Similar Features, Returning Memories (
Summary[]
Doma asks if he and Inosuke had met in the past
Doma asks if he and Inosuke have met, causing him to angrily deny his statement and demand his mask back. However, Doma is sure they have and that he knows him from somewhere. Inosuke responds again that he never not met Doma; he thinks back to Shinobu, believing that he had met her before and was hoping to ask her the next time they met. When Kanao attempts to lead Inosuke away, saying Doma is spouting nonsense, Doma is surprised and offended, stating that his only saving grace is his seriousness, and his long and clear memory, even during his human years.
With that, Doma pierces his own skull with his finger, to Kanao and Inosuke's shock and disgust. He fiddles with his brain until he reaches a particular memory and retells it to the two. Fifteen years ago, there was a young woman with a baby, roughly 17-18 years of age. She was abused by her husband and mother-in-law daily and encountered Doma's Eternal Paradise Faith. She had no siblings or parents and had no other place to go. When Doma first met her, her face was severely swollen from the beatings, commenting it was "pretty rough" even to him, and that the woman was even partially blinded.
Doma remember the first time he meets Kotoha.
But when he touched the woman's face, her face went back to normal. She was so beautiful that it left a lasting impression on even the apathetic Doma. He mentions she had the same face as Inosuke and concludes she must be his mother. Inosuke claims that he doesn't have a mother and was raised by boars, to Doma's amusement; "You're a human, so a human must have given birth to you".
Doma slashes Inosuke's chest twice creating an X-like mark.
Inosuke charges forward and readies his Beast Breathing: Sixth Fang, to Kanao's concern, only for Doma to state this encounter is a miracle and simultaneously slash at Inosuke's chest twice, creating an X-like mark. He quickly summons more ice and knocks both Demon Slayers into the cult room's pond. As Kanao urges Inosuke to calm down, Doma continues his story. He had no intention of eating the woman, as "having someone beautiful next to you feels pretty good, you know?" Though he considered her unintelligent, she was talented at singing.
The woman continually sang a pinky-promise lullaby to her baby, Doma, mentioning that she sang with different lyrics each time, and the song soon became a village song. Inosuke realizes that the pinky promise memory was not because of Shinobu.
Doma purely planned on letting her live her life, but learned that though she wasn't particularly smart, the woman, named Kotoha, was sharp. She soon learned that Doma devoured the followers of the cult. Confronting him for his lies and fleeing the temple, Kotoha apologized to Inosuke, cursing herself for continually making mistakes, going the wrong way, and repeatedly saying she was sorry. She became lost in the forest and was unable to find the human village. Cornered at a cliff's edge, she apologizes once more to Inosuke before dropping him off the cliff into the water.
Doma calls Kotoha's existence pointless infront of Inosuke and Kanao.
Doma kills her shortly after; believing that the baby died when it dropped from the cliff, he cried at how sad the situation had become. Inosuke suddenly figures out that she was killed; his mother was killed. Doma ate her to the very bone and noted that if she went to her husband, he would continue beating her, and if she was alone by herself on the road, she would end up dead as well. Doma mocks Kotoha's life for being so unfortunate, "Was there ever a happy moment in her life?", and calls her existence pointless, causing Kanao to furiously tell him to silence himself.
As Inosuke grabs his fallen sword from the water, he remembers his mother's love for him. Doma comments, "It truly is a miracle, meeting you here". Now filled with rage, Inosuke declares, "The demon who killed his mother and my friends is right before my eyes." He stands up and thanks Doma for letting him remember everything, before declaring that he won't just cut off his head now. He takes a stance and readies to fight Upper Rank Two, boasting, "I'll show you what true hell is like."
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Kanao Tsuyuri
- Inosuke Hashibira
- Doma
- Shinobu Kocho (Flashback)
- Kotoha Hashibira (Flashback)
Events[]
- Kanao Tsuyuri and Inosuke Hashibira vs Doma.
- Doma recognizes Inosuke's face as the son of a former cult member. When Inosuke refuses to listen, Doma injures him and corners the two.
- Doma recounts his memory of Inosuke's mother Kotoha:
- Kotoha was a desperate young woman, at the time with an infant Inosuke, who came to his cult in need of help.
- Doma enjoyed her company and planned to let her live, until she discovered him killing his followers.
- Kotoha fled with Inosuke until she came to a cliff's edge, where she was forced to drop Inosuke to save him.
- Doma kills and devours Kotoha completely.
- Realizing Doma killed his mother, a vengeful Inosuke stands ready to battle Doma.