Thanks to Freelance for the scans.

Chapter 473

As Inuyasha stands unable to move in the flowers, Kaou notes the condition of his soul. He was able to sense Inuyasha’s pain through the vines and pollen and notes that he’s depressed and wishes to die after the woman he loved died. The vines grab Inuyasha and pull him down to Kagome’s dismay. Kaou has disappeared as well and Kagome thinks on what he said. The vines reach up to grab her, but the ward Miroku gave her keeps them at bay. That’s why she still feels sad.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha has a vision of a smiling Kikyou inviting him to come with her. In reality, Inuyasha is tied to a post by vines and bleeding from the eyes as Kaou watches, remarking on how peaceful he looks. Kagome goes to look for him and when she tries to enter the dwelling, a barrier keeps forces her back. She screams his name and fires an arrow at the barrier but to no avail. She continues to scream his name, which he hears and reacts to. Inuyasha breaks free and punches Kaou to his surprise. Kaou wonders why since he showed Inuyasha the dream he wanted, so Inuyasha attacks. Punching Kaou in the stomach, Kaou reveals that he’s apparently made of the vines and sends a group of them at Inuyasha to kill him.

Outside the residence, Kagome uses the ward to attach to an arrow to break the barrier as vines rise up her leg.

Chapter 474

Kaou goes to remove Inuyasha’s physical heart but is interrupted when Kagome’s arrow breaks the barrier and he breaks off and disappears. However, as Inuyasha looks outside, Kagome is being overcome by the vines. Having sampled Kagome’s soul, Kaou is even more pleased by her wounded heart. This seems to surprise Inuyasha but before Kaou can say what the cause of her pain is, he falls silent as she grips her bow. Realizing her thoughts are known to him, she fires an arrow into the flowers. She’s angry at her thoughts being known to him and his plans to announce her pain. She fires another purifying arrow and clears the castle of the flowers.

Looking behind them, Inuyasha sees Kaou rising to attack Kagome. He slices the top-half of Kaou’s head off, apparently killing him as the flowers begin to disappear everywhere. Inuyasha and Kagome inquire to each others wellbeing and he confesses what he saw in the dream state. Kagome wants to know if he wanted to go with Kikyou, but his answer of Kagome bringing him to his senses doesn’t satisfy her. He continues, saying his inability to save Kikyou pained him but he was only thinking of himself and not Kagome’s feelings. He didn’t know her pain and so he apologizes to her. Kagome forgives him, knowing Kikyou causes the entire group pain and Inuyasha was the one hurt most. Inuyasha wonders how she can be so strong, but she angrily tells him it isn’t being strong, but kind. With that, the group heads off to the next adventure.

Chapter 475

Naraku remembers Kikyou’s final attack on him and notes that the now-corrupted Shikon no Tama still retains a point of purity he cannot remove. That purity point is a threat to his life, meaning that killing Kikyou hasn’t made him any safer.

Kanna, Naraku’s first detachment creation, sits in a tree with her mirror and the wind reminds her of Kagura. Byakuya gives her orders from Naraku to go to Inuyasha’s group and open her mirror.

Inuyasha’s group meet some old Japanese men who talk about a strange light. Shippou-chan is amazed that Inuyasha decided to help without complaining. The group sees the light and heads to it. It is coming from a lake, where Kanna’s mirror sits. From it, a large (crystal-like?) creature emerges. Inuyasha sees Kanna and draws his sword. Silently, Kanna points to Inuyasha’s group and it begins to glow more. Inuyasha attempts to use the Kaze no Kizu attack, but nothing happens. This stuns everyone, and the creature forms a Tessaiga-like sword in its right hand.

Thoughts

I know that flower-youkai story was supposed to bring closure to the pain of losing Kikyou, but for me, it just didn’t work that well. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. It felt like a forced resolution rather than a genuine one. As to the new story with Kanna, I liked how Kagura was mentioned in passing. Even though there’s a tiny part of me that would like to see Kagura somehow come back and end up with Sesshoumaru, I doubt she comes back. We’ll see what happens with this newest Kanna arc.