There Is No Misery In Paradise

Chapter 3

His congregation would learn their roles and not make mention of what goes on in his temple.

His demons were also pulled.

"Douma-dono, when do you plan on eating her?" Somehow Muzan would rub off him in his next actions. His eyes focus on the demon, a newer demon of only five years and still hadn't developed his blood demon art. His fan spreads out and he smiles.

"Never." The demon loses his head and Douma freezes his remains.

"Kuni, make sure he is left in the sun." One of his oldest demons would nod, a female that had been with his cult since the Taisho era. One of the first he was able to turn after the passing of his master.

His fan closes as he leaves, going to go visit his songbird who surely must be bored at this point.

That day seemed so long ago.

The day the slayers took out his lord.

—

Taisho Era

He had been summoned by Nakime, continuing to eat his meal not paying mind what was happening.

A slayer would run in and he simply slashes them before taking another bite. Not at all paying attention to what was happening in the fortress. He remained undisturbed for the most part.

Then everything was shaking.

His face was stained and he would tilt his head as he took note of the crumbling structures.

"Oh? Was Biwa Lady killed?" Douma would get to his feet, not at all worried for his safety. No that wouldn't happen till he made it outside.

Outside of the infinity fortress, where he watches his master fall, and he simply watches as he struggles.

Shame that his great leader didn't learn any fighting techniques or give himself a weapon to enhance his abilities. Akaza had his martial art knowledge, Kokushibo and his breathing style, and Douma with his war fans that work in tangent with his blood art. All those years wasted on letting others do his work thinking he would remain untouched.

But no, he is dying because he relied on his own abilities and now he was struggling.

Douma looks to the horizon where it was brightening. The demon taps his fan on his chin to think before deciding.

He wasn't going to die because his master didn't improve himself.

So he left Muzan to defend for himself.

—
Turns out in the weeks following that, he was alone.

Kokushibo-dono and Akaza, poor Akaza, had been killed as well.

Many demons had been summoned that day and almost all had been slaughtered.

Some would come to his temple, seeking asylum and he gladly gave it, only allowing them to hunt outside of his territory.

Some decades would pass, and Douma turned some of his followers into demons and asked them to say Muzan's name. Showing the name on paper and watching for a reaction.

Nothing happened.

So his master was truly gone.

A smile had come to his face that day as he realized his new title.

He was now the living progenitor of demons!

Though they were all pathetic, asking him for more blood instead of going to eat and get more powerful.

Shame really and he lets those ones loose, only learning to curse them like his master had done before him. Curse them never to speak on where he resides.

For slayers still roam these lands.

He wouldn't want the game to end now that Kotoha had fallen into his lap once more.
—
Twenty hours after Kotoha's crash

A ringing phone would be picked up by a woman, Maki, manager of the Birds of Paradise group.

"Moshi, Moshi, Shiroma Maki, May I know who I am speaking to?" She continues to type away at her keyboard, coordinating future dates with her idol group. Crossovers with other groups and tv specials.

"Hello, I am calling from Tohoku. I'm running the cabin that Hashibira-chan stayed at and I was wondering if she has made it back." Maki looks at her watch and then calculates in her head.

Her train would have left this morning and made it back to Tokyo by noon. So that means, she should have called her.

Maki thinks for a moment.

It could just be exhaustion and with how forgetful and clumsy Kotoha could be, it must had slipped her mind. Very frustrating and would need to be addressed later.

Her voice fakes how she was thinking.

"She must be asleep by now, I'm sorry, I'll call you back once I get word."

She sends both a text and an email, hoping to get a response later.

.
One day and eight hours after Kotoha's crash

Their first show was in a week and she got no response to her messages. Maki even called and now it was becoming a concern.

She was a very busy woman and so she sent her assistant to Kotoha's apartment. Her shoulders would relax when she got a call from her assistant, who was going to tell her Kotoha was just fine.

"Shiroma-san, Kotoha's mail hasn't been picked up, I don't think she ever made it back home."
.
Two days after Kotoha's crash

Now Maki was at the police station filling out a missing person report. Her knee was bouncing as she thought.

This was going to be so much more painful and stressful than she thought.

Kotoha was lost.

.
Three days after Kotoha's crash

Her group mates would get word of what happened and Maki can only say they were faking for her. If there was one thing they care more about than their status as idols it was their images.

Honestly, it was the only good thing Maki liked about Kotoha, she wasn't like her idol mates.
That day, she cancels the tour.

It crashes the local ticket sites and they would soon be trending in a matter of hours. Their fans posting why were their tickets canceled.

That evening the world would know that the popular Idol star of Birds of Paradise, Ladybird, was missing.

—
Behind some glasses, a man would look up at a tv, the news broadcast showing recent videos and pictures of Ladybird.

The man would then look down at the bottle of sake he was deciding to purchase.

When he leaves the store and makes his way to the edge of town, checking his surroundings once before shredding the disguise.

His hair brightens up and his eyes get their color back.

Douma would take off his glasses and make his way back to his temple.

Seems like Kotoha's absence from the modern world has been taken into account. Took them long enough.

Hmmm, this may not be good.

Well, he wasn't worried yet, Kotoha has finally awoken and would need his care for at least a little bit.

But this could get complicated if they get involved.

Thoughts?

You can probably guess what's about to go down and who will most likely show up.

In the mean time, Douma is going to charm his way into Kotoha's heart.