Upper Moon Two—Dōma.
When he was first turned into a demon by Kibutsuji Muzan, he was Upper Six. But later, in a fierce battle for rank, he defeated the previous Upper Two, Akaza, taking his place, while Akaza was demoted to Upper Three.
His powers centered around ice. He could freeze his own blood into a mist of "ice crystals," then scatter them with his fan. Not only did this give him enormous attack range, but anyone who inhaled the crystals would suffer necrosis of the lung tissue.
His very existence was a direct counter to the Demon Slayer Corps—swordsmen who relied on breathing techniques and could only attack within the length of a blade.
In an instant, Nightingale recalled every bit of information about this demon she'd ever seen or heard.
She didn't do this to find a way to kill Dōma—such things didn't matter to her. What concerned her most was the condition of her patient in front of her, so she needed to understand the cause of the illness.
Necrosis of the lungs caused by low temperatures and ice crystals… To be honest, it was a very tricky condition. Even in the 21st century, the cure rate would be extremely low, and that was assuming it was localized and not too severe.
But in this era, a hundred years ago, there was simply no hope—removing the dead tissue would do nothing to save the patient.
…None of this applied to Nightingale.
If it were Berserker Nightingale here, she'd probably have to use her Noble Phantasm to save someone…
She could imagine how terrifying that would look—an enormous nurse swinging a two-handed sword down onto you. No one would think that was "healing."
But now, I'm Archer Nightingale. My methods of treatment should be much more acceptable.
[Assault Medicine] C+—in the game, it removes buffs from enemies, cleanses allies' debuffs, and heals.
In reality, with this skill, Nightingale could spend mana to create medicines with all kinds of effects—so long as she understood the ingredients and how to make them.
If she wished, she could even make healing potions from Sousei no Aquarion or the elixirs of Asclepius… Well, the elixir of immortality was out of the question—that was beyond the realm of "medicine" and not something any human could replicate. But ordinary healing potions, Nightingale really could produce.
If only she'd been to a world with panacea, and knew the recipe, she could make it here… The Warhammer world, though—no thanks, she never wanted to go there.
However, even though she could make all kinds of healing items, Nightingale steadfastly refused to call Genshin's Sweet Madame "medicine"—so she couldn't make that particular "potion."
Kochou Kanae had no idea what Nightingale was thinking. She focused only on the state of her own body.
The pain… it's really eased?
She glanced at her palm in surprise, then pressed her hand to her chest—only to find she still couldn't speak.
SMACK!
A sharp blow landed on Kanae's forehead, leaving her teary-eyed and cradling her head, staring in fear at the obviously displeased Nightingale.
"Your symptoms have only been suppressed for now, not cured. Take better care of your body, and value your life. Don't make me resort to drastic measures to stop you from abusing yourself further."
Under Nightingale's intense, overwhelming gaze, Kanae nodded frantically, eyes wide with awe and fear.
And who wouldn't be? She had just witnessed this woman punch an Upper Moon demon's head to pieces—Kanae had no desire to find out how that punch would feel on her own skull, whether literally or metaphorically.
With a brisk, "Excuse me," Nightingale promptly scooped Kanae up… naturally, in a princess carry.
"Your condition is critical. You need immediate treatment. I'll try to keep the trip as smooth as possible, but hold on tight and don't move."
Kanae knew Nightingale was only thinking of her well-being, but she couldn't accept this—not now.
Upper Moon Two was right in front of them. And if she added this strange girl's power to her own, together they might actually have a chance to kill him.
Kanae didn't want to let this opportunity slip by. If they let him escape, who knew how many more people would die—how many families would be destroyed, how much tragedy would be born.
But her worries were unnecessary… Even if she wanted to escape with Nightingale, it wasn't as if the other party would simply let them leave.
Massive ice spikes erupted from the ground, blocking Nightingale's path.
"Eh? You're leaving already? That's cold…"
Dōma reappeared, his head—which Nightingale had just smashed to pulp—fully restored, not even a scratch remaining.
Such was the irrational vitality and regeneration of the demons.
"But I'm really so happy!"
Under their gaze, Dōma broke into a carefree, radiant smile. "I already got a taste of having my head blown apart in my battle with Akaza-san, but this was different—this time it was a human who did it! How interesting! For a moment, I really thought I was going to die. If you'd used a nichirin blade instead of your fist, I probably would have died. Want to give it a try?"
With his handsome looks, cheerful smile, and gentle, mellow voice, Dōma could almost have charmed some girls—if they didn't know what he truly was.
Nightingale spared him only a glance before turning her attention to the wall of ice ahead.
Dōma blinked in confusion, only realizing after two seconds.
"Huh? Did I just get ignored?"
He frowned. "Hmm… That's a first. Kind of an interesting experience."
BOOM!
Suddenly, an explosion as loud as thunder shook the earth.
The ice wall blocking Nightingale shattered—she had kicked it to pieces.
In that instant, Dōma flashed like a ghost behind Nightingale, his iron fan gleaming coldly as he brought it down toward her neck.
Kanae, cradled in Nightingale's arms, could only cry out in alarm, unable to form words.
Just as the fan was about to strike, Nightingale stomped hard on the ground.
BOOM!
The ground cracked and sank beneath her with immense force, the shockwave blasting out in all directions.
