found the body in the desert. It was Pratham that chose to withhold information. It’s Pratham that also has to answer for his negligence - again.” Shock and remorse almost immediately reflected in the eyes of the other two, but Viraj continued to stick his chin out.

The crunching of earth was heard, and they turned to see Sophie ambling towards them still dripping wet from washing the soot. She looked at the god. “Release them.” Vishnu shrugged, removing his barrier. As soon as he did, Sophie tossed one of her guns to Viraj. “That’s already loaded, and the safety’s off. If you really believe we deserve to die, go ahead and shoot me, right here, right now.”

Viraj gingerly picked up the gun, his hands shaking while aiming at the blonde. He glared at her as if it made the task any easier. She walked closer towards him, unflinching. “What’s wrong? I thought you said we deserved death.” She was close enough that he could shoot her straight through her heart. She took another step, hand outstretched. Soon, Viraj muttered something under his breath, surrendering the gun, still glaring at her. She smirked.

“I learned this from a prissy monk when I was still a kid: killing someone means that you should be more than willing to live carrying the burden of their lives on your soul.” she proceeded to lock her gun and return it to its holster. She unzipped her top, revealing a scar on her chest, a healed bullet wound that had been straight to her heart. There were traces of blue sapphire on her skin. But it was as if it wasn’t there. “You don’t have what it takes yet to take on the burden of my kind of life. But, make no mistake, if you try that kind of stunt again, I’ll be sure to make you suffer first.” With this, she ambled off and was soon dried by one of the wind demons and was escorted with insistence towards the healer’s hut.

The elders sighed, looking back at the defeated trio. Drishna spoke. “In light of these events, reparations are in order. Viraj, you will assist Mayumi. Teach her all you know of nature magic as you have learned from me. Atharn, you go with Mili. Practice your wind with her. And Ivaan, follow Sophie. You shall do what is needed with them and for them with all the tasks needed for the village as long as they are here.” The three visibly tensed, uncomfortable with the punishment dealt out, but they knew they were in no position to bargain.

“197..” Goku muttered while they lay on their backs, doing bicycle kicks in the air. “198…”

“Hey! Count faster monkey!!” Gojyo complained, struggling to finish his kicks. “Ahhh!!! My thighs are cramping already!!”

“200!” Goku finally said, warranting relief from the other three men, panting and sweaty while Sai Tai Sai looked at their pathetic forms.

“After a 5 minute break we’ll start again with another set.” He puffed from his pipe, as calm as ever. Goku sat up, wiping the sweat from his face, his expression asking what came next.

“From there we will have lunch and then go for a run.” the god said simply. Sanzo balked in disbelief. Hakkai was right in commenting that this type of Spartan training should be illegal.

“If we're going to run we should have done it in the morning, right!?” Gojyo countered, feeling that if this went on, he’d probably have his legs cut off from all the misery.

Hakkai only had one complaint: “Intense exercise immediately after a meal is not recommended, considering it could cause strain on the stomach.” he said factually, raising a finger to emphasize his point. Sai Tai Sai laughed.

“Do you think your enemies will wait an hour after eating before attacking you?”

“Point taken.” They’ve never been strangers to some if not most of their meals interrupted by demons suddenly attacking them. This would be no different.

Gojyo wiped the sweat off his face while catching his breath. This was already as challenging as it was. “I honestly thought the first thing he would do is put us in costumes and have us do some dumb training.”

“Surprisingly,” Goku commented. “We're actually starting with the basics of physical fitness.

The god laughed. “I find it both amazing and perplexing that you've come this far without any basics.” “However,” he disappeared, then reappeared, striking Gojyo with a downward strike. “You'll eventually end up paying the price.” He moved to attack Sanzo. “The three types of Karma: With every breath we’ve taken, and every breath we continue to take, our present and future karma are affected.” He got through Sanzo’s block, pushing the man on his back with one of the wooden chairs. “In other words, don't underestimate the small act of kindness when they're given.” 

“Uweeh. That had to hurt.” Goku winced, knowing that Sanzo would literally not take that lying down next time.

Seeing Sanzo not getting up from where he fell, Sai Tai Sai sighed. “Well, with your current state, you'll never be able to land a hit on me or convince Talchie. Ah, we’ll add another set for Genjo Sanzo and Sha Gojyo.”

Hakkai watched Goku’s face of concern for the other two and laughed apologetically as if it was his fault. “The effects of nicotine withdrawal are scary, aren't they?” The monk silenced the brunette with a glare.

“Ch. Let's do this.”

It was a few days after the incident, and the trio had been following the guests around as their penance for their blunder. Viraj quietly watched Mayumi attempt to grow vines near the sacred tree. The woman still had bandages on her arms from her burns. He personally felt responsible for their injuries, as it technically was. As he looked on, he watched the vines already take some form. He was honestly impressed with the determination the hanyou had, and how she was actually quick to learn, whatever he taught her. He sighed to himself, peering at the distance watching Atharn flying off and chasing the shapeshifter while they were on task for perimeter patrol. That blonde, on the other hand, was learning how to manipulate her ice into water. Ivaan, on the other hand, was trying his hand at making ice from water. Which seemed more of a struggle, based on how fluid his personality was to begin with. He actually wanted to apologize to the woman. He was mostly the one at fault for everything and how they turned out. They got too emotional, and he had riled up the others with him.

“She doesn’t bite..” Mayumi’s voice made him jump, and he was unable to hide it from the hanyou. “Oh, sorry…” she scratched her cheek lightly. “Sophie’s pretty chill to talk to, and based on how things are going, she won’t shoot you dead or anything like that.”

Viraj shook his head, embarrassed that he had let himself be read so easily. “Maybe later.” he confessed. “Actually, I also do owe you an apology for yesterday..” he said, turning to face the hanyou, and seeing that she had actually made a small floral chair out of vines. He paused, then continued. “I’m sorry for setting the hut on fire.” Stating it as it was made him feel worse.

Mayumi nodded. “I accept your apology, but it doesn’t mean I’d let you try to toast any of us again in the future.” she giggled, shaking her head at the image. She was a strange one.

It was almost dusk when Sophie and Ivaan finished watering the gardens. They only had to refill the troughs for the yaks before they could head back to the village. Making their way, they spotted Viraj along the path, waiting for them. As they got nearer, the demon straightened up.

“I hope you don’t mind if I join you.” he said, following their gaze. Sophie shrugged and nodded, letting him fall into step with them to their destination.

Upon seeing them, the yaks grunted and a few mooed to get their attention for their food and their water. Viraj and Ivaan were quick to fill their food containers while Sophie practiced placing water on their troughs. They had to try a few times before the water was free of ice, and freezing cold. Taking the hint, the water demon made an excuse about heading back to the village and was soon out of earshot. Sophie continued with settling the yaks for the night while Viraj helped locking the pens one by one. After a few hesitant moments, the demon finally spoke.

“Miss Sophie..” he started, running a hand through the pen, gasping at a random splinter and muttered curses under his breath. Sophie chuckled to herself at the fumble. With the demon refocusing, he continued. “I’m sorry for what we did while you guys were in the holding hut. I’m sorry for almost burning all of you alive.”

Sophie was taken aback by this apology, laughing despite herself. She could tell that Viraj was looking at her awkwardly, uncertain what to do. Catching her breath, she wiped a tear from her eye. “That’s a very unique apology, I give you that..” she complimented, sighing to calm down her laughter. “It’s not that I’m taking it lightly, and I do appreciate the candor.” she said, beckoning him to start walking with her back to the village. “I can’t say I’ll trust you any time soon to be near any hut I’d be in, but I understand your sincerity. I do hope you understand this as well.” The bugs of the night started to buzz in the trees and the grass around them.

The demon nodded. “Yes, I do understand.” They were silent for a while before Viraj asked: “I am a bit curious: How many times have you almost died?”

Sophie scoffed, holding out her thumb, index finger and middle finger. "Three. So far. I'd say third time's the charm, but who knows. I'm not pushing my luck."

x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

Kumari Talchie was seeing the same dream again, the piled up corpses in the hand of Buddha. She could clearly see Sanzo and his party all piled up in that hand, with the moon ominously glowing in the distance. Nothing ever changes, this is the future she sees. Unfinished tire tracks, the same hand in the sky with dead bodies. She had long grown tired of this, but this time, something was different. The moon had cast its light at the image of her twin brother, wearing his formal Sanzo robes. He was one who had donned the Maten Sutra before it laid on Komyou’s and now Genjo Sanzo’s shoulders.

“Brother!” she called out, looking at her twin who was praying, facing the hand of corpses. “Why are you here?” she asked. But her brother did not answer. He instead looked back at her, pointing at the moon before walking away. “What’s wrong with the moon!? Wait!”

The moment she called out to him to wait, she woke up from her dream, panting and in shock. She had not seen her brother in her dream before. What did it mean? Not long after, a servant knocked and entered her room, relaying a message from Sai Tai Sai that the training would soon conclude and she was being called to witness it. Preparing to go with Sai Tai Sai to the training grounds, she thought to herself, nothing was ever going to change. What could a measly few weeks in the training grounds achieve?

Reaching the training grounds, Talchie glared at Sai Tai Sai. “I should let you know, I am a very busy person.” she said with a huff, not convinced that this was worth her time.

The messenger shrugged with a sly smile. “ It's because they insisted.” The men came over, already donning their respective mascots, bowing to the Living Goddess.

“So what's the matter?” she asked plainly. “Surely they didn't call me for tea?” This question warranted a laugh from the god.

Hakkai bowed. “Of course, but before we have tea with you, Kumari, may we perform a small opening act for you?”

Sai Tai Sa scoffed. “As I’ve said, I’ll keep this current form. You may use your weapons. I don't care.” his dismissive tone also implied that he wasn't expecting much from the group.

Hakkai prepared his stance. “My apologies. I just want to be sure. The condition was “land one hit on the master and you pass” - correct?” The god confirmed. “Well then, here we go.”

Talchie looked on, seeing them charge towards Sai. “Do they really think they can compete with the power of a god with such a short period of training? It's true that everyone's movements are incomparable to last time. But–”

The god recognized their similar patterns, frowning slightly. “They're such incorrigible people. 10 times.” As he declared this, the mascots’ gravity pulled on them ten times harder, but the four kept moving.

Sai Tai Sai didn’t want to admit it, but he was actually having a hard time getting through. “I can’t quite land a clean hit, but – I can still move. I'm amazed at how much your training’s progressed in such a short amount of time, but…” he managed to grab the rabbit mascot that had Hakkai inside, slamming him to the ground. “You still need to be more creative!!” As he did this, he sensed a chi blast nearby, barely avoiding it from the wolf mascot.

“A chi blast from Sha Gojyo!?” Talchie exclaimed in disbelief.

“No…” Sai muttered. Realizing that he had been played. “That’s from Cho Hakkai.”

“That was him from the beginning!” Talchie figured out their game, that everyone was in each other’s mascots, playing the other’s part.

With a swift motion, the chipmunk mascot managed to lock the god from behind, hindering his movements.

Gojyo yelled. “Now, GOKU!”

In a bid to stall the rabbit mascot, Sai Tai Sai increased the gravity of the mascots. “20 Times More!!” Despite this restriction, Goku kept moving.

Talchie watched as Goku ran towards Sai and Gojyo to hit. “It's impossible. He won’t make it!” To their surprise, the boy stopped where he was and shot his own chi blast, hitting Sai Tai Sai squarely in the chest, toppling him and Gojyo backwards. As he attempted to stand, Sanzo’s spirit banishing gun was pointed at the base of his skull. The god had to chuckle, recognizing his defeat.

“I see. I thought it was strangely difficult to detect their movements. I was confused because, besides Genjo Sanzo, the three with demon energy swapped their outfits.” 

The monk pointed his gun away. “To be honest, we prepared a few tricks since we knew we were no match, but… we never had time to focus on improving our own abilities. You gave us an opportunity to improve ourselves in a safe environment where we didn't have to worry about enemy attacks.” he bowed beside Sai Tai Sai. “We are grateful.”

The others watched this and added their own commentaries. “Aren't you going to praise me for perfectly copying Goku’s movements? And I was crouching the whole time.” said Gojyo, looking at the others.

“I mean, it was definitely tougher for me to fight wearing high heels!” Goku commented.

Hakkai smiled proudly at them both, like the teacher he was. After all this time, Goku had finally learned to make his own chi blast. There's so much more for the kid to learn and do. “It was worth the self-study though, wasn't it?”

Ignoring their bickering, Sanzo extended his hand towards Sai Tai Sai. “So then…” a pause. “Give me back the cigarettes you've burned “

The god relented, as they agreed, materializing a new pack of Merlboros for the monk. “Why don't you take this opportunity to quit smoking?”

“I got this habit from my masters.” the monk said simply. He was remembering them in his mind.

“I leave the rest to you...”

“It’s a parting gift...”

“...Genjo Sanzo.”

“If you inherit it from your master, it will become your “karma” to bear.”

“Ah, so that's what you meant, brother.”

“Even if it's a path that goes against the heavens,  I will swallow it into my lungs and cover them in smoke.”

Talchie looked at all of this in awe, finally realizing what her brother had meant by pointing at the moon. “There, even if you can't see the sun, as long as the moon shines, it means that the sun is still breathing.”

Hakkai watched this exchange, commenting to Goku: “He says deep things like that but really it's just his excuse for not being able to quit smoking.”

“Shut it.”

“What a terrible punishment.” said Talchie to no one in particular.

The fact that I only realize this when I am close to the end of my human life span.  

“So you think you can deceive the Buddha and still be true to yourselves?”

That knowledge of the future can really be so exciting.

“Then show it to the goddess that is right here.”

The days that followed seemed to be a breeze as the demons gradually warmed up to them again, specifically towards Mayumi. Despite the blunder with discovering Saiken's remains, their earlier connection only became stronger. No one else could ask for a better outcome. Pratham was still suffering the consequences of his actions, under strict watch of Elder Drishna. He was to stay with them until further notice. With things having been settled, the only thing left to do was to get back home.

Sophie sighed as she watched Mayumi handle and coordinate with the demons with ease as if she's done it her whole life. She had learned so much from them, and it's as if she had fully come home. A part of her felt like she was losing her friend, and worried that they might stay here instead of going home with her. What if she stayed here too? What if this was the best outcome for them? They still had time before Vishnu would send them back to Earth. While the others were busy, she snuck out to the farthest edge of the village to have some time for herself.

Ben had been helping design some blueprints for the demons to make for their waterway and gather their crops. There had been few others, but these were the last two that would greatly benefit them onward. Despite his knowledge being technical, to them it seemed magical. He was more than happy to help in any way he could. After the last design was provided and discussed, he looked over to the gathered crowd. “Yup, that's about as done as done can be.” he muttered, dusting off his hands from imaginary dirt. “It's time for us to finally go home.” Ben nodded to Vishnu who walked a distance off and raised his arms to open a gateway for them to get back to Earth. It had been quite the ride for all of them to get here, but he was looking forward to getting back to his apartment for once. He misses his actual job and the modern comfort of Earth.

Turning behind him, he only saw Mayumi and Mili. “Where's Sophie -”

A sudden sharp force of sorts came through Vishnu, cutting through his arms, barely missing Ben. The force was so strong that it pushed the man, toppling him over. With everything happening too fast, they didn't know what hit them.

Getting back up, Ben found his jacket torn up and his cheeks and arms bleeding with thin cuts. Vishnu was keeling over, both of his lower arms cut clean off. Ben reeled, backing away a few steps in horror. Pratham and the others were looking around, trying to identify the source of such a disturbance. Without skipping a beat, Mayumi began healing the injuries on the god. Realizing the urgency, Ivaan ran over, freezing the wounds immediately. Mahira assisted to stop the bleeding with her own chi.

“We can still work through the ice, but… This needs immediate surgery..” Mayumi muttered, struggling to keep her energy steady and trying her best not to panic. She could tell that Mili had already run off to scout. It was eerie as they didn't sense anything amiss. This level of power would have at least set off some sort of presence. This did not. She noticed a man in the distance, wearing a wide brimmed straw hat and dark priest robes, similar to a Sanzo's garb, but black. His left eye seemed blind, scarred by a gunshot. It made him look extra sinister while still wearing rectangular framed glasses. There was no indication of the red chakra on his forehead.  She gulped. They've only heard of him from Sharak, but it looked like the man in front of them was none other than Ukoku Sanzo, the heretic Sanzo priest. As soon as they were able to recognize him, he disappeared

Ben got up to get his drone and had it flying immediately. “We have to find Sophie!!”

Getting to a tree to lean on a little outside of the village, she pulled out a half pack of cigarettes she had nicked from Gojyo. As she was about to light a stick, she heard a commotion from the village. At almost the same time, she felt a threatening presence nearby, prompting her to strike icicles towards it. The presence darted around, making her follow it with her ice shards. She knew she was able to strike it but she seemed to miss by a few seconds each time. She could glean the person in the shadows nearby, running after them. Giving chase, she knew she could corner them in the next turn. As she rounded the corner of trees, a white mist of sorts hit her directly on the face, making her slow down, coughing as she accidentally inhaled it. She vaguely tasted a hint of saltiness in it. She immediately felt her vision blur, and her legs giving way.

“Eh?”

A quick memory flashed in her mind, a training session with Seth:

“Remember, Princess. A careless Princess is a dead one. This is what date rape drugs look like and smell like. They can make you dizzy, lose muscle coordination, lose consciousness, or die.”

As she was free falling, a hand had deftly wrapped around her neck, pushing her back against the trunk of the tree. It wasn't forceful for her to choke, but it was tight enough to keep her from moving. Her mind reeled, the mist was a mix of drugs. She didn't even sense the person getting near at all. The scent of stale cigarettes came to her nose, and she could feel the cold, calculating gaze on her face. She dared meet his eyes, locking her gaze on a man with raven black hair, an unseeing left eye and a coal black eye. He was wearing a black monk robe, much like Genjo's. She felt her breath catch, and an involuntary giggle escaped her mouth. Despite the severity of the situation, she was feeling her body relax from the effect of the mist.

“If it's salty, there's GHB in it. Gamma Hydroxybutyric Acid. It'll make you disinhibited. Depending on the dose, you could black out.”

"Ohh, you recognize me." The man said, his voice calm and even. He didn't budge from his hold on her neck, but he leaned towards her, his body practically pressed onto her. She could feel his breath on her face as she tried to remove his hand on her neck but her body slowly felt like jelly and all her strength was sapped from her arms and legs. "It's finally great to meet you, my failure."

"Wh-what are you saying?"she uttered. Her mind was racing, but her body was no longer cooperating. It didn't help that the closeness of their bodies made her feel hot, the kind of feeling where she just wanted to be fucked. She knew it was the drug trapped in the air earlier. She couldn't focus her chi to get help from her friends. She was painfully aware that this was a dangerous situation, and she somehow had to get out of it.

"I guess you wouldn't know the truth." The man said, smiling wryly as if reading her mind . "I'll keep it simple.” He began. “I made you in my lab, along with your siblings, swooped in at the right moment to be of help to the Kazuyas when they wanted to bear children. Shun was my rising student, so to speak. It was too bad your family just killed one another.” He clicked his tongue, his tone full of mock sympathy. She could piece together what he meant, and the implications of what he had done. But her mind felt like she was seeing things happen outside of her body, as if she was watching herself experience the situation. Her pinned to the tree, and the rogue Sanzo's back to her point of view. “I had high hopes for you, but you were never one to succumb to what I wanted you to become.."

"Become what, evil?" Sophie managed  to say, feeling the man's other hand deftly unzip her jacket, her clothes underneath tearing as if the motion was cut with a very sharp blade. The night air grazed her skin, precariously at the verge of showing her chest.  She felt bare and terribly vulnerable, and her muddled mind ached for sensual relief. She reached for his wrist holding her neck, clumsily trying to remove his grip to no avail. The lack of proper air flow was also getting to her.

He chuckled.

"Evil is relative." He muttered, leaning over and pressing his nose against her skin, right above her breasts. She was recoiling in her mind, but her body welcomed it, shuddering involuntarily from the motion. "You may be a failure, but your body is another story. Failures don't have to go to waste, there's still so much I can discover with your body as my experiment."  Without warning, he deftly grabbed her left breast out of her already ripped clothing, putting his mouth to work and sucking on it, while his left hand was still pressing her against the tree trunk. Her mind swam, her breathing responding to the motions, as if welcoming the sensations.

She moaned involuntarily, stopping herself as soon as she realized it. The man laughed. "Ah yes, your body remembers what it's like to not be in control. You know you enjoy it." He said toyingly, pleased with himself.

"S-stop.. no.." she muttered, feeling her crotch grow warmer from the assault. She felt filthy. It shouldn't feel good and all she wanted was to get away from him. She tried to claw his arm off her, managing to draw blood, warranting a quick snap, and she felt her left arm break, making her scream in agony, tears streaming down her face, her arm dangling useless on her side. The pain, the sensitive pleasurable sensations were making her mind go blank, her right hand still vainly trying to get loose. The man simply continued his task as if he did not just injure her.

"I'll stop when I'm done..." came the response. He finally let go of her, making her crumple to the ground in a heap, her muddled mind jostled and at the verge of blacking out. Catching her breath, she felt him prop her to lean back on the tree. He knelt in front of her, smirking at her sorry state. He grabbed her hair and forcefully pushed his fingers into her mouth, moving motions in and out, shoving in black pills inside her mouth, forcing her to swallow even if she tried to gag. She tried to bite him but he quickly moved his hand out, fingers slithering south, down into her pants, her underwear, onto her clit.

She could feel the drugged want and longing for the touch, how she wanted to say to fuck her, to do more to her. She gritted her teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction he wanted. Whatever he shoved down her throat was making her lose more focus.

“I hope you die in agonizing pain.” She muttered with a relaxed grin. He laughed as he slowly gripped her neck again, making her gasp for air, spots darting in her vision as she clawed at his hand to remove his grip, to no avail. She felt his fingers moving faster as she writhed, her body fighting for air, for sensations, control, anything.

“Someone help me..” she whimpered, almost a whisper to herself.

As she felt his fingers moving out, he paused long enough to show her another black pill. She felt her face move into a lopsided smile. “Shove that in me too why don't you..” she muttered uncontrollably. She hated it. She was losing all control of her body and she couldn't stop anything and she felt like she was going insane. He grinned back at her. "Such a good princess.. Consider this as my gift." His finger disappeared into her body, shoving as deep as he could as she writhed in helpless protest, and pleasure at the same time. She could feel herself getting wetter, and the feeling of shame at the corners of her mind as her body felt delirious, giddy with the drug he forced into her. She was lost and conflicted as he sucked her teat methodically, making her think she wanted more, making her cum with his crude, consistent motions. She could feel herself blacking out.

"No.. stop.. I don't want this.." she muttered, her mind growing darker and darker by the moment. Her hand fell to her side, grazing the dreamcatcher that Shakuntala had given her.

“... but that’s where your past will always belong: behind you.”

