Crossover: The Problematic Deity of Arcadia

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The soft strumming of a biwa echoed through the air.

One by one, shadowy figures appeared throughout the endless corridors of the Infinite Castle.

Then—clang!—a clear, metallic note rang out.

Eleven figures now stood on a raised platform.

Just ahead of them, at the end of the platform, sat a silver-haired, two-horned demon god atop a throne. He held a cup of sake, his golden eyes cold and quiet as they swept across the gathered group.

The weight of his gaze made it feel as if he looked down on them from a divine height—like a god judging mortals.

His sheer presence alone made the demons feel as though their lives hung by a thread, utterly at his mercy.

And then, in that crushing silence, one of the figures abruptly dropped to their knees with a loud thud.

The others were stunned for a moment—then quickly understood. They all dropped to their knees in unison.

There was no doubt about it.

The only one who could make all twelve members of the Upper and Lower Kizuki gather like this… was the Demon King himself—Kibutsuji Muzan.

No one questioned why Muzan looked different. His appearance had clearly changed, but in a moment like this, who dared to speak up?

They were too afraid that Muzan's temper would flare and he'd lash out.

Only one among them remained standing—Kokushibo, Upper Kizuki One.

Clad in a kimono, his face adorned with six eyes, the stoic swordsman simply gave Muzan a respectful bow.

The rest didn't dare try their luck.

Just then, one of the demons broke the silence with a sycophantic shout:

"Please forgive us for not recognizing you immediately, Lord Muzan!"

The rest of the Lower Kizuki cursed in their hearts: Shut up.

Meanwhile, Ryo calmly raised his gaze and looked over the assembled group.

Kokushibo stood tall with his black hair and six glowing pupils.

Upper Kizuki Two, Doma, wore a deep red kimono. His platinum blond hair and flippant smile made him look like he wasn't taking any of this seriously.

Akaza, Upper Kizuki Three, had short pink hair and a body painted with blue markings.

Hantengu, the ancient-looking Upper Kizuki Four, had a grotesque face with feet growing from the top of his head.

Gyokko, the twisted Upper Kizuki Five, had only a head, his lower body a bizarre ceramic pot. His eyes and mouth were placed in reverse.

Then came Upper Kizuki Six, Daki—elegant, beautiful, and the only woman among them.

Ryo's gaze lingered briefly on the six Upper Kizuki.

As for the Lower Kizuki?

He didn't even glance at them.

A heavy silence filled the air.

The Upper Kizuki were the only ones brave enough to raise their heads. The five remaining Lower Kizuki were trembling, fully prostrated on the floor, too afraid to move.

Then they realized something.

There were only five Lower Kizuki present. One was missing.

Still, no one dared to speak—except Kokushibo.

His six eyes scanned the room before he said calmly, "A full gathering of the Twelve Kizuki? How unexpected."

Unexpected indeed. Muzan usually avoided bringing them all together, especially the Upper Kizuki. His mistrust of them was well-known—he rarely allowed face-to-face meetings.

In fact, this might've been the first time the entire group had gathered in one place.

Kokushibo added, "Lord Muzan… it seems one of the Lower Kizuki is missing?"

Ryo downed his cup of sake and set it on the low table in front of him.

That's when the rest of them noticed something even more shocking.

A beautiful woman in a Demon Slayer Corps uniform knelt beside Ryo—Kanae kocho, smiling as she poured him another cup of warm sake.

Only then did the Upper Kizuki register her presence.

"Ohh~ such a lovely young lady! And a Demon Slayer too, no less. Lord Muzan, do you have a taste for this kind of woman?" Doma asked with a teasing grin.

Squelch—!!

Doma stared, stunned, at the stump where his right arm used to be. Clutching it, he screamed in agony:

"M-My hand! My hand—aaaaagh!!"

"!!"

The other five Upper Kizuki immediately averted their eyes, not daring to look at Kanae again. Doma's agonized wailing chilled them to the bone.

Kokushibo's six eyes darted in every direction, scanning rapidly.

"What was that just now? I didn't see a thing. Was it a blade? Some other form of attack?"

Akaza's eyes were wide with disbelief. "I didn't see anything at all."

Hantengu and Gyokko went dead silent, playing possum—afraid even to breathe too loudly.

Daki peeked nervously at Ryo and Kanae, comforted by the fact that she was female. "Surely I won't be punished like Doma… right?"

Ryo took a slow sip of sake from the cup Kanae had just filled, then glanced lazily at Doma.

"Don't look at things you shouldn't. Got it?"

"Y-Yes! I understand, Lord Muzan!" Doma cried, his voice trembling from the soul-crushing pain. Tears and snot streamed down his face.

Everyone watching came to the same silent conclusion:

"Yup, this is definitely Lord Muzan. The look might've changed, but that sadistic vibe? Still the same."

Ryo didn't bother responding to their expressions. He casually waved his hand, healing Doma's wound—but left him one arm short, earning him a new nickname: "The One-Armed Upper Kizuki."

He set down his cup again, letting Kanae refill it, and spoke with a hint of amusement:

"Lower Kizuki Five—Rui—is dead. If I remember right, in the past ten years, close to ten Lower Kizuki have been killed by the Demon Slayers."

At those words, one of the Lower Kizuki immediately started kowtowing in a panic.

"We're truly sorry, Lord Muzan!!"

"No need to apologize," Ryo replied with a raised brow. "It's not exactly your fault."

He paused for a moment, looking mildly puzzled.

"I'm just wondering… is there any point in keeping the Lower Kizuki around anymore?"

Those words sent the five Lower Kizuki into full-on panic.

He's downsizing?!

When a human company downsizes, people just lose their jobs.

When demons get "downsized," they lose their lives.

One of the Lower Kizuki, pale with fear, stammered:

"Please forgive me, Lord Muzan! Just give me three days—three days! I swear I'll take down one of the Demon Slayer Hashira! Just a little time, please!"

Ryo raised an eyebrow.

The Twelve Kizuki clearly saw him smirk as he suddenly wrapped his arm around Kanae's waist.

His tone was flippant, almost mocking.

"Oh? When you say 'Hashira'… you mean her?"

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