Chapter 98

Yoshiwara District had now become a pile of ruins.

In the ruins, four women were searching everywhere, looking for Zero and the others who had been buried.

They were Makio, Hinatsuru, Suma, and Nezuko.

Makio: "Lord Tengen! Where are you?"

Hinatsuru: "Lord Tengen, you must be safe and sound!"

Suma: "Waaaaah! Lord Tengen, please don't die!"

Slap!

Makio slapped Suma's bouncy, perky buttocks, making a crisp sound, and scolded: "Stupid Suma! Don't talk nonsense, how could Lord Tengen be in trouble!"

"Ya~ Wuuuu~ Makio is bullying people again~"

"Wait, look, what is that?" Hinatsuru pointed to a hemispherical object emitting blue light, covered by the ruins not far away.

"Could it be that the evil demon isn't dead yet?!" Seeing this, Makio immediately took out two kunai and gripped them in her hands.

She walked forward cautiously to check the situation.

Hinatsuru and Suma also took out their kunai, slowly following behind Makio, and protected Nezuko behind them.

Crash!

The ruins burst open from within, and the figures of Zero and the other four were revealed.

And Tengen Uzui was shielding the three little ones, Tanjiro and the others, with his own body.

It turned out that during the previous explosion, the 【Quantum Shield】 on Zero's body had activated, forming a hemispherical object with a radius of three meters, protecting the five of them inside.

It was also fortunate that Zero had his overly cautious mind, having injected energy from 【Energy Crystals】 into the 【Quantum Shield】 in advance, which was the only reason everyone was spared from harm.

Seeing that they were all fine, Nezuko wanted to rush into Zero's arms, but she ended up in a "big" shape, bumping into the surface of the 【Quantum Shield】.

Zero immediately canceled the protection mode, and Nezuko couldn't wait to pounce into his arms, rubbing her little head against his chest.

"Alright, alright, Nezuko, we're all fine."

"Mmm~"

Subsequently, she got down from Zero and ran to check on her brother.

"Nezuko! It's great that you're okay too!"

Seeing that Nezuko was also safe and sound, Tanjiro felt a weight lift from his heart.

As for Tengen Uzui, he was currently enjoying the gentle embrace of his three wives.

The three women surrounded Tengen Uzui, carefully checking him from head to toe to see if he was injured.

They were just short of stripping off his clothes and pants on the spot to check.

"Zero?!"

Hearing someone call his name, Zero turned his head and found it was Kanae Kocho and Shinobu Kocho.

On their way, the Kocho sisters had seen the huge explosion in the direction of Yoshiwara District from far away.

Fearing that something might have happened to Zero, they had quickened their pace.

When they arrived, Yoshiwara District had already turned into a pile of ruins, with raging fires burning everywhere.

Fortunately, no one had been harmed; while members of the Kakushi were arriving to carry out rescue operations, Kanae Kocho also began searching for Zero's whereabouts everywhere.

When she saw that Zero was safe and sound, she almost couldn't hold back her tears, pouncing into his arms and hugging him tightly.

Fearing that this was just an illusion.

"Alright, Kanae, don't worry, I'm fine."

Kanae didn't speak, just hugged him tighter.

Grinding, grinding!

Zenitsu watched Tengen Uzui hugging his three wives, grinding his teeth, feeling somewhat jealous.

He didn't expect that he really had three wives!

Shinobu Kocho looked at Tengen Uzui, her eyes also showing some unkindness, and she even thought black-heartedly about how to teach him a lesson!

Because some time ago, while at the Butterfly Mansion, he had tried to take Kiyo and Aoi Kanzaki to a place like the Yoshiwara District to help him complete his mission without permission.

What kind of place was the Yoshiwara District? What kind of good end could such small children have if they appeared here?

She hadn't been at the Butterfly Mansion at that time, but Shinobu Kocho had noted this grudge.

Tengen Uzui suddenly felt a tingling sensation in his heart, feeling that something bad was about to happen.

He looked around, didn't find anything wrong, and dismissed that feeling as just an illusion.

After some comfort from Zero, Kanae calmed down a little.

"I'll go check the situation around here again; the following matters here might trouble you all."

"Mmm, take care of your own safety, I'll wait for you."

Having said that, Kanae didn't care at all whether there were others around, and planted a kiss on Zero's lips.

Anyway, they had kissed many times, so one more didn't matter.

"Mmm~ Truly flamboyant youth~" Tengen Uzui couldn't help but sigh when he saw this scene.

"Yes, Lord Tengen, they are truly sweet~" Hinatsuru also felt the faint pink bubbles around the two of them, feeling somewhat sweet.

Seeing this, Suma was full of envy and said to Tengen Uzui: "Lord Tengen, I want to try that too..."

Slap!

Makio slapped Suma's perky buttocks again.

