One to zero for the sound pillar. Instead of two team members, he now got three. Admittedly, not female and completely unknown hunters to me, but he had more or less achieved his stubborn goal. How would they have reacted to me, I wonder? I was not at all satisfied with this and believed I'd have to exchange a serious word with that brute again. That only put me in more danger. Who would be well-disposed toward a demon? Certainly no one. With the exception of Tengen, since he had known me for years.
Still in my improvised hiding spot, I heard and sensed the auras as the three helpers, Aoi, the boys' squad, and Tengen gathered in front of the entrance. I dared to take a shy look around the corner to get a better picture.
At first, I only caught a glimpse of the backs of the girls with their covered faces. Aoi, in her dark blue uniform, wore a white nurse's robe over it, just like the white-clad helpers Sumi, Naho, and Kiyo. The little girls had grown amazingly over the past few years. The black-haired girl, whose medium-length hair was tied in a side ponytail, could only have been Kanao. Especially because of the butterfly ornament that once belonged to Kanae. She too wore a skirt uniform, as I did at the time, but she wore a white haori. Impressive, what had become of the once neglected girl, who had been adopted by Kanae and her sister Shinobu in a miserable and unkempt state. And that was now Shinobu's Tsuguko, as I had just heard. I was immensely happy for her, that she hadn't been given up on like her parents once did.
Between the girls, I now saw the boys' squad in full – at least from the back. I had already spotted two of them earlier on the fence. And now also the third and final one. A wooden box gleamed on his back, and I could suddenly perceive the crouched aura inside much more strongly than before. It wasn't particularly large – just half the size of the boy himself. What could possibly be hidden in it? I frowned. No matter how hard I tried to use my demon art of aura perception, all I managed was speculation about what it might be. Maybe a small animal? For a human, it was far too small, unless it was hiding a child.
Over his brownish uniform, a green-black checkered haori completed his appearance. I also noticed his Hanafuda earrings, which to my blurry glance symbolized the red sun of Japan. Was there a reason behind that? He undoubtedly exuded a special aura and charisma. Not least because of his wine-red hair.
"Good luck, Tanjiro," Sumi said, sniffling and relieved.
Tanjiro? If I had to guess who Tanjiro was, I would have probably pointed to the redhead with the wooden box – although it could've also been the blond one.
"Muscle freak," came the trembling and uncertain voice of the blond one. He didn't seem to be very fond of Tengen, which I could somewhat understand.
At the beginning of my Tsuguko time with him, I wasn't much of a fan of him either.
The blond's shoulders shook nervously, as did his high-pitched voice, so I could at least categorize him as a reverent braggart. But why was he so unsure of himself? That didn't suit a demon slayer. Of course, we slayers lived a very dangerous life. Any fight could end in death, but one could also freely choose to become a slayer.
"Well then. Where are we headed, boss?" asked the one with the raspy voice.
"To Japan's most splendid place, where desire and craving reign. The demon-infested pleasure district."
"The pleasure... district?!" asked the redhead cluelessly, which put the blond one into an awkward position.
"Th-that's a very special district. There's, uh, well, you know. Uh, I mean... You really don't know it?!"
Inwardly, I chuckled. He didn't seem like an adult to me. Either he just didn't understand the term, or he had never had any contact with this kind of thing before. Tengen had assembled quite a marvelous team. I was a little excited about going on this adventure, but I still didn't feel comfortable. Hopefully, they weren't planning to chop off my head right away.
"Attention!" Tengen's attention-commanding roar broke through the awkward explanation. "I am a god to you! You are mere dust! That's the first lesson you'll hammer into your heads. Is that clear to everyone?" he confirmed confidently to the clueless ones.
"If I say you'll be dogs, you'll be dogs. I say monkeys – you'll be monkeys. You'll submissively ask how I'm doing and worship me with your whole being! I'll tell you one last time! I am a god!"
Amused, I shook my head. Mentally, I repeated every single word with him at the same time. I'd long since lost count of how often Tengen had forced me to recite this mantra day after day during my training. Not even his tone had changed over time. The boys seemed to need a moment to digest his sermon. Just like I had back then – I had thought it was a bad joke. But yes, that was just his way of establishing authority.
