In the end, they never got to eat that meal.
Just as the three of them reached the doorway, they ran into Uzui, who had just returned.
Seeing all three of them present, Uzui spoke immediately.
"I found out. She's the oiran of Kyogoku-ya, Warabi-hime."
"Warabi-hime, not Daki?" Hiru frowned slightly. "An alias?"
"It should be." Uzui nodded. "Warabi-hime is the most popular and most beautiful oiran in Yoshiwara. There are even rumors that a man spent a fortune just to meet her once, only to lose control of himself on the spot when she merely breathed against his ear."
"And while oiran in Yoshiwara frequently go missing, only Kyogoku-ya's oiran has been passed down smoothly from generation to generation. That can't be coincidence."
"They've probably all been eaten," Hiru said, stroking his chin. "After all, beneath a beautiful exterior, there isn't always an angel. Sometimes, it's a demon."
"Was that demon really beautiful?" Muichiro looked up. "Even in a crowd like that, you could see her clearly, Hiru-nii?"
"Yeah. She was incredibly beautiful," Hiru said with a faint smile. "So beautiful that even knowing she's a man-eating demon, it's hard to feel any real hatred toward her."
"That kind of beauty… makes you want to forgive her, even if she's done something wrong."
"What, don't tell me you've taken a liking to her?"
Faced with Uzui's question, Hiru didn't answer right away. His expression twisted slightly with hesitation.
"…Well, a little."
"Hey, don't tell me you're suddenly feeling sympathy at a time like this."
"Not that," Hiru clasped his hands together. "But it'd be such a waste if that kind of beauty just disappeared."
"Uzui, how about we go in disguised as customers? Just let me take a closer look."
Uzui rejected him without hesitation.
Their priority was to quietly disperse the crowd, then deliver a decisive strike to the demon.
But when Uzui mentioned evacuating the crowd, Hiru let out a scoff.
"You think those lust-blinded customers, and those shop owners who only care about money, will quietly evacuate just because you tell them to?" Hiru crossed his arms. "Don't be naive. No matter how wealthy the Ubuyashiki family is, they won't let you squander resources like that."
Uzui frowned.
"Are you saying we should just attack without regard for their lives?"
"Don't twist my words." Hiru smiled. "I just think, as a shinobi, you could afford to be a bit more underhanded."
"For example, a certain guest just happens to obtain a painting from the Yomi-sensei, and just happens to gift it to an oiran…"
Uzui paused for a moment.
Then his thoughts clicked into place, and a wicked grin spread across his face.
"…And just happens to be a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. And just happens, that oiran is a demon."
Off to the side, Muichiro glanced between them before turning to Yuichiro.
"Hey, big brother… do you think there are really that many 'coincidences' in the world?"
"…No."
"I see… By the way, don't you think Hiru-nii and Uzui-nii are smiling kind of strangely?"
"..."
"Like this?"
"Forget it." Yuichiro finally grabbed Muichiro and turned him to face him. "Listen. Forget everything you just saw. And don't ever smile like that again."
Muichiro: …?
Alright. If big brother says so.
Hiru and Uzui quickly finalized the plan.
But Uzui still had his concerns.
During the last mission against Gyokko, he had already noticed that demons seemed to be deliberately collecting paintings from Yomi-sensei and Asahi-sensei. And after revealing his identity, Hiru had admitted those were both his aliases.
There was no way Uzui wouldn't read into that.
But Hiru didn't seem worried at all.
He told them to let it happen. It was already too late to stop being targeted anyway. What mattered now was making sure his child came back safe.
Uzui understood priorities.
While waiting for the paintings to be prepared, he used Hiru as a sparring partner, practicing coordinated combat with the twins.
The three of them also sparred among themselves, getting used to each other's fighting styles as much as possible.
Once everything was ready, they set out at once, leaving Hiru at the Wisteria House.
Of course, if he actually stayed put, he wouldn't be himself.
The moment they left, he grabbed a Nichirin Blade and slipped out after them.
He even arrived at Kyogoku-ya before they did.
Because of Warabi-hime's reputation, the place was crowded with customers, all hoping for a chance encounter with Yoshiwara's most famous oiran.
Hiru stood beneath the eaves across the street, watching people go in and out.
But his gaze kept drifting toward fleeting black shadows moving within the building.
They moved incredibly fast, weaving silently through the structure.
Sometimes, they passed right by customers or courtesans, yet no one noticed them at all.
But Hiru knew.
Those shadows were part of the demon's Blood Demon Art.
They moved swiftly and silently, using the building for cover. If not for Hiru's unique vision, catching the brief moment when one paused in a narrow gap, it would have been impossible to detect them.
[This Blood Demon Art… it's not limited to Kyogoku-ya.]
He frowned.
[Too many obstructions. Too many people. It's hard to track clearly…]
Then he recalled the rumors about missing oiran.
[Yoshiwara has three brothels with oiran. If those shadows are targeting them, then this Blood Demon Art must be monitoring all three locations.]
[But Blood Demon Arts have a range…]
Hiru lifted his gaze, scanning the surrounding streets.
[Maybe the smaller brothels within that range can help narrow it down…]
[Hmm. Checking them out a little shouldn't be a problem.]