Prodigal Son

Chapter 9

Mild sexual content

The female slayer is whimpering when he strikes her down. Her eyes go dull as he smiles down at her, his eyes unreadable. When she finally dies, his stance is relaxed.

Douma sighs, closing his fan and bringing her limp form under his arm. A quiet call for Nakime is all it takes to bring him back to the Infinity Fortress. He takes a sit on the wooden walkway of his domain and brings the girl in front of him.

She was nothing special and was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. It was at least something different from his other victims. Her sword snapped on the third strike before she tried running. His hunt was short but that's fine.

He takes a bite of her thigh first and just chews.

.

..

...

He tosses the dead body to the side, the decease sinking into the water and joining other bodies at the bottom. All are in different states of rot. None of his past kills ever seem worth absorbing like before.

Perhaps he should clear it out before the water leaks into Lord Muzan's study or into Akaza's resistance. It depends on how Nakime has arranged the fortress but he doesn't much care.

Douma swallows but doesn't wipe his mouth of blood as he makes his way back to his chambers. His eyes crinkle a bit at seeing his wife but she still lays there. He wraps an arm around her to sit her up.

"Kotoha." He calls her once, hoping she would answer but she never does.

Then he leans down, capturing her unresponsive lips, passing the leftover blood to her. He leans back, to bite his inner cheek before kissing her again, his tongue only opening her mouth enough for him to transfer the liquid. He could only hope his own power helps her to come back.

It never felt right. Kissing her without a response or consent. It made him feel like he was the villain in her nightmares. Someone not asking permission.

Douma pulls back and he tucks his head into her neck.

This was the closest he can get to her for now. Douma can remember the last time they were both intimate with each other and it breaks him that could have been the last time she and him would be together.

—

Kotoha had giggled once when he was kissing her nape. He smiles up to her and she entangles her fingers into his platinum hair. Her skin had a gleam of sweat on her after their first session that evening and since Inosuke was under watch by his followers tonight, he'll make sure it's not the last.

"May I ask what has you laughing my dear?" She cradles his head in her hands before kissing his cheek. She leaned in close to his ear.

"You. You make me laugh, Douma." She's giggling again when she sees him pout.

"You make me happy and I love you for that." She kisses him on his mouth before she decides to be risky by lightly biting into his lip when she pulls back.

Oh, she was his only love.

Douma eagerly captures her lips again and she feels him pushing against her inner thigh.

"Douma,-' He hums as he brings an arm around her shoulders, kissing her chin now. 'Please remind me to tell you something."

He nods and he leans back, wanting her to lead at her own pace this round.

—

Ice forms spikes at the entrance of his estate as he remembers that time.

She never got to tell him what she wanted to say as Muzan had summoned him that morning. He had left that evening after saying his goodbyes but he had already known then what she wanted to tell him.

Tears pour from his eyes and he clutches her closer to him. He buries his nose in her hair, taking in her scent. Seeking some kind of comfort from her, dearly asking for forgiveness in his soul.

Being powerful is useless if he loses her like he did Inosuke. Being strong is inadequate when he couldn't be there to save his family.

—

Inosuke was shaking as the adrenaline left him. Tanjiro finds him, laying on his back but the poison he should have is not there. He was being hugged and yet he was more confused than ever before. He should be on the edge, at death's door like any other slayer after a battle like that.

Another night of fighting demons at their strongest and still he doesn't understand.

His claws are receding as he looks down at them. He doesn't hear how his friends are now checking on the God of Festivals as he heaves looking at the wound on his chest.

He touches the edge and can see that he isn't bleeding anymore. The torn skin was even scabbing over already. His hand is shaking when he is pulled into another hug, Tanjiro cradling his head as they cry for all surviving the ordeal.

What the hell was he?

He couldn't just be human.

—

Douma was about to hibernate for another cycle, Kotoha already tucked in the bed, when he got a call.

His usual body temperature ran hot for a split second before he looked over his shoulder.

"Ah, someone made him angry" Douma wants to laugh. Muzan hasn't called for a summoning for all Upper moons for over a century.

He runs his claws through his wife's hair.

"I'll be back."

-

Akaza hears him laughing.

"Were you not worried for me, Akaza-dono~?" Douma has a hold on his shoulder. From the corner of his eye, he can see him smiling. "I was worried for you."

Gyokko moves and is leaning in their direction.

"Douma-sama." He gleefully calls for the higher rank demon.

Akaza looks at him, seeing his smile is tight and eyes unreadable before Douma is looking at Nakime.

"Nakime-san, Is Kokushibo-Dono here?" Akaza looks to Nakime to hear her answer. He shrugs off Douma's hand and the demon pulls back, a first but much has changed in a short few years since his family's death.

Douma was ignoring Gyokko. No matter how close they were before, Douma has now looked to disregard his existence. Akaza doesn't blame him. Not after Akaza had told him how the demon had planned to eat Inosuke when he was in the fortress and had wanted a taste of his wife when she was about to transform.

"He was the first to arrive," Nakime confirms and Douma nods, his cheeky smile back.

"So we are just waiting on Muzan-sama."

A heavy presence is their answer and they look up to see Muzan working at his lab table. Droplets enter a test tube before he speaks.

"Gyutaro is dead."

--

Douma returns and takes a moment to pray at the tamaya before joining Kotoha in bed again.

He doesn't much care for the changing atmosphere of the war of slayers and demons.

Kotoha has her head on his chest this time before he closes his eyes once again.

Hell can come if it meant he can finally see her awaken from her slumber.