"He's totally nuts," one of the boys hissed in disbelief, and I was sure Tengen wouldn't let that go uncommented – at least, that's how it was with me back then.
"And what kind of god are you?" the redhead interjected before I could see Tengen's expected reaction. "If that's even an appropriate question."
"Is he seriously joining in now?" the same boy asked incredulously under his breath.
"Excellent question. You seem to be the smartest," Tengen remarked, pleased, crossing his arms in front of his muscular chest.
"That question's utterly stupid. Smart, my ass!" complained the blond again, glancing toward the two.
"I rule over glamour and luxury. They call me the god of festivals."
"Dandy! More like god of the dimwitted!"
Oh no! I couldn't hold it in anymore and let out a laugh – immediately covering my mouth with my hand and squinting my eyes shut. I could understand and relate to him. But those who belittled Tengen in such moments were done for in his book. I held my breath with effort to stop laughing, though I would've loved to just let go.
"I'm the king of the mountains! Looking forward to working with you, noble god of festivals!" the one with the raspy voice chimed in confidently.
It became much harder for me to hold it in. Did he seriously think he could keep up with the sound pillar?! I held my stomach and laughed inwardly.
"And you're obviously nuts. You're giving me a creepy vibe..." Tengen responded, baffled, to the comment, and I really couldn't hold back anymore. I burst into loud laughter and, for a moment, forgot that in their eyes, I was one of their greatest enemies. Laughing, I left my hiding spot and took a few steps toward them – until I noticed every single one of them was frozen in shock.
"A-a demon!" the blond stammered, pointing at me with a trembling finger.
Idiot! I should've realized that it now looked like I had been hiding all along, waiting for the right moment to spring out like a bloodthirsty lunatic to pounce on my prey. In an instant, they drew their katanas and pointed them at me. The fire of combat now burned in their eyes and was reflected in their stances.
"Haha! Come to daddy! I'm gonna chop your head off!" the boar boy challenged me.
Oh dear! I felt nauseous and froze. Being so helplessly exposed to their blades felt strange. I wasn't alone, and Tengen would surely prevent anything from happening, but it was still shocking. The hair on my neck stood up, and I looked at them, unsure. Even though it was the only proper reaction to me, I couldn't deny it hurt. I didn't mean any harm...
"Ka-... Kaori?!" Aoi exclaimed, surprised, looking at me in disbelief.
She seemed overwhelmed, yet I could barely see the corners of her mouth lift into a smile. At least one person didn't see me as a monster. The same went for Kiyo, Naho, and Sumi, who joyfully clasped their hands in front of their mouths and smiled warmly at me. Kanao also didn't seem disturbed by my demonic appearance and looked peacefully in my direction.
At least not everyone in front of me was against me.
"Calm down and lower your weapons!" Tengen tried to calm the boys, placing his hands on the blades held by the wild boar daredevil and the angry redhead with the wooden box, attempting to explain the situation to the new slayers.
"Yes, she's a demon, as you can plainly see. Nevertheless, she's a pillar – one of us. She won't harm a single hair on your heads."
"Tengen," I said calmly, stepping closer, "that's not entirely true. I used to be a pillar, the Thunder Pillar, to be exact. My name is Kaori Amakura, and since I've become a demon, I've been discharged as a pillar. But what is true is that I definitely won't hurt you," I assured them and pulled down the hood of my cherry blossom haori.
Their expressions softened, and the raised blades slowly lowered to the ground. The tense atmosphere vanished instantly, and things seemed to relax again. I, too, felt much more comfortable now that no weapons were pointed at me. It was a strange feeling... Not unfamiliar, since even as a pillar, demons had turned their blades on me, but experiencing it the other way around now was very odd.
I noticed the redhead was about to speak, looking quite confused.
"So you're a demon and yet you stand in the sun without burning?!"
"Yes, that's right! Now that you mention it!" the blond boy added, shocked.
