Boom!
An explosion occurred outside a mountain village.
Immediately after, a figure flew backward, and then a tall figure emerged from the village.
The figure that flew back landed on the ground rather messily, like a butterfly with broken wings, raising a cloud of dust.
Kanae knelt on one knee, propping herself up with her sword.
The blood overflowing from the corner of her mouth was very conspicuous.
A man with hair the color of white oak slowly walked out; on his rainbow-colored irises, the left eye was engraved with “Upper Moon”, and the right eye with “Two”.
The newcomer was none other than Upper Moon Two, Douma.
Kanae was in a sorry state; she had never expected to encounter an Upper Moon, especially Upper Moon Two.
Her Kasugai Crow had already transmitted this message.
Now, all she could do was pray that a Hashira from nearby could rush over, or at least stall for time until dawn.
She absolutely could not let this guy escape.
Otherwise, there was no telling how many people would die by his hand.
Douma held a fan in his hand, resting it against his chin, his beautiful eyes fixed on Kanae, then he smiled “gently”.
“Oh my, oh my, I’ve met another beautiful and gentle girl~”
“And Miss, you’re also a Hashira, which makes me even more reluctant to eat you. Become part of my collection~ Miss Hashira, we’ll be together forever, I like you so much~”
Douma looked at Kanae and spoke with “excitement”.
The Kanae before him was an excellent addition to his collection; he desperately wanted to display her in his collection cabinet.
Listening to Douma, Kanae stood up, leaning on her sword, her eyes slowly sharpening, completely devoid of her previous gentle expression.
She looked at Douma before her, gripping her sword with both hands, and said, “I’m sorry, but no, Mr. Demon. This might not go as you wish.”
“Flower Breathing, First Form: Rose Thorn.”
Kanae’s posture was agile, like a rose with dangerous beauty; the blade in her hand transformed into streaks of cold light, thrusting towards Douma.
Douma looked at Kanae charging towards him and “sighed” with emotion, “How amazing, how amazing, I didn’t expect Miss Hashira to be so formidable.”
While speaking, he occasionally used the fan in his hand to block and dodge.
Clang, clang, clang.
The metallic clash of sword and iron fan was quite pleasant to the ear.
“Oh~ Miss Hashira, this makes me love you even more now; I want you to become one with me~”
Douma looked at Kanae, growing more satisfied the more he saw.
At the same time, Douma opened the iron fan in his hand and then waved it towards Kanae.
A cloud of crystalline dust appeared.
“Flower Bre… cough, cough.”
Kanae had just intended to perform Flower Breathing when she felt a stinging pain in her lungs, accompanied by a chilling sensation.
This icy mist was problematic.
Every breath caused pain in her lungs.
Was this the Blood Demon Art of the guy in front of her?
Damn it!
This guy’s ability was entirely designed to counter breathing techniques.
Unfortunately, the message had already left, and this information couldn’t be spread.
Douma slowly walked over, still wearing that “gentle” smile on his face, “Miss Hashira, you can’t escape now.”
“Flower Breathing, Third Form: Plum Blossom Shadow!”
In just an instant, Kanae unleashed a series of slashes, converging into a sphere, the slashes as beautiful as plum petals.
Douma narrowed his eyes slightly; he hadn’t expected this Hashira to still be able to use a breathing technique in this situation.
He liked her even more.
As the sword technique ended.
Kanae covered her mouth with her hand, then began to cough violently.
She saw the blood stained on her hand, and it carried a chill.
Douma fanned himself with his fan, kindly reminding her, “Miss Hashira, if you keep using breathing techniques, your lungs will be frozen, you know~”
“Tha… thanks for the reminder, cough, cough… but I won’t give up.” Kanae coughed a few times, enduring the severe pain in her lungs, gritting her teeth.
With every breath, Kanae’s lungs felt like they were being cut by knives, and she exhaled some cold air, but she still kept her breathing steady.
Douma stood by, smiling.
He was like a top predator in nature, now quietly waiting for his prey to die.
Kanae gripped her Nichirin Blade tightly.
Then she suddenly burst forward, even without the aid of a breathing technique, she would use the Nichirin Blade in her hand to hold back the Upper Moon Demon before her.
The blade in Kanae’s hand gleamed with determined light, cutting straight towards Douma’s neck.
Looking at Kanae charging at him, Douma felt a bit bored.
Too slow.
Everything was still too slow in Douma’s eyes.
Compared to Kokushibo’s sword skills, Kanae’s sword skills were like an infant’s.
“Miss Hashira, our game ends here.”
Saying that, Douma tilted his body slightly, dodging Kanae’s blade, and then delivered a whip kick to Kanae’s abdomen.
The immense force sent Kanae flying backward.
She slammed hard onto the ground, and a pure white card fell out of her clothes.
At this moment, blood slowly flowed from Kanae’s mouth and nostrils; the abdominal injury and lung necrosis made Kanae’s consciousness somewhat blurry.
Douma also slowly walked towards Kanae.
“I’m going to die. I’m a little worried about Shinobu and Kanao. I hope they won’t be too sad.”
“But this is…”
Kanae’s gaze fell upon the card.
This is...
Kanae remembered. This card was something she and her sisters found in the Butterfly Mansion.
The sudden appearance of the card had startled both her and Shinobu.
At first, they thought it was some demon’s Blood Demon Art.
But as the sun rose, this thing didn’t disappear.
The two of them picked up the card and looked at it.
They then learned that it was a card that could summon a demon.
Initially, they didn’t take it seriously.
But even with sword slashes, axe chops, fire, or water, this card couldn’t be damaged in the slightest.
Even if they threw it away, the card would still return home.
This also made the two of them believe that this thing could summon a demon.
However, no one knew the price of summoning a demon.
And if a demon truly was summoned, no one knew how to deal with it.
What if it became a widespread disaster, just like demons?
So Kanae also kept it with her.
This also prevented her sister’s curiosity from acting up.
“A demon, huh.” Kanae murmured to herself.
“Is Miss Hashira saying some last words? You can say them, you know~ I’ll help deliver them.”
Douma squatted beside Kanae and said.
But Kanae seemed not to hear him; she slowly placed her hand over the card.
Inside, she began to pray.
“If a demon truly exists, I beg Mr. Demon to strike down the man-eating demon before me here.”
“I am willing to offer everything I have as the price for the demon’s descent, even my life.”
...
PS: Brothers, I feel like I might not have captured the descriptions of Douma and Kanae well. Just bear with it and read it as it is.