Funeral Song for the Ruthless
After Kokushibo left, the only sounds left in the oppressive space were the heavy breathing of Shiro and Giyuu. Shiro knelt on the ground, lifted the seriously injured Giyuu up, and carefully checked his injuries. Tears silently flowed down her face, reflecting on the complex emotions of saying goodbye to her teacher and also on Giyuu's injuries.
Giyuu endured the severe pain, raised his hand, and clumsily wiped away her tears with his fingertips. He saw the extraordinary bond between her and Kokushibo, and heard their final conversation.
"Don't cry..." His voice was hoarse with pain, but with a reassuring calmness. "Your teacher... he chose his own path. He will... be fine."
Bai nodded vigorously, burying his face in his uninjured shoulder, drawing in a moment of warmth and peace. But now was not the time to be sad. Infinite City was full of dangers, and the battle continued.
Suddenly, Shiro jerked her head up, a flicker of fear and deep hatred in her dark pupils. She thought of someone, a demon who had brought nightmares to countless people, especially possessing a strong ability to restrain swordsmen who used breathing techniques—Upper Rank Two, Douma.
"Senior Giyu, we must go find Douma!" Bai's tone became urgent, "The ice mist created by his blood demon art is extremely cold and can freeze the lungs, making it difficult to perform breathing techniques! And... he is very good at restraining Miss Shinobu's insect breathing!" She knew very well how Shinobu Kocho was determined to kill Douma, and she also knew how terrifying Douma was.
Yiyong's eyes flashed, and he immediately understood the seriousness of the situation. He forced himself to stand up, took a deep breath, and suppressed his injuries: "Let's go!"
Relying on Bai's faint perception of the space of the Infinite City and tracking of Douma's unique and disgusting ghost aura, the two of them quickly moved through the intricate corridors and rooms.
The closer they got, the thicker the sweet yet deadly chill in the air became. Finally, they broke through a paper door and saw a scene that made their eyes tear up.
In the center of the magnificent Ice Lotus Hall, Shinobu Kocho's Nichirin Blade had broken. She knelt on one knee, her body covered in thick frost, her face purple, and her breathing extremely weak. Meanwhile, Douma, with a face that always wore a false smile, waved his golden fans with childlike curiosity and cruelty, preparing to deliver the final blow to Shinobu Kocho, completely devouring her!
"stop!!!"
Shiro's voice was shrill with extreme anger. Almost as soon as she spoke, Tomioka Giyu's figure transformed into a streak of azure water. "Water Breathing - Second Form - Modified - Waterwheel!" Blade light cascaded down upon Douma, forcing him back!
Douma leaped back lightly, his fake smile intact as he looked at the two intruders with interest. "Ah la ha la~ What a lively scene! Isn't this the Shiro that Muzan-sama has been thinking about? And Mr. Water Pillar~ Are you here to participate in my 'redemption' ceremony?"
He pronounced the word "redemption" with extra sweetness.
Giyuu immediately stood in front of Kocho Shinobu, his gaze fixed on Douma with an icy cold stare. Haku quickly stepped forward to check on Kocho Shinobu, injecting a weak amount of energy into her body in an attempt to dispel the deadly cold.
"Ms. Shinobu! Hold on!"
Shinobu Kocho opened her eyes with difficulty and saw Bai and Giyuu. A trace of anxiety flashed in her eyes. She wanted to say something, but the coldness strangled her throat.
"Be careful...his ice mist...is poisonous..." She uttered a few words with her last bit of strength.
At this moment, Douma smiled and waved the golden fans in his hands:
"Blood Demon Art: Crystallization of the Prince."
Several clones, similar to his original form and composed of ice crystals, instantly appeared and waved their wings simultaneously! A biting icy mist, mixed with tiny ice crystals, swept towards Yiyong like a blizzard! The range was so large that it almost covered the entire room!
"Water Breathing·Seventh Form·Shizuku Ripple Thrust!" Giyuu tried to break through the surface and attack Douma's real body.
However, the coldness of the icy mist was far beyond imagination, even corrosive to the breath! As Yiyong charged forward, he inevitably inhaled a trace of the cold mist with the fragrance of lotus!
Instantly, he felt as if his lungs were pierced by countless icy needles. His breathing suddenly choked, and his movements became fatally slow! Douma's true form seized this opportunity and swung out with a fan. A huge icicle slammed into Giyu's chest!
