That Spider Mountain.
Time slowly passed, the sun was setting, and the dim light at the end of the sky showed the last trace of brightness.
The tips of the tree crowns were slightly shaking.
The second floor of the dilapidated mansion.
"Rui has already become an Upper Rank, what on earth happened...?"
The white-haired girl leaned against the window, and only slowly peeked out after the sun had completely set:
"...The number of 'family' members is increasing, and Rui's control is getting stronger."
She put her hand on the old wooden window covered with spider webs, her fingers were strangled to bleed crimson blood beads, but she didn't care at all:
"If this continues, isn't the possibility of escape almost zero..." The white-haired girl was tremblingly talking to herself:
"Damn it...!"
Bang!
She hit the wooden window forcefully.
In her silver-white eyes, just like Rui, she hid an emotion called fear.
She was a demon, but her appearance and dress were similar to Rui's.
Weak, afraid of Demon Slayers, the demons voluntarily seek companions and huddle together for warmth.
But——Rui is different.
He asked the demons who came to seek help to become his "family", change their appearance, and live on Spider Mountain according to the "family rules" he set.
Those who do not comply with the requirements are either beheaded or tied under the sun to be burned to death.
This is not what the demons who came to huddle together wanted!
Just as the white-haired girl was staring blankly at the direction of the mountain below the window.
Creak——!
Someone!
The wooden door behind her made a creaking sound, and the white-haired girl who played the role of "elder sister" in the family was suddenly startled, she looked back in horror.
Behind her.
Patter, a white-haired figure stood there, seemed to be stunned for a moment, and then said softly:
"...I didn't hear anything,"
The new member who had just been transformed into a "family", the "younger sister" was standing at the door sideways, her face expressionless, and she turned her head slightly:
"——Sister."
"It's time for breakfast, Rui asked me to call you down."
She bit the accent, her face expressionless, standing sideways.
Seeing the younger sister quickly getting into character, the elder sister was taken aback.
The elder sister let go of the window she was holding, and nodded blankly:
"...I'll be right there."
...
Downstairs.
A group of demons, their skin and hair as white as snow, sat in two rows, quietly looking at the old pottery bowl placed in front of them under the faintly flickering amber candlelight.
Rui sat at the end, he "played" the role of the youngest brother in the clan.
The white-haired demons were sweating coldly, looking solemnly at the empty bowl in front of them, sitting helplessly.
Suddenly.
Rui opened his eyes, he turned his head, looked in the direction outside the mansion, and murmured to himself:
"They're here."
"We've been waiting for a while... we can start eating now."
Upon hearing this, the rest of the demons all looked in the same direction as Rui with eager eyes.
Feeding of so many demons was Rui's way of creating rumors about demons in the surrounding area, and then continuously attracting demon hunters to eat.
Since the rumors never spread to Spider Mountain, he was never exposed.
...
At the foot of the mountain.
Bang!
"It hurts!"
Muichiro was tripped by the tough spider silk between the bushes and fell heavily to the ground, shouting in pain.
"...Be careful."
Yuichiro walked in front, he turned around helplessly,
Reached out to pull his brother up, sighed:
"Stay vigilant, we're not here for sightseeing."
He casually patted the spider silk wrapped around his body.
"Yuck... what is this?"
Looking at the sticky and tough spider silk wrapped around his fingers, Yuichiro's expression became ugly.
Their father followed behind the two brothers, he raised his head, looking at the forest covered with spider silk.
Click.
He quietly clenched the hilt of the sword at his waist.
At this moment.
Rustle...
The grass not far in front made a rustling friction sound.
Then.
Under the vigilant gaze of the Tokito brothers.
"...Stop here." A huge shadow gradually stood up in the grass, blocking the moon reflected in their pupils.
Nine huge pupils, like spiders, reflected light in the moonlight, staring straight at this side, the voice was low:
"Demon Slayer, I will never let you move forward a millimeter."
Bang!
"Family... protect...!" He clenched his huge fists, collided violently, clenched his fists, and spoke in a dull tone.
Crystal clear saliva drooled from the mouthparts of the spider's head.
As the huge figure stood up, Muichiro raised his head in surprise, he exclaimed:
"...So big!"
"Is this the demon we're going to slay?!"
Saying this, he frowned, pulled the corner of his mouth and retracted his head a bit, saying with a bit of disgust:
"Spider head, human body, so disgusting..."
Yuichiro stopped Muichiro, he looked up in horror at the huge-bodied demon in front of him, whose head was a spider, and shouted:
"...Stay away from him!"
