"This great me won't be defeated so easily!" Inosuke's boar head mask was seeping blood, and his exposed upper body had wounds big and small. He yelled with a rough voice, breaking through the house ruins and leaping out!
"Ah… what the hell is that! So big!"
Inosuke looked up in shock at the giant ice bodhisattva in front of him, then snorted with a grin. The bigger the size, the more valuable it was to be chopped to bits!
Beast Breathing, Fifth Fang: Mad Fang Cleave!
He chopped off the ice vines attacking him from all directions and charged straight towards the ice bodhisattva.
One after another! This was truly annoying for a demon!
Seeing the weak humans he disdained get up again and again, Douma felt a surge of irritation, an unprecedented anxiety occupying his mind.
No! I have to leave!
Standing high up, Douma clearly saw the faint white glow of dawn in the distant sky. The sun was about to rise!
He couldn't prolong the fight. Next time… next time he would definitely kill them!
He controlled the ice bodhisattva's only Buddha hand, bringing its hand blade down on the charging Inosuke.
"Trying to run, are you! You bastard!"
Inosuke cursed, clearly having seen through Douma's intention.
Beast Breathing, Second Fang: Slice and Dice!
He crossed his twin blades and slashed at the Buddha hand above his head. His body was injured, and his strength was insufficient, so he couldn't completely cleave it. Inosuke wasn't flustered at all, because he heard thunder!
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!
After Miss Shinobu's simple bandaging, Zenitsu could move. Golden lightning pierced through the solid ice, and the Buddha hand was successfully cut off.
"You should just keep sleeping!"
Inosuke said to Zenitsu, who kept his eyes tightly shut and paid no attention.
"Let's chop this ice lump to pieces together, Shiyuku!" Inosuke exhaled a large breath from his nose. Zenitsu didn't speak, but he acted.
He bent slightly, his hand on his nichirin blade. Don't worry about the injuries anymore, what's important now is to keep him here!
Control this giant thing, so the Pillars can focus on dealing with Upper Rank Two!
Douma, in the center of the ice lotus of the ice bodhisattva, began to move towards the shadows. The rest could be handled by the ice bodhisattva; he had to quickly get to a place the sun couldn't reach!
"Where are you going?" a soft, chilling voice rang out. Shinobu was above Douma's head, fluttering down like a butterfly. She instantly delivered five consecutive thrusts, striking Douma's chest. The flustered Douma reacted too late, and the golden fan in his hand was knocked away.
At this moment, Douma was still affected by Yoizumi's Fifth Form. Even Shinobu's Butterfly Dance: Caprice, with its lighter thrusts, easily poked ice holes in his chest.
Shinobu used her last bit of strength on the Butterfly Dance, and with sheer willpower, she kicked Douma off the ice lotus.
"Die!"
Falling from a height, Douma's torso broke into two halves. He stared wide-eyed in a daze, unable to comprehend the reckless charge of these people.
After suffering such severe injuries, they should just die obediently!
Why did they get back up!
Tanjirou clutched his chest; his ribs were broken, every movement hurt so much he wanted to scream, but there was no time, he had to get to Miss Shinobu!
He swung his nichirin blade with all his might, slashing at Douma's neck.
Cut it off! Cut it off!
Ice vines wrapped around Tanjirou's arm, and the nichirin blade pressed against Douma's neck couldn't advance an inch further. Douma's body was regenerating, and Tanjirou's sweat dripped continuously, his straining arms trembling violently.
Just a little more! I'll be fully regenerated!
Douma controlled the ice vines, slowly pulling Tanjirou away. In his vision, white ice crystals slowly drifted down, and that striking frosty white reappeared.
Yoizumi used his half-broken nichirin blade to slash at the back of Tanjirou's blade. The two brothers pushed together, and the nichirin blade cut into the neck.
"Swish!"
Douma's head rolled on the ground.
He had been decapitated… how could this be… death… is this lonely feeling?
He couldn't feel anything.
Didn't they say there would be a revolving lantern of memories when one died?
Why didn't he have one?
