With Upper Moon Two still ahead, the danger was far from over.
Kanae's gaze swept over the Sword before she reversed her grip and handed her Nichirin Sword to Tetsu no Sosuke, simultaneously accepting the new weapon he offered.
The moment she grasped it, she froze.
"So light!"
Inside its scabbard, it felt as if nothing were there at all!
Her hand tightened around the hilt, and the blade slid free, revealing a butterfly-wing-shaped edge.
The widened blade, with its razor-sharp edge, gleamed under the firelight, radiating an indescribable, unrestrained sharpness.
Holding the sword in one hand, a strange sensation surged through kanae once more.
It felt as if she wasn't holding a sword at all, but rather an extension of her own body.
"I forged this blade using a special technique to eliminate its weight, making it a perfect match for you. The blade's shape was crafted after observing your sword technique, deliberately forged into its current form. Its true brilliance will reveal itself to you gradually in battle!"
Sosuke suddenly noticed the blade's color was gradually changing.
It was transforming into a clear, vibrant blue!
Yet within this blue, streaks of red spread like burning flames, gradually covering the entire blade.
As the two colors alternated, and the blade fully turned blue, the scattered, star-like red patterns that had spread across its surface quietly vanished.
"This exceeds my wildest imagination!"
Kanae held the sword before her, her expression focused. "You all, fall back," she commanded.
Sosuke took a deep breath, showing no hesitation as he slowly retreated, his eyes fixed on Upper Moon Two. "Be careful of his Blood Demon Art," he warned. "He can diffuse his blood into the air, which carries freezing energy. Inhaling it will destroy your internal organs."
"You seem to know quite a bit," the man across from him remarked, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Have we met before?"
Sosuke didn't answer, his body already far away.
"Elder Sister!" Shinobu tried to protest, but Kanae smiled gently at her. "Listen to me."
Though reluctant, Shinobu could only nod.
In a battle between the Nine Pillars and the Upper Moons of the Twelve Kizuki, her current impulsive actions would likely become a burden to her sister's fight.
'That man... he must have thought the same, right?'
Otherwise, why would he have rushed here so urgently, only to silently withdraw? He must have recognized the situation for what it was.
No burdening others—this is a battle where lives are at stake.
"Ara ara, it seems I've been underestimated."
The man... Upper Moon Two of the Twelve Kizuki—Doma!
Smiling, he continued, "I can't just let you go so easily. Though that man looked rather unappetizing, he is a swordsmith after all. The blades that slay demons are forged by their hands. We must kill every one of them we find. As for you two Demon Slayer girls..."
He paused, his smile widening. "You're both simply too beautiful. How could I bear to let such loveliness wither away? Come, merge with me, and I will grant you... eternal life!"
The moment his words fell, Shinobu's pupils constricted sharply.
A frigid wind, laced with invisible blades and suffocating frost, swept toward them with blinding speed. In an instant, it was upon them!
'I need to dodge!'
She couldn't!
But in that split second, like the flutter of butterfly wings, a swirling blade of light scattered a rain of petals across the sky, followed by a series of clashing sounds.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In a flash, Shinobu regained her senses to find her elder sister standing right before her.
Gritting her teeth, she remained silent. The battle had begun, and she couldn't risk distracting her sister with words.
With a swift step, she retreated over ten meters, landing precisely beside Sosuke.
Simultaneously, Doma lightly wiped his cheek, leaving a smear of crimson.
A hint of surprise flickered in his eyes. Injured?
Looking up, his radiant smile remained genuine. "Such a sharp sword technique! You truly amaze me."
Kanae's face still held a trace of astonishment.
'He's Fast!'
'Faster than I imagined!'
'This Sword, combined with the Breath of the Flower sword technique, seemed to possess a unique magic.'
Movements she could already perform became faster, more urgent, and most importantly... it was incredibly light!
'This could work! This blade, when used with my sword techniques, might create unimaginable miracles!'
Kanae's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Doma. In the next moment, a blizzard of flower petals filled the air!
Sosuke stood silently, his expression unreadable.
His capabilities were ultimately limited. He could deliver the new Nichirin Sword, and then... all he could do was wait.
This was far from comforting. His heart felt like it had been thrown into a furnace, repeatedly scorched, an unbearable torment.
Shinobu glanced at him and said softly, "The Kasugai Crow has already sent the message. Reinforcements will arrive soon. Elder Sister will be fine. Don't worry."
Sosuke nodded slightly, but his eyes betrayed no sign of reassurance.
Shinobu shared the same anxiety.
For a moment, they could only remain in tense silence.
Suddenly, a deafening crash erupted. The wall to their left shattered as if it had been fed into a pulverizer, instantly reduced to rubble.
Doma, drenched in blood, burst through the gaping hole. He covered the dozen meters between them in a flash, his iron fans whirling with deadly grace. The icy chill they carried pierced the heart and lungs as he lunged straight for Shinobu.
The sudden turn of events happened in an instant, perhaps less than a second.
Shinobu's eyes froze in shock as she watched the iron fan descend, unable to react.
'There's no time to react!'
Blood surged into her skull like erupting magma. Sosuke, already attuned to Sun Breathing, yanked Shinobu out of the way, inadvertently placing himself within Doma's attack range.
'Can I reach for the hammer?'
'No it's too late!'
'I need to dodge!'
At the last possible moment, he twisted his body aside, but an icy chill sliced across his left arm.
'I couldn't completely dodge it!'
'But at least I avoided a fatal blow!'
This was only the beginning. Nine consecutive strikes followed—Blood Demon Art: Barren Hanging Garden!
Sosuke's body burned from within. All thoughts vanished, leaving only one: Dodge!
He had no time to ponder why Doma had suddenly attacked.
Or what had happened to Kanae.
He could only dodge and weave through the nearly invisible attacks, darting left and right, lunging forward and leaping back.
When Doma's assault finally ceased, his eyes widened in bewilderment. "Are you really just a swordsmith? How did you evade all that?"
He dodged it all!
Sosuke was equally astonished, but at that moment, the blood around him erupted in a sudden burst.
His left arm, chest, right leg, face, neck, and back—every part of his body was riddled with wounds!
"Good, good... I was worried swordsmiths might all be swordsmen too. With injuries like these, you won't be able to move, will you? Well, I prefer eating women, but given your special status, I'll devour you completely later. Don't worry."
Dma seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but a frantic shout echoed from above.
"Sosuke!!!"
Doma turned to see Kanae, radiating freezing air, burst from the roof of the mansion, followed by an ice-sculpted puppet.
"Oh? Your composure is faltering. It seems this Swordsmith means quite a bit to you. A good bet, indeed..."
He trailed off, sensing something amiss. He whipped around to find the blood-soaked man suddenly wielding an iron hammer.
Sun Breathing—First Form: Gale Sun!
"Where are you looking?!"