Date A Live Encore - Volume 8 - Chapter 5

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Mukuro Geisha

“—Whoa!”

As soon as Itsuka Shido stepped into the town, he couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.

After passing through the beautiful gate, what expanded in front of him was a space completely different from anything he’d seen before.

There were densely packed buildings on both sides of the avenue all had large glass lattice-shaped windows and on the other side of the windows were several enchanting-looking women. Every pedestrian looked at the women with a great deal of enthusiasm.

This is a kind of a strange place where everyone seemed to be indulging in the spring time weather.

However, this was no surprise. Because Shido was here to enjoy the same thing—Tengu Palace: a popular tourist attraction.

“Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?”

When Shido was intimidated by the atmosphere on the street, someone suddenly patted him on the back.

It was a friend of Shido: Izayoi Miku. She was wearing a blue narrow-sleeved kimono much like Shido. She also wore a dark outer gown, along with a reverse grip knife and a waist knife that were almost never used.

“H-How could I be nervous?”

“Come on now. There’s no need to act so confident. Everyone is like this the first time through.”

After she finished speaking, Miku smiled mischievously. Shido pouted.

“Ah. There’s no need to get so angry, Darling. I was only joking.”

“I’m not angry… but more importantly: what exactly do you mean by ‘Darling’?”

“Huh? It’s just a nickname, and I’m sure it definitely means something like a beloved person.”

“…Really?”

Shido raised his arms with suspicion… but if he dug deeper, he felt he would find out why Miku was dressed as a samurai as well so he ultimately decided to just accept it at face value.

“Don’t worry about that, let’s just get going. Darling is finally going to become a man—!”

“…Don’t shout things like that…!”

Shido blushed as he quickly covered Miku’s mouth. However, it seemed that they were overheard by other bystanders. “Hahaha, come on, bro!” He wasn’t very happy with this show of solidarity.

That’s right. Today, there was only one reason for them to be here today. He was both about to turn seventeen and hadn’t experienced the touch of a woman yet. He’d been dragged here by Miku.

If he were being honest, Shido himself had no interest in such things, but at the age of fifteen he had come of age, and it was not uncommon at his age to have already started a family and been raising a small child of his own.

“Okay, which place should we go to? It’s not a bad idea to go to the <Linen Beauty House> where the three signature girls Ai, Mai, and Mii work, but it’s hard to look past the <Sunshine House>. Ah, but considering that this is your first time, would a more mature woman be better? Then the <Pearl House> is our best bet…”

Miku folded her fingers to determine the best course of action while showing a borderline sinister smirk. Shido narrowed his eyes as sweat trailed down his cheeks.

“…You sure know your way around here.”

“Of course! 90% of people’s salaries end up being spent here! The bamboo sword is already sheathed! This month, we have to rely on part-time jobs to make a living!”

“…”

In the face of Miku’s outspoken confidence, Shido couldn’t help but smile bitterly. She was undoubtedly adventurous but somehow she still looked cool and it was really nerve-wracking.

As Shido and Miku continued to walk down the street while discussing such topics, they spotted a group of people in front of them.

“Hmm…? What’s going on here?”

“Ah, it wouldn’t be…”

Miku seemed to notice something as her eyes went wide and she tugged on Shido’s hand and pulled him forward into the crowd.

“H-Hey, what are you doing, Miku?”

“There’s no need to ask so many questions, you can see the wonderful sight right in front of you.”

“A wonderful sight…”

Just after he uttered those words, Shido stopped dead.

As he made his way to the front of the crowd, he saw a young woman in a gorgeous kimono decorated with flowers leading several other girls, slowly walking toward the middle of the street with elegant movements.

There was a comb in her beautiful hair; every step she took showed her pure skin; The black high-heeled clogs depict the lovely feet of the outside.

It was the legendary geisha. Everyone who saw her beauty was breathless and amazed by her.

“—”

Shido was no exception as he watched the geishas walk down the road with buildings on either side. He looked at the side of the geisha’s face and in that moment, he thought that he’d seen God.

Still, the geisha was young so it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that she was still new. However, her majestic style and elegant appearance undoubtedly gave off the charm of being a princess.

But, for some reason, her expression as she walked down the road seemed a bit off to Shido.

It looked like the emotions reflected on her face and eyes were the opposite of her dress: she seemed a little unhappy.

“Ah! I’m so lucky! I never expected to see Mukuro-san here today!”

At that moment, Miku screamed excitedly. Shido glanced at her.

“Mukuro-san…?”

“That’s right. She is a proud, peerless girl who belongs to the high end building <This Strip House>. She has absolutely refused to pick up guests but still managed to make it to the top of the house, creating a legend.”

“I-Is that possible?”

“Logically, it should be impossible. However, just look at her beautiful face and her majestic twin peaks. I heard that there are several lords and big business owners who are attracted by these assets and have dedicated a lot of money to her. Everyone has even taken to betting on who could potentially capture the heart of Mukuro-san. It’s a real feast for the eyes, and I can see good things for her!”

After finishing, Miku twisted her body in joy.

However, during that moment, Miku noticed that Shido was still staring at Mukuro, prompting her to poke his cheek while saying:

“Ahh, what’s wrong with you, Darling? You wouldn’t happen to be fascinated by her, would you?”

“That’s crazy…! Of course not!”

