Upon seeing only Orie in the room, Warabihime slipped through the window's gap. In this era of primarily wooden structures, even tightly shut doors and windows couldn't block Warabihime's Blood Demon Art.
Orie, unaware of Warabihime's entry, sat calmly at her dressing table, smiling at her reflection. The prospect of escaping this life was a rare and precious opportunity for her. Becoming a courtesan didn't guarantee someone would pay to redeem her, as the cost for a top courtesan was exorbitant and not everyone was willing to pay it.
"You seem happy."
Orie, lost in her thoughts, was startled by a cold chuckle from behind. Turning around, she saw a familiar face—Warabihime. Recognizing her, Orie's body instinctively shrank back. As fellow courtesans in Yoshiwara, Orie knew Warabihime well. Unlike other courtesans who could only last a couple of years, Warabihime had held her position for several years.
Warabihime's contribution to Kyogoku House's prosperity was undeniable. Despite her terrible temper within, she excelled at entertaining guests, never showing displeasure even when annoyed, though she would seek revenge later. This behavior made the house owner tolerate her antics, as her financial value was immense.
While the public might be unaware of Warabihime's true nature, fellow courtesans like Orie knew all too well. Hence, seeing Warabihime made Orie instinctively recoil.
"Warabihime, what brings you here?" Orie asked after calming her nerves.
"To send you off," Warabihime replied, her sashes flying towards Orie. The sudden attack left Orie petrified, having never witnessed such horror.
Crash.
The window shattered, and a figure leapt into the room. With swift, precise slashes, Daniel severed the sashes, scattering them across the room.
"Demon Slayer," Warabihime muttered, coldly eyeing the intruder. Daniel, clad in the standard black uniform and wielding a Nichirin Blade, was unmistakably from the Demon Slayer Corps.
Warabihime's body erupted with four more sashes, targeting Daniel. To her, an ordinary-looking Demon Slayer wasn't worth much concern.
Daniel effortlessly sliced through the sashes, closing the distance in an instant. He severed Warabihime's right arm and kicked her out of the room.
"Don't speak of this to anyone," Daniel instructed the now-recovered Orie before darting out.
"Demon Slayers are real?" Orie whispered in shock once Daniel vanished. As a courtesan, Orie had access to information networks others didn't. Rumors of demons and the Demon Slayer Corps were common in Yoshiwara, though most considered them mere gossip.
"Could Warabihime be...?" Orie recalled a persistent rumor in Yoshiwara about a demon who disliked those who got in her way.
"I'll kill you," Warabihime seethed, launching eight sashes at Daniel after regaining her balance in the street. She had never suffered such an injury before, and though her arm quickly regenerated, the pain was excruciating.
As Warabihime's most powerful attack came, Daniel advanced, slicing through the sashes with ease. He then kicked her away from the town.
"Brother, help! Someone's bullying me," Warabihime cried, remaining seated as she called out.
A head appeared behind her, followed by the emergence of a male demon.
"Don't cry, Warabihime. I'll kill him for you."
The male demon, Gyutaro, was shirtless, with black and green hair, a hunched back, and a scrawny build marked by numerous black spots. As he separated from Warabihime, blood-red sickles formed in his hands.
"So, you're a Pillar. You'll be the sixteenth Pillar I've killed." The Demon Slayer Corps couldn't discern ranks by eye; strength was their only measure.
"I wondered why Upper Moon Six was so weak. Turns out there's another one. Twin demons, interesting. By the way, can you tell me where that coward Muzan is hiding?" Daniel mocked.
"You insult Lord Muzan! Brother, kill him! Don't let him die easily!" Warabihime screamed, enraged.
Muzan favored Warabihime, contributing to her position despite being the weakest Upper Moon. Her devotion to Muzan was absolute, explaining why she and Gyutaro had killed the most Pillars.
"Got it. Blood Demon Art: Flying Blood Sickles," Gyutaro said, launching his attack. His sickles generated a barrage of blood blades aimed at Daniel. These blades, controlled by Gyutaro's will, pursued their target relentlessly and carried potent poison.
