After settling matters with these two powers, Doma decided to name them according to his taste.
A decision many would find ridiculous, but…
'As a certain bald shinigami monk once said, names hold power ~'
The idea came from another universe, and Doma had nothing to lose by doing it.
The first was dubbed "Ice Heart," as it reflected Doma's near-nonexistent emotions.
As for the second, he chose a more poetic name: "The Paradise of Vanity."
He wanted it to reflect his current state.
An emotionless monster, allowed by the world to control the object of his "desire" without truly possessing it.
A form of sadistic torture, but Doma preferred having this power over nothing.
'Maybe I should tidy up my memories a bit, huh?'
Muzan hadn't rummaged through his memories back then, and Doma didn't know if he would later.
The ancestor of demons had likely deemed a sedentary, emotionless creature like him to have nothing useful to reveal about that mysterious flower.
Of course, Doma had gone to great lengths to emphasize his inhuman side in front of Muzan.
He wanted to discourage the demon from any attempt at mental probing, playing the card of complete transparency to lull him into lowering his guard.
A subtle manipulation made possible by the demon's arrogance and Doma's apparent nonchalance.
"Blood Demon Art: Paradise of Vanity"
With that, he got to work.
He hid all his important memories behind absurd or embarrassing scenes, convinced that Muzan would never have the patience to dig deeper.
Then he carefully sealed everything related to Jay and the future behind multiple layers of mental barriers.
If Muzan ever forced through those barriers, Jay's memories would be utterly destroyed.
Doma preferred that to seeing Muzan triumph at the end of *Demon Slayer*'s story.
It wasn't out of kindness, but clarity.
'Muzan is too dangerous…'
He refused a future where that being would rule eternally in humanity's shadows.
Once his mind was organized, Doma exited the particular state required for the advanced use of the Paradise of Vanity.
He still hesitated to use this ability, capable of altering the hearts of living beings, but this time, he had deemed it essential.
After that, he inflicted several wounds on himself to provide a believable explanation for the believers regarding the incident that night.
The timing was perfect: no sooner had he finished than a commotion was heard outside.
"Finally, someone's coming to clean up," he muttered, flashing a fake smile of relief.
"Do… Doma-sama! Are you there?"
Kikyō's panicked, tearful voice echoed from behind the door.
Doma picked up the traditional sect leader's hat, placed it on his head, and replied in a simulated hesitant tone:
"I… I'm here, Kikyō-san."
The door burst open. Kikyō entered, her eyes brimming with tears, followed by a few loyal followers.
"It's… it's such a relief that you're okay! *sniff* So… so many people died!"
The young girl's words were barely comprehensible, spoken in such an emotional state.
She seemed genuinely terrified at the thought that something might have happened to Doma.
"I know…"
Doma displayed a look filled with compassion, his voice tinged with feigned sadness for Muzan's victims.
Yet the truth was entirely different: he felt only a rare contempt for his deceased disciples.
He knew the truth: those who died were far from innocent, and he had long since uncovered their dubious activities.
Without the slightest remorse, he concocted a story:
"L… last night, bandits broke in. E… even though I drove them off, some didn't survive."
He tried to comfort the young woman in his arms, but his words triggered fresh sobs.
"There's no need to be sad, Kikyō-san; they've simply gone to Paradise, as they wished," he said with calculated gentleness, holding the servant closer.
The young woman gradually calmed down. Doma then noticed the sinful curves she hid beneath her servant's attire.
An inappropriate thought sprouted in his mind and refused to fade: 'Should I have a taste of Kikyō?'
This line of thought was interrupted by the person in question.
"Really? Is… is that true?" Kikyō asked, sniffling.
He nodded.
"Yes."
"Then… that's wonderful."
She lowered her eyes, her face suddenly tinged with a shy blush that Doma didn't fail to notice.
'Too bad she'll soon have to join the group tasked with opening a new branch of the sect elsewhere…'
An initiative that Doma's rational mind slightly regretted letting take shape.
Unfortunately, it was a bit too late.
Kikyō had already pleaded against this decision, but Doma had dismissed all her arguments.
How could he backtrack now?
…
After Muzan's visit to the "Eternal Paradise Faith" sect, there were significant losses among the cult's higher ranks.
A reorganization of the upper echelons was necessary.
Thus, chaos reigned for several days before peace was restored.
During those days, the sect didn't hold "official" visits to allow believers to confide in their leader.
Doma enjoyed a rare period of leisure, which he intended to use to better understand his demonic nature.
But this life wasn't exactly comfortable, as he was very hungry.
