A few hours later, after a brief orientation.
"Shinobu, would you mind assisting Lady Tamayo in discovering a cure for Kamado Nezuko?" Kagaya asked, as Shinobu dreads.
The other pillars have already left.
"Master, as much as I would like to, it is far beyond my expertise." she said as an excuse. It was the truth, and she said it because she wants to look for Giyuu. It wasn't her forte anyway, she only initially agreed because the original project was the poison. But now that Kagaya put all his faith in Giyuu, there would be no need for her to join forces with Tamayo, whom she was still wary off.
"I see. Perhaps you would like to search for Giyuu then?" Kagaya inquired.
"YES!" Shinobu turned red in embarrassment and attempted to clear her throat, trying to compose herself "I mean, yes. I would like to."
"I'm afraid I may have broken my promise to him to not tell you about where he went, but knowing you, you'd look for him sooner or later." Kagaya sighed. Shinobu caught on what he was trying to imply and tried to deny it "Oh, no no, master. I simply am concerned for his wellbeing as a fellow Pillar."
"Isn't that what I said? You're getting flusterred." he chuckled, causing her to become even more embarrassed. Kagaya then thought to himself that he basically disobeyed Giyuu's request of not telling anyone, specially Shinobu. 'I technically kept my word, I didn't mention his broken sword.' he just can't bring himself to lie to the Pillars.
Shinobu bowed after being dismissed and left.
. .
"Brothels..?"
Massage parlors, love motels, love apartments, sexy taverns, he's not sure what he's looking at. He's heard of places like this before, but he hasn't been in one.
The Entertainment District as others would call, or simply Red Light District. As evening closes in, the glamour gets stronger.
Women and some of the men catcalled Giyuu, causing him to feel embarrassed and confusion as to why he caught their attention. 'Does my haori make me stand out..?' he wondered as he continued to walk.
What is he even looking for? He's not quite sure, but the demons he hunted led him to the city, so there must be something big going on.
Suddenly, a woman grabbed the tip of his sleeves and dragged him.
"You look so lonely, mind if I show you a good time?" the woman inquired. Giyuu withdrew his hand away "Thank you, but that's not what I'm looking for." he mumbled.
"Ahh, then what are you looking for? A timid, shy girl? I can play that part too." she cooed.
They stopped in front of an inn, but Giyuu felt like there is something strange inside of that particular building.
He stared at the seemingly normal place, only to get dragged in by the girl "Well aren't you the shy one?"
. . .
"Shinobu-san! I'll go with you!" Tanjiro declared. Zenitsu clung on to him because where Nezuko goes, Zenitsu follows. Inosuke joined because where Tanjiro goes, well, Inosuke follows.
"Unfortunately, I can't allow that." Shinobu sighed. "But Master Urokodaki requested me to look for Giyuu-san, but I don't have any leads. Please let us go with you!" Tanjiro pleads.
Shinobu hesitantly agreed, if she denied him, the three might search Giyuu on their own and might endanger themselves if they encounter the wrong demon. It would be safer for them to bring them along.
"Fine, but I trust that you boys would do your best." Shinobu says. "YOU CAN COUNT ON ME, I BET I'LL FIND HIM BEFORE YOU GUYS DO." Inosuke yelled.
"Has Master Ubuyashiki said anything on where Giyuu-san might be?" Tanjiro asked as they started their journey. Their destination was once again Giyuu's place, to look for clues.
"Ahh, I haven't told you before, have I?" Shinobu asked, before relaying that Giyuu was the rumoured angel.
"EHH?! YOU MEAN THE ANGEL WHO CAN PUNCH A DEMON IN TO SMITHEREENS?!" Tanjiro asked. "WHAT?! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYONE OTHER THAN BOSS INOSUKE!" Inosuke argues. "HUH?! HE CAN WHAT?!" Zenitsu asked loudly.
"Yes. He defeated Upper Moon 2 right before my eyes." Shinobu adds.
"EHH?!"
. . .
Giyuu agreed to enter the inn with the girl in order to investigate the strange feeling he had. As they entered the lobby, he immediately went to the corner and stared at the walls that meet.
