"Strange, where did those three go?"
Suzuki Makoto looked at the sun outside, a little puzzled.
These three boys were always very diligent and hardworking in their training. Although Zenitsu would slack off occasionally, Thunder Breathing itself placed a huge burden on the legs. Moreover, the move that Zenitsu himself had just named [First Form: Thunderclap and Flash, Godspeed] required half a day of rest after just one use, so Suzuki Makoto didn't think much of it.
Nothing should have happened here at the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, but he still took his sword and headed towards the Butterfly Mansion.
Before he even reached the Butterfly Mansion, he could hear the sound of an argument carried on the wind.
"Then we'll go with you in place of Aoi and the others, that should be fine, right!"
Although he hadn't heard what came before, Suzuki Makoto had already drawn his sword and stood in front of the three boys.
"Pardon me, I don't know what's going on, but if you're going to take three students from my dojo, you should at least say a word to me, their teacher—Mr. Tengen Uzui, the Sound Hashira?"
The man dressed as a shinobi narrowed his eyes, looking at Suzuki Makoto before him, recalling the scene he had witnessed previously.
"I'm not trying to take them by force. I just need people to help me gather intelligence. The relevant request has already been sent to the Butterfly Mansion. Although I don't know why Kocho's Tsuguko is unwilling to support me, that's why this conflict started—they said they were willing to take this girl's place and help me with reconnaissance."
Tengen Uzui gave a rare explanation. After all, they were both Hashira-level. If he wanted to take Suzuki Makoto's people, he had to make it clear first. Besides, he had no prior conflict with the man, whose strength was indeed formidable.
"A demon? A demon that you're tracking personally must be an Upper Rank, right?"
Suzuki Makoto's eyes lit up.
"I think there's a high probability."
"If you don't mind, I can accompany you."
"Oh? You really will?"
Tengen Uzui's reaction was almost identical to Kyojuro Rengoku's back then. There was no resentment or hostility for being upstaged by Suzuki Makoto; instead, there was more joy and relief.
The Demon Slayer Corps was truly a purely demon-slaying organization.
"Of course. You said you needed people for reconnaissance, which means you already have a suspected location, you're just not sure where the demon is. Coincidentally, I'm very sensitive to the aura of demons. If we're lucky, we might not need them to infiltrate. Just a walk around the perimeter could be enough to find our target."
"That would be for the best!"
Tengen Uzui laughed loudly as he landed, putting down Aoi Kanzaki. With Suzuki Makoto's help, he certainly didn't need to come here and forcibly conscript people anymore.
"Mr. Suzuki, then we—"
"You three come along. You've been training in the dojo for so long, you eventually have to get some practice on the battlefield. From Mount Natagumo before, to the Mugen Train incident, the demons of the Twelve Kizuki, unlike ordinary demons, don't like to fight alone. They most likely have some support. When the time comes, Mr. Uzui and I will deal with the potential Upper Rank demon, and you all can handle the lesser ones."
"Yes, sir!"
All three of them agreed, even Zenitsu didn't hesitate.
After all, the sense of security Suzuki Makoto provided was just that immense.
"Time is of the essence. Let's talk on the way."
"Alright."
--------------------------------------------------
"Are you saying that, to gather intelligence, you had your three wives disguise themselves as courtesans and infiltrate three different brothels to find that demon, and now all three of them are missing?"
"Yes, otherwise I wouldn't have been in such a hurry to find girls at the Butterfly Mansion. The location is just too particular. Besides, I've completely lost contact with my wives and can't find any trace of them."
This was also why Tengen Uzui was overjoyed when he heard Suzuki Makoto offer to help. He was truly desperate. A demon wouldn't spare those three just because they were his wives; on the contrary, it might even prioritize eating them.
Suzuki Makoto nodded with a subtle expression.
This guy definitely isn't the protagonist—if the protagonist in any story dared to make his wives disguise themselves as prostitutes and infiltrate a brothel to gather intel, the author's mother could enter a competition for [Highest Human Altitude Flight].
"Wait, wait, wait! Don't tell me the place we're going this time is—"
Zenitsu asked loudly, his face flushed red.
"That's right, the Yoshiwara Entertainment District—a sleepless city built on desire and vanity, a world of debauchery."
The five of them who arrived in Yoshiwara had all changed their outfits. However, the one advantage here was probably being able to walk around with swords. After all, there were plenty of pseudo-samurai putting on airs with fake swords, and no one would come to a place like this to enforce something as outdated as the Sword Abolition Edict.
"My wives are all excellent shinobi. They had already narrowed down the suspects to three establishments—the [Tokito House], the [Ogimoto House]..."
Tengen Uzui stopped and looked at the brothel before them.
"And this [Kyogoku House]."
"Oh, the demon is in this one."
Suzuki Makoto said in a calm tone.
"After we check this one, we'll go to the—wait, what did you say?"
The man was about to lead the way but suddenly whipped his head around, staring at Suzuki Makoto in shock.
"The demon should be based in this house, because the scent is strongest here. However, it's not inside right now. It's on its way back, at an unusually slow speed."
"What do you mean, 'unusually slow speed'?"
A series of gasps came from the surroundings as someone cleared a path through the crowd.
The Oiran Parade. It was a procession that only the highest-ranking courtesans could enjoy. Walking with the special oiran gait, they swayed with each step, showcasing their magnificent attire and graceful figures, like living advertisements.
Suzuki Makoto lifted his chin slightly, pointing in the direction of the commotion.
"That kind of [slow]."
Tengen Uzui looked with a serious expression towards the end of the road, at the oiran with a cold face slowly walking towards the Kyogoku House.
"Warabihime... the oiran of the Kyogoku House."
"That's him—no, it's her and him."
"What's wrong? What do you mean 'him' and 'her'?"
"I'm saying the demon's aura is off. This one has two demonic auras on them. It seems the situation isn't simple."
Suzuki Makoto tugged on the Sound Hashira's sleeve.
"Don't keep staring at her face. Your gaze is too sharp; you don't fit in with the other men around."
"My apologies, I was momentarily agitated."
Tengen Uzui immediately composed himself. As a shinobi trained since childhood, he shouldn't have lost his composure like that, but the uncertainty of his wives' fate had affected his emotions.
"It's fine. For now, let's go check the other places. This demon has become the oiran of the Kyogoku House, so it has clearly been entrenched here for a long time. It most likely has other bases of operation. So, let's go check the other two houses. We might find a clue about your wives there."
With one hand grabbing Inosuke and the other holding down Zenitsu, Suzuki Makoto spoke to Tengen Uzui with a smile.
_____
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