Don't even get me STARTED on expanding corruption. It's been rapid in these parts, and it's less a corruption at this point and more like a gangrenous infection, spreading necrotic rot that makes whole parts of the shrinking whole drop off, dead. I've been trying my hardest to limit my intake of news regarding the kleptocratic devastation of every institution in my society, but even the small bits that reach me leave me trembling with fear and rage. Current leadership is both metaphorically and LITERALLY killing us, lopping off our essential limbs while assuring us that we'll be better off without them.
Bleeding out is already fast, but there's a part of me that wishes it was faster. Just declare us dead already, doctor.
Wait, aren't we already IN "that place"?
At least the reader is pulled back a little bit so we can now follow the tardy Sesshoumaru, who is leading Jaken and Kagura through a cave that Kagura is more familiar with, but she's understandably hanging back a bit. She explains to them that her last visit was pretty painful for her, and it was a mistake for her to even try to take this path. Jaken squawks indignantly, asking if she means that this is dangerous. She snaps back that they insisted on her showing them, and she told them point-blank that there was no guarantee they'd survive. Jaken might need to clean the wax out of his ears, at least for important conversations.
Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru remains silent and staring ahead, part of the reason why it's SO easy to forget about him.
That... sure is where you are, buddy.
A voice floats out of the surrounding darkness of the cave, asking if the newcomers would like to pass. They're playing the classics in this comedy club. Jaken is clearly alarmed by this, all the more when he spies one on the right glaring down at them, and croaks in disbelief that it was the statue that spoke. Again, the question is put to them: do they want to pass or not pass? Jaken shouts that OF COURSE they want to pass, that's why they came here after all. Oops, he fell for that ol' double entendre just like all the rest.
The statues challenge them to pass, then, because they don't have SHIT to lose, being made of rock and all.
The world's deadliest knock-knock joke strikes again!
Kagura is standing around a corner, WELL out of the reach of that light if the door opens. According to her thoughts, that the only way to pass the gateway is to kill guards Gozu and Mezu and become one of the dead. At least, LEGITIMATELY. Her memory recalls that even if one manages to get past those guards and force the door, one is bathed in that strange light she herself narrowly avoided behind her horde of Naraku youkai, and turned into stone. She's still curious enough to lean around the corner to observe Sesshoumaru, wondering what it is he'll do.
He's pulled Toukijin, facing the giant stone guards wordlessly, Jaken whimpering his name behind his leg. Don't worry, dude, Sesshoumaru has got that "cool" armor. Almost as good as "plot" armor!
Thankfully, we've got a nifty cut trick that puts us on the other side of that gateway easily, so we don't have to go to the trouble.
If you'll recall, Inuyasha has just fallen into the mist below, and Kagome is yelling his name into it from her perch on the bone-bird. A voice from an indeterminate source chuckles that Inuyasha is dead, and it causes Kagome some alarm. She and the others look up and around to where the words seemed to come, and a swirl of miasma appears to consolidate into a large sphere behind them. It's of course Naraku in his cute little protection bubble, smirking through his declaration that he saw the whole thing. The Inuyasha group (sans Inuyasha) can do not much more than utter his name like the curse it is.
Yeah, he's the worst.
Naraku chuckles about how Housenki looks like he's been weakened quite a bit, and in response, Housenki sends a diamond-spike-encrusted arm up to whack him one. It indeed pierces Naraku's barrier and his torso, but his mildly amused expression doesn't change, even if the onlookers are surprised that the diamond managed to do so much. Naraku claims to see now how much greater a youkai Housenki was when he was alive and how he still has the willpower to resist. This resistance doesn't seem to concern Naraku, though, as he wordlessly forms his hand and forearm into a hooked, tentacled appendage that he stretches out toward Housenki.
The arrow lands and Housenki's back seems to EXPLODE. Spears of diamond shoot out every which direction, Kagome screaming as they fly toward her. Sango acts quickly to shield Kagome with a throw of her Hiraikotsu, like she did for Inuyasha, thankfully deflecting some of the deadly projectiles. The rest of them are taken care of by Miroku too.
Wow, for once, Miroku has dropped off my shit-list.
After the threat has been neutralized, Kagome wastes no time in shouting to Miroku that the corruption from the Shikon shard in Housenki has spread throughout his body. Indeed, Housenki himself seems to have turned quite dark, and it's not from overexposure to the sun. With his infuriating little evil chuckle, Naraku tells the Inuyasha group that it's all thanks to them, because it was beyond his ability to corrupt the jewel fragment when it was buried under so much diamond armor. Kagome looks pissed when she demands to know if Naraku is saying that this is all because they damaged Housenki's body.
It's Naraku's interpretation of the situation that the Shikon no Tama wants to become one, but before he can say another smug word, something he can't ignore occurs from below.
Scene go BOOM.
Miroku recognizes this, with a little disbelief, as Kaze no Kizu, and Kagome shouts Inuyasha's name in relief and triumph. Naraku is looking none too pleased as he looks at the stump of his severed tentacle hand/fingers that were cut in the blast. A familiar figure comes soaring up from beneath the mist on a new bone-bird, sword raised.
Regardless, Naraku expresses a mocking sort of mild shock that Inuyasha survived, but adds that Inuyasha's appearance suggests he was hurt pretty badly by Housenki. Sick burn dude. Inuyasha scoffs and tells Naraku that he got a little too cocky by appearing so casually so quickly, as it's exactly what Inuyasha's been waiting for. The Tessaiga grows darker as he speaks, and Kagome identifies it as the barrier-breaking Red Tessaiga, backed up by Miroku's observation that Inuyasha intends to drag Naraku out from his barrier.
Yeeeeeaaaah, Naraku's smirk does not say, "I'm communing with a higher power."
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Once again, Naraku is allowed to be the master of the situation. His ability to manipulate our protagonists into doing exactly what is beneficial for him is unparalleled, which is becoming more frustrating as time goes on. The careful framing of the encounter as a race for the final Shikon shard has fooled Inuyasha and company in participating in the shake-down of Housenki, when the old jewel wizard would have been more than a match for Naraku without them interfering, which on its own is interesting, but it becomes less-so with some of the assisting elements. For instance, if Kikyou's warnings not to take Kagome with them and her advice with the arrow were more COMPETENT, there might have been an opportunity to develop a better counter-strategy for Inuyasha and company.
But there never seems to be any kind of strategizing going on at all. We're over 300 chapters into this story, and Naraku has done literally ALL of the luring, had all of the home-turf advantage. It was around this time in my first reading of it when I got a little peeved that no one had even had an inkling to take a leaf out of Naraku's book and try to lure HIM into a trap yet. Considering how many times they've sent Naraku running when he was the one in control of the environment and circumstances, it couldn't be in any doubt that they would THROTTLE him if they got him in a similar bind. Granted, I think RT is trying to hint at the end of the chapter here that perhaps Inuyasha had considered a counter to Naraku's tricks when he showed up, but it's clear from Naraku's expression this is going to have very little effect. And it doesn't really erase yet another stumble into a somewhat obvious trap.
Oh yeah, and Sesshoumaru looks high, as always. Cool, but definitely high. I'm convinced he exists purely for aesthetic reasons at this point.
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