After the night of revelry that was almost like madness, morning dawned in the mansion.
The sunlight pouring through the window was no longer an object of fear.
It was a brilliant light blessing Akira's new birth.
The dining table was laden with a feast so grand it seemed the legs might bend.
There was nourishing food made by Benienma, the greatest chef of the Servant realm, using secret recipes from Enma's country; lavish Japanese cuisine prepared with fox sincerity by Tamamo-no-Mae and Tamamo Cat; deep-fried dishes filled with Kiyohime's heavy love; and even home-style meals prepared together with Ubume.
Before this mountain of delicacies, Akira was devouring the food like a beast that had starved for days.
Munch, chomp! Slurp! Gulp!
His usual cold, aristocratic dignity was nowhere to be seen. He lifted the rice bowl to his mouth and drank it down, chewing side dishes noisily before swallowing them.
"Master, please eat slowly! There's still a mountain of food left, so you'll choke!"
Benienma worried in her lisping voice, instantly refilling the emptying plates.
She stood on tiptoe and meticulously wiped Akira's mouth with a handkerchief. Akira didn't stop, continuing to put food into his mouth.
The warmth of the steamed rice went down his esophagus. The savory saltiness of miso soup tickling his tongue. The crispy texture and rich oiliness of the deep-fried food. The sweet, fluffy flavor of the rolled omelet.
Akira's eyes welled up with a few tears.
For decades since becoming a demon. During that long time, human food was like rotten mud or ashes to him.
Of course, by possessing a Servant, he could taste it. But he deliberately avoided it.
The more he tasted by borrowing another's body, the more bitterly the miserable reality that his own true body could eat nothing came to him.
It was like torture reconfirming that he was a monster.
But now it was different. With his own tongue, his own stomach, he was fully experiencing the taste of being alive. The realization of being alive flowed through him like a thrill.
Even though he had eaten at the banquet the previous evening, the afterglow of that joy hadn't faded.
"It's delicious... really... delicious...."
Akira chewed and swallowed the rice with overwhelming emotion. It wasn't just an act of filling his stomach. It was a sacred ritual reclaiming the human dignity he had lost.
The lovers and Servants watching him gazed at him without a word. Kiyohime quietly stroked his back, and Mitsuri looked at him with apparent joy.
"Phew, I ate well."
After cleanly finishing dozens of servings of food, Akira finally set down his chopsticks and let out a long, satisfied breath.
"Wow... you really eat a lot. Doesn't your stomach burst?"
Nobbu asked with an expression of awe, but with a smile at the corner of her mouth.
"Burst from this? If I put my mind to it, I could eat all day. I restrained myself."
Akira grinned, patting his full stomach. Even that was a muscular, firm belly, and it showed no sign of being bloated outwardly.
After the meal, everyone gathered in the living room for tea time. Akira set down his teacup and opened his mouth with a serious expression. The atmosphere instantly grew heavy.
"Now, since we've filled our stomachs, let's talk about the plans ahead."
Akira spread a large map of Tokyo on the table. The place he pointed to was the glamorous yet decadent red-light district.
Yoshiwara pleasure district.
"The next target is this place. Yoshiwara."
"Hmm~ A pleasure district. A place where men's desires and women's resentments mix. It's a good place for demons to hide, isn't it?"
Shuten murmured with interest, resting her chin on her hand. Simultaneously, Hokusai and Oei showed interest as it was a place full of beautiful women.
"Right. I plan to inject Akatsuki Trading Company's capital into this place to run shops. First, by acquiring small pleasure houses or opening new shops to dominate the market. And slowly, make Yoshiwara's darkness our own."
Akira's eyes turned into those of a predator.
"The rat siblings hiding in the deepest darkness there. We hunt Upper Moon Six, Daki and Gyutaro."
"Oho, finally hunting an Upper Moon? A good chance to test my poison."
Shinobu's eyes shone coolly.
"Yes. Daki disguises herself as a beautiful courtesan and eats humans. Although eating demons no longer has meaning for me, it's about cutting off Muzan's limbs. Well, if need be, I can feed them to Mukago and the others."
Since demons can eat demons, it would be fine to feed them to demon subordinates. Mukago smiled brightly at the thought of a chance to eat an Upper Moon, while the other three had bewildered reactions. After all, they hadn't even met Lower Moons other than Rui.
Just as everyone was nodding in agreement with Akira's plan,
"Um... Master."
A quiet hand was raised. It was Tsubaki, the bodyguard of the trading company.
"Hmm? What is it, Tsubaki?"
Tsubaki hesitated for a moment, moving her lips, then looked straight into Akira's eyes as if resolved.
"I have a request. Please... make me a demon."
Instantly, the room fell silent as if cold water had been poured. The Kocho sisters and Kanao were shocked, and Akira's eyebrow twitched.
"A demon? Why such a sudden request?"
"There are two reasons."
Tsubaki clenched her fists tightly. Her whitened knuckles spoke of her desperation.
"First... because I'm too weak."
Her gaze swept past Kanae, Shinobu, and Kanao beside her.
"I am Master's sword. But my skills... are far inferior to the Kocho-samas, Kanao-sama, and the Servants. I'm even weaker than Mukago-sama. Barely able to fight a Lower Moon... in the future events, I'll only be a burden to Master. I want to be of help."
It was a painful self-objectification. The scream of one feeling the limits of mediocrity.
"And second... because I want to serve by Master's side forever."
Tsubaki's face reddened, but her gaze didn't waver.
