Inuyasha Volume 50 SPOILERS

Chapter 489:

Sesshoumaru has been met by a strange looking humanoid child who claims to have knowledge of the Meidou, the attack that sends people straight to hell. Sesshoumaru’s use of the Meidou via Tenseiga has been incomplete (a perfect attack forms a sphere). As the child leads Sesshoumaru’s group, they are pursued by Inuyasha and company. Arriving at their destination, Jaken fears a trap and an attack from above seems to prove it. Sesshoumaru counters with his Meidou Zangetsuha. His opponent is Shishinki, and he claims that Sesshoumaru’s father stole the Meidou from him. To bring the point home, he attacks with a fully-formed Meidou at Sesshoumaru which takes a chunk out of the rocks behind them. He then reveals that his face is partially missing when he removes his mask.

Chapter 490:

Sesshoumaru is not impressed with Shishinki’s face or story. However, Shishinki can back up his words by having his smaller, perfect Meidou completely absorb Sesshoumaru’s larger, incomplete Meidou. This is all observed by Inuyasha and company along with Myouga, who provides commentary. Shishinki launches an attack at Inuyasha, which he counters with Kaze no Kizu. Shishinki decides to stir the pot by questioning Inuyasha getting Tessaiga instead of Tenseiga. Sesshoumaru decides he’s heard enough, but again has his Meidou absorbed by Shishinki’s. Shishinki continues to taunt, this time stating that it was Tessaiga that stole the Meidou when he fought Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha’s father and that Tenseiga didn’t even exist.

Chapter 491:

Sesshoumaru does not want to hear the news that Tenseiga was actually cast off from Tessaiga along with the Meidou Zangetsuha technique. Shishinki continues to push Sesshoumaru’s buttons by taunting him regarding Inuyasha getting the original sword. Sesshoumaru sheaths Tenseiga and Shishinki attacks. Inuyasha defends his older brother with a Kaze no Kizu. Before Inuyasha can do more, Sesshoumaru knocks him out of the way and attacks Shishinki using only his natural abilities. Shishinki sends multiple Meidou attacks at once for Sesshoumaru to avoid, but Sesshoumaru continues to come.

Chapter 492:

Sesshoumaru isn’t pleased about what his father has done, but continues to attempt to reach Shishinki while avoiding all of the Meidou attacks. Myouga wants Sesshoumaru to know the truth of what his father intended and has Inuyasha get him closer. Myouga states that only Sesshoumaru could handle such a powerful attack because there would be no way Inuyasha could. Shishinki states that Sesshoumaru’s father could have given Sesshoumaru Tessaiga rather than split it into two swords and give the powerful Tessaiga to Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru has heard enough and finally manages to reach Shishinki, knowing that in the end, Inuyasha having Tessaiga actually made Sesshoumaru a stronger youkai. The attack doesn’t harm Shishinki, so Inuyasha unleashes a Kongousouha attack which Shishinki’s Meidou absorbs. However, Tenseiga seems to react to Tessaiga’s presence.

Chapter 493:

As Shishinki’s Meidou approaches, Tenseiga and Tessaiga begin to resonate. Sesshoumaru ponders things for a moment before unleashing Tenseiga and working a perfect Meidou. He defeats Shishinki’s Meidou and ultimately Shishinki. Sesshoumaru does not appear happy about the situation and Inuyasha decides that he’s going to have his say because Sesshoumaru shouldn’t resent Tenseiga. Sesshoumaru tells Inuyasha his eyes are empty sockets and that they are destined to fight until they die. With that, he and his group leave and Myouga notices something about his master’s true objective regarding his sons.

Chapter 494:

Returning to Kaede’s village (Kikyou’s old village) Inuyasha talks with Kaede about Kikyou’s final end and of Kagome. Kagome returns to the modern era only to find her family has gone to an onsen, it is Sunday so there’s no school, none of her friends are home, and she’s bored. She ultimately falls asleep studying and finds Inuyasha has come and placed a blanket on her while watching over her. She’s touched by this and he has brought her the bow, telling her to keep it with her.

