Thanks to Ear-Tweak for the scans.

Chapter 433

The Yourouzoku, Kai, presses his attack against Kouga. The fight continues as members of Kouga’s own Yourouzoku observe. Kouga detects the scent of Naraku, which causes him to demand the boy tell him what’s going on. In a flashback, Kai recalls Shinta calling to him (An-chan) after their Yourouzoku tribe had been wiped out by a large youkai. Byakuya, a segment of Naraku, gives Kai a piece of the Shikon no Tama in exchange for Kai getting the Shikon fragments from Kouga. Otherwise, they will kill Shinta at sunset.

Kouga defeats Kai, who notices that the sun is setting. So instead, he flees the site of the battle to try to save his cute younger sibling. Kouga, not knowing what is going on, takes off after him.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha and company are in pursuit and come up on Kouga’s Yourouzoku followers who are struggling to stay with their leader.

Kai comes to the Byakuya and the giant badger youkai after the sun has set. Byakuya wants to know where the fragments are and Kai wants to know where his little brother is. Kouga arrives on the scene, which isn’t exactly what Byakuya wanted, but it will do. Kouga recognizes Byakuya as an “offspring” of Naraku by the smell. Kai can’t smell Shinta and fears the little boy has been eaten. He rushes to attack the large youkai but is slapped back. This action seems to puzzle Kouga a bit.

Inuyasha and the stragglers of Kouga’s tribe arrive on scene with Inuyasha ready to attack Byakuya until he’s called off by Kouga. He understands now what has transpired and why Kai attacked him. As such, he decides to avenge the Yourouzoku in Kai’s tribe.

Chapter 434

Kagome observes the energy coming from Kouga-kun’s fist as he faces the large badger youkai. That energy turns into a giant weapon claw — the Goraishi. He issues a massive attack against the giant youkai, which impresses Inuyasha’s group and apparently kills the youkai. He turns his attention to Byakuya, who cautions him that his death might lead to the death of Shinta. Shinta is in a cocoon and when Saimyoushou youkai insects from Naraku arrive, the cocoon turns into a giant youkai moth to carry Shinta away. Kai goes off in pursuit while Inuyasha moves to prevent Byakuya from escaping but he does anyway, issuing a warning about the safety of Shinta.

Kouga informs his Yourouzoku tribe-mates that they are going after the youkai moth. Before he does, he takes Kagome’s hand and assures her he loves children much to Inuyasha’s annoyance.

The groups are in hot pursuit with Kai and Kouga in the lead. Kagome informs Inuyasha that Kai has a Shikon fragment. The group wonders why Byakuya didn’t try to retrieve the fragment instead of just fleeing. Inuyasha catches a new scent and suddenly, an arm of some sort rises up and stabs the youkai moth and pulls it down with Shinta still trapped. That arm belongs to Mouryoumaru, who finds himself confronted by Kai and Kouga.

Shinta calls for his An-chan and Kouga restrains Kai from going to the rescue. Kouga is going to use the power of his Goraishi to attack Mouryoumaru. Unfortunately, the Shikon fragments in his legs prevent him from moving.

Chapter 435

Kouga, unable to move his legs, buys time by conversing with Mouryoumaru. The shards act according to the will of the long-dead miko Midoriko. Kouga uses Goraishi which does cause a bit of damage to Mouryoumaru. Mouryoumaru wonders why Kouga isn’t using his superior speed as Kouga uses Goraishi again. This latest attack comes close to Shinta, and could have hurt him. Mouryoumaru presses the attack and catches Kouga.

Inuyasha and company arrive on scene and Kouga’s tribe mates wonder how he got captured. Kagome knows it is from Midoriko. Kouga’s tribe-mates reflect that the power of the Goraishi comes from the Yourouzoku ancestors and that they will protect Kouga one time from the power that controls the Shikon fragments.

Mouryoumaru decides its time to extract those fragments for himself which causes Inuyasha to unsheathe Tessaiga and attack. Kouga is not happy for the assistance and Kai knows that Kouga isn’t using Goraishi because of the danger it puts Shinta in. So he goes to try to rescue his little brother, but Mouryoumaru isn’t having that. Sango launches her Hiraikotsu attack and Inuyasha frees Kai from Mouryoumaru’s tendrils. Kagome notes that Mouryoumaru has detected the shard within Kai and Sango uses his distraction to try to rescue Shinta. Miroku sends support in the form of his fuda (spells on slips of paper). This allows Sango to free Shinta.

Inuyasha tells Kai to go to his little brother while he faces Mouryoumaru. Now that Shinta is free, Kouga unleashes Goraishi, freeing himself. He can now move his legs again.

Thoughts

Shinta is so cute that he’s the only real interesting part of these three chapters. Seriously, while I suspected that the boy would be saved, I was felt for his safety and wanted to go in there and kick some bottom myself.

So, Kouga’s Goraishi comes back into play, as does Midoriko’s will in the shards, which seriously is some retconning on Takahashi-sensei’s part. Mouryoumaru’s arrival was a bit unexpected to me for some reason, but otherwise everything is going pretty much as I expected.