"A human's lifespan is short. But Master has now become one who lives eternally. I don't want to grow old, get sick, and disappear. No, more than fearing death, I don't want to leave Master. I want to live the same time as Master, to be your sword forever."
Akira was silent for a moment. Tsubaki's heart was terrifyingly pure and blind. He let out a heavy sigh and spoke.
"Tsubaki, listen well. The Ichi Rin I drank is gone forever. That was a miracle unique in the world. Of course, if we obtain the Blue Spider Lily again, we could make it, but I have no intention of creating another perfect being besides myself. Because it's dangerous."
Even Mukago is a somewhat ambitious realist. It's not that Mukago would go mad and betray, but even Mukago could obtain the elixir of a perfect being with power like Muzan's.
He had no intention of making such a dangerous thing anymore. Especially since it would create an existence that could rival him.
"Yes, I know."
"In other words, if I give you my blood and make you a demon... you cannot become a perfect being like me. You'll die if your neck is cut, you can't go out in the sun, and above all... you'll have to give up the joy of this food that I just felt for your entire life."
Akira pointed out the reality with cruel clarity.
"My blood might be potent enough to develop sun resistance, but you'll have to abandon human happiness. Is that still okay?"
Tsubaki nodded without a second of hesitation.
"It doesn't matter. If I can be of help to Master, if I can stay by Master's side forever... I'll gladly give up human taste, sunlight, and such."
Akira smiled bitterly at her determination.
"I understand. I accept your resolve. But not right now. I'll decide after analyzing the changes in my body and the effects of my Blood Demon Art a bit more. Wait a little."
"Th-thank you! Master!"
Tsubaki bowed her head in gratitude. Then, another bombshell statement exploded.
"I also... have something to say."
It was Kanao.
She wasn't her usual quiet, passive self. She stood up and took a step forward toward Akira, looking up at him with a strange heat and peculiar emotion in her eyes.
"I... want to join the Demon Slayer Corps."
"What?!"
Kanae and Shinobu shouted simultaneously.
"Kanao! What are you saying! You know what kind of place the Demon Slayer Corps is! It's a place that pushes children into mortal danger under the name of Final Selection!"
"Right! You have no reason to go there!"
Despite the Kocho sisters' opposition, Kanao didn't back down. She gently gripped Akira's collar and spoke softly but clearly.
"The Demon Slayer Corps is Father's enemy. They'll target Father someday. If I go inside... I want to become your eyes and ears and protect you."
What emotion lay hidden behind the title "Father"? It seemed like the devotion of a woman wanting to protect a man. Tamamo, who was staring at Kanao while drinking tea, had a look as if she were seeing Kiyohime.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her gaze held onto Akira without letting go.
"But it's too dangerous. I understand your will, but I can't send you alone to such a place...."
Just as Akira was about to show reluctance,
"Then, we'll go together!"
With a spirited voice, Okita raised her hand high and stepped forward.
"Okita?"
"Master! I can't stand my body itching anymore! I'll join the Demon Slayer Corps, hunt demons, and protect Kanao-sama!"
Okita smiled her characteristic murderous smile, fluttering her haori.
"I'm also against sending Kanao-sama alone. But I'll stick right by her side and protect her. How about it? Now that sunlight and Wisteria don't work, no one will know I'm a Servant, right?"
Following that, a calm but weighty voice was heard.
"My lord."
Ushiwakamaru stepped forward, kneeling respectfully.
"I too will infiltrate with Kanao-sama."
"Ushiwaka, you too?"
"Yes. Planting spies in the heart of the enemy is basic strategy. But sending young Kanao-sama alone into mortal danger is not right. I will become a shadow to assist Kanao-sama, and in an emergency, cut the Demon Slayer Corps' throat from within."
Ushiwakamaru's eyes shone coolly.
"We now have no problem disguising as humans and infiltrating. As for presence, can't we hide it with Tamamo-sama's magecraft?"
Akira stared at them blankly for a moment, then nodded.
"That's quite clever."
This was a perfect plan.
Kanao, as a human and Breathing user, could naturally blend in, and Okita and Ushiwakamaru, as Servants with overwhelming martial prowess, could guard her while also becoming top combatants.
Moreover, since they had now overcome the sun, demon identification methods or Wisteria poison wouldn't work on them.
And if necessary, they could even collapse the troublesome Demon Slayer Corps from within.
The Demon Slayer Corps is just a bothersome group, not even a worthy opponent, but he had been pondering how to deal with them. After all, they aren't bad humans.
"Okita, Ushiwaka. I can trust you two. I leave Kanao to you."
"Leave it to me, Master! I'll show you the skill of the Shinsengumi First Unit captain!"
"I will obey your command. I will cut down all of my lord's enemies and return."
Kanao's expression brightened happily. She had been prepared to go alone, but the fact that reliable allies, Akira's closest, would accompany her gave her courage.
"Thank you! Father!"
Unable to contain her joy, she grabbed Akira's hand. Akira smiled bittersweetly and stroked her head.
The child who was like his daughter was now breaking out of that shell and trying to go out into the world.
"Good. Then it's decided. The Yoshiwara attack and Demon Slayer Corps infiltration. Let's plan it out."
The army of Akatsuki Trading Company, no, the perfect being Akira's legion, began to move in earnest. Okita was already excitedly polishing her sword, and Ushiwakamaru quietly laid out infiltration plans.
And Kanao was staring intently at Akira's profile, lightly touching her lips with her fingers.