THE GHOST SLAYER [Genderbent Demon Slayer x male reader]

Chapter 20: The battle begins

Tanjuko was carrying boxes to a room when she heard to young girls in the room next to her. "A lot of the older girls are leaving these days, committing Ashinuke."

"So scary."

"What's Ashinuke?" asked Tanjuko peaking in.

"That's a lot of baggage," one of the girls said as Tanjuko set it down.

"Yep. They're all gifts for Koinatsu Oiran," Tanjuko said.

"Sumiko, you don't know? Ashinuke means to run away from here without paying off your debts."

"It's really bad if you get caught."

"Is that right?"

"Some people do manage to run off with the man they love."

"Right, like the other day when an older girl disappeared with a man named Soma."

"Soma? That's Uzui's husband," Tanjuko thought.

"Stop spreading those rumors," a geisha in an elegant kimono and make up said. "After all, nobody knows if she really did make it out of here."

"Right," both girls said.

She turned to Tanjuko. "So you brought these up for me, thank you."

"Um... right."

"Come here," she walking over to Tanjuko. She placed a bag in Tanjuko's hand. "Let me give you some candy. Eat them in secret by yourself, okay. And don't feel down about what the madam said about your scar, your still beautiful."

"I want some too Oiran," said one of the girls.

"Me too."

"No. You just had some, remember."

"Umm... did Soma help a girl commit Ashinuke?"

"Why would you ask a question like that?"

"Umm... Umm... Soma is my....... uh.... he's my..." Tanjuko began to make a weird face as if thinking up a lie was causing her physical pain. "He's my.... older brother. I've been exchanging letters with my brother. I was sold here by coincidence and I was hoping to see him again."

The Oiran and the young girls were taken about by Tanjuko's face. "I see, well was a frequent costumer here. Though he was strange."

"Strange how?"

"He always had girls smell steam from this little kettle he brought. They always said they'd fall asleep soon after and wake up peacefully as if they hadn't been touched at all to find him writing something. Weird, but he payed well so we never denied him service."

"Oh I see."

"We think we he was writing letters to someone. Was that you?"

"Y.. yes, I've been exchanging letters with.... my brother this whole time and don't think he'd help someone commit Ashinuke."

"Yes, but one of the girls glanced at one of his letters and saw the word Ashinuke. This was but mere days ago so you might not have received it."

"Ashinuke," Tanjuko thought. "How convenient for demons."

Tenga and Y/n were crouched down on a rooftop. They watched the lights of the district. "Let's hope those girls find something."

"Yeah, I just hope we can finish this before those girls have to have sex with some random Joe Shmoe."

"You're worried about them, huh?"