"*Cough*… Everyone, calm down. I'll explain everything," he said in a soothing tone, raising his hands in the air to ease the two women.
Yet Doma wasn't truly calm.
His rational mind and supernatural powers focused on resolving this seemingly insoluble problem.
The art of the blood demon altered his perception as he analyzed the emotions of the valkyrie and Rin.
'Betrayal?… No, more like disappointment and anger from Hlökk,' he thought mentally after assessing the situation of the floating loli.
As for Rin, Doma could sense confusion mixed with an immense fear of abandonment.
The ice demon could even perceive this fear without using his powers—it was that palpable in the hashira's emotions.
That's why Doma gathered enough information to decide on a course of action.
As for the reason not to simply erase the memories of the two women? Doma found it weird to tamper directly with the minds of his conquests.
After all, he wanted their hearts through sincerity, not direct manipulation.
The ice demon didn't like having similarities with H-character types who hypnotize their women. He preferred winning their hearts with words.
What?! Doma was using his power to read their emotions? The demon didn't consider that cheating.
In Jay's life, there were people capable of analyzing someone enough to detect their current emotional state, or even recent actions (name: profilers).
Especially, in this new life, there were people like Tanjiro Kamado, capable of literally smelling anger with their nose.
Thus, Doma judged that he was making the situation fairer and more equitable.
As for his response to his current problem? The demon concluded that raw honesty was the only solution.
After all, he was way too chill to lie directly to those around him—and especially not to his partner.
'If that idiot from the Four Horsemen universe could pull it off with two girls using this method, then why not me?' he thought, his posture exuding unwavering confidence.
The two women facing him unconsciously stepped back—the charisma of a being who had guided people for a century was no ordinary thing.
"Hlökk, sorry but… I'm not sorry for my actions," he declared, under the confused gazes of those around him.
Doma's sentence was phrased in such a bizarre way that those present were temporarily baffled.
Only a One Piece fan would recognize the Luffy-style in all its glory.
"Huh?! You're mocking me, on top of playing with my feelings!!"
Doma's words hadn't cleared up the misunderstanding, but they had managed to shift the essence of Hlökk's anger.
Unlike Rin, who was confused and more passive, Hlökk expressed her embarrassment through anger.
She grabbed Doma's collar and shook him forcefully, like shaking a coconut tree.
"I said it, didn't I? I don't regret my actions. And if I could go back in time, I'd do it all over again." The demon spoke clearly this time, without any underlying joke.
He wasn't lying.
Doma even transmitted an echo of sincerity to the valkyrie through their spiritual link, acquired thanks to the Völundr.
Hlökk was devastated.
The little valkyrie felt a familiar wound opening in her heart, similar to the one left by Brunhilde.
"Damn it… if I'd known… *snif* that You're just a gigolo, a b—"
The valkyrie didn't get to finish her sentence. Doma sealed her lips with a kiss.
She tried to struggle, but he froze her with a firm embrace. Her small body resisted for a moment before giving in and returning the demon's kiss.
It was their first kiss—and unlike the ones Doma usually gave his conquests, this one was chaste and gentle.
"Sorry for being a jerk and deceiving my dear Hlökk, but I never lied back then. I want you by my side, which is why I don't regret hiding info about my women, hehe ~" he said, in a tone both teasing and casual.
Hlökk was still a bit dreamy after Doma stole her lips.
However, she quickly snapped back to her senses upon hearing the ice demon's words.
"BAKA!" she growled, her face red, while looking away.
Despite her insults, the valkyrie didn't do anything truly aggressive.
She even stayed right next to Doma, without really pulling away from the deceiving demon.
"Even if you insult me, I'll keep you. After all, you're my valkyrie and I'm your partner for life and death," he declared the first part normally, but the second as a whisper into Hlökk's reddened ears.
"Onii-san… and me?" Rin asked timidly, her voice slightly trembling.
Akaza wanted to curse after seeing this side of her.
'Where did the crazy girl go who exuded a terrifying fighting aura?' he thought in bewilderment.
Unfortunately, no one answered him, and the people around seemed to have somewhat forgotten him.
The Upper Moon Three could only watch the scene, where Doma placed his hand on Rin's messy hair and sketched a warm smile.
"What do you mean 'me'? You're Rin, right? You already have my affection."
Doma replied in a calm tone, but deliberately vague about the exact nature of their relationship and the affection he held for the young girl.
It wasn't that he felt nothing for Rin, but he didn't see her quite in the way she wanted to be seen.