I nodded in agreement. "I can't really explain it myself, but for a few hours a day, I'm allowed to be in the sun and enjoy it. Not for too long, because it does get uncomfortable, but I don't burn instantly."
"Wow," Aoi added cheerfully.
"Amazing!" the boar boy said, impressed, before turning to Tengen, clearly wanting to charge at him. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?!"
Without hesitation, the redhead grabbed the wild one from behind and tried to stop him. "Cut it out, Inosuke!"
"What the hell is this, you jerk?!" the wildly flailing one complained and tried to break free. "Let me go, Donpachiro!"
Donpachiro?! Didn't they call him Tanjiro earlier? I grinned in amusement. Was he teasing him, or could he just not pronounce his name properly?
"Utterly disgusting," Tengen muttered skeptically as he looked down. "Besides, it wasn't the right time to say anything until now!"
Meanwhile, Kiyo and Sumi closed the short distance between us. Their little arms wrapped warmly around my waist, and I found myself in another hug. I expressed my affection as well, stroking the girls' heads.
"You've grown so much, you little mice!" I said happily, giving them my full attention.
"Are you doing well, Kaori?"
"Will you come back to live with us again?"
They asked almost at the same time, looking up at me with heartbreakingly sad puppy eyes, which touched me. Still, it gave me a pang in the stomach, and I shook my head with sympathy.
"I'm doing okay, thank you, Sumi. But unfortunately, I won't come back to live with you. Too many others are against it, and it would stir up too much trouble. So after the mission, I'll withdraw again. I'm just here to watch over the boys and then I'm off again."
"Pah!" Tengen responded loudly. "Watch over us... Don't make me laugh. You mean I'll be watching over you!"
I made a face in response to his indignation before looking back down at the girls.
"Don't do anything silly and keep helping all the injured, okay?"
"Yes, Master Kaori!" they both replied in unison, which made me click my tongue in a flattered way.
I didn't really like being called 'Master', but I hadn't been able to wean them off it over time. They just wouldn't give it up.
"Come," Tengen interjected, "we don't have time for games! Let's go!"
Turning his back to us, he positioned himself and took up a stance to sprint.
"Get ready!" was the last thing we heard from him before he took off without hesitation.
With his momentum, he left nothing but a thick cloud of dust behind, which kept the boys squinting for a moment. Just like when we had run through all those wisteria trees earlier.
The blond boy was the first to assess the situation and practically searched for him. "Where did he go? … There!" he shouted, perplexed, pointing at Tengen, who had already covered an impressive distance in seconds and was now just a speck in the distance.
"What are we waiting for?! Let's go! After him!" I urged the boys to get moving and immediately dashed past them.
"Take good care of yourselves!" the girls called after us in unison, before we, too, became dots in the distance.
"Now listen to me," Tengen began, "we can't draw attention here. The rule is to wait and watch. Do not leave this rickshaw under any circumstances!"
Together with Tanjiro, Inosuke, Tengen, and the blond one, we had reached the pleasure district after a longer run. Night had now taken over the day sky and wrapped everything in a dark veil. Only the pleasure district itself shone with its numerous lights as bright as day. We were traveling in two rickshaws – the three boys in one and Tengen and I in the other. What stood out to me, besides the immense crowds of people, was the overwhelming mix of scents. The most prominent among them was perfume. Various fragrances ranged from heavy to floral and light notes. But also the smell of food. The scent of freshly prepared dishes flowed from some of the houses. If only I were human again, then I could enjoy a delicious bowl of ramen, but like this, it was unfortunately inedible for me.
Contrary to Tengen's instruction not to leave the rickshaw under any circumstances, the blond boy was the first to leap from his assigned seat.
"Wait! No, come back, Zenitsu," Tanjiro pleaded, uncertain, and Inosuke left the rickshaw immediately after him. "Not you too, Inosuke!"
Great. So much for "we mustn't attract attention" – and what was the best way to draw Tengen's wrath upon oneself? Exactly! Disobeying his instructions.
Tanjiro also quickly left the rickshaw, but only to try to retrieve the two runaway boys. "Come back!"
