Pure Black Nightmare (Forty-Nine) - Awakening, [Transparent World]!

"It is your honor to be part of my eternal collection."

Doma's smile was twisted with satisfaction as he prepared to drop the ice lotus from his hand.

However, just as he was about to swing the golden fan down, he stopped.

He seemed to remember something more interesting, tilted his head, and glanced with great interest at the wooden house not far away with his colorful eyes.

"Oh dear, I almost forgot about the important matter."

Doma chuckled to himself.

"Compared to two corpses that are about to freeze to Muzan, of course, Lord Muzan's beloved 'little cutie' is more important."

He felt that killing the two men directly was rather uninteresting.

He decided to let them watch him walk towards the place they wanted to protect in the cold, letting them lose all hope along the way.

That's what makes it more interesting...

"Blood Demon Art: Frozen Lotus"

Doma casually waved his hand.

Countless icy vines sprouted from the ground, binding and entangling the powerless Gyomei Himejima, then quickly solidified into a giant ice sculpture, sealing him inside.

"Just stay here and keep watch, big guy."

Doma bowed gracefully to the face in the ice sculpture that still bore the expression of anger.

"Watching everything you risked your lives to protect vanish into nothingness in my hands."

After saying that, he didn't even glance at the seriously injured Kanae beside him again.

Turning around, I took light steps and walked towards the wooden house with a dim light.

A strong sense of powerlessness welled up in Kanae's heart.

It's over!

Inside the room were only Shinobu, Tamayo, and Sabito, who had been forcibly turned into a woman!

How could they possibly stop Upper Rank Two!

At this moment, Gyomei Himejima, who was sealed inside the ice sculpture, was perfectly conscious.

He could hear the sounds of the outside world and sense that Doma was walking away step by step.

Anger, resentment, and self-blame filled his heart.

He desperately tried to strain his muscles to break free from the ice's hold, but the chill within his body prevented him from gathering his strength.

"Damn it... damn it!!"

Gyomei's heart was the Scream.

Just when he was about to be overwhelmed by the feeling of powerlessness, a clear, cold voice suddenly rang in his mind.

"Mr. Himejima."

At that moment, Giyu pointed to his eyes and said in his unique tone:

Your heart is in too much turmoil.

"Your strength comes from your faith and compassion, but because of this, your heart is always filled with sadness and anger from the outside world."

"You can't see anything like that."

Gyomei was taken aback and asked, puzzled, "Tomioka, what do you mean by that?"

Giyu didn't explain, but continued to speak expressionlessly:

Calm down.

"Don't 'think,' don't 'listen,' and don't 'feel.'"

"It's just... 'looking'."

"When you can 'see' every muscle contraction, and 'see' every flow of blood in the blood vessels, you'll understand."

At the time, Gyomei simply took it as the taciturn Water Hashira expressing his concern in his own way.

But at this moment, in this frozen darkness and silence, Giyu's words suddenly kept appearing in his mind, giving him a new understanding.

Calm down...

Just... 'see'?

Gyomei stopped struggling.

His heart, which had been pounding violently with anger, began to gradually calm down.

All the surrounding sounds seemed to disappear.

He no longer paid attention to the cold he felt, nor did he listen to Doma's footsteps.

His entire attention was focused inward.

Then, he "saw" it.

He "saw" inside his body that the blood was flowing slowly due to the cold.

He "saw" his muscle fibers stiffening in the low temperature, making it impossible to exert force normally.

He also "saw" the energy flow within the ice prison that enveloped him!

[Transparent World]!!

In his most desperate situation, he finally touched that supreme realm!

"Namo Amitabha Buddha..."

Within the ice sculpture, Gyomei slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the wooden house.

"Squeak--"

The door was gently pushed open from the outside by a slender hand.

With a playful smile, Doma poked his head in.

"Excuse me, have you seen a handsome guy with glasses wearing a tattered white lab coat?"

However, what awaited him was an extremely fast blue slash!

