Hey readers,

Sorry for the late upload today, but it's finally out. Enjoy!

A letter came in that morning from The Master, flown in by Tamaki's kagusai crow. In it, The Master had said that Mitsuri was ready to take on solo missions again, this time against some of the most skilled and powerful demons as a Hashira. The letter also said that there would be another Hashira meeting coming up in a month.

Looks like we're not partnered together anymore, thought Tamaki, folding the letter and placing it on the table.

"Tamaki!" Mitsuri came running up to him, a skip in her step. " You got a letter! What's it about?" she asked curiously.

Tamaki smiled sadly. "The Master thinks you're ready now to go out on your own as a Hashira."

Mitsuri frowned. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"We're no longer paired together."

"Huh? What?" Mitsuri's face fell even further and she began to tear up. "But….I'm…I'm not ready yet! Please don't leave me, Tamaki!"

"Relax, I'm not breaking up with you, but I'm sorry. I can't go against The Master's wishes. Unless we're directed on a mission together by chance, this is the last time you'll fight beside me for a while."

Mitsuri began to cry, tears falling steadily from her face. "I'm so weak! I'm going to die on my first mission, I just know it!"

"Hey, don't say that! I don't think you're weak, you just have to stop doubting yourself." Tamaki felt like this was the hundredth time he said this to her. "I fully believe you can become one of the strongest Hashira."

Mitsuri looked at him. "Stop flattering me."

She got me there. "Alright, alright. Just stop saying such negative things, okay?"

She nodded in assent. "Can we eat now? I'm so hungry!"

Tamaki was about to say yes, but then the kitchen door slid open and Makia stumbled in. "Phew, what a long night!"

"Where were you?" asked Tamaki suspiciously. "Didn't you have a mission for last night?"

"None of your business," shot back Makia rudely. "What happened to you?"

"Same response you gave me," retorted Tamaki.

Mitsuri watched their exchange as if it were a tennis match, her eyes shifting between Tamaki and Makia as their words became more heated.

"Whatever did this to you, I'll send them a thank you note!" yelled Makia.

"I'll throw you into a demon's stomach and see how long you survive!" Tamaki shouted back.

"I'll make stew!" cut in Mitsuri, yelling louder than them both and causing a few seconds of silence.

"Okay," said Tamaki, breaking the awkward quiet.

Makia pulled her haori off and threw it at Tamaki's face. He caught it and threw it on the floor. You pick that up.

Pulling a chair out, Makia sat down with exhaustion. "I'm so tired," she sighed.

"You didn't even go on a mission!" exclaimed Tamaki angrily. "Stop complaining!"

"How do you know I didn't go on a mission?" Makia howled back indigiently.

That's a good point. Even though I suspect her, there's no proof. "I can tell," he replied simply.

"Huh. You can tell. Really? Then tell me exactly where I was then!"

Mitsuri slammed a large pot of stew on the table. "Food's ready!" she shouted over the bickering duo.

Tamaki crossed his arms and scowled at Makia. "Be more responsible. You have an important job, and that's to protect the people from demons."

"Whatever." Makia spooned stew into a bowl, muttering under her breath, "I don't need you to tell me what to do, Bossy."

After a silent meal with obvious tension between Tamaki and Makia, the latter finally left to bed. Tamaki sat with Mitsuri at the table, finishing the remainder of the stew in the pot.

"Tamaki," said Mitsuri, breaking the silence. "Can you be a little nicer to Makia-san?"

"It would be easier if she wasn't so rude," growled Tamaki.

"Still…could you at least try?" Mitsuri looked at him pleadingly. "Please?"

"Alright, alrigh-" Sudden pain shot through Tamaki's body, and he doubled over the table, grimacing.

"Tamaki!" Mitsuri rushed to his side. "What's wrong?"

"Shinobu…medicine…wearing off," grunted Tamaki, every muscle in his body on fire.

Mitsuri pulled a syringe from her pocket. "She gave me this," she said, pulling away bandages on his shoulder. As the needle inserted into his arm, a wave of relief washed over Tamaki again.

He breathed out a sigh of exhaustion. Then, when he tried moving his arm, he found he couldn't. Uh oh. My body is completely worn out. "Uhh…Mitsuri, I can't move."

"What should I do? What should I do? I'm such a horrible…oops!" She covered her mouth up before the negative words could slip out.

"Try giving me some food," suggested Tamaki. "My body needs energy, maybe food will help."

"Okay," said Mitsuri. She spooned some stew from her bowl. "Here. Open."

