Ep 16. Return To Life ~sympathy~

After the catch-up flashback: we see the guys pelting into the forest. They come to a halt, and Hakkai observes that the forest is full of youki (youkai's ki=demon energy); Gojyo reckons that'll make it harder to track the thief. Hakkai asks the blackly angry Sanzo "who would take your gun?"; he looks as if he's got a good idea who...

And there's Fumika, still holding the shoreijuu trained on the scar-faced youkai; he and his cronies are much amused. She cries that she'd still be with Taisho if not for the demons, and they're even more amused, jeering that her man had cried like a baby and begged for his life; his last word was her name. Not too manly, huh? the scarred one taunts her. Fumika says they're unforgivable, but still doesn't pull the damn trigger because she has to make her speech. Taisho only begged for his life because he knew she was pregnant, she says; the baby died, so I've lost everything, but you demons wouldn't understand how that feels--The scarred youkai, as sick of her as we are, says "then why don't you die too?" and delivers a wicked slash with his claws. She drops the gun and falls. The demons are guffawing heartily when-- who should come walking through the woods but a grim-looking Hazel and Gat. Hazel unleashes the big guy, who fires at will. The gunfire draws the attention of the SI, who head for it at a run. Gat drops the last youkai, and Hazel spots Fumika's body lying among the fallen...

When the ikkou comes running up, they find the clearing full of youkai corpses (I count 27) but no one else. (Specifically: though they of course don't realize it, Fumika's body is gone.) They were shot, but it can't have been with Sanzo's gun, as the shoreijuu only holds five rounds. It must have been them then, says Gojyo darkly [literally: "Hazel-tachi da"], and Hakkai agrees. --Goku finds the banishing gun lying on the ground, and returns it to its owner, who's not much appeased.

Next morning: the ikkou heads down to the inn's dining room for breakfast. Hazel and Gato are seated already, Hazel waving a cheerful "Mornin', boys" as they sit. Goku calls happily to Fumika, who walks in with a serving tray, smiling demurely as usual. Her father remarks approvingly that she's full of energy this morning--but the ikkou sees that Fumika's eyes are now yellow, and realizes in horror that the smiling girl is one of Hazel's zombies. Gojyo cusses; Hazel chuckles. This is too much for the hanyou, who leaps to his feet and demands to know if Hazel killed the girl. Don't be ridiculous, we don't kill humans, replies the little bishop--only demons. [Glares all around.] Miss Fumika, he explains, snuck off to face the demons alone with a gun she'd taken from somewhere (GG&H react to this while Sanzo sits in fierce silence) but they were too much for her, and she was killed. And, of course, revivin' the unfortunate human dead is his purpose on this earth. Thanks to Bishop Hazel, I'm no longer confused, adds undead-Fumika sweetly (Hakkai looks utterly appalled); I'll kill every last youkai. Hazel goes back into his usual spiel about how exterminatin' all demons will create a world for humankind alone, while the guys look as if they don't know whether to smash something or vomit.

--Hazel addresses the monk directly: Sanzo-han, he says, we only gave Fumika what she truly wanted; we surely didn't order her to hate all demons. But wouldn't all the chaos in Shangri-La disappear if the demons were wiped out? [Sanzo expressionlessly takes a fresh cigarette.] Or rather, presses the bishop, wouldn't it be troublesome if your friends died? Your precious demon friends? ==Sanzo, eyes closed, lights the cig and takes a drag, then addresses Hazel: I could care less, he says; they're not my friends, and I don't give a rat's ass if they live or die. ==Hakkai smiles brightly; Goku looks uneasy; Gojyo gets loudly into Sanzo's face. The monk adds to Hazel that this gokiburi kappa is just following him of his own accord, not because he was asked to. Hazel laughs; as all four of the ikkou glare downright murderously at him (it is quite a sight) he says once again that this kind of chaos is just why they came West. Shut the hell up! snaps back Gojyo, does your God have a screw loose or something? --God? Hazel smiles. God doesn't do a thing, just watches from on high, he says. Even if there's someone you desperately want Him to save (his expression darkens; we see his flashback world once more, a man in clerical robes with glasses, lying on the floor)--He won't do anything. Again he addresses Sanzo directly: what do you think? --Why ask me? the monk retorts, but adds that of course you can't rely on God or on anyone else, only on yourself. Hazel is pleased with this answer.

Upstairs in their room, Gojyo flings himself onto the bed, kicking in frustration as he gripes about how that bastard Hazel annoys him. But Goku says quietly and in plain distress, "I just don't get it," and the group falls silent. [I love how they always take it seriously when the usually cheery saru feels such angst.]--Youkai and humans, says the saru, chin on his folded arms: do they have to fight each other just because it's their nature? That's not right! The others gaze at him in troubled silence and Hakuryu, nibbling at a tidbit Hakkai has brought him, gives a sympathetic little "kyu". ==There's a knock on the door: it's the proprietor with a tea tray. Hakkai smiles awkwardly and lets him in. As he sets out the cups, he goes on happily about how good it is to see Fumika smile again and about how pleased he is. He bustles out, leaving the ikkou in their grim mood, the tea untouched. Goku looks after the man, wondering if it's really all right not to tell him that Fumika is a corpse. Idiot, we can't say that, mutters Gojyo.