“Really? But don’t try to get close to her. It’s very easy to get attached. To even get to see her, you have to visit the place where she works at least three times and spend enough money worth two banquets, along with red envelopes and other presents. However, if the other party isn’t interested, even if you do all of these things, you won’t even get a chance to get close to her…!”

Miku’s eyes were filled with tears as she clenched her trembling fists. It was obvious that she was speaking from personal experience. Shido didn’t know how to respond to this beyond showing a bitter smile.

“Anyway, a girl like her is out of the league of a poor warrior. I’m really sorry to have to say this, but I would advise you to pursue a different girl. Rest assured that there are plenty of cute girls!”

“Oh, okay…”

Shido was overwhelmed by Miku’s vehement passion and couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Still, it was like Miku said, that seemed to be the case. Moreover, he and Mukuro-san were from entirely different worlds. It was better to realize this before he spent lots of money like Miku.

Just as Shido came to this realization, the sounds of a horse neighing and human screams suddenly reached his ears.

“W-Whoa!”

“W-What’s the matter?!”

Shido was startled as he raised his head, he spotted an aggressive horse that looked like he’d been whipped by someone, and was rushing down the street at a rapid pace.

Suddenly, everyone was frightened for their lives as the wall collapsed.

However, as the aggressive horse approached, Mukuro still remained motionless.

Was it because she was wearing those high wooden clogs that made it too hard to move? Or was there another reason? Although he didn’t know why, he knew this would lead to a big disaster.

“Agh…!”

Shido didn’t need to think as his body already acted on its own. He kicked hard off the ground and lunged toward Mukuro, pulling her toward him and out of the horse’s path as they landed on the ground.

Then, the sound of the horse’s hooves galloping past them where Mukuro had been standing moments prior. The horse galloped for a while, and by the time it slowed down, a male servant grabbed the reins and managed to calm the horse down.

Probably after seeing this scene, there was a collective sigh of relief around them. Shido himself also couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

“Whew… that was close…”

However, he felt his cheeks warm but at the same time felt a chill shoot down his spine.

This was hardly a surprise. After all, lying in Shido’s arms was the young woman who was hailed as the pinnacle of womanhood in the city. Plus, they were hugging each other inappropriately: her kimono was a mess, exposing a little of her plump twin peaks. On the whole, this situation was a little too exciting for Shido.

“Princess!”

“Are you alright?!”

Some of Mukuro’s servants who’d been behind her, overcome with anxiety, rushed over to her side. Several of them cast their gaze on Shido with the accusation “What do you think you’re doing?” as he held her despite the situation qualifying as an emergency.

“N-Nothing, haha…”

Shido was quick to pull away from Mukuro’s body and raise his hands up to show that he had no ill intentions.

So, probably aware of the situation, Mukuro, who was now back on her feet with her newly arrived servants, opened her cherry-red lips for the first time.

“Do not be rude; he is Muku’s benefactor.”

“Y-Yes…!”

After Mukuro spoke, the rest of her entourage rearranged their postures.

“…”

There was a state of inexplicable tension as Mukuro circled around Shido for several seconds. Once she was done, she suddenly uttered:

“—Nushi-sama, could you tell Muku your name?”

“Uh… well… my name is Itsuka Shido…”

“Hmm…”

Mukuro stared intently into Shido’s face once again before she continued:

“—Have you decided where you would like to visit?”

“N-No, not yet…”

“So patronize this building…”

With that, Mukuro led them all forward at a slow pace. They continued down the road for a while, staring at Mukuro’s back.

“…Huh?”

Then he made a stunned noise.

“Oooh, Lord Samurai! I have heard all about it! It was said that there were a group of villains who wanted to attack our princess! You saved her with your impressive swordsmanship! We’ve been talking about it all around here.”

All Shido had done was rescue Mukuro from a wild horse rampaging down the road.

Shido and Miku were invited by Mukuro to come to the main building of the geisha building, and the well-dressed attendant came to say hello in a respectful manner.

“Ah, uh, a villain…?”

To think something like this was so hotly discussed in the building was a surprise. The sweat on his forehead and scratched his cheek earnestly.

However, the older attendant did not notice the confused look of Shido and continued enthusiastically:

“Even in this prosperous world, I still shouldn’t forget to exercise! It is the code of a samurai! I heard that you are quite skilled in martial arts from a young age, and you really look young and have a great deal of potential! Please enjoy yourself today! Ah, sorry, I haven’t even introduced myself. I am the owner of this building, Nia. I will be asking for many more pictures of you.”

“O-Oh…”

Shido felt strongly that he was being regarded as a really powerful man but the other party was so aggressive that he could only answer vaguely.

“Come on. Escort the samurai lord to the room—huh?”

At that moment, Nia looked at Miku and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Is something wrong?”

“Huh… No, I just can’t help but think that your companion seems like a criminal wanted by the government…”

“Wanted…?”

“Yeah. It seems like she was rejected by several other geishas but still pursued them stalwartly.”

“Eh!”

Miku’s shoulders trembled obviously, probably attempting to change her appearance by deliberately making strange expressions.

After looking at Miku’s face for several moments, Nia tilted his head and said, “…Never mind, the appearance of the wanted criminal does not look like her.”

“…Miku, you can stop now…”

“N-No, it’s a misunderstanding.”

Because she suddenly tilted her mouth aside, the ending became awkward.

…Never mind, there was no point in arguing here. Shido could only follow the lead of the attendant without exposing her.

He continued to wait for a while in the room, he heard the slight rustle of clothes swinging in the corridor, and noticed Mukuro dressed in a luxurious kimono immediately appeared before him.

