"Nakime-san~ could you take me to Kokushibo-sama?"
After Muzan's departure, the atmosphere of the Infinity Castle had returned to its usual dull and tedious state.
Yet, this didn't seem to affect either Dōma or the mistress of the castle.
"Hmm… understood."
A low, monotonous voice echoed, immediately followed by the pluck of a biwa string.
By nature, Nakime was neither talkative nor particularly sociable with the other demons.
Under normal circumstances, she would have simply nodded in response to such a request.
So why did she bother to speak and break from her usual habits after Dōma's request?
A clue lay in the current thoughts of the biwa-playing demoness:
'Please, just leave quickly… not again… not today.'
Dōma was harassing her.
Yes, it might seem absurd, even strange: a demon harassing another? But it wasn't a rare phenomenon.
Power struggles over control of human territories were commonplace.
However, Dōma's harassment wasn't violent in nature.
On the contrary, he was surprisingly gentle with Nakime, often bringing her music-related gifts.
The real issue lay in his approach.
"Thank you for guiding me, Nakime-san~! I'll play another song for you later."
Though she teleported him swiftly, the words he left behind sent a shiver down the poor demoness's spine.
Her pale hands trembled as she clutched her biwa.
The worst possibility had come true.
Dōma intended to play his "strange" music in the Infinity Castle again.
'Sh… should I complain to Lord Muzan? No… he tolerates far too much of Dōma's antics, and he ordered me to summon him here whenever he wishes…'
There was also Dōma's recent promotion, which the biwa demoness now had to take into account.
She no longer held a higher status than Dōma in Muzan's organizational hierarchy.
Thus, Nakime's mind worked at supernatural speed, searching for a solution.
She did not want to hear the noise Dōma called music again.
…
Surprisingly, Dōma didn't find himself in a simple, traditionally styled room.
He stood face-to-face with Kokushibo, but the Upper Moon One was alone, standing on a platform resembling the arena once used by him and the Hundred-Eyed Demon.
The former demon slayer wore a purple kimono adorned with a snake pattern and a black hakama, his eye-covered katana resting at his waist.
The peculiar appearance of Kokushibo's weapon caught the attention of the ice demon, who glanced at his own fans.
Both their weapons bore eyes…
'I'd thought about it before, but seeing it with my own eyes is quite the spectacle…'Dōma mused as he approached with a casual stride, making no effort to conceal his presence.
Kokushibo's long, dark red hair, tied into a high ponytail, was meticulously braided.
The most powerful demon under Muzan emerged from his meditation.
His six eyes, with red sclera and golden irises, fixed on the culprit disturbing his focus.
As a being deeply devoted to hierarchies, Kokushibo was surprised to see Dōma approach him without the slightest sign of the respect other demons typically showed.
"Good evening, Kokushibo-sama~" Dōma said, waving enthusiastically, completely oblivious to the fact that he was interrupting a meditation session and unaware of Kokushibo's thoughts about his behavior.
Yet, Kokushibo didn't react negatively. He remained silent for a moment, patiently analyzing the situation.
"Why… are you here?" he asked in a clear, measured voice. His slow, deliberate speech exuded a noble aura and a unique presence that other demons lacked.
Dōma, however, paid no attention to it… or rather, he didn't even notice this elusive aura.
His rational mind and inability to easily feel emotions without relying on his powers explained this detachment.
Beyond this mental factor, Dōma's personality also played a role.
The former sickly man found Kokushibo's behavior… oddly reminiscent of someone autistic.
A significant generational divide had thus formed between Upper Moon One and his colleague.
"Huh? You don't waste any time, Kokushibo-sama *sigh*."
Dōma put on a deeply wounded expression, raising his right hand to clutch his heart.
"That's really cruel… I always thought Kokushibo-sama was respectful~"
Kokushibo observed Dōma, who was clearly putting on an act with his fake sadness.
The face of Upper Moon One remained impassive and solemn, though inwardly he wanted to shout at Dōma that *he* was the disrespectful one here.
However, such an outburst would have lowered him to his interlocutor's level.
Thus, Kokushibo lost himself in thought.
In all his centuries of existence, he had never dealt with someone like Dōma, which caused some confusion in his mind:
'Is he truly the strategic genius I witnessed that day? Is this a ruse? Why is he acting like this in front of me? Is he challenging me? If so, why is his tone so familiar? And why is he so blatantly disrespectful of the codes between a junior and a senior…'
Kokushibo remained still, considering every possible scenario, but his serious and steady expression didn't waver.
Unfortunately, Upper Moon One didn't realize he was dealing with a mentally atypical demon.
All of Dōma's actions carried no harmful or offensive intent toward Kokushibo; on the contrary, he even wanted to foster a good relationship with him.
Yet, his peculiar behavior was misinterpreted by the target of his friendly affection.
That's why Kokushibo's eyes remained fixed on Dōma. Despite all his "friendly" words, Upper Moon One had no intention of lowering his guard.
His hand slowly moved toward his katana.
The two demons were simply caught in a profound misunderstanding.
"Y… you still don't want to talk?"
After a brief pause, Dōma finally decided to answer Kokushibo's question.
He had a feeling that the situation could take a chaotic turn if he let things continue as they were.
"Okay… I'll explain the reason for my visit." Dōma adopted a serious demeanor.
'Here we go, he's making the first move,'Kokushibo thought, preparing to use his breathing technique and reach for his katana.
"I… I want to train with you."
"W… what?"
It took Kokushibo a moment to fully process the information, thanks to Dōma's explanations.
But a small problem still lingered in the mind of Upper Moon One.
'I understand he needs guidance… but why in the world did he follow me to my quarters? And why is he drinking all my tea?'
Kokushibo's mental complaints fell on deaf ears, as he never openly expressed his frustration.
Kokushibo was a being bound by principles and traditions.
He simply couldn't expel a freeloader like Dōma from his quarters.
Such an act would have been rude and improper.
"Are you listening, Kokushibo-sama? Hmm… I need to know your schedule for our training spars," Dōma declared after downing the precious cup of tea in one gulp.
The tea contained in the cup that Dōma drinks so eagerly is a delicacy sought after by nobles.
It was a gift from Muzan to Kokushibō, but the Upper Moon One uses it only rarely.
Why such behavior? Kokushibō doesn't have many guests aside from Muzan himself.
Thus, Dōma was completely unaware that he was dancing on the razor's edge with death itself.
He simply helped himself to more tea, oblivious to the bulging veins on Kokushibo's pale hand gripping the hilt of his katana.
"…I want a spar… now."
Kokushibo stood, left the traditional table, and walked slowly toward the door.
One would have to be blind not to sense the combative aura radiating from Upper Moon One.
Dōma had pushed him to his limit, and Kokushibo intended to teach him a lesson.
"Wait, Kokushibo-sama! We haven't even set the rules for the spar yet, and…"
Kokushibo completely ignored Dōma's words, leaving behind a single phrase:
"No rules… in a battle."
***
Author's Note: I'll post a bonus if we reach 320 stones.
I'm counting on you.