Beneath the night sky, the Yoshiwara Pleasure District was the most tireless, most extravagantly decadent place in the entire country.
Dazzling lights drove back the darkness, while shamisen music and laughter intertwined into a wash of sensual sound. The air was thick with the cloying sweetness of face powder, incense, and liquor. Courtesans in splendid kimonos smiled charmingly beneath the verandas, waving round fans to beckon passing customers.
This was a whirlpool of desire, a paradise of pleasure, and the perfect hunting ground for demons.
Seeing such a bustling yet uncanny sight for the first time, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke all stared, dumbstruck.
"Wow... amazing! All the houses here are sparkling!" Tanjiro exclaimed with simple wonder.
"W-women... so many women!" Zenitsu's face instantly flushed scarlet, and he nearly fainted with happiness.
"Hmph! So this is the King of Festivals' lair! Watch me turn it upside down!" Inosuke, meanwhile, had misunderstood something and dropped into a fighting stance.
Walking at the front, Tengen Uzui scoffed at the three country bumpkins' reactions. He turned around and spread his arms, as though embracing this night that belonged to him.
"Listen up, brats! This is the domain ruled by me, the God of Festivals!" he declared, looking utterly enraptured. "I am its master! Its god!"
Yet when he turned toward Sasuke, hoping to see a trace of surprise or admiration on his face, all he found was the same cold composure as always. Sasuke's gaze swept the street, his black eyes utterly unruffled, as though all this splendor was no different from stones beside the road.
Being so thoroughly ignored left Tengen Uzui a little annoyed.
"Hmph. A guy who can't appreciate flamboyance." He curled his lip and returned his attention to the mission.
"All right! My flamboyant infiltration plan starts now!"
Tengen Uzui