"Eh—"
"But, Mr. Rengoku, I haven't done anything evil, you know," Doma said, wiping the tears from his face. He placed his right index finger beside his cheek and began to earnestly explain his good deeds. He was always willing to patiently explain his philosophy of salvation to others.
"I am a very gentle person. Everything I have done so far has been to bring happiness to everyone and to reduce people's suffering."
"Among those I have eaten, some were villains who did evil and always brought pain to others."
"But they didn't know that those who commit sins will go to hell after death." Doma showed a piteous expression, yet his rainbow eyes remained empty. "So I saved them."
"They will no longer bring pain to others, and they can atone for their sins sooner in hell and welcome a new life."
Kojuuro Rengoku remained silent, his brow slightly furrowed.
Doma continued, "The other part consisted of my pitiable believers."
"Those people had lost all hope in life and only wanted to give up their lives, begging me to deliver them from the suffering of this world."
"So I released them from their endless pain and let them welcome a new life full of hope."
"When they were killed by me, they all wore happy smiles," Doma said, his expression gentle and calm, his face filled with profound compassion.
"I cannot agree!" Kojuuro Rengoku said.
"Huh?" Doma showed a puzzled expression. "Why not?"
"Life is precious!" Kojuuro said in a low, firm voice. "I don't deny that some villains deserve to die, but some probably don't deserve death..."
"By living, they have the possibility to atone for their actions and the opportunity to shoulder the responsibilities they have yet to fulfill!"
"I don't deny that the world is a dark place in some people's eyes, but that is absolutely no reason to treat their lives with contempt!"
"Only by living... perhaps some will still seek death, but there will always be those who can rediscover the beauty in life..."
"Life holds infinite possibilities. It will always radiate a brilliant light!"
"This is precisely what makes life so precious and fascinating."
"When you arbitrarily take the lives of others to satisfy your own desires, you have already fallen onto the path of a demon!" Kojuuro finished in a hoarse voice, leaning on his Nichirin Sword and gasping for breath. The injury to his lungs made it increasingly difficult to maintain his breathing technique.
"Ooh—" Doma covered his chin with his fan, a troubled look on his face. "Honestly, are all you Demon Slayers of the same mind?" He looked up at the quiet night sky, thinking of the Demon Slayer named Koji Kamiya from long ago.
"But you can't deny that while a villain might repent if they live, it's more likely they will remain unrepentant and bring pain to more people, until they are beyond redemption."
"A person who wants to die might find a reason to live, but it's more likely they will head towards their end in endless pain and despair..."
"At least I let them die happily," he said with a grin.
"I cannot condone it!" Kojuuro said with a determined expression.
"Oh my, don't be so rigid, Mr. Rengoku~" Doma coaxed with a smile. He placed his hands on the ground and moved closer to him. "Besides, talking about mortal enemies at a time like this... aren't you afraid I'll get angry and kill you?" he asked curiously. "Clearly, if you just admit we're friends, I'll let you go."
"Killing Demon Slayers is Kibutsuji Muzan's order to you, isn't it?" Kojuuro's determined expression didn't change, he only asked, "Do you dare to defy his orders?"
"Mmm! And your battle with your own kind earlier..." he tapped his chin.
"Ah! Is Mr. Rengoku worried about me? That's so moving!" Doma cupped his cheek with one hand, a brilliant smile on his face. "Those demons with the cross-star marks aren't considered our comrades, you know," he tilted his head up, pressing his fan against his cheek. "They've escaped that man's control, so we have to exterminate them."
Doma said with a grin, glancing at Kojuuro's slightly widened eyes and his tightly gripped Nichirin Sword. "Hey, Mr. Rengoku, you could even cooperate with the Star Demons, you know. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend~"
"Absolutely not!" Kojuuro shook his head firmly. "The Demon Slayer Corps will never cooperate with man-eating demons!"
"Tsk, so stubborn," Doma said with a smile, propping his chin on his hand. "Speaking of that man, he rarely pays attention to me, so it's okay to let you go, Mr. Rengoku~" he said with a serious face. "So you see, that man always gives us plenty of freedom. Isn't that nice?"
"Mr. Rengoku, you should just become a demon~" Doma said with an expectant look.
"No! I will never become a demon!" Kojuuro refused again.
"Why not?" Doma puffed out his cheeks.
"To become a pathetic monster like a demon, to live only in darkness, to devour your former kind, to be controlled by the progenitor of demons... can't you see how tragic that is?" Kojuuro retorted.
"Mmm—I don't really mind," Doma said, tapping his shoulder with his fan and smiling without a care. "After all, I chose to become a demon." After saying this, he urged in a whining voice, "Mr. Rengoku~ Please become a demon, won't you?"
"No!" Kojuuro said.
"But you'll die if you go on like this!" Doma showed a pitiful expression. "Is the bleeding not stopping? It must be painful, right?" As he spoke, he reached out his right index finger and poked the wound on Kojuuro's chest.
