[3rd POV]
The battle reached its boiling point.
Doma stepped forward with a serene smile, his ice-laden fans slicing the air in a fatal arc toward Shinobu.
The blow never landed.
A red-and-black blur tore through the space between them.
A sharp gust of unnatural cold swept the room, biting deeper than any winter wind. Shinobu felt herself yanked aside — her world a disorienting whirl of color — before being set down gently.
She blinked up at her savior.
A tall, spectral figure loomed before her, his body faintly translucent, the edges of his form wreathed in a ghostly shimmer. A Nichirin blade, long weathered yet well-kept, rested in his hand.
Doma's smile faltered for the first time.
"Well now… what an odd little spirit," he murmured. "You've ruined my dinner."
Its The Ghost.
Ghost didn't respond. He simply stood between Shinobu and Doma, his presence a suffocating chill — not the frozen air of Doma's ice, but something heavier, deeper… a cold that clung to the soul.
Doma tilted his head, fans flicking.
A volley of razor-sharp ice shards screamed through the air.
Ghost didn't dodge.
The shards passed through him as if striking smoke, embedding harmlessly into the wall behind.
"…Fascinating," Doma said, his tone sharpening with curiosity. "Could it be? The Ghost… the Upper Moon who fled from Lord Muzan's grasp. It's an honor to meet you."
Ghost said nothing — only moved.
One step and he was upon Doma, blade swinging with bone-cracking force. The strike bit deep, and for a fleeting second, Doma's smile cracked into genuine surprise.
A visible shiver ran through him.
"What… was that? Cold? I haven't felt cold in centuries!"
His eyes narrowed, and the playfulness in his face drained away. "Very well. No more games."
From the corner, Shinobu struggled to stay conscious. She didn't know who — or what — this "Ghost" was, but right now, she had no choice but to trust him.
The door burst open.
"Kanao!" Shinobu gasped as her Tsuguko entered.
Kanao darted to her side, but the sight of two demons locked in combat made her grip her sword. She moved to join the fight —
"Stay back unless you have a death wish!" Ghost barked without turning. "Protect the injured one."
Kanao froze, startled. She glanced at Shinobu.
"…Do as he says," Shinobu breathed.
A flutter of wings split the moment.
"Lord Giyu and Tanjiro have defeated Upper Moon Three — Akaza!" the Kasugai crow cried.
Doma chuckled. "Akaza's dead? I felt him for a heartbeat earlier… oh well. At least I don't have to talk to him anymore."
With a sweep of his fans, Doma conjured his Bodhisattva Ice Statue — a towering figure exhaling waves of deathly frost. The very air crystallized, the breath in human lungs threatened to freeze solid.
Ghost stood unflinching.
In the blink of an eye, he leapt — blade cleaving through the statue like it was brittle glass. Shards of ice exploded around them, glinting in the dim light.
"You're strong," Doma admitted, voice tinged with excitement. "Stronger than I expected. But why not use your Blood Demon Art? I want to see it."
"I don't need it to kill you," Ghost said flatly.
And he didn't add — Eternal Nightmare would barely work on someone so strong as Doma. Wasting the energy would be foolish.
The room became a whirlwind of clashing forces, Doma's shimmering, life-draining frost against Ghost's shadowed, soul-chilling strikes.
Then — a crash from above.
"OUT OF THE WAY! LORD INOSUKE IS COMING!"
The ceiling caved, and Inosuke landed with wild energy. He squinted at Doma. "Two! Ha! Your secret's out, weirdo — the crow was right!"
"I don't really hide it, though" Doma replied dryly.
Inosuke's gaze shifted to Ghost. "Oi, are you an Upper Moon too? Can't even see your eyes under that creepy mask—"
"Shut up, you dumb boar," Ghost snapped. "Stay back. He'll tear you apart."
"No way! I came to beat an Upper Moon, and maybe you should back down — you don't look that strong anyway—"
"Apologies, Ghost-dono," Doma interrupted with a sigh, "but this one's interrupting."
With a flick of his fans, he unleashed a blistering wave of ice toward Inosuke — too fast to evade.
To Be Continued…