Inuyasha Manga: 265 The Cave on Mt. Hakurei

That sounds SOOOOO nice right now. I have so much stuff to be doing at the moment; writing a spooky story I had an idea for years ago and finally got around to developing, practicing the various languages I've taken up, turning over the garden for the FINALLY approaching winter, performing a ritual for banishing capitalism to the deepest pit of oblivion, and distraction seems to get in the way of every single one of these tasks. I need a primal place I can retreat to that doesn't have internet or its pitfalls, quiet, secluded, and pure/serene enough so that none of these pesky demonic time-wasters drops in to visit unexpectedly and sidetrack me. A cave on Mt. Hakurei seems like just the spot.

Some others might need it to recover from hardcore trauma first, though.

After a short transition, Kagome and Kouga are running along the river downstream, Shippou between them, and the wolf underlings bringing up the rear. Kagome calls out Inuyasha's name in worry and desperation, hugging his fire rat coat to her chest. Behind, Mohawk says that Inuyasha and Renkotsu shouldn't have been washed down this far, and Two-Tone agrees that Renkotsu dammed up the river downstream. I'm not sure what the logic is here, it seems a little fishy, but sure guys. 

Kouga says that their conversation only really applies if "Dog-Turd" wasn't completely blown to pieces, and his lackeys put on sad, horrified faces, his name escaping them as almost a reprimand for his morbid speculation. Kouga turns to snap that it's true, and even begins a diatribe about how idiotic Inuyasha is, but clams up immediately when he sees Kagome trembling. She's gathered the coat up to her face, tears welled up in her eyes as she mumbles into the fabric that Inuyasha wasn't wearing these clothes, though the garment is as good as armor. 

Mohawk moans in exasperation that Kouga made her cry, Kouga stuttering at Kagome that she should stop. She's pushed the coat up over her eyes now too, sobbing that it must be her fault, because he let her wear it. Kouga tries to reason that it WASN'T her fault, because he saw that Inuyasha forced the coat on her even though she refused it at first. 

Uhhhhhh. I really feel like this line could have been worded better. Brings to mind that he's being accused of forcing something ELSE on her...

Mohawk and Two-Tone have brightened up a bit at the sight of him, stammering his name in relief. Shippou has hopped up on Kagome's shoulder, elatedly declaring that Inuyasha was okay all along. Inuyasha haughtily asks what everybody thinks he's made of, announcing that OF COURSE he's fine. He says that Renkotsu certainly wasn't ready to die, it seems, because he tossed those explosives just before they went off. 

Kouga drawls that he THOUGHT it would be that kind of explanation, since idiots don't die and all. Inuyasha snaps that Kouga doesn't know when to stop, so Kouga invites him to come and get him. Just when Inuyasha says that this is the day he'll slaughter Kouga, the two of them glaring daggers at one another...

Yeah, they weren't going to give you much of an opening, girl, may as well just make one to express your relief for yourself. 

A tear streaming down her face, Kagome says she's so glad, asking if he's okay and not injured. After tenderly saying Kagome's name, Inuyasha apologizes for making her worry, to which she responds with another question about whether he's really REALLY okay. Kouga turns away from the affectionate display with a scoff, and his lackeys look over their shoulders at him in amazement, asking if he's going to ignore this. He looks up, promising to overlook it just this once, since Kagome's feelings are a bit frazzled with the shock of the situation. He does turn back around to address Inuyasha again, though, demanding that he not think he's won; Kouga announces that he has no intentions of giving up on winning Kagome over. Still committed to the paper-thin illusion that you're chasing after Kagome? Puh-lease. 

Inuyasha scoffs at him, suggesting that he just can't see he's lost, drawing out a "stupid" epithet for good measure. Arms crossed and haughty, Kouga advises Inuyasha not to get elated over just a hug, also calling him stupid and dragging that middle syllable out. Inuyasha interprets Kouga's stance as mortification, calls it pathetic, and adds another elongated "stupid". In and of itself, it's all very stupid. Kagome's tears have dried up entirely, and in her exasperation, she marvels at how quickly that happened in the midst of this utterly riveting exchange going on over her. Shippou also looks on in exasperation, saying that anyone who calls others stupid is bound to be stupid themselves, and Two-Tone is bound to agree that both Kouga and Inuyasha seem pretty dumb, he and Mohawk looking deadpan at the pointless argument. 

All the more pointless in light of the REAL loser here sulking away in defeat. 

Renkotsu internally curses his failure to take the Shikon shards off Kouga's legs, clutching at the fragment in his shoulder from Ginkotsu, and worrying about what will happen if it's discovered that he's using this particular memento from his comrade. He thinks he's going to be killed by Bankotsu for sure, and wonders what his next step should be. My strategy would still be to take it out now that it's no longer needed to heal, hand it over to Bankotsu, and stop needlessly creating drama for myself, but that's just me. 

It is said that if you speak of the devil, he shall appear, and it appears that Bankotsu's got one-up on THAT guy, because Renkotsu has but to THINK of him and he steps right into the next panel. He greets Renkotsu casually, who just stares in alarm while muttering Bankotsu's big brother title. Saimyoushou hover next to him as he tells Renkotsu that they informed him Ginkotsu ate it. Renkotsu hesitantly affirms this, concerned that Bankotsu already knows about Ginkotsu's death. Bankotsu turns and hoists a hand on his hip, saying it's too bad that they tried their best only for Ginkotsu to get "remodeled" so to speak. That... sure is a way to put it. 

Renkotsu is simply SPEECHLESS here. Are you starting to wonder if revolting against a leader that doesn't seem to have ANY ill-will toward you or the rest of the group is ridiculous and unnecessary yet? 

Bankotsu watches a buzzing Shaimyoushou in front of him, reporting that Suikotsu also died, mentioning that he "caught" Sesshoumaru, but not who ACTUALLY took him out. Renkotsu repeats this information with something of a shocked look, and Bankotsu wears a mournful expression when he points out it's just three of them left - himself, Jakotsu, and Renkotsu. He soon puts back on that easy smile though when he walks over and claps Renkotsu on the shoulder, saying that's just the way it is. A fair attitude about a profession of murder, I guess, since there is always the chance you get murdered yourself. He tells Renkotsu he'll be relying all the more on him now, and all Renkotsu can think about is how this bastard hasn't seemed to have noticed that Ginkotsu's Shikon fragment is missing yet. As Bankotsu walks off, Renkotsu assumes he must still be useful, hence why he gets to live a bit longer. 

