46 Chapter 46: Tempting Invitation

Chapter 46: Tempting Invitation

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Tokyo, Japan.

Yoshiwara. Entertainment District.

In the bustling market, hundreds of people navigated through the lively stalls, their vibrant energy contrasting with the shadowy alleyways that led to the clandestine heart of Yoshiwara.

And as the night approached, the neon lights flickered on, and the Entertainment District underwent a transformation

Beyond the façade of cheerful commerce, the district concealed its hidden side.

In the narrow lanes, the atmosphere shifted, and the air grew heavy with secrecy. Dimly lit brothels, adorned with ornate curtains and discreet signs, beckoned those seeking refuge from the public eye.

In these hidden corners, the line between pleasure and desperation blurred. The geishas, once parading in elegance, now occupied a different stage.

In these narrow lanes of prostitution and secrecy walked our Mc with a carefree smile.

As he strolled through the dimly lit alleyways, suddenly some seductive whispers reached his ears.

"Looking for some company, handsome? I can guarantee you won't be bored," a playful geisha teased with a coy smile.

Another bold courtesan batted her eyelashes seductively, tightening her dress around her chest. "Feeling a bit lost tonight? Let me be your guide through the pleasures this district has to offer."

In a sultry voice, another chimed in, "On this cold night, can you give me some warmth, boy? I'm feeling lonely."

Ace simply shook his head with a smile in response to their invitations, passing by them unfazed.

Despite their appeal, he preferred not to engage or sleep with prostitutes unless there was a specific purpose in mind.

And those pickup lines they used felt too cringy for his taste.

Entering the bustling restaurant by the side of the road, he signaled a waiter, who promptly approached his table.

"I'll have a bowl of Udon with some tuna fish, please."

"Absolutely, sir. Anything else?"

"No, that'll be all."

"Alright, thank you for your order, sir."

'They are quite polite,' Ace thought as he waited for his order.

Suddenly, someone took a seat beside him and placed an order.

Glancing over, Ace saw a beautiful woman with long black hair neatly tied in a ponytail. A beauty mark beneath her left eye only enhanced her allure.

'She is Hinatsuru, one of Tengen's wives,' he thought, while retrieving a small paper from his robes and discreetly passing it to her. He had received information that she frequented this restaurant every week on this day, so he knew where to find her.

Accepting the paper, she was momentarily surprised before her training kicked in. Quickly regaining composure, she nodded in acknowledgment.

They proceeded to enjoy their dinner calmly, engaging in friendly conversation.

"The food was fantastic; I'd definitely come again," Ace complimented the cook, genuinely impressed with the taste.

"Thank you very much for dining here, sir."

After settling the bill, Ace stood up, signalling the end of his meal. Hinatsuru promptly followed him as they left the restaurant together.

They swiftly arrived at a discreet house beside a large hotel. Hinatsuru efficiently reached for a mechanism concealed in a hole on the wall's top side, pulling it.

A door soon opened on the wall, and they swiftly entered it.

"Quite impressive!!" Ace said to her.

She smiled with a hint of pride and nodded, saying, "This was originally crafted by our family years ago, but due to a lack of maintenance, it fell into disrepair. After I came here, I was able to repair it."

As they stepped into the concealed entrance, a narrow passageway revealed itself, leading to a chamber. The space was dimly lit by discreet lamps, casting a warm glow.

Once inside, they both took a seat. Ace turned to her and inquired, "What have you found so far?"

She looked a bit embarrassed and replied, "We didn't have much time to investigate, so we only know the potential brothel the demon might have occupied."

"Don't worry about it. The information you provided is sufficient," Ace assured her, after all he knew who the demon was. All he needed was the whereabouts of Daki in the specific brothel, as he hadn't watched season 3 of the anime fully , other than the fight scenes.

"What about the other two?" Ace inquired, curious about their status.

"They should have been here already," she replied.

Suddenly, a woman rushed in, of average height and a voluptuous figure. She had pale skin, large golden-brown eyes framed by prominent eyelashes, and her black hair was tied up with golden-brown bangs hanging loosely, framing her face.

Looking anxious, she quickly said, "Someone is taking Suma forcefully! We need to do someth–" She abruptly stopped upon noticing Ace.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" she asked aggressively, ready to attack.

"Stop, Makio. He's from the Corps and here for the mission," Hinatsuru explained quickly to defuse the tension.

"Oh! Sorry," Makio apologised.

"What happened to Suma?" Hinatsuru then asked.

