From Demon Slayer Onward, Achieving the Strongest Demonic Blade!

"There are four Twelve Kizuki lying in wait for you here. Be careful..."

With that, her body and head completely dissolved.

"Four?!"

Tanjiro froze.

Even Lin Fan within the blade was somewhat surprised. Only four Twelve Kizuki?!

There was an extremely high chance that three of them were Lower Rank demons.

Muzan, who are you looking down on?!

I have Kamado Tanjiro, who can slay the Twelve Kizuki!

However, judging by the aura, one of them was already nearing this place. He just did not know who it was.

Lin Fan also gave him a warning.

"Tanjiro, that guy is already close. It's directly in front of you!"

Hearing that, Tanjiro came back to his senses.

He gripped his blade with both hands, his breathing growing heavier as he prepared to unleash a sword technique at any moment.

Once his nose caught that dangerous scent, a youth roughly his height silently emerged from the woods ahead.

Your So-Called Bonds Are Fake!

His entire body was snow-white, especially his hairstyle, which looked as though a spider were clutching his head, and his turquoise eyes, wrapped in crimson!

There was no mistaking the newcomer.

It was the current Lower Rank Five, Rui!

Lin Fan recognized him at a glance and immediately warned, "Tanjiro, this guy is much stronger than the Lower Rank Six we encountered before!"

Tanjiro deeply understood that as well.

Just from the scent and his stance alone, he could tell that this guy was terrifyingly strong!

Compared to the tense Tanjiro, Rui seemed more concerned about the dead female demon, staring at the spot where her body had vanished.

After pondering for a moment, he abruptly said,

"Mother is dead? Well, dead is dead... but she did fulfill her duty to protect the family..."

As he spoke, he turned around and swept his cold gaze over Tanjiro. When he saw the distinctive hanafuda earrings on Tanjiro's ears—

Rui's expression became serious.

"These earrings... so you're the demon hunter that person ordered killed..."

The moment he finished speaking—

He raised his hand, and several hidden threads shot toward Tanjiro.

Sensing danger, Tanjiro immediately raised Ashura Maru and rapidly slashed forward several times, severing every thread.

Rui's expression changed.

The threads had been cut?

In that brief exchange, both sides had already realized how troublesome the other was. However, Rui had intelligence on Tanjiro, while Tanjiro knew nothing about him.

At the same time—

After witnessing this scene, Muzan, who was observing the battle, immediately issued an order.

The demons stationed throughout Mount Natagumo received the command. Once they confirmed the target's appearance, they all abandoned their respective territories.

They converged on the location of Tanjiro and Rui.

This also drew the attention of the Hashira hidden around the outer perimeter, who likewise began to move.

All across Mount Natagumo, movement stirred in every direction!

At the center of everyone's attention—

Tanjiro furiously rebuked Rui, "Wasn't that your mother?! Why aren't you sad at all?!

Aren't you family?!"

Faced with the questioning, Rui spat threads from his hands and formed cat's-cradle patterns with them. Standing there, he replied in an unfriendly tone, "We are family bound together by close bonds. What could you possibly understand?!"

The instant he said that, Tanjiro harshly refuted him.

"No one understands the meaning of family better than I do. You don't have the scent of the trust that family should naturally have. When you looked at the place where she died, all you had was the scent of disgust!

Your so-called bonds are fake!!!"

Tanjiro spoke with absolute certainty, with a conviction that could not be shaken!

It seemed his sore spot had been struck. Rui's eyes and hands trembled slightly, and he even clenched his teeth in fury.

"You... Say that again if you dare!" Rui vented the anger in his heart.

Killing intent filled the air.

Even Tanjiro, enveloped by that killing intent, felt himself tremble slightly. Yet even so, he had no intention of yielding.

"It'll be the same no matter how many times I say it! The bonds between you are fake!"

This time, Rui could no longer suppress his rage.

"Don't expect to die well! I'll torture you to death bit by bit! But if you take back what you just said, perhaps I'll kill you in one blow."

Lin Fan, inside the blade, clicked his tongue at the sight.

Wasn't Tanjiro stabbing straight into the guy's heart?

You're more ruthless than me.

Just then, Tanjiro resolutely said in his heart, Ashura Maru, please lend me your strength!

"Are you finally taking the initiative to ask for power? I told you that you could have as much as you wanted. Then as you wish!"