"Wh-what?" Tamaki blushed with embarrassment.

"J-just open your mouth," said Mitsuri, glancing away as her face flushed red.

Tamaki reclulently did so, and Mitsuri inserted the spoon into his mouth. I feel like such a child.

After a few spoonfuls, Tamaki felt movement slowly return to his body. "That's enough," he said. "Eat the rest of it, I'm going to sleep."

"W-w-wait!" Mitsuri called after him as he slid the door open. "Don't you want someone to…a-accompany you?"

"I can get to my room fine," reassured Tamaki. "Just go eat the rest of the food."

"N-no," said Mitsuri, glancing at the ground with embarrassment and blushing. "I m-meant…sleeping."

Tamaki sighed. "Alright. I wasn't going to let you sleep with me because I'm injured, but you seem to really want to. Just try not to press against me too much, it'll aggravate my burns."

Mitsuri smiled, her blush fading. "Yay!"

Sleeping next to Mitsuri while injured was as bad as Tamaki thought it was going to go. For the next two weeks, sleeping was constant pain, as Mitsuri did not listen to what he had said. She snuggled tightly against him comfortably, making him extremely annoyed and hurting. However, when he tried to bring it up with her about a week in, she started crying.

"I'm such a dumb idiot!" she had sobbed, pounding Tamaki's chest with her fists and making him wince in pain. "My boyfriend doesn't even want to sleep with me!"

After that dramatic episode, Tamaki decided to suck it up, and fight through it.

His nocturnal schedule didn't change, even though he wasn't on missions anymore. Recently, he had been getting taken out of battle on missions, and he didn't want that happening again. Every evening he would wake up, have a quick meal prepared by Mitsuri, and then train to sharpen his now dulled-down skills. In the first week, Tamaki had been ordered to take it easy, running only 10 kilometers a day and doing light strength training. As time went on, and his injuries began healing, he upped the intensity of his workouts, running 15 kilometers a day and doing heavier strength training.

And then, finally. A letter from Shinobu came in after 20 days, clearing him for all missions again.

Tamaki happily unwrapped his bandages, pulling his newly-fixed uniform back on again. It feels so nice to finally be in these clothes again!

Stepping out of his house after feeding his cat, Tamaki held out his arm and his kagusai crow came flying over.

"Caw! Caw!" it shrieked as it perched on his arm. "Head to the red-light district of Yoshiwara, located in Tokyo! Demon slayer Fukiwa Makia requests assistance!"

Tamaki almost toppled over with shock. I have to go on another mission with that stupid slut!

"Seriously? Give me another mission!" he complained to the crow.

It shook its head. "No! Go now!" It flew away, leaving an annoyed Tamaki behind.

Pressing his palm to his face, Tamaki sighed. Just my damn luck.

After meeting Mitsuri, sakura mochi was really starting to grow on Tamaki, and he picked some up on the way to his mission.

As he arrived in Tokyo, Tamaki used his hearing to find Makia. Disturbingly loud moaning sounds. There she is.

Following the uncomfortable sounds of the moans, Tamaki's ears led him to a district that looked and felt extremely shady. Many prostitution shops were located here.

The moans got extremely loud as he approached a prostitution shop, and he unfocused his hearing due to how annoying it was.

Tamaki stepped into the building. It was crowded with a long line of men, and at the front of the line there was a series of doors. Makia was behind the third one to the left.

"Excuse me," said a voice. A female oiran was talking to him. "No weapons in the house, please."

Sighing, Tamaki pulled his sword from his belt and set it aside outside of the building. He called his kagusai crow over. "Make sure no one steals this," he said to the crow.

Walking back inside, he started to walk forwards, but the men in the line blocked his path. "Hey, no cutting," said one of them.

"I'm here for business, not to pleasure myself," said Tamaki. "Move." He pushed them out of the way, stepping up to the room Makia was in. He slid open the door, closing his eyes.

"Need help, you damn slut?" Stepping forwards into the room, the annoying sounds stopped.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know you'd rather be off with Mitsuri, Bossy. I didn't even request you specifically. I just said, "a hot guy who's pretty strong" and they sent you over. I didn't want to be stuck with you either." Makia's voice sounded out of breath.

"Put your clothes on," said Tamaki. "And hurry it up. We don't have a lot of time."

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Alright, whatever, go naked. I don't care." Tamaki turned away, stepping out of the room. "I'll be outside."

A few moments later, Makia followed him, fully dressed. "You ruined my day, Bossy. I was making good money."

