30 Uppermoon 2 (4)

SLAM! The giant palm of the ice statue crashed into Giyu, the impact creating a spiderweb-like crater beneath him. Doma's smile faltered momentarily, worried he had accidentally turned Giyu's body into a mess and his eyes widening before he spun backward, his fan meeting Giyu's blade with a metallic clang. He laughed, "Wow, I hope you didn't expect me to fall for the same trick twice," he joked as Giyu appeared behind him as if out of thin air.

Giyu narrowed his eyes, feeling a sharp, burning pain in his legs. They had started to feel numb from using his twelfth form, Vivid Splash Burst, repeatedly. His red blade quivered under Doma's overwhelming strength, but Giyu's feet remained planted firmly, refusing to give way, even as they trembled uncontrollably.

Doma's smile widened as Giyu gritted his teeth, leaping backward just as another giant ice palm slammed down where he had stood moments earlier. Doma's head poked out from behind the colossal hand as though playing a mischievous game of hide and seek.

"Frustrating... quit acting like an idiot." Giyu growled, frustration clawing at him. His body was nearing its breaking point, muscles burning with fatigue.

Doma just giggled, as if the fight was nothing more than an amusing game of hide and seek. The sun was almost there, Giyu could feel it approaching, but Doma's casual demeanor made it seem like he didn't care at all.

Giyu's legs slowly regained their strength, and he lunged back into battle. A crushing chop from the ice statue threatened to block his path, but Giyu vanished in a blur, accelerating his speed. "Twelfth Form: Vivid Splash Burst!" His body dissolved into a water splash, bypassing the massive ice hand as it smashed into the ground.

In a flash, Giyu was in front of Doma once again, their weapons clashing with a violent crash. Doma was forced back, his smile faltering for a split second as he realized Giyu had pushed him out of the statue's range. Surprised by the sheer speed of the Slayer, Doma's wicked smile returned as he matched Giyu's assault. Their strikes filled the air, shaking the ground beneath them, but neither gained an edge, both moving at an unbelievable pace.

Suddenly, Giyu sensed a chilling presence behind him, followed by a blast of icy wind. His back seized up as ice rapidly enveloped him. He hadn't anticipated that the statue could attack from such a distance and he was punished for it, its icy breath freezing him in place.

"Yesss! I've finally caught you!" Doma celebrated with a sly grin. But before he could land the final blow, he felt something hit him, the sky began to glow. Sunrise was on the horizon.

Doma's eyes widened as the first rays of sunlight touched his skin, burning it slightly. Though the effect wasn't immediate due to the poor light, he knew his time was up. "How unfortunate," he muttered, casting a glance at the brightening sky. The ice statue, towering high above the treeline, began to melt under the warmth of the sun.

"Looks like we can't play anymore now," Doma said in a falsely sad tone as he turned toward the forest. "I hope we meet again so I can eat you!" He bit his goodbyes.

Giyu, his face twisted in anger, let out a furious scream as he fought to free himself from the ice prison encasing him, not satisfied with the demon escaping.

'What terrible timing,' Doma thought as he quickened his pace toward the shadows. Suddenly, his senses flared. A powerful force slammed into his neck, his eyes widening in shock. He turned to see Giyu's burning red blade slicing into his neck, the metal freezing in response to Doma's body desperately attempting to protect itself.

"AAAAGHHH!" Giyu roared, forcing the blade deeper with all the strength he had left. His legs screamed in agony but GIyu couldn't feel them anymore due to the strain of using the twelfth form yet again to free himself. His breath came in ragged gasps, each movement sending waves of pain through his frozen limbs.

From a distance, Kanae appeared, her voice a frantic scream as she sprinted toward them with all the speed she could muster. Shinobu followed close behind, her face pale with worry.

"Whoa!" Doma exclaimed, dropping his fans as his palm shot forward to catch the blade that had already made it halfway through his neck. His usual playful expression turned serious as more cold emanated from his body, desperately trying to slow the sword's progress.

But Giyu wasn't about to give up. He ignored the cold enveloping him, the ice spreading across his chest and arms, making it impossible to breathe. His strength was leaving him fast, and the mark on his cheek was starting to fade. His heartbeat slowed to a dangerous rhythm, and his once-flaming red blade began to shift back to its original blue hue. Cracks formed along its surface as the freezing temperature took its toll on the weapon.

With a final burst of strength, Doma gripped the blade and snapped it in pieces, though a large part remained embedded in his neck, frozen in place. He didn't bother to remove it as he stepped into the shadows. "Such a rude way to say goodbye" he whispered before disappearing into the dark forest, leaving Giyu frozen in place.

Kanae reached Giyu moments later, her heart racing as she saw the state he was in. "Tomioka-san!" she called out feeling guilty for leaving him, but Giyu's eyes were dull, barely holding onto consciousness. He was shaking uncontrollably from the cold, his body nearly encased in ice. Shinobu arrived shortly after, trembling in fearcas she saw his condition.

***

"Please don't die!" Kanae murmured as she returned to the cult's estate or what remained of it. Her eyes instantly locked on the two distant figures, widening at the sight

Tomioka's blade was halfway through Doma's neck, but Giyu himself was almost completely frozen. Seeing the blade no longer advancing, Kanae knew Giyu had reached his limit. She dashed forward with all her strength, despite the pain wracking her body. The sun was nearly up, and it was the perfect chance to finish the demon. 

But halfway there, her expression shifted to one of warry. Doma had broken through Giyu's blade and disappeared into the forest before she could even blink, moving too fast for her to keep up.

She landed beside Giyu, who was near frozen. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Tomioka-san, don't fall asleep!" she cried out, seeing his fading gaze. He was losing consciousness, and in his condition, it could be fatal. Shinobu, arrived soon after. Together, the sisters desperately did everything in their power to keep him alive.

(Author's note: No chapter tomorrow.)