In a tearoom filled with the scent of lit incense—
Takeo sat across from Miura Tarō, while a maid quietly stepped forward to pour tea for the two.
Miura Tarō didn't look much different from before—still the plump and well-dressed image of a wealthy man. But at the sight of Takeo now, there was no smile on his face.
"From the looks of it, Mr. Kamado… you've become a demon slayer?"
"You know about demon slayers, Mr. Miura, right?" Takeo asked with curiosity.
Miura Tarō replied, "I've heard of them. I also had a conversation with that Mr. Yoshizuru who came by last time after all."
"…I see."
Takeo's face showed no expression at the mention of Yoshizuru Asato.
But Miura Tarō noticed something nonetheless. He looked puzzled and asked, "What's wrong? Didn't you become a demon slayer through Mr. Yoshizuru's recommendation? You don't seem particularly close."
"No, we're actually on very good terms."
Takeo gave a slight smile.
Yes, they were on good terms—he had even hoped to have Asato become a tsuguko under Kyojuro Rengoku, but Asato declined. Takeo didn't know where he'd gone since then.
Putting Yoshizuru Asato out of his mind, Takeo exhaled and got straight to the point:
"Mr. Miura, I wanted to ask—do you know anything about the recent string of disappearances?"
"Disappearances… oh, you mean the case of those missing writers? Yes, I've heard about it. But since my business isn't based in this area, I haven't paid much attention… Is this a demon-related matter?"
Miura Tarō quickly picked up on the likely reason for Takeo's presence and frowned as he asked.
Takeo nodded slightly. "The investigation's still ongoing, nothing confirmed yet… but the likelihood is high."
"A demon again…" Miura Tarō's frown deepened—it was obvious how much he despised their existence.
And rightfully so.
The last time a demon appeared, it had caused serious trouble for Miura Tarō.
His goods failed to reach Mito on time, and he had to undergo inspection by the authorities. Worst of all, demons disintegrated into ash upon death, leaving no evidence behind!
In the end, Miura Tarō could only swallow the bitter loss in silence.
Because of this, he harbored no goodwill toward demons whatsoever—nor did he have much affection for Demon Slayers either.
If Takeo hadn't saved his son last time, Miura wouldn't even be treating him this politely now.
Still, he understood one thing clearly: when it came to dealing with demons, only Demon Slayers could do the job.
So after letting out a sigh, Miura Tarō shared what he knew:
"I don't know much, but I heard that those people went to Kairakuen sometime after six in the evening. It's said that just before they disappeared, they were seen in the company of a certain geisha."
"Geisha?"
"Yes. There are quite a few geisha along the red-light district near Mito. Many travelers or local scholars sometimes go there looking for ..ehm.. female companions to stroll around with or accompany them to Kairakuen… it's one of their little indulgences."
Perhaps because Takeo was still young, Miura didn't go into detail about what exactly those men were doing up there.
But the fact that they specifically went in the evening made it rather obvious.
So that means… this time, the demon is disguised as a geisha?
To think it could blend into crowds like that… this kind of demon won't be easy to deal with.
Most demons usually chose to hide deep in the mountains or forests, since their appearance differed drastically from ordinary humans. If they lingered among crowds, they'd be recognized at a glance as something abnormal.
And that would make them much easier for the Demon Slayer Corps to find.
Demons that could blend into human society were either extremely intelligent—or possessed powerful mimicry abilities that allowed them to disguise themselves flawlessly as humans.
Some… might even be members of the Twelve Kizuki.
The thought made the corners of Takeo's lips curl slightly upward.
If it was one of the Twelve Kizuki, then that would be perfect.
"Mr. Miura, there's something... I'd like to ask your help with." As he considered his plan, Takeo thought of a way to lure the demon out.
Miura Tarō paused mid-sip from his teacup and asked, "What is it?"
"I need help acquiring the identity of a scholar. I'd like to visit that red-light district myself."
Takeo said this seriously.
"Pfft~! Ugh.." Miura nearly choked on his tea, "You want to visit the area in the evening..?"
"YES!"
Since the demon was targeting scholars, he might as well disguise himself as one.
Thanks to the compulsory education system from his previous life, Takeo had no worries about exposing himself in an era with such a low literacy rate.
The only possible issue was his age—it might raise some doubts or suspicion. But that wasn't a major problem.
With a bit of makeup and height-boosting insoles in his shoes, Takeo could pass for an average adult male. At most, he just looked a little short.
As for producing respectable writing samples… well, that was the easiest part.
Plagiarizing from memory? Takeo could certainly handle that.
…
Takeo had to admit—he didn't particularly like the atmosphere of the red-light district.
First of all, most of the geisha here painted their faces ghostly white. That deathly pale look wasn't something he found remotely appealing.
Second, the smell.
The overwhelming mix of perfume, powder, and cosmetics created a dense haze of scent that completely masked any trace of a demon's presence.
Perhaps that was exactly why the demon had chosen to hide here.
"Well… I've gotten in, my identity is set. So how exactly do I begin looking?"
Standing in the middle of the red-light district, Takeo—dressed in a wide green robe, wearing wooden clogs, and holding a folding fan like a proper scholar—watched the flow of people coming and going around him.
Although witnesses said the missing men had all encountered a geisha before vanishing, geisha were the one thing this red-light district had in abundance.
None of those people had seen the geisha's face clearly—no one knew her appearance, height, or age.
Trying to find her under such vague conditions was no different from searching for a needle in a haystack.
Takeo's original plan had been to disguise himself as the kind of target that geisha might be drawn to, lie in wait, and let the demon come to him.
But now that he thought about it more carefully, he realized—he didn't actually know why the demon was targeting these scholars in the first place.
If it was about talent… none of them had produced anything noteworthy.
If it was about looks… the oldest among them had a pockmarked face, far from anything you'd call handsome.
And if it was some kind of revenge… that made even less sense. The four missing individuals all worked at different places.
A completely indiscriminate pattern of attacks—that was the most frustrating thing to deal with.
Because it left Takeo with no clues at all.
And that made sense. If there had been a clue, the local authorities probably would have figured it out by now. The Demon Slayer Corps wouldn't have needed to step in.
"So now…"
Takeo was just about to choose a teahouse to step into and take a look around.
Hm?
Suddenly, a scent drifting from someone passing by caught his attention.
He turned his head—and saw a young girl dressed in the attire of a geisha. She wore a brightly colored kimono, her hair styled in a fan-like shape atop her head. She was clinging to a man dressed like a scholar, chatting and laughing cheerfully.
Takeo's gaze paused on the girl, his eyes narrowing slightly.
The scent of cosmetics on her was strong—but beneath that thick layer of perfume, there was a faint, almost imperceptible undertone… something distinct.
A peculiar scent, vaguely resembling the stench of a demon—but extremely faint.
If she hadn't passed right next to him, Takeo would never have caught it.
"Damn.. Did I stumble onto a lead this quickly…?"
Eyes fixed on the backs of the geisha and the scholar, Takeo didn't hesitate. He subtly checked the positions of his dual Nichirin swords concealed beneath his wide kimono sleeves—and began trailing the girl without delay.
_________
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