Douma spent an afternoon organizing which of his followers he would be sending back home to his temple with the new disciples. He'd already sent one group and he had eaten a few others so he was lacking in spares. Word had been sent back that the first group was doing well and he couldn't wait to go back and see for himself. But going back would mean leaving Gyutaro and Ume behind and he wasn't sure if that was the best idea. He even briefly considered taking them with him but that was ridiculous.
In the end he decided to leave himself with just four of his followers to tend the house and run errands. Three for the morning and one for the evening. The other half dozen he would send home with the new disciples and a message that he would return soon. This would, unfortunately, mean he had to stop hosting dinners. It wasn't like he needed any of the services that his followers supplied aside from themselves, but it'd look strange to outsiders if he stayed alone.
With a smaller party came smaller quarters. He organized for himself and his followers to move to a slightly smaller, shaded home. As Douma rested in the darkest room of the house that morning, he was told that Gyutaro assisted with the move before he went to work. It was a nice surprise, though he suspected Ume might have snuck a few trinkets with her when he went over his things that night in his new home. He didn't bother to verify it though since he intended to find something to eat that night and he now preferred not to involve himself with the two on the nights he ate.
He was fortunate to find a new face in the crowds at night in the rich district. A woman named Shion. Pregnant, no less. She said she was a maid visiting Yoshiwara with her lord as well. Low ranking and lost. She took one look at his clothes and trusted him immediately to get her home. Douma didn't actually believe her story because he doubted she'd be working as a maid while she was so pregnant. He overlooked it because the idea of eating her was too irresistible.
"Thank you, sir, I don't think I would have been able to find my way out of that crowd without you," she said, flushed. He had subtly guided her to an abandoned food vendor stall at the edge of the rich district so she could rest. She had been wandering around for a while before he found her, and her feet ached.
"It's no problem at all! I just can't believe you'd be left alone in your state," Douma said. He frowned thoughtfully. "Did something happen…?"
"Yes! We had just finished settling in in our house and had gone shopping for essentials."
Douma lifted his hand towards the back of her neck, nodding along.
"Then a monstrous boy came to harass us!" Douma pulled his hand back. "He didn't even seem to care he was so outnumbered! All day he continued to come back and yell at the guards. He was so violent I was sure he would find a way to kill my lord's men! We were fortunate that they are very skilled."
"Oh my! What happened to the boy?"
She frowned. "I'm not sure. As soon as the blood started running the crowd started panicking and I got separated from everyone else. I didn't want to agitate the baby so I rested where I was allowed… He'd been at it almost all afternoon, I wouldn't be surprised if the magistrate arrested him!"
Douma sighed and stood up, extending a hand to help her to her feet. "We should get you home now! Do you remember the name of the house you were staying?"
"I think so…"
Hopefully he would catch her wandering around on her own again. He was able to take her near enough to her home that he dropped her off quite quickly and estimated where exactly she had been when she ran into Gyutaro. After that, he just had to follow the smell of blood that he was able to recognize as Gyutaro's. It still smelled fresh, so the boy had to be alive.
He wasn't at death's door. Gyutaro was with Ume outside of a clinic. Ume was banging on the door with both fists. Gyutaro was leaning against a statue, his back to Douma where he could see strips of blood through his kimono. The evidence of at least twenty lashes. It had not been long enough for the magistrate to have sentenced a flogging, so it must have been that lord or his men who took it upon themselves to inflict the punishment. When Douma finally caught a glimpse of Gyutaro's face, all he could see was calm murderous intent.
"Douma, the stupid doctor isn't letting us in!" Ume shouted, barely glancing at him. She turned back to the door and banged harder. "We have money, moron!"
Well, that wouldn't do!
Douma put his hand on the door and slid it open with ease, causing the doctor who had been holding it shut to be dragged along with it and tumble to the floor.
"Good evening!" Douma greeted cheerily, arms crossed as he leaned over him. He thought he heard Gyutaro let out a low cackle.
"L-Lord Douma!"
"Oh, you know who I am! That's good!" Douma had never met the man personally, but he had sent followers to retrieve medical supplies from him a few times. He must have gotten a physical description of Douma at one point. "I know it's very late, but my friend needs medical treatment!"
"Gyu… Gyutaro…" the doctor said, shaking his head and standing up. "He's sent half of my patients here."
Douma waved a hand dismissively. "That was in the past!"
"This morning-!"
"Which is a form of the past! Let us focus on the now! Gyutaro won't hurt you or any of your patients here tonight! Isn't that right, Gyutaro?"
Gyutaro didn't answer right away. He still looked quite murderous.
