Checkmate!

                                                  


I thought that all of Saiyuki Reload’s story is a chess match between Nii and Wanroshi. I thought that Wanroshi could be the Demon Sanzo that appears in Saiyuubito. This image is strange. All of characters are younger than we know. We can see that if we see that Godai Sanzo has all of his hairs on the top of his head, Jikaku is younger and Koumyou Sanzo too and his hairs are shorter. So I thought that this image is date back to more of 20 years ago (Burial of Ukoku). If this Demon Sanzo is still alive he must be very old. Like Wanroshi is. Maybe he hides his chakra below the number “01” in his forehead. 
                                                                                         
                                                                                                              

In Against the Stream there is a match between this two characters. Nii moves the white pieces while Wanroshi the black ones. In this match the white knight of Nii is Kougaiji but only in the period in which he is under the control of Nii (also his clothes are white) and the black knight of Wanroshi could be Zakuro (also his clothes are black). It’s strange that Kougaiji and Zakuro have the same target: kill Sanzo ikkou. Also Dokugakuji is surprised to see Zakuro. Maybe there is a match within the Houtou castle between Nii and Wanroshi. At the end Kougaiji manages to set free himself by the control of Nii, returns to the castle and stops the chess match. So Nii has lost his white knight. But Zakuro is still in game. Maybe is for that reason than Nii send against him his ravens. Because he is angry to have lost his piece while the knight of Wanroshi is still in game. But maybe this chess match is going on…Who could be the next piece of chess? Maybe Hazel is. We know that Hazel is a bishop. But the word “bishop” isn’t only a religious title…is also the English name of another piece of chess. If we see the back of Hazel’s clothes we can see that, between the two white tails, there is the shape of bishop piece. The piece that the tails forms is the black bishop so we could think that Hazel is the bishop of Wanroshi but I think that he is also the Nii’s bishop but Wanroshi doesn’t know that…Hazel could be also a Nii’s piece because in his clothes is present also the white colour. It’s singular that in all Hazel’s figure white an black colours alternate almost perfectly (black hat, white hairs, black clothes, white mantle, white glovers and white/black shoes). Filbert's clothes are very similar to Hazel ones but missing of mantle and sleeves's shape. Both of them are two bishops but only Hazel has these peculiarities. Maybe because only Hazel represents the "Bishop" of chess?

                                                    

We know that Hazel has the power to reborn dead people and in Even a Worm 15 he says that he can do that thanks to Ukoku that makes discover to him his power. But is it true? In Even a Worm 8 Hazel says that when he was a child he hasn’t any power. I thought that Hazel has his power thanks to Wanroshi but he doesn’t know that…Maybe Wanroshi, if he is a Demon Sanzo, has hidden his kyoumon within the Hazel’s body. When? Maybe the night in which the Hazel’s master, Filbert, was killed. In Even a Worm 9 we know the peculiarity of 5 kyoumon:Maten Kyoumon - Controller of "Evilness" and "Yin" (that Genjo Sanzo has)
Seiten Kyoumon - Controller of "Holiness" and "Yang" (that now is in Houtou castle)Muten Kyoumon - Controller of "Death" and "Nothingness" (that Ukoku Sanzo has)
Uten Kyoumon - Controller of "Life" and "Existence"
Kouten Kyoumon - Controller of "Unknown" and "Infinity" Uten or Kouten is the kyoumon that Dokugakuji found in the desert in Saiyuki 8. The Demon Sanzo of Saiyuubito has a kyoumon. If Wanroshi is this Sanzo and he has hidden his kyoumon within Hazel’s body I think that he has UTEN kyoumon that is the controller of LIFE and EXISTENCE. Maybe is thanks to it that Hazel can reborn dead people. But Hazel doesn’t know that and thinks that he has his power thanks Ukoku. Why Ukoku made that Hazel discovered these powers? We know in Even a Worm 9 that Ukoku had a trip outside Tougenkyou in which he met Hazel and Filbert. In this occasion Ukoku talks to Hazel about Tougenkyou, other countries and made discovered to him his power. We know that Ukoku had this trip (more of 10 years ago) in which he met Hazel. We know that Hazel is from a land out of Tougenkyou in which youkais and human beings don't live in peace. Why Ukoku had this trip? To met Hazel or Filbert? At that time Hazel was a child without power like he said in Even a Worm 09. Maybe Ukoku had this trip to met Wanroshi. We know, thanks Even a Worm 09, that Sanzo Houshi monks must make an effort to consciously scatter to different lands to avoid to create Tenchi Kaigen Kyoumon. So isn't strange that a Sanzo was out of Tougenkyou. And if THIS Sanzo is a youkai this is more probable. Maybe Wanroshi is a youkai that hates human beings so he cannot live in Tougenkyou in which at that time the two races live in peace together. Why Ukoku could want meet Wanroshi? Maybe to have an accord with him to go in Houtou's castle and create the negative anomaly. In this occasion Wanroshi could have the possibility to convert all of youkai to hate the human beings also against their wish. While Ukoku could have the possibility to attract Sanzo ikkou for his plans. Ukoku needs of Wanroshi maybe to have a pass to enter in the castle without reveal his real identity.Who could break a seal created by gods? Surely not a common youkai or a common human being. Maybe a Sanzo (that is a person that more of others, is near to gods) could do it. Goku was sealed in the prison by gods and Genjo Sanzo was able to set free him. Could Ukoku goes alone to the Houtou's castle without reveal his real identity of Sanzo? No! So maybe he thought that was more easy that was a youkai to set free the people of the castle because a human that set free some youkais is strange. Because those youkais are youkais that hates human beings. Maybe Wanroshi according with Ukoku goes in the castle of Houtou and set free the people and gives to Gyokumen Koshu a kyoumon saying that is his kyoumon. But in the reality he gives the Seiten kyoumon of Koumyou Sanzo that is dead yet. Maybe the youkais that have killed Koumyou were sent by Wanroshi. After Wanroshi set free the youkais in the castle of Houtou he could have said to Gyokumen Koshu that to rebourn Gyumao needs the union of Chemistry and Demoniac arts so suggests to use the help of Nii (although he is or seems to be a human being). Ukoku in the meantime had changed his identity and became a famous doctor. In Saiyuki 4 the woman doctor who works in the castle of Houtou asks to Nii why, in his opinion, is permitted to a mere human being like him to stay in the castle. In this occasion we can see the Wanroshi’s image. If was Ukoku to break the seal this question should be without any sense. Because Nii should have the right to stay there. We know that to create negative anomaly need the union between Chemistry and Demoniac arts. If Nii is the responsible of Chemistry maybe Wanroshi put his Demoniac arts. What kind of Demoniac arts could Wanroshi have? Maybe the same power of Zakuro (illusion power) and maybe is Wanroshi himself the master of Zakuro. Wanroshi’s eyes are covered by this strange glasses. This glasses are connect with the laboratory. Maybe is thanks to them that Wanroshi puts his Demoniac arts. The ways to take people in the World of Illusion are the eyes that are the only parts of Wanroshi’s body that are covered. At the end of Saiyuki 5 there is an image in which appears Wanroshi that says: “I told you, it’s all an illusion”.

