"Huh?!"
Dōma's eyes widened at the horned demon's words.
He brought his golden fan to his mouth, but his astonishment remained unmistakable.
Dōma would never have believed that his next genuine emotion, outside the "Paradise of Vanity," would be born from a mere taunt.
"A defective product? What a hurtful remark…" he declared in a mockingly sad tone, his brows slightly furrowed.
Then, as if melancholy had only grazed him, he quickly resumed his polite, carefree smile.
"Well, it seems you come from another region, don't you? Would it bother you to find another place? It's nothing personal, but your appetite is causing me some trouble, you see."
Dōma knew his opponent would reject this olive branch. He was merely offering an honorable way out, fully aware that Muzan was observing their exchange.
'Is he one of his favorites? No matter… if he rejects diplomacy.'
That thought crossed his mind as he casually fanned himself, his face still calm and smiling.
"I'm a wandering gourmet," growled the horned demon, his tone slightly hostile.
He picked up the head of a body lying in the dark alley.
"I'll leave… but only after enjoying this place for a while."
It wasn't a request; to him, Dōma was expected to bow out and vanish.
"So… get lost, and don't bother me while I eat!"
This time, the demon no longer hid his bloodlust.
Contrary to what he hoped, Dōma showed neither fear nor anger. He simply raised a hand and pointed at the head the demon was holding.
"Oh? You didn't just devour some poor child, but a believer of the sect, too, huh?"
Dōma's memory was remarkable; he never forgot a face.
He recalled seeing that young boy three times at the monastery, coming to collect food offered to the poor.
The boy's only flaw: refusing the free lessons offered by the sect's disciples.
'To be eaten like this… what a tragedy.'
A genuine pang of pity briefly pierced Dōma's cold heart before fading.
Yet he let false tears fall and struck a prayerful pose, like a grieving Buddha.
"May you find peace despite your mischievous nature."
Was it a blessing or a mockery? No one could tell.
When he raised his eyes, his compassionate expression contrasted with the emotionless void of his multicolored gaze.
"You're quite cruel, Demon-san… You ate my charming disciple, and it's not even the first one, from what I know."
Despite the lightness of his words, his icy tone carried something unsettling.
"Good grief, even *I* restrain myself from eating them so carelessly," he added, scratching his head in feigned annoyance.
"You're so annoying!" roared the ox-horned demon, his patience exhausted.
Dōma, still outwardly compassionate, maintained an empty stare. The icy demon's surreal demeanor instinctively made his opponent shiver.
"I also ate someone wearing similar clothes yesterday," the demon threw out, pointing at the boy's garments.
Upon closer inspection, Dōma recognized the typical attire of the monastery.
The monastery's disciples offered such clothing to the destitute.
"Judging by your look, I'm right, aren't I? Haha… Looks like I ate your livestock."
His arrogance rang hollow; Dōma's impassivity was creating a growing sense of unease.
'I'm imagining things… this weakling can't scare me… can he?'
The demon reassured himself, continuing his provocations to goad Dōma into lowering his guard and attacking.
Muzan disapproved of deathmatches between demons, but he tolerated fights without fatalities.
So, the horned demon wanted to beat Dōma into a pitiful state to assert his dominance and claim his territory.
"I ate one last night, and another offered itself to me today… delicious," he added, licking his lips.
Dōma covered his mouth with his fan, his expressionless face fixed on him.
The atmosphere was no longer conducive to dialogue.
"I know my disciples are foolish, but isn't it rude to barge into someone's home and steal like that, Demon-san?"
With a sharp gesture, crystals of ice exploded into the air.
"Blood Demon Art: Emerging Ice Lotus."
Vines of ice adorned with flowers twisted like serpents, binding the horned demon.
"You're courting death," the latter growled.
(Author's note: Sorry, I read a Chinese novel… so yes, I really wanted to slip that line in.)
Without moving, he shattered the icy bindings in one blow. The structure scattered into cubes on the ground.
"Huh?" Dōma said, surprised but remaining calm.
He immediately analyzed his opponent's power.
The demon stomped the ground and charged at Dōma, his fist clearly aimed at Dōma's head.