"... Kushida, is your client okay?" the old attendant asked the escort.
"Err... I'm not sure myself." truth to be told, she dragged him in because he looked attractive and seemed like he's wealthy. It makes her job bareable.
'I think there must be something underground.' Giyuu stared at the floor before turning back to face Kushida and the attendant with such conviction, that they were taken aback.
"A-" Giyuu stopped himself, where does he even start? How can he ask permission to investigate what lies beneath the wooden walls and floor. It seemed odd, specially since he knows that the vast majority of the people in this city aren't aware of demons.
"I think there is something wrong with him." the attendant whispered. "Well whatever, we're already here." she replied.
"Well, big man. Lets go have some fun." Kushida dragged Giyuu to one of the vacant rooms.
Giyuu was still preoccupied on that strange vibe. "So, Mister? Do you have any money with you?"
It caught his attention "Ah, sure. Here." Giyuu brought out his rather fat wallet and absent mindedly placed it on the ground. His salary as a Hashira is very high and he evidently didn't have much to spend on aside from food and occassional clothing repairs. It impressed the girl to no end, as she can't believe someone so young can be this rich. She assumed Giyuu is the son of someone very important and he wandered to the district trying to taste freedom for the first time.
It was so romantic, she thought. And the idea of marrying him for the wealth and status entered her mind.
Kushida then hurriedly took her own clothes off. She is gonna bear his child.
Giyuu then sat up straight, alarmed. "W-What are you doing?" he asked as the barechested woman stared at him with a lustful grin.
"I'm going to make love to you." she replied in a seductive voice.
"But I don't love you." he bluntly replied, causing her to chuckle 'Maybe he wasn't boring after all.'
"Silly! After this, you will. Now take your clothes off." she giggled. Giyuu paused, he wasn't really sure how and why he got in to this situation. He slowly took off his haori.
"... Kill?" Kushida asked as she read what was written on the back of Giyuu's uniform.
Things just got really awkward. Giyuu didn't know if stripping was the right choice, only to be tackled by the woman.
"I'll do it for you then." she said a little excited. Unbuttoning his shirt before digging a kiss to his neck.
Giyuu's eyes widened before pushing her face away. "W-W-What are you doing?"
"Making love!" she cried out in frustration.
It then clicked to Giyuu what she was actually trying to do.
"Sorry for wasting your time." he sighed, grabbing a chunk of his money and handing it to the confused woman.
Kushida sighed in defeat and smiled "You're married aren't you?"
Giyuu looked at her, dumbfounded "I'm not."
"And you're trying to see if you can forget about her, don't you?" she giggled as she refused to accept his money.
"No-"
"But you can't, and you love her dearly."
Giyuu can't believe how amazing this girl is at jumping to conclusions.
"That, I can respect. The woman of your life is so lucky to have such a loyal man like you." Kushida stood up, with a smile on her face.
Giyuu pondered about her words while she gets dressed. The only woman in his life are his sister, who was already dead. And Kochou.
His ears turned red at the thought of her being married to him.
"I-I'm not married." he blurted out.
"Pffft. Whatever you say. Now lets get out of here before someone sees you."
. . .
'Maaaan, Makio better be right.' Tengen thought as he observed the West Side Red Light District. It was a bit larger than Yoshiwara, where his wives were destined for undercover work. According to Makio, large amount of people have gone missing on this side of the entertainment district, leading Tengen on pursuit.
His first lead is the Safe Haven Inn where he plans to investigate.
"Alright. This should be the right address!" he told himself before sliding the door open-
"!"
It was an awkward silence.
"Oh? You guys know eachother?" Kushida asked.
Giyuu sweated bullets as Tengen stared holes in his head.
"To..."
'Oh no.'
"TOMIOKA-SAAAN!" Tengen yelled in delight, his eyes sparkling. "Uzui-san-" Giyuu replied but he was cut off.
"Oh where do i even start! The whole corps is looking for you, and- and Kochou said you defeated Upper Moon 2 without a nichirin blade and then she was the one who brought the news that you were going to hunt Muzan yourself- Kyojuro said you must be the angel- and now I found you in this place!" Tengen grinned. Kushida stared at him with a confused smile, she had no idea what he's talking about but he seemed funny.
