But when the second half of the year came, the worst finally happened.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and shadows stretched across the land, a black crow flew rapidly through the twilight, squawking a message as it burst into the room.
"Tomioka Giyu! Tomioka Giyu! Head southeast immediately!"
"Kocho Kanae has gone to a place called the Eternal Paradise Cult!"
"Several girls have gone missing there!"
Tomioka Giyu had become numb to false leads over the past six months, but when he heard the words Eternal Paradise, his heart dropped. His calm vanished. He grabbed his Nichirin Blade and shot out of the house, running full speed southeast.
He knew this time was different.
There wasn't even time to contact Sanemi Shinazugawa directly—he'd have to rely on his crow.
"Kanzaburo! Get to the Wind Hashira! Kanae's in real danger this time. If he doesn't come, we might never see her again!"
The other Hashira were stationed too far away to help—missions had scattered them across Japan.
As Kanzaburo flapped off into the sky, Tomioka Giyu pushed his speed to the limit. The ground blurred beneath him as droplets of water began to splash up under his feet.
Haaah—shuuu… Giyu focused his breathing.
"Concentrate everything in your legs. Turn your power into speed."
"Don't force it. Let it flow, stretch it endlessly—"
"Water Breathing, Ninth Form—Modified: Flowing Shadow Bubble!"
His afterimage streaked through the landscape. Forests, rooftops, rolling hills—nothing slowed him down.
Not even half an hour passed before he heard the unmistakable clash of battle ahead.
No hesitation. He leapt from a ridge and unleashed his strongest attack on impact:
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form—Flowing Dead Calm!"
A deep blue water dragon erupted from his blade, crashing forward with overwhelming force. The recoil made Giyu's wrist tremble—he had poured everything into that strike.
Down below, Kocho Kanae was stumbling backward, her breathing unsteady. She spotted the dragon as it tore across the battlefield.
"Giyu?!"
She recognized the haori. Her voice cracked in disbelief.
Douma smiled, twirling his twin fans lazily even as he retreated.
"Oh my~ You're so rude, you know that?"
"I was just having a pleasant conversation with this lovely lady, and here you are—spoiling everything like a brat at a banquet."
"Tch. Now you're gonna die~"
"Blood Demon Art: Lotus Leaf Ice!"
With a quick flick of his fan, Douma summoned a barrage of razor-sharp ice lotuses.
But Giyu didn't dodge. He charged straight through them, water dragon roaring.
Boom! The ice blades shattered as the water dragon crashed toward Douma's neck.
Douma's smirk faded. He hadn't expected his attack to be sliced so cleanly.
The dragon struck—but Douma twisted back just in time. The blade only carved halfway through his neck.
Still, Giyu had activated his Crimson Blade just before impact. The wound wouldn't heal quickly.
But it cost him. After sprinting for miles and using two advanced forms in rapid succession, Giyu's stamina was nearly spent.
He retreated to Kanae's side, breathing heavily.
"Are you alright, Kanae? Can you still fight?"
"I can." Kanae steadied herself, nodding. "It's Upper Rank Two. Be careful, Tomioka."
"Don't inhale the ice. It's not just cold—it poisons the lungs and causes necrosis."
Douma's expression soured for a moment, his eyes flicking to Giyu's crimson blade.
"Huh. Cell memory… a red sword?"
"Interesting. You're the Water Hashira, right? That explains the strength."
He giggled.
"Too bad you're not a cute girl. That would've been perfect~"
He opened both fans wide, and from them, a miniature version of himself emerged, standing atop a lotus.
"Blood Demon Art: Crystal Child!"
"Let this little one handle you. I'd rather keep talking to the lady."
"I do hope she'll join me in eternal bliss~"
Before he finished, the mini Douma charged, hurling frozen lotus spears toward Giyu.
Ice crystals floated in the air like deadly snow.
Giyu narrowed his stance, blade ready.
"Water Breathing, Sixth Form—Whirlpool!"
Whssh—whssh—whssh!
He shredded through the incoming projectiles, then exploded forward:
"Fourth Form—Striking Tide!"
"Third Form—Flowing Dance!"
The strikes landed in a blur, cutting down Mini Douma.
But even Giyu couldn't avoid inhaling some of the frozen mist. He winced—the chill settling deep in his lungs.
No time to recover. Kanae was still facing Douma alone.
"Water Breathing!" Giyu leapt into the air, gripping his sword with both hands.
"Eighth Form—Waterfall Basin!"
Douma twirled, parrying Kanae's graceful slashes with casual grace. But he noticed Giyu's strike above.
"Oh my~ You're really putting in effort, aren't you?"
Kanae attacked too, coordinating perfectly.
"Flower Breathing, Sixth Form—Whirling Peach!"
But Douma was faster.
"Too slow, you two~"
"Blood Demon Art: Withered Snowfall!"
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—
A perfect ice lotus defense emerged, deflecting both attacks.
In the same instant, Douma spun and lashed out with his fans.
But Giyu was ready.
He adjusted the angle of his blade just slightly, flowing like water to redirect the force.
While Douma's other fan flew toward Kanae, Giyu shifted forward and thrust—
"Water Breathing, Seventh Form—Drop Ripple Thrust!"
SHUNK—!
The blade pierced Douma's neck again.
Douma froze. He didn't even flinch.
Meeting him like this was both a curse and a blessing.
A curse—because Douma was a monster.
A blessing—because he couldn't feel pain. No fear, no caution.
Not even the sense of death breathing down his neck.
