The roof had been broken open, and long-absent sunlight poured down from above. Everyone's figures were bathed in the falling light.
For humans, standing beneath the sun was something effortless and ordinary. But for demons, it was something they could never hope to obtain.
Even the progenitor of demons, Muzan Kibutsuji, could not bathe beneath the sunlight. Doma, as Upper Rank Two, was no different.
Almost the instant sunlight spilled down through the broken roof, Doma's figure dodged away as if avoiding snakes and scorpions, retreating into the parts of the hall where the sun could not reach.
Whoosh!
Almost snapping his iron fans shut, Doma fled into the distance.
Nearly every building within the Eternal Paradise Faith was connected by passageways. Since the roof here had been broken and sunlight was pouring in, Doma intended to flee elsewhere.
He wanted to escape to a place untouched by sunlight.
However, before he could get far, he suddenly stopped.
Standing in the darkness, he looked at the passageway ahead, only to find it completely blasted apart. Sunlight flooded every corner before him, leaving him with no path forward at all.
Only then did Doma understand the reason behind those violent explosions from earlier.
Clearly, the previous explosions had already severed every passageway. Now, all the corridors were bathed in sunlight.
Tap, tap, tap…
Footsteps sounded from behind him. Doma turned his head and saw that Gyomei Himejima, Kyojuro Rengoku, Sanemi Shinazugawa, and the others had already caught up.
At that moment, Doma's heart sank to the bottom.
In truth, even while trapped under the siege of several Hashira, Doma had not thought himself without a chance of victory. As Upper Rank Two, he was not the same as other demons.
Or rather, perhaps he could also do what Muzan had done and break through the "limit" of demons.
What was the "limit" of demons?
Ordinary demons would dissipate and die once their heads were severed by a Nichirin Sword. But by breaking through the "limit" of demons, one could make up for that flaw. Even if their head was cut off by a Nichirin Sword, they still would not die.
A demon who could not be killed even by decapitation with a Nichirin Sword would have almost no weaknesses left. Combined with the natural traits of demons, even when facing the siege of several Hashira, such a demon might not be without opportunity.
"Break the walls. Let the sunlight in." A calm voice came from behind Gyomei Himejima and the others. Along with that voice came Soma, who was supporting Kanae Kocho as he walked over.
"Namu Amida Butsu."
Gyomei Himejima pressed his palms together, then without the slightest hesitation swung his spiked flail toward the roof.
As someone who had tempered his physical body nearly to its limit, Gyomei Himejima possessed astonishing strength. Combined with his Breathing Style and his special Nichirin weapon, the power behind his spiked flail was immense.
Rumble!
The sturdy wall shattered, and sunlight streamed in through the opening.
Doma's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly fled toward another patch of darkness.
But as wall after wall was smashed apart, the places of darkness where he could hide grew fewer and fewer.
When the final shadowed place was touched by sunlight, Doma was forced to stand beneath the sun.
Whether it was Muzan Kibutsuji, progenitor of demons, or Doma, Upper Rank Two of the Twelve Kizuki, neither could overcome the weakness to sunlight.
When sunlight fell upon his body, Doma's flesh began to disintegrate.
Any demon exposed to sunlight would suffer pain that was almost impossible to endure.
No demon was an exception.
Yet in the face of certain death, in the face of the pain surging through his body, Doma seemed not to notice at all. From beginning to end, his face still wore that gentle smile.
He merely felt his life quietly slipping away.
Just as when he had still been human, Doma could not understand human emotions. He had never experienced any emotional fluctuation, nor had he ever felt the slightest trace of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.
From beginning to end, Doma's heart had always been empty.
Even as he was bathed in sunlight, even as he endured unbearable pain, even as he was about to face death, Doma's heart still did not feel much at all.
Watching Doma gradually disintegrate beneath the sunlight, Gyomei Himejima and the others felt rather complicated.
This was probably the easiest time they had ever slain one of the Twelve Kizuki.
Back when they first accepted the mission to hunt Upper Rank Two, everyone had even considered the possibility of dying on this road. In fact, they had long since prepared themselves for sacrifice.
Yet it had been this easy.
There had not even been much of a battle. It did not feel like slaying a powerful Upper Rank demon at all. Instead, it felt more like killing an ordinary demon.
Beneath the sunlight, Doma's body disappeared bit by bit, and his life slipped away little by little.
At that moment, Soma released the arm with which he had been supporting Kanae Kocho and stepped forward.
Doma raised his head and looked at Soma as he approached. He vaguely sensed the aura of one of his own kind from him, and a trace of confusion appeared.
The Nichirin Sword swept across his neck.
Soma cleanly and decisively severed Doma's head.
As the blade cut through Doma's neck, a visible red glow circled Doma's body once, then finally returned into Soma.
A powerful warm current entered his body along with that red light, surging through him.
At that moment, Soma felt his body suddenly become far more vigorous than before. At the same time, he sensed his blood beginning to change.
Doma could turn his frozen blood into mist-like ice crystals and scatter them through the air. Anything that came into contact with those crystals would freeze instantly. If inhaled into the lungs, they could cause breathing difficulties and even necrotize the alveoli.
This Blood Demon Art, which was originally a natural counter to swordsmen who used Breathing Styles, had now been mastered by Soma.
And included within it were the Blood Demon Arts Doma had developed based on that power.
Such as:
Blood Demon Art: Scattering Lotuses
A technique that scattered lotus-shaped ice crystals by waving a pair of fans.
Blood Demon Art: Lotus Vines
A technique that created several ice vines entwined with frozen lotus flowers to bind opponents.
Blood Demon Art: Barren Hanging Garden
Blood Demon Art: Frozen Lotus.
Blood Demon Art: Freezing Clouds.
Blood Demon Art: Cold White Princesses.
Blood Demon Art: Winter Icicles.
Blood Demon Art: Crystalline Divine Child.
Blood Demon Art: Rime-Water Lily Bodhisattva.
As Soma activated "Devour," every Blood Demon Art Doma possessed was now in his grasp. Not only that, the change in strength brought by devouring Upper Rank Two was far beyond what any ordinary demon could compare to.
Originally, Soma's strength had already been roughly equivalent to the level of a Hashira. Now, after devouring Doma, his strength had risen another level. Even Gyomei Himejima, the strongest Hashira, was probably no longer his match.
The change in strength made Soma feel faintly pleased.
Behind him, however, Gyomei Himejima slightly raised his head. Through his mind's eye, Gyomei Himejima keenly sensed the change in Soma.
"Soma seems to have suddenly grown stronger."
Gyomei Himejima pressed his palms together, a trace of doubt and confusion on his face.
The others also turned their gazes toward Soma at that moment.
...
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