                                                                                    

In Even a Worm 15 arrives the news that there are two people (Hazel and Gato) that kill many youkai. This news arrives together with that one that says that Zakuro is now to the Sanzo ikkou’s side. If Wanroshi is the Demon Sanzo these news are arrived also to him. That should be the reason that could make enter him in action. Because maybe Wanroshi now know that his kyoumon is used against his race and his pupil (Zakuro) is a traitor. Maybe these are the plans of Ukoku in this moment that wants take the Uten kyoumon. So he wants that Wanroshi will came out into the open and that he will be the final boss of Even a Worm. In the beginning of Even a Worm 09 Ukoku, seeing Hazel, thinks “I’ve been waiting”. Maybe because he had planned that since many years ago. In Against the Stream Nii, while he is playing with Wanroshi at the game of chess, asks to the youkai: “Do you still remember the child by the name of Koryu?” Why this question? How Wanroshi could have knew about Koryu? There is an interesting image always in Against the Stream a bit after this question. This image is the remember of Genjo Sanzo of the moment in which he was found by Koumyou in the river. In this image near to Koumyou there is another person that is stand up. If we zoom on the shoulder of this mysterious man we can see a kyoumon!

                                                                                                         

It’s more easy see that in the coloured image that was in the old Gallery of Nitro. Maybe this mysterious man who knew Koumyou could be Wanroshi. So the question of Nii could have a sense. Since many years the title of new Saiyuki chapters is always the same: Even a Worm. What is its meaning? In Even a Worm 4 Hazel said to Gato, speaking about youkais: “They are not fit to be even a worm. We don't need them”. In Even a Worm 26 Sanzo said a proverb that in English sounds: “Even a worm will turn!”. A friend of mine told me that the meaning of Demon Sanzo’s name is in English: “Heaven Silkworm”. If we try to point out some words we could read in order: hEaVEN silkWORM. If all Even a Worm saga was created to introduce, at the end, the figure of Demon Sanzo? In Saiyuki Reload Gunlock there are two strange episodes. In one of them there is again the match at chess between Nii and Wanroshi (there are the same scenes of Against the Stream but it's an episode more further when Hazel is appeared yet). It's strange that there is this match again in Hazel's saga.
Also there is another episode called "Checkmate"...This title reminds the game of chess. In this episode appear Zakuro and Hazel together...also this particular is strange...Zakuro and Hazel could be the two pieces of chess table...If we remember the end of Saiyuki 9 Nii, asking Koumyou a question, said: “You’ve left some quite interesting toys…Koumyou. Okay, next…WHAT SHALL WE PLAY?”. Maybe the next play was chess game.