Chapter 79: Shinobu's Revenge |
In the center of a spacious, well-lit hall.
Doma flicked his fans open, watching helplessly as a spatial thread whisked his opponent away. "It seems Nakime's abilities have their limits. We aren't even allowed to choose our opponents on our own turf..."
To be honest, the Third Upper Rank wasn't particularly fond of his previous adversary. If the choice were his, he would have preferred a beautiful young woman—to combine business with pleasure, so to speak.
"Nakime-sama? Nakime-sama..." Doma tried to call out, hoping to be sent to a more desirable location. However, the Sixth Upper Rank did not respond; she was already deep in her own battle and certainly had no intention of indulging the whims of the Third Upper Rank.
Just as Doma began to feel discouraged, a spatial thread materialized before him, followed by a diminutive figure.
"Ho-ho! Shinobu..." The demon couldn't help but smile as he took in her delicate features. "I knew you wouldn't be able to forget that passionate night. I knew you'd come back to me."
"Don't speak my name. It's revolting." The Insect Hashira's smile remained soft as she stepped onto the tatami mats, though a momentary shudder ran through her before she regained her composure.
"Ah, those words break my heart. I've thought of nothing but you since then," Doma said, fluttering his fans. He then looked around with feigned surprise. "Are you alone?"
"Yes. I will kill you with my own hands," Shinobu replied confidently, unsheathing her Nichirin Sword.
The Insect Hashira had likely grown stronger to dare appear here without backup. However, during their last encounter, she had been inferior to the Flower Hashira in every respect. There was no scenario in which she could defeat one of the strongest Upper Ranks alone. That left only one possibility: the enemy had sent Shinobu here to stall for time until reinforcements arrived.
Swoosh!
While Doma was lost in thought, the Insect Hashira seized the initiative. She lunged forward, unleashing a swift strike that bloomed with beautiful petals.
"Oh! Your big sister's breathing technique? Not bad, not bad at all... you really have become much stronger," Doma remarked, parrying the pink petals with an elegant sweep of his fan.
"Yes, and it was all for the sake of sending you to the afterlife," Shinobu replied with her unwavering smile, launching another assault with her Nichirin Sword.
The Third Upper Rank continued to deflect her attacks with his fans, keeping her at a distance. After a dozen exchanges, he concluded that Shinobu was now superior to Kanae in every way.
Yet, he hadn't forgotten that the Kocho sisters had only managed to fight him last time through perfect cooperation. Even this improved Shinobu was no match for him in a one-on-one duel.
"Now I see where you found the courage to come alone... even I'll have to put in some effort to finish you quickly. I'd rather not listen to the Master's reproaches for being late," Doma said, shaking his head gently. "As much as I'd love to spend time together, I need to hurry to the others."
After those words...
Whoosh! Whoosh!!!
With a flick of his fan, an icy blizzard descended upon the hall. From the swirling frost, miniature copies of the Third Upper Rank began to take shape, just like before.
In mere moments, five tiny ice figures stood in the room, simultaneously preparing to unleash their Blood Demon Art against the Insect Hashira.
"They won't win, of course, but they'll have no trouble keeping you occupied. Well then, see you later," Doma said, waving his fan in farewell as he turned to leave.
But at that exact moment, a gentle voice drifted from the heart of the icy gale.
"Flower Breathing... Eleventh Form: Equinoctial Vermilion Eye."
Whirr!
Exquisite flowers bloomed on the floor at Shinobu's feet, carpeting the entire room in an instant. From their centers, miniature human figures began to emerge one after another.
Before long, twenty-five miniature copies of the Insect Hashira filled the space. They turned their characteristic smiles toward Doma's five ice dolls. The hall suddenly felt cramped, and the situation had been completely reversed.
"Don't be afraid. You won't have to listen to Muzan's reprimands, because I'm sending you to the afterlife right now," Shinobu said softly, appearing from behind one of her copies. A chill ran down the Third Upper Rank's spine at the sight of that smile.
"Is this... a Blood Demon Art?" The impassive smile froze on Doma's face as he looked at his ice clones surrounded by dozens of hers. His voice turned cold.