Manufactured drama, dude. Manufactured. Drama.

In the meantime, on the side of that steep mountain of purity that is Hakurei, Miroku has paused in front of Sango, who asks what's up. He references the path. 

Super problem is super sus as well. 

Sango looks up to where the path would connect to the other side and points out to Miroku the cave just beyond it. Miroku states the obvious the the path SHOULD have led them straight to that hole in the side of the mountain. Sango starts to take Hiraikotsu off her back, asking Miroku if they should go inside this cave. Miroku questions whether they can, and Sango suggests that they try as she throws her giant boomerang. 

Sango uses the boomerang as a stepping stone, so to speak, to hop across the chasm in the path in two parts rather than trying to leap the whole thing in one, carrying the end of her grappling hook with her. She is by far the coolest team member, and you can't convince me otherwise. She tosses the weighted end of the hook back to Miroku for him to catch, and he does so easily, even if the way it's drawn is awkwardly stiff as Miroku compliments Sango on her greatness. As he should. Once she's pulled him up to the cave entrance and is winding back up her rope and hook, she comments on how the cave leads inside the mountain, the dark tunnel receding far into the rock. Miroku is alarmed to find that he senses a faint evil coming from within. He charges inside, inviting an eager Sango to follow, announcing that Naraku is DEFINITELY inside.

You're being awfully Inuyasha-like in impulsiveness right now, Miroku. Don't you want to... make some sort of plan or strategy? No? Okay...

YES! It's my giiiiiiirl! I missed her like she must have missed being part of the main plot for this long.

Kanna softly shuffles up behind Kagura, saying her name in typical monotone. Kagura is startled at first, and then starts to gripe how easy it is for Kanna to slip in and out of this cave, since she has no youki for the sacred grounds to purify. So, Kanna is bland enough to "pass" as non-youkai, huh? This holy barrier has created a very awkward definition of youkai and human, hasn't it? Kagura complains that if she sets one foot out of this cave, she'll be purified by the barrier. 

Not interested in Kagura's whining, it seems, Kanna shows her mirror with an image of Miroku and Sango running in the glass, indicating that they've got enemies incoming. Kagura kneels down to get a better look and identifies them as the priest and the slayer, and scoffs that this is interesting. 

This is why we always call Kagura for a crazy fun night. She knows how to party.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The beginning of it is one of the more remembered scenes in the series, and I think that's for a good reason; it comes out as more emotionally complex than most of them. You've got Kagome freaking out about Inuyasha's safety and the possibility that he died because he gave her is armor, you've got Kouga sticking his foot in his mouth by callously forgetting that she's a bit attached to Inuyasha and solidifying the fear of his death in the first place, you've got Inuyasha popping back up in one piece if a little miffed at Kouga's shit-talking him in his absence, Kagome's delayed breakdown in her relief that Inuyasha is okay, possibly the most tender moment between them so far, and Inuyasha gloating over "winning" her affections so much that it completely dried up her emotional response. It's a LOT of contrasting and conflicting expressions in a very short amount of time, but it's pulled off very well, with fairly seamless transitions. The characters all riff off of one another's natural reactions to the rapidly progressing emotional atmosphere. It's a lot of fun, and siphons off some of the tension from Kagome's terror at Inuyasha's near miss, relieving us too with a comedic exchange. This was another of those "rivalry" spats that could have easily been overdone, but I think RT managed to keep it corralled for the most part. One more "stuuuuuupid" would have sent it over the edge, so I'm glad she stopped where she did. 

Renkotsu continues to annoy me with how committed he is to overthrowing Bankotsu, even more so after how REASONABLE Bankotsu came across in their conversation. It almost gave the impression that Bankotsu was giving Renkotsu an opportunity to do EXACTLY what I've suggested and just hand over Ginkotsu's shard with the excuse that he needed it for a minute to heal. He does seem genuinely bummed that his team members have made their exit too, and that he needs Renkotsu now more than ever just to try and finish up their job. It just makes me question all the harder WHY Renkotsu is so determined to pull off a coup. Ambition is one thing, feeling like you're in too deep because you keep using Shikon shards under your boss's nose is another, but I still feel like these require a bit more development in the motivation department than they've been getting. Renkotsu just doesn't seem have much reason for his opposition to Bankotsu, because Bankotsu just doesn't seem to be that bad of a leader.

You know, as far as leaders of mercenaries go.

And the refocus on Sango/Miroku and Kagura at the end of the chapter is really exciting, mostly because it's been a while since both Sango AND Kagura got to DO anything. As the only member of the main group that doesn't have supernatural powers, Sango's support often gets overshadowed by the more showy, flashy actions of her team members. It's nice to see her getting a moment to show how indispensable she can be, even if it's only a moment. 

As for Kagura, I just missed the shit out of her sass, you know? She's just too fun.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 323 Into the Tomb!

It certainly is the season for it! All kinds of "haunted" locations have popped up everywhere, and I'm stoked to be going to one this week for a nice walk through a spooky forest. Don't think I could do a TOMB myself; I don't have claustrophobia or anything, but not being able to run when scared is something that makes me nervous, which is why I tend to go for open-air attractions myself. There's a whole market for more AUTHENTIC experiences these days, though, that push the envelope a bit much for my tastes. The folks who like those kinds of haunts would be JEALOUS AS HELL of our protags right now.

But I'm perfectly satisfied with just watching "The Houses October Built".

These kids, though? No, they're on a fucking MISSION.

But they're not the only ones. Back in the underground temple with game!Yami, Zorc is questioning in a rage who this masked buff dude is and how he can just jump in front of and block his god attacks like this. Hasan answers with his name and title of Spirit of the Stone Tablet, a title which Zorc repeats in disbelief. Behind Hasan, Yami is starting to recognize him as the guy who knelt next to his injured and bloodied form in the cave. He gave such unforgettable advice, after all.

Hasan says that he and Zorc are two sides of the same coin: the light and darkness of the world beyond. He appears as well when the evil will of destruction awakes, Zorc's bound twin which, if that question mark on Zorc is any indication, he had no idea existed. Hasan declares it's his destiny to protect the pharaoh. 

How typical of a villain to get hung up on a label and ignore all evidence he doesn't like. Game!Yami groans as beams of the attack shoot past, but Hasan insists that he HAS to endure, since the end of Zorc's attack means his magic power will be lowered, and he won't be able to stop time anymore. Just a LITTLE longer, buddy! 

