The Infinite Castle
This pocket dimension is managed by Nakime and houses a horde of demons under the control of their creator:
Muzan Kibutsuji.
The latter has not made any unnecessary public appearances for 98 years, following the discussion between Doma and Mori.
The demon king leads a life of isolation, which only Kokushibo can break, or a battle for a position among the Upper Moons, or even a discreet outing.
Even Doma was not allowed to approach his quarters in Nakime's dimension... and especially him.
Yet, the world continues to move in the absence of the demon king's direct influence.
Proof of this is currently shown in a room with a traditional appearance.
"You're moving your Hisha? But your king will be defenseless."
Kokushibo observed Doma's shogi piece, before glancing at his opponent.
"So what? Since when is a king covered by his subordinates at all times? Haha~ Personally, I prefer to lead the dance."
Doma replied before hiding his fake facial expressions behind his fan.
Kokushibo did not respond to Doma's words, but analyzed the game board with a critical eye.
Even if his opponent seemed whimsical, Kokushibo knew how strategy-oriented the ice demon was.
He often played this game with him, and the Upper Moon One had developed an extreme paranoia towards Doma's unorthodox strategies.
After all, shogi is similar to chess in several aspects, with the exception of its dynamic elements, like the reuse of captured pieces.
All this, combined with Doma's analytical mind and his perception alterations to buy time during each of his decisions, made this match unfair for Kokushibo.
The practical and strategic nature of the "Paradise of Vanity" demonstrated itself well in this kind of game, which does not allow for long moments of reflection in decision-making.
Yet, this unfairness improved the strategic mind of the former samurai from the Sengoku era.
Kokushibo could often spot Doma's traps, provided he maintained sufficient concentration.
Finally, the rhythm of the demon's Total Concentration: Constant stabilized after seeing through the trap.
'As expected of him... he's still as cunning, even after 98 years of knowing each other,' he thought, as his hand moved to try to escape the ice demon's ruse.
'I suppose all his defeats have changed him,' he thought, as he used his plan B to promote his Hisha to Ryūō and put Kokushibo's king out of action.
Checkmate.
"In 98 years, how many times have you won, my dear senpai? 4 or 3, haha~" he teased, laughing behind his fan.
98 years had passed since Doma became a demon, after his encounter with Muzan at the monastery.
Currently, the ice demon is still Upper Moon Number Two and is 118 years old.
After all, he was 20 years old during his transformation, and Muzan isolated himself after the festival, so at his 40 years.
Mori died 10 years later, at the age of 30.
Thus, 98 years had passed since his transformation into a demon at the age of 20.
Doma is therefore 118 years old today.
Jay would never have dreamed of living this long on Earth, but this long life sometimes weighs on him.
Many things have happened since the disappearance of Ogai Mori, on Doma's fiftieth anniversary.
But the most striking was the loss of a friend that Doma had come to esteem far more than a simple nameless pawn.
The former leader of the Shadows and son-in-law of the shinobi village chief — Tatsumi Uzui, under his former name Tatsumi Taiga.
This event deeply affected Doma.
The death of his son had managed, temporarily, to move the ice that his heart had become after his reincarnation.
Yet, he was not prepared for the natural death of his most loyal subordinate, after 70 years of faithful service.
This death pushed Doma to review and rethink his ideas regarding the mortality of his loved ones.
Even though he had already anticipated Mori's death and prepared himself for this tragic end for his plans, Doma recognized that he was not ready to accept the death of other important people.
Mori was born to die, but should he accept the course of time when the world already considered him an error?
The obvious answer was a … no.
Certainly, Taiga had refused to become a demon several times, but Doma judged that he could have been a bit more persuasive... and a bit more selfish.
This chapter of his life changed Doma's view on the free will of his subjects... and on himself.
He could ignore these fleeting emotions, those that arise with each death of a loved one.
But then? What would be the difference between him and the other version in the manga?
He would end up alone.
A man-eating monster, without the slightest principle.
A predator without attachments.
He would become the worst version of himself...
Something he refused with all his strength.
Doma desired a peaceful and eternal life, not a meaningless existence in eternity.
'Like in this shogi match... I must not follow the path of wisdom called "natural rule of the world." On the contrary, I must bend it to my will, without breaking the structure of the game,' he thought to himself, in a rare moment of absent-mindedness turned towards the past.
"Sigh... I'll forfeit this time," declared Kokushibo, before taking some tea.
He offered Doma some to drink, and the latter began to consume the beverage abusively, much to Kokushibo's dismay.
'I sometimes forget that politeness is not a good idea with this man...' Kokushibo mentally cursed his good upbringing.
