Author's Note: Honestly, I'm not a native English speaker.
The use of *her* and *his* when Muzan is in his female form is, frankly, a pain, lol.
From now on, I'll use designations based on the individual's appearance, since I plan to settle this "waifu Muzan" or "male Muzan" debate with a vote.
Thank you for your understanding.
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"Muzan-sama, the Upper Moons are assembled."
Nakime's neutral voice echoed through the Infinity Castle after she carried out her lord's command.
Yet Muzan paid no attention to the demonic musician.
His red eyes, feline in their intensity, coldly surveyed his kneeling subordinates.
The atmosphere quickly grew heavy, almost suffocating, due to the Demon King's silence and the murderous aura he exuded.
"Muzan-sama…"
Perhaps he was tired of waiting, or perhaps he was concerned for his lord.
But Kokushibo finally decided to break the oppressive silence Muzan had imposed.
"Why are you angry?" he asked in a slow, deliberate tone, cutting straight to the point.
A question that already haunted everyone present, kneeling before their master.
"You're seriously asking me why I'm in this state, Kokushibo?"
The Demon King's icy voice finally rang out in the hall.
He turned his head, glancing at the Upper Moon from the corner of his eye, and a terrifying pressure descended upon the assembly.
Yet Kokushibo remained unfazed.
He was now far stronger than his manga counterpart, as he lived under the constant pressure known as Doma.
This situation had forced him to relentlessly push his limits and deepen his understanding of the way of the sword.
Thus, the murderous intent that would have crushed Akaza and the others had no effect on him.
For Kokushibo, he was merely facing a powerful opponent—nothing more.
Kokushibo's unshakable calm did not go unnoticed by Muzan, who could sense the emotional state of each of his demons through the bond he shared with them.
'Hmm… yes, Kokushibo is indeed the only one who meets my expectations.'Muzan observed his second-in-command standing firm, then mentally let a hint of satisfaction slip through.
The interaction between the lord and his subordinate also allowed Muzan to regain some of his clarity.
He decided to begin the meeting.
"Doma is dead."
Three words.
Three words that were enough to change the expressions of all the Upper Moons present.
Gyutaro and his sister were shocked upon hearing Muzan's news.
The idea of a lie didn't even cross the mind of the former demon slayer, as Muzan had no reason to lie about an Upper Moon as high-ranking as Doma.
"Damn it… no way… h-how could he do this to us?" Sadness and rage mingled in Gyutaro's emotions.
He wasn't angry at Doma, but at himself.
In less than a century, he had lost his rival and benefactor due to his own uselessness.
As he cursed himself, Gyutaro recalled the most precious thing in his heart.
He turned his head and met Ume's deep blue eyes, filled with tears.
"*sniff*… M-my Otto can't die like that…" she murmured, her soft lips betraying her denial.
Upper Moon 6 didn't throw an emotional tantrum like a spoiled child but remained motionless.
Paralyzed, she mumbled words under her breath as her tears flowed endlessly.
Ume was devastated.
A spectacle that displeased Muzan, but one he chose to overlook in her presence.
A small consideration, the only one he could grant to Doma.
However, things were different with Akaza.
Upper Moon 3 stood frozen, as if in a trance, after the news.
Several emotions flickered in his eyes, but the dominant one was pure rage.
Rage directed at the weakness of Upper Moon 2.
"Idiot… how could you die? I was supposed to kill you, you bastard…"Though he cursed the absent man, a trace of sadness seeped into his voice.
However, two reactions particularly caught Muzan's attention: Enmu and Kokushibo.
"You don't seem to believe me?" Muzan narrowed his eyes at Kokushibo and Enmu, having observed their reactions.
As for Hantengu? The man was already wailing and crying, as was his habit.
"Far be it from me to contradict Muzan-sama, but…" Enmu raised his eyes toward the Demon King's platform, expressing his doubt.
"Doma-sama is a unique individual. I don't believe his death explains the current situation." Barely had he finished speaking when Enmu felt a burning sensation overwhelm him.
Upper Moon 5 writhed on the ground as his veins and arteries pulsed beneath his skin.
"So… you're saying I made a mistake, Enmu?"
Anger.
Enmu had angered the demon progenitor with his honest words about Doma.
The Demon King despised anyone implying he could be wrong—except for Kokushibo and Doma.
One was practically a friend at this point, the other an anomaly due to his unique condition.
Unfortunately for the Demon King, this Upper Moon was no ordinary demon either.
Any other demon would surely have suffered under the punishment inflicted by Muzan's blood in their body.
