Episode 187

When the Jewel is Whole is the 20th episode of InuYasha: The Final Act.

Summary
Having regained control of his body from Magatsuhi, Kohaku attempts suicide to prevent Naraku from getting his shard and completing the defiled Shikon no Tama. However, will his efforts be in vain?

Additionally, could Magatsuhi have a way of avoiding death if Sesshōmaru manages to find him?

Plot
Continuing from the previous episode, Kohaku has jumped into a huge canyon in a suicide attempt to make his body an unsuitable vessel for Magatsuhi. Kikyō's light forces Magatsuhi out of his body, exposing him to attack. Sango and Inuyasha chase after Kohaku, but Naraku's appendages shoot down from the sky and grab Kohaku by his leg; Magatsuhi gives a wicked grin as Naraku begins pulling Kohaku up. However, Sango cuts the tentacle with her Hiraikotsu, allowing Kohaku to land on a near by ledge. Inuyasha launches Meidō Zangetsuha at the cloud Naraku's tentacles are coming from, sucking in the cloud. Kagome wonders if Naraku is dead, but then immediately knows better because she can still sense the defiled Shikon Jewel; she yells that Naraku isn't dead to Inuyasha.

At that moment, more of Naraku's tentacles burst from the walls of the canyon around them, trying to grab Kohaku from on top Kirara as Inuyasha fights them. Magatsuhi tells everyone that it was a nice try, but they've lost. At that moment, Magatsuhi lets out a cry of pain as the upper left of his face is cut off; Sesshōmaru has arrived. Naraku attempts attacking him, but Sesshōmaru simply sends out a wave of destruction with Bakusaiga, making Naraku's tentacles explode one after the other. Sesshōmaru explains to Magatsuhi that he will die there, going into detail about how Magatsuhi used Byakuya of Dreams to elude him- "are you that fearful of Tenseiga?"

Kagome watches, knowing that only Sesshōmaru's Tenseiga is capable of cutting Magatsuhi down; when he's destroyed, the full extent of her spiritual powers will finally be released. Magatushi laughs, saying if Sesshōmaru was capable of killing him, he would have done it in the first strike. Sesshōmaru explains that he simply choose not to; Magatsuhi tries fleeing before Sesshōmaru can finish, but is blocked. The reason is that Sesshōmaru wanted Magatsuhi to know who was killing him, giving a death blow with Tenseiga. Screaming in agony, Magatsuhi vanishes, saying it's not the end; he is indestructible. Kagome and Kohaku both wonder what he means, thinking Magatsuhi is not entirely destroyed. Sango then remembers some of Magatsuhi was sucked into the Wind Tunnel.

Meanwhile, at the hut Miroku and Rin are recovering at, the moon glows redder. Inside, Jaken is still worried about Rin, keeping a vigilant watch over her; she and Miroku are still unconscious from being infected with Magatsuhi's poison. At that moment an ominous red glow begins emanating from Miroku's body. Kaede is shocked by this, wondering what is going on. Jaken is even more surprised, worrying if something terrible is about to happen.

Back to the battlefield, Sango informs Sesshōmaru both Miroku and Rin were infected with Magatsuhi's poison during his possession of Kohaku, prompting him to leave. Everyone agrees they should follow Sesshōmaru back; Inuyasha calls up to Kagome, telling her they're leaving. However, they very moment she responds, Naraku appears from behind Kagome and captures her; Naraku is surprised she couldn't tell where he even if he was in a barrier. He demands Kohaku give up his Shikon Jewel shard in exchange for Kagome's life. Inuyasha attempts to save her but is blocked by a barrier. Kagome knows that Naraku let his guard down because he believed that she had no spiritual power left, but unknown to Naraku Kagome still had the power and ability to locate the Shikon Jewel and finds it deep within his right shoulder. Kagome says this to Sango and Inuyasha, and Naraku renders her unconscious.

Inuyasha whispers to Sango, transforming Tessaiga to its Red form; Sango immediately guesses that if they hit Naraku at the right time, they can save Kagome. Inuyasha launches a wave with Tessaiga, striking Naraku's barrier and dissolving it. Sango flies by on Kirara, striking Naraku's right shoulder; they wonder if it worked. However, he only laughs, asking if they feel better now that they tried. Once the miasma coming from his wound subsides, they are shocked to find that they cannot reach the jewel because... Mōryōmaru's armored shell is covering it! Naraku goes on to explain that Mōryōmaru created his armored shell by swallowing the turtle demon Meiōjū, who had the hardest shell amongst demons; the shell could not be broken by Sesshōmaru's Tōkijin (which snapped in half after only managing to crack it) and the Dragon-scaled Tessaiga didn't fair much better. When Mōryōmaru was no longer of any use to him, Naraku absorbed him, gaining the perfect shield to protect the Shikon Jewel. Naraku explains it was no accident that they were able to wound him; he allowed it to show them they can't get the jewel.

