Tokyo's night was dark, but the city of desire, Yoshiwara, was as bright as broad daylight.
In this place where the sound of men's lust and money clashing never ceases, a giant predator that would swallow the existing order coiled itself.
At the best location in Nakanocho, which can be said to be the main street of the red-light district.
In the three-story wooden building that was built magnificently after buying and demolishing three old teahouses, a gold-plated signboard hung for the Yoshiwara branch of the Akatsuki Trading Company.
"Hmm... The night air of Yoshiwara is indeed different. The smell of money, the smell of alcohol, and the smell of rotten desire."
From the window of the manager's office, looking down at the street, Mukago swirled her wine glass.
She was once Lower Moon Six of the Twelve Kizuki. Her cowardly past is now gone.
After swearing loyalty to Akira and recently receiving the blood of his perfected being, she transformed into a monster with power at the level of the middle ranks of the Upper Moons.
"Manager, have you checked all the sales ledgers? It would be troublesome if there were any errors in the report to be submitted to Master."
Tamamo, who was sitting elegantly on the upper seat while doing her makeup, gracefully asked.
"Don't worry, Tamamo-san. Over 60% of the commercial district here has already come over. What can't be done with money, we do with force; what can't be done with force, we do with beauty. It's going smoothly as per your teachings, Tamamo-san."
A haughty light shone in Mukago's red eyes.
The financial power and strength of the trading company. And Mukago, who handles plants and induces hallucinations, and Tamamo, who enchants people with sorcery.
This street was quickly being tightly grasped by the Akatsuki Trading Company.
Tamamo covered her mouth with a fan and laughed elegantly.
"Fufu, that's a relief. This place is also Master's garden. And all of you are the gardeners. We must pull out the weeds in advance and leave only the pretty flowers, so that he will be pleased, won't he?"
For her, a nine-tailed fox and a great beauty of a demon, a place like a red-light district was no different from her own living room.
She was in charge of the practical design of the Yoshiwara business under Akira's orders, assisting Mukago.
At the first-floor store of the Akatsuki Trading Company. Two women were working as clerks here.
"Welcome, customer~ This silk is the highest quality that's hard to find even in Kyoto."
A girl with a kind smile who serves customers, with a youthful yet bewitching atmosphere. Kumohime.
Like Mukago, she had received the blood of Akira who became a perfected being, and had gained strength at the Upper Moon level. To her, human customers were just cute money pouches.
"H-how about this accessory? It seems to perfectly match your fair skin tone…."
Next to her, a woman who seems a bit nervous as she serves customers. Kumonojo.
Since she was taken in before Akira became a perfected being, her growth in power was slower. She didn't want to receive new blood because she hated the pain.
At best, power at the Lower Moon level. Much stronger than ordinary demons, but significantly weaker compared to Kumohime or Mukago.
"Smile more naturally. Do we run this business for a day or two?"
Kumohime whispered a rebuke.
"S-sorry. I'm a bit nervous in such a place…."
Kumonojo answered in a shrunken voice. The hierarchical relationship that had continued since the family play was now more firmly established due to the difference in the concentration of Akira's blood.
Then it happened.
Ding~
As the bell at the store entrance rang, the air inside the store subtly changed.
Ordinary people didn't notice, but the two demons instantly realized. That a thick, ominous aura vibrating with a rotten smell had entered the store.
What entered the store was a stunningly gorgeous beauty. Skin like white jade, sharp but captivating eyes.
She was Yoshiwara's top courtesan, Warabihime.
As soon as she appeared, the surrounding customers were overwhelmed and made way.
'Hic…!'
Kumonojo's shoulders twitched.
'T-this aura… Could it be an Upper Moon!?'
To Kumonojo, who was at the Lower Moon level, the aura of Upper Moon Six Daki was fear itself. She instinctively bowed her head and trembled. The oppressive feeling of a predator that seemed like it would devour her if she made eye contact made it hard to even breathe.
However, the reaction of Kumohime right next to her was the exact opposite.
'Hmm….'
Kumohime stopped her hands from arranging the fabrics and glanced at her sideways.
'Is this Upper Moon Six, Daki?'
If it were the old Kumohime, she would have trembled like Kumonojo, but now it was different. From her senses, having evolved by receiving Akira's blood, the Daki before her eyes….
'…It's not as big a deal as I thought, is it?'
Kumohime scoffed inwardly. More than threatening, it was at a cute level. To be precise, a level that she could easily subdue if she went all out.
Originally, Daki as an individual was lower than Upper Moon level. A level between Lower and Upper Moon. If Daki were alone, she might have held the Lower Moon One position instead of Upper Moon.
'Was she playing queen of this street with just this level of power? Truly a frog in a well.'
Kumohime stepped forward past the trembling Kumonojo, wearing a relaxed smile as she approached Daki.
"Welcome, Warabihime the top courtesan. You are much more beautiful than the rumors."
Kumohime bowed her head. It was a perfect business smile.
Daki stiffly raised her head and looked around the store.
"Hmph. Is this the store that the old folks at Kyogokuya have been making a fuss about lately? It's smaller than I thought."
To say it's small, it was indeed relatively smaller compared to buildings in Tokyo, Kyoto, or Asakusa. Probably because it was built quickly.
She frowned as if disgusted and flicked the displayed highest-quality silk with her finger.
"Bring me the most expensive and gorgeous one. It must be red. Dull, garbage-like colors that obscure my beauty are not acceptable."
"Of course. You have a high eye for quality."
Kumohime immediately brought out the highest-quality red silk from the warehouse. It was an item with a gorgeous pattern embroidered with gold thread.