The village would be over if he got to them. "No… NOOOO!!" She felt a flash of snow in her mind, an uncontrollable blizzard blasting out before she fell to the ground, her world turning black.

Ukoku jumped out of the way in time the blast of ice went off, but he had not been fast enough, scratches grazed his face and his left arm frozen. Clicking his tongue, he shook it off, revealing freeze burns. He smiled to himself. "Not bad, my failure.. not bad.." he chuckled, catching darts from a flying machine. He waved at the camera attached to the device then tossed the darts to the ground, focusing his attention to new arrivals on the scene.

"What did you do to her!?" It was the hanyou magician, along with a panther, blocking his path from them. Feigning surprise, he raised his arms in mock surrender.

"Nothing that she isn't used to.." he shrugged, licking his fingers on his right hand. "I'd say she quite enjoyed it." He smirked, warranting a lunge from the panther trying to scratch him.

"You sick bastard!!"

"Look, I'm not here to pick a fight, really." He said, glancing upwards, watching two hiryus fly past carrying Kougaiji and Yaone westward. "I was just stalling." Realization dawned in the eyes of the two in front of him. He smirked. " All that's left now is the Maten Sutra." He turned around. "And I will get my way." With this, he disappeared, off to finish what he started.

With the man gone, Mili reverted back into her human form, watching Mayumi assess the damage on their friend. It didn't need a doctor to know that the man had sexually assaulted and drugged Sophie. She felt tears of rage at the corner of her eyes, helpless with what they knew their friend had to endure yet again.

"Take her back to the village. We don't know if that man will come back." Ben said through the drone, flying it off back to him while the two secured their friend before teleporting back. He glanced over to the unconscious god being treated by the mages of the village. Things had just gotten better and someone just literally pulled the rug from under their feet.

Having secured Sophie in one of the huts in the village, Mayumi took charge in giving her a quick wash, treating her injuries and changing her clothes. She was still unconscious but her brows would knit together from what nightmare she was having. She never expected that this was how their encounter with Ukoku would play out, but they almost had no time to waste. As much as she wanted to stay with Sophie and hold her until she woke up, they had to gather people together, and they had to get to Sharak and Hazel. Biting her nail, she tried to figure out how to get people and find Genjo and the gang. Suddenly, it felt like the whole world was on her shoulders. A soft knock came on the door, and a handful of mages beckoned her to step outside.

"Miss.. we heard what happened and we want to help. Please set us to work." One of them said, determined. Mayumi felt warm, remembering that she wasn't alone. At the corner, she saw her dad shyly offering his support as well. Mustering her resolve, she nodded to them. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do-"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

Hazel had finished discussing the services for the next day and had just excused himself for his evening prayers. Kneeling in one of the newer pews, he thought of the events in the last few weeks, praying for everyone's safety and well-being. After some time, he felt a strong surge of power right outside the church, alerting him and making him rush outside, to be met by Mili and two demons. The shapeshifter ran towards him in a rough embrace.

"Mili!?" The bishop exclaimed, looking for clues on what was going on. The woman let go of him and looked at him like she just remembered what they were there for.

"No time to explain, you need to come with us."

"What!?" Hazel's mind ran through a hundred miles of what to tell the townsfolk. "Can you slow down and explain first??"

Mili appeared to register the situation and slowed down for him. "Ukoku attacked Sophie I mean-Devy and had someone take the Koten Sutra. His next target is going to be Sanzo. At this rate, we're heading off to fight Gyumaoh if we don't do something." Hazel was alarmed that Devy was attacked, but based on Mili's demeanor, she was out of danger, at least.

"And how do we get to them?" He eyed the two demons with her.

"They can teleport us."

He did not have enough in him to question anything, but he did understand the urgency. "Let me just talk to Sister Grace. Let's hope this "expedition " isn't a one-way trip."

Mayumi and Ben arrived at Koten Fortress in the middle of their grounds. The place collapsed again on one end, and the other areas on fire. Some people were helping putting out flames, while the others handled the deceased. It was chaos, and Sharak was nowhere in sight.

"Mayumi!!" The two turned to see Sharak's right hand man, Hassan jogging up to them. He looked questioningly at Ben but he was in a hurry to deal with pleasantries. "Come with me to the medic bay."

Worry snuck into Mayumi's mind as they followed Hassan. Getting to the bay, they found the female Sanzo being attended by two doctors as they fought to stop her bleeding. Assessing the situation, Mayumi could tell that she had a terrible gash on her stomach and a few other deep wounds. Rushing to her side, the doctors moved aside and let her work her chi on their leader.

As Mayumi concentrated, Ben went on to find what supplies they had. He's done basic emergency training before and managed to identify Sharak's blood type to be O+. Cursing to himself, he turned to the man that brought them there. "I'm sorry but we'll need someone with the same blood type as her. Please help in looking for anyone who can donate O+ blood to replace the amount she's losing." Based on the man's reaction, he wasn't certain who could help with transfusion. He glanced at Mayumi who had stopped with the healing, letting the doctors complete stitching and take care of the monk's other injuries. "Hey, could you help my drone?" He asked, calculating what needed to be done. The magician tilted her head curious. "Remember how that movie had the robot scan for blood types? We can try doing that with my drone." He saw the realization dawn on her face as they went off to the side and tinker a bit. After a while, his drone was in flight and off and around the perimeter of the fortress.

The man that ushered them to the medic bay approached them again, scratching his head. "Apologies for the lack of introduction. I'm Hassan, Sharak's right hand man. Sorry for the trouble as well, you've been put to task the moment you appeared."

Ben nodded at the man. "The name's Ben. I'm their sortof handyman too." He grinned, nodding towards Mayumi who was back monitoring Sharak's condition. "We're used to it. Trouble just always finds us." He chuckled while focusing back on his piloting, finding a handful of possible donors. Snapping pictures, he let the drone fly back.

"That's a very amazing device." The man commented.

"Uhuh.." Ben nodded, eyeing the results. He showed the pictures to Hassan. "There's four matches. Can you get ahold of these people so the doctors can screen them?"

Hassan audibly inhaled in fascination. "Alright." He was about to run off when Ben stopped him.

"Ah, Hassan, have yourself screened too."

The sound of the world felt muffled as Sharak slowly came to. It was dark, and from what she could tell, she was back in her quarters. Pain seared from different parts of her body as she tried to recall and make sense of everything. The Fortress was struck by a heavy explosion on one side despite her barrier and demons rushed through. They were caught unawares, and a battle against Gyumaoh's son with desperate rampage was something no one could have anticipated. They lost the Koten scripture to the enemy. She raised an arm to her head, realizing that she was connected to a tube for blood transfusion. As she moved, a small pink glow floated on her table, taking the form of a sprite of sorts. It grew bigger, registering eyes at her like a sentient blob. Seeing that she was awake, it inhaled, growing bigger to the size of an apple and it kept getting bigger until it was the size of a watermelon. It stopped, blinked at her and released a light chi, spreading into the room like a warm, sweet mist. It shrunk back to its original size, landing back on the table as nothing happened.

"Oh! Sharak's awake!" The voice from outside was unmistakably the hanyou that had taken shelter with them some weeks prior. Why was she here? The door to her room opened, revealing the magician holding a candle while a man she had never met before trailed behind her. His long blue hair and lanky form along with his clothes told her that he was a friend of theirs from Earth. "How are you feeling?"

She nodded. "Could be worse." She admitted, glancing at the blood transfusion. "I didn't realize you were also adept at healing like Hakkai."

Mayumi shrugged. "My mother was a doctor, so I've picked up a few things through the years." She looked over at her companion. "Ben's the real hero, managing to find you blood donors in record time." The man called Ben scratched his head embarrassed.

"I assume Hassan has filled you in on what happened." She said, getting down to business. The two nodded. "But why did you come back here? What's happening in the West?"

"We had an encounter with the rogue Sanzo, Ukoku.." Mayumi started. "He.. assaulted our friend." She could tell that the magician did not want to further go into details, but she had an idea with how the woman’s face darkened from the memory.

"And what of Genjo and his party?" she ventured to ask instead.

"We parted ways and lost contact, but we're convinced that Ukoku might be on the way to them if he hadn't found them yet." Mayumi gave her a worried glance. "I know you might want to chase them to get back your Sutra, but.."

The monk had to chuckle. "I'm not that stupid. If I don't recover enough, I'm as good as dead. But the moment I can stand, you must take me to where the battle is. I may not have my Sutra, but I'm still a Sanzo."

The day that followed had the fortress slowly rebuilt by Mayumi and other mages from her village. While this went on, Ben took it upon himself to keep Sharak company in Hassan's absence, to fetch whatever she needed. She had learned from him that Hassan was one of the primary donors for her transfusion and that the man was forced to bed rest to avoid getting anemia. The blue haired man didn't say much, but his quiet company was a welcome change. He seemed to be used to so much that nothing bothered him if at all. The doctors would come and go to check on her and she gradually felt better despite the pain. She was lucky, in more ways than she could count, but once this moment's respite ends, they'd have to face the largest battle of this world.

"I don't think I managed to ask, where's the shapeshifter?" She uttered, making Ben jump from what he was doing on his phone.

"The last contact we had with her was when she went to get Hazel. They must have reconvened with Mayumi's dad at the town with Lakshmi by now." The name caught her attention.

"The goddess?"

"Yahuh." Ben affirmed as if it was the most normal thing. The man looked at her, saw her expression and decided to explain further. "From what I gathered, she ran away from Vishnu due to some toxic relationship issues. She's been living in that town as their priestess known as Risha. But I think, she might be helping to heal Vishnu at the moment after that attack in Mayumi's village. Ukoku said he was testing out his sutra, cut off the God's extra two arms."

Sharak's brows furrowed. "I've seen a lot of things in my time, and the amount of calm you are bringing with your words is.. disconcerting." The man chuckled, setting aside his phone.

"I'm sorry if it felt odd. I'm not really one to dwell too much. I guess the others haven't said much, but we've been through hell and back for way too long to let things keep bothering us." The man's eyes glazed over slightly, seeming to remember some of those things. He focused his gaze back at her and smiled sadly. "I can tell you're also not a stranger to such things."

Sharak had to chuckle at this. "You just carry the weight of your life differently."

“We're sorry Miss Mili..” one of the mages said, stopping mid flight and not floating onwards. The shapeshifter flew back towards him, seeing him hand over a glass ball made by Mayumi. “We can't go any further. Please keep going with Hazel. This orb will allow Miss Mayumi to find you and teleport where you are.” Mili worried since she couldn't grip the orb with her talons.

Hazel flew in close by, accepting the orb on Mili's behalf, his demon wings flapping slowly. “Thank you so much for all your help.” The bishop expressed, nodding a bow as the mages waved them goodbye and disappeared.

“The negative wave must be too much already in this area..” Mili uttered, looking ahead. She paused, spotting billows of dust in the distance. “Strange, we've been going this path for a while, but that trail of dust wasn't there earlier. I wonder if that's Hakkai..” she said, basing on the pattern of dust.

Hazel shielded his eyes with his hand, looking in the same direction. “It most likely is.” He affirmed.

She tried her communicator. "Hakkai!!"

"Hmm? Mili? What's up?"

"Hakkai wait up!!" Mili said frantically, darting forward. Hazel followed at his own pace. He suddenly felt a familiar murderous aura, and a split second strike hit Mili in mid-air and her shifting cancelled. The woman was falling unconscious in her human form. “Mili!!” He dashed towards the shapeshifter, but he would be too late to catch her. To his relief, Goku had extended his weapon, leaping up to catch her and securing her as he rolled on the ground to break their fall. The green jeep had stopped as he caught up, Hakkai already healing the shapeshifter. They seem to have been through some rough few weeks with their appearance.

“Hazel!” Goku exclaimed, confused and looking around to make better sense of things. “What's happening?”

“Thank goodness you caught Ms Mili.” He said, looking around as well. “I'm afraid explanations have to be brief. “From what I've been told, the Koten Sutra had been taken, and I'm afraid we might be in the presence of our old enemy.” The bishop was about to bring out the orb when Ukoku's aura manifested nearby, warranting gunshots from Sanzo.

“Seems like I'm just in time for a lovely reunion.” The rogue Sanzo said by way of greeting, dodging more of Sanzo's bullets. Goku was quick on the offensive, followed by Gojyo.

“Nice scar.” Genjo commented, alluding to his own handiwork on the other Sanzo’s blind eye. The man in black smirked, striking back at him with his sutra, making the blond avoid where a ravine appeared.

As the three kept him busy, Hazel focused on the orb, channeling his chi to get Mayumi to them. He didn't know how long it would take, but he hoped things wouldn't be too late.

Mayumi received the signal from the orb she handed to Mili, meaning they had caught up with the party. It was unclear if the group was in safety or not, and there was no way for her to tell. She regretted not having added a message relaying option to her orb. She teleported to Sharak’s room, only to find it empty. She wasn’t surprised, but she wasn’t sure where to find her. Teleporting to a construction area, she followed the smell of cigarettes to find her watching Ben navigate his drone to oversee the repairs.

“Sharak!” Mayumi waved to them. “I just got a signal from Mili, they’ve caught up with Genjo’s party.”

The older Sanzo nodded, taking a last drag from her cigarette before walking off to prepare. She gave Hassan a look, where the man saluted and ran off to prepare a few things. “I’ll just lock and load.” He looked over to Ben who had been watching their exchange. “I’m leaving you with Hassan. I trust you can take care of things while I’m away.”

“Ehhh??” Ben exclaimed with obvious panic, making Sharak cackle.

“Relax. Hassan will take care of you.”

Mayumi ran to the blue haired man, giving him a tight hug before following Sharak.

“We don’t know what we’re going up against once we reach Genjo.” Sharak said, accepting a duffel bag and armed herself with her two Uzis and pocketed a Desert Eagle. Mayumi noted that she packed as much bullets as she could, making her gulp. The monk chuckled at her surprise. “The greenhorn doesn’t look like he has a lot of supplies, but that’s just because he wields a smaller gun. And-” she placed her guns in their holsters. “ - the level of defense I have is equivalent to the amount of offense I can provide.” She nodded to Mayumi to indicate she was ready.

“Alright.” Mayumi summoned her top hat, focusing her power to it and the signal provided by her orb with Mili. Holding the signature and the image in her mind’s eye, she slowly let the light grow brighter until they were both enveloped and transported in the blink of an eye.

“To think that having one blind eye would slow this fucker down..” Gojyo muttered, spitting out blood as he summoned his shakujo for the umpteenth time as the rogue Sanzo smirked at them, his own robes scuffed from their skirmish.

“Thanks for the compliment.” he said, summoning his sutra again, cutting more trees in his wake. He struck at Goku, kicking the youth off to the side, directly onto Hazel. “Although I must admit, you’ve gotten stronger, but I’m getting bored now.” He glanced at Genjo, striking the monk and grabbing him by his robe aiming to take the Maten Sutra. As he did, he detected a new presence, dodging as a barrage of bullets whizzed past between him and the blond. Looking for the source of this attack, he smirked, wiping the blood from his arm. “How wonderful of you to join us.. 28th of Arhat, Sharak Sanzo-sama.” The way he greeted was full of empty platitudes that it was more of an insult.

“Same sentiments.” Sharak said, firing away. The rogue Sanzo was quick to evade, hopping all over the place as the others also attacked him, getting the better upper hand with the addition of Sharak and Mayumi. Cursing his luck under his breath, he teleported away from them.

“I’ll retreat for now.” he declared. “But no matter, at the end of the day, the Maten Sutra will find its way to Hotou Castle.” With that, he disappeared, the aura he brought with him lifting from the area.

After a few moments, the group relaxed with Goku and Gojyo collapsing to the ground in relief.

“I’m actually thankful that Sai Tai Sai trained our cardio!” Gojyo commented. “Otherwise this would have been more exhausting!” Hakkai approached the group assisting Mili who was quickly approached by Mayumi. The two embraced and the magician was soon checking on her wounds.

Sharak offered a hand to the fallen Genjo, helping him up. “You’re still as lucky as ever, greenhorn.” she said by way of complimenting them.

The younger Sanzo scoffed. “It’d take more than that to get rid of us.” As he said this, Goku’s rumbling stomach echoed in the clearing, making the others laugh and relax, despite the situation.

“Let’s regroup back in my village.” Mayumi announced, looking at the others. “We need to get back to Sophie and better set our strategy from there.”

“Are you sure your energy can manage all of us?” Hakkai asked, worried about the undertaking.

Mayumi nodded. “It’s a familiar location so I’ll be able to easily get us there.” she said. “Just let me map it out.” She brought out her phone, using the program that Ben had installed for a digital version of Togenkyo. “We’re actually also not that far off.” she commented.

“Uoh, that’s so neat..” Goku commented, dusting himself off and looking around. “Does your village have yummy food? I’m starving.”

Sharak had to laugh. “You haven’t changed one bit, Goku..”

Mayumi had to think for a bit. “Well they have a lot of pork dishes..” she said, setting up a barrier around everyone. “Please move closer to the center. This will let me concentrate the energy better.” The others followed, limping and grunting their different states of aches.

“Well, pork is better than the stuff at temples..” Goku muttered, imagining dishes he thought they might have.

“They are Buddhists, but they maintain sustainability of their resources.” Mayumi said, clapping her hands together, materializing her top hat. “Alright, please repeat the phrase “Safe Space” in your minds as I settle our location.” The others nodded while she kept the image of the village in her mind’s eye, the horses, the houses. the people.. Sophie.  She had to pause, the magic flickering making the others turn towards her.

Sharak caught on, realizing the magician’s state of mind. “Your friend is in a safe space. We’re going to the same safe space where she is. The sooner we get there, the faster you can be there for her.” The others nodded reassuringly, giving Mayumi the resolve to finish the process of their transfer. Shaking her head, she started over, the light of her magic growing brighter and soon, they were in a clearing near the village.

A handful of mages immediately ran towards Mayumi, and guiding the group into the village.

“Let us take care of the injured.” Elder Kiara offered, ushering them to their healing hut. “Miss Mayumi, please go to Miss Sophie. She hasn’t been eating much, if at all..”

Alarmed by this feedback, Mayumi immediately ran off to the house where she had left Sophie.

The group followed her departing figure, then looked back at Mili, boring questioning holes at her while a mage tended to her injured arm. She scratched her head apologetically.

“We were about to get sent back to Earth when Ukoku came out of nowhere.” she began, wincing at the healing. “Everything happened so fast, we didn’t even know it was him at first. He just… blasted chi and cut off Vishnu’s arms like it was nothing. While we were busy with him and securing him, we realized we didn’t know where Sophie was, and while we were looking for her, a sudden blizzard swept the area and we immediately ran towards that and… we.. we found Sophie unconscious.” she paused. “Her clothes were torn up and we think Ukoku drugged her and assaulted her.” They could see tears brimming from her eyes. Hakkai and Gojyo visibly tensed. The hanyou stood up and walked towards the door, punching the wall beside it. Most of them knew how this was more than a blow, it was reopening old traumas. “None of us were there. Had we checked in on her-”

“None of this is your fault.” Sharak cut in, understanding the situation, pensive while lighting a cigarette. “I haven’t met her, but how you describe her tells me that she knows herself well.”

“I know that..” Mili said, thanking the mage as she tested her arm on a temporary sling. “It’s just that it sucks.”

“Hn. We can only show her the door, but she will have to be the one to walk through it..” Sanzo muttered, looking off into the distance.

As night fell, the village provided the group with meals and generally left them on their own. It was unusual for the group, since they had been used to being fawned over by villagers wherever they went. Granted that it was a demon village, the dynamics were possibly different. Goku, Gojyo, Hakkai and Mili had gone off to discuss Sophie’s situation while the three religious leaders gathered near the hearth to discuss the current predicament.

“I must admit, it is quite an honor to meet another Sanzo..” Hazel commented, taking a sip from his barley tea while the two Sanzos smoked. “I can quite tell that Sanzos are seemingly cut from the same cloth in terms of tenacity.”

“I suppose.” Sharak chuckled. “I still have a lot of questions with what’s happening, but I guess it’s best we gather what we know now.”

“Mili mentioned that Kougaiji’s group took the Koten Sutra?” Sanzo stated, by way of getting the discussion going. “Based on his loss before, I never expected him to strike back.”

“You and me both.” Sharak affirmed. “He seemed to have the rage from the depths of hell the way he charged into the fortress. That pharmacist of his was no joke either with her polearm skills and her explosives. I can’t imagine what he went through to change his demeanor so much.”

“Ukoku has his ways..” Hazel answered, setting down his cup and folding his hands together into a steeple. “I imagine he must have gotten to his mind, or manipulated something that was important to him. The level of deceit that man is capable of is beyond comprehension.”

“Hn. He probably had his sister hostage.” Sanzo surmised, lighting another cigarette. “But.. the level of desperation means there is something bigger at stake.”

“Whatever the reason, the enemy is one sutra short of reviving Gyumaoh.” Sharak added. “We’re about to gamble a fight we might not come back from alive.”

“Not to mention, we still have a wild card to consider..” Sanzo muttered, blowing out smoke.

“Do you mean, Nataku?” Sharak guessed. The bishop bristled at this mention. “You also encountered him?”

“Yes, I have unfortunately had the displeasure of fighting him.” Hazel said, taking another sip of his tea. “If it wasn't for Miss Mayumi and Miss Mili, I might have been obliterated already.”

“It’s best we keep moving west in the next few days.” Sanzo declared. “We’d rather not have him finding this village. If anything, we should be able to lure him to the actual fight.”

“As much as we have an idea how things will end, we’re still moving towards a future no one can predict.”

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Text

Hakkai, Gojyo, Goku and Mili waited outside the hut where they were told Mayumi and Sophie were. Mili could feel the tension coming off the two men in waves. She felt her own anger, but hers felt like a meek flame compared to their rage. Soon, Mayumi came out of the hut, slightly surprised to be greeted by the four. She shook her head, nodding to talk out of earshot. Following the magician to a nearby bench, they stayed silent.

“Elder Kiara had been looking after her for the past few days. She told me that she woke up screaming and clawing at herself. They had to physically restrain her to stop her from hurting herself.” Mayumi said somberly. “It took Shakuntala holding firmly and talking to her to assure her that she was safe. It took them a while to explain the situation to her and encourage her to drink and eat anything. They've been giving her special herbs to detoxify her body from the drugs Ukoku forced on her.”

“What about her injuries?” Hakkai ventured, knowing that the physical aspect is also something to take into consideration.

“The mages have done their best to heal the physical body. They’ve kept her left arm on a sling to help the bone heal properly.” Mayumi sighed. “But we all know that it's the mental and emotional injuries that need more time to heal. Her reactions are also recurring from the previous trauma.”

“Can we at least go and see her?” Gojyo asked, pocketing his shaking hands. “I won't lie, I wish I'd hit that man way harder today had I known the extent of what he'd done to her.”

“I don't know.” Mayumi admitted. “So far, only the women in the village had been allowed to see her. They know all too well the damage done to her psyche.”

