LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 26: Chapter 26
Doma had his own understanding after witnessing the power that seemed to be divine descend from the sky the previous night.
In his hundreds of years of existence, he had never encountered any sign of a god. Even after eating a shrine maiden in a temple, there had been no punishment from the gods.
Because of this, he believed there were no gods or Buddhas in the world, and no heaven or hell—all just human fantasy.
Since humans had such fantasies about eternal bliss, he thought eating them into his body and making them one with him was actually redeeming them, allowing them to live eternally alongside him.
However, after witnessing the miracle last night, he realized there truly were gods in the world.
He had also received orders from Lord Muzan to find out what that miracle was.
After almost dying from the mysterious force on the mountain, he did not dare to approach it again. Through inquiries from members of the Eternal Bliss Sect, he learned that demon slayers had entered that mountain.
He had his followers keep a lookout for them, and finally, they found two young women from the Demon Slayer Corps leaving the mountain. He waited for them to be far enough from the shrine before showing himself.
"Hahaha, trying to provoke me is useless. Little girls of the Demon Slayer Corps, I just want to know the secret of that mountain. If you tell me, all will be well. Otherwise, if I make a move, you will die."
Doma's gentle, hypocritical voice came from nowhere, making the Butterfly sisters tense.
"Hmph, you're just a filthy ghost, doomed to be destroyed. The gods above are already watching the ground," Shinobu said angrily. "You must be an Upper Moon, right? If you dare to harm us, Lord Raiden Shogun's divine punishment will reduce you to dust!"
Despite her fierce words, Shinobu was tense. She was aware her skills were not at her sister's level, and she knew that the strength of an Upper Moon demon was on a completely different scale from the Lower Moons. Many demon slayers had been eaten by Upper Moons over the centuries.
Her sister, Kanae, was strong, but even she might not be enough to take down an Upper Moon. Thus, Shinobu took the opportunity to reveal some information about the god, hoping to scare the demon away.
"Raiden Shogun…" Doma's voice was thoughtful. "So my guess was correct. You two know much after visiting that shrine."
Suddenly, the surrounding forest filled with rustling sounds. The sisters pressed their backs together, tense.
A hand with sharp claws parted the branches, revealing a grotesque face. The demon roared as it charged at the two women.
"These women are mine! I want to eat their brains!"
"Breath of Flowers: Fourth Form – Crimson Hanagoromo!"
Kanae swiftly entered her breathing state, her Nichirin sword gleaming as she swung it in an elegant arc. The blade moved with a graceful unpredictability, slicing through the demon's head with precision. The creature collapsed, disintegrating into ash.
The rustling grew louder as eight more demons emerged from the shadows, rushing toward the sisters with unbridled hunger.
"A demon slayer! It's a demon slayer! That's what Lord Doma wants!"
"I'm eating an arm first!"
"No matter what, I'm getting a leg!"
Facing the onslaught, Kanae exhaled deeply, realizing Doma's intent: using these weaker demons to exhaust their stamina.
"Is this the cunning of an Upper Moon demon?" she whispered. "He's much smarter than other demons."
"Though I understand you were once human," Kanae murmured as she prepared herself, "I have no choice but to kill you."
Her voice was gentle—she knew these demons were once people, forced by their monstrous instincts to kill their loved ones, forever trapped in a nightmare. All this suffering stemmed from the evil of Muzan Kibutsuji.
"Breath of Flowers: Fifth Form – Peonies of Futility!"
Kanae swung her blade in a flurry, the movements forming a fleeting image of blooming peonies. Each demon fell apart, their faces twisted in terror, still displaying their greed for human flesh.
"Come out, you cowardly Upper Moon! No number of these small fry will require a second blow!" Kanae shouted.
Shinobu also understood Doma's strategy—to wear them down bit by bit. "Sister, leave these small ones to me," she said through gritted teeth. "Go find him. If we don't stop him, we'll run out of stamina."
Kanae hesitated but then nodded. "Be careful, Shinobu." She dispatched three more demons with swift strikes and then dashed in the direction of Doma's voice.
"I've grown up in these mountains, avoiding wild animals while collecting herbs," Kanae thought. "I can find you, no matter how you try to hide."
Meanwhile, Shinobu smashed a bottle containing wisteria flower pollen on the ground. The smoke spread like a cloud, and the approaching demons immediately began to choke and stumble.
"Cough, cough! What is this?! My eyes! I have no strength!"
"Damn demon slayer, what poison is this?!"
Shinobu wasted no time. Her Nichirin blade, coated with wisteria extract, moved with speed and precision.
"Breath of Insects: Butterfly Dance – Caprice!"
The sword created shallow incisions along the necks of each demon, allowing the poison to work through their systems.
"Ahhhh! It hurts!"
The demons screamed as their faces turned purple. They clawed at their throats, but it was futile. One by one, they collapsed, dead.
"Hmph, you don't need to behead a demon to kill it," Shinobu said coldly. "Wisteria poison is just as effective." She took out more bottles of pollen from her pocket as more demons emerged. "All demons should die!"
She threw the bottles on the ground, enveloping the area in wisteria smoke. Within the haze, the sound of her blade striking demons echoed.
Farther ahead, Kanae finally found Doma—standing in front of a shrine.
"I've found you at last, Upper Moon," she said, her eyes focused.