Even in his state, Miroku knew Kouga was making a huge mistake. Juuroumaru would only present an opening that obvious if it was a trap. The only question was, where was Kageroumaru lurking?
Inuyasha sprang into action, every bit as reckless as Kouga. He couldn't have any better idea where Kageroumaru was hiding or what he planned than Kouga did, but that was not going to stop him. "Outta the way, wolf!" he shouted. "Get outta my way or I'll rip you apart along with them!"
Interestingly, as he threw himself into the air, the Tessaiga appeared to become lighter once again. Inuyasha wielded it with ease, hefting it over his head and smashing it down in a crushing blow. A blow that only just managed to avoid hitting Kouga, and sliced right through Juuroumaru and Kageroumaru. The second youkai emerged from Juuroumaru's mouth like so much unholy vomit a mere instant before the sword made contact. If Inuyasha had not thrust Kouga out of the way, it could have been a devastating surprise attack. Instead, it marked the end of the two incarnations.
Split into two by a single blow, Juuroumaru and Kageroumaru withered into dust. At last Miroku could breathe a sigh of relief.
For a moment Inuyasha just stood where he was, breathing heavily and looking at the ruined remains of his foes. And then Kouga whacked him on the head. "You asshole," he said, "you used that opportunity to try and kill me too, didn't you?"
Miroku could understand why Kouga would see it that way. It was in keeping with Inuyasha's character, after all, and they had been fighting against each other not that long ago. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that the Tessaiga had grown lighter when Inuyasha made that final attack—which would imply that he had indeed wanted to protect Kouga with his whole heart, just as he had wanted to protect Kagome earlier. But for now Miroku kept silent, knowing Inuyasha would not appreciate it if he shared these suspicions aloud.
"That's because he knew you were fast enough to get out of the way," Kagome protested, putting herself between the two men. "Isn't that right, Inuyasha?"
She could give him every imaginable opportunity to dig his way out of this hole, but Miroku knew he would always choose to dig in deeper instead. "Sheesh, what are you whining about? You lived, didn't you? Keep it up and I'll rip you apart!"
"Fine with me! Just try it!"
Beside him, Sango sighed.
Kagome, too, reached her limit. "Inuyasha, sit." While the subduing spell did its work and pinned Inuyasha to the ground, she turned back to Kouga. "You should get out of here," she told him.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Inuyasha snarled, but there was nothing he could do to stop her.
"You're badly injured!" she told him. "If you keep fighting, you could die!" Could Inuyasha really not hear the desperation and fear in her voice? She was acting out of fear for his life, and he treated her as if she was being completely unreasonable.
She turned back to Kouga, speaking with stiff formality. "Kouga-kun, I'm very grateful for your help. It's thanks to you that we were saved."
"Somehow she doesn't seem sincere at all," Sango muttered.
He had to agree. She put on such a cheerful facade when addressing Kouga, it was no wonder the wolf persisted in pursuing her so ardently. She always left him with just enough room to hope that there might one day be something between them. ."That may be enough to get him to withdraw for today, but he'll be back."
"Kagome," Kouga was saying, his tone utterly serious. He had clasped both of Kagome's hands in his while Inuyasha could do nothing but helplessly seethe on the ground. "You're my woman. I can't always leave you with this idiot dog turd, but right now I have to. But I promise I'll be back whenever you're in trouble!"
Miroku breathed a sigh of relief as the wolf retreated, even though he knew the fight was far from over. The subduing spell was finally wearing off, allowing Inuyasha to get off the ground, and of course he tried to give chase. "Wait, you bastard!" he shouted.
Fortunately, Kouga did not respond and Kagome used the subduing spell a second time to make sure Inuyasha couldn't do anything to further jeopardize his health.
"How could you let that guy escape again?" he demanded from his place flat on the ground.
"But Inuyasha, in your condition…"
"Did you really think I'd lose to him?"
And it just kept going from there. Between the two of them, it seemed they could argue indefinitely.
Beside him, Sango was looking increasingly distressed with each shout exchanged. And Miroku wasn't feeling particularly charitable at this point. They had defeated the incarnations. There was no reason to stay here arguing, yet Inuyasha and Kagome seemed to have forgotten everything else as their tempers flared. His arm throbbed with pain as if he needed an additional reminder that it was time to go.
"I'm going home!" Kagome shouted finally.
"So go already! Who's stopping you?" Inuyasha retorted.
Miroku found that he had run out of patience. "Now that you're both done talking," he said, no longer caring that he was interrupting their conversation, and that they were in fact far from done, "shall we take our leave?"
Sango, sounding no more sympathetic than he felt, chimed in with, "Houshi-sama would like to have his wounds properly tended to."
Indeed, the idea of Sango tending attentively and gently to his wounds beside the comfort of a campfire sounded a great deal better than listening to Inuyasha and Kagome bicker about Kouga. And yet both Inuyasha and Kagome looked completely surprised by the request. It was as if they had been so wrapped up in their argument that they'd even forgotten they had companions at all, much less that one of them was wounded.
He could admit to himself, at least, that they had probably done exactly that.