^ Chapter 27 - Lust, Greed, and Demons ^

Despite his outward whining and complaining, which Inosuke had gotten used to after their return to the Butterfly Mansion five months earlier, Zenitsu's mind had practically always been racing about the same idea. His friend Tanjirō and his whereabouts remained ever present in the back of his mind, constantly nagging at him even while he tried to sleep in the form of dreams.

Some of them had been decent at best, where they had succeeded in finding their friend and bringing him back to their company, but several of them weren't so nice either. They were honestly scary, and it gave him the chills just to try and think about them, even if he couldn't remember some of them clearly.

Zenitsu leaped over some boulders in their morning sprint through the forests surrounding the Demon Slayer Headquarters, Inosuke out ahead of them, with the two slayers both shirtless. It was remarkable to see how much the two young men had bulked up, from their first arrival to the mansion to now, and both of them had now perfectly mastered Total Concentration Breathing. Zenitsu still considered it slightly weird, but at least he didn't have to worry about trying and failing over and over again to succeed in it.

"Inosuke and I have been taking orders from our crows in the breaks of our training, and both of us were hoping that we'd encounter Tanjirō, or at least a trace of him, on one of them." Zenitsu thought while he ducked between a pair of trees along the path. Inosuke grunted up ahead when he slid across the worn dirty path below some low-hanging branches, and Zenitsu leaped over them without breaking his momentum. "Inosuke doesn't show it, but I think he's just as worried about you as I am, Tanjirō…"

"Bonbitsu, let's end our sprint soon!" shouted Inosuke over his shoulder with a huff once he was back on his feet from the slide.

"It's Zenitsu, you dumbass!" Zenitsu shouted back, his deep thinking getting shut down for a moment.

The two slayers finished sprinting after another minute or so, before they found themselves back within the confines of the headquarters walking Butterfly Mansion. They almost didn't even have to look where they were going, since they had walked this route enough times to remember the way there solely based on instinct alone. Now that they had finished their jog, it was breakfast, then more training until they had either grown tired from it or they received another mission to go on either together or solo.

As they turned around a corner onto the road that'd take them up to the mansion's entrance, Zenitsu's hearing picked up the sound of squealing coming from down the way. He recognized the squealing instantly as belonging to the girls of the mansion, and another voice that undeniably was Aoi's.

"Inosuke, something's wrong." he said suddenly, before he took off, leaving Inosuke in the dust.

"Eugh? What the hell?!" stammered Inosuke before following closely behind, the pair closing the distance from where they were and the entrance in a matter of seconds.

"What's going-haaa?!"

"Let us go!"

The noise that he heard was coming from the inhabitants of the Butterfly Mansion, with Tengen being the cause of it because he had Aoi thrown over his left shoulder and Naho, the girl with two braided twintails, held firmly against his right side by his muscular right arm. After securing both of the squirming girls, he turned his back away from the mansion.

Sumi and Kiyo, the two other girls who were crying on either side of Kanao, were rooted to the spot with Kanao, the three of them unable to react properly to the second oldest Hashira taking away their friends. Kanao was standing motionless, a wide-eyed, blank expression on her face with sweat droplets dripping from her forehead because she was at an utter loss at what to do.

"Stop iiiit! Let them go!" cried out Kiyo with her balled-up hands next to her mouth. Kiyo was unable to say anything through her crying, instead covering her face with her hands and continuing to sob at her inability to do anything to stop the larger Hashira. "Pleeease, let them goo!"

"K-Kanao! Kanao!" Aoi called out to her friend, with one arm extending out towards her.

Dozens of thoughts about Tengen being a superior that she should respect rushed through Kanao's mind, being part of the reason why she was unable to react to him taking away Aoi and Naho. Her right hand was shaking rapidly next to her side, right over where she kept her coin, the very coin she had always used ever since she had been adopted into Shinobu's family with Kanae, when she was still here.

Kanao's eyes darted down to her right hip, feeling the coin in her pocket, and she thought to use it so that she could make a decision on what to do with Tengen and her friends. She would have grabbed it too, if it weren't for Tanjirō entering her memories and reminding her about the promise that the pair of them had made the last time she had seen him. When he had flipped her coin for her, and asked for her to use her heart in order to choose what to do.

Even when she had not seen him in five months, and she had heard about what had happened, and what he had been blamed for from Shinobu, the smile that he had given her still seemed all so real inside of her mind. Seeing that, and knowing how often Shinobu had smiled when Tanjirō had been around with them, was enough for her to finally take that step.