Shouting, he frowned, couldn't help but look back at the demon.
——Spider head, human...
In his mind.
——Inosuke's appearance kept popping up.
Do guys nowadays like this kind of dress?!
Just as Yuichiro was staring ahead, gripping the Nichirin Sword, thinking about how to deal with the upcoming combat.
Step.
"Yuichiro, relax."
Tadaichiro came from behind, he stood in front of the two brothers, his dark red hair tied into small braids.
He turned his face sideways, the moonlight was clear on his three-dimensional features, he smiled at the stunned Yuichiro:
"If you're too nervous, your hand will shake when you hold the sword."
Then he turned his head back, held the hilt of the sword with both hands, pointed the sword at the giant demon in front of him, and spoke in a relaxed tone:
"An enemy that can be defeated will become stronger because of your inner retreat."
Saying this, he raised his head and looked at the huge demon in front of him.
During his days at the Butterfly Mansion, he was not idle.
He gripped the hilt of the sword, feeling an unprecedented strength in his arm.
Although——he still only knows the First Form.
"Hiss——!"
In the dim forest, white steam overflowed from the corner of Tadaichiro's mouth, and his attention was instantly focused.
At this moment.
The white-haired [sister] quietly appeared behind the demon, she glanced at the Tokito family.
Two children, one adult.
Without any threat.
She turned her head, leaving a faint sentence:
"...I leave it to you, father."
Then, she stepped away and left.
After all, he's not really her father, no need for too much emotion.
It's just a game of house. She understood the rules of survival here not long after she joined this family yesterday.
Survival has always been what she's best at.
Recalling the [elder sister] she just met, that person didn't seem like a smart demon who could live long.
"Roar——!!" The spider demon playing the role of [father] roared as soon as he heard the words, opening his insect-like mouth.
"...Father?" Tadaichiro, who was about to swing his sword, perked up his ears. He heard the sound coming from behind the demon and paused slightly.
Looking at the huge demon in front of him, Tadaichiro's gaze shifted to the white figure that was constantly moving away behind it, his eyebrows slightly furrowed:
"...Has the whole family become demons?"
Creak——His hand unconsciously tightened, his grip on the hilt of the sword turned white.
Seeing this.
No more hesitation.
[Moon Breathing·First Form]
Tadaichiro pushed off the ground, his sword raised horizontally, the clear yellow moonlight reflected on his mirror-like sword, and a moon shawl seemed to pass by in a trance.
He leaped in the moonlight.
"...Rest in peace."
Whoosh!
The sword smoothly cut through the [father] who was about to swing his fist at him.
Splat!
The huge spider head suddenly flew up.
With the reaction force of its swing, the spider's skull rolled backward.
Rolling...plop.
It just fell next to the [younger sister] who had not gone far.
She felt the touch coming from her feet, subconsciously looked down, and after seeing her own reflection in the nine pupils of the skull under her feet, she was stunned.
The younger sister lowered her head, blinked her eyes, and then reacted, her pupils shrank,
——What?!
Head!?
Was [father] beheaded in an instant?!
At this moment,
Creak...creak...
The creaking sound of stepping on fallen leaves came from behind and kept getting closer.
Whoosh!
Tadaichiro forcefully shook off the blood on his sword, and the crimson blood droplets immediately splashed onto a tree next to him.
He was walking towards this side step by step, saying in a low voice:
"It must be painful."
"Not only yourself, but your family has also become demons..."
"...You didn't protect anything."
Thinking in his mind——the assumption that Muichiro and Yuichiro had become demons flashed through his mind.
His face gradually darkened.
At this moment, Tadaichiro, who had joined the Demon Slayer Corps just thinking of [helping others], completely developed the emotion of wanting to kill Muzan thoroughly.
Such a creature that distorts humans should not exist in the world.
Whoosh!
The reflection of the sword, reflecting Tadaichiro's gloomy face, but he barely managed to smile:
"But...I'm sorry."
"I can't let you go."
"It's really cruel and unfair."
Creak...
Tadaichiro walked out of the shadow under the tree, his face appeared in the moonlight, and his firm eyes looked at the trembling back of the [younger sister].
He raised his sword, his tone serious, word by word:
"Because...you are dangerous."
Continuing to let them survive will only result in more people dying unnaturally.
Upon hearing this.
The younger sister's body trembled, she slowly turned her stiff head, pulled the corners of her mouth, her face was cold sweat, and her pupils trembled as she looked at Tadaichiro.
