Yoshiwara—
a name that, in the customs and folklore of Japan, always carried a hint of mystery and temptation.
Its streets held the accumulated allure of history itself.
At dawn, the cherry trees lining the road had not fully awakened. A light breeze brushed past the branches, stirring loose a few petals that drifted gently down onto the stone-paved street like fragments of last night's dreams.
The entire street lay silent, devoid of the nighttime clamor. Only one early-opening teahouse still glowed faintly with lamplight, wisps of steam intertwining with the morning mist as though forming a passage to another world.
The lanterns before the teahouse swayed lightly in the breeze, rustling softly, as if whispering tales of Yoshiwara's past.
In the distance, the outlines of the mountains gradually became clear. A great sun rose slowly, its warm light spilling across Yoshiwara's streets and illuminating the side profile of a man seated before the teahouse.
Facing the sunlight, he drank a cup of fresh tea, exhaling a white dragon of breath that dispelled the chill of the spring morning.
"You're up early, young man. It's rare to see a guest come to our place this early in the day."
The teahouse owner chatted casually as he tidied up the shop, glancing at this peculiar customer.
"I just arrived here on my travels," Kurosaki Rei replied with a smile. "I've long heard of Yoshiwara's splendor, so I came to have a look. Boss—do you know which establishment on this street is the best?"
It was his first time in Yoshiwara. With Explorers interfering in the world, Kurosaki Rei couldn't be certain whether Upper Rank Six was still here. Asking a local teahouse owner for information was a reasonable approach.
"Haha, judging by how you're dressed, young master, you must come from a wealthy household. In that case, I'll naturally recommend the finest place in Yoshiwara."
The teahouse owner raised his brows and gave Kurosaki Rei a knowing look.
"Go to Kyogokuya. That's where Yoshiwara's oiran, Daki, is."
Kurosaki Rei's lips curled upward.
So the Explorers aren't very efficient after all, he thought. Upper Rank Six hasn't even moved—didn't even change shops.
Of course, it wasn't entirely fair to blame them.
Although Muzan's faction was powerful, it had an obvious flaw: their boss, Muzan, was practically the textbook definition of a terrible leader. He never listened to subordinates, was temperamental, and persuading him required god-tier flattery.
The Upper Rank demons themselves were all strong-willed individuals. Convincing them to relocate their territory was no easy task. On top of that, acting too openly might arouse Muzan's suspicion.
As a result, even if the Explorers wanted to gather their forces and fight as a group, it wasn't something they could easily accomplish—certainly not within just a few days of entering the world.
At the very least, any Explorer who obtained demon blood would first need to produce results before gaining even a little weight in Muzan's eyes.
"That does sound like a fine suggestion," Kurosaki Rei said as he stood up, tossing a gold bean onto the table.
This was something he'd exchanged for in the Terminus Space, used for everyday expenses in mission worlds.
Such universally usable valuables were extremely cheap in the Space—100 Terminus Coins could be exchanged for a hundred kilograms of gold, even allowing customization into gold bars, gold beans, and so on.
This world was currently in Japan's Taishō era, where the yen was already in use. When the yen was first issued in the Meiji era, one yen was roughly equivalent to 1.5 grams of gold. Inflation hadn't yet become severe, so the yen still had strong purchasing power.
Ordinary people used yen, of course, but in Yoshiwara there was no shortage of wealthy patrons throwing money around. Paying with gold beans didn't confuse the teahouse owner—it only delighted him.
"Thank you, milord!"
The teahouse owner repeatedly bowed in thanks behind Kurosaki Rei, his smile brighter than the rising sun.
Kurosaki Rei didn't turn back. Walking into the sunlight, he waved his hand lightly.
"If you don't want to die, pack up and leave Yoshiwara."
Yoshiwara was far from Mount Fujikasane. Transportation in this era wasn't well developed, but fortunately, Kurosaki Rei had a pair of strong legs and had rushed here overnight.
He had no intention of waiting until nightfall.
He wasn't the kind to announce himself dramatically—arrive and fight, that was all. There was no reason to let the enemy reach peak strength before striking.
In this mission world, he was already at a disadvantage: the Demon Slayer faction versus thirty-three enemy Explorers. If he still played it safe or dragged things out, that would just be courting death.
