Kageroumaru introduces himself with a chuckle and explains that he was napping it up in Juuroumaru's stomach before. As she kneels at Inuyasha's side, Kagome thinks on this and begins to come to the epiphany that Miroku says out loud - Kageroumaru was the one the mask was actually restraining. Kageroumaru explains that it's because Juuroumaru obeys no one but him, even if the one they're up against is Naraku. No surprise there, since it seems very few of Naraku's incarnations care to take orders from him. Can't IMAGINE why.
Kagome and Shippou look to be recoiling from the oncoming twins, but Inuyasha seems to be doing the opposite, with a noise of irritation through gritted teeth, of course. Miroku rips the beads from his right hand, being the only person able to act the fastest. This just makes Danny DeVito chuckle as he speeds forward, catching Miroku in his Kazaana arm and ripping a gash in it. Miroku cries out in pain and Sango responds with alarm, sustained through seeing Juuroumaru running straight for her in the next moment. She throws Hiraikotsu, but Juuroumaru knocks it away with ease. Sango jumps out of the way of the wayward boomerang as a blur comes racing at her out of the sky from behind.
Kageroumaru lands on the ground in front of Miroku, laughing at the blood spurting from his shoulder as he groans. Miroku rips away the beads again and points the Kazaana straight at the little bastard, which Kagome is SURE enough got him that she says it out loud. You and Shippou really have a bad habit of jinxing these things; there is no surer sign that the bad guy has not been got. After a panel of running that Kazaana in the same direction, a voice from above Miroku, asking what he's aiming at.
So, Miroku points his palm up toward where he heard the voice, but comes from the trees behind him and Sango when Miroku has closed his fist again, telling him he's too slow. Kageroumaru asks if he REALLY thinks that's fast enough to defeat them. Miroku and Sango are distracted long enough for Juuroumaru to leap out of nowhere and latch his jaws onto Miroku's already bleeding right arm, right through that sleeve/glove thing he has on. I'm starting to question why they're picking on HIM in particular here.
At this point, Inuyasha yells Miroku's name and jumps to his aid.
Inuyasha curses missing Juuroumaru, who crouches in front of him with the scrap of cloth he tore from Miroku hanging out of his mouth like a rabid dog. Ironic. Inuyasha tosses a question on Miroku's well-being over his shoulder, to which Miroku replies that he was more afraid of TESSAIGA than Juuroumaru, heart pounding. Unsympathetic, Inuyasha just shoots back that Miroku should just sleep with the covers over his head, then.
... What the fuck does THAT mean? How is that a useful euphemism in this scenario? I swear, this boy's ass does more talking than his mouth.
Kagome runs up to Inuyasha, warning him that he shouldn't move around so much, the attached Shippou yelling that Inuyasha will just end up opening up his stomach wound wider. Inuyasha tells them to shut up because this sort of thing happens all the time.
Kageroumaru is a bit miffed by his ambush being thwarted as Kouga lands in a crouch next to Kagome and asks if she's alright. All she can seem to do is stutter Kouga's name, Shippou clinging to her leg, tail bristled. Inuyasha just gapes. Kouga calls him a dog-turd again and begins to lecture him on letting Kagome be in danger, but Inuyasha retorts that this is a rich sentiment from someone who only minutes ago fled the danger entirely with his tail between his legs. You DID kind of just leave her behind without a thought there, Kouga. Inuyasha, gracious as he is, is willing to thank the wolf-bastard for what he just did however.
Meanwhile, Kagome is sweatdropping, asking Shippou if she was in danger before, who is just as clueless as her and supposes that must be the case. Might wanna keep a better eye out, you two.
Kouga casually asks what's up with this stupid-looking youkai on his scythe arms down low, and Inuyasha answers that Danny DeVito originated from Juuroumaru's stomach. Kouga takes in this bizarre fact as though it makes perfect sense, because to him, it explains the strange chill that triggered his intuition from Juuroumaru before. Kouga and Kageroumaru glare at each other as Miroku explains that Kageroumaru is too fast, and they couldn't keep up or dodge him. Kouga scoffs, bragging that there shouldn't be anyone who can escape HIS speed, but Kageroumaru challenges him to bring it.
Kouga lunges at Kageroumaru, threatening to crush him, but when he swipes at the spot Kageroumaru was, he just claws up earth. A short distance away now, Kageroumaru accuses Kouga of being nothing but mouth. At that moment, Juuroumaru reappears out of Kouga's periphery, crashing through some bushes from behind Kouga to attack him from another angle while his back is turned.
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The pace was intense, and the fact that it included more than just Inuyasha this time was a welcome course. As well as these characters work together as friends and play off of one anothers' personalities in a cohesive team, I feel there are fewer opportunities for them to do so, even this early on. Having most of the ensemble acting as a peanut gallery making comments from the sidelines is never ideal, so even the minimal participation from everyone here in this chapter is a welcome development. Having the villains targeting everyone they can is a great way to force that participation at a quick fighting pace. It ramps up tension and drives home the message that no one is safe from an attack.
Because while the strategy of the twins was repetitive, it never felt dull, because it was effective as a one-two punch combo. It's clear that Kageroumaru is not just the only one who can tell Juuroumaru what to do, but he's also communicating with Juuroumaru on the fly to indicating who to attack from a blind spot and when. Juuroumaru is obviously not very brainy, but he's also stopped being "indiscriminate", as he was described in the previous chapter. He's very selective about his attacks ever since Kageroumaru appeared, never attacking at random, but only people Kageroumaru has already been interacting with. Every time Kageroumaru sufficiently distracts an opponent, getting them focused on HIM in particular, Juuroumaru leaps out of nowhere to deal a blow from wherever they're not looking. I don't think we ever know how they're communicating the right time for Juuroumaru to act, or if there is some sort of signal Kageroumaru gives Juuroumaru, but it is a very clever fighting dynamic between the two of them regardless.
Which in turn makes the dynamic between Inuyasha and Kouga all the more clever as well. Forcing them to work together in keeping track of and fighting their own assigned twin is just ENOUGH independence to keep them bickering, but enough cooperation to keep them from each other's throats as well. They both have their own unique opponents whose particular strengths they can match well with their own individual skills was also a stroke of genius. They HAVE to recognize each other's abilities now, and that will undoubtedly make both of them all the surlier for it.
They'll ramp up their posturing to show who's better, but in the end, they're basically the same person.
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