Splat—
A spurt of blood shot out. "Oh my, look! Blood is spurting out!" Doma covered his lips with his hand with a worried look.
"It is not! If you don't touch it, the blood won't spurt out!" Kojuuro said, still full of spirit.
"You won't have to fear this kind of injury if you become a demon~" Doma took the opportunity to tempt him.
"No!"
"Just become a demon, Mr. Rengoku~ That way, we can be good friends forever!" Doma swayed from side to side.
"No! And we're not friends!" Kojuuro said through pressed lips.
"Why aren't we friends?" Doma seemed to have not heard anything he had said before.
"Because you are a demon, and I am a Demon Slayer!" Kojuuro emphasized again.
"Mmm, that's right!" Doma nodded, then tilted his head with an innocent, cute look. "So why can't we be friends?"
"Ah!" Before Kojuuro could answer, he had a look of realization. "It must be because we didn't exchange gifts!"
Huh? Kojuuro tilted his head in confusion.
"You gave me the snacks you bought on the street, but I didn't give you a gift, so you're angry, right?" Doma clapped his hands.
Wha? Kojuuro's mouth hung open for a long moment.
"Then how about I give you my eyeball?" Doma thought for a moment and said enthusiastically.
Ah? Kojuuro shook his head like a rattle.
"Eh? Why do you all always refuse such a wonderful gift?" Doma thought with a puzzled look. "Oh, I've got it! I'll just give you this bamboo copter~" He took his bamboo copter out of his pocket and placed it in Kojuuro's left hand. "So now we're good friends, right?" Doma said, his eyes sparkling.
"This won't do!" The corner of Kojuuro's mouth twitched.
"Why not?" Doma tilted his head.
"You're a demon, I'm a Demon Slayer..." Kojuuro said, exhausted.
"An unbreakable friendship should not fear the barrier of identity~" Doma said in a soft voice.
"I don't agree!" Kojuuro's voice grew much louder.
"I don't care!" Doma said, hands on his hips.
"Demons and Demon Slayers can't be friends!"
"Oh—then you should just become a demon."
"Absolutely not!"
"Then let's be good friends~"
"No!"
"It's settled then!" Doma unilaterally made the decision for both of them, a happy smile on his face.
Kojuuro Rengoku was in a daze, his mind unable to process.
Doma chuckled and spun the fan in his hand. Just as he was about to say something, he heard a series of shouts from afar. "Master Rengoku! Master Rengoku..."
"Oh my, it seems your comrades have arrived," Doma said, looking at the worried expression on Kojuuro's face and blinking. "Don't worry, I won't kill them."
"After all, we're good friends. It's okay to accommodate a friend's wishes a little~"
"Mmm! It seems Mr. Rengoku will live. Should I congratulate you?"
"But it's a shame Mr. Rengoku couldn't become a demon," Doma showed a dejected expression.
Kojuuro Rengoku sighed, his gaze firm as he looked at him. "Mr. Doma, thank you for not laying a hand on me and my comrades this time!"
"But no matter what... if we have a chance to meet again, I will cut off your head without hesitation!"
"You'll have to be able to beat me first, Mr. Rengoku~" Doma said with a smile. "Besides, I'm not sure if your injuries can fully heal."
"Even if I can no longer fight in the future, even if I die one day, my will will be passed on forever!" Kojuuro Rengoku's voice was firm and resonant. "I believe that one day, the next generation will inherit the will of generations of us and slay all the demons in this world!"
Doma stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled, his eyes curving. "Perhaps... that is indeed the case."
"After all... sometimes, the will of humans is truly movingly great." As he spoke, he suddenly snatched the Nichirin Sword from Kojuuro's hand, a mischievous smile on his lips. "I didn't like the gift you gave me before, Mr. Rengoku, so I'll just take this sword~"
He stroked the few inconspicuous bloody symbols on the hilt and said with a smile, "Mr. Rengoku, you're very cunning, still thinking of passing information to your comrades at a time like this. Honestly, I wasn't going to kill you, there was no need for that."
"Although I discovered your little trick long ago, your sneaky look was also very cute!"
"But it seems I can't just let you go back like this, or there will be endless trouble in the future, right? Haha... just thinking about it is a headache."
"But, as expected, I don't want Mr. Rengoku to completely forget me~" Doma suddenly raised his left hand and waved it in front of Kojuuro's eyes.
Blood Demon Art: Hisōten.
"Then for now... please forget some unimportant things."
When the Demon Slayer corps members who came to clean up arrived, only Kojuuro Rengoku was left. "Master Rengoku!"
Kojuuro Rengoku lay flat on a stretcher, his memories of Doma's name, appearance, abilities, and other information completely wiped clean. The Doma in his memory had become a blurry silhouette, but the scenes of their time together were still vivid. He squeezed the bamboo copter in his hand and suddenly sighed softly.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (180 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (110 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (170 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (68 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (110 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (60 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (100 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (50 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (50 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (50 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it