There are certainly no shortage of THOSE in this setting. They're the only dwellings that compare in number to small abandoned buildings/shrines that the Inuyasha group can hunker down inside for the night. It's an interesting dichotomy built between tiny, empty shacks and massive mansions packed with staff, even if I don't necessarily think it was RT's intention to do so. It inadvertently says something about a world that would need to accommodate drifting teenage adventurers without tying them down to a living community. And that's to say nothing about some of the castles/mansions being illusions built by a malevolent demon douchebag.
Oh, that's fine. I was that kind of a baby too, and as far as I know, I'M not a changeling.
As far as I know.
The mother of the child looks down at him with a melancholy expression, musing on how the terrible events the night he was born seem like a dream now. All those who were in the birthing room died, and she can almost recall immediately after that a couple of blurry figures were in her presence as well, but she can't actually remember more than that, as her memories of that night have faded daily since.
At the sound of the name "Kohaku" coming from outside, she looks over at a boy carrying a bundle of firewood on his shoulder, being warned not to walk the way he is. He pauses to look back, giving the lady of the castle a bit longer to examine his freckled face.
The old man accompanying Kohaku, forces him to to kneel and bow, pushing his face straight into the dirt, and explaining to the lady that Kohaku has only just become a servant so he doesn't quite know how to act yet. She says she doesn't mind, but asks to see Kohaku's face a little clearer, and Kohaku lifts his head compliantly so she can more closely look at him. She hesitantly asks if she hasn't seen him before, but the old man shakes his head vigorously, insisting that wouldn't have been possible, because this lowly child would not have met someone of Okugata-sama. Kohaku agrees, instead of returning the careless "fuck you" the old man basically gave him. That, in itself, is true nobility.
The lady hangs her head a little, supposing it was just her imagination then. Later, while Kohaku is sitting on the edge of a porch with the old man, munching on snacks being produced at a nearby sunken fire with many other servants gathered around, he says that the Okugata-sama seems really nice, to which the old man agrees. An interim panel shows a misty memory of Naraku ordering Kohkau to stay at the castle with Kanna and protect the baby, information that probably couldn't be shoved into a more convenient corner. Kohaku is back at work with the firewood, interacting with other servants, being directed by them, and thinking about how peaceful the castle is.
Ah, the wonders of being a part of a community, and NOT being isolated with a malevolent demon and his sullen children.
Cut to the town surrounding the castle, where someone among the bustle of the large settlement says they've only heard vague rumors about a flock of flying blood-sucking monsters, but when Miroku presses him about the activity around here, says he hasn't seen a thing. The interviewee turns to indicate the castle standing behind him and says that he doesn't think anything would dare attack the lord's mansion besides.
The group strolls on the busy street, getting some looks from the locals, but the only one who seems to notice is Shippou, who looks right back from Kagome's shoulder. Inuyasha placidly restates that there's nothing around here either, which indicates that they haven't been having much luck in their search for the bird nest. Kagome says there isn't much they can do, since they have zero clues about where it could be. Miroku is strangely somber when he declares that they have no choice but to stay at an inn here, and Sango repeats his phrasing of having "no choice" with a bit of skepticism. To no one's surprise at all, she's dragging him by the collar in the next panel, away from a couple of women outside a building who are complimenting him on how handsome he is and pleading with him to come in and stay at their establishment. Sango asks him in clear irritation where he thinks he's going. Girl, it ain't worth it, just let him go already.
Narrow sky transition panel!
I always wince when I see this place - looks like a location conjured by my nightmares if my brain is planning on jolting me awake with a falling dream.
That's Kagura sitting in the window there, because she really doesn't have to worry about falling, looking somewhat bored upon closer inspection. But in reality, she's mulling over how Hakudoushi doesn't have a heart, and no matter how much you rip him apart he won't die. She glares back into the precarious hut out of her periphery, where he's sitting against a little half-wall, wondering WHERE his missing heart is.
As if he senses her focus on him, he looks over and asks Kagura what she's thinking about. She tells him to shut his trap, because she's at least still free to have private thoughts. Gotta assert whatever freedoms you have when you have them, no doubt. A flock of those vampire terror birds passes at some distance, at the head of which is the figure of Abi, to Kagura's mild surprise, apparently. She also, apparently, hasn't ever seen Abi before, because she can only suppose that it's her. I guess their own supply of birds to attack the pass a few chapters ago were not handed over in person.
Hakudoushi joins Kagura at the window to order her to follow them, warning her to just observe and not do anything unnecessary. Kagura asks what he means by "unnecessary", but we don't get to know precisely what he's getting at, because we switch to Abi's point of view.
She remembers her mom's massive eye peeking out of the darkness of the cave as she explains that this Hijiri-sama person seems to be a hindrance to Naraku. Even from the seclusion of her cave, she noticed that there were youkai everywhere in the sky doing a blanket search for that single thorn in Naraku's side - Abi's mom used the birds to spy on these efforts. Through this spy campaign, she was able to ascertain that there was ONE area that the hordes of youkai didn't approach, which was the sky above a certain human castle, and she deduced that there would be no need to search it if it were connected to Naraku.
