Was Douma deliberately provoking Sanemi?
Tilting his head, Douma's rainbow-colored eyes flickered with amusement.
"Oh my, you saw right through me. You're so clever and composed, little lady—completely different from your sister. Your sister was always too gentle, too considerate of others, which made her so much more vulnerable."
With a soft sigh, Douma's tone feigned sincerity.
"I truly feel for both of you young ladies. Despite the agony you're already enduring, you still force yourselves to fight. Please, just surrender. I'll make you a part of me without any pain. From then on, you'll never suffer or be hurt by anyone again."
Before Shinobu could retort, Sanemi on the other side had clearly reached his limit.
"SHUT UP!!!" Sanemi's roar carried tangible fury.
Swinging his blade once more, three massive whirlwind blades roared toward Douma!
Douma gently waved his pair of fans, effortlessly blocking the wind blades with a thick, curved ice wall.
Amid the scattering shards of ice, he gazed at Sanemi, his smile growing even more compassionate.
"Your refusal to give up is truly admirable," he murmured. "That's why I'll cherish you all the more—your flesh and blood, and even your pained expressions. It's time to get serious."
As his words faded, the temperature around them plummeted below freezing!
Countless ice crystals sprouted wildly across the ceiling and floor, while the air grew dense with ice particles, almost condensing into a visible white mist of cold.
Behind Douma, an unprecedentedly massive Ice Lotus Bodhisattva materialized once more—this time more solid and oppressive than ever.
"Blood Demon Art: Rime — Water Lily Bodhisattva~"
With Douma's soft incantation, the colossal Ice Lotus Bodhisattva behind him slowly lifted its previously lowered eyelids, revealing a pair of rainbow-colored eyes identical to Douma's.
Yet these eyes were utterly hollow and icy, filled only with a deathly stillness capable of freezing souls.
Crack, crack!
As the enormous Ice Lotus Bodhisattva raised its giant palm, a terrifying chill gathered in its hand—enough to instantly transform everything before it into a frozen hell!
Almost simultaneously, the three facing the Bodhisattva sensed a lethal threat.
Kanae, whose stamina was most depleted, had turned pale to the point of transparency.
Each breath she took expelled thick frost, and even the pink blade of her Nichirin Sword was coated in a layer of ice.
Whoosh!
A resolute figure stepped in front of Kanae.
Sanemi's expression grew graver than ever before.
He knew the final battle had begun.
Upper Rank Two, Douma, had shed all his previous frivolity and was now unleashing his full power with earnest intent.
The pressure Douma exerted in this state was no less than what Sanemi had felt from Kokushibou back then.
The extreme cold and ice particles in the air seared his lungs with every breath.
He had no confidence in slaying the demon before him; perhaps today would mark his final curtain call.
But it didn't matter.
Dying in battle against a demon wasn't a bad end.
The only concern he had left in this world was his stubborn younger brother.
And, if he were to admit one last selfish desire—it would be for Kanae standing behind him.
"Kanae... if we survive today, could you..." Sanemi gritted his teeth to speak these words, but due to Douma's Blood Demon Art, Kanae behind him couldn't hear clearly.
"Shinazugawa-san, what did you say?"
"Nothing... it's nothing..."
Sanemi swallowed back the unspoken words.
If they truly survived, he would definitely confess properly to this girl, and then, mar... no!
This wasn't the time to think about such things!
This was a life-or-death battle.
Sanemi forcibly dispelled the sudden images flooding his mind.
Across from them, the Ice Lotus Bodhisattva behind Douma seemed to have fully come to life, its enormous rainbow-colored glass-like eyes gazing vacantly at the three figures below, like a deity looking down upon ants.
"Having witnessed this touching scene, let us now begin our final farewell," Douma murmured softly, his golden folding fans slowly closing before his chest.
"Sayonara~ I shall fondly remember the taste of your flesh and blood~"
"Stop fucking dreaming!!!"
Sanemi's roar exploded like thunder!
He stomped forward violently, the ice beneath his feet shattering explosively.
His entire body surged into the air, silver-white hair whipping wildly in the turbulent Wind Breathing, the markings on his cheeks burning as if on fire.
"Wind Breathing, Ninth Form: Idaten Typhoon!"
Countless razor-sharp wind blades howled forth!
Ninth Form!
One of Wind Breathing's ultimate techniques, pouring all his strength, rage, and killing intent into the Nichirin Blade in his hand!
Innumerable emerald-green sword lights continuously stacked, eventually forming a giant tornado blade over ten meters in diameter—one, three, five, seven layers... piling up and spinning madly, ultimately coalescing into a spatial-rending tornado hurricane.
Wherever it passed, whether ice crystals on the ceiling or ground were completely torn away and shredded, the icy dust in the air forcibly dispersed.
Even the massive Ice Lotus Bodhisattva seemed to tremble slightly before this raging storm.
A flicker of surprise crossed Douma's eyes and quickly replaced by deeper interest.
"Still have strength to unleash such power? Remarkable humans..."
Before he could finish his words, the tornado hurricane arrived.
BOOM!!!
The Ice Lotus Bodhisattva's raised massive palm collided violently with Sanemi's tornado hurricane!
This was a confrontation between extreme cold and storm.
Ice shards sprayed like torrential rain.
The storm's roar echoed throughout the space.
Two extreme forces savagely tore at and annihilated each other, making even the Infinite Castle space beneath them seem to tremble from these powers!
However, Douma's strength ultimately proved superior.
Though covered in cracks, the Ice Lotus Bodhisattva's massive palm ultimately didn't shatter.
Instead, it exerted sudden force, the erupting cold energy violently dispersing the raging tornado hurricane!
"Pfft!" Sanemi spat blood, his entire body blasted backward by the recoil, crashing hard against a thick ice pillar that shattered upon impact.
But it wasn't over yet—dozens of sharp ice crystal blades shot toward Sanemi like throwing stars!
"Flower Breathing, Third Form: Shadow Plum!"
Countless cherry-red slashes deflected all the ice blades.
This time, it was pale-faced Kanae standing protectively before Sanemi.
"Time and time again, I must say I'm getting rather bored. Let's end this quickly—I'm truly hungry now!"
Uncharacteristically, a hint of impatience crept into Douma's tone as he gazed at the two before him, his eyes revealing irritation for the first time.
But just as he raised his hand to deliver the final blow to the exhausted pair, a sudden sense of alertness surged within him.
"Wait, something's missing... Eh? Where's that short girl?"
Thwump!
A hand with sharp purple claws abruptly pierced through Douma's chest and burst out from his back.
Amid the spray of crimson mist, Douma looked down in stunned disbelief, meeting a pair of cold amethyst eyes and the mocking, fang-baring grin of their owner.
"Surprise, Motherfucker!"