Giyuu heard Douma's words and strongly disagreed. Although Kochou Shinobu's words had made him slightly doubtful just now, he believed he was far from being disliked by his companions.
Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide.
While retorting verbally, Giyuu swung his Nichirin Sword forward, launching a multi-stage attack like a tide towards Douma.
Blood Demon Art: Withered Garden Hanging Snow.
Facing Giyuu's attack, Douma waved his two iron fans, and continuous slashes mixed with frost blocked all of Giyuu's attacks. The cold air spread to Giyuu's arm, condensing a layer of frost on it.
"How pitiful, to not even know he's disliked, and to be so jealous as to say I'm the one disliked. Seeing you like this almost makes me cry with sympathy~"
Douma looked at Giyuu with feigned sadness, and two tears actually fell from his eyes.
In its view, Giyuu was escaping reality, afraid to admit the truth, and even attacking it out of jealousy.
"There's something wrong with your brain, isn't there? Your companion just blew up your head. Could that possibly be a sign of affection? In comparison, my companions often have friendly sparring matches with me.
So, it's you who's disliked."
Although he had already noticed the coldness in his arm, Giyuu remained expressionless, while once again demonstrating his excellent linguistic abilities.
One human and one demon engaged in a dispute over who was disliked by their companions, both believing the other was the disliked one, and that they themselves were clearly loved by all (humans/demons).
Kochou Shinobu, who was fighting Douma's ice clones nearby, felt that the two were quite similar in this regard.
Just as Giyuu and Douma were fighting and bickering, Inosuke, wearing a boar's head mask, also arrived.
"Hmph hahaha! Boar Rush! Half-and-half haori, I'm here to help you too!"
Inosuke shouted, holding two swords, leaping up and then simultaneously slashing at Douma with both swords.
"Beast Breathing, Fourth Fang: Severing Slash!"
The two swords crisscrossed, and multiple slashes simultaneously rushed towards Douma, the cold blade light tinged with a hint of green.
"Ah~ An interesting boy has arrived."
Douma showed a slight surprise at Inosuke's arrival. Waving his iron fans, several ice vines entwined with ice lotus flowers grew from around his body, then wrapped around Giyuu and Inosuke.
"These vines are so annoying! Watch me chop them all to pieces! Beast Breathing, Fifth Fang: Manic Rip!"
Inosuke's airborne figure twisted and swung, his two swords unleashing multiple slashes. The ice vines wrapping around him were chopped into ice shards that fell to the ground.
However, the moment he landed, a sharp iron fan swept towards his head.
The bare-chested Inosuke instantly sensed Douma's attack, leaning his upper body back, his head touching the ground, easily performing a bridge pose. Douma's attack was also dodged by him.
At this moment, Giyuu also took the opportunity to slash at Douma. Douma, unable to dodge in time, had a wound cut across his abdomen. However, it also reacted at this point, retreating two steps to avoid the subsequent attacks from the two.
"Such strong flexibility~ By the way, is that boar's head your mask~ It's really unique~"
Douma, who was slashed by Giyuu, did not panic or get angry; instead, it smiled and praised Inosuke.
Although it felt its wound was healing a bit slower than usual, it did not feel any shock because of it.
Immediately after, it waved its iron fans, and two maiden-shaped ice lotuses appeared, gently opening their mouths to spew a large amount of cold air towards Inosuke and the others.
"Hiss— So cold! These things absolutely cannot be touched easily."
Inosuke and Giyuu immediately retreated upon seeing this, but just as they were retreating, a figure appeared in front of Inosuke.
"Watch out!"
Almost at the same time this figure appeared, Giyuu warned Inosuke, and at the same time, he raised his Nichirin Sword, enveloped in water, and slashed at Douma.
Blood Demon Art: Scattered Lotuses.
Douma naturally also noticed Giyuu from the side. Waving its iron fan, a large number of fine ice petals attacked Giyuu. The cold aura even made the water on his Nichirin Sword show signs of wanting to freeze.
At the same time, its other hand grabbed Inosuke's mask, then retreated calmly, revealing a beautiful face.
Douma's Blood Demon Art was too restrictive for swordsmen using Breathing Technique, and its techniques were very effective in group combat.
The fine ice crystals left in the air with each Blood Demon Art constantly weakened swordsmen using Breathing Technique, preventing them from fully utilizing their Breathing Technique, otherwise their lungs would suffer immense damage.
And several large-scale Blood Demon Arts, plus the technique of Crystal Doll, which could create ice clones nearly as strong as itself, made it fearless of group combat. If it couldn't be quickly slain with absolute overwhelming power, its advantage would grow larger and larger over time.
"It really is a mask after all~ But... why do I feel like I've seen that face somewhere before~"
Douma held Inosuke's boar's head mask and looked at his face, finding it very familiar.
"Give me back my mask quickly! And, I don't remember ever seeing a maggot like you!"
Inosuke saw Douma holding his mask and felt extremely angry, shouting loudly at it.
This mask held extraordinary significance for him, and now having it held by someone he detested so much made him furious.
"I didn't expect you, not only to be disliked but also unaware of it, and even more, you like to talk nonsense."
Giyuu rolled his eyes and looked at Douma as he said this.
Upon hearing Giyuu's words, Douma put on an angry posture and retorted, "Nonsense? How could that be~ I think you're the one who likes to talk nonsense.
My memory is astonishingly good; I even remember everything from my human days clearly~
I'll show you right now!"
With that, Douma suddenly bit its fan, and with its right index finger, it poked into its temple. Blood flowed down its cheek from the wound, but it seemed to feel no pain, showing no reaction at all.
"How disgusting!"
Inosuke was indeed disgusted by this, so shocked he could barely speak. Giyuu next to him felt pretty much the same.
Kochou Shinobu, Tengen, and Kanao, who were fighting Douma's ice clones, were also disgusted by its action, but their battle was equally difficult, so they didn't pay too much attention to it.
"Hmm— Hmm? Ah, I remember, it was 15 years ago, I didn't expect it to be so recent~"
After a physical search, Douma finally found the memory it was looking for.
"There was a woman who came to me with a baby. She said her husband beat her every day, and her mother-in-law always bullied her.
After all, the Eternal Paradise Faith I founded provides refuge for such pitiful people~ So she came to me~"