Inuyasha Vol 46 (Ch 449-452) *SPOILERS*

Thanks to Ear-Tweak for the scans.

Chapter 449

A small group of army soldiers are sitting in camp and discussing the rumors that the forest ahead is being melted away. They wonder if this could be a youkai’s doing. As they discuss, two “energy” things sweep over their camp, killing all of the soldiers who’s corpses smolder.

Back at the abandoned house, Kikyou briefs Inuyasha on Miroku’s condition. Inside the house, Sango and Kohaku discuss the situation with his fragment and his determination to stay with Kikyou. Outside, Kouga makes an observation on Inuyasha’s behavior around Kikyou to Kagome. Kouga decides to inquire if Kikyou is going to leave. She confirms that she needs to leave quickly to take care of a presence that on the move with traces of Naraku’s shouki. As she leaves, she seems to make a promise to Kagome to save Kohaku if she can.

Inuyasha and company are on the move along with Kouga. Sango and Miroku are riding Kirara and she inquires about his well being. His response is his normal “cop a feel of her behind,” which leads Kouga and Shippou-chan to observe that he must be doing better.

Inuyasha senses something ahead and they are attacked by eel creatures, which Inuyasha cuts with Tessaiga. Sango recognizes them not as creatures, but as quills from a certain kind of youkai. Said youkai emerges (Yama-Arashi), its quills on fire, and Inuyasha notes that it has a Kongousouha spear in its head, meaning its dead and that Naraku killed it and is controlling it. The dead Yama-Arashi lanches the quills at the group, producing a ton of jyaki. Inuyasha counters with a Kaze no Kizu attack. The attack takes out the dead youkai and most of the quills, but not all.

Miroku and Sango take off to gate care of the remaining quills. Miroku thinks about Kikyou’s warning to him about the Kazaana. They see a swarm of quills and suspect there’s something other than the Yama-Arashi down there.

Chapter 450

Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango kill off massive numbers of quills, but the numbers are greater than what fled, leading Kagome to announce that there have to be more Yama-Arashi. Sure enough, more dead Yama-Aarashi lumber onto the scene, leading Sango to gake out one with her Hiraikotsu attack. The quills attempt to flee, leading Miroku to use the Kazaana to suck them all in. Observing the downed Yama-Arashi, Miroku suspects there are more and that they should go hunt them down. Sango urges Miroku not to use the Kazaana, and Miroku is relieved when he discovers that her reasons are for his health, and not that she knows the Kazaana is starting to consume him (or rather the shouki wounds coming from the Kazaana).

Back in the air on Kirara, Sango and Miroku discover a few more quills, when Miroku notices the shouki would from his Kazaana. As they fly down a canyon, more Yama-Arashi burst from the canyon walls, causing Sango to lose her Hiraikotsu and as they fall to the ground, they are surrounded. Kagome and Inuyasha rush to find Sango and Miroku with Kouga running along side. As they run, several dead Yama-Arashi burst from the ground.

Sango and Miroku are fighting for their lives. The battle is sore pressed upon them and Sango realizes that Miroku may be forced to use the Kazaana to save them. With her katana in hand, Sango rushes toward the Yama-Arashi in the hopes of running past them and getting her Hiraikotsu, which is lying behind the youkai.

Chapter 451

Sango charges in order to get the Hiraikotsu while Miroku, not liking what she’s doing, covers her with his fuda slips. Sango, using her youkai hunting skills, decides to take down the Yama-Arashi first since that would be easiest. She manages to get on top of the giant youkai beast, but is thrown off and nearly killed. She manages to recover in time to obtain the Hiraikotsu, where she uses it to take down the youkai.

It is then that Miroku notices that the shouki around them has gotten much stronger. Even though their attack had removed Naraku’s Kongousouha spear from the Yama-Arashi’s forhead, another spear emerged and the youkai “came back to life.” Sango is knocked out by the surprise attack that follows and Miroku finds himself protecting her body and realizing he’s going to have to use the Kazaana even though the shouki wounds from his hand may spread and kill him.

Before he can do anything, he’s saved by a joint attack from Kouga and Inuyasha. Kagome fires a Hama no Ya into the jyaki to clear the air. Inuyasha chastises Miroku for nearly using the Kazaana. Kouga is sympathetic to Miroku’s plight, as is Kagome who proply ends the discussion by forcing Inuyasha down with an Osuwari command (sit). Sango comes to and wants to see Miroku. She is relieved when she sees him, and he is happy that he has companions he can count on.

Chapter 452

Naraku comes to a cave with a pool of water. A voice from the water notes that he’s come back to Hakureizan, even though Naraku didn’t want to. The voice wants to know why Naraku has returned to what’s left of the mountain. Naraku reveals that after he’d absorbed Mouryoumaru and the baby, Kikyou was there, but didn’t fire an arrow. Seeing Kohaku, Naraku realized her plan — to use Kohaku’s purified shard to instantly purify his piece of the Shikon no Tama and thus purified Naraku.

A head emerges from the water — Naraku’s human heart Onigumo. Since Onigumo had a negative heart, taking that heart back might be enough to give Naraku the edge he needs to kill Kikyou. The head turns into a large, hand-sized spider where it then is absorbed into Naraku. Naraku reflects that this negative human heart is an appropriate weapon to rid himself of Kikyou and Inuyasha.

Having made camp, Kouga is amazed that the group has stopped to eat and rest. This is because he normally runs for three days at a time (with no apparent breaks). Inuyasha is up in a tree they are camped under and he refuses Kagome’s request to come down and get some food. He’s not happy about Kouga’s presence, but is reminded by Kagome that due to the tricky situation with the shards in his legs Kouga should stay with the group. Kouga flirts with Kagome, which provokes a jealous response from Inuyasha and an Osuwari from Kagome.

That night, Inuysha dreams of his encounter with Kikyou 50-years before when Naraku attempted to get them to kill each other. He awakens and is troubled by the dream. Kagome wakens to see Inuyasha is awake but then notices a giant spider’s web nearby Inuyasha.

Thoughts

Not a whole lot to say here, though I get the feeling that maybe Takahashi-sensei may wrap this puppy up by years end.