"Just shut up and show me what I need to kill. You're lucky I haven't kicked you out of my house yet." He grabbed his sword, which was still propped against the wall of the building.

"Hmph. You're so gentlemanly towards Mitsuri and yet you treat me so badly," Makia pouted. "I think we could get along well if you weren't so bossy to me."

"Maybe we could get along well," considered Tamaki, "if you weren't such an annoying prostitute."

"My body, my choices."

Tamaki sighed in frustration. "We're getting nowhere with this. Where is the demon?"

"I don't know," said Makia blatantly. "You figure that out."

She suddenly stumbled backwards, slipping on something, and Tamaki caught her before she could fall.

"Th-thanks, Bossy." Makia blushed the same color as her hair. She tried to shift her expression into an annoyed one, but the embarrassed blush still remained on her face. "H-hey, did I say you could touch me?" she stammered in recovery.

Tamaki simply continued walking. I bet I could find this demon without her help anyways. He turned back to her. "If you wanna go back to your…whatever you were doing back there, then go. I don't need your help for this."

She still followed him. "Don't tell me what to do."

"I never did," countered Tamaki. "Now shut up so I can hear the damn demon."

Refocusing his ears, Tamaki listened for demon sounds. It's around here somewhere, I can sense it without my ears. Pinpointing the exact location of the demon, he realized where it was, and sighed with exasperation.

Turning back to Makia, he said, "I've found it. But I'm gonna need your help on this one."

"What for?"

"It's…in a prostitution house."

"The strong, mighty Hashira needs my help…ohh, I feel so honored!" Makia cackled, poking fun at Tamaki. "Who needs my help again?"

"I only require your help because I don't wanna enter one of those filthy buildings again!" Tamaki scowled at her. "Other than that you're useless."

"At least I'm not a closet pervert," Makia struck back.

Tamaki couldn't think of anything else to say except, "I hate you."

The two demon slayers approached the prostitution house, Tamaki a little weary. "Go on, do your thing."

Makia blinked at him, confused. "What thing?"

"Draw the demon out. If you can't, then get information on who it is. Use any method you feel necessary."

"Ewww, no! I don't wanna do it with a demon! Unless…" Tamaki could practically see the potential money in Makia's eyes.

"You disgust me," said Tamaki.

"You just said to do it, and now you're saying I shouldn't?" Makia threw her hands up in confusion.

"No, I'm saying that you should go do it, it's just disgusting."

"Hmph." Makia left, walking into the building.

"Be sure to come out and let me know of anything suspicious!" Tamaki called out after her.

Closing his eyes and leaning against the wall, Tamaki rested there. I'm gonna need all the rest I can get if I'm going on a mission with that slut.

He became aware of a faint sobbing that his ears could pick up. His eyes opening, he followed the sound of the sobs.

In an alleyway adjacent to the prostitution house, something was crying. "Hello?" Tamaki called out.

The crying quickly stopped. It was dark, and Tamaki couldn't see what was at the end of the hallway.

Is it a demon? Could this be a trap? No. I'm sure it's a human. It's not giving off demon sounds.

Walking slowly forwards with his hands out, Tamaki said calmly, "I'm not going to hurt you."

When he saw what had been crying, his eyes widened. A girl, looking to be in her mid-to-late teens, was crumpled against the wall. She had long, luscious light-blue hair, and her face was extremely pretty. Her eyes, which were a sea-green, were swollen and puffy from crying. She was completely naked, and so Tamaki averted his eyes from her body.

Upon seeing Tamaki, the girl stiffened in fear and pressed against the wall.

Tamaki stripped off his haori and tossed it at the girl. "Here, cover yourself."

She took the cloth tentatively, pulling it to cover her chest. "Th-thanks." She relaxed a little bit, but still looked weary and untrusting.

"What happened to you?" asked Tamaki.

"I don't want to talk about it," murmured the girl softly.

Tamaki took a few steps closer. "Can I sit down? I won't come within two meters of you."

The girl nodded. He sat down, two meters in between them.

"Are you cold?" Tamaki was still trying to figure out if this girl had anything to do with the demon. "I can't help you if you don't tell me anything."

"I'm cold," replied the girl.

"Where are your parents?" Tamaki wasn't exactly sure of how old she was, but she looked underage. "Shouldn't they be taking care of you?"

"My parents are dead. They have been for years now. I had a little brother, but he died one winter night."

Oh. Something struck Tamaki's heart, perhaps the similarities between their stories. If my little brother died, I'd be left with no one.

"I'm…sorry," he murmured.

