"To be honest… I truly despise you."
Inside one of the chambers, Doma slowly straightened up, his mouth still smeared with fresh blood and flesh from the Inheritor he had just devoured.
He looked directly at Gyutaro, who had finally tracked him down.
Despise…
It was an emotion he had never truly felt before.
But somewhere along the way, the mere mention of Gyutaro's name had begun to irritate him.
And the reason…
His gaze drifted pointedly to the black haori Gyutaro was wearing.
That garment—he knew for a fact that only two existed in this entire world.
And Gyutaro was the only one who had ever received it as a gift from Oboro himself.
"That black coat… it does not suit you in the slightest," Doma emphasized again.
"Years have passed… years since you and your sister appeared. Lord Oboro tasked you two with eliminating us, yet you have never been able to finish the job. You have done more than just fail his expectations… you are simply unworthy of bearing his name."
Doma's voice was cold, yet his face remained twisted into that soft, gentle smile of his.
This destined battle today was ostensibly against Muzan. But for Doma, the one that truly mattered was Gyutaro.
He intended to kill this man.
To seize that black haori for himself, and rightfully claim his place as Oboro's successor.
The only successor.
In Doma's eyes, someone like Gyutaro could never possibly understand just how perfect Oboro truly was.
And only Doma himself was fit to inherit that perfection.
Doma had been confident he could weather Muzan's initial assault. He had also predicted that Kokushibo would step in at the right moment to drag the fight out longer.
While Muzan's mind was divided, even when he killed other Inheritors and sent his flesh constructs to dispose of the bodies, the process would take time—and that gave Doma the perfect window to snatch his "meal" right from under Muzan's nose.
Using the remains of the fallen to heal his wounds, or even to grow stronger… As for whether he could actually defeat Muzan? That did not matter to him at all.
His only true goal was to kill Gyutaro and Daki right here, beneath Oboro's watchful eyes, and prove that he was the superior one.
"You have done… adequately. But nowhere near enough." Doma delivered his judgment calmly.
Meanwhile, Gyutaro's appearance had undergone a drastic change. Emerging from the back of his head was Daki's face.
The siblings had fully merged—though unlike before, when Gyutaro hid inside her body, now they existed as one singular entity.
This was their unique soul ability.
Two bodies, one existence… In essence, their physical attributes were multiplied and stacked upon each other through the amplification of their souls, allowing them to unleash power far greater than the sum of their parts. Even their Blood Demon Arts were enhanced beyond measure.
It was similar to the ultimate fusion achieved by Inheritors like Teshima and Yasuhara back in Edo, yet far more complete and advanced. At the very least, both siblings remained fully conscious and clear‑minded.
BOOM!
Gyutaro had no patience for Doma's rambling. Behind him, Daki's face urged her brother to finish him off quickly.
A moment later, a massive red tornado composed of dense, overlapping slashes exploded outward from Gyutaro's position, shattering the entire room into dust. Everything was swept away as it surged straight toward Doma.
Within the storm of blades, long, ribbon‑like tendrils writhed and coiled, seeking to bind him.
Doma simply raised a hand. Instantly, thick walls of ice rose up like a fortress, blocking the path.
At the same time, several lotus flowers made of crystalline ice bloomed right beneath Gyutaro's feet.
Sharp, thorny vines shot out from the blossoms, slipping through the gaps in his attack and wrapping tightly around Gyutaro's waist.
The tips of those vines were like needles, piercing deep into his flesh.
"Your soul ability is far too simplistic… To think Lord Oboro would value you so highly. Soul power is the gift he bestowed upon this world, yet you show absolutely no aptitude or understanding for it at all."
The ice walls shattered under the impact, but they had served their purpose and blocked the assault. Amidst the falling crystal dust, Doma waved his iron fan and spoke in a mocking tone.
Gyutaro's muscles seized violently where he had been pierced. He swiped backhanded, shattering the vines to pieces.
But then—Daki screamed in agony.
