Chapter 72: The New Dominated! 

"Then, can you remove the poison from your body?"

Though Nanashi didn't specify, he was referring to the wisteria flower toxin that had accumulated within Shinobu.

"Yes, it's fine now," she nodded.

"Shinobu…"

Kanae pulled her sister into a hug, her embrace filled with heartache.

She had already learned from Nanashi what Shinobu had endured after her death—how she had put on a mask, turned her body into poison, and dedicated herself entirely to revenge.

All just to avenge her.

"Sister, don't be like this… I'm not a child anymore," Shinobu muttered, her voice carrying a rare hint of embarrassment.

After a moment, her cheeks turned slightly pink as she buried herself in Kanae's arms, acting uncharacteristically coquettish.

Just as this heartfelt moment unfolded, Nanashi's gaze sharpened.

Someone was approaching.

"Tamayo?"

His eyes narrowed slightly.

She shouldn't be out here—she'd be purified if she stepped into Aqua's divine light.

But as he observed her expression, he immediately realized something was wrong.

There was a certain finality in her gaze.

A quiet acceptance of death.

She was ready to die.

"Like hell I'll allow that. Kanae."

Though his words were brief, Kanae, who shared a direct connection with his thoughts, immediately understood.

Releasing Shinobu from her embrace, she turned toward Tamayo and raised her hand.

Her fingers spread open.

"Dominate."

"!!!"

Tamayo's body froze on the spot.

Her eyes widened in shock.

A foreign voice echoed in her mind.

A presence had taken root within her.

At that moment, she gained a master.

Nanashi strode forward, effortlessly picking Tamayo up into his arms and carrying her back into the house.

"W-Why…?" Tamayo murmured, dazed.

She had made peace with her end.

Yet now—

Nanashi ignored her questioning.

Upon entering the room where Kie and Nezuko were waiting, he set her down and looked at her, irritated.

"Why the hell would you think of dying now?"

Tamayo blinked, still trying to process everything.

Nanashi crossed his arms and sighed.

"You're the only one capable of using the Blue Spider Lily to create an elixir that could evolve them into something beyond demons.

They're still unable to survive under the sun.

If you die, who the hell is going to complete that research?"

"…"

Tamayo lay in his arms, staring at him for a long time.

Then—

Her voice, barely above a whisper.

"…What if they already can survive in the sun?"

"…Huh?"

Nanashi froze.

His eyes flickered toward Nezuko and Kie.

The two girls looked at each other for a moment before nodding enthusiastically, their expressions bright with joy.

They had already adapted.

They were free from the demon's curse.

"Ah… this…"

Nanashi's lips twitched.

So he completely misunderstood the situation.

It turns out that Tamayo had already arranged her funeral. For the first time in a long while, he felt lost.

He even noticed that the little demon child who had followed her for years… was gone.

"…"

For a moment, the room was filled with awkward silence.

"Master… can you put me down now?"

Tamayo's soft voice carried a barely perceptible shyness.

Nanashi quickly set her down.

He adjusted his clothes slightly, still lingering with warmth from where she had been resting.

Coughing to hide his own awkwardness, he asked,

"Ahem… so… what now? Do you still want to go through with it?"

Tamayo smiled bitterly.

"How could I, after all this?"

People were strange creatures.

A person who had fully prepared themselves for death could suddenly change their mind the moment they were pulled back.

"Well, now that I have an unreliable master, I suppose I don't want to die anymore."

Nanashi blinked.

"Wait, unreliable?"

Tamayo chuckled softly but didn't answer.

Instead, as she sat there, a strange new feeling settled inside her.

Lying in Nanashi's arms earlier, feeling his warmth and the weight of his concern—

She had never experienced something like that before.

For the first time in centuries, she felt like she was being genuinely cared for.

…Maybe, just maybe, she didn't want to die at all.

Nanashi let out a breath.

If she hadn't changed her mind, he wouldn't have stopped her.

But now that she was his, the idea of losing her was…

Well, he didn't like it.

"Good. Thinking about death all the time is boring."

His lips curled into a smirk.

"Besides, there are a lot of fun things left in this world. And if you're up for it, I can take you to my world someday."

Tamayo's eyes widened slightly.

"…Your world?"

"Yeah." Nanashi nodded. "We came from another world to help Shinobu. We'll be heading back soon."

Tamayo absorbed his words carefully.