So, at her mother's advice, Abi is going over there now, to see what happens when she attacks the castle. But a swarm of Saimyoushou buzzes up to her while she's on her way, and she asks aloud if they're here to watch her. She's not really looking for an answer; she points out the insects to her birds, and they tear the wasps apart dutifully at her direction. She keeps flying along, apparently in a hurry to see what this castle is all about, and merely looks over her shoulder to where the bugs are being dismembered to tell them to suck it.
Take that, Naraku. Of course, Abi fails to realize that the Saimyoushou are not the only things following her.
Are we really surprised? I mean, the guy's only talent is making enemies.
Night has fallen at the castle, and Kohaku and his elderly companion are laying on parallel futons while a few men sit around some sort of game nearby. The old man is asking about what Kohaku apparently told him about not remembering his parents at all. After Kohaku confirms this, the old man asks if he lost his parents in a war, but Kohaku is only able to answer with a verbal shrug after a short uncertain pause. At first, all the old man can do is say that he sees, but then talks about what a good thing it is that Kohaku was picked up by the castle staff. He says all the people who work here are like a family. UGH, all I can think of now is toxic corporate culture in just about every shitty company I've ever worked for... But Kohaku seems to be satisfied with this characterization, at least, and agrees.
Suddenly, everyone in the room looks around at a sudden outburst of screams outside.
Because Kohaku isn't allowed to have any kind of family without losing them, apparently.
As the castle guards are being drained by the vampire flock, someone opens the door to the servant quarters just a crack to ascertain the situation, his exclamation of disbelief cut off in shock and horror. The old man joins him at the door, and he stutters about youkai birds, Kohaku hovering in the background. Maybe he's too loud, or maybe one of the "birds" just happens to look their way, but either way, the next targets are acquired and the vampires lung for the door. The man who opened it gets his neck pierced by a beak, and he lets out a shout of pain and alarm.
The old man pushes Kohaku back, warning him to watch out in genuine concern. Kohaku heeds the old man, but only to go back to a trunk next to his futon and rummage inside it, keeping one eye on the carnage at the door. From it, he pulls his sickle and chain, and just as the old man is about to be speared with a beak like the other man, sprawled on the floor from a trip and unable to get back up and run away in time, the birds' heads are sliced clean off.
Witness Kohaku's badassery. This kid is an inspiration.
He runs straight over the vampire corpse he created, towards the DOOR. You know, that portal leading to even MORE of these things? The old man calls to him, and Kohaku pauses only to turn and instruct him to close the door after he's left, and not to come outside. As he's making for the door again, there's a nagging Naraku voice at the back of his mind telling him yet again to protect that baby.
Said baby is huddled against his "mother's" breast in another room in the castle, surrounded by female warriors with naginatas and waiting maids. One of the ladies by her side whimpers to her, but she assures the woman that it'll be alright. Like a mantra, she says that the baby is here in her arms, and all the people in the castle will protect him, even at the cost of their own lives. The little guy is, even now, snoozing peacefully despite all the chaos happening around him. Okay, fair, THAT'S pretty weird. At this point a normal kid would be screaming, no matter HOW chill his disposition.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha and crew are on the trail of the vampire flock's silhouette in the sky, looking like a murderous cluster of bats. Inuyasha exclaims that the "birds" are back out again, running in their direction with Kagome riding piggyback. On Kirara the other teammates rush on in parallel, Sango pointing out that the castle they were just at was being attacked. Suddenly, Kagome senses a single Shikon shard.
Why didn't you notice this the FIRST time you were there, girl?
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Kohaku has always been one of my favorites in this series, because chapters and small arcs centering him always end up being incredibly fascinating. His position is one of juxtaposition, between his fundamentally sensitive, gentle, caring nature and the villain who is using him and his skills to manipulate his sister in the main group. Kohaku's two sides, youkai exterminator trained from an early age to deadly precision, and gentle eleven-year-old boy, are in constant conflict, and his master has to keep his memory blocked in order to make sure Kohaku doesn't completely BREAK before his usefulness has worn out.
This chapter showcases how deeply his human need for community and family extends through his musings over this feeling he has that he was living in a very similar situation to that of the castle sometime before. Despite the strict social rules that he got his face ground into the dirt for breaking, and trying to learn the ins and outs of his new role, he seems a lot more relaxed than at some of the other times we've seen him. It's notable that every time Kohaku is back with humans, he has to marvel at how much nicer it feels, how much more at ease he is.
And then, at the end of the chapter, he has to return to the cold badassery that he needs to adopt when carrying out Naraku's orders. He springs into action immediately, doesn't even appear to need to THINK about it. I'm not sure if this is because he's NOT thinking - Naraku's orders echoing in his head. It might be that Naraku is whispering to him in real time, or it might be the memory of the command to protect the infant, but either way, Kohaku DOES pause in his carrying out of that command to warn his new grandfather figure to close and bar the door behind him and not to go outside. It's interesting to see the little ways in which Kohaku manages to express his autonomy whenever possible.
I am curious as to why Kagome didn't detect the Shikon fragment in Kohaku's back when they were still in the town surrounding the castle, perhaps even right outside its gates, and now is detecting that very fragment far OUTSIDE the town in the woods. RT's sloppiness over when and how the abilities of her characters work seems to depend entirely upon whether it's convenient to her plot or not, once again.
But hey, love that Abi continues to be incompetent as usual. At least she's consistent.
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