Chapter Text
Standing there inside of the building built from demon art was nothing new or spectacular, though it still held an air of impressiveness to it. Nakime’s demon art was something he had an appreciation for, a place for those to flee from the sun and report information. Their master did not spend much time here, but it was a place he had called home for a while now. It was a convenience, something that he considered a luxury and he was not keen to take it lightly.
He stood at what he could only assume was an entrance to the location, though it was near impossible to tell. Twisting staircases and hallways formed the belly of such a structure, like the intestines of a beast it coiled high above and far below. Infinite rooms of complex twisting formations stretched out farther than what he could see. Not even his own abilities that were able to peer beyond what most could see, could give him an idea of the actual scale of such a building. It was almost unnerving, having one of his many advantages robbed from him in something so simple. In fact it had made him pause for a moment, staring out and trying to get his bearings.
“To the left, down four flights, and then on the right.”
His gaze snapped to the one-eyed woman. Staring at her and processing the information. He offered a bow of his head to her as he passed by, thankful for the directions he had been given. The sound of slight scraping noises, hushed whispers, sudden thuds of demons landing in their respective rooms, all of it could be heard and echoed out in a slight musical tone. The sound of what could be considered a fortress. The summons he had been given piqued his curiosity. It was rare to have all of the upper moon's gathered in such a fashion, though it did mean something big was going to happen.
“Come now Akaza-dono, it’s been a while since we’ve had a chance to talk!”
“Get the hell away from me.”
He could hear the voices drifting from the room just below the staircase, and he steeled himself for having to deal with the younger demon’s antics. His let his footsteps ring out, though he was starting to suspect that while they feared him, his presence alone wouldn’t deter them from acting stupid.
“Ah! Akaza-dono we should go hunting together, I have a few me-”
“Will you shut the fuck up!?”
Kokushibo rounded the corner to view Douma’s head being smashed off at the neck. Akaza’s fist still coated in blood from the aggressive silencing. His temper was one that needed to be controlled, that much was for certain. His eyes trained on the striped form of Akaza, his face still blank even with the irritation that boiled underneath the surface.
Children. All of them.
“Akaza… remember your place.” Came coldly, enjoying the wash of fear that came into those eyes.
“Hm? Ah, I think this is all who will be attending this little meeting~”
Kokushibo looked over to the blonde, blinking once before feeling him arrive. He bowed his head, kneeling upon the floor showing his respect. The rest followed suit.
“Now then. Everyone is here, correct?”
The tone was venomous, malice dripping off of every syllable. If he hadn’t been used to it, he was sure he’d be trembling. Instead he kept his head lowered, the strike of a biwa letting him know that she had placed herself by his side.
“I am beyond disappointed, by design, demons are superior to humans in every way, yet several of them have been killed.”
The pause was poignant, making his skin crawl ever so slightly.
“This is unacceptable, you three are the top ranked of the upper moons, go out and find those who are worthy of my blood.”
Kokushibo glanced up, taking in the form of Muzan’s appearance with a settled feeling of certainty. His Master was a woman, black hair pulled up into an elegant hairstyle with pins of precious jewels holding it in place. Red lipstick staining his lips, and a vicious look about his eyes.
“Do not disappoint me.”
He would not fail. The strike of the biwa was all that was heard upon his leave. Nakime sitting there, instrument in hand awaiting instruction. It wasn’t like any of them were going to disobey. If Muzan Kibutsuji wanted more demons, then Kokushibo would deliver them on a silver platter.
“Ne~ ne~ Akaza-dono, let’s play a game! Whoever makes more demons gets to command the other for a whole d-” Blood splattered against the floor, making Kokushibo sigh.
“Like hell!”
Akaza stormed off, the sound of Nakime’s biwa echoing eerily off of the fortress’s walls and signifying the removal of the upper moon three. Douma’s head regenerated revealing a pouting expression that didn’t quite match his eyes, and Kokushibo didn’t need to view past skin into chemical makeup to know that his emotions weren’t there. He let out a miniscule breath, keeping his own face steady even though the entire scene was rather… exasperating. He looked up to Nakime with a subtle nod and she struck her instrument again.
Cool grass stretched out before him in soft fields. Trees surrounded the clearing with little regard for the demon that now prowled. Master had given him orders, and those orders were to be fulfilled. It was time to begin looking.
