Episode 186

Kohaku's Shard is the 19th episode of InuYasha: The Final Act.

Summary
Kagome succeeds in passing her entrance exam. Wanting a big dinner to celebrate, Kagome hopes she can cook something Inuyasha will appreciate (for once).

Back in the Feudal Era, things have been peaceful for the last week; although Kohaku remains unconscious. However, terrible things always happen when you least expect them.

Plot
Kagome returns to her own world to rest and study for her final exams, Inuyasha follows her there after several days of her absence. Having succeeded with her exam, Kagome buys groceries for a big meal to celebrate her success; she wants to cook for Inuyasha. However, his attempts to help with getting ingredients involve pigeons and stealing koi. When her mother screams about a cockroach, Inuyasha overdoes it by using the Wind Scar to kill it, leaving a hole in the kitchen wall and tons of broken pipes.

In the Feudal Era, Sesshōmaru tracks Magatsuhi's scent and Byakuya of the Dreams appears before him on his origami crane; he is left confused by Sesshōmaru's new arm, wondering if it grew back. Annoyed, Sesshōmaru dismisses Byakuya, who flies back; he knows it's Magatsuhi that Sesshōmaru is after, revealing him. Landing a blow with Tenseiga, Sesshōmaru watches in shock as the wound closes; he continues to try slaying him. Byakuya only laughs to himself, thinking about how the Magatsuhi in front of Sesshōmaru is nothing more than an illusion of his, and that the real one is "right back where you started."

In Kaede's village, Jaken is left amazed Kohaku can continue to sleep without food or water; Rin says sleep is good for children, as it helps them grow. She then guesses Jaken didn't sleep a lot because of his size; he immediately defends himself. Tending to her unconscious brother, Sango finds the irony in getting spend so much to time with Kohaku now that he's unconscious. Outside, Miroku shows the village children he can write, but one of them notices all the words Miroku is writing are about girls.

A shadow covers the village, forcing Miroku to send the children away from their safety as demons emerge from the clouds. He is left to wonder if they're working for Naraku of Magatsuhi; Miroku opens his Wind Tunnel, sucking in demons. Sango rushes outside, knowing his wound will open again if he pushes himself too far, and tosses Hiraikotsu to destroys some of the demons. However, Miroku notices the shadow is still with them, meaning the demons are nothing more than a distraction for the two of them; Kohaku is the real target.

Inside Kaede's house, Rin sees a shadow creep up from the entrance as Magatsuhi appears behind Kohaku. Miroku and Sango enter to see Magatsuhi has taken possession of Kohaku; he explains that within the boy is the final Shikon shard that will complete the jewel. Having now taken control of Kohaku, Magatsuhi now knows the boy's life is sustained by the shard. Sango demands Magatsuhi give Kohaku back, to which he says he will... if she doesn't mind a corpse once the shard is gone. When Miroku and Sango threaten to stop him, Magatsuhi summons demons that destroy Kaede's house. Transforming Kohaku's weapon, Magatsuhi taunts Sango in the boy's voice, saying he will kill her. He swings the weapon forward, but she blocks it with Hiraikotsu; he alters the weapon again, making it stab her in the exact same spot Kohaku had struck her the first time.

Miroku prepares to unleash his Wind Tunnel, making Magatsuhi wonder if he'll pull Kohaku to his death; however, Miroku grabs Kohaku once he's close enough and sucks in Magatsuhi's spirit form. However, Kohaku remains possessed and jumps away; as long as the defiled shard is there, Magatsuhi's power is infinite, but Miroku has sucked the poison of evil spirits, something no human was meant to take in. Miroku convulses as blood comes out of his mouth. Rin runs to Kohaku, hoping to bring him back to his sense, despite Jaken's warnings; she ends up poisoned by Magatsuhi's evil aura. Magatsuhi takes off on a demon's back, to give Naraku the shard.

At that time, Inuyasha and Kagome return from the present; she's still angry with him for ruining their chance to have dinner. However, she immediately senses something wrong; Inuyasha smells blood and poison from Kaede's house. They rush there to find it in ruins. Kagome tends to Sango while Inuyasha checks on Miroku; the monk says he doesn't have much time. Inuyasha looks under Miroku's robe to see the miasma scar has started reaching his heart. Miroku explains that Yakurodokusen's medicine prevents him from feeling pain; however, this is what lead to him overdoing it. To her horror, Sango can hear Miroku's Wind Tunnel even when it's closed; Miroku is left to wonder if it will be his Wind Tunnel or Magatsuhi's poison that kills him first.

