"The Infinity Castle..."
Watching the magnificent, ever-shifting city before him, Doma's beautiful eyes widened, and he broke into a smile as pure and brilliant as a child's.
"Wow, how spectacular—"
With the sound of a biwa, he landed on an empty wooden platform, looking around curiously. The surrounding rooms, layered upon one another, were in constant motion. Complex corridors and stairs intersected everywhere, lit by warm yellow lamps that dispelled the omnipresent darkness of the city.
"Somehow... it feels a little cozy," Doma thought cheerfully, touching his cheek.
The Horned Demon was right beside him, struggling to piece its body back together.
Twang—
A few more notes from the biwa echoed from afar, and several new, unfamiliar figures appeared nearby.
Before Doma could greet them enthusiastically, a wooden door high above swung open with a whoosh.
Kibutsuji Muzan sat behind the door, looking down on them from his high perch.
"My lord."
Following the instinctive reverence and obedience in his blood, Doma knelt on the ground like the other demons.
"Raise your heads," came the cold command.
Doma straightened up, placing his hands on his thighs and sitting neatly on his knees on the wooden platform. He looked up with a smile.
Muzan wore a black, patterned kimono, his slightly curly black hair draped over his shoulders. His plum-red eyes were devoid of emotion.
"Lord Muzan is as dashing as ever today~"
Doma thought, yet his heart was as calm as still water.
"What a shame. It seems I don't really care that much about Lord Muzan after all... How very sad."
Doma, who had hoped to feel a flicker of emotion, muttered to himself. Seeing Muzan's unchanging expression, he blinked his eyes lightly.
Hmm, it seems Hisōten really is useful. I can easily hide any inconvenient thoughts.
Though, he was already quite good at controlling what he did and didn't think about.
But... it's still such a shame~
He really didn't want to be such an outsider. But, if he was secretly an outsider and no one found out, it should be fine, right? Doma thought seriously, and then his face lit up with a smile again.
Muzan coldly surveyed the demons. Doma, with his exceptionally handsome features, stood out like a crane among chickens, earning an extra glance.
He had a rather deep impression of Doma: the founder of a small cult, one of the rare humans who actively sought to become a demon. He hadn't paid much attention after giving him his blood, not expecting much from him, but Doma had brought him a small surprise.
An interesting Blood Demon Art and outstanding talent... He should be of some use.
Thinking this, Muzan glanced at the Horned Demon next to Doma.
"I saw the battle between you two," he said slowly.
The Horned Demon, having just reassembled itself, flinched and prostrated itself on the ground again, trembling.
"Really! I wonder if my performance was to your satisfaction?" Doma, however, smiled happily, looking up at Muzan with an expectant face.
Muzan ignored him, not even sparing him a glance. Having already read Doma's thoughts and memories, he naturally knew this creature was born without any emotions; everything he displayed was a facade. He was more like a natural-born demon than a human. While he was obedient to him as the Demon King, he lacked any genuine reverence and couldn't read the room, which Muzan disliked.
But getting angry at Doma felt as pointless as getting angry at a rock...
It was truly—annoying.
Muzan's face darkened as he looked at the prostrate Horned Demon. He spoke with cold indifference, "Sui-gan, I am utterly disappointed in your growth. It seems your potential ends here."
"My lord, please give me a little more time, I will work harder..." the Horned Demon's voice trembled.
"Boring."
The moment Muzan finished speaking, the Horned Demon exploded, turning into a firework of blood. The splattering blood stained the wooden platform red. The surrounding demons were so terrified they didn't dare to breathe, fearing they would be next.
Only Doma wore an expression of regret.
"What a pity. He was the first of my kind I ever met. I thought we could deepen our relationship in the future."
"Mmm~ It would have been better if he'd died farther away. Now my clothes are dirty." He looked down at his blood-splattered clothes, his expression turning somewhat wronged.
Muzan turned his gaze back to him, frowning slightly. His right arm suddenly transformed into a long, thorny whip, its tip viciously stabbing into Doma's temple.
"Eh?"
With no time to react, Doma felt scalding blood pour into his body, bringing with it extreme pain. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his body trembled instinctively, growing stronger amidst the melting agony.
Doma raised a hand to his head, not because it hurt, but because his brain being pierced had left him a bit dazed.
"You have great potential. I look forward to your growth." Muzan retracted his whip and finished coolly, his plum-red eyes sweeping over the other demons.
"You all have the potential to become one of the Twelve Kizuki. Today, I will give you a chance." He curled his lips into a smile devoid of any emotion.
Twang—
The sound of a biwa echoed again. The surrounding rooms moved fluidly, and two high platforms rose from below. There were several figures on each platform, and one could vaguely see the kanji carved into their pupils.
The Twelve Kizuki.
"I am disappointed," Muzan said coldly. "Upper Moon Six was killed by Demon Slayers last night, taken down by the combined efforts of two Hashira."
"And only one of the two Hashira died."
"To die in a mutual kill... with a mere Hashira..." He slammed his hand on the table, the terrifying pressure causing all the demons to prostrate themselves.
"This is the second Upper Moon to die at the hands of Demon Slayers..."
"My cultivation of you has become a joke," Muzan scolded angrily. "The Lower Moons are replaced time and again, and even the Upper Moons can't produce any decent results."
"It seems I have been too lenient with you, causing you to lose your ambition and sense of crisis."
"Then, let the Blood Battle begin," Muzan said coldly, his expression returning to indifference. "Demons with potential will challenge your positions. The Twelve Kizuki have no need for the weak."
"The strongest Lower Moon to emerge from the Blood Battle will be granted my blood and become the new Upper Moon Six."
"Fight with everything you have. The victor will be rewarded, and the loser will be devoured by the winner..."
After explaining the rules, he glanced at the demons below—some eager, some anxious, some expressionless—and looked thoroughly bored.
With the sound of a biwa, a wide arena unfolded, and a challenger immediately applied for a Blood Battle against a higher-ranked demon.
Doma had already recovered from the pain of the blood infusion, feeling he had become much stronger. He took a moment to familiarize himself with his new state and then watched the battle with great interest.
Mmm~ Quite exciting. It would be even better with some snacks.
After watching a demon confidently challenge a Lower Moon only to be defeated and eaten, Doma quickly lost interest.
Oh dear, it seems I'm not very motivated.
Should I issue a challenge? I feel like something bad will happen if I don't, but challenging someone doesn't seem very fun.
Doma put on a troubled expression. He decided to stop thinking about it and instead observed the Twelve Kizuki on the two high platforms.
And as he looked...
Oh my, so many familiar faces~
Doma's eyes lit up, and he opened his fan to cover the lower half of his face.
-------
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