Disguised in the form of a young boy, Muzan Kibutsuji sat beside Kokushibo inside the Infinity Castle. The two of them looked less like the progenitor of demons and his strongest subordinate and more like a strangely harmonious father and son.
Nakime glanced at them from behind her biwa, momentarily stunned.
…Why did they actually look somewhat adorable together?
At that moment, Kyogai cautiously approached Nakime. However, the shifting floor of the Infinity Castle suddenly tilted beneath his feet, causing him to stumble forward awkwardly.
Nakime's expression immediately returned to its usual cold indifference.
"What is it?"
Kyogai scratched his head nervously, then gathered his courage and handed her a thick stack of manuscript pages.
It was his newest work.
A masterpiece born entirely from Kokushibo's bizarre philosophy of "write first, think later."
Improvisation. Passion. Chaos.
That was enough.
Although Nakime always appeared detached and emotionless, she secretly enjoyed reading. Ever since stealing one of Muzan's hidden storage rooms full of women's clothing, she had also "accidentally" stolen an entire bookstore.
Coincidentally, that bookstore had also belonged to Muzan.
Nakime accepted the manuscript and immediately froze upon seeing the title.
"You're My Sweet Temptation: The Tyrannical Boss's Secret Love."
Just from the title alone, she knew it had potential.
Without hesitation, Nakime even set her biwa aside so nothing would distract her while reading.
Her lone visible eye rapidly scanned the first chapter.
Kokushibo pressed his superior against the desk impatiently.
"Have you lost your mind? Let go of me. This is the office," Muzan said coldly, though the resistance in his voice lacked conviction.
Was he refusing?
Or merely pretending to?
Kokushibo smirked faintly.
"So… if we leave the office, it's acceptable?"
Muzan did not answer.
But neither did he push him away.
Kokushibo's smile deepened. His fingers slowly traced along Muzan's collarbone before gently tugging at the edge of his collar
Nakime nearly had a nosebleed.
This feeling…
This atmosphere…
Perfect.
"This is incredible," she muttered, completely immersed. "The style is unconventional, but it possesses a unique artistic charm!"
She hurriedly flipped to the final page, only to discover the story ended abruptly.
Nakime immediately grabbed Kyogai's hands, her face slightly flushed with excitement.
"I never imagined you possessed such talent!"
Kyogai nearly fainted from happiness.
"Lady Nakime, you flatter me. It's still rough around the edges "
Nakime shook her head firmly and brushed aside her hair, revealing her single eye completely.
For a brief instant, Kyogai's heartbeat stopped.
Beautiful.
"Look into my eyes and answer honestly," Nakime declared solemnly. "This work will create an entirely new literary movement across Japan."
Kyogai felt as though his life had finally gained meaning.
"What happens next?" Nakime asked impatiently. "Surely there's more?"
Kyogai suddenly looked embarrassed.
"I… haven't finished writing it yet…"
Before he could explain further, Nakime instantly seized her biwa and struck a chord.
The next second, Kyogai vanished into one of the Infinity Castle's isolated chambers.
"Do not return until you have written ten thousand more words."
Without another complaint, Kyogai rushed toward his writing desk with burning determination.
He had to finish the manuscript.
Meanwhile, Muzan and Kokushibo had both noticed Nakime's unusual behavior.
Kokushibo narrowed all six eyes curiously.
"What exactly is she reading?"
Muzan directly peered into Nakime's memories.
After reading the contents, he immediately scoffed.
"Pointless nonsense written by Kyogai. Some ridiculous story about a subordinate seducing his superior. Both of them are men."
"Utterly boring."
The more Kokushibo listened, the more uncomfortable he became.
Why did this plot sound alarmingly familiar?
Before he could speak, Nakime coldly interrupted.
"Lord Muzan, Kyogai's work is not nonsense."
Her voice became unusually firm.
"It is art. Far more valuable than Gyokko's grotesque pots."
Far away, Gyokko suddenly sneezed violently.
"ACHOO! Who's insulting my art?!"
Back inside the Infinity Castle, Muzan's expression darkened.
Veins bulged across his forehead.
"Nakime… are you talking back to me?"
For the first time in centuries, Nakime showed no intention of yielding.
She tightly gripped her biwa.
"Kyogai's writing is art. If Lord Muzan refuses to acknowledge that… then I no longer care about maintaining the Infinity Castle."
The atmosphere froze instantly.
Nakime raised her hand to strike the strings.
She was genuinely prepared to eject the entire Infinity Castle back into the outside world.
Muzan and Kokushibo were both startled.
Dawn was approaching.
If the castle emerged now, every demon inside would be exposed to sunlight.
Kokushibo was now completely convinced.
This world was definitely abnormal.
Even the demons had become eccentric beyond reason.
"Wait!" Muzan shouted immediately. "At least return me to my mansion first!"
Nakime paused.
Muzan gritted his teeth in frustration.
Although he was the progenitor of demons, Blood Demon Arts were unique abilities awakened independently by each demon. He could not freely use Nakime's technique himself.
More importantly, Nakime could not die.
Without her, the Infinity Castle would collapse.
And the Infinity Castle was the one place where Muzan truly felt safe.
Even if Yoriichi Tsugikuni himself returned from the grave, he would never be able to enter this domain.
Faced with Nakime's rare rebellion, Muzan finally compromised.
"Fine," he said irritably. "I retract my statement. It's art."
Nakime immediately calmed down and respectfully knelt.
"Thank you for your understanding, Lord Muzan."
Disaster narrowly avoided.
Kokushibo suddenly wrapped an arm around Muzan's shoulders and burst into laughter.
"So even Lord Muzan experiences helpless moments!"
Muzan's current child-sized body could not escape Kokushibo's grip, so he simply gave up resisting.
"Enough nonsense," Muzan muttered irritably. "Tell me how we should deal with that boy wearing the hanafuda earrings."
At the mention of Tanjiro Kamado, Kokushibo's thoughts immediately sharpened.
He had not expected Tanjiro to encounter Muzan this early.
The timeline truly had accelerated.
If events continued changing at this pace, then obtaining Nezuko Kamado's blood would become even more important.
As long as her immunity to sunlight could be analyzed…
Muzan's centuries-long dream might finally become reality.
Kokushibo slowly spoke.
"I will personally meet him."
Muzan stared at him in surprise.
"You? Aren't you afraid? What if he inherited Sun Breathing?"
This was the perfect opportunity for Kokushibo to continue his performance.
His expression became solemn and unwavering.
"I am afraid," he admitted quietly. "But for Lord Muzan's sake, I would gladly face any danger."
As he spoke, he gently lifted Muzan's chin.
Then Kokushibo's face twitched slightly in annoyance.
"…Although, if we are going this far, shouldn't you at least transform into a woman?"
He looked down at the small child sitting beside him.
"Right now I look like some elderly creep harassing an eight-year-old boy."
"And with Tanjiro's current strength, subtle manipulation is unnecessary."
Kokushibo rested his hand on the hilt of his flesh blade.
"I could defeat him with ordinary sword strikes alone."
Muzan looked at Kokushibo's determined expression and felt a rare sense of reassurance.
"Kokushibo," he said quietly, "you truly are my most reliable partner."
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