Yoshiwara—a name forever tinged with mystery and allure in Japan's culture.
Its streets brimmed with the charm of history.
At dawn, cherry trees lining the road were not yet fully awake. A breeze rustled the branches, sending petals drifting down onto the flagstones, like fragments of dreams from the night before.
The street was quiet, the nighttime bustle gone. Only the faint lights of an early tea house remained, smoke and mist mingling like a passage to another world.
Paper lanterns before the tea house swayed in the breeze, whispering Yoshiwara's tales.
The distant mountains slowly became clear, and the rising sun cast warm light on the street, illuminating the face of a man sitting outside the tea house.
He drank fresh tea in the sunlight, exhaling a white dragon of breath to drive away the morning chill.
"You're up early, young man. Rare to see a guest here at this hour," the tea house owner said while tidying up.
"I just arrived and wanted to see Yoshiwara's famed sights," Gusion replied with a smile. "Which shop here is the best?"
Gusion wasn't sure if Upper Six was still in Yoshiwara, so he tried sounding out the local boss.
"Haha, young master, judging by your clothes, you must be from a wealthy family. I'll recommend the best—Kyogoku House, home to the top courtesan, Warabihime."
Gusion smiled—so the Upper Six hadn't moved, or even changed shops.
But perhaps he shouldn't blame them—while Muzan's camp was strong, it had a fatal flaw: Muzan himself. He never listened to advice, was mercurial, and needed a lot of flattery to persuade.
The Upper Moons were all eccentric; convincing them to move was tough, and they didn't want to arouse Muzan's suspicion. Gathering their forces wasn't easy, especially in just a few days. Explorers who got demon blood needed results to gain Muzan's respect.
"Good suggestion," Gusion said, tossing the boss a gold bean—a currency exchanged in the End Space, cheap and easy for world use.
In this era, Japan used the yen, with a yen worth about 1.5g of gold. Gold was rare, but big spenders in Yoshiwara weren't uncommon, so using gold didn't seem strange—just generous.
"Thank you, sir!" the boss called after him, beaming.
Gusion didn't look back, only waving and saying, "If you don't want to die, get out of Yoshiwara."
Yoshiwara was far from Fujikasane Mountain, and with only his legs, he'd traveled all night to arrive.
He didn't have the habit of waiting for nightfall to fight at his enemy's peak—time was too short, and he was already outnumbered.
He approached Kyogoku House, grabbed the locked door, and forced it open.
The receptionist, who'd been napping at the front desk, looked up sleepily. "Guest… we're not open yet…"
Gusion sniffed the air—he didn't have Tanjiro's nose, but his senses were sharp. He could smell the blood hidden here.
So the boss hadn't lied—Warabihime was indeed at Kyogoku House. Gusion was pleased.
Loot box, here I come.
"Guest, it's not business hours yet—why not come back tonight?" the receptionist asked as Gusion walked in, surprised at such an early customer.
Their courtesans had been busy all night and were still sleeping; who'd come so early?
But this black-clothed young man was handsome, and the girls would probably like him…
Gusion walked toward the stairs. As the receptionist approached, he suddenly reached out, grabbing her collar and, with a tug, exposed a large expanse of pale skin.
"Guest, no need to be so hasty. Should I bring out some girls for you to choose from?" she said, calm despite the situation—used to such things in her line of work. Besides, the customer was handsome.
But Gusion's expression was serious. Instead of responding, he yanked her kimono off completely.
"Someone's been coached."
The receptionist's smooth, porcelain skin was suddenly exposed to the cool air, her pert breasts bouncing slightly from the forceful removal of her garment. Her toned stomach tensed as she instinctively tried to cover herself, her long legs pressing together as she shifted her weight nervously.
He tossed the bundle of clothes toward the door, and as it neared the sunlight, it suddenly came alive. The obi acted as hands and feet, grabbing the doorframe and rebounding into the shadows.
The receptionist, now covering her chest and lower body with her slender arms and hands, was about to protest, but seeing the bizarre, terrifying scene, her annoyance turned into a shriek that pierced the dawn.
The animate kimono stood in a mantis-like pose, facing off against Gusion. He ignored it.
From upstairs came footsteps, and soon a courtesan in white appeared, her deep purple hair in a ponytail, a beauty mark beneath her eye.
She saw the scene, looked surprised, then focused on Gusion with urgency. "Sir, what are you doing? It's not business hours yet—causing trouble here isn't wise. I suggest you leave quickly. Our boss isn't someone to cross."
Her words sounded like a threat but were actually a warning. She ignored the animate kimono, treating Gusion as the troublemaker.
Gusion looked at her in surprise—this must be Hinatsuru, one of Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui's wives, undercover at Kyogoku House. He hadn't expected her to arrive so early.
Hinatsuru was still alive—Muzan's explorers hadn't killed her yet. Perhaps they were trying to lure bigger prey.
She frantically signaled Gusion to run—if he got to the street, he'd be safe in daylight.
She'd never met Gusion before, but seeing the black haori over a Demon Slayer uniform, she knew he was a member.
If she didn't know him, he couldn't be a Hashira or Tsuguko—so he must be a regular or new member. This was extremely dangerous for him.
She'd sensed the animate kimono's powerful Blood Demon Art—this was no Lower Moon!
"Causing trouble?" Gusion smiled. "You could say that. I'm here to see the real boss of this place."
"Well, you do know your stuff," came a lazy voice from the stairs.
"Too bad," the speaker said, "you came alone."
PS: There might no seggs in this book but I will add ecchi scene as much as possible.