Giyuu's face flushed. Tengen noticed the escort and his grin almost reached his ears.
"Oh and she's quite a looker too! Oh my Tomioka-san! What would Kochou say?" Tengen said with false worry in an attempt to humor him.
"Kochou-"
"That's his wife, right?" Kushida asked.
"No!"
"Exactly! But since you showed incredible flamboyance, I will keep it a secret between men." Tengen wrapped his arm around Giyuu as he chuckled.
"Oh, well she doesn't have to worry because nothing happened. Tomioka-san is quite a loyal gentleman." Kushida giggled.
"Is that so?" Tengen continued to tease.
"Yes. Nothing happened." Giyuu sternly said.
"I gotta say though, you have to apologize to your wife, Tomioka-san." Kushida inquired.
"We're not married!"
. . .
After dragging Tengen away, he decided to ask him what's going on.
"Wait, before you do your own questioning, mind if I ask you first?" Tengen asked. Giyuu just shrugged.
"So you beat Upper Moon 2 with just your fists?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"And you can basically destroy a house in a single punch?" Tengen asked once more.
"Yeah."
"Wow. And you're not lying?" he crossed his arms.
"Uzui-san. I embarked on this mission to make sure there would be no more casualties, or it would atleast decrease them to a significant amount." Giyuu said.
"Tomioka-san, that would have been touching to hear if I hadn't seen you come out of a love building with a hot dame." Tengen giggled, causing Giyuu to be flushed.
"Nothing happened! What should I do to convince you?" Giyuu asked, frustrated.
"Of course, you wouldn't cheat on Kochou now would you?" Tengen winked with a grin.
'So either he teases me for sleeping with an courtesan or he teases me for liking Kochou.' Giyuu sighed "Yes. I wouldn't."
"Oh so you admit that you guys are entangled?" Tengen's grin grew wider. "Yes, whatever you say." Giyuu dismissively grumbled. Tengen punched the air with a grin muttering "I knew it!"
"Okay, one last question. I thought you know about Muzan's whereabouts? What are you doing fooling around in the flamboyant part of the city?"
Giyuu sighed "Upper Moon 2 deceived me and led me to a wild goose chase. I encountered two more Upper Moon demons but I killed them before I can even ask where the infinity castle is. I then decided to hunt down every demon around this country until I find a solid lead, and it led me here."
"Infinity Castle? And whoa you killed two Upper Demons?" Tengen asked.
"I thought that was your last question?" Giyuu asked.
"Oh, sorry. Anyways, its only fair if you ask me some questions as well." Tengen said.
And so Tengen answered his questions, Shinobu found a letter and requested a meeting about him.
Giyuu's eyes widened, wondering if she realized that he broke his own sword, while Tengen stared in amusement before commenting "Ahh, love is beautiful."
Tengen then answered the question "What are you doing here?"
Saying that he was sent here by one of his wives to investigate a growing number of missing people.
And that the Safe Haven Inn was his first lead.
"I knew I felt something bizarre inside that place." Giyuu muttered. "Are you sure its not guilt for cheating on Kochou?" Tengen teased.
Giyuu rolled his eyes.
. . .
Shinobu felt the urge to hit Tengen the next time she sees him. She doesn't know why but she felt very annoyed of him at this particular moment for some reason.
"Ahh Giyuu-san's bonsai tree is starting to look unkempt." Tanjiro said, still at awe observing the plant.
"... Is it edible?" Inosuke asked once more, grabbing a branch.
Shinobu rummaged through his stuff, she glanced at his crow.
"Do you think you can-"
Kanzaburo feigned sickness. He was quite old so it looked believable.
Shinobu sighed and decided to entrust her younger crow to look for Giyuu.
"You're going to be my crow for now until En comes back, alright?" she told the old crow.
"OKAY."
The house being protected by the surrounding large trees' shade made it habitable for Nezuko.
"Don't stray too far, Nezuko-chan." Zenitsu cooed.
Shinobu saw some paper piled up, to which she inspected.
