Five sharp threads of spider silk swept horizontally towards Tanjiro. Having experienced the power of the silk before, Tanjiro didn't dare block them directly and quickly leaped backward to avoid the attack.
He then planned to seize the opportunity for a counterattack while the boy's assault was not yet finished, hoping to catch him off guard. However, just as Tanjiro raised his sword and charged forward, the boy suddenly flicked his hands, and a spine-chilling screeching sound erupted from all around.
Tanjiro's keen sense of smell detected numerous threads of spider silk rapidly converging on him. With no other choice, he halted his advance.
The further he moved forward, the denser the spider silk became. If he couldn't kill the boy in one strike, his fate would likely mirror that of the previous Demon Slayer Corps member, who was sliced into pieces.
The most pressing issue now wasn't just sensing the spider silk's trajectory but figuring out how to sever it.
If he couldn't effectively cut through the silk, forget about defeating the boy—he wouldn't even be able to get close.
Tanjiro felt anxious. Glancing up at Nezuko suspended in mid-air, with several threads cutting into her flesh, her vibrant blood gleaming eerily in the moonlight, he became even more desperate.
As Tanjiro dodged the sweeping threads and retreated to create some distance, he pondered how to cut the silk and save Nezuko. Suddenly, a thread shot up from the ground like a viper, making a screeching sound as it aimed directly at his forehead.
Tanjiro's expression changed dramatically, and he quickly raised his Nichirin sword to block. With a "clang," the thread snapped the sword in half.
Had he not dodged in time, his forehead would have been pierced.
Drenched in cold sweat, Tanjiro stared at the broken sword in his hand, feeling a wave of despair. Now, even his last hope was gone.
A Demon Slayer without a Nichirin sword was like a tiger without fangs.
The boy sneered, "In your state, you can't even protect yourself. How dare you call yourself her brother? She belongs to me." With that, he flicked his hands again.
Dozens of threads shot out from all directions, intending to slice Tanjiro into pieces.
Faced with so many attacks, Tanjiro felt his limbs grow heavy and was at a loss for how to defend himself.
The resilient threads could even break his Nichirin sword. Even if he could block two or three, what about the others?
Just as all hope seemed lost, the boy suddenly halted his attack. A strange gust of wind and snowstorm appeared out of nowhere, rushing towards the boy.
Forced to retract his assault on Tanjiro, the boy formed a web with his hands. A snow-white Nichirin sword pierced through the web, stopping just half an inch from the boy's throat.
The sharp web and the Nichirin sword clashed, producing a screeching sound. The transparent web, affected by the cold air, started to crystallize with snow-white ice flowers forming around the sword.
The boy first glanced at the sword at his throat, then looked up to see a young man, seemingly emerging from the snowstorm, surrounded by a frosty aura.
One with a cold gaze, the other with a dark heart.
The boy tightened his grip, causing the web to contract and make an even more piercing sound against the blade.
"Who is he? An ally?" Tanjiro wondered, noticing the white haori adorned with wisteria flowers.
Still shaken by his broken sword, Tanjiro didn't want the newcomer's sword to break too. Plus, he noticed that the newcomer's rank was also Mizunoto.
The boy's strength was evident. Two Mizunoto-ranked Demon Slayers couldn't possibly defeat him.
Their only hope was to buy time until stronger reinforcements arrived from headquarters. Otherwise, they were doomed.
"Be careful, his threads are sharp. Don't let your sword be cut," Tanjiro warned.
But it was unnecessary. The newcomer, Hatsune, had already sensed it.
Hatsune twisted his blade and quickly withdrew it, taking advantage of a brief opening in the web.
The boy's web chased after him, but Hatsune dodged it.
The web sliced through the dense foliage behind him, reducing it to shredded pieces.
The boy shifted his attention from Tanjiro to Hatsune. If looks could kill, Hatsune would be in pieces by now.
Just when he was about to kill that pest and claim the girl, another pest appeared. How could he not be furious?
Lower Rank Five of the Twelve Kizuki!
His eyes bore the Lower Rank and number. Hatsune's heart raced with excitement.
Just as he was about to inquire about his sister's whereabouts, he sensed another presence and looked up. A girl with a bamboo muzzle was bound in mid-air by spider silk.
"A demon? Why is she bound by the spider silk?"
Tanjiro noticed Hatsune's confusion and quickly explained, "She... she's my sister. She's not with him."
"Sister?"
Hatsune turned to Tanjiro, and then he remembered.
In Shimizu Town, Lady Tamayo had mentioned a boy named Tanjiro who carried his demon sister while seeking a cure. Could it be this pair of siblings?
What a coincidence!
Hearing about them and then meeting them in such a short time was surprising.
Hatsune scrutinized Tanjiro for a moment before refocusing on the boy. Holding back his excitement, he asked, "Are you Rui?"
"Annoying."
Rui, without wasting words, flicked his hand, sending several transparent threads towards Hatsune.
Tanjiro immediately warned, worried Hatsune might not sense the threads. But clearly, his concern was unnecessary.
As long as there was airflow, it would cause temperature changes. As the threads neared Hatsune, they were quickly covered in frost, forming ice flowers.
Hatsune gently swayed, dodging the attack.
Tanjiro's jaw dropped in amazement, realizing his concern was unfounded. His sense of smell was sharp, but Hatsune's temperature sensitivity was just as effective.
"I need to ask you about two people. Have you seen a man named Akiyama and a woman named Yuki?"
Asking a Twelve Kizuki for information?
Was this guy crazy?
Did he lose his family to the Twelve Kizuki?
Thinking of family, Tanjiro remembered Nezuko was still bound in the web above.
While Rui was focused on Hatsune, Tanjiro looked for an opportunity to rescue Nezuko.