"Puff!" Yiyong spat out a mouthful of blood and slammed heavily against the wall. His old wounds hadn't healed yet, and new ones had been added. He nearly dropped the Sun Blade in his hand. The tiny amount of poison he had inhaled was rapidly spreading through his body, freezing his blood and breathing!
Husband!" Bai exclaimed.
Douma's smile grew even brighter. He looked at Giyuu, who had temporarily lost his fighting ability, and then at Haku, who was trying to keep Shinobu Kocho away from the cold. He said in his unique, emotionless tone, "Haku, you see, humans are so fragile. Their breath, their lives, can be easily frozen. Why are you still standing on their side? Muzan-sama misses you terribly."
Bai slowly stood up. She looked at the seriously injured Giyuu, the dying Kocho Shinobu, and then at the demon in front of her who had caused countless tragedies yet still wore a false smile. A century of pent-up hatred and anger completely ignited her dark pupils at this moment.
Her long silver hair moved without wind, and the cold moonlight emanated from her body, more dazzling and colder than ever before.
"Douma..." Bai's voice seemed to come from the deepest abyss, filled with deep hatred, "You will never... understand!"
She took a step forward, completely blocking Giyuu and Kocho Shinobu, facing the powerful Upper Rank Two alone. On the Nichirin Blade, the light of Moon Breathing intertwined and shimmered with the glimmer of Space Blood Demon Art.
"Oh?" Douma tilted his head, revealing a more "interested" expression. "Shiro wants to play with me in person? I'm really looking forward to it!"
Bai's eyes were as sharp as a knife, and there was only one thought in his mind:
Protect the people behind you and sing a funeral song for the ruthless devil!
Facing Bai fighting alone, Douma's fake smile grew even brighter, as if he had discovered some new and interesting toy. He gracefully waved his golden fans, his sweet voice echoing through the Ice Crystal Palace:
"Is Xiaobai angry? How adorable! Let me calm your anger with the most magnificent 'salvation'."
"Blood Demon Art: Lotus Flower!"
Several vines formed from condensed ice, with sharp sounds of breaking through the air, like living venomous snakes, coiled around and pierced Bai from different angles! These ice vines were not only sharp, but also carried an extreme chill that could freeze the soul.
However, Bai's figure suddenly became blurred just before the ice vines reached his body.
"Blood Demon Art·Infernal Affairs·Moon Migration!"
Her true form instantly appeared behind Douma, leaving only a slowly fading silver line where she had stood. The ice vines missed their target, collided with each other, and shattered into a cloud of ice crystals.
"Oh? Teleportation?" Douma's eyes flashed with surprise, but more of it was a hunting excitement. "What a convenient ability!"
Without even turning his head, he swung his backhand out -
"Blood Demon Art: Mysterious Winter Icicle!"
A huge icicle condensed out of thin air, like a falling iceberg, crushing down towards the place where Bai appeared!
Bai did not dodge or evade, the moonlight in his eyes was bright, and he held the Sun Wheel Sword tightly in both hands and lifted it up from bottom to top!
"Breath of the Moon·Form 5·Moon Soul Disaster Vortex!"
A huge vortex-shaped slash shot up into the sky, and countless cold crescent blades seemed to have life, surrounding the vortex and colliding violently with the falling icicles!
Rumble——!
The icicles were shattered by the violent Moon Breath, but the escaping cold still caused the air around Bai to condense into white frost.
"Such a sharp swordsmanship!" Douma's voice was filled with admiration, but without warmth. "As expected of someone taught by Lord Kokushibo. But, Shiro, your sword... seems hesitant. Are you worried about those two behind you?"
His words were like poisonous needles, trying to pierce Bai's defenses. At the same time, he fanned the fan again, this time with a wider range of icy mist—
"Blood Demon Art: Frozen Cloud!"
The thick, lotus-scented ice mist spread like a living thing. Not only was the temperature extremely low, it also obstructed vision and paralyzed the senses!
Bai immediately held her breath, but the moment her skin touched the icy mist, she still felt a biting chill and a slight numbness. She gritted her teeth, knowing she couldn't fall into the other party's rhythm.
"Hesitation?" Bai's voice came through the icy mist, tinged with cold sarcasm. "I have only murderous intentions towards you!"
She infused her feet with the power of the Moon's Breath, and her figure moved through the icy mist like a ghost, each flash accompanied by a fierce slash!