A demon's blood regeneration was remarkable; while humans weakened from blood loss, demons remained unaffected. If not for their poisonous blood, demons could serve as blood banks.
Bang.
Daniel effortlessly dispersed the blood blades with a single sweep of his Nichirin Blade.
"Upper Moon demons are no big deal," Daniel remarked, appearing beside Gyutaro. He shattered Gyutaro's blood sickles and severed his arms.
"This ends now," Daniel said, binding both demons with Kamar-Taj's chains. The earlier battle was merely to gauge their strength.
"You're useless!" Warabihime screeched at her brother once they were both restrained. Despite their century-long lives, Warabihime's mentality remained that of a child.
"And it's your fault."
"Shut up," Daniel silenced them, sealing their mouths with chains. Unlike Tanjiro, he had no empathy for demons.
"The damage should be enough to seem like a major battle. I was overthinking it," Daniel observed, causing more destruction with a Rankyaku to make it look like a fierce fight.
He aimed to avoid Muzan's suspicion; a quick defeat might cause Muzan to retreat further into hiding. A scene of destruction would imply a hard-fought battle.
Muzan valued Upper Moon demons highly, unlike Lower Moons whom he discarded easily. A cautious boss, Muzan would react differently to Upper Moon losses.
"If Upper Moon demons are so weak, it's no wonder Lower Moons are expendable. Muzan must have realized Tanjiro's potential, prompting his current caution," Daniel thought.
Muzan's cowardice made him an unusual adversary. Unlike pirate leaders who sought immediate vengeance, Muzan preferred hiding.
"Warabihime captured so many people. She really is a child," Daniel discovered Warabihime's sash containing numerous faces of beautiful girls. These were not paintings but living captives.
Warabihime's sashes had a spatial dimension, allowing her to store people for later enjoyment. Her disdain for those more beautiful than her drove her to such actions.
"Let's get these people out." Daniel hesitated, knowing that freeing them without treatment would cause deformities due to prolonged exposure to the Blood Demon Art.
Daniel couldn't save everyone, but he could help those he encountered. The captives, if released in Yoshiwara, would likely face dire futures.
"It's better to take them to the Demon Slayer Corps. The Ubuyashiki family can provide for them," Daniel decided, considering the well-being of the captives. Pairing them with current Corps members might offer a better future than staying in Yoshiwara.
"Hang in there," Daniel said, deciding to keep the captives in the sashes until he reached the Butterfly Mansion. Warabihime's sashes had preservation properties, ensuring the captives' safety for a while longer.
In a secluded spot in the mountains near Yoshiwara, Daniel began studying the blood of the Upper Moon demons.
"Upper Moon blood can create demons, not just Muzan's. No wonder there's such a gap between Upper and Lower Moons."
"Should I create a demon for research?" Daniel pondered, holding Gyutaro's extracted blood.
The line between humans and demons lay in their actions. Daniel's intent was to find a cure for demons, but he needed test subjects.
"I have a way to reverse the demonic transformation, but I need experimental data. Creating demons seems too risky," Daniel decided to seek test subjects elsewhere, perhaps from Fujikasane Mountain.
"Fujikasane Mountain has plenty of demons. I'll find subjects there," Daniel concluded, leaving the idea of creating demons behind.
___________________
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In front of the Butterfly Mansion.
Upon Daniel's return, Butterfly Shinobu, Giyu Tomioka, and a woman with long, braided pink hair approached him. After briefly assessing Daniel, Butterfly Shinobu immediately asked, "Did you succeed?"
"I've taken care of them, but there are many injured here. Could you please help?" Daniel replied, pulling out Daki's sash from his back and briefly explaining the situation.
"Release them quickly," Shinobu instructed as she, Giyu, and the others began assisting the Butterfly Mansion's personnel in rescuing the captives.
"The Love Pillar, huh," Daniel noted, observing the woman with pink hair, Mitsuri Kanroji. She had originally black hair, which turned pink from eating 170 cherry cakes daily for eight months.