Zorc roars while he continues to shoot hellfire from his palms. Game!Yami is wincing, and argues to Hasan that even if time moves again, he and his priests are badly wounded. He comments on Zorc's strength and questions if there is ANY way to defeat the monster, but Hasan tells him there's still hope. At game!Yami's stunned expression, Hasan looks over his shoulder and says Yami still has his friends. Wide-eyed, game!Yami remembers that this is right, his friends DO exist!

His name, his friends, damn if Yami's HEAD wasn't attached...

Yami has recalled that his friends souls are even now wandering lost in the game world, searching for the name he had when he was pharaoh and alive. I would say Yami's friends deserve a little more credit, but they HAVE been wandering pretty aimless until the last chapter. Asshole!Bakura tsks at the fact that these friends seem to have in that time gotten some inside information, and he says he didn't think that an NPC he didn't even know about could tell Yuugi and company about the location of the pharaoh's name. He's rather UNCONCERNED when he says this wasn't part of his plan. 

This escapes Yami, who asks for confirmation that his buds have indeed found where his name is. Grinning, asshole!Bakura says this is true, and that they should be getting there right about this time. Yami complains that asshole!Bakura shouldn't know what his friends are up to if even HE can't know that, claiming it's out-of-character info. Asshole!Bakura retorts that he sent in a piece of his soul as a spy, as Yami glares to cover his shock.

Quite obvious now why asshole!Bakura remains so very smug. He urges Yami not to worry, because he can join them when Zorc is done destroying the pharaoh. Of course, he recognizes that he'll have to get that masked buff dude out of the way first, who is STILL blocking Zorc's hell fire attack in the diorama. Asshole!Bakura admits he doesn't know who Hasan is, or why he's been protecting the mold tablet and the pharaoh for the past 3,000 years, but asshole!Bakura vows with exuberance that he'll destroy anything that gets in Zorc's way, emphasizing this with a raised clenched fist.

Yami glowers, while silently begging Yuugi and the rest of his friends to be careful, insisting they have to survive. 

Back on the ground once more, Yuugi is displaying full-on poop face toward the entrance, knowing that somewhere in here is his other self's true name. Honda waves a hand in front of a guard's stationary face to confirm that he and the rest of them are frozen too, because apparently EVERYONE is forgetting that they're invisible and can't be seen anyway in this world. I don't want to hear another word about how Jonouchi is stupid for not getting that fact after this, not one solitary word!

Yuugi begins to walk in, urging the others to follow, which they do, Jonouchi holding up a fist and making a declaration of solidarity as he does so. They're framed for a moment as silhouettes at the end of a dark corridor with pictograms carved into the walls, and while they walk along it, Jonouchi starts to lose his nerve and complain that the place is all dark and creepy. He invites Anzu to go ahead of him, who demands a break from his bullshit, as if she's been dealing with this particular trait of his at all since Death-T. Honda points out that there are torches, so they can at least see where they're going in there. 

Yuugi looks around in awe, thinking about how this is the other him's/the pharaoh's tomb. Honda puts his hand on an intricately carve pillar and says you can tell by it and the statues that this has to be a king's tomb, not that this was ever a question. Jonouchi just slouches behind him, looking ill. Yuugi's still thinking on Yami, who must have been lonely after he died, being in here all by himself. 

Well that was far more sudden an entrance in here than Yuugi's grandfather made. Then again, there hasn't been time for a bunch of corpses to be pinned to the wall in this iteration yet.

Yuugi looks up at the massive statues with their blades raised, and thinks with a sweatdrop that that sword seems like it could drop at any moment. Reasoning that he could fly just a few minutes ago in this game world, Jonouchi makes a carefree running leap right off the edge of the platform with a yell... then drops out of sight when it turns out that gravity works here. His friends dive for him and grab his wrist just in time, Honda shouting at him to watch it. They pull him back up to safety, Yuugi explaining that this is just like in Duel Monsters, citing a rule that you can't fly in a dungeon. Sounds legit. Jonouchi mutters that they could have TOLD him, conveniently forgetting that he didn't give them much time to do so before he just took that leap of faith. 

While Jonouchi pants from near hyperventilation behind him, Yuugi assures his friends that it's okay, because time is stopped. He approaches the first statue, on the logic that even if it's a booby trap, it can't move when time isn't. 

Four little kiddos, all in a row... Jonouchi warns everyone to watch where they step, because if they fall, it's all over, and he would know. Still, it does seem a slight cop-out that these statues don't pose the threat they are designed to right now. 

Yuugi DOES find cause to pause in alarm on the path, though, when he sees a Duel Monsters card laid face down right in the middle of it. He picks it up to look at what it is, and looks rather disturbed by what he sees. His friends gather at his side, Jonouchi asking what it is, and Yuugi answering that what's in his hand was on the ground. Anzu asks the obvious question if this isn't a Duel Monster's card, while Yuugi glares around the surrounding room in heightened paranoia, knowing someone else must be there. He fixes his eyes on their destination, the great statue under which the exit to the room resides. We get a good view of the card: "Destiny Board", which I believe we've seen before. Yuugi at least recognizes it, and stands seriously wondering, no doubt coming to the only conclusion anyone can here. 

Beyond the exit to the previous room and the path across the abyss in the next, a familiar figure sits on the pedestal at the end of the chamber.

Don't give me THAT attitude. It's the same attitude my cat has every time I'm trying to get up in the morning and perform my morning toilet. I don't need it from you too.

Once again, we switch back to Hasan standing in the way of this fucking ETERNAL attack from Zorc, who demands he just die already. At last, there is movement when Hasan is blown back off his feet and over Yami's head. Yami calls to the groaning tablet spirit, as Zorc waits for the figures behind the lingering fire of his attack to clear, wondering if Hasan is dead yet. Then he hums in some surprise. 

Good, because I'm pretty sure time being frozen is part of the reason that attack lasted so unbearably long. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The main thing that the beginning of this chapter brings up is the concept of a light side of the coin to Zorc's dark side. The duality of light and dark, night and day, is a fundamental component to many cosmologies, and it looks like the cosmology of THIS world is no different. It's a familiar enough idea, and perfectly understandable to implement when KT had to create a counterpart that could stand up to his villain, at least in the moment most needed. He did seem to write himself into a tiny corner with asshole!Bakura controlling the game in the biased way he is.