“Can we at least try?” Hakkai insisted.

Mayumi relented, motioning to the man to follow him back to the hut. The hanyou and shapeshifter looked on from a distance. Goku had gone off to sit on the bench, eyeing the hut. He was unusually quiet, his own brand of expressing worry.

“If anything, Hakkai would be able to comfort her better than I could..” Gojyo muttered almost to himself. He lit a cigarette, blowing the smoke upwards.

“I know what you mean..” Mili agreed, watching the wisps of smoke curl into the night air. “When that guy, the man you saw before - when the trauma came out from that experience, I wasn't there either. It was Mayumi who was more able to hold her then. It really takes a type of person to get to someone in pain.”

“I can't help but think it sucks.”

“Yeah..”

Mayumi parted the curtains of the room, peeking inside, looking for Sophie in the dark. A blob of white indicated Mayo, and not too far was Sophie in the corner of the room curled into a ball with her good arm.

“Sophie?” She asked quietly, gently knocking on the door frame. A subtle movement told her the woman knew she was there. “Hakkai wanted to see you.. can he come in and talk to you?”

Sapphire eyes looked at them. There was a hesitant nod. Hakkai gingerly stepped into the room while Mayumi looked on. She watched the man sit near her friend on the floor.

“I'll just be in the other room if you need anything.” She said, leaving the two to talk.

The silence in the room felt heavy, and Hakkai felt uncertain on how to approach the situation. He waited before asking. “Would you like to hold my hand?” He asked gently, offering his left hand near her, palms up. After a while, a hand moved on top of his. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, relaxing it as they continued in silence. Mayo stepped in, slinking next to Sophie's legs, purring into a loaf. The room was soon filled with purrs.

After a while, Sophie looked ahead of her, the gaze distant. “I can't remember most of what happened..” she said finally, her voice hoarse, tired from her ordeal. Hakkai squeezed her hand again comfortingly. “I just.. I feel filthy. I feel his hands and his mouth on me and it won't come off no matter how much I wash myself or even try not to think about it. I don't even know why he did that. He even said something about having created me.”

“Created you?” Hakkai asked, sounding more incredulous than he had meant to be. The woman nodded.

“He said that.. Shun was his main project.” She strained to recall Ukoku’s words. “And that I was his failure. And.. failures don't have to go to waste, he can use failures however he wants.”

Hakkai gritted his teeth, doing his best to curb the murderous rage he felt for the rogue Sanzo. Sophie needed him now, not his own sense of vengeance. His feelings waned once he felt the woman lean her body toward his shoulder. They stayed this way for some time, Hakkai just being in silence with her.

Soon, Sophie straightened up, and glanced at him. “Uhm, can you carry me to the bed?” she asked quietly. “I think I can get a bit of sleep now..”

Hakkai obliged, moving to gently lift the woman. She felt lighter than he remembered, making him feel a pang of sorrow in his chest. He settled her onto the bed, covered her and tucked her in. “I can stay with you until you fall asleep if you want.” He offered. Mayo hopped onto the bed, curling up next to her. He smiled gently. “I see.” He leaned over, kissing her forehead. “Know that I'm here for you..”

With this, he left the room and made his way back outside to the waiting trio.

“Ah Hakkai!” Goku greeted, waving to the brunette. The other two regarded him as well.

“How is she?” Gojyo asked, tossing another cigarette butt and pocketing his hands in his jacket.

Hakkai shook his head. “She's calmer now, but she's still going through a lot of mental turmoil.” He admitted, folding his arms in front of him. “Something about what Ukoku said intrigued me.”

“Hm?”

“He told her that she was his creation, along with her brothers.”

“Eh!?” The three said in unison.

“How!?” Mili said, as shocked as everyone else.

“She didn't elaborate, but it would explain a lot of things. I can only speculate at this time, but I don't think seeking such answers right now would help her recover, if at all.”

Gojyo scratched his head. “That's true, but what the fuck.”

“It could explain the fact that she and her brothers had powers and there was no way to pinpoint it to any background unlike Mayumi and I.” Mili stared hard at the ground as if it was telling her the answers she needed. “Knowing what we do about Ukoku's behavior, it's possible that he had expected to use their powers for his own gain but things didn't turn out the way he planned.”

Hakkai nodded. “It's possible. Based on how he had Kami-sama in his own tower but not much else, he can just discard people easily.” Gojyo clicked his tongue.

“That asshole. And to think Kami-sama was a big project of his, so to speak, how convoluted was it to even manipulate a whole family.”

Ukoku reappeared just outside the village where he had left Lirin. He changed out of his monk robes, assessing the damages done by his creation. He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. “Failures never go to waste, and the show’s only begun.” He muttered, changing into his usual lab coat attire and slicking back his hair. He lit a cigarette, looking out into the distant sky, remembering his project with the Kazuya family years ago.

Ukoku wandered in parts of Togenkyo where he had detected strong pockets of energy, consistent with findings of a portal, a place where there were rumored connections to another world. He had dabbled into this possibility during his stint with his PhD, so he was sure there was more to these pockets.

This current pocket he was tracking was a Torii gate. It had old relics, possibly a place of worship a long time ago. He could sense that there was a thin veil, and that he could glean another human presence in the same space. Summoning his sutra, he willed the veil to disappear from existence, revealing a blond man in some uniform, what looked to be the army. The man yelped in surprise upon seeing him, falling backwards. His striking sapphire blue eyes looked at him as if he was a ghost. His uniform revealed his name plate indicated “Kazuya, N.”

“Where'd you come from?” the man asked, wary.

“I should ask you the same thing.” Ukoku answered. “This is a pathway to Togenkyo. And based on your outfit, you're not from here.”

The man looked confused. “This is Earth. What do you mean, what's Togenkyo?” He asked. Ukoku was grinning in his mind. This exchange proves the existence of the other world, and he could come and go as he pleased. But for now..

“It's a place connected to Earth.” He explained. “Not much is known about this connection yet, but it seems like you're interested in this field of study.”

The man shook his head. “I'm just an enthusiast.” A radio communicator on the man beeped and he turned to his device. “Yes, Seth.”

“Come on Noah, we're lagging behind. Over.”

“I'll be right there, over.” He turned to talk to Ukoku, but the priest had disappeared from view. Scratching his head, he left the area, perplexed. Ukoku watched this, a plan formulating in his mind.

It didn't take long for Ukoku to learn more about Earth, and find Kazuya and his budding family. They were having a hard time to conceive and he engineered his way to be the doctor they needed. He managed to get the samples he needed to create their child. He added an extra, his first experiment. He would be a shapeshifting demon, living amongst a human family. It would be the perfect start off point to sow discord. What he didn't expect was the couple seeking him out again after a year, hoping to conceive again with a daughter. At this point, he didn't care, but it would be great to test another one. Based on some research he made, it was possible to imbue an elemental affinity this time. With any luck, triggering circumstances would allow the second experiment to flourish. It was a waiting game he was willing to play.

“Did you know that there’s a prophecy related to the birth of your children?” Ukoku asked Noah who was back at the Torii gate where they had met. “Discord would be sown, but your same children can help end it.”

“What are you talking about?” Noah asked, more interested in finding clues to help Shun blend in with humans. “I could care less about any prophecy. All I want is for my son to live a normal life.”

“Such a dedicated father..” Ukoku commented, his tone was of pity, but Noah did not pick up on this, and seemed pleased with the compliment he heard. “Here -” Ukoku handed an armlet, an inconspicuous little thing. “It’s a demon energy limiting device.” he explained. “It will help your son look human, and his powers tamed. He can remove it at any time he wishes to be in his demon form.” The man gladly took the item, thanking him profusely.

“How can I ever repay you for this?” Noah asked, eyes brimming with tears.

“No need.” he puffed out smoke from his cigarette. “Just make sure your children make it through the prophecy.”

Their Uncle Seth was a piece of work on his own, and he could not have asked for a better factor. His experiments were getting brutally trained at such a young age! It thrilled him to see them abandoned in forests, fending for themselves. Alex showed promise with his clairvoyance, but it could be a problem in the future. Shun excelled in combat along with Linlin, but he has the added edge of tenacity and deceit. He had the makings of a great demon. Linlin, on the other hand, only had her ice. It was a great element to develop, but he was disappointed. The girl did not have much else aside from her fighting prowess. She was too kind and naive. He needed her to have more of an edge for her to be useful.

Alex dying had no effect. It just made her reclusive. He didn't anticipate her forming friendships with external factors in school. A hanyou and a shapeshifter, of all people. Those were beyond his calculations, despite having monitored their lives.

Kusanagi’s rampage and eventual death only managed Linlin to grow even further into a righteous person. It irked him to no end. Even Seth killing Shun did nothing. He was sorely disappointed with losing Shun. He was nearly the perfect demon on Earth.

He had eventually lost interest in Linlin, focusing on other projects he had. He'd still check in once in a while, but it no longer piqued his interest. He eventually wrote her off as a failed experiment. Seeing her in Togenkyo however, sparked his interest again. Failures, don't have to go to waste after all.

Alighting their hiryus, Kou and Yaone made their way back to the chieftain’s house. To their surprise, Lirin was no longer there, but Ni stood there in wait. Kou had a cold feeling in his stomach, but he still stepped forward. He showed the sutra to Ni. “I've brought as you've asked.” He said. “Now where's my sister?”

The scientist tsked. “You've barely given what is owed and you're already demanding for your reward..” he said reproachfully. “Don't worry, your sister's safe back in Houtou Castle.” He assured him. “I've already heard of your success, so I wasted no time in getting her back where she belongs: in my lab.”

“Why you-!” Kou moved to charge at the scientist, but was immediately struck down with a swift motion on his back. In another move, Yaone was disabled as well. “Damn you, Ni!” Kou muttered slowly losing consciousness.

“Damn me all you want, but I'm not letting you nor your pharmacist get in the way of these final steps.”

Sophie’s eyes opened in the middle of the night, unbidden by any disturbance. It had been a few days since Mayumi and the others returned, but she's only ever talked to Hakkai since then. The man would visit at the same time every night and would listen to her, hold her hand when she needed to be held. But she couldn't let anyone stay the night with her. The one time she tried asking Hakkai to stay, she ended up waking up in a panic and hitting the man multiple times while he attempted to calm her down. She felt helpless in her own state. She was mad at herself, frustrated that she couldn't feel better sooner, be comfortable sooner. She wanted to bounce back already, but every time she tried to be more, the panic would set in.

Feeling that sleep wasn't coming back, she decided to step out and take a walk towards the river. The moon was full that night, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort from it, knowing it was there. The quiet murmurs of the water, the hum of the bugs in the trees and grass. Choosing a boulder, she awkwardly sat down, watching her balance with her left arm still in a sling. She heaved a deep sigh, realizing there was the scent of cigarette smoke wafting in the air. It was neither Sanzo's nor Gojyo's. She instinctively took out her gun, pointing in the direction of the smoke. She easily gleaned the Sanzo robes, but based on how it was worn, she knew it was Sharak.

“Seems like you're feeling better.” The woman's deep voice rang into the night air. She puffed out smoke gently, addressing her with her grey eyes. Sophie nodded, keeping her gun, unsure how to address the woman, turning back to looking at the river, and the moon's reflection.

“Thank you for helping Mayumi and Mili when they were injured.” She said, mentioning the first thing she could think of.

“It was nothing.” Sharak muttered, taking another drag from her cigarette. She could feel the Sanzo staring at the back of her head.

She looked at what reflection of herself she could glean in the water. She looked terrible. She looked like a shell of what she knew herself to be. She hated Ukoku for everything he'd done, and she still had so many questions.

“There are people who are convinced they could dominate others to let them know their place in the pecking order.” the sudden voice made Sophie start a little. “If someone doesn't seem to be going through the motions of where they expect them to be, they drag them down, make them remember their place.” The blonde finally turned to the Sanzo, her expression urging her to make her point. The woman stepped forward under the light of the moon, showing the deep scars on her face and left shoulder. The others had mentioned her appearance to her before, but she never realized how grotesque the scars were.

The woman took another drag from her stick and puffed slowly. “Those men I trained with to earn the title of Sanzo were no different. None of them believed I could be a Sanzo. Men, people expected to uphold the will of the heavens, decided it was their will on who deserves the title more.”

“Did they-” Sophie couldn't bring herself to ask.

“Yeah. They did.” She affirmed somberly. “ They broke me physically. It took me weeks to recover, but as soon as I could move, I exacted what was done to me tenfold.” Sophie was quiet. The woman wasn't looking for sympathy. She was just telling her own story. “I don’t know what Ukoku aims to gain by doing what he did, and his actions seem to have little to no rhyme or reason. But… you have to remember that it’s how you’ll stand up from it and keep moving that will define your future.”

A streak of white caught Sophie’s attention. Mayo hopped over beside her, rubbing his head on her side. She smiled gently at the cat, petting him as he purred. She didn’t know what to answer Sharak. She knew the other woman was correct, and she knew it’s what she had to do. But if she was being completely honest with herself, all she wanted to do was get back home and curl into a ball in her room. As much as she hated to admit it, this whole situation has suddenly become their circus as well, and as things stood, they’re not going home until this mess is sorted out. Getting up from the boulder, she motioned to thank Sharak, but a powerful force from the sky caught both their attention. The force was so great that it felt like it could crush them. Mayo had bolted off into the distance, away from the force.

“This energy!” Sharak exclaimed, looking upwards to confirm that it was the War God, Nataku, descending from the sky. The boy’s black robes flowed around him, wisps of his hair flicking back and forth in the moonlight. He looked like he was scanning the perimeter. “We have to get him out of here!” Sophie brandished a gun with her right hand. They were at a clear disadvantage.

Channeling her chi, she reached out to the others. “Guys, if you haven’t felt it yet, your old friend is here to play.”

The static was quick with Hakkai answering for them: “We’re on our way.”

Mayumi and Mili were quick on the scene, ready to fight as well.
“Scan complete. Forty demons in the area with varying levels of magical affinity. Range, Class A to Class SS. Danger level: S. Other entities: Two Sanzos, previous queries identified.” he looked at Sophie. “New query, unidentified human, threat level SS, for extermination.” Nataku then looked at Sharak. “State your reason for being with demons despite your status.”

Sharak scowled at the child. “Gyumaoh is so close to being revived. The demons here are not the enemy.”

“Information irrelevant.” Nataku raised his sword, summoning his shikigamis that appeared from orbs. The moment the shikigamis moved, shots rang in the air while Mayumi summoned vines to restrict the shikigamis she could get ahold of. Mili went on trampling others while Goku and Gojyo went straight for the offensive at Nataku himself. Some of the shikigami got through their barrage, heading for the villagers. Elders Kiara and Drishna were quick to create barriers while Hazel kept the shikigamis at bay.

“Mayumi, fall back!” Sophie instructed, pointing towards the village. Even if the mages could protect themselves, they will need reinforcements. “Help the elders!” Mayumi was quick to teleport off as the team joined forces to subdue the shikigamis.

Goku and Gojyo kept at their attacks, their movements more coordinated and refined than before. Nataku was still as fast as ever, but they could feel their own difference in strength. As Nataku busied himself parrying attacks from the two, Hakkai would come in sending blasts of chi and gunshots from Genjo. They were closer in contact in fighting him while the others were busy dealing with the shikigamis. They could tell that they were able to fight back while keeping pace with the war god this time.

Feeling the strain, Nataku moved away, creating a chi blast, knocking the group off of their feet. The war god glared at them, frustration apparent in his features. This was supposed to be a routine extermination and it wasn’t going as he had anticipated. Goku was quick on his feet, striking back with his nyoibo, with Gojyo following up with his chain and sickle.

They could tell that Nataku was slowly losing his focus with the amount of shikigamis being produced. It would only be a matter of time for them to wear him down. Throwing Goku and Gojyo off simultaneously, Nataku blocked bullets coming from Genjo, retaliating by attacking the monk directly. Sophie managed to cushion the blow with her ice, but the two were still thrown off several feet away from the sheer force of Nataku’s strike.

“Sanzo!!” Goku yelled, shooting off a chi blast at Nataku to make distance from the fallen monk. Sharak followed through with her own guns, chasing after the god.

“Ch! This is starting to piss me off.” Sanzo commented, getting himself out of the rubble then running back into the fray.

Sophie stared at this development. It looked as if the men had gained better fighting fortitude than she remembered. Genjo was actually keeping up with the fight instead of staying back as he usually did.

“We were in some Spartan boot camp for some time.” Sophie looked to her side to see Hakkai throwing off some shikigamis before helping her up from the rubble.

“Boot camp?”

“Yeah, Sai Tai Sai had us do basic training from sun up to sun down.” Hakkai explained. “Sanzo and Gojyo cooperated out of spite so they could get their vices back. Hahaha”

“That tracks.” Sophie chuckled, shooting off icicles at shikigamis. “I wish I'd get into something like that. Those are fun.”

“You'd have to have a mascot though.”

“What?” Sophie asked, but Hakkai was already preoccupied.

“Eh?”

“Why won’t you give up?” Nataku asked, his tone sounding more like a kid than his prior speech that seemed more robotic.

“Because we don’t want to lose!” Goku responded, striking with his nyoibo, managing to make a clean hit on the War God’s shoulder, throwing him backwards. “The people here are innocent! We need to stop Gyumaoh’s resurrection, not this kind of stupid extermination!” he struck at the god again, this time hitting the leg.

Nataku dashed backwards, avoiding any more strikes from Goku, but was chased by Gojyo with his chain, barely avoiding being captured. It was as if Goku’s words registered in his mind clearer than any words spoken beforehand. “Gyumaoh is being revived? The Ox King?”

“Hey, is it just me, or is Nataku starting to actually converse?” Gojyo commented, looking for Hakkai who was also observing the same thing.

“That’s what we’ve been trying to say this whole time.” Goku said, confused by the change of tone from the boy.

“But I defeated him all those years ago..” he muttered, looking at Goku. “And you.. And..” he glanced at the others, and it was as if his memory was crashing from all the sudden information. “ARRRRGH!!” Nataku crumpled to the ground in agony. It wasn’t long before an insane amount of shikigamis appeared around him and attacking everyone in sight, forcing them to be on the defensive. A glow started to emanate from the boy, and it was as if he was a bomb about to explode.

“Everyone get back!!” Hakkai yelled, setting up a barrier as soon as Goku and Gojyo ran up to them. Sophie made her own ice barrier for Genjo and Sharak. They could only hope that the others were bracing themselves for impact. Nataku’s body glowed a blinding light until it seemed to release all the chi that it had. The explosion was so immense that a crater had formed where the boy had been. All the shikigamis were gone, and so was part of the river that had been flowing there. Nataku’s body lay still, and eventually, a light took the boy’s body up to the heavens.

Having been farther away, Mayumi and Hazel flew into the area looking for the group in the rubble. Finding hints of clothing, she levitated the rubble off of Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku. Sharak, Genjo and Sophie had been thrown further away.

“Thanks, Mayumi!” Goku exclaimed, running off to help find Genjo and the others.

“Oh? What do we have here~?” The sickening lilt in the voice made Goku’s blood run cold. Quickly looking for the source of the voice, he spotted Ukoku holding Genjo by the neck, the blond struggling to get loose. The rogue Sanzo easily removed the Maten Sutra from Genjo, throwing him to the side and avoiding gunshots from both Sharak and  Sophie. “I never thought that the heavens would actually be in my favor for once!” Goku ran towards him in an attempt to get back the sutra, channeling a chi blast that managed to graze the man. “There will be more time to play once I’m done.” Using his own sutra, he created a nullifying attack, injuring everyone in his wake.

With the team gravely injured, the moments that followed was a chaos of mages securing them back in the village. Genjo was barely conscious, but he could feel his ears ringing, the words of everyone around him muffled. The Maten Sutra, his master’s sutra, the last sutra preventing the revival has been taken. They’ve failed. Everyone was so noisy. If people could just shut up. His thoughts became distant as his consciousness faded to black.

Chapter Text

Nataku was immediately placed in a recovery chamber in the lab while a man with dreadlocks looked on, his face disproving.

“Master Li Touten..” one of the lab assistants said, approaching the god. “Nataku’s mental activity is becoming more active than previous sorties to the Lower World.” he stated, cowering at the glare from the man.

“I don’t care what it takes, make sure he’s back to following instructions as he should!” Li bellowed. “War Gods should do as they’re told!”

“Yes sir!”

As the assistants busied themselves with repairs on Nataku’s body, his mind continued to wander. He admittedly didn’t know much of the politics in Tenkai, but he did know for a fact that his father was determined to rule heaven, whatever it took. No one really knew who he had working for him or how much he’d done in the shadows. Right now, he knows that to even have a semblance of fighting back, or exposing his father, he needed help. Goku’s face floated in his mind, comparing how he looked 500 years ago, and now, with the strength he held within. He had grown so much, and how he envied him. The next time he sorties, he would bring the boy back with him to Tenkai.

Yaone regained consciousness, finding herself in one of the castle’s many prison cells. They were chained to the walls with nothing but a thin futon to cushion them from the cold floor. She was in the same holding cell as Kougaiji, and the demon prince had been waiting for her to come to.

“Kougaiji-sama, where are we? What’s happening?” she asked, confused with the current turn of events.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” he answered, raising his arms, chains clinking. He appeared to be  trying to use his powers, but he couldn’t even summon a small flame. “I don’t know what he did to me, but I can’t feel my chi generate my fire.” he slammed his fist on the wall, making the chains clink in disarray.

“I heard you did a wonderful job getting the Koten Sutra.” the sudden voice made the two turn to the entrance of the cell, revealing Gyokumen Koushu smirking at them.

“What do you want?” Kou asked, not in the mood for any mind games.

“Oh nothing really..” the woman drawled. “I’m just here to bring good news! Ni had successfully retrieved the Maten Sutra, which you had failed soo miserably to get all this time.” she pouted, as if it was such a trivial matter. “Before long, your father will be revived, and your mother set free.”

“Ch..” Kou muttered, continuing to glare at his father’s mistress. He had long given up on holding her to her promises.

“Ah but we do still need one thing..” Gyokumen drawled, nudging to some lackeys who entered the cell. They took ahold of Kougaiji while Ni came behind them with a syringe.

“What are you doing!?” Kou yelled, trying to budge from being held down. “Let me go!” In his anger he headbutted one of the lackeys, knocking him out. The other demon held on to him stronger while Ni managed to jab the syringe into his body. “Arrrgh! What the hell are you doing this time you maniac??” he said, reeling from the drug and gradually collapsing on the floor.

“Kougaiji-sama!” Yaone yelled, trying to break free from her cuffs while watching her master struggling to stay conscious.

“Lirin’s energy signature is not enough for the process.” Ni explained, squatting in front of the paralyzed demon. “You’re the missing piece, our dear prince. ” His words dripping with empty platitudes.

“You won’t get away with this..” Kougaiji uttered before losing consciousness.

“Ah, but I have been.” Ni said, nodding to the lackeys to take him to his lab.

