Master Blacksmith in Demon Slayer

That man... must have been thinking the same thing, right?

Otherwise, why would he come so hastily, only to slip away so quietly? He must have recognized the situation for what it was.

No extra burdens could be added—this was a fight staked on life itself.

"Ara ara, seems I've been underestimated."

The man... the Twelve Demon Moons, Upper Moon Two—Doma!

He smiled as he spoke: "I can't just let you go so easily. That man looked far from appetizing, but he's a swordsmith after all. The blades that slaughter demons are forged by their hands. For us, such vermin must be killed on sight. As for the two young ladies of the Demon Slayer Corps..."

He paused, a faint smile curling his lips: "You're simply too beautiful. How could I bear to let you wither away like this? Come, merge with me. I will grant you... eternal life!"

The instant his words fell, Shinobu Kocho's pupils sharply contracted.

A biting wind carried invisible blades, sweeping in with a sky full of freezing mist. In a single flash, it was already upon her!

No time to dodge!

But in that very moment, like a butterfly fluttering its wings, a drifting blade light rolled into a storm of falling petals, followed by a series of clashing sounds.

Clink, clink, clink!

A single flash passed. By the time Shinobu Kocho came to her senses, standing right before her was none other than her sister.

She gritted her teeth and said nothing more. The battle had begun; she couldn't speak and distract her sister.

With a light push off the ground, she instantly retreated over ten meters.

Landing precisely beside Tetsu no Sosuke.

At the same time, Doma lightly wiped his cheek—a streak of crimson.

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. Injured?

He looked up again, his smiling face still sincere: "What sharp swordsmanship! You truly amaze me."

A trace of surprise lingered on Kochou Kanae's face as well.

Faster than I imagined!

This blade, paired with the techniques of Breath of the Flower, seemed to possess a special kind of magic.

Movements that were already possible became quicker, more urgent—and most importantly... it was incredibly light!

It works! This blade, combined with my swordsmanship, might create unexpected miracles!

Kochou Kanae's eyes sparkled. She fixed her gaze on Doma across from her, and the next second, petals filled the sky!

Tetsu no Sosuke stood there, silent.

There was only so much he could do. Deliver the new Nichirin Blade... and then wait.

It wasn't a comfortable feeling. His heart felt like it had been thrown into a furnace, scorched over and over, unbearable!

Shinobu Kocho glanced at him and spoke softly: "The Kasugai Crow has already sent word. Reinforcements will arrive soon. My sister will be fine. Don't worry."

Tetsu no Sosuke nodded lightly, but his eyes held no trace of reassurance.

And Shinobu Kocho herself felt the same worry.

For a moment, the two of them could only stand in silence.

In that silence, a violent crash suddenly erupted. One wall on the left shattered as if fed into a grinding machine, breaking apart in an instant.

Doma burst through the hole in the wall, drenched in blood. A distance of over ten meters was crossed in the blink of an eye. The iron fan in his hand spun and danced with agility, its freezing cold aura stabbing into the heart. He charged straight at Shinobu Kocho.

The change came so abruptly—the entire process took less than a second.

The shock flickering in Shinobu Kocho's eyes seemed frozen in that moment. As the iron fan was about to strike, she stood motionless.

No time to react!

Blood surged like erupting magma, flooding his skull. Tetsu no Sosuke, who had already adjusted his Breath of the Sun, yanked Shinobu Kocho aside, but in doing so, he fell directly into Doma's attack range.

Reach for the hammer?

Too late!

In that critical moment, he twisted his body sharply. A chilling cold grazed his left arm.

Not a complete dodge!

But at least he avoided a fatal blow!

Yet this was only the beginning. Nine consecutive strikes—Blood Demon Art: Withered Garden Hanging Snow!

Tetsu no Sosuke's insides burned like fire. Every thought was cast aside, leaving only one—dodge!

He had no time to wonder why Doma had suddenly charged out.

Or what had happened to Kochou Kanae.

All he could do was weave left and right, leap forward and back, through attacks he could barely even see.

When Doma's technique finally ended, even his eyes were dazed: "Are you sure you're just a swordsmith? How did you dodge that?"

Dodged it!

Tetsu no Sosuke was also stunned, but at that moment, the blood around him burst open in an instant.

His left arm, chest, right leg, face, neck, back... every part bore wounds!

"Good, good... I was afraid all you swordsmiths were swordsmen too. With injuries this severe, you can't move anymore, right? Mm~ I prefer eating women, but given your special status, I'll still devour you cleanly later—don't worry."

Doma seemed to let out a sigh of relief, yet a frantic shout came from midair.

"Tetsu no Sosuke!!!!"