The curious thing here is that neither asshole!Bakura nor Zorc seem to be aware of this counterpart spirit to Zorc, while Hasan is very well aware of Zorc. The fact that light and dark are such fundamental binaries that I find it a little ludicrous that one WOULDN'T be aware of the other, this brings up a slight snag in the narrative. Clearly, if Zorc/asshole!Bakura don't know of Hasan's existence, that means he didn't show up in the actual events, and if Hasan didn't show up then, where was he? Stuck in the tablet? Did he not have any body to manifest through at the time? He has said that he appears when Zorc does to defend the pharaoh, but that's not true, because he would have appeared to defend against Zorc when he first showed up in the past. He can't JUST be an NPC in the game, because this was set up entirely by asshole!Bakura, and he doesn't know who the fuck Hasan is. What, precisely, is the deal here, and why is it going on NOW instead of the first time around the block? I don't know if there are answers to these questions this close to the end, but I can't help wondering about it, given that I'm naturally curious who Hasan is and where he came from/came to be a spirit of the tablet. 

I joked above about the kids just bypassing the statues in the tomb, but I am actually glad they didn't have to work this one out again. We already saw the solution to the puzzle through Sugoroku's flashback at the very beginning of the Millennium World arc, and there was really no need to show us that again. It also helps to keep the chapter moving faster by keeping the characters on the move as well, minimizing their need to pause and think about things as much as possible. 

Hell, SOMEBODY needed to be moving forward in this chapter, with Zorc and Hasan in their overly extended gridlock. Only gods of light and dark could go on forever like that as if time didn't matter. 

Inuyasha Manga: 264 River of Fire

Just one more thing Grimalkin would stick her little nose in, no doubt. Recently, within the space of just a couple of days, she realized that not only can she jump directly from the floor to the dining table, but directly from the floor to the countertop. This has made cooking and cleaning IMPOSSIBLE until she's shut away in a different room; if she's not licking water off of drying dishes in the drainer, she's muscling her way in front of you as you wash dishes in order to lean over the sink and watch the water and soap swirling around, or trying to paw things out of the basin to play with on the floor (my silicone baking cups, most often), OR getting dangerously close to the stovetop when it's cooling down after the kettle's been on. She burned herself once, mildly, but that hasn't been enough to swear her away from the stove altogether, unfortunately. Now she wants to be on the counter all the time, and I can't so much as make a bowl of Cream of Wheat without her trying to stick her face into every single ingredient in turn to try for herself. Who knows how we manage to eat anything at all with her sniffing around during dinner time. 

The upside to all this is I've learned to be much more responsible with the cleaning - I'm wiping down the counter constantly and washing, drying and putting away everything before she has a chance to rub up against it or eat something that could make her sick. As a result, the kitchen always looks very put-together now. Silver linings.  

Probably none of those for THIS, though. Not just a hazard to our protagonists, but an environmental nightmare to boot. 

Renkotsu yells that there's plenty of oil in the river to burn through, and Inuyasha and company have no escape. Inuyasha grimaces up at him, while Kagome haltingly announces what the glows in Renkotsu's neck and shoulder showed in the previous panel: Renkotsu has got TWO Shikon shards in his body. Inside the cave, Mohawk holds a fist to his mouth as a black cloud gathers around him, shouting that the smoke is wafting inside. Kouga groans, Two-Tone telling him in a panic that it's dangerous in there. 

Kouga strains to push himself up, insisting that he'll waste that baldy for sure this time, Two-Tone kind of hovering behind him and looking unsure what to do about this declaration of unlikely action. He could restrain him, but it doesn't really appear to be necessary, what with Kouga not really being able to stand at the moment and all. Kagome runs to his side to discourage him, beginning to argue that he's badly injured, before Kouga yells at her not to stop him. He reminds her that Renkotsu is after the fragments in his legs, the implication being that Renkotsu is going to be coming after him regardless so there's no NOT fighting in this situation. Kagome begins again, though, trying to suggest that he can kick ass when he's better, seemingly not quite grasping how immediate a danger Kouga is really in here, for some reason. Must be the smoke getting to her head.

Inuyasha has already turned back toward the mouth of the cave in his undershirt as he says he's the only one who can really go out there and face Renkotsu. Calling to Inuyasha, she urges him to take the coat he just gave her, since it protects against fire, but Inuyasha insists she wear it because the wimpy wolf is no use to her. Kouga responds by growling that Inuyasha is a bastard, yelling at him not to get involved, this being something that he and Renkotsu have to settle between them. Inuyasha shouts back at Kouga to shut it, that he couldn't even die properly, and that it'll be even more annoying for him is Kouga's shards get stolen. 

Renkotsu's still outside, asking what's taking so long, and if they've all gotten smoked to death instead of facing him. Inuyasha momentarily appears, turning his loud ire on him with another command to shut up, since he's on his way right at this very second. 

I don't feel like Kouga couldn't jump up there either with the shards in his legs, and get shot in the face just the same. The end of the cannon blooms into an oversized fireball with a smoke accompaniment, a disbelieving Inuyasha being blown back in the blast. Kagome holds Shippou close under the fire-rat cloak, both of them shouting Inuyasha's name. 

Inuyasha is about to fall straight into the flaming river when Kirara swoops in and he thunks softly onto the giant flying cat's back. Once he rights himself on his mount, Inuyasha praises Kirara and urges that they continue towards Renkotsu on the cliff. Renkotsu yells that he has no time to worry about Inuyasha, letting off another cannon shot. Inuyasha recoils, but he and Kirara are on a trajectory for collision with the bright flashbang regardless. 

That had to hurt. 

Renkotsu wastes no time pointing his cannon down at the mouth of the cave, which Two-Tone and Mohawk notice with dumb shock for a moment. They retrieve some of their senses just in time to shove Kagome back into the caves depths with a stuttered cry for her to take cover, then the entrance is blown away in much the same manner as above. Renkotsu lowers his cannon, staring down at the cave and wondering if he managed to get them. 

He uses the boulders he knocked from the cliffside with his blasts to hop across his flaming river and enters what's left of the cave, finding a heap of bodies on the floor. He scoffs that they were all burned by the blast and died.

Not so much "burned" as scuffed up, but hey, whatever delusion allows you to get too close, huh Renkotsu?

He sees the glow of the Shikon shards in Kouga's legs and immediately determines that he's taking them. Hey, remember when those things could only be seen/detected by Kagome and Kikyou? Anyway, Renkotsu reaches down toward Kouga's ankle when a swish of movement in his periphery catches his attention.