Lin Fan released his Demon Power into every limb and bone of Tanjiro's body, enhancing his combat ability in every aspect!

Feeling power fill his entire body once more, Tanjiro's gaze remained unwavering. Gripping his blade with both hands, he was fully prepared.

"I won't take back those words, because I was right. The one with the problem is you!"

The two locked eyes.

Then Rui decisively attacked. With a flick of his hand, threads shot forth like bolts, gleaming with chilling light beneath the moon and brimming with murderous intent!

"I'll cut you to pieces!"

Tanjiro stepped forward. A flash of blade light shattered the threads instantly. "You won't succeed!"

Watching his threads get severed again, Rui muttered, "The threads still aren't hard enough? But do you think this is all I can do?"

As soon as he finished speaking—

His hands underwent a transformation, rapidly stained by blood.

They became scarlet and eerie, while the blood flowed from his fingertips into the threads, dyeing them as well!

This time, the threads were clearly visible.

Their toughness had also been greatly enhanced. Yet when Rui swung his threads—

Tanjiro still effortlessly neutralized them with a single slash.

"How is that possible..."

Even Rui was shocked this time. His threads were far tougher than steel; even Nichirin Blades would be easily cut apart by them!

Yet today, the opposite had happened, and this blade had not sustained the slightest damage!

He recalled the intelligence Muzan had given him.

It had indeed said that this blade was extremely sharp, but Rui had never expected it to be sharp to this extent!

But that was not the extent of his ability.

"Blood Demon Art—Silk Carving Prison!"

With a forceful pull of one hand, the threads that had originally spread around them suddenly converged and intertwined in midair.

They formed a massive net that rushed toward Tanjiro.

Seeing this, Tanjiro held his blade in one hand.

"Water Breathing—Sixth Form—Whirlpool!"

Water blasted from the blade, and as Tanjiro swung it, a waterspout formed around him, completely obliterating the incoming web.

Only then did Rui truly begin to take Tanjiro seriously, treating him as an enemy!

The two exchanged no further words.

They simply fought relentlessly, both sharing the same goal: to kill the other!

Before long—

Intense sounds of battle rang out through the forest.

The surrounding trees were sliced apart, while countless cutting marks appeared across the ground, all testifying to the ferocity of the battle!

Inosuke and Zenitsu, who had rushed over, saw the two locked in combat as soon as they arrived.

Zenitsu's first reaction was sheer panic.

"W-We'll definitely die if we get any closer! Tanjiro will be fine on his own. Let's hurry and leave, so we don't hold Tanjiro back..."

Surprisingly, Inosuke did not argue this time. After all, he could clearly sense the terrifying power of that demon.

If the two of them joined in, they might be killed immediately. This was clearly no longer a battle they could participate in...

Inosuke gripped his dual blades, fuming with anger. "So all we can do is watch? This is so damn frustrating!"

But very soon—

The two noticed something unusual.

Lin Fan had sensed it long ago as well and had already informed Tanjiro of the situation.

"Demons are approaching nearby. The remaining three Twelve Kizuki are also on their way here, and several demons are about to arrive!"

Hearing that, Tanjiro caught sight of Zenitsu and Inosuke in the distance from the corner of his eye during a brief opening after cutting through the spiderweb. He hurriedly called out,

"Zenitsu, Inosuke, demons are coming here! Please help me hold back the weaker ones!"

"You dare let your guard down while fighting me?!"

Rui released a large number of threads once more and launched a surprise attack.

Not far away—

Zenitsu's legs went weak, and he was already planning to run. "We should just get out of here..."

Unfortunately, the moment he said that—

Three demons had already appeared. All of them were snow-white and dressed almost exactly like Rui.

The arriving demons consisted of a young girl, a burly man-eating demon with a spider's head, and a demon with a human head and a spider's body.

The latter two had their bodies and heads attached in the wrong places.

The moment Inosuke saw the demons, he became excited. Waving his dual blades, he locked onto the burly one.

"Ahahaha... I'm going to tear you apart!"

"Inosuke, don't leave me behind..."

Zenitsu trembled in fear and tried to stop him.

But Inosuke had already rushed out.

The three demons also noticed what was happening here. When they saw Inosuke—

The female demon was clearly stunned for a moment.