“—”

Shido couldn’t help but stare silently at her.

After all, she lived here so it made sense that she would appear here… However, she was even more beautiful, leaving Shido a stunned mess for a moment… But because Miku let out an excited scream next to him, it gave him a chance to calm down immediately.

“—Shido, welcome.”

“Ah, um… after all, I was invited by the princess herself.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. Muku is just using you as an excuse to refuse the requests from unwanted guests.”

Mukuro simply shrugged. “So that’s why she did this.” Shido smiled bitterly.

“…Incidentally, I feel like my heroic deeds seem to be seriously exaggerated. Apparently, I’m proficient in 18 different types of martial arts, but I have never drawn a sword outside of practice…”

“If it’s not exaggerated, how can you convince a stingy landlord to charge less for a service? Or, Nushi-sama, are you rich enough to afford Muku for an hour?”

Mukuro said jokingly. Shido’s cheeks stiffened and lowered his head.

“…I’m in your care, then.”

“Mun…”

Mukuro nodded in satisfaction before gently clapping her hands and called toward the corridor:

“Yoshino. Natsumi.”

“Yes, sister.”

Two girls came in with a table where several luxurious dishes were placed. Shido remembered them as the two girls who were behind Mukuro from before. They both were very cute, but one of them was wearing a lovely looking doll on her left hand, while the other, who was apparently a trainee girl, had a colder attitude.

However, Shido was in no position to comment about such things. He decided to simply enjoy the drink with Mukuro and Miku.

“…Darling is 17 years old but he has no experience in this area. People think that’s a problem, so I brought him here!”

“Oh? Is that right?”

“You don’t need to talk about such things…”

…Although the topic of conversation was a bit troublesome, everyone was nonetheless talking and laughing together during that time.

Shido understood that the way he was being treated was not normal. Just like Miku said, it’s normal as a geisha to encourage people to visit more often and she was known for outright ignoring newcomers. It couldn’t be more surreal. Perhaps it was just a thank you after all; maybe Mukuro wasn’t treating Shido as a customer at all.

However, this wasn’t a surprise. When it comes to geisha, as the name implied, they generally worked in a brothel, so it would not be easy for people like Shido to become involved with them.

Moreover, Mukuro had rejected many lords and wealthy merchants in the past. It would be better to treat today as a once in a lifetime opportunity and cherish the memories he made today.

As he thought about this situation, there was something that Shido couldn’t figure out still.

“Mukuro, can I ask you something?”

“What’s the matter?”

“Why didn’t you run away when that wild horse was rushing toward you before?”

“Mun…?”

After Shido asked the question, Mukuro’s eyebrows twitched.

“That’s a strange question. If you suddenly encountered that kind of situation, wouldn’t you be too scared to move too?”

“W-Well, I suppose…”

After Shido scratched his cheek, he looked into Mukuro’s eyes and said:

“How should I say it, I had a feeling that you did not avoid it on purpose that time.”

“…Mun?’

After Mukuro’s eyes widened with interested, she exhaled gently and answered:

“Did it look that way? …Muku might have thought that if she’d been kicked in the face, she would lose her value as a geisha.”

“W-Why would you have such an idea…”

Shido frowned in confusion. The princess was the highest-ranking geisha around, and most geisha didn’t have a chance to reach her. Shido couldn’t believe for a moment that she would intentionally want to injure her face, which was tantamount to being sealed forever.

Then, Mukuro suddenly looked out the window and stared into the distance.

“…Muku wants to see the starry sky…”

“A starry sky?”

Shido followed Mukuro’s gaze and looked out the window.

“You can see that sort of thing any time, right? You could look at it right now, couldn’t you?”

Mukuro listened to what Shido said and shook her head slowly.

“This is a cage, and even the sky has a fence around it. It’s true that if you don’t get enough to eat and cover yourself, then you’ll die, but is it so ridiculous for birds to want to fly toward the sky, even if it means that they could die tomorrow?”

“That…”

Mukuro continued to stare up at the sky outside the window. Shido looked at her profile and was rendered speechless.

It’s true that geishas were indeed beautiful and could live a life of luxury, but most of those girls were sold to pay off debts and couldn’t leave the town freely.

“Sorry, I…”

“…No, Muku should be the one apologizing, for talking about such a boring thing. Forget about it. Rambling to a guest is not behavior fitting of a proper geisha.”

Mukuro said self-deprecatingly. Her expression was heartbreaking—Shido couldn’t forgive himself for causing her to make such an expression, as he clenched his fists.

However, apologizing repeatedly wasn’t going to solve things. Shido instead shrugged playfully.

“Then it’s fine. Poor warriors who can’t afford the price can’t really be called a guest, can they? No matter how much you want to ramble, or how much it might bore me, it won’t damage the shop’s reputation. Feel free to express yourself in front of me.”

Shido finished speaking while Mukuro showed a stunned expression for a moment and then began to laugh.

“Ahahahahahaha! That makes a lot of sense.”

She looked very mature while wearing her neutral expression. But when she started to laugh like that, her face immediately turned into one of a cute girl. Shido couldn’t help but feel happy, but also very guilty about the imprisonment of this young girl in what was just a pretty prison.

It wasn’t clear if Mukuro noticed Shido’s mentality. However, after a moment, she stared at Shido’s face and sighed softly.

“—Say, Nushi-sama.”

“…What is it?”

