Demon, Do You Truly Seek Redemption from the Gods?

Doma's encounter the previous night had shattered his worldview.

For centuries, he had believed in the absence of gods or buddhas, let alone heaven or hell. To him, these were nothing but human fantasies. Even when he had devoured shrine maidens in their sacred temples, no divine punishment ever descended upon him.

This led him to conclude that gods and higher powers did not exist. To Doma, consuming humans and merging them into his eternal being was an act of salvation, offering them the immortality they sought.

But after witnessing the divine phenomenon firsthand, he now knew gods were real.

Muzan had issued him a direct order: uncover the truth behind that mountain's mysterious events. Yet, having narrowly escaped death, Doma dared not set foot on the mountain again.

Through the network of his cult, the Eternal Paradise Faith, he learned that Demon Slayers had ascended the mountain. After instructing his followers to monitor their movements for some time, Doma finally spotted two young Demon Slayer girls leaving the area.

Even then, he exercised caution, waiting until they were far from the mountain before appearing.

"Ahahaha, let's not be hasty now," Doma's voice drifted through the forest, warm yet insincere. "Little Demon Slayer girls, I just want to know the secrets of that mountain. Wouldn't it be easier to tell me? Otherwise, I might accidentally kill you outright."

His feigned gentleness hung in the air, sending chills down the sisters' spines.

"Disgusting, vile demon," Shinobu spat, her voice sharp. "Your kind is already doomed. The gods above have turned their gaze upon us, and the Lord Raiden1's judgment will surely obliterate you!"

Though her words were fierce, her body tensed with fear. Unlike her older sister Kanae, Shinobu was not yet adept with her blade and lacked the skill to even face a Lower Rank demon.

The Upper Ranks were said to be on an entirely different level. Many Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps had fallen prey to them over the centuries.

Shinobu hoped her revelation about the gods' intervention would intimidate this creature into retreating.

"Lord Raiden… so my suspicions were correct," Doma murmured, his voice tinged with mock reverence. "You've seen things from that shrine, haven't you? Things you won't share with me."

His tone shifted, feigning sorrow.

"But if you won't cooperate, I'll just have to persuade you."

The soft rustling of trees intensified around them.

Back-to-back, Shinobu and Kanae readied themselves, every muscle taut.

A clawed hand parted the foliage, revealing a grotesque face twisted with hunger.

"These women are mine! I'll devour their brains!" the demon screeched, lunging toward them.

"Flower Breathing: Fourth Form - Crimson Hanagoromo!"

Kanae swiftly entered a breathing stance. Gripping her Nichirin Blade tightly, she swung downward in a precise arc. Her blade shifted direction mid-strike, severing the demon's head with a graceful flourish.

The creature collapsed, its body disintegrating into ash before it hit the ground.

But the rustling of leaves grew louder. From every direction, more demons charged forth—eight in total—baring their fangs and clawing wildly like starved beasts.

"Demon Slayers! There they are! They're the ones he wants!"

"Who cares? I'm eating an arm first!"

"Fine by me! I'll take a leg!"

The feral horde surrounded the sisters, snarling and snapping. Kanae took a deep breath, analyzing the situation.

These demons were weak but numerous. It was clear their goal was to wear the sisters down, softening them for capture.

How cunning… So, this is the strategy of an Upper Rank demon, Kanae thought grimly. Far beyond the mindless predation of lesser demons.

Her voice remained calm, almost tender:

"Though I know you were once human, I cannot let you live. I must kill you."

Kanae's tone was laced with sorrow. She understood that these demons had once been human, forced into monstrosity by Muzan's curse. Driven by an insatiable hunger, many had killed their own loved ones—a torment she could only imagine.

The true evil, she knew, lay with the progenitor of all demons: Muzan Kibutsuji.

"Flower Breathing: Fifth Form - Peonies of Futility!"

Kanae's Nichirin Blade moved with incredible speed, the strikes radiating outward in all directions. The arc of her slashes resembled a peony blooming in an instant.

The demons lunging toward them were torn apart the moment the peony "bloomed," their grotesque faces still frozen in an expression of insatiable hunger for human flesh as they disintegrated.

"You sly Upper Rank demon! Show yourself! No matter how many of these weaklings you throw at me, I won't need a second strike!"

Kanae's voice carried confidence, though her sharp tone revealed the tension beneath.

Shinobu, astute as ever, had already deduced the demon's tactics: it was aiming to drain their stamina.

"Hehehe, your taunts won't work on me," Doma's calm, mockingly kind voice echoed through the trees. "Hashira are indeed formidable, but the bodies of you lowly humans are so fragile. Eventually, you'll tire, and when that happens, we'll have a nice, long chat about the secrets of that shrine."