Yaone could only watch in despair as they left her alone in the cell. Looking around, she tried to find whatever she could use to free herself from her restraints. Given the situation and how their progress was almost complete, there was hardly any time left. It was no longer a matter of who was the enemy, she needed to save those closest to her, those she considered family. Finding a pin from her clothes, she worked on picking her locks, careful not to bring too much attention to what she was doing.

It took time to get through all her restraints, but the moment she had gotten herself free, she slowly made her way out of the prison cells, and quietly made her way towards the hiryus. Dodging guards and unsuspecting demons, she managed to spot one of the agreeable hiryus and was soon flying out of the castle. She had no idea what state she would find Sanzo’s team, or if there’s anything she could hope to achieve by going with them, but it was better than staying where she knew it was a fight she couldn’t win.

Atharn was using his wind to carry him and Shakuntala over the crater created by the fight that transpired in the village a few days ago. The younger demon wanted to see what kind of damage their village had suffered, and he could tell by the kid’s face that she was quite saddened, what with part of the living root bridge destroyed, and the river cut off from its normal flow. Down below, they could see Ben leading some mages with earth affinity and detailing how they would reroute the riverbed. He spotted them flying and waved to them before getting back to discussing.

“I never thought we’d see such chaos in our village…” the kid muttered quietly. “It makes me feel so small against such a big world.”

Atharn hated to say it, but he also agreed. Having been nomads, they only ever coexisted with nature and dealt with their own issues and day to day lives. The negative wave, war gods, vengeful humans.. they never really had to be confronted with such things until now. “It does make one feel helpless..” he confided, landing them near Mahira’s hut. Even the huts near hers were turned into an expanded infirmary. Even the kitchen had been busy supporting the healers to get the team recovered. Atharn left Shakuntala to her own devices, making his way to Ben to see how he could help with any plans he had for the village.

Shakuntala walked towards the huts, eyeing the injured.  Mayumi was worse for wear, not because she was badly injured during the fight, but because they couldn’t stop her from helping with healing the others. The only reason she would take breaks is when Elder Drishna would threaten to nullify her magic to force her to rest. She spotted the hanyou resting outside of Mahira’s hut where she was being watched by Viraj so she wouldn’t run off to heal her friends.

The foreigner, the man with silver hair and cold blue eyes, was sitting nearby, pensive with the current situation. The Sanzo called Sharak was outside her designated hut, smoking a stick. Mili was off scouting in falcon form, while Goku was oddly keeping to himself most of the time. The Sanzo called Genjo was still quite worse for wear from the incident, having multiple broken bones and deep cuts on his back. He had quite the temper, and their healer, Hakkai was still bedridden along with Sophie. The other hanyou called Gojyo had been assisting with the cooking, saying he could at least so that for his companions since he wasn’t badly injured. She felt most sorry for Sophie, seeming to hardly catch a break from all the things happening ever since that attack from the rogue black robed Sanzo. She looked at the healing mages watching over Sophie, asking for permission to see her. When the mages nodded, she entered the room, sitting by her bed. She could tell that the woman was awake.

“How are you feeling today?” she asked, eyeing her broken arm, and gauze patches all over her arms and face. To her surprise, the woman smirked.

“Still alive, I suppose.” she remarked, raising her right hand to the ceiling and watching it as if she could reach something. The woman was probably tired of getting asked how she was multiple times in the past few days. “How’s the outside world?”

“The big crater at the living root bridge cut off the river’s regular flow. Ben's there right now getting things in order, as much as he could manage.” Shakuntala reported. “... I don't think the lightning bugs will be back any time soon.” She added sadly. Sophie looked at her sympathetically.

“Yeah, they won't be back for a while.” She agreed. “But, they'll come back eventually.”

Shakuntala nodded at this, feeling a little more hopeful.

“Hey..” she looked at the blonde, her eyes shifty. “You think you can sneak me out?” The kid gave her a reproachful look, but before she could say anything, someone else beat her to it.

“You are NOT gonna skulk out in your condition you fucking devil woman!” It was Gojyo, rightfully glaring at the bedridden woman. “You took so much damage coz of how you held and kept reinforcing your ice barrier. I mean I'm thankful but don't go off injuring yourself!” He thunked the tray of food on the bedside table and helped prop the woman up to be seated. “I've already got my hands full trying to keep Sanzo from crawling to Houtou Castle, I don't need another one who'd probably do the same.”

Sophie chuckled, accepting the bowl of phenang. Shakuntala was genuinely surprised when the red head also gave her a bowl. 

“No one goes hungry.” He said gently, almost a complete opposite of how he was berating Sophie. “That's the cook's orders.”

“Mister,” Shakuntala asked before Gojyo could leave the hut.

“Hn?”

“You're a hanyou, but.. why do you have a limiter?” The man seemed taken aback by the upfront question, making the kid want to take back her curiosity. To her surprise, he gave a little laugh. He touched the cuff on his ear, glancing at Sophie for a brief moment, as if asking for permission. The woman just shrugged while slurping phenang.

“It's a long story, but being so close to the negative wave, it triggered my actual demon self at some point.” he answered. “The limiters help me not turn wild and eat innocent kids.” He joked, receiving a towel thrown by Sophie. “Hahahahaha!” With that, he left the hut, off to give food to the others. Returning her gaze to the blonde, she just smiled.

“It was the time I was shot in the chest.” She added by means of explanation. “That's how deep Gojyo can value someone in his life.”

“You must all go way back.”

Sophie paused, realizing it was hard to actually explain all the technicalities, so she just affirmed this to be true.

A commotion outside made them turn to the windows, seeing one of the demons seemingly frantically looking for Elder Drishna.

“Elder!” He exclaimed, spotting Drishna nearby. “There's a demon at the entrance of the village, she wishes to speak with Genjo Sanzo's party. We didn't let her through our barrier as we doubt her intentions.”

“Her?” Sophie’s brain was racing to think who would come all this way. “That’s Yaone!” She exclaimed, jumping out of the bed and using her ice to slide out so no one could stop her.

“Sophie!!”

Reaching the area, the familiar purple haired demon was standing at the barrier with a hiryu alongside her. Relief washed over the demon's face at the sight of her, then mild concern at the sight of her injuries.

“It is you!” The blonde confirmed, dissipating her ice. “What's going on? Why are you here on your own?” Her question gave way to her own realization.

“Ni Jiyeni took Lirin hostage and had us retrieve the Koten sutra for him. And afterwards, he also took Kou.” The demon was distressed relaying the story. “He said he had all he needed, and he just had to add Kou’s energy signature to it.”

“And why should we help you after what you did to my fortress?” Sharak interjected, walking up to the barrier. “We're not in any obligation to save you, nor your prince.” It was obvious that Sharak was holding a grudge.

“But who's Ni Jiyeni?” Sophie asked. It was the first time she's heard the name.

“He's one of the scientists in the castle.” Yaone explained. “It seems he holds a sutra of his own.” her eyebrows creased. “He recently has a scar on his face, and his left eye has been rendered blind.”

“Ukoku!” Sophie and Sharak exclaimed at the same time.

“So that's what Genjo meant that he was helping the enemy..” Sharak said, thinking this through. “My question still stands, pharmacist: why should we trust to help you? How sure are we that you aren't here to lure us into our deaths instead?”

Yaone looked like she was about to cry. “I have nothing to gain by doing that!” She lowered her head. “Please.. I can even help your injured as you need.”

Sharak lit a cigarette, mulling things over. As they stayed silent, Elders Drishna and Kiara arrived, looking on, waiting for someone to speak. Elder Kiara seems to have recognized Yaone.

“You look familiar.” The elder said, squinting at the pharmacist. “Aren't you from a medicine tribe further west? I could've sworn your tribe was obliterated years ago..”

“E-eh..” Yaone hesitated. “It was.. I survived by a fluke and have been serving Lord Kougaiji ever since..” she explained, not divulging much of what really happened.

The elders looked at each other then back at their guests

“She's asking us to help her rescue Kou.” Sophie explained shrugging. “But.. I understand why Sharak would be hesitant to let her in, given the damage to her fortress. I'd personally vet for her loyalty though, if that merits anything.”

“Her healing prowess will definitely be to our advantage.” Drishna commented. She opened a path through the barrier, allowing the demon and her hiryu to pass through. “The moment you show any reason for us to be suspicious of you, we'll be the first to get rid of you.”

Hakkai stirred awake with the sounds of mortar and pestle mixing medicinal herbs, and the smell of some potent tea. The healers of the village didn't have that kind of medicine, so smelling this made him curious of what was going on. Turning his head to the side, a familiar figure had her back turned to him, busy with her work.

“Yao..ne..?” He muttered, his throat dry from the fatigue he felt.

“Ah! Hakkai-san, you're awake!” She exclaimed, rushing beside the bed to hold the brunette's hand. Remembering herself, she looked for an extra pillow. “Do you think you can sit up? I have some tea to help you recover faster.” Hakkai obliged, slowly sitting up and leaning back on the extra pillow the demon found. He watched her busy herself with the tea and handing it to him. Holding onto it, he looked at her with a million questions. She smiled sadly. “I'm sorry but a lot has happened. Kougaiji is being held captive at the castle as part of the revival project.” She explained simply. “I escaped and figured to seek your group for help.”

Hakkai mulled over this information while taking a sip of the tea. He frowned involuntarily at the bitter taste.

“I promise it will help.” Yaone insisted, getting back up to the herbs she had been mixing. “I'll add these herbs as tincture to your wounds.”

Hakkai took another sip from the tea, getting used to the flavor. Based on what Yaone had said, they were pulling all the stops with the revival project. It was only a matter of time before it would be completed. Knowing Yaone, her loyalty was solely towards Kougaiji, not Gyokumen Koushuu. She wouldn't have been valuable to them and probably just meant to keep her until they were done. If anything , her escaping was a favor to them, meaning she wouldn't get in the way. He looked at the demon's wrists, confirming the chafing injuries she got from being held captive for some time. She knew they were nearby, and she knew that they'd be able to do something with the information she knows of Houtou Castle. It would be to their advantage to have her lead the way to the castle. But this was something he'd have to discuss with the Sanzos. He could only assume that Sharak would have her misgivings. He took another sip.

“How are the others?” He considered asking instead, noting that he was the only one in the room.

“Ah, Devy- I mean, Sophie is under hut arrest for escaping to see me yesterday.” She said. “Sanzo's in the other room.” Her tone seemed strained.

“Has he been giving you a hard time treating him?” Hakkai ventured. “He's always a handful when he's injured.”

“I think it's more of his pride..” Yaone commented, surprising Hakkai. “He seems to be mad at himself for losing the Maten sutra. Sharak-san has been keeping an eye on him. Mayumi-san has been visiting to help with healing him.”

“It's no time to be sulky though..” Hakkai commented, thankful he wasn't within earshot. “If anything, the more we recover, the more we should be planning to get to Houtou Castle.”

“You better not let the greenhorn hear that.” It was Sharak by the doorway, smirking at him. Hakkai laughed, finishing his tea with a grimace.

“Sharak-san.” Yaone greeted, bowing to the Sanzo. Sharak waved it off, sitting on the chair on the side of the room. “I've been considering our options with you here, pharmacist..” she said, addressing Yaone. “You know the ins and outs of the castle more than anyone. But considering that things have changed greatly and that they're gearing up for the revival, we have to be more cautious with our approach.”

“I don't think sneaking in would be possible at this point in time.” Hakkai commented, allowing Yaone to remove the bandages on his arm to add the tinctures she made. “But if we go there head-on, they'd see us coming from a mile away.”

“That's true..” Sharak affirmed. “Then we will need to come up with another plan of attack.”

Ben had only been at the Koten Fortress for a few days when Mayumi came back and told him what happened. For the life of him, he didn't figure he'd be literally down in the trenches, but for damage control in Monpas. He only heard stories from the others, and he could only do what he could to keep the spirits up of everyone in the village. With all this engineering he's doing, he was almost seriously considering changing careers when they finally made it home.

“Ben!” The man looked over, seeing Gojyo waving at him and the others, showing a pot of food. The man didn't wait, heading for their site tent to set up bowls of food.

“Oh hey it's that phenang thing.” Ben commented, getting a bowl and passing it to the others before getting his own bowl. “Thanks, Gojyo!”

“Don't mention it.” The hanyou said, waving it off. “The cook would have my head if he heard I didn't get to feed everyone he ordered me to.” He chuckled, getting his own bowl of gruel. “That man is the true slave driver.” Ben couldn't help but laugh at this as well.

“With our progress here, we'll be able to reconnect the river to continue flowing downstream by tomorrow.” Ben commented. “I'd hate for other villages to worry for longer on what happened to their water source..”

“You're too kind, if I think about it.” Gojyo commented. “We already have our hands full as it is, and we don't know what's gonna happen in the next few days.” 

“Yeah, but that's not really my battle.” Ben responded. “You guys can fight, I can't. This is the least I can do while you guys get ready.”

Some of the demons were done with their gruel and were starting up to raise boulders with Ben's instructions. Ben took this as his cue to start up the next steps. Waving Gojyo goodbye, the group went back to their work.

Shrugging, Gojyo packed up the bowls and the empty pot, making his way back to the kitchen. While walking, he spotted Goku nearby, lying on his back on some patch of grass and reaching for the sky. Deciding he had time, he made a beeline for the boy, sitting beside him.

“Still thinking about Nataku?” He asked, trying to see what the boy was seeing in the sky. The youth nodded.

“The way he reacted…” Goku muttered. “I know that he knew me from 500 years ago. But.. I still can't grasp the flitting memories in my mind. I wish I could see him again and talk to him.”

“Ahh. That's troublesome coz he'd probably try to kill us again if he sees us.” Gojyo commented, waiting for a rebuttal but none came. He glanced back at the boy, still staring at the sky through his fingers. He closed his hand into a fist, as if he caught something.

“Next time, for sure.”

Genjo was forced to lay on his side while Yaone applied tincture after tincture. It was the third day of such a process and it pissed him off to no end. His broken arm has been mended well enough, but he couldn't apply too much pressure on it yet. Even if he could sit up, he still couldn't lean back properly and would need assistance. He was even banned from smoking for the better part of his rest to help him recover. In his opinion, not being able to smoke made him feel worse. He was already pissed as it was that Ukoku snuck into the battle and did away with his sutra. Not being able to do anything made everything worse.

“It's not that you can't do anything, it's that you can't do anything yet .” Sharak commented, as if reading his thoughts. Even if the older Sanzo never said anything, she still had a lingering distrust with having the apothecary around. He averted his gaze from the woman with a quiet “ch.”

“Okay Sanzo-san..” Yaone declared, garnering looks from both Sanzos.. “I mean, Genjo Sanzo.” She corrected. “We're good for today's medications. Please do well not to move too much and continue to avoid smoking if you want to get better faster. You can lie on your back after thirty minutes or so.” Packing up her things, she bowed and was soon out of the hut. It wasn't long before Hakkai was at the doorway to come in and check on him.

“How are you feeling today, Sanzo?” He saw both priests look at him, making him pedal back. “Well, I mean, how are you both?” He quipped instead.

“Heh.” Sharak smirked at Hakkai's bluff and did not entertain him, glancing at Genjo as if to pass the ball.

“If you have nothing better to ask, go bother someone else.” Genjo remarked curtly. The brunette laughed apologetically, walking towards the bed and sitting on the nearby chair. He automatically used his chi to check on the healing bones.

“You'll be good with your bones soon.” Hakkai commented, assisting with the healing on his back. “Please do well to also heed Yaone’s advice.” He smiled politely at the bedridden monk. “Don't make this harder than it has to be.”

“Hn!” Genjo remarked. “A rare threat coming from you.” He commented, finally lying on his back and glaring properly at Hakkai.

“The faster you heal the sooner we can get out of here.”

“I know that.”

Ice crackled along the dam that the earth mages created for the river. They were about to connect the river back its path, and they wanted to make sure it wouldn't cause a flash flood. Slowly releasing the boulders, Sophie practiced melting her own ice through the new path. Ben had already designed the water wheel for water collection. With the technician's instructions, Sophie rode an ice raft through the path of the river along with the other mages with water affinity. Ivaan led the group, following the route and guiding the water through tight curves of the river bed as they went along. As the initial pressure of the water was distributed, team slowed down, just watching the river flow naturally along its path. After a while, they headed back to update Ben.

“That's as good as it's gonna get.” The man agreed. “Great job everyone!” Let's pack up here and let the others do their thing.” With this, the mages dispersed, replaced by nature mages who worked on guiding the plants that needed to grow along the river. The living root bridge would take time to mend on its own, and it was up to them to keep an eye on it through the years.

Ben and Sophie sat under the shade of a nearby tree, watching the mages at work. There was almost nothing left to be done but to head west. The sun was slowly dipping into the horizon, the distant haze making it look like it's melting into the view.

“Have you talked to Yaone yet?” Sophie asked, playing with her ice and making floating leaves. The man nodded.

“I just need to work out a few more layers of the blueprint to start us off.” He sighed. “It's like fighting Seth all over again. I'll stay with the elders here. I can only oversee your fight from a distance, and hope for the best.”

Sophie gave him a side hug, squeezing his shoulder. “I promise we'll get our asses back home once this is all over.”

“Yeah.. I don't think I can imagine any other outcome.”

Sophie was silent. She knew there was nothing she could say that could guarantee their victory.

Looking up to the sky west, there was an odd humming, like the sky was vibrating.

“What's that!?” Ben pointed, and it was as if the darker shades of the sky were absorbed by the sun. There was a palpable silence, and as soon as it began, it was as if the sun exploded, a wave of energy coming off from the west and blowing through everything around it. The gust of wind was so strong that it threw off some hut roofs and a few flying demons in its wake. As the energy subsided, everyone picked themselves up, looking around and making sense of what happened.

The sky in the distance seemed clearer, but there seemed to be a newer, more foreboding energy in the distance.

Without any further consideration, Sophie summoned her ice, having Ben hop on and they were soon off to the Sanzos who had grim expressions on their faces.

“The Negative Wave…” Sanzo uttered.

“It disappeared.”

Chapter Text

As the glow of the combined powers of all five sutras started to fade, Gyumaoh’s body showed as if it had been reverted to his form before he was sealed 500 years ago. Red eyes darted back and forth, processing the surroundings. There was a low growl of confusion until his eyes landed on Gyokumen Koushuu and the scientists.

“My love!” Gyokumen exclaimed, rushing towards the barricade when they confirmed that the revival was successful. The giant demon still seemed disoriented, looking about and slowly removing the mechanisms that supported his awakening. He registered Gyokumen, gently reaching for her. The demon held onto the giant hand, smiling at him. “You're finally awake, after all this time.” She cooed. “It's all been worth it.” she ushered some lackeys to bring in Lirin and Kougaiji, showing the demon king that his children were alive as well. The two were still groggy from having been in Ni’s lab.

“You promised to let my mother go.” Kou managed to sputter, glaring at Gyokumen. The woman just impatiently waved her hand, beckoning Ni Jiyeni to take care of it. Gyumaoh was slowly getting his bearings, shaking the floor with his movements. Gyokumen was more than pleased to catch him up on what she could as the giant demon slowly regained his sense on his body. Kougaiji felt ill at the sight, knowing a bloody war was soon upon them.

“Right this way, Prince..” Ni muttered, ushering them to the pillar where Rasetsunyo was sealed. He grinned at the prince. “How I wonder what kind of reunion you'd even have..” he muttered, bringing out a sutra from the bunny plush he always carried around with him. Without much fanfare, the seal was released and Rasetsunyo fell from the pillar, her fall cushioned by Kou. As this happened, Ni Jiyeni had walked out the room and locked the gate behind him. Kou cursed at his predicament, torn with running after the crazy bastard, and making sure his mother comes to safely. Lirin looked on, uncertain what to do. She had never met Rasetsunyo before.

“Mother..” he muttered, almost to himself. He brushed aside a lock of red hair from his mother's face. The woman slowly opened her eyes, smiling at her son. She glanced at Lirin questioningly. “She's Lirin, my half sister. Worry about it later, mother, you need to recover a bit more.” Kou knew that they needed to get out of the castle, but he couldn't fathom a plan. The castle continued to be rocked by his father's movements. He wondered where Yaone could be and worried about their fate the longer they stayed.

Tenkai was in chaos. The moment the negative wave disappeared, heaven's West Army was instantly directed for deployment. Being given instructions by Li Touten himself, Nataku would lead the charge and fight Gyumaoh directly. The rest were to provide support and fight other enemies they identify on the ground. Gyumaoh was not to be sealed this time, but to be obliterated, along with anyone who had been involved in his revival. Teleporting near Houtou Castle, each battalion had their orders to scout, identify the enemy perimeter, and attack indiscriminately.

As the scouts regrouped, they were perplexed to not being able to identify other potential dangers in the area.

One of the commanders looked over to the castle with a telescope. “This is odd.” he commented. “In the least I would have expected some movement from the castle, along with higher defenses.”

“Look!” another commander yelled, pointing at a speck in the distance. The first commander looked through his telescope again, identifying a man in black monk robes.

“It’s a human.” he confirmed. “But what is he doing here?” He signalled a group to approach the strange apparition. “Make sure to be careful, else it might be a trap.” They watched the men move forward, traversing the distance in mere minutes. The moment they reached the man, the soldiers disappeared, as if they never existed. “What??”

The commander looked at the others, confirming they had seen the same thing. Before they could decide, the man in the robes appeared in front of them, smirking.

“Oho~” the man drawled. It was only now that they realized that the man was the rogue Sanzo the upper echelons had been discussing. He had a blind left eye, making his appearance more grim. “I never thought I’d get to play with more gods while we get Gyumaoh ready to roar.” the monk said, his voice dripping with sinister intent.

Without further warning, the man released the energy from his sutra, obliterating half of the soldiers in front of him. Shaking, the others backed away slowly. They had to buy time for Nataku’s deployment, but based on this man, there might not be any battalion left when the War God landed.

“I’m surprised that gods are actually this weak.” the man commented, his coal black eye glinting in what they could assume was disappointment. Not taking his comments, some men directly shot at him, only to miss for what seemed like millimeters.

The commander raised his arm and ordered the battalions to attack at the same time. The rogue Sanzo only smirked, beckoning them to attack all at once.

“Let’s see what heaven’s got, shall we?”

Sanzo and the gang did not waste time heading west. Hakkai had both Sanzos on Hakuryu along with Goku while Gojyo was Sophie's passenger on Mayo. Those who could fly darted off ahead while the others were flown with some of the mages. Yaone, Mayumi, Mili and Hazel led the group in flight while Ben stayed back at Monpas, monitoring their movement on his laptop. They had no idea what to expect. All they knew is that they had to fight for their lives and possibly for Togenkyo.

As discussed, Yaone showed them the shortcut portals to get the Houtou Castle faster. It also allowed the mages to imitate the portals, allowing Hakkai and Sophie to ride through, warping the distance closer and closer to the castle.

After a fourth jump, they had managed to reach the perimeter of the castle. But what greeted them was the least they expected.

