You Were the Demon, Weren't You?

Although the human and demon had not been fighting seriously, the night was quiet, and every little sound was magnified endlessly.

Besides, even if they were not fighting seriously, the battlefield where they clashed was not somewhere just any Lower Rank could set foot.

After all that commotion, even a deaf person would have almost heard it.

Yuko's eyes darkened slightly as she looked at the grinning Doma, who wore a carefree smile.

Blood Demon Art did not vary all that much.

Simply put, Blood Demon Arts were superpowers, but that did not mean someone could not possess multiple superpowers.

As for Doma's ice-type Blood Demon Art, no matter how much he developed and studied it, everything still extended from the premise of ice.

That's enough information... more or less.

Yuko began to think about retreating.

Once the cultists arrived, she would never be able to explain herself.

Yuko even suspected that, even if the fanatical cultists witnessed Doma eating someone in public, they would not feel afraid.

Instead, they would admire him even more for his immortal, divine methods.

There was no way to persuade them.

Yuko glanced at the girl beside her from the corner of her eye. After hesitating for a long while, she sighed inwardly.

Doma narrowed his eyes.

Although Yuko's emotional changes were subtle, they were extremely obvious to him.

Doma did not possess human emotions, but that had made him exceptionally sensitive to the emotional fluctuations of those around him.

Is she planning to escape?

Doma raised his iron fans to cover his face, and a serious look surfaced in his eyes.

The poison... isn't enough.

Even he had not expected her to notice something was wrong in such a short time.

At the time, although the poison had entered her body, it had not had time to take effect at all.

It was not as if he had never eaten Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen, but not one of them had reacted so quickly.

She had noticed almost the instant the poison entered her body.

This woman is far too perceptive.

Doma enjoyed gathering information about others. He would even let his enemies use all their techniques before killing them so he could collect battle data. But that did not mean he liked having his own information gathered.

It would be troublesome if this woman escaped.

That thought flashed through Doma's mind. Without any warning, he appeared in front of Yuko, his face filled with regret.

"That's very rude, miss. You actually want to run away."

Blood Demon Art: Lotus Leaf Ice.

Doma swung both iron fans, sending a vast expanse of lotus-shaped ice crystals spraying out.

Yuko deliberately covered her nose and mouth as she retreated.

"If you would only let me eat you, we could enjoy eternal life together and ascend to paradise."

Doma expressed his regret while mercilessly waving his golden iron fans.

Blood Demon Art: Frozen White Princesses!

As the iron fans swept through the air, two lifelike ice lotuses shaped like young women appeared in Yuko's vision. They opened their mouths and unleashed waves of freezing air.

This guy...

If he entered a sculpture competition, even Michelangelo would have to admit defeat.

While complaining inwardly, Yuko had no intention of continuing to entangle herself with him.

Just like these strange Blood Demon Arts, whether it was the freezing air or anything else, everything was built upon the concept of ice.

There was no need to gather any more information.

Using the incoming freezing air as cover, Yuko performed several agile backflips, landed beside the girl, hoisted her up, and dashed through the door.

"Don't think you're getting away!"

At this point, Doma could not help but become somewhat serious.

Blood Demon Art: Midwinter Ice Pillars!

Dozens of sharp icicles descended from the sky, intent on skewering Yuko clean through.

As expected of the Upper Ranks, each of their techniques was more troublesome than the last.

Their range was simply beyond the imagination of ordinary swordsmen.

But who was Yuko?

Even without becoming a demon, she had once been the second person in the Demon Slayer Corps, after Yoriichi, to awaken the Mark.

This kind of speed was merely passable.

Yuko's speed rose another level, causing all of Doma's attacks to miss.

Seeing that Yuko was about to escape with the girl, Doma swung his iron fan almost instinctively.

Blood Demon Art: Rime—Water Lily...

Dozens of cultists carrying torches rushed over. Doma's hand paused, then lowered the fan.

He watched Yuko carry the girl over the wall and vanish from sight.

After a while, he raised his fan to cover his face and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Well, let's let it go this time. If I make too much of a commotion, Lord Muzan will blame me."

"Besides, that girl... will definitely come back..."

The crowd gathered around him with their torches raised. "Lord Cult Leader! Are you all right?"

Doma looked cheerfully at the arriving cultists. "I'm fine, I'm fine. A ferocious demon came knocking, but I've already driven it away."

"As expected of Lord Cult Leader!" The cultists noticed the inhuman traces of destruction inside the room, and fanatical expressions appeared on their faces.

Doma merely looked at them with a smile.

Elsewhere, Yuko took the girl out of the city and gently patted her cheek.

The girl named Aiko woke up instantly. She looked around, then at Yuko, and asked fearfully, "What are you trying to do?"

Yuko calmly explained, "Your cult leader is a demon. I just rescued you from him."

Aiko froze for a moment, then shouted angrily, "Stop talking nonsense!"

"Lord Cult Leader took in people like us who had nowhere to go. He is clearly a divine child who shows compassion to the world."

"Compared to him, you're the demon for attacking Lord Cult Leader!"

"..."

Yuko fell silent for a moment before saying, "I won't stop you if you want to go back, but I suggest you think carefully about what I said."

A capable cook cannot make a meal without ingredients.

That was Yuko's situation now: she lacked evidence that Doma was a vicious demon.

Upon hearing this, Aiko hesitantly stood up. She then tentatively backed toward the city, uncertain whether Yuko was lying to her.

After confirming that Yuko made no move, she turned and ran.

Yuko watched Aiko's back disappear around the corner as she headed toward the Eternal Paradise Cult, then silently turned and left.

Just as she had never resented Namiko for kicking her back then, Yuko would not berate this girl either.

When you could not eat your fill and had nowhere to stay, anyone who took you in and gave you food was as good as a benefactor, no matter the era.

Unless she witnessed Doma eating someone with her own eyes, there was simply no...

No, as long as he was not eating her, it actually was not that big a deal.

Eternal Paradise Cult.

Doma waved his fan and smiled at the cultists as they carried out the damaged furniture one piece at a time and cleaned the room.

Suddenly, a cultist entered with a girl.

"Lord Cult Leader, Aiko has returned."

Doma beamed with delight. "You're back. That's wonderful."

"You may all leave first." He waved at the others.

"Yes." The group quickly tidied everything up, closed the door, and withdrew.

The last trace of doubt in Aiko's heart vanished. She knelt on the floor, waiting quietly for Lord Cult Leader's favor.

Doma crouched down in front of her and said with a smile, "Tell me, how did you escape?"

Aiko raised her head and looked at Doma's handsome face. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her heart began pounding.

"That bad woman... she, she didn't stop me."

"Is that so~" Doma smiled, but secretly began to ponder.

She's completely different from the demon slayers I've encountered before.

I went to such lengths to save her, yet she simply let the girl leave. Could she not have known that she would come back?