The Demon Queen

Akaza

"Muzan, how did this happen?" I asked him as we walked back through the decimated village.

"He didn't clear his mind. What can I say?"

I glanced back at the guy following us. "But pink hair, pink eyelashes, and blue stripes?"

"I don't know. It's not my fault."

Maybe not, but this guy looks ridiculous, I thought.

"He came out with no extra eyes and I gave his transformation the proper attention instead of letting it go carelessly leading to horns and extra arms," Muzan said.

"All right, fine. You don't have to explain it. Forget it."

"As long as you believe me that it wasn't intentional and that I'm not to blame."

He feels he's to blame if this attitude is coming out, I thought.

"You aren't to blame," I said, a bit dryly.

We came towards the edge of the village. From what I saw in my occasional glances behind, the new pink-haired demon didn't react at all to the blood and dead bodies everywhere. In fact, it seemed as if he didn't even remember what he did.

"I think he's lost his memories," I said.

"Why do you think that?" Muzan asked.

"It's the impression I get. I get no sense of his reaction to anything he's done here. Not like Kokushibou and that Tamayo."

"He's not going off eating all the corpses, so I think he remembers," Muzan said. "He didn't even really want to eat the first human body I threw at him." He rubbed his chin. "Very odd ..."

"That's what I mean. There's something strange about him."

"There was something strange about him right from the beginning." Muzan looked back at the pink-haired demon. "You," he said. "What's your name?"

The pink-haired demon said nothing.

"I asked you a question. Answer."

I rubbed my forehead and shook my head.

"I don't know my name," the pink-haired demon said.

"What?" Muzan stopped walking and turned to face him. "How do you not know your name? Everyone has a name."

I sighed and stood next to Muzan. "I told you. I think he's lost his memory."

"Do you remember anything?" Muzan asked.

The pink-haired demon, who had also stopped walking and stood in front of Muzan and I, nodded.

"What do you remember?" I asked, before Muzan was about to speak, most likely to sneer out some kind of command.

The pink-haired demon looked at me. "That I want to become strong," he said. He looked to Muzan. "And I hate weak people. I want to kill all weak people."

"Then do it," Muzan said. "Kill all weak people, but do it tactfully. Kill them and devour them to become a stronger demon worthy of the position we are planning to give you."

"Position?" the demon asked.

"You should be honoured to be allotted a position by us, your Masters," Muzan said. "You've been chosen to become one of the members of our army of 12 strong demons."

The pink-haired demon started to look at us with more determination.

"That's it," Muzan said. "Become one of the 12 strongest demons to serve us."

"I'll do it," the pink-haired demon said without the slightest hesitation.

That sure evolved fast, I thought. But of course, Muzan is good at picking out key words to use to manipulate someone. He knows a lot about that ... because he has his own key words that dig straight to the deepest corner of his heart.

"Excellent," Muzan said. "I told you before I made you a demon, we'll grow to understand each other very well." He paused. "But, for that you'll need a name, don't you agree? Do you have one for yourself?"

"No. I don't."

Muzan nodded. "Very well. Then you shall be Akaza from now on. And if you have any disputes, keep them to yourself if you wish to remain in the top of the ranks."

Where the hell does he come up with these weird names? I thought. He had a black rabbit he named Kokushibou once, but this one, Akaza, I never heard before.

I rubbed my forehead.

I've got to stop him from naming these demons.

Akaza bowed to us. "I have no objections," he said. "I'm ready to do what you ask of me, Master --"

"Muzan," Muzan said.

"And Sakura," I said, keeping myself alert in what was going on.

Akaza nodded. "Muzan-sama and Sakura-sama."

"Exactly," Muzan said. "Now, we'll take you back to our castle and I think I'll give you even more of my blood, since you desire strength."

Akaza looked at us.

"There's only one other condition," Muzan continued. "Akaza, you may kill all weak people. Weak humans are of no use to me, so do with them as you please. However, you must not repeat a massacre like you committed in this village. You must understand that. A mass execution will only attract our enemies -- a group of enhanced swordsmen who make it their mission to slay demons like ourselves. If your acts attract the attention of these swordsmen, and cause them to investigate, we will have to kill you. On the other hand, if you bring back the head of one of these slayers, you will be rewarded with a bountiful amount of my blood. Have you understood, Akaza?"

Akaza nodded and then bowed again. "I understand," he said. "Muzan-sama, Sakura-sama, I will not disappoint you."