Looking at the food Kikyō had brought, Doma forced himself to take a piece of fish and put it in his mouth.
Unfortunately, he couldn't tolerate the awful taste and spat it out seconds later.
"It's horrible."
Kikyō's cooking was excellent, as she often cooked for Doma.
So the problem didn't lie with her.
Doma was no longer human, and human food no longer suited him.
It felt like eating tasteless sand with every bite.
Worse, his body reacted negatively whenever he tried to ignore the sensory warnings.
This led Doma to freeze the food in a block of ice before shattering it and making it disappear.
He couldn't let the sect's disciples notice their leader's dietary anomaly.
'Besides that issue, my body is gradually weakening…'
Demons don't die of hunger, but they grow weaker the longer the deprivation lasts.
A serious problem, as Doma didn't just want to enjoy the status of a demon.
He wanted to be strong.
"I can't properly develop my Blood Demon Arts in these conditions," he said, frowning.
After all, using a Blood Demon Art consumes a demon's stamina.
If a demon doesn't eat, how could they develop their power?
'Indeed, a demon like Nezuko is not normal…'
Doma had refrained from eating because he wanted to test a lifestyle similar to Nezuko's.
But he couldn't recover solely through sleep, like the demon girl.
He needed nutrients.
As for the reason behind Nezuko's unique nature, Doma speculated that "The Blue Spider Lily" was the key.
It was the only element that set Nezuko apart from other demons.
"If I keep weakening like this, it'll just be a slow death."
Doma displayed a pitiful expression, though his inner self remained impassive.
"Muzan would also be very disappointed with my performance. A situation I don't want," he said in a nonchalant tone.
Doma wasn't afraid to say Muzan's name so casually, without honorifics like "-sama," as he sensed no presence watching him.
The power of the "Paradise of Vanity" also granted him sensitivity to mental intrusions.
"While I don't fear death, dying so foolishly would truly be a shame," he concluded mentally.
He gritted his teeth, and sharp fangs gradually grew in his mouth as he finally decided on his course of action.
"As long as I stay rational while eating and don't let instinct take over, everything should be fine, right…?"
The values he had cultivated in his past life had largely crumbled during his struggle against emotional loss, leaving only a rational mind.
As the young lord of the Eternal Paradise Faith, Doma "hated" seeing people suffer.
But some people cause suffering to others by their mere existence.
There were also those poor believers eagerly awaiting their young lord to lead them to Paradise.
The Eternal Paradise Faith never lacked people who had lost all hope in life; every day was agony, and even with the sect's help, they remained walking corpses.
They lacked a purpose.
But Doma was too lazy to assist in this tedious endeavor, as he didn't see himself as a saint to begin with.
If there weren't a law forbidding suicides from entering Paradise, those people would have ended their lives long ago.
"Even if I told them Paradise doesn't exist, they'd only want to die immediately, wouldn't they?" he sighed. "They're a bit pitiful."
Doma pitied the ignorant and desperate under his sect's influence, but he couldn't deny it was advantageous to him.
They were fresh nutrients.
A situation akin to a shepherd or livestock breeder deciding to eat a goat that no longer produces milk.
"That's why I'll bring them salvation and liberation; such is my duty as the young lord."
He decided to devour any believer with suicidal tendencies.
Of course, he also planned to consume those deemed corrupt by excessive greed or harmful to society.
"After their death by my hands, Paradise for the just, Hell for the scum," he said with a sincere tone.
He felt like a Buddha.
"It's very just, isn't it?"
"Hmm, after all, I'll end up in Hell because of my demon status, so I might as well help ~"
Doma rested his chin on his hand, feeling neither sadness nor fear, utterly indifferent to a decision leading to the deaths of many innocents.
"Young Lord, a believer has arrived," a voice called from outside.
The sect wasn't receiving official believers today, but there were exceptions.
Like, for example, an important donor to the sect's activities.
"Ah, let them in, please," Doma said, putting on his sect leader's hat as usual.
This time, the believer was a beautiful woman.
She looked at Doma with stunning scarlet eyes, though they were tinged with tears.
She soon confided her "sorrows" to him.
According to this lost sheep's story, she had received neither her family's love nor that of her beloved, and she was always alone… in short, she had ended up sinning by committing a murder.
"Oh my, I want to hear the truth, Kaguya-san."
(Image)
Doma opened his fan to cover the lower half of his face, while his eyes narrowed into an amused smile.
Even though he felt no emotions, his posture conveyed a sense of amusement through his multicolored eyes.
He sensed the lie emanating from this woman through the "Paradise of Vanity."
"W-what?!"