'His speed isn't exceptional, but…'
Dōma sidestepped with fluid grace, easily dodging the blow.
Brute violence was substituting for technique.
The fist struck a wall, reducing it to small cubes that collapsed.
"Oh, I see~" Dōma smiled behind his fan.
The wall had broken uniformly… The demon didn't rely solely on brute strength.
That was Dōma's conclusion after this brief exchange with the horned demon.
"Is that your Blood Demon Art? It must have the ability to shatter anything it touches, doesn't it? That's quite dangerous~"
Even though Dōma declared his opponent's power threatening, he showed no sign of fleeing or fear, instead attacking the horned demon immediately.
Dōma waved his fan: a tornado of icy petals formed.
"Blood Demon Art: Lotus Petal Tornado."
The attack was nearly impossible to dodge or destroy.
Dōma wanted to test the limits of his opponent's destructive power.
The demon couldn't shatter the semi-intangible storm and was soon lacerated by countless icy blades.
When the tornado dissipated, he was covered in deep wounds, one arm nearly severed.
"Blood Demon Art: Ice Pillars."
Even though his opponent seemed defeated, Dōma didn't relent in his assault.
Dōma summoned dozens of icy spikes that pinned the creature to the ground.
"Already done? So weak…" he murmured, his fan under his chin.
"Weak? Me? You…!"
The demon's veins bulged; the pillars shattered under the pressure of his regeneration, far slower than Akaza's in Jay's memories.
"You want to keep going? You can't beat me, so… let's stop here. It'd be a shame for Muzan-sama if you died here."
Out of respect for Muzan's gaze upon them, Dōma used the honorific "-sama" when mentioning the demon progenitor's name.
He also preferred to end this fight, valuing his relationship with Muzan more.
But the demon's response was another charge, faster this time.
The ground cracked under his steps.
Dōma leapt onto a rooftop, out of reach.
"Nice try, but…"
He sighed in disappointment: the speed was still insufficient.
"You're clearly no match… but fine, I'll grant you a fight worthy of you."
He summoned a Miko, finding the fight boring and losing all interest in the horned demon.
The Miko chained Blood Demon Arts with cold precision, pushing the horned demon into a desperate struggle.
Meanwhile, Dōma approached the monastery disciple's body.
He calmly and gently placed the head back on its mutilated shoulders.
"Don't worry, I'll look after your loved ones to make up for my colleague's actions," he said with deceptive tenderness.
He chose to respect the child's body and not eat it, as it was a monastery disciple, and Dōma disliked the idea of consuming another demon's leftovers.
After a brief prayer, he stood up.
The battle was already nearing its end: the horned demon lay on the ground, limbs and head cleanly severed by the small Miko.
"Oh my, are you okay?" Dōma asked with mock concern.
"This child really lacks gentleness," he added, patting the head of his icy creature, which acted like a child seeking affection from a parent.
The demon's head rolled into a corner of the alley, attempting a pitiful escape.
'How could I lose to him?' he thought, crawling miserably.
"I was recognized by Muzan-sama! I was going to join the Twelve Kizuki! I… I wasn't supposed to end like this!" he screamed at Dōma, realizing his escape had failed.
"Really?" Dōma hid a smile behind his fan.
"Then I'm sorry for defeating you, De-mon-san," he said, spelling out "demon" in a mocking tone.
"You must feel terrible, don't you? I didn't mean to…"
"Shut up!" the demon roared, his voice breaking with rage.
"You can't kill me anyway! So don't stop me ! *growl*"
He wasn't wrong.
Muzan forbade demons from devouring each other.
"Yes, I can't kill you," Dōma admitted, licking his lips, a glint of real, unmasked hunger in his eyes.
Every demon carried Muzan's blood; consuming it would strengthen Dōma… but it was forbidden.
"You're so boring… Time to go."
He reabsorbed his Miko and headed toward the alley's exit.
He turned to warn the horned demon that next time, he'd let him burn in the sun.
But before he could speak, the ground gave way.
He fell into a familiar void from his past life.
The Infinity Castle.
(Image)