The gust of power struck Dōma, freezing him for a split second.
In that moment, Nightingale's leg became a whip, lashing through the air and landing a heavy blow to Dōma's body.
BANG!
Dōma was sent flying again, though this time he wasn't as badly injured as before.
Nightingale was still holding her patient, after all—she'd restrained her strength to avoid making Kanae's injuries worse.
To Nightingale, defeating an enemy mattered far less than saving a life.
"Ah, so this time it's a broken spine and ruptured organs?"
Dōma's torso and one arm were grotesquely twisted as he landed, but within two seconds, he stood up, completely healed.
"Told you already—you can't kill me unless you use a nichirin blade and cut off my head. Fists and kicks, no matter how hard or fierce, are pointless. Otherwise, Akaza-san would've finished me off ages ago."
Nightingale listened to his "helpful advice" in silence, then replied in a flat voice,
"Are you… planning to interfere with my patient's treatment?"
"Oh, you're finally talking to me?"
Dōma's eyes sparkled with delight. "I was worried you'd keep ignoring me. I'm so happy!"
Gently setting Kanae down, Nightingale clenched her fists, her crimson eyes blazing with a wild, unyielding light.
"Anyone who dares hinder treatment should be destroyed. I'll ask again… Are you going to stand in the way of my patient's care?"
The killing intent locked on to Dōma. He felt his blood quicken, heart thundering, scalp prickling, a chill racing down his spine.
Despite the distance between them, Dōma's instincts screamed—this woman could close the gap in an instant and obliterate him.
"Wow! What's this? This chill, this urge to shiver—so this is what danger feels like? Why? You don't even have a nichirin blade, you can't kill me… so why do I find you so dangerous?"
Like a child discovering a fascinating new toy, Dōma danced with excitement.
"But you really are strange…"
He gave Nightingale a puzzled look. "You keep talking about treatment, but can't you see? That girl is beyond saving."
"No! She can be saved."
Nightingale's answer rang with an unshakable will. "As long as there's a breath left, I will never give up on saving someone! Even if the patient gives up, I will never yield to death! Even if I must go to hell, I will drag them back from the brink!"
In the moment she spoke, both Kanae and Dōma were stunned.
Faced with willpower stronger than steel, no one could remain unmoved. It was something beyond human—one of the infinite possibilities that humanity could reach, a miracle not even the gods could foresee, a brilliant gem forged in the flood of suffering and disaster.
"…I don't understand. You deny reality? Poor child, you must have suffered a lot."
Dōma's face turned sympathetic, almost pitying.
"This world is nothingness. Nothing has meaning, there is no heaven, no Buddha, and no one can escape suffering and fear… Hell is right here on earth."
"But that's all right. I'll save you soon… Yes, if you let me devour you, you'll become part of my flesh, and spend eternity with me."
"I'll accept your feelings, your blood, your body—give you salvation and raise you to a higher state."
Dōma continued spinning his philosophy, completely oblivious to Nightingale's fists, trembling with anger. Then he looked to the battered Kanae.
"And as for you, little flower-breathing girl… It hurts, doesn't it? You're suffering, aren't you? Your lungs are utterly destroyed. Death is already decided, and yet you refuse to let go of that last shred of false, pointless hope—still struggling in a sea of pain."
He gave a gentle, reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll save you soon. I'll devour every last piece of you—then your suffering will be over, and you'll be free from this world of pain."
Under Dōma's gaze, Kanae felt a chill so deep it seemed to freeze her heart.
In that instant, she realized—Dōma's presence was so intensely inhuman, so twistedly monstrous, it was suffocating.
But Dōma soon shifted his gaze back to Nightingale. She was more interesting than Kanae, after all.
"So, if you truly want to save lives—if you want to save this girl—shouldn't you stop resisting and—"
He never finished.
For in a blink, Nightingale was already in front of him, eyes crimson as blood.
Dōma's pupils shrank. He lashed out with a wave of icy mist and crystalline shards.
But in the same instant, Nightingale's fist crashed forward.
It was like a dragon's roar—an explosion of pure, overwhelming violence.
The shockwave obliterated everything. Ice and fog were shattered, earth was torn apart, trees uprooted and pulverized before they could even fall.
At the center of the devastation, Nightingale's punch carved a true vacuum.
What had once been dense forest was now a barren, empty plain—not a single branch remained.
But Dōma was still there.
"Cough, cough!"
Most of his body had been annihilated by the force of the blow. Barely two-thirds of a head remained, but even so, Dōma did not die.
"Cough… Ahahaha! Wonderful! Incredible! Surprise after surprise—one amazing experience after another!"
The more people a demon consumed, the stronger—and harder to kill—they became.
As Upper Moon Two, Dōma's vitality was monstrous; even now, he could recover in an instant.
Just then, a deep, cold voice echoed out.
"What's so wonderful? What's so funny?"
The laughter stopped.
Feeling a rage that seemed to crush what was left of his body, Dōma slowly raised his gaze.
Beneath the cold moonlight, Nightingale stood in red, her face shadowed as she looked down on him. Only her crimson eyes were visible, reflecting the growing terror on Dōma's face.
"What do you take life for?"
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T/N: uh oh... this is so hot :SOB: