Miroku had been relieved when the puppet Naraku had been destroyed, but had felt something immensely wrong when he saw Inuyasha rush to Kagura to prevent her from killing Kouga. He had noticed an unusually large pebble next to Kouga, which was no doubt the cause of Kouga tripping. Something's wrong. It's just too convenient.
He was jarred out of his thoughts when he saw Naraku about to attack Inuyasha. So, did you use Kouga as a distraction just so that you could kill Inuyasha? He started to feel worried when Inuyasha started bickering with Kouga, not noticing Naraku about to attack him. Inuyasha, you idiot, look behind you!
"Don't you try anything, Naraku," Kagome's voice rang out. He saw that Kagome already had an arrow ready to fire at Naraku. Good thing Kagome was here, otherwise Inuyasha would be dead.
Miroku felt as if though a bucket of ice was dumped onto him when Naraku blasted another ball of energy at Kagome, and Kagome's arrow had no effect on the attack. Inuyasha will save her, he thought shakily.
Sure enough, Inuyasha scooped Kagome up, jumping away from where the orb crashed.
He looked at Naraku again, to see his reaction with Inuyasha saving Kagome from his attack. Was he annoyed? Angry? Why the hell is he smiling? If his experience was correct, smiling meant that something went as planned. Annoyance is disappointment that something did not go as planned. Anger is when something surprising happens that you didn't anticipate. What do you have planned?
Miroku's question was immediately answered when he saw something sharp pierce through Inuyasha.
What?! What's going on? Why is Kagome attacking Inuyasha? Unless…
His fears were confirmed when he saw Inuyasha attack Kagome with the cutting wind, slicing the girl into a million bloody pieces. Or, it should have been bloody, but it wasn't. The pieces of what was Kagome, or most likely Naraku, converged together and became whole again.
The illusion of Kagome walked up to the dying Inuyasha, transforming into Naraku. Miroku felt sick and angry at the same time when he saw Naraku dip the Shikon no Tama in Inuyasha's blood.
That's what you were after all along, wasn't it?
"How dare you use Kagome's image against Inuyasha?" he heard Sango shout, Hiraikotsu flying through the air. Kanna suddenly appeared and reflected the weapon back. When did Kanna repair her mirror?
He saw Sango catch the weapon, the wound on her back bleeding a bit more with her efforts to catch the heavy weapon. He saw her recklessly throw the weapon again. This time, Kagura blew the giant boomerang away.
Amazingly, Sango leapt into the air and retrieved Hiraikotsu, seeming to ignore the wound on her back that had gotten larger. Miroku could do nothing as Sango seemed to lose her reason, charging at Naraku again.
Sango, what are you doing? Are you trying to get killed? Miroku started to run after her. His heart twisted as he saw Sango get injured by Kagura's attacks. He saw her use Hiraikotsu to block and cut at the blades of wind, blood pouring out from her back, causing her black armor to glint in the afternoon sun of the dark battlefield.
He saw the other puppet Naraku, the one who had shot the ball of energy at Kagome, move to kill Sango while she was distracted.
Naraku, you had this planned from the beginning, didn't you? The puppet Sango and I fought was just to lead us to believe that you wouldn't use another puppet in this battle. You had used Kohaku to distract us so that you could get Kagome out of the picture. Then your true self arrived in the form of Kagome. You knew Inuyasha would save Kagome without a thought. Then you killed him and stained your part of the Shikon no Tama. Ingenious, really. I have to give you credit for that much.
He used his staff to cut the puppet Naraku in half while the puppet was occupied in trying to kill Sango. One down, and three to go. He tried not to look at Inuyasha as he turned towards Sango.
He saw Sango try to cut Kagura with Hiraikotsu. Her face was pale and it was obvious that she needed to tend to her wounds. He saw Sango receive more cuts from Kagura's winds.
"Sango, stop! You're going to get killed!" Miroku shouted, but doubted that Sango was able to hear him. He rushed to help Sango fight against Kagura, only to hear the sound of something cracking.
It better not be what I think it is.
He saw Hiraikotsu crack and shatter into the wind.
Kagura unleashed her tornado attack on Sango. She almost dodged it. Almost.
Sango had twisted away from the swirling tornado, almost like she was performing the step to some intricate dance. But a stray strand of wind had escaped from the tornado, cutting the delicate skin on her neck. A scarlet stream of silk flowed from her throat, horrifyingly beautiful in its gruesome state.
Sango! He didn't know if he had shouted her name out loud or not. He ran quickly to her side, afraid to touch her, yet afraid that if he didn't, he would never know if she were dead or alive. Miroku knelt by her side, holding her wrist in his hand. No pulse. Nothing. This can't be the end for you. I… I… I never even asked you to bear my child yet…
He felt involuntary tears come to his eyes, the salty warm crystals flowing on his cheek before falling off into the darkness of Sango's armor. I… I always thought that I would be the first of us to die. That I would be the one who would leave and make you sad. But…instead, it is I who feel the sadness of your departure. Why? Why?! Why do I have to be the one who feels this sadness again?
Inuyasha left…then you… Is the world bent on making me feel sorrow for losing the people I care about?
The air void made me lose my grandfather and my father. My father was sad when my grandfather was sucked by his air void. It was my turn to feel sad when the same fate occurred on my father. I didn't want anyone to suffer the sadness I went through when my father disappeared, but instead, I feel the sadness again because…
Because I let myself care about others. I should have just limited the people I cared about to my foster father. That way, no one would have been hurt either way.
The air void… It should have swallowed me long ago. It should have ended my life before yours.
The air void…
Naraku's curse.
How ironic that I should use it against him.
He stood up, his face lowered, revealing nothing. Suddenly he looked up, his wet eyes shimmering in the glare of the afternoon sun.
"Kaza Ana!"
He saw the Saimyoushou fly immediately into the air rip, poisoning him. This time, he didn't feel a thing.
The afternoon sun… The time when lives end…He saw Kanna's mirror fly into his void, soon followed by Kanna herself. And still the Saimyoushou continued to poison him.
Sango… I'm fighting a losing battle. I knew since the beginning of my quest that I would never be able to defeat Naraku by myself.
Kagura unleashed a volley of wind blades in a desperate attempt to prevent herself from being swallowed by Naraku's curse. The blades of wind cut into the monk's palm, opening the air void wider, making it more powerful.
I'll use the air void to make as much damage as I can, but still, I'm giving up. Would you be mad at me, Inuyasha?
Kagura was swallowed by the pull of the air rip. He could see Naraku try to get himself away from the monk, but the power of his curse was too strong.
I welcome you into the air void you created, Naraku.
He saw a tentacle suddenly shoot out from Naraku, heading in back of him and finally piercing his spinal chord, the sharp end sticking out of his throat. Miroku didn't even try to feel the pain. He had expected to die anyway.