https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-822-Crimson-Eyes-of-the-Other-Shore/12560314/
Chapter 823: The Trajectory of Fate
Chapter 823: The Trajectory of Fate
In an instant, the entire world seemed to slow down in Kanae Koizumi's eyes.
The movements of Butterfly Ninja and Douma's every action appeared to slow down, as if time had suddenly decreased severalfold, becoming a slow-motion display.
The Beyond Scarlet Eyes didn't enhance her speed significantly, but it tremendously boosted her dynamic vision. This meant that Tongma's seemingly impenetrable defense now appeared full of flaws and openings to her enhanced sight!
Whether it was offense or defense, breathing technique, or Blood Demon Art, there was never absolute perfection.
Perhaps on some level, it might seem flawless, but when faced with increased speed, enhanced dynamic vision, and quicker reactions, those once-imperceptible flaws would become glaringly obvious.
Swish!
In this moment, Koizumi's technique and movements suddenly changed. Although her speed hadn't increased significantly, each swing of her sword now seemed uncanny from Tongma's perspective, each strike aiming for the gaps in his movements!
"What's going on with her movements...?"
No changes were needed in the given text as it was already in English.
In just a few breaths, dozens of wounds appeared on his body. His initially solid defense was now forcibly broken by Koizumi's relentless assault. The Sun-Wheel Sword, with its dancing petals, became a heart-piercing arrow that shredded his folding fan, broke through his defenses, and finally landed a heavy blow on his neck.
Clang!
Instead of the sound of flesh being cut, the collision between the sword and Tongma's neck produced a buzzing sound like metal striking metal.
As an Upper Moon, Douma's neck was naturally terrifyingly tough, surpassing even steel. However, Koizumi's strength was not to be underestimated, and her Sun-Wheel Sword managed to slowly cut into his neck.
"No, I can't lose here."
Doma struggled desperately, abandoning his defense against the Butterfly Ninja. The hands holding the shattered fan together tried to block the Sun-Wheel Sword that was cutting into his head, twisting it away with all his might.
As long as the Sun-Wheel Sword didn't completely sever his neck, it wouldn't be a fatal wound to him; it could even be said that it was a negligible injury. He just needed a moment to regenerate the wound completely!
Koizumi aimed to behead Doma and end his life here, while Doma exerted all his strength to deflect the deadly blade, trying to divert it from its intended path.
Time seemed to slow down at this critical juncture.
Everyone realized that this very moment was a turning point in fate! If this strike failed to kill Tongma, Koizumi, having used the Beyond Scarlet Eyes, would be unable to maintain this state for long and would suffer from its side effects, possibly even regressing to a weaker state than before.
It was a decisive moment of life and death!
"Dragonfly's Dance."
Without the slightest hesitation, Butterfly Ninja's blade didn't aim for any part of Itachi's body. Instead, with all her might, she slashed at the spine of Kisame's Samehada's counterpart, Koizumi's Sun-Wheel Sword wasn't found, but I used a similar term, infusing all her strength into that single strike.
The Sun-Wheel Sword, which had been slowly cutting into Tongma's neck, was empowered by this additional force and finally sliced through with a sickening sound, severing Tongma's neck and body.
This strike.
The blade's final path was at the very edge of Itachi's neck, leaving only a thin layer of skin connecting the head to the body.
But...
This minuscule margin made all the difference between two drastically different outcomes!
Under Tong Mo's desperate resistance, the blade's direction was slightly altered, and instead of slicing through the neck, it tore through the neck at an angle, severing the entire upper half of his body.
Splash!
Blood and intestines splattered everywhere.
Doma's head, with just a thin strip of skin connecting it to the neck, along with his left arm and a small portion of his chest, was severed and flew backward.
"Damn it..."
Koizumi's pupils constricted sharply.
Kanae's expression changed instantly as well.
As pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps, they both understood this disparity all too well. Without hesitation, they swung their Nichirin Blades again, crossing in a horizontal strike aimed at the thin layer of skin that remained on Douma's neck.
At this moment, the trajectory of fate underwent a violent upheaval.
Even as pillars, battle-hardened and experienced in fighting demons, they were still human and prone to mistakes.
Yes.
Both Koizumi and Kanae, in that moment when they were so close to slaying Douma, made a grave mistake that turned the tide of the battle.
Even when sliced apart, a demon's body could still move independently! Although the previous strike hadn't completely severed Douma's neck, it hadn't completely ruined their advantage either. With Douma's current state, he couldn't withstand Kanae's further pursuit with her awakened Scarlet Eyes.
If Koizumi's first reaction had been to suppress the other half of Douma's body, Kanae still would have had an extremely high chance of completely severing Douma's neck in that brief moment.
But faced with the failure of that strike and the 'victory' that was within their grasp, they both made the same mistake, focusing all their attention on the small half of Douma's body that had flown away, neglecting the other half.
And so.
Douma, who had been suppressed until now, finally freed one of his hands!
"Blood Demon Art: Misty Frost - Sleeping Lotus Bodhisattva."
Without hesitation, he unleashed his most powerful and wide-ranging technique. In an instant, a massive Bodhisattva made of ice crystals rose from the ground, exuding grandeur and holiness.
As this Sleeping Lotus Bodhisattva appeared, endless icy mist spread wildly in all directions from beneath it, engulfing Douma, Kanae, and Koizumi.
Clang!
Just as Kanae and Koizumi's blades were about to strike Douma's vulnerable neck, they collided with the encroaching icy mist in midair.
The mist froze Douma's own half-body along with it, turning it into an ice pillar. The sisters' blades landed on the ice pillar, shattering it instantly, but they had also lost their last chance.
Crash!
The ice shards broke apart.
Douma's body, which had flown backward, quickly writhed, and the small half with the head began to grow more of its body. At the same time, the left hand connected to that half swung the broken fan forward.
"Blood Demon Art: Ice Pillar of the Frozen Sky."
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
In an instant, dozens of towering ice pillars shot up from the ground, colliding with Koizumi and Kanae, blocking their path and completely halting their pursuit.
After using this technique to stop the Butterfly sisters, Douma, who had finally regenerated his body, waved his left hand, restoring the broken fan to its original state. He turned to look at the sisters again, a smile tugging at his lips.
It was as if he hadn't just experienced that moment of near-death.
"Oh my, you almost killed me just now. It really was a close call."
(End of Chapter)
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