After strolling through his new home and decorating it to his satisfaction, Doma reluctantly left the Infinity Castle, much to Nakime's eager anticipation.
The late-night temple was deep and quiet, only the cheerful chirping of insects in the courtyard could be heard. Doma felt he should add a human voice to the surroundings, so he cleared his throat and hummed an unknown nursery rhyme. After amusing himself like this for a while, he felt that on such a beautiful night, he should find something to do, so he propped his chin on his hand and began to ponder.
His first contact with his comrades had been met with a cold reception. Everyone was so distant. But an optimistic and cheerful person like Doma certainly wouldn't give up on making friends just because of such a small setback~
"But I can't visit them recently. That's so sad," he muttered to himself. "And Lord Akaza is hiding from me..." Doma's tone became even more dejected.
He couldn't contact him, nor could he visit. If Lord Akaza hid from him for a hundred or eighty years, the thought alone was unbearably tragic.
"Maybe I should go beg Lord Muzan..." Doma's eyes lit up, then dimmed again. "Oh dear, no~ I'll definitely be scolded." He lowered his head with a dejected look.
"As expected, I should just work hard to climb to the position of Upper Moon Two," he suddenly raised his head. "That way, Lord Akaza won't be able to hide from me!"
Actually, he wasn't interested in such things. Doma would much rather play happily with everyone than raise his rank. But in this situation... he had no choice~
"I just feel a little bad for Lady Enyo," Doma said with a troubled expression. "She's an important comrade too, after all."
"Mmm—I've got it!" He broke into a brilliant smile. "I just won't eat her then!"
After defeating Lady Enyo, I'll extend a friendly hand to her and gently help her up from the ground. Lady Enyo will surely smile with relief, tears of gratitude in her eyes, and acknowledge Doma as her most trusted comrade...
"And then we can become good friends~" Doma swayed from side to side, thinking it was a perfect idea.
"But then again, I probably can't beat Lady Enyo right now, can I?" He woke up from his fantasy and sighed softly. "It would be great if I could become friends with Lady Enyo now. Wouldn't it be wonderful to convince her to throw the match?"
"Sigh, I have to get stronger." Although he had never been obsessed with getting stronger, but now... he was getting serious!
Of course, training was out of the question~ Doma felt that such a boring thing was not suitable for an interesting person like himself. Actually, he had always had a vague idea of how to get stronger faster, but because he was too playful, he had never put it into practice. Now might be a good time to see if it was feasible.
Doma shifted around on his cushion for a good while before finding a more comfortable position, then slowly blinked his eyes.
"Blood Demon Art: Hisōten."
Everything before him dispersed like smoke, and his thoughts sank into an empty, boundless world, as if he were on the surface of a calm, black lake. This was more akin to meditation; all distracting thoughts drifted away. Doma didn't particularly like it, but he didn't dislike it at this moment either.
In this state, his perception of all subtle changes within himself was extremely sharp and detailed. The fluctuations of his thoughts, the ebb and flow of emotions and memories, the changes in his body and desires, and even the rhythm of his life force...
A demon's power comes from its blood. Normally, he just instinctively enhanced the power of his blood, but in this state—he could perceive the most subtle changes, delve into the depths of his blood's power, and push himself to change in a good direction. This was easy to distinguish; when the perception from Hisōten became easier and clearer, it was naturally a good change.
Although this change was slight and difficult, requiring long-term persistence, it was indeed a viable path.
An unknown amount of time passed before Doma awoke from Hisōten and nodded with a look of realization. "It seems it's indeed feasible~"
"But, have I changed at all?" He moved his limbs but didn't feel any change in his body. He opened his palm, condensed an exquisite and beautiful ice crystal lotus, and studied it for a while with a tilted head. "The temperature seems a little lower, and the ice is harder?" The change was so subtle that he wasn't sure if he was mistaken.
"Mmm—oh well. It's probably not a bad thing anyway." If he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't think about it. Doma dispersed the ice lotus in his hand and clapped his hands indifferently. "Well, even if it's a bad thing, there's nothing I can do about it~" he said with a smile that held no shadow of a doubt.
"Oh dear, it seems I have another task every day now. How depressing." He pouted slightly, his proper posture instantly slumping. "But, it seems I'm actively promoting changes in my blood."
"Then what will I eventually become?" If it was just enhancing the strength of his Blood Demon Art, that would be fine. If the direction of change was to break free from Lord Muzan's control, that would be a bit problematic. Doma was quite fond of the big family in the Infinity Castle. Although everyone was a bit cold, they were all very interesting and cute. If he accidentally got fired, the thought alone was unbearably tragic.
