With Kagaya Ubuyashiki's acceptance, the balance of power in the world of demon hunters shifted dramatically.
The Pillars, though still uncertain, prepared for a new phase in their millennia-long war against Muzan.
Gojo Satoru, for his part, already had his next target in mind, guided by the now-perfected Anomaly Location Amulet.
"The next most powerful energy signature is located in a place... very cold," Gojo reported to the Pillars. "An ice fortress, filled with what appears to be... frozen flesh. A rather noisy Upper Moon, I would say."
Shinobu Kocho, with her usual smile, identified the place. "It must be Eternal Paradise, a cult that has been attracting many missing persons. The Wind Pillar, Sanemi, and the Serpent Pillar, Obanai, had already expressed concern about that place. Now, with your report, Gojo-san, we understand why."
"Exactly," Gojo nodded. "That's Upper Moon Two, if my readings are correct. A guy with a peculiar taste for cannibalism. An excellent opportunity for us to see how these 'anomalies' manifest themselves on a larger scale."
A strike force was quickly organized. Gojo would, of course, be accompanied by Sanemi Shinazugawa and Obanai Iguro, who, though wary, could not ignore the opportunity to face a Upper Moon with such support.
Gojo's presence irritated them, but his power was an undeniable fact. Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, and Inosuke Hashibira were also assigned to the mission, as their previous experience with Lower Moons would be valuable and their growth with Gojo had been remarkable.
The journey to Eternal Paradise was frigid. The sect operated in a vast ice cave, and the temperature dropped sharply as they approached. The air was permeated with a chilling scent of blood and a dense, icy demonic energy. Gojo noted that this demon's "Breath of Ice" was a direct manifestation of the anomaly, channeling the cold and resentment of the other dimension.
"Wow, wow, this is really cold," Gojo remarked, showing no sign of discomfort from the sub-zero temperature.
"Don't mock me, insolent! This is the domain of a powerful demon!" Sanemi growled, shivering slightly despite his strength. "And you feel nothing!"
"Oh, I feel many things, Sanemi," Gojo replied, a slight smile on his lips. "It's just that they don't affect me in the same way they affect you."
It didn't take them long to find him. In the center of the cave, surrounded by his frozen and partially devoured "followers," stood Douma, the Upper Moon Two.
A cheerful and beautiful-looking demon, with a rainbow in his eyes and a golden fan in his hand. His aura was immensely powerful, and the dimensional anomaly around him was the strongest Gojo had ever sensed, surpassed only by Muzan's.
"Oh, what a pleasure! New guests to join my paradise!" Douma exclaimed in a cheerful voice, but with a disturbing undertone of disinterest. "And what unusual energy you have. You are... different. I would like to absorb you."
Sanemi and Obanai launched their attack, their Breaths and Nichirin ready. Sanemi, with his Wind Breath, created powerful gusts of slashes, while Obanai, with his Serpent Breath, wove unpredictable patterns with his twisted blade.
Douma, however, was fast and deadly, his fans creating blizzards of frost, and his Demon Blood Art, the Ice Crystal Technique, generating ice clones with his own fans and releasing poisonous ice dust that froze his opponents' lungs.
The Pillars, despite their strength, were forced to fight defensively. Gojo watched the exchange, his mind absorbing the details.
So this guy manipulates ice and human flesh. And his energy... is a very pure manifestation of the anomaly. It seems to absorb the resentment and pain of his victims, transforming it into that icy energy.
When the Pillars found themselves in trouble, enveloped by Douma's icy fog and his ice clones, Gojo decided that enough was enough.
"Game over," Gojo said, his voice echoing in the vast ice cave. His Six Eyes glowed brightly, and the atmosphere changed. Douma's laughter froze in his throat, and his ice clones stopped.
Gojo activated his Red Cursed Technique, the burst of hot red energy shooting from his finger, a repulsive force that disintegrated everything in its path. Douma's ice clones melted instantly, and Douma himself was struck by the blast.
.
"What is this?!" Douma shouted, his demonic beauty distorted for the first time by pain and confusion. His body was thrown backward, crashing into the ice wall with devastating force.
But Douma was a Superior Moon and a thousand-year-old demon; his regeneration was almost instantaneous. Within seconds, his body reformed, though with a nervous gleam in his eyes. "Impossible! No one has ever hurt me before!"
Gojo smiled, a smile without a trace of joy. "Ah, regeneration. Always a fun trick. But mine is faster." Gojo approached Douma, his movements fluid and incomprehensible. "Now, let's end this. And while we're at it, let's close your little personal portal to my world."
Gojo's face hardened, and the smile disappeared completely. This was not a demonstration of power; it was an execution.
The Pillars watched, stunned, as the strongest sorcerer prepared to unleash true horror upon Upper Moon Two.