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"Haha! Akiko, come catch me!"
Akiko and Yuko chased each other playfully around Oiran Chiko's room. Watching the two young girls, Chiko couldn't help but smile—a bittersweet expression that reminded him of his adoptive sister from his previous life.
"Alright, alright. Akiko, Yuko—bedtime. I've got work to do tonight."
"Yes, Oiran Chiko!" Both girls chorused.
"Chiko-nee, can you sing for us?"
"Yeah, yeah! We want to hear you sing before we sleep!"
Akiko and Yuko gazed up at her with wide, expectant eyes.
"Fine, fine. You two win! But after this, straight to bed. Deal?"
"Mm-hmm!" They nodded enthusiastically.
Pick the white flower
Give it to that person
Pin it to their chest
This single bloom
(Note: Search for "Dororo" to hear this song.)
By the time the melody ended, both girls had dozed off against Chiko's legs, breathing peacefully.
Chiko carefully lifted them and laid them on the futons already spread across the tatami. After tucking them in, he moved quietly toward the door.
That's when he spotted Zenko (Zenitsu) kneeling just outside, fast asleep. Even unconscious, the idiot was sleep-talking: "Hehehe... Chiko, so big and soft! Big bro Zenitsu will take you to Peach Mountain to see the blossoms and eat peaches!"
A vein popped on Chiko's forehead. "(▼_▼#) Kaidō Chop!!"
THWACK.
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Ogimoto House.
After gathering intel on Tengen's wife Makio... Inoko (Inosuke) searched Ogimoto House for additional leads.
Approaching the stairwell leading to the second-floor loft, his instincts screamed something was wrong.
Inside the room, a sentient obi sash—one with an actual mouth—was interrogating a woman. That woman was Makio, one of Tengen's three wives.
She was bound tightly by the sash, unable to move.
"Talk! Who are you sending these letters to? Your name is Makio, correct? Answer me!"
Makio stared at the grotesque talking sash but said nothing. Her only thought: 'I have to get this intel out. If I don't, everyone's in danger.'
"Tch, someone else is coming? The manager here is so damn nosy! You'd better stay quiet—or I'll crush your organs!" The sash wrapped around Makio and dragged her inside its fabric before slithering up through a hidden passage in the ceiling.
Moments later, Inoko burst through the door. The room was a disaster zone. Sensing something wrong with the ceiling, he grabbed a bowl from the doorway and hurled it upward.
CREAK. CREAK.
"Damn it! Don't think you're getting away!" Inoko smashed through the door and gave chase, tracking the demon's movements while waiting for an opening.
During the pursuit, he sensed the demon behind a wall and threw a punch—only to accidentally hit a drunk patron instead, sending the man crashing through the barrier.
"Damn it! Lost the trail. It got away! SON OF A—! All because this idiot got in my way!" Inoko ground his teeth in frustration.
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That Night—Kyogoku House.
Four days had passed. Chiko had not only stolen every client who'd originally intended to visit Oiran Warabihime, but even after that blatant provocation, Warabihime hadn't made a single move.
"Four days already. Didn't expect the bitch to have this much patience. Heh. If she won't come to me, guess I'll have to go cause trouble for her!" Chiko's smile turned predatory—scheming and dangerous.
"Akiko, Yuko—come with me. We're paying Oiran Warabihime a visit. After all, she is my senior. Four days without greeting her properly seems a bit rude. You too, Zenko!"
Akiko/Yuko: "Yes, Oiran Chiko!"
Zenko: "Yes, my Queen! Hehehe!"
'Hold it together. Don't get mad now. Save it for later. Once this is over, I'm putting him through hell training.' Watching Zenitsu's perverted grin made Chiko want to punch him into next week. He filed away the grudge for future payback.
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"AHHH!! I'm sorry, Oiran Warabihime!"
"Shut up! Why are you crying?? Just clean the damn room already!"
"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry! I'll clean it right now, please forgive me..."
SLAP!
From her room on the third floor, Chiko heard anguished crying echoing from another second-floor chamber. The sound was gut-wrenching. She immediately rushed to investigate.
Arriving at the doorway, she saw Warabihime yanking a young girl up by her ear—the child's face twisted in agony, blood trickling from the abused flesh.
Chiko couldn't stand it. She stormed in and delivered a resounding slap across Warabihime's face, rescuing the girl.
Warabihime touched her stinging cheek, momentarily stunned. When she turned and saw Chiko comforting the injured child, rage flickered in her eyes.
The slap had been deliberate—Chiko had calculated it perfectly. He was betting Warabihime wouldn't explode. Seeing his face would trigger her. She'd make her move—try to capture him at any cost.
"Who are you? Why did you hit me?" Warabihime forced the words through gritted teeth.
"A grand oiran like you, bullying a little girl?"
"None of your business!"
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Chiko—the new oiran!"
"So you're the one. How irritating."
Warabihime studied Chiko carefully, her gaze growing more satisfied by the second. It was like she'd already decided he belonged to her. So this is Chiko... perfect.
What she didn't know was that Chiko was studying her just as intently. In his eyes—through the Transparent World—Warabihime stood before him like a woman stripped naked, every detail visible.
Chiko had activated the Transparent World moments ago, concealing his aura completely. Warabihime couldn't sense even a trace of Hashira-level presence.
All she saw was a woman who radiated even greater dignity and nobility than herself—a true queen.
After calming the young girl, Chiko stood and locked eyes with Warabihime. The demon felt a shiver run down her spine, as if she were truly standing naked before him.
Then Chiko unleashed the Queen's authority, voice resonating with absolute command: "Kneel before me!!"
THUD.
The moment those words left Chiko's mouth, Warabihime's knees buckled. She dropped to the floor, completely dazed.