In the meantime, we, too, had stepped out of the rickshaw, and Tengen was beyond furious.
"Those damn little punks!" he cursed harshly as we made our way in the direction of the escapees.
"Calm down, Inosuke," Tanjiro tried, holding his friend by the shoulders, who seemed overwhelmed by the situation. I also found this terrifying crowd extremely uncomfortable. That really was far too many people at once.
"No one runs away here!" Tengen roared next to Tanjiro and Inosuke, spotting the blond boy at the same time.
"You there, Blondie!" he barked in Zenitsu's direction, who raised a finger as he looked around. "Not one more step!"
I grabbed Zenitsu by the shoulder and guided him back to our little group. Nevertheless, Tengen's angry tirade alone had managed to keep the boys from wandering off again – for now.
"It's as bright as day here," Zenitsu observed, still looking around curiously but staying with us.
"This is the pleasure district Yoshiwara!" Tengen explained, now more relaxed and proud. "Here, love and hate rule. Vanity and desire. Magnificent, isn't it?"
"I can't believe it," Inosuke shouted. "There are people everywhere!"
Startled, I looked at Inosuke, who had once again lost his composure in the truest sense of the word. Now I realized what he meant when he called himself the king of the mountains. He simply couldn't handle this kind of overstimulation.
He seemed ready to attack and clenched his fists tightly. "Follow your nose!" he roared before blindly charging into a crowd of people.
Stunned and unable to process what had just happened, I stood frozen while Tengen was already running after him.
"Calm down, you idiot!" he tried desperately to talk some sense into him, clearly shocked himself.
Meanwhile, Zenitsu had quietly slipped away from Tanjiro and me without me noticing. But Tengen had noticed – he returned immediately, carrying Inosuke over his shoulder.
"Hey! Where did that blond boy run off to?!" he shouted angrily.
I flinched. My full attention had been on Tengen and Inosuke, so I hadn't realized someone else had escaped again.
"There!" Tanjiro answered, pointing toward Zenitsu, who was wandering around uncertainly.
Tengen freed himself from Inosuke and literally shoved the wild boy into my arms, which I pulled close.
"Keep an eye on this one!" he ordered sharply, and I nodded.
Tengen followed Zenitsu, who had clearly begun exploring the pleasure district on his own. He strolled curiously past some men and was addressed directly by courtesans on a balcony. Even though I wasn't particularly close to him, I could hear them clearly despite the noisy environment.
"Hey! Hello, Blondie! Why don't you come upstairs to us? We have lots of sweets!" they giggled, waving at him sweetly.
He seemed so embarrassed that he turned as red as a lipstick and covered his face with his hand.
"What are you waiting for? Come here!" one of them tried to lure him, but Zenitsu immediately fled the scene.
"There are just too many pretty girls! Oooah!" he lamented in shame, only to be caught up with by Tengen.
"Stop whining!"
And just like that, he slapped him on the back of the head and grabbed him by the scruff.
"Besides, you're way too young for this!" Tengen added, dragging Zenitsu back to us.
I pressed my lips together and held back a laugh. Babysitting teens who didn't know what a pleasure district was – this was quite the entertainment. And I had to admit, Tengen was doing a pretty good job as the chaperone.
He explained a few more facts about the establishment, especially about the girls who mostly stayed in the houses here and how some of them had ended up there. The boys listened attentively, and in my opinion, were able to add a thing or two to their knowledge.
"All right, that's enough for now. Follow me!"
The four of us followed the sound pillar, as he had instructed. He led us along the main street, which was very busy, to a quieter side street and turned into a house bearing the wisteria crest.
"Good evening," he said politely to announce himself, and we followed his example.
Once inside a small house, we all took off our shoes and immediately found ourselves in a tatami room. Tengen immediately sat down on one of the cushions in front of us and assumed the same posture he had earlier at my place – one leg propped up, with his elbow resting on it. With his intense gaze directed at us, he began to speak.
"Now, to your mission. You will help me find my missing wives in the pleasure district. After that, we'll take down the demon together."
