Despite Kanae's attack, Doma remained calm, his smile unchanged.
The exquisite golden iron fan in his hand still firmly suppressed Kanae's Nichirin Blade, preventing it from advancing even an inch.
At this moment, Kanae Kocho frowned slightly, took a deep breath, and launched a flying kick, intending to break Doma's defensive stance.
Seeing this, Doma remained calm and retreated abruptly, dodging Kanae's kick.
At the same time, she opened the iron fan with great interest, and with a gentle wave, a burst of tiny ice particles were sent out, all of which landed on Kanae Butterfly.
However, Kanae Kocho didn't care about that much.
Instead, he seized the opportunity and suddenly slashed horizontally at Doma's neck with his Nichirin Blade, intending to cut off his head on the spot!
"clang!"
Unfortunately, this attack was completely ineffective.
Because Douma had long since ceased to be human, his reflexes were naturally exceptional; before the Nichirin Blade could even reach his neck...
He easily and comfortably swung out another iron fan, directly blocking it.
"What an adorable child. Your attacks are fierce and decisive. With your strength, you must be quite extraordinary even within the Demon Slayer Corps."
As Douma watched Kanae's attack end, he withdrew and retreated.
Before leaving, he didn't forget to fan her with a few tiny ice crystals.
"So, you're Pillar, right?"
Doma spoke with unwavering certainty, his smile still gentle, like a saintly figure who saves the world.
"Flower Pillar, Butterfly Kanae."
Seeing Doma retreat, Kanae Kocho, whose attack had missed, also shook her Nichirin Blade and said in a deep voice with a solemn expression.
"As expected, it's a real pity that your Demon Slayer Corps is going to be missing another Pillar. Although, I've already killed quite a few Pillars."
Doma gently shook the iron fan in his hand, his words revealing a strong sense of confidence.
In his view, Kanae's death was a foregone conclusion.
"If you want to kill me, you'll have to see how capable you are."
Kanae Kocho appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly she had already sunk into despair.
She knew her own limitations; given her current state, she probably really would…
I'm sorry, Shinobu.
"The breath of flowers, the form of five, the fruitless peony!"
With a deep breath, she suddenly charged forward, her Nichirin Blade once again slashing towards Doma.
Knowing that death is inevitable, yet still choosing to live towards it!
...
"That's... Doma... So, this woman must be Kanae Kocho."
At this moment, Ji Hao, who was hiding in the tree canopy and standing lightly on a branch, also witnessed the scene of the two fighting and murmured silently.
He hadn't expected that the time he was teleported to be so coincidental; it was truly beyond his expectations.
In the normal course of events, Kanae Butterfly should have died, but she wasn't eaten by Doma. Instead, she was kept alive until dawn. Only after Doma had to retreat did she succumb to her injuries and die.
But now, things are clearly different.
"She hasn't noticed the effect of the ice crystals yet, but it won't be long."
Ji Hao muttered to himself in a low voice.
Just as he said, Kanae Butterfly originally used breathing techniques to move continuously, like a butterfly fluttering among flowers.
But soon, her breath hitched, and her swordsmanship suddenly faltered.
Seeing this opportunity, Doma suddenly swung his iron fan and struck her hard, sending her flying!
"Cough...cough...cough cough...!"
"How could this be..."
Kanae Kocho rolled several times on the ground, still holding onto her Nichirin Blade, clutching her chest, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.
She didn't know what had happened; she only felt a sharp pain in her lungs, which interrupted her breathing technique. This allowed Douma to seize the opportunity and deliver a vicious blow.
She now felt like she couldn't breathe properly, and the pain in her lungs was making her consciousness a little blurry.
Their breathing technique for slaying demon swordsmen is a special breathing method in itself, which, combined with the Nichirin Blade and swordsmanship, aims to kill undead demons.
But now, with problems in her lungs, her defeat is completely inevitable!
"What a beautiful person, so obediently becoming one with me... What!"
Doma, smiling, drew ever closer, his smile still that of a demon.
He was going to enjoy this wonderful meal to the fullest.
However, before he could fully step forward, suddenly, a cold light shot out from the darkness!
Its speed and power were so great that even Doma, the Upper Moon Two, had no time to dodge. It pierced through his chest and instantly sent him flying!
"Thump!"
The spear that pierced through Doma's chest was driven directly into the hard tree trunk, leaving Doma hanging there.
"Phew... What... is going on..."
Kanae Butterfly felt short of breath, and even her pretty face turned slightly blue from holding it in.
She struggled to lift her eyes and saw Doma pinned to a tree by a spear in the distance, and she was shocked.
Who on earth could do something like this?!
"The ice crystals it releases are formed from the condensation of its own blood. If you inhale them carelessly, they will damage your alveoli and impair your breathing."
At that moment, a calm voice rang out, and at the same time, a warm hand was placed on her shoulder.
"Never mind anything else, if you don't want to die, start taking deep breaths."
Just as Kanae Butterfly was about to look up to see who it was, the voice rang out again, its words carrying an irresistible meaning.
"call..."
Upon hearing this, Kanae Kocho instinctively opened her mouth to breathe.
The next moment, a surge of warmth rushed into her mouth and nose, reaching her lungs.
The warm current was actually repairing the lungs that had been damaged by the ice crystals, and the pain began to subside. Kanae's breathing gradually became steady.
Her pretty face, which had turned blue due to lack of oxygen, gradually regained some color.
She quickly looked up and glanced to her side.
Then a handsome young man stood up, drew a long steel sword from his waist, and walked towards the direction of Doma.
"Don't go over there! He's an Upper Moon Two demon, very powerful. You don't have a Nichirin Blade specifically designed for him; you can't kill him!"
Kanae Butterfly, who was recovering her strength, also hurriedly got up and tried to stop Himeko from advancing.
But Ji Hao waved his hand dismissively and said in a calm tone.
"Take care of yourself first."
Ji Hao looked at Tong Mo, who had already pulled out the spear and tossed it aside, his chest wound now healed, and spoke calmly.
"Next, I am your opponent, you demon."