Mitsuri Kanroji, known for her immense strength and appetite, joined the Demon Slayer Corps primarily to find a husband stronger than herself and to find a place where she wasn't discriminated against for her unique abilities. Additionally, the Corps provided her with enough food.
In modern society, being a female glutton might not be a big deal, but in this era, a strong woman with an enormous appetite faced significant discrimination. However, in the Corps, she wasn't seen as an anomaly but as a protector of humanity.
With the help of Kanao Tsuyuri, Aoi Kanzaki, and other personnel, the women trapped in the sashes were quickly tended to. Although the number wasn't large, fewer than ten, they would have soon become Daki's food if not for Daniel's intervention.
These women exhibited symptoms similar to Zenitsu Agatsuma in the original story; their bodies had shrunk. Shinobu swiftly began treating them, while Daniel reported his success to Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Upon hearing the situation, Shinobu, Giyu, and Mitsuri immediately set aside their other questions and focused on the rescue operation.
"It's a Twin Demon," Daniel explained, detailing his encounter with the Upper Rank Six demons.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the head of the Demon Slayer Corps, appeared deeply moved. This was the first time in over a century that an Upper Rank demon had been defeated. It was a significant morale booster and a step closer to Muzan Kibutsuji, the Demon King.
"This is a tremendous achievement. Have you gathered any additional information?" Kagaya inquired.
"I have some intelligence on the Upper Rank Two demon. It was mentioned during an argument between the Twin Demons," Daniel revealed, sharing information about Doma, the Upper Rank Two.
The information wasn't fabricated. Daki, favored by Muzan, was well-informed about the Upper Ranks. Unfortunately, Daki didn't know their exact locations, except for Doma, who had a fixed base despite often traveling.
"The High Priest of the Eternal Paradise Cult. Understood," Kagaya acknowledged.
With the Ubuyashiki family's intelligence network, finding the Eternal Paradise Cult would be much faster than Daniel searching alone.
"I see, the Pillar meeting is about to start. No wonder Giyu and Mitsuri are here. The other Pillars should arrive soon. If we locate Upper Rank Two, we might confront Muzan sooner. I need to develop the medicine to turn demons back into humans before then," Daniel thought.
While other demons didn't concern him, Nezuko's safety was paramount. If Muzan were defeated, Nezuko might die unless she evolved to withstand sunlight or turned back into a human.
Muzan's demise could potentially mean the end for all demons created from his blood. Daniel had long sought a way to draw Muzan out, and killing Upper Rank demons seemed the best method. Muzan ignored the deaths of Lower Ranks but would react to multiple Upper Rank losses.
Muzan, despite his cowardice, wasn't foolish. With intelligence rivaling the Ubuyashiki family, Muzan had been executing his own plans while hiding, one of which was searching for the Blue Spider Lily.
"Let's talk about the Water Pillar position. I don't want it; let Giyu keep it," Daniel said when Kagaya suggested he take over as the Water Pillar.
Giyu had proposed this, always feeling unworthy of the title, believing Sabito should have had it. With Daniel's strength, evidenced by defeating an Upper Rank demon, Giyu felt confident stepping down.
"I'm not here to become a Pillar. I just want to kill Muzan and then let everyone live their lives," Daniel declared.
"Seeing everyone here for this Pillar meeting brings me great joy," Kagaya said, commencing the meeting once all Pillars had arrived. Daniel stood beside Giyu, no longer isolated.
"We have good news. The Upper Rank Six demon has been slain."
All eyes turned to Daniel.
"How strong was the Upper Rank Six?" a Pillar asked.
Having never faced an Upper Rank demon, they were eager to understand their true strength.
"Very strong. I killed the weakest Upper Rank. Even so, fewer than three of you could defeat them one-on-one," Daniel stated, scanning the room but withholding the names.
"So you think you're stronger than most of us," the Serpent Pillar, Obanai Iguro, remarked coldly, his gaze piercing Daniel.