The girl seemed to sense his sympathy, and scooted a little closer to him. "My parents died when I was five. I had to survive on the streets with my infant brother, begging and scrounging for food. He became deathly sick and died that winter. I was taken in to become an oiran, and have been training ever since." Her voice was soft and calm, showing no emotion.

"Then what are you doing here?" Tamaki wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

The girl glanced at the ground. "I was raped."

She slid the haori aside from her body, revealing her belly. It was slightly swollen, maybe a day had passed since the incident.

"Wait a moment," realized Tamaki. "How old are you?" Isn't she underage?

"Sixteen," said the girl.

Tamaki gasped softly. Rape is bad enough, but somebody did this to a minor?

He clenched his fist tightly. "Which damn asshole did this to you?"

The girl pointed at the prostitution house. "I went in there to get one of my fellow oiran trainees, was grabbed by a g-group of m-men…a-and…" her voice began to shake as she remembered, and tears began to drop from her face again.

"Hey, it's okay. Don't talk about it." Tamaki stood up. "Come on. I'll get you something to eat and some clothing." The mission can wait, and I feel like Makia will take some more time.

He held out his hand, and the girl nervously took it. He helped her up, and handed her his scarf. "Use this to tie the haori together, it should at least cover your breasts and your privates."

She nodded, doing what he told her.

"Good. Now let's get you a kimono."

Tamaki brought the girl to a nearby clothing store, telling her to wait outside and call for him if she needed him.

As he was about to walk into the store, she called after him, "Wait!"

He turned around. "What?"

"What's your name?"

"Utaka Tamaki." Tamaki turned back around and stepped into the clothing store.

After purchasing a light-blue kimono with a wave pattern on it, Tamaki headed back outside to find the girl waiting for him.

"Here." He handed the kimono to her. "It's on me, you don't have to pay me back."

"Th-thanks," said the girl. She took off Tamaki's haori and scarf as he averted his eyes. Once she had pulled the obi sash of the kimono tightly did Tamaki look at her again.

"Alright, now that you're all clothed, you wanna get something to eat?"

She nodded. "I'm very hungry."

They stopped at a restaurant, Tamaki ordering food for them both and paying for it all.

As they ate, the girl asked him a question. "Tamaki-kun, are you a samurai?"

"What makes you think that?" asked Tamaki curiously. "I'm not, by the way."

"You carry that sword around." The girl pointed to Tamaki's nichirin blade. "If you're not a samurai, then what's that for?"

"Well…you see…" began Tamaki nervously. I can't explain to her that I'm a demon slayer…or can I?

"I'm a demon slayer," he said.

Her eyes widened with curiosity. "What's that?"

"Do you know what a demon is?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Do you know of any unexplained disappearances? People suddenly going missing and leaving no trace behind? Most likely the work of a demon. They stalk the night, looking for people to devour. It is the job of the demon slayer corps to kill the demons and protect the people. You could say we're a force that works in the shadows so that humans can live in the light." Tamaki finished his explanation.

The girl recoiled slightly. "Are you crazy?"

"Do I look crazy?"

"Where the hell were you? I was waiting outside!" Makia said furiously.

The girl glanced at Tamaki sideways. "You know her?"

They were outside the prostitution house now, Makia throwing a fit at Tamaki for leaving her without any notice.

"She's an annoying slut who I don't get along with," whispered back Tamaki.

"I heard that!" yelled Makia. She turned to the girl. "Who are you?"

"Mikazuki Hana," replied the girl. Oh, so that's her name. Good to know.

Makia turned to Tamaki now. "You've got a lot of explaining to do. Why is she with you? How are you related to her?" She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"She's a random girl I found in an alleyway who I gave food and clothing to. Now tell me your information."

"There's a secret room underneath the house where the people that run the house, a gang, do dealings. The leader of the gang is the demon."

Tamaki widened his eyes in surprise. "Good job, Slut." I didn't expect her to get this much information in such detail!

Makia blushed. "I-I don't need your compliments, Bossy-kun!"

Hana, who had been watching, finally spoke up. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Clear the house of all humans. I need everyone out so I can fight the demon without worrying about collateral damage."

Hana nodded. "Got it."

Tamaki turned back to Makia. "Your job is to distract all the human guards. Do…something."

"Oh I will," said Makia mischievously. "They better have big wallets…and big-"

"Okay, that's enough," Tamaki cut her off. He crouched down, stretching his legs. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. I'm ready for a good fight!

To be continued…

Next chapter releasing 4/31/23