'I... I just knelt to a piece of food. This person... this person...' Fury boiled inside her. She started to raise her head—
Chiko's white-stockinged foot pressed down on her skull.
"Warabihime-nee, you wouldn't want to lose this job, would you? If you're willing to apologize properly, I won't hold what you did to this adorable little girl against you!"
In Kaidō's mind, the System was having a meltdown.
[Host, calm down! She's a demon! You're not even sparing female ghosts??]
'What are you talking about? I just can't stand watching her abuse that kid. I wanted to teach her a lesson. Besides, she doesn't dare make a move right now!'
[Oh, okay. That's good then!]
'System, were you thinking something perverted?'
[This System was absolutely NOT thinking about anything inappropriate! Definitely not!]
'(¬_¬)'
The System felt a bead of metaphorical sweat roll down its nonexistent forehead. It chose silence.
Ignoring the System, Chiko turned his attention back to Warabihime beneath his foot.
"Oiran Chiko! Oiran Warabihime! Both of you, stop this! Please!" The Kyogoku House madam, Omitsu, had heard about the confrontation and rushed over, terrified something disastrous might happen.
She arrived just in time to see Warabihime kneeling while Chiko stood with one foot on her head. Omitsu immediately intervened.
"Oiran Chiko, Oiran Warabihime—both of you, please compromise! The clients are arriving soon!"
"Oiran Chiko, many patrons came early just to see you! Please, as a favor to this old woman, let this go!" Omitsu's tone was almost pleading.
Chiko lifted his foot and looked at Warabihime. After a theatrical pause, he said, "Fine. I'll give you face. But I'm taking these two girls with me. They're injured!"
"But Oiran Warabihime..."
"It's fine, Madam. Let Chiko-chan take them. I do owe an apology—I've had a lot on my mind lately. Sorry, Chiko-chan. I'll leave them in your care!" Warabihime's demeanor flipped like a switch.
Moments ago, she'd been a snarling beast. Now? Sunshine and warmth. Her mood swings were faster than turning pages in a book.
Omitsu nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! Of course! Koyo, Koyuki—you two will stay with Oiran Chiko from now on!"
"Yes!"
"Akiko, Yuko—go get some medicine and bring it to my room. I need to treat their injuries. Zenko, fetch some sweets for Koyo and Koyuki."
Akiko/Yuko: "Yes, Oiran Chiko!"
Zenko: "Yes!"
Finally, Chiko took Koyo and Koyuki by the hand and left Warabihime's room.
Warabihime watched them leave. Once Omitsu departed as well, a sinister smile crept across her face.
"Oiran Chiko... finally took the bait. You finally came to me! What a beautiful woman. Even that attendant looks delicious. Hehehe!"
"Come at me with everything you've got. Then I'll capture all of you, kill you, and devour you! I'll start with that Zenko girl, then slowly savor you! Hehehehe!!"
What Warabihime didn't know was that in Chiko's eyes, she was the prey.
Chiko (Kaidō) was the real hunter.
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Later That Evening.
"How's your ear, Koyo? Does it still hurt?"
Chiko gently applied medicine to Koyo's injury, voice full of concern.
"It's much better! Thank you, Oiran Chiko!"
"Something's wrong, Chiko-nee! Zenko... she... she's gone!" Akiko burst through the door, panic written across her face.
"Gone??" Chiko considered for a moment, then understood immediately. So Daki's already made her move. Heh. Foolish. Once Zenitsu falls asleep, his true strength emerges.
"Relax, Akiko. She's fine. Zenko probably just got held up with something."
"But Zenko—"
"Don't worry, Akiko. It's almost time to start work. Take Koyo to the side room and look after her. Yuko and Koyuki can help me. I'll handle Zenko's situation myself!"
"Oh... okay then!"
"Good girl, Akiko!"
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The Next Day.
According to Tengen's instructions, they were supposed to rendezvous every few days to exchange intel. Today was one of those scheduled meetings.
"So get this—I saw a demon! It was like this... and then this... and then THIS..." Inosuke sat on a rooftop with Tanjiro, gesticulating wildly as he described the demon he'd encountered. Tanjiro watched with mild exasperation.
"Um, Tengen-san and Kaidō-san should be here soon for the check-in, so..."
As they spoke, Tengen materialized silently on the opposite side of the roof.
"No need to wait. Zenitsu probably won't make it. Kaidō's handling something else right now—he already sent his intel via crow."
"This is my fault. I misjudged the situation multiple times because I was desperate to save my wives. Zenitsu disappeared last night. Kaidō told me through his crow."
"I can confirm now—the demon here is almost certainly an Upper Rank. You two are too low-ranked. Leave the Entertainment District. Kaidō and I will handle the rest."
Tengen didn't want Tanjiro and Inosuke taking unnecessary risks. He ordered them to evacuate immediately.
In the Demon Slayer Corps, losing contact meant presumed dead.
"No, Tengen-san! We—"
Tanjiro's protest was cut short. "Don't be ashamed. Survival is victory. Know when to retreat." Tengen's form flickered and vanished.
"Are we not trusted because our rank is too low?" Tanjiro's voice was tinged with disappointment.
"We're Kanoe rank now! Look—rank display!" Inosuke held up his right hand. The back glowed faintly with the kanji for Kanoe.
Rank Display was a technique using verbal commands and muscle expansion to reveal the engraved marking—a unique identification system created through wisteria engraving techniques. Every Corps member bore one.
"Right! So snap out of it!"
"Yeah, you're right. Sorry. And I can feel it—Zenitsu and Tengen-san's wives are still alive. I'm moving forward with that assumption. I'll save them all. So I hope you stay safe too, Inosuke. Can you promise me that?"
"What you just said... is exactly what I was thinking." Inosuke smiled. The two split up to continue their search.
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