After seeing Upper Rank Two, Shinobu's heart had not settled; it was pounding violently.
This guy... this guy is!
She still clearly remembered her sister's description of the demon that had harmed her, given before her death.
It was a demon with blood smeared on its head, an carefree smile on its face, and its weapons were a pair of golden iron fans.
These details alone were enough for Shinobu to be absolutely certain that this was the demon who had murdered her sister.
Thinking of this, uncontrollable rage surged across Shinobu's face, veins bulging, her expression grim. She stared at the demon, her gaze fixed on him, deep hatred and disgust churning in her eyes.
The intense animosity emanating from the girl quickly drew Douma's attention.
He looked at the beautiful woman with a puzzled expression, not understanding how he had offended her, and his confused voice rang out.
"Oh my ~ Beautiful lady, I don't seem to have met you before ~"
"Why are you looking at me with such hateful eyes?"
Shinobu?
Yoizumi also noticed Shinobu's towering rage, a hatred that seemed to have been suppressed for a long time, erupting in an instant. The girl's angry gasps, her restless heartbeat, and her purple eyes, which had always only gazed at him gently, now showed deep resentment.
Somehow, influenced by Shinobu at this moment, Yoizumi's already cold and distant face grew grim, as if covered in an unmelting frost.
Did that demon upset Shinobu?
Yoizumi thought.
He hated him.
For the first time, he recognized the emotion of disgust so directly and clearly.
The urge to vomit from discomfort.
"Heh heh... you haven't seen me, but you've seen this haori, right!" Shinobu questioned furiously, clutching the iridescent haori tightly, the veins on the back of her hand clearly visible, her gentle voice now filled only with rage.
"You're the one who killed my sister, right!"
"Hmm?" Looking at the haori, Douma only found it familiar. Where had he seen it?
His next action astonished Tanjirou and the others.
He actually stuck his finger into his head and stirred it?
As his finger swirled in his brain, his rainbow-colored eyes lit up. He remembered, and responded with a smile, "That's the girl who used the Breath of Flower, right ~"
"It's such a shame."
"It was almost dawn then, so I couldn't eat her."
"She looked so delicious..."
Shinobu's nichirin blade directly pierced Douma's head, and he pouted helplessly.
"Honestly, you won't even let me finish my sentence."
He tried to swing the golden fan in his hand to unleash his Blood Demon Art, but both his hands were simultaneously severed. His eyes widened slightly, and he fell backward, regenerating his arms, and the golden fan flew back into his hands.
That golden-haired demon's Blood Demon Art, it's exactly as the intelligence described; it's impossible to capture ~
"Don't touch her with your hands."
Yoizumi's sapphire eyes were rarely so cold, as if countless shards of ice had congealed within them.
He killed Shinobu's sister.
Yoizumi would not let go of anyone who made Shinobu unhappy.
"I hate you."
This single sentence nearly overwhelmed even the enraged Shinobu, but thankfully, it also helped her regain some rationality.
If Yoizumi hadn't intervened just now, rushing in without understanding the opponent's Blood Demon Art would have been her being blinded by intense malice.
Anger alone won't avenge her sister; she needed to calm down, Shinobu!
"Eh ~ Did I do something else to make you hate me?" Douma still wore a smiling expression, a feigned act of insincerity, if there could be any emotional fluctuation in his eyes.
"Your mere existence is enough to make me hate you."
Suddenly, Douma vomited a large amount of blood, and a purplish-black mark extended from the wound in his head where Shinobu had pierced him. Using his abilities, he froze the blood to prevent the toxin from spreading, quickly neutralizing the poison.
"What a powerful poison, but it's useless against me ~"
..."Hinatsuru, you all leave quickly!" Another Upper Rank appeared!
And it's Upper Rank Two!
Things were getting complicated. He, Yoizumi, Shinobu, and those few boys, could they win... no! He couldn't even estimate the probability of survival.
This demon, harmless on the surface, his aura far surpassed Upper Rank Six, by far too much.
Cold sweat dripped from Uzui Tengen's forehead. The smaller the Upper Rank number, the greater the strength gap; each step across wasn't just a number, but an unbridgeable chasm.
Tanjirou and the others were already breathless from the oppressive feeling, and even he felt his hands tingling slightly. This wouldn't do.
As the God of Flashiness, how could he look so foolish!
"Hey, hey, hey! This won't do! Show some spirit!" He vigorously patted Tanjirou's back.
Confidently resting his nichirin blade on his shoulder, his dark pink eyes stared directly at Douma, his tone full of disdain for him, "There's nothing to be afraid of with such an unflashy guy. As the God of Flashiness! I'll end this battle flashily!"
"How heartbreaking for a demon, when I haven't done anything wrong, yet you speak to me like this ~" Douma covered one cheek with one hand, feigning distress, then his words changed, "No choice then, I'll just have to claim compensation myself."
Blood Demon Art: Scattering Lotus
Douma waved the pair of fans in his hand, scattering a large amount of fine, icy flower petals. The pristine petals were as sharp as blades, sweeping towards everyone.
Before they could get close, they were blown away by the icy cold wind carrying snow. Yoizumi activated Fourth Form: Wind and Snow Devastation, easily breaking Douma's Blood Demon Art.
Douma's eyes widened slightly, his golden fan half-covering his face.
"I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Douma."
"You're really similar to me ~"
"Both demons, with special eyes, beautiful hair, and you use snow."
"Oh no, isn't that clashing with my type ~"
"Let's compare, is your snow more powerful, or is my ice superior!"
"Ah ah ah..."
Up... Up... Upper Rank Two?
Agatsuma Zenitsu trembled, pointing, and the immense shock caused him to black out.
Inosuke felt a little relieved now. Wen Yi was reliable in this state, and also... this man, Inosuke felt uncomfortable looking at him, so much so that he was getting goosebumps.
What's going on?
"Yoizumi isn't like you!" Shinobu said coldly.
The purity of ice depends on the water it freezes from; if it was murky wastewater from the start, then holding it in one's hand would only result in vile, dirty filth.
Clearly, Douma was such a filthy thing.
The golden fan blocked Yoizumi's attack, and with a casual wave, it emitted misty ice crystals that floated onto Yoizumi's skin and froze. He shattered the frost on his body.
Yoizumi noticed the ice crystals he inhaled into his lungs were obstructing his breathing, but he was a demon and used the Breath of Snow, so this had little effect on him.
However, Tanjirou and the others were different; once they inhaled these ice crystals, their lungs would be affected, and they wouldn't be able to use their breathing techniques!
Therefore, this battle.
He had to use every ability and method he possessed!
He had to protect them while dragging the demon until dawn to the greatest extent possible.
Yoizumi knew that he currently had no confidence in slaying Douma.
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