Thus, the demon hesitated to have another relationship based solely on satisfying adult needs, like in Kaguya's case.
'Anyway, I never turn down a free meal. However, I still need to get my women back… and talk to them,' he thought, while observing the young woman, upset but silent under the pats of his hand.
Muzan was waiting, and Doma didn't want to keep his former boss waiting too long.
Perhaps she sensed the change in atmosphere, but Rin didn't press the issue of her relationship with Doma.
An action that earned a "phew" of relief from Hlökk, as the little loli saw Rin as a husband-stealer and was satisfied with Doma's vague response.
She even puffed out her modest chest in a sign of victory.
A gesture that didn't go unnoticed by the superhuman beings present in the room.
'Not only is the boss a lolicon, but he's also picked a woman with a problematic personality,' thought Mugen, shaking his head in disapproval.
As an expert in pleasure quarters, the young delinquent had enough experience to spot a trouble girl.
Hlökk checked all the boxes.
'I just hope he doesn't have a kid with her… A shota Doma? Damn, that's scary to imagine,' thought the delinquent, forgetting that his mentor could read his thoughts.
"Doma… have you forgotten me, or are you going to keep playing with your humans while deliberately ignoring me?" Akaza's question brought everyone's attention back to him.
The demon had long since regained control of himself, after Rin's will had temporarily reminded him of someone.
Akaza had even been polite enough to observe the reunion scene, since he wanted to savor something he'd been putting off for too long: finishing his fight with Upper Moon 2.
"Oh, Akaza-kun ~ you seem as energetic as ever since last time," Doma replied, without paying further attention to Rin.
The Ogai clan leader showed clear incomprehension after observing the exchange between the demon and his adoptive brother.
"Where have you been? Muzan-sama sent me to investigate, and your toys delayed me in my task—" Akaza immediately cut off his sentence after referring to Doma's entourage as his toys.
The aura emitted by Doma was simply too overwhelming.
'Impossible! Is this stronger than Muzan-sama?' The idea was immediately rejected, but the truth was irrefutable, like an apple falling to the ground under gravity.
Doma was stronger than Muzan.
"Akaza-kun," said Doma, pausing before approaching and placing his hand on the shoulder of his former colleague and self-proclaimed rival.
"Never call my followers and subordinates toys again, got it?" he added, before standing face-to-face with Akaza.
Because of the Zeus blood he had absorbed from Hercules' flesh, Doma had grown even taller.
Akaza could only look up at him and nod slowly under the crushing pressure.
"Koyuki, right? Sorry, but Akaza can't join you in the sky just yet, and it'd be a shame for you both to go to hell," Doma said, averting his eyes from Akaza and speaking into the empty space beside the demon.
Mugen, Rin, and Akaza were surprised by this strange action, but Hlökk could also glimpse the wandering spirit clinging to Akaza.
"Y-you can really see me?" The young girl was shocked, but she soon let a glimmer of hope appear in her eyes.
(Image)
"Yes, I can see you. Do you want to talk to Akaza?" At the ice demon's question, the young girl nodded hastily.
Doma complied immediately.
The Upper Moon Three didn't have time to react, since Doma was too close and his physical abilities far surpassed Akaza's at that moment.
Doma plucked a lock of pink hair and immediately used the power of the Vanity Paradise to connect their perceptions.
Unfortunately, Doma had forgotten one important detail: Muzan was listening to the conversation, and his will still resided in Akaza's cells.
The ice demon had gotten rid of Muzan's presence and link to him thanks to Tamayo's remedies.
However, Akaza was still under the influence of the demon ancestor.
All this led to an unprecedented situation in the ice demon's gray world: four people facing each other—Muzan, Doma, Akaza, and his deceased wife.
"Doma, have you really betrayed me?" Muzan's feminine voice suddenly resonated, strangely calm to the ear.
Yet any good KNY fan knows: there's one thing never to forget about Muzan Kibutsuji.
This being is like a volcano on the verge of erupting at any moment.
Behind that feminine and delicate face, Doma could sense boundless fury, mixed with an emotion he never thought he'd perceive in the Demon King:
Regret.
The Demon King was furious—and felt betrayed.
At least, that's how Doma interpreted Muzan's emotions during this strange encounter.
***
Author's note: the continuation of the story will depend on the vote, after chapter 75.
Little bonus info: it's possible I'll give Patreon members an advantage on this one.
Meh… it'll all depend on my mood tomorrow when posting on Patreon.