Chapter 45 |
A moment later.
The world slowed for Kanae.
Every movement of Shinobu and Doma, literally every tiny gesture, slowed down several times from the Flower Hashira's perspective; everything moved as if in slow motion.
The Equinoctial Vermilion Eye didn't increase her actual physical speed, but it vastly improved Kanae's dynamic vision, allowing her to spot flaws in Doma's movements that had previously seemed flawless.
Whether it was offense or defense, Breathing techniques or Blood Demon Arts, absolute perfection does not exist in this world.
It might seem that way to the untrained eye, but with increased speed, enhanced vision, and sharpened reflexes, that absolute perfection reveals itself as a mere illusion.
Whoosh!
Although Kanae's physical speed remained the same, her posture and movements underwent a radical transformation. Every strike of her Nichirin Sword unerringly aimed for the Third Upper Rank's weak points!
'How is she doing this...?' Doma's expression shifted drastically. He noticed the change immediately, but in his current position, he simply couldn't counter Kanae, who was prepared to win at any cost.
Clang!
However, as the blade slashed across the demon's neck, blood didn't spray in all directions. Instead, a sharp, metallic ring echoed through the air.
It went without saying that the neck of an Upper Rank was incredibly tough—far harder than steel. Yet, Kanae was no novice; the blade, though not deep, had managed to bite into his flesh.
'I can't die here, no way!' Without a moment's hesitation, the demon abandoned his pursuit of Shinobu and strained every muscle to push the blade away from his throat with both hands, even using his broken fans.
It didn't matter, as long as the Nichirin Sword didn't sever his head. Any other injury would heal in the blink of an eye!
Kanae strained with everything she had to carve through his neck and kill Doma, while Doma, in turn, fought to halt and deflect her blade.
It seemed as if even time itself had slowed its march.
Everyone understood that this was the decisive moment!
If this strike failed to kill Doma, the side effects of her technique would begin to take their toll on Kanae, making it difficult to maintain her effectiveness.
Their lives were on the line!
"Dragonfly Dance!" Shinobu attacked without hesitation. She didn't strike Doma himself, but the spine of her older sister's Nichirin Sword, channeling all her strength into the blow.
Thanks to this, the blade that had begun to slow received a sudden surge of momentum, slicing through the Third Upper Rank's neck in a single motion.
That blade...
It cut through almost the entire neck.
It stopped at the very edge, held by a thin strip of skin.
However...
Those measly millimeters made all the difference!
Because of Doma's efforts, the lethal edge veered off its trajectory at the very last second, slicing through the demon's chest instead of finishing the decapitation.
Splat!
Blood and viscera sprayed everywhere. Doma's head, still attached to a fragment of his chest and his left arm by a tiny sliver of skin, jerked backward violently.
It went without saying that any human in the demon's place would have already departed for the afterlife; it was essentially no different from decapitation.
Yet for an Upper Rank, it was the opposite—it was no different from any other wound as long as the head wasn't completely severed!
"Damn it..." Shinobu hissed.
Kanae's expression also changed sharply.
As experienced Demon Slayers, the Kocho sisters knew exactly what those few millimeters meant. Without a second thought, they swung their Nichirin Swords at that cursed piece of skin.
The pendulum of fate swung violently in that moment.
Even Hashira who had survived countless battles were still human, and humans are prone to making mistakes in critical situations.
That was exactly what happened now.
In their desperate drive to finish the demon at any cost, the Kocho sisters made a fatal error that could decide the outcome of the entire battle.
A demon's severed limbs can still move!
Assessing the situation soberly, the sisters still held a massive advantage. In such a pathetic state, Doma simply couldn't withstand Kanae while she was using the Equinoctial Vermilion Eye.
If Shinobu had chosen to pin down the severed lower half of his body at that moment, Kanae would have had a high chance of finishing Doma off.
But with final victory just millimeters away, both sisters made the fatal mistake of focusing entirely on the demon's upper body, completely forgetting about the lower half.
And as a result...
The demon's hands were finally free!
Blood Demon Art...
Rime — Water Lily Bodhisattva!
He unleashed his strongest technique at the first opportunity!
In an instant, a colossal statue of the Bodhisattva, carved from solid blue ice, rose from the ground—a majestic and perfect work of art.
The moment the Bodhisattva appeared, a terrifying freezing mist rolled across the ground, swallowing the Kocho sisters whole.
Clink! Clink...
The Nichirin Swords in Shinobu's and Kanae's hands, still aimed at the pathetic remains of Doma's neck, were instantly encased in thick frost.
At the same time, a thick layer of ice formed over the upper half of the Third Upper Rank's body. Though it shattered almost immediately, the last chance had already slipped away.
Crack!
Shards of ice flew in every direction as the head and the small portion of the torso flew backward. He waved his broken fan with his remaining left arm, regenerating his flesh mid-air.
Blood Demon Art: Ice Pillar!
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
A moment later, dozens of massive, jagged icicles erupted from the ground in the sisters' path, bringing their pursuit to a dead stop.
Meanwhile, Doma had completely regenerated his body. With a light flick of his wrist, he restored his fan and looked at the girls with his usual smile.
As if nothing had happened.
"Ooh... you were so close."