Muzan strolled through the bustling crowds of the Entertainment District, his crimson eyes reflecting the swaying lanterns and courtesans soliciting customers along the galleries on either side.
Those carefully cultivated smiles, those insincere sweet nothings, that seductive charm deliberately displayed just to survive...
The sight filled Muzan with a peculiar pleasure.
"What pitiful, laughable creatures. For a few copper coins, you'll grind your dignity into dust. Humans... your struggles, your hypocrisy, truly the most entertaining performance in this world."
Muzan particularly enjoyed the pleasure of seeing through every struggle of these ants.
He couldn't help thinking that if he were still human, the wealthy head of a trading company, he would make his employees work a full eight hours every day and give them only two days off a week. Heh heh heh! He really was so wicked~
That twisted pleasure was like fine wine, finally easing the nerves that had been taut for days.
He even narrowed his eyes slightly and hummed a cheerful tune.
His delighted gaze swept past room after room, courtesan after courtesan, and then...
He happened to glimpse a figure lying on a rooftop...
!!!
The Sapphire Star!
Muzan rubbed his eyes. He must have been so tired he was hallucinating, hahaha.
He looked again.
Motherfucker! It really was the Sapphire Star!
Muzan felt all the blood in his body turn cold. The "ants' performance" he had found so entertaining a moment ago instantly lost all appeal.
Holy shit! How did she chase me all the way here?! Wait, she doesn't seem to have noticed me yet...
In a thousandth of a second, Muzan's brain switched from terror to survival instinct. He forced himself to remain outwardly calm, suppressed his presence to the absolute minimum, and didn't even visibly break stride.
Blend into the crowd... yes! Blend into the crowd! That was his only chance of survival! As long as she hadn't fully pinpointed him!
He discreetly quickened his pace, cleverly using several drunken patrons with their arms slung around one another as cover, and quickly squeezed into a more crowded, dimly lit side street.
The power of the demon blood within Muzan surged silently. His bones gave faint cracks, his skin instantly became fair and smooth, and his splendid suit shifted like flowing water, turning into a simple yet elegant kimono.
In the blink of an eye, the handsome, sinister man vanished, replaced by a tall, black-haired woman with cool, delicate features who looked entirely unremarkable in the crowd.
You can't see me... you can't see me... I'm not Akaza... I'm not Akaza... In his female form, Muzan lowered his head and half-covered his face with his wide sleeve, hurrying along as he frantically muttered to himself inside.
At the same time, he screamed frantically from the depths of his soul:
"Nakime-!!!"
"Quick! Find somewhere to open a door! Anywhere! Hurry!!!"
"Help! I want to go home-!!!"
Muzan hurried through the shadows of the relatively secluded side street, desperately suppressing every trace of his demonic aura. He even deliberately mimicked the light, shallow breathing of a human woman.
Good... good...
As he walked, he nervously glanced out of the corner of his eye toward the rooftop where the Sapphire Star had been. There seemed to be no movement.
His taut nerves relaxed ever so slightly. As long as he passed through the alley ahead and found a more hidden corner, Nakime should be able to...
Smack!
A greasy hand reeking of alcohol suddenly clamped onto the wide sleeve of Muzan's elegant kimono.
"Hehe... hey, beautiful. Hic~ You left yourself wide open. Hic~" A staggering drunk who stank of liquor sidled up to him.
"Isn't it lonely walking at night all by yourself? Hic... come... come have a drink with me? I've got plenty of money..."
As he spoke, his other hand reached toward Muzan's waist.
Muzan: !!!
The mighty Demon King was being groped by a human, holy shit! How could I put up with this? I have to cut his hand off right now!
But-no! If I'm exposed, the Sapphire Star will beat me to death! Boohoo!
Surely this couldn't be another round of Muzan Kibutsuji becoming Muzan the Miserable.
"W-what are you doing?! Let go!" Muzan fought back the urge to annihilate the man, doing everything he could to imitate a human woman's panicked, trembling voice.
"Aww~ Why so shy?" The drunk only grew more excited. His grip on the sleeve tightened as he tried to pull Muzan toward him. "No need to be so distant with me, sweetheart. I'm... ah!"
Just as the drunk's hand was about to land on Muzan's shoulder-
Muzan suddenly ducked, slipping half a step out of the drunk's hold at an extremely tricky angle. At the same time, he flipped his wrist and twisted.
"Ow!" A sharp pain and a sensation of dislocation shot through the drunk's wrist, forcing him to let go!
"Boohoo..." Muzan seized the chance to retreat two steps, his wide sleeve perfectly concealing half his face, and quickly ran off.
"Hey! You drunken lout! What's so impressive about picking on a young woman?!" A passing proprietress couldn't stand it any longer and sharply rebuked him.
"Exactly! Harassing someone in broad daylight... uh, in the middle of the night! Have you no shame?!" A young shop assistant passing by joined in.
The drunk rubbed his aching wrist. With everyone pointing and criticizing him, he sobered up considerably, then muttered under his breath and staggered into the crowd to slip away.
Muzan kept his head lowered, his shoulders trembling slightly-purely from rage-as he wiped away nonexistent tears with his sleeve and tried to make his way toward a dark little corner.
Meanwhile, on a rooftop nearby.
The Sapphire Star, who had been focusing with her eyes closed, was roused by the noisy crowd.
Those people seemed to be saying something about molestation and perverts.
The Sapphire Star's appetite for gossip instantly flared. She sprang up, pulled a handful of sunflower seeds from who knew where, and listened in.
She deftly draped herself over the edge of the eaves like a seasoned rooftop spectator, cracking sunflower seeds while straining her ears to make out the commotion below.
Hmm... seems like some drunk is pestering a young woman? Tsk, tsk, he's got some nerve...
Oh-ho! That girl's pretty quick! One little snap and...
Whoa! She's got some skills!
The power of the masses is truly great... there we go, they've shouted the drunk away.
"Tch~" The Sapphire Star pursed her lips.
"Boring. I wanted to see rivers of blood..." She casually stuffed all the remaining sunflower seeds into her mouth.
Finishing the seeds did improve her mood a little.
Watching the kimono-clad woman stumble toward an alley, the Sapphire Star rubbed her chin.
All sorts of people frequent this Entertainment District. Who knows whether that drunk will refuse to give up and follow her for revenge? Or whether there'll be another drunk up ahead?
"My biggest flaw is being too kindhearted. Sigh~" The Sapphire Star stood up and took a moment to stretch the legs that had gone numb from crouching.
May as well see this good deed through and keep that girl from getting harassed again on the way.
She moved like a weightless shadow, silently following the woman.
The instant the woman rushed into the deepest shadows of a deserted alley, the solid wall ahead suddenly warped and spun without warning, opening into a wooden doorway.
Heaven's on my side! Nakime, you're my goddess!
Muzan wept with joy. Who cared about keeping up appearances anymore? He practically crawled and tumbled headfirst through the twisting, spinning doorway.
His seven hearts pounded wildly, nearly leaping out of his throat.
Safe! Finally safe!!! Hahahaha!
Watching this bizarre scene, the Sapphire Star nearly went numb.
I don't know what just happened, but does anything about this look scientifically possible?
Without a second thought, the Sapphire Star threw on the Ghillie Mantle and slipped through the eerie wooden doorway after the woman.
No one noticed...
Before you continue