In the next second, Gyutaro felt a splitting pain pierce his skull. Voices whispered in his ears, and it felt as if something living was burrowing its way deep inside his brain.
It was the souls Doma controlled.
He could use his Blood Demon Art to project spiritual puppets directly into his target's body, inflicting damage on a mental level.
It was the exact same trick he had used to wound Muzan earlier.
"I see… your souls aren't fused perfectly either. True unity means sharing every pain together, doesn't it? Yet… she seems to be suffering far more than you are."
Doma continued, his smile widening.
SWISH!
Before the smile could fade from his face, Doma's pupils contracted sharply.
A streak of red light moved like a bolt of thunder, tracing a zigzag path through the wreckage of the room. It closed the distance instantly—faster than even he could react.
That movement… That martial art style!
Doma knew exactly what made Gyutaro so dangerous. The reason he had survived for so long and escaped Muzan's hunts time and again was his godlike speed.
And that speed came from the footwork and movement techniques Oboro had personally taught him—a true martial arts method integrated perfectly into combat.
Gyutaro bent low. His blood scythe swung upward, leaving a thin red line cutting through the air—and sliced cleanly through Doma's neck.
His head was severed and sent flying.
Even as his head tumbled away, Doma's face still held that slightly surprised, amused expression.
"Don't let him die so easily! Make him regret ever disrespecting me!"
From the back of Gyutaro's head, Daki's pale and disheveled face twisted in rage as she screamed orders at her brother.
Saliva dripped uncontrollably from her mouth; the spiritual pain from Doma's attack was simply too much for her to bear.
Even as she shouted, countless sharp ribbons shot out from her form, wrapping tightly around Doma's headless body left standing there, crushing it slowly.
Gyutaro ignored his sister's tantrums. He lifted his gaze slowly toward Doma's head, which was about to hit the ground, and spoke in his rasping voice.
"I swung that blade with every ounce of killing intent I had… You really are something else…"
"You really are quite impressive."
He had already realized—his strike had failed to finish him.
Even as it fell, flesh and muscle began to regenerate visibly upon Doma's head.
Before it could even hit the floor, Doma had completely restored his entire body from nothing but a severed head.
The laws of this world had changed fundamentally. The regenerative vitality of demons was now terrifying beyond belief—especially for powerful beings like Doma.
Nevertheless, that single strike told Doma exactly why demons like Gyokko and Hantengu had fallen before this man.
It came down to one word: Speed.
Evading, reacting, thinking… all of these things require time.
When you are denied even that split second, you are left with absolutely no way out.
Just now, Doma had tried to use his Blood Demon Art to shift his form and escape.
But Gyutaro had clearly seen right through him—his experience in killing demons was vast and unmatched.
Before Doma could even activate his ability, the blade had already fallen.
"What?!"
Unlike Gyutaro, who remained calm and observant, Daki was furious. She had been certain that blow had finished him off.
"Brother! What are you doing?!"
"Can't you take this seriously?!"
"My head is splitting apart!!"
She shrieked in frustration.
Then, the body Doma had left behind—now wrapped in ribbons—suddenly exploded into thousands of ice needles, scattering in every direction, accompanied by a thick, freezing mist.
Gyutaro leaped backward, narrowly dodging the blast, but the black haori upon his shoulders slipped off and fluttered to the ground.
Through the mist, Doma caught sight of large, unsettling black patches spreading across Gyutaro's skin.
"She seems to be quite the burden… Shall I help you get rid of her?"
Doma tilted his head, looking at Gyutaro with an expression of pure helpfulness. "I could simply eat her, you know."
He was, of course, referring to Daki.
"What nonsense are you spouting? The two of us are one. Saying such a thing to a brother… is absolutely unforgivable." Gyutaro let out a wild, crazed laugh.
The moment he laughed, blood began to pour from Doma's nose and mouth.
"Regeneration means nothing… I already cut you."
Gyutaro scratched his face hard enough to draw blood, his voice trembling with excitement.
"…Poison?"
Doma finally realized the truth.
____________________
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