Raiden stood firm within the swirling heat and steam, his white hair stirred by waves of rising air. His Nichirin blade moved without pause, each stroke carving arcs of flame that devoured Doma's drifting ice crystals.
Flame Breathing radiated from him in widening circles, forming a blazing perimeter that forced the frost backward. Fire and mist twisted together, turning the temple courtyard into a haze of red gold light.
Doma watched from a distance, his rainbow eyes bright with amusement.
"This is the first time I have seen a Hashira who has mastered two Breathing Styles," he said lightly. "How impressive."
His praise sounded sincere. Among the Hashira he had killed, none had wielded more than one style at such depth. Raiden was an exception.
Even so, Doma did not regard him as an equal.
The gap between them remained vast. Two Breathing Styles alone could not close it.
The last of the ice crystals dissolved into steam. Man and demon faced each other across the scorched courtyard.
As expected, relying only on Hashira level strength was not enough, Raiden thought calmly. Doma was far more troublesome than Akaza. Akaza preferred direct combat, fists against blade. Doma made even approaching him dangerous.
The air around Doma shimmered with suspended frost. Each flick of his fan released fine particles capable of freezing flesh and lungs alike. To strike him meant stepping into lethal cold.
"Oh? Is dawn already approaching?" Doma glanced east, where faint light touched the horizon. "I was just beginning to enjoy myself."
When he looked back at Raiden, his expression carried both regret and delight.
"Being friends with you is quite entertaining. I will be sad to kill you. But if that person learns I spared a Hashira, I will be punished. Between you and that person, I choose that person. Goodbye, my new friend."
He flicked his golden fan.
The scattered frost condensed instantly into two translucent figures, each identical to Doma in appearance and smile. They shimmered like carved crystal beneath the fading moon.
Blood Demon Art, Crystalline Divine Child.
With a sharp motion of his fan, Doma gave a silent command. The two ice clones shot forward at terrifying speed, leaving frozen imprints across the ground. The temperature plummeted, and the air itself seemed to sting with every breath.
Doma closed his fan and turned toward the temple gate, confident that two clones were more than enough.
To him, that was already a sign of respect.
Just as his foot crossed the threshold, a voice sounded behind him.
"Blood Demon Art, Destructive Death, Compass Needle."
Doma paused.
Compass Needle. Akaza's technique.
Humans could not use Blood Demon Arts. It was impossible.
He turned.
Raiden stood unmoving in the courtyard. Beneath his feet, a six pointed formation unfolded, its lines glowing faintly as if etched into the earth. The air around him shifted, responding to invisible currents of fighting spirit.
Within the Compass Needle state, every movement, every fluctuation of intent became clear.
Lightning and flame coiled around his blade. He pivoted slightly, raised the sword high with both hands, and brought it down in a decisive arc.
Thunder and fire fused.
A crimson gold dragon erupted forward, electricity crackling through its blazing form. It tore across the courtyard in a streak of violent light, the air warping under its heat.
The two crystalline clones reacted instantly, solidifying further as they intercepted the oncoming attack. Their sole purpose was protection.
Ice met flame.
The collision detonated in brilliance. Scalding heat and absolute cold clashed, sending a shockwave across the temple grounds. Steam exploded outward, and shards of ice scattered like shattered glass.
The fire dragon pressed forward, yet its power eroded under relentless resistance. The clones melted, reformed, and endured, draining the attack layer by layer.
At last, the dragon dispersed into searing wind and drifting vapor.
Silence returned, broken only by the hiss of evaporating frost.
Doma stood at the gate, untouched. Warm air brushed against him as he lazily waved his fan to clear the lingering heat.
His eyes gleamed with fascination.
"How remarkable. You can truly use Akaza's technique? How did you do that? Can you teach me? I would love to learn."
His tone carried open curiosity, almost childlike, as though they were discussing art rather than battle.
Within the Compass Needle state, Raiden assessed the exchange.
With this enhancement, he was roughly equal to the two crystalline clones combined. Yet Doma himself remained unpressured.
Was the difference between Doma and Akaza truly that wide?
If Akaza were here, Raiden believed they could trade blows evenly in this state. But Doma's casually created constructs were already matching him.
Do I activate the Transparent World?
He considered it carefully.
If he did, Doma would likely fall. But the burden on his body would be severe. Without certainty of ending Doma permanently before sunrise, using it now would be reckless.
Dawn's light strengthened at the horizon.
Doma clicked his tongue softly.
"The sun is such a nuisance. Not enough time." He smiled brightly. "Next time, Raiden, you must teach me. Goodbye."
With that, he stepped fully beyond the gate, vanishing into the thinning darkness.
The courtyard fell silent once more.