Douma Joins the Fray

One year later—

Infinity Castle.

Kagetsuki Chiyo, in a state of ecstatic frenzy akin to Fan Jin passing the imperial examinations, waved a scroll in the air, running around like a madman and shouting:

"I'm free! I passed! Hahahahahaha!"

Muzan pressed a palm against the head of the "Fan Jin" who had just darted past him:

"Calm down."

Chiyo struggled for a moment, unable to break free. He slumped down, stopped struggling, and looked up at Muzan, then grinned again:

"Boss, can you let me go first?"

Splat!

Chiyo fell to the ground. He scrambled up quickly and said seriously:

"Boss, I also want to become one of the Twelve Kizuki."

Muzan could read the minds of demons; how could he not know what Chiyo was thinking?

He just wanted to have some fun.

Always wanting to join in the excitement, a pure thrill-seeker.

To be honest, Chiyo's Blood Demon Art wasn't combat-oriented, and the Twelve Kizuki was beyond his current strength.

However, in terms of support, he was quite strong. Although his setup time was long, the effect he could achieve was significant.

Muzan thought for a moment and said, "Forget about the Twelve Kizuki. I can give you a position among the Star Rank."

Chiyo had only mentioned it casually, not expecting Muzan to take his words seriously. He was a bit surprised now: "Great! Thanks, boss!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly signaled to Nakime, urging her to send him out quickly!

He was afraid Muzan would change his mind.

Nakime glanced at her master, then gently plucked a string on her biwa. With a soft sound, Chiyo was sent away.

"Lord... Lord Muzan, why do you insist that we must be literate?"

Although Akaza had gotten past the most difficult part of learning to read, they still had to continue studying according to Muzan's requirements.

Weren't they demons?

Fierce, renowned, and powerful demons!

To this, Muzan naturally couldn't be bothered to explain:

"I feel like it."

Akaza: "..."

Fine, you're the boss, you make the rules.

"Oh, right. Since you don't have anything to do for now, go help Maruoka Seiji over there. He's encountered some problems."

Maruoka Seiji and the others were already very old. To conceal their identities as demons, they had been gradually aging themselves over time.

But holding high positions for a long time inevitably caused some people to become displeased. Moreover, as things developed, some ignorant individuals were causing a bit of resistance.

It was the perfect opportunity for Akaza to go and assist them, and also for Maruoka Seiji and the others to transition and adopt new identities.

Akaza had heard about Maruoka Seiji and Maruoka Kinuko over the past year, but he was just a fighter. How could he help them?

However, he couldn't disobey Muzan's orders. With a look of confusion, he asked, "Lord Muzan... what do you need me to do?"

Muzan waved his hand: "I don't know either. Ask Maruoka Seiji when you get there."

With that, Nakime received Muzan's intent. With a twang, Akaza was forcibly sent away, directly near Maruoka Seiji.

Suddenly appearing in an unfamiliar environment, warm sunlight spilled onto the street. A few pedestrians hurried past, and magnificent buildings stood before him.

Akaza looked up at the grand building in front of him and swallowed silently.

The main gate was pushed open, and a young woman ran out. She looked around, then spotted Akaza, her face lighting up with joy. She ran over in a few steps:

"You are Lord Akaza, aren't you?"

"Yes."

Akaza replied instinctively, then realized. Had Lord Muzan already made arrangements?

The woman, with a professional smile, said, "Lord Maruoka is asking for you. Please follow me."

He followed the woman into the building and pushed open a room door.

Inside, an elderly man sat. He smiled upon seeing Akaza.

After the woman left, the room, devoid of light, was silent. The old man stood up to lock the door: "Please, sit."

Once Akaza sat down, he said, "You are the Akaza that Lord Muzan spoke of, correct?"

"Yes."

Akaza could already sense the "aura" of a demon from the person in front of him. It was a very mysterious thing; humans might not be able to distinguish it, but as fellow demons, they could clearly feel it.

Of course, it could also be Lord Muzan's doing.

Another ten years passed in the blink of an eye. Muzan felt that as he aged, time seemed to speed up more and more.

It felt like ten years flashed by in an instant.

But since he was immortal, it didn't matter.

A few years later, it was already 1670.

What made Muzan realize the passage of time was the appearance of a new plot character – Douma.

He hadn't originally intended to turn Douma, a pure hedonist devoid of emotion, into a demon like in the story.

But perhaps due to the "power of the plot," Chiyo encountered someone similar to him, a kindred spirit. They hit it off immediately, like Boya meeting Ziqi.

Douma, too, faced with an invitation from Chiyo, who was also a hedonist, wouldn't consider demons to be terrifying beings due to his lack of emotion.

He had already inexplicably requested Muzan to turn him into a demon in the original plot, so he readily accepted the invitation.

One willing to strike, one willing to be struck.

Like adulterous lovers, they hit it off at once!

Thus, Muzan, who hadn't paid much attention to his subordinates, suddenly noticed an additional demon...

Upon closer inspection, he exclaimed, "Douma!"

Thinking back to his memories from hundreds of years ago, before his transmigration, Muzan reviewed Douma's "achievements" in the original work.

Kanae, dead.

Shinobu, dead.

Inosuke's mother, dead.

A master at drawing hatred!

And so, Douma and Chiyo were suddenly teleported to Infinity Castle.

Chiyo: "?"

Douma saw the renowned Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji, and put on a clearly fake smile: "Lord Muzan."

Chiyo looked around and found Lord Muzan standing on the railing, asking with a puzzled expression: "Lord Muzan, is something the matter?"

Besides Nakime and Muzan, it seemed only the two of them were in Infinity Castle. What did the boss want them for?

Muzan leaped down from the railing, landing in front of Chiyo and the curious Douma.

"Can he read?"

Chiyo: "!!!"

How could Douma, who was known since childhood for communicating with gods and listening to people's complaints at the Eternal Paradise Cult, read?

Chiyo already anticipated what Muzan was about to say, his face ashen as he listened to Muzan's "sentence":

"Teach him to read. He can leave Infinity Castle when he's learned it all. Also, teach him the rules, and don't make me have to discipline him."

Watching the boss leave, Chiyo's expression was close to tears. Dejected, he nudged Douma, who was wearing a fake smile, "We're finished. Whether we can be free depends on you."

Douma looked confused: "Why did Lord Muzan require 'literacy'?"

"He felt like it," Chiyo pouted unhappily. "I told you, the boss is definitely not what you imagine."

Muzan didn't pay attention to the two of them anymore.

Regarding Douma, Muzan didn't know if his twisted personality was purely due to his lack of emotion or a result of his experiences.

After all, lacking emotion didn't mean lacking intelligence. The influence of memories wouldn't vanish along with emotions; at most, their impact would fade.

But Douma was already fourteen or fifteen years old at this time. He had already experienced "disciples" pouring out their troubles and witnessed his parents' deaths.

He had unconsciously placed himself in a void, superior to others, and the so-called "salvation" began to take shape.

But it was only the beginning.

Douma, who had not yet wantonly eaten humans, was not yet as irredeemable as in the original work.