"Infinity Castle, Butterfly's Whisper"
"I'll soon know if this poison is effective against all Upper Moons. Please bless me, Onee-sama!" Watching Douma's face begin to decay, Shinobu Kocho silently prayed, hoping her specially formulated poison would prove effective and give her a chance to kill him.
Douma rolled on the ground, his face contorting in agony, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"This… this is far more potent than the poison you used at Natagumo Mountain. That person said you always adjust the formula when facing different demons," Douma said, his complexion rapidly changing.
However, the next second, he suddenly lifted his head, a chilling smile spreading across his now-decaying face.
"My apologies, but it seems I've neutralized your carefully crafted poison. What a waste of your trump card," he said, his decaying face miraculously regenerating at a visible speed.
"Your blade made a peculiar sound as you sheathed it. Was there a mechanism within the blade that altered the poison's formula?"
"Oh my, how delightful! Being poisoned is so interesting, almost addictive! Do you think altering the formula again will work? Try again! I'm so eager to see!"
Seeing Douma so easily neutralize her poison, Shinobu showed no surprise.
Her Nichirin Blade spun in her hand, adopting a battle-ready stance. "Indeed. Then let's proceed. At least, up to this point, everything is going as planned."
…
"Hmm, this is the fifth attempt, and it seems ineffective. The poison's effect is weakening. How many more times can you try?" Douma held up his hand, showing the dissipating poison.
He smiled at Shinobu. "Oh dear, are you short of breath? You look quite exhausted. Perhaps you should rest?"
"That's because your alveoli are gradually necrotizing. It must be quite painful, considering you just inhaled my Blood Demon Art."
"This is the strength of an Upper Moon. My poison is completely ineffective against him." Shinobu clenched her fists, her expression grim. She had a plan to fight Douma to the death, but Aoki had intervened.
Now, having inhaled Douma's poisonous Blood Demon Art, her stamina was rapidly depleting, leaving her with little chance of killing him alone.
She didn't resent Aoki for interfering; she was simply frustrated, unable to personally avenge her sister.
She launched another fierce attack, hoping a massive poison injection might work.
"Insect Breathing: Dance of the Dragonfly: Compound Eye Hexagon!"
She moved swiftly, delivering six thrusts in rapid succession, piercing Douma's body.
However, to her horror, she discovered a deep cut on her collarbone, inflicted by Douma's iron fan.
"Your speed is truly remarkable," Douma said to Shinobu, who had fallen to her knees in pain. "Perhaps the fastest of all the Hashira I've encountered. If you'd used your blade to sever my neck instead of poison… with your speed, you might have had a chance."
"Ah, but it's still no use, is it? You're simply too small. Even if you had the chance to strike, you might not be able to sever my neck."
"Your collarbone, lungs, and ribs are all injured. Given your size, dying from blood loss wouldn't be surprising. So stop fighting. You can't win. Let me consume you, shall we?"
Every word was a sharp blow to Shinobu's heart, fueling her self-doubt.
"Why? Why are my hands so small? Why am I not taller? If I were taller, I might be able to decapitate him."
"Longer limbs mean more muscle mass, leading to greater strength in battle. Onee-sama was slender, but taller than me. And Gyomei-san… his very presence is reassuring."
"I think I know what Onee-sama didn't say before she died."
[Shinobu, you're likely no match for that demon.]
Tears welled up in Shinobu's eyes at this realization.
But a gentle breeze stirred around her, and a warm hand rested on her head, stroking her hair.
"What's wrong? Why are you like this? Don't cry." A gentle voice soothed her, overwhelming her emotions. Without hesitation, she threw herself into his arms.
"Why feel inferior? You're already exceptional. There, there. Don't cry; it'll give you wrinkles." Gently wiping away her tears, it was Aoki.
"Does it hurt?" Aoki asked, his voice filled with concern, looking at the wound on her collarbone.
"Yes," Shinobu murmured, her head buried in his chest.
Aoki's eyes transformed into Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, a faint light emanating from his left eye.
"Tenkai Rasen!"
In the next instant, the wound on Shinobu's collarbone miraculously began to heal, completely disappearing. However, the poison in her lungs remained unaffected.
"It's alright now. Don't cry. I'll fight for you." Blood trickled from his left eye as he stroked her hair.
Pulling away from Aoki, a blush and a smile graced Shinobu's face.
"Yes, why did I feel inferior? My strength may be small, but I have a hero who supports me. As long as he's here, I won't worry."
Aoki turned his gaze to Douma, who stood nearby. His gentle expression vanished, replaced by a ferocious glare and a voice dripping with icy fury.
"We meet again, you bastard! You dared to injure my wife? You'll pay for that! I'll hang your head from the gate of your damned Mugen Train cult! You lowlife!"
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