Speaking of which, as she listens listlessly to the buzzing of her soul-catchers being fried outside the window, someone catches her attention with the observation that she can't move without those souls. Naraku is looking fancy in an embroidered outfit, AWFULLY fancy just to tell Kikyou that her insects can't get through his barrier. He says that this time she can't escape, displaying his knowledge that she is indeed who she looks and acts like. She just gives him this bored look, like she's done with his shit.
Naraku sits down next to Kikyou, looking in the opposite direction while he calls her scum. What can't meet the gaze of the woman you dragged back to your cave? He asks her what she was thinking, because his seal was broken really easily by her arrow, and if she was so keen on keeping Inuyasha from fusing with the youkai in the cave, she could have easily blown away the youkai with her arrow. Would that not have fused HER with the youkai instead, since she killed it? And even if her spiritual powers negated that effect for her, isn't it possible she WAS actually aiming for the youkai and her arrow glanced off the Tessaiga instead? I mean, she DID hit the sword first.
But let's be fair, Naraku wasn't even there to see that. Maybe he's just operating off the assumption that she went for that seal right off the bat. Maybe this is just another instance of characters having incomplete informa-
What use was there for a test anyway? It's not like there was any doubt as to the fact that SOMEONE put up a fucking spell.
Whatever, Kikyou. She tells Naraku that he's changed, calling him Onigumo. Oh snap, that's gotta sting almost as much as being called scum. Sick burn, Kikyou. Naraku says the name brings back memories, specifically ones in which Kikyou saved Onigumo's body and sheltered it in a cave, only for it to be devoured by youkai he welcomed to do so.
Kikyou, of course, brings up the fact that this is the point in the story when the newly-born Naraku caused her death. He chuckles and freely identifies as the nemesis she's looking for. Both of their attentions are drawn by Kikyou's Shinidamachuu crackling against the barrier again for a moment, before Naraku lets Kikyou know that she's going to be useful to him at any rate. This is because, ultimately, Inuyasha would never abandon her.
Kikyou continues to look listless.
Kagome says that they have to go and save Kikyou, but there's something about her hanging head and less-than-insistent posture that suggests her heart's not really in a rescue mission. Inuyasha hangs his head as well, almost seeming irritated when he tells Kagome and the others they should stay behind and he'll take care of it. Kagome is taken aback, but before she can protest Inuyasha's resolve, Miroku's foot makes contact with the back of Inuyasha's skull. He tells Inuyasha to stop screwing around as Sango reminds him that Naraku is involved in this. Miroku agrees that this is essentially ALL of their problem now, not just Inuyasha's.
Kagome kneels down next to Inuyasha and tells him not to hold back because of her. He looks at her in confusion, so she explains that it's because Kikyou spent all her power saving him that she got captured, making it necessary to save her. Kagome says that he shouldn't be so sneaky about it, and Inuyasha sweats up a storm at the word, stuttering in protest. Miroku holds up a hand and tells him to shut it, because their guide has arrived. Sure enough, the Saimyoushou have appeared, buzzing annoyingly above the group. Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku glare.
Just as Kagome suspected, Inuyasha is thinking pretty hard about Kikyou - specifically that she was killed by Naraku, and he's the LAST person that Inuyasha can let have her. I don't really see how it's up to him, least of all since he did fuck-all to prevent Kikyou's kidnapping in the first place, but whatever.
Suddenly, Inuyasha is being joined in his rush forward on all sides by Kikyou's Shinidamachuu. He's not the only one who identifies them, Kagome using their presence to conclude that Kikyou must be nearby. The insects fly into a cloud of mist directly ahead, which Miroku warns is probably Naraku's trap, in which Inuyasha should consider not being reckless. Inuyasha barks that he knows with some annoyance, though he's still a tad distracted by the thought of Kikyou as he pushes through the dense mist. It's pretty difficult to get through, by the look of Inuyasha leaning against it like a heavy wind. After a moment, Inuyasha sees the ghostly form of flames ahead, and calls over his shoulder for everyone to be careful.
Except everyone else is bafflingly nowhere to be seen.
Inuyasha wonders if something is attacking this village before he hears his name being shouted. A collection of scuffed and bloodied villagers are glaring at him from a distance, claiming that HE was the one who attacked the village and stole the Shikon no Tama. This is understandably confusing to him, even more so when he looks at his hand and finds the Shikon no Tama dangling there. Deja vu all over again, huh?
No sooner has he identified the jewel when he hears his name yelled again, and a projectile whooshes toward him. Inuyasha looks to where it came from to see Kikyou, face half-drenched in blood with a bow just fired in her hand.
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Kikyou is full of shit. There, I said it. True, I can't be certain that RT isn't playing the "that was totally on purpose" route with Kikyou's actions right now to preserve her mysterious kind of perfection as a character, but looking at the facts of what went on in the cave gives me quite a different impression. Kikyou had to struggle to even move, she was in and out of consciousness the whole time, and she didn't even AIM for the seal. Her arrow bounced off Tessaiga, and THEN broke the seal. It's entirely conceivable that her true objective was to kill the ogre, but she was too woozy and out of it to aim properly.
If that's a halfway valid interpretation, it means that Kikyou is LYING, which is actually a very understandable course of action given her situation. She is alone in a room with a kidnapper who means her ill. She's unable to move, completely at his mercy. We know that Kikyou was of the philosophy in life that showing weakness was a good way to be overcome by the evil she faced. There's no way she would be willing to let on to Naraku now that she's in dire straights. Since he's already under the impression that she's got something up her sleeve, she's sure to use his misconception to her advantage and let on a bit more power than she has at the moment. Anything in order to keep at least SOME of her hand hidden.
Again, I could be wrong, but it certainly looks EXACTLY like that. And I hope it is, because it's a great way for Kikyou's vulnerability to be a source of conflict for her without turning her into a puddle of tears. If she is in a tight spot, pretending not to be is a natural defense mechanism, relatable, and overall suspenseful in the sense that we want to see how she's going to get out of it.
Also, I just love it when characters LIE. When they're in control of everything all the time, it's boring as watching paint dry. Give me a liar in a tight spot any day. I'll eat it up.
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