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Tanjiro removed his makeup, reverting to his true appearance, and made his way to Oiran Koika's room.
Koika had sent her two attendants away for dinner. She was adjusting her makeup when she suddenly sensed someone behind her. Turning around, she saw a vaguely familiar face—though she couldn't quite place it.
"Koika-san! I'm sorry for the intrusion!"
"You're... Sumiko's older brother? What's with the outfit?"
"Ah? N-no, I am Sumiko! I had to dress as a girl for certain reasons, but I'm actually a boy!"
"You're a boy??" Koika seemed momentarily surprised, though she recovered quickly. "I can't believe I didn't recognize you! Your makeup must've been incredible."
"N-no, actually, Kaidō-san did my makeup. He's the one from Kyogoku House—Oiran Chiko!"
"Oiran Chiko?? So he's also... I had the honor of seeing him a few days ago. Such grace and beauty. I thought he was a woman, but apparently..."
"Koika-san, I don't have much time, so I'll be direct," Tanjiro said, handing her an envelope stuffed with bills. "I'm leaving Tokito House. Please give this money to the owners—it covers all my expenses. Thank you for taking care of me."
"You're really worried about Suma, aren't you? That puts my mind at ease. And actually... I'm leaving this district tomorrow too!"
"Really? That's wonderful!"
"Yeah. Someone actually wants to marry someone like me. I'm truly happy right now."
"So, Sumiko... I hope you live well too!"
"Yes!"
Shortly after Tanjiro left, another "person" appeared behind Koika. Thinking Tanjiro had forgotten something, she turned around—and froze in horror.
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Outside.
"Damn it, the sun's almost down. I need to meet up with Inosuke..." Tanjiro stood on a rooftop, watching the sun dip toward the horizon. He started toward Ogimoto House but stopped abruptly.
A strange smell permeated the air—sweet, cloying, wrong.
"A demon! There's a demon nearby!!"
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Kyogoku House.
"Akiko, Yuko, Koyo, Koyuki—come here for a moment!"
"Yes, Oiran Chiko!" All four girls answered in unison.
"I'm sorry, but I have to leave tonight. And it's the four of you I'm most worried about."
"Oiran Chiko, why?" Akiko asked, her expression confused.
Though they'd only spent a few days together, the girls had felt genuine warmth from Chiko—he'd taught them songs, origami, and treated them like family. Hearing he was leaving filled them with sadness.
"I have something very important to do," Chiko explained. "I've already arranged everything for you. The madam will take good care of all four of you from now on."
Before leaving, Chiko had negotiated with Omitsu and given her a substantial sum of money to ensure the girls' welfare.
He'd considered buying their freedom outright, but after they were freed, where would they go? They'd struggle even to survive. And he'd eventually leave this world entirely—he couldn't make their decisions for them.
So he entrusted them to Omitsu. He didn't know what their futures would hold, but at least he'd done what he could.
Omitsu had agreed without hesitation. She understood what Chiko was planning to do.
"Chiko-nee, we don't want you to go!" All four girls threw themselves into Chiko's arms.
Looking down at them, a flicker of genuine sorrow crossed Chiko's eyes. But he had to leave.
He activated [Phantom Eye]—putting all four into a peaceful sleep.
"Sigh..." Chiko muttered self-deprecatingly before shouting toward the door, "Omitsu!"
The madam entered and knelt before him.
"I'm leaving them in your care. Remember your promise. You know what to say and what not to say, correct?"
"Yes. I'll take excellent care of all four!"
One last glance at the sleeping girls. Chiko laid them down gently, walked to the window, and leapt onto the rooftop. Without looking back, he departed.
"Akiko, Yuko, Koyo, Koyuki... I hope you forget about Chiko. From now on, there's only Kaidō."
TAP TAP TAP TAP.
Platform sandals clattered across rooftops. Kaidō launched himself into the air, landing on the street below, and continued forward.
Suddenly, [Hyper-Awareness] detected movement beneath the ground.
'Hm? Underground activity? If I'm not mistaken, this should be where Daki stores her... food.'
He retrieved his greatsword from the system inventory and aimed at the ground.
"Dragon Breathing, Second Form: Dragon Claw!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The downward strike shattered the street, creating a massive crater. Kaidō leapt into the opening.
Moments later, Tengen arrived, saw the hole, and jumped in without hesitation.
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Above Ground.
WHAM!
Daki's obi sash slammed into Tanjiro, sending him flying backward.
Tanjiro had been about to leave when he'd smelled blood in the air. Backtracking, he'd encountered Daki—who was holding Oiran Koika captive inside her sash.
Right now, Daki had black hair and golden eyes. Having released numerous obi clones, she couldn't exert her full power, but her strength still far exceeded an average swordsman's. When Tanjiro blocked her attack with his blade, he'd been thrown back effortlessly.
"Huff... huff... so strong! Damn it! I can't give up! I have to watch out for that demon's obi attacks."
"Sorry, Nezuko—the strap on your box broke. I can't carry you into battle! Stay inside unless your life is in danger!"
He set the wooden box down and faced Daki alone.
Standing at a window, Daki looked at the overconfident boy before her. His eyes caught her attention. "Your eyes are beautiful. I think I'll gouge them out and eat them! Hahaha!" She launched her obi toward him.
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"
Tanjiro refused to back down. He charged forward, unleashing multiple rapid strikes mid-air. He severed several sections of Daki's obi—and precisely cut the segment containing Koika.
Both fighters landed, separated by several meters, each observing the other carefully.
'This brat... his aerial movement is impressive. And he cut the exact section holding Koika with surgical precision!' Daki's thoughts raced.
