The youkai did not come alone. The swarm of writhing forms was surrounded by a fleet of saimyoushou, revealing exactly who had sent them. As if there had really been any doubt, what with Kohaku reappearing all of a sudden. Even though he had claimed to have no memories of his past or his captivity, it was too much to hope that he had truly escaped Naraku's clutches.
From deep within the swarm came whirling blades of air—the rushing announcement that Kagura had joined the fray. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and leaped, barely managing to avoid being hit by one of the blades.
Kagura landed at the forefront of the swarm, laughing as she came to rest on the earth, weightless as a feather. She held up a fan demurely, as if it were mere accessory and not a tool for battle. "Kohaku!" she called, speaking familiarly. "You're hiding somewhere around here, aren't you?"
Inuyasha made a valiant attempt to deny any knowledge of Kohaku, but the truth was written all over his face. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Kagura scoffed. "Don't play innocent. I know he's here. He slipped out and ran off in the confusion when Naraku made the castle disappear, and he took a shard of the Shikon no Tama with him."
"And you've come to get it back, huh?" Inuyasha asked.
"I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you," Kagura retorted.
Miroku had to wonder if she was telling the truth. If Kohaku really had escaped of his own volition, they might be able to trust him after all. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that Naraku would never have allowed such a thing to happen by accident, and that their enemy must have some sort of terrible plan in play. He just couldn't figure out what it was.
"Well, you brought along an awfully big group to get back one little kid," Inuyasha pointed out. "Is he that dangerous?"
Kagura chuckled. "What's it to you? At any rate, with them here, I can kill you bastards, too." She brandished her fan with a flourish. "I'll take your head, Inuyasha!"
She hurled more wind blades at the hanyou, but he was too quick. He carried Kagome to safety without a scratch on either of them.
To her fellow youkai, Kagura shouted, "Drag that brat out of that temple—that must be where he's hiding!"
Miroku watched, torn, as all this unfolded. He couldn't leave Inuyasha to face Kagura alone, not when it was likely that Kanna was also nearby, and he might end up grievously wounded like the last time he faced those two. Yet there were so many youkai, there was no way he could leave them all to Sango, who might not even have any idea she was about to be attacked.
If not for the poisonous saimyoushou, he would have simply sucked them all up with the kazaana and been done with it. But he had no desire to risk death if it wasn't absolutely necessary.
As the youkai swarmed toward the temple, the hiraikotsu tore through the doors and sliced its way through several of the leading youkai. Miroku supposed it was now safe to assume that Sango knew they were about to be attacked. And she would do everything in her power to keep her brother safe.
"Your opponent is me!" she shouted. The fury in her voice demanded attention, and the youkai were more than happy to give it to her. Or they would have been, if Miroku hadn't given them reason to also watch their rear. He swung furiously with his staff, sending several reeling into their compatriots before tossing a handful of sutra scrolls into the fray.
Behind him, Inuyasha fended off yet more youkai, which seemed to think the hanyou and the girl he protected made an easier target than a furious youkai slayer.
Yet even as he and Inuyasha took down a few of the youkai here and a few more there, Miroku knew that the numbers were very much against them. Worse yet, Kagura was still out there, ready to press forward with whatever scheme Naraku had set her on. And unless Miroku could find a way to use the kazaana without putting his friends at risk, he could see no way of turning the tide.