As Tengen was in the middle of turning around, his eyes coming off Kanao for a brief moment, the Tsuguko instantly closed the gap between them and grabbed onto Aoi's hand and Naho's dress tightly. She then dug her heels into the cobblestone sidewalk and pulled as hard as she could, which for Tengen felt like a minor inconvenience and brought his attention back to her.

"Oi, what are you doing? You have your orders, don't pull on me with that lackluster strength." Tengen stated rather coldly, his words doing nothing to lessen Kanao's grip. In fact, her eyes closed shut and she gripped Aoi's hand and Naho's dress even tighter, her arms locking in place, and not a word coming from her. This was enough to make Tengen grit his teeth and try to yank himself away from her, causing Naho to squeal a little. "Hey! Say something, girl! You're totally not being flamboyant!"

"Ch-Chaaaarge! We want them baaack!" Kiyo cried out with Sumi at the same time, the two small girls then lunging at the larger man and hopping on top of him like small cats on their mother.

"Uuagh! Cut this crap out!" Tengen screeched when he was knocked slightly unbalanced for a brief second or two. "Get off of me, dammit!"

"Hey! What're you doing to my sweet girls?!"

Tengen whirled his head around and saw Zenitsu appear in the front entryway with Inosuke right behind him, the two slayers dripping with sweat from their run and staring him down with wide eyes.

"It's a kidnapping! Save theeeem!" Kiyo weeped heavily while tugging on Tengen's neck, her high-pitched squeal making his right eardrum almost pop.

"You little brat…" growled Tengen, some veins bulging out from his temple as he gave her the evil eye.

"Kyaaaah!"

Almost instantly Tengen felt a rush of air blow over his body and through the hair of the girls clambering on his body, sending their clothes into a frenzy, followed by the brief crackle of lightning. Zenitsu was on top of Tengen in the blink of an eye, his face almost totally devoid of any expression other than fury, as he reared his fist back with bolts of lightning crackling across his body from head to toe.

Tengen's eyes widened from the blinding speed he had, being caught off guard by it for a moment, before his superior instincts kicked in and he reacted. Zenitsu's fist swiped through open air when Tengen vanished from view with Aoi, Kiyo meanwhile falling down right on top of him once he landed on his stomach. Kanao pulled Naho into her arms when she fell onto her rear with Tengen's disappearance, and Inosuke grunted as he ran up to them to see if they were all okay.

"Guh...are you unharmed?" Zenitsu asked with a grunt as he pushed himself up once Kiyo got off his back.

"Y-Yeah…"

"You fool."

Zenitsu lifted his head up towards the sound of Tengen's voice and found him standing on top of the roof's edge over the Butterfly Mansion's entrance, Aoi still firmly held over his shoulder by his left arm. He had a slightly irritated expression on his face from being yanked at by the girls, and he was shooting daggers down at the yellow-haired slayer.

He hadn't appreciated getting swung at by Zenitsu, but he admitted silently to himself how the boy's speed impressed him. He hadn't encountered someone that young who managed to catch him off guard with such agility, so like with Tanjirō, he had to give credit where credit was due.

"I'm a former Shinobi, the man who's known as the most flamboyant around these parts. Usui Tengen, the Sound Hashira!" proclaimed Tengen as he stood up from his kneeling position, Inosuke growling a bit at the superior air the Hashira was exhibiting. "Show some respect to your superiors! Did you really think I'd get punched by a brat like you?!"

"Give Aoi-san back! What the hell are you even doing with them?!" Zenitsu shouted back while shaking his fist at Tengen, the other girls rallying behind him with cries of their own.

"Shitty old man!" added on Inosuke while steaming from his ears and boar nostrils, causing Tengen's veins to bulge out from his forehead.

"You damn brats! Who do you think you're mouthing off to here!?" shouted Tengen, his face turning slightly red and the veins next to his temples bulging out more. "I have superiority here! I'm a Hashira you jackasses!"

"What is the meaning of all this ruckus?"

Shinobu finally came outside from inside of her abode, looking around at the scene before looking up to where Tengen was, the Sound Hashira lowering his temper somewhat as he glanced down at her.

She noticed Aoi strung over his shoulder and how firmly he was holding her, then looked over her own shoulder at the flustered Zenitsu and Inosuke standing around and protecting a crying Naho, Sumi and Kiyo. Not knowing what was going on at first, she immediately went to the aid of her immediate family and friends by putting one hand on her hip and glaring back at Tengen with an expression completely opposite of her usual kind smile.

"Usui-san, what are you doing with Aoi? You know that she's one of my Aides here, and why are the girls bawling?" she asked Tengen, the Hashira remaining stone-cold in the face of Shinobu while keeping his grip on Aoi.