The bodies of dead soldiers were strewn everywhere. Their means of death seemed swift, although some seemed to have suffered more than the others. Riding through the carnage, they realized that the soldiers were from Tenkai.

A loud roaring from the castle drew their attention to the fact that Gyumaoh was already fighting, and they could only guess that it was with Nataku.

As if detecting their presence, demons loyal to Gyumaoh came through in droves, charging at the team. Without missing a beat, the group dispersed to fight their way through. The demons they were fighting seemed to be experimental demons, or something of the sort that have lost their senses of self. This proved more challenging than the usual demons they have encountered.

“Ben, I’ll fly off above the battlefield to give you a visual.” Mayumi called to the communicator.  Getting enough altitude, she scanned the perimeter of the area, translating it into data that Ben could use with the terrain. She also provided stills that would help, sending it to the technician.

“ Thanks, Mayumi,” came the response. “ I’ll need more time though .”

“It’s okay, we’re just headed to find Kou.” Mayumi answered back, flying back down, following Mili and Yaone, making a beeline for the castle to rescue Kougaiji while the rest took the fight head-on.

Following Yaone’s hiryu, the group was soon inside the castle with little to no resistance. They figured that majority of the fight had been taken outside, along with Gyumaoh. If anyone would be left in the castle, it would be humans and demons who were not equipped for battle.

“ Ohoo! Yaone-chan, you're back! ” The voice came through the intercom.

Yaone took no time to recognize the voice. “Gramps!” She exclaimed, knowing it was the old demon that Ni Jiyeni played chess with. The trouble was, she knew he was loyal to Gyokumen Koushuu. Despite this, she still tried to ask. “Do you know where Kougaiji-sama is being held?”

“ I do..” came the response. “ But it wouldn't be fun if you could just get to him so quickly. ” As the demon said this, a low rumbling at the end of the hallway caught their attention. It was the sound of gates opening, and soon, there was a rush of heavy footsteps and grunting.

Mili sniffed the air. “Whatever that is, either we buckle down and fight or start running.” they looked at the demon, realization dawning on her face. They could glean varying sizes of animals with strange patterns and appendages heading towards them.

“Those are the chimeras from the labs!” Yaone yelled, looking around and picking a path to run to. “We can't take all of them in this hallway, run!!” Mili quickly turned into a panther, running after Yaone while Mayumi created a barrier to fend them off until they gained enough distance. Flying off with the others, they moved deeper into the castle.

“Man, this place is so dismal.” Mili commented, still managing to comment as they ran. “No wonder Kou was so sulky. Yet ironically tan for someone living in a cave like this.”

“Now's not the time Mili!” Mayumi reproached, slowing down as the path ahead closed down with a rattling gate. Yaone reached the gate, checking to see locks or codes they could reverse.

“There's a passcode but the ones I know are not working!” Yaone exclaimed, trying combinations and receiving the error tone.

“Ben!” Mayumi called.

“ Loud and clear. ” Ben answered back through their communicator. “ Just put the device I gave you. ” He instructed, working on the combinations as soon as the device was on the panel. Mili had set off to defend against some of the chimeras that had reached them, biting, scratching and clawing, whatever it took to disable or kill them. Mayumi would fling them back or trap them long enough to give Mili time. The machine whirred and soon, the gate opened, allowing them to run through.

“Any ideas where they could have put Kou and Lirin?” Mili asked as they made their way through more corridors. The deeper they went, the more disturbing the cages they passed, thankful they were locked in.

“I know a few of Ni’s labs, but I don't know if it would be any of them. But we have no choice but to check.” Yaone said, turning left into a giant room with experimental pods that could fit at least one humanoid inside. No one was there. As they were about to turn around, a rustling from the room caught their attention.

“You girls are too far from home..” cropped blond hair, cat-like sapphire blue eyes, pointed ears, claws and sharp fangs. Shun grinned at them as if he had been waiting for them all this time.

“Wh-”

“Ah, but I'm not the one you actually know..” the demon drawled on. “Shun is dead. But you can call me that name if it makes it easier for your brains. Heh.” Without further warning “Shun” threw out his knives, making the three dodge in different directions.

“Man, this is fucked up..” Mili muttered, hesitating to attack “Shun”. They knew it wasn't Shun, nor Alex, but seeing this thing look like them made it hard to fight.

“Be as it may..” Mayumi said, summoning her baton and attacking forward with Yaone and her spear. “..we still have a prince to save!” Releasing confetti, she twirled her baton in an attempt to tie up the demon while Yaone struck forward, nicking “Shun” on the neck.

“Not bad, not bad at all..” “Shun” smirked, destroying the binds and quickly moving towards Yaone, pinning her to the ground with a hand to her neck. She tried to remove the hand, but moved to kick him in the gut instead, pushing him away from her. Mili swiped in, scratching the enemy on the chest.

“Shun” laughed at them, blood dripping through his clothes. Ripping off his shirt, he grinned, as if satisfied with the turn of events. Raising a hand, he summoned two more “Shuns” from the lab, equally as sinister as him.

“Looks like we're gonna be a little bit delayed.”

“It’s nice to see you again, Kouryuu.” Ukoku drawled, walking towards the monk while they busied themselves with the attacking enemy demons. “At least I get to thank you properly for your contribution to Gyumaoh’s revival.” he smirked, avoiding bullets from Genjo, Sharak and Sophie who had had enough of his talk. “I really don’t understand why you end up picking up so many things, Kouryuu, instead of having nothing.” he continued to dodge while more bullets rained his way.

The ground began to shake, indicating the Gyumaoh’s fight with Nataku was coming closer to them, and the intensity worse. A powerful release of chi, along with a heavy blow sent Nataku flying, immediately having Goku run towards the war god.

“Nataku!!” he yelled, breaking through rubble to get to the boy. Without even turning his way, the boy went back to attacking the giant demon. Without missing a beat, Goku followed and joined in this battle.

Ukoku was watching all of this happen until he had to dodge icicles charged towards him. He grinned at Sophie who was glaring at him and continued her barrage at him, followed by others raining bullets on him. “Glad to see you spunky as ever, my experiment.” he commented, barely dodging chains trying to capture him. Hopping a distance off, he was nicked by a hairline with one of Hakkai’s chi blasts. “Oh? Is this the team that’s out for revenge for the fun times?” he smirked. “I don’t see an issue, you guys know how delicious my experiment is.” he licked his lips as if savoring a meal he just enjoyed. This warranted more aggressive attacks from the team and a maniacal laugh from the rogue Sanzo. “This is what is meant by to hold nothing. The more that you hold on to something, the more that it is detrimental to your survival.”

Ukoku kept his distance while the four kept chase. He raised a hand, chanting while the others blocked. The moment he finished a verse, Sophie fell to her knees, her arms to herself. She was glowing a sickly dark green, eyes indicating she was in pain.

“Sophie!!” Gojyo and Hakkai ran towards her, blocking from Ukoku while seeing what was wrong. Sanzo aimed at the man, shooting as much as he could but the rogue was still able to deflect no matter what they tried.

“Everything hurts!” Sophie managed to exclaim, her palms to the ground, eyes unfocused. “There’s something happening to my body and I can’t- AAAGH” Sophie collapsed, and after the chant concluded, a blast of chi emanated from her, effectively knocking out the three.

Ukoku seemed to smile sadly from a distance. “Well, this is kind of disappointing, I would have expected something more.” he stood by idly, lighting a cigarette while watching the female Sanzo scramble for the others.

“Genjo!!” Sharak yelled nearby, running towards the group while shooting at the rogue. She immediately checked their pulse. There was a faint pulse, and very shallow breathing. It was as if their souls were forcefully removed from their bodies, allowing them a smidge of life, tethered by barely a string. “No..” she looked around, finding a mage.

“SANZO!!” Goku was immediately beside Genjo, holding his lifeless body. He glanced at the others, his expression becoming more grim. Sharak could sense the boy was distraught, but there was little to no time to address this at the moment. They needed to get them to safety. Finally spotting a mage, she pointed at him.  “You, get me someone who can teleport them to safety and look after their bodies!” she instructed. It didn't take long for mages to take over and do as they were told. Looking back at the boy, she sensed that there was something wrong. From what she saw, he was being enveloped with his rage and sorrow, something she hadn’t seen before, even after Genjo was badly burned back then. She was about to head to him to try and knock some sense into him when she heard the breaking of metal, and the boy’s golden diadem falling off from his head. The moment it came off, a surge of energy came from him, making Sharak block the force. An agonizing scream, eyes darting from the sight of the unconscious bodies of his comrades. Sharak gulped, certain that if she as much as breathed, she would die. How did Genjo deal with this boy all these years?? How did he even manage to survive having such an unusual comrade with him?

“Oh, things could be interesting yet.” Ukoku muttered, looking at Goku. “Seiten Taisei..” Ukoku summoned his sutra, attacking the boy but whatever he cast was either dispelled or blocked without even flinching. He struck at the boy, his attacks parried again and again. Goku's demon self was fast enough that he was managing to scratch at the rogue. Perhaps for once, Ukoku underestimated his own strength, or forgot to throw caution, but it was unlike him to do so. But from what Sharak saw, the moment Goku’s demon self was upon him, it was as if he decided not to fight. Or perhaps he did, but the demon was just too fast and too strong for anyone else.

The moment Goku appeared in front of him, his hand was immediately on his neck, effectively breaking it with one motion. The rogue’s hands fell to his sides, lifeless, the cigarette he’d been holding fallen to the ground. There was an unmistakable smile on his lips as the wild demon threw the body to the side, yelling to the sky before recklessly attacking anyone in his sight.

“Sharak!” it was Hazel, flying towards the Sanzo, distress on his face. “This is Goku’s true form, Seiten Taisei! He will attack indiscriminately unless we are able to return his demon limiter!”

Sharak gaped. Seiten Taisei! The one from the legends! And to think it was this boy! “But his limiter broke!” the woman answered, looking at the broken pieces of gold nearby. Hazel went off to try to fight off Goku’s demon form in an attempt to stall for time.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, she glanced at the unconscious friends. “You better fucking come back, greenhorn and others.”

Hazel shot white chi blasts at Goku to get his attention, to not have him go back and attack other comrades on the battlefield. He had a strong pang of dread in his stomach, knowing full well that he was no match for this boy. But he also knew no one else could handle the situation at this time.

“Goku! Sanzo's still alive!” He tried to reason, seeing the boy's glaring gold eyes focused on him. “You have to snap out of this!” based on their skirmish in the past, at least he could avoid Goku as best he could.

Goku growled, frustrated that he couldn't quite get him, making him more erratic and wild. Hazel had to keep his focus on the boy, lest he get severely injured. Summoning his light whips, he made quick work of tying it around the boy, completely restricting his movements. But it didn't take long for Goku to remove them and throwing Hazel off in the distance. The bishop soon flew back, tying more light whips while Goku seemed to struggle for a while. He noticed Nataku nearby observing him in his periphery. He could be mistaken, but the war god seemed ready to intervene. With his last attempt at restraint, Nataku came barreling into Hazel after being kicked by Gyumaoh, releasing Goku. The enraged boy grabbed Hazel and hit the bishop over and over again, throwing him to the side, unconscious.

Seeing this, Nataku summoned a handful of shikigamis to restrain Goku. He had the other shikigamis keep Gyumaoh busy as he tried to reason with the wild Goku. Walking to him, he reached for Goku's hand. “Goku, can you hear me!?” there was a slight flicker of recognition, but the boy was choosing to struggle through the shikigamis, thrashing and throwing some off of him. Nataku got down on his knees, holding Goku by the shoulders and shaking him. “SNAP OUT OF IT!!”

Goku was surrounded by darkness, everything seemed muffled and there was a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. He had no idea what was going on, but he figured taking a direction was better than nothing. Words, voices started to float in the dark space.

“ You can call me Ten-chan!” Tenpou… no… that was Hakkai.

“I have to tell Nataku my name!”

“ We'll always be together.” Kenren.. that's Gojyo.

“I promise, I’ll reach for you..” The long haired blond man looked at him with a pained smile on his face as the gates towards earth were slowly crushing him in half.

“Konzen! Sanzo! No! You promised we’ll always be together!” Goku cried, holding on to the man’s hand until the inevitable gate closed shut, turning his body into golden dust. Goku scrambled to collect what remained, crying for Nataku, Ken-ni and Ten-chan, everything that ever mattered to him in this boring place. The darkness was enveloping him, until he heard someone calling his name.

“Eh?” someone else knows my name? He looked around, seeing a light away from the door. He walked towards it, but it seemed to be getting farther away.

“Goku!!” it was a familiar voice. Walking towards it, he realized that it was Nataku, his hand outstretched, face determinedly reaching for him. “Snap out of it!!” running, he reached for the hand and the darkness surrounding him disappeared.

The noise of the battle slowly assaulted his ears, and he was snapped back to reality that Gyumaoh was there to fight. Looking down at his hands, he saw that he had sharp claws, and that he felt the power of the earth coursing through his body. He was in his true form, and he was aware of it, no longer a hapless passenger to Seiten Taisei’s rampage. With barely a knowing nod from Nataku, they both went on to strike back at Gyumaoh, with a better sense of attack now than before. Goku glanced momentarily at his friends, hoping against hope that they’ll come back. He didn't want to imagine a world otherwise.

Kou had finally managed to have his mother sit comfortably. With the help of Lirin, they managed to make a makeshift seat for her while they helped catch her up to speed on what has been happening for the past few years. The seal being broken on Gyokumen, them, and others at the castle. The revival project that is causing chaos throughout Togenkyo.

“I don’t know what’s happening outside right now, mother.” Kou said, holding Rasetsunyo’s hand. “But if our hunch is correct, a fight is already ongoing to subdue father once again.”

“Your father was a tyrant.” Rasetsunyo commented, looking at Kou sorrowfully. “I’ve always been against how he wanted to rule. I just hope that whoever is fighting him is better equipped this time and finish the job.” The queen raised her hand, summoning her wind, materializing giant fans, ones she had used in battle before. “It would do well for us to step in.”

“But we’re locked in here though, your highness..” Lirin commented, looking awkward at how to address the castle’s matriarch. Rasetsunyo smiled at her gently.

“You can call me mother too if you wish.” she proffered, gently holding the girl’s arm, making her beam with delight.

Kou smiled at this, standing up. “We have to figure out a way out of here first.”

Yaone released a few more bombs, disabling the second “Shun” as they continued their scuffle. Mili effectively killed this one before backing away, being left with one “Shun”.

“H-how can you even manage to kill us like this??” “Shun” asked, indignant of the unexpected turn of events. “Ni promised we would never lose!” he said, throwing more daggers, successfully hitting Mayumi’s baton, cutting it in half. The magician managed to dodge, only getting nicked by the dagger thrown at her.

“We have something we have to do.” Mayumi said simply. “And we have to see it through.” she materialized another baton. “It was nice having a warm reunion with you, “Shun”, but we really have to go this time.” With a flourish of her wand, the demon was constrained with ribbons, and Yaone following through with one final strike straight to “Shun’s” heart.

Taking a collective relieved sigh, the girls slumped to the ground, taking a breather before they started moving again.

“ Mayumi, don’t forget to leave the thing. ” It was Ben, coming through the communicators. “ I just need one working computer and I can work my way through the system - hopefully .”

“Done.” she was taking precautions, in case the demon running the systems was listening in. She had already installed the program that Ben needed while they were fighting the clones earlier. Standing up, they slowly made their way out to the main hallway. Yaone looked left and right, trying to make sense of where they were.

“If we go further left, there’s another lab that we can look into.” as if on cue, the sounds of chimeras approaching could be heard in the direction they needed to run through.

“Is there a different way?” Mili asked. “I’m not too keen on fighting more of them, if I’m being honest.”

“ You have to get to that lab .” Ben answered, aware of how discreet they were being. “ The demon controlling the systems in the castle is in there. If you want to get through unimpeded, you have to get to him and destroy those connections .”

“That’s the longest “no” I’ve ever heard.” Mili muttered, charging ahead to fight through the chimeras. Mayumi and Yaone followed suit, killing those that Mili had missed or was not attacking. “I need a long soak after this!”

The three moved forward, whittling through the abominations until they reached the lab in question. The old demon in the room smiled at them, raising his arms in mock surrender.

“You got me!” he said, the machine-like goggles installed in his face glowing green from the the multiple monitors in the room. Different devices hummed and whirred, an unfinished chess game on the side. Upon closer inspection, the girls realized that the demon was attached to numerous cables actually connected to the system, possibly the whole castle.

“I’m sorry gramps, this is how far this chase is going to go.” Yaone declared, brandishing her spear, ready to attack and possibly kill the man.

“I know..” he said with a smirk. “I could, just as easily destroy everything on my own, you know..” he held a red button, as if ready to detonate something. Without warning, he pressed it, but nothing happened, making the women sigh in relief. Perplexed, the demon kept pressing the button until he realized that he had been had. Cackling quietly, he sighed in surrender. “Seems like new young ones got me beat.” he said. He glanced at his unfinished chess game with Ni. “Since he’s gone, we’ll just go off and play some other time.” With this, he pulled a lever in his mechanical chair, shutting down the cables connected to his person. The old demon slumped in his chair, no longer breathing.

Ascertaining he’s dead with a gentle nudge, Mili looked on at the monitors, seeing Kougaiji in one of them. “There! Kou’s with his sister and mom!” Yaone walked closer to the monitor, confirming their location.

“I know that place!” Yaone exclaimed, tapping at the keyboard, showing the path and how far they were from Kou. “We have to go two floors up from here.” she said, tracing their path to the elevators.

“Ben, can you guide us through?” Mayumi said, making their way out of the now quiet lab.

“ No problem! ” came the response. “ But I would need you to make a detour on the revival floor. ”

“Why?” Mili asked, seeing the monitors blink, controlled by Ben remotely. He focused on the layout, showing the table that had the four remaining sutras.

“ Gotta collect what we also came for .”

The three were soon out of the lab, making their way to the elevators. It didn’t take them long to get to the empty revival floor. Whoever had been manning the area either fled or had been killed already during the initial stages of the battle. Having gone through endless corridors, being in a suddenly large space felt eerie. Walking to the table, they managed to get ahold of the sutras.

“Let me get these back to the Sanzos.” Mili declared, turning into a giant eagle. Mayumi secured it on her form with a pack.

“ Oh no..” this was Ben, his voice strained. “ Mili, you have to hurry! Something happened to Sophie and the others .”

“What do you mean?” Mili asked, waiting before taking flight.

“ From what I gathered from the mages, Ukoku had left something dormant in Sophie and it triggered - Sharak says they’re in between life and death. Genjo.. Hakkai, Gojyo and Sophie.”

“Motherfu-” Mili was soon off in flight. “You better guide me through out of here Ben.” With the rage of an eagle out for prey, Mili was soon out of sight and out of one of the windows.

Left to their own devices, Mayumi and Yaone made their way up to the next floor, easily finding Kou trapped in the room with his mother and sister. Ben was quick to disable the lock on the room.

“Kougaiji-sama!” Yaone exclaimed, hugging the demon prince, then hugging Lirin.

“Yaone!!” Liring exclaimed, hugging the apothecary tightly. Mayumi immediately checked on the queen, using her chi to scan for anything needed healing.

“Pardon the intrusion.” she muttered to herself, identifying some fractures on the woman’s arms and legs and promptly healing them. The queen only looked on, not questioning anything that was happening. A low rumbling caught their attention, making Kou look questioningly at Yaone.

“How bad are things outside?” he managed to ask.

“We don’t have all the information, but it seems Sanzo and the rest are out of commission.”

“What do you mean by that?” Kou asked, visibly already concerned.

“Ukoku generated some sort of weapon embedded in Sophie and it took out their souls.” Mayumi explained, finishing the healing on Rasetsunyo. “Mili's on her way to them with the sutras.” She stood up, proceeding to heal Kou.

“And? What happened to Ukoku?” Kou asked, allowing the mage to check him for injuries.

“Ben?” Mayumi asked, checking on the technician.

“It seems that Goku killed him.” Ben answered simply.

“Ben says the rogue Sanzo was killed by Goku.”

“That's not good.” Kou clenched his fists. “We have to get to Goku, before he destroys everything and everyone.” This caught Mayumi's attention.

“What do you mean?”

The look of realization dawned on the demon prince. “You've never seen him without his limiter, have you?”

Mayumi felt a knot in her stomach, her hands flying to her face. “Oh no!”

Kou nodded grimly. “Let's go.”

“None of you are going anywhere.” They turned to the entrance, revealing Gyokumen Koushuu with some more sentient chimeras.

“Mom!” Lirin exclaimed hesitantly. Her mother glowered at her.

“You’ve played your part. You are of no use to me now.” The concubine smirked, waving dismissively at Lirin, bringing her attention back to Kou. “The love of my life won't lose to such pests.” She laughed haughtily, letting the chimeras attack towards them. As the four braced for defense, powerful gusts of wind blew around them, cutting through the attacking chimeras as if they were paper. Blood gushed out of the limbs as they all collapsed around them. Gyokumen cursed at the situation, glaring at Rasetsunyo who was brandishing her fighting fans, aura glowing around her and was out for blood.

“That's enough out of you.. whore.” The queen raised her fan. “I know how much suffering my son had to endure because of you.” While the woman attempted to run away, Rasetsunyo flicked one fan, instantly cutting down Gyokumen, barely making a sound. Her long hair cut crosswise as the wind sliced through her neck, torso and limbs. The others stared at the carnage in disbelief, then looked back at the regal queen, a newfound respect in their eyes. She smiled back gently at them, as if she did not just dispose of a handful of powerful enemies. “I'm not the queen of demons for nothing, my dears.” She said, ushering everyone out to do what they have to do.

It didn't take Mili too long to find Sharak, landing haphazardly, turning back into her human form and handing Sharak the Uten sutra.

“Mili!” Sharak exclaimed, receiving the sutra, confused.. “Genjo and the rest are-”

“Nevermind that!” Mili urged, pointing at the sutra she handed her. “I grant you the power to use this sutra that governs over life and existence. Bring them back.”

Confused, Sharak unraveled the sutra. “But this isn't- the gods have to grant me usage.”

“I am a god of sorts, it should count!” Mili protested, looking over at her friends.

Prompted by the shapeshifter, and not really having anything to lose, the woman began channeling her energy in reading the Uten sutra while Mili and Hazel cleared the perimeter. A mage provided a barrier temporarily as this proceeded.

Mili trampled on demons while looking back at the chanting Sanzo. “Please, let this work.”

Chapter Text

Sophie found herself in the middle of her apartment, the sound of the world seeming muffled and a bit surreal. Something about the whole thing didn't feel right. Looking around, everything felt too much in order. Where was her phone? What day was it? Things didn't feel quite in place.

“Oh, hello!” It was a familiar voice, and Sophie looked to see a man who looked so much like Hakkai but with longer hair and regular glasses instead of a monocle. He closed the book he was reading and approached her. “We've been wondering when we'd have company here..”

