"Lord Doma, the water lilies in the courtyard are blooming beautifully."
Noriko held a few not-yet-fully-bloomed pinkish-purple lotus flowers, her voice light and cheerful.
"Ah, is it already the season for water lilies to bloom?"
It had been three months since he became a demon.
Doma sat cross-legged on the altar cushion as usual, smiling as he watched Noriko arrange the water lilies in a vase. He now wore a black Founder's robe with gold trim and light gold vertically striped trousers, with a black cloak draped over his shoulders, adding a touch of solemnity and mystery.
Well, he certainly didn't want to wear any red bodysuit~
"Yes, would you like to go out and admire the flowers, Lord Doma?" Noriko asked with a smile.
"I won't go. It's enough for me if you look at them for me, Sister Noriko~" Doma said in a whining, coquettish tone.
"Ah, well..." Noriko was at a loss for words.
This side of Lord Doma was just too unfair; it was impossible to resist.
"Lord Doma, the participants for this 'Passage' ceremony have been decided," she quickly changed the subject, her face becoming serious as she respectfully handed over a list.
"Just put it there," Doma said lazily, glancing at it casually.
Noriko put the list down and let out a soft sigh. She didn't know the specific process of this passage ceremony that had started three months ago, but she was well aware of what kind of ritual it was.
Believers would volunteer, go through a screening process to select those with no lingering attachments to this world, and then—Lord Doma himself would personally guide them to paradise.
To outsiders, it might sound cruel, but to believers like Noriko, it was a good thing. Seeing a glimmer of happy acceptance ignite in the numb, pained, and dead eyes of the chosen ones, that sense of relief from finally being able to lay down all burdens, always brought a strange sense of comfort.
"May they find eternal happiness in paradise," Noriko prayed in her heart.
"By the way, there have been rumors of a man-eating demon in the town at the foot of the mountain recently," Noriko suddenly remembered and quickly added before leaving.
"Huh?" Doma looked up blankly, his rainbow eyes filled with innocence.
He hadn't hunted in the town at the foot of the mountain this month.
"Perhaps bandits have snuck into the town. A believer went missing last night," Noriko said with a worried expression. "I hope Lord Doma will refrain from going out at night during this time."
"Oh my, is Noriko worried about me? How cute~" Doma said, cupping his cheek with one hand, his smile radiant.
Noriko tried to maintain a serious and dignified posture, bowed slightly, and walked out the door. The moment she stepped out, she finally let out a breath, her cheeks slightly flushed. It was so improper for an older woman like her to be flustered like this. She seriously reflected on her behavior, and after calming herself, she looked back at the room where no sunlight could enter and couldn't help but frown again.
"Honestly, who on earth hired the craftsmen responsible for rebuilding the temple..." she muttered in dissatisfaction.
After Noriko closed the wooden door, Doma lay sideways on the cushion, lazily playing with his golden fan.
"Are there other demons nearby?"
"I haven't met any of my own kind yet. I wonder if we can communicate?" Doma showed a curious expression. "But to lay a hand on my cute believers is a little upsetting."
He suddenly brought his two fans together, one above the other.
"Blood Demon Art: Crystalline Divine Children~"
When the fans separated, a translucent ice doll, identical to Doma in appearance and dress, had formed between them. The small, one-meter-tall ice figure jumped nimbly to the ground and tilted its head, looking at him obediently.
"What a cute child."
Doma smiled and patted the little ice doll's head with his fan. His development of his Blood Demon Art was going very smoothly. Once he understood the direction and the desired result, everything fell into place.
Currently, apart from his final ultimate technique, the "Sleeping Lotus Bodhisattva," he had a decent grasp of his other moves. However, since he had only been a demon for three months and hadn't received a large amount of blood from that man, the intensity of his Blood Demon Art was still not very high.
But their beautiful appearance really suited him~
"Mmm, I really have a talent for being a demon." Doma also tilted his head, looking at the little ice doll in front of him. "Oh, that's not right. I was smart even when I was human~"
He brought his fans together again, and another small ice doll jumped out, chasing and playing with the first one in the spacious room.
"Two is my limit for now," Doma said, fanning himself with the iron fan.
The two Divine Children began to wield their ice fans and use various Blood Demon Arts to fight each other. They could use Blood Demon Arts of the same intensity as Doma's main body, but they couldn't create more Crystalline Divine Children, and given their size, they certainly couldn't use the ultimate technique.
In an instant, the walls of the room were covered with thick frost, as if it had suddenly turned into a kingdom of ice and snow. Exquisite lotus flowers and leaf-shaped ice crystals bloomed one after another, beautiful yet deadly. A bone-chilling, mist-like ice crystal filled the air, enough to freeze skin and cause respiratory distress, leading to necrosis of the alveoli in anyone who inhaled it.
"Ahh~ I'm becoming more and more like my future self," Doma said, enjoying the show and urging the two little ice dolls to fight more fiercely.
However, he had no desire for close combat. Even though his physical abilities were quite good, especially his speed, he had no experience in melee fighting. After all, before becoming a demon, he was just a weakling. And he had no intention of training, either.
So, he would be a good ice mage and summoner.
Even if he was accidentally caught in close combat, he could use his Blood Demon Art to calmly push the enemy back. At worst, there was Blood Demon Art: Wild Flurry... no, "Barren Garden of Hanging Snow," which could be used as a defensive measure.
But in the end, he didn't actually like fighting. He developed his Blood Demon Art more because he found it fun.
"Should I develop a running-away ability? It seems quite necessary."
Doma watched the Divine Children fight, his expression growing more and more bored.
When night had fully fallen, he left the temple and wandered into the town at the foot of the mountain. Maybe he could encounter some delicious little desserts~
As the night deepened, the streets became less crowded, though some districts remained lively. Doma strolled leisurely through the streets and alleys, a carefree smile on his face. His overly handsome appearance always attracted astonished gazes from passersby.
Occasionally, he would be recognized by a few believers in the crowd and receive words of gratitude and reverence, or some small, heartfelt gifts.
Doma tucked a flower given to him by a little girl behind his ear, and then he smelled the scent of blood from afar.
Mmm, and the scent of my own kind~
Doma followed the scent, entering a more remote and deserted alley. Moonlight illuminated the splattered blood on the ground. A tall figure was crouching at the end of the alley, feasting on a mutilated corpse.
"Heeey—pardon the interruption~"
Doma dropped his mimicry so as not to seem out of place, then cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone and called out in a low, drawn-out voice.
-------
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