"Water Breathing - Eighth Form - Waterfall Basin!"

Sabito's figure was so fast it was almost blurry. She swung her Nichirin Blade from top to bottom with all her might, aiming for Doma's head!

"Wow, how welcoming!"

Doma took a light step back, easily dodging the seemingly inevitable strike.

He looked at the pink-haired girl with a high ponytail in front of him. She was beautiful, but her eyes were full of hostility.

Doma's eyes lit up.

"Oh my, another beautiful lady! And with rare pink hair! Fantastic! What a haul today!"

Shut up, you bastard!

Sabito's face turned red with anger. After his first attack failed, he immediately changed his move, turning his blade towards Doma's neck.

However, at that very moment when the two were facing off...

No one noticed that the Yaoshi, who had been pinned to the ground by Sabito, had a sly glint in his eyes.

Chance!

Now!

Taking advantage of everyone's attention being drawn, the Yaoshi rolled with extraordinary agility and leaped out of the broken window of the wooden house from an unexpected angle!

"Ha! Idiots! Goodbye!"

The Yaoshi scrambled through the snow, letting out a wild laugh of triumph after escaping death.

"You monsters, go fight yourselves! The gods of the new world are going to pursue freedom and immortality! No more taxes! Long live the gods!!"

"Stop right there!!"

Seeing this, the Sabito was furious and wanted to chase after him without thinking.

"Don't rush off, beautiful lady."

Doma's figure suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her way.

We haven't had a proper chat yet.

At that very moment!

"Snap!"

A loud cracking sound came from not far away!

The enormous ice sculpture that sealed away Gyomei Himejima suddenly shattered from the inside without warning!

Countless ice cubes scattered and flew everywhere!

A tall, imposing figure slowly rose from the scattered ice shards.

On the arms of the Gyomei Himejima, veins bulged and muscles bulged, and the frozen meteor hammer and broad axe were emitting scorching steam!

His tearful eyes were now eerily calm.

He didn't roar; instead, he spoke calmly to Doma, who was about to rush towards the wooden house:

"Amitabha."

"You wicked child, your opponent is this humble monk."

The battle was instantly divided!

"Mr. Himejima!"

Seeing this, Kanae felt much more at ease.

She glanced at the Yaoshi who was almost out of sight, then at Sabito blocking the doorway, and decisively shouted:

"Sabito! Go after the Yaoshi! We absolutely cannot let him get away!"

This is entrusted to Mr. Himejima!

"Good!"

Without hesitation, Sabito immediately exerted its strength and chased after the Yaoshi at an extremely fast speed!

Despite her severe injuries, Kanae staggered and followed.

"Still trying to catch up? Did you ask me first?"

The Yaoshi glanced back at the two pursuers, a disdainful sneer on his face.

He suddenly stopped and slammed his hands on the ground!

"Blood Demon Art: Plague Spreads - Swamp of Weakness!"

The snow behind him instantly transformed into a swamp emitting an eerie green light!

The Sabito charged too fast and stepped right into the hole. It immediately felt a strong sense of weakness and dizziness rush to its brain, and its speed suddenly decreased!

"Tch! That disgusting trick again!"

The Sabito gritted her teeth, but her swordsmanship at that moment displayed extraordinary calmness and agility!

She performed a beautiful backflip and landed on the edge of the swamp.

"Water Breathing - Sixth Form: Twisting Whirlpool!"

The Sabito poured all its strength into its upper body, and in a bizarre posture, forcibly created an upward vortex on the spot, sweeping all the poisonous mist into the sky!

"Oh? You've got some skills, little girl."

The Yaoshi was also somewhat surprised upon seeing this.

But he wasn't flustered at all, because he knew that the severely injured butterfly behind him was the real breakthrough!

He grinned maliciously, his figure vanished instantly, and when he reappeared, he was already behind Kanae!

"Let's deal with you first, you're in the way!"

Sharp fingernails pierced straight into Kanae's back!

Battle is about to break out!