"I need a girl on a mission I'm assigned to, and since none of these girls aside from that one in the white cape are your Tsuguko, I shouldn't have to ask for permission." Tengen replied, Shinobu narrowing her eyes a little.

"We're not members of the Demon Slayers though!" cried Kiyo, tear droplets still rolling down her cheeks. "We're not even wearing uniforms!"

"Don't need any of you then. I'll be taking this one on my mission, since she's a member. She may not be that useful, but she'll fit the criteria."

Aoi's eyes widened and the sweat began to pour more profusely down her forehead from the thought of operation on the front lines, something that she had never personally done before since joining the Demon Slayers after Final Selection. She was nowhere near as capable as some with sword wielding, she was only good at medical healthcare.

What kind of mission was she going to be dragged into? Was she going to have to fight demons? A Hashira usually got the most difficult of missions, so to be taken along with one, would that mean she'd be at an even greater risk than if she went on one with a slayer like Zenitsu or Inosuke?

"Bug Lady, you can't let him take her! Even if she's a member, she belongs here, right?!" demanded Inosuke while whipping his head towards Shinobu, the Inset Hashira lowering her gaze and sighing a little.

"Usui-san is...correct. While Aoi is an attendant here, she is a member of the Demon Slayers...she's applicable for assignment just like you both."

Inosuke choked on his own breath and clenched his fists, while Zenitsu trembled a little at Tengen's piercing gaze resting on the both of them. They weren't wanting to come to blows with the Hashira, because he could most certainly beat both of them in a fight, but he was threatening to take Aoi away! She had been one of the ones to take care of them from their lowest points, it would be unfair to her if they didn't try to defend her from being stolen from them and Shinobu.

The Insect Hashira herself was even feeling conflicted behind the mask she had on. She cared a great deal for Aoi, just as much as the other three girls, and she would rather want her to stay here with them at the Butterfly Mansion because she knew of her lacking skills as a combative Demon Slayer.

Shinobu couldn't help but wonder what Tanjirō would do or say in this situation if he were here, and even that made her feel another weight on her heart that she had only just recently managed to put off until later.

"Tanjirō...what would you do?" she thought, imagining the fear growing inside of Aoi and wishing she could do something about it.

"G-Gaagghh! Enough of this!" shouted Zenitsu as he pointed up at Tengen, a mixture of fear and determination in his wide-open eyes. "If you're gonna take Aoi-san, then we're coming too!"

"Yeah, yeah! I've still got some strength left from a mission yesterday, I can head out!" Inosuke said to back up Zenitsu's claim.

Shinobu turned her body halfway around and looked at the two young men with genuine surprise, the heavy feeling in her heart lifting up somewhat at their willingness to offer themselves up for the operation Tengen had without even knowing what it was. She doubted if Aoi was going to be let go by the Hashira, but if they were there with her as her sort-of body guards, alongside Tengen, then perhaps her safety wouldn't be that difficult to maintain.

Even Tengen hid some awe at the two youths, his thoughts on the Demon Slayer Corps becoming weaker fading somewhat because of them. These two standing next to the girls and Kanao didn't fit the bill, they felt different. He certainly felt that way about Zenitsu after witnessing the slayer's speed, so maybe it wouldn't be too bad if he let them tag along.

After thinking for a few moments he shrugged and looked upward, giving off a nonchalant expression while addressing the two slayers.

"I guess it'd be fine. I'll have you guys come with me. But don't you dare defy me, punks." he said with a smirk before giving Aoi a fierce slap on her rear, making her yelp out loudly. "Gyahaha!"

"H-Hey! Don't slap me like that!" Aoi squealed from behind his shoulder, her legs thrashing about a little. "And let me go! I'm not some ragdoll! Pervert!"

"Oi! I'm not a pervert!"

"Just let her go, Usui-san. Could you at least do that for me?"

Tengen met Shinobu's softer gaze and he sighed a little before leaping down back to the ground in front of her, where he then returned Aoi to her feet and wiped his shoulder off a little. Aoi immediately thrust herself against Shinobu and hugged her, burying her face against her chest, much to the shock and jealousy of Zenitsu, who's entire face turned red at the thought of being in her position.

"Please don't let him take me, I'm not capable of acting on the field...I...I..." murmured Aoi with a muffled tone while buried in Shinobu's chest, the Hashira smiling a tiny bit as she embraced her ward and rubbed the back of her head carefully.

"I know, but you're going to have protection...I'm sure no one will allow you to be harmed, right?" Shinobu asked while lifting her head up, giving Tengen a stern gaze that even he knew not to take lightly.

"But...how can you be so sure?"

