That's cold! I feel like my lungs are about to explode! thought Shinobu, dodging.
"Oh, you're fast, but also pathetic," said Douma. "A thrust can't kill a demon. You have to sever their head."
"I know. Maybe a thurst can't, but what do you think of poison?" said Shinobu. Suddenly, Douma felt the poison all over his body and spat blood.
Soon, I'll know if this poison works on an Upper Rank... thought Shinobu.
"Poison? Sorry, but it seems like I managed to get rid of it!" said Douma. "After all the efforts you made to use it on me... I feel really sorry... why don't you try again, maybe with another type of poison?"
"Yeah, good idea," said Shinobu, preparing the next attack. "I've been waiting for this moment!"
"Your lungs are going gangrenous," said Douma. "After all, you received a hit from my Blood Demon Art..."
Breathing would be dangerous for me... I'll inject quite a bit of poison with multiple attacks... thought Shinobu. "Insect Breathing: Dance of the Dragon Fly -- Compound Eye Hexagon!"
She hit Douma repeatedly.
"You really are fast! Maybe the fastest Hashira I've ever met..." muttered Douma.
Suddenly, Shinobu got hit by the Upper Rank. He... hit me!
The Insect Hashira fell on her knees, coughing.
"You should have aimed to sever my head, instead of poisoning me!" said Douma. "If you were quicker, you'd manage to beat me. Or maybe not, since you're small..."
Why are my hands so small...? Why didn't I grow taller? wondered Shinobu. If I were taller, I'd be able to take the demon's head. Nee-san was fragile; she was taller than me. Honestly, I envy Himejima-san and Goku-kun. When he arrived to save the situation, everyone was relieved. I really need someone to save me now... I know what my sister was about to say that day... that I wouldn't be able to defeat that demon. She tried to say that, but she stopped.
In that moment, Kanae appeared as if by magic. "Get up, I won't allow you to cry. Get up."
Nee-san, I lost too much blood, my left lung is punctured, and I can't breathe... thought Shinobu.
"It doesn't matter. Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho. You can do it, so do your best."
Spurred by the vision of Kanae, Shinobu managed to get up.
"Huh? You can still stand?" asked Douma. "Are you really human?"
"Insect Breathing: Dance of the Centipede -- Hundred-Legged Zigzag!" exclaimed Shinobu, dashing forward.
She's putting so much force that she could destroy a bridge... thought Douma. She's fast! I can't predict her attacks!
Shinobu closed the distance. The Upper Rank swung his fan, attacking Shinobu, but he only hit her haori. It comes from below!
Shinobu's attack landed, and Douma hit the ceiling. Douma's body started to fill with poison.
Once, nee-san said that even if we're weak, if we manage to kill a demon, we can save dozens of people... And if we kill an Upper Moon, we can save hundreds of people... thought the Insect Hashira. Why doesn't the poison work on this guy?
Suddenly, Douma attacked again, and Shinobu hit the floor. Then, Douma grabbed her, as if to hug her.
"Admirable! You tried so hard!" he said, slowly returning to the ceiling. "You're not as strong as your sister, but you did great as a Demon Slayer. It'll be a pleasure to eat you!"
"Go to hell..." muttered Shinobu.
Suddenly, Kanao opened the door and saw the scene. "Sensei!" she screamed, horrified.
But then, when Shinobu was about to be killed, the prince charming arrived
"Sun Breathing: Seventh Form -- Beneficent Radiance."
From up above, Goku arrived, and he quickly cut Douma's arms with his swords.
Huh? Who's this guy? wondered the Upper Rank. Then, Goku flipped and caught the unconscious Shinobu on the fly. He landed on the floor.
"Oh, so you're her ally?" asked Douma, descending on the floor.
Goku did not answer. He just looked at Douma over his shoulder with hatred. "Nobody touches my girl."
"Oh, so she's your girl?" Douma tilted his head. "I didn't know it!"
"Goku-san... Thank goodness, you're here!" said Kanao.
"So, did you come here to fight me?" asked Douma.
"Who said I came here to fight you? I just came here to rescue Shinobu-chan," said Goku. "Kanao-chan, you'll fight him."
"W-what? I have to fight that guy?" repeated Kanao.
"Exactly," said Goku.
"How am I supposed to beat him?" asked Kanao.
"I have a few tricks up my sleeve..." said Goku. In the blink of an eye, Goku threw Shinobu's body in the air, then he extracted his two swords and rushed forward towards Douma, wounding him on the chest with an X-shaped attack. Without wasting time, he stabbed the Upper Rank in the stomach with a poisonous serum. Goku jumped back and regrabbed Shinobu's body with both arms.
"I've wounded him with my two red swords; he won't be able to regenerate for a while," he said. "Or at least, his regeneration is slowed down. I also poisoned him, and he is now severely weakened. You can beat this motherfucker now, Kanao-chan."
"O-okay, I'll try to..." muttered Kanao.
"Now I gotta leave," said Goku. "Defeat him, Kanao-chan."
As Goku was jumping from one building to another, Shinobu slowly opened her eyes. Go... Goku-kun...?
"You're finally awake, Shinobu-chan..." said Goku, stopping on a building and placing Shinobu on the floor.
"What... What did you do...?" asked Shinobu, still confused.
"Nothing, I just saved the girl of my life," said Goku, extracting a medikit.
"B-baka..." muttered Shinobu, blushing.
"Kanao-chan is now fighting that guy... Don't worry, I weakened him with a drug I stole from your laboratory..." said Goku. "These medicines are also stolen by your laboratory, I hope you don't mind."
Shinobu shook her head. "Did you... Did you know about my plan? And you stole things from my laboratory?"
"Yeah, I knew about the plan. I heard it when you told it to Kanao-chan. In my opinion, that's a shitty plan. I couldn't let you die," said Goku, bandaging Shinobu's right arm. "I think the moment to tell you has arrived, Shinobu-chan... since I don't know if I'll come out alive from this place, I don't want to have regrets..."
"What... What do you mean, Goku-kun?" asked Shinobu.
"Shinobu-chan... I like you," Goku confessed. "Or maybe, I should say I love you, at this point. Since our first encounter on Mount Natagumo six months ago. Your presence hit me like a thunderbolt; it was love at first sight. That's why I used to blush around you whenever you were nearby. That's why I came here to save you. Because I wanted to marry you after defeating Muzan, that's all. I don't want you to love me back or reciprocate these feelings; I just want you to understand."
When Goku finished his explanation, Shinobu blushed again. "Baka..." she muttered.
"Ahah, you're embarrassed!" said Goku.
"S-shut up, I'm not embarrassed... I'm just... shaken..." muttered Shinobu, massaging her wounds.
"Thanks to this antidote, you're fully healed now and out of danger," said Goku. "Now let's go, Giyuu is waiting for me..."
"O-okay... Can you carry me? I don't think I'm able to walk yet..." said Shinobu.
She wants me to carry her? Really?
"Fine, I'll carry you. Let's go," said Goku, carrying Shinobu on his shoulders. And then, Goku began to make his way back to Giyuu, after saving the girl he loved from the clutches of death.
Chapter 52 - End