Doma twirled his folding fans lightly, his eyes brimming with mockery as he looked at Inosuke.
"Truly, you're so much like her — not just in appearance, but in what you do. Back then, Kotoha stayed behind to face me alone for your sake. And now, you're doing the same for your comrades. How enviable… that kind of bond. Tell me, what does that kind of feeling even feel like?"
"Joy!" Inosuke spat venomously. "You emotionless beast — you don't deserve to feel anything! Joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure!"
The false smile vanished from Doma's face. He replied coldly, "My, what a cruel thing to say."
"Tanjiro, run! If you and Zenitsu die here, I'll never forgive myself!"
Shouting that, Inosuke tightened his grip on his two Nichirin Blades and charged at Doma.
Tanjiro hesitated in torment for a moment, then gritted his teeth and turned to flee.
"Inosuke… please, you have to survive!"
Activating his Breathing Technique to its limit, Tanjiro ran with everything he had. Every second faster he reached the Butterfly Mansion meant one more second of safety for Inosuke.
"Blood Demon Art: Winter Icicles!"
Countless sharp icicles formed and shot toward the fleeing Tanjiro.
"Beast Breathing, Tenth Fang: Circular Fangs of Rotation!"
Inosuke appeared just in time, using both blades to shatter the ice spears.
"Damn it! Your opponent is me!
Beast Breathing, Fourth Fang: Slice 'n' Dice
Crossing his swords, Inosuke unleashed a flurry of slashes toward Doma.
But while Inosuke intercepted the attack, Tanjiro—who had re-engaged his Breathing—was already gone.
Doma swung his fans, raising an ice wall to block every one of Inosuke's blows. He sighed softly.
"You really are troublesome. Though I do find you quite fascinating, Lord Muzan has far greater interest in that little boy with the Hanafuda earrings. Still, since his order was to bring back one of the three of you, I suppose it doesn't make much difference."
"Hmph! Don't underestimate me! I, the great Inosuke, can take you down all by myself! Beast Breathing, Second Fang: Slice 'n' Dice!"
With a snarl, Inosuke launched a fierce assault.
"Blood Demon Art: Lotus of Frozen Petals!"
Doma flicked his fans, scattering lotus-shaped shards of ice along Inosuke's path. As Inosuke neared them, the ice lotuses exploded, releasing a cloud of nearly invisible frozen dust.
The moment Inosuke's skin touched the icy particles, his body began to freeze over.
The chill engulfed his entire form, slowing his movements drastically. His footing faltered, breaking his sword form mid-attack.
The lotuses continued to burst, covering him completely in shimmering frost until, moments later, Inosuke was frozen solid—transformed into an ice statue.
His furious eyes glared at Doma through the ice. His enemy was right before him, and yet he couldn't lift a finger.
Rage burned in his chest, his heart pounding violently, raising his body temperature until the ice slowly began to melt.
A strange power surged through him. Across his bare chest, faint markings began to emerge.
Doma's eyes narrowed. "A Mark…?" he murmured.
Having worked alongside Gyomei Himejima and others for centuries, Doma understood what the Demon Slayer Marks and the Transparent World meant.
Inosuke shut off every unnecessary sense. The world shifted — Doma's body became translucent, his organs and blood flow perfectly visible.
Regaining his freedom, Inosuke gripped his twin swords tightly and charged straight for Doma. For the first time, Doma felt a twinge of pressure from this newly marked slayer.
"Blood Demon Art: Winter Icicles!"
Dozens of sharp ice spears hurtled toward Inosuke.
But in his Marked state, Inosuke's speed, perception, and reflexes had all reached extraordinary levels. His control over his muscles — already superb — was now enhanced even further by the clarity of the Transparent World.
He slipped through the deadly barrage with fluid precision.
"Beast Breathing, Ninth Fang: Extending Bendy Slash!"
Inosuke dislocated his joints, whipping his arms out in an unpredictable pattern. In the Transparent World, his reach and strike power had both become far greater.
Doma crossed his fans to block the attack, his lips curling behind the fan he raised to half-cover his face.
"For your Mark to awaken just now, and already grant you this much power… how impressive. But—this is where it ends. Lord Muzan doesn't like to be kept waiting."
"Blood Demon Art: Freezing Cloud!"
In an instant, Doma spread a vast mist of freezing particles, enveloping the space like a blizzard of clouds.
Inosuke spun both blades fiercely, creating a whirlwind that blew the icy haze apart.
But just as he prepared to counterattack, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Doma wasn't surprised in the least. Instead, he smiled knowingly.
"What a pity. You see, the moment those lotus bombs exploded, you inhaled my ice dust. Even though your heightened body temperature from the Mark can melt it, that ice dust was made from my blood. It's poisonous."
Inosuke's consciousness began to fade, his body collapsing helplessly to the ground.
Doma approached the fallen slayer, lifting him onto his shoulder with ease.
"Perhaps this is fate," he mused. "Kotoha was taken by me to Paradise long ago… and now, after all these years, her child has come to join her. How curious destiny is."
Having fulfilled Muzan Kibutsuji's command, Doma departed from Ōsumi Village with Inosuke in tow.
Meanwhile, Tanjiro finally arrived at the Butterfly Mansion, collapsing to his knees, gasping for air as he clutched the unconscious Zenitsu.
Hearing the commotion, the others rushed out. Yosuke frowned.
"Tanjiro? Zenitsu? What happened? You're both badly hurt!"
"It's Inosuke…! He's fighting Doma in Ōsumi Village! Please—go help him!" Tanjiro pleaded desperately.
Realizing the urgency, Yosuke immediately unfurled his blood-red wings and took off into the sky toward the village.
But when he arrived, the place was nothing but carnage—scattered limbs and devastation everywhere.
Neither Inosuke nor Doma was anywhere to be found.
At the village center, Yosuke discovered Inosuke's boar mask and his distinctive serrated twin Nichirin Blades.
By then, Gyomei Himejima and Akaza had also arrived.
Hakuji asked, "Yosuke-sama, where is Inosuke?"
Yosuke's eyes hardened. "He's been taken. It seems Muzan Kibutsuji is done waiting to wage war against us."
Not far away stood a monument of solid ice, carved like a gravestone. On its frozen surface were engraved the words:
'Ubuyashiki Yosuke — if you wish to save this boy, come alone. You know the place.'