"This guy is ridiculously tough—I can't even cut him!"
Tanjiro gritted his teeth as he wrenched his blade free from the demon's massive spider-shaped head. He narrowly dodged a follow-up strike, heart pounding, immediately retreating to widen the distance.
Despite its grotesque size, the Spider-Head Demon was alarmingly fast.
Inosuke dashed forward, dual blades drawn, forcing the creature back for a moment—but even he was pushed away by its overwhelming brute strength.
"Where the hell did this monster come from?! Its power is insane!"
"We can't fight here!" Tanjiro shouted. "There are wounded everywhere! Murata, stay here and protect them. Inosuke and I will lure it away!"
Without waiting for a reply, Tanjiro rushed forward, slicing into the demon's ankle. The wound was trivial—one breath, and a demon could regenerate—but the pain was enough to grab its attention.
"That's it!"
Using the opening, Tanjiro baited it deeper into the forest, Inosuke charging behind him like an enraged boar. Within seconds, the three figures disappeared beyond the treeline.
Murata clenched his teeth hard. He wanted to chase after them—but one look at the battered, half-conscious slayers around him made his decision clear.
He stayed.
He had to.
Otherwise, the next demon to wander in would wipe them all out instantly.
The Spider-Head Demon was powerful, yes—but the one stroke of luck was its complete lack of intelligence. Perhaps its mutation had affected its brain; whatever the reason, it was easily baited, and now it was crashing through the forest like a maddened beast, smashing trees in its rampage but failing to land a single hit.
"This can't go on… I'm burning through too much stamina!"
Tanjiro panted. Competing against a demon in pure endurance was a losing gamble. The longer he dragged this out, the worse their odds became. Eventually even lifting his sword would be impossible.
Just as Tanjiro slowed, trying to adjust his breathing for a decisive strike
Inosuke leapt in, slashing hard at the demon's arm. "STOP RUNNING, DAMN IT! LET ME CUT YOU!"
"Inosuke! Don't rush in alone—we need to coordinate!"
"SHUT UP, FOREHEAD-BOY! Coordination is for WIMPS! I CUT DEMONS! If one strike doesn't work, I'll use two! I refuse to believe this thing won't break!"
With a feral roar, Inosuke hammered the back of his own blade with the other, forcing the edge deeper—until he literally chopped the demon's arm off.
"That… actually works?"
Tanjiro stared, stunned. Sometimes thinking too much really did hold you back.
"Hahahaha! Learn from me, Forehead-Boy!"
But while Inosuke was basking in his triumph
The Spider-Head Demon suddenly turned tail and sprinted away.
"What?! GET BACK HERE AND LET ME CUT OFF YOUR HEAD!"
Inosuke dashed after it, full of fury. Tanjiro tried to stop him, but it was too late—he could only chase after him.
"Where'd it go…?"
Inosuke scanned the surroundings, but the demon was nowhere in sight.
So much for calling it stupid—it sure knew how to flee when necessary.
"Above!" Tanjiro's nose twitched sharply. He sensed it immediately: the demon perched atop a tree branch. But something was wrong—terribly wrong.
"Be careful! Its scent—its aura just intensified!"
"I DON'T CARE WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE! I'M CUTTING ITS HEAD OFF!"
Inosuke launched himself upward, blades raised—
And right then, the demon's body convulsed violently. Muscles bulged, tearing through its own skin. Pitch-black bone spikes erupted from its flesh. Its size doubled in an instant—its severed arm regrew in a heartbeat.
This wasn't the same demon anymore.
Inosuke felt the danger too late. He couldn't pull back—his blades struck
And barely scraped the surface.
The demon swatted him away with one massive swing.
Inosuke flew ten meters, crashing spine-first into a tree with a sickening thud.
"Are you okay?! This one's nothing like the others—it's incredibly strong. Stay alert!"
Tanjiro's concern lasted only a heartbeat—because the demon dropped from above, lunging at him.
"Water Breathing!"
(Not enough time!)
He aborted the technique and leapt back, barely dodging the massive fists. But the relentless barrage forced him into a retreat, step by step.
Eventually, he couldn't retreat anymore.
Tanjiro raised his blade to block
Crack.
Blood burst from his torn palms, agony flashing across his face.
He couldn't hold on
Then
A swift silhouette leapt past him.
A single flying kick slammed into the demon's face, staggering it back.
"Nezuko… you saved me."
"I'm here, Tanjiro!"
Inosuke stumbled back into the fray. The two demon slayers and one demon girl surrounded the Spider-Head Demon.
"Nezuko, Inosuke—buy me some time!"
At this point, Tanjiro had no room left to hesitate.
As Tanjiro prepared to unleash his strongest strike, the demon roared and lunged toward him.
Nezuko was first to intercept. Even without awakening her Blood Demon Art, her strength was formidable. She managed to grab one of the demon's arms—and even as it hurled blow after blow, she refused to back down.
Inosuke, meanwhile, attempted to replicate his earlier trick
But was slapped into a tree again.
With Nezuko left alone, the demon quickly overpowered her, seizing her by the head and hurling her aside.
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form—
Flowing Dance!"
The opening was enough. Tanjiro charged forward, blade rotating in a spiraling arc.
He cleaved through one of the demon's fists
Spun
The blade was aimed straight at its neck
But its other fist was already crashing toward him.
A mutual kill was inevitable.
Tanjiro didn't hesitate.
He was ready to die.
And right then
A sharp, icy gleam shot through the woods.
A blade-thin streak of light pierced straight through the demon's neck.
The Spider-Head Demon froze mid-motion.
Its massive head tumbled to the forest floor.
Tanjiro swung at empty air and nearly twisted his back, stumbling forward.
"That was close… way too close."
Okane Kichiro stepped out from between the trees, left arm casually carrying a dazed Nezuko like a cat.