Episode 178

Kanna's Gravestone is the 11th episode of InuYasha: The Final Act.

Summary
Kanna has proven herself to be more dangerous than anyone believed possible; her Mirror Demon has stolen Tessaiga's powers and is using them against Inuyasha!

However, for such an amazing power, there is surely has to be a major drawback; Naraku kept Kanna from using the Mirror Demon until now for a reason. Could it have something to do with the wound on Kanna's shoulder that matches the one that healed on the Mirror Demon?

Plot
Night, Miroku has erected a barrier to seal everyone inside a cave for their own safety. Miroku and Shippō quickly deduce that the Mirror Demon stole Tessaiga's powers, just like Dakki; however, unlike Dakki, this Mirror Demon can drain all of Tessaiga's powers endlessly. Elsewhere, Kanna and her Mirror Demon look for Inuyasha. As she walks, Kanna thinks of Kagura. The Saimyōshō find Miroku's barrier and thus lead Kanna to it, Byakuya of the Dreams arrives, asking Kanna if everything is going to Naraku's plan. The Mirror Demon looms next to the barrier, shocking everyone as it uses the Red Tessaiga to break the barrier. Kagome fires an arrow at the demon's neck, but it does nothing except vanish. At the same time, a dark crack appears on Kanna's neck. Byakuya inquires what happened, but receives no answer.

Kanna orders the Adamant Barraga to be used, but Inuyasha clashes blades with the Mirror Demon, being forced back. Shippō notices that the spears have missed them; Tessaiga's barrier protected them. Inuyasha picks himself up, only for Kagome to see his demon blood has taken over. However, much to everyone's surprise, Inuyasha's sanity is still intact as he know who his friends are; he feels that Tessaiga is seeking out his demonic energy. Inuyahsa lands a blow on the Mirror Demon's left shoulder, only for it to heal. At the same time, Kanna receives a crack on her left shoulder. Byakuya guess that Kanna is taking the Mirror Demon's damage to keep it in able condition. When Miroku tries interfering, Inuyasha tells him not to, saying he'll go after him next; it would seem Inuyasha's demon pride is present.

Elsewhere, Naraku finds it amusing that Inuyasha has been transformed by his demon blood again; it just makes it all the more easier to kill him, with the Dragon-scaled Tessaiga. The Mirror Demon switches its fake Tessaiga from Diamond to Dragon-scaled and tries striking Inuyasha's demon vortex to kill him in one blow. However, Inuyasha avoids the Mirror Demon's attacks, succeeding in landing a blow to its right eye. However the Mirror Demon once more heals from its injury, much to Inuyasha's annoyance. Kanna's right eye cracks, leaving it blind; everyone realizes how the Mirror Demon heals.

Inuyasha yells for Kanna to stop interfering as he has no intention of killing her. Kanna pays him no mind and forms a circle with her hands; a shadow of Kanna's mirror appears around Inuyasha as a portal of light opens above him. Inuyasha tries getting away, but the shadow follows him where-ever he runs. Byakuya calls Inuyasha an idiot, saying killing Kanna would have been the correct move as she cannot defend herself while the mirror is in its demon form. Inuyasha shields himself with Tessaiga, reflecting the beam of light back and cracking the Mirror Demon's stomach; the damage is then transferred to Kanna so it can heal. Kanna continues to attack Inuyasha with the beams of light, as Naraku says she's to keep going; he materializes her heart in his hand. Kagome warns Kanna that she's going to fire an arrow into the light. The shadow of Kanna's mirror vanishes, allowing Inuyasha to move without worry of being hit by beams of light.

Inuyasha chops off the Mirror Demon's left hand, only for it to heal and for Kanna to lose hers. Inuyasha yells at Kanna again for continuing to interfere. Byakuya calls Inuyasha's group insane for not trying to kill Kanna. Naraku also thinks the same thing; Kanna has no emotions and thus cannot understand their pity, so their concern is wasted on her. Inuyasha chops off the Mirror Demon's right arm, only for it to heal and Kanna loses her right arm as well. Kagome yells at Kanna, asking her why she's maiming herself to save the Mirror Demon. With Tessaiga still lodged in the Mirror Demon's arm, Inuyasha is thrown backwards by a burst of light from the fake Tessaiga. When Inuyasha pulls himself up, he finds himself back in his normal half-demon form while the fake Tessaiga is now destroyed and the Mirror Demon missing its right arm.

Since she cannot heal the Mirror Demon again, a defeated Kanna stands in front of it, perhaps shielding it. Inuyasha tells Kanan that their fight is over, saying to go. Byakuya taunts Inuyasha for wasting another opportunity. However, Inuyasha says he'll get nightmares from killing her; Miroku guesses that's something even Naraku would want. Now that Kanna has been half-destroyed, Miroku believes that Naraku will not bother looking for her. Kagome tells Kanna that it's over. Naraku telepathically tells Kanna that she'll take Inuyasha and his group with her. Kagome says Kanna is free, making Kanna think of Kagura. Naraku orders her to walk over to Inuyasha and his group as he begins squeezing her heart.

Kanna and the Mirror Demon begin glowing with light from their wounds. A worried Kagome asks Kanna what's happening, as Naraku continues ordering Kanna to get closer to Inuyasha's group. However, even though her body continues to crack, Kanna remains still; she's defying Naraku. Kagome sees Kanna is saying something, but cannot hear her; she walks closer to hear Kanna. However, Naraku shatters Kanna's heart; she begins shattering. Inuyasha picks up Kagome and rushes away with her. At the very moment they flee, Kanna and the Mirror Demon explode into hundreds of glass shards. One of the shards hits Kagome's eye, allowing Kanna to speak with her. At that moment, Kagome sees defiled Shikon Jewel with a speck of purity in it; she then hears Kanna's voice saying "the light will destroy Naraku."

Once the explosion subsides, nothing is left of Kanna except the crater created by her self-destruction and the frame of her mirror, which holds shards of glass. Byakuya of the Dreams boards his origami crane, thinking about how heartless Naraku is and that he should be careful to avoid the same fate. At the same time, Naraku thinks about how Kanna must regret failing to take Inuyasha's group with her to the other world, but thinks the idea to be ridiculous; Kanna didn't have emotions, so she wouldn't be able to feel regret. Inuyasha picks up Kanna's mirror, saying she didn't have to die. Shippō wonders if Kanna wanted to take them with her. Kagome cries, telling Shippō that Kanna didn't want that; she wanted to live. Inuyasha places Kanna's mirror back in the crater. Kagome promises Kanna that she heard her last wish.

Trivia

 * Naraku destroys Kanna's heart in this episode; however, in the manga, he forced her to explode along with the Mirror Demon. The result is the same, either way; Kanna died by shattering in shards of glass.
 * Referring to Kanna's heart, it looked more like a jeweled egg instead of a heart.
 * It would seem the Mirror Demon form of Kanna's mirror is something of a last resort tactic; Naraku never tried using this earlier in the series, most likely because he still had use for Kanna's mirror to spy on his enemies.
 * Although Byakuya outlives her, Kanna lived the longest of all Naraku's incarnations.
 * If Tessaiga had reasborbed the Meido Zangetsuha beforehand, the battle would've gone in Naraku's favor.