Following the directions from the man, Kanae Kocho arrived at a place on the outskirts of town.
Desolate. Crumbling houses. A single old well.
It was a place that bore the signs of once having life, now abandoned and eerily silent.
Kanae's gaze swept the scene.
"A place this deserted… There's definitely something wrong."
She was sure she had come to the right place.
The only question was—
"Where do I begin looking?"
As she pondered, the sudden sound of clapping startled her.
"Well, well… to think the one they sent would be such a young and beautiful lady."
A lazy voice echoed, followed by the slow approach of a figure.
"I've been waiting here for quite a while now."
Before Kanae stood none other than Dōma himself.
He wore a flamboyant Western-style kimono, a golden iron fan in hand, and his heterochromatic eyes—one shimmering blue, the other pink—gleamed with amusement. His lips curled into a faint smile, as though mocking the world itself.
"Who are you?" Kanae's voice was cold, her hand already gripping the hilt of her Nichirin Blade.
To find someone like this in a place like this? It was anything but normal.
"Oh? Judging from that uniform of yours, you must be a member of the Demon Slayer Corps."
"How lucky I am."
His smile widened, dazzling and poisonous.
Kanae's eyes narrowed. "You know of the Corps. Then answer me—are you human or demon?"
Dōma tilted his head slightly, lazily waving his fan as he muttered, "You're looking for the Eternal Bliss Faith, right? Well, I'm the leader of that very Faith."
Kanae's eyes sharpened. "Where's the missing girl?"
"The one from before?" Dōma's expression remained unreadable. "To help my dear followers attain true bliss, I've granted her eternal life."
"What do you mean by eternal life?" Kanae's voice dropped dangerously. "Tell me what you did to her."
"You really don't get it?" Dōma chuckled, lowering his fan. "I ate her. Every last bit. She's become one with me."
Kanae's pupils shrank in fury. "That's your 'eternal bliss'? Devouring them?"
"I'm saving them!" Dōma replied, not a flicker of guilt in his voice. "They were afraid. In pain. Despairing. But by doing this—by ending all that suffering—I grant them peace. No more fears. No more sorrow. That, dear lady, is true bliss."
"And as the one who ended their pain, who gave them this eternal gift—I am their savior."
"How about it? Don't you think I'm doing a splendid job as the leader of the Eternal Bliss Faith?"
Kanae's face turned deathly pale with rage. "You're not a demon. You're worse—a monster."
She had once believed that some demons were simply pitiable souls who had strayed into darkness.
But Dōma… Dōma was evil incarnate.
She drew her sword.
"You seem to be suffering too," Dōma said, feigning concern. "Why don't I grant you bliss as well? Come—let me help you."
"Go to hell!" Kanae roared, dashing forward.
Breath of Flowers, Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo!
Her blade traced a twisted arc from below, the slashing path flowing like a dancer's veil.
"So beautiful," Dōma murmured.
But he remained unshaken. His iron fan shimmered in his hand.
Blood Demon Art: Scattering Lotuses!
With a graceful sweep, countless ice-petal blades burst forth, sharp as razors, meeting Kanae's strike mid-air.
"You're using Breath of Flowers? How intriguing," Dōma mused. "Judging by your skill… could you be one of the Hashira?"
His mocking tone only fueled Kanae's fury. With a scoff, she vanished in a blur.
Breath of Flowers, Sixth Form: Whirling Peach!
In midair, Kanae spun like a storm, unleashing a torrent of slashes.
"I'll kill you here and now, you vile thing," she hissed.
"How scary~"
Blood Demon Art: Lotus vines!
The fan twirled again. Giant lotus-shaped crystals burst into the air, shimmering with deadly frost. As they touched her skin, Kanae felt the painful sting of frostbite.
"His Blood Demon Art uses ice?"
But now that she was close enough, she caught a glimpse of the numbers carved into his irises.
Upper Rank Two.
Her heart sank. "No… He's an Upper Moon…"
"You noticed? Are you surprised?" Dōma said, delighted. "That's right. I'm Dōma, Upper Rank Two of the Twelve Kizuki."
"Even if you're one of the Upper Moons… I'll kill you today."
Kanae's voice never wavered.
Breath of Flowers, Fifth Form: Peonies of Futility!
Though her skin stung with frostbite, she charged in.
A flurry of nine consecutive slashes exploded from her blade, blooming like peonies, all aimed at Dōma's body.
Dōma's face twisted in surprise.
He had expected her to retreat after his earlier attack.
But there was no time to dodge. He raised his arms to block—
Slash!
Her blade shredded his elegant kimono. Blood gushed from numerous cuts. His arms, shielding his neck, were the most severely damaged—
One of them was cleanly severed. His iron fan clattered to the ground.
"What a surprise," Dōma murmured, expression still eerily calm. "But you know… to kill a demon, you must sever the head. No matter how many times you cut elsewhere, it's meaningless."
As if to prove his point, his wounds began closing rapidly, flesh knitting back together in moments.
With his remaining arm, he raised his fan once more.
Blood Demon Art: Freezing Clouds!
A cold cloud erupted from his fan, blanketing the entire area in a mist of shimmering ice.
"Damn it—Retreat!" Kanae's instincts screamed.
She had just unleashed a powerful technique—her body hadn't recovered.
She was human. Unlike Dōma, she couldn't afford to take damage like this.
With a sharp stomp, she leapt back.
But the speed of Dōma's mist was too fast. She inhaled a lungful of icy crystals before she could fully retreat.
Her chest clenched.
"Not good…"
"Do you like my gift?" Dōma said lightly. "Those tiny ice shards must feel awful in your lungs. Prolonged exposure leads to difficulty breathing… and then necrosis of the lung tissue."
He smiled.
Kanae staggered, her breath shallow.
She had to end this fast.
If she inhaled more, her body wouldn't last.
She tightened her grip on her blade. Held her breath. Rushed in once again.
"I'm fine with getting hurt," she thought. "But I can't afford to lose another arm…"
Dōma's smile widened.
He wasn't planning to let her get close again.
Blood Demon Art: Cold White Princesses!
Blood Demon Art: Wintry Icicles!
Two techniques at once.
With a graceful sweep, he summoned two massive, ice-sculpted maidens, their lotus-petal dresses twirling like a waltz. From their mouths blew gales of freezing air, covering the battlefield in a glacial storm.
Ice flowers bloomed beneath Kanae's feet.
She planted herself with gritted teeth.
Breath of Flowers, Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum!
A counterattack meant to defend. A swirling strike that cleaved the storm in front of her.
Gasp—gasp—
Her breathing grew ragged. Her rhythm disrupted.
"You managed to block that," Dōma's voice drifted in, floating like mist. "But… how will you handle this one?"
From above—
Countless razor-sharp icicles came crashing down from the sky—
And Kanae… had no time to react.
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