The carriage traveled for three days, finally arriving at its destination – Yoshiwara!
A massive torii gate stood before them, with a throng of people bustling about, surrounded by a dazzling display of lights and revelry.
Within the buildings lining the streets, women in revealing attire could be seen everywhere.
Some, heavily made up, knelt at the entrances of the establishments, while others, adorned in their finest, leaned against the second-floor balconies, casting flirtatious glances at the passersby.
Kamado Tanjiro finally understood what kind of place this was.
Kamado Tanjiro hesitated, then mustered his courage and said, "Uzui-sama, even with your esteemed position as the Sound Hashira, you shouldn't be coming to a place like this."
"As expected of a child. A man should seize pleasure when it presents itself. By the way, you young ones have probably never experienced anything like it, have you?" Tengen Uzui roared with laughter, then his expression suddenly turned solemn. "Do you think I brought you here for fun?"
Kamado Tanjiro asked, confused, "Are there demons here?"
"Of course!" Tengen Uzui replied. "A place like Yoshiwara, while appearing glamorous on the surface, is rife with darkness and cruelty beneath. People's desires are amplified in such an environment, which is exactly what demons favor."
Kamado Tanjiro nodded.
Although Tengen Uzui appeared frivolous, as long as it concerned demons, Kamado Tanjiro felt that this Sound Hashira was reasonably dependable.
Tengen Uzui continued, "I received word that people frequently disappear mysteriously in Yoshiwara, likely the work of demons. So, I dispatched some of my people into Yoshiwara to find the demons, but they've all vanished."
Byakuya asked, "Disappeared?"
Tengen Uzui glanced at Byakuya. "Yes, they've disappeared."
"Oh!"
Byakuya grinned. It seemed this Sound Hashira had a naive side. He meant that they were already dead.
Tengen Uzui pressed on, "But I believe they are in danger. We must act quickly, or they might truly meet their end."
Kamado Tanjiro inquired, "What should we do?"
"Just follow me," Tengen Uzui instructed.
As he spoke, Tengen Uzui led the four of them into one of the establishments and said to an elderly woman, "Please help them with their makeup."
Agatsuma Zenitsu asked with surprise, "Makeup? Why do we need makeup?"
Meanwhile, two servants attempted to remove Inosuke's boar mask, only to be met with resistance.
"Let go, you! Let go of me!"
Tengen Uzui calmly explained, "According to our investigation, we've identified a few locations, but we haven't found the demon yet. Therefore, you must disguise yourselves as women and infiltrate the area. We can't afford to tip them off. You need to find the demons."
Agatsuma Zenitsu blurted out, "Why don't you go yourself?"
Tengen Uzui scoffed, "Do you think the demons would show themselves if the renowned Sound Hashira, myself, appeared? They'd likely flee."
That made sense, and the others couldn't find a reason to object.
Since it involved hunting demons, Kamado Tanjiro acquiesced. Soon, the four of them were dragged into a room filled with all sorts of cosmetics, and even wigs.
A moment later, the four emerged from the room, fully transformed.
And then...
*Pfft!*
Tengen Uzui looked at Agatsuma Zenitsu, who was the first to step out, and spat out the sake he was drinking.
Agatsuma Zenitsu's hair was styled into two small pigtails, his face painted stark white, with two circles of rosy blush on his cheeks.
For a fleeting moment, Tengen Uzui's first instinct was to draw his sword and strike the figure down, as if he were seeing a ghost.
Then, in the next instant...
Kamado Tanjiro walked out, a bow tied in his hair and blush on his face...
Tengen Uzui stroked his chin. This one wasn't as jarring to the eyes.
After all, apart from the scar on his forehead, Kamado Tanjiro was quite handsome. However, he still looked unmistakably like a man.
As Tengen Uzui pondered this, Inosuke swaggered out of the room, his boar mask already removed.
And then...
"Wow!"
Tengen Uzui, Kamado Tanjiro, and Agatsuma Zenitsu exclaimed in unison.
Inosuke hadn't applied any makeup, yet his face was that of a beautiful young girl, especially his large, soulful eyes that conveyed an air of delicate charm.
However...
"What do you want from me?" Inosuke impatiently tugged at his clothes. "I'm not wearing this!"
This guy had been training in the mountains shirtless and hadn't broken the habit even after becoming a Demon Slayer.
Kamado Tanjiro and Agatsuma Zenitsu quickly rushed to restrain Inosuke.
Kamado Tanjiro pleaded, "You're a girl now! Girls can't just take off their clothes willy-nilly."
"I don't care, I don't care..." Inosuke grumbled irritably. "I'm done with this."
"So noisy," Byakuya's voice cut through the air. "Can't you two be quiet? I almost smudged my eyebrows."
The air froze. Everyone stared in disbelief at the figure before them.
A stunning "woman" had appeared.
Her skin was as white as snow, her black hair elegantly pinned up. Her features were exquisite, her eyes possessing an indescribable charm. Her lightly reddened lips parted slightly, exuding an allure that was both tempting and pure.
Agatsuma Zenitsu's eyes lit up instantly. He leaned forward, asking, "Sister, what's your name? Where are you from..."
Byakuya grabbed Agatsuma Zenitsu by the neck and tossed him aside.
Byakuya declared, "It's me."
Kamado Tanjiro was utterly shocked. "Byakuya? Is that you!"
Byakuya casually brushed a strand of hair from his temple. "Yes, what's the problem?"
Noticing the dumbfounded stares around him, Byakuya sneered inwardly.
"A bunch of country bumpkins with no experience. Do you even know about the Four Great Arts of Asia?"
"With the Four Great Arts in hand, even a dog can be transformed into a beauty, delicate and charming."
"Otherwise, why would my world have so many cross-dressing enthusiasts?"
"Then it's decided, the three of you," Tengen Uzui declared, pointing decisively at Kamado Tanjiro, Agatsuma Zenitsu, and Inosuke. "The three of you will infiltrate the Dihon House, the Shiren House, and the Kyogoku House to find the demons."
"What the hell?" Byakuya exclaimed, astonished. "What about me?"
Byakuya immediately felt indignant.
Although he was resistant to cross-dressing, that damnable competitive spirit flared up. Wasn't his female disguise superior to these three?
"Please!" Tengen Uzui said with disdain, glancing at Byakuya. "With your appearance, you're not going undercover, you're going to cause a riot! You'll end up stealing all the courtesans' business!"
Upon hearing this, Byakuya thought it made sense. Undercover work required discretion.
But could he really be blamed for this?
Was being good-looking also a crime?
...