Chapter 07 - Crimson

Crimson is the continuation of Cleaning Beauty and Saiyuki's seventh chapter.

Summary
As Shunrei searches the woods for Jien, she hears a rustling in the bushes behind her.

Meanwhile, the Sanzo-ikkou have gone into the forest as far as they can by vehicle. They leave Jeep to wait for them and split up into pairs to search for Shunrei.

While searching with Hakkai, Gojyo remembers how his step-mother would always cry when she looked at him, and how he wouldn't mind dying if his death could make her stop crying. He recalls the moment she tried to kill him with an axe, and how his brother Jien saved him by killing her from behind with a sword. Hakkai interrupts Gojyo's thoughts to apologize to him for telling Sanzo and Goku about his brother. Gojyo says it's fine, but that Goku is immature and should stay out of other people's problems. Hakkai says he himself is also immature, so it won't be just Goku who is upset if Gojyo keep his problems to himself. Gojyo is taken aback by this remark.

They hear a scream coming from the direction in which they left Jeep, and run towards the sound.

Three yokai have Shunrei cornered against a tree. Just as one of them grabs Shunrei by the arm, Goku and Gojyo arrive and both kick the yokai in the head simultaneously, knocking themselves to the ground as a result. As the yokai do not know who the Sanzo-ikkou are, they are assumed not to be affiliated with Kougaiji. It also turns out that none of them are Jien after all, and it is revealed that Shunrei's lover Jien has silver hair. When Shunrei learns that Jien is not one of them, she faints.

The ikkou load Shunrei into Jeep and are about to head back to the village. However, the yokai demand that they return their prey and also threaten to eat the ikkou, as well. Gojyo responds that he doesn't feel like killing anyone today, and tells them to be good and go home. The yokai react by taunting Gojyo's red hair and his status as a half-blood, calling him a freak and a child of taboo. Gojyo recalls his conversation with Shunrei from the day before, and how she had expressed hope for a world where there were no differences between humans and yokai, a world where any future child born between herself and her lover Jien could have a happy life. After the yokai continue to taunt Gojyo, they are threatened into apologizing by Sanzo, Goku, and Hakkai.

Gojyo muses to himself that if he does meet his brother, he won't thank him for saving his life or apologize to him. Gojyo just wants to let his brother know that he is proud of who he himself is and how he now lives his life.

As the ikkou turn their backs to leave, the yokai rush at them to attack with their weapons drawn. Gojyo turns and cuts them down with his shakujo, killing all three.

Later that day, Shunrei wakes up in her bed at home and remembers Gojyo and the rest of the ikkou saving her in the forest. Auntie Pan comes in and tells her that the ikkou left a while ago. Shunrei tries to get out of bed in a panic because she didn't have a chance to thank them. Auntie Pan reassures her and passes on a message that the ikkou had left for her. They had said to tell her that they are on a mission to stop the calamity that had caused the yokai to go berserk, and so she wouldn't have long to wait before Jien could return to her. Shunrei dries her tears and smiles, remembering her conversation with Gojyo, who has given her courage.

As the sun sets and the ikkou are driving west, Gojyo explains that although Shunrei's Jien wasn't his brother, as his brother doesn't have silver hair, he doesn't mind because he's sure their paths will eventually cross. As the ikkou begin to bicker amongst themselves, Jeep tips over and again dumps them into the river.