"Ice?"
Shinobu Kocho was bewildered. Was Doma attacking her?
Doma's brow furrowed. '…This ice isn't mine.'
His gaze swept the area, and a sudden sensation made him look up.
"In the sky!"
High above, Esdeath was stepping down on crystalline ice steps.
"So these are demons? How fascinating."
Her eyes were on Doma, her bloodthirsty desire for battle already ignited. Especially after hearing in the chat that demons don't die so easily—what a perfect opportunity for a satisfying slaughter.
"What a lovely lady. You're not human, are you? Might I ask who you are?"
Hiding his face behind his folding fan, Doma's narrowed eyes smiled as he spoke.
Nearby, Shinobu Kocho readied her sword with renewed caution. This newcomer also wielded ice—'could she be another demon?'
"Don't worry," came a voice from beside Shinobu. "She's Esdeath."
"Tatsuki?"
At the sight of him, Shinobu's taut nerves relaxed.
"Esdeath… She must be that battle maniac from the group," she murmured.
Then Shinobu noticed two other figures appearing:
A blue-haired, blue-robed young woman, Aqua, and A woman with a halo shining in the darkness of night, Exusiai.
Exusiai's ring glowed especially bright in this dim setting, drawing everyone's attention.
"Who… are all of you?"
Doma composed himself. These four had shown up so abruptly, and they seemed connected to Shinobu Kocho, yet they didn't look like demons.
"My goddess powers are back!"
Suddenly, Aqua cried out in excitement, closing her eyes as divine light radiated from her body. For this moment, she truly was the Goddess of Water.
"What… what's happening?"
Exposed to Aqua's holy illumination, Doma's body began to disintegrate. He tried to regenerate, but it proved futile. Confused, he dissolved into ash.
"… …"
For a moment, everyone fell silent, all eyes turning to Aqua.
Sensing their stares, Aqua opened her eyes. "Why are you all looking at me? Do you wish to embrace my faith?"
Esdeath's voice was cold as ice. "You stole my prey."
"Huh?"
Aqua looked around, realizing Doma was gone. "Ah…!"
She scratched her head awkwardly and stuck out her tongue. "Cough, I only wanted to test my divine powers. Since that guy was an undead-like creature, my powers just purified him…"
Esdeath wasn't truly angry; if anything, she was more fired up. "A god? Then fight me!"
Tatsuki sighed, annoyance plain in his voice. "Give it a rest. Is this really the time for that?"
"…"
Esdeath blinked. This was the first time anyone had spoken to her like that. Ignoring Esdeath's odd stare, Tatsuki turned to the stunned Shinobu Kocho.
"Shinobu-san, are you okay?"
Shinobu, pulled from her daze, was uncertain what to feel. The demon who killed her sister was now gone. Should she rejoice that her nemesis was dead? Regret not taking revenge herself? Or feel aimless now that her sole purpose was fulfilled?
"I'm all right, Tatsuki-kun," she said, inhaling deeply to steady herself, then bowed slightly to the group. "Thank you all for your help."
Tatsuki shrugged. "I didn't really do anything."
Exusiai also said, "Same here."
In truth, the ones who acted were Esdeath, who just wanted to fight, and Aqua, who just wanted to test her divine powers. Doma simply became collateral damage. But Shinobu insisted.
"Regardless, I'm grateful you came."
Tatsuki nodded. "Anyway, let's talk about our plan for this Apocalypse Journey."
He glanced at the others. "Any thoughts?"
Exusiai lifted her guns and shook her head. "I'll just follow your lead. I'm only here to provide firepower."
Esdeath folded her arms, her expression icy. "We should just kill all the demons."
That suggestion was perfectly in line with her personality: direct and brutal. But Shinobu objected.
"There are far too many demons scattered everywhere. Only by killing Muzan—the Demon King—can we eradicate them all."
Esdeath raised an eyebrow. "Where is this Demon King?"
"We don't know. Our Demon Slayer Corps has existed for a thousand years and still hasn't located Muzan's lair."
If they did know where he was, they'd have attacked long ago.
After a moment's thought, Tatsuki asked, "Aqua, can your divine sense cover an entire planet to find Muzan?"
If her power could envelop this world, the search might be easy.
"Er…" Aqua cringed, forcing a smile. "I tested it. Since it's another world, my faith link still ties me to my original one, limiting my powers. I can only use a fraction of them here."
Tatsuki snorted with contempt. "Some goddess you are. Must be the downside of worship-based power."
"That's just how faith works! Even in another world, I still have to be responsible for my worshippers," Aqua replied, seemingly unashamed. She actually enjoyed it.