Aoi lifted her head up so she could see Shinobu and look into her eyes for any kind of reassurance or hope. Shinobu returned her gaze to her and gave her one of her kind, soft smiles, the one that allowed any kind of doubts or worry to leave Aoi's mind and let her relax a little in Shinobu's embrace.

"How I know is because Zenitsu and Inosuke will be there with you...they're Tanjirō's friends after all, remember?"

Aoi's eyes widened a little at the mentioning of Tanjirō's name, before she looked around Shinobu at Zenitsu and Inosuke, reminding herself that what she was saying was the truth. Those two were Tanjirō's closest friends, and even though he wasn't there with them, they could still be as dependable as he was. She'd taken care of them during their recovery twice now, so she'd know just how much she could trust them.

Of course they had lapses at times in their effort, like when they were training to come back from their injuries and time spent recovering after Natagumo Mountain, but they still came through in the end.

"If...you say so, then...I'll try my best to not be a burden…" said Aoi as she let go of Shinobu, the Insect Hashira patting the top of her head and smiling.

With all of the difficulties and misgivings out of the way, and Aoi had some time to calm down, Tengen departed from the Butterfly Mansion with her and her two newly acquired bodyguards, once they had clothed themselves for travel. Shinobu waved when they left, the girls standing around her with Kanao close behind her, her expression somewhat blank.

After a few seconds she lowered her gaze and looked down at her hands, recalling the emotions she felt when trying to save her friends from Tengen's grasp. That feeling of warmth that she had in her chest, the way her mind seemed to grow clearer and sharper, rather then befuddled by the illusion of one choice or the other based on her coin.

"Is something the matter, Kanao? Are you worried about Aoi?" asked Shinobu, Kanao jumping a little and lifting her eyes up to see Shinobu had turned around and was facing her now. She didn't respond to her at first and hugged her hands close to her chest at first, which to Shinobu was enough to tell her exactly what she was thinking. "You are...they can be trusted, you know. Zenitsu and Inosuke, they're both capable Demon Slayers. They were able to train with you, after all."

Shinobu glanced over her shoulder at the entrance, the girls' eyes on her as she did, before she put her hands on top of Kanao's shoulders and gripped them firmly. Her smile then dropped, turned serious, and she looked back into her Tsuguko's eyes.

"We're not going to sit idly by either. A Hashira wouldn't be sent on a mission if the demon their searching for isn't a powerful one...we will follow at our own discretion and observe too." Shinobu explained, Kanao blinking a few times when Shinobu's plan dawned on her before she even said it. That smile she had seen in her mind, was this her chance to find it again? "I want to see if we can find any sort of trace of Tanjirō. I'm sure that you do too...and it goes without saying that Nezuko wants to as well."

"Mmph!"

Shinobu, Kanao, and the girls turned their heads when the muffled affirmation of Nezuko came from behind her mouthpiece, the small girl standing in the shade of the mansion's doorway with a determined expression on her face. Her cute expression drew laughter from the girls as well as Shinobu, who smiled again after letting go of Kanao and walked towards Tanjirō's sister.

"Prepare yourself, Kanao. We'll be leaving shortly after giving Usui-san a head start."

With that, Shinobu walked Nezuko inside of the mansion again to take care of her, leaving Kanao and the girls in the front garden alone under the sunlight. The girls, after a couple of seconds with the Tsuguko, thanked her for her efforts and with a little bit of sadness returned to the laundry they had been drying before Tengen's untimely arrival.

Kanao looked down at her hands again and maintained her gaze on them as she slowly walked into the Butterfly Mansion, instinctually following the route to her room without even looking up. Once she was inside of her room, which was modest and simple, filled with only what she needed, she sat down on her bed and finally took her eyes off her hands and looked straight ahead at the wall. Her passive, slightly bewildered expression then slowly morphed into one of determination just like Nezuko, and her hands balled up into fists. There was no need to decide on what she wanted to do, not now.

Meanwhile down the road away from the Butterfly Mansion, Tengen was walking several long strides ahead of Zenitsu, Inosuke and Aoi. They hadn't spoken with the Hashira since they agreed to join him on his mission, and were talking amongst one another trying to figure out what it was before Inosuke gruffly took the initiative.

"So, Geezer! Where the hell are we going?" he asked, Tengen not even pausing at the insult. His mind was already focused on what was ahead for them, and it was true he hadn't told them yet of their destination, so he thought it good to answer back.

"To the most flamboyant place in all of Japan, filled to the brim with lust and greed." Tengen said, glancing back at them over his shoulder with a slight grin. "The famed 'Red Light' District, home of some of the most flamboyant people in the whole country. And conveniently, the home of a demon."