It was a heavily detailed guide on how to pet a dog without getting bitten. And it looked like it was Giyuu's handwriting too.
She covered her mouth to prevent the laughter from escaping. 'More stuff to tease him with.' she thought, deciding to keep it on her person.
. . .
"You know, we should have worn garbs that don't make us stand out." Tengen ironically said as he led the way back to Safe Haven Inn securing his cleavers wrapped in cloth. 'I could have blended in just fine though...' Giyuu thought.
A particular oiran glanced at the two from a distance. 'I know a slayer when I see one.'
As the two pillars entered the building, the attendant blushed. "S-Sir, you're back again."
Giyuu just nods.
"Hey, don't get the wrong idea, miss. We don't swing that way." Tengen said before glancing at his partner, who just realized what the older woman was implying.
"N-No, it was nothing like that."
"Ahaha! Oh, Giyuu-kun. Stop overly denying it, they'll find us out~" Tengen teased, making Giyuu blush once more. Tengen laughed at his reaction. The attendant covered her own mouth, turning red as well.
"Uzui-san... Are you-"
"What, NO! No. I'm married to three women. Of course not." He angrily denies before looking at the wall.
'I heard... Something.'
Giyuu knows that the Sound Pillar's sense of hearing far surpasses his own, so he just turned to the attendant in an attempt to distract her while Tengen pokes a hole to investigate the wall and floor from the room's corner.
'Okay, small talk. What do I even say?' he thought to himself, so far he had no problems making small talk with Tengen, which surprised them both, but he doesn't know how to start a conversation.
"Excuse me, mister. Is there a problem?" the attendant asked the suspicious Tengen.
The door slid open. Startling them.
An oiran stood on the entrance.
"Ahh, Warabihime. You're back." the attendant greeted.
"Yes, and look what we have here?" she mused, eyeing the two pillars. She gracefully and seductively walked by the two. "Which of you fine gentlemen are up for a good time?"
"Uhh... I'm married." Giyuu lied to dismiss her.
"So am I." Tengen proudly declared.
"Oh, you two are a couple eh?" Warabihime blushed, covering her mouth.
"What, no! You got the wrong idea-" she cuts Tengen off with a finger to his lips, with her other hand landing on Giyuu's chest.
"Shhh... Its okay, I can take on both of you." she whispered seductively, with a more sinister intent.
Giyuu's face flushed so he stoically covered it with a palm. Meanwhile, Tengen noticed the rather murderous intent in her words.
"You know what? Maybe you can show me a good time after all." Tengen said in a monotonous tone, startling Giyuu.
"U-Uzui-san, this is not the time for-"
"What- don't get the wrong idea, man! Its not what you think!" Tengen stuttered, grabbing Warabihime's hand.
"Ahh!" she giggled before glancing to Giyuu "I'll be back for you, handsome." causing him to shudder.
As the pair left, Giyuu was left with the old attendant again.
"That was bizarre." she comments.
Giyuu sighed and decided to take matters to his own hands. He crouched down and tried to dig through the floorboards.
"W-What are you doing?!" the old woman asked.
"I'll pay for the damages. I'm sorry." Giyuu said, nonchalantly prying off a wooden board, only to reveal a man sized hole.
. . .
"I prefer women, but I do like my men meaty." Warabihime said as she undressed her kimono.
"Are oirans allowed to take female customers? I haven't heard of such thing." Tengen said, putting his wrapped cleavers down to the side.
"And what would that be?" she asked, referring to his weapon.
"Something that would kill you. Come on, that jig is up." Tengen said.
Daki blinked as suddenly Tengen is upside down.
'No, EVERYTHING IS UPSIDE DOWN!' she panicked, realizing her head is on her lap.
"Well, that was easy. Time to regroup with-"
"NO! THAT WASN'T EASY!" she cried.
"It is! Very easy." Tengen grinned. "Shut it! I am Upper Moon..." she paused, what number did she got promoted to again?
"Well you didn't seem like Upper Moon." he shrugged. "SHUT UP! WAAAAAHH!" Daki cried.
She threw her head at Tengen like a petulent angry baby, to which he dodged effortlessly.