I'm going to blame Kouga's injury for him not totally taking Renkotsu's head off there. That would have been TOO cool.

Renkotsu drops his cannon on his way flying backward, right in front of a triumphant Kouga, who places a hand on it as he sits up, along with everyone else. When Renkotsu bolts up too, muttering in disbelief at the totally alive people he'd meant to kill, Kouga taunts him by calling him a moron and informing him verbally that he failed at murdering them all, BIG TIME. Shippou pipes up that Kouga should be grateful to Kagome for quickly shielding them all with Inuyasha's fire-rat coat. Not sure if Shippou is expecting Kouga to grovel in appreciation at Kagome's feet or what, but Kouga responds that he's not CRAZY about the fact that it was Inuyasha's clothes that saved his sorry ass. 

Scoffing, Renkotsu asks if they really think they've one, shrugging off his back-basket to reach inside. No doubt suffering from tinnitus due to the multiple explosions he's had to endure in such a short time, Kouga stumbles to his feet as he demands Renkotsu repeat himself, to which Renkotsu responds by holding up two sticks of dynamite and a declaration that this isn't over because he's going to blow them all away. Shippou calls the dynamite explosive thunder-rods, a way more fun name even if it is prohibitively inefficient, as Kagome stutters out the question if Renkotsu is just plain stupid, because he'd be blown up with the rest of them if he lights those fuses in the cave. Renkotsu barks back at her to shut her trap, insisting he can't turn back now. 

His captive audience gives him puzzled looks, as he ruminates on how he used Ginkotsu's Shikon shard for himself, and when Bankotsu finds out, he'll probably pay for that with his life. He seems to see ONE way out of that fate, though. Renkotsu addresses Kouga, declaring future ownership over those shards in his legs, lighting another flame at his thumb. He figures if he can use those Shikon shards in a fight with Bankotsu, he stands a chance of winning. Renkotsu's gone full mutiny, friends. 

Inuyasha talking like he's known this dude for years or something. 

Elated, Shippou shouts happily about Inuyasha being okay, and Kagome expresses great relief that he's only a little dinged up. He ignores this, still addressing Renkotsu, warning him that he has no intention of committing suicide with him. Renkotsu scoffs that he won't die, relying pretty heavily that the Shikon fragments won't be taken from his body. Or just fly out when he's blown to pieces, as is more likely. He passes the flame in one hand over both fuses in his other, announcing with a grin that this is not a bluff. 

Inuyasha clenches his teeth in alarm, but wastes not a moment before he yells at Kouga to kick the moron toward him. Kouga does not argue, hitting Renkotsu in the back of his head with his foot and propelling him toward Inuyasha, who flings both Renkotsu and himself the rest of the way out of the cave and toward the still flaming water. A flash overtakes the determined Inuyasha before they hit the fire below.

They're BOTH bones now. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Renkotsu is getting hardcore desperate at this point, which is making him a bit more reckless than usual. His schemes have been the most careful and calculated out of the rest of the Shichinin-tai until now, which speaks to how his fear of Bankotsu has just overtaken just about every braincell. It makes some sense; he's already been warned that he's not allowed to be hoarding Shikon fragments for himself, so it's natural that he shouldn't have gone back to Bankotsu without several more at his disposal to fight for his life. 

Except that using Ginkotsu's Shikon shard is easily explainable: he could say he used it to heal and enhance his strength for the purpose of going after Kouga's shards again, and shouldn't be even slightly suspicious if he offers it back to Bankotsu when he returns. Simple. The only obstacle is his insistence on holding onto this and Kouga's shards for the purpose of confronting Bankotsu, but the more Renkotsu pursues this coup attempt, the more questions I have. So far, Bankotsu has done nothing that I've seen that has given US a reason to question his leadership. In fact, he's led a wildly successful raid of a castle and has put himself out in front of their main opponents a couple of times. Sure, it's clear that Renkotsu resents Bankotsu for how young and slightly dopey he is, but that seems a little too petty a reason for the smartest of the team to launch headfirst into mutiny. I feel like there is some sort of missing motivation here, something either in their past lives so to speak, or something to do with their current employer, that RT is simply not getting around to telling us about. 

I was very impressed with how she's managed to minimize the bickering between Kouga and Inuyasha in this one, though. Funny as it is, it can very fast cross the line into excessive territory, as it has done on occasion. They even made a very good efficient team at the end of the chapter, no bickering, all harmony for the sake of getting that dynamite out of the cave. I might be tempted to think that Kouga thought the odds of Inuyasha getting blown up were in his favor and that's why he wasn't whining about being told what to do, but I also don't think he's clever enough to make that kind of calculation.

And seriously, just imagine if Kouga had kicked Renkotsu's head right off his shoulders. The flesh on the skull dissolving, but his body still moving around because the Shikon shard is still in there? How AWESOME would that be?

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 322 The Mysterious NPC!

Considering how dickweeds on the internet have recently defined "NPC" as an actual human being whom they want to degrade as non-autonomous and superfluous to some extent, I'm kind of reveling in Yu-Gi-Oh's more charitable definition of the term. Sure, the NPCs in this literal game have much less power than the player, but they do appear to be autonomous and are able to perform actions in service to the game's resolution, to an extent. And in this case, some NPCs are actually main characters too! Pretty unique in my opinion, and a somewhat smile-worthy thought if you ever find someone calling you an "NPC" online from now on.

Hasan has NOT skipped leg day, I see. 

He says that not only CAN he reveal the hiding place of the pharaoh's true name once evil git god Zorc rises from his slumber, it's his duty. So then get on with it Buffy the Evil God Slayer, Yuugi is waiting there slack-jawed to receive your wisdom on the subject of his other self's true name already, don't you know? Jonouchi is just as impatient as I am, asking where this name is supposed to be, and having to correct his impulse to call Hasan Bobasa. Hasan answers that the pharaoh's name is in the holy place where his soul sleeps. Jonouchi and Yuugi look a bit perplexed by this riddle, until Yuugi quickly works out that this must mean the pharaoh's tomb. 

Jonouchi protests that Yami is still ALIVE right now, but Anzu informs him that the tombs of the pharaohs were constructed while they were still alive in ancient Egypt. Yuugi insists that the Valley of the Kings is where Yami's tomb has to be, failing to add that it's probz one of many at this point. How are they going to distinguish the right one from all the others? No answer to that question, because Hasan tells them they have little time - he says to the four that they're the only ones who can enter that holy place, and that they MUST find that name. Yuugi confidently asserts that they've got this task in the bag, and Hasan crosses his wrists over his chest in a sign of solidarity, declaring he's leaving it to them.

