Chapter 194: Upper Moon Six (Conclusion)

Upon seeing only Orie in the room, Warabihime slipped through the window's gap. In this era of primarily wooden structures, even tightly shut doors and windows couldn't block Warabihime's Blood Demon Art.

Orie, unaware of Warabihime's entry, sat calmly at her dressing table, smiling at her reflection. The prospect of escaping this life was a rare and precious opportunity for her. Becoming a courtesan didn't guarantee someone would pay to redeem her, as the cost for a top courtesan was exorbitant and not everyone was willing to pay it.

"You seem happy."

Orie, lost in her thoughts, was startled by a cold chuckle from behind. Turning around, she saw a familiar face—Warabihime. Recognizing her, Orie's body instinctively shrank back. As fellow courtesans in Yoshiwara, Orie knew Warabihime well. Unlike other courtesans who could only last a couple of years, Warabihime had held her position for several years.

Warabihime's contribution to Kyogoku House's prosperity was undeniable. Despite her terrible temper within, she excelled at entertaining guests, never showing displeasure even when annoyed, though she would seek revenge later. This behavior made the house owner tolerate her antics, as her financial value was immense.

While the public might be unaware of Warabihime's true nature, fellow courtesans like Orie knew all too well. Hence, seeing Warabihime made Orie instinctively recoil.

"Warabihime, what brings you here?" Orie asked after calming her nerves.

"To send you off," Warabihime replied, her sashes flying towards Orie. The sudden attack left Orie petrified, having never witnessed such horror.

Crash.

The window shattered, and a figure leapt into the room. With swift, precise slashes, Daniel severed the sashes, scattering them across the room.

"Demon Slayer," Warabihime muttered, coldly eyeing the intruder. Daniel, clad in the standard black uniform and wielding a Nichirin Blade, was unmistakably from the Demon Slayer Corps.

Warabihime's body erupted with four more sashes, targeting Daniel. To her, an ordinary-looking Demon Slayer wasn't worth much concern.

Daniel effortlessly sliced through the sashes, closing the distance in an instant. He severed Warabihime's right arm and kicked her out of the room.

"Don't speak of this to anyone," Daniel instructed the now-recovered Orie before darting out.

"Demon Slayers are real?" Orie whispered in shock once Daniel vanished. As a courtesan, Orie had access to information networks others didn't. Rumors of demons and the Demon Slayer Corps were common in Yoshiwara, though most considered them mere gossip.

"Could Warabihime be...?" Orie recalled a persistent rumor in Yoshiwara about a demon who disliked those who got in her way.

"I'll kill you," Warabihime seethed, launching eight sashes at Daniel after regaining her balance in the street. She had never suffered such an injury before, and though her arm quickly regenerated, the pain was excruciating.

As Warabihime's most powerful attack came, Daniel advanced, slicing through the sashes with ease. He then kicked her away from the town.

"Brother, help! Someone's bullying me," Warabihime cried, remaining seated as she called out.

A head appeared behind her, followed by the emergence of a male demon. 

"Don't cry, Warabihime. I'll kill him for you."

The male demon, Gyutaro, was shirtless, with black and green hair, a hunched back, and a scrawny build marked by numerous black spots. As he separated from Warabihime, blood-red sickles formed in his hands.

"So, you're a Pillar. You'll be the sixteenth Pillar I've killed." The Demon Slayer Corps couldn't discern ranks by eye; strength was their only measure.

"I wondered why Upper Moon Six was so weak. Turns out there's another one. Twin demons, interesting. By the way, can you tell me where that coward Muzan is hiding?" Daniel mocked.

"You insult Lord Muzan! Brother, kill him! Don't let him die easily!" Warabihime screamed, enraged.

Muzan favored Warabihime, contributing to her position despite being the weakest Upper Moon. Her devotion to Muzan was absolute, explaining why she and Gyutaro had killed the most Pillars.

"Got it. Blood Demon Art: Flying Blood Sickles," Gyutaro said, launching his attack. His sickles generated a barrage of blood blades aimed at Daniel. These blades, controlled by Gyutaro's will, pursued their target relentlessly and carried potent poison.

A demon's blood regeneration was remarkable; while humans weakened from blood loss, demons remained unaffected. If not for their poisonous blood, demons could serve as blood banks.

Bang.

Daniel effortlessly dispersed the blood blades with a single sweep of his Nichirin Blade.

"Upper Moon demons are no big deal," Daniel remarked, appearing beside Gyutaro. He shattered Gyutaro's blood sickles and severed his arms.

"This ends now," Daniel said, binding both demons with Kamar-Taj's chains. The earlier battle was merely to gauge their strength.

"You're useless!" Warabihime screeched at her brother once they were both restrained. Despite their century-long lives, Warabihime's mentality remained that of a child.

"And it's your fault."

"Shut up," Daniel silenced them, sealing their mouths with chains. Unlike Tanjiro, he had no empathy for demons.

"The damage should be enough to seem like a major battle. I was overthinking it," Daniel observed, causing more destruction with a Rankyaku to make it look like a fierce fight.

He aimed to avoid Muzan's suspicion; a quick defeat might cause Muzan to retreat further into hiding. A scene of destruction would imply a hard-fought battle.

Muzan valued Upper Moon demons highly, unlike Lower Moons whom he discarded easily. A cautious boss, Muzan would react differently to Upper Moon losses.

"If Upper Moon demons are so weak, it's no wonder Lower Moons are expendable. Muzan must have realized Tanjiro's potential, prompting his current caution," Daniel thought.

Muzan's cowardice made him an unusual adversary. Unlike pirate leaders who sought immediate vengeance, Muzan preferred hiding.

"Warabihime captured so many people. She really is a child," Daniel discovered Warabihime's sash containing numerous faces of beautiful girls. These were not paintings but living captives.

Warabihime's sashes had a spatial dimension, allowing her to store people for later enjoyment. Her disdain for those more beautiful than her drove her to such actions.

"Let's get these people out." Daniel hesitated, knowing that freeing them without treatment would cause deformities due to prolonged exposure to the Blood Demon Art.

Daniel couldn't save everyone, but he could help those he encountered. The captives, if released in Yoshiwara, would likely face dire futures.

"It's better to take them to the Demon Slayer Corps. The Ubuyashiki family can provide for them," Daniel decided, considering the well-being of the captives. Pairing them with current Corps members might offer a better future than staying in Yoshiwara.

"Hang in there," Daniel said, deciding to keep the captives in the sashes until he reached the Butterfly Mansion. Warabihime's sashes had preservation properties, ensuring the captives' safety for a while longer.

In a secluded spot in the mountains near Yoshiwara, Daniel began studying the blood of the Upper Moon demons.

"Upper Moon blood can create demons, not just Muzan's. No wonder there's such a gap between Upper and Lower Moons."

"Should I create a demon for research?" Daniel pondered, holding Gyutaro's extracted blood.

The line between humans and demons lay in their actions. Daniel's intent was to find a cure for demons, but he needed test subjects.

"I have a way to reverse the demonic transformation, but I need experimental data. Creating demons seems too risky," Daniel decided to seek test subjects elsewhere, perhaps from Fujikasane Mountain.

"Fujikasane Mountain has plenty of demons. I'll find subjects there," Daniel concluded, leaving the idea of creating demons behind.

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