Tanjiro and Inosuke ventured deeper into the forest, the oppressive atmosphere thickening with each step.
The scent of blood and the looming presence of the demon grew stronger, and they knew they were getting closer. But what awaited them next was unlike anything they had faced so far.
Emerging from the shadows was a towering, headless figure. The creature's skin was dark and rough, its massive form radiating power.
In each hand, it gripped a sword, both gleaming wickedly under the faint light that filtered through the trees.
Like the others, this monster was clearly being controlled by the demon's webs, its body moving unnaturally as it awaited their approach.
"What the hell is that?!" Inosuke shouted, his excitement mixing with surprise as he gazed at the monstrous figure.
Tanjiro's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. "It's just like the others—it's being controlled. We have to find the threads and cut them, or we'll be fighting endlessly."
The headless beast roared without sound, charging forward with terrifying speed for something so large.
Its swords swung down with brutal force, aiming directly at them. Tanjiro and Inosuke dodged, the ground cracking beneath the impact of the monster's attack.
Inosuke grinned wildly, his instincts kicking in. "No need to hold back now! I'll tear this thing apart!"
Before Tanjiro could say anything, Inosuke leaped toward the headless creature, his twin blades slashing through the air. He aimed for the monster's arms, trying to disable it.
But the creature's movements were swift, parrying Inosuke's strikes with its own swords, the force of the clash sending a shockwave through the forest.
Tanjiro watched closely, his sharp senses trying to pinpoint the controlling threads. "It's fast... too fast for something that big," he thought. His eyes darted toward the trees above the monster, and there—woven among the branches—were the faint glimmers of the demon's webs.
"I see it!" Tanjiro shouted. "The threads are in the trees! We need to cut them first, or this thing won't stop!"
Inosuke, mid-battle, glanced up briefly before grinning. "I don't care what it takes! I'll shred this thing and everything around it!"
Tanjiro knew Inosuke's raw power would be helpful, but they needed precision. As the monster raised its swords for another devastating attack, Tanjiro sprinted toward one of the nearby trees.
He leaped, using his incredible agility to climb the trunk, eyes focused on the thin strands of thread controlling the beast.
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!" Tanjiro slashed through the air, his sword cutting through the threads with fluid, powerful strokes.
In an instant, the monster faltered. Its movements became sluggish, the control over it weakening. Inosuke seized the opportunity, his wild energy fully unleashed.
"Beast Breathing, Fifth Fang: Crazy Cutting!" Inosuke roared, his blades spinning as he attacked the monster relentlessly, slicing through its arms and body in a flurry of slashes.
The headless creature staggered, its control completely severed by Tanjiro's precision and Inosuke's relentless attack.
With a final, powerful strike, Inosuke slashed through the monster's torso, and it collapsed to the ground, motionless.
"We did it," Tanjiro said.
But before he could fully process the moment, something strange happened.
Inosuke turned sharply toward Tanjiro, his body tense with excitement and energy. His wild eyes gleamed from behind his boar mask as he rushed at Tanjiro without warning.
"Inosuke, what are you doing?" Tanjiro barely had time to react as Inosuke grabbed him by the collar and, with a powerful grunt, flung him into the air.
"Wha—?!" Tanjiro yelped as he was sent soaring above the trees, his body spinning uncontrollably.
"Wait, I can smell better now," Tanjiro murmurs. And he saw a white-haired woman sitting on stone with a web coming out of her hands.
"So, that's what this is about, huh, Inosuke," Tanjiro said.
•••
The Spider Demon Mother sat motionless, her eyes dull and her body trembling with both exhaustion and fear. "They got me," she muttered under her breath, her voice filled with a sense of defeat. "Even though that doll was my fastest and strongest… they defeated it."
She clenched her fists, remembering Rui's threats, his cold, harsh words. "It's Rui's fault… for coming to me with those threats. That's why I panicked."
Her heart pounded in her chest as the weight of her situation sank in. She had used everything—her strongest puppet, her thickest webs, but it wasn't enough.
Now, they were coming for her. The demon slayers were relentless, and she knew they wouldn't stop until they had cut her threads and taken her life.
Suddenly, a shout pierced the silence.
"From above!!!"
Her head jerked upward, and her eyes widened in horror. There, falling from the sky with his sword poised for a deadly strike, was one of the demon slayers—Tanjiro.
His eyes burned with determination, his sword aimed directly at her neck.
"He'll kill me! He'll chop off my head!" Panic surged through her as she watched Tanjiro's descent, his blade shimmering in the dim light.
"Think!" she screamed internally. "You have to think! Do something! Anything!"
But her thoughts were scattered, disjointed. She couldn't focus, couldn't move, as if the weight of her entire existence was dragging her down.
As she stared at the boy descending with deadly precision, a strange sense of peace washed over her.
"If I die... I will be released." Her hands, once trembling, fell limply to her sides.
The threads that connected her to her puppets slackened, the tension disappearing as she lowered her arms. "Then… I will know peace."
A tear slipped from her eye as she closed them, accepting her fate. She had been trapped for so long, bound by fear and the expectations of others. Perhaps death would free her from that endless cycle of torment.
Tanjiro's sword glimmered as it came closer, ready to deliver the final strike.
But just then a figure with red eyes and black hair appeared in front of her and caught the demon slayer's sword, which came to take her life, with his bare hand.
"Don't you think it's rude to point your sword at a woman?"
"Who are you?" Tanjiro asked, still surprised that someone caught his sword without getting any injury.
"My name is Alexander Seductus Von Mortis, but please call me Alex."
~~~
bonus Chapter for 130 power stone.
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