Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-32952945-20191211150344/@comment-36009152-20191220235643

Apparently so, being within Shinoa seems to have been a step on the ladder for Shikama Doji. One possibility is we have seen his true form, the angelic being, it's just that if he successfully took over Shinoa's body permanently he could assume that complete physical form (rather than just being in people's minds).