Episode Guide to Gensomaden Saiyuki

(Coda 1 from manga--Saiyuki vol. 6)

50.--Alone (Nishi e, "Westward")

Goku, gripping the nyoi-bo, tells Sanzo he wants to be the one to defeat Homura. Sanzo ch's and lights a cigarette, and turns to study the stone tower, pointedly ignoring the fight. Thank you, Goku says. Homura sighs: so you'll stand on that side in the end? he says, disappointed. He strips off his cloak, raises his sword and waits, and Goku comes at him. They clash and struggle; Goku forces his blazing sword aside, and lands a sock to the jaw that throws him sprawling. You've grown even stronger, says Homura, and his eyes brighten: that makes you truly worth defeating!

We see Gojyo and Hakkai climbing the stairs into the magickal chamber, Hakuryu flying overhead. Gojyo asks if he's OK; his feet are barely on the ground, Gojyo supporting his weight as they climb. Hakkai admits he's just barely managing to stay conscious. Don't you faint on me, Gojyo warns, or I'll leave you behind like I did Dokugaku and the others. (Both of them scarcely have enough breath to speak.) --I know, says Hakkai; and besides, you're never carrying a guy to bed again, right? Gojyo glances at him: right, he says softly, I'll be damned if I ever do that again. Hakkai laughs quietly. [Their expressions are simply priceless.]--Gojyo looks up at the golden door and smiles. Let's go, he says, that stupid monkey and stinking monk are waiting. And they both gaze up at the door as if it really is paradise.

Homura picks up his sword and says "Sorry, Son Goku, but I'm ending this now." The blazing blade produces a stream of fire that turns into a fire-dragon; it loops up into the clouds and then plunges down at Goku, seemingly driving him into the ground. Homura smiles triumphantly, but an instant later the saru reappears and comes flying at him, striking his sword away again, then deliberately dematerializing the nyoi-bo and setting out to beat the War Prince into submission barehanded. A round of socks and kicks later, Homura is face-down in his flowery field, and Goku falls to his knees, gasping for breath. Satisfied?--asks Sanzo, walking back to him, and Goku pants that he's starving. Sanzo promises him he can eat all he wants once they're out of here.

--Things have been settled, it seems, says Hakkai as he and Gojyo rejoin their comrades; Goku runs to them happily, calling their names. Gojyo complains that Goku has stolen all the best scenes for himself, and Hakkai quietly says,"Sanzo, we can't just leave this place as it is, can we." --No, they can't. Sanzo draws a bead on the tall boulder and fires four shots; it ceases to flicker blue, and a swirl of dark clouds forms over it. Let's go, says Sanzo, and they've all turned to head out when Homura laughs eerily, and says "It isn't over yet."

--no, he's not dead. He rises, and easily takes off his manacles, saying the ikkou must atone for the sin of destroying his future, and he won't be holding back anymore. --Goku looks not in the least worried as he sets himself for Homura's attack. He tells the others to stand back; Gojyo bristles, as he would, but Sanzo tells him to can it, saying Goku doesn't need anyone dragging him down. Homura's whole body seems to catch fire, as his sword blade did before, and he says "there's no time left".

He flies at Goku with a huge shockwave and punches him into a stone pillar with such force that the thole thing crumbles; he yanks Goku up from the rubble and delivers a brutal beating, his eyes glowing yellow and green, laughing cruelly as he literally beats him into the ground. --So this is the true strength of a War God, says Hakkai, aghast, but Sanzo says "no, that's not it." Suddenly the chest pain we've seen before strikes Homura a hard blow; he doubles over, arms wrapped around himself, the wild light leaving his eyes. "Homura, you--" begins Goku, and the War Prince delivers another fierce blow before folding over again.

Sanzo walks over to look down at Goku, and tells him to forget his stupid reservations and give Homura what he wants. The saru looks up; there's an unexpected depth of compassion in those violet eyes. Goku gets it, and across the field it seems Hakkai does too: "could it be that Homura is--"
The War Prince comes unsteadily toward them, hand pressed to his chest, and Sanzo says that what he wants is a fitting place to die.

