Showdown! Inuyasha vs. Sesshomaru!

[ recap ]

Recap of the story till now. Images from the previous episode are shown.

JAK:   (narrating) The black pearl in the right eye… Imagine, the gateway to the tomb was hidden in Inuyasha’s right eye. No wonder Lord Sesshomaru was not able to find it. Now that the location of the tomb is known, the sacred sword, Tetsusaiga, will belong to him. Tetsusaiga, the sword known to slay 100 demons in a single stroke! Lord Sesshomaru, now take hold of it!

SES tries to pull out the sword but a static charge discharges and he releases his hand from the sword.

SES:   And you say that Inuyasha can?

KAG:  Sesshomaru couldn’t do it! Now, if you pull it out with ease, Sesshomaru’s pride will be in shreds! How embarrassing for him!

INU gets up onto the pedestal and holds the sword.

JAK:   Master Inuyasha is immune to the spell which cast off Lord Sesshomaru!

MYO:  I knew it! Tetsusaiga is destined to belong to Master Inuyasha!

KAG:  Draw it out, Inuyasha!

INU is tries very hard to pull out the sword but can’t. Cut to SES punching INU.

SES:   Enough of your antics!

SES pins INU onto the ground, preparing to kill him with his poison claw. Cut to KAG holding the sword for support. Fearing for INU’s fate, she runs towards him, with hand on the sword, and pulls it out effortlessly.

KAG:  Inuyasha! Huh?!

Hearing, SES stops and turns around to look at KAG. KAG holds up the sword with both hands and look at it in disbelief.

KAG:  Sorry. I pulled it out.

[ End of recap: 1min 21sec ]

[ Title Screen: Showdown! Inuyasha vs. Sesshomaru! ]

[ ACT I ]

KAG holds up the Tetsusaiga in her hand and examines it. JAK stutters in disbelief.

JAK:   Im… impossible! Inuyasha, let alone Lord Sesshomaru, could not budge Tetsusaiga… How could a mere mortal…?

INU:   (claws at SES while he is staring at KAG) You shouldn’t have looked away!

SES dodges and zooms to in front of KAG.

KAG:  Huh?!

SES:   Just who are you? Why were you able to draw out the sword?

MYO:  I guess he’s no longer interested in you and your life’s been spared, huh? (lets a breath of relief)

INU:   Fool! (to SES) Sesshomaru! Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with you!

KAG:  Inuyasha! (to SES) Don’t come near me or I’ll kill you!

SES:   Neither you nor I could draw out Tetsusaiga. Yet she had no trouble against the barrierl. You expect me to let her go?

INU:   I don’t know why the barrier had no effect on her! But she’s only a human girl! Kagome! Hand over Tetsusaiga to Sesshomaru!

KAG:  (points sword at SES) No! He couldn’t pull out the sword! That means he’s not the rightful owner! I WILL NOT give it to him.

INU:   Fool! A mortal girl has nothing to do with this! Stop interfering!

KAG:  (swings and points the sword at INU instead) Stop interfering, you say?!

KAG realizes the gravity of the situation and lifts the sword in front of her in self-defence.

SES:   Humph. Inuyasha… You seem to be very interested in the actions of a human. Why protect her? (puts a hand behind his ear casually) Why let her go? Why love her?

SES runs his hand over his hair and walks slowly towards INU.

SES:   I certainly did not inherit from our father the feelings of compassion towards humans that you have.

CUT-SCENE of the exterior of grave INU’s father.

SES:   (voice-over) It was this feeling for a mortal woman, your mother, this weakness of the heart, that caused Father to end up here like this.

BACK TO PRESENT.

SES:   Tainted blood courses through your body! Is it this blood that endears you to humans? Well, I don’t pay any heed to such infinitely vulgar beings. (turns around, raises his hand and discharges a torrent of poison fumes at KAG)

KAG:  Inuyasha!

The ribcage above KAG starts to melt and cover her.

INU:   Kagome!

More melted ribcage cover KAG and she eventually falls to the ground. The Tetsusaiga falls to the ground too. Gradually both of them are buried under. SES stops his poison attack.

SES:   So totally useless, right, Inuyasha?

INU:   (furious) Sesshomaru!

SES:   Humans… (turns to INU) as well as half-demons.

INU:   (sprints towards SES) Why…! (leaps and attacks) Iron Reaver-Soul Stealer!

