This was exactly the kind of fight Miroku ordinarily tried to avoid: facing off against an armed opponent bent on getting past him to the innocent bystanders he was trying to protect. Unfortunately, even he couldn't see a way out of this one that didn't involve violence. Kaijinbou and his evil sword had come looking for Inuyasha, and had found him on the worst possible night. If they let him get away, the secret would be out. It wouldn't be long before all of Inuyasha's enemies knew.

And now with Sango out of the fight, at least temporarily, he was the only one standing in the way of that secret getting out.

He was not exactly the ideal fighter, but he did have a few tricks up his sleeve. A sword made from Goshinki's fangs was a fearsome weapon—one that could slice through the hiraikotsu with no effort, made from fangs that had destroyed the Tessaiga and brought them here. He had no doubt the sword could damage the kazaana in his palm if he tried to pull it into the void. But the sword was made from youkai parts, containing youki and other supernatural substances, and it was wielded by a youkai swordsman. And that he could fight against.

A sutra scroll, judiciously applied from a safe distance, had Kaijinbou reeling and granted Miroku the opening he needed. He slipped past the swordsman's defenses and brought the pole of his staff down right onto Kaijinbou's face, feeling the skull crack and give way under the combined force of the blow and the sutra's power.

He watched Kaijinbou topple and could hardly believe his luck. Against even his own expectations, he'd pulled it off.

Almost immediately, he knew he'd misjudged. Something was wrong. The evil aura was still present and every bit as potent as before. Some of it must be coming from the sword, but some of it should have been Kaijinbou's aura, too. Yet it remained as powerful as ever.

He didn't have long to wonder why. Kaijinbou twitched and began to get up.

Inuyasha shouted a warning, but Miroku was already in motion. Somehow, his slain opponent wasn't dead anymore. He wasn't about to stay anywhere within striking range.

It was a good thing he'd got a head start; Toukijin's blade slashed down right where he had been standing only a moment before. Miroku skipped back further, happy to be alive and in one piece, but out of ideas for defeating this enemy. He hoped Sango had some idea of what to do, because if she didn't, they were about to be in a lot of trouble.

Kaijinbou, or whatever was currently animating his body, seemed determined to seek out his original target. "Come at me, Inuyasha," he taunted. "Or can it be you're a coward, and you're too afraid to face me?"

Don't fall for it, Miroku thought, repeating it like a mantra. Don't fall for it, Inuyasha!

But Inuyasha could not let an insult like that stand. "I'm no coward!" he insisted. "You came here lookin' for me, then fine. Face me! I won't run or hide!"

Knowing it was hopeless, Miroku still tried to intervene. "Don't, Inuyasha!"

His friend was beyond listening by that point. He threw himself forward recklessly, already fully committed to violence even though the outcome was obvious. With no sword and only the strength—and vulnerability—of an ordinary man, Inuyasha stood next to no chance.

And there was nothing Miroku could do to stop it.