His eyes were slightly unfocused as the forest whipped by, searching for anything that could be of use would be fairly difficult. A few demons, he didn’t care about what they looked like other than their internal structure. He needed ones that could survive the transformation. His feet landed upon the solid wood of thicker branches from the trees, using them as launch pads to send him flying through at record speeds. He could see up ahead, through the foliage, a clearing of sorts.
The trees thinned out to reveal buildings, a spare few, not enough to be considered a proper village, but a small settlement that would suit his needs. His feet came to a pause upon the thatch roof of one of the small homes. Five inhabitants were within. They looked well enough, muscle fibers strong enough to withstand a transformation from what he could tell. Air rushed past him as he landed upon the ground quietly, turning and forcing the door open. The wood breaking with a soft sound of the door’s lock shattering. He would turn them quickly, give them instruction, and leave to move on to the next house.
At least, that had been the plan.
Their bodies were disgusting once he was through with them, twisted and contorted in horrifying symbols of death. Two had been liquified, two tore themselves apart, the final one with their bones having collapsed in on themselves, lived only for a few moments before succumbing to the man's overwhelming blood. A shame. He had no use for them any longer, and it seemed as though the rest of the humans here had the same composition. All of it would end in failure. He let out a sigh, it was time to move on then. Their corpses wouldn’t even be able to sustain him, too damaged genetically to be consumed and therefore absolutely worthless. Such a tragic end to such plain lives.
The night was still young, he would find something.
Though vague curiosity ran through his head, why was his Master requiring such large amounts of blood to be used to turn more demons? He could understand to an extent, more blood meant stronger demons, however, it was also more likely to kill the person before they fully transformed. Smaller dosages were slower, but worked far more effectively in the long term. Still, he could understand the frustration, hundreds of years of looking for the blue spider lily, and they had nothing to show for it. He paused, noticing a road that led farther out, a town? That seemed promising.
Still, killing so many, it was bound to draw attention. If he were to continue looking for such individuals then he would end up bringing a hashira or two his way. Easy enough to dispatch, but annoying pests all the same. Perhaps… he could attempt to turn one of them as well, there was no guarantee they would survive, but maybe they could prove useful.
He followed the road, uncaring about such matters that he had no control over. Master had ordered this, therefore it would be done. The road was fairly long winded, and it was a wonder that small scattering of buildings ever made routine travels along it. Though it certainly led to a proper town, houses sprawling out across the grassy fields with what he could see were orchards in the distance. He paused at the entrance, the gate to the town looming overhead and he couldn’t help but stare up with a slight hint of disdain. Modern architecture was starting to become an eyesore, he’d been around so long that the craftsmanship had all but declined.
Hinoki wood buildings were so much better constructed, not the imported nonsense of what was used nowadays. There were still a few old buildings left here, and he could see the difference in the construction. A hollow echo of the past, strange, almost bittersweet in a sense. He sighed, and began walking while gaining a sense of how many occupants were in each house. Most were weak, generations of humans who had done nothing but survive under meaningless circumstances carried on by tradition.
How despicable.
His eyes trailed over the inhabitants of a more modern house, the only one of interest being that of a young girl. He grabbed her by the throat, inspecting her as she silently screamed and struggled to get free of his grip. Her body, twitching from a lack of oxygen, looked to be of decent quality. He dug his nails in, letting his blood flow from his own body to hers. She twitched and convulsed, her body reacting too quickly to the blood, to the mutation of her cells. He dropped her corpse as it started to liquify, leaving it behind. Time to move on.
The next two he found ended the same way, bodies twisted into unusable forms, blood and energy wasted. He consumed the families of those he found promise in. At the very least keeping everything quiet when morning eventually arrived would buy him some time. It was one of the most frustrating things about his existence, the curse of being unable to move around during the day. Still, he needed to find someone to create something of use. He did not want to leave this night empty handed. Turning back down the street, frustration evident within his eyes he went to begin walking once more-
-and paused along the open stretch of road. There was someone with potential further down, walking, almost sulking, lazily as if he had not a care in the world. Their muscles and organs looked strong, maybe he could withstand it. Though the blade at his hip made the demon pause. A demon slayer? No, he wasn’t well trained enough for that title yet. One in training? Well… it seemed as though it was time to see if he could be replicated. Upper moon one had been his title for so long, perhaps, he could give another demon that chance.