"This is from the main store of the Akatsuki Trading Company in Kyoto. It's a masterpiece that a Kyoto craftsman embroidered stitch by stitch."
Daki's eyes sparkled. Arrogant but with an eye for goods.
"Hmm… Not bad. The texture is also acceptable."
She laughed haughtily and gestured.
"Wrap all of this and send it to my room. Address it to Warabihime at Kyogokuya. You'll handle it properly, right?"
"Yes, I'll package it in the best condition and send it to you."
Kumohime answered respectfully, but inwardly clicked her tongue.
'How arrogant. Playing queen when she can't even reach his heels. I could twist that slender neck right now… but I'll endure for the business.'
Daki left the store humming, unaware that she was showing her back to a monster who might be stronger than her.
As Daki disappeared, Kumonojo slumped to the floor and gasped for breath.
"Huff, huff… S-scary…. So that's an Upper Moon."
Kumonojo was drenched in cold sweat. The killing intent of an Upper Moon was too much for her at the Lower Moon level to handle.
"Sigh, you still have a long way to go."
Kumohime clicked her tongue as if disappointed.
"What are you going to do, being scared by that level of aura? Aren't you ashamed of having received Akira-sama's blood?"
"B-but… you received the blood after he became a perfected being, and I received it before… sob."
"Okay, okay. Stop whining and finish your work. I'll handle the report. So, endure the pain and receive it. Anyway, you look mature on the outside but are still a child inside."
As she played the role of the spider mother, her appearance is very mature like a woman, but in reality, she was originally a child demon. Because of that, her mental age was lower than Kumohime's, and she was more scared.
Kumohime fixed her hair ornament and headed to the second-floor manager's office with light steps.
"Mukago-san, Tamamo-san. It's Kumohime."
"Come in."
As Tamamo's permission fell, Kumohime entered.
"What's the matter? I felt quite a strong aura from the first floor."
Tamamo asked while blowing smoke from her pipe.
"Yes. Upper Moon Six just came by the store. She was disguised as a top courtesan called Warabihime."
"Oh?"
Mukago put down her wine glass filled with blood and her eyes lit up.
"Upper Moon Six…. How did she seem to you?"
"To be honest… it was disappointing."
Kumohime chuckled.
"Just full of bluster, but the density of power seemed thinner than mine or Mukago-san's. If we were to fight… I think I could win?"
"Fufufu, as expected, Akira-sama's blood is great."
Mukago laughed as if satisfied.
"What should we do? She arrogantly left it on credit. Shall we go tonight to collect the payment and take her head?"
At Kumohime's suggestion, Tamamo shook her head while opening her fan.
"No, don't be in such a hurry. That child will become a very good toy."
Tamamo's eyes narrowed like a fox's.
"Master wants this entire red-light district. And that demon… it would be a waste to kill her right away."
"I see. Well, we can kill her anytime."
"Kumohime-chan, continue to cater to that woman… Warabihime's whims. She thinks she's the queen and is letting her guard down. We'll use that arrogance."
"Understood. I'll act very thoroughly."
Kumohime gave a sly smile.
"Now that I think about it, I was a Lower Moon, right? I roughly know what Upper Moons are like. Daki, that woman was quite pretty, wasn't she?"
"Huh? She was pretty, sure? Not as much as Tamamo-san, though."
"Oh my~ saying such obvious things. Fuhuhu, well, I am a true beauty who toppled nations in China, after all."
Tamamo felt good at Kumohime's words. Then Mukago smiled slyly.
"Tamamo-san. By any chance, can I capture that Daki and offer her to Master?"
"Huh?"
"Ah! I was about to say that!"
She wanted to build merit. Who knows? She might receive more of Akira's blood.
"Daki that woman, from what I remember, is incredibly seductive and pretty, right? What about taking her in for Master's desire relief, heheh."
"Hmm, it's true that Master's sexual desire now is something we can't handle alone. So much so that even with us using our bodies for play and introducing new methods, it might not be enough. This might lead to you all being involved too."
The two became tense at the thought that they might be the next night play partners. Although they follow Akira, they still have the sense of soldiers dealing with a captain or battalion commander, making it awkward and scary for them.
"But a woman from the red-light district, especially a demon of Muzan's, is no different from a prostitute when you think about it."
"Uh, that's true? But, Daki that woman is also a demon. She's a top courtesan, but does she engage in prostitution?"
"Even if not, she would be used for Muzan's desire relief. We can't take such a filthy whore as Master's woman."
Tamamo closed her fan with a snap! and made a displeased expression. Mukago sweated coldly as if she had said something unnecessary, and Kumohime thought it was lucky she hadn't spoken.
But then.
"Hmm, no? If she receives Master's blood, her body will be reconstructed, so she might become new? And from what he said, she's a foolish woman, so it might not be bad to use her as a servant. Since Master will become the king of this underworld in the future. Besides, if she's an Upper Moon, she'll become stronger after receiving the blood, right?"
"T-that's right! Like me or this one, being reborn anew! Then she'd be new! And with the sure guarantee of being the top courtesan, he'll surely be satisfied, right!?"
"Hmm. Regarding this, I'll need to consult with Master."
Tamamo decided to leave Daki's treatment to Akira for now, and first gave Kumohime a reward for her hard work.
Far away, under the华丽的 lights of Kyogokuya, the Upper Moon demon Daki reigned. She would never dream of it.
The fact that the new merchants who entered her territory were actually much more dangerous predators hunting her as prey.
"Now, then, shall we work hard to earn money today as well? For the sake of pleasing Master."
With Tamamo's soft words, her plump tails swayed gently.