Saiyuki Season 1, Episode 23: Scapegoat – Reward of Subordination

1

Go to the West

A long, long time ago, in the Far West, there was a world called Paradise. This was the origin of civilization and faith, where humans and evil spirits coexisted in peaceful harmony. Suddenly, by a negative spiritual wave spreading over this world, the evil spirits and monsters become violent and begin attacking the humans. Ordered by the Celestial Heavens, a priest named Sanzo recruits his old comrades and sets out for the journey toward Indara in the faraway West to find the culprit behind this disaster

25 min

2

First Game – A Guide to the Land of the Dead

In a small town, our heroes meet a wounded girl called Ho-May whose friend was killed by an evil creature. Goku can not tell her he is a creature in human disguise. Our heroes are ambushed by a spider-women disguised as traveling entertainers. Goku fights with all his strength for the kindness of the girl and her father who prepared a tasty meal.

25 min

3

His God, My God – The Divine Platform

The quartet visits a huge temple on a rocky mountain. All the priests and apprentices live a strict life of studying the sacred scrolls and purifying their souls under the principles of 'no-drinking', 'no-smoking' and 'all tangible things are vain.' They are surprised to see Sanzo partaking in all of these forbidden things. Then, assassins sent by the evil monster Kogaiji attack the temple. Our heroes have to save the priests from the assassins' ghastly violence as the priests are prohibited from killing

25 min

4

Crimson Tears

The heroes visit the house of a young girl named Shun-Rey, who is waiting for the return of her boyfriend – the young apparition of a spirit. Sha Gojyo is surprised when he hears the name of this monster, Gee-Yen, which has the same as his missing brother-in-law. The townsfolk tell the heroes the monster that attacked humans in the forest looked like Gee-Yen. Shun-Rey runs to the forest.

25 min

5

Pure Assassin

Cheer-Rat (Yaone), one of Kogaiji's followers, wants to please her master. She asks Kogaiji to issue an order to destroy Sanzo's party. Cheer-Rat feels indebted to Kogaiji, who saved her from the monster the "Demon with One Hundred Eyes". Cheer-Rat plans to poison the heroes at a restaurant but hesitates after they save her from two drunken thugs. Cheer-Rat still wants to help her master so she makes a plan.

25 min

6

Mysterious Monk of the Talisman

Visiting a small temple, the heroes hear a rumor of Rick-Do, a savior who destroys evil spirits and monsters. The heroes discover Rick-Do is actually Sanzo's senior fellow disciple and fortune-teller Rikudo (Shukett). Rikudo is possessed by a fetish talisman. In pouring rain, Rikudo attacks Goku, Sha Gojyo, and Hakkai.

25 min

7

Farewell at Dusk

When Sanzo is severely injured, Goku's head ring, which controls the balance of his magic, falls off. Goku can now deliver devastating blows. Rikudo realizes his disadvantage and flees. Goku loses control, become delirious, and attacks Sha Gojyo and Hakkai!

25 min

8

The Man Who Foretells Death

The heroes arrive at a town where a bazaar is underway. They meet a dubious fortune-teller named Chin-Ih-So, who uses mahjong tiles to tell fortune. Chin-Ih-So precisely reveals Hakkai's past. Suddenly, a giant crab, apparently a ghastly apparition, appears to attack the heroes but efore they engage in battle, a tiny girl destroys the monster crab. She is Lilin, the younger sister of Kogaiji. Soon, Kogaiji and his followers arrive to help Lilin.

25 min

9

Lethal Trap – Battle Feast

The heroes and Kogaiji's band engage in a fierce battle. Kogaiji realizes the secret of Goku and his comrades' infinite strength in battle is the power of spirits – to fight for one's own is the best way to help others. The monster crab controlled by an evil sorcerer appears again. The parties agree to a truce to get rid of the monster crab.

25 min

10

A False Savior

Sanzo and his comrades arrive in a village where the residents believe their village was saved by the priest Sanzo. Thanks to this story, the heroes enjoy an enthusiastic welcome. However, a false party of Sanzo appears and the heroes are mistaken for imposters. The villagers jail the heroes, believing the bogus priest is the real Sanzo. That night, a monster assassin appears and the village is in a panic.

