The moment Dōma caught sight of a small figure, the younger version of Gyutaro was already within striking distance.
The kid didn't hesitate for a second to brandish his sickle against the man he deemed responsible for the tears streaming down his sister's face.
However, things didn't go as planned.
"W-what?!"
Gyutaro's blade was stopped dead in its tracks by Dōma's finger, before the latter deftly confiscated the sickle with a fluid motion and pushed him back with a precise kick.
The steel of the weapon hadn't even managed to nick the skin of his finger upon impact.
Taïga observed the young boy sprawled on the ground, his eyes filled with pity. He slowly shook his head in disapproval.
'Kid… you really dared to attack an Upper Moon without mastering a Breathing Style?'he thought.
The Upper Moons.
They were the elite among Muzan Kibutsuji's servants, the demon king of the KNY universe.
Endowed with exceptional physical resilience, terrifying regeneration, and unmatched combat experience, they were practically invincible to any human without a Breathing Style.
Taïga even came to the conclusion that possessing a Breathing Style wouldn't be enough to so much as scratch Dōma's skin.
It would take an extraordinary level of skill and mastery to break through his physical defenses and inflict any real damage.
A fair assessment: Tanjiro hadn't managed to injure the deliberately exposed neck of Rui with his Water Breathing Style.
The young man had needed to push himself beyond his limits and continuously improve to become a genuine threat to the Lower Moon.
And now, Dōma was far more powerful than the future Lower Moon 5.
Thus, Gyutaro wasn't even a threat.
'Now that I think about it… does Dōma even bleed? I've never seen him wounded…'
That thought crossed the mind of the former Demon Slayer, sending a shiver of fear down his spine. He could only thank his younger self for choosing to abandon his old job.
He'd never have to cross paths with one of Dōma's colleagues and be forced to face them.
"…Please… kind sir, don't hurt my Onii-san…"
The young girl's voice trembled, as if she were cold.
Thanks to her words, Dōma noticed the icy aura he was unconsciously emitting and quickly made it stop.
Ume had already been hurt because of those two idiots, and it would be unfortunate if she suffered further harm.
"Alright, I won't hurt your Onii-san," he said, gently patting little Ume's head.
The young girl blushed slightly as she looked at Dōma's reassuring smile.
She had momentarily forgotten that her savior had just sent her older brother flying with a single kick.
"Taïga, can you watch her for a minute? I need to have a word with this spirited kid," he said, noticing Gyutaro struggling to get back on his feet from the snowy ground.
The boy had only managed to stand because Dōma hadn't struck him seriously, but he got up faster than expected.
"R… release Ume, right now!" he roared, panting between breaths.
"I think there's a misunderstanding, young man," Dōma replied in a relaxed tone, slowly approaching Gyutaro.
"I literally just saved your sister, you see?"
With those words, Dōma gestured toward Ume with his eyes.
Gyutaro followed the direction of those multicolored eyes and saw Ume's face, covered in scratches and dust.
Yet, the young girl gave him a smile and nodded at Dōma's words.
"Gr… fine, but give me back Ume…" he growled through gritted teeth.
Even in the face of that hostile tone, Dōma decided to grant his request.
With a wave of his hand, he signaled Taïga to carry Ume to her brother.
Immediately, Gyutaro embraced her as if he had just reclaimed a treasure of immeasurable value.
'Hard not to see the image of that creature from The Lord of the Rings…'
Though the thought amused him, Dōma refrained from saying it aloud.
No one would have gotten the joke anyway.
"Now, can we discuss this in a quieter place?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Soon, this area will be crawling with people."
Dōma's tone was calm, almost indifferent, but his words were enough to put Gyutaro on edge.
The boy already knew the injustices of this world all too well.
He wasn't as naïve as many others his age would have been.
His gaze fell on a man dressed in elegant clothing, lying unconscious on the ground.
Gyutaro also recognized another figure: an employee from the place where Ume worked.
Connecting this detail to the words of this abnormally powerful being who claimed to have saved his sister, he quickly pieced together part of the story.
'Ume must have gotten into trouble with some annoying people…'he thought, clenching his small fists.
Ume is a beautiful young girl.
That truth is undeniable in the boy's mind, and it's also his pride.
Yet, that blessing could become a problem in certain situations.
Gyutaro knows this all too well.
That's why he took care of the "trash."
Unfortunately, he hadn't been there this time to fulfill his role as a debt collector.
He silently cursed himself: his presence could have prevented this disastrous situation.
Now, neither he nor Ume could stay in Yoshiwara.
"S… so you're saying you can take us somewhere safe?" he asked cautiously.
Dōma simply nodded.
As for recruiting the duo or turning them into demons, Dōma wasn't in a rush for now.
He needed to let the older brother taste wealth and a certain peace first, before revealing the price to pay for maintaining that lifestyle.
'Knowing Gyutaro, he'd sell his soul to the devil for his sister. And vice versa, Ume would do the same for her brother.'
The moment he had crossed paths with these two children, their fate was in the hands of Upper Moon 2.
A cunning smile formed behind his fan, invisible to all.
…
[You are not yet eligible…]
[Locked]
[Locked]
[You are not yet eligible…]
After ordering that the children be taken care of, Dōma retreated to his quarters.
He would have liked to speak with Kaguya, but dawn was approaching.
Their conversation would likely take a long time, and he hadn't yet satisfied his wife's recent desires.
Dōma didn't like leaving his sexual partners alone for too long, especially when they were still "together."
Especially since he considered Kaguya his.
The ice demon had read too many NTR scenarios when he was Jay, and it had made him a bit paranoid.
"I literally have access to nothing except the explanatory guide… is this really a system?" he complained, after trying to open the options displayed by a small icon in the corner of his vision.
That abnormal element hadn't existed before, but it had appeared after saving Ume in the pleasure district.
'Show me the guide again,'he ordered mentally.
[Welcome to M.E.D.I.A]
[Our organization exists for the sole purpose of providing entertainment across the multiverse, where everything is predetermined by causality.]
[To this end, M.E.D.I.A seeks individuals with the talent: Destiny Breaker.]
[They are the only ones capable of altering timelines, which we call "scenarios."]
[Unfortunately, you have not yet made contact with the administrator corresponding to your "theme."]
[This unfortunate situation may take a few days, or even years. So, don't put all your heart into activating the "group chat" or quest options.]
[Especially if you're human…]
The rest of the explanations dealt with the reasons for the delay in contact between the administrator and himself.
"A problem related to the synchronization of worlds between individuals part of the group chat's theme… weird," he muttered, after reading the flimsy excuse.
As he was about to continue his complaints against the administration and its incompetent administrator, the door burst open.
"O… Otou-san… I… I want UME-CHAN!"
Faced with Mori's explosive energy as he stormed into his room, Dōma's response was simple and effective:
"I refuse…"
***
Author's Note:
If you're curious about the meaning of the term M.E.D.I.A,
it simply means:
Multiversal Entertainment & Digital Interactive Agency