Refining the System

Just as he had expected, while walking through the bustling streets, Muzan was stopped by a voice filled with delighted surprise.

"Doctor?!"

Muzan turned to look beside him. A man beginning to show his age stood staring at him, stunned and overjoyed.

Tears even glistened in his eyes as he stood in a daze.

"Hakuji?"

Muzan asked tentatively.

The aging man wore grayish-brown clothes, and his black hair, now streaked with gray, was still styled the way Muzan remembered.

"It really is you!"

Hakuji hurried through the crowd toward him, almost breaking into a run in his excitement.

Muzan took Hakuji to a restaurant, poured him some tea, and smiled.

"I've been looking for you for quite some time."

Hakuji, now over forty, smiled like a child before Muzan, who looked barely twenty.

"I want to repay your kindness while I'm still alive."

Hakuji had barely finished speaking when hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside. They approached rapidly, and in an instant, three people charged into the restaurant with swords in hand.

"A demon!"

"Get away from here! He's a demon!"

The Demon Slayers shouted as they raised their swords and slashed at him.

His good mood spoiled, Muzan looked at Hakuji beside him.

When Hakuji had seen that the doctor looked exactly as he had all those years ago, he had already suspected something.

Now, as the panicked crowd fled, the doctor showed no fear whatsoever, even with the Demon Slayers swinging their swords at him.

Hakuji had his answer.

One Demon Slayer grabbed Hakuji's wrist and tried to pull him away, shouting a warning. "This guy is a demon! Run!"

Muzan stood and blocked a Nichirin Blade with one hand. Seeing Hakuji refuse to leave, without a trace of fear on his face despite the Demon Slayer gripping his wrist, his mood improved considerably. He smiled.

"Want to become a demon?"

Hakuji nodded firmly.

Although the Demon Slayers did not know exactly what was happening, they could plainly see that this man wanted to become a demon!

Without hesitation, they raised their swords and slashed at both of them.

Destroyer of Demons!

Muzan grabbed a Nichirin Blade and squeezed hard.

Crack!

The sturdy Nichirin Blade snapped clean apart.

Then he sent them flying with a kick apiece. "Don't interrupt."

Turning his attention back, Muzan lengthened his nail and drove it into Hakuji's head as the man watched with a slightly nervous expression.

It hurt!

Before becoming a demon, Hakuji had never imagined that the transformation would hurt this much!

And why did he have to stab me in the head?!

The three Demon Slayers watched a demon being born right before their eyes. Their stomachs hurt so badly from the kicks that they could not get up, and they glared viciously at Muzan.

After witnessing this, how could they not know? This man was the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji!

Having regained his youthful appearance, Hakuji seemed to have regained his youthful spirit as well. He entered the Infinity Castle with Muzan and looked around curiously.

"From now on, your name will be Akaza. Consider it a farewell to your old self."

Akaza nodded. "All right."

Muzan continued, "I won't work you to death just because you're a demon, but I do have one requirement!"

Akaza's expression grew serious. He listened closely, determined to fulfill whatever requirement Muzan gave him!

"You have to learn to read every character!"

Akaza: "???"

What did you say???

"All right, I'll send you to Kokushibo first. Learn from him."

Kokushibo: You're really finding work for me! I still need to practice my swordsmanship!

From that day on, Akaza began his miserable student life. Kokushibo was reluctant to bother with him, simply tossing him some books and mostly leaving him alone. He only came by occasionally to check on him and answer the questions that had piled up.

Akaza: I want to cry.

Who knew becoming a demon meant learning to read!!!

After spending several years studying, Akaza finally passed Muzan's examination.

It had been excruciating.

He had thought becoming a demon meant working for Muzan, and he would not have hesitated, no matter what the task was.

After all, even though Muzan was the Demon King, Akaza had a very good impression of him. He believed Muzan would never do anything evil and wholeheartedly intended to use his endless life to repay his kindness.

But he had never imagined that the first step in repaying him would be learning to read!

You could have sent me to fight, brawl, or even kill people!

I spent my whole life honing my skills, and you turned around and sent me to study.

I could seriously cry.

Still, learning to read was not all he had done over those years. He had also mastered his Blood Demon Art-Destructive Death, strengthened his resolve to grow stronger, and learned some of the strange "rules" among demons.

For instance, Muzan liked being called Boss. Of course, Lord Muzan was fine too.

Muzan liked stabbing people in the head.

Demons did not fear sunlight, so they could sunbathe all they liked!

They did not have to eat people either. Regular meals were enough.

There was a kind of demon outside Muzan's control-the Half-Demons. Kill them on sight!

Things like that.

Soon, all the demons received a notice from Muzan.

Muzan had established a few systems. They were not particularly useful; at most, those with special titles would be granted the right to create demons. Beyond that, they were only titles, but they still stirred up the demons' competitive spirits.

The first was the Twelve Kizuki.

They were divided into the Upper Ranks and Lower Ranks.

Each had six members.

Kokushibo took the position of Upper Rank One, and Akaza became Upper Rank Two. Anyone who wanted one of the remaining positions could apply at the Infinity Castle.

After joining the Twelve Kizuki, they could be challenged at any time in a Rank Replacement Blood Battle.

The loser would be replaced.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni, meanwhile, was granted the title of Ceiling.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni: Muzan, is there something seriously wrong with you?

Muzan also established the Star String title, specifically for powerful support personnel.

Tamayo, Nakime, Yanagisawa Jiyuki, Maruoka Yoshiko, and Maruoka Masahito were granted the title of Star String.

In truth, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Kokushibo, Tamayo, and the others had no desire to indulge Muzan's games, but they humored him anyway.

Muzan: Well, I suppose I should thank you, then!

In short, the demons' system was now fully established.

However, considering that Tamayo and Yanagisawa Jiyuki were still busy experimenting with wisteria, and everyone else had their own affairs to attend to, Muzan did not go to the trouble of summoning everyone "on the list" to the Infinity Castle for a boring conference.

The Infinity Castle.

Muzan pointed at Akaza, who had passed his literacy examination, as he scolded Jingyue Qianyu, who stubbornly refused to study.

"Look at him! He learned to read every character in just a few years! You're a demon who's hundreds of years old. Why can't you make things easier for me for once?!"

Jingyue Qianyu kept his head lowered without a word, looking like a student who had been called out by his teacher for a lecture.

Muzan could tell that he would admit his mistakes but absolutely refuse to change.

He decided not to waste any more time.

He turned to Akaza. "I'm leaving him to you. Teach him to read."

Then he glared at Jingyue Qianyu. "Don't even think about leaving the Infinity Castle until you can read!"

"Nakime, if he uses illusions, teach him a lesson!"

Nakime nodded.

After giving his instructions, Muzan left the Infinity Castle.

Akaza and Jingyue Qianyu were left staring at each other.

Akaza was dumbfounded. He had finally endured several years of study and learned to read every character, and now he had to go through the trouble of teaching someone else???

"Heh heh..."

The "bad student," Jingyue Qianyu, scratched his head and looked sheepishly at Akaza.