"Ah—!"
Aoyama's expression shifted slightly.
His blade had only sunk into the brute's arm muscle. It hadn't severed it cleanly.
Planting his foot hard against the demon's arm, he yanked the sword free and dropped back to the ground.
This giant's body was even tougher than the previous demon's.
He would need another method.
"Hey, big guy! Weren't you going to protect your family? Come on!"
Aoyama widened the distance and sprinted toward the river behind him.
Back at the entrance of Natagumo Mountain, Zenitsu sat dejectedly on the ground, drawing circles with his finger.
"They just left me… Senior Aoyama… I was worried too, okay?!"
"Why didn't you at least try harder to persuade me? If you'd just talked to me properly, I might have gone with you…"
"They didn't even look back…"
His world felt pitch black.
Not a single ray of light.
His sparrow fluttered down onto his hand.
"Chirp chirp."
"You're the only one who stayed with me—OW! OW OW!"
The tiny beak pecked viciously at the back of his hand.
"Chirp!"
(Can you pull yourself together and go help them?!)
"You stupid bird! As a sparrow, you're not cute at all! Nezuko is a thousand times cuter than—"
He froze.
Nezuko.
Tanjiro had taken her into the mountain.
His face drained of color.
"OH NO!"
Without hesitation, he shot to his feet and bolted into the forest.
Meanwhile—
Aoyama lured the brute into the middle of the river.
Mud and water swallowed the demon's legs, slowing its movements. Even if it could throw fast punches, its mobility was limited.
That gave Aoyama freedom—strike, retreat, repeat.
After several exchanges, he managed to sever one arm.
It regenerated almost immediately.
Tough skin.
Rapid regeneration.
He suddenly remembered something.
The system's reward.
"Thunderburst Talisman."
A crackling talisman materialized in his palm, arcs of lightning dancing across its surface.
The brute ripped its legs free from the mud and charged toward shore.
Rui had said family bonds must be protected.
As the "father," his duty was to shield them.
BOOM—
The ground where Aoyama stood moments ago cratered from a punch.
"Total Concentration. Light Breathing — Third Form: Dance of Radiance."
His footwork turned nimble and fluid.
The brute swung wildly, missing again and again.
Aoyama circled behind.
In a single smooth motion—
He slapped the Thunderburst Talisman onto the demon's back.
Instantly—
A pillar of lightning exploded skyward.
"AAAAAA—!"
The brute's scream tore through the forest.
BOOM.
Silence.
Where the demon once stood—
Only charred black ash remained.
"Ding! Host successfully used Thunderburst Talisman to slay a demon. Reward: +20 body enhancement. Bonus: Thunderburst Talisman x1."
Aoyama raised a brow.
Use one, get one back?
Not bad.
A new scent reached his nose.
Sharp. Rotten. Overwhelming.
He stopped pondering and sprinted toward it.
Natagumo Mountain was Rui's domain.
He had eliminated the "father."
From Rui's earlier words, Tanjiro and the others were likely facing the "mother."
The direction he was heading now—
Did not carry Tanjiro's scent.
Which meant—
Another family member awaited.
The stench grew thicker.
So pungent it nearly made him retch.
Sometimes, having a keen sense of smell was a curse.
He tied a cloth over his nose to dull the odor.
"NOOO—!"
"I don't want my hair to fall out! I don't want to go bald! I don't want to turn into a spider! I don't want this!!!"
Up ahead, Zenitsu clung to a tree trunk, screaming hysterically.
Human-headed spiders crawled upward toward him.
Above, suspended beneath a small wooden house, a spider boy watched with amusement.
"What's this? Aren't you Demon Slayers? You came to hunt our family, didn't you? Pathetic."
"You're right," Aoyama said as he stepped from the shadows.
"We're here to hunt your entire family."
Both the spider boy and Zenitsu turned.
The cloth covering Aoyama's face hid his features.
Zenitsu couldn't recognize him immediately—
But that voice—
He would never forget it.
"Se—Senior Brother Aoyama?!"
Hope exploded in his eyes.
Relief flooded his face.
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