Oh no, this is a trap and a half. The new kid is definitely monochromatic, on the light side, but there's hardly anything else we know about him. I mean, sure, he's a bit demanding, a bit entitled, considering how he ordered Kagura around. And yeah, he's also got that smirking, overly pleased-with-himself kind of look about him that you tend to associate with privileged little shits in public who know they can get away with anything. And of course there's the immediate acquisition of a huge flunkie to do his more brawn-based bidding.
But I'm not drawing any conclusions until it's shown that he has no rhythm DAMMIT!
We're not going to mention all the dudes he killed in the process, then? Okay.
Miroku says that the ones who broke the seals (and committed the murders that we apparently don't care about) are Kagura and the baby, and Sango follows up with the information they received from before about the baby apparently being destroyed by the spiritual power of the last priest they offed. The kid on the horse scoffs that a mere human priest's spiritual power could never destroy him, and at last Inuyasha blurts out the conclusion that this kid and the bastard baby are the same person. Must have beat Miroku to the punch on that obvious announcement.
The kid introduces himself as Hakudoushi, which is a relief, because my "Shnooky" name for him doesn't quite work anymore as a joke. Also, he characterizes himself as "the discarded white child of Naraku", which is just a bizarre description I can't make heads or tails of. Miroku addresses Hakudoushi with what he heard from the disciples about the kid searching for the border between this world and the next, and bluntly asks what is there that he wants, exactly. After a short pause, Hakudoushi chuckles that they should be looking for it too, implying that there's a Shikon shard there. Inuyasha parrots the part about the Shikon fragment while Kagura cruises up on her feather.
She asks Hakudoushi if he should really be revealing their hand and this information like that, but Hakudoushi asks in turn if this is something they really need to hide. He says that it's "the more the merrier" in this little treasure hunt, and tells Inuyasha and crew that they should be thanking him for giving them a clue about it. When Miroku says that the rumor about the Shikon fragment appears to be true at least, Inuyasha scoffs again. He bares his fangs and admits he has no idea about the next world or whatever, but if there is a shard there...
Roaring away like a piece of junk rolling copious amounts of coal. Inuyasha yells at the brat to wait up, but the protective bubble pops out of sight in no time, and Miroku lamely states that they've escaped as Inuyasha curses in frustration.
Though Inuyasha's group can't follow, we get a view of the massive horse with the small child astride it and Kagura riding on her feather next to them, where the latter asks what they're going to do now, specifically if they're going to keep killing priests or what. Hakudoushi tells her that's over, because apparently humans just aren't able to provide the information he needs. He recalls that just before he was cut in half, he saw some scenery of some jagged peaks poking up out of thick mist, and wonders if that could be the border between worlds he's been looking for. He wants to gather more knowledge about that world shrouded in white mist, and he thinks he needs a different tactic to gather it.
Or rather, a different set of victims.
After a narrow sky transition panel, there's a rustle among the trees in a forest, where a man with a basket on his back is running Scooby-Doo style from what looks like a bipedal boar with a skull necklace and a naginata spear, losing his hat along the way. The boar laughs as he chases him and the man shrieks about a youkai, right before the naginata slices from collarbone all the way to opposite underarm. The boar picks up the man's head and shoulder with another laugh, no doubt intending to add the skull to his pretty collection around his neck, when something whooshes above him and he looks up in confusion and alarm. A giant flaming hoof comes crashing down on his head and crushes it underfoot.
Kagura sees the naginata stuck blade-down in the dirt and grabs it to throw to Hakudoushi. I like to think that she hoped he'd miss and it would stab him good.
When they're flying again, Kagura asks him if he's sure that he can use that thing, and he snaps at her not to make fun of him. He then says he'd like to get used to this new body of his quickly. I guess Naraku passed his penchant for transmogrifying himself to the kid. Kagura makes a vague noise of false interest, while she really thinks that the brat isn't bothered by doing his own dirty work, unlike Naraku. I guess that's KIND OF a compliment? Not sure.
Another sky transition panel leads us to Miroku and Sango riding on Kirara through the sky. Sango is talking about how it's weird that they haven't heard of any more shrines or temples being attacked since Hakudoushi fucked off, and Miroku agrees, but adds that he's been feeling some strange energy spots since then as well, and quite a few of them. Apparently, this is the first time Sango is hearing about this, and repeats it to him in question format, asking for elaboration. I happen to think it's also weird that Miroku hasn't mentioned this before now. Seems like the weird is penetrating every level of this mystery.