So they weren't humans from this world to begin with…

That explained their power.

A new thought surfaced.

Perhaps—just perhaps—

She should take a look at this "master's" world too.

Her gaze subtly shifted toward Nanashi's face.

For the first time in a long time—

She found herself… curious.

Tamayo thought of her husband—the man Muzan had turned into a demon.

The man she was forced to kill with her own hands on the very first day of their marriage.

That moment had etched itself into her soul, a wound buried deep within her heart.

What hurt wasn't losing him, but the fact that she had been the one to end his life.

And if someone were to ask her what she thought of her husband?

She wouldn't know what to say.

They had only met once.

She barely had an impression of him.

The entire situation was so absurd, she sometimes wondered if it had truly happened.

If she didn't talk about it, she could almost convince herself it was just a dream.

Reality… really is ridiculous.

"Is Lord Nanashi leaving soon?"

A cheerful, bright voice called out from the doorway.

Nanashi turned his head in surprise.

It was Mitsuri.

"Kanroji Mitsuri? What are you doing here?" he asked, puzzled.

Mitsuri fidgeted, twisting her hands together nervously.

Finally, she mustered up the courage to ask,

"Did you… help me before?"

Her words cut straight to the point.

She was talking about the battle with Daki and Gyutaro.

Nanashi didn't try to hide it—it wasn't something that needed secrecy.

He simply nodded.

"Thank you so much!"

Mitsuri brightened immediately.

She rushed over to Nanashi and grabbed his hands in gratitude.

But at that moment—

Nanashi's gaze involuntarily drifted downward.

The soft rise and fall of her snow-white chest.

A subtle warmth.

His heart skipped a beat.

For a brief second, he was completely entranced.

"Ah! S-Sorry!"

Realizing what she had done, Mitsuri quickly let go and lowered her head in embarrassment.

Her fingers clutched the fabric of her uniform, twisting anxiously.

"I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… I just forgot my own strength," she murmured, her voice tinged with disappointment.

She assumed she had hurt him.

That, as always, she had been too strong.

Nanashi blinked.

Was this really the same bright and cheerful Mitsuri?

Seeing her disappointment over a misunderstanding, he couldn't help but smile.

"You didn't hurt me at all," he reassured her.

"I was just... distracted by your beauty for a second."

"Eh? EH?!"

Mitsuri's head snapped up.

Her wide green eyes searched his face, full of disbelief.

"You're not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?" she asked hesitantly.

Nanashi smirked.

"If you don't believe me, why don't you try holding my hand again?"

"B-But…" Mitsuri looked conflicted.

She hesitated before whispering, "My muscle density is eight times that of an average person. I might hurt you…"

"Don't worry about it," Nanashi said confidently.

"If anyone gets hurt, it'll be my fault for being weak."

Mitsuri stared at him for a moment—then nodded determinedly.

"O-Okay… but I'll start off gentle!"

She reached out carefully, wrapping her fingers around his hand.

She applied a little pressure.

Then a little more.

Then… more.

"…Huh?"

No matter how much force she used, Nanashi's hand remained completely unaffected.

Still relaxed.

Still unmoved.

"It's… really true?"

Mitsuri's lips parted slightly in awe.

For the first time, she had met someone stronger than herself.

She stared at him.

At his face.

At his calm, confident golden eyes.

At the way he held her hand without flinching.

A soft pink hue dusted her cheeks.

And then—

A sudden, earth-shattering confession.

"Lord Nanashi!" Mitsuri blurted out.

"Can I marry you?!"

"Eh?!"

The first to react were Kie and Nezuko.

Their heads snapped toward Mitsuri, eyes widening in disbelief.

"Why are you suddenly proposing?!"

Even Nanashi's eye twitched.

"…Huh? You sure you didn't say that by accident?"

Mitsuri, determined, nodded rapidly like a chicken pecking at rice.

"Of course I'm sure!"

Her expression was serious.

"I've always been really strong since I was little. Because of that, I was never seen as a proper lady… and I always worried that no man would want me.

I just wanted to have a sweet romance and get married someday, but every guy I met was weaker than me.

They were either afraid of my strength… or just didn't like me for it."

She took a deep breath.

Then looked at Nanashi with determined eyes.

"But you're different! You're stronger than me!"

"I swore to myself that I'd only marry a man who was stronger than me… and you're the first one!"

Mitsuri's eyes sparkled, as if she saw her destined person.