This shouldn't be possible!
It simply couldn't be!
A breathing technique could create illusory copies to confuse an opponent, but these duplicates of the Insect Hashira were clearly physical. Not to mention the flowers and branches blooming throughout the hall—they were made of real matter.
This looked exactly like a Blood Demon Art!
Had Shinobu turned into a demon?
But where was the scent?
"Did you become a demon for the sake of your revenge?" Doma whispered.
"Of course not. However, I am willing to do anything to send you to the next world," Shinobu replied calmly, slowly raising her Nichirin Sword for another strike.
"Flower Breathing... Fifteenth Form: Hellish Red Lotus."
Fwoosh!
Red lotuses, both terrifying and beautiful, bloomed at the Insect Hashira's feet. They surged across the trembling floor, accompanied by a chilling, hellish aura.
The Third Upper Rank's expression shifted drastically. With a frantic sweep of his fan, he sent an icy blizzard to meet the rapidly spreading lotuses.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
A massive explosion rocked the room upon impact. From the center of the blast, Shinobu's small frame shot forward. She closed the distance instantly, her Nichirin Sword already in motion.
By now, the Third Upper Rank had discarded all pretense of playfulness. He blocked her blade with one fan and swung the other toward Shinobu's delicate shoulder with lightning speed.
Clang!
The Insect Hashira's deadly blade, aimed squarely at Doma's neck, slid off his fan and slashed through his shoulder instead.
The opponents struck each other's shoulders simultaneously. Under normal circumstances, a slayer would have aborted the attack to dodge. Such a trade was almost certainly fatal for a human, whereas for a demon—especially an Upper Rank—it was a mere scratch.
Yet, not a single muscle on Shinobu's face twitched.
Thud!
As the fan and blade reached their targets almost simultaneously, Doma's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He had sensed something was amiss when she didn't dodge, and now his fears were confirmed.
Although the Nichirin Sword missed his neck, the Third Upper Rank's body was nearly cleaved in two from the shoulder down, blood splattering everywhere. Meanwhile, his fan felt as though it had struck solid wood.
The Insect Hashira's shoulder was badly damaged as well, but it wasn't blood that sprayed from the wound—it was wooden splinters.
Shrrp!
The gruesome wound closed instantly, and the Demon Slayer launched another strike with her Nichirin Sword.
Stunned, Doma instinctively tried to launch a counterattack, but the Insect Hashira's slender arms did not falter.
In a matter of seconds, Shinobu hacked the Third Upper Rank's body into pieces. Even though his neck remained intact for the moment, given the current disparity in power, he was effectively defeated.
Slash! Rip! Tear!
The Demon Slayer showed no intention of stopping.
Since his enhanced demonic regeneration couldn't keep up with the wounds, the dazed Doma was unable to mount a proper defense before the Nichirin Sword swept through his neck.
The severed head rolled across the tatami like a ball.
"I can't... I can't believe it..." The Third Upper Rank's head stared at the floor in shock. He could feel his body turning to ash as unfamiliar emotions flooded his mind. 'I can't die now! I must live! If Akaza could do it, then I can too... no, it's useless. I can't do it...'
It must be said that despite his extraordinary power, Doma had never possessed a commensurate level of will or conviction. He didn't stand a chance of overcoming the weakness of his severed neck.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shinobu approaching.
"You did it. How impressive," he said, staring at the floor.
"It was nothing special, just a simple element of surprise... but even without this power, I would have sent you to the afterlife one way or another, even if I had to follow you there myself," the girl replied with a smile.
"It's a pity we ended up on opposite sides. Perhaps we could have been friends in the next life?" the Third Upper Rank's head joked, already half-faded into nothingness.
The demon's final words left Shinobu momentarily speechless.
"Don't even dream of another life. You are destined to burn in hell for all eternity, you monster!" she hissed, snapping out of her daze with a cold smirk.
Crunch!
She ruthlessly trampled the remains of Doma's head.
Yeruashi and the others arrived at the scene just at that moment...
"Sometimes she's absolutely terrifying!" Mitsuri said, instinctively shivering.