25 min

11

Tragic Revenge – The Death Laughs

Awakened from a nightmare, Hakkai thinks about the girl he loved. When Sha Gojyo talks to Hakkai, a puppet controlled by the fortune-teller Chin-Ih-So attacks him and injects Sha Gojyo with the seed of a blood-sucking plant. The seed cannot be removed because it is too close to his heart. Sanzo tries to save Sha Gojyo by shooting the seed out of Sha Gojyo's body with a spirit-blasting gun. Sha Gojyo survives. Goku and White Dragon go out to fetch water and disappear.

25 min

12

Wandering Destiny – Struggle in the Darkness

The fortune-teller Chin-Ih-So approaches the heroes. Hakkai destroyed his family. Chin-Ih-So plots to cause Hakkai to go insane. Sha Gojyo and Goku are injured. Sanzo supports Hakkai in a silent battle with a dark, psychic world. Hakkai tries shake off a twisted illusion but, he is trapped by Chin-Ih-So's trick and suddenly attacks and wounds Sanzo. If Hakkai reverts back to himself, the heroes will quickly die.

25 min

13

Crude Counterfeit – A Fruit of Death

Our heroes visit a temple where they grow a strangely shaped fruit. Two young disciples say they are taking care of the temple because the chief priest and all other monks left a month ago. Goku is hungry and reaches for the strange fruit. Sanzo senses something evil in the temple and the heroes decide to leave. Goku returns to prove nothing is wrong with the fruit of the temple but slips into a nightmare.

25 min

14

A Sweet Client – I keep My Promise

Sanzo and three boys arrive in a small, remote village. When Sha Gojyo leaves to find pretty women, he meets a young woman who tags along with him. The woman tries to persuade Sha Gojyo to destroy a monster that killed her parents. Sha Gojyo is led to the monster's hideout and senses something weird is going on inside but does not realize it is a trap.

25 min

15

The Ill-fated Guy – Spell of Red

The heroes have to sleep outside in the rain. Looking up in the rain, Sha Gojyo remembers three three years ago, he helped a young man named Chogo-Noh, who was laying on the roadside.Meanwhile, the Trinity Gods order Sanzo to arrest the man who massacred many monsters, who is Chogo-Noh.

25 min

16

Be There! – A Praise for Staying Alive

Chogo-Noh flees into the woods to carry out his self-imposed mission. Suddenly, he is attacked by Crow-Man whose family Chogo-Noh killed. They fight and Crow-Man is shocked by Chogo-Noh's fighting spirit. Sanzo and Goku, who were tailing him, arrive and are followed by Sha Gojyo.

25 min

17

Garden of Eden – A Eternal Paradise

Sanzo and his comrades find numerous stoned monsters in a monsters' town called "Tofu-Gai" at the bottom of steep ravines. Goku, Sha-Gojyo and Cho Hakkai turn into stone statues because they are monsters too. Left alone, Sanzo asks a monster woman named Koran how he can save his friends. Koran introduces Sanzo to an old man called Muhan, who governs the town. Sanzo has to find a way to save his friends.

25 min

18

Vice or Justice – The Truth of Justice

Several monsters are missing. Yaone, a female warrior of Kogaiji, begins to investigate what is happening. Meanwhile, Sanzo and his three comrades find Tonpoo, an old friend of Sha Gojyo and Hakkai. Tonpoo tells the heroes he volunteered a militia called Fanron Troop, which consisted of humans tasked with hunting evil monsters. The same night, Yaone is captured by the captain of Fanron Troop when she sneaks into the camp.

25 min

19

Don't go Alone – Desperate Girls

The heroes meet four beautiful sisters. Sanzo is reluctant to befriend them. Soon after they leave the sisters, the heroes discover the sisters want to kill them for saving the life of the eldest sister, who was possessed by a parasitic monster.

