As Things Should Be

-6- Love

The months passed with surprising ease. Winter and spring came and went with their familiar joys and entertainments, one of which being Inosuke's first real snow. The boy had plunged into the cold substance with no fear and had laughed even as his fingers had turned blue and he shivered. He was immediately brought inside and warmed but that didn't stop the boy from trying to run back into the frigid weather.

It almost drove Doma mad as he failed to fathom how this child had no self-preservation instincts! He was a human - weren't humans supposed to have some sort of cowardice built-in to keep them alive!? If so, then Inosuke got the short end of the stick.

Winter came and went and somehow Inosuke survived it. Spring emerged in all its glory, filling the temple with outside activities as people celebrated the warming world.

The warmer weather also brought a reminder that Doma was not without responsibility.

Near the end of the Spring season, after the blossoms had all fallen and Inosuke had grown an inch or two, Doma found himself summoned to Muzan alongside Akaza. The two bowed before their master and listened as he ordered them to go take care of a collection of demon slayers who were staying in a town to the west so they could cause some sort of diversion for the demon lord.

Doma and Akaza obeyed, naturally, and killed the demon slayers easily enough. Then came the problem of witnesses, no one was supposed to know they existed and with twenty devoured corpses and an area soaked in blood, it was inevitable that someone notice something... which meant that the town had to go. It was simple work, the two demons stayed clear of each other for most of it. Akaza happily fought the warriors and men on his side of the town while Doma dealt with his side with no discrimination.

There was a new pain to it, Doma found. Every woman who screamed reminded him of Kotoha's cries of fear and every child made him think of Inosuke. Part of him screamed that the new emotions were making him weak and he pondered that for a while. Should he falter from his path, Muzan would definitely kill him, and if Muzan knew why he had emotion...

Doma ripped apart the shrieking woman in his claws and tried not to think. Quick. He'd make it quick. Yes... yes, he could be strong and show mercy. Then at least he wouldn't disobey. He could be merciful... Muzan would not be...

He shuddered to think of how merciless Muzan could be when it came to humans. No... No Muzan must never think he'd grown weak. He could not be weak. He killed and he killed trying not to think about how it made his stomach want to leap out of his throat and choke him with his own bile.

Akaza and Doma met up near the end of the town once the work was nearly done. As Doma walked up to the final house he found Akaza was waiting for him.

"What? You waited for me," Doma grinned, faking happiness. Akaza sneered and looked to the house behind him.

"It stinks of women, I'll leave it to you," Akaza snarled.

Doma looked at the rickety old house and slowly stepped inside. He heard rustling in the closet and threw it open.

He took a fearful step back.

The women - no, they were mere girls -  in the closet were shaking, they were covered in bruises and whimpered when they saw Doma. The familiarity of their scared faces pierced Doma in his chest. They were all young, ranging from sixteen to eighteen, far too young to have those terrible bruises or such fearful eyes. It was like looking into Kohota's fearful eyes.

"Doma?" Akaza questioned from the doorway, watching the Upper Moon's face in wonder. Doma looked... dare Akaza say it... he looked scared. That was wrong, Doma didn't feel anything, especially fear.