☆Exhibition "The Edge of the World" organized by Gallery Ato.
Gallery said it was a world in harmony, but it's no sense of harmony… Well, it's OK that I was able to draw the girl I wanted to draw in color (not so good).
Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592) chapter 99 describes the Monkey King's final battle as a fierce, stormy confrontation against demons wishing to steal the hard-won scriptures for themselves. This takes place shortly after the pilgrims and holy texts are dumped into a river by an annoyed river turtle spirit:
Master and disciples had just climbed up the riverbank when suddenly a violent gale arose; the sky darkened immediately and both thunder and lightning began as rocks and grit flew everywhere. What they felt was
One gust of wind
And the whole world teetered;
One clap of thunder
And both mountains and streams shuddered.
One flash of lightning
Shot flames through the clouds;
One sky of fog
Enveloped this Great Earth.
The wind's mighty howl;
The thunder's violent roar;
The lightning's scarlet streaks;
The fog blanking moon and stars.
The wind hurtled dust and dirt at their faces;
The thunder sent tigers and leopards into hiding;
The lightning raised among the fowl a ruckus;
The fog made the woods and trees disappear.
That wind caused waves in the Heaven-Reaching River [Tongtian he, 通天河] to toss and churn;
That lightning lit up the Heaven-Reaching River down to its bottom;
That thunder terrified the Heaven-Reaching River's dragons and fishes;
That fog covered the shores of Heaven-Reaching River with a shroud of darkness.
Marvelous wind!
Mountains cracked as pines and bamboos toppled.
Marvelous thunder!
Its power stirred insects and injured humans.
Marvelous lightning! Like a gold snake it brightened both land and sky.
Marvelous fog!
It surged through the air to screen the Ninefold Heaven [Jiuxiao, 九霄].
So terrified were the pilgrims that Tripitaka held firmly to the scripture wraps and Sha Monk threw himself on the poles. While Eight Rules clung to the white horse, Pilgrim twirled the iron staff to give protection left and right. That wind, fog, thunder, and lightning, you see, had been a storm brought on by demons of yin energy" [yinmo, 陰魔], who wanted to snatch away the scriptures the pilgrims had acquired. The commotion lasted all night, and only by morning did the storm subside. Soaked from top to bottom and shaking all over, the elder said, "Wukong, how did this storm come about?"
"Master, you don't seem to understand," said Pilgrim, panting heavily, "that when we escorted you to acquire these scriptures, we had, in fact, robbed Heaven and Earth of their creative powers. For our success meant that we could share the age of the universe; like the light of the sun and moon, we would enjoy life everlasting for we had put on an incorruptible body. Our success, however, had also incurred the envy of Heaven and Earth, the jealousy of both demons and gods [guishen, 鬼神], who wanted to snatch away the scriptures from us. They could not do so only because the scriptures were thoroughly wet and because they had been shielded by your rectified dharma body [zhenfa shen, 正法身], which could not be harmed by thunder, lightning, or fog. Moreover, old Monkey was brandishing his iron rod to exercise the nature of pure yang energy [chunyang zhi xing, 純陽之性] and give you protection. Now that it is morning, the forces of yang are evermore in ascendancy, and the demons cannot prevail."
Only then did Tripitaka, Eight Rules, and Sha Monk realize what had taken place, and they all thanked Pilgrim repeatedly (based on Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 4, pp. 363-365).
I really like the idea of a battle between a divine force of yang energy and demonic forces of yin. This is a common occurrence in Chinese Folk Religion—e.g. a Tangki spirit-medium channeling a god to exorcise evil spirits.
But the above description really sets my mind alight with images of the confrontation. Monkey peers through the pouring rain to see an unfathomably large demon army the likes of which the cosmos has never seen. It contains innumerable commanders, vanguards, and an ocean of spirit-soldiers armed to the teeth. This demonic force would be the joint effort of demon kings and jealous gods wanting immortality and salvation for themselves. [1] Monkey takes this assault on the scriptures as a personal insult given his great effort in helping procure them.
A demon commander might say something like, "Leave the scriptures and the priest if you value your life!" Then Wukong would scream:
Who said that? Who the FUCK said that? Who's the slimy, little, demonic shit, twinkle-toed, cocksucker up there, who just signed his own death warrant?
[Surprised silence from the army]
Nobody, huh? The fairy-fucking-godmother said it! Out-fucking-standing! [pounds chest three times in a row] I WILL BEAT YOU ALL UNTIL YOU FUCKING DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Adapted from dialogue spoken by Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket (1987).)
In all seriousness, though, his speech should be a chilling threat similar to Subodhi from chapter 2:
[Y]ou can be assured, wretched monkey, that you'll be skinned alive. I will break all your bones and banish your soul to the Place of Ninefold Darkness, from which you will not be released even after ten thousand afflictions! (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 125)
... 把你這猢猻剝皮剉骨,將神魂貶在九幽之處,教你萬劫不得翻身!
Anyway, the army commences its attack, the commanders sending forth wave after wave of spirit-soldier units wielding thunder and lightning as their weapons. In response, Monkey's body explodes with millions or even billions of hair clones to meet the oncoming storm. Each one wields the magic iron rod, which dispenses pure yang energy along with every ass kicking. The resulting battle is beyond imagination, with various units of Great Sages working to both defend the scriptures and Tripitaka but also drive back and decimate the malevolent force. Wukong succeeds in routing/destroying the entire demon army by dawn of the next morning.