The feigned warmth in his words made Shinobu grind her teeth in frustration.

"Cursed, conniving demon!" she hissed.

"Sister," Shinobu whispered under her breath, "it's trying to exhaust us. Let me handle these small fry while you go after it. If we waste too much stamina, we're done for."

Kanae hesitated briefly but nodded in agreement. "That's the best course of action. Be careful, Shinobu."

With that, she struck down three more lesser demons with a single elegant motion and dashed in the direction of Doma's voice.

"Though the mountain echoes are deceptive, I've spent years with Mother and Father gathering herbs and avoiding wild beasts. I know how to pinpoint sound."

As Kanae disappeared into the forest, Shinobu smashed a vial of wisteria flower powder onto the ground. The vial exploded like a smoke bomb, releasing a dense cloud of violet mist.

The five demons closest to her stumbled into the cloud, coughing violently and shrieking.

"Ugh! What is this stuff? My eyes! I can't see! My body feels so weak!"

"Damn you, Slayer! What kind of poison is this?"

Shinobu didn't waste a moment. With surgical precision, she lunged forward, her blade coated in a potent extract of wisteria.

"Insect Breathing: Butterfly Dance - Caprice."

The slender blade of her Nichirin sword, too delicate to sever a head, danced with precision. It left a series of fine punctures on each demon's neck, delicate but deadly.

"Aaaah! It hurts! It hurts so much!"

The wisteria extract began to take effect, their faces turning a dark, putrid purple as they clutched their throats and vomited blood.

"What… what did you do to us, you vile woman?!"

Before they could utter another word, the poison consumed them. They crumbled into ash, their faces twisted in agony.

"Hmph. Killing demons doesn't always require decapitation," Shinobu said coldly, glaring at the next wave of attackers. She drew another five vials from her pouch.

"Every single one of you deserves to die!" she spat, hurling the vials at the ground. The forest filled with more plumes of toxic smoke.

Through the haze, the silhouettes of Shinobu and the demons collided in a whirlwind of battle. Screams, curses, and the sound of her blade cutting through the air filled the woods.

Meanwhile, Kanae came to a halt near a weathered Jizō shrine.

There, standing in the clearing, was her quarry.

"At last, I've found you, Upper Rank demon."

Short silver-white hair, iridescent eyes with rainbow-colored irises, and a red robe typical of a religious cult leader—his appearance was striking. His right eye bore the character for "Upper Rank" (上弦), while the left read "Two" (贰).

Doma's face wore a perpetually false, gentle smile, like that of a benevolent pastor, making it almost impossible to believe he was a demon.

"Hehehe, I've been waiting for you," he said, clapping his hands with feigned enthusiasm. His voice carried a disarming, charismatic warmth. "You seem much more spirited than the other Demon Slayers I've met. So, you must be a Hashira. My name is Doma, Upper Rank Two."

Clapping with deliberate theatrics, he added, "Since you're a Hashira, and such a vibrant young lady at that, I'd be honored to know your name."

"I am Kanae Kocho, Flower Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps," Kanae replied, gripping her Nichirin Blade firmly.

"Mr. Demon," she began with a calm, steady voice, "since you can converse with me, it means you're capable of thought. You were human before becoming a demon, weren't you? Eating humans must weigh on you—it's not something you wish to do forever, is it?"

Doma paused, intrigued by her words. This Hashira wasn't immediately attacking him. "Oh? Are you trying to preach to me? How amusing," he said, his interest piqued.

"You must already know that a god has descended," Kanae continued. "I believe if you sincerely repent before the gods, redemption is possible."

Her tone carried genuine conviction. To Kanae, saving those who would otherwise fall victim to demons wasn't enough. She also sought to free demons from their sorrowful fates.

"Ah, I see now. You think I'm pitiful and in need of salvation," Doma mused, feigning pity as he placed a hand on his chest in mock regret. "How tragic. Yes, yes, I'm so very pitiful. If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me more about these gods? I'd like to repent, you see."

Though inwardly amused, Doma played the part convincingly. He was fascinated by this naïve Hashira who genuinely believed in redemption. But for now, he feigned interest in her talk of gods, knowing it might lead him to the information his master, Muzan Kibutsuji, sought.

"Do you truly wish to repent before the gods, Mr. Demon?" Kanae asked, her voice soft yet probing.

"Of course," Doma said, his expression shifting into one of exaggerated sorrow. "That's why I've come here. But… I fear the gods might smite me outright if I go to that shrine."

