犬夜叉 Volume 54

Chapter 529: Jaken is in a panic over Rin’s abduction when Sesshoumaru arrives. Upon learning the situation, he immediately takes off, realizing that Naraku’s goal is to seal his sword. Back with Inuyasha and company, they are mourning the apparent death of Kohaku. Kagome can see the completed, black Shikon no Tama and shoots an arrow at it, Inuyasha following it with a Meidou Zangetsuha attack. Naraku taunts them but Kohaku ends up being alive, powered by Kikyou’s light as Kikyou apparently chose to save the boy over destroying Naraku.

Chapter 530: Naraku reflects on his journey to now as Kagome returns to the present time to discover she got accepted into her high school of choice, thanks to them having a vacancy. Meanwhile, Naraku decides what he’s going to do as he absorbs the completed Shikon no Tama and begins to transform for his final battle with Inuyasha and company. Meanwhile, the others note the large numbers of youkai being drawn somewhere and the amount of jyaki in the air as Kagome returns to continue her fight with Inuyasha and company.

Chapter 531: Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku leave the village, leaving Shippou behind as well as Kohaku, whom Sango doesn’t wish to have his new life thrown away. They travel, following the swarms of low-level youkai to where Naraku is. Meanwhile at Naraku’s location, Sesshoumaru is not impressed with Naraku’s new form as it is still only a spider. He’s attacked by a swarm of youkai, who all die at Bakusaiga. Byakuya observes that Sesshoumaru could kill Naraku with such a sword but with Rin trapped within Naraku, Sesshoumaru can’t attack. Naraku tries to capture Sesshoumaru with his webs. Sesshoumaru eludes as Kagome and Inuyasha arrive, the youkai the were riding being dissolved when it touches the webs and the spider opening the front of its body as if to welcome them in.

Chapter 532: Sesshoumaru enter’s the giant spider’s body, soon followed by Inuyasha and company, leaving Byakuya to wonder why, as he would have just destroyed Naraku from the outside, sacrificing Rin to do so. Inside, they find the humanoid form of Naraku, which they attack, but Naraku reminds them that everything inside is him. Naraku further tells them that the Shikon no Tama wants their souls. As such, another humanoid Naraku forms, this one covered in armor as the giant spider gathers itself together as if the jewel itself. Inuyasha fights the armored Naraku as he’s told that he and others will be trapped forever.

Chapter 533: With Naraku’s spider body, Inuyasha makes no progress against armor-Naraku. Sango attacks with the Hiraikotsu, which works to take the head off the armor body, but the two pieces become two whole bodies. Inuyasha attacks with the Kongousouha, but has no luck in defeating them. He activates Meidou Zangetsuha but when they see Rin-chan, Inuyasha cannot attack. Kagome senses that the Shikon no Tama is still a jewel and not spread through Naraku’s body as Naraku separates Inuyasha and Kagome from Miroku and Sango. Inuyasha and Kagome make their way to where she senses the jewel, only to find Inuyasha turn into his youkai form, as the corrupt power of this Shikon no Tama has forced him to change, as Naraku planned.

Chapter 534: Inuyasha now tries to kill Kagome with Kagome unable to do anything about it, her powers having been sealed. Naraku taunts her by giving her an arrow filled with his shouki, which would kill Inuyasha. However, she won’t use it and Inuyasha attacks, knocking Kagome off a ledge. Meanwhile, Sango and Miroku are on the move where an illusion forms of the temple where Miroku was raised. Sango realizes the child in the illusion is Miroku and the man must be Miroku’s father. Miroku’s father’s Kazaana then consumes him, leaving only a crater. Miroku comforts Sango, but realizes that the illusion was for Sango’s sake as Miroku’s Kazaana is close to consuming him. Elsewhere, Sesshoumaru comes upon the body of Kagome.

Chapter 535: Inuyasha comes to his senses where he is taunted by Naraku for not being able to protect the important women in his life. This frustrates Inuyasha who begins sinking back into youkai form as Naraku tempts him with an offer. Elsewhere, Kagome comes to to find she’s being protected by Sesshoumaru, who is slaying weak youkai with a wave of his hand. Sesshoumaru figures Inuyasha has been consumed by Naraku’s evil, but Kagome rejects this, pointing out that Inuyasha pushed her over the ledge instead of killing her. Meanwhile, Miroku and Sango are in a desperate fight with Sango not wanting Miroku to have to use is Kazaana. However, things become desperate so that Miroku feels he has no choice but use it.

Chapter 536: Miroku uses the Kazaana briefly before managing to stop it. Realizing that the Kazaana will soon consume him, he tells Sango that they must part company and flees, not wanting her to be consumed as well. Outside, the giant, black spider, looking like the Shikon no Tama, hovers over Kaede’s village. Kohaku prevents Jaken and Shippou from going up to try to join the fight. Inside the body, Kagome follows Sesshoumaru to where Rin appears to be, but Sesshoumaru id’s it as an illusion. Meanwhile, the real Rin awakens and is startled to see the giant face of Magatsuhi. She flees, calling for Sesshoumaru-sama, only to find Inuyasha in youkai form again.

Chapter 537: Sesshoumaru has detected the real Rin as well as Inuyasha. He informs Kagome that he’s going to fly and takes off, Kagome grabbing his muff. Inuyasha looks as if he’s going to attack Rin, but instead he attacks Magatsuhi. This surprises Magatsuhi, but then Magatsuhi possesses Inuyasha as Naraku begins to “swallow” Rin. Sesshoumaru faces off against Inuyasha, saying he’ll cut Magatsuhi as well as Inuyasha as he draws out Tenseiga. Inuyasha draws Tessaiga and activates the Meidou Zangetsuha. Outside, Kohaku, Shippou, and Jaken are riding the twin-headed youkai steed when a Meidou Zangetsuha opens a hole in the spider’s body for them to enter. Meanwhile Sesshoumaru ponders Inuyasha’s apparent purposeful miss, realizing Tessaiga is holding Inuyasha together. Naraku realizes this as well and separates him from his sword. Sesshoumaru orders Kagome to grab Tessaiga as they are going to follow the fleeing Inuyasha-Magatsuhi.

Chapter 538: Sesshoumaru begins tearing through a ball of flesh to get to where Inuyasha-Magatsuhi are. Kagome tells Sesshoumaru her belief that he can defeat Magatsuhi without hurting Inuyasha. She tells him that his fighting Inuyasha is exactly what Naraku wants. Breaking through, Inuyasha-Magatsuhi immediately attacks. Because Inuyasha is in youkai form, he is able to land blows on Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru thinks on Kagome’s words, but figures this fight was long overdue. Sesshoumaru uses Tenseiga, but because Magatsuhi is possessing Inuyasha, it won’t harm Magatsuhi. Meanwhile, Kagome tries to get near Inuyasha, which Sesshoumaru finds foolish and Magatsuhi says is pointless. However, Inuyasha gets a whiff of her scent and as Kagome falls, Inuyasha breaks off his fight with Sesshoumaru, realizing Kagome is alive and needs to be saved.

Thoughts: Well, it is a non-stop ride at the end here (or if it is not the end, I’ll be stunned, but I’ve not bothered to look to see what Takahashi-sensei is planning). Nothing here is really surprising, but I am curious to see where things go.

As for Kagome finally making it to high school, its about freaking time.