"I won't think about it. That's something to consider in the future anyway," Doma thought without any psychological burden. "And, thinking on the bright side, maybe the direction of change is to break my limits..." He touched his neck and thought very optimistically.
A demon dies when beheaded by a Nichirin Sword. This is a demon's limit. If there is an extremely strong obsession before death, it is possible to break this limit, making the neck no longer a weakness. But Doma had no hope for this at all. With his bland emotions and obsessions, and his "living is good, dying is fine too" attitude towards life, it was just wishful thinking~
Doma chuckled and tilted his head, not caring at all.
He slowly walked into the courtyard and looked up at the position of the moon. It was still a long time until dawn. "Mmm, let me think. I should find a place to properly sort out my abilities." He had never tried his full power before.
Doma left the temple, his figure swift and elegant under the moonlight, finally stopping in the depths of a dense forest. He drew out his golden fans and began to practice and evaluate his skills one by one.
Soon, the surroundings turned into a kingdom of ice.
"...Mmm, as expected, I can't release too many Crystalline Divine Children." Looking at the small ice figures running all over the ground, Doma rubbed his forehead. Although creating the Crystalline Divine Children wasn't a great burden on his body, each one required him to devote a part of his brainpower to control it, to ensure they could fight autonomously. If he made too many, his brain would be overloaded, and they would become intellectually disabled.
"In a normal state, nine is probably the most suitable number. If I want to use my ultimate move, the number needs to be even smaller."
After retracting most of the Divine Children, Doma waved the fan in his right hand and released the ultimate move he had recently figured out.
"Blood Demon Art: Mist-Ice - Sleeping Lotus Bodhisattva."
An ice Bodhisattva over ten meters tall rose from the ground, its hands clasped together, its eyes lowered in a compassionate expression, surrounded by exquisite lotus flowers and leaves.
"Wow—" Doma sat on an ice lotus, swinging his legs without a care, looking down at the night forest from the shoulder of the ice Bodhisattva. The extremely low temperature froze the surrounding air, and a large area of trees around was covered with thick ice crystals.
Doma turned his head to look at the huge ice figure close at hand. Its translucent body was even more beautiful under the moonlight. The first thought that flashed through his mind was: So beautiful! It would surely be beautiful if it danced, right?
Doma blinked his eyes, temporarily setting aside this fun idea, and began to practice with great enthusiasm. The ice Bodhisattva swung its palm down with incredible speed, the hand-blade carrying a whistling wind as it struck a clearing in the forest heavily. Amidst the roar, a huge pit appeared in the ground, which was instantly covered by thick ice. The ice Bodhisattva opened its mouth and exhaled a large cloud of freezing mist, sealing a large area of the forest in front of it in ice.
"Mmm—although it's huge, it doesn't affect its flexibility at all. Its speed is about the same as mine."
"Its power is strong, and its defense is also good." He tapped the ice Bodhisattva with his fan, producing a "ding, ding" sound. "The surrounding ice mist and freezing air are very cold. Getting close would result in being frozen. The best way to deal with it is a long-range attack..." Doma quickly analyzed in his mind.
He jumped down from the ice lotus, slid down the arm of the ice Bodhisattva to the ground, and looked up at the magnificent ice figure.
"Mmm, in the future, at most its size will get bigger, and the temperature will get lower."
"I feel like two hands aren't quite enough." Doma folded his arms, tilted his head in thought for a while, and the image of a certain thousand-armed great Buddha suddenly appeared in his mind. That looks a bit cool~
"Oh my, I feel a little excited!" He covered his lips with his hand, his rainbow eyes sparkling. "With more arms, the fan dance would be even more gorgeous, right?" He pinched his chin and thought seriously. "Can it be done?"
If he didn't pursue a larger size, having more arms didn't seem impossible? "But this seems like it will be a big project that can't be completed in a short time." After all, improving an ultimate move is not easy. A slight change can easily affect its structure and stability. Fortunately, a demon's time is long enough.
"Haha, I feel like I've found something fun to do~" Doma chuckled and noted this down in his mind, closing the fans in his hands. The huge ice Bodhisattva quietly disappeared into the white ice mist.
"Very good. Abilities sorted out, strengths and weaknesses are all clear." Doma nimbly tossed his two fans, constructing a detailed network in his mind. "I just don't know how strong Lady Enyo is. What a headache."
"If I fail the challenge, I'll be eaten, right?"
"How ruthless~" Doma muttered sadly, though his heart was completely unmoved. He looked up at the bright moon hanging high in the night sky, the ever-changing expressions on his face gradually fading, finally becoming the innocent bewilderment of a child.
