"Hey! Did you hear? Some mysterious rich guy bought Tokihei House in the west end of the red-light district and even paid the ransom for Koinatsu, the courtesan of Tokiwaya House!"
"Huh? Really? Tokihei House? Tokiwaya House? What's the connection between those two?"
"I don't know, but this mysterious tycoon seems quite willing to spend. Look, the newspapers are suddenly flooded with propaganda about some 'nation's top courtesan.' It all seems like this wealthy man is building momentum for Koinatsu the courtesan."
"Let me see. Tsk, you're right. What's this about a farewell performance and a grand courtesan contest? Is this guy trying to flaunt that he's obtained Koinatsu?"
"I've seen Koinatsu the courtesan before—she's truly beautiful."
Morning in the Yoshiwara red-light district, which should have been sinking into silence after another night of revelry, was instead set ablaze by unexpected news.
An utterly unremarkable little brothel had boldly announced they'd purchased Koinatsu the courtesan and would host the most extravagant courtesan contest the red-light district had ever seen.
This news thoroughly shocked the entire district.
Instantly, countless clients and madams or geishas from other brothels began inquiring about the origins of this Tokihei establishment.
The answer they received was that it was just an ordinary, unremarkable, nearly bankrupt lower-tier brothel.
Thus, it wasn't hard to guess that a wealthy backer stood behind Tokihei.
What stunned people was that, according to various leaked rumors, this mysterious tycoon had not only spent over a million yen to acquire Koinatsu but was now preparing to spend another million on the grand courtesan contest.
He'd even invited nearly every brothel in the district to participate.
What was this? A show of wealth?
For a time, the entire red-light district buzzed with speculation.
....
Meanwhile, at Kyogokuya in the western part of Yoshiwara—home to another famous courtesan, Warabihime—they too received an invitation from Tokihei.
The madam of Kyogokuya, a rather ordinary-looking woman, frowned as she hurried anxiously down the long corridor.
Preoccupied, she paid little attention to her surroundings.
Suddenly—
Thud!
"Oof!"
A pained cry rang out.
Rubbing her stomach, the madam staggered back, only managing to get a clear look at the person before her after a moment.
"Zenko? What are you doing here?" the madam asked through gritted teeth.
The "girl" before her—wearing a yellow kimono, her hair tied in two buns, her makeup thick and gaudy—was none other than Zenko, whom they'd purchased from a strikingly handsome man just two days prior.
But what surprised the madam was that "Zenko" seemed extremely flustered, her breathing ragged, her makeup slightly smeared by sweat, as if she'd been frightened by something.
"Zenko, what's—" The madam was about to press further when a sudden chill ran down her spine, as if she'd been plunged into an icy abyss, the sensation of being watched by a venomous snake creeping over her.
"Madam, step aside. I need to ask this child why she barged into my room uninvited."
The icy voice instantly clarified who was speaking.
A bead of cold sweat, barely noticeable, formed on the madam's forehead.
Turning around, she saw her—resplendent in an elegant maple-patterned kimono, her face exquisitely beautiful yet frozen in a gaze cold enough to kill. It was none other than Kyogokuya's prized jewel: Warabihime the courtesan.
"W-Warabihime..." The madam's voice trembled slightly with tension.
Behind the Madam, Zenko—or rather, Zenitsu—was drenched in cold sweat.
He didn't even dare to turn around, his breathing labored, his eyes filled with terror.
That woman!
That beautiful woman!
She's definitely a Demon!
Absolutely!
Damn it!
That aura is terrifying!
Even if it was just for a few seconds, it was still horrifying!!
Zenitsu screamed internally, but he didn't dare show even a hint of his fear outwardly.
"Hey, kid! Come here!" Warabihime suddenly tilted her head, her delicate brows furrowing as an unmistakable look of impatience crossed her face.
"Warabihime! Wait, I have something very important to tell you—Tokihei House has bought Koinatsu's freedom! Tonight, they're holding a grand courtesan competition, and after the winner is crowned as the most beautiful courtesan, Koinatsu will leave Tokyo tomorrow. They've invited us too, Warabihime, you—" The Madam spoke nervously, pulling an invitation from her sleeve and handing it to Warabihime.
"Oh?" Warabihime's expression softened slightly as she took the invitation.
After a brief glance, she let out a clear, disdainful "Hmph!" through her delicate nose.
That single "Hmph!" made both the Madam and Zenitsu, who was pretending to be dead, tense up instinctively.
"Tch. Boring fools." Warabihime smirked dismissively after reading the invitation, tossing it aside carelessly before turning to leave.
The Madam hesitated before speaking up.
"So, Warabihime… will you be attending?"
There was no response.
Warabihime's figure soon vanished down the hallway.
Both the Madam and Zenitsu let out a sigh of relief.
Only then did the Madam finally have a chance to speak to Zenitsu properly.
"Zenko, from now on, try to stay away from Warabihime. She… well, she has a temper," the Madam said helplessly.
She could only hope Warabihime had no interest in the courtesan competition—otherwise, who knew what might happen?
The longer she spent around Warabihime, the more unease settled in the Madam's heart.
"Understood, Madam!" Zenko replied sweetly.
But in truth, if he could, Zenitsu would have bolted out of there already.
Kyogokuya House really has a Demon! And a ridiculously beautiful one at that!
****
In a dimly lit room.
The stunningly beautiful courtesan Warabihime curled her lips, revealing a row of neat yet chillingly white teeth.
She chuckled coldly to herself.
'You little brat, did you really think I wouldn't notice?'
'You fools from the Demon Slayer Corps—do you take me for an idiot?'
'But no need to rush. One worthless Demon Slayer isn't enough.'
'I'll wait for the right prey… Hehe~'
****
Night fell swiftly.
In Yoshiwara's red-light district, where rumors spread like wildfire, nearly all the guests and even some renowned geisha flocked toward Tokihei House in the west.
It was unavoidable—the hype was too big.
Whether it was the newspapers boasting about the "Number One Courtesan Koinatsu" or the grand competition with a prize pool nearing a million yen, it was more than enough to excite the patrons of the district.
For a time, the western half of Yoshiwara was packed with people—so crowded that if you threw a brick, you'd knock out five or six in one go.
And as the guests gathered…
A finely crafted palanquin was lifted by several burly laborers, carrying it toward the eastern side of Yoshiwara.
Behind the palanquin followed a few plainly dressed maids.
However, the black-haired maid at the forefront wore an oddly uncomfortable expression for some reason.
"Damn it, why is this stupid outfit so irritating to wear?!"
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