At the same time, Shinobu had gone with Nezuko to her bedroom, where the little girl had made herself at home since Tanjirō's disappearance as seen by the little nest of blankets on top of a futon set up in the corner of the room. At first it wasn't really her choice to allow Nezuko to stay in her room, but now she was glad that the little girl had done so.

With how she had felt after Tanjirō had disappeared, whether it was willing or a kidnapping, she desperately needed something to hold onto that could help her recover. Of course, nobody knew these feelings because she dared not let them out, except for the Master of course, but outside of that, she had been alone. That is until Nezuko recognized on her own how much her older brother meant to the Hashira, so even if she didn't know the whole story, she made herself present to Shinobu as that thing she could hold. They both wanted the same thing, the return of Tanjirō back to them.

"I'll be bringing you along with us for the trip, okay Nezuko-chan?" asked Shinobu with a sweet smile, the little girl nodding from where she sat on Shinobu's bed. With a giggle Shinobu retrieved Nezuko's box for her and set it down next to her on the bed, patting the top of it so that she could climb inside. "There you go, climb on in."

"Mmmppnhmmn." replied Nezuko while shaking her head, which confused Shinobu.

"Huh? You don't want to go inside? Why?" Shinobu asked, the young girl then reaching into the folds of her pink kimono and pulling out Tanjirō's gently stored hanafuda earrings. Confused as to why she had them out, she became even more puzzled when Nezuko then leaned forward and took Shinobu's right hand. "Nezuko? What are you-"

"Mmph. Mmpnh." stated Nezuko before she planted Tanjiro's earrings into the palm of her hand and looked her in the eyes.

"You're...giving me Tanjirō-kun's earrings? But...they're not mine to have. You should be the one to keep these, not me."

Shinobu tried to give Tanjirō's earrings back to Nezuko by placing them back in her hands, the smaller girl frowning for a brief moment before she shook her head and stood up on her knees. Before the Hashira could do anything about it, Nezuko quickly inserted each earring into her earlobes to the best of her ability, making Shinobu wince a tiny bit.

Once she was done however, she sat back and gave Shinobu a stern expression and nodded her head, letting out a muffled grunt of sorts that made her look even cuter than actually serious, which was something that made Shinobu smile briefly. But she understood what Nezuko was getting at, even though she couldn't speak directly to her because of her mouth piece.

"You want me to wear them until we find your brother?" she asked of the young girl, to which Nezuko nodded her head fervently.

"Mmmhmnnph!"

"Then, if that's what you want...I can't say no to that if it comes from you, Nezuko."

Shinbou smiled sweetly at the girl and rubbed the top of her head affectionately like a mother or older sister would. Nezuko responded back just as cutely, by closing her eyes and giving her what she presumed to be a smile or some other kind expression behind her mouth piece.

Once that was done, Nezuko then climbed into her box and closed the door herself so Shinobu could then take it and slide the straps up and over her shoulders. Then she carried it like Tanjirō would before briefly stepping into her bathroom for a split second, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror and lingering for a moment in order to stare at the hanafuda earrings hanging from her earlobes.

For some reason having the earrings on gave her a feeling of warmth in her chest, as well as brought a smile to her face. Although she couldn't describe it exactly, looking at the earrings gave her a similar sensation to when she had been hugging Tanjirō. Afterwards she left her room with Nezuko's box in tow and made her way to Kanao's room, finding her Tsuguko walking out from within right as she approached and closing the door behind her.

"Ready to depart, Kanao?" Shinobu asked while smiling, the girl turning her head and nodding before noticing the hanafuda earrings. Her eyes widened a little and Shinobu easily figured out the reason for her surprise, which made her giggle a little. "Don't worry, little Nezuko entrusted me with wearing Tanjirō-kun's earrings until we can bring him back."

"O...Oh...okay…" Kanao replied in a slightly shy manner, before she readily composed herself and rested a hand on top of her sword hilt. She was ready, and she made it known with a simple nod to Shinobu.

Shinobu nodded back and the duo with Nezuko in her box made their way out of the Butterfly Mansion, their next stop being the Master's home so that they could get a clue as to where Tengen could be going for his mission. When they knew that, they'd follow the Sound Hashira at a distance and keep and eye on Aoi, Zenitsu and Inosuke, while simultaneously looking for any probable signs of Tanjirō's whereabouts.

Little did they know that all of them weren't going to have to search very hard for the young slayer.

- Tokyo Imperial Palace -

- Tokyo, Japan -

Tokyo Bay, the beating heart of the capital of Japan, where boats from all over the world that carried anywhere from people to cargo would come to dock and trade with the Japanese people. One such boat was a transport vessel that was arriving from Europe after making the long voyage across the oceans to Japan, its passengers glad that the trip had finally come to a close.

