"We already met before, right?" asked Douma.
"I don't remember ever meeting a worm like you! Hands off my mask!" exclaimed Inosuke.
"No... I know you," said Douma.
"And I'm telling you I don't!" exclaimed Inosuke once again.
"Calm down, Inosuke," said Kanao. "He's just talking nonsense."
"Nonsense? This hurts me," said Douma. "My only quality is that I'm serious and have a good memory. I even remember the time when I was human."
The Upper Rank stabbed his temple with his finger.
"Oh, how disgusting!" said Inosuke.
"Oh? It was only fifteen years ago?" wondered Douma.
"A girl around seventeen or eighteen years old came to me with a baby in her arms. She said her husband always hit her, and her mother-in-law treated her badly daily," explained Douma. "She had no parents or brothers. And she had nowhere to go or no one to count on. The first time I saw her, her face was so swollen that it was disgusting. She was blind in one eye due to her husband, but her face turned normal after the cures. She was cute, so she left an indelible mark on me. She had the same face as you. Her features were softer, but... I bet she was your mother!"
"I have no mother!" Inosuke shouted. "I've been raised by boars!"
"A boar gave birth to you? You're human, so that means a human gave you birth," said Douma.
"Shut up, scum! Give my mask back!" shouted Inosuke, attacking Douma.
"Listen to the story until the end," said Douma. "It's a miracle destiny made us meet."
Before he noticed, Inosuke got hit by Douma's fans, creating an X-shaped wound on his chest.
"Now you have the same X on the chest as me!" said Douma. Fortunately, before it was too late, Kanao took Inosuke and dragged him away into the water.
"Inosuke, calm down, please!" she said.
"I didn't mean to eat your mother, but she was a very stupid woman," said Douma. "She often took you with her and sang a lot. 'Pinky promise, pinky promise,' she only sang you this."
"Pinky promise, pinky promise, I'll protect you until you grow up alone. Forgive me, Inosuke. You might feel lonely, but I'll work hard to protect you in place of your father. Inosuke, I'll protect you, even if it costs me my life."
It wasn't Shinobu. I thought it was her, but that's not true... thought Inosuke.
"I intended to let her live until the end without eating her, but your mother..." continued Douma. "Right, her name was Kotoha. She was very perceptive despite being stupid. She realized I was eating out to my followers, even if I tried to explain my job to her, she wouldn't understand. So she cursed me and accused me of being a liar. Then she ran from the temple. She threw you in a far creek, then I had to kill her. I thought you died too, since babies can't swim, but somehow, here you are."
He... He killed... my mother... realized Inosuke.
"I ate her, bones included. She was unhappy, her life was insignificant," said Douma.
"Shut up, asshole!" exclaimed Kanao. Slowly, Inosuke got up and clenched his fist even tighter.
"It's truly a miracle that fate brought us together. After all, the demon who killed my mother is standing right before my eyes!" he said, getting out of the water. "Beheading you won't be enough. I'll send you to hell!"
"For someone who's been raised by boars, you talk properly, but I fear you're wrong. Paradise and Hell don't exist. They're just fantasies," said Douma. "I deeply believe that humans are useless."
"IF HELL DOESN'T EXIST, I'LL CREATE IT JUST FOR YOU!" shouted Inosuke. "Don't say my mother was unhappy, you bastard!"
"Frozen Cloud," said Douma.
"Beast Breathing: Tenth Fang -- Whirling Fangs!" exclaimed Inosuke.
Suddenly, from behind, Kanao attacked Douma, but with his fan, Douma sent her into the water and then gripped the ceiling.
"Hey! Come down, are you afraid?" asked Inosuke.
"Sorry, but Akaza-dono's dead, and time is running out," said Douma, creating a clone of himself made of ice. "So I'll make you fight against this creation of mine."
An ice doll? wondered Kanao, looking at the ceiling. The clone came down and created ice, attacking the two slayers.
"What an... incredible force..." muttered Kanao while shielding herself.
"He can use techniques almost as powerful as mine," said Douma, descending and landing on the floor. Then, he walked up to the door.
"Hey! Don't leave, dumbass!" exclaimed Inosuke. Another clone attacked him, but Inosuke shattered it with his swords.
That boy never inhaled by Blood Demon Art... I wonder why... wondered Douma. Suddenly, from another ice doll, ice creepers attacked Inosuke and Kanao.
These creepers are taking us back! And Douma is running away? wondered Kanao. We have to resist a bit more... Goku-san's red blade effect is slowly fading, and soon, that asshole'll be able to regenerate normally again!
Agh! We're losing ground from attacks that don't even come from the original demon! thought Inosuke. If I don't hurry up, he'll run away and kill the boss and Shinobu!
"Inosuke, calm down! Just a little bit more!" exclaimed Kanao.
"Oh, well, my divine creatures will finish them," muttered Douma. "Time to go eat that girl I was about to eat before..."
But then, the demon felt a strange sensation washing over him.
"Huh? What's... What's happening...?" wondered Douma.
Yeah, that's it! Goku-san's poison is finally working! thought Kanao.
My face... is melting? wondered Douma. Suddenly, the Upper Rank crumbled to the ground. My bones are melting... Is this poison? That's what that brat stabbed me with! It's impossible! When he stabbed me and wounded me on the chest, I felt everything but the poison! What type of poison was that?
Slowly, his ice clones disappeared.
"Hey! They vanished! Is this a trap?" asked Inosuke.
"No, that's Goku-san's poison!" said Kanao. "Aim for his neck, let's kill him with a single blow!"
"Die, filthy bastard!" shouted Inosuke, attacking Douma. But still, the Upper Rank had the strength to unleash one more attack.
"Blood Demon Art: Bodhisattva of the River Lily."
Suddenly, a giant statue of Buddha appeared and attacked the two slayers, destroying the wooden floor.
It's incredible he still has so much strength... thought Kanao. I have no choice but to use it...
"Flower Breathing: Final Form -- Equinoctial Vermilion Eye!"
Kanao's eyes became red with purple pupils. Finally, she broke free from the statue's grip and reached Douma.
I know it, if I use this technique, I might become blind, but I don't care... she thought. Then, Kanao attacked Douma, aiming for his neck.
"Go on, kill him!" exclaimed Inosuke. To help his ally, Inosuke threw both of his swords in Douma's direction. Thus, Inosuke's blade pushed Kanao's blade deeper, and finally, Douma got beheaded.
I can't believe it... They beheaded me... realized Douma. Then, at the point of death, the Upper Rank had a vision of Goku.
"Oh, you're finally dead? I'm glad," he said.
"You... You did great. You poisoned me, and I didn't even notice..."
"That's because you tried to kill the love of my life. You deserve to die."
"Well... I can't say you're not right. I can't blame you... Shinobu-chan was so cute..."
"Yeah, she is. But I'm sorry. You won't be able to see her anymore, because you're dead."
Inosuke crushed the remnants of Douma's head with his foot. "Ha! That baka was good only at talking! Victory is ours!"
Suddenly, though, he remembered his mother and some of Goku's words.
"Everyone has a mother. Look at me, I never got to know my mother, just like you. I'm sure our mother loved us deeply."
On the other side of the room, Kanao crumbled to her knees.
"I can barely see from my right eye... I'm sorry, nee-san..." she muttered. Goku-san, without you... We would never have won.
Chapter 60 - End