Kurosaki Rei arrived before the doors of Kyogokuya, reached out, and forcibly pulled open the locked entrance.
The woman at the front desk, who had been dozing with her head on the counter, lifted her head groggily.
"Customer… we're not open yet…"
Kurosaki Rei sniffed lightly.
He didn't have Tanjiro's dog-like sense of smell, but his own senses were sharp enough to detect the hidden stench of blood in this place.
Looks like the teahouse owner hadn't lied—Daki was indeed still at Kyogokuya.
Kurosaki Rei's mood brightened.
Treasure chest, I'm coming.
"Sir, it's not business hours yet. Why don't you come back tonight?"
Seeing Kurosaki Rei walking straight inside, the woman stood up apologetically. She had never seen anyone come to solicit services this early in the morning.
Most of the girls had been busy all night and were sleeping soundly—there was no way they could receive guests now.
Still, this black-clad young man was quite handsome. The girls would probably like him…
Kurosaki Rei headed for the stairs.
As the woman approached him, he suddenly reached out, grabbed her by the collar, and yanked hard. A large area of pale skin was instantly exposed.
"Sir, don't be so impatient. How about I call a few girls over so you can take a look?"
Startled, the woman remained surprisingly calm—after all, she worked in a pleasure house. Besides, with a tall and handsome man like this, even if she wasn't paid, she wouldn't exactly be losing out.
But Kurosaki Rei's expression remained cold. Ignoring her words, he exerted force again, ripping her kimono completely off.
"Heh. So someone really did give pointers."
He tossed the bundle of clothing toward the door behind him.
Just as it was about to touch the sunlight outside, the clothes suddenly came alive.
The sashes moved like limbs, grabbing the doorframe and rebounding back into the shadows.
The woman, clutching her chest with one hand and covering herself with the other, had been about to let out a coquettish cry—
—but upon witnessing that horrifying scene, her voice turned into a piercing scream that cut through the dawn.
In the shadows, the pile of clothing rose upright like a mantis, facing Kurosaki Rei.
Kurosaki Rei didn't even look at it.
Heavy footsteps sounded from above. A moment later, a courtesan in white appeared at the top of the stairs.
She had deep purple hair tied into a single ponytail, a soft, graceful face, and a small teardrop mole beneath her eye.
Taking in the scene, surprise flashed through her eyes. Then she turned to Kurosaki Rei, her expression urgent.
"Sir, what do you think you're doing? It's not time to receive guests yet—are you causing trouble at Kyogokuya? I suggest you leave quickly. Our boss isn't someone to mess with."
Her words carried a hint of threat, yet sounded more like persuasion—strangely so. She seemed to completely ignore the animated clothing in the shadows, treating Kurosaki Rei as nothing more than a troublemaking customer.
Kurosaki Rei looked up at her, somewhat surprised.
If he wasn't mistaken, this woman was Hinatsuru, one of Sound Hashira Uzui Tengen's three wives, currently infiltrating Kyogokuya.
He hadn't expected her to arrive in Yoshiwara so early.
Hinatsuru was still alive—she hadn't been killed by Explorers from Muzan's faction.
So they're trying to fish for big prey, Kurosaki Rei thought.
At this moment, Hinatsuru was frantically signaling Kurosaki Rei with her eyes, telling him to run—now.
It was daytime. As long as he escaped to the streets outside, he'd be safe.
She had never seen Kurosaki Rei before, but the black haori over his Demon Slayer uniform told her everything she needed to know.
Since she didn't recognize him, he clearly wasn't a Hashira or a Tsuguko—just an ordinary Demon Slayer or a newcomer.
That made his presence here extremely dangerous.
According to her husband's analysis, a terrifyingly powerful demon might be lurking here. If it were one of the Twelve Kizuki, killing a rookie Demon Slayer would take no more than an instant.
And just now, she had seen the animated clothing.
From experience alone, she could tell this was a powerful Blood Demon Art.
The demon here might not even be a Lower Rank.
"Causing trouble?"
Kurosaki Rei smiled faintly.
"That's not wrong. I did come looking for the owner of this place…"
"The real owner."
"Well well… you really do understand abilities."
Footsteps echoed from the staircase on the left. A lazy voice followed.
"Too bad though—only you came."
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
Claim early access on Patreon: patreon.com/c/VoidInk08
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:
💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter
🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.