SES:   (flies upwards swiftly and grabs INU into the air with his fur sash) Wake up! With tainted blood like yours, you cannot touch me!

SES twirls and spins INU with his fur sash to the ground like a top. He throws him off and INU slides across the skull-filled ground and crashes onto the ribcage wall.

INU:   (struggles up) Damn!

SES continues to whip INU casually from high up.

SES:   What can half-demons do?! (whips violently this time, furious) You’re just half a demon!

The whip sends INU upwards and crashes him to the ground.

INU:   (struggles to get up) Half-demon, huh?

SES whips him casually again. INU shields his face with his hand.

CUT TO FLASHBACK of INU's childhood. Several men, forming a circle, are playing ball in a courtyard, while a few group of women looks on.

Man 1: Go!

Man 2: (kicking the ball) There!

A young INU runs towards them and runs after the ball. One of the man catches the ball and INU waves his hand to get it. The man pauses for a while and tosses the ball over his shoulder, onto a bridge. Young INU runs across the bridge and chases after the ball. He reaches the other bank and grabs the ball. He turns around to find that the group of people playing ball have dispersed and are walking away in different directions, ignoring him.

Young INU: Half-demon…?

Cut to the ball bouncing away, and young INU runs to his mother’s receiving arms.

Young INU: Mother! What is a half-demon?

INU:   (voice-over) That’s right… I… remember.

INU’s mother’s eyes start to water. A tear rolls down her cheek and she closes her eyes sadly.

INU:   (voice-over) At that time, my mother cried…for my sake. She thought of my future and cried for me.

BACK TO PRESENT. INU gets up and looks at the disintegrated pile on KAG.

INU:   (determined) It doesn’t matter whether one is human or demon! I can’t forgive you for playing with my mother’s memory… But for her sake, I will not lose to you!

INU sprints towards SES and manages to punch SES’s armor on his chest. SES looks shocked momentarily and flies upwards.

INU:   This one’s for my mother! And this one is for… (leaps and claws at SES’s chest) Kagome!

SES falls backwards, looking stunned that INU actually managed to touch him. Static emits from SES’s chest.

JAK:   Wh-why?! It was useless a minute ago…

SES regains his composure and flies upwards. INU lands with his fist on the ground. SES lands behind him. The armor on his chest cracks, shatters into pieces and falls to the ground.

SES:   (calmly, with slight smirk) Anger over a mere mortal woman? You act in the heat of passion and rush to your death… You are a truly pitiful fellow.

INU:   Why you…! I’ll slit you open and cut out your guts! For Kagome, who died a senseless death!

Cut to where KAG was buried. She emerges from the gooey pile suddenly and gasps for air, while holding onto the sword.

KAG:  Phew! I thought I was a goner!

INU:   Wh-hat!?

KAG:  (stands up angrily) Huh?! (points TET at SES threateningly) Hey you! You actually tried to kill me! (walks sideways toward INU) Well. You’re going to regret it now! Get ready! (hands TET to INU) Here!

INU:   Huh?

KAG:  (optimistic tone) I think this sword has special powers. Go for it!

INU:   How… how come you’re so energetic?

KAG:  Huh? Hmm? (holds up and examines her hand)

SES:   I see… The sword’s barrier protected you.

The skulls on the ground where SES is standing on starts to vibrate.

MYO:  (hopping on INU’s shoulder) Amazing… This Tetsusaiga…to thwart the deadly poisons in Master Sesshomaru’s claws! Master Inuyasha, do not fear! Try out the Tetsusaiga on Master Sesshomaru himself!

SES:   (scoffs lightly) Listen to you, prattling on!

SES eyes enlarge slightly and glare at INU. A pink glow emits around SES. A vortex of wind starts to surround him, picking up some skulls with it. He sends a skull towards INU, which crashes on his forehead. INU does not flinch. SES sends more skulls toward INU, which hit him at various places. INU still doesn’t move an inch.

KAG:  (hiding behind INU, thinking) What’s happening?! He’s so mean and evil!

SES:   We’ll see if a half-demon can wield the Tetsusaiga! I will bear witness!