25 min

20

Sandstorm – Trap of Quicksand

A monster that ate the priest Sanzo Senior hides in the desert. The heroes go into the desert and fall into quicksand. The desert monster has set a trap because he believes he will get eternal life if he eats a priest of great virtue. The monster becomes enraged by Sanzo's arrogant and disgraceful manner. In an underground jail, Goku, Sha Gojyo and Hakkai are engaged in a desperate battle with incessant scorpions.

25 min

21

Selfish Dream – Reckless Run to Ruin

Five Sutras who are possessed by Sanzo and his comrades are needed for reviving Gyumao the Bull Satan. Trailing the Sutras, Kogaiji, Son of Bull Satan, crosses the desert and meets the heroes. Goku wants to help Sanzo, who is greatly weakened by scorpion poison but Kogaiji challenges him to a duel and proves to be an extraordinary warrior. Goku fears he cannot defeat Kogaiji with his normal power.

25 min

22

Devastation – The Outcome of a Deadly Duel

Goku takes out his head ring, which controls his infinite power; his sense of judgment vanishes, and he cannot recognize his friends and his enemies. With cruelty and violence, Goku begins to attack whoever he sees. No-one can stop Goku's devastating power but Sanzo manages to get up in front of Goku.

25 min

23

Scapegoat – Reward of Subordination

The heroes arrive at a Village with big canons sticking into the sky. They are surprised by a ceremony that offers a sacrifice to an evil monster that rules the residents. Hakkai is stunned by the young woman who is chosen as a sacrifice because she looks exactly like his dead girlfriend Kanan. The monster must be destroyed before the woman is sacrificed.

25 min

24

Mother – Crimson Bond

Goku and Sha Gojyo enter a village in search of food, and meet a young mother named Yan-Min, who is hugging a new-born baby. The baby's eyes and hair are red like Goku's. Yan-Min's husband is a human-looking monster; the villagers despise her for having a monster's baby. A man called Nijenye is interested in the sadness and hatred spawned in her heart, and plans to use her secret feeling for his own purpose.

25 min

25

Tomboy – Frightening Assassins!

Lilin, the young sister of Kogaiji, appears to challenge the heroes. Her trick is "Operation – Meat Bums on the Road", which fails to induce the heroes but surprisingly it works on three stupid monsters, who are defeated by Lilin and become her followers. Ordered by their new boss, they keep meddling in the heroes ways.

25 min

26

Calling – No One Hears Your Cry

One of Kogaiji's troops, "Iron Demon Troop", assaults Sanzo and his comrades. The troop is destroyed by our heroes' overwhelming power. The troop's leader Rashu and a few soldiers survive. Rashu sets a trap to capture Sanzo and Goku in their armor. Goku and Sanzo cry inside their armor.

25 min

27

Advent – The Evil God of War

Our heroes encounter new enemies from the heavens: Prince Homura, Zenon and Shien, who re neither human nor monsters but call themselves gods. Prince Homura is seeking Sanzo's Sutra of Dark Power. The gods say they know the heroes' previous existence.

25 min

28

Lonely – The Signal of Rebellion

Abandoning the Celestial Heavens, Prince Homura, Zenon and Shien decide to build a new world. They choose the tower and castle made by monster King Gailu and his warriors as their headquarters. The army of the Celestial Heavens, which is led by the self-professed gods, begins to attack and seize the tower. Leaving the battlefield, Prince Homura goes to see King Gairu with an offer.

25 min

29

Unexpected Defeat – Fall of Castle Houto

The Celestial army destroys the monster-warriors and soldiers in Castle Houto. Kogaiji and his followers are surprised by this defeat but Kogaiji realizes the three self-professed gods are his father Gyumao-Bull Satan. Kogaiji goes to the underground laboratory where an experiment with resurrection is underway. With Dokkakuji's help, Kogaiji fights against the Celestial army.

25 min

30

Undertaker – An Invitation to Hell

The heroes walk into a desolate village and wonder what has happened there. Suddenly, four coffins of sizes equal to those of the heroes are pushed out and an illusion of a creature called The Undertaker appears. The Undertaker shows excessive courtesy to Sanzo and his comrades. Sha Gojyo is upset and Goku is angry. The Undertaker keeps telling disgusting stories, upsetting the heroes.

