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MANGA CHAP. 543 - VANISHED ARROW

OUR STORY: Chapter opens with Kohaku's unsuccessful attempt to get Sango to withhold her attack on the illusory Naraku and real Rin. As Byakuya looks on, she flings her Hiraikotsu. At the exact same time, Kagome fires a powered-up holy arrow at where she believes the real Naraku is hiding. Naraku, meanwhile, sits in his cocoon and watches Sango's strike, knowing that when she kills Rin the Shikon Jewel will feed on her anguish and fill with darkness once again, smothering the spark of light within. Inuyasha can't perceive what Kagome is shooting at and asks why she shot. Kagome and Inu watch her arrow fly and vanish into nothingness.

Kagome realizes this is just like during the fight against the miko Hitomiko, when her arrow vanished just before hitting Hitomiko and reappeared behind her to strike Naraku and break his hold on the miko. She recalls Hitomiko's admonition to focus her mind only on her target and believe she will hit it no matter what appears to be standing in the way. Kagome does so, believing with all her heart and soul and mind that this arrow will find and strike Naraku.

Naraku's gloating over Sango's situation is interrupted by a huge blast that punches a hole in the wall of his cocoon. An arrow of light flies through the hole and hits Naraku's left arm, severing it at the shoulder.. At that precise instant, Byakuya's left arm vanishes, as does the illusion of Naraku that Sango aimed at. As the illusion vanishes, Rin starts to fall and Sango's Hiraikotsu skims right over her, leaving Rin unharmed, and disappears from sight. But Rin is falling toward a spiky mass of Naraku-flesh. She is too far away for Sango to catch but Kohaku is much closer. Kohaku hops on the flying dragon Ah-Un, swoops down and catches Rin before she hits. He calls to Sango, telling her Rin is safe, but he is disturbed when Sango doesn't react to the good news.

Byakuya doesn't seem to be suffering because of his arm being lost. He tells Sango he knows she aimed at Rin in order to kill the illusion of Naraku that he was showing her. (Sango is shocked to realize she attacked a fake Naraku.) Byakuya says that if Sango thought it would save Miroku's life, she didn't care if Rin died. Before Sango can react, her Hiraikotsu comes whirling back out of the darkness, aimed at Byakuya. He dodges and it lodges in a crevice behind him. Sesshomaru emerges from the darkness. It appears he threw the Hiraikotsu at Byakuya. Kohaku and Sango acknowledge Sesshomaru's presence. Byakuya tells Sesshomaru that if he was aiming that thing at him, Sessho was "barking up the wrong tree." He assumes Sessho heard his conversation with Sango so he says he will take his leave and let Sessho and Sango settle things. As Byakuya leaves the scene, he thinks that the loss of his arm indicates something bad hit the "real body," but Byakuya's continued existence as a detachment is proof Naraku and the jewel are still alive.

As Sango regards Sesshomaru, her facial expression is one of a person who has lost all hope. She says that if Sessho wants to rip her apart, he can just go ahead. Kohaku is distressed to hear his sister say this. He yells to Sesshomaru that Rin is fine. Sango yells to Sessho that she was ready to kill Rin. Kohaku defends her, saying she was being fooled by an illusion. But Sango says that makes no difference, she was prepared to sacrifice Rin in order to defeat Naraku. She says she's not going to make excuses or beg for her life, but she will ask one favor - that Sesshomaru withhold his retribution until Naraku is defeated and Miroku's Kazaana curse is broken. Sesshomaru stares back at her, his face impassive. Sango waits for his decision.

Scene changes to a view of Inuyasha racing along, carrying both Miroku and Kagome. Miroku's illusion of Naraku vanished, leaving the monk a weak and dispirited mess. He tells Inuyasha to leave him behind. Inu says there's no way he'd do that. Inu says that if he left Miroku by himself, he might be tricked by another illusion into opening his Kazaana again. Miroku says he doesn't know when it will split and go out of control but if that happens when Inu and Kagome are close by, they'll die. Inu says that if he were afraid of the Kazaana, he'd never have associated with Miroku. Kagome says she's sure Sango wanted to be with Miroku, too. Inu saysMiroku shouldn't give up, and that everyone's coming out of this alive... THE END (^_*)