While I listened to Tengen's words, Inosuke had taken it upon himself to claim the prepared meal – a few onigiri. Eating wasn't easy with the boar mask, so he had lifted it up a bit, allowing me to see his face. Man, he was handsome. His shoulder-length hair was pitch-black, but dark blue at the tips. A beautiful contrast to his large emerald-green eyes. His face had very feminine features, which didn't match his raspy voice at all. Really cute.
Tanjiro sat politely in front of me, sipping contentedly from his cup of freshly brewed green tea. What I wouldn't give for a cup of that green gold now, but unfortunately it no longer tasted good to me. Zenitsu, on the other hand, listened motionless to Tengen's words, who now raised his voice again.
"I think I misheard!" he replied angrily, clenching his fist before starting to slap the floor with his open hand.
"Wha-at?!" Tengen responded, puzzled, as did I, looking at the annoyed boy who had just started his angry rant.
"Stop messing with us!" Zenitsu explained, still slapping the floor repeatedly with his hand. "You're making your comrades work for you just to score another woman?!"
"What?!" Tengen protested. "No! You're completely misunderstanding!"
"I know exactly what's going on here!" he continued ranting, while Tanjiro tried to grab his shoulders to calm him down.
"Hey Zenitsu! Take it easy!" Tanjiro tried to reason with his friend, but to no effect.
"That you freak can't get a girl is obvious! That's why you're forcing us demon slayers to catch you a woman, because everyone else always runs away from you!"
I pressed my lips together again, like so many times that day. What nonsense was that?! And besides, Tengen didn't need others to get himself a woman.
"You've completely lost your mind!" Tengen didn't take it lying down. "My wives infiltrated this place to gather more information about the demon for me. And because the connection to them was cut off, I asked for backup!"
That sounded even more suspicious to Zenitsu, who expressed his distrust by standing up. Still looking at Tengen in disbelief.
"Do you tell yourself these delusions before bed too?"
I was truly shocked by such disrespect. I had been cheeky with him a few times, but I never dared to take it that far.
"Brat!" Tengen grumbled darkly as he grabbed several brown envelopes and threw them forcefully at Zenitsu.
Startled, he let out a loud scream and fell backward onto the floor.
"All these letters," Tengen explained, now more composed and still holding a stack of envelopes, "were delivered to me by their crows. Got it?"
Tanjiro took one of the bound stacks of letters. And Inosuke? He considered it vital to just keep eating, completely unfazed by the scene.
"Wow, that's quite a lot," Tanjiro remarked. "Can you also tell us who exactly we're looking for?"
"First of all, I have three wives."
That was apparently the cue for Zenitsu to snap out of his micro-coma.
"Did he say three wives?!" he asked in disbelief. "Really three?! Three?! THREE? You've got to be kidding me! Why do you of all people have three wives?! You've got to be joking!"
This time, Tengen's fist flew and hit Zenitsu square in the stomach, sending him straight back to the floor. That must've been a bit too much.
"Anyone else have a problem?" Tengen growled deeply, prompting Inosuke to stop eating immediately and adjust his boar mask, while Tanjiro shamefully looked into one of the letters.
At that moment, no one dared say a word. Instead, Tanjiro took it upon himself to sort through the stack of letters and read some of them.
"All right. The letters mention several times that we must absolutely avoid drawing attention to ourselves."
"Told you that already," Tengen replied.
"Yes, but how exactly did you plan to do that?"
"Simple. We'll go in disguise. Maybe not the best idea, but it will work. My three wives are outstanding female ninjas. Called Kunoichi. That the pleasure district is a perfect hideout for a demon was clear to me. But as a guest, I couldn't easily identify him. The three of them went deeper than a guest ever could. Now we only have three suspicious establishments left. You will search for my wives there and gather more information. Suma is at Tokito-ya. Makio at Ogimoto-ya. And Hinatsuru is at Kyogoku-ya."
The two boys listened to Tengen intently – and so did I. Inosuke scratched his boar snout and remarked, "Oh, they're probably all long dead anyway."
…!