“We?” She asked aloud, finally recognizing the other people in the room. A man with short black hair lounged about lazily on her sofa, while another man with long blond hair stood outside at the balcony, watching the scenery. What scenery? She couldn't hear anything outside.

“Yeah.” The man who looked like Hakkai answered. “My apologies, I didn't mean to be rude. My name's Tenpou, he's Kenren and the man outside is Konzen.” Those names seemed familiar but she couldn't place them. The one named Kenren seemed to be cosplaying some military personnel while Tenpou looked like a teacher of some sort.

“I'm Sophie.” She said, wondering why she felt like a visitor in her own unit. “T-this is actually my penthouse. I'm not sure what's going on..”

The two men looked at each other then back at her. “Well your guess is as good as ours.” Kenren said, standing up and walking towards the private elevator, pressing the button and showing the inside of the elevator reflecting an expanse of cherry blossoms lining what seemed to be an old Chinese temple of sorts. Kenren pressed the button again, closing the door then gestured for Sophie to try and open it. She followed, and when the door opened, it showed an empty high school classroom. She looked at the men, then back at the gateway.

“Try walking through.” The voice was from the man named Konzen who had walked over to them. He had a sullen and bored look, but he looked strikingly like Sanzo. Although unlike Sanzo, there wasn't a hint of righteous angst in his violet eyes. Whoever this man was, he seemed to wish he'd been dead instead. Nodding, Sophie walked through, followed by the three men. Soon, they were surrounded by kids running around.

Sophie immediately recognized it as Lion Mane High, but at what point in time, she wasn't sure. Walking around, she tried to look for anyone she might know, finding Shun and Alex as third years. They ran up to her grinning then held her hand. The moment they touched her, she was suddenly a small girl again, wearing the school's highschool uniform. The men followed behind them where they were brought outside to the sports oval of the school.

“Do you think this means we're dead?” Kenren muttered, more to himself than anyone else. “I don't think anyone can just shift forms like that.” they watched Sophie run off with the twins as they looked around.

“I'm also trying to make sense of things..” Tenpou admitted, glancing at Konzen. “It might seem that we are hooked into her consciousness. Unlike our attempts to enter the elevator earlier, we were actually able to step through this time.”

“We're in someone's dream?” Konzen answered, also wrapping his mind around the situation.

“I think it's more than just a dream..” Tenpou confided. “I think we might be wrapped in something much more than what we recall. We have our names, but, we don't seem to fit in the dream scape or plane of existence. It raises more questions.”

“That expanse of cherry blossoms though, it feels like Tenkai.” Kenren commented. “I have a little bit more reason to believe we belonged there.”

“Interesting thought.” Tenpou agreed, watching Sophie running around and having fun with the twins. “I can't even explain why that makes sense to me. It bothers me that we're lacking information and can't seem to remember much.”

Sophie ran back to them, appearing older with short cropped hair and wearing the male uniform and looking at them curiously. The twins were no longer with her.

“Hakkai, did you always look like this? I feel like I'm missing something..” she said, looking at them as if she wasn't with them earlier.

“Hakkai?” Tenpou asked, tilting his head to one side.

“Yeah, you're Hakkai, he's Gojyo and he's Sanzo.” She pointed at them, confused. She seemed  to be looking for someone else. “Where's Goku?”

The eyes of the three men widened in shock, as if they hit a memory they should have known all this time. Without uttering another word, Kenren bolted towards the school gates at full speed.

“Ehh!?” Sophie looked on with the others and stared when the man was thrown back by a barrier. Jogging towards him, the man looked angry and frustrated as he dusted himself off.

“We promised him we'd find each other again. That idiot better be alive..”

“The fact he's not here is enough for us to surmise that he's still alive.” Tenpou looked at Sophie. “I think we need to somehow wake you up..”

Sophie stared in disbelief. “How do you even plan to do that?” she asked, incredulous.

“Well,” Tenpou started. “Usually the one dreaming has to die.” A resounding thwack echoed where Konzen brandished a fan that was deftly caught by a hand. Tenpou looked at the blonde incredulously as if what Konzen did was extremely out of character.

“Don’t go suggesting stupid things.” the man said, disposing of the fan somewhere.

“I mean, we are in a dream, and we don’t really have anything to lose.”

“I think it’s best I have a say in this situation, guys.” Sophie huffed indignantly, frowning at them. Tenpou looked at  her apologetically before looking around. “Don’t you think we have to prove first that it’s a dream?”

“Well, people don’t get hurt in dreams.” He glanced at Kenren who pointed at himself curiously. “Did you feel pain when you fell down earlier?” The man shook his head.

“I think we need something more substantial than that.” Konzen pointed out, then looked back at Sophie. “Can you try walking out of the school gates?”

Sophie obliged and reached the gate, but was pushed back the same way Kenren was. “It seems like we’re stuck here anyway.” she shrugged. “What if I try to drown in the pool? Or or, like I jump off on top of the highest building?” she suggested casually, making Tenpou more concerned even if it was his own suggestion.

“By the way, what happened to the twins you were with?”  Konzen asked as they made their way to the direction of the pool. The girl seemed to be having a hard time recalling.

“It feels like a distant memory, but it's also like it just happened.” Sophie shrugged. “They’re both dead.”

“What did you say?” Kenren asked, unable to keep the shock in his voice. “You were just playing with them.”

“It's a dream world. I'm certain they're both dead.”

“That seems awfully tragic to happen at your manifested age.” Tenpou commented, scanning the empty pool area. “Well, here’s the pool. Are you sure you want to try it?”

Sophie shrugged. “It’s better than not trying.” running towards the area, she jumped into the pool and let herself sink, eyes open and watching the light of the surface grow dimmer. Without warning, a hand grabbed her ankle, pulling her down deeper into the pool. Looking down, it was Shun, dragging her as he did when they were kids. The more she tried to struggle, the harder the apparition pulled. A memory of something floated in her mind.

"Three. So far. I'd say third time's the charm, but who knows. I'm not pushing my luck."

The mage village, Mayumi, the battle! They had to get back. She thrashed against her predicament, and realized that was fighting to stay in this plane. She had to let go. She couldn't. A movement in the pool caught her attention, seeing Tenpou swim towards her, then past her.

“Eh?” Without warning, the man grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth and dragging her to the deepest part of the pool. Part of her struggled to get free, angry at the man for getting her to drown faster. But she needed this. They needed this. Releasing control, she let herself sink further, feeling the sensations of drowning, dying. Slowly, she let herself feel the water crushing her, filling her lungs, and.. and..

“SOPHIE! CAN YOU HEAR ME??” Sophie jolted awake, unable to move, the chaos of the battle right in her ears. It was Sharak, relief showing in her face yet her brows still knitted with worry. Processing what was happening, she saw Hakkai, Gojyo and Sanzo coming to, with the help of the healing mages. She held her head, feeling absolutely disoriented. “Thank gods Mili’s idea worked.”

“What do you mean?” Sophie looked at her hands, her body, confused what was happening to her. Her body ached all over, as if her body had gone through the process of rigor mortis. “Did we die?”

“That’s our best guess.”  Sharak said, also befuddled. “Ukoku had planted some sort of explosive chi in your body. I’m surprised you didn’t explode into a billion pieces. But I’m thankful you didn’t. But all of you collapsed as if your souls had disappeared.”

“Then what happened?”

“It’s beyond anyone’s guess, but Mili came with the stolen sutras and granted me usage of the Uten Sutra to bring you back. It’s the sutra that governs life and existence. She said she was a god and her granting it should be enough.” Sharak shrugged, raised her arms in surrender, indicating she had no idea how that was possible either. She glanced at the others who were also recovering from the ordeal.

“Where’s Goku?” Genjo asked, trying to glean the battle in the distance.

“He’s been fighting Gyumaoh with Nataku.” Sharak explained. “They’ve been at it for a while. I suggest you don’t jump into the fray yet until you recover. And besides… he’s Seiten Taisei right now.”

“What??” The trio exclaimed, visibly uneasy with this turn of events.

“But that would mean he’s lost control!” Hakkai concluded, trying to stand up. “We have to get to him-”

“He’s fine.”

“What do you mean he’s fine?” Gojyo said angrily, trying to stand up and failing. “No one’s safe when he doesn’t have his limiter!”

Sharak sighed. “Go ahead and take a look for yourselves.” She nodded towards the direction of the battle. The four looked on until they saw that Goku’s movements were indeed very coordinated, unlike their battles in the past where he fought indiscriminately and unrecognizing. 

“How did this happen?” Hakkai asked, looking on in awe.

“After Ukoku triggered whatever mechanism it was, Goku lost all sense of self and the first thing he crushed was Ukoku’s neck.” the four grimaced at the thought, mixed with disappointment that it wasn’t them who managed to kill the rogue Sanzo. Sharak’s expression was unreadable. “The bastard actually looked happy to die.”

“That man, crazy up to the last breath.” Gojyo said, implying he never expected anything less. “But how did he get into his current state of not murdering everyone in sight?”

“From what I saw, the War God held his hand, and it was as if there was recognition, a mutual understanding of something.” Sharak explained, lighting a cigarette she somehow still had on her person despite everything. “After that moment, it was as if they just picked up where they had left off and went on fighting together.” As she said this, Goku was hit by the giant demon's club, sending him flying off into their direction, embedded into some rubble.

“Goku!”

The boy slowly got himself out of the rubble, recognized them and jumped off to embrace Genjo. “You made it back!!” he cried, squeezing the monk. “I was so worried I’d lost you again Sanzooo!” the kid bawled into the man’s chest, his unmistakable demon form acting normal was an odd sight to behold.

“Shut up you stupid monkey, let me go!!” Genjo complained, writhing in discomfort while the transformed Goku wailed. “It takes more than that to kill us, dammit!” Goku let go then hugged Hakkai and Gojyo in turn before stepping back.

“Come on guys, let’s go and win this so we can go home and eat!” he announced, jumping back into the fray. The others were left stupefied, unsure of what they just witnessed, and if they were actually still dreaming.

Gojyo lit a cigarette, stepping forward with his shaku jo. “That idiot, only ever really having food and fighting in that monkey brain of his..” he muttered, running forward and into the fight. “Like hell we’d die here!!”

Sophie had her face in her palm. “He says those things and yet he charges ahead like he doesn’t have fighting in his brain either..”

Mili in eagle form flew towards them, dropping a sutra in Sharak’s hands. It was the Muten Sutra. The shapeshifter reverted to her human form, immediately hugging Sophie. “I AM SO GLAD YOU’RE NOT DEAD.” the woman bawled, refusing to let go of the blonde.

“I am too!” Sophie chuckled, gently pushing the other woman away, remembering something. “Which reminds me..” she walked over to Hakkai in an unsuspecting saunter, before punching the man in the gut, taking the others by surprise. “I saw what you did in the spirit realm!! You fuckin pulled me under when I was already drowning to get us back!”

The winded brunette looked at her apologetically. “W-well it was taking a while and-”

“And what? You just had to drive the point home?”

“Yes.” Hakkai said plainly, rubbing his gut. “It worked, didn’t it?”

“I-” Sophie stopped, folded her arms in front of her and pouted. “Yes, fine, it did.” Hakkai couldn’t help himself with the scene in front of him, cupping her face in his hand and giving her a gentle kiss. Mili silently whooped in the background.

“I’m sorry, but, I’m glad we’re all back in one piece.” he said gently, holding the woman in his arms for a moment, before the reality of the battle brought them back to the present. It didn’t take long for Hakkai, Sophie and Mili to get back into the fray. The shapeshifter was quick to return as a large dragon with an unconscious Hazel in her arms. She gently placed him in one of the makeshift beds on the ground before heading back out to fight. The mages were immediately assisting the battered man.

Sharak tossed Genjo his Maten Sutra, along with the Seiten Sutra. She wore her Kouten Sutra, a sense of assurance in her person as she patted it on her shoulder.

Genjo looked at the scrolls in his hands, finally having his master’s sutra back in his hands, after all these years. Wearing the Maten and Seiten Sutras over his shoulders, he sighed, lighting a cigarette and watching the chaos of battle around them. Both the yin and the yang, under his command.

Mayumi’s group, composing of Yaone, Kougaiji, Lirin and Rasetsunyo were finally airborne on hiryus, overlooking the battlefield. With the absolute mess of battles, it was hard to tell how anything was going to end. They needed a better plan, so everyone can focus on defeating Gyumaoh once and for all.

Mayumi looked on from her vantage point, seeing the big gap where the fight between Gyumaoh, Nataku and Goku was happening. Another area had battalions of soldiers from Tenkai fending off chimeras while Mili, Sophie and Sharak busied themselves with the experimental demons. They were already lucky to have the mages from Monpas helping with some defense and healing, but everyone would be worn out before this battle saw an end.

“Ben, have you managed to render the visuals?” Mayumi asked.

“Yep, yep. The biggest energy drain right now is the constant throng of small fry demons .” Ben commented. “ If there’s any way to get rid of all of them at once, that would be a big help .”

“The queen can take care of that, I just have to be able to direct her towards this plan.” Mayumi answered, noting the locations.

“ As for the chimeras, Sophie: go with the army from Tenkai. ” Ben added, communicating directly to the blonde who immediately left for the area on Mayo. “ Once the small fry are cleared, have the others help with the chimeras .”

Mayumi went off to meet with Rasetsunyo, telling her of the plan.

“Yes, that will definitely work.” Kou agreed, summoning his fire. “We can do more damage together.” He nodded to his mother, then turned to Lirin and Yaone. “Fly off and chase the enemies in a general area. Round them up. We'll make things faster that way. The two nodded and were soon off on their hiryus.

Seeing the plan unfold, Mili was quick to help in corralling the wayward demons.

Summoning his fire and his mother summoning the wind, a flaming tornado surrounded the demons, obliterating the majority of the enemies. A giant scorch mark could be seen in the center, and the stragglers were dealt with by the group.

“Man, I wish we had that kind of combo!” Mili commented through the comms, heading for the chimeras. “Time to deal with the less crunchy ones!” She declared, bounding away.

“Mili, be sure to follow the lead of the team here.” Sophie warned. “I don't want you getting hit by stray tranquilizers.”

“Tranquilizers??” Mili said incredulous. “They're an army and they can't kill??”

“Apparently so.” Sophie answered. “So the killings are actually.. up to us.”

“ It's their rules in Tenkai.” Ben explained. “ Based on available history, only the War God was allowed to kill, meaning Nataku is the ultimate weapon created. ”

“Let's talk about that shit later.” Sophie dismissed, directing Mili to the targets. “Follow their lead. Once they've tranquilized one, you can swoop in for the final blow if my shots don't kill it.”

“Roger roger.” Mili affirmed, shifting forms depending on the size of the monster they needed to take down.

“Hey you guys are pretty good at fighting.” One of the corporals commented. “You, shapeshifter, you want to join Tenkai’s army?” He offered.

Mili shifted into her human form, shaking her head. “Sorry, I don't think I fit the qualifications.” She said, hopping off as a panther, striking down the next chimera. Before long, Hakkai drove into the area with Gojyo and made faster work with the chimeras with their weapon and skills. One of the corporals stopped to get a better look at them.

“Hey, isn't that..?” The man pointed at Hakkai in disbelief. “Marshall Tenpou!?” The others gawked, seeing the resemblance as the man continued to strike at the chimeras with his chi. They then looked at Gojyo, recognizing the gait and the features and gleaning it to be indeed the West Army's First Unit General Kenren.

“So they've been reincarnated.” Said another corporal. “They probably don't remember anything from their past life.” He commented sadly.

“But.. if anything, they seem more alive right now.”

Gojyo saw the men staring, waved his shaku jo onto his shoulders and glared at him. “HEY! We just came here to help your sorry asses, it doesn’t mean we’re taking the burden of the whole thing! Pick up the slack!!”

“Sir yes sir!” the soldiers instinctively saluted and ran to do their tasks.

The red head watched this happen, confused. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t yell that harshly..” shrugging it off, he ran for the next target.

With most of the enemies disposed of, the remaining battle was that of Gyumaoh against the War God and Seiten Taisei. Getting rid of the stragglers, Sharak and Genjo looked on from the distance, uncertain on how to proceed with the battle at hand.

“It’s hard to believe that Gyumaoh was JUST revived, seeing how he almost just went right off the bat fighting.” Sharak commented.

“Such is the power of the heavenly scriptures.” Genjo commented, lighting a cigarette while reloading his gun. “Based on the available stories from 500 years ago, it only took Nataku to subdue him last time, but now, there’s two of them fighting against him.”

“We have to figure out a way to take him down.” Hazel said, sitting up from the healing of the mages. As he said this, Mayumi landed nearby with Kou and his family. The three looked on with mild surprise to have the family of the enemy approaching them.

“We’re not here to fight you.” Kou stated, looking on at the battle. “We just have a few suggestions so we can end this fight.”

The Sanzos looked at the demon prince who presented his mother, Rasetsunyo.

“Before anything, I want to assure you that the will of my husband in no way shape or form reflects mine.” the queen said calmly, glancing at the king. “I would rather help his demise than have this misery continue in Togenkyo.”

“Thank you for that clarification, Rasetsunyo.” Sharak said, nodding. “So what do you have in mind?”

“Based on the need of the sutras to revive him, we strongly believe that invoking the power of two of the sutras can eradicate his evil.”

“That would be the Maten Sutra.” Genjo commented, looking over at the giant demon, internalizing the gravity of the task.

“That’s one..” the queen said, looking at Genjo’s sutras. “But it would be more powerful to also employ the power of holiness, the Seiten Sutra,”

“Are you implying that Genjo should invoke both at the same time?” Sharak asked, incredulous. Based on their previous experience in her territory, invoking both can result in unexpected circumstances. However, they never confirmed the possibility of what could happen. “It might be dangerous!”

Rasetsunyo nodded in agreement. “But, we don’t really have anything to lose at this point.” she reasoned. “If it’s not enough, then we can have a follow up attack. Kougaiji and I can ensure damage as well. If the use of the sutras is enough, then well and good.”

“Hn.” Genjo tossed his spent cigarette, lighting another one. “It’ll be my form of revenge for them stealing my sutras.” he glanced at Kou, and then at Mayumi. “Focus your attacks at Gyumaoh for as long as you can. I will need more time to chant for both sutras to complete this.”

Chapter Text

General Masahito watched the humans deploy their plan to defeat Gyumaoh, buying time for one of the Sanzos. After finishing up with the chimeras, the West Army found themselves milling about, if not tending to their injured. They weren't allowed to go back up to Tenkai unless Nataku was with them. Smoke wafted in his direction, making him look to his left, seeing the red haired hanyou calmly smoking beside the man they've known to be Marshall Tenpou. There was a white dragon perched on his shoulder. The hanyou caught his stare, offering a stick. He waved it off, embarrassed.

“You haven't changed one bit, General.” He commented, making the man chuckle.

“With all this shit, I'm really curious about my past life now..” he said, tossing the spent cigarette and lighting another one. “Did we meet back then?”

The general shook his head. “I had almost just enlisted 500 years ago. You were more of a notorious name to most of us rookies.” This made the red haired man laugh, urging him to go on. “We weren't even sure why you were in the army with the amount of trouble you would cause. You were hot headed, drunk a lot, would get into fights and sleep around.”

“PFFT! HAHAHAHAHA” the man was trying his best to stop laughing. He turned to the former marshall. “Hey Hakkai, you hearing this!? It seems like I was a rowdy general. Seems like whatever I was, is ingrained in my soul or something.”

“A penchant for loose morals isn't really something to be proud of, Gojyo.” The man called Hakkai said, calm and collected, just as how the marshall had been. “How about me, was I a librarian or something?”

“Hey, hey don't be like that Hakkai, I'm pretty sure you were a commander or something!” Gojyo said in jest.

“Actually, he was your marshall.” The general explained. “You were both in the West Army First Unit, directly under the Dragon King of the Western Sea, Commander Goujun.” He looked at Hakkai. “You were the brightest tactician the army had seen in centuries, overshadowed by none.”

“Oh my, that's such high praise…” Hakkai said sheepishly, scritching the dragon's chin. “Did you hear that, Hakuryu? I was some big shot in my past life.” Masahito watched the tiny white dragon, musing that it was possibly the former commander.

“So, how did we die?” Gojyo asked curiously, tossing yet another spent cigarette.

“There was an uprising. You were all caught in the middle of it, along with Konzen Douji and Son Goku. There were many attempts to bury the story, but everyone with sense in them knows it was Nataku's father, Li Touten, pulling the strings.” Masahito explained. “Commander Goujun told your story in writing as best he could, exposing the chimeras in the secret labs in Tenkai. Li Touten was implicated but didn't seem to have been punished for more. The commander soon succumbed to his own injuries.”

“But if you knew.. then why have things stayed the same?” Hakkai asked, looking at him with the same curious and knowing gaze of the Marshall.

“Maybe that's why we chose to do something stupid, Hakkai.” Gojyo commented. “Tenkai sounds like such a stuck-up place where nothing changes.”

Masahito knew they were right, and it unsettled him. Before he could answer, Hakkai spoke up.

“Mayumi says Sanzo’s almost done.” The man stood up and the white dragon almost automatically turned into their green jeep. The two were soon off, followed by the blonde soldier and the shapeshifter god.

“Such an odd collection of people.” The generall commented, looking on before following into the fray. “Come on men, let it never be said we stood idly during this battle!”

“Say, Goku..” Nataku said after being tossed off by Gyumaoh for the hundredth time. The other golden eyed boy looked at him. “Did you ever get to see the cherry blossoms in the garden? I remember promising to go see it with you.”

Goku nodded. “I did get to see it with Konzen, Kenren and Ten-chan.” He pulled the war god up to his feet. “But I still want to see them with you.” He grinned, suprising Nataku.

“You're still as naive as you were..” he commented, preparing his sword and shikigamis. “Come on, maybe we would still have time after this..”

Jumping back into the fray, the demon king roared at them, swinging his giant club. The swing was deflected with strikes of giant icicles, followed through with the club being pulled down by chains from the other side. The sheer strength needed to pull the demon's arm with the club took more than ten men, enough to make him off balance. Nataku and Goku followed through with their attacks, pushing Gyumaoh on his back with a rancorous crash, throwing them off their feet.

“Mayumi, now!”

The magician summoned giant chains and clasps to hold the demon down to the ground but they could tell that it was barely keeping the king in place. Hazel added strength to the restrictions with his own power, but was soon flicked off with a kick when the beast cut loose from one of the restraints. The bishop was soon back in the fray, glancing at Genjo who was still chanting.

“Out of the way!!” it was Sharak, she was signalling that Genjo was done.

“Won't have to tell us twice!” Gojyo yelled, shooing everyone out of the way. They fit everyone they could on Hakuryu while those who could fly darted off. Not long after their dispersal, the unmistakable command of the Maten sutra was uttered, restricting the demon king for good.

