"Senior Aoyama! Y-you're finally here—!"
Zenitsu burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
Before, he cried from fear.
Now, he cried because salvation had arrived.
Aoyama waved up at him, then shifted his gaze to the spider boy suspended in midair — a child's head fused to a grotesque spider body.
No wonder Zenitsu had scrambled up a tree.
It was hideous.
"Heehee… another one here to die. None of you are escaping. You'll all become part of my collection."
One long, spindly leg pointed toward Zenitsu in the tree, then toward Aoyama below.
"See? He's already been poisoned. Soon he'll lose his will and become one of mine."
Zenitsu yanked at his hair — and a clump came off in his hand.
He stared at it in horror.
"Senior Aoyama… I'm going bald! Save me! Please save me!"
The human-faced spiders were nearly at his branch. He clung to it, too terrified to move.
Aoyama drew his blade and dashed forward. A kick off the trunk launched him upward, and in a clean arc of steel, the spiders were sliced in half.
Zenitsu shakily climbed down and held out his bitten hand.
"Can I still be saved? Senior… can I live?"
Tears streamed down his face.
If only he knew how powerful he was when asleep.
"You're hopeless," the spider boy sneered. "The poison will paralyze you. There's no saving you."
That shrill laughter grated against the ears.
Zenitsu's teeth chattered violently as he clutched Aoyama's sleeve.
"What do we do…?"
"I'm here. It's fine."
Aoyama gently removed Zenitsu's grip and fixed his eyes on the spider boy.
Arrogant, even now.
Unforgivable.
He steadied his breathing.
Total Concentration. Light Breathing — First Form: Flash.
He shot forward like an arrow.
Just as his blade descended—
A wave of venom sprayed toward him.
Aoyama twisted aside instantly.
"Heehee! Try this — Venomous Spit!"
The next spray wasn't aimed at him.
It was aimed at Zenitsu.
Aoyama's expression shifted.
Clever.
He pivoted mid-motion and lunged back, seizing Zenitsu's arm and dragging him clear at the last second.
Half a breath slower—
They both would've been drenched.
"S-Senior… I'm scared…"
"Zenitsu! If you want to, you can do this."
Aoyama struck his shoulder firmly.
He couldn't fight properly while protecting him. And escape wasn't realistic either — the forest crawled with spider spawn.
There was only one option.
Zenitsu had to stand.
"I… I can? I'm poisoned… My body…"
"I, Agatsuma Zenitsu!!! Do you want to live or not?! Do you want to live long enough to get married someday?! Believe in yourself — there is no other choice!"
The shout rang like thunder in Zenitsu's ears.
His trembling slowed.
"Yes!"
He drew his sword.
"I want to live! I'm a Demon Slayer! I can do this!!!"
Good.
That was enough.
Aoyama stepped away. He needed to finish this quickly.
Spider spawn swarmed from all sides, fangs bared.
Total Concentration. Water Breathing — Fourth Form: Striking Tide.
His blade flowed in wave-like arcs, continuous and relentless. The spiders fell one after another, bodies piling at his feet.
Behind him, Zenitsu fought desperately. Though he couldn't access Thunder Breathing in this state, he managed to fend off a few attackers with sheer will.
The spider boy clicked his tongue in irritation.
His "collection" was being slaughtered.
He swayed from silk threads and launched himself into motion.
"Venomous Spit! Venomous Spit! Venomous Spit!"
Aoyama weaved and studied the terrain.
He couldn't approach head-on.
Total Concentration. Light Breathing — Third Form: Dance of Radiance.
Step by step, he closed in—
At the final instant, he vaulted upward and landed atop the suspended wooden house.
Total Concentration. Light Breathing — First Form: Flash.
White light surged along the blade.
He drove it downward.
BOOM—
The house split cleanly in two.
The spider boy didn't split—
But every leg on one side of his body was severed at once.
Aoyama's lips curved faintly.
Not a killing blow—
But proof his strategy worked.
"Senior Aoyama! Hurry! I can't hold on much longer!"
Zenitsu shouted in panic.
With Aoyama airborne and fully engaged, the remaining spiders shifted targets.
Aoyama ignored the cry.
No distractions.
The spider boy swung from his threads wildly, spraying venom in every direction to keep distance.
Total Concentration. Light Breathing — Third Form: Dance of Radiance.
Aoyama dodged and searched.
A leap—
His feet landed on one of the silk threads.
Using its tension—
He launched himself skyward.
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