The wind and snow gradually died down.
On the way back to the Eternal Paradise Faith, the silence was suffocating.
Kotoha hugged herself tightly, her body rigid yet trembling uncontrollably.
She trailed close behind Douma.
Her heart hammered with every step, as if she were marching straight toward death.
She had just seen this man devour people, watched him reveal his true demonic nature, and then followed him anyway.
Yet now he was casually leading them home?
"Hey, Kotoha-chan."
Douma, walking ahead, suddenly stopped and turned.
The bloodstains on his face had been wiped away, and in his rainbow-colored, crystalline eyes, a look that could almost pass for genuine grievance appeared.
"I'm really sad. In this entire Paradise Faith, you're the one I like the most."
Kotoha's pupils shook. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Douma stepped closer, extending a cold, slender finger to gently brush her disheveled hair aside. His touch was impossibly soft.
"Only you, Kotoha-chan, are different. Your singing is so beautiful, and you're so pure—your mind is empty, free of any malice.
Being with you makes me feel so relaxed.
I really planned to let you live out your natural life.
Maybe I truly do like you..."
His eyes suddenly darkened. The smile lingered on his lips, but the air around them plunged to freezing.
"But why did you see what you weren't supposed to? And why run away?
I let you see it on purpose!
Why can't you accept all of me?
Kotoha, who saw the real me but couldn't accept it...
I can't accept that.
You have to belong to me forever.
Even if it means merging with me... even if you can never sing again..."
To him—who hadn't yet experienced her death—he didn't grasp true love, only possession.
"Pfft!"
Inosuke, nestled in Douma's arms, suddenly reached out and swatted Douma's hand away from Kotoha's hair.
Like a little cub guarding its treasure, he was protecting what was his.
Douma paused, then looked down at Inosuke.
The baby stared back with big, round eyes, blowing a bubble of spit, then pressed his warm cheek against Douma's icy hand. His tiny hands rubbed frantically, trying to warm the demon's fingers.
"Da... dad... cold..."
Inosuke mumbled incoherently.
Douma's frost-covered fingertips trembled slightly.
He glanced at Inosuke diligently warming his hand, then at Kotoha—still terrified, yet fiercely protective of her child.
An unfamiliar script began forming in his empty mind.
Before, it had been like keeping a canary. Now... it felt like a family of three?
"Oh dear!"
"Is this child worried my hands are cold?"
He clasped Inosuke's small hand in return, eyes curving into a delighted smile.
"Kotoha-chan, look. How sensible he is."
Tears welled in Kotoha's eyes. She nodded frantically, barely comprehending the moment.
"Yes... yes... Inosuke... he really likes the Cult Leader.
Let's... raise him together..."
"In that case..."
Douma seemed to reach a decision.
He leaned in and placed a gentle, chilling kiss on Kotoha's forehead.
"Then I'll forgive you this once. Forget what you saw.
As long as you keep singing obediently and help raise our wonderful son, we can still live happily together."
Half an hour later.
Eternal Paradise Faith, Inner Hall.
When Douma returned with Kotoha and Inosuke, the followers weren't overly surprised—the Cult Leader often brought back pitiful souls.
But this time, his demeanor was entirely different.
"Everyone, listen."
Douma stood on the elevated platform, elegantly cradling Inosuke. He even wrapped the baby in his cloak, looking every inch the doting father.
Kotoha sat on a cushioned seat beside him, her position elevated above all other members.
"This is Lady Kotoha. Her singing soothes the soul, and she is the most precious Saintess of our Faith."
Douma's voice rang through the grand hall, sacred and solemn.
"And this child!"
He lifted Inosuke high, facing the kneeling believers.
Inosuke played along perfectly. He knew this wasn't just about humoring Douma—it was about securing his and his mother's place in this demonic lair.
So he faced the crowd without hesitation, waving his chubby hands and giggling innocently. In the eerie atmosphere of the Paradise Faith, his pure light shone like a holy beacon.
"This child shares a deep karmic bond with me."
Douma gazed at Inosuke's lively face, and before the followers, a flicker of genuine affection appeared in his eyes.
It was as if he were looking at his own flesh and blood.
"He will grow up in the Eternal Paradise Faith as my adopted son. His name is Inosuke. From now on, seeing him is the same as seeing me."
The believers below bowed in awe and reverence: "Greetings, Young Lord! Praise the Cult Leader's benevolence!"
Amid the thunderous chants of worship, Inosuke nestled in Douma's cold embrace. He glanced at his mother—still shaken but unharmed—and let out a long, relieved sigh in his heart.
**[Ding! God-Level Villain Cultivation System activated!]**
**[Current Situation: Young Lord's First Appearance]**
**[Reward: Absolute Pitch (enhanced by mother's genetics; even if she sings off-key, Douma will love to hear it)]**
The system notification chimed softly, granting him the gift of perfect pitch.
Douma lowered his head, poked Inosuke's cheek with a finger, and chuckled quietly: "Little Inosuke, from now on, you and Mama have to keep Papa happy, okay?"
Inosuke grabbed the finger, flashing an innocent smile.
*Of course I'll keep you happy.*