“You think your petty tricks will stop me??” Gyumaoh rasped angrily, thrashing through the restraints. “I will have my revenge!” As he struggled, a second command rang in the air, the Seiten sutra flew in. He knew if he didn't act, the sutras would pull him under. Using his sheer power, he was slowly moving through the sutras wrapped onto him.

“You're not getting out this time!!” Nataku and Goku yelled, striking and slashing hard down the demon's chest. This was followed through by Rasetsunyo and Kougaiji with their summons, causing a scorching whirlwind. This enveloped Gyumaoh, the flames devouring him completely into ashes.

The silence that followed the destruction was palpable, almost deafening. As the dust settled, and the charred earth that remained showed evidence, only did anyone say anything.

“Is it really over?” Goku asked, holding Nataku up with one arm slung over his shoulders.

The sun slowly rose in the horizon, revealing the battlefield in the morning light, smoke coming off here and there, and the chaos of the aftermath. There was a sense of unease from the collective fighters, both from Tenkai and otherwise, as if afraid to speak the truth that the biggest threat of peace has been defeated, along with the ones responsible for the revival. The remaining West Army soldiers stepped forward, kneeling in front of Nataku and Goku.

“Prince Nataku..” a commander said, meeting the boy's gaze. “With the objective completed, we must now return to Tenkai and report to the Jade Emperor.”

Nataku nodded, but did not move away from Goku's support. “As such, I will have Seiten Taisei escort me, as he fought side by side with me throughout and deserves the recognition of Tenkai.”

“But-”

“This is final.”

“Yes sir.” With this, the soldiers prepared to go back to Tenkai, standing by to follow once Nataku and Goku set off. Sophie and the rest watched from a distance.

“Goku..” Hakkai walked over to the youth, a concerned look on his face. Genjo and Gojyo walked over, looking on.

Goku grinned at them. “There's just something I need to take care of with Nataku. I don't know how long it'll take though, but I'll find you when I get back.” He let go of Nataku, walking over to Genjo and holding him tight. “I'll be the one to reach for you this time.”

Genjo patted the boy's head, his expression unreadable. “You've always done whatever the hell you liked anyway.” He commented, not letting go until the boy parted from the hug. He went back to Nataku, and with a final wave, the two were carried up into the sky, followed by the West Army.

“And he's off..” Gojyo commented, peering at the blue sky, as if he could still see them. “It's gonna be a rattly trip back without him.”

“Ah but then it'd be quieter.” Hakkai countered.

“I think I might get shot at more often though..” Gojyo admitted.

Rasetsunyo approached the trio, bowing lightly to them.

“Your highness.” Hakkai returned the bow.

“I thank you and everything you and your friends have done that allowed us to end this mess once and for all.” She stated. “It may take more than our lifetimes to undo this damage, but you can rest easy and know that I, Rasetsunyo and my family will do whatever it takes to return the balance and peace between humans and demons alike.”

“That's a very idealistic goal.” Genjo commented, lighting a cigarette. Soon, smoke wafted in the air as Gojyo also took the chance to light his own stick. “After more than two years, a lot of people's opinions have been solidified on what demons mean to them and their own safety. Even without the negative wave, discrimination had already existed.”

“That may be true, but change is the only thing constant in this ever fleeting life.”

The gate to heaven loomed in front of the two boys, imposing and ominous. Goku felt his heart beat in his ears, with the resolve of shaking up whatever status quo there was in Tenkai. He has no idea what he was getting himself into, if he was being honest. He's not as smart as Hakkai or Sanzo to have a well thought-out plan. All he knows is that Li Touten had been controlling Nataku for the longest time, causing that rift 500 years ago. Konzen, Tenpou and Kenren didn't deserve to die the way they did. Killing Li Touten wouldn't really solve all the problems in Tenkai, but it would sure start something. He looked over at his friend.

“Are you sure about this, Nataku?” He asked, warranting a scowl from the other youth.

“I've kept silent for far too long.” Nataku said, his voice small, but resolute. “I never thought I'd get to meet you again, much less fight with you. I've never felt more alive than this, knowing that I am not alone.”

“This would mean raising your sword at the one you considered your father all this time.” Goku found himself saying. He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Nataku or assure himself.

“I've been nothing but a tool for them to not sully their hands. And yet, their hypocrisy knows no bounds.”

The groaning of the gates moved their attention to the “welcoming committee”, a mix of confused gods at the sight of Nataku being supported by someone else, followed by a battered, whittled down group of West Army soldiers. In the centuries of battles in the lower world, it was the first time they had seen the army look so worn down and.. exuberant. It looked like they lost a great number of men, but they seemed to have been victorious. They continued walking almost at the throne of the Jade Emperor who watched them come to him.

The susurrus stopped the moment the two golden eyed youths were faced with Li Touten, a disappointed grimace etched in his features.

“What is the meaning of this, Nataku!?” the god demanded, looking at him as if he had offended the Jade Emperor himself for coming home. “None of the soldiers were to be involved! You were supposed to finish the mission on your own!”

The soldiers that had been with them tensed up, as if ready to throw hands. Nataku straightened up as best he could, but didn't let go of Goku. “You'd know something about war if you actually saw the front lines.” He remarked, glaring back at Li.

“Yeah! And we wouldn't have backed down either!” One of the soldiers chimed in from the group.

“And what is THIS - “ he pointed at Goku, his tone was one of disgust. “-doing here!?”

“He has a name.” Nataku answered simply. “Goku fought with me side by side against Gyumaoh, allowing our victory. I see no reason for him not to be here.”

“His crimes against heaven 500 years ago does not absolve him with one battle!” Li cried, a vein popping on his forehead.

“I'll have you know..” Goku finally said. “I've already served my time. And you know what else? I remember everything. I know you wanted to get rid of me so you could be the next Jade Emperor!”

“Is this true, Li Touten?” The Jade Emperor confronted from his seat.

“No, there's no way I would -”

“The monsters Kenren fought when we were running away back then all had golden eyes.” Goku continued. “The monsters released in the lower world also had golden eyes.”

“What!? I have never heard of this!” Li Touten claimed, just as a head of a chimera rolled in front of him, eyes gold as Goku had mentioned. General Masahito smirked at the man.

“We took the liberty of rummaging the labs that Seiten Taisei described and found these.” The soldier said triumphantly. “Also some documents that the Jade Emperor might want to peruse.” One of the soldiers ran up to the emperor, handing him some dossiers, further solidifying the claims spoken.

Realizing he was beaten, Li Touten slowly backed away but was hindered by more soldiers.

“Li Touten.” The emperor uttered, looking at the god with cold eyes. “It was my utter mistake and almost downfall to have let someone like you etch such vile plans all these centuries past. It is time that you stand trial for all your crimes against heaven.”

Li Touten feigned staying still, and the next moment bolted, along with some men who were still loyal to him helping him escape.

“After him!!” The rag tag West Army soldiers went on to chase him without a second thought. Goku and Nataku joined the chase, going through corridors and corridors until they were confronted by chimeras as Li Touten made his escape.

“Nataku, Goku, please go ahead and run after him! We’ll take care of the monsters!” Masahito said, firing at one of the monsters. “We will not lose!”

“You better not!” Goku called back, running through the chaos. Getting to the lower floors, they were confronted by soldiers loyal to Li, slowing them down. The sheer amount of artillery they had was enough to slow them down. They managed to whittle down the enemies, but Li managed to reach the door to the lower world. The moment they made it through the throng, the errant god was gone.

“Dammit!” Goku banged at the gate, realizing it would take some time for them to get through, and that Li would have gotten quite the head start.

Nataku finally collapsed from his injuries, making Goku focus on the need to get him to an infirmary. Jiroushin guided the two while someone attended to their injuries. Unfortunately, Nataku didn't need an infirmary, but a repair pod in one of the labs. Getting Nataku settled, Goku sat nearby, assuring the other boy that Li Touten will soon be caught.

“You've grown so much, Son Goku..” Goku turned to the door, seeing Kanzeon Bosatsu smiling at him, arms crossed to her chest. “Although I understand you wanting to stay with Nataku but I think it would have been better if you chased Li Touten instead.”

Goku shook his head. “I think the West Army soldiers already have that covered.” He grinned. “Thank you for having always looked after us, Kanzeon Bosatsu..” he said in earnest, standing up to hold the goddess's hands. “I'm sure the others would say the same.”

The goddess smirked. “I doubt Konzen would have said it in the same cute way.” 

Goku let go of her hands, grinning and rubbing his nose sheepishly. “But… with all the Gyumaoh business and journey to the west over, what happens now?”

Kanzeon chuckled. “Beats me. It'd be boring if I knew.”

It didn't take long for the Sanzos and others to sortie out of Houtou, and back to Monpas village. The group had settled into huts while the others milled about. Mili, Sophie and Mayumi met up with Ben, catching him up on the things that happened and where Goku had gone. The healing mages were busy taking care of Hazel, who had taken quite the beating from Seiten Taisei.

Smoke wafted in the air while the two Sanzos watched the horizon, the sun dipping westward, an explosion of orange hues in the surrounding sky. The river’s flow murmured nearby.

“It’s actually over.” Sharak started, blowing smoke upwards, sighing. “It still feels surreal.” she glanced at her sutra, remembering something. Genjo caught the gaze, scoffing.

“We need to report to the Sanbutsushin, even if they already know.” Genjo said, flicking his spent cigarette and lighting a new one. “We also have the matter of having all the sutras with us between us. Of course, I’ll take the Maten and Seiten with me, but then we still have two others that don’t have successors.”

“Heh. They’d probably have their panties in a bunch figuring things out.” Sharak watched the sun turn red as it slowly sank into the distance. “Did you figure out what Goku needed to do?”

Genjo took a long drag before answering. “I’ve read about the uprising in Tenkai 500 years ago, back at your fortress, and some additional reading in Sophie’s world.” he seemed to be picking what he wanted to say. “While we were in the spirit world, we took the forms of our past lives.” Sharak looked on, waiting for him to continue. “It seems that we were part of that uprising, or more of we got embroiled in some shit we shouldn’t have. Hakkai and Gojyo filled me in on what one of the soldiers from Tenkai told them. The politics in Tenkai doesn’t sound too different from our own.”

“I see..” Sharak muttered, throwing her spent cigarette, folding her arms in front of her, watching the last slivers of the sun fade from the sky, giving way to the night. “So Goku went up there to tie loose ends.”

“It seems so.”

It wasn’t long before people were walking in their direction. Mayumi, Sophie, Ben and Mili approached them, walking with orbs of light that the magician materialized.

“Hey you two!” Mayumi greeted cheerfully. “We were discussing plans before we get our butts back to earth.”

“And?”

“We figured since we know the distance from here to Kouten Fortress quite well, maybe we can send you all there to cut a bit of time on your travel back East.” Mili chimed in with the explanation, her eagerness reminiscent of an eager golden retriever.

“I personally wouldn’t decline that offer.” Sharak chuckled. “I’ve been spoiled by your group ever since we met, if I’m being honest.” she said almost endearingly.

“Ch! These four are nothing but trouble.” Genjo commented, glaring at them, making them grin wider. Sophie walked over, putting an arm around Genjo with a smirk. “Come on, you just like talking like that, and we know you’re gonna miss us too.” The blond only turned his head in annoyance, making her laugh as the man swatted her arm away.

“We’ll just visit Vishnu and Risha first, since Vishnu does owe us our return ticket.” Ben quipped, glancing at his phone. “We can go about teleporting to Kouten the day after tomorrow. The villagers will have to escort Hazel back to his town once they’re done healing him.”

“Yeah I don’t think Sister Grace would be too pleased if we return a beat-up bishop.” Sophie joked. “Anyway, the villagers want to celebrate tonight with a joint performance with Mayumi and Mahira. It’s not the usual magic tricks that Mayumi does, you guys should come watch." With this invitation, the four walked off, making their way to the center of the village.

Sharak chuckled. “It feels nice, for once we’re being invited to a celebration without thinking that someone might die..”

“Sometimes I worry that a peaceful life is not suited for me..” Genjo commented, standing up to follow the others.

Hakkai and Gojyo had been busy setting up the stage for Mahira and Mayumi with the help of the mages. They didn’t know what kind of performance it would be, but there was a full string, drum and wind ensemble ready at the side. Aside from this, they also had to help with preparing the food they had to pass around. The slavedriver chef kept all the panipuri coming in batches while the kids ran around passing them on to everyone who wanted them. Spotting the Sanzos, Gojyo ushered them to sit at the front, along with Sophie and the others. Hakkai soon came around handing them snacks and was off again. As the chatter died down, the lights focused on the stage, where pink petals seem to be falling from nowhere, and landing nowhere at the same time. Gradually, the petals moving in the same space materialized into shades of red and pink, materializing Mayumi with a sharp popping sound.

“Welcome to tonight’s celebration, everyone!” the magician announced, waving her baton for emphasis. “Consider this show as our parting gift, before we go home.” she winked at the crowd, waving towards the drums, the demons starting on their cue, slowly building up the beat, joined by the string instruments. A high pitch joined the beat, while orbs on the stage started to float up and down along with the pace of the drums. While the orbs slowly created the illusion of waving lines, Mahira came on stage, her hands weaving above the waves. With a flourish and a wave, the orbs started to follow her as she swirled on stage. The beats of the drum slowed and faded out, while the flutes started on a low, steady tune, then slowly breaking into shorter trills. This made the orbs jump on the stage, up and down, then faster as Mahira stepped into cadence, tapping steps, her dress flowing with each step. The music joined with the strumming of strings, and soon, smaller orbs flew in, adorning her sleeves as she raised her arms into a spiral as she twirled into form. White petals cascaded around her as she seemed to turn into a whirlwind of light and petals. As the beat progressed and tempered back down, Mahira disappeared from the stage, the display changed to a dancing pole, and a different performer.

Short blonde hair covered with a top hat with cat ears, a white halter top with a suspender and short shorts. Fishnet stockings adorned her legs, bare feet stepping onto the stage, and a different song altogether.

Mayumi waved her baton to provide additional surround sound for the song that was about to play. Sophie waved her arms along with the intro tune of the song, left and right. As the verse started, she removed her hat, rolling it along her arm.

I was thinking 'bout getting lost

Taking this thing outside the city

You and I, against the odds

My Bonnie, your Clyde, oh god, I'll ride

Anyway that you want it to go

Girl I'll put it in the GPS

Gun on my side

Anybody that gave you a problem

I'll put a bullet hole in they chest

She put the hat back on her head, hand quickly on the pole making a spin, slowing to point a finger gun at Hakkai and Gojyo, pretending to shoot them. For some reason, Gojyo suddenly acted as if he was actually shot, making the others laugh.

Back on the pole, she pulled up her legs, her crotch against the pole, playing as if sitting on a table.

Get in, get in, maybe use a kitten

Wanna get you home, put your booty on the kitchen table

If you willing, able, I can swing through

Put some ponies in the stable, we ride

Anyway that you want it to go

Girl I'll put it on that GPS

Sun on the rise

Anybody that gave you a problem

I'll put a kitchen knife in they neck, baby

Getting back on the stage, she pretended to carry a heavy bag, sauntering and tossing it, shooting the air, but green confetti started flying everywhere. The crowd oohed and ahhed,  cheering at the mysterious and unusual show.

I was thinking 'bout getting rich

And taking this thing down to California

You and I, in the whip

My Mallory, your Mickey

The love of my life

Anything that you wanted to get girl

You ain't even gots to ask

Run in the night, anybody that wanted to stop us

I put some buck shot in they ass, test me now

Slinking towards Hakkai, she pulled at the collar of his shirt, sliding a finger to his chin, making him look at her with a smirk.

We're like Bonnie and Clyde

A bag full of money in the trunk girl

Partners in crime

Whenever you want girl, I'm ready to die (for ya)

In and out of lanes on the run, heading south on the five

Walking back to the center of the stage, she turned around and bowed as the curtain closed on her act.

Just like Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde

Partners in crime

Whenever you want girl, I'm ready to die

Heading south on the five

Just like Bonnie and Clyde

The crowd was silent for a beat, then an uproar erupted, cheering as if people were choosing to lose their voices tomorrow. The curtains came back up, revealing Mayumi, Mahira and Sophie, taking their bow. If they thought the crowd could not get any louder, it did. Mahira took center stage while Mayumi and Sophie went to the back.

“May we continue to embrace the different and learn from others as life goes on in Monpas.” Mahira started. “Although I don’t think we can match Miss Sophie’s unique performance, may it be an example of what is possible.” The crowd clapped solemnly. “This may be the end of their time with us, but this is only the beginning of all the changes Togenkyo will see from now on.”

The drums and other instruments continued to play a slower beat to mellow down the crowd from the performances of the night. Hakkai and the cook continued to provide drinks and refreshments as the crowd discussed anything and everything.

Sharak turned to Genjo with a bemused smile. “Are people from Earth all this interesting?” she asked, chewing on a panipuri.

Genjo scoffed. “Nah, they’re much more boring and common… these idiots are the exception.”

Sophie had snuck away from the festivities, sitting on a boulder near the new path the river was taking after all the chaos from the past weeks. She was still wearing her performance clothes, but with her jacket over her top. She nursed a cup of tea someone had handed her while she picked at the panipuri bowl beside her. She looked at her reflection, amused at the cat ears on her top hat, making it look silly. She didn’t even know what came over her allowing her to go through such an impromptu performance. Mayumi did such a sly trick getting her on the stage without the others noticing.

Even if it was hard to admit, it felt good, to be back in her own skin with that performance. Despite everything that’s happened, she felt like she had reclaimed a bit of herself through dance.

A rustling nearby caught her attention, spotting Hakkai and Gojyo nearby, showing a bottle of sake they got from somewhere. Motioning them to join her, the two men set up their small glasses and poured sake for each of them. Gojyo picked up one and ceremoniously gave it to her, making her giggle.

“Thanks, Lottie’s Scrunchie Knight.” she remarked, knockin the drink back at the same time with the others.

“Dawww, why’d you have to go mentioning her..” Gojyo said somberly. “Not a day has passed that I don’t miss her.”

“I’ll let her know.” Sophie said with a small smile.

“That was such a surprising number Sophie.” Hakkai commented, looking at her curiously. She knew what that statement meant, why it was unexpected.

“I felt the need to reclaim a part of me.” she shrugged. “I don’t want things that matter to me to be dampened just because someone hurt me.” A hand wrapped around her shoulders. Looking up, she realized that Hakkai was trying to give her a reassuring side hug.

“Well. I’m glad to see that spark.” Gojyo said, lighting a cigarette and puffing smoke up at the moon. “And UNFORTUNATELY, it’s something we’re gonna miss seeing again.”

Sophie sighed. “Yeah.. unfortunately.” Hakkai filled her tiny cup again, and the three watched the river in silence for a while.

“Ah, I wish we had some of the kewpie mayo that Sanzo liked.” Hakkai said out of nowhere, making the other two laugh.

“If I’d known we’d be here, I’d have brought a whole gallon for the monk.”

“Ah, but maybe that would spoil.”

“Dammit Hakkai, don’t take it too seriously.”

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Chapter Text

The following day, the villagers were greeted with the presence of Lakshmi and Vishnu, along with their errant villager, Pratham. Seeing the gods, Ben trotted over to them in greeting. Pratham made his way to report back to Elder Drishna.

“Glad to see you’re doing well, Vishnu.” the blue haired man greeted with a wave. The others were close behind, wondering with the sudden appearance of the gods. They were supposed to visit them later that day. The blue god nodded, absently rubbing the stubs that were his extra arms. “I too am glad to see that you are well and safe, Ben.” he returned, nodding to the others. “I am aware of my promise to send you back to earth, but we are directed to return to Tenkai.”

“Ehhh?” Ben’s shoulders sagged forward in disbelief. “Is there any way to get a refund??”

“Refund?” Vishnu asked, almost to himself. “Anyway, Sai Tai Sai asked us to relay a message.”

“Eh? Sai?” Mili asked, curious what the other shapeshifter would want.

“Get back to Kouten, the Sanbutsushin needs to talk to the people from Earth, and would like the report from the current Sanzos.” Vishnu relayed. When the others gave him a questioning look, he just shrugged. “That’s all they said.”

Risha looked at them apologetically as well. “I wish we could give you more information, but there's nothing else.” she bowed to them. “I’m glad to have still been given the chance to see you all again before you leave. Thank you again for all your help with my village. May the heavens continue to guide and protect you.”

The others nodded, waving them off as they went back up to Tenkai.

“There goes that goddess booty - I mean - beauty- ow!” Gojyo did not manage to avoid the fan thrown at him.

“You’ve already been spared so many times, you perverted water sprite. Don’t make Vishnu come back and end you.” Genjo warned, hiding his fan.

“Hey look, he better up his game, we’re on even hands now.” Gojyo retorted.

“At least that saves us one trip.” Mayumi shrugged. “If everyone's ready, we can head back to the Kouten Fortress later. I'll just have to get a few mages to help us get there.” She immediately went off to ask help from Elder Kiara. Ben still looked dejected. Gojyo walked over to pat the man reassuringly.

“I was really looking forward to getting home sooner than later.” He whined. “I've been dreaming of a long tub soak for weeks.”

“Hey, think of it as some sort of delay. You'll get it eventually.” Gojyo offered as his way of comfort.

“But..” he sighed. “What if we have to go back with you guys all the way East? Are we gonna be stuck here for two more years?”

“Ah. You do have a point there.”

By late morning, the group had assembled in the clearing just outside the village. Hazel was there to see them off, but he had to stay in Monpas for a few more days. Some demons they had grown close to were also there to see them off. Viraj, Atharn and Ivaan gave gifts to Sophie while Shakuntala gave all of them little woven charms she and the other kids had made. The cook insisted on having a pot of phenang with them to share at the Fortress.

Having the mages ready, Mayumi led the team, her power resonating with the mages. Waving their thanks, the group soon vanished from Monpas, reappearing further East, into Sharak’s territory.

“Sharak!!” It was Hassan, running towards them, pausing at the sight of the additional Genjo’s party and Sophie. “We've been worried sick since the Negative Wave vanished! We heard from Sai Tai Sai.” He motioned to the cart that would take the others to see Sanbutsushin.

“I missed you too, Hassan.” Sharak said, immediately ushering Sophie and her group to the cart while she got on the front seat of Hakuryu with Hakkai. Gojyo and Sanzo moseyed in the back.

As they started their trip to the temple, Hassan introduced himself to Sophie and Mayo.

“It's great to finally meet you, Sophie.” He said sincerely, shaking the blonde's hand. “I've heard so much about you from your friends. Too bad we didn't get to meet under better circumstances.”

“Same.” Sophie said, bemused by this man's cordiality.

“Hey, Hassan.” Mili said, getting the man's attention. “Why didn't Sai see us? It almost seems like he's avoiding us or something.”

Hassan shook his head. “They didn't let on much, but it seems like he's monitoring some big changes in Tenkai.”

“Big changes?” Mayumi added.

“Yeah, something about the place has been shaken from its own complacency, confronted by things under their nose. Or something.” The man just shrugged. “These beings, always so cryptic.”