“Muku wants to see you again. Because you listened to me ramble like this, Muku won’t charge you any money. Please come listen to Muku talk about boring things again.”

“Huh…?”

Shido listened to what Mukuro said and his eyes widened—but he immediately understood what she said, and nodded in agreement: “Okay.”

—Ever since that day, Shido had taken to patronizing this building.

Sometimes he came with Miku, and sometimes he came on his own. …Sometimes, he came alone and discovered that Miku was already inside. …There was actually an incident where he met Miku, having no idea what she’d done, as she was being chased around by one of the male servants.

In short, even when he was ridiculed by his peers, Shido still came by every three days.

His goal, of course, was Mukuro.

That’s right. Every time Shido came to the shop, Mukuro honored her promise from their banquet. No matter what guests were waiting, she always gave priority to Shido for a room.

It didn’t take long for rumors about Mukuro having a husband to start circulating the shop.

Incidentally, the so-called husband, in simple terms, was the lover of the girl. They’re a lover of the girl who paid out of her own pocket to bring him into her room. …However, the relationship between the two of them had none of the lust necessary to call them lovers.

“—Oh, Nushi-sama, you still bothered to return to listen to Muku rambling about boring things tonight. What a strange person you are.”

“Yeah, well it’s better to fall asleep to boring complaints.”

“Haha, how dare you speak such things?”

They had lost track of how many times it had been, but they’d both grown used to joking with each other, simply doing the same things they did when they first met: simply talking and laughing with each other. They never talked about sharing a pillow or a bed or even touching each other’s fingers.

Nonetheless, Shido enjoyed this time very much.

And—this could be Shido misunderstanding things—but it looked like Mukuro seemed to be enjoying herself from the bottom of her heart.

So… was it true?

Although he tried his best to follow everyone’s advice to not fall in love with a geisha, Shido’s feelings for Mukuro continued to increase with each passing day.

Every time he thought of Mukuro, he remembered what Mukuro told him the first time they met.

“…”

One night, Shido suddenly found himself looking up at the sky on his way home from that shop.

It was a cloudless starry sky. Of course, there were no barriers. But from Mukuro’s point of view, there had to be a gate.

Geisha were forbidden from leaving, and even the highest-ranking geisha was no exception.

The perimeter was surrounded by trenches and the gate heavily guarded, similar to a prison.

“A starry sky…”

Shido stared up at the night sky and mumbled to himself.

—He wanted to try to give Mukuro a chance to see the real starry sky.

It didn’t take long for such a desire to emerge in Shido’s heart.

But he also knew that it wasn’t going to be easy to make it happen.

There were two ways for a girl to escape. One way was sneaking out; to run away. But as previously noted, it wasn’t going to be easy to escape through the trenches and the guards. If they were caught, they would likely end up getting severely punished for it. He couldn’t risk Mukuro getting caught.

In light of that, there was only one other strategy to use.

That is—

“Redemption…?”

It was several days later when Shido visited again. After hearing about this from Shido, the owner, Nia, frowned while wearing a puzzled expression.

“Ah, no, I’m just a little curious. If someone wanted to redeem a geisha like Mukuro, how much silver would it cost?”

Shido asked this with a smile.

The so-called redemption means to pay off the debts of the geisha girl and get her out of the shop entirely.

To put it simply, to pay a lot of money and make her a bride. This was the only legal way for a geisha to be able to leave.

However, a geisha was a golden rooster and the amount needed for redemption would be very large. Nia whispered as she put a hand on her chin:

“Well I haven’t had Mukuro in this business for very long—I would have to charge 32,000 for it to be worthwhile.”

“3-32,000?!”

“Yes. If we convert it to modern currency, it will be 120 million yen…!” Nia whispered again.

…Such was the challenge in front of him.

It was quickly determined that it was such an amount that Shido couldn’t raise quickly. His expression was stunned before turning downcast.

“What’s the matter, Boy? You weren’t really planning to save Mukuro yourself, were you?”

“N-No… ahaha…”

Shido smiled weakly and Nia raised the corners of her mouth into a smile.

“—However, I don’t know if it’s for you or for someone else, but if it’s Boy that Mukuro favors, then it’s another matter. According to the conditions, the price can be cheaper for you… No, it may even be that you won’t have to pay any money at all.”

“What…!”

Shido’s eyes widened when he heard those unexpected words.

It was simply crazy for anyone to give away their most valuable geisha for free. It made him more concerned about what the so-called “conditions” of Nia’s are.

“Y-You mentioned a condition before. What is it…?”

“Hey, hey, it shouldn’t be a difficult task… at least for a samurai with superb swordsmanship. Boy is truly young and beautiful.”

“…? W-What are you talking about?”

For a moment, Shido thought that she was talking about his supposed proficiency in eighteen different martial arts and talent for beating villains.

However—that wasn’t the case. Nia continued to gaze at Shido’s face and figure and then said something surprising.

“Actually, I plan to open a specialty geisha store “Yamato Boys” and I’m looking for a signature male geisha there.

“Wh-What!”

Shido couldn’t help but make an alarmed sound at Nia’s declaration.

But this wasn’t a surprise, of course. After all, this simply meant sex between men and the meaning was two men acting in harmoney.

In other words, Nia planned to make Shido work as a male prostitute.

“No, no, no! What are you talking about! How can this make money!”

