Nighttime in the Yoshiwara Entertainment District was far more vibrant than the day.
Under the flickering lights, courtesans swayed their slender waists with practiced grace. Behind the delicate cover of folding fans, their faces wore expressions that promised both refusal and invitation, painted in colors that seemed to shimmer with irresistible allure.
Yet while other entertainment houses used every flamboyant tactic to aggressively draw in customers, Kyogoku House maintained a remarkably elegant and serene atmosphere. To a casual observer, it hardly resembled a common pleasure house. Instead, it gave the impression of a refined, high-class establishment—more like a sophisticated private salon than an ordinary pleasure house.
Soma, dressed as a nobleman by the Ubuyashiki household, arrived in front of Kyogoku House.
Of course, he was not the only one who had come to meet the oiran. Beside him were five or six other noblemen, all here to glimpse the oiran's beauty.
Soma swept his gaze over the men around him, who were clearly somewhat excited, then looked around at his surroundings.
This was his first time visiting an entertainment district in this world, and he was rather curious about everything he saw.
...
In a rather luxurious room within Kyogoku House, a beautiful woman was drawing her brows in front of a mirror. She wore a pink kimono embroidered with countless vivid red flowers, her hair pinned up with floral ornaments.
Through the mirror, one could see a delicate and beautiful face.
This woman was none other than the currently renowned oiran of Kyogoku House, Warabihime.
Of course, her identity as an oiran was only what she displayed openly. Her true identity was that of a demon, and not just any demon, but the powerful Upper Rank Six—one of the twin demons, Daki.
Compared with other demons, who had to hunt painstakingly to satisfy their desires, even taking on many risks in the process, Daki only needed to wait for food to come to her on its own. She could even take her time choosing.
Among them were Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen, and even powerful Hashira.
"My daughter, the guests have already been waiting for quite some time."
The madam of Kyogoku House walked over. Although she was anxious inside, when facing Warabihime, she still wore a flattering expression.
"Then let them wait a little longer."
Warabihime did not care in the slightest. She continued drawing her brows in front of the mirror, looking at her beautiful reflection with a very pleasant mood.
"Who are the guests this time?" Warabihime asked casually as she continued with her makeup.
"There is Naoya Akiyama from Tokyo, Tomohiro Nishimura from Hokkaido, and this time also…"
The madam spoke softly.
Competition for a chance to meet Warabihime was extremely intense. Without some degree of status and power, one would have no chance of meeting her at all.
Warabihime listened absentmindedly. Only after she finished the final stroke of her brows did she slowly stand under the madam's anxious gaze.
...
Soma had been arranged in a rather spacious room, with a separate low table before him. On it were fruit plates and pastries. Soma picked up a pastry and ate it casually while waiting.
Compared with the fervor of the people around him, he appeared much quieter.
After swallowing another bite of pastry, Soma could not help raising his head. Amid the moving sound of the koto, a woman walked in with graceful steps.
Several of the people who had come with Soma even stood up, their eyes filled with eagerness.
It was at that moment that Warabihime entered.
The young woman wore a gorgeous pink kimono, her bearing dignified yet lively.
Her peerlessly beautiful face was painted with exquisite makeup, and every frown and smile carried a unique charm, instantly drawing the attention of everyone present.
Seeing this, Soma roughly understood why Warabihime had become the oiran, and why so many people paid such close attention to her.
She truly possessed an outstanding presence.
And with Warabihime's entrance, nearly everyone present became excited, their eyes closely following her figure.
Warabihime had long since grown accustomed to all of this. She freely displayed her elegant dance, winning a wave of applause.
Deep down, Warabihime understood very clearly that most of these so-called noblemen were here to compete for face and status, hoping to win her favor. But she, too, was examining them, searching for the one who could truly catch her interest.
Of course, under normal circumstances, Warabihime would not make a move against these noblemen unless one truly seemed especially delicious. After all, if such people died, the consequences would be rather significant.
As she danced, Warabihime watched the noble guests below with boredom.
Soon, her gaze fell on Soma.
The reason she noticed Soma was partly because he was quite handsome, but more importantly, because of the blade at his waist.
She could clearly sense an extremely uncomfortable feeling emanating from its sheath.
Only a Nichirin Sword could make her feel such discomfort.
And someone carrying a Nichirin Sword was almost certainly a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Now that I think about it, it has been quite a while since I last ate the flesh and blood of a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman.
Warabihime thought silently. When she looked at Soma again, greed rose deep in her eyes.
Warabihime could vaguely sense a trace of danger from Soma, but she did not take it too seriously. Over the years, had she not eaten plenty of Hashira from the Demon Slayer Corps?
Had those Hashira been weak?
Absolutely not.
Almost every Hashira had hunted countless demons, and their strength had been considerable. But no matter how strong they were, they were still men.
And men, in her eyes, were creatures easily swayed by desire, fond of sinking into pleasure and comfort.
How many Hashira had she personally snapped the necks of with almost no effort at all?
Thinking of this, Warabihime moved her waist even more alluringly. Occasionally, her gaze would fall on Soma, shy and timid, yet filled with tender affection.
Just as Warabihime imagined, under her performance, this man who appeared calm on the surface soon behaved like the other men.
Although he could still remain composed, Warabihime felt that by now, he probably wished he could immediately carry her back to a room and tear off her clothes.
Men are all thinking the same thing.
However, Warabihime still sensed the aura of her own kind from Soma, which made her somewhat puzzled. But she did not think too deeply about it. After all, as a demon slayer, perhaps he had slain many demons and been tainted with some demonic aura. That was very normal.
...
The dance ended quickly, and Warabihime announced her departure.
The noblemen had spent lavishly, yet all they had seen was a single dance from the oiran. And that money alone would have been enough to feed countless starving people. From this alone, one could see the extravagance of the nobility.
Warabihime returned to her room, while the noblemen left almost reluctantly.
Soma drank his wine while watching a courtesan approach and quietly leave behind a slip of paper.
"Warabihime hopes to invite you tonight…"
In essence, it was an invitation for Soma to come to her room.
As for what one would do in the oiran's room at night, that went without saying.
Just as Soma had imagined, the moment he entered with a Nichirin Sword, Warabihime had regarded him as prey and wanted to devour him alive.
But in the same way…
He had also regarded Warabihime as delicious prey to be devoured.
...
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