In her silver-white pupils, Tadaichiro's figure holding a sword was reflected.
She was almost scared to shout out.
——How am I dangerous?!
Didn't you see that such a big demon was beheaded by you with one stroke!
But thinking so in her heart, the younger sister's body stiffened,
But she couldn't shout out anything.
Behind Tadaichiro.
Yuichiro and Muichiro stood together, both of them huddled their heads together, looking somewhat at a loss at their father's back.
"...Dad is really scary today." Muichiro stared at his father's back, lowering his voice.
Gulp.
Yuichiro didn't respond, he just swallowed hard, his hand holding the sword trembling slightly.
Although their father is usually unreliable, he is especially scary when he gets angry.
Just as Tadaichiro was about to swing his sword.
At this moment.
"Wait!!" The sister suddenly reached out her hand, she shouted, looked at Tadaichiro with a terrified face, and started to speak nervously:
"I am not..."
Before the sister could finish her words,
Whoosh!
Tadaichiro, with a dark face, had already rushed to her with his sword!
He knew clearly that it was useless to let this demon explain more, the thing that should be done now is to send her to hell as soon as possible.
He slashed down hard!
Whoosh!
"...Didn't cut." Feeling the touch in his hand, Tadaichiro was stunned.
He looked up at the front.
"Cough——!" The sister looked terrified, she gritted her teeth and backed away: "Why don't you listen to me?!"
She held her own head in her hands, the cross-section of her neck was very smooth——that was cut by herself.
Survival skills, one counts as one.
"I just joined this family today!"
Shouting, she quickly put her head on her neck.
Without a head, the body will be extremely weak and there is no way to escape.
It seemed that she was afraid that Tadaichiro would continue to come up and chop her, she hurriedly shouted anxiously: "There is no one else..."
Whoosh!
The moonlight flashed across her eyes.
Puff!
A bloodline appeared on the neck that had just healed.
"...Eh?" The sister's expression was a bit dull, she stared in a daze, looked down at her neck incredulously: "Why..."
"...I'm sorry." Tadaichiro slowly straightened up in front of her, he clenched the sword in his hand, and murmured:
"I can only do this form now."
——That's not the problem at all!
The sister stared with incredulous eyes, her body weakly fell backward.
Thud!
After a slight collision with the ground, the body immediately separated from the head, and the head rolled to the side.
In her expression, full of unwillingness.
She wanted to tell this swordsman that there were very powerful demons on the mountain, and let him run away quickly.
In this way, she could survive and brush out an impression of a [good demon].
But...
Drip, drip.
Tears welled up from her eyes, and before they fell to the ground, they evaporated into ashes.
The sister's face was full of grievances.
——Why doesn't this guy listen to the demon's words?!
At this moment.
Tadaichiro saw that her mouth was opening and closing, as if she was saying something.
He got closer.
Suddenly.
His gaze caught the tiny spider silk connected to her lips, which was reflecting the moonlight because of the shaking!
Tadaichiro's pupils shrank.
Hiss!
The tiny spider silk reflecting the moonlight rushed from a branch on the side!
Just as it was about to touch Tadaichiro's body!
Whoosh!
"Dad!" Yuichiro rushed over, he cut off the spider silk that wanted to wrap around Tadaichiro's body with a sword, he shouted:
"There are more than two demons, something is wrong with this place."
Muichiro also ran over in small steps, if it weren't for his brother discovering the shaking treetops, they wouldn't be able to see the spider silk in this darkness.
Cold sweat ran down his forehead.
The three of them backed against each other, pointing their sword swords at the dark forest around them.
In an instant, several pairs of silver-white pupils lit up in the forest.
...
...
Meanwhile.
Tamayo's mansion.
In stark contrast to the atmosphere of Spider Mountain, it seems very [leisurely] here.
Drip.
Yushiro, holding a cup of tea, gently placed it in front of Tsugikuni Michikatsu. His face was pale, and his tone was harsh:
"Enjoy it....."
"Thank you." Tsugikuni Michikatsu's eyes looked at him, nodding slightly.
After explaining that he had broken free from Muzan's control, Yushiro finally let down his guard.
Tamayo felt somewhat surprised, after all, she had never seen him, but had always heard about him.
Just as Tsugikuni Michikatsu picked up the teacup and sipped it subconsciously.
Crack!
He applied a slight force with his hand, and a crack appeared in the teacup.
Tsugikuni Michikatsu's expression stiffened for a moment.
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