Miroku does indeed elaborate, though, saying that none of these feelings was particularly strong, but he's puzzled by the odd way in which they move. Like they're wandering around aimlessly or something.
The two most vulnerable members of the group hanging out by themselves again? Why do these little snots NEVER learn their frikkin' lesson??
Point of fact, Shippou outwardly wonders where Inuyasha has gone off to, because apparently he just ran off without telling anyone why. Kagome does not find this the least bit objectionable, SOMEHOW, and says he just couldn't sit still for a while. Uhhh, sounds fake, but okay... Cut to Inuyasha, who's leaping through the forest cursing up a storm. He's pissy because there's no sign of that Hakudoushi brat, and also vexed by this vague business about the borderline between this world and the next. Irritated that running around through the woods with no leads whatsoever is not yielding any clues, he just seems to have a indefinable SOMETHING leading him on - you know, restlessness.
Suddenly he catches a scent which he appears alarmed by. Then we cut back to Kagome and Shippou, because three guesses as to why, and the first two don't count. They hear a noise in the trees and Shippou hums in question while Kagome calls out to Inuyasha, assuming it's him. Then the trees splinter.
Why didn't any of you see this coming from a mile away??? You should have at least been able to HEAR the damn thing!
Shippou shrieks, as usual, and Kagome jumps up (with a "STAND" statement right next to her just in case you were confused by her movements here or something) in alarmed confusion. Kagome has Shippou in her arms as he wails her name, ducking a close blow from the headless villain. Amazing this thing that has no eyesight, sense of smell OR hearing was able to get SO CLOSE to splattering Kagome all over the forest floor. Inuyasha, what's your excuse, buddy?
Inuyasha comes leaping out of the trees yelling for Kagome, and she calls back to him over her shoulder as she continues to sprint away from the headless ogre. Inuyasha rips more than halfway into its torso with his claws, and it goes down without any more fight.
Wanders around without a head, but it takes one swipe to tear it in half? Am I or am I not supposed to have viewed this thing as a threat?
Inuyasha turns to ask Kagome if she's okay, and is immediately smacked in the forehead by an angry Shippou, who demands to know where the heck he went off to, leaving them there by themselves. A fair question that goes unanswered; Shippou rants about what might have happened with Kagome if he hadn't been around (implying he did a SINGLE thing other than scream) while Inuyasha holds him out by his tail, Inuyasha tells Kagome he's sorry about that whole fucking off into the woods thing, and Kagome says it's okay. Clearly she's not as concerned with Inuyasha's bad habit of just wandering off as she is curious in a horrified kind of way what this thing is and why it doesn't have a head.
Sango and Miroku dive out of the sky on Kirara to the camp, the former calling out to Kagome, having completely missed the action. Somehow. Miroku is eventually asking for confirmation that this youkai didn't have a head to begin with, and Kagome responds in the affirmative. Sango asks Miroku if this could be that wandering evil energy Miroku was talking about before, Miroku saying that it's probz at least one of them. Yeah, you think? Inuyasha examines what's left of the youkai's neck, and comments of how it looks like it was cut with some kind of blade, but by a really sloppy guy. He sure is one to talk.
Cut to the silhouette of tiny Hakudoushi perched on his massive steed and Kagura flying on her feather next to them. There's a mound of something highlighted toward Entei's rump.
What? Can't a kid have a collection? Some choose stamps or buttons, he's chosen demon heads. Seems legit.
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Our entire cast of protagonists just took a whole bottle of stupid pills this time, didn't they? Between Miroku sensing odd youki and keeping it to himself, to Inuyasha leaving Kagome and Shippou by themselves, to the former shrugging this off despite a very RECENT history of being kidnapped and abused when Inuyasha disappears, there doesn't appear to be a single brain cell to share between them. Clearly, RT really needed this chapter to happen the way it did, to rob her characters of ALL their sense and make them perform the most idiotic actions in order to make it so, but I can't for the life of me think WHY. She could easily have written Miroku informing all of them of the strange energies he was feeling, led the team to the areas he was sensing them at, maybe with the aid of Inuyasha's nose smelling youkai blood on the decapitated menaces, and had a semi-surprise of two headless demons converging on the spot to keep it a little more exciting. That would have been so simple and LOGICAL, but RT went with this instead.
I don't know why people ask her the most inane questions in interviews. I would be asking where her head was at when she wrote THIS nonsense. Goodness, what a train wreck.
But at least I got to see that boar demon get stomped by a giant horse hoof. Kinda funny.
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