Tsunami of Dead Tears: Part 1

Chapter 20

Shinobu struck first.

She and Douma fought their way through the narrow corridors of the Pit and into a large, spacious room. Shinobu stabbed continuously, pulling back and springing forward like a wild preying mantis.

Despite her speed, Douma blocked every single one of her attacks, laughing as he did. This only made Shinobu more furious.

"Hahahahaha!" Douma cackled. "After all the preparation you've made in the last few years, this is the result? You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Shinobu paused to catch her breath. "Who says that I'm not?"

Douma smiled at her witty remark. "Good question."

Shinobu stabbed again, but Douma managed to trap the tip of her blade in between the slits of his fan. He then spun around and whacked Shinobu into a wall, causing her to yelp out a high-pitched ouch and fall on her knees.

Douma kneeled down and looked at Shinobu's miserable face.

"I must say," Douma said. "you were much more impressive than your sister."

Shinobu grinned behind her messy hair. "Allow me to impress you a little more."

Suddenly, a cloud of purple mist puffed out of Shinobu's palm, pointed right at Douma's face. Douma recoiled and grabbed his own face in pain, a few short giggles here and there to satisfy his masochistic side.

Shinobu stood up and blew her hair out of her eyes. She threw away the empty shell of her wisteria stun bomb (which was also heavily inspired by Urokodaki's hwatcha arrow, only scaled down). Seeing Douma's temporary blindness as an opportunity, she sent her Nichirin blade straight through Douma's kidney. Douma screamed in pain (and pleasure), and stumbled back, pulling the blade's tip out of his body.

"Ara-ara, Douma." Shinobu teased childishly. "It seems like I drew first blood."

Shinobu proceeded to stab Douma continuously, each one deeper than the last. Douma attempted to block her strikes, but the pain of wisteria in his eyes made his movements sluggish and confused, like a drunken man trying to aim a pistol.

Eventually, Shinobu stepped back and admired the masterpiece she had personally painted. A shivering, vulnerable, WEAK Douma, clutching his wounds with purple nerves visible on his throat.

He was still smiling.

I'm gonna cut that smile out of you...

"Had enough?" Shinobu asked cheerily.

"No..." Douma replied, a huge grin present on his face. "Just getting used to your fighting style."

Douma held both of his fans in front of him and thrust them against each other, combining their handles to form a circular shield.

(Kinda like this)

"Clever." Shinobu said sarcastically.

She thrust her blade again at Douma, but this time, there was no clear place to stab. Even as Douma was a bit woozy from wisteria, as long as he held his shield in front of him, Shinobu would have no way of attacking.

Eventually, Shinobu grew tired and pulled back. Douma let out a menacing laugh.

"What's the matter, Butterfly Hashira?"

Shinobu grit her teeth. She knew that as long as Douma had that shield, she wasn't gonna be able to stab him. He was quick enough to block attacks from behind.

Which means the only way to defeat him was by destroying his only line of defense.

Dance of the Butterfly: Caprice...