"Ah~"
"That must be Kotoha~"
"You look almost exactly like her, so she must be your mother."
"Your mother often held you and sang songs~"
Inosuke froze for a moment. Douma's golden fan attacked him, but Tanjirou blocked it, and Uzui Tengen swung his two nichirin blades to parry.
Douma laughed and countered, still having the leisure to recall past events.
He remembered a 15-16 year old girl many years ago who, holding a baby, found him on a snowy night, and he, being kind, took her in.
The woman was silly, but very interesting, so he didn't plan to eat her, intending to keep her until her natural death. He didn't expect her to discover that he ate his followers.
The woman's unintelligent mind wouldn't listen to anything he said, and she ran away with the baby.
A woman flashed through Inosuke's mind. She called to him gently, humming a tune in a soft voice, and kissed his cheek.
"Inosuke..." Tanjirou looked at him worriedly. It was the first time he had seen such a vulnerable side of Inosuke.
On the other side, Douma continued, "Your mother later ran away. She threw you off a cliff before I killed her. I didn't expect you to still be alive~"
In his blurry memory, the woman threw him off a cliff, tears streaming down her face. Inosuke heard her voice.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Inosuke."
"You must survive on your own..."
My heart hurts so much. Mother?
That was his mother!
Inosuke, kneeling on the ground, could no longer hold back his tears. So he had a mother, and his mother was someone who loved him very much.
"But don't worry, I ate her until not a single bone was left~"
"Shut up, you beast!"
Uzui Tengen roared.
Sound Breathing, Fifth Form: String Performance!
The rapidly spinning nichirin blades created an explosion that blew away Douma's frozen clouds. Uzui Tengen's body was now extensively frostbitten. After prolonged close-range contact, his eyeballs were dry, as if about to shatter, and his body was incredibly stiff, having lost its original speed. He was constantly being pricked by ice thorns, covered in wounds.
Hearing that Douma had eaten his mother, Inosuke could no longer restrain himself. His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulged all over his body, and he gripped his nichirin blades tightly.
"I'll cut you down!"
Beast Breathing, Eighth Fang: Explosive Rush!
Inosuke, overwhelmed with anger, made no defenses, ignored all attacks, and charged straight at Douma recklessly.
Ice vines scraped his arms, and ice mist sprayed onto his exposed skin, causing large areas of freezing. Inosuke paid no attention; he now had only one goal.
That was to avenge his mother!
"Inosuke! Don't be reckless!"
Tanjirou saw that his dissuasion was useless. Mr. Uzui was in a tough fight and was about to give out, and Yoizumi-nii had just suffered serious injuries and needed time to recover.
Tanjirou took a deep breath. He couldn't sit idly by. He couldn't absorb the ice mist into his body, or he would truly be helpless.
Get close to him, approach him, create an opportunity for everyone!
Tanjirou's expression was resolute. The side effects of the Hinokami Kagura he had used earlier, after the teachings of Mr. Rengoku and Yoizumi-nii, no longer left him unable to move as before.
How many more times could he use it?
Tanjirou didn't know, but as long as he could move, he would fight!
"Hiss..."
A large amount of air rushed into his lungs. With that breath, Tanjirou moved. He pushed off the ground, causing the dirt to indent and dust to fly, and charged towards Douma in coordination with Inosuke.
Uzui Tengen threw black projectiles, which collided with Douma's ice mist, resulting in a resounding explosion. Douma was enveloped in white smoke, and being confident, he stood nonchalantly in the mist.
The two weak humans were like ants to him. Now that two ants had crawled over, did he need to make way for them?
Ridiculous~
But there was someone even faster, and that was Agatsuma Zenitsu.
A lightning flash even more dazzling than before appeared again, illuminating the entire dark street. A huge thunderclap echoed throughout the Red-light district.
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash - Godspeed!
The ultimate Thunderclap and Flash, the fastest flash, greatly increased the power and speed of the slash, but consumed a tremendous amount of energy.
Douma was instantly sent flying high into the sky. Even he couldn't react, his rainbow-like eyes wide. Agatsuma Zenitsu's hind legs were bleeding; he could only perform Godspeed a maximum of twice.
Douma was still flying upwards due to the impact. His Blood Demon Art: Lotus Leaf Ice struck Zenitsu directly, and Zenitsu plummeted downwards at high speed.
Blood splattered, sweat dripped from his forehead.
Please, Tanjirou, Inosuke!
Tanjirou suddenly appeared before Douma. Douma turned his golden fan to strike, wondering how Tanjirou would dodge in mid-air. This time, the strike was aimed at Tanjirou's neck. The moment it hit, Tanjirou's figure became ethereal and vanished into thin air.
Hinokami Kagura, Fourth Form: Fake Rainbow.
"?"
Vanished?
Hinokami Kagura, Sixth Form: Burning Bones, Summer Sun!
Tanjirou appeared behind Douma, wielding his nichirin blade in a spinning, fiery slash like the sun. The attack, which should have been aimed at his head, struck Douma's back. If he hadn't reacted in time, his head would have been pierced by ice thorns!
His back was scorching hot, the sun-like burning sensation made Douma grit his teeth in pain. What was going on? This strange pain, the wound couldn't regenerate?!
Experiencing such vivid pain for the first time, Douma was momentarily dazed.
Beast Breathing, Third Fang: Devouring Rush!
Inosuke jumped forcefully from the ground. Douma's small ice figures used Manrenge to grab his hind legs. Douma smiled, this distance could be cut... "Hmph..."
Beast Breathing, Ninth Fang: Winding Slashes!
Inosuke's highly flexible body actually dislocated his own joints instantly, increasing his attack range. Ultimately, the distance was not enough, only scratching Douma's neck.
He almost died just now?
Almost died?!
Douma was somewhat incredulous. Such weak humans could actually threaten his life!
His heart, which had been perpetually dead, began to beat violently.
He kicked Tanjirou, who was behind him, sending him flying. The sound of bones shattering indicated Tanjirou's ribs had broken.
Inosuke, whose hind legs were entangled by ice vines, was flung into the ruins of a house.
Very good, very good indeed.
Douma's face darkened. Too much time had passed, and he had played enough. It was time to end this farce.
Had that white-haired man finally fallen?
Uzui Tengen lay sprawled on the ground not far away. Douma sensed that his heart had stopped. He knew it.
After prolonged close contact with him, the ice mist had long been inhaled into his internal organs, and he had used so many Breathing Forms. He should have died long ago.
Now Douma looked at Yoizumi, who had reappeared before him.
Now there's only you left.
What should I do~
Douma smiled provocatively.
He didn't even put Shinobu in his eyes; her poison had no effect on him.
"Let's compare again. Which is more powerful, your snow or my ice!"
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