Unconsciously, he regretted Akaza's absence.
'Now that I think about it... Akaza has been training for decades in preparation for his future fight,' he thought, after regaining his calm.
He was no longer really irritated, but curious to know Doma's opinion on the potential upcoming fight for his rank.
"Are you sure you want to refuse Akaza's duel? It could really escalate quickly, given his temperament," he said in a calm and less drawling voice.
Because of the influence and recurring presence of Doma in the Infinite Castle, the Upper Moon had slightly lowered his guard around the eccentric and energetic man.
An unexpected phenomenon for all the demons residing in Nakime's dimension, but the main concerned paid no attention to it.
"Don't worry, Kokushibo senpai~" Doma shrugged, as if Akaza were just a small matter.
The demon had challenged him to a normal duel, so he had been able to refuse politely.
But Kokushibo was talking about a potential upcoming duel for Doma's Upper Moon 2 rank.
"Akaza has never been a threat to me since I was 30," said Doma in a fluid voice, devoid of any trace of lie.
There was just a palpable confidence between them.
"I see... and me? Am I still your opponent?" Kokushibo's question changed the relaxed atmosphere of the room.
The air became cold on one side, and on the other, it seemed on the verge of being sliced at any moment.
"Who knows? For now, I don't want to devour a comrade out of ambition or because of a misjudgment," he said while looking at his reflection on his golden Nichirin fan.
The Upper Moon One remained silent before responding, looking Doma in the eyes.
"I understand, but know that I will always await your challenge," Kokushibo sketched a thin smile.
Doma was a bit surprised by Kokushibo's expression, since the man almost never smiled.
Normally, he did not display such expressions easily, and his mood was hard to guess without the power of the Paradise of Vanity.
"Haha, you're funny, Kokushibo senpai," he said, pausing briefly, as an emotionless expression appeared.
"Honestly, I hope our final duel never happens... after all, I would potentially be sad at the death of a friend," he said, before standing up and leaving the room.
'A friend? Even though I took your son's life?' Kokushibo's thin smile blossomed further after Doma's departure.
Even though the ice demon had asked him to grant his son the peace of a swordsman, Kokushibo felt a certain remorse.
Deep down, he even thought that Doma might harbor a potential grudge against him.
Surprisingly, he was wrong, judging by Doma's last words upon leaving.
The ice demon had been honest and direct with him.
He did not wish to kill Kokushibo because of Mori, nor for his plan against Muzan, as long as another peaceful outcome remained possible between them.
After all, they had spent almost a century interacting together, at the top of the Kizuki ranks.
If possible, Doma would want to rally him to his cause, like the current Upper Moons 6 and 5.
'Enmu and Gyutaro are not enough, and the demon slayer corps doesn't yet have a generation of monsters outside of Shinjuro Rengoku...' Unconsciously, Upper Moon 2 let out a sigh of resignation.
He still had to plot in the shadows for a decade, according to his estimate.
'Fortunately, some interesting demons have already appeared, like Rui...' he thought to himself, in an attempt at consolation.
After a short walk, he finally reached his target.
"Oeh, Nakime-chan~"
After leaving Kokushibo's quarters, Doma headed towards Nakime with a fake expression of joy.
Why? Doma preferred to speak to her directly to enter the monastery, rather than going through a portal opened remotely.
Simply put, he was trying to spend as much time with Nakime as possible.
Doma hated neglecting his women because of his routine.
Especially since, unlike the other women in the cult, Nakime didn't go out much. It took little to make her happy.
"D-Doma-sama?!" Nakime's usually calm voice trembled slightly upon seeing the familiar silhouette.
Next to her stood a small woman dressed in a red fur coat.
At first, the demoness was surprised by Nakime's unusual reaction, but she immediately composed herself upon spotting Doma.
"Good evening, Doma-sama," she said in a small voice, bowing even deeper than the biwa demoness.
Seeing the Lower Moon's reaction, Doma sketched a friendly smile.
He had never seen her before. The battles between the Lower Moons hardly interested him.
After all, these demons were the entry tickets to the Hashira rank; the other demons constantly tried to overthrow them.
All this had ended up demotivating Doma from taking an interest in them.
'Yet... this girl seems familiar to me,' he thought, as a strange feeling of déjà-vu surged in his mind.
He immediately used the power of the Paradise of Vanity, to avoid wasting time searching his memory.
Finally, a name appeared before him.
Mukago.
(Image)
***
Author's Note: Gege mode is now disabled (off-screen death).
Other info: a bonus will be available in chapter 400 (I really want to secure first place today).