“You’re wrong! You can earn money like this! In fact, there were some visiting officials in my shop who saw you, Boy, and said to me: “Can’t you tell me that boy’s name?” …Moreover, what we do in this business will satisfy a wide range of customers? How about it? Are you interested? Let me start a revolution in this industry, Boy!”

“Why did you change your tone halfway through?”

Shido shouted so much as he managed to pull away from Nia who’d started to hug him tightly.

“Oh, are you not satisfied with this condition?”

“Of course I’m not! …Even if this could be used to redeem a geisha like Mukuro, it’s still a broken condition. If I can’t leave, then won’t it basically be throwing Mukuro out on her own?”

That’s right. For Mukuro who had spent her entire life here, the outside world would be very different ,and it would be too difficult to live on her own. Although Mukuro said that she wanted to fly into the sky even if it meant her death, Shido didn’t want to let Mukuro die.

Then, Nia laughed and said:

“Okay, okay, let me finish talking, Boy. When did I say I would exchange you with Mukuro?”

“…? What do you want?”

Shido asked suspiciously. Nia laughed evilly.

“──Would you like to gamble with me?”

“Gamble…”

“Yes. Don’t look at me like that, I actually love gambling. We’ll play banquet games; the winner is best two out of three games. If you win, I will set Mukuro free. If I win, you will have to come in and work in my shop… They’re good conditions—but the premise is that you have to defeat the trio of geishas that are the pride and joy of this store alone!”

Nia laughed loudly. There was sweat trailing down Shido’s cheeks.

The so-called geisha, as the name implied, were women with skill; they were women who were good at singing and dancing during a banquet.

“…”

Shido licked his lips without saying a word… he finally understood while Nia proposed such a condition in the first place. She must be quite confident in the skills of the geisha trio.

But Shido thought for a moment, an ordinary warrior like him, there was no way he was going to be able to earn 32,000 silver pieces. If he wanted to get Mukuro out of this cage, he had to accept the game with a clear understanding of the risks involved. But did Shido have a way to handle three geishas on his own?

At that moment:

“—I’ve heard enough!”

The voice came from behind him. Shido turned around to see the figure of Miku. Her hair was a mess, and she was panting as though she was being chased by someone.

“Miku!”

“Hi, Darling!”

“…What did you do this time?”

“Eh? Don’t ask such things! It’s rare for someone to appear so bravely like that, so don’t worry about me!”

Miku showed a determined expression.

“In other words, I also have to participate in that game! Against the well-known trio of geishas! Even if it’s Darling, it’s too dangerous to face them alone!”

“You, are you serious? Miku…!”

After hearing what Miku said, Shido’s eyes widened. So Miku suddenly flashed a confident thumbs up.

Although this action doesn’t exactly conform to societal norms, he could feel that he could rely on her nonetheless.

“Leave it to me! I have much more experience playing banquet games than you have ever had eating! They often play the banquet games before they go back to their homes; it was really sad.”

“T-This…”

“So when Darling wins, let me touch Mukuro’s chest!”

“It turns out this was your intention all along!”

Shido couldn’t help but shout as he unsheathed his sword to wave toward Miku’s head.

“That hurts! Yes, but what does it matter if it’s just to touch her chest?”

“Don’t make a fuss! Besides, this isn’t something that I can decide myself! It has to depend on what Mukuro thinks—”

“—No problem.”

“Huh…?”

A voice could be heard from the second floor. Shido, Miku, and even Nia raised their heads in dumbfounded surprise.

They didn’t know when she’d arrived but they all spotted Mukuro stepping on the stairs leisurely, staring down at the commotion.

“Mukuro!”

“Mun. Muku was wondering why you were here so late and so I came to check on the situation. I didn’t expect that things would develop in such an interesting way—Muku also wants to participate. Understand, Nia?”

“What… N-No! Mukuro is the chief geisha of our shop…!”

“Understand?”

Mukuro’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she repeated herself. The creepy sight made Nia’s shoulders shake slightly.

“Anyway! You won’t win against the trio! Do you understand, Boy? If you lose, you have to come to my shop and work in order to pay off the redemption fee!”

Nia pointed at Shido as she said so.

Faced with this series of events, Shido was thrown into a state of complete shock, but since things have reached this point, how could he shy away from the challenge?

“…Okay! I’ll show you how it’s done!”

Although his heart was racing, Shido nodded his head firmly.

—At the time of the game.

The three people that made up Shido’s team were escorted to a wider room than usual, while waiting for the arrival of the geisha trio.

Currently it was only Shido and his partners in the room but they could hear noises from all around them. It was no wonder that there were several escorts and geishas gathered in the hallway, all peeping through a gap between the screen and sliding door to see the situation inside.

While it was common to bet on the outcome, geisha and warriors who were proficient in all kinds of martial arts (according to rumors) also bet on their bodies… Shido was worried whether his ‘heroic deeds’ would lead to another problem.

“Mun…”

At that moment, Shido’s eyebrows twitched suddenly.

The reason was simple. This was because Mukuro, who’d been sitting by Shido, gripped Shido’s sleeve tightly.

“Nushi-sama, Muku is really sorry that I got you involved in such an inexplicable game.”

“What are you talking about? This was my own decision, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

Mukuro said with a guilty look. Shido held her hands in his own so that she would at least feel at ease.

Then, the surrounding noise just got much louder. The sliding door slid open and the figure of the landlord, Nia, appeared.

“I’ve kept you waiting for a while! …Have you already said your goodbyes?”

“…”

Mukuro glared at her without a word before strengthening her grip on Shido’s sleeve.

