"Shin...ichi?" Shinobu's voice was faint, her lips trembling slightly as she gazed at the face before her, feeling as if she were in a dream.
Shinichi, crouched beside her, remained silent while holding her tightly.
One hand pressed against the wound in her abdomen, his life force surged into her body like a flood from a breached dam.
The deep gash in Shinobu's abdomen began to stop bleeding and heal at a visible rate under the nourishing life force.
Gradually, the sensation of uncontrollably sinking into darkness faded from Shinobu's body.
She could clearly feel the warmth of Shinichi's hand pressed against her abdomen.
As consciousness returned, she instinctively reached out to touch his face, wanting to confirm that she wasn't seeing an illusion.
"Be good, don't move," Shinichi said, his voice calm, even gentle, but deep within his dark eyes burned an unprecedented fury.
"Save your strength. You should rest properly when you're injured."
Shinobu stared at Shinichi, at his eyes, feeling the warmth of his embrace and the ceaseless flow of vital energy coursing through her.
Her nose stung, and tears welled in her eyes.
'This idiot... why does he always appear at the most critical moments? It's enough to make me cry.'
"Oh, thank goodness!" Kanae, who had been sinking into the abyss of despair, knelt on the ground.
Seeing Shinichi holding Shinobu, tears streamed down her face.
She had almost lost her sister.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness!"
Sanemi was equally relieved, but also felt a pang of guilt.
'It's all because I'm still too weak!'
If Shinichi hadn't arrived in time, the tragedy that would have followed would have haunted him for the rest of his life.
"Shinichi... I..." Shinobu's voice trembled as she tried to hide her vulnerability, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn't find the words.
Shinichi lowered his head, gazing at the stubborn girl in his arms.
Her face was as pale as paper.
Though the life force had stopped the bleeding and healed the wound on her abdomen, it wasn't omnipotent.
Through the torn Demon Slayer Corps uniform, a long narrow scar was still visible on Shinobu's abdomen.
"Alright, we can talk later. Don't push yourself," Shinichi said, his tone tinged with helplessness.
He couldn't resist poking Shinobu's nose with his finger. "You silly girl! Why would you force yourself into a battle like this? And you were hiding a demon transformation card up your sleeve? You're too capable for your own good."
Shinobu blinked, then smiled faintly.
Though her face was pale and weak, her smile remained gentle and resolute.
"Because... I wanted to protect my sister and Shinazugawa-san," she whispered. "And... you came, didn't you?"
"Yes, I came."
Shinichi took a deep breath, channeling more life force into Shinobu's body.
He slowly rose to his feet, but didn't release her.
Instead, he supported her waist with one hand while gripping the hilt of his Nichirin Blade with the other.
'Boom!'
A vibrant green aura erupted from Shinichi's body, the concentrated breath of life radiating with unprecedented intensity, as if fueled by his burning resolve to fight.
He lifted his gaze to Doma, who stood atop the Ice Lotus Bodhisattva.
Doma clutched his bleeding left eye.
The massive dose of Wisteria Flower Toxin had corroded most of his face, leaving it a grotesque ruin.
Even with his immense power, his expression was now twisted into a hideous grimace.
His remaining right eye glared at Shinichi and Shinobu, the once-feigned compassionate smile now a horrifying mockery on his decaying face.
"Oh, another one here to die?" Doma rasped, his voice distorted and grating from the poison. "It's such a headache. Why are you guys so persistent, popping up like weeds one after another? I must admit, my patience is wearing thin."
Shinichi didn't reply.
He merely stared coldly at Doma, his dark eyes devoid of emotion, radiating only an extreme chilling killing intent.
"Doma, your current grotesque appearance suits your true nature perfectly," Shinichi said, his voice icy and contemptuous.
"Unlike honorable opponents like Akaza, you're nothing but a vile and shameless creature. And..."
He paused, his gaze hardening. "You hurt Shinobu!"
Doma froze for a moment, then covered his mouth and let out a strange, cackling laugh.
"Hurt her? No, I wanted to kill her! Not just her, but her sister and that hot-tempered man too. Oh, and now you as well. I'm going to kill all of you!"
At these words, Shinichi slowly raised his Nichirin Blade, releasing Shinobu and positioning her protectively behind him.
'Crack! Crack!'
As Doma declared his intentions, countless ice crystals began to coalesce around him, forming into grotesque shapes.
A ferocious wave of Demonic power and killing intent surged outward!
"Oh, speaking of Akaza-dono, you mentioned him earlier. Does that mean you've killed him? What a pity. Akaza-dono and I were such good friends—though he'd never admit it. As a friend, I feel I should avenge him." Doma covered the festering half of his face with one hand while waving his golden fan with the other.
In an instant, a raging blizzard, carrying countless razor-sharp ice crystals, swept toward Shinichi.
In Shinichi's hand, a vibrant emerald light frantically condensed and compressed along the Nichirin Blade's edge.
The light grew brighter and more intense, threatening to illuminate the entire icy hellscape.
Behind Shinichi, a colossal dragon phantom formed from pure life force, roaring silently at Doma.
"I'd gladly send you to hell to meet Akaza, but I doubt Hakuji would be pleased to see you there! Breath of the Forest, Seventh Form: Wood Dragon Slash!"
"Hakuji? Who's that?" Doma faltered momentarily at the unfamiliar name, but quickly dismissed the thought.
The emerald dragon phantom roared silently, its crushing force colliding violently with the overwhelming blizzard of ice crystals!
*BOOM!!*
The entire space seemed to tremble as two opposing forces—extreme cold and vibrant life—collided and annihilated each other in a frenzy.
Yet, to Doma's disbelief, his icy crystalline tide was being steadily pushed back.
Those ice crystals, capable of freezing steel and shattering rock, began to melt and evaporate upon contact with Shinichi's cyan-green blade light.
This wasn't due to heat, but rather the overwhelming life force radiating from the blade, dissolving the ice as naturally as snow melts in spring.
"What?" Doma's remaining eye widened as he murmured, "Is my Demon Blood Art being suppressed?"
It could have been Shinichi's overwhelming power, or perhaps Doma had exhausted himself in his earlier battles against the Kocho sisters and Shinazugawa Sanemi.
Whatever the reason, the moment their blades clashed, Doma's ice-based Demon Blood Art was instantly suppressed by Shinichi's.