Tanjiro and I stared at Inosuke in horror – who immediately got the same punch to the stomach Zenitsu had just experienced. So now Zenitsu had some company on the floor... God, what kind of team was this?! I sincerely hoped the tide would turn for the better.
A moment later, a sliding door was opened by a young man.
"Please excuse the disturbance. I've brought you all the items you requested."
"Thank you," Tengen said, not too gruffly, and the young man disappeared again.
I wanted to lighten the uncomfortable mood a little and got up to grab the box, once again bearing the wisteria crest. I opened it and found a pile of clothes and some makeup utensils. What was he planning?! Yes, he wanted us to disguise ourselves, but what was the makeup for?! Was he planning to dress them as girls? Well, Zenitsu and Inosuke certainly deserved it. For Tanjiro, I would've been against it – but if the goal was to get them into the pleasure houses, I guess they'd all have to do it.
And that's exactly what happened. The boys were handed fabric and told to change in the next room. Meanwhile, Tengen prepared the makeup. Curious and amused, I watched him over his shoulder.
"You're really going through with this?" I spoke next to his ear, having leaned on his broad shoulders from behind. Under my hands, I could clearly feel that he was tense.
"Of course! I'm selling those punks to the target houses – no matter the cost!"
His voice was brimming with fury. He was so eager to get rid of the boys.
"If I can help – I'd be happy to," I let him know, suppressing a chuckle.
"Thanks, but I'll mess them up just fine on my own."
Even if it was inappropriate, I couldn't stop myself from laughing. I really wanted to see his hidden talent.
The boys returned to us in their new outfits. Even without the makeup, I had to shamelessly admit that they looked very cute. They had only taken off their uniforms and were wearing their haori as kimonos. Since Inosuke didn't have one, he was given a blue kimono to wear. The three of them sat in a row in front of Tengen, and he began working with his brushes. A few minutes and several strokes later, he was finished. And what can I say? Nothing – I let my most gleeful laugh speak for itself. He absolutely couldn't do makeup. Nor could he style hair.
He gave all three of them white makeup with circular peach-colored cheeks. Their lips were painted bright red, and he drew two dark brown to black circles on their foreheads. He was mad at them – that much was clear from their hairstyles too. Both Inosuke and Zenitsu had ribbons in their hair. Zenitsu's were placed on top, while Inosuke's tied back his mid-length hair at the bottom. Tanjiro just had a little ribbon pulling his bangs out of his face. As if that weren't enough, Tengen had taken the liberty of thoroughly applying mascara to their lashes. My definition of "pretty" was certainly different – but it looked incredibly funny.
"Now I like you much better! To complete everything, you'll go by code names. Tanjiro is now Sumiko, Zenitsu is Zenko, and Inosuke is Inoko. And Inosuke – with that rasping voice of yours, keep your mouth shut, or you'll just attract attention!" Tengen instructed.
They seemed to accept their new assignment without comment, which was probably the smartest move.
"All right, then we'll move on to the hardest part of our mission – getting you placed in the remaining establishments. I will also put on a disguise and change clothes."
Said and done. Tengen took a purple piece of fabric from the box and disappeared into the next room. He came back dressed in a beautiful kimono. His white hair fell smoothly over his shoulders again, tied back in a ponytail as before. The striking paint around his left eye was gone, revealing his flawless skin. He also went without his gem-studded headband. Aside from his striking beauty, he no longer stood out at all. This wasn't a new sight for me – I had seen Tengen in all kinds of outfits, some with less clothing, due to our shared living space – but still, I couldn't deny that he looked damn good.
"All right," he began, "we're ready. Kaori, you will stay hidden. Your demonic appearance unfortunately can't be concealed."
He stepped directly in front of me, placed his index finger under my chin, and instructed me to look up at him.
"Your eyes and also your fangs can't be hidden. I want to play it safe, even though I would've liked to have you with us."
I smiled, blushing. "I understand, and we definitely shouldn't take that risk. I'll stay hidden nearby and will only intervene if things get dangerous!"
In a way, I was glad about it, because to be honest, I didn't really want to dress up. Besides, I had truly had enough of all the people, and I urgently needed a place to retreat to.