Kohaku senses something from his shard, turning to see the arrows Kagome dropped; one of them is glowing. Kagome regains consciousness, surprising Naraku. Naraku sends out tentacles to grab Kohaku, but Inuyasha fights his way to Kagome, who feels Naraku is sucking her inside his body. Laughing, Naraku explains that all Inuyasha is doing is severing extra parts of his body that he didn't need; he can sacrifice them at any time, doing him no harm. Surprisingly, Kohaku demands Naraku promise Kagome's safe return in exchange for his shard. However, Kagome tells Kohaku won't honor his word and that the shard is sustaining his life. Naraku says Kohaku's life was forfeit from the start, grabbing him and erecting a barrier. Kohaku admits Naraku's right, before thinking to himself that once he thought about dying every day; however, his recent experiences have made him want to live.

Knowing Kikyō's light is in his shard, Kohaku removes an arrow he retrieved from his uniform, stabbing it into the armored shell. The result is an illumination so powerful, it causes Naraku immense pain - "Damn you!" Kagome notices this, seeing that it's Kikyō's light; Inuyasha and Sango see that where their weapons failed, this light is cracking the armored shell. Knowing that if he allows Kohaku to touch him any longer he will be destroyed by the purifying light, Naraku discards Kohaku and much of his body, taking off with Kagome as she calls for Inuyasha. Declaring he'll crush Naraku's head, Inuyasha uses the Adamant Barrage, destroying it and freeing Kagome. She says Naraku escaped back into the clouds. Unnoticed by them, some of Naraku's flesh begins moving.

Kohaku tells everyone that he always thought it would have better if he died back then but that the courage of both Inuyasha and Sango changed him and that he is ready to forget his sins and move on. "From this day on, I'll live." However, no soon does Kohaku think of his revelation, one of Naraku's tentacles pierce Kohaku's neck and take the final jewel shard, killing him. Kagome sees this as Sango breaks down, crying as she holds her brother's corpse. In the meantime, the shard reaches the inside of the clouds, where it combines with the rest of the jewel before becoming defiled and shattering the jewel again. Naraku laughs, saying that the shards of evil have once more become one as the jewel recombines. With the complete Shikon Jewel in his possession, nothing will stand in his way; Naraku is ready to use the fully restored jewel to complete his transformation into a full-fledged demon.

Elsewhere, Miroku tells Kaede and Shippō that he is feeling better now for some reason, learning an evil presence left his body. Kaede guesses it was the part of Magatsuhi he absorbed, meaning he was probably killed. Outside, Jaken berates Rin for scaring him so much as Sesshōmaru would kill him if she was harmed. Rin, seemingly in a trance, apologizes. The moon becomes blood-red as Rin ignores Jaken, continuing on into the forest as miasma appears; once she enters the miasma, Magatsuhi's aura appears around Rin. Jaken attempts following, but is thrown back by a gust of wind. He watches as Rin takes off on a demon.

Miroku and Kaede arrive soon afterwards, and Jaken blames him for Rin's abduction because it was Miroku who sucked in Magatsuhi. Sesshōmaru arrives at this point, saying it's just as he expected; Jaken is frightened for his life. Miroku and Kaede question him, asking what he means and that if Magatsuhi's main form was hiding inside Miroku. Sesshōmaru leaves without a word, making Shippō say he's not exactly nice; however, he could have at least answered them. Jaken is then surprised Sesshōmaru didn't so much as glance at him; Rin must be in so much danger that Sesshōmaru doesn't have the time to kill him. Flying to find Rin, Sesshōmaru realizes Magatsuhi kidnapped Rin for only one reason: to seal both Tenseiga and Bakusaiga.

Elsewhere, a devastated Sango weeps over her brother's lifeless body. Enraged, Inuyasha demands that Kagome tell him where Naraku is. Kagome looks around and sees the fully restored and defiled Shikon Jewel, firing an arrow; it may be powerless, but it can show Inuyasha his target. He angrily draws Tessaiga and uses Meidō Zangetsuha. However, the clouds turn into tornadoes of miasma, which fly away; Naraku laughs, taunting his foes. He says that Inuyasha failed to save Kohaku just he like how he failed to save Kikyō; her light in the jewel has died. Kagome sees Naraku isn't lying, the speck of purity Kikyō left behind in the jewel has vanished, leaving it fully corrupted.

Inuyasha pounds his fist into the ground, angry that he couldn't prevent the loss of another life; Kagome cries, knowing how much Sango wanted Kohaku to live a happy life. As the sun rises, Sango, Kagome and Inuyasha see light shine in the wound in Kohaku's neck where Naraku took the shard; suddenly, a pure light envelopes the boy and Kohaku opens his eyes. Sango happily hugs her brother, relieved that he's still alive; Kohaku is likewise happy. Kagome reasons that when the shard was taken, Kikyō's light must have stayed in Kohaku; she must have decided that it was more important to save Kohaku's life instead of destroying Naraku and the Shikon Jewel.

Kagome looks out to the rising sun, knowing that since Kikyō has sacrificed her light to save Kohaku's life, the battle to destroy Naraku has been left to them. "It's time to finish it!"

Trivia

 * When the completed jewel temporarily shatters back into shards, the Crow demon, Hiten, Manten, Yōmeiju, Goshinki, Kagerōmaru, and Bankotsu can be seen on some of the shards.
 * As of this episode, all the variables of the fight against Naraku are finalised - in other words, any options they had before now are no longer available. The fight has been left to Inuyasha's group and Sesshomaru.