The Demon Queen

Douma

"What brings you here?" Douma continued. "Spiritual renewal?"

"We're demons ..." Muzan said through his gritted teeth.

"Oh, I know, I know, you've said that. But even demons could benefit from some spiritual renewal." He looked at Muzan. "It's not like you had much of a choice."

Muzan paused. I felt his energy lighten. He loosened his hand's grip on my shoulder. "Much of a choice for what?" he asked.

"Why, for becoming a demon," Douma replied. "At least that's what I can sense off of you two." He put his hand to his face and started to sob. "Oh, how tragic! Two souls bound by the red thread of fate whose only path to live in harmony with each other was one of becoming demons!" He sobbed some more.

This guy gets weirder and weirder, I thought.

"Quit the tears, you fool," Muzan said.

Douma's sobbing immediately stopped and his upbeat personality returned. "Ah, so now I'm just a fool and not a quack! I'm glad, Muzan!"

"Muzan-sama ..."

"Right! Muzan-sama, sure!"

"He's back-mouthing me, isn't he ..." I heard Muzan mutter to himself.

"Douma," I said, before Muzan could allow his muttering to get louder. "Actually, there is a reason why we came here to see you."

Douma's eyes lit up. "Oh? Tell me, tell me, Sakura --"

"-sama," Muzan grumbled.

"It's a bout a flower," I said. "The Blue Spider Lily. Have you heard anything about it?"

I could sense Muzan's focus lock itself onto Douma.

Douma smiled with a grinning mouth. "Oh! That!"

"Ah! So, you know things about it?" I asked him with enthusiasm.

Douma laughed. "No, I've just heard that it exists."

It felt like a heavy lead block of tension plummeted on top of Muzan and I. Douma remained unaffected, in his own realm of existence, but it was clear that he noticed the grave disappointment in us.

"Heard it exists?" Muzan sneered.

Douma glanced at Muzan and then looked at me. "My father found a Blue Spider Lily on one of his religious pilgrimages," he replied, directing his answer for Muzan's question to me. "He tried to keep it growing back home here, but it died." He laughed.

I heard Muzan's knuckles crack.

"I was just a wee little boy when I saw that flower," Douma continued.

Muzan's attention perked up. "He saw it," he whispered in amazement.

"The ones I keep around here by the shrine aren't real Blue Spider Lilies. Just painted. It adds to the ambiance of the temple to have those rare flowers about. The lotuses are real, though."

"You saw it? You said you saw it," Muzan said and started to lean over my shoulder as if ready to jump over me towards Douma.

"I saw it, of course, but I never touched it." Douma sighed dramatically. "My mother slapped my hand when I went to touch it. How cruel of her, and to me, a Holy Child --"

"I don't care if your parents beat you and locked you in a closet! Where is the Blue Spider Lily!? Where did your father find it!?"

Douma looked at Muzan for a moment and then puffed out a breath. "Good question. I wish I knew the answer to it. Then I wouldn't have to paint the white ones blue."