Episode 155 - The Devil that Guards the Shikon Shard
Smirking victoriously, Naraku severs Tekkei’s head releasing a torrent of demonic blood. The gruesome cascade is the pathway to the Other World and Naraku dares Inuyasha to follow. The group pursues Naraku down the gory, tainted river. Inside the flood, tortured faces of the souls murdered by Abi-Hime and Tekkei churn in the horrific tide. Sessho-maru and his entourage arrive at Tekkei’s nest too late to follow the others into the passage of demon blood. All that remains is Tekkei’s headless corpse. There’s little time to ponder what happened -- Kagura shows up with an offer Sessho-maru can’t refuse; she has an alternate pathway leading to Naraku and the Other World. Although Kagura warns him it’s risky, Sesshomaru accepts her invitation. Inuyasha and the others follow the grisly passage to the portal of the demon graveyard. In the distance, Inuyasha spots his father’s remains and, with Kagome at his side, leads the others towards the relic. Kagome senses something troubles Inuyasha. The Other World is affecting him badly. Inuyasha momentarily loses himself in bad memories of his childhood until Kagome jolts him back to reality. Kagome shouts she senses the fragment ahead. Suddenly, a bright flash and a lethal barrage of huge, crystalline projectiles assault them. Myoga identifies the crystals as kongouseki - diamonds! Using Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha clears a path towards their assailant. The kongouseki spears come from Inuyasha’s father’s remains and, as the team draws closer, they spot a crystalline demon clinging to the dog general’s ancient armor. Kagome pinpoints the source of the Shikon fragment. Like the diamond projectiles, the fragment’s energy comes from Inuyasha’s father. When the team goes in to investigate, the crystal creature accuses them of trespass and grave robbery. Inuyasha demands to know why the demon is stuck to his father. Surprised, the demon extends his faceted body for a closer look at the young interloper. Myoga emerges, recognizing the creature as the late Hosenki - the jewel demon. In an effort to calm the situation, Myoga introduces Inuyasha to Hosenki as the General’s son, not his enemy. Though Hosenki remembers hearing of Inuyasha, and the black pearl, he demands Inuyasha to leave. Hosenki explains he’s protecting the last Shikon jewel fragment. As the demon who rules over jewels, he can ‘hear’ their voices and the Shikon shard told him it did not want to be complete, falling into the hands of an evil creature who had corrupted the rest of the jewel. It asked to come with him into the next world when he died where it couldn’t be found. Hosenki means to honor the jewel’s request no matter what. As Hosenki refuses to submit to Inuyasha’s demand for the shard, Naraku exerts his omniscient influence over the fragment, corrupting it inside Hosenki without the ancient demon’s detection. Although Hosenki doesn’t notice his change of aura, Inuyasha and the others do, and feel the sudden presence of Naraku, as well. Hosenki renews his attack with vigor and diamond spears shoot from his body. Inuyasha struggles to defend himself with Tetsusaiga, but his blows have little effect on the montser’s brittle surface. Complicating the battle, Inuyasha suffers another bout of flashbacks and Hosenki takes advantage of his momentary weakness. As Inuyasha hacks away in vain at Hosenki, the others try to help. Sango destroys some of the jeweled salvo with the Hiraikotsu and Kagome draws a bead on the corrupted jewel fragment inside Housenki. Although Kagome’s arrows find their target, Hosenki is resistant to even her power: Hosenki is a Great Demon and his power is massive. Kagome reaches for Kikyo’s special arrow, but it rejects her much to her dismay, and Inuyasha’s. Noticing a flaw in Hosenki’s diamond body where the first arrow struck, Inuyasha instructs Kagome to shoot another arrow into the same spot. She does, weakening Hosenki enough for Inuyasha to blast the wound with Tetsusaiga. Enraged by the duel attack, Hosenki reaches out with his massive, faceted arm swatting Inuyasha like a fly, sending his battered, bloody body hurtling out of sight into depths of the thick mists far below.