Note:
1) The Buddha states that the scriptures of the Great Vehicle are "for the cultivation of immortality; they are the gate to ultimate virtue" (Wu & Yu, vol. 1, p. 205).
Source:
Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.) Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press.
P206
「『兵は半ば渡して討て』という言葉があります」クレオが言った。
“There’s a saying that goes, ‘attack when the army is in the middle of a crossing’,” said Cleo.
「川や湖を渡っている部隊はその半分が上陸した時、つまり兵力が少なく、かつ攻撃の成果を最大限に得られる時に討ち取れ、という兵法ですが……」
“In other words, if you attack your opponent while he’s part way through crossing a river or a lake, with only half his forces available, you have the highest chance of victory.”
飛刀を腰に差しながら、クレオが続ける。
Stowing her throwing daggers in her belt, she continued.
「私たちの上陸を待っているところをみると、テオ様は鉄甲騎馬隊に自信がおありなの、でしょう」
“Seeing as how Lord Teo is waiting for us to disembark, he must be very confident in his armored cavalry.”
「そうかもしれない……」
“I guess so.”
楼を握りしめ、ティルは船から飛び降りた。
Grasping his staff with both hands, Tir jumped down from the boat.
火炎槍の威力をティルはまだ知らなかったが、心のなかではこう思っていた。
Tir did not yet know the power of the fire spears, but in his heart he had only one wish.
父さん、逃げてくれーー。
Please, Father, just run away.
ーーー
マッシュが軍を整え部隊を草原に展開した時、テオは五百歩ほど離れた位置で鉄甲騎馬隊を横一線に並べて待ちかまえていた。
Mathiu sent the troops prepared for battle out onto the plains. From his position five hundred paces away, Teo awaited them, his armored cavalry units lined up in a neat row.
その後方には、赤いマントを翻したアレンと緑の着衣と銀の鎧に身を包んだグレンシールが率いる、騎馬隊を中心とした本隊がひしめいていた。
Crowding behind those troops were the main cavalry units led by Alen, his red cape fluttering, and Grenseal, clad in green, his silver armor shining.
鉄甲騎馬隊約三千、本隊約一万一千。
The armored cavalry numbered about three thousand, and the main force roughly eleven thousand.
対する解放軍は、火炎槍を準備したビクトール、フリック、ハンフリーの三隊を先頭に、
On the other side was the Liberation Army. Viktor, Flik, and Humphrey led three fire spear units at the front,
p207
左翼にレパント、右翼にバレリア。
flanked by Lepant on the left and Valeria on the right.
中盤にはカイとバルカスの率いる歩兵がつき、後方にはキルキス、ローレライ、ルビィの射手がついていた。
In the middle were the foot soldiers led by Kai and Varkas. At the rear were Kirkis, Lorelai, and Ruby’s archery units.
さらに兵力は少ないものの、ルックも魔術師部隊を率いて参戦していた。
Furthermore, though their military strength was limited, Luc also led a unit of mages.
その兵力約一万二千ーー。
All in all, they numbered about twelve thousand.
テオの軍と解放軍の、まさに総力戦となった。
Teo’s army and the Liberation Army were on the verge of war.
戦意に満ちあふれる兵の間を抜け、ティルがマッシュと共に陣頭に立つ。
The soldiers were ready to fight. Tir and Mathiu stood together at the head of the army, a little ways away from the fighting units.
すると鉄甲騎馬隊の間からも、馬に乗ったテオが姿を現した。
Teo rode out from among the armored cavalry units.
「反逆者よ!よく聞くがよい!! 」剣を振りかざして、テオが叫んだ。
“Listen well, traitors!” he roared, drawing his sword.
「何度やっても同じことだ!我が鉄甲騎馬隊にかなう者などない!!無駄に血を流すな!!」
“Try as many times as you might, the result will be the same! None can win against my armored cavalry! You are spilling blood pointlessly!”
「帝国の名を借りた盗賊に貸す耳はないぞ!!」部隊の左手から声があがった。叫んだのはレパントだった。
“I have no ear to lend to common thieves who put the name of the Empire to shame!” came a return shout from the unit on the left side. It was Lepant.
「貴様らこそ、我らが軍の巻き起こす烈風に、虐げられた民の悲しみの声を聞くがよい!! 」
���You are the ones who will be left in the dust of our gale! Listen to the voices of the oppressed and suffering people of this country!”
二人のやりとりにティルの胸は痛んだが、もう悲しむ暇も苦しんでいる余裕もなかった。
Their exchange made Tir’s heart ache, but there was no time or room left for sadness or suffering.
「全軍進め!!」
テオが鉄甲騎馬隊に号令を下した。
Teo gave the order to his armored cavalry.
“All units, advance!”
十分に休息を取ったガルホースが大地を蹴り、怒濤のごとく飛び出してきた。
The gulhorses, well rested after their ten minute break, stampeded across the earth, leaping and surging like waves.
「火炎槍の威力を見せよ!!」
“Witness the might of our fire spears!”
マッシュが部下に旗を振らせ、ビクトールら前衛を前に出す。
Mathiu motioned to his subordinate to wave the flag and Viktor’s unit at the front advanced.
三隊は真横に並び、鉄甲騎馬隊を待ち受けた。
Three armored cavalry units lined up side-by-side awaited them.