Episode 171

Dragon-Scaled Tessaiga is the fourth episode of InuYasha: The Final Act.

Plot
The episode begins when Sesshomaru cuts a meido into the sky to kill a demon. Totosai says this attack is called the Meido Zangetsuha, which is the true intention of Tenseiga's use. Sesshomaru has not yet mastered this attack, because his meido is a half crescent, but should be a full circle.

Back at Totosai's hideout, InuYasha and Totosai are discussing the demon blade, Dakki. The blade Mujina used was a fake, even though it was made out of one of Ryujin's scales. You have to have one of Ryjin's scales, or it is impossible to construct Dakki. InuYasha wants to find the real Dakki, and defeat it's wielder, to gain it's power in his Tetsusaiga. Totosai says that if InuYasha were to lose, Tetsusaiga would remain a rusty sword forever, because Dakki would absorb all of Tetsusaiga's demonic energy.

Meanwhile, Toshu the swordsmith, is finished constructing the real Dakki. Now the demon Ryujin has come to claim Dakki, the sword Toshu created for him. Toshu is hiding, unwilling to give up the finished Dakki. Ryujin is furious and ready to attack. InuYasha and friends arive, and InuYasha uses his Wind Scar on Ryujin. InuYasha sees Toshu hiding. InuYasha realizes that his Wind Scar is no use against Ryujin, because Ryujin gets his power from his opponent's demonic energy. Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara protect Toshu.

Elsewhere, a giant demon has slaughtered another tribe of wolf demons, and only two young boys, Kai (the eldest) and Shinta (the youngest), remain. Kai is injured by the demon. Byakuya of the Dreams, Naraku's new (and final) incarnation, appears; he is the one controlling the demon. Byakuya spares Kai and Shinta's lives, giving Kai a Shikon Jewel Shard to heal his wounds.

In the meantime, InuYasha and Ryujin continue fighting. InuYasha uses his Wind Scar without effect, InuYasha is persistent, so Ryujin uses the demonic energy he has collected from InuYasha, to attack. This is what InuYasha wanted, so he waits for the attack, and uses the Backlash Wave, which killed Ryujin. Toshu comes and absorbs Ryujin's demonic energy into Dakki. Now Dakki is complete, InuYasha and friends are now uneasy about this new side of Toshu they are beginning to see.

Koga and friends are travelling when Kai stops them in their tracks. He has to take Koga's Jewel Shards and bring them to Byakuya by sunset, or Shinta will die. Failing, Kai notices that the sun is begining to set, frustrating him; Kai runs away, heading back to Byakuya. Koga follows after Kai, wanting answers as to why he attacked him.

Toshu challenges InuYasha, because he wants Tessaiga's demonic energy. InuYasha and Toshu engage in battle, Toshu tells the story of how he created Dakki, which started with him created sharper blades by using ones scavanged from blood-soaked battles fields, and crafting new ones using hatred; when Ryujin sensed this desire in Toshu, he approuched him and was offered the creation of the powerful sword Dakki. The dragon scales are spreading from Dakki to Toshu, soon Dakki will completely consume Toshu.

Kai returns to Byakuya with Koga behind him; Byakuya says bringing Koga himself works as well. Koga uses his Goraishi claws to kill the demon under Byakuya's command. Byakuya retreats, but one of his moths takes Shinta with it, while spreading huge amounts of demonic energy into the sky. Koga and Kai follow the moth to rescue Shinta. Byakuya knows who will come in search of the demonic energy his moth is sending out..

Elsewhere, Toshu is now covered in scales, having taken InuYasha's demonic energy from his attacks. InuYasha defeats Toshu, who exploded from Dakki sending all the blows it recieved into him, and gains Dakki's powers. The Tetsusaiga can now take the form of dragon scales to absorb demonic energy from InuYasha's enemies. InuYasha and friends then notice Ginta and Hakkaku running to catch up with Koga, in the direction which Kagome senses four Jewel Shards.

Koga and Kai meet up with Moryomaru, who now has Shinta. Koga's shards are acting up again, as he attacks Moryomaru. Moryomaru tries to absorb Koga and Kai's Jewel Shards, succeding in getting Kai's. InuYasha and friends arrive, and Sango saves Shinta, and InuYasha saves Koga and Kai. When Moyromaru says his armor is invincible, Inuyasha decides to test it and launches the Adamant Barrage; however, once the spears pierce him, Moryomaru absorbs them, turning his right arm into an adamant spike. InuYasha uses the Dragon Scaled Tetsusaiga on Moryomaru, making the wound Sesshomaru inflicted on the armor open up again. However, Tessaiga begins heating up and Inuyasha is thrown backwards by a backlash of energy. Moryomaru releases a cloud of miasma and escapes.

Byakuya appears and says he is impressed by InuYasha's new attack; if there had been another enemey, Inuyasha would not have faired so well. When questioned if he's the second enemy, Byakuya says that he was only there to observe and leaves. InuYasha comes to, and wonders what happened to his Tetsusaiga. The scene ends with a shot of the rusty Tetsusaiga.

Byakuya rows a boat out to a lake, where he meets with Naraku. Infroming him of InuYasha's new Dragon Scaled Tetsusaiga. Byakuya asks Naraku if he should have just finished Inuyasha off instead of just observing; he then wonders if they should let Inuyasha use this new power to destroy Moryomaru. Naraku wonders which will happen first: InuYasha being consumed by his own sword, or Moryomaru being destroyed by it.

Trivia

 * Byakuya originaly appeared when Inuyasha failed at using the Dragon-scaled Tessaiga against a venomous demon, in the manga.