Actually, there was one thing he knew very well. If one day he was killed by a Demon Slayer or another demon, it would most likely be because he had played around too much and died from his own carelessness. Although he knew it was wrong to play around during a battle, he really couldn't get serious.
"Because I really don't like fighting," Doma pouted. To fight seriously was too much to ask of him. To make him do such a boring thing was simply too cruel. But if he could play with his opponent during a battle, it would be a bit more fun.
So, if one day he met an opponent who didn't look strong, and who suddenly burst out with powerful speed and strength while he was immersed in playing—he could be killed in an instant.
"Oh dear, even if I know, there's nothing I can do about it," Doma tapped his chin with his fan. "That's just the kind of person I am."
"But to die so senselessly, isn't that a bit too sloppy?"
"The end of a life should be more interesting, right?"
"As expected, I should find a way to develop a defensive ability." Doma stood straight for a while, temporarily unable to think of any interesting ideas. "Maybe I should first think of an ability for running away?"
"Mmm—" He simply sat cross-legged on the gradually thawing ground, nodding with a look of realization from time to time. After a long while, he turned his gaze to the several Crystalline Divine Children beside him.
Could he swap places with a Divine Child? Wasn't that the most interesting use of a clone? Doma's ice was formed from his own flesh and blood and could also be retracted. In other words, the Divine Children were like Doma's external limbs, controlled by his brainpower, and the connection with the main body was very close. But... "Oh dear, it seems it's not possible." Doma felt it for a while, then chuckled and touched the back of his head, without any sense of loss.
The Divine Children were essentially separated from his body, like a severed arm—from the same source but separate from each other.
"But, if the connection isn't close enough..." A flash of inspiration hit Doma. He waved the fan in his right hand, and a long ice path extended from under him, stretching straight along the ground to the feet of a small ice figure. "What if they're connected like this?"
Doma pressed his palm on the smooth ice path and clearly felt the connection between himself and the Divine Child. If the previous Divine Children were discarded limbs, now connected by an ice path, they were like hands and feet still attached to his body.
"Then, as long as I control my own flesh and blood and concentrate the vast majority of my power on that limb..." Let the branch grow into the main body, and the main body become the branch. Although impossible for a human, demons were masters of controlling their own flesh and blood. To achieve this was by no means impossible!
Doma was silent for a while, then suddenly felt his vision blur. In an instant, he was standing where the Divine Child had been. Looking up, he saw a small ice figure standing at the other end of the ice path, tilting its head, looking at him from afar.
"Huh, I didn't expect it to actually work?"
"It seems I've developed an incredible ability!" Doma opened his beautiful eyes wide, a pure and brilliant smile on his face. "As expected of me. I really am smart~"
He clapped his hands and realized his fans were left behind. They weren't part of his body, so they couldn't be brought over. Tilting his head in thought, he raised his right hand, and a brand-new golden fan slowly grew from his palm. Doma drew out the fan and opened it, looking at the exquisite lotus and leaf patterns on its surface with a satisfied expression. "My craftsmanship is also quite good," he thought, making another fan from his own flesh and bone.
Next, he began to play with his new ability with great interest. As long as he and a Divine Child were connected by the ice he created, he could swap places anytime, anywhere, regardless of distance. "I feel like there could be a lot of interesting ways to play with this!" Doma thought with enthusiasm, but his attention was gradually drawn to the smooth ice path on the ground.
"Uh, this..."
(?▽?)
"It looks so fun!" He instantly forgot about his abilities and looked down at the soles of his shoes. The soles slowly squirmed, growing sharp, flat ice blades.
"Time to go ice skating!" He smiled with innocent glee, pushed off the ice with the blades on his shoes, and slid out with a whoosh.
His first time ice skating was a bit wobbly, but he quickly mastered the knack with his excellent balance and reaction skills. The ice path under his feet extended as he went, wherever Doma skated, the ice path followed. The clearing in the forest was soon covered with a smooth, crystalline ice surface.
Soon, Doma began to spin and jump, performing all sorts of fluid movements, having taught himself figure skating without any instruction.
"Haha... I really want to play with Lord Akaza~" He turned his head to look at the Divine Children watching him from the side, slid over with a whoosh, and kicked them one by one onto the ice.
"In the future, I'll give each of you an instrument, and you'll be responsible for the musical accompaniment~"
"Eh—it feels like I could form a band."
"Oh my, thinking about it like this, I really have unlimited potential~"
Doma suddenly felt that his abilities should have a greater use. —For example, providing musical accompaniment for Lord Akaza while he fights.
"Just thinking about it is so thrilling, Lord Akaza~"
"We will definitely be the best partners!"
-------
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