"Gyutarooo," Douma called. "Please tell him you won't harm the patients!"
"…Fine."
The doctor looked reluctant, so Douma softened his voice. "Please? He has a little sister to take care of."
Ume's eyes were wet with tears as though she hadn't been cursing the doctor when she was banging on the door a moment ago. She was hugging Gyutaro's arm gently, looking the part of helpless child. The doctor made a choked sound in his throat and stepped aside, allowing Douma to usher the children inside.
The clinic was divided into two sections, one for men who looked quite beat up and bloody and the other with pretty but sickly-looking women. Even the healthy ones seemed to have the stench of sickness. Douma clicked his tongue and gave them pitying looks as they lowered their heads to avoid meeting his eyes. Douma had himself avoid looking at the bloody men. He had gone out tonight fully intending to eat so their blood combined with Gyutaro's was making him even hungrier than usual.
He decided to watch Gyutaro instead. The idea of not eating him was firmly set in his mind so it was a little easier. The doctor was cleaning his wounds and rubbing something on them. With no numbing agent, if Douma had to guess by Gyutaro's expression. Most likely the doctor wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
Poor service, in Douma's opinion.
"Were you collecting from them, Gyutaro?" Douma asked after they were dismissed with a bill. Douma would have to send one of his followers over in the morning to pay.
"Wouldn't have looked their way if I wasn't," Gyutaro said. "All of them owe something. Damn boss didn't tell me they'd all be together."
"A debt already? They have only just arrived!" Douma said with a laugh.
Gyutaro head jerked up. "What? No, the boss said they'd been here for weeks."
Douma knew that Shion had not been lying about that part and he's sure he would have noticed a lord around if they'd been here for weeks. Gyutaro had been lied to. Douma had almost forgotten how unliked Gyutaro was, even by the man who employed him. It seemed in the past timeline that man hadn't had the chance to try and get rid of him.
Douma… didn't think that was fair. Gyutaro worked hard and did his job! That stupid man should be grateful to have him. He was violent, yes, but it wasn't like he'd chop off both hands that fed him. He only tried to kill Douma twice and Douma couldn't die by normal human hands so it didn't even count. Honestly, now Douma could understand why Gyutaro insisted on taking from others before they took from him.
"I'm going to kill him," Gyutaro said softly. His own realization of his boss's deception had finally sunk in. His voice got a little louder. "I'm going to kill him."
There was a prickly feeling on the back of Douma's neck. At first, he thought it was due to a demon slayer around but when he looked, all he saw were regular humans and sensed no killing intent. Barely any of them were looking at him. Most were staring at Gyutaro and whispering.
He saw smiles.
He heard laughter.
Gyutaro could hear it too. His fists clenched tightly around his kimono. Douma idly wondered what happened to his sickle. It wouldn't do for an outburst in the middle of the street now. Ume seemed to agree and had gently begun to tug Gyutaro into an alleyway, just barely out of sight from the public.
"Hey, now. Hey," Douma said, lightly placing a hand on Gyutaro's head. The boy was trembling in his fury but he still allowed the contact. He was kneading his bloodied kimono in his hands. Douma would buy him a new one. "Recover, Gyutaro! You can deal with them later. You're hurt. You need to heal."
"Can't you make him heal faster?" Ume asked. Was she worried he'd try and kill his boss in this state?
Douma bit his lip with a fang. "Ah, I said before it's only good for very small injuries but…" Perhaps it could provide some pain relief? "May I, Gyutaro?"
Gyutaro nodded silently.
Douma lowered his palms onto the bruises and scrapes first since he knew he could heal those. He paused over the lashes before using his Blood Demon Art on them as well. It didn't seemed to be doing anything at all physically.
"Does that help?" Douma asked after a few minutes, just in case.
Gyutaro grunted and winced as he rolled his shoulders. "A little."
How disappointing. He would have to work on that.
"I wish I could do more," Douma said honestly. "Come on, I'll walk you home."
Douma might begin to believe in gods because they sure as hell seemed eager to screw the siblings over.
When they arrived at Gyutaro and Ume's home, the door was open and their meager belongings, most of which had been gifted by Douma, were gone. Ume had let out a furious scream and Gyutaro grabbed their discarded tea kettle and threw it against the wall, stumbling and falling to the ground from the pain immediately afterwards. He swore loudly and banged his fist onto the wooden floor, cracking it.
Someone must have expected the siblings not to return home. Douma didn't like the idea of them staying there for the night at all. They were only human.
"You two are coming home with me!" Douma said.
Gyutaro jerked back. "What? No-"
"Just for tonight!" Douma assured. "Your home is unsafe. Take a night to rest and decide what to do."