"Breath of the Moon·Land Form·Long Night Lonely Moon·Unending!"
"Breathing of the Moon·Seventh Form·Mirror Moon·Crying Night!"
Countless crescent blades attacked Douma from all sorts of tricky angles, their trajectories unpredictable, like moonlight infinitely refracted through mirrors! Douma swung his fans, condensing a thick ice wall to block the attack. The ice wall was constantly shattered and regenerated, emitting a continuous shattering sound.
"It's useless, Shiro~" Douma was at ease in the explosion of ice crystals and moonlight, "Your sword cannot touch my essence. My blood demon art is infinite~"
"Really?" After several quick shifts, Bai's figure suddenly appeared right above Douma. Her eyes were as sharp as an eagle, catching a tiny gap he left in his defense.
She didn't swing the knife, but instead pushed her left hand forward!
"Blood Demon Art·Infernal Affairs·Moon Box!"
Four tiny silver coordinates instantly lit up around Douma and quickly connected into a transparent, distorted "space cube", imprisoning Douma inside!
"Hmm?" Douma showed a hint of surprise for the first time. He swung his fan to attack the transparent spatial barrier, but found that his attack was like a drop in the ocean, absorbed and deflected by the strange spatial force! Although he immediately activated his ghost power and began to violently attack the spatial cage, cracks appeared on the surface of the Moon Box, but this brief confinement was enough!
This momentary opportunity is what Bai wants!
She knew Douma's regenerative abilities and the vastness of his demonic power. Even if a normal slash hit him, it wouldn't cause a fatal injury. She had to use a stronger force before he broke free!
She raised the Sun Blade high, all the moonlight, all the hatred, all the faith in protection, all concentrated on this blade! The child in her belly seemed to sense her mother's resolute will, transmitting a warm and peaceful power, miraculously soothing the energy agitation caused by her intense consumption and allowing her to focus her mind as never before.
It was no longer simply the breath of the moon, but an attack that combined her understanding of space!
"Wu Jian·Final Form·Void Moon Burial!"
She did not chop at Douma, but instead pointed the tip of the knife at the space above Douma who was imprisoned in the "Moon Box"!
The moment the knife tip fell, an extremely unstable, visible "singularity of space" was created! Like a miniature black hole, it generated a terrifying gravitational force, frantically pulling, squeezing, and crushing everything around it—air, ice crystals, even light! And Douma, trapped directly below, bore the brunt of the impact!
"What... is this?!" Douma's ever-false smile finally vanished, replaced by a sense of terror at facing an unknown force! He felt his body being torn apart by an invisible force, and cracks began to appear on his hard ice crystal body. The speed of regeneration was far behind the speed of destruction! The spatial singularity seemed to annihilate him and the surrounding space together!
"No……!!!"
Amid Douma's terrified roar, the spatial singularity suddenly collapsed and annihilated, leaving behind a brief vacuum area and a deafening explosion!
The Moon Box shattered with a clang. At the center, Douma had lost most of his body to the terrifying gravitational force, leaving only his shattered upper body lying in the ruins. Although he was still struggling to regenerate, his speed had become extremely slow, and his breath had become extremely weak.
After unleashing this ultimate attack, Bai's face instantly turned as pale as paper, and her body swayed, only to be sustained by the Nichirin Blade. The burden of the Final Form was immense, and she felt her spatial perception becoming disrupted, temporarily unable to perform delicate spatial manipulations.
But she held on, step by step towards the broken Douma, her eyes filled with hatred that had burned for a hundred years and the pleasure of impending revenge.
Douma looked at the approaching Bai, and a twisted smile slowly appeared on his broken face, but this time, there was a hint of... confusion in that smile?
"Xiaobai...is this what 'hate' feels like? It seems...a little...painful..."
His words stopped abruptly.
Bai's Nichirin Sword, with the last bit of strength, cut off his head without hesitation.
Watching Douma's head and body gradually turning into ashes under the moonlight, Bai finally knelt on the ground exhausted, gasping for breath, tears mixed with sweat streaming down his face.
This time, it's not for sadness, but for... relief.
She finally put an end to this demon with her own hands, which had brought endless nightmares to countless people, including herself.
She turned her head and looked at Yiyong who was trying hard to support his body not far away, his eyes full of worry and pride, and showed a tired but extremely relieved smile.
"It's over...husband."
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