A hangover...
The air was still thick with the lingering scent of alcohol from last night's revelry.
"Ugh..."
Zenitsu let out a groan and struggled to open his eyes.
What greeted him was a pale face that clearly read I want to kill someone.
"YAAAAAHHH!!"
Zenitsu screamed and scrambled backward with both hands and feet.
"S-Senior brother?! Why am I hugging you?!
Disgusting! Too disgusting! My innocence is gone!"
"Shut up, you useless idiot!"
Kaigaku sat up with a dark expression, his whole body stiff.
He'd been force-fed far too much last night. He hadn't even had the strength to push this idiot away.
Why did it feel like his entire body was now covered in Zenitsu's snot and tears?
"You think I wanted this?! You were the one clinging to me, crying and calling me 'Grandpa'!
You wiped all your snot on my clothes! How are you paying that debt?!"
On the other side, Tanjiro also woke up.
Rubbing his temples, he realized his head was resting on Gyutaro's bony thighs.
Gyutaro, meanwhile, was staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Ah! I'm so sorry, Mr. Gyutaro!
That was very rude of me!"
Gyutaro glanced at him gloomily.
"It's fine. You kid sleep pretty quietly. Unlike over there…"
"Snore… snore…"
Inosuke was sprawled out belly-up on Doma's stomach, sleeping soundly.
Doma had one arm wrapped around Inosuke, the other still clutching the corner of Kotoha's sleeve, wearing his trademark foolish grin.
"Wake up, all of you!"
Daki burst in full of energy, followed by a line of followers carrying gift boxes.
"First day of the New Year! Get up and receive your presents!"
Startled awake, Inosuke kicked Doma square in the face.
"So damn noisy! Who's yelling?!"
He wiped the drool from his mouth and looked around at the room full of family and underlings.
His still-groggy mind instantly cleared.
"Oh… New Year, huh."
"Happy New Year, everyone~"
Doma sat up with a footprint on his face, clapped his hands, and said with a smile,
"Since everyone's awake, let's start today's main event!"
"As the head of the household, I've prepared New Year clothes for everyone!
Whether human or demon, everyone deserves a fresh start!"
The followers presented the gift boxes one by one.
"First—Inosuke's!"
Doma handed over the heaviest box.
Inosuke tore it open violently. Inside was a cloak woven with pure gold thread, the collar trimmed with fur.
"You're my child. Of course you have to be dressed nicely.
Do you like it?"
Doma was very pleased with himself—he knew his son's taste perfectly.
Buy the most expensive. Buy the flashiest.
"Ohhh! This is good!"
Inosuke's eyes lit up. He immediately threw it on.
The golden cloak swayed with his movements, and he nodded in satisfaction.
"Hmph. At least you've got good taste."
Then Doma turned to the others.
"These are for Tanjiro-kun, Zenitsu-kun, and Nezuko-chan."
Tanjiro received a high-grade black-and-green patterned haori, made from the finest silk—no cheaper than Inosuke's cloak.
Zenitsu got a dazzling golden haori, also woven with gold thread.
Nezuko received a cherry-blossom-patterned furisode kimono.
The two boys hugged their clothes, moved to tears.
"Thank you, Lord Doma! This is far too precious!"
"And this is for Kotoha-chan."
Doma took out a snow-white kimono, his eyes gentle.
"Kotoha-chan is as pure as snow. This suits you best."
Kotoha blushed as she accepted it.
"Thank you, Lord Cult Leader."
"This one's for Ume."
Daki was given an extraordinarily luxurious gold-thread oiran outfit.
"You're our family's star attraction—of course you should shine the brightest!"
Daki spun around happily.
Then Doma took out a black box and handed it to Gyutaro.
"This is for big brother."
Inside was a well-tailored suit that concealed his gaunt frame.
"You may not care much about appearances, but you're Ume's brother—and one of the family's pillars.
You can't keep dressing so raggedly."
Gyutaro froze, his hands trembling as he held the clothes.
"For… me…?"
"This one's for Kaigaku."
Doma tossed him a Western-style maid outfit.
"Work hard. If you do well, you'll get a new gift next year."
"Th-thank you, Lord Cult Leader…"
Finally—
All eyes turned to Akaza.
Doma took out the last box, smiling meaningfully.
"Lord Akaza, this one's yours."
Akaza frowned and opened it.
In the next second, his face turned pitch-black.
Inside was a martial arts uniform.
