Time seemed to stand still. Tanjiro's mind went blank, and he could only watch helplessly as that arrogant figure wearing a boar's head mask was knocked effortlessly to the edge of his vision like a dead leaf, his fate unknown.
"Inosuke..." he murmured the name unconsciously. An enormous shadow had already swallowed him completely. The "Father" Spider Demon had turned around, its huge, emotionless compound eyes fixing coldly on him as though looking at an insect it could crush at will.
Fear surged in from all sides like icy seawater, almost drowning his heart entirely, but he could not retreat-behind him lay the unconscious Nezuko and Inosuke, whose fate was unknown. He was the only line of defense here.
Tanjiro tightened his grip on the Nichirin Blade in his hand, only half of which remained. His palms were slick with cold sweat. He forced himself to calm down and recall his master Urokodaki's teachings: Observe, breathe, find the opening thread!
Yet before his eyes, that enormous demon's body offered nothing. There were no openings, only an absolute, crushing pressure like an impregnable wall.
The "Father" Spider Demon moved, slowly raising a fist larger than a millstone. There were no flashy techniques, no bizarre Blood Demon Art, only the purest strength, intent on crushing the troublesome insect before it.
I can't just wait here to die! Tanjiro's survival instinct screamed wildly. He lowered his body as far as he could, his lungs burning and heaving like worn-out bellows as he poured all his air and strength into this one breath. Water appeared out of thin air around the blade, swirling and surging.
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!" This was one of the most powerful moves he could currently use.
Roaring, he staked all his hopes on this one slash-he was