Doma didn't care about what Arya said and continued walking forward step by step.
Those multicolored eyes of his seemed to carry some kind of enchantment, making the two guards beside Arya freeze momentarily.
By the time they reacted, they had already drawn their swords and slashed toward Doma's chest.
A cold glint flashed, followed by the sound of blades cutting into flesh.
Doma's iridescent eyes calmly stared at the guards who had attacked him.
"Deserved it, worthless trash."
Arya looked at Doma, whose chest was now stained with blood. A trace of disdain flickered in her eyes.
Just moments ago, she had felt a sliver of fear in her heart.
Because such things were disgraceful—if her family, or those ministers who pretended to be virtuous, discovered this filth, they would never tolerate such sins being exposed.
But seeing that Doma was easily cut, she calmed down.
All that remained in her gaze now was ridicule.
"Ouch… that hurt. You're being excessive."
"It's so easy for people to use such dangerous tools to kill…"
"This outfit… was made for me by my dear believers. What a pity. I really liked it."
Doma looked at the torn, bloodstained clothing on his chest and showed a look of regret.
He ignored Arya's words completely and instead reached up to touch the sword embedded in his flesh and bone.
As the smile on Doma's face slowly grew, a trace of cold air spread from his palm.
In his other hand, a golden fan appeared, partially covering his face.
"Men have no right to be purified… or saved."
Doma's fan concealed everything below his eyes, and with those cold pupils and that chilling aura—
The guard who had stabbed him was suddenly overcome with dread, then instantly frozen solid in a thick layer of ice.
This sudden scene made Sayo, who had just been lowered from above, tremble.
In her previously vacant eyes, a glimmer of hope seemed to flicker. Even the searing pain running through her body dulled slightly.
"H-How is this possible… A monster?"
"How can he still be alive after being so badly injured…?"
Arya picked up the rifle from a nearby guard and aimed it directly at Doma.
Although the bizarre scene had startled her, and even caused fear to rise within—
The sight of her powerful bodyguard turning to ice in mere seconds would frighten anyone—
Still, with the rifle in her hands, some of Arya's confidence returned.
In her mind, no matter how strong someone was, how could they possibly survive a gunshot?
Especially when Doma looked so wounded—how long could he possibly hold out?
"Do you want to be saved?"
"Do you want to kill this woman… and eat her?"
"I can give you new life—so you can serve the same master as I do."
The corners of Doma's mouth curled upward. Despite the situation, his smile was radiant like sunshine.
He ignored Arya's threats and slowly approached Sayo.
But for some reason, Doma's sunny smile looked like a devil's grin in Sayo's eyes.
This demon bathed in moonlight… had become her only hope for salvation.
But before she could respond—
A gunshot rang out.
Blood exploded from Doma's temple, and the hope in Sayo's eyes was instantly shattered by half.
Her once-enlightened gaze contracted… then plunged into despair.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Lowborn filth—this is the price for not answering my question!"
"Your eyes… so rare. I'll help you preserve them."
"Hey! Don't just stand there! Gouge out his eyes!"
Arya stared at the smoking barrel and grinned in triumph.
To her, human life was the cheapest currency.
Even if peasants died in droves, more would pour into the capital with dreams every day.
She had an endless stream of playthings—just like those piled up in this warehouse.
There were already hundreds of corpses lying here.
The stench was masked only by the thick iron door and piles of scented deodorants.
"This thing's kind of interesting."
"It really gave me a scare."
"Is this a fire bolt?"
Just as Arya was basking in her perceived victory—
Doma's voice echoed again.
It was hard to believe.
A man who had just been shot in the temple—with the bullet still inside—was not only still standing…
But calmly raised his hand to the wound, digging his fingers into his temple.
He fished out the bloody bullet and began to toy with it in his palm.
That smile—
In Arya's eyes, it looked like a demon's grin.
"AHHHHH!!!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire erupted again. The dark warehouse lit up with each flash of the muzzle.
Doma's body was riddled with bullets, yet the bright smile on his face never faded.
He didn't even seem to feel pain. Though blood holes appeared all over his body, his radiant grin remained unchanged.
The sight was so horrifying that Arya's fear deepened further and further.
"M-Monster… Monster!"
The gun in her hands had run dry, and terror overtook her completely.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably. She couldn't even hold onto the weapon—it clattered to the floor.
Clang!
The gun landed with a sharp noise.
In the deathly silent warehouse, it echoed with finality.
Arya fell to the ground, completely paralyzed by fear.
"This kind of thing must really hurt when it hits people."
"But it's useless against me… because I'm immortal."
Doma smiled gently, but beneath that warm exterior was a terrifying, undying beast.
The bullet holes across his body began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Sayo, who was closest to Doma, had disbelief in her eyes.
Could people… really possess such overwhelming recovery?
It was clearly impossible.
"You two…"
"Do you want to become demons?"
"A demon like me—who heals from all wounds."
"That boy over there—he's your friend, isn't he?"
"He looks like he's in pain. I can help him."
"If he doesn't become a demon… he won't survive."
Doma turned to Sayo, his tone playful as always.
Ieyasu, locked in the cage nearby, could barely speak from the agony.
But his dim eyes suddenly lit up—it was unmistakable.
He had been fed a strange drug by Arya's mother to satisfy their twisted desires for human experimentation.