25 min

31

Ambition – Arrogance of the 'Gods

A platoon of five skilled warriors who scored many points at a military drill visit Prince Homura. They want to join the army of the Celestial Heavens. Prince Homura orders the warriors to destroy Sanzo's party and get the magic sutra. The platoon triumphantly marches out. Sanzo's party fight the platoon.

25 min

32

Fake Star Strikes Back – Pride of the Impostors

The heroes again meet the party of the bogus Sanzo. After the earlier incident, the bogus Sanzo never introduces himself as the priest Sanzo. The Bogus Sanzo and the impostors are fearful. The party of bogus heroes remember their pride as the best impostors in the world; they are sly and mean. They devise a plot to revenge the true heroes.

25 min

33

Faraway Dream – Tears Dry Soon

While the heroes are struggling in a snowstorm, they meet Shoryu, a young monster who skillfully manipulates snow, ice, and water. Shoryu waits for the heroes to get Sanzo's sutra by the order of Prince Homura. Sanzo and three warriors are fooled by Shoryu's attack, which is empowered by an evil, forbidden spell. Shoryu's older sister Shoen is heading to Prince Homura's castle; she is ordered to get the Hallowed Sutra from Prince Homura by Koshu, the Lady Darkness who wants to revive Gyumao-Bull Satan.

25 min

34

Second Contact – Warriors come back

Five skilled warriors of the Celestial Heavens appear in front of the heroes. They want to take the Sutra of Dark Power from Sanzo and force Son Goku side with them. The warrior attacks Goku and puts him in constant struggle. Goku can dodge, leap, and run out of deadly assaults.

25 min

35

Solitude – The lonely heart

Kogaiji visits the tomb of the girl he loved, who was reincarnated as a human. Kogaiji swears revenge on Son Goku and his comrades who defeated him in the Battle of Hoto Castle. Kogaiji summons and awakens the Demon of Recollection, and engages in a war of nerves.

25 min

36

Brotherhood – A Crimson Flower

Sanzo and his comrades are lost in deep woods in fog and rain, and have to sleep in the open. Sha-Gojyo hates this idea and tries to find a way out of the woods. He finds a cave and goes in to explore but soon realizes he is completely lost. Dokkakuji, Kogaiji's assistant who is also lost in the cave appears.

25 min

37

Taciturnity – A Smile of Reticence

Sanzo and his party walk into a village in which Cho-Hakkai grew up in an orphanage. Hakkai has feelings of nostalgia and bitterness; he was a desperate child who never smiled. He meets Sister Shaohei, who spent her childhood in the same orphanage. She tells Hakkai there is a boy who never smiles, just like little Hakkai. Hakkai wants to see the boy.

25 min

38

Fleeting Vision – An Unfilled Promise

The heroes defeat the monsters in the woods and get a good drink. While drinking, Sanzo recalls the incident involving his master Kohmyo-Sanzo a long time ago. Soon after, Sanzo and his comrades arrive in a village where they join and win a drinking competition.

25 min

39

Misty Rain – Watering Sky

Sanzo is gloomy and depressed in the never-ending rain. Goku worries Sanzo and tries but fails to cheer him up. Sanzo get more irritated and insults Goku. Upset, Goku runs out of the inn. Suddenly, Konzen, was Goku's guardian in the Celestial Heavens, appears in front of him.

25 min

40

Twilight – The Gloomy Sun

500 years ago. In the Celestial Heavens. Born from a stone, Goku was brought to Goddess of Mercy – Kanzeon Bosatsu. He was introduced to his guardian – Konzen Doji who is a handsome young man with beautiful blond hair. (Konzen is the previous existence of Sanzo.) He takes care of Goku just like his younger brother. Then, Goku meets a boy called Nataku. Even a small boy at Goku's age, Nataku is the Lord of War and is the only person in the Celestial Heavens, who is allowed to kill. He receives an order to subjugate the great monster, Bull Satan – Gyumao.

