Saturday, July 9, 2005

No Surrender: Tragic swordsman, Yuukanmaru
*episode 9*

“So was I born. I posses the honor of the Nijuu, but I am of Naraku. He commands me and I must obey.” Yuukanmaru finishes his speech. Kagura says, “If you so despise Naraku, do as I have done. Seek your freedom. In time, with help, you can get it.” He says, “No, I cannot. Just as those warriors could not abandon their foolish lord, I cannot abandon my wicked one. Wisdom, order, strength. On these pillars is the universe supported. Even where one is lacking, the others must stand firm.” Kagome says, “But the Nijuu died because the followed their lord. Can’t you learn from their mistake?” He says, “They made no mistake. They chose the right path, no matter where it led them. It is the duty of the lord to rule well, and it is the duty of the subject to give his lord absolute obedience. Even if one fails, it does not absolve the other from his obligation. So it must be.” Yuukanmaru rises to his feet. He grabs his swords and says, “My resolve has returned. You should have fled.” With that, he launches at Inuyasha another attack which defies viewing. However, this time it does not go as planed. As he is making his initial charge, Kagura throws herself between the two fighters. She knows from viewing the last attack that it will do little damage, and hopes that the half-demon will be able to take advantage of the opportunity. As Yuukanmaru’s blades make swift shallow cuts across Kagura’s back, Inuyasha reaches his Tetsusaiga around her and knocks one of the swords aside. The swordsman jumps back, stopping to retrieve his sword, and Inuyasha catches Kagura as she collapses forward. Her back is a mess and her kimono is ruined, but she assures him that he’s all right. “I’m fine. Inuyasha, kill him; it’s what he wants.” Lowering the demoness to the ground, and gesturing for Kagome to come tend to her, Inuyasha looks at Yuukanmaru with new determination. He gets up and steps away from the girls. He sheaths the Tetsusaiga and flexes his claws. Kagome says, “It doesn’t have to be like this.” Inuyasha says, “You’re wrong Kagome, it does.” He jumps at the demon and shouts, “Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer.” What follows is a high speed battle. Not hampered by the sword, Inuyasha is almost as fast as Yuukanmaru. There is a constant din of steel hitting claw. Both fighters inflict minor wound, but neither one comes close to a kill. Finally, a voice says, “I see I must intervene personally. Inuyasha!” Hearing the voice, Inuyasha loses his focus and lowers his guard. He sees that the voice originated from one of Naraku’s puppet who has arrived on the scene. While Inuyasha is distracted, Yuukanmaru gets behind him and knocks the half-demon to his knees. He brings his swords together, forming a V across Inuyasha’s throat. When Inuyasha begins to tense his muscles to move, the demon draws blood then relaxes his grip. The puppet laughs, “Well done. Now kill him and present his head to me; I command it.” Kagome shouts, “No! Don’t do it; you know it’s wrong.” Naraku says, “You have your orders; you mus…” The puppet is torn in half by a sacred arrow.
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