Nia showed a fearful expression to Mukuro for a moment, but quickly shook her head and hid it.

“Hmph! You’re a really cute boy! Forget it. Let’s just determine the victor quickly. No matter who wins or loses, there will be no hard feelings! Everyone present here has borne witness, do you understand?”

After she finished talking, multiple voices from the wandering girls who’d peeped into the room answered, “Yes!” Likewise, Shido, Miku, and Mukuro nodded in response.

Nia raised the corner of her mouth with satisfaction, facing in the direction that she had just entered from.

“—Master! Sorry to trouble you!”

She then called out loudly with an attitude akin to calling a bodyguard.

Then, the sliding door opened again, and a girl whose dark hair was combed back neatly walked into the room quietly.

Mukuro spotted her and her eyebrows twitched.

“…That’s Tohka. She’s a tough one.”

“Do you know her?”

“Mun. She’s a geisha I’m familiar with. That is to say—the first round is <Toratora>?”

“You guessed correctly.”

Nia raised her arms proudly as she replied. Shido tilted his head slightly.

“<Toratora>?”

“Verily. The two teams stand across the screen and make an action of holding a spear, walking on all fours, or walking with crutches to make a fist. These three roles represent the general, the tiger, and the old woman respectively. The general is stronger than the tiger, the tiger is stronger than the old woman, and the old woman is stronger than the general.”

“…Wait, so that means…”

“So, it’s simply a guessing game!”

MIku laughed but Shido nodded his understanding.

Originally, Shido was worried about what he would do if the winning conditions were complicated but if it was a banquet game, even a beginner could easily learn it. If they did things right, there should be a chance to win.

However, contrary to Shido’s thinking, Mukuro still held a serious expression and sweat trailed down her cheeks.

“…This is too heavy a burden for Miku or Nushi-sama. In this game, the geisha will come out to fight.”

“Huh?”

“Do not underestimate her just because the game may be simple… she will surely see through the attacks of the other party with the raw instincts of an animal, which is a <tiger> that only a geisha can counter.”

Mukuro said so as she stood up, the sleeves of the kimono flew out.

At the same time, the geisha known as Tohka smiled happily.

“Well, I am qualified to play against Mukuro. Come on!”

So, the battle began in earnest.

Mukuro and Tohka stood on either side of the screen and the surrounding onlookers clapped their hands at the same time while they sang songs.

“W-What is this?”

“Darling, bring your hands together.”

Faced with this unexpected situation, Shido was caught by surprise, but at Miku’s urging and despite the confusion, he clapped his hands together just like everyone else.

However, it made more sense after thinking about it carefully. This was a bet on geisha, but before that, it was still a banquet game and not a casino; there was no need for a murderous atmosphere.

“Tiger old, tiger, old, tiger, tiger!”

Cooperating with the songs that the girls were singing, Mukuro and Tohka both made their own actions and were revealed from behind the screen.

Mukuro’s action was the general with a spear.

Tohka’s was a tiger walking on all fours.

—Mukuro won.

“Whoa…!”

“Mun!”

Mukuro clenched her fists while Tohka gritted her teeth in regret.

However, the anticipation of the outcome seemed more fierce than expected. The victorious Mukuro’s forehead had burst out with a lot of fighting sweat.

“Amazing, Mukuro!”

“Mun… However, the next geisha is worrying. Since she brought Tohka, that means…”

Mukuro explained while Nia let out an angry cry.

“Hmph… That was nothing! You’re going to regret using your strongest trump card in Mukuro in the first game! Next!”

“Coming.”

Then came a geisha who looked like a doll and an expression that was unreadable. Mukuro looked sad when she saw her.

“Mun… it really was Origami.”

“I haven’t seen you in such a long time. Although the destruction of Mukuro’s redemption makes me uneasy, work is work.”

“And—” The geisha known as Origami glanced at Shido.

“Nia, I want to confirm. If he enters your shop, can I also name him?”

“Oh? It turns out that this was a blind spot… maybe you can consider tapping into the needs of our female customers.”

“I will go all out.”

Origami’s eyes seemed to shine like a flame of determined fighting spirit. The unusual passion present in her gaze made everyone around her retreat a little.

However, there was a shadow blocking her now as though to protect Shido—it was Miku.

“Miku!”

“Leave this game to me, Darling! Even if you wish to name Darling, I will never let you do such an enviable… immoral thing! Come on!”

Finally, Miku pointed aggressively at Origami. Shido felt that Miku had just said something dangerous but decided not to take it seriously.

“So, let’s use <Ohirakisan> to decide the outcome.”

“Oh…? How interesting! Let me show you my softness!”

After hearing Origami’s proposal, Miku replied confidently while Shido frowned slightly and asked Mukuro in a low voice.

“Mukuro, what’s <Ohirakisan>?”

“Mun. It’s a guessing game between them with the loser having to gradually spread their legs. The first one who can’t hold it and falls loses.”

After listening to Mukuro’s explanation, Shido replied: “So it’s like this.” This seemed to be another simple and straightforward game that seemed esoteric.

“Okay, let’s get started, then!”

“Bring it on.”

Miku stood face-to-face with Origami and lifted her clothes slightly. So just like before, the girls around them began to sing with their hands together.

“Ohirakisan again, yo yo yo yo!”

“Come on!”

“…!”

Miku and Origami cooperated with the shouting with each reaching their hands forward.

Miku chose paper; Origami chose scissors. Origami won.