Then he just takes off into the sky at top speed. Like a fucking jet. Jonouchi is alarmed by this, gaping at the sky in amazement as he wonders out loud just who this weirdo is who just flies away. Hasan provides one last entreaty to his great pharaoh before he streaks off across the sky in a matter of seconds. Seemed slightly unnecessary to pause only to utter a title, but what do I know?

Yuugi insists to his friends that they've got to get going to the Valley of the Kings too, beginning to sprint off. Anzu follows, but she says that this location is all the way on the other side of the Nile, implying it's WAY too far away for them to get to in a hurry. Yuugi is sure that there's one thing that should be true if this is a game world like he thinks. 

Oh good, I was afraid flying was just another of those infuriating advantages asshole!Bakura had for no reason. Glad to see everyone can get around like that after all.

Anyhow, we're zoomed back out on the next page, with Yami and asshole!Bakura facing each other across the table, little shards of panels depicting the characters in the diorama they control and themselves. Then, in the diorama again, Zorc is standing there with that threatening cock hovering over the whole scene, the pharaoh grinding his teeth over not being able to move. Akhenaden takes the Millennium Eye back out of the mold tablet and pops it into the hole in his new mask with a chuckle, telling pharaoh!Yami that Zorc used his power to stop time. He assures Yami that his death throes will be witnessed by the Millennium Eye pretty soon. 

Oh don't worry too much about your priests, dude. They'll be the lucky ones dying unknowingly here and now if I know an evil god's malevolent plans. Better than being tortured horribly. 

A short pause focused on Akhenaden's masked face later, we see that Zorc is holding a swirling vortex of plasma between his hands, called "Zorc Inferno" according to the shout bubble next to it. Dope. Zorc bids the pharaoh in his shadow to die now, and said pharaoh just kind of glares up at him in response, while Akhenaden continues to not have a readable expression under the growing fiery light overhead, because of his dumb mask. 

Asshole!Bakura declares that this is game over for Yami with a laugh, with Zorc Inferno striking in but one turn, and the pharaoh being unable to move until it's over. Yami retorts that he'll stake everything on this one turn in defiance, as if he has much of a choice. Asshole!Bakura wonders what it is Yami hopes to do, and concludes derisively that he's all out of moves, so this has to be all bluster. This as Yami is recalling the Japanese term for traditional RPGs being "table talk", which means to him that players can use their words as weapons. That is one MASSIVELY dorky bit of trivia, Yami. 

He refers to the mummy behind asshole!Bakura, reminding him he said it was involved in the game. At first, asshole!Bakura stares at Yami with suspicion, the mummy silent over his shoulder silent as always, but conspicuous. Then he repeats that the mummy's soul is animating the High Priest of Darkness with him as the player. 

That expression of Akhenaden's doesn't count, his jaw is always hanging open like that!

Asshole!Bakura asks if Yami intends to use the card he's holding up as a shield against Zorc, and a closer look at it confirms that it is indeed the Priest Seto card. With a claim that he sees, asshole!Bakura recounts how they know the backstories of all the characters in the game as players, like the relationship between Priest Seto and Akhenaden. Yami affirms this, asshole!Bakura continuing to elaborate that Zorc attacking now will take Priest Seto's life as well as the pharaoh's, and trails at the part of the statement about what this means.

Yami says that if asshole!Bakura is a REAL role player, the High Priest of Darkness should be made to stop Zorc from attacking, given that he's Priest Seto's father. Asshole!Bakura asks Yami if he'll hand Priest Seto's card over if Zorc/Akhenaden decides not to attack, but Yami refuses with a grin, asserting that Priest Seto is part of HIS team. Asshole!Bakura glares, Akhenaden's mummy yawns as usual, Yami glowers back. Lots of "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly" action going on. Scoffing, asshole!Bakura declares Yami a fool, insisting that HE'S the one controlling ZN, not Akhenaden. 

A growl of frustration escapes Yami, and Zorc in the diorama says that Akhenaden, by the terms of their contract, has become a mere piece of their greatness, and they collectively have no use for his parental emotions. He announces that they're going to kill Priest Seto along with the rest of the priests and the pharaoh. Akhenaden doesn't even SAY anything, staring ahead at his wide-eyed frozen son. I assume he does, anyway. That mask makes a better door than a window. 

Asshole!Bakura says Yami's turn is over and yells that ZN attacks. ZN wastes not one more second in pushing off his inferno attack, washing out the frozen figures below.

Oh? Did you come up against an unexpected obstacle? How inconvenient. 

Obviously no one - you said yourself NPCs weren't controlled by players. What asshole!Bakura should REALLY be asking is how lame his dark evil god is if some rando can just fly in and block his bone-incinerating fire. Maybe he bet on the wrong horse.

Good call not to address the battery of questions from friends who haven't quite cottoned onto the fact that they are probably not going to get any satisfying answers for a minute, Yuugi. Best not to waste time speculating on the hows and whys just yet when there's work to be done. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It seemed surprisingly SHORT compared to many of the chapters before, despite technically being the same number of pages as all the others. I've been so used being gorged on BIG action, BIG revelations, BIG crazy implications that this chapter appeared a lot smaller in scope. There isn't much new regarding the characters or how they stand in the plot, the only wild card element being Hasan, and he only pops up in the beginning and the end to help out where he's needed, and in very abrupt ways. I wouldn't be surprised if he's promptly melted by Zorc's attack in the beginning of the next chapter, though, for how much his sudden appearance felt like a deus-ex machina. He just kind of seemed to be there specifically to bail Yami out of this jam, and given the massive power Zorc is supposed to have, Hasan strikes me as a blip on the radar. 

I'll be happy if that's not the case, since I thought it was so super cool to learn that there was a spirit of the tablet as well, and I would like to learn a little more about that, but I'm keeping my expectations minimal in that regard. We are, after all, in the final stretch.

I'm conflicted over asshole!Bakura's move to just override Akhenaden's parental instincts. On the one hand, the way he says that HE is the one controlling Zorc gives the impression that this is just another of his bullshit excuses to piss in Yami's face and deny him the opportunity for a play. It was a very petulant statement, suggesting that though Akhenaden has been declared his partner a couple of chapters ago, asshole!Bakura still views him as much a pawn as Regular-Sized Bakura. He'll ignore the fact that one of Akhenaden's primary motivations has been his son's ascension to the throne from the beginning if it benefits him, established character backstory be damned.