"Ah, we're finally here. Come, come, we have a meeting to attend, and I'd rather not keep him waiting."

A man with a rather warm smile stood up from his seat on the boat and stretched his arms up over his head, his gaze dropping to another person that was sitting across from him. The man he was looking at wore a simple outfit consisting of a dull grey suit and matching dress pants, his hair looking a tad bit haphazard, as well as bags under his eyes. This, coupled with the slightly blank expression on his face and his hands in his laps, made it look as though he was in some kind of trance or exceptionally exhausted, but he quickly snapped himself out of it and brought his gaze up to the first man stretching.

"Was your mind somewhere else? Were you thinking about them again?"

"I'm sorry Father...it's hard not to drift back to them from time to time."

The first man finished stretching and ran a hand slightly through his slightly graying black hair that was slicked back somewhat. His eyes were a light green and there was a tiny little smile on his face, the light stubble of his thinly trimmed goatee and five o'clock shadow giving him an older appearance. He wore a dark navy suit and around his neck and wore a clerical collar beneath it, something that made him stand out among the other people on the boat.

"I know that it can be hard, and I wouldn't suggest you forget them, but you have to learn to live with them." the man replied, patting the shoulder of the second man before looking towards the exit. "Now come, we can't be late to that meeting. It's not everyday that we get summoned here, especially with what's going on in the world right now."

Once the second man was on his feet after accepting the words of the clergyman they joined the crowd of people flooding for the exits to disembark from the vessel. Most people weren't crazy enough to make the long stretch of a journey from Europe to Japan, but those who did were treated to a wonderful blend of old-style Japan and the rapidly westernizing side of it, which was all being watched over by the government of the Emperor Yoshihito.

Contact with the western world had been a slow and gradual process, since many in Japan still felt the need to remain close to their oriental, feudal routes, with the major cities like Tokyo being the first to begin westernization, while those in the rural towns and neighborhoods in the countryside were taking longer to warm up to the idea.

"Part of me is still unaware of why we are here, Father...what purpose do we have here in Japan at this time?" asked the second man of the first once they were free from the boat. The clergyman glanced back at him and gave him a rather warm smile as they walked down the ramp to the docks with the flow of people, a wave of his hand telling him to cast away his doubts. "But what about the Church? Will they manage without you?"

"The Church has many capable clergymen and priests that can fill my spot while I'm absent, you need not worry. As to our purpose here, are you familiar with the Emperor Yoshihito?" he replied, returning his gaze to the people in front of him.

"Not necessarily, now...is that who we're meeting? How did you secure council with the Emperor?"

"It wasn't of my doing, I was in fact reached out to by his Majesty's closest confidant, the Prime Minister. He had gotten wind of the medicinal work that I had been able to contribute through the church, and he believes I can help."

"Help with what?"

"That is something to be discussed outside of the public eye, my friend. Even though English is not the national language, you can never be too careful."

Once the men were able to disconnect themselves from the crowd of people flooding off the ship, they noticed a pair of men dressed in a similar fashion to them waiting for them next to an automobile. After ensuring that they were the ones they were sent to pick up, the men climbed into the back with the two others climbing into the front seats to drive them away from the docks to their destination.

People and buildings rolled by their windows until they had arrived at the beating heart of the government that ran Japan, Tokyo's Imperial Palace, which the Emperors of Japan had made their place of residence. As they were driven across the Seimon Ishibashi bridge, they noticed guards standing at attention at various spots along the route, which they presumed to be something natural for a residence such as this.

They eventually pulled up to the front gate and were dropped off there, the clergyman stepping out first before letting his friend climb out with him. Once they were out of the vehicle, one of the chauffeurs led them up to the entrance to the palace itself, where a man dressed in a formal attire and a warm smile on his face was waiting for them.

"Ah, Prime Minister! It's good to see you, after all this time. It's a pleasure!" he said while shaking the man's hand, the Prime Minister returning it by gripping his hand with both of his.

"The pleasure is mine, Mister Tor-"

"Ah, please, you don't have to call me by my last name. Matias suits me just fine. Besides, we have business to attend to, yes? His Majesty?" replied the clergyman, the Prime Minister letting go of his hand and nodding.

"Please, follow me."

Matias motioned to his confidant to follow and they walked behind the Prime Minister as he entered the palace, the shorter man staying two strides ahead of them as he led them to the Emperor's chamber.

