False Prophet

Chapter 4

"Muzan-sama." Douma gives a tight smile, those eyes continuing to pierce his soul.

Those crimson eyes narrow at him. From behind him, Inosuke's cries are muffled by Kotoha hiding his gaze away from the scene. Her blood was pumping so hard it made drool gather in his mouth.

He was starving.

"You were gone for a century. Not heeding any calls." His master didn't need to step forward for Douma to feel the need to step back.

"No-" His eyes are slashed, along with a vertical cut down his body. Blood stains the ground, a choking sound comes from Kotoha. His regeneration kicks in. His sight came back quickly.

"You have. My Kizuki is gifted with more of my blood to better serve me." Muzan flashes his claws and Douma feels his arm fly off this time. It heals slower.

He can't remember the last time he ate.

"I won't allow such blood to go to waste." His legs are gone and he falls flat on his front.

"Douma!" Muzan finally puts his focus back on the woman and the baby who wouldn't stop crying. The woman choked back her sob back. A human crying for a demon.

"You know, he has killed hundreds. He feasts on women like you. He has given false hope to plenty as stupid as you." Douma can feel venom in his veins as Muzan tries to get him under his own control.

The cry of Inosuke has him looking up. The baby's eyes were watery as Muzan stepped over him to them. He reaches out, grabbing his lord by his ankle.

Everything was dizzy. He needed to do more.

His hand is cut at the wrist and he is kicked. His body flew into the trees, startling the birds early.

He wanted to fight back, but this was his lord.

Douma looks up, Muzan is reaching out to them, intending to kill them with no mercy.

No.

He felt slow.

No..

He remembers Kotoha's smile and Inosuke's laughter. The good memories he has made with them.

No, it was too soon for them to go.

Frost leaves his mouth and something else.

No. Not when he finally felt something.

Tears willingly left his eyes, his claws reaching out to them, wanting to protect them even if it was in defies of Muzan.

He was willing to suffer in their place.

—
A smile crosses a man's face.

Though he doesn't like violence, if it is for the protection of the innocent, he'll let it slide.

—

His crown was glowing, and a different strength was entering his system. The frost coming from his mouth seemed different.

His full power was returning and he had no problem unleashing it upon Muzan.

No matter how starved he was and how much of a gap there was between him and the demon lord, he wouldn't allow Muzan to kill those he loved.

—
Snow was covering the landscape in seconds, Muzan himself was frozen in place when Douma appeared in front of him, shattering him.

Douma spreads his fans out summoning clones and directing them to Kotoha and Inosuke. To carry them to safety.

"Douma!" Kotoha was crying for him when his head was slashed off, his vision going dark. He growls, summoning vines to hold the demon lord down.

"You will suffer, I'll make you watch as I kill that woman and brat. Then I will absorb you slowly, letting your bones melt."

Muzan's threats to Douma's being felt empty but the rage that filled him at Inosuke and Kotoha's lives couldn't be let go.

—
The battle shouldn't have lasted as long as it did. Douma was being defensive, only charging and throwing Muzan back when he could.

But it seems Muzan was ahead of him.

He destroyed his temple, Douma throwing himself over Kotoha and Inosuke before leaving them to clones once more.

The area was devastated by how destructive they became in their fight the longer it dragged on. Muzan was using his tendrils, swiping at him and Douma would dodge.

Not at all paying attention to how he was clearly the trees.

No, Douma didn't realize his actions till Muzan started to swipe more and more of his limbs off, wounding him more and more. He could have easily consumed him with how little was left at some points, only for a clone, vine, or some other ice attack to stall the demon lord.

His regeneration was slowing till his left eye was closed and his ribs shattered. He felt weak, glaring at the demon.

He refused to give up, not now.

Only freezing when the brightening sky was too much.

His lone eye looks east, the horizon bright and only moments away from sunrise.

His gaze darts around, seeing no shelter for him to go to.

Muzan was watching him, his demise imminent, swiping for his legs, breaking them as well.

"Nakime." A strum of a Biwa can be heard and Douma roars after him, slashing his fan down to get one last attack in as the demon lord escapes.

The sun was almost here. His heart was so loud in his ears and tears were coming forth.

He couldn't do it.

"Douma!" Kotoha comes to his side, his wounds healing but it was all useless.

His hand finds her face wiping her tears and hugging her. Inosuke was grabbing for him, his small hands getting his front.

He wanted more time with them.

—

"So be it." Buddha gladly gives him this.

—

His crown felt weird, it was giving off a different aura, loosening even as the sun finally made an appearance.

He tucks his head into Kotoha's neck, not wanting to face his death, holding them.

.
..
...
Her cries were loud, holding him as his back warmed up.

"Douma, please, don't do that again. Don't sacrifice yourself for us." Douma only nods, an unsure smile coming to his face as his arms tighten around his loved ones.

The sun felt warm and he was willing to suffer under it compared to in the dark.