BUT, I can also see how Akhenaden's parental instincts might legitimately be moot at this point. Zorc's statement that Akhenaden has become PART of their overall power and they function more as a whole with Zorc as the controlling force is not out of nowhere. There have been plenty of hints that Akhenaden is just... not HIMSELF anymore. He's been slowly descending into complete madness since thief!Bakura messed with his Millennium Eye, and it's not out of the question that this descent has removed all his distinguishing features as a father looking out for his son, replacing them with a singular mission to just get Zorc back in the here and now. Akhenaden may be the high priest in this new pecking order, but he only has as much power as Zorc is willing to give him, which isn't at all much. After all, Zorc isn't one of those monsters they boss around from the tablets. Not even the god-like ones. He's an all-consuming malevolent force.

Finally, Yuugi just kind of ignoring his friends' blown minds over flying or the game they're stuck in because he's so focused on getting Yami his name in a timely manner drives home the increased pace we're going for. There is NO time to find explanations, question WHY they're all in a game, or HOW they got there, or what its mechanics are. All that takes a back seat to getting the damn job done so horrible things don't happen.

Inuyasha Manga: 263 Suikotsu's Memory

Not a pleasant little reminiscence, I'll wager. Suikotsu probably has a major deficiency of good memories to look back on. Makes me thankful that I've been taking large hits of nostalgia off the Sims 1 soundtrack while I work during the day, boosted by my tinkering around on FreeSO intermittently over the past few weeks. They dig up a lot of fond memories I have of when having a PC was novel and my parents limited my time on the Sims so they could have a turn to check email and look up various odds and ends. It's a good thing too, because controlling those little people and all their little dramas on the screen became a tad consumptive of my young time, and far too easily. Not to mention, when I got bored or angry with the tiny digital things, they would often find themselves dying in a fire...

Gracious, at least MY frustrations were just taken out on simulated humans. Otherwise I might have just as somber a view of my memories at Suikotsu is bound to. 

Well... this is awkward.

But Suikotsu seems to be taking it in stride. He expresses relief that he's reverted back to his good self at last, prevented before this moment by the black light that wouldn't let him come out. This black light got a little pushy, huh? Kikyou asks for confirmation that she's speaking to the DOCTOR Suikotsu, and not the other guy, while observing that his reversion would be due to her purifying arrow clearing the pollution from the Shikon shard in his neck. It DOES look like she hit pretty close to the fragment itself by the view we're given of it glowing just beneath the skin and the arrow sticking out just beneath it. She's a crack shot at this.

Kikyou wonders what she should do with this guy, and if it would be better to kill him, when Suikotsu himself pleads haltingly with her to take the Shikon shard in his neck so he can return to bones. With some initial surprise, Kikyou asks him in disbelief if he's REALLY choosing death, and he responds that he's finally remembered that he died once before. Suikotsu recounts the time when he was alive before as a time when his other self of the Shichinin-tai killed a ton of folks too, and he couldn't do a thing about it. He says he couldn't bear it if the same thing happens again, which must mean that he's currently experiencing some pretty hardcore inability to bear things, because, well... It would explain why he's so ready to end it right here, though. 

Sesshoumaru and Rin just kind of look on, the former in the mildest interest one can muster, as Suikotsu asks Kikyou again to take the Shikon fragment out of his neck and save his soul. She looks gravely at him, as though she wants to tell him she can't guarantee ANY saving is going to happen, or maybe that's just my own projection. Either way, she says his name in confirmation and reaches out a trembling fist toward his neck. There's a "grip" sound effect that indicates she's grasping something I can't see, but perhaps it's just to indicate that she's clenching her fist, I'm not entirely sure.

Then a jagged flash of movement comes at them from off panel. 

Ugh, he's BACK...

Jakotsu pulls back his blades, holding out a hand to catch the Shikon fragment that somehow was pulled all the way over to him with it at a pretty incredible distance. Kinda makes the trick of Renkotsu catching Ginkotsu's shard in an explosion look like another of those impossible abilities they have, like their magical face paint and super-duper strength. Jakotsu is smirking at Kikyou, telling her that he'll take the fragment as a souvenir. What's it a souvenir of? That time you pissed your pants and fled from one of those lady creatures you hate so much? I don't feel like THAT would be an occasion I'd personally like to remember, bro, but you do you. 

Of course without the Shikon shard sustaining him, Suikotsu rapidly collapses to dust and bones like the others, something that freaks out Rin and Kikyou watches with a small amount of horror. That can't bode well for what her eventual exit is going to look like, after all. Jakotsu fucks off into the mist again, tossing back a casual farewell, and Kikyou refocuses on him to confirm that his is indeed fading into the sacred grounds where she can't follow. Suikotsu's skeletal hand draws her eye again, and she expresses some pity for the poor Suikotsu. 

No doubt the doctor one. Not the other one. He sucked, I think we can all agree. 

Rin timidly approaches Kikyou to thank the kind miko for saving her, and Kikyou accepts this gratitude, asking if Rin is injured and stating she must have been scared. While she says she was, Rin also casts around for a way to describe this person, clearly quite conflicted on what his nature really was. Then she notices that Sesshoumaru has turned around and is walking off, having finally become too bored (or uncomfortable in proximity to the barrier, but SHHHHH, that's a secret) to keep hanging out, and she immediately trots off to join him with a hurried goodbye to Kikyou over her shoulder. Kikyou shuffles back to her horse, acknowledging that she's got to get out of there before her dead soul battery is dead and she won't be able to move anymore. 

Why would this observation lead to the end speculation there? Oh yeah, because characters have to be right all the time for no good reason.

We change scene with a shot of the steep mountainside peppered with foliage and mist. Do you think the sky is starting to get worried that it's got some competition for transition panels now? Miroku and Sango hike up the rocky path around the side, Sango stating that there's nothing here, and Miroku agreeing that, as usual for this area, he's not sensed any evil. Sango expresses a little doubt that Naraku is here after all, and Miroku suggests that all they can really do is continue to climb. He admits that he acutely feels the absence of Inuyasha since they split from him and Kagome. Sango agrees that Inuyasha's good nose is rather handy, Miroku adding that Inuyasha's energetic nature would let him run around all night long looking for Naraku if you left him to it. Awww, you guys are so NICE to him when he's not around, lol.

