— — — — — —
Chiba Prefecture, not far from Edo.
Inside a quiet, modest home, a beautiful woman named Tamayo stood beside a surgical table, her expression tinged with regret as she looked at the old man lying lifeless before her.
Just moments ago, she had tried to save him by turning him into a demon using her blood—but it hadn't worked. He didn't survive the process. He died right there on the operating table.
As a doctor, that failure weighed heavily on her.
Then, the door suddenly slammed open.
Her only successful creation in over two hundred years—Yushiro, the demon she had turned—burst into the room.
"Tamayo! Big news—huge news!"
Tamayo frowned, instantly feeling a headache coming on.
She looked like the picture of elegance—long black hair tied into a low, traditional bun, refined features, a perfect image of the Yamato Nadeshiko.
But when she was annoyed, that elegance turned terrifying. Yushiro, who served under her, knew that firsthand.
Still, his fear faded quickly. As always, he got lost in her beauty.
"Aah… Lady Tamayo is just as stunning when she's mad…"
Tamayo sighed, helplessly shaking her head as she grabbed the newspaper he brought and gave it a quick glance.
But as soon as her eyes fell on the headline, she froze.
{The Great Earthquake Was a Lie? The King of the Demons Destroys Edo, Declares a New Night Empire!}
{Provisional Government Deploys Military, But Can't Stop Him?!}
Her brow twitched.
"What the hell is this? Muzan… started a country?!"
If you had to sum up her reaction in two words, "utterly dumbfounded" would do the job.
She knew Muzan Kibutsuji better than anyone.
Two centuries ago, he had tricked her—back when she was just a human doctor. He'd fed her false promises of eternal life and turned her into a demon. She had even devoured her own family under his influence.
And afterward, he'd forced her into endless research, trying to create a drug that would let demons survive in sunlight.
Because of that, she'd spent a long time trapped by Muzan's side.
Eventually, though, she figured out how to break free from his control—by altering her brain to resist his influence—and went into hiding, evading him for over a hundred years.
So she knew Muzan. Knew exactly what kind of person he was.
Starting a nation? That wasn't him at all.
Back in the Edo period, he was too scared to even lay a hand on Kyoto's shrine priests—just in case they had the power to kill him. And now, when humanity's grown even stronger thanks to technology?
There's no way he'd suddenly go full warlord.
The guy was a coward. Always had been.
And now she was supposed to believe he stormed Edo and declared himself Emperor of the Night?
What kind of twisted joke was this?
"…Where did you even get this garbage newspaper?" Tamayo asked, shooting Yushiro a glare.
Yushiro blinked. "It's not fake! Everyone's talking about it! It's gone viral across the country—no, the world! Asia, Europe, America… major nations are bombarding our provisional government with questions about Muzan!"
Tamayo's eyes widened.
Wait, what?
She felt like she'd just taken a nap and woken up in some parallel universe.
If even foreign governments were reacting, this couldn't be a hoax.
So Muzan really invaded Edo? He actually thinks he can build a demon kingdom?!
Had he finally lost his damn mind?
"...No. Whether he's lost it or not, I need to see this with my own eyes. And if there's a chance to kill him—"
Tamayo's eyes turned sharp.
"Yushiro, pack up. We're heading to Edo."
"Yes, ma'am!"
— — —
Edo – In a narrow alleyway.
Doma, the one-armed Upper Rank Two, was lounging in the shadows with a newspaper in hand, his face full of surprise.
"Well, well, well! He really went and did it! Declared war, killed off all the noble families in Edo… That man isn't wasting time!"
Grinning, he turned to the beautiful woman trembling beside him. He gently stroked her cheek, then handed her the paper.
"You see that?" he said with a gleam in his eye. "It says demons are the new aristocracy of Edo. So if I eat you now… technically I'm not committing a crime anymore, right?"
The woman's face paled. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Doma, voice shaking.
"P-please, don't eat me… I'll do anything you want. Just… just don't eat me…"
Doma tilted his head in confusion.
"Why would you say something so silly?"
He sounded almost disappointed.
"Getting eaten by me means salvation! You'd become part of me—free from this painful human world. Isn't that what you want? To be saved?"
"…Salvation?" the woman repeated, dazed.
How the hell was getting eaten by a demon supposed to count as salvation?
If she was dead, what did salvation even mean?
"No—I don't want that!" she cried out, panicked. "Please, I'll give you anything you want! Just spare me!"
Doma smiled sweetly. "But what if what I want… is to eat you?"
The despair hit her like a hammer.
She couldn't even speak anymore—just stared, frozen.
Doma giggled, playfully squeezing her cheeks. "C'mon, be part of me. I'd love it if you became my new arm~"
"That's enough."
A cold voice rang out.
Doma turned.
Standing at the alley's entrance was a woman in a butterfly-patterned haori, her expression cold and annoyed.
"Ah. It's you."
His smile vanished, replaced by an expression of pure irritation.
There was a time when Doma thought he could never dislike a beautiful woman.
He loved saving women. It was his thing. His purpose.
But this one? This woman had become an exception.
Kanae Kocho.
A human who'd used clever tricks to win the favor of that man.
A woman who'd stolen the spotlight—and worse, the one who'd cost Doma his arm.
He hated her with every fiber of his being.
"What do you want?" he spat, voice dripping with venom. "Shouldn't you be at his side right now? Why bother showing up here?"
Kanae met his glare with an icy calm. "The Demon King gave a direct order. During the takeover of Edo, no harming humans unless they attack first. They're our future food supply—and you're violating that."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Are you disobeying the Demon King's orders, Upper Rank Two?"
Doma's face shifted into a sheepish grin. But beneath that smile, there was a flash of barely hidden anger.
Kanae saw it immediately.
She let out a small sigh and drew her Nichirin Blade.
"Just as I thought," she murmured. "Peace with demons… it's never going to happen."
But what she really thought wasn't about peace.
Ever since the meeting in the Infinity Castle, she'd been suspicious of Doma.
She hadn't trusted he would obey the Demon King's orders at all.
And now, standing here, she knew her suspicions were right.
"Hmm? Gonna fight me?" Doma grinned.
Sure, he hated Kanae—but that didn't mean he wouldn't love to devour her.
She was, after all, still a beautiful woman.
With a chuckle, he turned to the trembling girl in his arms and gently patted her face.
"Well then, I guess I'll save you for later—"
SHHK!
The sound of a blade piercing flesh.
Doma froze, eyes wide. He looked down.
The woman he was holding—had stabbed him.
"Y-you—!"
The girl suddenly leapt back, wiping away the makeup on her face. Her voice dropped into a deep, masculine tone.
"Flower Hashira, what's going on? Wasn't Doma supposed to be my and the Serpent Hashira's job?"
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Yo~
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