He had saved so many people, why didn't a single one appear?
Shouldn't they come out and cry for him… His gaze fell on Yoizumi and Tanjirou, who were kneeling not far away.
Tanjirou called out to his Yo-nii.
"Yoizumi-nii! Wake up! The sun is coming!"
He struggled to support Yoizumi's body, wanting to move him away from here, but the side effects of Hinokami Kagura had fully erupted now. Tanjirou truly had no strength to lift Yoizumi.
"Yoizumi!" Shinobu landed on the ground, her slender shoulder supporting Yoizumi's hand, her anxious appearance falling into Douma's eyes.
No one had ever treated him like this.
At least take one with me.
Douma thought.
That way he wouldn't be alone.
Douma activated the ice bodhisattva, and countless cracks appeared on the ice surface.
"Get away! It's going to explode!" Zenitsu shouted.
"Explode?!"
Tanjirou immediately hugged Yoizumi and Shinobu, shielding the unconscious Yoizumi with his body, hoping to reduce the harm Yoizumi would suffer.
"Boom!"
Pink, towering flames enveloped the ice bodhisattva. All the shattered, splashing ice fragments melted into streams of steam.
Nezuko used her Blood Demon Art at the last moment, neutralizing this world-destroying blow.
"Nezuko!" Tanjirou didn't have time to be happy. He hurriedly told Nezuko to take Yoizumi and hide him in the shadows.
Nezuko's small body lifted her Yo-nii, her short legs running extremely fast. She carefully leaned her Yo-nii against a spot untouched by the sun, then squatted beside him, looking at Yoizumi with worry.
Finally, the sun's radiance slowly spread across the land. Douma, still slowly dissipating, could not escape the sun's baptism, accompanied by intense pain.
Upper Rank Two, dead!
..."Yo-nii, don't sleep." Yoizumi heard Takeo's voice.
"Yoizumi-nii, it's time to get up!" Shigeru and Hanako made playful grimaces.
"Yoizumi, you worked hard."
The gentle woman in front of him, Yoizumi recognized her. It was Mother Kie. She gently stroked the top of his head, her soft voice right by his ear, "Everyone is waiting for you to wake up. Go see them quickly."
Wake… wake up… "Yoizumi"
"Yoizumi-nii!"
"Mmm mmm!"
Amidst three worried voices calling out to him, Yoizumi opened his eyes.
"You finally woke up…" Tanjirou cried as he hugged his Yo-nii. They had won and all survived.
Yoizumi raised his hand, just like Kamado Kie had done, stroking the top of Tanjirou's head. Nezuko, displeased, tugged at his other hand, so he placed it on his little sister's head too.
Shinobu smiled watching this scene.
Thankfully, Yoizumi woke up.
"Ah ah ah! Tanjirou!!" A heartbreaking scream from Zenitsu came from afar. Tanjirou wiped away his tears and said to Yoizumi, "I'll go check on Zenitsu and the others."
"Mm." Yoizumi nodded, then Tanjirou limped away.
Now only Nezuko, with her eyes closed and leaning on her Yo-nii's arm, and Yoizumi and Shinobu, looking at each other, remained.
"We won." Yoizumi said.
"Yes… we did." Shinobu said with a smile, her eyes moist, tears sliding down her cheeks.
Strange.
It was a happy occasion, yet the tears wouldn't stop.
Ah… Yoizumi looked at Shinobu, flustered and at a loss. Why was she crying? Was she hurting somewhere?
Tiny white flakes drifted down from above. Yoizumi raised his hand to catch one.
It was snow.
"Shinobu… it's snowing."
Hearing this, Shinobu lifted her red-rimmed eyes. White snow was falling profusely.
Sunshower… A hand gently brushed away the white snow from her temple. Shinobu looked at the owner of this hand, her eyes reflecting his gentle smile and eyes so tender they almost melted her.
"Shinobu, winter is here."
(Hehe, the last sentence corresponds to an earlier chapter, does everyone know which one?)
(No-prize guessing game ❛‿˂̵✧)
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