"We'll go with you instead of her," Aoi said, looking up at him with a gaze full of resolve.
Tengen Uzui raised an eyebrow at the sound of her voice. His gaze swept over Aoi, who had stepped forward, before landing on the equally righteous-looking Tanjiro beside her. "You?"
A playful, mocking smirk danced across Tengen's face. "The two of you aren't enough."
"And us!" Before the words even finished hanging in the air, two more figures came charging over in a noisy blur.
It was Zenitsu and Inosuke!
Tengen looked the four of them up and down. Without hesitation, he unceremoniously dropped Aoi Kanzaki, turned around, and barked, "Keep up. And remember: you are never to disobey my orders."
Aoi and the others immediately hurried after him. Before leaving, she didn't forget to turn back and wave to Kanao and the girls. "Kanao, don't worry! We'll definitely come back safe and sound!"
Aoi Kanzaki stood on her tiptoes, waving back at them with eyes rimmed in red. She didn't look away until their silhouettes had completely vanished around the corner.
"Uzui-san, where exactly are we going?" Aoi asked tentatively, watching his broad, muscular back.
He turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the four of them as he spoke in a tone dripping with flamboyance. "Our next destination is the flashiest place in Japan—a land of glittering lights and overflowing worldly desires. A den of demons—the Entertainment District!"
"The Entertainment District?"
Aoi tilted her head, looking a bit confused. "Where is that?"
Tanjiro looked equally lost.
Beside them, Zenitsu's face turned a violent shade of crimson. He looked at Tanjiro, stuttering, "It's that kind of place... don't you get it? It's that place!"
Aoi and Tanjiro shared a look and shook their heads in unison.
"Listen up! I am a God! You are trash!" Behind Tengen, flashy special effects seemed to manifest out of thin air, making Aoi blink in curiosity.
She was just about to tell Tanjiro and the others to look when she noticed the three of them had turned into literal statues of shock.
Wait, what just happened?!
"Carve this into your brains! If I tell you to turn into dogs, you become dogs! If I tell you to become monkeys, you become monkeys! Do you understand?!"
"This guy is definitely mentally ill..." Zenitsu whispered to himself.
Aoi nodded in fervent agreement. She looked at Tanjiro, hoping for some sanity, only to hear him ask with total sincerity, "Specifically, what kind of God are you in charge of?"
"You're even more sick than he is!" Zenitsu shrieked, pointing a finger at Tanjiro's nose as if he were looking at some bizarre new species.
"Good question! I am the God of Festivals and Flashiness!" Tengen's voice rose to a sudden crescendo, and it felt as though a brilliant display of fireworks had just exploded around him.
Aoi stared, mouth agape, and instinctively rubbed her eyes.
"Nice to meet you, God of Festivals. I'm the King of the Mountain, Inosuke."
"Ugh, how gross." Tengen knit his brows, his tone full of disdain.
"You two are exactly the same!" Zenitsu looked at them both as if they were idiots. "One calls himself the God of Festivals, the other thinks he's the King of the Mountain... you're both freaks!"
"Who are you calling a freak?!" Inosuke and Tengen roared in unison.
Zenitsu silenced himself instantly, shrinking his neck and ducking behind Aoi, leaving only a pair of terrified eyes visible.
"Alright, alright, everyone calm down." Aoi stepped between them, playing the mediator in an attempt to soothe the atmosphere. "Let's just focus on the road. It's getting late."
Tengen gave a cold huff, turned around, and led the way.
The Entertainment District
Night had fallen like ink, soaking the boisterous district in a hazy, suggestive glow.
Aoi and her three companions followed behind Tengen, stepping into the heart of the prosperity. On both sides of the street, ornate lanterns swayed elegantly, illuminating scenes of decadence and luxury.
Men and women dressed in dazzling finery bustled through the crowds, and the air was thick with the scent of powder, perfume, and fine sake.
Tanjiro and the boys had never seen anything like it. Sitting in the cart, they looked around with a mix of curiosity and sharp vigilance.
Aoi couldn't help but peek left and right, muttering under her breath, "Wow, this is basically just a modern-day bar district, isn't it?"
"Bar district?" Tanjiro looked at her, confused. "What's that?"
Aoi realized she had let her modern tongue slip and waved it off quickly. "Nothing, nothing! I was just saying the vibe is like the festivals back in our village—really lively."
"Listen up, you brats. Don't do anything to attract attention. We're only here to investigate. You are absolutely not to leave the cart." Before Tengen could even finish his sentence, Zenitsu and Inosuke had already bolted.
"Hey! You two, get back here!" Tengen roared.
Aoi and Tanjiro shared a look, sighed helplessly, and hopped off the cart to chase them down.
"Zenitsu! Inosuke! Wait for us!" Aoi shouted as she ran.
"What's going on? Why are there people everywhere?!" Inosuke was looking around in a daze, his wild boar head protruding from the crowd and drawing stares from the refined passersby.
Zenitsu, on the other hand, was staring at the beautiful women with a look of pure infatuation, sighing deeply. "There are so many pretty older sisters here!"
Aoi covered her face with her hands, feeling a massive headache coming on.
"Zenitsu, get a grip!" Aoi slapped him across the back of the head. "We're here on a mission, not a vacation!"
Zenitsu snapped out of it, giving the beautiful women one last lingering, reluctant look before following Aoi back. "Fine, fine... I have Aoi-chan, that's enough for me."
Tengen eventually led the four of them into a secluded room. He sat on the floor, looking at them with a grim expression. "Listen. Once you've successfully infiltrated the district, your first priority is to find my wives. I'll be off investigating demon leads elsewhere."
When Zenitsu heard this, his eyes went wide and round, his mouth forming a perfect 'O' shape. "W-wives?!" he screamed, his voice full of disbelief. "What kind of crap is that? Please stop joking! You're actually using your subordinates to go look for your wives?!"
"Are you misunderstanding something?!" Tengen barked back.
"No, I have to say it!"
"Zenitsu!" Tanjiro tried to pull him back.
"A flashy, weird person like you probably isn't popular in the Demon Slayer Corps at all, and yet you're making us find your wives for you? Isn't that way too much?!"
"What did you say? Are you an idiot?!" Every word from Tengen sounded like it was being squeezed through his teeth. "My wives infiltrated the Entertainment District to gather intelligence. Because our regular contact was suddenly cut off, I decided to come here myself."
Aoi tugged on Zenitsu's arm, signaling him to be quiet. Zenitsu finally shut his mouth, though he still looked disgruntled.
Tengen took a deep breath, trying to force himself to stay calm. He looked at the four of them, his tone softening slightly. "From this moment on, we need to move with absolute discretion."
"So, what exactly is the plan?" Aoi asked.
"Hmph. Through a makeover, of course!"