Yet, halfway through his punishment, Enmu's voice no longer carried any trace of pain.
The demon was… excited.
His voice trembled with perverse pleasure, a trickle of drool escaping his mouth.
The display disgusted even Muzan, who thought he had seen it all in Doma's mind.
"Tch… I forgot how this man is almost as infuriating as Doma…" Muzan muttered, cursing his own patience with the master-student duo.
Enmu was a promising demon—one of the few Doma had personally turned, aside from five others: Lin, Kaguya, Kikyo, Ume, and Gyutaro.
None of them were weak, but all had become sources of annoyance, whether due to their personalities or their lack of ambition.
Take Kikyo, for example: she possessed a Blood Demon Art that Muzan didn't fully understand.
This power allowed her to perform multiple actions, such as barring demons from an area after infusing it with her blood on a talisman. There was also that strange ability she used to devour an unknown light emitted by her fallen opponents.
From Muzan's observations, this light seemed far more nourishing than flesh or blood, yet Kikyo refused to consume it after the first time.
'There are also those arrows imbued with that light… what power…' he thought, as an idea began to take shape in his mind.
Muzan no longer wanted to grant too much leniency to promising demons and decided to eliminate any weakness among the Kizuki.
"Muzan-sama, there's no point in torturing this… humble soul," Kokushibo declared, having grown tired of hearing Enmu's moans.
"Our opinions are irrelevant in the face of Muzan-sama's foresight, so… I suggest initiating a reform to strengthen the Kizuki and, later…" Kokushibo paused briefly before continuing in a cold tone, "…avenge Doma's death."
Contrary to what Muzan thought, Upper Moon 1 was not indifferent to the news of his rival's death.
He was brimming with an insatiable bloodlust.
Yet he restrained himself.
Kokushibo was neither naive, nor foolish, nor reckless; he analyzed the situation as a whole.
If Doma was dead, then the target was undoubtedly stronger or more cunning than that tactical genius.
Upper Moon 1 judged that he needed the full strength of the Kizuki to defeat this threat.
The only reason Muzan misread the former samurai was his hesitation to probe his thoughts.
Fortunately for all the demons present, Muzan agreed with his oldest demon and relented from punishing Enmu further.
"As I did 98 years ago, I will organize an event where promising demons must either die or become Kizuki," he declared after considering Kokushibo's suggestion.
Muzan wasn't addressing only Kokushibo: with this proclamation, he was announcing a future bloodbath.
"Akaza…" At his master's call, Upper Moon 3 reacted immediately.
"Yes, Muzan-sama," he said, lowering his head.
"I'm entrusting you with an important mission."
At the mention of an important mission, Upper Moon 3 straightened up and gave his full attention to his lord.
"Go to the main monastery of The Eternal Paradise Faith and investigate Doma's death." Muzan's order immediately caught the attention of Enmu and Gyutaro, but the Demon King ignored their reactions.
He had given his orders, and no one could challenge his decisions.
"I-if a follower interferes with my task?" Akaza asked, knowing Doma's "affection" for his subordinates.
The Demon King flashed a charming smile, paradoxical against the murderous aura surrounding him.
"Kill them…" The cold voice made Gyutaro frown, but he chose to trust in the strength of his rival's successor.
'Ogai Rin… you'd better protect the home that Doma-sama and that idiot Mori built.' Gyutaro chose to remain passive and focused his attention on Ume.
For now, he could do nothing without endangering the mental protection Doma had put in place.
…
"Wait a minute, where did you come from?!" A deep voice rang in Doma's ear after the System's teleportation.
The former Upper Moon 2 found himself in a grandstand surrounded by several creatures.
Some were grotesque, others human in appearance, but Doma knew their true nature.
They were all divine and demonic creatures.
"Is that really important? Oh, the match is about to start." No sooner had Doma spoken than Lubu and Thor clashed in a head-on battle.
(Image)
The impact of their blows shook the air, and a violent gust rattled the grandstand, leaving the spectators stunned by the attack.
"Damn, what raw physical strength…" the Ice Demon muttered as the blast tousled his hair.
As the quest had promised, Doma had arrived in the universe of Record of Ragnarok.
"This is all insanely exciting!"
***
Author's Note: lol, I left my readers on a cliffhanger.
Especially with my Gege mode: "I can't wait for the next part."
But tomorrow's Saturday *sigh* ~
It'd be a shame to wait until tomorrow, right? So vote with your stones for a bonus!!
Bonus Note: The extra chapter is at 2400 stones!!!