Mitsu knew that while the brothels of the Entertainment District appeared evenly matched on the surface, the three houses competing against one another, Kyogoku House was the true center of it all.
And the reason was its oiran—Warabihime.
Warabihime had become famous overnight the moment she debuted. Countless men squandered fortunes just to catch a distant glimpse of her. She was, without question, Kyogoku House's greatest source of income. Even so, Mitsu could never bring herself to like her, not with that vicious temperament.
But she was simply too beautiful.
So beautiful that people overlooked her cruelty. So beautiful that even those she hurt could forgive her with a soft, seemingly sincere apology. So beautiful that no matter what she asked for, people rushed to fulfill it—just to win a single smile.
Recently, Warabihime had taken a liking to famous paintings, and every day, visitors came bearing artwork. Three men had arrived just today alone. The first two were regulars, but the third was a complete stranger.
And that stranger had brought three paintings—all posthumous works by the very artist Warabihime had requested.
The display was so extravagant that Mitsu almost thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.
So, without the slightest resistance, the man secured the right to meet Warabihime that very night.
What Mitsu hadn't expected was that after she led him upstairs—along with the two young attendants at his side—he would draw a pair of blades hidden behind the case and sever Warabihime's head in a single strike.
That beautiful head still wore a look of stunned disbelief.
Blood splashed everywhere.
Mitsu screamed.
Then something even more horrifying happened.
Even after being beheaded, Warabihime didn't die.
Instead, she smiled—a vicious, savage grin.
"So it's a Hashira. You finally made your way here? You're slow."
The three facing her ignored her completely.
One of the boys glanced at the man beside him.
"Hey… tell me we didn't get the wrong one. Someone this weak is Lower Moon at best, right?"
The other kept his gaze fixed on Warabihime.
"Wasn't it supposed to be a pair of demons? This one's probably just bait. Even then… she's ridiculously weak."
Only then did the man speak.
"Don't let your guard down. Even so… she's pathetically weak."
They were none other than Uzui and the twins, here to hunt demons.
Hearing them, Warabihime looked as though she'd suffered the gravest insult imaginable.
"What are you talking about?! I'm Upper Moon Four now!"
"Then prove it," Yuichiro said flatly, already losing patience. "What's the point of screaming? You weren't much to look at to begin with. Crying just makes it worse."
"Don't look down on me! I've eaten eight Hashira!" Warabihime clutched her severed head, her face twisting with fury. "I'll eat all of you too! Then my lord will definitely praise me! My beauty has already been praised by my brother—and by my lord!"
"Eight Hashira? The other demon killed them and fed them to you, didn't he?" Muichiro glanced at the fleeing proprietress before looking back. "You really are weak. Sure, we caught you off guard, but still… way too weak. Huh?"
It wasn't just Muichiro. Uzui and Yuichiro were just as stunned.
Warabihime—no, Daki, the Upper Moon Four—was crying.
"You don't know anything! Do you have any idea how hard I worked to become an Upper Moon?" Tears streamed down her face. "I'm a demon with a number! A demon acknowledged by my lord! Why won't you Demon Slayers believe me?!"
"Die! Die! All of you, die! I'll make you regret this! Waaaah!"
"Brother! Come out! They cut off my head! They said I was lying! Hurry up and kill them all! Brother!"
As her shrill cries echoed, a gaunt figure emerged from her body.
The instant it appeared, Uzui and the twins moved.
Uzui attacked head-on, while the twins split left and right, cutting off any escape.
Four Nichirin Blades fell at once—
—but only tore through the tatami.
The demon had already slipped away.
"Seriously… it's just your head. You could've reattached it yourself. That tiny brain of yours really doesn't work, does it?"
A low, grating voice echoed through the room.
Uzui and the others turned, their expressions darkening.
Without hesitation, Uzui charged again, both blades raised. The twins followed immediately, striking in perfect coordination.
But the moment Yuichiro swung, a lethal sense of danger surged through him.
He twisted his head aside on instinct, his blade snapping upward in the same motion.
Clang.
A thin line of blood split across his face as the gaunt demon used the clash to spring backward, landing beside Daki.
"Not bad," the demon chuckled, glancing at Muichiro. "Sharp reflexes. Don't tell me a brat like you is a Hashira too."
"So Upper Moon really isn't so simple after all," Yuichiro said, wiping the blood from his face. "Still… if that's all you've got, you're not winning."
"Brother, kill them already!" Daki shrieked again. "This is unbearable! They're humans, but worse than demons! They barged in, cut off my head, and started insulting me! I can't take this!"
"Yeah… unforgivable."
The gaunt demon pressed a hand to his face as two sickles of flesh and blood formed in his grip.
"My adorable little sister has worked so hard all this time with that useless little brain of hers… and you dare bully her like this. That's unforgivable."
"With three against two, you really think you can win?" Uzui lowered his stance, raising his twin blades. "Everyone here is a Hashira."
The demon laughed.
"Three against two? You're the ones who don't understand the situation. My Blood Sickles carry a deadly poison."
He grinned wider.
"That makes this a two-on-two."
Muichiro's heart dropped.
He turned sharply toward Yuichiro—only to see dark, spreading blotches creeping across his face.
"Brother!"
Yuichiro tried to speak, but the moment he opened his mouth, blood spilled out.
"So you really are brothers," the demon sneered. "And the one who got hit is the older one. How can an older brother be this weak? Weak enough to die right in front of his little brother."
"Brother! They have accomplices—more of them!" Daki shrieked again, fury boiling in her voice. "All the prey I saved up has been released! And my sashes were destroyed! This is unforgivable! They all need to die in agony! I'll eat every last one of them!"
"Hey," Uzui asked without turning, "how bad is it? Can you fall back?"
Muichiro, pale with alarm, hurriedly pulled out the medicine packets Hiru had given him and shoved them toward Yuichiro.
"No need to retreat."
Yuichiro picked a white triangular packet, spat out the blood in his mouth, and swallowed the powder inside.
Even as it felt like his insides were being torn apart, his expression didn't change.
"This level of poison… doesn't even matter."