Part 5: Anime Kururugi, Dead or Alive

Another day, another demon-filled road with nothing interesting in it.



And here we are. Let's get to the bottom of all this nonsense.



♫ "Kaede's Village"



....Ya think?

It's the biggest city around here and they sell pretty much everything you need for traveling.

Hey, do you think they sell any juice here?

I can't find any specific history of the consumption of fruit juice in Sengoku Japan, but there were several juicable fruits naturally growing in Japan at this point, so yeah, maybe Shippo could get like some peach or grape juice. Also it's entirely possible that Kagome coulda brought some juice boxes from the present.



Though Inuyasha's reaction kinda trends towards no.

There sure are a lot of people here.

Yes. I think we should split up and ask around.

I feel like if we're going to ask around town about someone who looks like me, splitting up won't help since the others won't have....me as reference.

It'll get dark before we can ask everyone.

It is night at about two points in this game overall.

So, we'll ask around and then meet back here?

Right. The city is big, so be careful not to get lost.





Let's buy some healing items, I guess.



Down to the south, there's an entrance to the back alleys which are kind of a maze but the solution is piss easy. We'll worry about this later.



A question mark!



Woman: We're finally alone together, but...





Kid?

Woman: Oh, you're such a loser! We finally get to be alone together, but...

Yeah, whatever, let's look at this wanted poster.



Man: There's wanted posters of this kid all over the city. I wonder what the kid did? Huh, it really looks like you.

Looking at the poster itself...



Me? Where?

Jinkichi: I've seen you somewhere before...Hey, it's the girl on the wanted poster!

♫ "Cutscene 2"

That's not true!

Aw fuck cheese it.





Fuck.



Jinkichi: Don't let the kid get away.



So I keep being told, but I have rights! Where's my katsudon bowl?!

Ow, stop it! Don't be so rough!





♫ "Cutscene 1"

For some reason, the village headman gets a unique sprite and portrait despite being about as meaningful to the story overall as the three villagers who attacked us in the beginning.

W-Wait a minute!

Huh? What is it?

I think you have me confused with someone else. I haven't done anything. Besides, I just came to this world.

This world? What are you talking about?

Yeah, it's the same world. Different time. Keep up.

Well...The fact is I have done nothing that you can accuse me of.

I don't know, but Kagura definitely wants us to catch you.



You wouldn't know her. She's a messenger from the castle.

W-Well if we wouldn't know her, why does she want us?!

Well, then she's got me confused with someone else.

Yeah!

Are you crazy? The messenger made a mistake? No way. Impossible! Stop your strange talk. And wait in jail until Kagura arrives.



♫ "Sadness"

Ah fuck.



He didn't say Kagura was the one they were looking for, he said that Kagura was looking for us. The presence of Kagura doesn't change anything, god.

And they put me in jail. I shouldn't waste my time complaining. I need to get out of here. But how?



Well, this wall is kinda blue.

Look at the color of this wall. Is it Serpentine rock?



O FLAME BURNING BRIGHT





I did it! I've got to get back to Kagome quickly.



♫ "Kaede's Village"

And we're outside the headman's house. We can't go to the right because that's where the wanted poster is and we'll just get caught again. So now we have to navigate the maze of back alleys.



So if you just flail around, you're gonna get completely lost, but the solution is incredibly simple.



You just keep going down for a few screens...



Until you see this fella.



Then go left a couple screens.



And we're out.

Now, there is literally nothing pointing you towards that route, you're just supposed to figure it out. Game design.





I know. Because of those posters I got caught by the village headman.

I thought so. Well, I'm glad you made it back safely.

But I wonder why there's wanted posters of you?

I know. It seems someone named Kagura brought them here.



Kagura? Could it be that Kagura?

♫ "Cutscene 1"

You know her? They said she is a messenger from the castle.

Yes. Do you remember the story about the shards of the Shikon Jewel?

The thing that makes demons stronger when they use it?

Yes, that's right. There's an evil demon named Naraku that can't wait for a chance to get his hands on the Shikon Jewel.

There's also like....a lot of other shit involved, but that's a story for another game.

An evil demon?

He likes to bully and hurt people. He's evil.

I've fought him many times, but he always escapes. He's the most evil demon of all.

I see.



So they don't actually explain what this means, and I suppose a refresher is always good. Naraku is less a single demon and more of a collective hivemind of like a thousand demons, and he splits himself off into separate beings to do his bidding. Kagura is one such.

Female incarnation? Does that mean Kagura is bad too?

She uses the wind and possesses the dead. She's disgusting.

I see. But why is she looking for me?

If they went as far as putting up wanted posters of you, maybe it has something to do with you coming to this world.

I agree. It sounds like something Naraku would do.

IT REALLY DOES NOT HE IS KIND OF A DIRECT ACTION KINDA GUY

Well, since Kagura's on her way here, we might as well stick around.

Yes. I want to find out what this is all about.



♫ "Kaede's Village"



And here we are. This doesn't seem like a good idea.



Yeah I don't....know why we thought this would work.

Oh no! They're gonna catch me again.

Let's escape to the edge of the city for now.



I just really wanna know what our plan of attack there was.

Gaaah. Why do I have to keep running away?

A very good question, you could have used your big sword to stop that samurai man.

Well, they're humans. It's not like you can fight them.

Yeah, you're right, but...

Hmm. It doesn't seem like we'll be able to meet Kagura.

What to do?



What?

From what we've seen...if you say that you caught me, you can easily get into the headman's house.

That is literally nothing we've seen. You only got into the headman's house last time because the literal police got you.



Right.

That's pretty risky.

Yeah, and it could be dangerous, too.

Kagome, that means the same thing.

It's pretty dangerous to take you right into his house.

That's weird of you to say because that's literally what we just tried anyway.

But...

Wait a minute. Hey, Shippo, why don't you transform yourself?

What?!

Wait a second.

Even if they tie you up and put you in jail, you can still get out if you have to.

It seems I always get the worst end of the deal.



There's no one else but you, Shippo, that can do this.

Really?

Yes. Will you do it, please, Shippo?

Alright! I'll do it!







That's us in the hakama.

This is kinda weird.

R-Really? Then no one will be able to see through my fox magic?

You've come this far and you're scared now?





Inuyasha, you should stay here for now.

Okay, but be sure to call me if anything happens.



Inuyasha can't do it as well.

He's just a half-demon.

Hmmm.

Anyway, I think he would just get caught if he tried to transform himself. It's better that way.

I agree.



I found the girl on the wanted poster. I came to turn her in.

Genkichi: Hmmm? I see. It's the girl on the wanted poster. Come inside. Wait over by the white sand.



Yes, I'm glad we got through smoothly.

It's all because of MY acting!

Yes it is.

No it's not! The only reason we did this plan was because Shippo could more easily get out of jail! And we're just going in without Shippo going to jail, so why not just pretend to turn the normal me in?







And next time, we'll get to the bottom of all this.