"I wish you success. And you boys," I turned away from Tengen and addressed them, "if you're in danger, call for me. I'll hear you and will be nearby the whole time, okay? Don't go off on your own – we don't know what kind of demon we're dealing with yet. As long as we don't encounter him, we'll regroup here in the mornings, when everyone is asleep and you can sneak out unseen to discuss the situation. Take care of yourselves."
"Yes, Kaori," Tanjiro replied seriously for the others, who nodded in agreement.
Together we left the house. Tengen, who walked behind me, grabbed my arm to signal that I should stop for a moment. Immediately I felt his warm breath at my ear as he whispered something to me. Feeling his warm breath and his strong chest against my back gave me goosebumps.
"We'll meet later on the rooftops."
I nodded in understanding. That almost sounded like a date. Nevertheless, our paths parted for now and Tengen continued with his mission.
As agreed with Tengen, I withdrew to the rooftops of the pleasure district. Finally, peace – at least the chaos was no longer so clearly audible, and I took a deep breath. I could literally feel the tension fall away and myself calming down. Closing my eyes, I let my head tilt back and looked up into the night sky. How peaceful it was. Thousands of stars adorned the dark sky, and the cool night air practically invited one to relax. Nevertheless, I sharpened my hearing to detect any potential dangers.
Up here, I felt much safer than down below among all the people. The loud environment and constantly changing smells didn't leave me unaffected. Since becoming a demon, my senses seemed to have gained a considerable level of intensity.
The gentle breeze caused a few strands of my half ponytail to dance around and gently rustled my cherry blossom haori. Hard to believe I was back in the middle of it all. Just a few hours ago, I never would have thought I'd be lying in wait for a demon, planning to take him out later. Thoughtfully, I rested my arms on my drawn-up knees and let my gaze wander across the southern part of the district.
All quiet. No abnormalities or incidents. No one crying for help or giving me an uneasy feeling. The various auras were all bright – pastel-colored. I could assume that no one was in danger or afraid. Unlike Tengen and the boys, whose auras were intense in color. They radiated determination. Except for Zenitsu, whose aura was a mix of light and dark. That had to be due to his anxiety. In the first hours and days of my demonic existence, I hadn't even noticed that I could now see aura colors, but now... it felt kind of strange – surreal even. But then again, so was my current nature. So, what was normal in this world anyway?
I sighed heavily. My thoughts wandered through all sorts of things but eventually stuck on the pillars. Especially one in particular... I wondered what Giyu was doing now? How he was doing? What his emotional state must be like? How I would've loved to have him sitting next to me now. We had enjoyed many evenings like this together, lost in conversation. Wrapped in each other's arms. Hour by hour. Tender moment by tender moment. It was almost astonishing how talkative the water pillar could be, but that was exactly what I so deeply appreciated about him. His loving and open manner toward me. One he only showed to me.
I sighed again. The pain that suddenly spread through me made me sad. Why couldn't it be like it used to be? When we went into battle together. Side by side. Always watching out for the other, making sure nothing happened to them. We made an excellent team. We understood each other blindly and could rely on one another completely. Our styles harmonized like no others. Not that I hadn't experienced that with Tengen too, but right now, I dearly wished for Giyu at my side.
To feel his presence and his body close to mine... I exhaled heavily again and let my shoulders sink. I longed for him. For his presence. His voice. His warmth and unmistakable scent, which I had loved above all else. The adventures we had experienced together. Even if they were just the ones where we snuck off to the hot spring at night to enjoy moments of intimacy. I closed my eyes. If he had only admitted it to himself, he would've known, just like I did, that he was a bit of a daredevil. But just a small one. Okay, I admit – it was mostly thanks to me. But he wouldn't have gone along with it if it hadn't been in him somewhere.
"So, what's with the slumped shoulders?"
Startled, I looked up at Tengen, who was looking down at me. He had changed again?! Wearing his sleeveless uniform and his swords on his back, he joined me. He sat down directly beside me but facing the opposite direction – keeping an eye on the northern part of the district. His snow-white hair was once again tied into a ponytail, and his light gray, gem-studded headband was back in place.