"In that case," Kanae replied gently, "I'll take you to the shrine. If you're sincere, the gods will not punish you."

Her tone was kind, yet her resolve was unwavering. Kanae was no fool—she fully understood that Doma was after information about the gods and that Muzan had likely sent him. If he truly sought redemption, he would follow her to the shrine.

"Oh dear… it seems I have no choice then," Doma sighed dramatically, before flashing a predatory grin. His iridescent eyes gleamed with malice as his fangs showed. "I'll just have to capture you first and get the information that way."

A terrifying aura enveloped the night, heavy and suffocating. Kanae felt as if an immense weight had pressed down on her, even her blade felt heavier in her grip.

Her body moved instinctively.

"Flower Breathing: Fourth Form - Crimson Hanagoromo!"

With two elegant arcs, her blade slashed downward toward Doma's neck in a double crescent strike.

Doma tilted his head, feigning annoyance as the blade approached.

"Normally, a girl like you would be such fun to play with. I'd keep you alive for as long as possible, enjoying every moment before finally eating you and keeping you with me forever."

From within the folds of his flowing red robes, he drew two golden iron fans adorned with painted lotus flowers and lily pads in pink and green.

"However, my master's orders require me to act quickly. Forgive me."

Though his tone was apologetic, it carried a hollow ring of insincerity.

"Blood Demon Art: Freezing Clouds."

With a flick of his fans, a frigid mist spread like a suffocating fog, enveloping Kanae in icy clouds.

"Flower Breathing: Second Form - Honorable Shadow Plum!"

Kanae reacted with the quickest reflexes, swinging her blade in a wide arc to disperse the icy mist. The crescent-like slashes cleared the air but left her stumbling back several steps.

"So cold!"

She glanced at her sword hand, now frostbitten and tinged a bluish-purple from the freezing temperatures. A sharp, searing pain radiated from her chest, as if her lungs had been frostburned.

"Cough… cough…"

"I've killed 47 Hashira so far," Doma declared smugly, his tone as falsely amiable as ever. "Each one succumbed after I froze their lungs, rendering their Breathing techniques useless. After that, killing them was child's play."

Kanae glared at him, her hand trembling slightly as she gripped her blade tighter.

"Demon Slayers rely on their Breathing techniques, don't they? Your lungs are critical for that, yet here you are inhaling my Blood Demon Art," Doma continued, his tone mocking yet cheerful. "I don't even need to fight seriously. I can simply bide my time until you've breathed in enough of my blood-infused mist. Then, with the slightest activation of my art, your lungs will freeze solid."

His grin widened, exposing his sharp fangs. "Feeling despair yet, Flower Hashira? Hehehe."

Kanae's eyes widened at his words. Her hand trembled as she tightened her grip on her sword. So this was the fate of her predecessors who had faced Upper Rank Two—a demon specifically designed to nullify Demon Slayer techniques.

"Just tell me what you know about the gods, and I'll spare you. Doesn't that sound like a fair deal?" Doma asked, his counterfeit smile never faltering.

Kanae remained silent, her gaze fixed on him with unwavering determination. While she did empathize with demons and sought to free them from their torment, she had been deceived far too many times by those who feigned remorse to escape her blade.

This demon had already lied to her once; she wouldn't fall for his tricks again.

Her heart raced. This Upper Rank demon was unlike any she had faced before.

"No answer? How unfortunate," Doma said, feigning disappointment. He bared his fangs in a grin. "Then I'm curious—will your sister choose to save you, or will she sacrifice herself to keep your precious secrets?"

"What a tragic dilemma! I can't wait to see how it plays out!"

Clang!

The sound of clashing blades rang out, marking the beginning of their fierce battle.

"Haah… haah…"

Shinobu gasped for breath, her chest heaving as she surveyed the aftermath of the fight. The ground was littered with the ashen remnants of the demons she had just killed.

"Thankfully, there are no more demons. I only have two bottles of wisteria powder left," she muttered, slipping the remaining vials into her pouch.

"I hope sister is okay… If she's facing an Upper Rank demon, even she might not stand a chance. I have to hurry and—"

Her words faltered as she froze in place, her violet eyes widening in shock and disbelief.

There, ahead of her, stood her sister Kanae.

But Kanae was bloodied, her body battered and bruised. She was being held captive by a demon whose eyes bore the unmistakable markings of "Upper Rank Two."

Kanae's Nichirin Blade was clutched in the demon's hand, its blade cruelly piercing her shoulder.

"Shinobu… run… quickly…" Kanae croaked, her voice barely audible. "Run… towards the shrine…"