Gyokko was visibly unsettled.
Kokushibo stood calmly opposite him, casually examining one of Gyokko's prized pottery pieces as if it were nothing more than a decorative trinket.
"…My lord," Gyokko said carefully, forcing a smile, "perhaps you could… handle that vessel more gently?"
His voice was polite, but his entire body was tense.
Kokushibo tilted the pot slightly, observing its craftsmanship with his six eyes.
"So, Gyokko… how is the assignment progressing?"
The question alone made Gyokko's expression twitch.
Progress?
What progress?
The target had not been properly turned into a demon, nor fully controlled everything was still unstable.
Gyokko forced a laugh.
"Lord Kokushibo… the situation is a bit complicated…"
He hesitated, unable to directly admit failure.
Kokushibo did not press further.
"Then forget it. I will not make things difficult for you."
Without warning, he casually tossed the pot upward.
"Return this to me later."
In an instant, Nakime's Biwa resonated, and Kokushibo vanished from the room.
Gyokko lunged forward in panic and caught the pot mid-air just before it struck the ground.
"…Safe…"
He exhaled in relief.
Then
A voice echoed faintly through the empty hall.
"Your pottery is asymmetrical."
A beat of silence.
Gyokko froze.
Then his aura exploded outward in rage.
The room shattered under his uncontrolled anger, fragments of art scattering everywhere.
But even so, he stopped himself from going further.
This was the Infinity Castle.
He could not act freely here.
Breathing heavily, Gyokko retreated to another room, suppressing his fury as dawn approached.
Back within the Infinity Castle, Kokushibo reappeared in another section of the structure.
Nakime was present nearby, focused on her biwa, while the castle shifted and reformed around her.
Kokushibo's arrival redirected him into one of the lower chambers.
Inside, Kyōga absorbed in writing continued scribbling intensely, as though possessed by inspiration.
The sound of pen scratching paper filled the room without pause.
Nearby, Nakime quietly observed, almost as if reading along despite her silence.
Rui was also present, sitting on the floor and carefully reviewing scattered manuscripts.
His expression was unusually serious for a child-like demon.
Kokushibo narrowed his eyes.
"…What is this?"
He stepped forward and grabbed Rui lightly by the ear, lifting him slightly off the ground.
"Rui is still young. Why are you exposing him to this material?"
Kyōga and Nakime looked at him without explanation.
Their silence conveyed everything.
Rui spoke softly, correcting him with unsettling honesty.
"Lord Kokushibo… I am fifty-four years old…"
A pause.
Kokushibo blinked.
"…I see."
He slowly lowered him.
"…A very honest child."
He then turned toward Kyōga.
"This kind of writing will never become mainstream."
Kyōga immediately shook his head.
"No, Lord Kokushibo. I've realized something important."
Kokushibo raised a brow.
"Oh?"
Kyōga leaned forward with intense conviction.
"Two-male-protagonist narratives have limits. Action eventually becomes repetitive. We need new structures."
He placed a manuscript into Kokushibo's hands.
Kokushibo opened it.
Title: "The Blooming House of Home The Cunning Elder Sister and the Lazy Younger One"
Chapter 1: Morning Training
A quiet scene unfolded between two characters in a domestic setting, filled with exaggerated emotional tension and ambiguous dialogue.
Kokushibo read silently.
Then paused.
"…What is this?"
Behind him, Nakime tilted her head expectantly.
Kyōga looked proud.
Kokushibo slowly closed the manuscript.
"…Do as you like."
At this point, he had given up.
Elsewhere in the Infinity Castle, Muzan Kibutsuji was seated in front of a mirror.
However, this time, he was not suppressing his appearance.
He was openly experimenting with different forms, adjusting his expression and attire with casual interest.
A thousand years of existence had eventually led him here.
"Lord Muzan," Kokushibo said, stepping beside him and naturally placing an arm around his shoulder due to their height difference.
Muzan glanced at him, slightly uneasy but not resisting.
"I will accept eliminating the Monjushiro anomaly," Muzan said. "But deploying all Twelve Kizuki at once is excessive."
"Would it not be better to send them in pairs?"
Kokushibo exhaled softly.
That level of caution was precisely why progress was slow.
"You underestimate the threat," Kokushibo replied calmly. "Monjushiro-type entities are capable of adapting. Even Nichirin Blades are not guaranteed to stop them."
Muzan narrowed his eyes.
"That is precisely why we must not risk the Twelve Kizuki unnecessarily."
Kokushibo leaned slightly closer.
"If the Demon Slayer Corps learns you are actively seeking the Blue Spider Lily…"
Muzan's expression tightened.
Kokushibo continued smoothly.
"…and if Nakime hears criticism of Kyōga's writing again…"
A pause.
Muzan exhaled slowly.
"…What exactly do you want?"
Kokushibo smiled faintly.
"Total deployment."
Muzan's patience snapped.
"Are you insane?!"
However, Kokushibo did not back down.
"Or would you prefer I mention the Infinity Castle logs Nakime has been keeping?"
Silence.
Muzan froze.
Then slowly relaxed his expression.
"…Let's discuss this properly."
Kokushibo nodded once.
"Good."
The negotiation continued neither side willing to yield, both fully aware that the outcome would decide the next large-scale movement of the Demon King's forces.
Advanced chapters are Available on Patreon!
We are currently at Chapter 119 on Patreon!
Join now:
Patreon.com/HACKDWORLD