Episode 61

Kikyo and the Dark Priestess is the sixty-first episode of the InuYasha anime.

Synopsis

 * 1) Kagome, still under Tsubaki's curse, tries to resist as much as she can, telling Inuyasha to run away.
 * 2) Kikyō manages to break through Tsubaki's barrier and confronts her old rival; Kikyō tells Tsubaki that she can do what she likes with Kagome, but if she harms Inuyasha she will personally see to Tsubaki's demise.
 * 3) Kikyō's interference gives Kagome momentary respite, and she asks that Inuyasha take her to the Shikon no Tama shard that she senses, though the curse has still not been completely broken and the tainted Shikon no Tama shards still remain in Kagome's body.
 * 4) Inuyasha arrives at Tsubaki's location with Kagome, and Miroku and Sango soon arrive as well; Tsubaki emerges from the hut and tells Inuyasha not to draw his sword or else she will kill Kagome.
 * 5) Inuyasha struggles to battle against one of Tsubaki's demons without the use of Tessaiga.

Summary
Tsubaki continues with her curse on Kagome. Naraku has her put a curse on Kagome to force her to kill Inuyasha in the same way that Kikyō had 50 years earlier. Should Inuyasha stay with Kagome, he will die by her arrow; should he run, Tsubaki will kill Kagome instantly.

Some distance away, Miroku and Sango try to figure out how to get through Tsubaki's barrier only to find it too strong for them to break. Down on the ground, Kikyō arrives, having come to investigate the evil aura she detected and knows that Tsubaki is nearby. She notices Inuyasha's friends in the air, but doesn't care and enters the barrier effortlessly, her interest now definitely piqued.

Back in Kaede's hut, Inuyasha is still facing Kagome, who aims at him with an arrow and tells him to leave, but he only walks towards her and finally Tsubaki gives the order to shoot. Kagome is forced to fire an arrow at Inuyasha, only barely missing him. As she prepares another arrow, she struggles to fight Tsubaki's control and continues to beg for him to run and save himself. However, Inuyasha refuses, then makes a charge for her. She lets the arrow fly.

Back in her own shrine, Tsubaki compliments Naraku on just how twisted and evil he is to force Kikyō's reincarnation to kill the man she loves as she thinks that Inuyasha died from the arrow. All of a sudden Naraku's puppet is obliterated and Tsubaki turns to face her old rival, Kikyō, who is now in the hut. Naraku realizes that Kikyo has killed his puppet, but he does not intend to do anything against anyone, but only to watch things for the time being.

Distracted by Kikyō, Tsubaki's spell weakens and Kagome regains control of her body. It is seen that her arrow missed Inuyasha and only grazed his arm. Kagome, weakened by her possession, collapses and Inuyasha takes her in his arms. She tells him she senses the Shikon Jewel nearby and asks Inuyasha to take her there. As they step outside, Kaede and Shippō are delighted to see Kagome awake again but attempt to convince her that she is too sick to go anywhere and that the curse still hasn't lifted, but Inuyasha promises he will protect her and he and Kagome set out to find the Dark Priestess. Shippō is worried that Kagome is in too much pain, but Kaede says that Kagome is a strong willed girl and will be fine. Silently, she knows that Kagome isn't doing well and hopes that Inuyasha will find a way to break Tsubaki's curse and save her.

Meanwhile, Kagome apologizes to Inuyasha for almost killing him, but he says that it wasn't her fault since she was being controlled and also says that he would never run away from her, but always stand by her side.

At the shrine, Kikyō and Tsubaki size each other up after fifty years. Kikyō mocks Tsubaki for selling her soul to her demon for youth and beauty. Tsubaki, in turn, chastises Kikyō for judging her when Kikyō herself is dead and consuming human souls just to stay animated. Kikyō tells Tsubaki she might as well just give it up; she's no match for Kagome. Tsubaki laughs it off, saying if Kagome could have been cursed like that at all, then she was nothing much.

Tsubaki now asks Kikyo whether Kagome is really her reincarnation, but she only says that her curse is not strong enough for Kagome. Kikyo also realizes that her soul has passed into the possession of a yōkai and mocks her for selling her soul to a demon so that she can receive eternal youth and beauty, but the demons were all too weak and therefore she absolutely needs the jewel of the four souls. Tsubaki recalls to Kikyō that she when she fell in love with Inuyasha and slightly weakened her, but the attack was too weak and the curse hit her back, which disfigured her face.

Finally, Tsubaki realizes that Kikyō is actually already dead and, in turn, chastises Kikyō for judging her when Kikyō herself is dead and consuming human souls just to stay animated. Tsubaki says that she has taken the help of demons, but then she turns around and realizes that the jewel is being purified. Then Miroku and Sango see Inuyasha and Kagome arrive outside Tsubaki's barrier and Kagome brings it down with her sacred arrow as Miroku and Sango watch in amazement. The energy from the collapsing barrier draws Tsubaki's attention to the door and she looks outside to see Inuyasha with Kagome. Kikyō sees this as confirmation that Tsubaki is too weak, Tsubaki curses when she reveals that she had Kagome shot arrows at Inuyasha. Kikyo asks and seems angry. Tsubaki replies calmly that she actually imitated the situation 50 years ago.

Arrows suddenly fly up from behind, one parting strands of Tsubaki's hair and the other pinning her sleeve to the doorway. Tsubaki turns to mock Kikyō for the latter's sudden loss of self-control and asks if what she made Kagome do struck a nerve. Kikyō angrily stomps up to her from behind, snatches her up by her hair and says that she is free to kill Kagome but icily threatens to kill her if she hurts Inuyasha. Outraged and indignant at Kikyō's attempt to intimidate her, Tsubaki jerks free and tries to hit the miko with an arrow she pulls from the doorway. Kikyō jumps nimbly away and as she fades away into nothing, she warns Tsubaki that she will follow through if anything happens to Inuyasha.

Tsubaki collects herself to come out of her shrine and confront the group with the Sacred Jewel. Outside, Miroku and Sango arrive, glad to see Kagome is better, but still worried for her. Kagome announces that the Shikon shards are in the shrine. The shrine doors then open and Tsubaki steps out, her snake shikigami draped comfortably around her shoulders. Inuyasha deduces she is Tsubaki. Tsubaki, in turn, deduces he is Inuyasha, "Kikyō's lover".

Having earlier seen her enter Tsubaki's barrier, Miroku and Sango demand to know where Kikyō is. Tsubaki laughs and says that Kikyō was only there to beg for Inuyasha's life to be spared. Inuyasha steps forward and says he can tell just by the way Tsubaki made Kagome try to kill him that Naraku is behind everything. She casually admits that Naraku is working with her.

When Inuyasha charges her and takes hold of Tessaiga, but then Tsubaki renews the curse on Kagome and says that Inuyasha is not allowed to draw his sword because she then kill Kagome instantly, who is already lying on the floor in pain again. Frightened, he backs down, much to Tsubaki's amusement. Tsubaki says that the jewel could only be purified because Tsubaki was distracted and then she lets a large demon come out of her eye, which Inuyasha is not allowed to fight with Tessaiga. However, Kagome encourages Inuyasha, only that his Tessaiga is far too weak for the demon, but he does not want to let his guard down. Inwardly, she reflects on how Kikyō told her she was no match for her reincarnation, but after considering how pathetic a priestess Kagome is, she attributes her weakening hold on Kagome to Kikyō's distractions rather than the girl's own power. After reassuring herself that she is the best miko ever, Tsubaki unleashes an enormous wolf/fox demon from her eye to slay Inuyasha, who — for the life of Kagome — would sooner be slaughtered than ever draw his sword.