Having said that, it was different from <Toratora> before and just one guess would not determine the match’s outcome. However, Miku smiled broadly and spread out her legs a little.

“It’s yours. However, the fun part is only just getting started!”

Then, the shouting between them started again, and the two kept guessing.

Origami, Miku, Miku, Origami—the legs of the two continued to spread out wider and wider as they won or lost. It was both an offensive and defensive game at the same time and it was possible for either side to win.

But… perhaps during the eighth battle, Miku’s behavior changed.

“…”

Her eyebrows were furrowed and her posture moved lower and lower.

Shido thought that she wouldn’t be able to hold her posture but with further inspection, it looked a little wrong. Rather than falling down, it was more accurate to say that she was trying to get a peek at Origami’s crotch while her legs were wide open.

“…Miku?”

“Huh…!”

After Shido called out Miku’s name, Miku seemed to have recovered, her shoulders started to tremble a little—but her posture was out of balance and she quickly fell onto the tatami mat.

“That hurt!”

Miku pressed her nose and raised her head with tears in her eyes.

“T-That’s cheating! To be able to swindle me with that sexy pose! I want to protest this!”

“…”

After protesting for a bit, Miku probably noticed the cold gazes of both Shido and Mukuro and soon cried as she apologized: “…Ah, I’m sorry…”

They were tied with one victory and one defeat each. Nia laughed happily.

“Mwahahahaha! It seems the only dangerous one over there is Mukuro! Master, if you please!”

“—Assumption. It’s wrapped around the string.”

The last assassin responded to Nia’s call and made a grand entrance.

Her hair was neatly combed and she wore gorgeous looking clothes. She was a beautiful girl no less so than the first two. Someow, there was a young girl who looked exactly like her.

“…Agh, I can’t accept this. Why do I have to be the follower?”

“Explanation. Because Kaguya lost to Yuzuru in a private game. Incidentally, the way to win was more than <Ohirakisan>. Kaguya guessed that we would win the <Toratora>.”

“It isn’t necessary to talk about this now!”

The servant girl named Kaguya wailed loudly… he felt that the world of a geisha was not easy to handle.

However, he couldn’t relax. After all, this girl called Yuzuru was a geisha who was serving as the final challenge. Shido swallowed nervously and stood up.

“Nushi-sama…”

Mukuro looked up at Shido’s face with an anxious expression. Shido took a long breath in as he stroked Mukuro’s head.

“Don’t worry.”

He said as he moved to stand in front of Yuzuru. Yuzuru smiled gracefully with her mouth covered.

“Smile. You have guts. Have you ever faced my ‘Twirling Fans’?”

“Twirling Fans?”

“Acknowledgement. The target is the pitching fan standing on the tung box based on whoever manages the closest bid. However, it’s not just a matter of throwing the winning bid but also the score based on the shape of the base, and the fan’s condition after each throw.”

After listening to the instructions of this game. Shido couldn’t help but look alarmed.

“Hey! What kind of skill is this?! Weren’t all the games before now all a matter of guessing…?”

“Unbelievable. Yuzuru can’t understand this man’s words. In short, let’s just get started. Normally, we would roll a die to decide who goes first, but since you haven’t played this game before, allow Yuzuru to start.”

Kaguya spread the felt on the tatami and began to prepare the target.

Yuzuru spread the fan on the edge of the felt, and Kaguya sat down next to the target.

“—Now, begin!”

“Throwing. Watch me!”

Yuzuru hurled the fan horizontally at Kaguya’s call.

Yuzuru’s fan hit the target accurately and directly covered the target.

“—Yuzuru, Eight points.”

Kaguya judged the shape and announced the score.

“Sigh. It was only eight points. I’ll hand things over to you, Shido.”

After she finished speaking, Yuzuru handed the fan to Shido.

Although the rules of the game were still unclear to him, he decided to put the matter aside for now. He resolutely positioned himself and threw the fan.

…However, reality was cruel.

“—Scatterer of flower petals. Zero points.”

“Ugh…!”

Zero points. That is, there was nothing to score. In a flash, Shido thought that he just didn’t understand the rules so he casually reported the score… However, with a glance at Mukuro and Miku’s worried faces, it was easy to guess that Shido had done a terrible job with his throw.

Of course, only one attempt wasn’t going to determine the outcome. It was too early to give up.

But the gap in skill was obvious. After two or three attempts at throwing the fans, the gap only seemed to widen. Not only that, but when he threw the fan the sixth time, it seemed that Yuzuru had thrown the fan off balance.

“—Exhale. Scream!”

Yuzuru breathed out and the fan flew like a knife, hitting the target accurately.

“What… what just happened?”

Manipulating the wind… such a thing was impossible for human beings to accomplish, but what other explanation was there besides manipulating the wind just now? Shido couldn’t help but make an alarmed noise… Incidentally, when Shido attempted to imitate her, the fan did not move like hers had done.

—Then Yuzuru cast the final fan.

“It must be ten points.”

Yuzuru totaled 120 points.

Shido’s score is… 36 points.

Although there was still one last attempt left, the difference in scores was wide. Shido felt dizzy and almost lost his balance.

At that moment, a small hand rested on the Shido’s hand that held the fan.

“…! Mukuro…”

“Mun… worry not, Nushi-sama.”

Mukuro gazed into Shido’s eyes and nodded.

It was clear that her expression showed her tension, fear—and the trust and gratitude to Shido that was in equal measure to those emotions.