“At least I'm not.” Mili quipped. “Imma just go check ahead.” She said, quickly shifting into a sparrow and was off into the sky. Spotting the green jeep, she looked on ahead, seeing Talchie’s temple, with the giant tree starting to bud leaves again. She assumed this was due to the Negative Wave no longer altering the growth of things. Landing nearby, she walked around the temple and was soon stopped by some monks who told her to stay put while the others got there. They didn't like anyone loitering in the area. Sticking her tongue out at them, she watched Hakuryu as his dust billowed along. It was hard to believe that they were almost on their way home. Having been here for so long, it actually felt bittersweet to leave. Waving to the guys in the jeep, they alighted and stretched, making their way inside the temple while the others followed. Inside, they were greeted by more monks who led them into the chamber to see the Sanbutsushin.

“I am glad to still have been able to see your successful return.” the group turned, seeing Talchie in her usual outfit. Something about her form made her look more frail than they last saw her.

“We did tell you we would.” Genjo commented with a smirk, warranting a glare from the living goddess.

“Go on picking fights with your talk.” Talchie said, waving them off to the chamber. Mayumi and Mili passed her by with friendly waves. Sophie and Mayo just looked on, nodding respectfully. Something about their eyes meeting made her call to the blonde. “You.”

“Yess?” Sophie stopped in her tracks, eyes curious.

“You’ll be fine.”

Sophie was taken aback by this sudden declaration, but she grinned at the goddess, materializing a thick snowflake as big as her palm and handed it to Talchie. “Thanks!”

The living goddess accepted the ephemeral gift, smiling and waving them off. As the doors to the chambers closed, she looked at the ice slowly melting in her hand. “These kinds of things are the most beautiful.”

Inside the chamber, Sophie and the others were quiet, observing how formal Genjo and Sharak were. The Sanzos actually wore their robes properly, sutras on their shoulders, along with their coronet on their heads.

Despite their stories of what happened last time, it felt unusual to see them stepping forward and actually showing proper respect towards the gods. The water in the chamber lit up, showing three floating faces down to their busts, looking down at them.

“Oooh that's so cool.” Ben muttered and was immediately elbowed by Sophie to keep quiet.

The two Sanzos knelt down, their heads bowed. The four kept standing, uncertain what to do, but didn’t want to be rude either. They glanced at Hakkai and Gojyo who were just casually standing by, copying their behavior.

“We have heard of your success in the battle of Gyumaoh.” said the man in the middle. “With this, we congratulate you, along with your friends from Earth.” the man looked at them briefly. The four responded with small waving gestures.

“Now..” the woman on the left spoke up, a more stern voice. “Let us hear the status of things after the battle, Sharak Sanzo.”

“Yes.” Sharak said, raising her head. “As of this time, Gyumaoh’s wife, Rasetsunyo has taken over Houtou Castle, along with her son, Kougaiji, and daughter Lirin. They were also pivotal in subduing and eliminating Gyumaoh.” Sharak paused, but when the Sanbutsushin did not speak, she continued. “Rasetsunyo gave us her word to begin the work of undoing the damage her husband had done, and to reflect these changes in the lifetimes to follow.”

“That’s well and good.” The one on the right spoke up. “However, things remain to be seen, and Tenkai will bear witness to all of this. Now, for the matter of the scriptures, Genjo Sanzo.”

“Yes.” Genjo looked up. “Given the current situation and the outcome of the battle, only Sharak and I are left as living successors of the sutras. I have with me the Maten and Seiten sutras, while we have no successors for the Uten and Muten sutras.”

“That is indeed quite the predicament.” the man in the middle uttered, looking at the monks presenting the two, masterless scrolls. “However, we are aware that the Uten sutra was granted usage to Sharak.” the Sanbutsushin all looked at Mili who chuckled sheepishly.

“We uh, we were kinda desperate.” she mumbled, shrinking into herself, embarrassed.

“With this development, we officially grant Sharak Sanzo as the successor of the Uten sutra.” the man in the middle announced. “However, should any new Sanzo be found as a suitable successor for it, then it shall be granted to them.”

“Understood.” both Sanzos said at the same time. Genjo raised his head.

“But what of the Muten Sutra?” he inquired, knowing what damage it was able to do, and the amount of grief it had given.

“In the meantime, it shall be under your safekeeping in Kieun Temple.” The woman on the left ordered. “We trust that it will not fall into the wrong hands with your group-”

“AAA! YOU’RE TALKING TO SANZO I TOLD YOU I WANTED TO TALK TO THEM TOO NO FAIR!”

The ever familiar voice of an offended monkey rang in the chamber, and soon, Goku was in one of the three’s image, looking down at the collected group. “Whoah this is so cool! Sanzo! Gojyo, Hakkai! Sophie, Mili, Mayu, Ben, Mayo, Hakuryu!! I’m so happy to see you!!” Goku practically pushed the Sanbutsuhin out of frame. “You have no idea how much I miss you guys! It’s gotten so busy here, but we’re off looking for Nataku’s dad so it might take a while to see you again. I’m going around with Nataku to see the spots he wanted to show me before and-” the group stared, dumbfounded, looking at Goku in his form as Seiten Taisei, in Tenkai, and seeming to make a mess of things. The boy was eventually dragged out of the room with the help of Jiroushin and Nataku, profusely apologizing to the Sanbutsushin.

After a bit of commotion, the three gods recovered, composing themselves.

“As we were saying-”

“Excuse us..” this was Hakkai, raising his hand and looking at the three. “We just can’t simply ignore that outburst. What exactly is going on and why does it need Goku’s involvement?”

The Sanbutsushin looked at each other. “Some information is confidential as these are matters of the heavens.” the woman on the right said. “However, since it directly involves your companion, we can divulge a bit more information. There are changes happening in Tenkai, and a god is currently at large for his treachery to the Jade Emperor. The law of no killing has been lifted from the army soldiers, but only for the army. However, these changes are still subject to further scrutiny. The post of the War God will never be filled ever again, however, Prince Nataku will still support the army as necessary. He will be subject to further training and studies along with Seiten Taisei-”

“Ahem-” the man in the middle cut her off, reminding her of their limits. “Anyway, we want to assure you that he is in good hands, and he is allowed to visit you at any time he wishes to do so once things have settled down here.”

“Oh, that’s good to know!” Hakkai said, expressing the relief of everyone in the room. “Everyone knows Sanzo would get too cranky without Goku around..” he quipped, warranting a glare from the monk.

“As for the people from Earth..” The Sanbutsushin shifted their attention to the four plus Mayo. “We recognize that you being dragged here was initially unintentional, but has become quite pivotal in the end. Our world is in your debt for coming to our aid. Mayumi Englewood.”

“Yes?” Mayumi answered, stepping forward.

“We understand that your roots are from this world, and you have barely learned the ways of your clan.” the woman on the left said. “You have the choice to stay here as long as you want to catch up on what you’ve missed, and you can go back to Earth once you feel ready to do so.”

The hanyou stared, unable to give an answer to such an offer. “I-I’ll give it some thought, I will have to get back to you on this…” she looked at her friends who were just as dumbfounded as she was.

“Mili Ortega.” they summoned.

“Yeppers.” Mili said with a little salute.

“Your world does not have any means for you to hone your shapeshifting skills further.” the woman on the right said. “We have tasked Sai Tai Sai to train you, should you wish to accept.” Seeing the shapeshifter’s face, she added: “We’ll give all of you two days to give us a final decision.”

“Ben Whitlock.” Ben shrugged, stepping forward. “You may think that your technological skills are limited to your world, however, your skills on their own are enchantments.”

“... come again?” the blue haired man said, making the gesture as if to unblock his ears.

“Your skills, the science you know, is more than the machines you create. It stems from its own magic.” the Sanbutsushin patiently explained. The man only stared back. “Togenkyo will need your aid to fasttrack a few changes in some villages that need it. We’ve seen what you have done for Monpas, and this can also help while you traverse eastward.”

“Hey now, that’s a very tall order.” Ben was ready to state his case and put his foot down. He didn’t want to stay longer as some free labor from the gods.

“Our credit card with Genjo Sanzo’s party will cover all expenses you need, and the equivalent of your salary on Earth.”

“Sold.”

The girls looked at their friend who was grinning from ear to ear, disbelief in their faces that their quiet technician would want to play this game so easily in this world.

“But you were just whining about this back at Monpas!” Mili countered. “You said you didn’t want to stay here two years just to go back East!”

“You will be assisted on your travel east.” the man in the middle cut in. “By order of the Jade Emperor, you will be teleported to each village that needs assistance, stay there a few days before moving to the next one.”

“I’m pretty sure this is some deus ex machina shit though..” Sophie commented. “But I’m all for it.”

“Sophie Callie,” the Sanbutsushin called, making the blonde start at the mention of her name. “You have gone through so much since this whole mess began, since you were mere children.” Sophie gave them a look that asked them to get to their point. “We ask nothing of you, but to accompany Genjo’s party back East. Do what you will with your time. You may also have the option to head back to Earth should you wish.”

Sophie smirked. “Like hell I’d go back too soon.”

“We will see the four of you again in two days.” The Sanbutsushin nodded as if internally concluding the discussion, and the waters were still, as if nothing was ever there. The group was quiet, slowly filing out of the temple and back to the outside world. The two Sanzos almost immediately removed their formal appearance and were quick to light their cigarettes. The four friends walked off a distance away, trying to make sense of what happened.

“Damned gods doing whatever they want still.” Genjo muttered, looking at his companions. “Looks like our road trip is still going to continue until we get back home.”

“Ugh, I don't look forward to going back to our apartment, if I'm being honest.” Gojyo said, lighting his own cigarette. “God knows if Banri came back and trashed the place again while we were away.”

“It might be highly the case..” Hakkai agreed, his posture suggesting that he was imagining what kind of damage they would deal with once they were back. He shrugged. “I guess we'll just have to find out.”

“Their offer just feels like it’s too good to be true..” Mayumi started, looking back westward, as if being able to see Monpas village from where they stood. “We’ve been gone from home for far too long already.”

“Yeah I get that, but what’s a few more weeks?” Ben said cheerfully, practically singing to himself.

“I get your want for adventure, Ben, but, having our asses beat so much during this journey, I really just want to go home.” Mili said, sighing and squatting from where she stood. “I actually miss my job.”

“But imagine what Sai Tai Sai could teach you.” Sophie commented. “It’d be a waste not to learn from someone like you.” she created some animals with her ice, just floating on her palm. “I’m kinda jealous, if I’m being honest.. They’re just telling me to do what I want! What kind of reasoning is that?? It’s like parents apologizing for traumatizing their kid by telling them they’re free.” The others looked at her with sympathy in their eyes.

“But you get to do whatever you want.” Mayumi stated.

“Yeah, but that’s just like untethering a dog who had known nothing but the distance of their yard.”

“Say..” Sharak began, looking at Sophie and her friends. “How did you even manage to meet those kids?”

“It's a very long story.” Hakkai laughed, folding his arms in front of him. “We met them when they were 15 or 16, I believe. They've gone through a heck of trouble since then. Sharak looked at him, knowing that the age and the math didn't add up. “We first met them back when we were starting out our journey two years ago, to fulfill some prophecy back then. I don't know if you've heard of it.. but it's insignificant now. Then after we left your Fortress last time, we were roped back into their world, and somehow, time jumped forward for them. We came back with them at the same age as us.”

“Huh, that's so strange.” Sharak commented. “It doesn't have rhyme or reason.”

“I'd say it was for plot convenience.” Hakkai said, warranting glares from his two companions. Sharak didn't comment.

“They remind me of you guys..” she said finally. “They seem to have lived through unimaginable horrors at such a young age, and yet, they still manage to laugh.”

“What else ya gonna do?” Gojyo shrugged. “Ya gotta play with the hand you're dealt.”

Despite the Negative Wave no longer being an issue, the Koten Corps continued their duties in patrolling the surrounding villages for potential demon attacks. Even if Rasetsunyo had taken over, not everyone is aligned with recent events. Sophie and the others discovered that Sharak and the corps handled a total of eight villages, each protected by the Koten scriptures. While waiting for the two days, they helped with checking on the villages. Sophie drove to two villages Mayo with Ben, while Mayumi and Mili flew to another two while Hakkai and the Koten corps divided the remaining villages.

Landing at the village on their map, Mayumi and Mili spotted Parvati, the woman who helped them when they first landed. They waved to her, the woman smiling upon reaching them.

“It's so wonderful to see you both doing well.” She realized that Mayumi's hair was now red and it dawned on her that she was a hanyou. “Oh my.. you're..”

Mayumi nodded. “My roots are from Monpas village further west.” She said by way of explanation. To their surprise, Parvati removed her hat, revealing pointy ears, and a demon birthmark on her hairline. It dawned on them that their village was also a demon village.

“I'm sorry we didn't reveal ourselves the first time we met..” the woman said. “We were only trying to survive.”

“No need to apologize, Parvati, we understand.” Mili said, smiling. “Anyway, with the Negative Wave gone, I hope things would be easier for you and your fellow villagers.”

“I'm afraid change won't happen overnight, but we will get by.” 

“Sharak actually had us come here to see if you needed anything.” Mayumi finally said, bringing out pen and paper. “Are there supplies that you would need? We can get them for you within the day.”

“Oh! That's wonderful! Let's see.. we're low on some crops…” Parvati beamed as the three bent down to start listing the village’s needs.

Sophie and Ben arrived at Osk village, one of the villages that had been razed by a fire caused by demons a few months ago. The villagers were already back in their homes even with the repairs ongoing.

“We should have Mayumi come over here and help with repairs.” Ben muttered, taking pictures of the damage, detailing them for the magician. Sophie had already gone off to ask the villagers what kind of help they needed so they could report back to Sharak and the corps. He continued walking around, noting how the barren trees here were also starting to bud, as if beckoned back to life after the Negative Wave disappeared. He looked around the land, realizing the the place was coming back to life, slowly but surely.

“Hey Ben.” He turned to see Sophie walking back to him, her expression unreadable. “Are you absolutely sure you want to travel back East with the guys?” He shrugged.

“I thought I was..” he admitted.

“But?”

“It seems like, this world doesn't really need us like the Sanbutsushin make it out to be.” He confided. “I think they can perfectly manage without us.” The blonde seemed to smile in relief. “You're itching to get back home too, aren't you?”

“Believe it or not, I am.” Sophie said. “I worry about Lottie. Even if she can handle things without us, she can't always be carrying all that burden.”

“Yeah…” Ben sighed. “Hey, can you bring us up above the town? Let me just get an aerial.” As Sophie summoned her ice and got them high above the town, he took stills for additional data. “I think Lottie sometimes forgets we can carry our own weight, that we're actually grown ups now.”

“It’s her own past that leads her to such behavior.” Sophie shrugged, bringing them back to the ground. Looking for Mayo, she nodded to the cat to turn back into their ride. “Come on, let's head to the next place.”

Waving to the villagers, they were back on the dusty path, headed South to the next village.

“We're all orphans, her included.” Ben muttered through his helmet. “She just happened to be older than us and she was in a position to help. She made us feel valued, cared for and a hell lot less alone in the world.”

“And that's because she needed to feel those things too.”

This statement from the blonde made Ben pensive, just looking at the dry scenery while they drove on. Lottie needed them as much as they needed her.

The two days went on with the group helping out Sharak’s territory up to the best of their abilities, and soon, they were back in the presence of the Sanbutsushin. This time, it was just the four of them, without Genjo’s party, nor Sharak.

“We are glad to see you again.” The man in the middle said, looking at them. “So, have you made a decision regarding our previous discussion?”

“Yes, we have.” Sophie said, stepping forward. “And we would like to set our own conditions.”

Genjo and Sharak were in the library, reading more on the sutras when Hassan knocked, looking for them.

“What is it?” Sharak said simply, not even looking up from her scroll.

“Sophie and her friends are back from meeting the Sanbutsushin.” He stated. Seeing that the two Sanzos weren't budging, he decided to relay the rest of the news. “They're leaving for Earth now.”

“So they declined the Sanbutsushin.” Genjo said, finally looking up. “I expected as much.” Sighing, he put down the book he was reading and stood up to follow Hassan out the door. Sharak followed suit and the trio were soon off into the middle of the Fortress, finding Hakkai and Gojyo already there, exchanging goodbyes with the four. They waved upon seeing them.

Sophie out a hand on her hip, grinning at the Sanzos. “Sorry if our exit seems abrupt, but we really can't stay any longer.”

“What changed your mind?” Sharak asked, eyeing their relaxed demeanor.

“Well, a monk once said, even birds need to land to rest their weary wings.” Mili said with a smirk.

“And that perhaps, true freedom is having a place to call home.” Mayumi added.

“Our home's waiting for us, and we don't want to keep her waiting for longer.” Sophie said with a grin. Mayo clambered onto her shoulder, meowing at Sanzo.

Gojyo had to laugh at this comment. “Tell her I miss her.” He said with a casual salute.

“Of course.” Mayumi prepared the spell with her baton, and soon, a portal opened, showing a familiar area in Lion Mane City. “It's been fun, guys! See you around.”

With that, the four walked into the portal, and were soon gone from the Fortress, as if nothing had ever been there.

“Is it just me, or was there a certain lackluster to that ending?” Hakkai commented, hand on chin.

“Those kids, didn't even bother explaining what they agreed upon with the Sanbutsushin.” The four looked for the source of the voice, seeing Sai Tai Sai nearby. He gave them a salute before walking over. 

“Go on then.” Sanzo muttered, lighting a cigarette.

“They rejected the proposals by Sanbutsushin and requested ease of passage for you guys to Earth instead.”

“Ehh?” Gojyo accidentally dropped his cigarette at the news, silently cursing himself. “How does that even work?”

“Places of worship, like the original pockets of energy can bring any of you to Earth.” Sai shrugged. “ So Genjo Sanzo here can open any door st Keiun Temple and end up somewhere in Lion Mane City if he wanted to visit.”

“Like hell I would.” The monk muttered.

“Torii gates, churches.. anything, really. Anything where you put your intent to it to see them.” Sai explained further, grinning. “It also allows them to visit you guys any time they want.”

“No wonder they didn't seem that bothered with goodbyes.” Hakkai concluded with a smile.

“Those smart alecks..” Gojyo commended with a chuckle.

“And, what of our trip back East?” Hakkai asked.

“The gods can directly send you back home to Changan right this instant.”

“I'm not that eager to go back.” Genjo muttered, tossing his spent cigarette, making Sharak laugh.

“Then, Ben will join you, as previously discussed. The terms for his travel with you will stay the same.”

Gojyo laughed. “I feel like those kids just set up a whole itinerary and were the ones in for a ride.”

Epilogue

“Hey Uncle Abe, one Mimi Udon..” Lottie said immediately upon parting the curtain to the old man’s stall. The man obliged, beginning on her order, handing her some dried squid tentacles as an appetizer. “... and one Suntory.”

“Long day?” Abe asked, eyeing the lawyer while handing her a can from his tiny chiller. “Or are you missing the kids?”

Lottie chuckled. “A little bit of both.” she confided. “I’m not used to just having me to look after these days. At least with them around, I’ve always felt some sense of purpose, or like, I’m being useful to someone.”

“You’re a lawyer for kids, Lottie. More than anything, you’re a driving force to help kids have better futures.” the man handed the bowl, steaming soup with ear-shaped udon, thinly sliced beef and a freshly cracked egg. “Here you go. May your year and your family continue to be safe.”

“Thanks, Uncle..” Lottie sighed, picking at the meat before mixing in the egg. Chewing on an udon, her gaze was distant. “They’re all practically orphans.”

“And?” Abe said, wiping down the counter before taking his seat behind the counter. “It’s never stopped you from being where you are.”

“It’s just that, I worry about them all the time.”

“And it’s okay to worry about them, you’ve been looking after them since they were actual kids.” Abe rested an elbow on his counter, his chin on his palm. “You have to understand that they’ve also grown quite well and able thanks to you.”

“But, what if, they don’t need me anymore?” Lottie continued to chew on her food, sipping from the broth.

“Then, they don’t need you anymore.” Abe said, shrugging. The woman gave him a sorrowful look. “Look, Lottie, it doesn’t mean they don’t need you that they’ll stop being your friends. It just means they’ve grown up.”

Lottie took a swig from her beer can, putting it back down, pensive. “I get it, but it still seems so bittersweet.”

A flash of light caught their attention from nearby, but as soon as it happened, it was gone.

“A photoshoot?” Abe thought, peering at the park where the light came from. He shrugged, looked back at Lottie. “You haven’t seen them in a while, so I get the loneliness. But there’s no need to put yourself down so much. You know how much those kids love you.”

The four found themselves at the park near the library, the swing sets slowly creaking at the force of their sudden materialization into Earth. As the light faded, they slowly got their bearings and walked towards the sidewalk.

Ben stretched his arms, hoisting his backpack on one shoulder. “Man, I am SO looking forward to just marinade in the tub tonight.”

“Nevermind that, I’m STARVING.” Mili said, rubbing her stomach as if comforting it that they would get food soon.

“I think Uncle Abe is still open..” Mayumi said, peering at the distance, pointing at the light coming off from the stall.

“Oh I’m definitely so down for some kamatama udon.” Sophie chimed in, practically brisk walking to the stall with Mayo at her heels.

“Sophie, wait up!” The three followed, and were soon into step.

“AH! Ben! Do you have the pouch you got from Risha’s town?” Sophie remembered, looking over to the technician. “We can add a dreamcatcher from Shakuntala.”

Ben was rummaging through his pack, successfully finding the gray and white patterned purse. “Here it is!” He handed it over to Sophie who tried to squeeze in the dream catcher but it was slightly too big for the purse. “Hey! You might ruin it!”

“I mean, I can make the purse a bit larger-” Mayumi offered to get the purse but Sophie pulled it away.

“What about we just give these things separately?” Mili suggested. “I’m sure she’ll still like them just the same. There’s also the rock that Goku wanted us to give. At least that fits in the pouch.”

“Why did he even want to give her a rock?”

“Idunno, coz maybe it’s brown like her eyes.” Mili suggested. She parted the curtain to Abe’s stall, zeroing on the man. “Hey Uncle! One curry udon, kamatama, and uh.” she turned to the others. “Hey! Stop it with the purse! Mayumi, what do you want?”

“I’ll have a Zaru!” Mayumi said, raising her hand.

“Just a tsukimi please!” Ben followed, entering the space then stared into hazel eyes. His abrupt stop had the others bumping into him instead.

“Move it Ben!”

The others entered the stall, finding Lottie staring at them in disbelief, as if she’s seen a ghost. It was as if time stopped, before the four exclaimed saying her name in unison, gushing over her and giving their gift and piling their stories on top of the other.

Overcome with emotion, the brown haired woman couldn’t stop her tears, holding onto them as best she could. As the commotion subsided and the tears wiped away, Lottie held their hands, paused and said. “Welcome back.”

The four beamed, hugging the woman into a pile.

“We’re home!”