"Doma,"
Akaza said, puzzled.
"Why are you giving me clothes? Aren't we of the same generation?"
Doma looked innocent.
"You've been wearing that little vest for centuries.
Now you're Inosuke's Third Uncle—dressing so shabby just embarrasses him.
You look like some poor relative who refuses to leave my house."
Akaza ground his teeth. Seeing the expectant looks all around, he took a deep breath and grabbed the clothes.
"Don't let this happen again."
After the clothes were distributed, Inosuke jumped onto the table and stretched out his hand.
"Alright! Clothes are done—next is New Year's money!"
"I'm a junior! Those three are juniors too!
Come on! Pay up!"
Doma didn't hesitate at all. He pulled out a handful of gold ryō and scattered them.
"Take it and spend it! Daddy's never short on money!"
Kotoha gently handed out the red envelopes she'd prepared in advance.
Daki arrogantly tossed over several sachets stuffed full of gold ryō.
Even Kaigaku was forced by Inosuke to cough up his hard-earned savings.
Finally, it was Akaza's turn.
Akaza crossed his arms and sneered at Inosuke's outstretched hand.
"Money? I don't have any.
Such vulgar things only corrode your fighting spirit."
Inosuke raised an eyebrow.
"Third Uncle, that's poor manners. Even that idiot senior brother gave money!"
Akaza grinned, revealing sharp white fangs.
"I prepared something far more valuable."
He pointed outside.
"In the new year, you'll train Destructive Death with me."
Fierce fighting spirit blazed in Akaza's eyes.
"That's your New Year's money. Not just you—the blond and that hard-headed brat have to train too!"
Dead silence.
Zenitsu rolled his eyes back and nearly fainted.
"T-This is a horror gift! I don't want it!!"
Tanjiro's eyes, however, shone brightly.
"Really? We can receive guidance from Upper Rank Three?
Thank you very much, Mr. Akaza!"
Inosuke's mouth twitched as he looked at Akaza's this is for your own good expression.
"This kind of gift… can it be converted to cash?"
"No,"
Akaza sneered.
...
Infinity Castle
Kibutsuji Muzan was still fiddling with test tubes he couldn't quite figure out.
But he was clearly distracted, irritation etched between his brows.
On the platform below him knelt four trembling figures.
The remaining Lower Moons.
Lower Rank Two — Rokuro
Lower Rank Three — Wakuraba
Lower Rank Four — Mukago
Lower Rank Six — Kamanue
Hantengu was dead.
Enmu was dead.
Rui was dead.
"So quiet,"
Muzan's voice echoed.
"When did my Twelve Kizuki become so… sparse?"
As he looked at the four Lower Moons trembling in fear, another figure involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
Hashibira Inosuke.
That child… didn't tremble before him. He even dared to bargain.
That child—human though he was—possessed a heart and methods more ruthless than any demon.
That child had even proposed such a perfect plan.
More importantly, the moment he was promoted to Upper Rank, he already displayed the bearing of a true powerhouse.
"Too perfect…"
Muzan murmured, obsession flashing in his eyes.
"Intelligent. Brave. Ambitious. Powerful.
Inosuke… that is what a demon should be."
Then he looked again at the trash before him.
Mukago was shaking, her mind full of don't kill me.
Rokuro stared at the floor, eyes flickering as he thought about shifting blame.
Wakuraba was already plotting an escape route.
"Garbage."
Disgust deepened in Muzan's eyes.
"All garbage."
The contrast was too strong.
With Inosuke as a comparison, these Lower Moons who only knew how to coast by made his eyes hurt just looking at them.
Keeping them was an insult to the title of Twelve Kizuki.
"Annoying."
Muzan's voice turned icy.
"Just looking at how pathetic you are makes me angry."
"Only a genius like Inosuke deserves to be one of my Twelve Kizuki.
What use do I have for you wastes of my blood?"
Muzan slowly stood up.
"You are… dismissed."
"No! Lord Muzan!!"
"Please, save us!!"
"I don't want to die!!"
Squish! Squish! Squish!
Screams echoed through the Infinity Castle.
Blood splattered everywhere.
In moments, the remaining four Lower Moons were torn apart by Muzan's own hands.
Standing in the pool of blood, Muzan wiped his hands and curled his lips into a cold smile.
"All cleaned up."
"Now it's time to select again."
"I will create demons… as outstanding as Inosuke."
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