"Infinity Castle, The Fall of Upper Moon Two" Shinobu Kocho, observing the battle from behind, suddenly realized her eyes couldn't keep up w
"Infinity Castle, The Fall of Upper Moon Two"
Shinobu Kocho, observing the battle from behind, suddenly realized her eyes couldn't keep up with their movements.
This demonstrated their vastly superior strength. Douma, as Upper Moon Two, the strongest of the Twelve Kizuki, was naturally stronger than her.
What was truly striking was Aoki's progress. Six months prior, he had struggled against Sanemi Shinazugawa, lasting only ten exchanges. Now, he was directly confronting Upper Moon Two on equal terms.
His strength had increased at an unbelievable rate, surpassing even Gyomei Himejima and Muichiro Tokito, who both became Hashira within just two months.
"Hmm, I don't wish to waste any more time here. There are many other intruders in the Infinity Castle, so I'll be leaving now," Douma said, creating a small ice replica of himself using his Blood Demon Art.
"Blood Demon Art, Cryokinesis: Crystalline Divine Child!"
"This is my child. Don't underestimate him; he can utilize Blood Demon Arts comparable to mine. You must be careful. Ah, one might not be enough, so I'll make a few more," Douma chuckled, preparing to create more ice duplicates.
Suddenly, Aoki appeared before him in the blink of an eye, too fast for Douma to react.
Aoki's seemingly failed attack had actually planted a Flying Raijin mark on Douma. The moment Douma relaxed, Aoki launched his decisive strike.
"Wind-Style Swordsmanship: Steel-Cutting Flash!"
Aoki lunged, Yōitsu (his Nichirin Blade) transforming into a blue blur as it pierced Douma's body.
The next second, Douma laughed. "Oh my, I told that girl before, a thrust is useless. You need to sever my neck."
However, his eyes widened in shock.
The blade embedded in his body exploded, unleashing a whirlwind of blue energy that shattered his body.
With his body destroyed, Douma was temporarily incapacitated. Expecting Aoki to decapitate him, Aoki instead vanished.
He reappeared beside Shinobu Kocho.
Before Shinobu could understand what was happening, Aoki grabbed her hand, forcing her to grasp Yōitsu's hilt.
Aoki guided Shinobu's hand, applying slight pressure.
Yōitsu then sliced across Douma's neck.
"Eh? What happened?" Douma, his world turned upside down, couldn't comprehend what had just occurred.
Then, understanding dawned. "No way? I've been decapitated? By a demon slayer? I'm dying?"
"Sigh, I feel nothing, even as I die. It's to be expected. I've never felt any emotion in my life."
His memories as a human flooded back.
"As a child, I was kind and intelligent, saving people and bringing them happiness. That was my mission."
"Because of my colorful eyes, people believed I was a divine child, hearing the voice of gods. My parents were incredibly foolish; otherwise, they wouldn't have created the pathetic Mugen Train cult."
"I felt sorry for them, so I always went along with their delusions. But I never heard any divine voice."
"At first, being worshipped and prayed to was annoying. Those adults, weeping and lamenting before a child, asking for guidance… I worried about their sanity."
"After their tearful pleas, they'd prostrate themselves, begging me to lead them to paradise."
"So I cried."
"How pathetic. There's no paradise; it's a human fantasy. There are no gods or Buddhas. Why couldn't these adults, who'd lived for decades, understand such a simple truth?"
"When people die, they become nothing, feeling nothing. After the heart stops, the brain ceases function, the body decays, and returns to the earth. All living things experience this."
"Why couldn't they accept this simple truth? Foolishness truly causes suffering. Helping those poor people, bringing them happiness… I must have been sent to this world for that purpose."
"But, for some reason, I've never felt any emotion, as if I were devoid of feelings."
"Even when my mother, half-mad, beat my father to death after he'd repeatedly slept with female followers, and then committed suicide, I, not yet a demon, only thought the smell of blood was unpleasant and that someone should air out the room."
"Afterwards, I only felt the inconvenience of cleaning up, never sadness or loneliness. At twenty, Muzan-sama turned me into a demon. Even after living for over a hundred years, human emotions remain distant illusions."
"Pathetic. I am pathetic. I sympathized with those who prayed to me, but never with my own emotionless self."
…
Outside, as Douma's head disintegrated into dust, his presence vanished.
But Aoki didn't receive a system notification. This wasn't because Douma hadn't been killed, but because it wasn't Aoki who had dealt the final blow.
Looking at her hand gripping Yōitsu's hilt, Shinobu Kocho was in a state of shock. When Yōitsu sliced through Douma's neck, she clearly felt the sensation of decapitating a demon.
But it wasn't her own doing; Aoki had indirectly facilitated Douma's death.
She had finally avenged her sister, Kanae Kocho.
Recalling her relentless pursuit of revenge, Shinobu felt a pang of emotion, realizing her efforts hadn't been in vain.
Having avenged her sister, Shinobu could finally let go of the past and focus on her life with Aoki.
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