Chapter 33

With Only a Scabbard... is the 33rd chapter of the InuYasha manga.

Summary

 * Inuyasha uses the Tessaiga's scabbard to parry Hiten's lightning attack.
 * Kagome shoots an arrow and breaks one of Hiten's pin-wheels that allow him to fly.
 * Inuyasha uses the scabbard to hold-off another of Hiten's lightning attack, but it starts to crack under the pressure.

Synopsis

 * InuyashaChapter33InuyashaHoldsOffHitenWithTheScabbard.jpgsha is curious about Myōga's suggestion to use Tessaiga's sheath to parry the lightning attack, and the flea tells his lord to trust him. With nothing to lose, Inuyasha holds up the scabbard, and just as the flea said, it absorbs the lightning attack. Hiten is surprised, and so is Inuyasha. Myōga explains that the scabbard was made to contain demonic energy in the blade, so how could it not be strong enough to shield against a thunder demon's blast? He then quietly phews and says "Just as I guessed..." Inuyasha gets angry & annoyed at this, yelling "You...guessed? You didn't know?!, Myōga denies the accusation, though. He suggests they now make their escape. Inuyasha smirks, running with the sheath gleefully, now that he has a defense against the thunder attacks. Hiten fires another blast, and Inuyasha jumps right into the attack, holding out the sheath. He thinks to himself "If I can reach him, I can kill him!" Hiten quickly dashes around Inuyasha, taunting "Fool! You forget! ... Hiten flies!", stabbing Inuyasha in the back with the Thunder-pike, having flown out of the way and gotten behind him.
 * Kagome watches the fight from afar where it's safe. She worries over Inuyasha's safety. Shippō wakes up on his father's pelt. He doesn't remember much of what happened, and he asks what happened to Manten. Kagome explains he was killed by Inuyasha, but now that Hiten's ingested Manten's powers, he's even more powerful and she wonders if Inuyasha will be able to win. Then Kagome notices the pin-wheels that are attached to Hiten's shoes; they spin every time he flies. So if she can knock them down, Hiten won't be able to fly anymore. Kagome wants to use an arrow, but she can't find her bow. Shippō tells her to leave it up to him; if he didn't repay her for all the times she's saved his life, his father would never forgive him. The fox-child then transforms into a bow. Kagome remarks that it looks more like a snail, but doesn't complain.InuyashaChapter33InuyashaPunchesHiten.jpg
 * Hiten has cornered Inuyasha and is about to stab him again with the thunder-pike, when one of his pin-wheels is hit by Kagome's arrow. Hiten looks away, distracted for a moment, and Inuyasha takes this opportunity to grab the thunder-demon's weapon, but it proves to be a mistake; Hiten makes the pike surge with lightning and electrocute Inuyasha. Myōga (who is now hiding with Kagome) shouts at him to let go of the thunder-pike. Inuyasha grumbles that he can't use both his arms when one hand is preoccupied holding the Tessaiga's scabbard, so he tosses it away. Once again, Myōga shouts at him not to, because the scabbard was the only thing that could parry Hiten's blasts. Inuyasha gets a fierce look in his eyes and says "I like it better this way!", using his newly free hand to punch Hiten in the face. Hiten hits the ground, then gets back up, his eyes filled with shock and awe. "In all my centuries, none have so dared..." Then suddenly, the elder thunder brother lights up in a ball of wrathful flame, rushing at Inuyasha with the thunder-pike, declaring that the half-breed must die. Inuyasha dashes for the Tessaiga's sheath and picks it up to parry the attack, but as Hiten's power pushes its limits, the scabbard starts to crack.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Inuyasha
 * Myōga
 * Hiten
 * Kagome
 * Shippō