With Inuyasha too injured to fight at the moment, Miroku had little choice but to step forward and prepare to defend. He was vaguely aware of Sango moving into place beside him, but he couldn't risk looking away from his opponent to see exactly what she was doing. Whatever it was, he trusted that it was the right choice. Moreover, he was glad to not be taking this risk alone.
"I am Kageroumaru," the new youkai said from its place on Juuroumaru's shoulder, laughing darkly. "I was sleeping inside Juuroumaru's stomach."
Disgusting, but somehow not surprising. Leave it to Naraku to come up with something so grotesque. "So that muzzle over Juuroumaru's mouth was to keep you in," he observed.
"Yes. That's because Juuroumaru only listens to me, even if Naraku is the target." Kageroumaru smiled wickedly as he replied. "Now then, Juuroumaru, let's eat the rest of them!" Without waiting for his brother to join him, Kageroumaru leaped forward.
Miroku wasn't going to get a better chance. He pulled away the prayer beads sealing the kazaana and took aim, only to find he'd somehow been too slow. Kageroumaru had already slipped past his defenses, sickle-shaped forearms slashing as he raced past. Those bladelike arms weren't just for show—they were sharp as a knife and the brief engagement left Miroku cursing and bleeding from multiple cuts.
To his right he could see Sango hurling her hiraikotsu at Juuroumaru, and the youkai batting it right back at her, but he'd lost track of Kageroumaru in the meantime. Thankfully Sango dodged the returning boomerang this time, leaping to safety as it smashed into the ground right where she'd been standing. That was a relief, however short lived. They really couldn't afford to have her out of the fight like Inuyasha right now.
That was when he spotted Kageroumaru. The bastard had got up in the trees somehow and now dove toward Sango, right as she was coming down from the leap that had got her clear of the hiraikotsu. There was no time to shout a warning, and no space to use the kazaana. He threw himself at Sango, slamming into her and—somehow—managing to get them both out of the way. Mostly. Kageroumaru's blade sliced into his left arm as they briefly crossed paths, but the cut was too shallow to disable him.
He pivoted as he landed, frantically seeking balance as he brought his right arm around to use the kazaana again.
Once again it was futile. By the time he could act, Kageroumaru was long gone.
"What are you aiming at, monk?" the youkai asked.
The sound came from above, and slightly behind. He whirled again, bringing the kazaana around. Too late—again.
"Too slow!" Kageroumaru taunted.
He ignored the taunting, knowing if he allowed himself to give in to anger he would have no chance of winning. With an opponent this fast, he needed complete focus—which was, no doubt, the reason for the taunting in the first place.
By now, Sango had gotten back to her feet, but without the hiraikotsu her options were limited at range. She knew it as well as he did, and dashed for the weapon while he kept an eye on Kageroumaru, lest the youkai think to try anything while Sango was preoccupied.
It worked—Sango safely retrieved the hiraikotsu—but he had made a critical mistake: he had forgotten about Juuroumaru. The second youkai came at him from the side now, moving so quickly that he barely saw it coming. He was still bringing his arm up in a vain attempt to protect his face and throat when Juuroumaru collided with him. The youkai's teeth sank deep into his arm, tearing viciously at his flesh and bearing him inexorably down toward the ground.
Miroku fought hard to stay upright, knowing that if he allowed himself to be pinned he was likely to be seriously injured, if not outright devoured, but against Juuroumaru's unnatural strength it was a fight he was destined to lose. He held on long enough to see Inuyasha draw the Tessaiga and leap into battle. The last thing he was going to see before he died was Inuyasha swooping down on him, swinging the Tessaiga wildly. Great.
He shoved Sango out of the way so she at least wouldn't be at risk of being pinned underneath him, abruptly lost his footing and went down under Juuroumaru, and hoped that his accidental demise at his friend's hands would at least be quick and painless.