The demon moved again, and this time there was no playful testing—only lethal intent.
Doma closed the distance in a blur, his fans arcing toward Ishida from two different angles simultaneously. Ishida's blade came up, deflecting the first strike with a shower of sparks, but the second forced him to twist his entire body to avoid being cleaved in half.
"Frozen Lotus!" Doma's voice rang out cheerfully as massive ice structures erupted from the ground beneath Ishida's feet.
Ishida launched himself upward, using the momentum to flip over the crystalline formations. Mid-air, he angled his blade downward.
"Moon Breathing, Tenth Form: Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo Leaves!"
Three layered slashes descended in rapid succession, each one drilling through the air with devastating force. The attacks shattered Doma's ice constructs and continued toward the demon himself.
Doma's fans came up in a cross-guard, catching the full force of the technique. The impact created a shockwave that tore through the surrounding trees, sending splinters of wood and ice flying in all directions.
[Fatigue: 19/100]
Ishida landed in a crouch, immediately springing forward again. He couldn't give Doma time to breathe, couldn't let him establish distance for his long-range techniques.
"Moon Breathing, Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail!"
His movements became fluid and unpredictable, following dragon-like patterns as he closed in. The curved attack trajectories made his strikes nearly impossible to predict, each one coming from unexpected angles.
"Oh my!" Doma laughed, genuinely delighted as he defended against the onslaught. "You're not giving me any room to work! How rude!"
Despite his playful tone, Ishida noticed the demon was being forced onto the defensive. His fans moved in complex patterns, barely managing to deflect each strike. But there—a gap in his guard, just for a fraction of a second.
Ishida's eyes locked onto it, his entire body coiling like a spring. This was the opening he needed.
"Moon Breathing, Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half Moon!"
Multiple curved slashes unleashed in rapid succession, each one building on the last. The technique was designed specifically for breaking through defenses, and Ishida poured everything into it. His blade became a storm of crescents, each one aimed at that momentary weakness in Doma's guard.
For the first time, genuine surprise flashed across the demon's face.
One of the slashes broke through, carving a deep gash across Doma's chest. Dark blood sprayed, and Ishida pressed his advantage, his blade already moving for the neck—
"Barren Hanging Garden!"
The air itself seemed to freeze. Massive ice sculptures erupted in every direction, forming an intricate garden of death. Crystalline flowers, vines, and trees materialized with such speed and density that Ishida had no choice but to break off his attack and defend.
"Moon Breathing, Seventh Form: Mirror of Misfortune, Moonlit!"
Ishida's blade generated powerful shock-wave slashes that collided with the encroaching ice. The resulting explosion of force threw him backward, away from Doma and his deadly garden.
[❤️ HP: 1847/1920]
[Fatigue: 28/100]
Ishida landed hard, skidding across the forest floor. Small cuts covered his arms and face where ice shards had gotten through his defense. His breathing was still controlled, but he could feel the strain building.
'That was close,' he thought, watching as Doma stood in the center of his ice garden. The wound on the demon's chest was already closing, flesh knitting back together with disturbing speed. 'I had him. Just one more second and—'
"That actually hurt!" Doma said, touching the healing wound with fascination. "You really are something special! I can't remember the last time someone drew this much blood from me." His smile widened impossibly. "I'm starting to understand why you're a Hashira at such a young age. You're a prodigy, aren't you?"
From their hiding spot in the distance, Sakura and Kazuki watched in horror and awe.
"He's... he's actually fighting an Upper Moon," Kazuki whispered, his voice shaking. "And holding his own."
"But look," Sakura said quietly, her eyes fixed on the battle. "Every time Ishida lands a hit, it just heals. But Ishida's wounds... they don't."
She was right. While Doma stood unmarked except for the rapidly closing gash, Ishida was accumulating damage—small cuts, bruises, the strain of constant high-level technique usage. It was a war of attrition that only had one possible outcome.
"We have to do something," Kazuki started to rise, but Sakura grabbed his arm.
"And what? Get in his way? We'd just be liabilities." Her grip tightened, frustration evident in her voice. "We're too weak. We can't even sense half of what's happening in that fight."
Back on the battlefield, Doma's ice garden began to recede, the sculptures melting away as if they'd never existed. The demon stepped forward, his fans held casually at his sides.
"You know," Doma said conversationally, "I've been thinking. You're far too talented to waste your life fighting a battle you can't win. Have you ever considered... not being human anymore?"
Ishida's grip on his sword tightened. "What?"
"Become a demon!" Doma spread his arms wide, as if presenting a wonderful gift. "With your current skill and my blood, you'd become extraordinarily powerful. You could protect your friends forever, never grow old, never die. Isn't that what you want? To keep them safe?"
"You're insane."
"Am I?" Doma tilted his head. "Think about it logically. As a human, you'll die tonight. Maybe not by my hand—I'm actually starting to like you—but eventually, one of us demons will kill you. That's the fate of all demon slayers. But as a demon, you could live forever. Continue growing stronger. Isn't that better than dying young?"
[Fatigue: 30/100]
Ishida's breathing remained steady, his eyes never leaving Doma. "I'd rather die human than live as a monster."
"How disappointing." Doma's smile didn't waver, but something cold entered his voice. "And here I thought you were intelligent. Well, if you're so determined to throw your life away..."
The temperature dropped dramatically. Frost began forming on the trees, on the ground, on every surface. Doma's fans began to glow with an ethereal light.
"Let me grant you a beautiful death, at least. You've earned that much."
The demon's killing intent filled the air like a physical force. Even from their distant position, Sakura and Kazuki felt it—a crushing, overwhelming pressure that made breathing difficult.
Ishida adjusted his stance, his sword held ready. His mind raced through calculations, strategies, possibilities. The demon was stronger, faster, and had virtually unlimited stamina. A prolonged fight favored Doma completely.
'I need to end this in one strike,' Ishida thought. 'But to create that opening, I'll need to take risks. Possibly fatal ones.'
His eyes flickered briefly toward where Sakura and Kazuki were hidden, then back to Doma.
'No choice. If I don't stop him here, he'll kill them next. And then countless others.'
Ishida's grip on his sword adjusted slightly, his breathing pattern shifting into a new rhythm. The air around him seemed to shimmer, moonlight gathering along his blade despite the thick forest canopy above.
"Moon Breathing..." he began, his voice low and focused.
Doma's expression shifted, his instincts warning him of danger. "Oh? You're going all out now? How exciting!"
The forest held its breath, two warriors facing each other in the darkness. One a demon of immeasurable power, the other a young Hashira determined to protect those behind him, no matter the cost.
The real battle was about to begin.
[A.N : Powerstones, guys. drop some]