"Some old man came from the capital, and he tried to forcefully take Suma!" she said, burning with anger.

"Did Oiran Ayame not stop him?" Hinatsuru frowned.

"She did try, saying Suma is still studying under her and not ready to service any customer. But that man was adamant."

"Still! She is an Oiran. She can stop it."

"She can, but that man has some connections with the Shogun."

"Shit!" Hinatsuru stomped on the ground, breaking her calm demeanour.

Ace observed the two women, who were sitting with frustration and anxiety looking for some solution.

With a sigh, he stood up, looking up and asked, "How much time does she have?"

"Huh?" Makio was momentarily confused before realising and quickly answered,"Umm, Oiran Ayame was able to buy some time for us to let Suma adjust, so we have until midnight."

"Hmm. Thats enough. Leave the rest to me; I will take care of it," Ace declared.

"Really, you'll be able to do it?" Makio asked, clasping his hands, as she had great trust in Corps members.

"Yes. Don't worry about it," Ace reassured her.

"Thank you very much!" Makio expressed her gratitude.

Hinatsuru remained silent before saying, "It will not come in the way of the mission, right? Sir. If it does, I would rather you don't do anything."

"What are you saying, Hina! Do you even understand it yourself!" Makio retorted in anger, hearing the words of her.

"We are ninjas, Suma. We trained for these things, and our mission is our priority. Are you forgetting it?"

Makio fell silent at these words.

"Can you guys stop for a second? Don't make a mountain out of a molehill. Do you think one old man can create some obstruction in my mission?" Ace said.

"Just lead the way for me to where she is."

Seeing his confidence both of them nodded and led the way.

Soon, the three of them stood outside a large brothel adorned with lights and decorations.

If Ace were to review, it did look remarkably beautiful and professionally done, the kind that could entice someone to stay.

"So, is it the same one with the demon in it?" Ace inquired.

Hinatsuru nodded in affirmation.

"Good. Makes things easy. So where is that man?"

Suma quickly guided him through the brothel towards the man, and they soon entered a large hall where around 40-50 men were sitting and drinking.

In the middle, an Oiran played the biwa, entertaining everyone.

Suma discreetly pointed in a specific direction. Following her gesture, Ace saw a portly man surrounded by underage girls, catering to him and singing praises, though their smiles appeared forced and uncomfortable.

Ace nodded at both of them and said, "You two can go now."

Hinatsuru and Makio nodded, then left.

Walking slowly towards a nearby seat, Ace passed by the Oiran with a mask. Suddenly, he stopped midway, gazing at her intently before continuing on his way.

The Oiran glanced at Ace when she noticed him looking at her. As their eyes met, her thoughts suddenly derailed, and her cheeks blushed. 'What is this delicious smell!! And that perfect body.' She couldn't quite describe it, but his presence felt so... Urgh, she couldn't put it into words. All she knew was that she wanted to serve him on a beautiful platter and savor him like it was her last.

Contradicting her intense desire, she also felt a reluctance to consume him hastily. Instead, she yearned to savor him slowly, taking her time.

'What am I feeling like this! does he have the legendary Marechi blood' Daki asked herself. In the end she couldn't come into a decision.

As Ace sat himself near the fat man, he cast one more glance at the masked Oiran and winked at her.

'Heh, it was quite easy to find her. She's practically showing off her demonic presence. Any somewhat experienced person would easily notice it.' Ace thought.

"Sir, do you mind the company of this girl?" A girl with a conventional beauty asked, taking a seat beside him and pouring a glass of sake.

"Sure," Ace agreed, noting that she appeared older than him and he didn't want to sit here just bored.

"So, what is the name of 'this girl?' " Ace initiated the conversation.

"My name is Sakura, sir. May I also ask for your name?" She said with a smile.

"Since, I am from a foreign land, so my name might sound different to you. It's Ace."

"Ohh, so it's Ace-san then, it sounds good." She further added, asking, "So, how is the foreign land?"

"Hmm… It's amazing in some places and worst in others, depends on which foreign land you're asking about."

"What about your place, Ace-san?"

"It's… good and cozy," Ace replied, suddenly remembering his own home and feeling a little homesick.

Seeing his expression, she quickly ceased any questions about his home.

"Let's leave the question about me for later.

Tell me about yourself, Sakura." Ace said.

"My story's not that glamorous. I was born into a poor family, and when my old man couldn't settle his debts, I ended up getting sold to my uncle. Then, at 14, I got sold again, this time for a handful of coins, to some guy they call Brother."

