"This is very unusual." Rokuya stopped, his slender fingers lightly brushing the faint white threads left on a nearby tree trunk. "You should know that demons mutate because of Muzan's blood. Every demon's Blood Demon Art stems from their own obsessions and traits. Unless those traits were forcibly bestowed by the same source, there's no way an entire mountain of demons could all possess the same 'spider' abilities."
Obanai leaped down from a tree and landed steadily beside Rokuya. "You mean there's an extremely powerful source on this mountain, sharing its abilities with the other demons? Anything capable of that would have to be at least..."
"A Lower Rank." Sanemi grinned, his savage smile brimming with murderous intent. "A Lower Rank bastard? Perfect! I've been looking for someone worth fighting to test what I gained from spending the last two weeks as your punching bag!"
"Don't be rash, Sanemi." Rokuya patted Sanemi's shoulder, his voice calm but carrying an unquestionable force. "The Lower Ranks aren't trash you can hack apart at will. They're cunning, and they cling desperately to life. If it senses my presence, this rat might well abandon the mountain and flee."
Rokuya took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The next second, the faintly oppressive demonic aura around him began to recede rapidly until it vanished completely. If someone closed their eyes and tried to sense him now, he would have been no different from a roadside stone or a piece of deadwood, without the slightest hint of life or threat.
"From here on, I'll conceal my presence completely and stay hidden." Rokuya opened his eyes, sweeping his gaze over the two before him. "You two will sweep through this mountain. Clear out all those assorted Spider Demons and force the Lower Rank hiding behind them