"Oh, you're the young Mukago!" he said, clasping his arms together in an exaggerated gesture.
"Y-you know me?" The demoness was surprised that a demon of such high rank knew her name.
It must be understood that Kokushibō and Akaza almost never appeared during the bloody duels between the Lower Moons. A reaction quite similar to Dōma's.
The three men were simply not interested in the weaklings that the Lower Moons represented.
The only time they had gathered outside of Kokushibō's quarters was during the fight between Gyokko and Enmu.
And, of course… Enmu had won the fight, subsequently following Dōma's orders by relegating Gyokko to the top spot among the Lower Moons.
He did not devour the art-obsessed demon.
"Haha! Come now, I know all the talented demons in the Infinity Castle~" he said in a cheerful tone, before casually placing a hand on Mukago's small shoulder, pulling her slightly closer to him.
Unfortunately, Dōma sometimes forgot the superhuman strength he possessed.
Mukago's frail body was pulled along despite herself, unable to offer the slightest resistance to the demon's casual grip.
The difference in rank was far too great—and the breathing techniques he had mastered only widened the gap in power.
In an instant, the small demoness found herself pressed against him, without even a chance to create the slightest distance between their bodies.
With his imposing height of one meter ninety-two, Mukago could only reach his pecs with her forehead.
'They're so firm… and he smells so good…'she thought, as a faint blush silently spread across her small face.
Even though she was a demoness, at her core, she was still a woman. And, like any woman, she had needs and desires.
This close contact didn't leave her indifferent.
After all, what woman could resist a tall, handsome man with high social status?
The answer is almost none, as there are always exceptions to everything.
Yet, the ice demon believed that a good portion of them would be interested in a possible one-night adventure… or more.
Dōma also recalled that his manga version was strangely popular among female Kimetsu no Yaiba fans—a phenomenon that Jay attributed to Dōma's appearance alone.
This deduction wasn't pulled out of thin air, as Jay saw nothing particularly special or complex in Dōma's writing.
He had already read plenty of stories with characters who had emotional disorders, like Kirei Kotomine or Ulquiorra.
Sure, the latter might have had more fans than Dōma, but that didn't contradict Jay's opinion of the character.
'Oops… I'm getting sidetracked, and my hand wandered a bit too much,'Dōma thought, withdrawing his hand that had grazed Mukago's small chest.
Was it sexual harassment? No. At least, Dōma didn't see it that way, since the Lower Moon had moved closer to him. The demoness seemed to accept this slight, unintentional contact.
"Ahem… Dōma-sama, Ume-sama would be very disappointed by your behavior," Nakime interjected, interrupting Dōma's idea of bringing a girl back to the monastery to continue their conversation in a more… intimate setting.
At the sound of Nakime's calm voice, the Lower Moon nearly jumped and timidly stepped away from Dōma. She was clearly embarrassed by her own actions.
"No worries, Nakime-chan~" Dōma shrugged after responding to the biwa player.
"Ume-chan, Kikyo-chan, and Kaguya-chan will understand my situation. After all, we can't stay together for long because of Muzan-sama's rules." There was a subtle hint of annoyance in his words, but Nakime wasn't focused enough to notice it.
Her thoughts were elsewhere as she glanced at Mukago.
The demoness had completely forgotten that Mukago held a higher status than her in the hierarchy established by Muzan, and she displayed clear animosity toward her.
"Oh, I forgot something in my territory, Dōma-sama… I hope to see you again." Mukago's voice weakened slightly toward the end of her words.
After speaking, the small demoness rushed through a portal summoned by Nakime and vanished.
Everything happened very quickly.
"Haha, Nakime-chan is jealous~ You're even intimidating your junior!" Dōma unfurled his fan and burst into laughter.
Unfortunately, Nakime had no real response to justify the animosity she had shown toward Mukago.
She simply turned her head, a faint red tint appearing on her soft, pale skin.
'For a milf and a former widow, she can really act cute,'he thought to himself, before a doubt crept into his mind.
Had Nakime really sent Mukago back to her territory through the portal she summoned?