The vortex of wind grow stronger. SES’s eyes suddenly enlarge and turn blood-red. Cut to side profile of SES’s face, which morphs into that of a ferocious dog. His body turns into a pink substance, which shoots up into the air. It twirls and flies in the air for awhile and charges towards the ground. The pink substance dissipates, revealing a ferocious huge white dog-demon. He lifts his head and growls. He stamps his paws violently on the ground as he advances toward INU and KAG.

KAG:  He transformed!

INU:   Hah! Now he’s shown his true colors!

SES barks at INU, INU laughs.

INU:   And just because he coveted this Tetsusaiga… Does this sword really have such awesome powers?

INU swings the sword at SES and SES backs off a little, barking menacingly.

INU:   Kagome! Hide nearby.

KAG:  Nearby? Where?

INU:   (leaps above SES and charges down) Okay! Now show me, Tetsusaiga, your power!

SES barks and tries to bite INU. INU dodges and hit SES’s back with Tetsusaiga. SES slams his paw at KAG but she dodges to the side. INU lands and the sword vibrates, making a ringing sound.

INU:   He pushed me back!

SES slams a paw on INU but he escapes onto a ribcage bone. SES slams INU again but he leaps away. SES’s attack crushes the bone and a pile of skulls violently. Drool starts to appear around SES’s mouth, which drip onto the ground, forming poisonous green fumes and melting the skulls on the ground.

INU:   (to MYO on his shoulder) Hey, Myoga! What’s going on?! This sword can’t cut! It didn’t even leave a lump!

MYO:  (packing his belongings into a bundle) Err…well, Master Inuyasha… That sword is your father’s heirloom. You must believe in its power. (slings the bundle over his back) And by no means must you release it! (hopping) Now then, excuse me! (hops onto the ground)

INU:   Wh-why you!

MYO:  Turn Master Sesshomaru into fodder! (sprints away)

SES’s drool continue dripping onto the ground and a pool of green fumes engulfs the area, up to waist height.

INU:   Why…! Kagome! A miasma! Don’t breathe it in!

KAG:  Don’t breathe it in?!

INU:   (points his sword upwards) Up! Escape upwards!

SES growls and dives at INU several times, who manage to dodge.

KAG:  (climbing up the vines on the ribcage wall) Inuyasha!

MYO:  (climbing swiftly up a vine next to KAG) Never mind, just escape! Those toxic fumes can kill any demon in an instant!

JAK:   (also climbing a vine) Lord Sesshomaru! (the fumes grow higher) There! (climbs upwards frantically)

KAG:  What about Inuyasha?!

MYO climbs up frantically.

KAG:  Wait! Will Inuyasha be okay?

MYO:  (pauses) Huh? I wonder?

MYO shrugs with his hands in an ‘I-don’t-know’ posture. This makes him falls off and into the miasma.

MYO:  (waving his hands frantically) Huh?! (climbs up the vine swiftly again) Just leave things to Master Inuyasha for now! We must concentrate on escaping!

KAG:  Inuyasha!

The miasma grows higher and KAG gasps as she climbs upwards.

INU:   (sliding backwards onto the ribcage wall, coughing) Strong poison… I can’t linger here much longer.

INU jumps upwards and falters a little as the fumes get to him. He reaches a vine and coughs.

INU:   (winces) Damn! My arms and legs are becoming numb!

INU tries to move. A pair of red eyes appear behind him. It’s SES. He growls and bites INU violently, clenching him between his teeth. INU yells. SES glares downwards at INU and swings his mouth around, making INU yell in pain.

INU:   (struggling) Even a useless sword like this has to be more irritating than a mosquito bite!

INU pokes SES in the eye with his sword. SES growls in pain and rolls around. He charges upwards with INU still in his mouth. SES bursts out of the ribcage. Outside, on the shoulder armor of the skeleton of INU’s father, KAG is standing.

KAG:  Inuyasha!

SES is swinging his head in pain while INU grabs onto the fur of SES’s chin. INU releases his grip and lands on the armor. SES swings his head and twitches his eyes. Cut to KAG hiding behind a bush on the armor, looking on.

MYO:  (popping out of the bush) Master Inuyasha, now do you see the power of Tetsusaiga? Now for the finishing blow!

INU:   Fool! This sword is as useless as a cane!

MYO:  Are you saying this isn’t the treasured sword of your father?

MYO folds his arms and ponder for a while, and pops back into the bush. Cut to him dashing across the ground, away from the fight.

