After Muzan's departure from the Eternal Paradise Faith monastery, Dôma let out a long, weary sigh.
He already knew it, but experiencing it was always a different matter.
'There was no way I could keep going like this without fighting, anyway…'
The world of demons was neither a slice-of-life manga nor a shôjo, but a realm steeped in the essence of shônen.
Managing to spend ten years without working or following a single one of Muzan's directives was a testament to Dôma's ingenuity.
He had become a master at dodging trouble, leading a relaxed existence within his routine.
"Taiga-kun… are you there?"
His voice wasn't loud, but Dôma knew the head of security wasn't far off.
At last, a man emerged from the shadows, his steps as light as a cat's.
He made no sound, and his scent was nearly imperceptible, but Dôma knew Muzan had noticed him from the start.
The Demon King had deemed the presence of this human… uninteresting, even laughable.
After all, Dôma was a demon of overwhelming power.
Why would he need a human bodyguard?
To Muzan, Tatsumi Taiga's existence was just another eccentricity of his subordinate.
"Y… you called, Dôma-sama?"
Taiga's voice was deep, slightly muffled by his oni mask.
He wore a standard samurai outfit, a katana at his waist.
His existence stemmed from one of Dôma's whims: sending orphans to the Demon Slayer Corps after uncovering the locations of several outposts belonging to the aspiring hashira Kamiya Rengoku.
Many children had perished during the selection exam.
The few survivors were either traumatized or had become formidable fighters.
The former became men and women tasked with overseeing the businesses created by Kaguya and Dôma, minimizing losses from theft or extortion, far from the ice demon's direct influence.
Among the latter… Taiga was the perfect example.
The sect even had a few members infiltrated within the Demon Slayer Corps: some still active, others having faked their deaths on Dôma's orders to escape the Ubuyashiki clan's scrutiny.
'The plan's a success. I have ten agents, including Taiga, with decent strength, but…'
None reached the level of an Upper Moon.
Even Dôma doubted his private assassins could defeat a Lower Moon individually—except, perhaps, Taiga.
"Indeed… I think it's time I go out again. Can you prepare things as quickly as possible?"
Dôma unfurled his fan, hiding half his face.
Taiga knelt.
Due to his mask, Dôma couldn't see his features, but he had already sensed his unease since Muzan's departure.
"I'll arrange it immediately, Lord Dôma, but…"
Taiga hesitated.
Dôma raised an eyebrow, inviting him to continue.
"…but I still find it improper that the Master continues to serve that man."
The allusion to Muzan was unmistakable.
Dôma remained calm, despite the tension his subordinate had stirred in the room.
'I figured as much… All the orphans trained by the Demon Slayer Corps have a biased view of demons. No surprise there.'
The Demon Slayer Corps was fiercely belligerent.
It sought neither understanding nor peace with demons—only their extermination.
Rare exceptions, like Kanae Kôchô, were almost impossible to find.
Dôma had expected his subordinates to be "tainted" by this ideology.
That's why, reluctantly, he had used his Blood Demon Art: Vanity's Paradise.
Dôma had rekindled their devotion to the cult—not outright brainwashing, just enough to bolster their zeal for him.
A manipulation he didn't enjoy but had little choice in employing.
"The upside is, it only affects the first generation… I'll never have to do it again."
Dôma planned to draw inspiration from both Kyôjurô Rengoku's family and, to some extent, the Kure clan from the Kengan Ashura universe.
He intended to create a group specialized in demon-slaying techniques, but loyal exclusively to him.
A long-term project… but Dôma had all the time in the world, after all.
"Haha ~ Taiga-kun, you're amusing."
Dôma chuckled softly, then closed his fan and adopted a mentor-like posture.
"Listen, my dear Taiga-kun. My relationship with Muzan is my choice, just as yours was after learning the truth."
Taiga knew Dôma's demonic nature, but he wasn't the only one privy to that secret.
A small elite group within his team had also been entrusted with this revelation.
Dôma deemed this choice necessary: these men and women were meant to serve him across generations.
A secret kept from Kaguya, Kikyo, and even Mori, who was unaware that his father fed on human flesh.
"I… I understand. My apologies for being presumptuous," Taiga replied, bowing lower.
Dôma approached him.
His steps echoed silently in the room until he placed an icy hand on Taiga's shoulder.
"No need to apologize, my boy. You don't yet know the darkness lurking in this world…" he murmured, his voice heavy with mystery.
Then, in a neutral tone:
"Besides Muzan, have you found the two individuals I described?"
As usual, Dôma spoke of Muzan casually in his absence.
"Indeed. I've gathered information on a boy and a girl in the Yoshiwara district," Taiga replied, his tone almost enthusiastic.
Dôma didn't know when or where Daki and Gyûtarô would be born, but he conducted yearly investigations in the pleasure district.
A strange act in the eyes of his men, as he was searching for a young boy and girl in such a place.
It raised questions about Dôma's tastes, but to him, Gyûtarô's combat talent was well worth the effort.
After all, Dôma was sorely lacking in truly competent subordinates.
"But the woman named Tamayo… that's too difficult. She appears to heal the destitute and then vanishes without a trace," Taiga explained.
Dôma nodded.
Tamayo's hallucinogenic power was a formidable ability, especially for a human.
Combined with her subordinate's power, she would slip through his fingers like water.
If he wanted to meet her to one day escape Muzan, he'd have to do it himself.
'I can't pin all my hopes on that flower supposed to appear in a century…'
The butterfly effect was a reality Dôma wouldn't underestimate.
That's why he relied on tangible elements, like vector manipulation and Tamayo.
"However, we managed to track down and capture the charlatan you mentioned," Taiga added, with a faint hint of pride.
Dôma froze mid-thought.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Enmu.
The future Lower Moon One, a fanatic of Muzan.
Dôma had targeted him thanks to Jay's memories, seeing in him a fascinating power: the ability to create and manipulate dreams, even to kill within them.
In many ways, this power resembled his own Blood Demon Art: Vanity's Paradise.
Both touched the mind and subconscious.
Dôma even believed Enmu could, if he wished, deceive Muzan's senses.
'Unfortunately, he's too fanatical…'
Yet it was that fanaticism Dôma sought.
If he could train Enmu as he would Gyûtarô and Daki, he'd gain a solid faction within Muzan's organization.
As for Rui… the boy hadn't been born yet.
"S-sorry, I planned to inform you tonight, but—"
No further explanation was needed to understand that Muzan's presence had also unsettled Taiga.
Dôma turned and walked toward the door.
"What are you waiting for? An invitation?" he said teasingly.
The former demon slayer nodded, then took the lead to guide Dôma.
As for the stroll he had planned… it wasn't more important than recruiting the charlatan and future fanatic.
…
In a facility of the Eternal Paradise Faith, used by the sect to aid the poor and homeless, stood an individual whose gender was hard to discern.
Their slightly pale skin gave an impression of fragility, almost sickly. Their deep blue eyes slanted sharply toward the sides of their face.
Their straight hair, black at the roots, fell to their chin. The tips were red-orange, with two longer strands ending in blue.
Despite their tall stature, this person exuded an undeniably feminine aura.
This was the individual who would later become Enmu.
(Image)
Doma recognized him immediately, after catching sight of him in his room.