Suddenly, a thunderous crash echoed from the distance. An ominous feeling crept over her.
"What was that noise?? Annoying little pests! Hey, brat—how many of you came here? Tell me, and maybe I'll let you live!"
"I won't tell you!"
"Won't tell? So what? After just two exchanges, your blade's already chipped! Whoever forged that weapon must be a hack!"
Only then did Tanjiro notice—the tip of his Nichirin blade had developed jagged notches during their clash.
"That's not true! The person who made this sword is incredibly skilled! He's amazing!" Tanjiro shot back.
"Then why is your blade damaged?? All this noise is irritating. I'm ending this in one strike!"
"It's my fault. If I could use Water Breathing properly, this wouldn't have happened! I can't wield it as fluidly as Urokodaki-san or Tomioka-san. I can't even match Kaidō-san, who managed to create his own Breathing Style while still mastering Water Breathing perfectly!"
"No, I can't give up. My body isn't suited for Water Breathing, but I have Hinokami Kagura. Even though its power drains me too much for consecutive strikes, I can do this now! I trained for this exact moment! Burn!!"
Determination blazed in Tanjiro's eyes. He charged first.
Seeing him approach, Daki immediately unleashed her obi, surrounding him completely—intending to finish him in one blow.
"Hinokami Kagura: Clear Blue Sky!"
He swung a crimson arc horizontally—an attack-defense hybrid technique. In an instant, every obi sash was severed, the assault neutralized.
"..." Daki was stunned. Watching Tanjiro, strange sounds echoed in her mind. What is that noise? What an annoying Breathing technique!
In the split second she hesitated, Tanjiro planted his right foot and launched forward again.
"Hinokami Kagura: Burning Bones, Summer Sun!"
What appeared to be a single strike concealed a second hidden attack—imperceptible unless you knew to look for it. Daki dodged nonetheless. She whipped her obi toward Tanjiro's neck.
The instant the obi made contact, Tanjiro's form vanished.
"Hinokami Kagura: Fake Rainbow!"
It was a specialized evasion dance, using high-speed twists and rotation to create afterimages. The better an opponent's vision, the more vividly they'd see the illusion—tricking them into striking an empty space. Daki had been completely fooled.
Airborne behind her, Tanjiro caught the scent of an opening—a thread of vulnerability.
"Found it! The gap in her defense! I can do this. I know I can!"
"Hinokami Kagura: Raging Sun!"
He swung a flame-wreathed vertical arc toward Daki. But reality wasn't that simple.
Daki calmly turned her head and glanced at him. "How slow. You're making me yawn."
SNAP.
The thread of opportunity broke. She lashed out with her obi, sending Tanjiro flying backward.
He raised his blade defensively mid-flight, managing a controlled landing that sent him skidding dozens of meters.
"Huff... huff... this is bad. The side effects of Hinokami Kagura are kicking in. Accumulated fatigue is locking up my muscles! Stay calm! Adjust my breathing..."
Daki wouldn't give him time to recover. She manipulated her obi to propel herself forward!
"Adjust breathing... recover quickly... hah..."
The instant before Daki's strike connected, Tanjiro took a deep breath, realigned his body, and launched himself into the air—dodging by a hair's breadth.
CRASH!
Daki's obi struck empty ground, carving a trench into the street. Tanjiro, having evaded, began his counteroffensive—blade clashing repeatedly against her sashes.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
'Her obi is like a flexible weapon. Even when I see an opening, it closes instantly! My attacks are too slow!'
WHAM!
Daki's obi knocked Tanjiro back again. She looked at him with contempt. "Tch. Pretty persistent, aren't you?"
"Hah! Hah! I'm fighting an Upper Rank demon. I have to win! I'll give everything I've got—I HAVE to win! Not just to protect people, but so no one else suffers the same pain we did!" Tanjiro's grip tightened around his blade.
He took another deep breath, raised his sword, and charged once more!
"Hahaha! Even ugly trash stays trash no matter how hard they try! In that case, I'll finish you off first—then capture Chiko and savor her slowly!"
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Ogimoto House.
"YAHOO! Found it! The entrance to the demon's lair! I can smell demon stench pouring out! Only my head fits through, but you're seriously underestimating me!"
CRACK. CRACK.
Inosuke dislocated every joint in his body. His form turned rubbery and boneless. Two nearby courtesans screamed like they'd seen a ghost.
"I'm the man who can dislocate his entire skeleton! If my head fits, my whole body fits!"
Like a snake, Inosuke slithered through the head-sized tunnel.
"Watch this! Pig Assault! WAHAHA! Pig Assault! Pig Assault!"
Before long, he emerged in a vast underground chamber. Obi sashes covered the walls. Skeletal remains and dismembered limbs littered the floor—an eerie, nightmarish scene.
Not only that, but human-shaped silhouettes were wrapped inside the sashes—all beautiful young women. Seeing this, Inosuke's confusion deepened.
"What the f...? Wait... this feeling... they're alive! She kidnaps humans and seals them in obi so she can eat them whenever she wants!"
CRACK!
He snapped his joints back into place and examined his surroundings. Approaching one particular sash, he made an unexpected discovery.
"(¬_¬) Huh? This guy... why's he here? What's he doing?"
Inosuke found Zenitsu trapped inside an obi, eyes closed. Still wearing the makeup Kaidō had applied, he looked like a bizarre Sleeping Beauty.
Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out behind him.
"Hey! What kind of pest are you?? Breaking into someone else's pantry uninvited! Filthy, ugly little bug!"
Inosuke turned. A talking obi sash—complete with eyes and mouth—was addressing him.
"What the hell is this? What kind of disgusting earthworm is this thing?"
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