Episode 39

Trapped in a Duel to the Death is the 39th episode of the InuYasha anime.

Plot
The episode begins with Kagome being shown the drawings Shippo had made about her fight with Inuyasha. She compliments his work, but is embarrassed when she is told that the drawings had been seen by Kaede and the rest of the village. Meanwhile, Koga's wolf demon tribe is approached by members of another wolf demon tribe. The other tribe reveals that there are a great deal of sacred jewel shards in a lord's castle. An offer is made to Koga, that in return for his help his tribe could receive half of the sacred jewel shards obtained from the castle. Koga refuses, and the other tribe assumes that it is because of his injured right arm. However, it is actually because Koga is too focused on his desire to kill Inuyasha before he hunts for more shards. Some members of Koga's tribe leave anyways to join in the attack.

In the forest, Inuyasha and the rest of the group are hunting a bear demon that has a fragment of the sacred jewel. Inuyasha states that he would rather hunt down Koga for the two shards that he has in his legs. Bandits appear, and threaten the group but are knocked away as the Bear demon reveals itself. Before Inuyasha can kill the bear demon, Naraku's poison insects come and take the jewel shard from its head. Despite an overall agreement that Naraku is setting a trap, they follow the insects.

At the castle we meet a new minion of Naraku, a woman who wipes out the entire tribe of wolf demons that have come seeking the sacred jewel shards. An apparent survivor of the wolf demons returns to Koga's tribe and gives him a shard of the sacred jewel, warning him that he must hurry before everyone else is killed. Koga rushes off to the castle and imbeds the shard into his right arm. Shortly after, the wolf demon that had come back to the tribe with the news dies.

When Inuyasha and the group reach the castle, they find bodies of the wolf demons littering the courtyard. Naraku's minion raises them into zombies that can not be stopped. However, when she senses that Koga is approaching they all fall and cover Inuyasha in their blood. Upon arrival, Koga assumes that Inuyasha killed all of the other wolf demons. Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku try to explain that they were after a demon known as Naraku, and that they have all been set up in a trap. Fueled by anger at previous events, and unable to believe the stories, Koga attacks Inuyasha. The new jewel shard in his arm grants him exceptional strength and is supposedly greater than his previous shard. However, it looks different from the normal shard, and glows red and black.

Once again, Kagome tries to explain what happened to Koga. He is unable to believe her, and it is concluded that the only option is for him and Inuyasha to fight. Inuyasha senses Naraku inside of the mansion, but is preoccupied with fighting Koga. Sango and Miroku enter the mansion, and find Naraku's minion. She reveals that her name is Kagura. Kagura says that Naraku is not there, and she disappears. Sango and Miroku are left to fight one of Naraku's demon puppets.