On the way he explained to them, mostly for the benefit of Matias' friend since he wasn't sure why they were there. The Emperor, mostly outside of public knowledge, had been born sickly and suffered from neurological problems that left him unfit to be seen out in public outside of a few circumstances. It had become difficult for him to maintain his duties as Emperor, having to rely on his staff and the Prime Minister to help in executing his wishes for the nation during his rule.

Hearing of the miracle work that Matias' church had done in Europe, the Prime Minister and Emperor both chose to try and see if the same miracle could be made with the latter's condition. Being thought of as a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu, for the people to see him in such a weakened state, it could create a negative image of the Emperor and make his rule more difficult than it already was.

"His Majesty is awaiting you inside the throne hall, upon the throne, and to assist you we have some of our best doctors that can help manage the health of his Majesty." stated the Prime Minister once they arrived at the doors leading into the throne hall.

"Ah, they won't be needed, my friend. The Church wishes to keep its practices within the confines of its members, because it has been passed down for millennia since its founding." Matias replied as he turned to the Prime Minister, giving him a smile. "I can assure you, the safety and well being of His Majesty is of the utmost importance. I've been trained by the church to ensure that is maintained."

"But, Matias-san, it is-"

"Trust me. I assure you, there's nothing to fear. God watches over all of his children."

Then, without another word, Matias opened the doors to the Throne Hall and entered alone, his confidant remaining outside with the Prime Minister to await for the exit of the doctors he had assembled. Sure enough, a few moments ,later, those very doctors left the chamber and gave confused gazes to the Prime Minister, who had no answer for them other than a mere shrug.

When they asked him why the newcomer had requested they leave in Japanese, the Prime Minister started conversing back to them about what Matias had told him.

"You can trust him, you four…" murmured Matias' confidant, the man leaning against the doors with his arms crossed over his chest. The Prime Minister and the three doctors all stopped speaking and looked at him, the tired man's eyes closing soon after. "If the church has taught him anything...it's that he is a master of granting others their own salvation…"

"Let me say it one more time for you punks! I am god, got it? You are trash! First off, get that into your minds! Screw it in there!" shouted Tengen in an assertive tone while standing before Zenitsu, Aoi, and Inosuke, the three looking back at him with somewhat blank expressions. "If I tell you to become a dog, become a dog. If i tell you to become a monkey become a monkey! You will always humor me while stooping down and imploring me for favors. And do your best to flatter me!"

Once his declaration had finished, Zenitsu's right eye twitched and his eyes seemed to shrink along with his skin turning slightly pale at what he had heard this Hashira just tell them. A quick glance at Aoi told him that she was thinking the exact same thing about the so-called most flamboyant Hashira of them all.

"This guy is nuts...how can he even be a Hashira if he talks like this…" Zenitsu thought before Inosuke snorted and planted his hands on his hips, staring at Tengen.

"What are you the god of, exactly?" he said, drawing the gazes of both Zenitsu and Aoi to him.

"Nice question, boar boy. I'm the god who rules over flamboyance...the god of festivities, you could say."

"He's a total moron…"

Aoi sighed and slowly shook her head side to side, cupping her face with her hand in disdain while Zenitsu maintained his blank, troubled expression. Inosuke pondered for a moment before he snorted again and gruffly laughed somewhat, looking at Tengen through the eyes of his boar head and smirking beneath it.

"I am the King of the Mountain. Nice to meet you, God of Festivities." Inosuke said with a sense of pride behind his tone.

Rather than receive a similar comment back from the Sound Hashira, Tengen gave him a disgusted expression mixed with befuddlement as he expressed his disdain for the younger slayer's words. Aoi didn't even bother to react when Tengen told him exactly how he felt, while Zenitsu felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck him, an exasperated gasp akin to a choke coming out of his gaping mouth.

He wondered again how Tengen could have managed to become a Hashira for a few seconds before the little stare-down he was having with an annoyed Inosuke ended with him pointing over his shoulder. There was another rest stop sanctioned by the Wisteria family on their way to the Red Light District, so they'll pause and prepare there before finishing the rest of their journey. Then, within the blink of an eye, the older Hashira was off faster than the three younger corps members could see with the naked eye.

"Uwwogh! So this is the power of the Festivity God…! remarked Inosuke as they broke into a run after him, with Aoi actually having to hop onto Zenitsu's back because she wasn't as trained physically as them.

"He's not an actual god, you blockhead!" said Aoi from her position, her hair flapping a little in the wind as she was carried.

Eventually, once they reached the Wisteria home in question, Tengen got right to work asking the caretakers of this home for a seemingly endless list of things, while Aoi went to rest and reassure herself in her own room separate from the boys. She could only handle them for so long before it got to be too much.

