The Demon Queen

Gyokko's Information

"Hantengu didn't tell you?" Gyokko asked as Gyutaro and I were talking to him at the Eternal Paradise Faith Cult. "The Kamado guy practises a Fire God ritual. We didn't know if he was an undercover Demon Slayer or not."

"Oh!" Douma exclaimed as he was eating a human limb. "Fire God?" He bit into the limb and continued with a full mouth, "Do you think that's why the field with the Blue Spider Lilies burnt down?"

"We don't know anything about that and I doubt there is any connection," Gyokko said. He looked at me. "My theory is that since Tamayo knows you and Muzan-sama are looking for the Blue Spider Lily that she is the one responsible." He ripped a toe from a human foot and stuck it into one of his mouths.

Gyutaro turned a bit pale. "You know, man, that's really gross," he muttered to me.

"I agree," I said as a response to Gyokko's statement, ignoring Gyutaro. "I would guess that Tamayo did it. But maybe the Kamado guy is the one that pointed out to here where the flowers were. Still, if he's talking to her and meeting her, we have to assume he's in agreement with the Demon Slayer Corps."

"Ooooh, yes! I think so, too!" Douma said. He laughed. "I've gotta admit, this scandal is really exciting! It's like reading a book where you can't wait to get to the next chapter!" He took a big, messy bite into the limb he was eating.

"Back to this Fire God ritual, Gyokko," I said.

He popped another toe into one of his mouths. "Yes?"

"I can't watch this," Gyutaro mumbled in an uncomfortable disgust. He awkwardly shifted in his seat at the table so that he sat behind me with his back against mine. His hard, spiky spinal bone lightly pressed into mine.

I reached behind me to massage Gyutaro in his hair.

"Aww, you really are so cute with Gyu-kun," Douma said.

I heard Gyutaro growl from behind me.

"The Fire God ritual? Gyokko?" I asked, returning to the subject.

Gyokko straightened his posture a bit before glancing past me towards Gyutaro and popping another toe into his mouth. "Well, it did look like quite the flashy performance."

"Flashy?"

"The dance, the costume, the stamina the human man had for the dance ..." Gyokko shrugged. "It was flashy. Impressive for a human, I must say."

Could it be connected to Sun Breathing? I thought. I should probably ask Kokushibou ...

"And that's all you know?" I asked.

"That's all."

Douma groaned. "I was hoping there would be more drama."

"Of course. It's a game to you," I said flatly.

"Sakura-chan, you know that I need something to divert my mind! I still can't get over the pain I've been suffering for the past decarde!" He started to cry. Something seemed to have snapped in him, and it was oddly convincing that he was actually breaking down.

Gyutaro poked me in the back. "This guy? Pain. I don't believe a word he says."

I eyed Douma oddly. "Are you ... seriously crying, Douma?"

Douma continued to cry. "I am seriously crying!" he bellowed. "Today is the anniversary of the day I had to eat Kotoha!"

Gyokko also started to cry. "Oh, Douma, my friend! You've told me your story many times and it is absolutely horrible!"

Gyutaro groaned and rubbed his forehead.

You'd think with his sister crying all the time that he'd be used to this.

"I try my best every year to give you my support, Douma!" Gyokko sobbed.

"Who's Kotoha?" I asked.

Sniffling and sobbing, Douma explained the situation to me. A decade ago, he had taken in a pretty woman with a baby when she sought refuge from her abusive husband. Out of genuinely liking her, Douma was going to keep her around and let her die of old age. But several days ago, Kotoha caught him eating a different girl from the Cult, and found out that he was a demon. She panicked, wouldn't let Douma try to explain, and she ran away. Because Kotoha would escape to tell others of what she witnessed, Douma had no other choice but to kill her and eat her.

"It's so sad! Such a sad story, Sakura-sama!" Gyokko sobbed.

"Yeah ... I see ..." I said.

But that's the risk you take if you become a demon.

"I'm sorry that happened, Douma."

And you must never allow yourself to become attached to humans.

"We have been so out of touch, Sakura-chan, that's why you didn't know until now!" Douma cried. "And it's so painful for me to remember! I just can't get over it! What do I do!?" His crying intensified.

Gyutaro poked me. "Oi. Can we go now before the fish man cries himself a river to swim in?"

Gyokko threw a chunk of human flesh at Gyutaro. "You insolent little brat!"

"Hey! Fuck you!" Gyutaro yelled after the piece of flesh bounced off of his head. He grabbed it and hurled it back towards Gyokko.

Luckily, Douma was still too caught up in his crying to notice the "food" being tossed about in his temple.

I stood up and took Gyutaro's arm to pull him to his feet. "Come on, Pretty Boy. Let's go."

The addition of "Pretty Boy" left Gyutaro flattered and completely silent. In that moment, he was amenable to anything I could possibly request of him. He didn't fight in the least when I pulled him away and out of the temple instead of letting him "fight" Gyokko.