“Relax. Even if this attempt fails, Muku shall not let Nushi-sama fall to the same fate. If the landlord’s goal is to make money, then… Muku will take on more guests. In this way, it can become fully subsidized.”

“What…! Mukuro, what are you trying to say…”

“Muku… is very happy that Nushi-sama wanted and tried to do this for Muku. Thanks to you, Muku’s boring life has become colorful. I got to meet Nushi-sama, and I’m satisfied.”

“…!”

After listening to what Mukuro said, Shido’s breath caught in his throat.

What she said made Shido tremble even worse, and he was ashamed of making her say it in the first place.

Shido readjusted his breathing and corrected his posture. There was no doubt that he was at a disadvantage, but no matter how this played out, he couldn’t let Mukuro—the woman he’d come to like—end up paying the price.

“…After hearing this kind of thing, I have to hit the target.”

“Nushi-sama…”

“Mukuro.”

Shido and Mukuro exchanged a look with each other and nodded in unison—the two set the fan flat.

“—!”

They concentrated on their fingertips and threw it.

Everyone watched as the fan cut through the air, knocking the target down and then directly covered the target when it hit the ground.

“Ah.”

He remembered this shape as the one that Yuzuru initially showed that scored eight points. Of course, it was impossible to defeat such an obstacle.

However, the next moment.

—Hoo?”

After the sound of a soft exhalation came, the fan thrown by Shido immediately flipped in the air, forming the shape of a bridge with the base.

“A dream boardwalk. A hundred points…!”

Kaguya saw the shape and announced the score.

The situation was reversed all at once, and Shido managed to score a super high score. Shido was dumbfounded and the wandering girls let out exclamations of surprise.

“Nushi-sama…!”

“Darling!”

Mukuro held onto Shido’s hand while Miku hugged him from behind. Shido finally felt refreshed after feeling their touch.

He quickly glanced at Yuzuru.

“Y-Yuzuru… You just blew it.”

“Ignore. Yuzuru can’t understand what you are talking about-—Yuzuru just witnessed the sweet love story staged in front of her eyes. I couldn’t help but sigh.”

“Yuzuru…”

After Shido called out her name, Yuzuru smiled as she faced Nia and bowed her head.

“—Apology. I’m sorry, because of Yuzuru’s lack of power, I lost the battle—but in front of so many people, you wouldn’t go back on your word?”

“Hmm…!”

Yuzuru said while Nia growled unpleasantly.

“…Hmph! Anyway, everyone! I’m a businesswoman first. I’m not going to deliberately make things more difficult as a result of the outcome!”

After listening to what Nia said, the girl’s excited emotions rose even higher than before.

So, in a cheer, Tohka walked slowly toward Mukuro and said softly:

“Mukuro.”

“Mun. What is it, Tohka?”

“First of all, congratulations… but please don’t think too badly of Nia. If she were really a bad person, she wouldn’t have ever proposed a gamble for your freedom in the first place.”

“Yeah…”

Mukuro listened to what Tohka said and approached Nia.

“Nia… you took good care of me in the past. Thank you.”

After Mukuro finished talking, Nia’s eyes were filled with tears… but she quickly turned her head away.

“Hmph…! Save your words. You heard what I said! The landlords of these shops are all old bastards with no virtues, bad guys with no remorse or tears! I hate people who can’t make money on their own! Where are they going to go?”

Nia yelled and made a motion as though to shoo them out of the shop.

Shido and Mukuro had a quiet ceremony together as they left Nia’s shop under everyone’s watch.

One night:

Shido and Mukuro laid on a field as they gazed up at the night sky.

Shido was dressed the same as usual but Mukuro’s outfit was very different from how she used to dress.

For one, her hair that used to require a lot of time and effort to straighten, was now only tied up at her wish, and the gorgeous kimono she used to wear was now replaced with the clothes previously owned by Shido’s mother.

However, this wasn’t a surprise. Although he wasn’t poor, Shido was just a samurai. As a result, it was impossible for Mukuro to live the kind of life that she had before.

“Mukuro, do you regret it?”

These thoughts plagued Shido’s mind as he asked the question. After all, he had been the one to propose redeeming Mukuro in the first place.

“Mun? What is Nushi-sama talking about?”

Mukuro tilted her head in confusion.

“I mean… with me, you won’t be able to live the luxurious lifestyle you had before…”

Shido explained vaguely. Mukuro, in response, flicked his nose with her hand.

“That hurt!”

“What happened to you today? Do you think that being a geisha comes with no hardship?”

“Ah, no…”

“Muku doesn’t need a beautiful kimono nor a scrumptious meal. As long as Muku can have Nushi-sama, and that you can look out at the stars with me, Muku shall be content.”

“Mukuro…”

Shido wiped the tears that were coming out of his eyes. Mukuro seemed to think of something and put a hand on her chin in thought.

“By the way, Muku feels as though she has forgotten something… Did Miku ever find out what would happen if she won the game?”

Shido’s cheeks were trailing with sweat. After that, Miku had been discovered by several male servants of other stores and promptly fled the area.

“Well, I’ll mention it next time.”

Shido replied with a wry smile as he cleared his throat gently and changed his tone.

“Also… there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Mun?”

After a moment’s thought, Shido seemed to make up his mind as he pulled a hairpin from the sleeve of his shirt.

“Mukuro, please… will you stay with me?”

“…!”

After hearing what Shido said, Mukuro’s eyes widened in surprise—