The outcome of this replacement blood battle was not surprising.
Gyokko won.
Because Kikage had nearly been defeated single-handedly by a former Hashira well past his prime, Muzan no longer held any expectations for him and instead began to intentionally cultivate Gyokko. After all, Gyokko was ambitious, worked diligently, spoke pleasantly, and the pots he made could fetch a good price. Muzan was quite optimistic about him.
And Gyokko did not disappoint.
Although Kikage's thorns were elusive, had a large range, and were very versatile, once Gyokko revealed his true form, it was difficult for them to penetrate his scales, which were far harder than diamond, and inflict significant damage. Gyokko's abilities were also comprehensive; he was slippery, had astonishing jumping power, and was difficult to trap. Moreover, his "God Hand," which could turn anything it touched into fresh fish, was a powerful counter to Kikage's abilities.
By the time Kikage was defeated and devoured, the arena was filled with live fish of all sizes, flopping everywhere.
"Oh my, Lord Kikage has died! How truly sad~" Doma thought, yet his heart felt not the slightest ripple.
Alright, it seems I don't really care about Lord Kikage. Mmm, after all, we've only met a few times over so many years. We weren't close at all.
Still, with a great sense of ceremony, he shed a few tears and put on a sad expression. When he felt it had been long enough, he stopped his tears and looked thoughtfully at the flopping fish. "Mmm—I feel like Lord Gyokko could make a lot of money if he sold fish."
"Uh, but can humans eat these fish?"
As he was pondering this, a few notes from the biwa sounded in succession.
"Eh? Don't go!" Doma watched as his boss and colleagues disappeared from the Infinity Castle, his expression turning dejected. "We've only just gathered. Why leave in such a hurry?" he muttered to himself.
Then, he turned his gaze to Gyokko, who had not yet left. "Hi Lord Gyokko, congratulations on becoming one of us," Doma waved at him with a brilliant smile. "I'm so happy for you"
Although Gyokko had an abstract appearance, it was wrong to judge a book by its cover. Doma had always been willing to embrace biodiversity with an open heart.
Gyokko had already returned to his pot and looked up at Doma. The characters "Upper Moon Five" were now engraved in the eyes on his forehead and mouth. "Lord Doma," he said with the mouth on the right, wiggling the small hands on his upper body. Although he was now Doma's superior, Gyokko still showed sufficient respect, as he knew Doma's strength was likely far greater than Kikage's.
Doma tilted his head, looked at Gyokko's pot, and said with a smile, "I haven't seen this pot before. The pattern is so beautiful~ Is it a new one you made?"
Hearing his pot being praised, Gyokko swayed his body in satisfaction and decided to let the other appreciate his artwork. "Thank you for your praise, Lord Doma. Next, may I invite you to appreciate my new work?"
"Oh? What is it?" Doma looked at him curiously.
Gyokko chuckled, and with a wave of his small hand, a pot with an ancient pattern appeared before him. With a gurgling sound, a stream of black water flowed out of the pot, slowly transforming into a twisted amalgamation of human bodies. The bodies of several people had been broken and stitched together, twitching and struggling in agony, emitting weak wails and groans.
"Eh?" Doma was stunned, his eyes widening slightly.
"This is my masterpiece—The Final Moments of the Exiled," Gyokko explained enthusiastically. "I dismantled the ugly limbs of humans and perfectly stitched them together while they were still alive. Their rising and falling wails are the most wonderful accompaniment!"
"Flesh and blood merged, never to be separated. It is truly romantic to the extreme! Marvelous to the extreme!"
"Eh—?" Doma blinked, then suddenly opened his fan to cover the lower half of his face, revealing only his rainbow eyes, which were difficult to read. "But... they look so pained."
"Why torture them like this?" As he thought this, his eyes instantly filled with crystalline tears. The sense of responsibility as the Founder of the Eternal Paradise Cult surged in his heart. Doma desperately wanted to grant them release.
However, casually destroying someone else's work was a very disrespectful act, and giving a negative review of someone's art was also very impolite... It would affect the relationship between colleagues, destroy the harmony among comrades, and hurt a friend's feelings.
Doma covered his mouth with his hand, forcing himself not to speak, tears silently streaming down his cheeks.
?_?
"Hmm?" Gyokko looked at Doma in confusion. Then, the eye where his mouth should be widened dramatically, and a blush appeared on his cheeks. "Ah! Is Lord Doma so moved and shocked by my art that you're crying?"
"How long has it been? Finally... finally, someone who can understand my art!" For so many years, the first person to praise his pot was Lord Muzan, so Gyokko respected him greatly. Today, finally, another person could appreciate his artwork. At this moment, he regarded Doma as a kindred spirit!
"Ah, this is... so incredibly moving!" Gyokko hugged his own body. Suddenly, he heard one of the heads in his artwork let out a louder wail before going completely lifeless. His smile vanished instantly. He angrily put away his work and turned to apologize to Doma. "My sincerest apologies, Lord Doma. It's been a while since this piece was made, and one of the useless ones couldn't hold on."
"I will create a new piece another day and invite you to appreciate it," he said enthusiastically, opening the small hands on his body.
"Ah, well..." Doma blinked. But I really can't stand to look at this.
Gyokko, on his own accord, took out a pot with exquisitely painted lotus and leaf patterns and handed it to Doma. "Lord Doma, this is a gift for you, as a testament to our friendship!"
"Uh, thank you..." Doma accepted the pot.
"Hah! My inspiration is overflowing!" Gyokko swayed his body. "I can't wait to create a new piece!"
"Goodbye, Lord Doma! I will invite you to appreciate my work when it is complete!" After saying this, Gyokko eagerly had Nakime transport him away from the Infinity Castle.
"Eh—eh?" Doma tilted his head, holding the pot dazedly. I finally have a friendly and enthusiastic comrade, and we've become good friends as I wished, but why does it feel so strange? It must be because he couldn't appreciate Gyokko's peculiar hobby. Doma couldn't bear to see people suffer; it was just too pitiful.
"What a vexing situation," Doma muttered with his eyebrows drooped. "But the pot is really beautiful!" He broke into a smile again. "It's the first time I've received a gift from a comrade~"
He left the Infinity Castle, placed the pot in his room, and even arranged his favorite lotus flowers in it. But in the following days, he was pestered by Gyokko. Through the telepathic link from a superior to a subordinate, Gyokko often invited him to appreciate his artworks. After Doma refused several times, he even came directly to the temple to show him his works.
Every time this happened, Doma would shed tears of pity for the suffering people, and Gyokko would become even more excited.
After sending Gyokko away once again, Doma looked up at the heavily clouded night sky and wept silently.
〒▽〒
"To not hurt a friend's fragile heart and to maintain a harmonious relationship with my comrades, I have truly sacrificed too much." For the first time, Doma wanted to refuse a friend's visit. He really wanted to ask Nakime not to transport Gyokko to his home anymore, but now Gyokko was his superior, and Nakime would prioritize Gyokko's orders.
"As expected, I should challenge Lady Enyo as soon as possible."
╥﹏╥
In fact, after finding a suitable method for improvement, Doma's strength had progressed rapidly, and he had long been qualified to challenge Enyo. But he was mostly driven by fleeting enthusiasm and was always distracted by other interesting things. In general, he had little interest in raising his rank and felt no sense of urgency, so he kept putting it off.
"Sigh—I can't delay any longer." Doma sighed with a troubled expression and muttered reluctantly.
-------
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