The Butterfly sisters' hearts grew unbearably heavy. With such a dense stench of blood, the people inside were almost certainly already dead.
Kanae gave a sharp command:
"Shinobu!"
Shinobu instantly understood her sister's intent. The two rushed into the room together.
There they saw him—a man with hair as white as ash, irises shimmering with rainbow hues. Carved over his left eye was the kanji for "Upper Rank," and over his right, the numeral "Two." Crimson markings, like stains of blood, adorned his forehead. In his hands he held two golden war fans, etched with lotus patterns. At that very moment, he was gnawing casually on a severed leg.
Kanae and Shinobu's expressions turned grim. They had not expected the Eternal Paradise Faith's "leader" to be none other than Upper Rank Two of the Twelve Kizuki—Dōma.
Dōma looked at the sisters holding Nichirin blades. He spread open one fan, covering half his face.
"I was in a rare good mood, willing to play along with your little act… but I didn't think you'd be so impatient. The moment you got your hands on Nichirin swords, you came rushing here tonight."
As the sisters frowned, confused by his words, a figure appeared outside the door.
It was the very girl who had led them to the Lotus Pond.
Like a madwoman, she flung herself at Dōma's feet, pleading desperately.
"Lord! Please grant me salvation—take me into bliss!"
Kanae and Shinobu's faces darkened in fury. So they had been exposed from the very beginning—deceived by a fellow human.
Dōma lifted the girl in his arms and sank his teeth into her arm.
Her body shook with pain, yet her expression twisted into one of rapture.
As he fed, Dōma spoke with feigned compassion:
"All those I consume, without exception, are saved. They no longer feel pain, nor sorrow. They become part of me. Isn't that happiness?"
The girl's eyes burned with fanaticism, as though being devoured was the highest honor.
Blood dripping from his lips, chewing the flesh in his mouth, Dōma turned to the Butterfly sisters with mocking amusement.
"See? My followers trust me absolutely. They believe I will lead them to the world of bliss."
"You really are devoid of all humanity!" Shinobu glared at him in rage.
But Dōma remained unbothered.
"I am only fulfilling the teachings of Bliss—saving people. In fact, I think I'm quite compassionate."
Shinobu refused to waste more words. She raised her Nichirin blade.
"Insect Breathing, Butterfly Dance: Caprice!"
Her movements were as light as a butterfly's wings, her blade darting swiftly toward Dōma.
With a flick of his fan, an ice wall rose instantly to block her advance.
"Blood Demon Art: Tangled Lotus Vines!"
Dōma swept his fans again. From them sprouted icy vines coiled with lotus blossoms, whipping toward Shinobu to ensnare her.
"Flower Breathing, Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum!"
Kanae unleashed a curved slash in all directions, its arcs forming the petals of a plum blossom. The attack shattered the ice vines instantly.
"Dance of the Bee Sting: True Flutter!"
Seizing the moment, Shinobu shattered the ice wall before her, lunging forward to thrust her blade unexpectedly at Dōma.
"Flower Breathing, Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo!"
Kanae followed, slashing upward with twin curved strikes, her blade tracing flower petals through the air as she coordinated with Shinobu in a joint assault.
Yet Dōma's expression remained unchanged—still that same calm smile.
"Blood Demon Art: Scattering Lotus Petals!"
With a flourish of his fans, countless icy petals exploded into the air. Each fragment was as sharp as a blade.
In an instant, the sisters' bodies were riddled with shallow cuts. Their techniques were forcibly interrupted.
Worse, the icy petals were laced with deadly poison. Kanae and Shinobu grimaced in pain as the toxins rapidly spread through their wounds.
Covering half his face with a fan, Dōma laughed chillingly.
"You must taste exquisite. After all, women capable of bearing children contain far more nourishment than men. I'll savor every bit of you."
Through the agony, Shinobu pulled two vials of antidote from her robes—specially crafted from wisteria. She injected one into herself and the other into Kanae.
The medicine took hold at once, suppressing the poison. The sisters staggered back to their feet.
Dōma did nothing to stop them, watching with amusement instead.
"Still not giving up? Why keep struggling in a world filled with suffering? Wouldn't it be better to live happily with me forever?"
Kanae sneered.
"That expression on your face is revolting. Your so-called emotions—they're all an act, aren't they? The natural feelings humans take for granted—joy, sorrow, anger, even the tremors of awe—you don't understand any of it, do you?
Tell me, for what purpose were you even born into this world?"
Her words cut straight through his facade. Slowly, the smile faded from Dōma's face. He looked at the sisters expressionlessly.
Seeing his empty face, Shinobu taunted as well.
"Angry? No, you're not. That blank look—that's your real self. Empty, without emotion. With a life like that, what meaning could it possibly have?"
Dōma gave no answer. Without expression, he swept his fans.
"Blood Demon Art: Freezing Clouds!"
The entire room filled with glistening ice crystals, rolling forth like a frigid mist, descending upon the sisters.
"Insect Breathing, Centipede Dance: Hundred-Legged Zigzag!"
Shinobu stomped with explosive force, kicking up a storm of dust to block the freezing mist. Then she darted in winding paths from all directions, seeking an opening to slash at Dōma's neck.
He raised his fan casually, parrying her Nichirin blade with ease.
"Flower Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirling Peach!"
Kanae flipped midair, unleashing a horizontal strike wreathed in petals, aiming for the opposite side of his neck.
But instead of biting into flesh, her sword struck solid resistance. The rebound numbed her hands, nearly knocking the blade from her grip.
Dōma's neck had encased itself in thick ice, blocking her attack completely.
He sighed.
"Why won't you understand me? …No matter. Once I devour you, you'll understand.
Blood Demon Art: White Lotus Princess!"
From the ground erupted two massive lotus-shaped maidens of ice, obliterating the house around them.
The White Lotus Princesses exhaled frigid blasts. The ground froze over instantly.
Kanae and Shinobu leapt back swiftly, dodging the freezing breath.
But the frost spread too fast—soon it would catch them both.
"Flower Breathing, Final Form: Equinoctial Vermilion Eye!"
Kanae's eyes flushed crimson as she forced blood pressure into them, pushing her dynamic vision to its absolute limit. The world slowed around her.
Instead of retreating, she surged forward, slipping through the frost's grasp to charge one of the White Lotus Princesses.
"Flower Breathing, Fifth Form: Peonies of Futility!"
Nine consecutive thrusts burst forth from her blade, blooming like peony petals. The overwhelming force shattered the icy maiden instantly.
But in the final moment, the frost caught her. Ice locked around her legs, rooting her in place.
"Blood Demon Art: Frozen Winter Icicles!"
Above her head, Dōma conjured a storm of razor-sharp icicles, dropping them from the sky.
Shinobu's eyes widened in horror. She was too far away to reach her sister in time.
"Big Sister!"
Just as the deadly spikes were about to pierce Kanae, a thunderous crash split the battlefield. Smoke and dust filled the air, swallowing everything in chaos.
Through the haze, Shinobu glimpsed four figures standing protectively before Kanae.
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