Meanwhile Zenitsu and Inosuke got comfortable in the room they were going to share with Tengen, with the Hashira himself returning and sitting down across from them with a hand resting against the side of his head.

"I just got back from telling the girl about what we're going to do. Now I'll tell you. Once we infiltrate the Red Light District, we first have to look for my wife." he said, the last few words of his sentence instantly striking a chord inside of Zenitsu. "I'll be looking around for information on the demon as well."

"That's unbelievable!" screeched Zenitsu, veins bulging on the side of his face, while Inosuke was busy gorging himself on food given to them by the caretakers of the home.

"Huuh?"

"Please, just stop joking around! Don't use your subordinates to look for personal brides!"

"Huuh?! What the hell are you talking about, punk?!

"Actually, no I'm not gonna be respectful! I'm just gonna say it harshly! Weird ass people like you will never be popular! You're telling us Demon Slayers that you want a bride!"

Right across the hall from them in the home, Aoi could only shake her head and sigh as she heard their shouting match even from there, with the raised voices of both Tengen and Zenitsu practically making the house shake. She was combing her hair after removing the butterfly hair clips, which left it hanging loosely down to her shoulders.

"Knowing what we're planning to do once we reach the District, I'm actually more terrified of what those two jokers are going to look like…" she thought to herself after opening her eyes, sighing again. "Inosuke should be fine, since he actually has a pretty face, so if his body could be hidden, he'll be fine. Zenitsu on the other hand…"

Aoi shook her head again once she finished combing her hair and set the brush down, sighing one last time before she flopped down onto her back and covered her eyes with her arm for a moment. This was the farthest she had been away from the Butterfly Mansion in quite a long time, so of course she was feeling a little bit apprehensive.

Having Zenitsu and Inosuke there did provide her with some added comfort outside of being under the protection of one of the Hashira, but that didn't mean she didn't feel any better about the situation.

"To think that Usui-san actually has three wives...that's incredible to say the least...and they're all Kunoichi too. I wonder how he managed to do that…"

Back in the boys' room, after Tengen and Zenitsu calmed down once the situation had been solved by Tengen gut-punching the yellow haired slayer for not believing him, he let out a snort from his nostrils and glared at Inosuke and the decked out Zenitsu.

"You gonna complain too, Boar boy?" he asked darkly, Inosuke shaking his head and gruffly returning his boar head to its usual position covering his face. "Good, anyways, to pick back up where I was going with this...we're going to have to infiltrate the Red Light District with disguises. We believe this place is the ideal hunting ground for demons, though we haven't found any traces of one yet."

"So where the hell are your wives gonna be?" asked Inosuke while scratching his left pec.

"We've narrowed down our search to three of the most suspicious stores in the district. Suma's in the Tokito House, Makio in the Ogimoto House, and Hinatsuru is in the Kyōgoku House."

"Wouldn't they be dead already then if there was a Demon?"

A vein bulged out from Tengen's left temple and with another mighty punch he knocked the wind out of Inosuke and leveled him out on top of Zenitsu, right as the door opened and the caretakers of the Wisteria home appeared with all the things he had asked of them to fetch.

With a slight growl he thanked them for all of their troubles and retrieved the items from them before closing the door back shut in order to put his plan into motion. Zenitsu and Inosuke didn't know it yet, since their own ineptitude to speak properly in certain situations forced his hand, but they were about to undergo a transformation that could possibly make even the strongest of wills waver not from terror, but from sheer terror.

"Girls like that Aoi chick would have been better suited for this, but they'll have to do...all they need to do is make it inside of the homes, and then the next step can occur. All we'll need is a sign...just one sign, and we can find the demon that's living in the Red Light Disctrict."

A/N Hey! It's me, your boy! Back with an update after a month long hiatus! I'd like to apologize for my absence, but I have been focused on school work, mainly being my Senior Thesis. Sure I can churn out 20+ chapters of this story, but when it comes to that it requires much more brain power...ha. 33 pages devoted so far to my Thesis, mostly on all the information and research I had to do. Writing for that drains a lot out of me in the writing department, so most of the time in my free time Id be playing games. As you can see though, I of course have not thought of dropping this story, and I will continue to write for it until I finish it.

But yeah, I wanted to get this chapter out to update you and show i'm not dead, but to also get back into the groove a little so that when I'm finally free, I can get right back into writing this fanfic for you guys. So bear with me a little longer!

Thank you for sticking around until I was able to come back! If you liked this chapter, or have anything good to add or some constructive criticism, please leave a review telling me what you think! Dont forget to fav and follow too!

See you guys next time, and wish me luck on my Thesis! :p