27 Uppermoon 2

"Hmmmm!!" Doma stretched his hands nonchalantly as he rose from his spot, "Hold on, give me a moment," he said in a calm voice not even paying attention to the two slayers, picking up a crown, placing it atop his head and adjusting it with a pleased expression.

When he turned back to the two, a teasing smile appeared on his lips. Kanae's face was visibly distressed, while Giyu's remained as stern as ever, a striking contrast to Doma's carefree attitude.

"Where were we?" He paused in thought. "Ah, right, aren't there supposed to be two girls?" Doma asked suddenly, his tone puzzled as he stared directly at Kanae. She felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

Before she could react further, Doma's figure vanished. "Could you please answer? Where is your friend?" His speed was blinding, and Kanae's instincts kicked in. She slashed forward just as the tall shadow loomed over her small figure.

Doma's eyes widened, impressed, as a thin cut appeared on his cheek. Although he had tilted his head back, he was still hit. A regular Slayer could have never done that, even if it was a surprise attack. "Fascinating speed! You must be a Hashira," he said with an amused grin. His large hand darted forward, moving even faster this time, gripping Kanae's blade before she could pull it back. "What a beautiful blade. Let me take a closer look—"

SLASH!

Before Doma could finish his sentence, his hand was severed cleanly, flying off in a spray of blood. With her blade free, Kanae took a few steps back. Giyu now stood between them, his expression serious, the slayer mark that had long been active now blazing with a fierce intensity. His wide eyes were fixed on Doma's body, as if piercing through his very being.

"Don't interrupt. It's rude," Doma complained with a playful pout, as his severed hand regenerated effortlessly. He reached into his robe, pulling out a gleaming golden fan. Without warning, he slashed it through the air, aiming directly at Giyu's head.

CLANG!

Giyu's sword reverberated upon contact with the fan, though he stood firm, unfazed by the force behind it. Lowering his stance, Giyu shifted his blade downward, letting Doma's attack sail harmlessly past him.

'Fourth Form: Striking Tide.'

Giyu's blade moved seamlessly in multiple slashes, each one precise and powerful, cutting into Doma's flesh and leaving a deep cut on his leg, Doma merely laughed, his wound closing in an instant as the battle continued. The demon's fan collided with Giyu's blade, each clash sending shockwaves through the air, while the temperature in the room gradually dropped, a creeping chill seeping into the atmosphere.

Giyu felt the air around them grow more suffocating, harder to breathe. A deep cold began creeping up his body. He leaped backward, recognizing the chilling mist surrounding Doma as dangerous.

"Tomioka!" Kanae's voice called out as Giyu landed beside her. His attention shifted to his own body, noticing small changes, his organs functioning slower than usual. It wasn't enough to hinder him yet, but he could feel his heartbeat slowing down, as if he were slowly freezing from the inside.

The mist Doma emitted filled the room like a fog, dense and suffocating. "We can't face him in a confined space." Giyu concluded

"Kocho, try not to inhale too much of the air around him," Giyu warned in his calm, measured tone. Kanae nodded, but both of them instinctively stepped back as they sensed the ominous chill intensify.

Raising his hand high, Doma twirled his fan with a twisted smile. "Two Hashiras at once... This is a first. Please, go easy on me." His voice remained light, almost joyful, as if the fight were a game to him.

'Freezing Clouds.' Doma lowered the fan.

The cold air surged toward them in a powerful wave. Kanae felt the wall against her back and saw no way to escape. Her expression hardened, bracing for impact, but once again, Giyu was already moving, now standing in front of her, his sword pointing toward the ground, his presence almost unnoticeable.

"lull," Giyu murmured, his voice calm, almost detached, as the storm of cold raged around them. The floor beneath them cracked, ice crawling up the walls, but a perfect circle of safety surrounded Giyu and Kanae. The section of the room they stood in remained untouched, shielded from the icy assault. Giyu winced slightly—though he had blocked the attack, his sword was now coated in a thin layer of ice, and his eyes stung from the frozen particles floating in the air.

Kanae grabbed his arm, worried, her grip firm, as they glanced toward the doorway where Doma stood, blocking their escape. His fan swirled idly in his hand as he smiled at them.

"Wow!" Doma remarked. "I've never met a slayer who can completely block that attack." But before he could speak further, Giyu and Kanae were upon him, moving at blinding speed. The ice layer under Giyu's feet broke due to his sudden movement. Giyu knew he couldn't afford a prolonged fight, not in this environment where the cold was steadily slowing him down, and the walls restricted their mobility.

Doma's fan and Giyu's blade clashed again as Kanae, in perfect sync, appeared behind Douma, her sword dancing through the air aimed for his neck. "Flower Breathing: Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo."

Her strike landed, but it barely cut through. Ice had already formed over Doma's skin, spreading to her sword. Kanae grit her teeth, straining to pull her blade free, just managing to retrieve it as Doma turned toward her with a grin and slashed at her. She narrowly dodged, but a sharp pain flared in her shoulder as the attack grazed her, sending her stumbling backward.

Doma then turned his eyes back to Giyu, only to see his sword aimed at his neck. Sidestepping, he dodged easily, feeling a bit disappointed at the poor form and slow speed.

"You're rushing," Doma said lightly. "Mistakes happen when you rush things." His fan swept forward, creating a deadly arc of freezing air. 'Frozen Lotus.'

"Tomioka!" Kanae cried out in panic, watching helplessly as the attack seemed to slice right through Giyu. But Doma's eyes widened in surprise. Doma's fan sliced through air, encountering almost no resistance, as if he had struck a puddle of water.

'Water Breathing: Twelfth Form: Vivid Splash Burst.'

Giyu's body blurred like water, splashing away from Doma's strike before reforming behind the demon, his blade already passing his head. Doma couldn't even react, his head was severed from his shoulders in one clean cut. "You are the only mistake here." Giyu spoke with annoyance at the demon's tone, already fed up with his constant chatter.

"What...?" Doma muttered, bewildered as his head flew through the air. His hands moved on instinct, trying to recover it. 'I got cut?' He was still in disbelief at the unexpected outcome.

"Don't stop!" Giyu shouted, remembering how an Upper Moon could survive even after their head was severed. He tightened his grip on his sword, ready to strike again, but his legs needed a second to recover. Kanae heard his shout, she appeared near them and her blade flashed, severing Doma's hands before they could grab the falling head.

But suddenly, a dangerous cold filled the room, the air thick with deadly frost. 'Rime — Water Lily Bodhisattva.' The words escaped Doma's lips just before a massive explosion of cold erupted from his decapitated body, freezing everything in sight.