Inuyasha and Kagome race after Kohaku; she's worried because the shard has been defiled into a shard black far worse than before thanks to Magatsuhi possessing Kohaku. Kagome hopes she can still purify the Shikon shard.

Back in the village, Sango changes into her demon slayer uniform, despite the pain of her injuries. She tells a concerned Shippō that killing Naraku will not only save Kohaku but Miroku as well. In a hut, Kaede and Jaken watch over Miroku and Rin; Jaken is panicing because he fears Sesshōmaru will give a severe punishment to him for not being able to protect Rin. Sango arrives at that moment, making Jaken think it's Sesshōmaru; he begs forgiveness until he realizes his mistake. Sango asks Kaede how Miroku's doing, only to hear he's not in any pain; she begins crying because the Master of Potions' medicine is what pushed Miroku to the point of tearing his Wind Tunnel open. She asks Kaede to give them privacy. Walking away, Jaken demands to know why they were chased out. However, Kaede, who is carrying Rin, pays him no mind; she simply says she'll create an infusion to ward evil spirits because of Rin being infected with Magatsuhi's poison. Inside, Sango begs Miroku to live, kissing him.

Elsewhere, Inuyasha and Kagome see appendages coming out of the clouds, realizing they belong to Naraku. Inuyasha destroys the head of the demon Kohaku is riding on with Adamant Barrage. Magatsuhi corrupts Kohaku's weapon again, using it to keep himself off the ground; he asks if they've come to get the shard. Kagome attempts firing an arrow to purify the shard, but Magatsuhi's mere aura bounces it away; he taunts her for not remembering he sealed her powers. If they try stopping him from giving Naraku the shard, he'll dismember Kohaku; it won't hurt the immaterial Magatsuhi. He says Kikyō's magic can't affect him, telling them to watch as the jewel is completed.

Inuyasha races up the weapon, telling Kohaku to snap out it; however, Magatsuhi pins him in place. He laughs at the idea, saying if they could see what the defiled shard has been showing Kohaku since he fell unconscious, they'd understand why it's better to let him die. The shard is making Kohaku relive the day Naraku forced him to slaughter his father and comrades, hurting Sango in the process. Magatsuhi says if Kohaku were to wake up, his soul will be broken; however, he then says the damage is already done as Kohaku cries blood. Arriving, Sango calls to Kohaku, telling him to wake up despite the pain the dreams are giving him; Magatsuhi only taunts her.

In Kohaku's dream, he begs for help; a lone Soul Collector appears and leads him to a glowing portal outside Naraku's castle. Once through the light, he sees Sango looking after Miroku; Kohaku is glad she's safe. However, he then has an infusion of memories from when Magatsuhi possessed him, horrified he's hurt his sister again, not to mention forced Miroku to put his life on the line to save him for her sake. Sango turns around and begs Kohaku to save Miroku; Kohaku asks if he can, and she tells him he can because he's her brother.

Kohaku breaks free of Magatsuhi's spell awakening and wiping his tears away; Sango is relieved her brother has come back. Kagome sees that Kikyō's light has now entered Kohaku's shard, telling Magatsuhi his claim was a bit premature. Grabbing the edge of his transformed weapon, Kohaku asks Magatsuhi if he's ready to die; Kohaku is planning to commit suicide and make his body unusable as a vessel for the spirit by jumping into a canyon. Magatsuhi says he won't be hurt and he will still be able to manipulate Kohaku's corpse to give Naraku the shard. However, Kohaku tells him that won't happen as his sister and Inuyasha will stop him; he jumps. Sango and Inuyasha chase after him; Inuyasha thinks Kohaku is crazy. Kohaku thanks everyone for what they've done for him as Magatsuhi is forced out of his body by Kikyō's light. Magatsuhi only curses Kohaku, for now he's exposed.

The episode ends with far shot of Kohaku mid-fall, and Sango's echoing voice calling his name.

Trivia

 * Final time Byakuya uses his origami crane to fly.


 * Sesshōmaru shouldn't have trusted his nose so much; it would be easy to figure out the Magatsuhi he was fighting was an illusion because it healed for every strike of Tenseiga and didn't even try insulting him.


 * Miroku's Wind Tunnel is now at its limit; the miasma scars have also reached his chest.
 * Magatsuhi can corrupt/alter weapons that are made from demon bones.
 * Magatsuhi makes a point when taunting Miroku; if Kohaku was sucked in, the Shikon Jewel would never be completed.