In the round border of her mirror, Kanna is showing Kohaku this scene of Miroku and Sango climbing the mountain, the two of them standing in the pillared hall of the oh-so-valuable Hakushin-Shounin. 

She look familiar, buddy? He doesn't say, but he DOES hope that she turns back without noticing their hideout, because, inexplicably, he doesn't want to fight her. Actually, scratch that, with that massive thing on her back to swing at me, I also wouldn't want to fight her, no odd feeling of connection required.

We get a couple black and gray transition panels, and that sky must really be threatened now. Kouga's name is called a couple of times over them, and he groans as he opens his eyes. Mohawk, Two-Tone, Kagome and Shippou are gathered around him, the former two's eyes welling up with tears of relief as they shout to him again, and the latter observing that he's awake now. 

Must have been the most still he's ever been in his LIFE. 

Mohawk reminds him that he got caught up in the explosion of Ginkotsu he caused, and Kouga groggily affirms that he remembers. Kagome hovers over him, asking if he's okay, and he's hesitant to answer at first, trailing in describing how he's feeling. Then he snarls in a burst of anger that somehow, he's REALLY pissed off. He bares his teeth in frustration as he brings his arms up to sniff, demanding to know why his whole body stinks of dog. Well it's certainly not because you and Inuyasha shared a single night of passion, disappointing as that is to the fangirls. Mohawk and Two-Tone exchange exasperated glances.

Hands clasped in supplication, Kagome informs Kouga that Inuyasha carried him all the way here. Kouga is in horrified disbelief at this, Two-Tone clarifying Kagome had asked this of Inuyasha. Sitting up at lightning speed to hit both his followers over the head in quick succession, he asked in a fury why they ALLOWED this to happen, and though his head is bowed with deference, Two-Tone answers that they were also injured, for starters. Kagome turns at a voice at the mouth of the cave scoffing and expressing the opinion it would have been better to leave behind the idiot Kouga, not for the first time, it might be noted. Inuyasha has shown up, SOPPING WET, and adding that he wasn't exactly expecting gratitude from the start, though. 

Kagome holds a hand to her mouth, asking what happened that soaked Inuyasha so thoroughly, and he barks back that it's obvious he had to take a bath to get that disgusting wolf smell off him. 

It's ridiculously easy to piss both of you off, so forgive me if I'm not taking all this incessant moaning about how bad either of you smells seriously.

Inuyasha turns back to the mouth of the cave from whence he came, inviting Kagome to get the hell out of there with him. She makes a questioning noise, and Inuyasha begins to argue that they brought him to a safe place, and it's no concern of his at this point if Kouga lives or dies, when his nose twitches in alarm. Kagome joins him at the cave entrance, also somewhat alarmed, to look out at the roaring river beyond and the odd atmosphere that seems to have formed in the background. She feels the presence of a Shikon shard, and tells Inuyasha that the Shichinin-tai are close. Inuyasha agrees, thinking that he's smelling the "gun-powder" guy nearby. 

A rumble reverberates through the rocks around them, and a shocked Kagome identifies it as an explosion, the Shippou on her shoulder leaning out and assessing that it happened more downstream. A whirlpool in the river appears, and Inuyasha sees this as the stream's flow being held back. Then a trickle of fire comes along to replace it. 

Not exactly a safe place anymore, huh Inuyasha?

Inuyasha and Kagome look up, finding alarmingly that there is a familiar silhouette atop the rocky outcrop opposite their cave with the fire river between them. Inuyasha identifies this silhouette as Renkotsu with a growl - nice to know that he remembers the guy's name. No doubt it would be clumsy to continually refer to him as "gun powder guy". Kouga grunts about that bastard still being alive from inside the cave, clearly trying to push himself up, probably into a standing position.

I feel like he's about to make an argument as to why they should stay IN the hole. I'm not the only one, right?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Suikotsu's last confession didn't really inspire much sympathy in me. Yes, he had a limited memory up until the end, and limited ability to override his other personality with the corrupted Shikon shard getting in his way, but his own admission that he could do little even in his previous life when the Shikon fragment had NO influence over him caught my attention as important. If proximity to the purifying barrier, use of the powers of the jewel are not a factor, and Suikotsu was STILL not able to overpower his alternate self, I have to conclude that there is something ELSE getting in his way at the end of it all. He managed to gain enough influence to save the children of the village, but didn't quite put up enough effort for the older villagers. That says something that I don't necessarily think is flattering to the character. Then again, there's not a lot flattering about the character that is kind of a mockery of a misconception of multiple personalities, though, so...

But this confession also didn't strike me as being much ABOUT Suikotsu, either. It is obvious since Kikyou approaches the barrier and is inhibited by it, all the way to when Sesshoumaru observes that she too is technically dead, that she shares more in common with Suikotsu than it's easy to admit. She expresses discomfort and shock at the notion that Suikotsu chooses death, hesitates when reaching out to complete his request. It's clearly causing her to reflect on the nature of her own existence, especially his comment about how he couldn't bear it if he continued to allow his alternate self hurt people by clinging to his pseudo-life. Though she doesn't vocalize or even think it, I have to imagine her wondering if she also is hurting people by her continued unnatural existence, if her use of souls to power her body is harmful to those souls, and if she is really doing more good than she is just grasping at a second chance at a life she has no control over anyway. 

There's not much to say about Kohaku being hesitant to fight Sango if she makes it up to Naraku's hiding place, except that Kanna seems to be showing him this in an attempt to get him to DO something about it before they get too close. With all Kohaku's hesitance to act when he is confronted with an enemy of Naraku, it really is a wonder that Naraku has kept him around so long. Naraku WARNED Kohaku that his memory would end up being his end through a full-on demonstration, but I think the real danger here is his particular memory that stands alone of Sango's face that causes him hesitation in the face of action. And I don't mean danger for Kohaku, but danger for NARAKU, who refuses to relegate Koahku to mere collateral and stop using him in active roles. 

And finally, Kouga and Inuyasha pissing and moaning about how the other smells bad is a pretty nice little intermission before another serious battle, a funny little palate cleanser that is very welcome. This arc can get a little relentless in how much is going on at one time, so anything light-hearted that breaks up the tension is a relief at this point. You know I love that action, but I'm kind of getting exhausted by the constant danger everyone is in, not gonna lie.