There Is No Misery In Paradise

Chapter 10

Ten minutes earlier

Douma was an experienced demon of three centuries and had dealt with slayers and Akaza. He knew what killer intent felt like. It was a shiver of adrenaline down his spine and would have made him grin at any other time. Not with his songbird sleeping in his arms.

He was lucky this was one of the nights they cleaned up.

Not feeling too threatened, Douma stretched, his muscles bunching and with a twirl of his hands, he summons his ice clones to push back his demon followers. He gets up and gathers Kotoha's stuff, throwing it into a bag. The demon summons another wave of clones upon hearing some shatter in the distance. He could also hear the breaking of lanterns, and a spark of fire starting.

Flames and smoke were building and Douma just shrugs his shoulders.

Oh well, looks like he will be joining Kotoha in Tokyo.

The demon can faintly hear people shouting, and his followers panicking most likely before being silenced by the demons. Douma finishes his packing by tucking Kotoha's songbook and first album in the bag.

Once closed, Douma stands up and takes a deep breath in and out, becoming more rapid, and finally, he falls to his love's side.

She snaps awake as soon as he shakes her.
"Kotoha! We have to go!" Douma is able to get her in her coat and boots on quickly before leading her out.

"Douma, what's going on?" Douma shields her away from the flames as a pillar crashes beside them.

He fakes stress, acting like a human.

"I don't know, I think some of them have gone mad. Insane enough to start attacking people!"

The demon keeps leading her outside, knowing nothing about what was happening across the way.

—
"Tengen! Did one of your bombs go off?" Kyojuro blocks a demon before decapitaing the female demon.

The slayers had arrived, surprised by how quiet it all was.

Then the trio turns a corner, coming face to face with a group of at least ten demons. The demons had scattered, attacking some of the people in the building.

Next thing they knew, these strange ice copies of a demon they hadn't seen yet started to attack both groups.

There was a third party they haven't confronted yet and it just becomes more complicated as a fire is started.

"No, I didn't!" His best buddy blocks another ice copy.

—
Shinobu had made her way outside, intending to stop any demon from escaping.

She was thoroughly disappointed that they wouldn't be able to kill the demon lord if this continues.

—
Kotoha was tucked into his side when they finally got to the entrance that lead to outside his temple.

But it would be at that moment Kuni struck.

His eyes go blank and he shoves his love outside, purposely breaking the frame of the door with his fan to hide behind it. Her screams made his heart tight and wanting to shout to her he was fine but he couldn't just yet.

He sighs, turning around to where one of his first demon followers stands from where she landed.

He holds his fan up, hiding his smile behind it.

"Now Kuni, what is all of this about?" He was her god so what could have possibly made her act like this?

Her eyes narrow on him a scowl forming.
"My lord, you've done wonders for many and you deserve paradise more than anyone for your work." Douma was confused when she started crying.

Was she in love with him? There was no other way to describe why she was acting like this.

Shame she wasn't anything compared to his songbird.

"But you let that harlot live-" Kuni dodges the ice spikes aimed at her. The only reason she lived was because of having eaten many in the decades she has been alive. Her lord had stated she would have easily been a 'lower moon' whatever that meant.

His eyes are void of anything as his head tilts, a smile unnatural directed to her.

"Kuni, I will give you a chance to take back what you said about my Kotoha."

No one was to call her a whore. She was pure in the standards of the modern age. Even before, without Inosuke, Douma would have easily assumed she was a pure maiden. Literally too good and naive for her own good.

He wouldn't allow any slander against her.

Before anything could happen, a shot is going through his torso. He looks down, surprised, and looks behind him. A pair of angry venomous purple eyes were looking at him, the barrel of a gun pointed at him. At the side, the woman had a sword in hand.

Oh, now slayers were here. How troublesome.

Colorful eyes gain amusement and he laughs.

"Oh how exciting, now I have two opponents!" He looks down at the gun wound where it still bleeds, a spike of pain rushing through him.

Before anyone could do anything, the ceiling comes crashing down on top of them.

—
Kotoha must have passed out as she woke to being carried. Her hood was shielding her from the winds and the early morning was upon them. She was being carried on the back of a man with jingling beads in his hair. Beside them, another with fire-like hair was carrying a woman bloody on the head and burnt sleeves.

"We must make haste!"

Kotoha was too stressed out to think more.

—
That morning, in the ashes of his temple, Douma bursts from the ground. He was buried deeper than he was expected but he heals quickly of any burns.

He looks down, finding the bullet wound taking longer, and can only guess it was wisteria laced.

So he can still be wounded.

Douma rolls his shoulders, shaking his hair of more ash. He does take a moment, searching to see if any of his demon followers remain. He finds two, who quickly cry out as they burn in the sunlight.

Sadly none were Kuni.

He hums and goes around the temple killing any of his other followers that were crying out in pain. Delivering paradise to his cult one last time.

He licks his fangs before he begins his trek down the mountain, following the tracks of his songbird's saviors.

—
Kotoha would wake much later only to be met by some people being pushed out of her room.

She was back in Tokyo, alone and thinking Douma was dead.

Douma is now on the hunt to be back at Kotoha's side.

Now that Tokyo is our new setting, what do you think will unfold?

Who else do you think is going to make an appearance?

How do you think the reunion will go?
--
Thoughts?