KAG:  Hah! He escaped!

INU:   Damn! Does this junk do anything?!

SES slams a paw at INU suddenly. INU dodges. SES slams INU again and INU dodges. INU swings his sword on his paw, but nothing happens. INU leaps away and lands near KAG.

INU:   Damn!

KAG:  Hang in there, Inuyasha! The first blow worked!

INU:   Hah! It didn’t do a thing!

KAG:  But that’s YOUR sword! I have faith in your power!

SES licks his paw where INU hit.

INU:   How can you keep talking such rubbish?! I’m hardy, so I’ll survive. (squints his eyes and mock childishly) But you may end up dead!

KAG:  (lowers her head) Is it really… hopeless? (eyes start to tear)

INU:   Well… (looks at KAG, shocked) Hey… Did I… (helplessly) Did I make you cry? (yells) Don’t cry!

KAG:  (yells back) You expect me to laugh?!

INU:   Shut up! I’m saying I’ll protect you!

KAG is stunned.

INU:   Cripes! Just stay there and watch. (slings TET over his shoulder and walks towards SES)

KAG:  (thinking) I didn’t hear wrong, did I? He said he’d protect me… Inuyasha is crude but he’s different from Sesshomaru. There’s something different.

INU:   (reaches the front of SES) Damn! What the heck anyway? (swings his sword) Come, beast dog! (the sword starts pulsating and INU examines it) Tetsusaiga is pulsing! I can hear it… Is this the life beat of Tetsusaiga? It’s different… something’s changed!

JAK:   Lord Sesshomaru! Get that half-demon Inuyasha and devour him, head first!

A skull suddenly hits JAK on the head.

KAG:  (throws more skulls at JAK from behind) He hasn’t lost yet! (thinking) Do your best, Inuyasha!

SES charges up into the air and dives at INU. INU doesn’t move and stares with a determined look.

INU:   I can do it!

INU jumps up and cuts into SES’s front leg. The Tetsusaiga looks different, with a thicker and non-chipped blade. A ring of fur surrounds the handle. INU drags the sword upwards, along SES’s front leg and finally slices it off. SES collapses onto the ground, a torrent of blood gushes out where his left leg used to be. INU lands and holds up the sword, examining it.

INU:   This…fang! (swings TET around and laughs) A fang…! What an heirloom the old man left me! Hey, Sesshomaru, listen up! Here we are, two brothers, fighting for our father’s treasure, compared to his magnificence, we’re nothing! Do you understand? We’re battling it out now, on top of our father’s body! (laughs) We’re nowhere near his equal.

SES growls at INU viciously.

INU:   I don’t have any memories of being loved by my father! But he chose to hide his fang inside my eye! And I ain’t giving up this sword! Not to anyone! Not even to my "fine" older brother!

SES growls and charges at INU. INU swings his sword at SES’s chest, cutting him deeper. He swings again and SES falls backwards, with light sparks emitting from his chest. SES falls downwards, far away from the armor of INU’s father.

JAK:   (with many bumps on his head) Lord Sesshomaru!

SES starts to glow and curl up, transforming into a white glowing orb and flies into the distance.

JAK:   Lord Sesshomaru! Please wait! (runs from INU frantically, with mock tears trailing)

KAG:  Inuyasha!

INU, breathing heavily, sticks the sword onto the ground and kneels down.

KAG:  (kneeling next to INU) Inuyasha, are you all right?!

INU:   (chuckles) Thanks, old man… You left me a pretty handy heirloom.

MYO:  (appears suddenly and hops onto INU’s shoulder) Master Inuyasha, well done! I, Myoga, had faith in you!

INU raises a finger to squeeze him but MYO blocks it with his hands.

MYO:  Please wait! (points) Look there! I was arranging for transportation to go home. I certainly did not intend to run away! You understand?

Where MYO was pointing, two skeletal birds stands and caws.

INU:   (stands up and say in a hopeful tone) Then you didn’t run away?

MYO:  Huh?

Close-up of INU, smiling hopefully and happily against a pink glowing background.

MYO:  (bows his head, sweat drops forming) Well, when you ask me so nicely… (kowtows) I’m sorry! I thought you had no chance in a hundred against Lord Sesshomaru…and I ran away. I underestimated you, Master Inuyasha. I am so terribly ashamed of myself.