"This continued until I ended up at this place, which I call home," she shared.

"I am sorry for destroying the mood because of my story," she quickly apologized, sensing the somber atmosphere.

"It's okay, I have no problems. I understand that sometimes people need to let out their feelings," Ace reassured her.

Po"But such is life, it's never fair," Ace continued. "If you want to change it, you would have to take the reins of your life into your hands."

He had seen too many stories like these when he saw those remnant worlds in his travels. Some were so terrifying that just listening to them would traumatize someone.

Sakura looked a little surprised at his response. She expected sympathy, but instead, he offered a logical perspective, diverging from the emotional comfort she might have sought. It made her see him in a different light.

"Thank you! I needed that." Sakura said.

Ace smiled, but it quickly faded when, from the corner of his eyes, he saw the pot-bellied man attempting to touch inside the dress of the young girl.

'This Shit is too daring.' While he acknowledged that the world is unfair, it didn't mean he would stand idly by as someone took advantage of a helpless girl.

Noticing his frowning expression, Sakura also glanced toward the direction and witnessed the inappropriate act. She couldn't help but sigh.

"This is the everyday life of girls here, Ace-san. Don't mind those. I've heard that man has connections to the Shogun. It's better we don't antagonize him."

"Don't worry, I'm not that rash," Ace reassured.

Sakura sighed in relief, not wanting anything to happen to him due to his impulsiveness. However, her relief was short-lived as she witnessed him take out a small hollow pipe-like object made of wood. He brought it close to his mouth and blew into it swiftly.

She didn't see anything come out of it, but when she looked at the fat man, he was on the ground, tongue protruding, appearing lifeless.

Fear gripped Sakura's heart, and she quickly clutched Ace's hand, exclaiming, "Do you know what you've done? You killed someone related to the Shogun. You'll be put to death now!"

"Calm down, girl. He isn't dead," Ace said in a deep voice that reassured her.

As she looked again at the fat man, she saw people coming and carrying him towards his quarters as if he had just fallen asleep.

"He's just sleeping!" Ace clarified in his normal voice.

"Oh! I am so sorry for overreacting," Sakura apologized.

"For forever!"

"Huh?!"

"Nothing, hehe," Ace found amusement in playing with her emotions.

Sakura remained silent, feeling somewhat uneasy about the nonchalant way he dealt with that man.

"Are you feeling scared?"

"N-No, it's just how you so naturally did that."

"Oh, it's about that. I am a hunter by job, so it's natural for me."

"Okay, let's end our conversation here. My work is done here," Ace said, standing up and walking away.

"Oh, and one more thing, book a room here for me, and here's the money," Ace said, tossing a pouch full of coins.

Sakura quickly caught the pouch, feeling its weight. Opening it, she saw it was filled with silver minted coins, enough to cover at least three months worth of expenses. (Fictional Currency Alert!!!)

"This is too muc-" She called out to him, but he couldn't be seen.

- x - X - x -

Lying on his comfy bed, Ace gazed at the night sky, admiring the stars.

"You know I only asked for a room to stay and not a woman to accompany," Ace said, looking to his side.

Sakura was sitting on the other side of the bed.

"Uhh... You gave so much money that I- I thought you would want someone to accompany you. And it was quite unusual to just stay alone in a brothel and not in a hotel."

"Sigh… though you might have to sit this night out, though," Ace said, holding a letter in his hands.

"Huh?!"

"I have someone to meet here."

"Oh!... I am sorry again," Sakura said, almost looking like she was going to cry.

Ace started walking away, not having the mental capacity to console the girl; and he had a mission to complete.

Opening the letter, Ace started reading it.

Surprisingly, it was from Daki, inviting him to her chambers, expressing how good he looked and how she wanted to talk about experiences with him at night.

It was the classic Oiran invitation.

"Who would have thought Daki would invite me at night to talk about experiences."

Walking down the corridor, he soon reached her room and knocked on the door

"Come in."

Opening the door, he saw the scene of Daki standing beside the bed, holding a small candle.

Her kimono was loosely worn, showcasing her tall and curvaceous body, while her dark hair flowed like a waterfall.

While her loose kimono failed to conceal her large milky white breasts, fully gracing the world in the silvery moonlight.

Her body exuded seduction, capable of arousing dark thoughts in anyone's mind.

Looking at him, she gave a seductive smile, truly giving a presence of Demonic Seduction.

- x - X - x -

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