Zenitsu trudged deeper into the eerie forest, his steps slow and uncertain. Every shadow seemed to move, every whisper of the wind made his heart pound faster. The towering trees blotted out most of the moonlight, and a dense fog coiled around the roots, making it impossible to see far ahead. Still, he pressed forward—partly because of his determination, and partly because turning back meant admitting he was alone.
"Nezuko-chaaaan!" Zenitsu's voice cracked as it echoed through the woods. "Tanjirooo! Where are you guys?! This isn't funny anymore!"
Only the soft rustle of leaves answered him. His nerves were stretched taut, and his trembling hand kept brushing the hilt of his sword, though the idea of actually using it terrified him.
He stopped suddenly, eyes wide, as a low rustling sound echoed from somewhere ahead. His entire body stiffened. "W-What was that?!" he stammered, spinning around with his sword half drawn. "I-I'm warning you! I'm really strong, you know! So don't come any closer!"
The bushes shook again. Zenitsu let out a pitiful whimper, his knees wobbling. Then, with a burst of noise, something shot out of the foliage—
—a flock of small birds.
Zenitsu froze, blinking dumbly as they fluttered away into the sky. The tension drained from his body in an instant, replaced by anger and humiliation. "A flock of birds?! You've got to be kidding me!" He stomped his foot, pouting like a child. "I almost died of a heart attack because of birds! Ugh, I hate this stupid forest!"
His sparrow, Chuntaro, fluttered down from above, perching on a branch and chirping in disapproval. "Chun-chun!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Zenitsu shouted up at him. "Stop judging me! I'm not scared, okay? I'm just… cautious! That's all!"
The sparrow chirped again, unimpressed.
Zenitsu sighed dramatically, dragging his feet forward. "Fine. Whatever. I'll find Nezuko-chan and get out of this creepy place. Then I'll never have to deal with stupid mountains, stupid demons, or stupid Tanjiro and Inosuke ever again!"
His words echoed into the empty woods as he called out again, "Nezuko-chaaaaan! It's me, Zenitsu! The guy who'll always protect you! Just say something, okay?"
He cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting as loudly as he could, unaware that every cry of her name carried deeper into the shadows. He didn't notice the faint rustle behind him—or the gleam of something moving among the trees.
He pressed on, muttering under his breath, "Why am I even doing this? They left me behind, and now I'm the one wandering around in this demon-infested nightmare. If something happens to me, Tanjiro better feel guilty for the rest of his life!"
Suddenly, Zenitsu flinched. He felt a tiny prick on the back of his hand. "Ow!" He hissed, slapping at it and glaring. "What now?!" Looking down, he saw a faint red mark forming. "A mosquito? No, it's too cold for that…" He rubbed at the spot, frowning, but shrugged it off. "Ugh, whatever. Just great—now even bugs are attacking me."
He trudged on, his frustration building. Every direction looked the same—twisted trees, thick mist, and endless darkness. "Where even is everyone?!" he yelled, kicking at a rock. "Tanjiro's probably smiling and saying something nice like, 'We have to keep going,' while Inosuke's running around yelling about cutting things! And I'm just… stuck here!"
After what felt like hours of wandering, he came across a fork in the road. Two narrow paths diverged between the trees, both equally dark and foreboding. Zenitsu groaned, gripping his hair. "Seriously?! Now I have to pick? Which one do I take?!"
He sniffed the air and immediately gagged. A sickly, pungent odor filled the area—rotting flesh mixed with something sticky and unnatural. "Ew, what is that smell?! It's awful! Ugh, I'm gonna be sick!" He stumbled back, covering his nose. As his eyes darted around, he realized the ground around him was littered with spiderwebs—thick, silvery strands stretching from tree to tree.
And worse—dozens of small spiders crawled across the forest floor, their bodies glistening in the faint light.
Zenitsu froze, his face turning pale. "N-nope. Nope nope nope. I hate spiders. I hate spiders!" he stammered, taking a shaky step backward. "I'll just… go back the way I came—yeah, that's a good idea. Forget Nezuko-chan, forget Tanjiro, forget this whole mountain!"
Just then, something twitched behind him. A faint rustle—barely audible, but Zenitsu's enhanced hearing picked it up instantly.
His blood ran cold.
He turned slowly, every nerve in his body screaming at him not to. "Who's there…?" he whispered.
No response. Just the sound of soft, deliberate movement.
"D-Don't mess with me!" Zenitsu cried, voice breaking. "I can hear you, you know! S-So come out slowly! Don't move a muscle!"
Heart pounding, he whipped around, sword raised—only to see something crawling across the ground toward him.
It was a spider.
A huge one.
Its bloated body was the size of a pumpkin—but that wasn't the worst part. Because attached to its body… was a human head.
Zenitsu's entire face drained of color. The head's cloudy, lifeless eyes stared straight at him, its mouth twitching as if trying to form words. Its voice was a ghastly whisper, a broken echo of humanity.
"Hel…p… me…"
Zenitsu's scream shattered the silence of the forest.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! WHAT IS THAT?! WHAT IS THAT?!" he howled, stumbling backward and falling on his rear. "A SPIDER WITH A HUMAN HEAD?! THAT'S NOT NORMAL! THAT'S NOT NATURAL! I'M DREAMING! I HAVE TO BE DREAMING!"
The monstrous spider twitched again, scuttling toward him with jerky, unnatural movements. Zenitsu scrambled to his feet and turned to run, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"NOPE! NOPE! NOPE! I'M OUT! I'M DONE! THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!"
Branches whipped his face as he sprinted through the woods, his sword clattering against his hip. Every time he glanced over his shoulder, the shadows seemed to move, the faint clicking of spider legs echoing somewhere behind him. His lungs burned, but he didn't stop.
Then—through the darkness ahead—he saw something worse.
From the mouth of a decrepit house, half-hidden by webbing, emerged a massive spider-like demon. Its long, hairy legs creaked against the wood, its body towering over him. Its face—part human, part monstrous—grinned with jagged fangs as strands of silk oozed from its mouth.
Zenitsu froze mid-step, trembling violently. "N-no… this can't be real…" he whispered.
The demon's eight eyes gleamed in the dark, and a guttural hiss escaped its throat.
Zenitsu's body reacted before his mind could—he turned and ran, screaming hysterically.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I'M DEFINITELY DREAMING! I HAVE TO BE DREAMING! SOMEBODY WAKE ME UP!!!"
~~~