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"Today's definitely not going to be peaceful." After that philosophical observation, Kaidō prepared to head back to Corps Headquarters.
Passing through a village after nightfall, an uneasy feeling gnawed at his gut.
"What's going on? Why do I feel so on edge? Is something about to happen?"
The closer he got to the village, the stronger the sensation became—like standing in a pitch-black room, surrounded by invisible threats.
"Something's wrong. It's too quiet. Just like last time. Something's definitely going down."
"Dragon Breathing, First Form: Dragon's Breath."
The unnatural silence forced Kaidō onto high alert. He activated Dragon's Breath immediately, readying himself for whatever came next.
"Kuroha! Scout from above!"
"CAW CAW! Got it!" The crow took flight, circling overhead.
"Please let this just be paranoia."
A voice rang out from behind him—cheerful, dissonant with the oppressive atmosphere.
"Hello there, beautiful young lady! It's awfully dangerous to be out this late. Would you like some help?"
Kaidō reacted instantly, leaping sideways to create distance. When he got a clear look at the speaker, his entire body tensed. Cold sweat trickled down his spine.
White-oak hair. Rainbow-colored eyes. The top of his head looked like someone had dumped blood over it. An easygoing smile plastered across his face, voice smooth and gentle. The kanji for Upper Rank Two carved into both eyes.
Kaidō knew exactly who this was.
"Upper Rank Two—Doma."
"Oh my! Someone actually knows my name! How surprising!" Doma's smile widened, as if being recognized was the most shocking thing in the world.
Even as a human, Doma had been incapable of understanding emotions. He'd lived his entire childhood without experiencing joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness. Love and hate were foreign concepts. Unlike other demons whose personalities warped after transformation, Doma's psyche had been twisted from birth.
Raised as a vessel for people to unload their suffering onto, he'd developed a disturbing philosophy: death was salvation for humanity.
As a demon, he particularly enjoyed devouring young women, calling it "salvation" and claiming those he ate would achieve eternal life through him. He believed women possessed superior nutrients due to their ability to bear children, and couldn't understand why Akaza refused to eat females.
He didn't believe in gods. Possessed a childish, playful streak. Would deliberately hold back in combat—partly to gather intelligence on Breathing Styles, partly to toy with opponents and gauge their strength.
"Oh? You're actually a boy? How disappointing! If you were a girl, you could've achieved eternal life with me! You're a Demon Slayer, aren't you? Hey, hey—tell me your name..." Doma kept chattering, growing more enthusiastic with every word.
'I can't believe I ran into an Upper Rank. Just his presence alone is suffocating. Doma's no pushover—his attacks carry ice poison. Gotta be careful. Hope Kuroha can alert the other Hashira in time!'
Kaidō lowered his fox mask over his face and pulled his greatsword from the system inventory.
"Whoa! What kind of trick was that?! How fascinating! Can you teach me how to do it?" Doma's curiosity was almost childlike.
"Dragon Breathing, Fifth Form: Violent Tempest!"
After two Body Reinforcement enhancements, Kaidō could now unleash nearly two hundred blade projections. The barrage shot toward Doma.
"Blood Demon Art: Crystalline Divine Child!"
Five ice puppets materialized—miniature replicas of Doma himself. Despite their small size, they possessed formidable combat ability and could even use Blood Demon Arts with power matching the original.
CRASH! BANG! BOOM!
The two hundred blade projections destroyed three puppets. The remaining two charged forward.
"Blood Demon Art: Scattering Lotuses!"
The ice puppets swung their fans, scattering countless tiny ice flowers. Each petal was razor-sharp, cutting through the air toward Kaidō.
"Dragon Breathing, Fourth Form: Coiling Dragon!"
Recognizing the danger, Kaidō immediately switched to defense. He gripped his sword handle with both hands, planting the blade's tip into the ground. A translucent barrier formed around him, blocking the puppets' assault.
THUD THUD THUD!
"Damn—too strong!" The relentless barrage shattered his defense. The two ice puppets lunged forward.
"You think I'm easy prey?! Dragon Breathing, Third Form: Divine Dragon's Tail!"
A massive fan-shaped wave of force swept forward, obliterating the last two puppets. The residual energy continued toward Doma himself.
Doma's smile never faltered. He swung his iron fans casually, dispersing the attack.
CLANG!
"Wow, impressive! You can hit me from that distance? You really are different. You're a Hashira, aren't you? Though you look so young!"
His grin widened. "But you're quite interesting. I think I'll play with you for a while!"