He starts to leave, but she stops him, leading him to tell her his desire for her to stay in the modern times to stay safe. However, she’s promised Kikyou to finish the work and will stay with Inuyasha. The two start to have a moment, only to be interrupted by her little brother as her family have returned from the onsen.

Chapter 495:

Byakuya investigates the battle site of Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Shishinki. He summons rock creatures to tell him what happened. Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru leaves his group behind to confront the youkai sword maker Toutousai. He sends a perfect Meidou Zangetsuha at Toutousai. Toutousai tells Sesshoumaru that his father had no doubts that Sesshoumaru would be able to perform the Meidou Zangetsuha but Sesshoumaru knows that the perfected Meidou Zangetsuha and Tenseiga will now be absorbed by Tessaiga.

Sesshoumaru is angry by this knowledge but Toutousai reminds Sesshoumaru that his father wasn’t going to allow him to place Inuyasha into a bad life. He insists that Sesshoumaru look beyond to his father’s ultimate desire, but Sesshoumaru doesn’t want to hear it. Sesshoumaru must throw away Tenseiga as well as his hatred of Inuyasha and only then will he have passed his father. He leaves to return to his group as they are attacked by Naraku.

Chapter 496:

Naraku attacks Sesshoumaru’s group while Sesshoumaru is away but his attempt to get Kohaku’s shard fails as its current purity repels Naraku. This allows them to flee while Inuyasha and company are on the trail. Naraku, in a cloud of shouki, decides a new tactic and assaults the group from above, attempting to corrupt the shard. Byakuya arrives to delay Inuyasha’s group from aiding Kohaku and the rest of Sesshoumaru’s group.

Chapter 497:

Inuyasha’s group all battle Byakuya and after some time, are able to force him to retreat. Kohaku, Jigen, Rin, and their youkai steed flee Naraku, who smashes them with the gaseous shouki. He places his youkai-hunter gas mask on Rin and his Shikon shard becomes more corrupt. He attempts to protect Rin and stands up to Naraku. Naraku forces Kohaku to attempt to remove his own shard, but Sango arrives to prevent Naraku’s success. Naraku isn’t worried about Sango, especially since she’s alone and as an angry Sango faces Naraku, she notices something different about the Hiraikotsu.

Chapter 498:

Naraku attempts to sew seeds of distrust by stating that Kohaku had been avoiding Sango, but this was something he already knew. Naraku’s jyaki is growing stronger but Sango has decided to fight. Inuyasha and company sense the jyaki and rush as fast as they can. The jyaki causes Kohaku to attack Sango, though he still can speak his own mind. Naraku taunts Sango about saving her little brother, and Sango attacks with the Hiraikotsu.

Naraku stands to take the blow in full confidence, but the unexpected happens when the boomerang cuts him in half. Further, Hiraikotsu begins absorbing Naraku’s jyaki and (apparently) passes through Naraku a 2nd time on the return to Sango. Naraku is not only stunned by this, but finds his body will not reform and so immediately flees. Hiraikotsu now has the ability to absorb and destroy other youkai’s jyaki. While Kohaku is unable to move on the ground due to the Shikon corruption, the group is now safe.

Thoughts:

Hmmmm. Sesshoumaru is always a welcome appearance in the manga. I am a bit weary of his constant, “Inuyasha sucks” attitude though. The comment he made about the two of them fighting until they die could mean they will fight each other or that the two of them will have to fight other youkai and evil forever. I tend to think the later as I suspect Takahashi-sensei will eventually cause Sesshoumaru to accept Inuyasha.

Kagome returning to the modern times…yawn “Wow! I’ve been away for so many years and yet I’m still in middle school and haven’t aged a day.” However, I did like Kagome being alone though the moment with Inuyasha was predictably interrupted. The only real item of interest was this line (in English), “At this time, I didn’t think that the day would come when I’d have to choose between the two worlds.” I sorta dealt with this here. lol

Sango’s “version up” on Hiraikotsu was nice. Now she’s not so worthless on the battlefield.