This was a residence hung with ornate prayer flags, with strange Buddha statues standing everywhere.
Behind the curtain, upon the throne, sat a man.
His features were handsome, and though his skin was fair, it carried a creepy, sullied feel.
His eyes were peculiar too, irises a rainbow of complex colors; one eye bore the characters for Upper Rank, and the other had the character "Two" engraved upon it.
He sat cross-legged on a cushion with casual posture, robed in something like a Western church priest's cassock.
Upper Rank Two and founder of the Eternal Paradise Faith, Doma—such was the identity of this uncanny man.
"Oh my, oh my, Lord Gyokko has come especially to visit and even brought me a gift. How very thoughtful!"
Before Doma stood a sakura-patterned porcelain jar the size of a basketball, and as he spoke, an unidentified mass wriggled out of it.
The lump of flesh squirmed and finally took on a roughly human shape—still a grotesque aberration.
Where ears should have been, two pairs of tiny hands grew; mouths complete with teeth and tongues gaped where the eye sockets were. Eyes reading "Upper Rank" and "Five" opened on the forehead and where the mouth would be.
Its lower half remained entirely hidden within the porcelain jar, a bizarre sight.
It was the rare aberrant among the Twelve Kizuki: Upper Rank Five, Gyokko.
Who would have thought that in this stronghold of the Eternal Paradise Faith, Upper Rank Two and Upper Rank Five were meeting.
Gyokko tittered. "Not at all, just a small token of my regard. I've long benefited from Lord Doma's care.
But it truly is a troubled season. After that little Lower Rank runt, Gyutaro and Daki of all people were slain by the Corps.
For the first time in centuries an Upper Rank has been killed. No wonder the Lord flew into a rage. I thought he would kill me right then! Though that feeling was rather wonderful too!"
Among the Upper Ranks, it wasn't for nothing that Doma and Gyokko were birds of a feather. In a host of demons twisted in mind and body, the two were especially abnormal.
But even a pervert like Gyokko couldn't hide the fear in his voice when he mentioned what had happened.
The Upper Ranks were the Lord's most important force; when Daki and Gyutaro were slain, Muzan sensed it at once.
He immediately summoned all the Upper Ranks, raged at them to their faces, and warned that if they could not prove their worth, he would mercilessly purge them.
In part, Muzan was indeed knocking his disappointing underlings into line; in part, he was venting.
In fact, when Gyutaro was killed, Muzan had switched into his perspective.
Who knew that as soon as he opened his eyes he would see someone wearing the same earrings, bearing the same Mark, swinging a Sun Breathing form down upon him—could anyone grasp the size of his trauma?
He didn't even dare watch to the end before pulling back his view, and it took him a long time to recover.
Even though no one saw his discomfiture, he felt a humiliation-turned-fury, and vented it all on his subordinates.
Recalling it as well, Doma lifted his metal fan to cover his mouth. "Such a pity. I'm the one who turned those two little ones into demons. To think they were slain—so sad."
'Stop lying. You don't feel a thing, do you!'
Looking into Doma's cold, rainbow-colored eyes, Gyokko couldn't help thinking that.
But his face kept its false smile. "I wonder what Lord Doma plans next? The Lord seems truly angry. At this rate, things look grim for us Upper Ranks."
Doma closed the iron fan. "Quite so. But as for fulfilling the Lord's wish—I haven't the faintest clue. What a headache."
Gyokko gave a grotesque laugh. "Compared to the Blue Spider Lily, which doesn't even have a shadow, dealing with the Corps is easier. Perhaps taking out a Hashira or two would soothe the Lord's anger."
Doma leaned forward. "Sounds like you have a lead, Gyokko. Care to share it?"
A smug look spread over Gyokko's face. "I've only caught the slightest trace of the Corps. When I nail down something concrete, I might need Lord Doma's help."
Doma waved a hand. "Sounds interesting. Be sure to call me then!
Though I'm curious about the one the Lord mentioned with the Hanafuda earrings. Why send only Lord Kokushibo after him?"
"There's that as well? Tell me more!"
Both Doma and Gyokko's gazes changed, because neither of them had spoken those words.
Boom!
The roof was nearly ripped clean off, and with the falling tiles and splintered wood came two figures.
Doma sprang up from his seat and leapt back. Gyokko dove into his jar and then popped out of another one farther away.
Charles patted the dust off his shoulder, glanced around, and said, "Well now, what a deal—buy one, get one free."
Tanjiro gave a wry smile. Two Upper Ranks meant the danger had multiplied, and only Charles had the audacity to call that a buy-one-get-one and think it a good thing.
Charles went on. "Same as always. The one crawling out of that crooked jar is yours. I'll take Upper Rank Two."
"Understood!"
Tanjiro was far more confident now. Even knowing the opponent was an Upper Rank, he could face it calmly.
Being handed to a kid, Gyokko clearly felt slighted. What drove him past reason, though, was Charles calling his jar crooked!
Knowing all the storylines also meant Charles knew these key figures best—and knew just how to get under their skin.
"What did you say, you lowly swine with no sense of art! My jars are perfect. If your eyes can't see, I'll just gouge them out…!"
Gyokko's voice climbed to a shrill pitch as a jar with octopus markings appeared in his hand.
"Blood Demon Art: Octopus Vase Hell!"
A mass of octopus tentacles burst from the mouth of the jar, shooting straight to coil around Charles.
"Hinokami Kagura: Burning Sun Mirror!"
Two red slashes flew out, and the supple tentacles snapped in neat rows—none reaching the Charles behind.
Doma unfolded a golden iron fan, revealing a lotus motif. His gaze toward Tanjiro turned odd.
"The Hanafuda earrings with a sun, and a flame Mark—so this is the one the Lord is after."
As he spoke, Doma flicked the fan, and a white gust of freezing air rolled toward Tanjiro.
But just then Charles stamped his foot, and a ring of flame erased the frost to nothing.
Doma looked to Charles. "You truly lack tact, sir. You insult my friend and still get in my way?"
Charles folded his arms. "Don't pretend you can understand human feelings. You likely have no idea what a friend is.
Which is understandable. You lack even the most basic emotions. I've no idea what purpose you serve by existing at all."
And so, after Gyokko, Doma was rattled too!
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