The youkai corpses lunge toward the group and Inuyasha lets off a Kaze no Kizu in response, which shreds their bodies even further, as expected. But once the dust clears from the Inuyasha's defensive move, the youkai corpses launch a fresh attack. Shippou shouts from a gaping Kagome's shoulder that it's no good, persistent as their aggressors are, and Inuyasha curses over how there seems to be no point in further cutting up dead bodies. Unless they're shredded down small enough to be effectively useless, of course, but I don't know if that would be particularly gratifying for either him OR the reader.
Kagura indeed hovers some distance above and away on her feather, flapping her fan to continue controlling her dead puppets, scoffing in her amusement. Pieces of youkai slap against the paper screen doors on the temple, but don't appear to be strong enough to get through.
Cut back to Kagura, who's determined to find out if Shnooky is here right now. Never mind that the saimyoushou appear to be helping her, which would put a doubt or two in MY mind. She pulls out the crystalized youki that she pilfered, noting that it's not clearing up at the moment. Knowing that the fuyouheki was likely given to the baby for his protection, the next logical conclusion would be that the youki would disappear from the crystal once she had found the stone AND Shnooky. She's real lucky her premise is correct.
Again, we cut back to Goryoumaru, who is trying to prop himself up on his remaining wrist, thinking that this situation is bad. Yeah, no shit.
Outside, Sango's Hiraikotsu tears through some youkai corpses, but when the boomerang returns to her, she complains that there's no end to them even when their bodies are smashed apart. Miroku agrees, saying they have to attack the source in order to find some relief in this siege. Inuyasha curses, then leaps off onto the wall enclosing the temple compound. Miroku calls after him, and he shouts that he's going outside the temple, as he wonders just what is going on here. He's questioning whether Goryoumaru is part of Naraku's crew if Kagura is attacking. It's really convenient if that's the case...
Kagome is alarmed by the group of Goryoumaru's little child soldiers running behind her as she reaches for an arrow. She yells at them that they should stay inside, but they assure her that it's fine as long as they can get to their little pot weapons. Miroku says they shouldn't let the corpses get near the children, as if this were a novel idea. Sango says she KNOWS, although the chaos ensures that the additional task might be easier said than done.
Or not. The kids pretty much immediately get to Goryoumaru's room and burst inside calling out to him, to his mild alarm. They grab their pots and fire them at the youkai corpses in the air, yelling at them to take that. They break apart, and the kids THINK they got them...
This is what happens when you just bust in on a battle with no idea what's going on, kiddoes.
An arrow passes through the youkai remains, purifying some of them, and Kagome runs up to the boys to inform them that their pots aren't actually any good in this particular battle. She catches sight of the collapsed Goryoumaru in the room, with kids surrounding him and calling his name. Kagome rushes into the room, asking what happened, and the answer given her by the children is that he never can move after he puts the "light" into those pots.
Sango swings by the door on Kirara, warning Kagome not to let the kids come out, to which she replies with stuttering agreement, shutting the door on the messy battle outside. She glances over her shoulder at the sweating incapacitated Goryoumaru on the floor, noting how pale he is, and concluding that he REALLY can't move.
Cut to Inuyasha outside the temple walls, demanding to the sky that Kagura come out, because he KNOWS she's nearby. A voice from above asks what his connection is with this temple, and he seems surprised, despite his prior shouts.
Inuyasha asks why she's attacking the temple, and if it means Goryoumaru is Naraku's enemy. Kagura supposes the unfamiliar name belongs to the guy from earlier, then begins to conclude that she HASN'T caught up with Shnooky like she had at first thought. With the belief that there's no point in talking further, she swings her fan at him in a wide arc, yelling at him to stand aside. He leaps up out of the way of a massive wind blade, and while he's distracted with that, Kagura flies for the wall to go over it.
In frustration, Inuyasha yells at her to come back, but she only responds with a taunt that he's an idiot who came to confront her too easily, so now her task is much simpler. While Inuyasha gapes in disbelief, she holds up her youki crystal, determined to search the whole temple. I thought she was under the impression she hadn't come across the infant after all? I guess she's just thorough.
Inside the temple, Kagome kneels next to Goryoumaru, reaching for him and asking if he's alright. An oily atmosphere suddenly occurs to her.
Goryoumaru has opened his eyes, but it's hard to read his expression, until he goes wide-eyed when his youkai graft pulses in a way that seems to rattle him. The children surrounding him call his name again in alarm, but he actually sits up, marveling at how the power in it is returning rapidly to him. Shippou (news to me that he's here too, lol) nervously clings to Kagome's shoulder as she asserts that the arm is reacting to the Shikon shard beneath her collar.
She and the children turn to look at the door when a racket sounds on the other side. Sango, Miroku, and Kirara all pause in their battle efforts to stare in horror at the wall around the temple, a fresh wave of corpses streaming over it, Kagura floating above it and yelling yet again for the opposition to stand aside. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she's not really interested in hurting anyone, even as a byproduct of her main objective.
Inside the room again, the kids are in a confused horror themselves, asking broken questions about what's happening. Kagome moves for the door, telling the children to stand aside, no doubt on her way to assist in the renewed fight. But a hand on her around her neck and shoulder yanks her backward.
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The good work at muddying the waters for the parties involved, keeping it unclear whether Moryoumaru and his little operation are working for or against Naraku's interests, is continued in this installment. One thing that I really appreciate is that neither Inuyasha nor Kagura seem to be taking things at face value. They've both experienced Naraku's manipulations and are aware that things may or may NOT be exactly how they seem, so they're holding onto their suspicions of Moryoumaru until they have absolute confirmation. What that looks like for Kagura is pretty straightforward - how the crystalized youki reacts as she goes through the temple will tell her if she's on the right track. For Inuyasha, it's a bit murkier. I don't know if there is anything that will ever dissolve his distrust for Moryoumaru, because he's just not a very trustworthy guy, even if he's NOT working for Naraku.
I've criticized in the past all the changes of POV and abrupt cuts to different characters, but here I think it works. The whiplash it causes goes well with all the confusion the characters experience, and the chaos of this confrontation. There are a lot of different moving pieces here, which means that the presentation was never going to be tidy, so I'm glad to see that RT has leaned in a bit to the messiness. May as well portray just how weird and confusing all this is for everyone.
Sadly, Kagome seems to be in the position of hostage again. Girl just has the WORST luck with that shit.
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