Priceless Smile 3

Chapter 3: Time Demon

     They left Yoshiko behind as they follow the man who just came. He has an unkempt shoulder length green hair that made him look like he just woke up from a goodnight sleep. Even his kimono isn't fixed, as if he just jumped right out of bed.

"Before we enter, let me introduce myself first. I'm Sakae, a servant of the Time Demon. Short background, I'm very talkative, energetic, messy, and you won't see me looking proper. Not unless it is an important occassion, of course I'll doll myself up. And also I have a husband but he's currently not here." He spoke in a lively manner. This made them think of him as a friendly demon.

(👤: They don't have their special senses to tell whether they could trust the demon or not. They all have their senses at a normal range.)

"Now, I'd like to know everyone's names. Names! Not surnames! Names only!" He clarrified facing them with a smile.

And one by one, they told their names to him, he clapped at them like a teacher proud of his students' accomplishment. He then touched the door and with a single step back, the doors opened with a creaking sound from its old hinges. When everyone of them are inside, the doors slowly closed still making the creaking sound then a thud. Inside is a dimly lighted corridor with cobwebs and dusts on the ground, walls, ceilings, and torches. The side lined with stone walls and the path ahead seeming to only get longer and darker. Sensing the uncomfortable feeling they have, Sakae started speaking.

"Don't worry you guys, the torches ahead will light up once we reach them. And also, this place is quite dirty, we don't have other servants at all so we accepted you guys since Yoshiko-sama insisted. Honestly, my lord really is not the type to socialize which made him not very known."

"Sakae-san, how long have you been serving him?" Kanae asked.

"Hundreds of years. And trust me, he is kind to you as long as you don't offend him."

"Is there any other demons serving him aside from you?" Sanemi asked confused.

"Yes! They are called his subservients. There's three of them." He answered then turning around to them walking backwards. "That thick mist outside is a protection to hide this palace, only Yoshiko-sama and Naori-sama knows of this place and their grandchildren."

"Grandchildren..." Kagaya muttered out as Sakae turned back to face the front. "Do you mean Muzan and Kazumi-sama?"

Sakae raised an eye brow pausing at his step facing him. They stopped too.

"Muzan and Kazumi-sama?" He repeated as Kagaya nod at him. "Seems like you guys don't know the rules here in the underworld."

"Then tell us." Sanemi spoke scowling at him.

He explained to them as they walk forward, "When a demon gains a title here in the underworld, they get called by their titles not their names, except for the king and queen whom I addressed with their names earlier. For example, their two children, The Fallen Prodigy and Balance of Heaven and Hell. Exceptions can still be taken though if you are close to that titled demon and gained their permission to speak of their names instead of their title."

"But... what if the king and queen have many grandchildren?" Shinobu asked.

"Of course they do! They had six children after all. But only five of them had children since one of their child did not have any."

"That must be Shinjitsu who didn't have any." Kagaya thought as he kept listening to Sakae's words.

"Then, what's the title of the grandchildren who knew this place?" Amane asked out of curiosity.

"The Devil Judge and The Harbinger of Death."

They suddenly stood there frozen hearing him say those in such a casual way as if it's such a common thing when to them, it scared them. Though they didn't know how the demons gained their titles they guessed that it would be connected to their power or to what they've done, just like how the Pillar titles corresponds to the breathing style they use. Sakae then snapped them out when he made a single loud clap and they immediately followed him.

After a while of following the blabbering Sakae, they ended up in front a shoji door. What he said about himself is pure honesty, he's really talkative, VERY, VERY, talkative. But thanks to him blabbering all the way there, it indeed helped them feel a little calm and comfortable.

"My lord, I have arrived." Sakae said in such a formal and calm tone kneeling down on one knee.

The shoji doors suddenly opened showing a dark room. It's so dark they couldn't even see a thing of what's inside.

Then a voice echoed from that darkness, "And who are they?"

"My lord, they are servants sent by his Majesty. I suppose they are here in order to convince you of taking something." He answered with his head down. Compared to his casual and childishly  lively tone earlier, his voice now sounds stern and deep very much fitting of a strict adult.

"If it's the hourglass then forget it. As I said, I can't grant his wish of going back in time." The voice from the dark replied.

Seeing Sakae remain silent, they panicked. They just entered and have not started anything yet they are getting kicked out already.

"Please." Everyone looked at Kagaya. "Please... Just give us a chance to serve here. We were not forced into this as we also wish to go back in time. We..." Kagaya closed his eyes sweating coldly in fear. "We also... wanted to go back..."

"For what purpose? His Majesty wanted time to go back to save his wife, what about you?" A mild blow of cold air came out of the room that gave everyone goosebumps, except for Sakae.

"For a friend." Amane answered. "There's someone... we wanted to meet again and... try our best to save which we were unable to do so during our current time."

She bowed her head so low it rests on the back of her palms on the ground. They all followed suit bowing in the same manner. Sakae stayed silent as he turn his head back to face them bowing for their pleas to be heard. For a while, the known Time Demon didn't respond, this made them even more nervous as they all tightly shut their eyes close.

"Very well then." He finally spoke which made them shot their heads up wide eyed. "I will let you damned creatures to serve here while I review your records kept at the Spirit Circle. If I am not pleased, I'll be the one to chain you all up in the Boiling Hell to be punished. Everyone of you better do your best."

"Thank you sir!" They all exclaimed in sync as the shoji doors shut close.

"Phew!" Sakae finally sat down instead of kneeling. "That was intense."

"You look so relieved." Gyomei pointed out looking at him.

"You see, my lord doesn't really consider other's wishes about the hourglass that much. He would even kick them out right after they speak of wanting to have it. Or if not, he'll just chain them straight away to the Boiling Hell. Where they will burn for how long he wanted them to." He stood up to fully face them with a blank expression. "No one could ever go numb there. They will be in pain as long as they're chained there."

His statement made them all gulped down and inwardly sighed in relief. Thankful that they didn't receive any of that at all and were given a chance to serve the Time Demon. But before they could start, familiarization of the place has to come first. This would help them do their work properly and avoid any grave mistake if they wish to survive in that place.

"I guess this place is our karma." Kyojuro thought with a sigh as he follow right behind Sakae who's touring them around the palace pointing out things.

"And that small fountain is the Wine Healing Fountain. It needs occasional cleaning and the pair of koi fishes inside needs to be fed day in and out. No. Skipping. Of. Food." He sternly reminded them word by word about the food as they stop to look at it. "These fishes balance the healing power of this fountain. Without them or the other, the fountain's power will die out and would instead become poison."

Out of curiosity, Tanjiro leaned forward and dipped the tip of his middle finger into the water. Before he could even dip the other tips of his finger, one of the fishes slapped his hand away with its tail. This made him pull his hand back immediately. Seeing this, despite his eyes being closed, Sakae raised an eyebrow and let out a short hum.

"And I see that they got an attitude for a fish." Tengen said watching the fish that swatted Tanjiro's hand swimming away.

"This boy..." Sakae thought as he lead them away to another direction after the fish incident with Tanjiro. "The fish was agitated... No... Mad."