Rui

Deep within Spider Mountain.

Thick fog blanketed the area, tree shadows swayed, and a faint, pungent smell of blood permeated the air.

One of the Twelve Kizuki, "Rei," suddenly opened his eyes. His face was cold, and his slender fingertips slowly tightened, as if he could grasp something in the air.

He sensed it.

The presence of those two "parents" vanished without warning.

"Dead?"

"It wasn't just a disconnection... it completely destroyed the Blood Demon Magic as well."

His eyes, glazed with exhaustion, finally licked his fingertips, his voice low and hoarse. "Is it a Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps? Or...?"

He suddenly laughed, a laugh like a child whose toy had been taken apart, a laugh that was both angry and excited.

"Hahahaha... We've finally waited for you 'strongmen'!"

"You guys... will you play with me, right?"

Before he finished speaking, his body vanished like the wind, rushing towards the foot of the mountain.

(I ate too many Anko again)

"Mr. Kakashi, Mr. Gai."

Tanjiro asked in a low voice, "There are other demons lurking in this forest. I can sense... their presence is like a spider web, overwhelming everything."

Kakashi surveyed the thick fog around him, his gaze wary. "There's definitely more than one. Those two 'demons' that were killed were just the beginning."

Kai smiled slightly, then suddenly gave a thumbs-up, his voice ringing out. "Since they dare to harm humans, they must accept—the punishment from the wooden... steam beast!!"

"Investigate after the attack!"

"I... I... can I go back to headquarters first...?"

Zenitsu's face turned pale, and his body trembled uncontrollably. "I feel a huge, powerful horde of demons approaching us! Aaaaaaahh...

Before he could finish speaking, the surroundings fell silent.

The next second.

The air seemed to freeze, and thousands of fine threads silently descended from the forest, densely entwining themselves between the tree trunks, weaving the entire forest into a giant cage.

"This is..." Tanjiro suddenly stopped, his expression grave. "They've arrived."

"Hehehehe..."

Sinister laughter echoed from all directions.

"A stranger trespassing into my 'home'."

"You've ruined my family's life, and you still dare to stand here and not leave?"

"How about..."

"Shall you become a new family together?"

Several figures appeared in the woods, all of them thin, distorted-faced young men and women. They stood on silken threads, suspended like puppets, with eerie smiles on their faces.

"Are they the other demons of Spider Mountain... these are the 'brothers and sisters'?" Zenitsu's voice trembled.

"Too many... none of them are weak." Tanjiro gripped his Nichirin Blade tightly. "If we're surrounded—"

"Shut up! Let me chop their heads off!!" Inosuke roared as he charged forward, his twin swords flashing like the wind, severing the spider silk of the two ghostly figures in front of him.

"Thunder Breathing - First Form!" Zenitsu with his eyes closed, and instantly shot out, his sword flashing like lightning, slicing through the night in the blink of an eye!

"Water Breathing - Fourth Form - Shockwave!" Tanjiro slid to the side and unleashed a diagonal slash, sending a charging demon flying!

The three of them, like three storms, quickly engaged in fierce combat on the battlefield woven from spider silk.

The ghosts screamed and pounced, their spider silk transforming into blades, whips, and shields, weaving and forcing the three to retreat.

But as the battle progressed, they quickly regained their rhythm, their movements and breathing techniques becoming increasingly coordinated, slaying one demon after another, and the battle grew more and more intense!

Kakashi, standing to the side, said calmly:

"The 'breathing techniques' of this world... don't seem like Ninjutsu; they're more like a way to activate the energy within the body."

"They use specific breathing techniques and body movements to instantly enhance muscles, senses, and even nerve reflexes."

"Similar to Taijutsu in the Ninja World, but lacking the more advanced structural extension of Chakra."

Upon hearing this, Kai glanced sideways and said, "Kakashi, you analyze things really quickly! No wonder you're my companion, the Blue Beast of the Hidden Leaf!"

"..." Kakashi's eyes scrutinized them. "However, they are indeed strong—to be able to fight under such pressure using only breathing techniques is quite admirable."

"But--"

Kakashi stopped speaking abruptly and suddenly looked up.

The next moment, a slender figure slowly descended from the thick fog, white spider silk hanging down like a curtain from the sky. He stood in the center, like the king of the heart of the spider web.

It was a boy who looked no more than ten years old, with skin as pale as wax, blood-red eyes, and a face covered in cracks. He fell from mid-air, as if judging all living beings.

"You..."

"Killed my 'parents'."

Lei's voice was hoarse and cold, devoid of any emotion, as if it were not grief, but resentment at the disruption of order.

"So..."

"I want you to replace them."

"Become my new family."

"Otherwise... we'll skin you alive."

As soon as he finished speaking, he slammed his palms together!

Boom!!

Hundreds and thousands of spider silk threads, as thin as hair yet as sharp as blades, shot out from all directions!

They tore through space like thunder, intertwining into an unsolvable killing formation that completely surrounded Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke!

"Retreat—!" Tanjiro roared, spinning around with his sword and slashing, "Water Breathing, Fifth Form—Heavenly Merciful Rain!!"

Zenitsu's eyes flashed with electricity, and almost instinctively he cried out, "Thunder Breathing, First Form - Thunderclap Flash, Six-Hit Combo!!"

Inosuke roared and swung his sword, "Beast Breathing - Fang of the Fourth Order - Heart-Rending Mad Slash!!"

The three figures erupted simultaneously!

Blood Demon Art and Breathing Technique clashed in the forest, sending up countless broken branches, flying leaves, and bloodstains! The three fought like trapped beasts, struggling to tear a sliver of space through the tangled spider silk.

But they are ultimately just "human beings".

The spider silk grew denser and denser, the pressure becoming increasingly oppressive. Lei didn't exert his full strength; he simply stood there, remotely controlling his "family" and the spider silk, yet the three boys were plunged into a fierce battle.

"Damn it... these threads are too strong!" Tanjiro gritted his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"No matter how fast I go, I can't shake them off... These threads can predict the direction!?" Zenitsu was horrified to discover that the spider threads could "actively block" his escape route.

Inosuke slashed wildly, but the more he slashed, the angrier he became. "How many lines does this guy have?!"

Just as the three were starting to lose ground, Kakashi finally spoke, his tone calm but icy:

"This ghost... is definitely more troublesome than the others."

"Blood Demon Art is similar to Chakra manipulation techniques, possessing a combined ability of 'remote splitting' and 'thread manipulation'."

"But what disgusts me the most is your understanding of 'family'."

He looked up at the spiderweb high above, his Sharingan slowly opening, its scarlet pupils seemingly able to see through everything.

"You use fear, domination, and killing to bind your so-called 'family ties'."

That's not home, it's a prison.

"It's just your twisted delusion and self-pity."

His weary eyes suddenly turned icy, his voice laced with venom and ferocity:

"Shut up... you guys don't understand at all."

"Family members are supposed to be obedient and stay with me forever."

"Only what I say is true—those who disobey... will be skinned alive."

As he spoke, his fingers twitched slightly, and dozens of spider silk threads instantly broke through the breathing attacks of Tanjiro and the other two, heading straight for their hearts and throats!

Crisis is looming!