Homura throws everything into a final attack on Goku, but when Goku still holds back and uses only his fists, Homura leaps over his head and lunges at Sanzo, howling, "Die, Konzen!" To reach him in time Goku has to call on the nyoi-bo, and Homura smiles over his shoulder as the magical weapon punches into him; Goku gasps, but it's too late; Homura coughs blood and plows into the foot of a pillar to lie still.

Goku runs to him, angrily accusing him of deliberately failing to dodge, but Homura says no, Goku defeated him fairly. He smiles. I enjoyed fighting with you; I'm grateful, Son Goku, he says. The mountains are beginning to crumble, the ground splitting underfoot; long cracks appear in the green meadow. Konzen, it's over, he says to Sanzo. He tells them that he's not immortal, that because of his human blood there's a limit to his life--he too is a heretical being, scorned by the heavens. Which is why there was no way he was going to die there. As a War God, he wanted to die in battle, but only against his strongest opponent ever...he smiles at Goku. You should be honored, Son Goku, he says; you are the one and only being that I, War Prince Homura, acknowledge as the strongest.--Goku is overwhelmed.--Homura reaches out to Sanzo: Konzen, he says, I'm in no position to ask a favor of you, but...please leave me here and seal this world away. --It's becoming difficult for him to speak. --Ever since that time 500 years ago, we've always envied you guys, he says. For your own sake..because you'll die someday...you try to live without regretting the present, and since I came to the Lower World, I feel as if I've been able to live in such a way. He smiles; his head falls forward, and his open hand drops onto the grass. He's gone.

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One last time, a moment of silence, please....
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Goku clenches his fists helplessly. I've wanted to beat Homura for a long, long time, he says, but now I don't feel as if I've won. Hakkai agrees that it may indeed be Homura who's won, since everything's turned out just as he wished it. Goku punches the ground, cussing bitterly, but Sanzo tells him to look at the War Prince's peaceful face, and quotes the teachings: "free of everything, not bound by anything, only live your life just as it is". Goku slowly smiles, saying he may not completely understand but he gets it.

The landscape is shattering around them, and Sanzo calls on the sutra; the tower vanishes in a blaze of light.

We see Kanzeon Bosatsu and Jiroushin by hir lotus pool in the Heavens, as he brings tea. He comments that it's all over, but s/he replies that nothing has really changed, and the Sanzo party is still headed west. S/he smiles; carve out your own path, she tells them.

We see Kougaiji, half-carried by Doku, delivering the Seiten Scripture back to Lady Gyokumen; she orders the experiments started up again at once, though her staff protest that it'll take time to get the machines back up and running.

Coda 1: somewhere out under the stars, parked for the night...Goku and Sanzo are asleep, while Gojyo tries to light a cigarette. Can't you sleep? asks Hakkai. Stars are too bright, says the redhead. Hakkai remarks that he's just seen a shooting star for the first time; don't you dare make a wish, that's just lame, growls Gojyo, but 'Kai happily wishes for the family's safety and good health anyway. Gojyo guesses that Goku would wish for food, and Hakkai says he envies such an easy wish; in truth, he couldn't think of anything he'd wish for. Gojyo leans back and looks into the sky. Sanzo has opened his eyes and is watching, though he says nothing. That's probably, says Gojyo, because you've got no use for wishes anyway... Sanzo smiles and closes his eyes again. And Hakkai very softly says "I see," as another shooting star arcs overhead.

Coda 2: Goku berates Gojyo for stealing his precious emergency food supply; Gojyo says he didn't see anyone's name on it; Goku retorts that no one ever writes their name on squid jerky; Sanzo draws his pistol as the quarrel escalates; and as shots ring out, Hakkai contentedly says, "it's so peaceful."

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Done!