25 min

41

Collage – A Silent Tripple

One day Goku wants to see Nataku and sneaks into the Great Palace. He meets Kenren, the Commander General of the Army of Celestial Heavens. General Kenren is the previous existence of Sha-Gojyo. General Kenren is surprised to see Goku chained with weights on both hands and legs. Then, Nataku returns from the hunt of Gyumao. His body is covered with wounds. Goku worries Nataku. General Kenren suspects why all the soldiers who went for subjugation have no injuries.....

25 min

42

Festival – Unforgettable Scenes

Sanzo's party drop in a town called Saika on the day of Festival of God. They notice that the God the folks worship here is Shien. They do not know why, but Shien comes down to this place today every year. Lilin, a loyal follower of Kogaiji, learns from Ni-Jen-Yi that Shien and tow other Gods took the Hallowed Sutra from Gyokumen-Koshu. Lilin comes up to Saika and wages battle to Shien for the Hallowed SutraŠ.

25 min

43

Tears – A Village of Illusion

Zeon hears that One of the Sutras of World Commencement was found in a village. He visits the village to find if this news is true. Soon after he arrives there, Zeon helps a boy attacked by the monsters. He sees his own son's visage on this boy. Meanwhile in a neighboring village our heroes hear a rumor of a monster devouring human's spirits.

25 min

44

Plunderer – Seizure of the Sutra of Dark Power

God Homura and his two fellow-Gods are ready to begin the Creation of New World. However, they need Sanzo's Sutra of Dark Power to accomplish their plan. Homura tells Sanzo to bestow the Sutra by the next morning. Sanzo has no intention to give it out. Our heroes know they will have hard battle against Gods. So, they have only shallow sleep. And the battle begins ....!

25 min

45

Glorious Days – Before Dawn

Five hundred years ago in the Celestial Heavens, Konzen – the previous existence of Sanzo – takes Goku to Tenpoh, Grand General of the entire force of the Celestial Heavens. Tenpo is the previous existence of Cho-Hakkai. Nataku, whose wounds have not healed, receives a new order of subjugation from Li-Tohten, the minister of the Celestial Heavens. General Kenren wants to take this order but he is refused and punished for his indecent behavior. Tenpoh is surprised at Kenren's reckless manner and becomes angered by Li-Tohten's selfish conduct.

25 min

46

Chaos – Shaking Land

The Creation of New World of Homura, Shien. and Zeon has begun. Sanzo and his comrades go to the Tower of Konran, where Homura's party are supposed to wait for them. Instead, the heroes are attacked by monsters led by Gairu. The monsters are so weak and the battle quickly ends. When the heroes walk further, they know they have passed only a first easy barrier, and that more enemies are waiting.

25 min

47

Guilty or Not Guilty – Reprimand

Goku single-handedly resists an attack of Homura's Royal Guards so his comrades can enter the tower to find Homura. The enemy uses an artifice called "Work of Repentance", forcing a person to remember past emotional hurts. Goku is stunned when he sees his mother-in-law crying in front of him.

25 min

48

Absolutely Heaven! – Door to Freedom

Sanzo's party and Kogaiji's group confront Homura, Shien, and Zeon. Sanzo wants to take back his Sutra of Dark Power and Kogaiji has to get the Hallowed Sutra. Shien and Zeon decide to engage in battle side-by-side and send Homura to New World. When the battle begins, Shien releases his true power over to the heroes and Kogaiji's group.

25 min

49

Missing Desire – Shining Paradise

Zeon follows Shien's performance and releases his true power. The combined power of the two gods overwhelms everybody on the battlefield. Sanzo quickly leaves the tower and follows Homura but he is ambushed by Goku, who is controlled by the "Work of Repentance". Without his head ring, Goku is wild and merciless, and attacks anyone in his way. Homura is about to step into the nearly completed New World.

25 min

50

Alone – To the West

Goku returns to himself and jumps at Homura. Goku's power is greatly increased by his rage. Everybody thinks Goku has finished Homura with an explosive blow but Homura gets up again and takes the chains from his hands to release his true power. Homura's strength is devastating. Goku's comrades wants to help him but he says he is going to defeat the god by himself.

25 min