"Me?!" I replied, perplexed. "Nothing important. I was just thinking about Giyu."
He looked at me with compassion.
"If only I could help you with that…"
"Oh, come on, no. You've already done so much for me, even if not regarding Giyu, but I don't want that either... So then. Were you successful?"
I lost myself in his gaze for a moment. I really liked the red eye makeup around his left eye, which had returned to its usual place.
"Yes, I was, if I may say so. The beginning was rough, but I managed to place Tanjiro in the Tokito-ya. Inosuke was even selected by the house mistress of the Ogimoto-ya, and Zenitsu was accepted into the Kyogoku-ya."
I smiled with satisfaction. That meant the roles were assigned, and the boys had been successfully placed in the target establishments as fake girls. A small but important step in the big mission. I leaned my head against his strong shoulder. I just needed a little affection right now. Especially since my thoughts had recently been circling around Giyu again. But one question was burning on my lips.
"You don't trust them, do you?"
My tone suggested that I expected a serious answer.
"No," he replied honestly. "I don't know them well enough, and what I've seen so far hasn't been very convincing. Even if they're slayers and have climbed a few ranks, I'm more than skeptical. I keep asking myself if it was the right choice. Maybe I've done us a disservice. I have a mixed feeling about it."
So I was right after all. But they really had demanded a lot from him. Surely, that was partly because of their young age – but the boys were sharp.
"I understand, Tengen, but still, I have the feeling it wasn't a mistake. Taking them on this mission, I mean. They may seem childish and maybe inexperienced, but they radiate a certain fighting spirit that gives me hope. You should give them a chance – just like you did with me back then."
"But those were two very different situations. My trust in you built over time, partly because I trained you and could shape you to my standards. With them? That's something completely different. They're stubborn and that worries me – that they might get us into trouble. That really bothers me."
"Seriously? Shouldn't you be more worried that I'm the one who could get us into trouble?" I said, referring to my rebellious and impulsive nature, trying to tease him a little.
"To be honest, no. Because you know best how to defend yourself. You're experienced and cunning. I'm not worried about you."
"Well, that's something new to hear from you," I smirked, then returned to talking about the boys. "Anyway, I have a good feeling about them. Look at it this way, Tengen: They're still young, they have a lot to learn and consider. We're old hands at this. We're practiced and have our routines, refined over the years. They're new and fresh. Maybe they'll remind us of lessons we've forgotten or pushed deep into our subconscious over time. I definitely see the boys as an asset. Especially since I still have that lingering insecurity – one I had long since shed as a pillar."
He looked straight at me, and the gems hanging beside his face clinked melodiously. He surely didn't like hearing that – I could tell by his sharply drawn breath, as if to respond.
"Don't get me wrong, Tengen," I quickly added, "I'm not trying to talk us down. But after all this time, it's entirely possible that we've put aside effective techniques just because we've become so used to what we do. Especially if we're now dealing with a high-ranking demon moon."
He hesitated and said nothing at first. He seemed lost in thought. I looked up at him, our faces now only a few centimeters apart. His calm breath brushed the tip of my nose as we looked deeply at one another. I couldn't help but smile softly. I liked this side of Tengen. The one who showed uncertainty.
"And if all else fails," I broke the silence between us, "then I'll grab the boys, get them to safety, and come back alone to fight the demon. Or the other way around."
"And which plan is that of yours?"
"Let me think… Plan I, as in improvisation."
I actually got a laugh out of him.
"You're really strange."
"No, not strange – unique."
"Yeah, that's what I meant," he laughed, then turned serious again. "Even if you might be right, I'll still be careful, Kaori."
"You should be, and you're allowed to, Tengen. I am too – but have a little more faith. I've got a good feeling they'll do their job well."
I heard him exhale loudly. He was still struggling with himself. Of course, I couldn't make that disappear – and it wasn't my goal either – but at least I'd loosened him up a bit so he wouldn't view the mission so rigidly or as doomed from the start.