Daniel's statement implied most present couldn't match him, naturally causing discontent. Obanai, in particular, looked ready to challenge Daniel if not for Kagaya's presence.
"Are you targeting me? I see," Daniel observed, glancing at the Serpent Pillar before noticing Mitsuri's blushing cheeks, guessing the reason for Obanai's hostility.
Mitsuri, known for her unique preferences, was naturally drawn to Daniel's strength and looks.
"You like the Love Pillar, don't you?" Daniel suddenly asked.
Obanai's face froze, his secret exposed. The other Pillars shifted their focus to Obanai and Mitsuri.
"What are you talking about?" Obanai stammered.
"Obanai..." Mitsuri's gaze also changed, her expression showing surprise and confusion.
"If you like her, just say it. You're not afraid of death but fear this?" Daniel's bluntness drew everyone's attention, spurred by a mix of helpfulness and curiosity.
"This is quite interesting," Shinobu commented, clapping her hands.
"It's a good thing," the Flame Pillar, Kyojuro Rengoku, said loudly.
Among the Pillars, Kyojuro was the most normal, while the others had their quirks. For instance, the Stone Pillar, Gyomei Himejima, remained silent, hands clasped in prayer even during such an exciting revelation.
The Mist Pillar, Muichiro Tokito, seemed uninterested, gazing at the sky as if oblivious.
Giyu's expression remained stoic as usual.
"Enough. Let's focus on the Upper Rank demon," the Wind Pillar, Sanemi Shinazugawa, shouted, redirecting everyone's attention. His hatred for demons was the strongest, driven by the traumatic experience of killing his demon-turned mother.
"Regarding the Upper Rank demon, there's more information. He also learned about the Upper Rank Two," Kagaya said, sharing the intelligence on Doma.
"The Eternal Paradise Cult," the Pillars murmured, searching their memories.
"No leads," they eventually concluded.
"I've sent people to investigate. We should have results soon. When the time comes, I'll need your help," Kagaya stated.
"Why are you following me? I did you a favor, revealing your feelings. Mitsuri seems to like you too. Shouldn't you be with her now?" Daniel asked, exasperated by Obanai's persistence.
"Shut up," Obanai snapped, drawing his Nichirin Blade.
Dodging Obanai's attack, Daniel countered, slicing Obanai's bandages, exposing his hidden face.
Seeing his uncovered face, Obanai's rage flared, murderous intent radiating from him.
"You're worried about this? Mitsuri isn't shallow. I can help you look normal," Daniel offered.
"Really?" Obanai's murderous intent faded instantly.
"I have no reason to lie. I can fix you now, but you must trust me," Daniel assured. Obanai's condition, though challenging for this era, was simple for Daniel.
"What should I do?"
"Let's return to the Butterfly Mansion."
"No fight?" Shinobu wondered, seeing Daniel and Obanai return together. She expected a duel, given Obanai's temper.
Mitsuri remained silent, her emotions complex.
"Relax your breathing. The anesthetic needs to take effect," Daniel instructed. Pillars usually maintained a constant state of Total Concentration Breathing, hindering the anesthetic's effectiveness.
Obanai complied, soon falling asleep from the anesthetic. He had left his white snake outside the room.
"You're lucky to have met me. You're quite handsome without the scars, rivaling Giyu and Kyojuro. Room."
"Sorry, you'll need to endure a few more days," Daniel thought. With a Philosopher's Stone, he could instantly heal Obanai but chose a slower method to avoid exposure.
"It's done. Recovery will take about three days. During this time, avoid eating and speaking," Daniel instructed.
Unable to speak, Obanai nodded, sensing the changes.
"How did it go?" Shinobu and Mitsuri asked anxiously. Daniel's promise had revealed Obanai's past.
"It's done. Come in," Daniel invited.
"You're amazing," Shinobu praised, knowing her own limitations in such treatment.
Daniel smiled, remaining silent. Shinobu's skills were impressive, but the era's limitations hindered her.
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