"Suma, what are you saying!! There are children here!!"

"Ya~ Lord Tengen, look, Makio is bullying me again~ Wuuuu~"

Not long after Zero left, Obanai Iguro also arrived at the scene.

"Upper Rank Six... Six, although it's only the lowest-ranked Upper Rank demon, it is still a cause for celebration that you were able to defeat him, so I will praise you a little."

Seeing this, the crowd didn't know how to respond to him, just feeling a bit awkward.

"You're mistaken, it wasn't me who defeated Upper Rank Six, but Zero; he killed Upper Rank Six all by himself."

Upon hearing Zero, Obanai Iguro felt somewhat unhappy, but after thinking about it carefully, he decided to let it go.

Besides, Kanae was still here.

"Hmph, so it was that guy Zero! That makes sense, he even dares to beat Muzan Kibutsuji; if he couldn't even deal with a small Upper Rank Six, he wouldn't be worthy of the position of Hashira."

Obanai Iguro said with a sharp tongue, then turned and left without looking back.

"..."

The few people at the scene didn't reply, remaining silently quiet.

Moreover, a small hint of vinegar was drifting in the air.

Needless to say, everyone knew who it was.

"According to the situation of the explosion just now, the two of them should have been blown over here by the impact..."

Based on the explosion at the time, Zero quickly found the heads of Gyutaro and Daki.

It was just that the brother and sister were currently in the middle of an argument.

Daki: "Brother, aren't you very powerful?! Why didn't you come to save me?! Why did you lose!? If you had finished off that white-haired demon hunter earlier, it wouldn't have ended up like this!"

Gyutaro: "Didn't you see I was dealing with a Hashira?! That Hashira wasn't easy to deal with at all?! In the Infinity Castle, all the Upper Rank demons and Lord Muzan couldn't do anything to him! Besides, there was another Hashira watching like a tiger eyeing its prey!

And why didn't you finish off those three stinking brats first before coming to help me?!"

Daki: "I was planning to do just that! Those three stinking brats didn't give me any chance at all!! That stinking brat with the hanafuda earrings didn't know what method he used, making it impossible for me to regenerate!"

Gyutaro: "Then why didn't you run away first?! You can't even do such a simple thing............!"

Zero stood not far away, watching the heads of the brother and sister arguing, remaining indifferent.

Although their background was very pitiful, they had harmed humans, so they should pay the price they deserved!

One could only blame fate for being unfair, and destiny for playing such tricks; the two of them were very unfortunate to be born in a bad era.

"Big Brother Zero." Tanjiro brought Nezuko along to see what was going on.

As a result, they encountered this scene.

Zero held up a finger to his lips, indicating that they would understand if they just watched quietly.

"So noisy! You're also carrying the name of Upper Rank Six, yet you were killed by a mere three stinking Demon Slayer brats! You're truly stupid to death!!"

Gyutaro scolded angrily, and the brother and sister fell into silence.

As if feeling wronged, Daki spoke up and accused Gyutaro: "... An ugly freak like you isn't my brother at all!! I have no blood relationship with you, because we don't look alike at all!!"

"You useless thing, apart from being a bit strong, you have no merits at all, you're good for nothing! Once you lose, you have no value! You're just a useless ugly freak!"

Daki vented everything she could think of in one breath, not considering herself at all, pushing all the responsibility onto her brother.

"Are you kidding me!!" Gyutaro said angrily, scolding Daki, venting the unhappiness in his heart: "Without me, you would have died long ago! Don't you know how many times you've been saved by me?! You're the useless one! Weak and of no use! I regret from the bottom of my heart protecting someone like you!"

"If it weren't for you, my life wouldn't be like this! Why do I have to keep cleaning up your mess!! You shouldn't have been born from the start... Mmm mmm..."

Before the words were finished, his mouth was covered by Tanjiro, unable to continue.

"You're lying... You don't mean it, it's all a lie..." Tanjiro couldn't bear to see the brother and sister continue to argue, so he stepped forward to cover Gyutaro's mouth.

He could smell that Gyutaro didn't mean what he said.

"Make up, you are brother and sister who depend on each other; no one will forgive what you have done..."

"No one will be your companion, so at least don't curse at each other anymore..."

These words made Gyutaro and Daki fall into silence, staring at each other.

Just as Daki's head was about to disappear, she cried out: "I'm sorry, Brother! I was just unwilling... really unwilling! Hurry and find a way to save me, I don't want to die, I..."

Before Daki could finish, she had already turned to ash, disappearing before Gyutaro's eyes.

"Ume!!"

At this moment, Gyutaro called out Daki's name from her human days.

The memories in his mind flashed by like a revolving lantern.

'Yes, I remember now, my sister's name is "Ume", not the ugly name Daki, no, the name Ume is also very ugly...'