"Blood Demon Art: Creeping Lotuses!"
Multiple ice vines covered in frozen lotus flowers erupted from the ground, attempting to bind Kaidō.
"Dragon Breathing, Fifth Form: Violent Tempest!"
Kaidō used the Fifth Form again to counter Doma's technique. But he understood—Doma was just toying with him, testing his abilities. If Doma got serious, he'd already be dead.
CRASH!
Though the ice vines shattered, fragments of ice sliced into his exposed legs and hands. A thin layer of frost immediately formed on his skin.
"Oh dear, my ice is poisonous, you know. I wonder how long you can last?"
I need to get close to decapitate him. But I have to watch out for his ice mist—it's lethal. Kanae Kocho inhaled it and her lungs necrotized. If she hadn't lasted until dawn, there wouldn't even have been a body left.
"Dragon Breathing, Ninth Form: Cyclone Pierce!"
Kaidō launched himself forward in a high-speed drilling motion. Doma couldn't react in time. He barely managed to twist his body, but the technique still severed one of his arms.
"I can do this. But it's not enough—I have to decapitate him!"
"Dragon Breathing, Second Form: Dragon Claw!"
After the pierce, Kaidō spun and leapt into the air, bringing his blade down in a devastating overhead slash aimed at Doma's neck.
After losing an arm, Doma looked momentarily surprised. He turned, searching for his opponent.
"Huh? Where'd he— Wait, above!"
A vicious strike descended from overhead, aimed directly at his face.
"Blood Demon Art: Withering Frozen Garden!"
Doma swung his fans in a nine-strike combo infused with frost, neutralizing Kaidō's attack and sending him flying backward.
"Guh!" Kaidō hit the ground hard, coughing up blood that dripped from beneath his mask.
"Damn it... still not enough? Am I really going to die here? No! I still have things I need to do! I have to go home and see my mother and my sister! I can't die here—I refuse to give up!"
Using his greatsword as support, Kaidō forced himself upright.
"Mark—activate!"
The dragon-shaped mark on his forehead blazed blood-red beneath his mask. Power flooded through his body—strength, speed, reflexes all amplified dramatically.
Doma felt the shift in Kaidō's aura. A strange sound echoed in his ears—something he couldn't identify. For the first time, Doma felt a flicker of fear. His playful demeanor vanished. Time to get serious.
...
Meanwhile
Kuroha raced toward the nearest Hashira at maximum speed.
"CAW! Northeast! Northeast! Dragon Hashira Ryūjin Kaidō fighting Upper Rank demon! Reinforcements needed! CAW CAW!"
Obanai Iguro, closest to the location, immediately changed course. Not far behind, Kyojuro Rengoku heard the alert and also rushed to provide support.
"Don't you dare die, kid! You still need to attend my wedding with Mitsuri! You can't die—hold on! Whatever you do, don't die!" Obanai's thoughts raced as he pushed himself faster.
After that heart-to-heart with Kaidō, Obanai had finally worked up the courage to confess to Mitsuri. To his shock, she'd accepted immediately—said she wanted to be with him, to become his bride.
Kaidō's "assist" had been instrumental, of course. Obanai's gratitude toward the younger Hashira had skyrocketed. He'd been planning to treat Kaidō to a proper thank-you meal, but the Dragon Hashira was always either killing demons or traveling to kill more demons. The dinner had been postponed indefinitely.
...
"Guh!" More blood dripped from Kaidō's mask.
Cough, cough.
Even with the Demon Slayer Mark active, he was still injured. Doma's poisoned attacks had left multiple wounds on his body, each one covered in a thin layer of ice.
"My, my! You're quite impressive! To last this long under my assault! I remember a girl who did something similar—held out until dawn. Unfortunately, I couldn't make her one with me to enjoy eternal life. But looking at you... well, you'd be delicious too!"
Kaidō slowly raised his left hand and flipped Doma off. "You're absolutely insufferable. I bet you get punched in the face constantly but still think you're popular. Also, you're a total creep!"
Doma didn't understand the gesture, but it made him inexplicably annoyed. Still, his smile remained. "Oh, but I am very popular! Akaza-dono occasionally greets me by punching me in the face!"
"I wonder if you can keep this up? Blood Demon Art: Freezing Clouds!"
Doma waved his fans, instantly filling the air with countless ice crystals that spread like mist.
Kaidō understood immediately—if he inhaled that poisoned mist, his lungs would necrotize just like Kanae Kocho's. Same fate.
"Looks like I've got no choice. Time to use 'that' technique."
...
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