Dōma instinctively recalled that he had already clashed with Nakime over a song: Skillet - Monster. The demoness didn't understand English, so Dōma had performed a Japanese version.
The result? Unlike the other times when Nakime endured his antics without complaint, she had teleported Dōma to a random island near Osaka.
He had to fend for himself to return to his monastery.
'I got to meet new people, but that experience made me realize why Muzan appointed her as Hantengu's temporary replacement in the manga,' he concluded mentally, deciding he should stop there.
"Well, I'll have to leave you, Nakime-chan. Can you send me back to the monastery?" he asked in a gentle tone.
His voice was slightly different from the one he had used in Mukago's presence.
Nakime glanced at him out of the corner of her single eye before letting out a reluctant sigh.
Though she didn't often show it, Dōma could sense her reluctance to let him leave the Infinity Castle.
Did she want to keep him captive?
A little, but the mature woman understood that her man had responsibilities elsewhere.
That's why Dōma appreciated the paradise of vanity.
This blood demon art proved quite useful for dealing with people like Kokushibō and Nakime.
"Come back to me soon…" she said, without adding another word, before a portal appeared beneath Dōma's feet.
"Nakime!!"
Yes, Nakime had held a grudge and teleported him *above* the monastery, not inside it.
Dōma was now about to endure a fall from several meters high.
'It's in moments like these that I understand… Ban the Immortal. Yes, a loli is calmer than a milf.'
Dōma believed in justice for all physical and mental types of women: whether they were tsundere, onee-chan, kudere, legal loli, oka-san, with pretty thighs, or otherwise—except beyond the red line, aka ####.
But at that moment, he compared Kaguya's and Nakime's behaviors in his mind.
Even if the loli could act in an extremely calculated way to gain time and affection, she remained sincere with herself. Nakime, on the other hand, was a true tsundere. Sometimes, Dōma had to make her understand her own feelings through patterns, much like Kaguya did with him.
"Oh, the ground's getting closer…" he thought, despite the dizzying speed he had reached during his fall.
There was no panic in the ice demon's eyes. Not only did it take far more to stir emotions in his heart, but he also had a way to avoid using his regeneration after crashing like a pancake on the ground.
"Blood Demon Art: Vector Manipulation."
…
"Hatori-san, don't you find it strange that the elder of our sect looks exactly like the 'second' founder? asked a guard of The Eternal Paradise Faith to her patrol companion.
The founder of the cult, The Eternal Paradise Faith, was recognized as the father of the second founder, aka Dōma.
Why did future generations consider Dōma the second founder rather than simply the first elder in the sect's history?
The answer lay in the reforms he had brought.
Normally, a sect operates like a club where individuals gather around a common goal. Typically, this involves spiritual healing.
But Dōma led the sect differently from other charlatans. He didn't seek to save those who didn't want it or actively encourage people to join his cult.
Dōma simply helped and didn't actively ask for funds from his followers and devotees. He created businesses and employed grateful but struggling people, giving them a chance to get by.
The initial funding came from legal loans, and the business ideas stemmed from a modern, thoughtful vision.
Thus, the sect thrived thanks to his reforms. At this point, it resembled more of a company than a true sect.
This evolution intensified with the arrival of ambitious young people like Mori and the alliance between the Ogai clan and Ubuyashiki.
"I've noticed that too, but it's logically impossible," he said, shrugging before continuing.
"Sect leaders all die from an unknown disease, and the elder is no exception since he's 'usually' tied to the Ogai clan," he explained with a slightly sad tone.
All the devotees of The Eternal Paradise Faith knew that their leader suffered from an unknown disease. Many interpreted this as the result of their inability to match the first three sect leaders, aka Dōma's father, Dōma himself, and Mori.
After all, they were the only ones recorded as having died from this curse.
"You mean…" The man was shocked by Hatori's explanation.
Hatori nodded before whispering a rumor circulating within the sect: The Eternal Paradise Faith.
"The current elder was an adopted child because he has the sacred eyes of the second founder. That's also why—"
He didn't have time to finish his sentence before Dōma landed nearby with a deafening crash.
"Ahem… Nakime really deserves a spanking," he muttered.