犬夜叉 Volume 55

Chapter 539: Inuyasha shakes off Magatsuhi influence and rescues Kagome. However, Magatsuhi transfers a bit of himself into Kagome to prevent Sesshoumaru from killing him without destroying both Inuyasha’s and Kagome’s body. However, as Inuyasha tries to get away from Kagome, Tessaiga flies up to him and turns into Dragon-Scaled form. This draws Magatsuhi out of Kagome and prevents him from entering Inuyasha. Trapped out of a physical body to hide behind, Sesshoumaru takes Tenseiga and kills Magatsuhi.

Chapter 540: With Magatsuhi dead, Kagome’s powers return to her and as she falls off a ledge, Inuyasha catches her. Being close to Kagome with her powers causes Inuyasha to return to hanyou form. Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru can now clearly detect Rin’s scent and makes his way to her as Kohaku, Jaken, and Shippou try to make their way through Naraku’s body. Inuyasha tells Kagome he suspects a trap as Naraku notes the light that has returned to the Shikon no Tama. He decides to turn that light into despair for Miroku and Sango and taunts Inuyasha and Kagome with this info. Miroku sees the light and decides to take out Naraku once and for all, which is what Naraku wants him to do.

Chapter 541: Kagome urges Inuyasha to look for Miroku to save him first as Miroku makes his way to Naraku’s core. Elsewhere, Sango is looking for Miroku and follows the light of the Shikon no Tama where she encounters the humanoid form of Naraku at his core with the Shikon no Tama. He tells her she’s the first to reach him. However, before she can attack, Naraku produces Rin, which if Sango is to save Miroku, she must slay Rin. She decides that is something she’s prepared to do to save Miroku. Meanwhile, Miroku reaches the humanoid form of Naraku, who informs Miroku that Miroku is the first to reach Naraku. However, all of this is just an illusion created by Byakuya.

Chapter 542: Inuyasha and Kagome reach Miroku and the illusion of Naraku. Inuyasha attacks with a Kongousouha but Miroku doesn’t notice. Just before Miroku can use the Kazaana, Inuyasha stops him and Kagome uses the beads that seals the Kazaana. Kagome tries to dispel the Naraku illusion but cannot do so. Meanwhile, Kohaku comes to a point where he can see Sango, where he learns from Byakuya that Sango is under his illusion spell and can’t hear Kohaku. Sango is ready to sacrifice Rin’s life as Kagome realizes her light is being pushed out of the Shikon no Tama. As Sango attacks, Kagome shoots an arrow at where the real Naraku is.

Chapter 543: As Sango releases her Hiraikotsu to attack what she thinks is Naraku, Kagome shoots into what Inuyasha thinks is no where. However, the skill Kagome learned from Hitomiko that allows an arrow Kagome shoots to reach its target no matter what is in the way comes to play and the arrow strikes the real Naraku, taking off his arm with also removes Byakuya’s arm. The Hiraikotsu somehow misses Rin as she begins to fall and is caught by Kohaku. Sesshoumaru ends up with Sango’s weapon and throws it back, where it misses Sango (who ducks) and nearly takes out Byakuya. Since Byakuya had told Sango the truth of the illusion, Sesshoumaru knows everything. Sango submits to Sesshoumaru, telling him she’s prepared to die at his hands for trying to kill Rin, even if it resulted in Naraku’s death. However, she asks that Sesshoumaru stay her execution until Naraku is dead. Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Kagome have Miroku make their way to where the action is.

Chapter 544: An agitated-looking Sesshoumaru detects where Naraku’s core is and so he turns to find it. Meanwhile, Inuyasha, Kagome, and Miroku reach Naraku’s core where Inuyasha attacks with Meidou Zangetsuha but the attack goes awry. As it travels within the giant body, it nearly takes out Shippou, who observes Byakuya pull out his katana, only it has no blade. It then forms a black blade, when Byakuya notices Shippou, telling the little youkai that he’d just helped himself to the power of Meidou Zangetsuha, then reminds himself his sword can only be used once. Byakuya tells Shippou that if he’s going to escape, he has to do so now. Meanwhile, Naraku prevents Kagome from attacking by unleashing killer shouki. As Sesshoumaru, Sango, Kohaku, and Rin approach Naraku, Sango gives Rin her mask to filter out the poisonous shouki, meaning Sango’s putting her life at risk, which Sesshoumaru notes.

Chapter 545: Despite the pain the shouki causes her lungs, Sango presses on as Naraku prevents Sesshoumaru from following her. She reaches Naraku and attacks with the Hiraikotsu, which can break through shouki and jyaki. The Hiraikotsu hits Naraku and returns to Sango. However, it is so contaminated with shouki, Sango is overcome and falls, followed by Miroku. Sango and Miroku have a few words where Sango asks Miroku to take her with him. Their despair powers the Shikon no Tama’s darkness while outside, Toutousai looks up, thinking that if Inuyasha can make the Meidou Zangetsuha his own, he can win.

Chapter 546: Naraku finally absorbs the Shikon no Tama as Inuyasha uses his Meidou attack, thus Naraku survives. Naraku reminds Inuyasha and Kagome that even if he dies, the Shikon no Tama will survive, as it did when it was buried with Kikyou and reborn in Kagome. Kagome begins to talking to Naraku, ultimately stating that the Shikon no Tama didn’t grant Naraku’s wish. Naraku attacks with killer shouki but Inuyasha counters with the Meidou. Inuyasha confronts Naraku verbally as a fellow hanyou before re-attacking with the Meidou Zangetsuha, which instead of being a perfect sphere, are now curved blades.

Chapter 547: Naraku is damaged by the new attack ability of Tessaiga’s Meidou Zangetsuha. As Toutousai thinks outside, Inuyasha realizes this change in the Meidou is because Tessaiga is a sword that cuts. The flesh all around the group sends out massive amounts of Shouki, and Miroku, who wants to live with Sango, takes her and tries to escape. Sesshoumaru understands Inuyasha has Naraku trapped and so uses his Bakusaiga to open a path to Naraku’s core. This means that the giant body of Naraku will now be completely destroyed. Inuyasha points this out to Naraku, who reminds Inuyasha that the Shikon no Tama still won’t disappear. Meanwhile, Byakuya appears to be sneaking up on the scene.

Chapter 548: The giant spider body begins to fall apart but inside, the shouki is too much and Miroku feels he must use the Kazaana to save Sango. Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru makes his way to Naraku with Inuyasha telling Naraku it is over. Naraku conceeds this point, but states that there is something that neither Tessaiga or Bakusaiga can cut. Kagome knows what that is — Naraku’s soul. She’s going to purify him, but Byakuya swipes her with his sword, which Inuyasha notes appears to be Meidou Zangetsuha. Inuyasha attacks Byakuya and kills him, but Byakuya has done what he was supposed to do. Kagome wonders if she were cut by the blade while Miroku notes his Kazaana is no longer leaking. As such, he and Sango decide to return to the fight as Sesshoumaru continues to make his way in.

Thoughts: Man, if I were writing this, I’d be so ready for the story to be over as I’d be bored to death writing it. But that’s a weakness I have in my own story writing, which if I ever “pick up the quill” to write again, I’ll have to overcome that. Having said this, how many years has Takahashi-sensei been writing this manga? Some 12-years or so? I’d for sure be tired of writing this after that many years, especially with the constant, “Naraku escapes, try again” element that plagued the manga. As such, even though this is clearly the end, Takahashi-sensei could still make Naraku live another day and not settle anything.

Well, there’s at least one more volume. Can she drag it out for two?