"Gyutaro, let's do it," Ume said, wiping at her frustrated tears with the back of her hand. "It's cleaner. I don't want you to get sick."
"We leave first thing in the morning," Gyutaro grumbled.
"After breakfast," Douma added.
Gyutaro glared at him but didn't refuse.
Morning came and Douma instructed his followers to give the siblings breakfast and treat Gyutaro's wounds. Unfortunately, he could not leave his room to see them off. The new house was shaded most of the time, but early mornings had the light hitting it in what he was sure was a beautiful, but deadly, angle. He trusted his followers to get the job done though and was pleased that one of them, Tsuyu, had even decided to escort the siblings home as she went to pay the doctor. If anything, she would keep Gyutaro from running off to hunt his boss and hurt himself for a little while.
Douma had faith in their competence, so it was unusual when later that afternoon he caught the faint scent of blood. It was followed by a thump and a cut off cry.
He stood from his cushions and pushed his curtains aside to leave his room, only to draw back immediately from the door and the sliver of sunlight peeking through. The clothed partitions usually used to block the papered windows outside of his room were not out. That was odd. He stepped away from the sunlight and slid the door open a little bit more to smell the blood, eyes locked on the widened beam of light.
It was the blood of his followers. He knew the scents of them well, living with them for so long. This was no accident in the kitchen or garden. This was a lot of blood. All of them.
Really odd.
Douma continued to stare at the beam.
He was more curious than anything. Very, very curious of what was going on. He wanted to see. He didn't think he'd ever been this curious before.
He couldn't smell Tsuyu's blood. She must still be out.
Douma stepped away from the door and closer to the wall.
An unfamiliar man burst in, wielding a plain sword. Douma shut the door and turned to him, smiling.
"Good afternoon! Who are you?" The blade made contact with his shoulder and snapped. "I'm Douma! I don't think we've met!"
He grabbed the man by the wrist before he could back away.
"How did you get in here with a sword? Weapons are strictly prohibited! They didn't tell you at the door?" Douma leaned over him, staring into his eyes curiously. He tightened his grip. Bones creaked. "Someone should have been there. I don't recall them having too many errands to run today! But then, they do keep themselves busy! So busy, all the time!" He laughed good naturedly and twisted his wrist. "Perhaps they didn't recognize it as a weapon! None of them are fighters, you know."
"D-Demon-!"
He crushed the man's wrist. The man's howl of pain not nearly loud enough in his opinion. "Demon! What do you know of demons? You, who do not even wield the proper blade? What could you hope to do against a demon?" Douma tilted his head. "Is that why you entered my home? Bloodied my walls? Are you hunting demons?"
"No! No, I was looking for a boy-"
Douma ripped his arm off. The man crumbled and curled on the floor, screaming louder. "Yet you killed the woman. A murderer and a liar, oh, this won't do! This won't do at all. How can you hope to enter heaven when you're so wicked?"
The man couldn't answer. He was trembling too hard. Blubbering.
Douma sighed and looked towards his door. He'd have to wait at least another hour before he could leave the room safely. If anyone else was alive, they would have come when they heard the man's scream. Even so, he found himself calling out to them.
"Kunio? Azai? Yuko?"
No responses. Dead or dying, most likely. He doubted it was peaceful.
Douma looked back at the man who was slowly dying and sat down next to him. As much as he didn't want to, he had time to kill and an empty stomach. He took a bite out of the severed arm, smile widening at the man's horrified look. As he continued to eat, he used a claw to slowly slice the man's torso so he could reach his liver, ignoring his gurgles and pleas. They stopped soon afterwards as the man succumbed to the blood loss.
Eating allowed the time to fly by and he let his mind wander. What grievance did that man have with him? He had burst in ready to kill. Calling Douma a demon yet unaware of what exactly that meant. He might've just been referring to Douma's appearance, but it was oddly specific. Had he thought his poor followers were also demons? It didn't make sense and Douma hated for his thoughts to linger on something so unpleasant for too long.
He'd rather focus on other things like-
Like…
What a disgusting smell.
A familiar smell, now that he thought about it. He licked at some of the blood coating his fingers as he thought. There was smoke. Was there a fire? It wasn't anywhere near him but it must be a big one.
The hour had passed so he was able to leave the room and into the main living area of the house. As suspected, Kunio, Azai and Yuko were dead. He would make sure to eat them. They had not deserved to die by some stranger's blade.
He could smell the disgusting scent a little better from the living area. It was tricky to identify but…
Thoughts of eating his follower's remains vanished. He recognized that scent.
Burned meat.
Human.
It was still daylight.