In Hazel's room, Gat asks what he plans to do about the Scripture. He recalls how Dr. Ni asked them to get the sutra and bring it to Mount Ansan. [This is so, so, SO off course from the manga that it gives me a headache just looking at the words. AUGH.] He warned them to treat it with great care, because the Maten Sutra has tremendous power--the power to destroy all demons--though only a Sanzo Priest can use it. Will you fix it so we can use it? [?!] Hazel had asked, and Ni said he couldn't promise but would try. Gat reminds Hazel that Sanzo's master was also murdered (maybe we're to infer that Hazel's master was murdered as well?) and Hazel recalls Ni saying that outside of the scripture, all he knows about Sanzo is that he was born somewhere unknown and rescued from the river, and that his master was killed by demons. Maybe that's why we're so interested in him, chuckles Hazel.

In the morning, the guys load into the jeep as usual. Goku enthuses that they need to stop and eat before hitting the road, and Sanzo, as usual, fwaps him with the harisen and tells him to shush--but this time Gojyo says in a cool low voice, "So youkai should shut up and obey the human, huh?" [...whoa.] Sanzo snaps back that if he doesn't like it he can get out and walk; but what should have been a genuinely tense moment collapses into a shove-and-shout match between Gojyo and Sanzo which is only broken up by Hakkai firmly announcing that they'd better get moving, as a huge demonic aura is headed their way. [--Writers, for shame. But they make up for it later.]

And a youkai raiding party is charging down the street chasing humans, led by--you guessed it--that scarfaced redhead again. He yells out that they're here to pay back "that bastard with the funny hat" for his work yesterday, but his path is blocked by the newly demon-powered Fumika. The redhead smirks and says he'll do a better job of killing her this time, but Fumika, grinning savagely, utters the battle cry of "kill all demons!" and tears into him. As the ikkou watches in stunned silence, she runs him down and beats the crap out of him. He begs for mercy and says he'll never enter this town again, but she grabs him by the throat and squeezes the life from him one-handed, then drops him callously in the street, still grinning. All four of the SI, even Sanzo, look horrorstruck and sickened. That's not Fumika at all, says Goku. The hatred from losing her beloved, says Hakkai painfully, and Gojyo asks, isn't there anything we can do? I can't do anything, says Hakkai, lowering his head; I understand too well how someone can become like this after losing a loved one. I can't stop her.[Heart-wrenching delivery of this line by Akira Ishida.]===A youkai attacks Fumika; and Goku charges to her rescue, but she goes for his throat next, still grinning monstrously and repeating "kill youkai". Poor Goku easily fights her off, his face full of pain as he realizes that she no longer even recognizes him. Stop it, Hazel! he howls. Gojyo lassoes her with his shakujou chain, yells for the saru to run, and he beats it back to the jeep, nearly in tears.

But as Fumika leads a mob of demonified townsfolk in pursuit, another mob blocks the road ahead, and they're all yellow-eyed and chanting "korosu-korosu-youkai wa korosu". Doesn't really put me in a fighting mood, mutters Gojyo.

Hakkai leaps out calling to Fumika, but she doesn't respond and Gojyo calls back 'they can't hear our voices'. Poor Goku reaches the breaking point, and tells Sanzo that he can't take any more of this; when Fumika comes barreling into him, knocks him sprawling and gets her hands around his throat, Goku doesn't even resist.==Sanzo folds his hands to begin the sutra prayer, but Gojyo holds out an arm to bar his way, watching Fumika. Sanzo shoots him a sharp glance, but holds his fire.[Wow.]==The inn proprietor, Fumi's father-in-law, also begins to rush out to stop her; he's barred by Hakkai, also in silence. They watch her; they want to see her regain her senses. She doesn't. She giggles wildly as she throttles Goku, who chokes out in despair that he doesn't want to fight anymore, and passes out.==Gojyo lowers his arm, clearing Sanzo's way. He pronounces the prayer, and the street fills with a blaze of light, vaporizing every demon-possessed human in the mob.

When the glare clears, all that's left of Fumika is her silver wedding ring. Her father-in-law takes it up, sobbing.

Hazel and Gat, watching from the roof, say "so that's the sutra's power." Gat asks "shall we steal it?" but Hazel says 'no, not yet'. If it can defeat our minions [??!!] that easily, it might be too dangerous even for you.

On the road: Goku is huddled in sideways, and is silent even when asked if he's hungry. Say something, says the kappa, and Goku bursts out that he doesn't like what Hazel is doing at all. Hakkai says gently that Fumika-san is probably smiling right now, happy to be reunited with her beloved. [...aw, 'Kai.] --Gojyo pounces on this: yeah! the sutra purified the evil that had hold of her, right? even Sanzo does something useful now and then! but the desolate saru can't be jollied out of his distress, and Gojyo snaps back 'fine then, say nothing if you want to', himself looking heartsick and close to angry tears. You're not the only one who's upset, he mutters, and Goku only breaks the mood by finally yelling that he's hungry after all.