His feet hit the ground in front of the young slayer, dust upon his shoes and fluttering up into the air. More dust kicked up, the young man falling to the floor with those wide, wide, eyes. Blue, unbelievably blue, cobalt in shade even in the darkness of the moon. A strong brow and jawline, muscles straining beneath skin as everything was tense. He couldn’t help the faint twitch of his mouth in amusement.
This one would do.
He was on his knees, head scraping against the dirt and quick murmurs of sparing his life made something within his chest stirr. How… quaint. He would be very useful, and should his body survive, someone who was so willing to live could have the very potential Master was looking for. His hand reached out, the pads of his fingers trailing over the soft flesh of the young man’s cheekbone. Yes, he would do just fine. He could see the glimmering hint of want within those eyes, and the chemical makeup that flowed through his veins. He wanted power, he wanted strength, he would make a fine demon.
“Become a demon… if you want even more… power.” Came out slowly, and he pulled away from the demon slayer.
He dragged the nail of his thumb over the palm of his hand, slicing through his own flesh.
“If that man… accepts you, you will be our ally.” He held out his hand, curling his fingers to force blood to flow into the awaiting hands of the demon slayer.
The scent of blood was coppery, though a hint of oily rot was hidden underneath the sickly sweet smell. His nose wasn’t particularly sharp, but it wasn’t necessary to be able to catch the scent of that man’s blood. He could see the young man’s heart quickening in pace, trembling on the ground, those cobalt eyes flickering from the blood within his hands and that which dripped from his palm. He could see his hesitation.
“Be thankful for the blood… you are not allowed to spill even a single drop of this blood on the ground… for if you do…” He paused, gripping the hilt of his own sword.
“Your head and torso shall have a sorrowful parting.” Came out like steel against ice, his eyes trained upon the young man who tilted his head back and allowed the ichor to flow past his lips.
Good. The young man could follow orders. Though it was surprising to see him lick the blood from his fingers almost… mournfully. As if he was reluctant to have an end to such a privilege. So far, so good, though the amount of blood he had given was quite a bit. It would be rather difficult to maintain a mostly humanoid shape with that amount to start with.
“W-What now?” Came out, his voice hoarse and trembling within the air.
“Wait.”
He wasn’t about to give him any information, not until the transformation had taken place. The fact that it was delayed held promise, his body still figuring out just what was going on. The look he was giving, with those eyes of his, wide with shock and worry soon overtaken by pain. A horrifying coughing noise escaped the young man, bellowing out like a horn that had all but been twisted out of shape. He doubled over, blood leaking from his mouth and he feared for a moment that it was his way of vomiting up what he had swallowed.
No, he had bitten his tongue to keep from screaming.
How interesting. It was rare to find someone so determined not to make a sound when in pain. Fingers dug into soil, nails lengthening and turning black. Markings appeared on his face, eyes wide, oh so wide, staring up at him with a lost expression. Whites faded to black, cobalt peering out from an inky darkness. Another set of coughs, doubling over, his body twitching and trembling. He had remained mostly human, that was impressive, even with the heaving breaths that were coming from his body. He went limp within the dirt, soft breaths, wheezing just slightly, the young man having fallen unconscious.
Surprising, it was rare for a demon to sleep. It had been centuries since he last had, though, for someone so freshly turned, it wasn’t exactly unusual. Still, he felt as though this one would be quite useful with a fair bit of work. He froze, his blood running cold as he felt Master looking within his mind. He paused, awaiting instruction.
’Take this one, your job is finished for now. Make him useful.’
Very well then, he picked the young demon up, and the strike of a biwa made him blink. The floors and walls of his room surrounded them both. He looked down, now noticing a few smaller changes to the demon. His ears were pointed, and his fangs were large within his mouth. Asleep he still looked to be in pain, though perhaps it was merely a poor night of rest.
He set the young man down upon the futon, laying a blanket over-top of his still trembling body. While he himself hadn’t slept, he still enjoyed laying down with a moment of calmness that morning could bring. Instead for now he would go to bathe, having gotten filthy from running about the entire night and dealing with the muddled corpses. They would have to hunt soon, and he would be the one to teach him it seemed.