INU:   (still smiling against a pink glowing background) Myoga…

The background changes drastically into a dull dark blue. A shadow forms over INU’s eyes, making him look sinister. INU clenches his teeth picks up MYO between his fingers.

MYO:  Huh?!

INU closes his eyes and squeezes MYO vindictively. A flattened MYO drifts downwards from INU’s fingers.

MYO:  Oh dear… What a happy day!

A portal opens in the sky. INU and KAG emerge from it and lands on the grass below. The portal closes and transforms into a black orb, which returns to INU’s right eye. INU blinks a few times.

KAG:  Are you all right, Inuyasha?

INU:   I just returned to normal. (rubs his right eye) There’s no tomb or treasure here anymore. My old man can finally rest in peace.

[ End of ACT I: 17min 52sec ]

[ ACT II ]

At KAE’s village, in her hut. KAG, KAE and MYO sit around a fire.

KAE:  But why were you able to draw out this Tetsusaiga? I must say, you have some strange powers.

KAG:  Umm…

MYO:  I believe that it was because Kagome is a mortal. In the first place, Tetsusaiga was forged by Inuyasha’s father in order to protect Inuyasha’s human mother. It is a supernatural sword that can only be wielded by one who feels love for and protective towards a human being.

CUT TO FLASHBACK from earlier on in the episode, when SES and INU was battling on the armor.

INU:   Shut up! I said I’ll protect you!

KAG:  (voice-over) I see! That’s why the sword started to pulse.

INU:   (the sword starts pulsating and INU examines it) Tetsusaiga is pulsing!

INU slices off SES’s right arm. CUT TO PRESENT.

MYO:  There was just no way someone like Sesshomaru, who despises humans could control Tetsusaiga.

KAE:  Such a strange story. Inuyasha thinks that being a half-demon is a weakness. That’s why he didn’t want to feel anything for his mother. But it is necessary for Inuyasha to have feelings for humans. That is what his father wanted to teach him. Perhaps it is Inuyasha rather than Sesshomaru who inherited the true traits of their father.

INU sits on his tree, swinging TET in the air. He stops and examines the sword closely.

INU:   Huh?!

INU swings again and accidentally hits the tree trunk. The force makes him almost fall off the branch. He struggles in a comedic fashion for a while and regains his balance. INU heaves a sigh of relief.

INU:   What’s this?! It turned back into a useless, old sword.

KAG:  (walking up to the tree) Inuyasha!

INU:   Huh?

KAG:  Shall I tell you the secret to controlling Tetsusaiga?

INU:   (jumps off the tree to the front of KAG) What? Do you know?

KAG:  (gently) Can you really protect me with that sword?

INU:   (squints at KAG) Huh?! What’re you saying? Are you sane? (holds up his finger and points to his head)

KAG:  (clenches her fist and yells) You’re the one who told me, "I’ll protect you always!"

INU:   (yells back) I did not! (firmly) Now listen here, Kagome. One day, I’m gonna become a full-fledged demon, a magnificent one at that! (turns around, looking at TET and says smugly) And with this sword, I’ll be able to gather all the fragments of the Sacred Jewel. (staggers off and mock childishly) And that means, I have no time to waste on a girl like you!

KAG pushes INU onto a bridge.

INU:   (looking back at KAG) Hey! What?!

KAG stops when they are in the middle of the bridge. She walks back to the ground, leaving INU standing alone.

KAG:  (puts her hands on her hip and say calmly) Sit. (INU crashes the bridge violently and onto the river below) I was such a fool for believing for an instant, that he could be kinda nice!

INU:   (climbing up onto the ground) Damn Kagome! What’d you do that for?! Wait! Show me how to control this sword! (waves TET wildly in the air)

[ End of ACT II: 20min 34sec ]

[ End of episode 7: Showdown! Inuyasha vs Sesshomaru! ]

[ Preview for next episode ]

The heavily wounded Sesshomaru finally left! Inuyasha buried the left arm that he slashed off in his father's grave. After obtaining Tetsusaiga with much difficulty, Inuyasha journeys again to find more Sacred Jewel fragments. This time, we arrive in a villlage where the girls disappear one by one. Together with Amari Nobunaga, a young warrior bent on saving the princess, we gatecrash the castle! Next episode, 'A Demon Lord, Tsukomo of the Toads'!