Daki's body then zoomed passed Tengen to catch her head and burst through the wall to escape.
"Oh no, you don't." he snarled before taking pursuit.
'I hope Tomioka-san sensed that.'
. . .
The hole reeks of dead body.
"Ugh, what's that smell?!" the attendant asked.
"Corpses." Giyuu muttered before dropping down the rather deep hole that leads to a subterrenean field with a dozen of dead bodies.
The bodies are heavily mutilated, however not eaten. Which seemed odd, because the place is secluded enough for a quiet feast, and demons usually prefer fresh bodies.
The body of the old attendant fell right in front of Giyuu, eyes wide in shock, she died a quick death.
Giyuu immediately looked up the hole and saw a man.
"Shit, you found my hidey place. Stay still, I need to stab you." he says as he closed the hole with the wooden plank.
'A serial killer..? Is that it?' he thought in confusion.
He felt someone stab him from the back, to no effect whatsoever however.
"... What?!" the voice behind him asked in confusion.
Giyuu sighed, he just fixed his haori from the fight against Doma. Maybe he should stop wearing it during fights.
. . .
'Two of them..!' Tengen winced as his heel screeched to a halt.
There was a massive stampede as everyone panicked.
Upper Moon 3 (PROMOTED)
G̵̣̟͎̞͐y̵̧̢̯͌̀̇͋ȗ̵̳͉̺̼̻̐̕t̷̻̥̭͝a̷̭͚͝r̷͈̬͙͉̰͗̎̄ö̶̙̯͍́͂̒ͅ ̷̞̠̤̘̌̎a̶̬͔̟̐̂̚n̸̠̈́d̸͙̻̰̓ ̶͔̗͗̎͝D̶͍̪̱̿̓͠a̶̦̋̊̕̚k̵̳̖̜͔̫̃̄ȉ̵̝̼̗͗͝
'I forgot that demons can share the same rank..! Shit, where's my comrade?' Tengen prepared his cleavers. He is having a hard time completing the musical score because Gyutaro just suddenly joined the battle.
"Uzui-san. I found the culprit."
Tengen glanced behind him, seeing Giyu holding a beaten up man with broken bones by his foot.
"Tomioka-san! We're engaging Upper Moon 3! There's two of them!" Tengen yelled.
Giyuu tossed the unconcious man away as he prepared for battle.
"SHINOBI!" Gyutaro roared as he descended from the sky. Multiple sashes wrapped around Giyuu's limbs, but be simply tore them away like paper.
"I did say I will come back for you, handsome!" Daki maniacally yelled.
Giyuu swatted her away, sending her through a wall.
Tengen gasped in awe "Damn! So its true!"
"Can you last 3 minutes without getting beaten up..?" Gyutaro asked, frustrated.
Tengen wordlessly threw his beads, to which Gyutaro skillfully evaded the explosions.
Flying Blood Sickles
Gyutaro sent them to Giyuu's direction as Daki's Eight Layered Obi Slash zooms in towards the unsuspecting pillar.
"TOMIOKA-SAN!" Tengen called.
Giyuu wordlessly removed his haori and threw it on the side.
The sickles and the sashes zoomed through his figure. Much to everyone's confusion.
Tengen stopped running pursue Gyutaro.
"You hit him, right?" the brother asked. "I-I did!" the sister answered.
"No you didn't." Giyuu said, punching Gyutaro from behind to his sister.
Tengen watched in awe as the afterimage disappeared. There was a large hole in Gyutaro's torso and Daki coughed as her bones slowly regenerated.
"I can't let loose too much, I'll destroy the vicinity..." Giyuu lamented, Tengen smiled "I'll evacuate everyone! In exchange, show me a flamboyant finisher!" he leapt off.
"But the damages it could potentially-" Giyuu shouts but Gyutaro formed a wall of lesh to cover up the hole in his chest and tried to pursue the Sound Pillar.
"I'm not gonna let you walk out of this alive!" he said.
"Hey! I'm your opponent!" Giyuu yells.
"Shut the fuck up!"I'm... Becoming more talkative.' Giyuu absentmindedly thought.