Gyutaro recalled the past between himself and his sister...

Born on the banks of the Rashomon River when he was a child, it was the lowest place in the Yoshiwara District...

He almost died several times when he was born...

Because he was ugly, he was always ostracized...

Often hungry, eating poisonous insects and ants when hungry, drinking water from the sewer when thirsty...

His toy was the sickle dropped by a customer...

The only thing that made him feel proud was his sister, Ume, who had a beauty that was second to none at such a young age.

Later, he discovered he was very good at fighting, so he took up the job of a debt collector...

Until the year his sister was thirteen, Ume poked out a samurai's eye with a hairpin...

Because his sister had an innocent personality and was easily influenced, he often told her that before being deprived by others, one must deprive first! Before being taken from, one must take first...

That night, when he returned, he found his sister tied up by that samurai and the madam, and burned alive...

After killing that samurai and the madam with his own hands, he carried his sister and wandered the snowy streets alone...

No one was willing to help them...

Just as the brother and sister's lives were about to fade away, the former Upper Rank Six, Doma, met them and bestowed his blood upon them...

If he wasn't happy, he would make others unhappy too...

Gyutaro didn't regret becoming a demon; the only thing he felt sorry for was his sister.

If it weren't for him, she might have lived a better life...

【Ume, you and I are different.】

Finally, Gyutaro's head also turned to ash, dissipating into the air.

Tanjiro also felt sympathy for the brother and sister in his heart.

However, he would not choose to forgive what they had done.

"Big Brother Zero... do you think the two of them... will make up?"

"They will, after all... they are the only family they can rely on."

"Is that so? That would be great..."

"Let's go, it's time to go back."

Subsequently, Zero held Nezuko's hand, reunited with everyone, and prepared to leave the Yoshiwara District.

As they walked, Zero suddenly noticed one more thing:

Tanjiro's sword, should be fine, right...?

According to the lessons from the previous two times, every time Tanjiro fought a Lower Rank or Upper Rank demon, he would break his sword...

This time it shouldn't happen, right...

"Tanjiro, let me ask you something."

"What is it? Go ahead and ask, Big Brother Zero."

"Where is your sword?"

"My sword..."

Tanjiro only then noticed that his sword was gone again!

"Oh no, my sword!"

Terrified, he hurriedly ran back to start searching for his Nichirin blade everywhere.

At the same time, he kept praying in his heart that nothing would happen to the sword!

Otherwise, the consequences would be truly unimaginable...

Recalling the time he was chased and killed by Hotaru Haganezuka, he still felt lingering fear to this day.

"Uh... sigh, your sword still couldn't escape such a tragic fate after all... is this something destined by fate?"

Subsequently, he left with Nezuko.

The sky was gradually beginning to brighten.

Zero let Nezuko return to the wooden box to avoid the sunlight.

Looking at the scene, except for the Kakushi members who were dealing with some matters, everyone had gathered.

It was just that Tanjiro was acting a bit strange, sitting alone on the pile of ruins.

Zero stepped forward to see what was going on.

"It's over... the sword is broken again... it's over..."

Tanjiro kept repeating the same sentence.

Vaguely, it seemed he saw a white soul floating out from his mouth again.

In his hand, he was holding the Nichirin blade that had snapped in two from the middle.

It turned out that although Zero had protected everyone in time with the 【Quantum Shield】 earlier.

But, because of the impact generated by the explosion, when Tengen Uzui was carrying the three of them, he had accidentally fallen to the ground.

Tanjiro had also fallen to the ground due to inertia, and the Nichirin blade in his hand hadn't been held steady, flying out.

When he came back to search for the Nichirin blade just now, it took him a long time to find it; it had been buried under the ruins.

Although he found it, it had already been snapped into two pieces by the collapsed wooden pillars and some bricks...

This sword... how should he put it?

It still couldn't escape the fate of being broken.

"Sigh~ Tanjiro, perhaps... this is your destined fate..." Zero patted Tanjiro's shoulder.

There was nothing he could do about this matter either.

Just let fate take its course.

And so, Zero decided to buy a few more watermelons on the way back.

"Zero, your battle was truly flamboyant! Just right, would you like to come to my place to soak in the hot spring?"

Tengen Uzui, accompanied by his three wives, issued an invitation to Zero.

"Actually, my place is quite big, there's absolutely no problem with a few people soaking in the hot spring together~"

Zero, who was carrying Kanae, thought about it and felt that there was indeed nothing else to do next, and soaking in a hot spring was a good choice, so he simply agreed.

"Alright, I can't refuse such hospitality."

"Hahaha! That would be truly flamboyant! You are welcome to come flamboyantly at any time!"

Shinobu Kocho, who was walking alongside Zero, was considering how to retaliate against Tengen Uzui for that previous matter.