He lowered his voice a little, though his tone retained its uniquely flamboyant rhythm:
"The situation is more flamboyantly tricky than expected. I've already sent my flamboyant wives deep into the Entertainment District to investigate."
At that, he paused, only to see that Kirishima Bupai had apparently not so much as twitched an eyebrow.
Is this guy not shocked at all? What flamboyant indifference...
After a brief silence, Tengen Uzui continued, "Hinatsuru, Makio, and Suma-they're all top-class ninja, skilled in disguise and intelligence gathering."
"But the latest reports... are extremely fragmented, and carry a strong sense of foreboding."
"Hinatsuru mentioned that the Entertainment District smells strange. Not just the scent of demons, but something murky as well."
Stroking his chin, Tengen analyzed these clues with complete confidence. Only when he saw that the other man finally seemed a little interested did he continue:
"Makio discovered traces of some low-level demons, but they seemed more like deliberately planted bait."
"Suma's signals have been intermittent. Her last known location was near Tokito House, and we haven't had reliable contact since."
By the end, an almost imperceptible gravity had crept into his tone.
"More importantly..."
At this point, Tengen Uzui stepped closer, lowering his voice further and fixing his gaze on Kirishima Bupai.
"There's evidence suggesting that the woman who controls the Entertainment District, the one called Warabihime the oiran... is very likely the very target we're looking for!"
"She rarely goes out, her movements are secretive, and the district's own foul air masks her presence extremely well. But my wives sniffed her out!"
"She's no ordinary demon! She flamboyantly fits the characteristics of an Upper Rank!"
He held out an extremely rudimentary map of the Yoshiwara Pleasure District, marked with simple routes and symbols, to Kirishima Bupai. "This summarizes some of the