***
But Douma was still Upper Rank Two of the Twelve Kizuki. Over the past hundred years, his powerful memory and instinct had allowed him to continuously absorb and refine combat experience.
Douma leaned back, allowing the Sun Blade to slice halfway through his neck.
At the same moment, Douma clapped his hands together and fanned forward.
A blue ice mist erupted in a sweeping wave.
"Blood Demon Art: Frozen Cloud!"
Tomioka Giyu reacted instantly, yanking Kocho Kanae back with force.
He might have been able to finish Douma off at that distance—but doing so would mean death for both of them.
Douma's Blood Demon Art had already been triggered. Giyu would have to withstand the mist head-on, and if he died, Kanae—being so close—would die as well.
What a loss. He had come to rescue Kocho Kanae, not die with her.
Besides, to kill Douma, he needed Sanemi Shinazugawa. Just the two of them weren't enough.
There was only one thing left to do: stall for time.
Running away wasn't an option either. If it were just him, maybe Douma might whimsically let him escape.
But with someone as beautiful as Kocho Kanae present, Douma would never let them go.
So escaping would just waste precious stamina. Better to delay the battle until dawn—or until Sanemi arrived.
Thinking of the Wind Hashira, Giyu clicked his tongue inwardly.
"That guy's always late…"
Beside him, Kocho Kanae coughed twice, concern in her eyes.
"Are you alright, Tomioka?"
Giyu nodded his head. "The ice crystals I inhaled have melted. I'm fine."
Truthfully, it was his intense training that had helped. His mastery let him manipulate his breathing, speeding up his heartbeat to raise body temperature and burn away the frostbite invading his lungs.
"That demon is unbelievably strong, Mr. Tomioka… If things get desperate later, please, leave me behind and escape."
"The Demon Slayer Corps can survive without me. But you're different—you're strong. We need you."
"You must not die here…"
Before she could finish, she saw Giyu step forward and take a low stance.
His voice was calm but unwavering.
"Believe me, Kanae. I will save you today."
"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm!"
It was only then that Kocho Kanae noticed it—dozens of massive icicles were crashing down from above!
But the moment they entered Giyu's range, they were cut to pieces, not a single shard touching them.
From the swirling mist, Douma's voice echoed playfully:
"Oh Dou~ Oh Dou~! I've never seen that move before!"
"Did you invent it yourself? That's amazing~!"
Douma's severed neck had already regenerated. He looked at them with a beaming smile.
"Ah, that must hurt~ Don't fight it anymore. Let me save you."
"Oh, and how rude of me! I forgot to introduce myself!"
He tapped his temple with exaggerated flair and struck a theatrical pose.
"I am the founder of the Eternal Paradise Faith~!"
"It is my sacred duty to share joy with my followers. So join me, and become one with me~!"
"I don't feel pain or sadness. It's a blessing to be part of my body!"
Giyu inhaled sharply.
"…Have you said enough?"
He leaned forward and sprang into action.
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"
Facing the charging Tomioka Giyu, Douma's grin widened.
"Ooh, dangerous~ Don't think you can get close so easily!"
"Blood Demon Art: White Princess of Cold Fierceness!"
A lifelike ice maiden emerged beside him, exhaling thick clouds of freezing blue mist from her mouth, surging toward Giyu.
Giyu was forced to retreat. His technique—still mid-rotation—couldn't break through.
Douma taunted him from the mist.
"Running already? How are you supposed to slice off my head like that~?"
The next moment, Douma's figure vanished!
Giyu's eyes widened.
Before he could react—
"Blood Demon Art: Scattering Lotuses!"
Countless shimmering ice petals swirled toward him. He didn't have time to unleash the Eleventh Form.
But—
"Flower Breathing, Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum!"
Kocho Kanae moved like lightning, intercepting the petals just in time.
Without stopping, she charged forward and launched a flurry of attacks:
"Flower Breathing, Fifth Form: Peonies of Futility!"
Petal-shaped slashes danced across the battlefield.
Douma didn't even blink.
"Blood Demon Art: Withered Snowfall~"
His swirling ice defense blocked each strike cleanly.
"Hm~ You're very fast~"
"But it's not enough. You can't defeat me like this."
"Why make yourself suffer? Just accept my love and—"
Before he finished, Giyu's blade was already inches from his neck.
"Oh Kabuto~! What a mean little boy!"
Douma unfolded one fan, barely blocking Giyu's slash.
He twisted, sending the other fan whipping straight toward Kanae's head.
But she saw it just in time, ducking down.
Giyu didn't miss the opening.
He dropped low, shifted his weight, and swung upward—
Whoosh—!
Douma's eyes flicked downward.
His right arm was severed, blood spraying—but it couldn't regenerate instantly.
Giyu didn't hesitate. "Kanae!!"
She was already moving.
"Flower Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirling Peach!"
She spun through the air like a petal in the wind, slashing toward Douma's neck at a precise angle.
But Douma's reflexes were monstrous.
Rather than dodging, he leaned in, letting the blade strike his chest directly.
Splurt—!
A deep gash tore through his body, blood flying.
But it was intentional—Douma used the force of the blow to launch himself backward, creating distance.
"Blood Demon Art: White Princess of Cold Fierceness!"
Giyu wasted no time. He grabbed Kanae's arm and retreated swiftly.
He hadn't expected to kill Douma just now. That had been a long shot at best.
When the thick mist finally cleared, Douma stepped out casually, stretching his newly regrown arm.
"Hmmm~ Half the recovery speed compared to before…"
"How interesting~"